2012-07 Brisbane

INDIAN LINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Ritam Mitra, Raka Mitra, Danielle Mathias, Asha Chand, Dolly Singh Miranda, Anusha Menon, Tim Blight, Noel G deSouza, Mohan Dhall, Devna Luthra, Geeta Khurana, Petra O'Neill, Talia Kaur, Nancy Althea, LP Ayer

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DESIGN

Danielle Cairis

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Challenge of the work-life balance

But is work trul y fuliilling us, and ar what cost?

In our frenetically-paced world , we are h eari n g many reports about i ncreasing stress levels, heald1 mishaps at younger ages, and burn- out.

The result, coo often, is that migran t Indian families are working hard to liv e not only the Australian dream, but als o to give their fam.iJies the opporcuniries which are on offer over here. All dlis takes its toll

Seeing 27-year-o ld S imon Sheikh, Director of GetUp A u stralia collapse on nacional televisi on was somew hat confronting. A pa nellist on J\BC's Q &A, Sheikh slumped over d1e rable while reaching for a glass of wate r He came to a few seco n d s later, and was e sco rted off rhe set to hospi tal. Ir was confirmed L-ite r that he was fine, and that the incident was a result of the Au 7 irus bur probabl y also exhaustion after burning the candle from both ends

Worki n g too hard is poss ib ly something that a lor of us are guilty of. A recent sm vey on work practices rev e aled d1ar Australian s are working l ong er hours than ever before, and longer hours drn.n people in many other countr ies.

Advancements in te d mo logy now allow us to be " at work" at al l hours of the day \Xfork is increas ingly invading our per sonal lives, and we are often in work- mode even at o ff-duty hours.

Po r m igrant p o pulati ons Like o ur own community, the pressure is often doubled The challenge of settling into d1e new adopted co untry comes wid1 i ts own stresses, especially in d1e early years There are new skills chat have to be learned fair!)' quickl y off rhe mar ka nd these might be different for men, women and children. The self-imposed pressure to succeed is also high, so that d 1ey can finall y claim to have "arriv ed". The necessary famil y and social support which d1ey are accustomed to back home, is lacking as well , ad d ing furt her to demands on the individual.

Particular ly vulnerable are profess ionals w ith a young famiJ y While mum and dad settle into their new working Life, wodcing Jong hours to make ends meet, they also wish to expose their children to me opporcunities available in Australia. The wide variety of activities in spore, music, creati \, e endeavours, even d1e "hot h o usin g" option s, excites them.

One o ther additi o nal burd en which the Indiau Australians love to rake on, is owning die famil y home. But financia l constraints and the desire for a large home rakes chem ro suburbs which may not have the best transport Links. Typicall y, they disregard the ease of transport betwee n work and home, and end up spending long h o urs in the commute, wllich adds to d1eir alread y long days. Perhaps, some practicality and sacrifice here could well assist in long- term health issues.

Perhaps it is time we learm co negotiate a good work -life balance Our cultur al heritage conditions us to focus o n tomo r row. But balanci ng th is with living in the moment can add more to our health and happiness Quality time with family, restfuJ weekends, bolida )' s, hobb ies, all need to become more o f a priority

The grave yards, iris said, are filled wi d1 people who mough t things could not g o on wid1our them.

LETTER S TO THE EDITO R

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On Gangs of Wasseypur 1 & 2

As part of the Sydney Film Festival's Focus on India this year, the two-part epic Gangs of Wasseypur screened on the last day of the festival to ex t remely enthusiastic appl ause from a mostly non south Asian audience This is the first film ever to be invited into the festival's international competition.

It has already been lauded internationally by being invited into the prestigious director's fort n ight at Cannes film festival.

In a nutshell: Peckinpah and Tarantino are reincarnated in one director who remakes The Godfather trilogy in India with an amazing sense of humour and social and political awareness.

The measure of a good film is that one thinks about it long after one has seen it. I have not stopped thinking about it.

The Godfather Trilogy deals with how a person or family becomes entwined in the cycle of crime and violence It is one of the great achievements of cinema history.

Bertolucci's 1900 deals with

the struggle of ordinary people for some autonomy and freedom from oppression. It i s also one of the g reat achievements of cinema history Gangs of Wasseypur does both and more. Moreover for an "art"fil m it is as entertaining as any Bollywood block buster and has great songs!

Most people take the government, police and legal systems for granted It seems to have a god gi ven authority and whilst there are corrupt politi cians, judges and police, these are seen as the exception rather than the rule The basis of the authority of the state is rarely questioned: we distract ourselves with arguments over which gang should rule the state, not what powers the state should have.

By tracing the oppression of the people of Bihar from Br itish colonial times to the present day, Gangs of Wasseypur brings into sharpe r focus the meaning of"authority''. Shortly after the British l eave India it becomes clear to the mine workers that thei r new Indian overlords are worse than the previous foreign ones.

The state, the legal system and the police are largely sidelined in the power struggles of the gangs ofWasseypur. Where they do feature in the discussion, they are merely tools of which gang lord has them in his pay

The people of Bihar accept rule by gang lords as a fact. They pay extortion cheerily and willingly in exactly the same way as people pay tax, without thought

What difference there is between a gang lord and a politician is the sophistication of their manipulative powers. The gang lord uses intimidation and re p utation. The pol itician uses rhetori c and ideology. The politician is merely the better and sneakier liar.

In countries like India, the nexus between the gang l ord of two generation s ago and the pol itician of today i s clear to thinking peopl e. In the developed world the state h as assumed an almost irresistible authority

But the process is the same. Most people are too busy t rying to stay alive to bother much with the machinations of politics. They are resigned to paying extortion (tax) for protecti on from chaos It is only whe n this extortion becomes unbearable or the chaos too disruptive that governments are deposed, by ballot or bullet. Then a new gang of war lords take over, full of promises And the cycle starts again.

This film deserves a place of h onou r amongst the great achievements in cinema.

Riju Ramrakha G/eb e, NSW

It was a pleasure to read Sunny Cherian's article on the Mohammed Rafi show that was held in Sydney recently (Indian Link, June-2 2012 issue)

To add to that, it would have been nice if some more songs were included in the show. There are plenty ofRafi n umbers that peopl e seem to skip in most shows.

I have never seen anyone singing Nain milakar chain churana, Jaane jigar tu hai hasi, Main kab gaata apne swar main, Unse rippy tippy ho gayi, Tumse kahoon ek baat, Oil tadpe tadpaya etc at any of these staged events

The shows all present the same son gs again and again. Rafi had a ve r y large collection of fine songs and hence it would be nice to hear different songs in different shows.

Renjith Menon Belmont, WA

Certification or Qualification? Why not both ...

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United Petroleum is one of Austra lia's largest Independent Petroleum compan ies with ove r 260 Service Stations and Convenience Stores Austra l ia wide. Currently seeking expressions of interest. This is an opportunity to operate and manage a reta il fuel and convenience store. United current ly has opportunities Aust ral ia wide.

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The cutting edge world of aerospace e ngineering has a·aditionally been a male dominated bastion but uor auymore, as ge nde r stereotypes are being constantly eroded.

Among th e newest cr op of graduate avia tion engineers with sky- h igh ambitions is a ta lented Indian Ausu·alian yo ungste r Ko mal Sangha And her career is alread y off to a Aying start w ith the Royal A u stralian Navy, thanks to a Defence Universi ty sponsorship.

Lieutenant Sangh a was among the few from her batch at Monash U n iversity to bag the Jucrati ve sponsor sh ip She applied for the undergraduate defence sponsorship while in h er second year, a nd after a series of inte rviews and selection processes, joined the Navy in her third year of Aerospace Engineering

The sponsorship included the payment of remaining HECS fees and alJ smd y material, as well as a salary while studying. In addition the programme also offered work experience oppormnities, mentorship and the ongoing s upport of che defence services infrastrucmre.

Aviation, Komal e m phasi sed, is a very intense but enjoyable niche field with manifold opportunities

to grow and evo lve as an engineer.

"I have always been passionate about all sorts of flying machines; whetl1er an aeroplane, helicopter o r even a remote controlled Aying co n traption," Komal co ld Indian U11k. "I owe m y kee n interest to the va rious trips my famil y made all over the world since l was a chi.Id."

The 24-year-o ld, whose eyes light up when talking about avia tio n , is particularl y pass ionate about rotary wing systems in general and specificalJy Seahawks

Having recently spent te n months learning alJ about th e Seal1awk as pact of her train ing, Koma.I has cond u cted regula r maintenance- related investigations, provid ed recommendations to the command, delivered daily engineering briefs on the aircraft, planned squadron detachments and provi ded advice on weekly squadron fl yi ng priorities.

"Th e Seahawk," Komal explains, "is a Si ko rsky helicopter operated b y the Royal Australian Navy co co n duct m issions prim aril)' in coordination with the ships. It has been designed to take off and la nd on pitching and rolling ship decks and to operate effec tively in sale- laden environn1 e nt s.''

" The helicopter is fitted with one of the world's most advanced anti - submarine warfare capability to search and bunt s ubmarines," she added e n thus iasticall y le is al so capable of transferring troops, winching operations, stores replenishment of ships and day-night search and rescue operations.

"Of course, I am b iased

cowards the rotary sid e of aviati on, mainly because I have always worked with helicopters since completing m y degree," confessed Koma!.

"Helicop ters are q ui te complex sys t em s, and as you start understanding tl1e basics ~1 f thi s machine, ic just keeps getting more and more in teresting," sh e. added. l e i s thi s passion for complex rotary systems that prompted Komal co choose the Navy over the other defence forces.

" The opporruniry to work w ith complex machinery reall y appealed to me. l opted for the Royal Australian Navy because of m y strong imeres t in h elicop ters and ships. The Navy p rovides d1e opportunity co witness the integration of s h ip s a nd helicopters and I was quite keen to be a part of d1 is experi ence".

For Komal, work ing w ith real Aying machines is very much like a dream come true.

"Al though they a re quite a sight in d 1e blue skies, a lot of hard work and grou nd labour goes into each flight. ln order co provide a safe flight, maintenance staff spends hours troubleshooting and servicing th e aircraft, before it is decJared airworthy. T he sense of achievement fro m fixing these mach in es and seeing them ta ke off into the open skies is a key motivating factor tha t has literalJy kept us going on various cold, windy and rainy days," she revealed.

" The lase rwo years have. already been a very steep and enjo)7able learning curve for me and I can only see my career go ing up," she added hap pily.

A lthoug h Koma! ba s always been passiona te bout Aying objects, ic is quite by accident chat

she strayed into tl1is field. Like most other "J ndian" teenagers, he r sights we.re initiall y trained o n the medical pathway.

"My parents have always g iven ucmosr importance co OtLC education and en sured we got the best," she explained "My mother was a pre- medical instructor in India, preparing srudents for medical entra nce exams Being brought up in a house. where 'medicine' was the only talked about profession, I had always thought abom pursuing health sciences after graduation " Her famil y m oved to Australia in April 2003, when young KomaJ was in Year 11. "Considering I was already a term behind everyone else, I took up seve n snbjec ts in Year 1 1, inc luding biology, chemistr y and phys ics. 1 also studied Hindi on Saturdays fo r d1e duration of VCE".

The aca demically m o tivated student soon transferred to a Selective high schoo l, which she believes, gave her the additional push co perform her best.

"Ald1oug h I gai ned the required E T E R score for medicine, I did n ot get a sufficie ndy high score in UMAT," Komal admitted candidly.

''So I joined Physiotherapy with a view of transferring into Medicine after the first semester. This did not work om as p lanned, as 1 did not feel passionate about anal ysin g body parts, learning about diseases, etc. That's when I made a decision to transfer to Aerospace Engineering and joined Mona sh University as a mid - year entrant."

Komal o f course, had the full backing of her parents when she made the dec ision co swiccJ1 careers mid- course. and more importantly, join tl1e defence forces. "Quite a few members of m y extended family have served or are currently serving in th e

Indian defence force; there.fore we were always aware of the lifestyle commitments invo lved," she said.

So, have there. been gender ster eotypes to contend wid1?

"Interestingly, our of a cJass o f 30, we had onl y five female en g in ee rs smdying aerospace," Koma! said, adding, " l believe the m ain reason for such few female numbers is because of a reduced awareness amo ngst the students " According to ber, aeronautics is not much different to Mechanical Engineering. " Tbe branch is still evolving and gradualJy we. are seeing more and more females opting for Aerospace Engi neering".

And ch.i s is why s he has taken on the mantle of brand amb assador. '1 have been very lucky co have bee n offered a tailor m ade care.er pathway and I would like to be a role model for many m ore youngsters, parcicuJarl y gi rl s, to choose this profession," stated KomaJ.

"From m y experience, the defence undergraduate scheme h as benefitced me in a number of ways During m y university years, my financ ial requirements were completel y covered. This elim inated the n eed co search for a part tin1e job and helped me focus e n tirely on my scucli es," she emphas ised.

''Additionally, I doubt I could have gained such an enormous amount of experi ence h ad I taken up a simi lar ki n d of job in the civilian world. I enjoy working for the Ausu·aJ.ian Defence. Force as it alJows me to contribute to society, w hile. providing me with job securi ty and satisfactio n. As I move further in m y life, I intend to follow what I am pass io n ate about, wh ich i s helping people a nd contributing to society in whatever way I can."

Komal Sangha has since visited man y school s, motiv ating students.

1 nese days there are va rious career p aths available to s chool graduates from w hi ch t h e)' can choose. Regardless of what field they wish ro pursue it is vital th ey research t he study requirem ent s, wor kl oad a.ad fu ture job o pp ortuni ti es Th ose seeking more ha nd s-o n exper ience, prior to a full ti me commim1ent to study, should look at appren tices hi p s and train eesh ips," recom mends Koma.I stro ngly.

"Some institutions also offer mid -year e ntry to hig h school graduates who wish to take a break prior to commencing tertia ry smdies," s he added.

Kamal also hopes to in spire migrant kids to dive r sify their career portfoLio " I t is very easy to get d istracted in today's rat race w h ere competition to perform well is so ex trem e. It is time for us t o d ivert av.ray from di e stereotyp ical career choices considered suitable fo r m igrant kids. We s h o uld start looking at the bigger picmre and all ow for creativity and p r ogress to seem from everywhere.

Remember, su ccess is not the key to happiness; happi ness is the key to success," s h e remarks \Vi th a far -sigh tedness that goes beyond he r age. S he i s n o d o ub t inspired by Gaucama Buddha's sagacio u s

words of wisd o m : IfJ'Ot1 !ove 111bat )'Oll're doing,yott 111ill be s11ccesrji1L

Likewise, Komal's expos ure to the A us tralian D efence Forces has und oub tedly roughen ed her up physically and m e ntally ''The initial training phase is struc tured in such a way to push you way beyond your extremes in order to get the best out of you ot only d oes it give you a b etter awareness of yourself, it motivates you to perform even bett er," s he com mented.

Komal also firml y sub scribes to th e cor e defence values o f "courage, professionalism, loyal ty, integ rity, innovation and teamwork". As a m ember of the defence force, it i s vi tal to believe in i ts organis ational values and app ly them in eve rything they do. The initial trai.ni.ng assi sts in teaching d1e significanc e of these and how they can be in co rporate d into everyday .li fe

After completing initial training as an Aerosp ace E ngineer in the Navy, Koma! gained a competency certificate (whicb sh e explained is equivalen t co Graduate status wi th Engineers Australia) "As a qualified Aerosp ace E ngineer you can be working in a variety o f roles rangin g fro m technical to project positions or even in out-of-category jobs such as human resource managem en t," she explained.

Cu rrentl y, a trainee Avi ation

E ngineering Offic er at 816 Squadron, Koma! ha s been a part of various sq uadron detachments operating from Perth , Bundaberg a nd Caloundra.

"Twas g ive n t he o pp ortunity to expe rience helic o p ter operation s in th e m aritime en viro1m1ent du.ring 1\UDPAC 201 1, a joi nt exe r cise involving i nte rn ational navies, conducted at Pearl Harbour," s he revealed. "As pare o f th is, I was flow n to Hawaii and sailed back to Brisbane o n HJvfAS Syd ne y."

W hil e career fuJ fiJme nt is obv io u s ly her top priority now, me fledgling e ngineer is also aware of d1e Navy's family- frie ndly app roach "I u nderstand that the l avy attempts to assist service families in every possible way Members wi d1 dependants are g iven careful consideration wi tl1 their posting pre ferences and d1e l avy endeavours tO wor k cowards the satis fac tio n of its e mployees, without compromising work require men ts," sh e d escribed. Her next p osting is to Melbourne as th e ship's Aviation Facilities E ng in ee r, whic h, sh e explained, "ove rsees the appropriateness of aviation facilities o n sh ip s to suit our helicopte rs"

Koma.I also hopes to return co owra to c o mplete her squadro n requirement of two years pri or tO getting promoted to a Lieutena nt Co mmander. "W ith the

acquis itio n of n ew LHDs and a fl eet o f helicopters, the n avy scene is currentl y hectic," said Koma!.

" Th is will o p en up farther exc iting opportuni ties fo r aerospace en g in ee r s wi d1 a poss ibility of sea postings as well "

i\i[eamv hile, this enterprising yo ung womau has also charted lo ng- term prospects, w hicl1 incl ude a :Maste r s in Structural E ng ineering in the UK.

Firmly rooted in h er s tro ng Indian values and identity, Koma.I always finds time to v isit te mples.

" I find th at it keep s m y sanity under contro l," s h e quipped. Socialising, exercising and dancing a re som e of he r o ther interests Eq naUy pa ssio n a te abo ut other culnu:es, particu larly ilieir history, cuisine and lang uage, Komal has taken up advanced Italian and i s just back from a hectic, but fulfilling trip to thi s ancien t land. Scuba diving is also o n the agenda.

But for n ow Koma! is o ff to Mumbai to attend h e r friend 's tradi tio n a l Tufaharashtrian wedding w hile h e r travel diary for n ext year includ es Pakistan and Britis h Columb ia.

Lt Komal Sangha is ce r tai nl y o n e high Aie r for whom the sky is th e limit.

D etailed information on the Defence U n ivers ity Spo nsors hip pathway can be accessed -at www d cfencejobs gov.au/ education/ unive rs ityspon sorship/

SBS recently launched an interactive online too l featuring demographic data gatl1e red in the 2011 Census, so that Australians can explore the results of tl1e Census data. SBS Census Expl orer gives J\ustral ians access ro some o f tile most important Census dara, b ringing ir to Life in maps, charts and graphs that are interactive and easy to read. Users can compare languages and p laces and learn more abour tl1e makeup of rneir communities. Informatio n is being progressive ly added as it becomes available from tl1e Austral ian Bmeau of Statistics (ABS) fodia11 Link rev iewed demographic data released to offer a concise census of information on the Indian community. Here are our find ings.

At a glance

• 390,904 Australians of Indian ancestry

• 1.5% or 295,361 were born in India

• 200,000 Indians arrived since 2001

• Among fastest growing ethaic groups

• 275,500 H indus (fastest growing religion)

• 111,351 Hindi speakers, featLtring in rop l Olanguages spoken

• Highest number in 15- 64 demographic

• 10% new migrants arrived w ith job in hand

• 35% reported difficulty in getting one. Of tlus, 64 % reported Jack of experienc e or references

• 23% Jack of local contacts

• Of 90% of skilled migrants, 87 % found a job

• 53% in tl1eir area of expertise

• 92% of skilled migrants reported wages/sa lary as ma.in source of i11come

• 43% of recent migrants bad obtained citizenship

• 55 % of temporary res idents were students.

Srndent intake peaked at 65,000 in 2008- 9

These figures released by tl1e Australian Bureau of Statistics

after u nveiling the latest five-year Census only confirms what most already suspect - that skiUed migration and imemational student intake has foeUed a dramatic spun in me Indian presence down under in the n ew millennium. Prom .5 to 1.5% of tbe Australian population which currently stands at 22.6 million.

The estimated resident population (ERP), a core function of the ABS, is used for a wide variety of purposes including the distribution of Au stralian Government funds to stare, territory a.nd local governments, as welJ as in tl1e determination of the number of seats for each state and territory in tl1e House of Representatives.

Ar the 2006 Census 147,106 Australian residents indicated tl1at they were born in lndia, of which 79,025 held Australian citizenslup. NSW rapped the lis t witl1 57,156 residents, closel y followed by Victoria (52,853) a.nd Western Australia (15,157) 64,968 sta ted they were Hindu, 49,975 declared tl1ey were Christian and 26 ,5 00 declared they were Sikh. Other minorities include Muslims a.nd Zoroastrians 243,722 Australian

residents declared chat tl1ey had Indian ancestry, eitlier alone or in combination witl1 ano tl1er ancestry.

The ludiao- born comm1rn ity more man doubled between 2004 and 2009 to 308,542, making i t the seco nd largest non-Anglo community in Australia after Chinese-born Austral ians. 1n 2009 there were an additional 90,000 Indian students studying at Australian tertiary in stitutions.

Overseas migration

As of 30 June 201 0, 27 % of the population was born overseas (6.0 million people) , third highest in the world behind S ingapore and Hong Kong, the lowest being China, India and Vietnam.

While UK and NZ sciJJ account for the largest chunks of tl1e pie, India and C luna have moved up tbe ladder. 76% of tl1e overseas population io this caregor y was of working age 15- 64.

International migration i s a volatile phenomenon influenced by a wide range of demographic, social, eco nomic and political determinancs and consequences at the global, regional and national level.

In 2009 - 10, the prelin_iinary

estimate of net overseas migration (NOM) was 215,600 persons, representing 57 % of J\ustralia's popu lation growth for tl1e year Vic toria a.ad Queens land had the largest inAow.

Between 2000 and 2010, persons born in l epal had the h ighest rate of increase in Australia's population (of the top 50 countries of birth at 30 June 2010) , witb an average annual growth rare of 29. 1 % However, tlus growth began from a smalJ base of 2,300 persons at 30 June, 2000 Those born in India h ad third fastest growth after Sudan (13.5% ). India also figures in the h igh est proportion of people in 15-64-age category.

International students

ln 2008-09, rhe net numbe r of international sntdents being added to Australia's population reached an a.LI rime high of 122,400 sntdents, bringing in export earnings of $15.9 billion These international sntdents contributed to 27% of Australia's popul ation growth in 2008 -09. Of tl1ese, 45,199 were from lndia alone, jLU11ping significantly from 9553 in 2004-5. Nepal was tlurd liighest at I 0,697. V icroria

num rs

arrived sin ce 2000 and highest demo graphic is in 25 -29 age gro up. The male female ratio is 60:40. 60% were not Australian c itizens More than half the Punjabi households had one child, while 45 6 % lived in rented properties. While heterosexual marriage was generally the norm, .1 % adrnitted to same sex relationship and 1.2% were in de facto partnerships.

Bengali

15.5% earned over $74,000 annually and 47.8 % owned property on a mortgag e. 69 7% were married, 30% were single and 7% in de facto. Hindu.ism is key religion, while Catholic came second at 10% On ly 2 / 3 "' were not Australian, w hile o ve r 98% indicated overseas parentage. The main influx of Tan1i1s has been in late 2000 s

Kannada

bad the highest intake at 45.7 % followed b y SW at 20% 55.4% enrolled in VET, while 43.7 were in h igher education. Significantly these figures show a sharp decline for September 2010, contributed b y drop in arrival and in creased departures

For 20U8 -09, there were 324,100 self- reported temporary NOM arrival s who contributed to NOM (see table 3.18). This was 62°/., of all NOM arrivals with the remainder being permanent arrivals, Australian residents returning and a few from othe r categories. Of the countries of birch contributing to temporary NOM arr ivals, India added the most with 53,900 persons arriv ing, 60% of lndia -born arrivals reported education as their main reason for journey, followed b y Nepal (59 %), and Malays ia (54%).

For those travelling on student v isas, people born in India and China we re the main contributors to studenc [ OM. T ogether the y contributed around 50%, or over for each year between 2004-05 and 2008- 09. China was the highest contributor in 2004-05 and 2005- 06, at 30% and 26% respectiv ely. Peop le born in lndia recorded the highest proportion

of travellers for the per iod 20U607 to 2008-09, increasing from 29 % to 35% In 2008-09, Indiaborn travell ers on smdent v isas contributed 14% of coral NOJ\1 I (up from 6% in 2004-05)

Linguistic demographics

We cast a look here at the language-wise breal,- up of the Indian comnmniry in Australia.

The largest linguistic group seems to be Hindi- speaking Indians, followed b y Punjabi and then Tamil. Bue many Indians are multilingual. Speaking to Indian Link at the multicultural briefing, Dr Jill Charke r, First Assistant Statistician of the Population, Education and Data Integration Division revealed chat there are plan s for greater communiLy consultations on the questions which can be asked in the next Census in 2016 which can bring forth more information about the population For the lndian community, for e."'Cample, questions which can be put up for consultation can include asking people about the number of languages the y speak rad1er than just a bilingual question.

Hindi

There are 11 1,351 Hindi speakers (.5 % ), of wh ich 53% are from India and 29% from Fiji. Most of this demographic arrived since 2000. Of these , the largest concentrations are in Blacktown ( S\'.\I) which accounts for 1969, while Point Cook in Viccoria, fores t Lake in QLD, Canning Vale 0-Y/A) Prospect (SA) have 926, 27 5, 180 and 113 respecti vely. The largest demog raphic is in 25- 29 years. 60 % have taken Australian citizenship, while 96 8 stated parents born overseas. Hindu.ism is predominant religion followed b y lsJarn and Sikhi s m. ]Vfost households had 4 peop le and owned property with a mortgag e. .3 % acknowledged being in a s ame sex relationship.

Punjabi

Representing 3% of population, Punjabi speakers total 71,320 acro ss Australia, wid1 Blackcown in NSW accounting for single highest concentration (1894) Sc Al ban s came a close second with 1433 Punjabis. WNs Canningvale, QLD's Runcorn and SA's Prospect were otl1er favourites. Predominantly Indian born and of Si kh faith (80.9), most

3 5,645 Bengali speakers in Australia represent .2% of population. NS\1(1 suburb of Lakemba recorded highest number (2483) F o otscray i n V ic toria, Fores t Lake (QLD), St Marys (SA) and Canningvale in WA copped indiv idual concentrations Of tl1ese 71.9 % are from Bangladesh, 9 6 from India. Migration trends have increased phenomenall y since 90s. A majority are Muslims and 58 % have taken Australian citizenship Gujarati 34,21 1 Gujarati speakers call Australia home , with NSW sub u rb Parramatta alone accounting for 1310. Darch in WA, Hawthorn in Vicrocia, South Australian suburb of Pro spect and QLD's Macgreg or were d1e popular suburbs. 75.8% Gujarati Australians were born in India and 5.4% in Kenya. In the last decade, the number rose from 554 to 1570. i\fost Gujaratis recorded both parents as born o verseas Major ity are not Australian citizen s (58.7 %) , tbeir largest ag e demographic i s 25 -28 M o se males earned average of $600-800 a week , while most females earned nil. Household income for 18% sto o d at 78,000- 104,000.

Marathi

Marathi Australian s numbering 8572 in Australia are predominantl y Hindus (90.7%) A three -person household, comprising a coup le with one child is the dominant trend, with 46% paying off a mortgage.

Nearl y 18% househo lds earned m o re tban $74,000 77% Marad1i speakers identified themselves as married. Liverpool (NS\.XI), G len Waverley (Vic) , Nundah (Qld , Mawson Lakes (SA) and W.Ns Canningvale have tl1e largest numbers in a suburb

Tamil

W itl1 over 50,000 speakers, Tamils fonn the third highest demographic. Of these 39'¾, are from Sri Lanka, while 3 5% are from India, and Malaysian Tamils account for 15% 62% have taken Australian citizenship

'\X'entwordwille in NSW recorded highest number of Tamils ( 10 73), with Glen Waverley (946) coming a close second. Mawson Lakes (SA), WJ\'s Canningvale and Forest Lake in QLD were popular. Most Tamils had 4 member h o useholds, wid, chi ldren under age of 15

Amon g the dominant ethnic minorities , ParafieJd Gardens (SA) and Perth suburb of Maylans were predominant choices. The Kannada community is relatively smaller at 5923 The I SW suburb of Liverpool proved most popular, while Victori an Kannadigas chose Danclenong In Calam vale in QLD, 91 % are Hindus and 84% were born in In dia Kannada households typicall,7 bad 3 people and most families had children under age of l 5 78 3'1/<) were reg istered marriag es and .8% in de facto relationship. 17 8% Kannada households had income o f $78,000- 103 ,000 annually.

Telugu

Au s tralia is currently home to 18,721 Telugu speakers, most of who were born ove rseas and half o f w hom live in rented premises. Wesrmead in NS W (729) , Footscray in Victoria (280), Kenmore (Qld) , Mawson Lakes in SA (44) , Maylands in WA (60) have largest numbers respectively in one suburb 58% of che linguistic minority is yet to opt for citizenship and 98.25 have b o th parents born overseas Hinduism is the dominant religion 15% males earned above $74,000 while 34% of females had no inco me. Single child .i s the dominant trend.

Malayalam

25,111 is the current number of Malayali speakers across Australia Dandenong in V ictoria (425) and Wes trnead in V ictoria (253) have d1e highest concentration state-wise, while Annerley in Queensland, Woodv ille Gardens in So uth Australia and WNs Canningvale ( 193) registered the largest nw11bers. The largest age demographic for male Malayalam speakers was 30 -34 years (16.9%). Since 2000, their numbers have increased from a meagre 246 ro 2809, nationwide. 65 % are yet to o pt fo r citizenship. Catholicism is the predominant religion , cornering a sizeable 47 % of tl1e demographic. Other faiths indude Syr ian Ortl1odox, Pentecostal and Anglican besides Hinduis m, o f course 80% are in a traditional marriage, wid1 the average Malayali household having two children. A sizeable 43% live in rented homes, w ith those having mortgage corning clo se second at 39% The largest age demographic is 30-34 years.

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The TV show Dumb, drunk and racist reveals some surprisingly honest home truths about the many facets of 'real' Australia

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Ir's been pretty quiet in the past eighteen months or so on the " Indian students' issue" char brought diplomatic relations co a head between India and Australia. Safety measures have been pm in p lace; awareness has increased among the studems themselves; rogue agents have been Aeshed om who were taking advantage of the system. And while srudear

nLLinbers may have dwindled , what's increased is the number of state premiers and federal ministers leading massive trade delegations to India to win back the lost dollar.

So if things are finally beginning to look cordial again , who's the dumb , drunk, racist who's raking all the muck up again?

Er, char wou ld have to be Joe Hi ldebrand, journalist. In face, that is how he regu larly introduces himself to us, ie, once a week, at the start of his TV show cal led, strangely, j ust char - Dumb, Drunk and lwcist.

1l1e ABC2 series, in which

Hi ldebrand takes a bunch of Indians aroun d the cou11Lry to decide for themselves whether Austra li ans are 'dumb, drunk and racist' , has been a surprise hit. (In fact, such a hit that Hildebrand has not stopped beaming ever since that appearance on Q&A the week his show opened).

Of course if you ask him , as I do , he'll tel l you the show is a success because of the "exceptionally handsome and charming host". Perhaps he could have taken his shirt off in the Bondi beach scenes ) Par comes the reply, " We would definitely have been moved up co ABCl

then. Who knows, we could have go ne mainstream! "

Bur seriously, rlildebrand agrees char rhe s uccess of the show is not only that it helps shatter stereotypes for one audience, but equally, that it strikes a few hometruths for another.

" It is a pretty polarising issue really," he observes. " On the one side we have a group of peop le, typically the self h ating inner city type, who are convinced char Australians are dumb , dmnk and racist; on the other hand, we have those who challenge this assertion and are outraged that this can even be suggested! Somewhere

in between, is the vase majority who are open co looking at th.is ropic and then forming their own vie\vs".

Ir a ll started with a news report momhs ago.

''.An American journalist who had worked i.n an [ndian call centre reported that the operators were trained to be aware that Australians are dumb, drunk and racist. That tr iggered the initial research by the TV production company Cordell Jigsaw, the team behind SBS TV's Go Back To Where You Came From, ro research this idea. They reseed the theory and then decided to go for it.

Tuey invited me co hose, and off wewenc".

Joe seems a narural fie for the program. As the Opinion editor for News, Joe has never been backward in coming forward with his views on issues which may have more of a slant co the right dian co the left.

How did they pick their ''guests''?

"We suuck it good with che four guescs from India, really. We had co find people who thought Australia was a dangerous and hostile place co visit, and so it was a bit of a challenge co gee chem on the p lane, as they were worried about their own safety in Auscralia, but we were able co convince chem. Th eir families were more nervous actually. I am glad co announce that we have got chem back safe and sound co India".

Radhika, Mal1.ima Gurmeet and Amer head off to various parr.s of AtL~tra lia in Joe's social experiment. They meet White nacional.ist protesters ac Vill awood, confused burqa-bashing anises in Sydney s Newtown district, hijab-wearing African immigrants in western Sydney, Cronu lJ a l ifeguards who fought for peace in

the midst of riots , an Aboriginal elder in Moree, B&S revelers as well as communicy- m.inded mums in Mc. Isa, cacrle auctioneers in rnral Queensland, a hen s night pany ac the Gold Coast, a Pakistani ca.xi driver, a same sex couple, hostile Aboriginal women, and a hose of odier in ceresting people diac shape diei.r views on die peop le of di.is country and the issues ch at affect chem.

They also meet [ndian scudenc Saurabh Sharma the CCTV footage of whose brutal bashing in a Melbourne train was played incessantly on India's television screens , sparki ag outrage across che cou nuy.

Of the four, only one, Radhika, had been here before. An educac.ional counsell or, she was here looking to send her daughter co an Australian university, but encountered such racism chat she decided to send her co die US instead , and now gu.ides ocher smdencs away. Amer, a law scudenc, also considered Ausual.ia buc chose co scudy ac home in fodia. Mahi ma, a cal l-centre worker, frequendy encounters racist abuse at work from Australians. Gurmeet , a 1V news reader comes with his own sec

views on Austra l ians.

"They met for the 6rst time .in De lhi," Joe reveals. "But once die cameras were rolJing, they all became very close. In face, ic became like a Big Bramer House. They have all have struck a chord with die viewers. Amer is quire popular; and a loc of guys find RadJi ika very foxy".

llieir own personalities unfo ld well in die show. RadJl.ika sll.ines di rough as someone with a lac of sensitivity; Gurmeec as someone who really wanes co change societies; Amir as probab ly the one who wou ld fie in best given his pany- loving nature, and Maliima as one widi wide-eyed innocence. All different, each has clever insi gh ts into die people and society here.

They ask meaningful questions and seem co wane co genu.inely understand , which is more than we can say for die bunch ofludian journalises who were brought out here by die Austral ian government ac che height of die scudencs' crisis. (Their repom back home fai led co en l ighten , lee a lone all eviate anxiety for concerned families).

Mahi ma is terrified to learn she has co cake a train-ride along the same route and at the same time

as when Saurabh was attacked (her facial expression suggests it will probab ly be like die 1947 era.in mac rolled into Dell1i scat.ion from Laliore carrying nod1.in g buc Hindu corpses), bur soon she is happy to cry her first beer. Gurmeec is polic.ically aware, but watch his inability to comprehend why a same-sex relationship sho1Jd seem normal.

Amer loves Sydney Harbour and die fast food oudecs and in Melbourne, 'd1e most dangerous city in che world for Indians' , wanes co wa lk on the streets at 2 am.

Radh ika feels a spirimal connection at Uluru and weeps as an Aboriginal elder describes die Myall Creek Massacre of 1838.

" I r was a life changing experience for diem all ," Joe reveals. "They were gen u.i nely surprised at what diey experienced: ac times cbe y were upset and rraumac.ised , ocher times chey were thrilled and screaming wi di lau ghter. They were terrified and endiralled , it was an amazing journey for chem."

Equal ly, it turned our be an eyeopener for him , coo.

" I 'm sorry co say it curned out quite differendy co what we

had expected," he admits. "I had hoped we would be disproving (die stereotype) But I was genuinely surprised at die ambient racism on che streets of Sydney and Melbourne. The ugly stuff surprised me as people popped our of nowhere with statements of'White pride' or ' Go back co where you came from' in an open and aggressive manner. The surprising thing was how often and how unprovoked these sea cements were they made me very uncomfortabl e".

He continues, "Wh ile on one hand mere will be lovely people celling che Indians about how wonderful Australia was, some assho le will shout out something nasty and abusive. Thar just hurc me and made me ashamed. Especial.ly as I had just come back from Lidia aDd seeo the terrible poverty and extremes over d1ere, and realised how lucky we have it here"

So, does Joe H.i ldebrand , well known for his thought provoking pieces in The Daily Telegraph, believe char Australians are dumb , drunk and racist?

"I don t di.ink we are dumb," he replies quire decisively. "Bue we' re probably pretty dmnk , and a few of us are qu.ice racist. There are always a few racists in any country but in a counuy l ike Australia we need co have a stronger standard co adhere co. We don't have a war or religious conflicts or even much pol itical exuemism; we are an i.ncredibly wealthy country widi a suong moral and religious compass and a sophisticated l iberal democracy, so I don't see why we shouldn't be a more coleranc and welcoming place".

Would he like to reverse the CODcepc and cake a bunch of Aussies to India and sharter their stereotypes?

"Well, I'm chinking along che lines of a show called Smart, Sophi.sticated and Tolerant accualJy " he laughs in conclusion.

Bollywood kids at QPAC

Asha Shah's Bollywood Dhamaka participates in Out of the Box again this year

Since its inception in 1992, 0111 ef tbe Box has become an integral part o f the Brisbane cultural calendar. The ico n ic festival, which is supported by the Queensl and Stace L ibrary, Queensland Museum and Quee n sland Art GalJery, is ai med at "e nhancing children's experience tbrough involvement in the arts by e n couraging a se n se of wo nder, curiosity, di scovery and serious fun", according to chief executive and inaugural festival di rector John Kotzas. The festival builds on the all -important theme that " children's early lives reall y matter" and thus hopes to engage and m uture them through better participation wi thin the commrn1i ty.

[ ow in its twentieth year, the high profile event, hdd between 12- 17 June at the prestigious Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), drew thousands of child1·en exposing them to a r ich cros s section of hands -on cultural experiences sourced from a variety of backgrounds. Popular Brisbane dance school Bollywood Dhamaka was onc e again invited to be part of this vibrant kale id oscope.

The wdl- known dance institute and talent agency nm by Asha Sh ah performed four segments at the festival's outdoor stage.

"W/e have been involved w i th Out of the Box event for last few years and it has always been a delight to perform at the children's festival,"' Shah to ld lndia11 Unk. '1vfu1ticu1tural events like these evoke a sense of harmony a nd mutual respect. le is a11 abom ml.icing peop le and igniting that aura of peace through mus ic and dance".

"I am particularly proud of m y talented performers for putting forward an excellent fun filled display en joyed by enthus iastic children", she added.

The four segments included group performances by Dhamaka students in the age gro ups 3- 7 (Ma!Jya Yasboda), 7- 10 (Dbinka Cbinka) and 10- 13), fusion - medley of J!J,1, Cb,1t11T11ak and Chikni Cba111elr) respectivd y as we.LI as a ,vo.rkshop by As ha o n B o ll ywood dance rhythms based on Nagaara J\Jt1/',arm1.

N in e -year-old Sllkhleen Arora was thrilled to be part of such a major mainstream performance.

The Yea r 3 srnde nt was part of an e ight-gid team that represented Bollywood Dhamaka.

" I was reaJJy excited about the item", said a beaming Sukhleen, w h o clearly showed no stage fear "Ash a's s tudents regularly participate at public s hows," mum Rani Arora explained. "S ukhleen has performed earlie r this year at

McGrego r State Schoo l's Mayfest

Fete. Last yea r d i ey performed at Roma Parklands at a multi- cultural event fearmi.ng Prem ki 11a!Ja from Aja/; Pt-em ki Ghqjah Kahaani. So sh e is confident and really looks fo rward to die-5e events".

"Th ese days, kids h ave no stage fear whatsoever. All 8 girls were very confident and excited. They kept their smiling faces on diroughout the performance. Th.is is a great platfo rm for gh7 ing more meaning to the dan cing classes that the gi rls attend weekly It brings about a sense of pride and satisfactio n for die pare n ts to see their kids perform so confidently o n stage then get app lauded for it. Moreover it brings about die awareness of Indian culture an important pan o f it, which is dance, in the Australian mindsets," Arora noted.

"The workshop we cond u cted after t he performance and di e response was so fascinating,"

Shah added. "We got alJ of the audience d oi ng it die Bollywood way widi d1eir hip s shaking, feet tapping, hands swirling, all in sync to an upbeat Bollywood song Tt was the children in the audience that m ade it worth much more to dance, because d1ey were into it. le i s moments Like d,ese that encourages us as a Bollywood style dance g roup to bring forth more amazing performances directly from our hearts to yours".

"My med1od of tead1ing is basicall y cl assic al folk oriented an d I make it a point to impart a se n se of what traditional Indian dancing upholds", she explained. '1vfombai i s home to the Bollywood style and I am prou d to say that growing up there and performing Bollywood dancing right from a young age instilled a lot of charisma in m y dancing which also reflects in the dances that I choreograph Through Bollywood pe r formances, I honestly wan t

to display the spirit of a danc e culture that shouldn't be lost through dilution and the refore, I make it a point that t he audience takes home the spi rit of traditional Bollywood dancing and that i t remain s etched in d1eir memories as a brilliant show," s he stated.

A trained a nd qualified dance instructor, Shah who hails from Mumbai has over two decades' experi e nce.

''1 started m y dance career as a 5-year-old, taking part in stage shows, concerts and dance dra111a s".

Si n ce then she has choreographed a nd performed at numerous shows, in clu ding the popu lai· Boogie 117oogic As well, Shah has worked with BolJywood film choreographers.

Asha has created quite a niche for hersel f in Queensland and she recently choreographed and performed in TV vommercials for Subway Cbicke11 Tikkd.

In this article, Richard Chua explains what to expect in your HSC and how to succeed in it. Richard graduated from Sydn ey Grammar in 2001, with a UAI of 100.00 (ATAR equiv. 99.95) and holds a degree in Commerce and Law from UNSW

Every Decemeber 60,000 students anxious ly await their HSC resu lts wandering whether their hard year's work will be enough to get them in to University. Small differences in ATAR can make the d ifference between adm ission and rejec tion.

However many of the HSC's top performers prepa re well in adva n ce to ensu re their success. In th is article we look at 4 secrets to p reparing for you r HSC.

1. Choose the right subjects, and understanding scaling

Perhaps the most important cons ideration for st u dents is to understand how each of your subjec t sca les. Most students will be familiar w it h the fact that marks i n diffic u lt su bjects, like Maths Ext 2, get ··pushed up" whilst marks i n ot h er subjects l ke Lega l Studies wi ll get "pu sh ed down".

However, you need to know much more than t h is.

If you understand sca ling properly, you can actually breakdown any ATAR into a partic u lar mark or rank in each subj ect. Below we list a tab le of the h ighest scal ing subjects in the HSC, and what you need to score in each subject to ach ieve a n ATAR of 95/97/99

2. Expect at least ONE bad assessment

Many students get dishearten ed when they see ONE bad assessmen t resu lt. Some students decide to "drop" subj ects premat u rely or panic and bel ieve they are no longer capab le in t hat subjec t

However. you shoul d expect to have at least O NE bad assess me nt. A bad assessment does not necessarily mean you a re weak in t he subject. Rat her w ith rough ly 5 assessmen t s per subject. you wil l be doing bet ween 30·36 assess m ent and exam tasks in the year. Rea listicall y, y ou are bound to have a sub-pa r performance in a t east a few of those assessments

CATEGORY HIGHEST SCALING SUBJECT DECISION RULES

MATHS Math s Ext 1 & 2

ENGLISH Advanced or Higher

SCIENCE Physics and Chemsitry

HUMANITIES Eco nomics & Modern H ist o r y

I n o r d e r to sco re 9 9 ATARJ you need to b e ranke d In t he t op + 57% of Maths Ext 2 + 25% of Maths Ext 1 + 5% i n Chemist ry Physics and Eng lis h

3U and 4U Maths are by far the highest sca ling subj ects that are readily accessible students. Because of their hig h seatin g, you should take the highest level of mathemati cs t hat you are capable of. For instance, t o be on target for an ATAR of 99+ you only need to be average In 4U Maths, whereas you wou ld need to be n the top 4% of 2U Math s. Whe re possible you shou ld ta ke at least adva nced English The higher Engl ish as a group, sca le we l above Standard English. For instance studen t s who scored in the 2 5 % of Advance receive scores higher than those students who sco re i n the top 1% of standard Physics and Chem stry a re r h e h ighest scali ng sc e nces, a nd sca le s gn"iticantfy better than biology

Humanities are genera lly quit e subject ive, and tend to sca e lower Eco nomu:;s is the highest sca ng humanity readily eva ilobfe, followed by Modern History Anci ent H i st ory, Bus iness Studies. Commerce and Lega l Studies scale even lower st il l.

I n order t o scor e 97 ATAR y o u n ee d to b e ranked I n the t o p + 80% of Mat hs Ext 2 + 4 7% of Maths Ext 1 + 12% of Chemist ry + 11% Physics and Adv English

In ord er to score 95 ATAR you n eed t o be ranke d In the top + 90% o f Maths Ext 2 + 60% of Maths Ext 1 + 18% of Chemistry + 16 % Phys ics and Adv English

For a full explanation of scaling, please see www.talent-100.com.au/hsc-study-guide.php or register for our free Scaling Seminar (Jan lS,16, 29,30)

I f a single assess m ent s weak don 't panic. Understand that the assessme n ts increasing i n we ig h t i ng a ll the way up u nti l the HSC exam (w h ich cou n ts for 50% of your f inal mark), so you can a lways make u p lost ground. Under stand that the f i nal HSC exam will count as much as everything y ou d o in s c h ool put tog ether.

3. Take a spare subject

A lthough your HSC is only scored from your 10 best units. it is best to take a spare subject or take 11-12 u ni t s. Some stud ents th ink that tak ing 10 units w i ll g ive them extra t i me to study. Wh ilst th ere is so me meri t in this, this is a r isky strategy. It assumes that you w ill be ab le to execute you r e xams flawl essly If y ou take 10 u n it s and you perform badly in one subject. you w ill be forced to count t hat subj ect In cont rast. ta k i ng an ext ra subjec ts give y ou "i nsurance·· - even if you perform bad ly in one subj ect. you'l l be ab le to inclu de your 'spare subject' inst ead

4. Accelerate your learning

A growin g t rend among many of the HSC's top per formers is to acce lerate part of the ir H SC in Year 11. In particu lar. many sch ools

(such as Sydney Boys and Normanhur st) are encourag ing thei r Year 11 Math s st udents to sit the 2 Unit Maths Exa m whi lst in Year 11.

Other schools, like Bau lkham HIiis H igh Schoo l allow Year 11 students to si t Econo m ics.

The philosophy beh ind th is is straight-forward. If you can complet e 2-4 units successfully in Year 11. you will have much more t ime to devote to your subject s in Year 12. Effect vely, t h ese students have a massive ad vantage over the i r peers. as they are able to sit t h e HSC over two years.

Co n versely, there i s very l ittle ris k If you d on't pe r form well in the H SC in Yea r 11, you can si mply sit the same subject again in Yea r 12

Ou r concise, straight - for ward and resu lts-focuse d approach has helped the Ta le nt 100 stude nts perform at the top of Sydney's best p riva te and selective schoo ls. I f you would l ike to know more information about sca ling, or wou ld l k e a FREE THREE WEEK TRIAL o f any of our courses•. p lease contact us o n 1300 999 100, email info@ta1ent·100.com au or v isit ou r webs it e

The fire still burns at 80

One of Fiji's leading past political figures shares his views candidly not only on Fijian politics but also the community settled here in Australia

would bring about political and social integration. Fiji needs fair representati o n of all its citizens ilirough one man: one vote and one value".

Harish Sharma, the firsr fodian co hold top office in Fiji as deputy Prime l'vlin.ister in the Bavaclra government in 1987 - the year chat reshaped Fij i's destiny, celebrated his 80th birthday in Sydney recently wirb the hope chat Fiji will recover from its deep political and social fractmes, both direct results of the military coup chat ousted hi s government from office.

Calling Australia his adopted country, Mr Sharma feels liberated living in a country that offers him h is basic human right5 as well as recognizes h is fodian identity He was also President of Fiji's largest Hindu organisation, the Shree San.atan Dharam Prarinidhi Sabha

Advocating politics of inclus iveness, :M r Sharma said Fiji has mmed back a full circle into tl1e doldrums while pla} ng tl1e race card. "Indians ,vho have been feared and accused of raking over tl1e education and economy of the countr y have been forced co look outside tl1e box," stared Sharma. " In do ing so, they have been exposed to global markets in countries like Australia, New Zealand, the US a nd Canada, and tl1ey utilized their edu cation an d skills to migrate and e1;rablish a better life The coup was a mrning point in this conununicy's livelihood. They have so ld iered on while our indigenous Fijian communities have been left behind, fooled into believing tl1at claiming ownership over land and letting it lie barren would get diem something in return".

" This ideology has been an end in itsel~" he continued. "One has to make use of every resource avaihble co survive and indeed Aoucisb in chis day of competition and open markets Any ordinary citize n can zoom into the crisis crippling Fij i to m1derstand tl1at chose who played the race card have long deserted the country"

So what would he do if he were given another chance?

''\Vhile Fiji's constimtion is being redrafted, J would ensure that die cmmcry has a representative government, vo ted on Common roU," said Mr Sharma emphatically. " This would be a good political philosophy which

" I am optimistic and know how resilie nt the ordinary people of Fiji l are," added i\fr Sharma.

Speaking about tl1e Fiji Indian communiry in Sydney, Mt Sharma lamented that it has nor venmred outside its own boundaries co assimilate into the multicultural enviromnent. "The community is keeping to its old cultural and class system o f networks within its comfort zone. This is nor a healtl1y way to live, given that we are now in a mul ticultural space. The concept of operating Ramayan 111adalis is keeping the community locked in. Our great granclfatl1ers imroduced the concept of Ramaya n recital to keep tl1e religion and culture alive. \Yle now have the capacity to read and smdy the teachings espoused in tl1ese holy books, but why are we using such excuses not to go om and see tl1e world outside of tl1e Fij i Indian conununity?"

He said diere was a constant struggle in the community to keep abreast o f o ne another. "As an uprooted group, we are always going to live in Aux," he observed. "Competition is good, bur only to a point. We live in a cur- tl1roar world of ' [ must be better than the others in my social group'. The competition goes beyond self to include children and our aspirations to educate chem for careers they may not even be happy co take up. The extended family unit is fast fading away as we feel tl1e pressures of time and space. E lderly parents an d grandparents are lost in this tide of change as they have not been able ro adapt tl1eir thinking co tl1e new trends of nuclear families l\fany migrate through chain migration , only to become a part of anothe r vicious cycle".

" B y socialising within their own Indian neN1orks, the community is =consciously reinforcing bad habits. I do not believe in isolation - we should not be creating a country within a cmmtry. Our isolation in the past (in Fiji) was created by tl1e colonial governmeor l ow we are better eel ucated and exposed to o pportunities to learn and grow from tl1e experiences of other communities We should take on this new challenge and liberate our thinking and behaviour," added Mr Sharma vehemently.

1fr Sharma occasionally

discourses o n the basics of living a weU balanced and happy life based on the teachings of the Hol y Rru:nayan , at the Lyn Parade temple in L iverpool. Here he stresses tliat we must read die hol y books as sources of knowledge, rather tl1an organise recitals where tl1e real meaning is lose in excessive socialis ing (yagona drinking among men) and fashjon parades b y women decked in finery as i f they are at a BoUywood fashion show Harish Sharma was born in l ausori, Fiji in 1932. He worked as an insurance agent and a civil servant before taking up studies at tl1e University of Tasmania in 1960, g raduating witl1 a Bachelor of Law (LLB) in 1964. Upon returning to Fij i he worked for the country's two senior most Indian politicians: Sidiq Koya and J\D Patel, botl1 of whom had led the fodian- dominated ational Federation Party as tough opposition to tl1e Alliance. Party which ruled from 1966 to 1987, led by Fijian chief R ani Sir Kan1isese Mara, the founding father of modern Fiji.

The party was finally roppled by a multi -racial coalition Jed by Dr

Timoci Bavadra, an ethic Fijian who drew majority support from tl1e Indian communities. However, rbe Bavadra governmeot in which Sharma was deputy Prime M.inister was deposed in a military coup 33 clays later, on May 14, 1987. ln that year Mara rernrned to power, tl1e Alliance Party was dissolved and tl1e r ole of chiefs in Fij i's p olitics rook a new mrning point.

Mr Sharma set up his own law firm in 1969 and continued his involvement in politics, contesting seven elections without los ing any. He recited from po litic5 in 1998 and became a life member of the Fij i Law Society in 2007. In August 2001, NL- Sharma was appointed an O fficer o f the Order of Fiji.

Addressing a small gathering of family and friends at Mr Sharma's 80th birthday celebrations, former registrar of the high court of Fij i, Mori Rai said Sharma's greatest assets were his co mpassion, humility, integrity and modes ty.

Mr. Sharma recalled his eady years of struggle to gee an education and carve a career, claiming he does not have any regrets for the life be had. When a

communi ty elder once passed a snide remark to a young Harish in the lace '60s: "Paidal chak ho, vak.eel s"hib, motor 11ahi11 hal', he famously replied, "Ji 11ahit1, Pundi!Ji, h,m1a,1r paas 111otor nahi11 bal'.

1n anotl1er amusing anecdote, Mr Sharma described how his marriage with his wife Ambika was arranged. The match maker, a woman known to both families, would say to hi s folks, "Ladki 1110/e ta[ya{lr hai, tum log k.e !tm,f se de1i bai (the girl's famil y is ok with die match, only you are delaying die process) ". To Arnbika's fanilly she would say; "Ladke 1110/e ta!Jc1t1r hai, t11J11 log ke taraf se de,i hai tl1e b oy's family is o k with the match, o nl y you are delaying the process."

I ow, Sharma refers to his wife as his "rock of Gibraltar", claiming he owes hi s success to her, who srood by through all their challenges of poverty, deafu1g with grief, tl1e political crises when he was locked away for six days during the military coup, and relocating to Australia.

The coup le has three clilldre.n and several grandchildren

An Aussie girl in Mumbai

An aspiring young Aussie wins a chance of a lifetime to star in a Bollywood film

-

BY - DANIELLE , MATHIAS

As a young child Teigan Lloyd-Evans would sit down with her mum to watch Hollywood films. She never imagined then that she would one day get a chance co be part of the most prolific film industry in the world

However, the 24-year-old winner of the SBS TV show Bol!yu,ood Star has landed a role in a film directed by the legendary Indian film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, and is on her way to a challenging - and hopefully prosperous - Bollywood career.

It was her passion for Boll)7WOod films tl1ac made the Gold Coast native decide to audition for Bol!y1vood Stm; a reality show tl1at sought Bollywood aspirants in Australia to prove their acting prowess and w in a chance to act in a H indi movie.

"\X!hen this opporrunity arose, it just felt right," Teigan cold Indian Llnk. "I could have ignored my interest in th.is industry, b ut when you know sometlung feels right, you have to go for it!"

As she got older, Teigan began to see 'being white' as being less of an issue in relation to a career in films, despite her \'{!eJsh, Danish and Australian backgrmmds.

" \'qhy can't a Caucasian girl be accepted in Bollywood , I said to myself. That just seems ridiculous in this day and age. l believed that with tl1e right help and with persistence (I could make it) There was notl1ing I could foresee that was going to stop me on this journey"

The most challenging aspect of me competition for tlus gutsy ymmg lady was being unable to speak Hindi, but she was determined co learn the language.

"A lot of peop le didn't believe in me because I don't speak Hindi ," she revealed. ' 'But as I have tried to tell a lot of people, it is a language. A lot of peop le learn a new language every clay for different opponu1uties in Life, so why c.m'L I?"

From the histrionics point of view, emotions often hindered ratl1er than helped Teigan diroughout the competition. She also said that personal ch allenges aUowed her to relate more closely to Bollywood films. " 1 think in life you go through phases, and it was such an amazing phase of my Life being involved in B0J!),1vood 1ta1: I

was too elated to act with my raw emotion!" revealed Teigan.

"Bollywood films have such raw, unclefeatable, intense pai n and emotion, it just strikes a chord in me. I come from a very smal l family which has been torn apart and there is no lon ger a sense of 'family' left. That has always been a huge struggle for me, because I know what it is like to have that beautiful fanul y bond and scruggle with die loss of it," she added.

The last few years have been chall engin g for Teigan: her parents split up, her relationship broke down, and her beloved clog passed away. She tackled Bof!yJJJoor/ Stt,r with newfound determination, and came out with Aying colours.

During the competition the six finalises were sent to Mumbai to undergo intense Bollrvood training and get an insight into lnclian culrure. In d1e fourtl1 episode, Teigan and the other contestants were sp li t up and sent to Live with Indian fanulies in the slu m s of Dharavi for 24 hours. lt becan1e an experience Teigan isn't Likely to forget in a hurry.

"M nmbai was crazy! lt is a place where you can't scop watching what is going on around you in case yo u miss something. Living ,;;,;~th m y little fanilly for a night taught me so man y things about how strong people are, and how happiness is rife in all walks of life n o matter how sad or heartbreaking. I don 't tlunk 1 have ever been so impressed with a community in m y Life!"

Although livi ng in India is such a stark contrast to the Aus tralian Ii festyl e, the true bl ue Aussie never felt homesick.

"Of course, I tliink the majority of Australians would struggle slightly," she admitted. ' 'But honestly I was just so happy to be there and absorb this amazing p lace that it didn ' t really get co me. \'(le are so fortunate in Australia, and whe neve r I would start to think about tlus contrast i t made me so grateful to be able to experience a p lace Like India so I can gr()W as a person and expand my knowledge of the world".

Teigan had a good rappon with all tl1e judges d1roughout me competition. Indeed, judge A nupam Sharma's excited mutterings as soon as she walked into that audition, gave it away that we would be seeing more of her in the conung ep isodes! But Teigan cl aims it was with Emma Brown Garrett chat she bonded most.

''i\11 of tl1e judges helped me immensely. 1 had a fantastic relationship with Emma - she is su cl1 a lovely wo rnan, she wanted

co help us in an y way she cottld," revealed d1e young wannabe acttess. Emma Brown Garrett is a Caucasian Australian actress ,vorking in Bollywood films.

During the competition, Teigan became very close to the otl1er .linalists - Gautam ' 'G-Luv" Koul, Sharon Johal and Saral1 Roberts.

''I r eally hold m y relationships with me other finalists close to m y heart," said Teigan with disarming candidness. "Th ey are all so beautiful and so individ ual There is honestly nor a single bad tlung that wou ld even cross m y mind about any of tl1em. They are stand up people. Anyone who has tl1e chance to know any o n e of them is a lucky person".

Al t hough she is n ow famous for winning Bol911voodStar, t here is more co Teigan than just that. She applied 3 years ago to be a student paran1edic from Queens land, and is currently in training, Living two of he r dreams at the same time.

"My experiences wit!, Bolfy111ood Slcir have hel ped me to be a better, more caring paran1eclic," she said.

Teigan's mother, who not only introduced her to Bo llywood but also to Bol/y1voodStar, has been a huge inAuence i11 het Life and her success. " \),'hen I first watched Bollywood, I tl1oughr tlus is just so beautiful, i t's so free, it's so colourful," said Teig an's mother in an interview on SBS. She mother has been very supportive of botl1 Teigan's career choices.

"J\fy mum would have always rooted for my career as a Bollywood star," Teigan acknowledged. "S he has always said that. I know she i s biased because she is my motl1er, but yo ur m ocher knows you better than anyone, and she has always wanted me to try thi s avenue!"

In December this year, Teigan will Ay to l'vfumbai to star in Mahesh Bhatr's film. ''I seriously can't wait and l am extreme ly grateful to be ab le to make a mov ie with him," she said enthusiastically.

Teigan described winning Bof!yJJJood Star as being tl1e turning point of her life. Through her hard-work, determination and positive attimcle, she bas made a social impact and has raised the profile of BoUywoocl in Australia. "I have been getting a lot of positive feedback since winning the title, m ostly from young women w h o are Caucasian and feel they might be interested in giving tl1e industry a go," she said.

In terms of what the future holds for her two dreams, Teigan said witl1 a smile, "My Life in the next few weeks, months and years is going to have serio u s time management issues! I will do me best that l can witl1 what time l have, but obviously t!1ese are two careers that are both very rime consunung. l could never make a choice between either of them as I am extremely passionate about botl1. Just wish me luck!"

WHERE IS THE PROPERTY MARKET HEADED?

va lues. Until recentl y the river city ' s home prices were falling most across Austral ian capital cities but last monlh they dipped just 0.3 per cent. Adela ide was an exception and omperformed all orher capitals wiu1 1.2 per ccm rise in May. Perth had a decline of 1.7 per cent , Darw i n 2.4, Canberra I .5 and l::lobart 1.2. Mucb of the weakness in rcaJ estate vaJues was in detached housing rather than apartments so it is clear tbat the market is becoming increasingly price-point driven with stronger performances across more affordable markets. unit va lues across the combined capitals increased in May and are up by 1.3 per cent over the first five monu1s of the year. On the positive note. the rental demand and the weekJy rental return is pretty strong. We get this concern from peop le that we could also see a crash in the property market. si111ila.r to US however the biggest difference I find between US and Aus tralian market is the supply of houses In Australia we still have shortage of dwellings and r here is a huge demand from both prospective tenants and first home buyers. so if you ask my opin ion. this is one of the best times to get in the property market as the prices are soft. We all know that we go through cycles in the property market and curren tl y we are going through a lean period however if you look at the low interest rate~ bei11g offered by the lenders, the return is pretry good whether you a.re a first home buyer or an investor. If you are looking for a good deal on your home loan , please contact us on 0296763417 or 0412 452 429 and we can find the best deal for you as per your situation. our services are absolute ly free.

RECEN T CHANGES FOR FI RST HOME BUYERS AN D I NVESTORS

As you all know the NSW government announced their annual budget and apart of various other changes they have intmduced some substantial changes for the first home buyers and second home buyers/ investors. First Home buyers have been significantly affected. especially the ones who a.re looking to purchase an estab l ished property, these changes arc coming in effect from Isl October 2012. I have ou tlined below the changes that are going to take p lace:

FIRST HOME .BUYERS lf contract of sale is exchanged before 1st October 20 12:

People who arc buying an established home will get 110 stamp-duty exemption however will be eligible for tJ1e $7 ,000 grant from the government

People who are buying a brand new or off the plan home will get full stamp-duty exemption upto the val ue of $SOOK and partial up to $600K and also will be eligible for the $7,000 granr from the govc.rnmenr

FIRST HOME .BUYERS lf contract of sale is exchanged on or after 1st October 2012

People who are buying an established home will get no stamp-duty exemption and also will not be eligible for any government granr.

People who are buying a brand new or offlhe pla11-home will get full stamp-ducy exemption upto IJ1c val ue of $650K and aJso will be e l igible for IJ1e $15,000 grant from the government

SE'.COND HOME BUYERS/l_NVESTORS .IJ contract of sale is exchanged before 30th June 2012

People who are buying an established home will get 110 stamp-duty exemption and also will not be eligible for any government grant.

People who arc buying a brand new home wi l l be eligible for 25% exemption in stamp duty (for the property to the vaJue of $600K) but no grant. If IJ1ey are buying off the plan home they will be eligib le for full stamp-duty exemption upto the val ue of $600K of completed Jiome on the other hand Lhey wil l get a full stamp duty exemption on a land purchase upto the value of ,$400K (with a view to build in near future)

SECOND HOME BUYERS/1:NVESTORS Lf contract of sale i-< exchanged on or after 1st Ju ly 2012

From J ul y I.2012, a new $5,0QO grant will be provided to buyers of11ew homes, whether off the plan or newly built. with a value up lo $650,000 a.nd to buyers of vacant land that is imcnded to be the site of a new home valued up 10 $450.000 but the downside is t hat they w ill get 110 stamp-duty exemptions.

I have tried to explain the changes ln a simple language however if IJ1ere is something you want clarification on, please call me or send me an email and J'U respond immediately. There has been a mixed reaction with these changes Some are saying tha t most benefit will go to the devc l operl; and bu ilders who will now hike their prices. The first home buyers wbo wish to buy an established property will lose Olli on the benefits and may have to wait longer as they now have to come up wi th more deposit. on the other hand first home buyers who are buying brand - new property now need less deposit than before.

Thank you for reading this artic le and your continued support, as mentioned before if you are looki11g for a good deal on your home loan, please contact us at Gain Home Loans, Ly l I. 15 Flushcombe Rd. Blacktown, Ph: 02 9676 34 17 and 04 12 452-l29 or you can drop me an email at info@gainhomcloans.com.au

Disclaimer: Any ad1 ice gi,•en in this article does 1101 lake inro accoum the personal 11eeds and objecti1•es or ji11a11cial sit11a1ion of rhe re.oder. Tl,e reader should consider the appropriatene rs of rhis and reek profe ssitmal adviG·e l/4ore makini; a decision whether to acquire or c ontinue the products and services me111io11ed. For appointment or any other information, call

A young Australian of Indian origin will play for the Rams at the upcoming U/16 National Championships.

ustralian Rules, co1nmonly referred co as AFL (al tl1o ug b this is tb e name o f the competition) origi n ated in Vicco ria in J 859 as the Victorian FootbaU League. The spore, w hile extremely popular in Aus tralia, h as had a cough time gaining p opular ity overseas It i s very encouraging tl1en, mar a yo ung Australian of lndian origin has b een recently select ed in tl1e U/ 16 I SW/ ACT R a m s side to comest me upcoming NAB AFL U/16 National Cham p io n ships.

Late last year d1e AFL hosted me International Cup, which included teams from seve ral nations, including Sweden , Fij i, France a nd lndia W hile India has AFL programmes in Ke rala a nd West Bengal and tl1e spo r t is defi ni tely gaini n g popularity, in Australia, Angad Roy is the fuse p layer fro m an Indian background co represent l SW/ ACT at any l ational Cham p ionshi ps Angad p lays in ch e centre half-back/ forward pos itio n , a n d bas been part of the Slater & Go rd o n Giants Acad emy fo r the past three years Lachlan Bus7.,ard, tbe Acad emy i\lian ager, sees A ngad 's selection in me side as an importa nt ste p towards a p otential career in tl1e AFL. He i s one of tl1ree young players in tl1e academy from an Indian background.

Speaking about Angad's selection in the side, Buszard was excited. "It's a great opp ortunity for A ngad to p lay ag ainst the best yo Lmg plarers in Au stra lia and gain an insight into w hat it's like co be an AFL player in terms of recovery, game preparation and diet," he said "It's a chance fo r A n gad ro test himself and see where he is placed ac ross me national talent pool".

"The selec tio n of A ngad shows the growth of me ga me in d1e Western Sydney region, a nd the multicultural di vers ity of the Greater \Xlestern Sydney area is also r e p resented rnrough his se lectio n ," he added.

A ngad al so believes his experiences at the academ y have b een very positive. "T he acad em y has been excellent in developing m y game," h e told lndi,111 Link,

"and I have found I h ave improve d a lot n ot only in ter m s of my APL skills, b m things like di scip Line, diet a.ncl tl1e way l conduct mysel f ove rall. l t also helps to have som e()ne l ike R yan HuJihan, who played 200+ gam es fo r Carlton, as a coach and mento r to help me t m de rstand what I need co improve o n and what I need co do i f I want to play AFL at th e h ighest level".

Altl1ough Angad atte n ds tl1e Ki ngs Sch oo l in Parramatta, wh ere tbe foc u s is o n rugby, h e has foun d no trouble 6tri.og in AFL arow1d his schoo l commitments. " l\,[y friends have take n a.n in te rest in what l donot as m uch me gam e i tself, as l go to a predominantly rugby school, however mey have shown more interest tl1an what rney had previously shown My school has been very supportive and gave me an exemp tion from playing rugby thi s year so that l could focus more o n AFL".

For t his young man, AFL brings with it an al together differe n t leve l of c halle nges to oilier sports.

"I a m drawn to AFL m ore because of t he fact mac you have to be good at so m any different rnings, such as kicking, hand b alling, fitness and pace," he observed

You need to h ave this to be successful a nd n one of it comes wi tl1our practice. This challenge bas provided me w im a work eth ic no t only in AFL, b ut i n most parts of m y Ji fe".

And ind eed, Ang ad 's crai ning routine is hectic. Five days of training, along w itl1 matches o n Su ndays, mean Angad is much busier th an most ocher b oys h is age "It sometimes takes away from school, but tl1a t all comes dow n to rime management," he noted wirn man1rity. "Howeve r, school and AFL go weU togeth er as o n e provides as a n escap e from tl1e othe r"

Much of Angad's success can be owed co his supportive parents, w ho intro d uced him to the sport afte r falli n g in love wim i t upon coming co Australia " Th ey have probab ly been the biggest h elp in terms of where I have gotte n today. Th ey don't miss a game o f mine or my br omer's"

Angad recognises iliac a futme in AFL in volves p lenty of hard wor k and a.n extrem e focus. It's early days yet - but it has definitely been a fan tastic start to hi s journ ey

,_. J BY / RAKAMITRA

The Sydney Indian Film Festival kicked off its third year on June 24 w idi the glitz and gla mour that ha s b ecome synonymous with all things Bollywood. This yea.r's festival aptly titled 'Bollywood a nd Beyond' showcases the best of Bollywood, regiona l blockbusters an d arc- house fil m s i\,1in d Blowing Films ha s been bringing mis magic to us and ic just gets better eve r y year, now being dubbed as die largest festival of i rs kind in the Sou tliern Hemisphere. Having just concluded a success ful Melbomne festival, di.rector Mitt1 Bhowmick Lange was tired buc g lowing as she em barked upon the Sydney leg of tli e festival. While she had rounded u p cop stars Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra for the Melbourne evem, she made up with a high gla.m quotient for Sydney with the srunn.ing Ma.laika

Arora Khan, and an equally high cerebral element w ith off- beat film- maker R itup a.rno Ghosh

Th e festival marked its ope n ing ceremony wid1 both special guests

Malaika graced the red carper in h e r usual style, braving the b itter wi n ter chill in a dazzling black lehe11ga, leaving a positively starstruck audience in her wake. An exclusive premiere screening of Ritt1parno Ghosh's Chitrangada at Fox Smdio's Cinem a Paris was also well attended by mo,,ie buffs. (Ghosh's other lilm in me festival, Me1J1ories in JV!arch, where he scars again but dus time with Bollywood's Deepti N av al and Raim a Sen, is a n unu sual bur critically acclaimed film on me bond between a gay p rotagonist a nd lus dead boyfriend's mother).

Other films in the festival included me mainstream Kahaani, The Dir(y Picture, Do11 2, Delhi Be!!J', l3oc!Jguan4 Tshaqzaade, Zindagi Na Milegi Dohara, Aamkshan, Paan Singh Tontm· and T Am K1t!aatJ1. From regional films me line-up included So11 ef Ad11111 and Ummi (Malayalam), I'[yi11g Fish (Tamil/ Sinhalese), Bo/ (Urdu), Beatt()' and Brains (Nepalese), Mehe,ja,m (Bengali), Chah-ak (Bengali/ Tamil), Laptop (Bengali), Se11gadal (Tamil), B,t!m Band Baqja (Maratlii) a nd offbeat Hindi films Michael a nd Shab,i

Meeting Malaika

A hush falls within the room as a beautiful young woma n is seen descending the glass elevator at WoolloomooUoo's Hotel Blu.

\Vith just a few hours of sleep after a long plane journey, h ow· s he scill manages to look the way she does is beyond me! Malaika

Arora Khan steps off me e levator and bedazzles all of us with a smile cha t comes from with in.

Welcomes are mumbled as this is her first visit to Sydney, but me real question is, "Will Munni be back fo r Dahba11g 2?"

But we begin wit h Malail-a's p lans for her trip to Sydney: what is s he looking fo rwa rd to seeing a n d ex periencing?

'T he Opera House! My son said to me, 'Mom, make sure you ge t a picture of tl1e Opera House', so I h ave tO go there. I hear Bondi Beach is beautiful, but it might be a bit cold at this time of the year Also, I hear Sydney has good food, so I hope to experience som e of that," says Malaika enthusi astically.

I explai n tha t food is a sub ject cl ose to my own h eart; so what kind of food would Ma.laika like to taste here:, "I'm happy to try anything I love a good steak but 1 wo n't cry kangaro o! I love spicy food actt1ally; South lndian food is o ne of my favourites," she says

And how does a foodie like you maintain that figure, I have ro ask envious ly. "I eat everything I l ove food buc I live a routine, I exercise eve r y day, go to the gym, dance a n d maimain a healtl1y lifestyle. A b u sy lifestyle as well," admits M al aika.

How does she balance a tough lifestyle and motherhood, is i t challengi n g? "Well, 1 am not different to any other woman, r eally. Yes, I have work and commitments, but most moms do. I have help and support at home as weU," says M alaika candidly.

The actress is in volved wid, a Joe of dancing ta.lent shows. Being a mother of a young child, w h at d oes she think the impact of competition is on children of such tender years?

"T h is is a question that is cl ose to my heart. I have always voiced my concerns regarding children on sh ows. I p ersonally feel dilldren should be out p laying and enjoying their childhood, hut then tl1e otl1er side of tl1e srory is that it's just a platform for children ro showcase theL r talent,"

says Malaika

So did sbe always want to be a Bollr-vood sra.r? "Acttially I always loved dance, and figured I ,vould re ach and open a dance school. But BoUywood happened. 1 am a qualified child psycho logist and was a.II set to head into chat direction. Bur then som e things fell into p lace and here I am," she says with an elegant shrug. And finally, l wait for the answer we're all hoping co hear. So, will Nfonni make a comeback in Dabbang 2? "Well, we ace shooti n g for Dabba11g 2 at the moment. So you wi11 just have co wait and watch," says tvfalaika wi th a mysterious smile \XleU, some answer is bette r tha n no answer at alll

Reinventing an epic Legend has it chat Chicrangada was a pri nc ess born co the King of Manipura, and dus legend formed the bas.is of R abindranath Tagore's famed Bengali dance drama o f tlie same nam e. As the onlr child of the Ki ng and beir to d1e t hro n e, the Princess Chitra.ngada is trained in martial art s and dresses as a man tO presume her responsibilities co guide her kingdom. One day she meets A rjun o n a h unting trip and falls in love. A rjun is impressed by her skill and agility but is confused by h e r feminine ma sculin.i ty or rather, masculine fe rninin.ity. Ch.itra n gada is fo rl orn as she realises that Arj un can never love her in her current form and goes to find Kamadev, the Goel of Love. Witl1 his help she is bo rn anew as a beautiful woman, bur returns co a kingdom in chaos. Their l ove s tory is complete when Arjtm realises die beautiful woman is none other than tlie skilled young warrior he met on the bunting expedi tion.

Ritt1pa.mo Ghosh's interpretation of dus classic can be described as nothing if not fo rnud able, in bis film Chitrangada. He pushes the botmdari es of societal stigm a s by suggesting that Chicrangacla was a man. He resurrec ts Kaniacl ev as a cos m etic surgeon w h o performs gender reassignment surgery on Chitra n gada. Whilst in d1e classi c tale, Chitrangada was embraced by her Arjun, this tale has a more realistic hearcbear. The movie follows the emotional passage of a man going through such a procedure. It h ig hlights the strains in his relationships

wi th t he people in his Life, and rakes the audience on a journey of acceptatio n , realisatio n and liberation.

\\?hen quizzed abo u t his expectations of audie nc e reaction specifically in India, a country scill cloistered in the closet when it comes to sexuality, Ghosh responds saying, "There are rwo types of audienc e in India. One is more educat ed and understands the importance of showi ng such cinema ro die masses And the och e r is one chat will always create a fuss! Bue I am not worried abouc them " Ghosh is quietly confident that his movie will make its mark.

G h os h laughs when questioned about the i.mricacies of being the lead acto r and directo r in the movie. "\~ell, it wasn't easy a nd I had to have a lot of faidi in my assistant directors It was also in teresting to experi ence what i t 's like being on the other side," he says with a chuckle.

This tasteful and magnificent interpretation of ao epic tale i s firring in its release, acknowledging the 150th birm anniversa ry of the immortal T agore.

Short film contest

A n integral part of the film festival is die Western Union Short FiLn Competitio n \Vhicb encourages fiLn - makets form India, New Zea11nd as well as Australia to p articipate and get their work judged by experts This year's theme was 'Connections'. This year's w inner is Nielesh Verma from the S)'dney Film Schoo l, who received accol ades from the audience for his movie, utlers Ho111e The film beautifally encapsulates how, in crying co protect our loved ones from h arsh realities, we often treat tbem as strangers by filtering me messages we se nd to diem.

"The judging pane l of this year's competition comprised of renowned film -mal<ers and produ ce rs like Raj Kumar Hirani, M ick Molloy, Kabir Khan and Kuna! Kohli," i\,iitu said in Melbourn e as she annoLrncecl the winn er " I t was difficult for them to pick a winner amongst the brilliant work chat was seen chis year. The the m e of 'Connections' was wonderfully exp lored by all the entrants"

Contestam Shau n Thomas won from Z, Soumya Guruprasad from i'vfel b ourne and Ma nja.ri Makijany fro m India.

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Spectators watch a Mixed Martial A.rts ( MMA.) bout at the FCC (Full Contact Championship) 6 fight night in Mumbai on June 30, 2012. Fight nights are gaining popularity in Mumbai as fighters from all over the country are pitted against competitors who have been 'cross-trained' to fight in different styles combining a mix of kick- boxing, judo, wrestling, grappling and other martial art forms.

India pushes for 26/ 11 CBM, Pakistan rejects state role

India recently pressed Pakistan to bring co juscice those guilty of the 26/11 attack and said it could be tl1e b iggest confidence building measure (CBi'vf) as Islamabad strongly rejected any role of state actors in the carnage and offered a joint probe

The foreign secretaries o f I ndia and Pakistan , Ranjan Mathai and Jalil Abbas

J ilani, wrapped up two days of t,'llks o n peace and security, inclu ding CBMs,Jarnmu and Kashmir as well as the promocion of friendly exchanges. The talks ''were held in a frank and construccive atmosphere", said a joint statement.

Issues tlnown up by the disclosures made by 26/1 1 p lotter Abu Jindal Hamza, which India said point to the involveme nt of Pakistani state actors in the Nov 26, 2008 terrorist attack in 1'1urnba.i, figured prominently in the discussions.

India s hared informacion on Jindal's di sclosures and pressed Islamabad to bring the perpetrators of the carnage co ju stice.

"Terror.ism is the biggest threat to peace and security in the reg ion, and bringing the guilty to justice in tl1e Mumbai terror attacks would be the biggest confidence b uilding measure of all," said Matl1ai.

"The arrest of Abu Jindal has added an urgency to the matter. \Xie will conrinue to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion," he said.

In response,Jilani said while terrorism was a common enemy of both India and Pakistan, " trading charges will not help".

J ilani refuted India's accusation of the involvement of Pakistani s tate agencies in the Mumbai terror engineered b y 10 Pakistanis that left 166 people, including many fo reigners, dead and 238 in jured.

" I strongly re ject any insinuation of a ny involvement of state agencies in any act of terrorism in India," Jilan.i repli ed when asked about J indal's d isclosures

" ] assured him (Mathai) chat whatever evide nce India hRs, the enrire evidence should be shared. We are even willing for a joint invescigacion into the marter," said J ilan.i

"\'v'he neve r we are faced with terrorism, we s hould intensify cooperation. In case there are certain gaps, we sho uld fiU those gaps i n the spirit of cooperation," Jilani said while calling for g reater cooperation between the ho m e ministries and respective agencies of rhe two countries.

Despite differences in perceptions o n the issue of terrorism, the two countries decided co pursue tl1e dialogue and stressed on enhancing bilateral trade chat could produce win-w in outcomes

"While we might not agree o n all issues, we do agree that relations between our two countries have to be normalised. The re is a deter m ination o n both sides to ta ke forward our dialogue with an o pen mind a nd a construccive spirit," said Matl1a.i.

Stress ing tl1atJindal's revelarions do not constitute a setback to the re,, h, ed peace process, J ilan.i underlined that the two countrie s have to ''move from an adve r sarial relacionship to a positive narrative".

" There is absolutely no se tback; t he setback is n ot what we can afford," J ilan.i replied when asked whetl1er Jind al's revelations were a setback to the peace process.

"We have pos itively assessed t he dialogue process. We have made significant progress in all area s."

Matlrni agreed saying, "\'{/e have made progress in people - to- peop le relations and trade. The forward movement o n trade is a win -win outcome. We plan co move forward on the trade track "

The two sides discussed the Jam m u and Kash mir issue and agreed to find a peaceful solucion "by narrowing d i,,ergences and building convergences".

L1 chis context, both sides d iscussed stren gthenin g CBMs to step up trade and trave l across tl1e Line of Control (LoC) char divides Kashmir and decided to convene a meeting of the working g roup on c rossLoC C BMs on July 19 in Islamabad.

Th e foreign secretaries al so discussed the dare for the visit of External Affairs Minister S.M. Kris hna co Islamabad.

The foreign secretaries will meet again

in I s lamabad co p repare fo r the meeting of foreign ministers in September.

Krishna recently said he hopes to visit Is lamabad in the first week of September for t alks '.\~th his Pakistani counterpart.

The two countries al so discussed revival of cricketing ties and focused on enhancing sports and media excha nges.

After particle discovery, spotlight on Satyendra

Nath Bose

The discovery of a new subatomic particle, possibly d1e Higgs boson considered "a key to the cosmic riddle", has put the spotlight once again on Saryendra Natl1 Bose, the Indian scientist from whose surname the word 'boson' is derived.

"In dia is like a h istoric father o f the project," s aid Paolo Giubellino, spokesman of the Geneva- based European Organisation for ucle ar Research (also known as CEfu"\J), which conducted the experiments to find the elusive 'God' parti cle

Bose (1894-1974), a physicist from Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) and a contemporary of German sciencist Albe r t Einstein, did path -b reaking work on q uantum mechanics in the early 1 920s, using maths to desc ribe the behavioural pattern of d1e bosons o ne of d1e lWO families of fundamental particles chat tl1e universe is classified into.

The ocher family of fundamental particles

fermions is named after Italy-born American physicist Enrico Fermi

Bose worked with Einstein in the 1920s, providing the foundation for Bose - Einstein statistics, and the Bose-Einstein condensate. He is also acknowledged as tl1e person who la.id the f0tmdacion of quantum staristics.

Howeve r, Bose never woo the No bel Prize, even though in later years the award was g iven several times for research on bosons.

" He l a.id the base though his work. He definitely deserved the l obel Prize. Definitel y,'' said Archan Majumdar, an astro - ph ys ic ist at SN Bose N acional Cen tre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata

" Howe,·er, at the same time, some kin d of h istorical justice ha s also been done. H is name has been immortalised in boso n s," Majumder said.

"And while it is always good to recognise past ach ievemenrs, it does not take d1e shee n away from the present successes. \X'hat the CEfu'"\J scientis rs have done is greac:. I r's a g reat leap forward in the ftmdamental research and knowledge of human civ ilizacion ," he said.

Milan Sanyal, director of Saha lnsticute of Nuclear Ph ysics , tl1 o ugh delighted at the discovery, rued tl1e fact tl1ar while the Higgs (named after British physicist Peter Higgs) in H.igi,>s boson was in upper case, the boson was in lower case.

"l s halJ write to CERN on tlus It is not a complaint. But I will point it out. I have already received many emails and calls on this. l don't want to s h oot any lecter now as tl1ey are celebrating. But I shall write to tl1em soon," Sanyal sai d.

H oweve r, h e said scientists of his instimte had collaborated with Genevabased European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CE RN) for the crucial Compact l\foon Solenoid (CMS) experiments.

"O n August 26, 2011 we signed tl1ree memoran da of tmderstandi n gs with CER1

o n e o f which was on CMS," he said.

Five facul ty members from the instin1te were part of the core CMS tea m.

" Bes ides, we have 10 Ph.D. students who are part of the project," he said.

Pine needles fue l business for Himachal villagers

Pine needles, a major cause of forest fires in H.irnachal Pradesh, a.re now hel ping villagers earn money

The inflammable needles, which fall on the grmmd in sum mer and cause forest fires because they have r esin, are being used a s bio -fuel by a cement pl ant.

The locals are collecting die needles and selling them at R s 1.65 per kg to d1e company.

"Gujarat A mbuja Cements i s u sing pi n e needles along with charcoal in its kilns. The needles have good calorifi c value," d ivisional forest officer Pradeep T hakm said

Th.is is tl1e second year in a row w hen tl1e compan y is pu rchasing the needles directl y from tl1e local people for its p lant in Ropa.r in Punjab, ad jo ining t h e hill state. Last season the c o mpany procured 250 tonnes of pi n e needles

T h is cime it has procured more d1an 560 tonnes and tl1e procurement is still o n. The forest department is facilitating the trade between the company and the village rs.

Thakur said the company bad .increased the procurement rare from Rs 1. 50 per kg to Rs.1.6 5 per kg.

"It's a good source of additional income fo r the vi Uagers. Jo the Harnirpur forest division alon e, more than 200 families are involved in tl1e job," he said

On an average, a family earns a1:ound R.s.1 5 ,000 per month through pine needles, said an offic ial.

The forest deparm1ent has set up 20 collection centres in the fo re st division where the company is p r ocuring d irectly.

Ar the collection centres, the needles are packed into bales of 35 kg to 40 kg using maclunes provided by che company.

"The transportation cost is quire high but in financial terms i rs use is viable as the company is saving 25 to 30 percent of coal ," Thaku r said.

T he company is al so paying Rs.5 per qu.intal as royalty to the panchayat concerned from where the needles are extracted.

Manju Dev i of Bhoraj village in Hamirpm district said d1e collecrion of pine needles was a good source of alternacive income

"Si nce pi ne needles are not used at homes as a burn directly (due co the presence of various nitrogen ox.ides), these lie unused in d1e forests. The demand picked up after the compan)r started procming them. \Y/e are now earning up to Rs. 40,000 in a season (from May to June)," Manju Devi said.

The n eedle fall starts in April-end and conti n ues cill tl1e beginni n g of July.

Forest officials said th e harvesci n g of needles greatly help checking forest fires co o

On an average, a p ine forest yields two to three tonnes of n eedles per hectare during a season and the stare has pine forests spread over 1,500 sq km, fmmd up to an al tin1de of 5,500 feet.

This summer, forest weald1 es timated at well over Rs.2 c rore (over $400,000) spread over 20,000 beer.ares has been destro)red i n fo rest fires.

A majority of [he fires are reponed from the pine forests

"Supplying pine needles to an industrial unit is a great success We are identifying some other end users too," said Avtar Singh, chief conservator (Forest Protection and Fire Control).

According to the 2009 Forest Survey of India report, Himacbal Pradesh bas 37,033 sq km of forest area, of which 3,224 sq km is very dense forest.

PM announces Rs.500 crore for flood - hit Assam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently announced an a.id package of Rs.500 crore for Assam, which has been seve re ly h it b y Roods, causing an estimated 65 deaths and inundating large stretches of land, including cropland.

The announcement came after tl1e prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi undertook an aerial survey of some Aood affected distciccs of tl1e state.

"The Rs.500 cro re is sanctioned for immediate relief of the state. A central team has reached the state and wiU scare assessing tl1e total damage of the Aoods in tl1e state and all the required financial assistance will be extended to the state government based on the assessment of tl1e central tean1," said the prime minister, while reacting our a statement before the media at LGBI International r\irport near Guwahati.

According to the state Disaster Management Autlwrity (SOMA), the Aoods, affecting all 27 districts of the state, killed at lease 65 people recently. Anot!1er 16 peop le were killed in the past two weeks due to landslides, caused by heavy Aooding and incessant ra.infa.U.

The prime minister, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Assan1, also assured the state of efforts to restore the railway line in the Lumding- Bada rpur Hill section of tl1e Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

The railway ministry has already been instructed to take up immediate steps to restore the railway line as it is a lifeline for tl1e people in Assa.m's Barak VaUey; as weU as nejghbouring Nlizoram and Tripura.

Witb the Rood waters receding at some places, Manmohan Singh said the pri ma r y focus now would be on rescuing peop le who have been left marooned in flood - bit areas and providing relief to t!1em.

The prime minister had earlier announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 lak.h each to the relatives of those killed in Aoods and landslides. Besides, the state government will also pay Rs.2 5 lakh each to the relatives of tl1e victims.

He also noted that over 700 army personnel, and 16 teams of tl1e National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), compris.iug over 600 persoru1el and 71 boats, have been pressed into service for carrying out relief and rescue operations across the state.

"So far, a total of 4,000 people have been rescued across the stare and 20 tonnes of relief material has been airlifted by the Air Force to help the marooned peopl e," the prime minisrer added.

"A total of 4.84 lak.b people, who have been rendered homeless by Roods, have taken shelter in the 768 relief across the state. All the required he lp was given to the inmates of die relief camps," be said.

Manmohan Singh said mat the state government has adequate stock of food

grain but the central government will provide additional supplies of grain and other materials as and when required.

Meanwhile, Assam's opposition parties, including the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the AU I ndia United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Bharatiya Janata Parry (BJP) and others, have expressed the ir dissatisfaction with the pack.age announced by the prime minister.

AIUDF l eader and Leader of Opposition

Sirajuddin Ajmal said that Rs.500 crore is not sufficient as immediate relief as tl1ere has been huge devastation and loss of human lives and property in the floods.

BJP state unit spokesman Santa.nu Bharal.i also echoed similar sentiments, and also criticised the response of tl1e state government.

"\Xlith the waters starting to recede, now the major probl em will start in the form of diseases.

However, we have not seen any alertness on t!1e part of the government co deal wid1 the situations that normally a.tises after the Aoods," he said.

Sunita Williams heading back to space again

Indian-American astronaut Sunita WiUiams is all set to return to the lnternational Space Station, where she spent a record six months .in 2006.

Daughter of an lndian American father from Gujarat and a Slovenian mother, Williams is currently making final preparations for a Julr 14 launch from tl1e Ba.ikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, according to a NASA announcement.

She will be a Aight engineer on the station's Expedition 32 with Flight Engineers Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency and Akihiko Hos hide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration J\gency. On reaching the space station she will take over as commander of Expedition 33.

Williams and her coUeagues will be aboard t!1e station during an exceptionally

busy period that includes two spacewalks, d1e arrival of Japanese, US commercial and Russian resupply vehicles, and an increasingly faster pace of scientific research, the US space agency said.

Williams is the second woman of lndian heritage co have been selected b y NASA for a space mission after Kalpa.na Chawla and tl1e second astronaut of Slovenian heritage after Ronald M. Sega.

She holds three records for female space travellers: longest spaceAjght ( 195 days), mm1ber of spacewalks (four) , and total time spent on spacewalks (29 hours and 17 minutes).

A 1987 graduate of tl1e US Naval Academy, Williams served in various roles as a Navy officer before being selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1998. She received a master's degree from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1995.

NCC to grow, change training sy ll abus

The National Cadet Corps (NCC), India's militarr youth movement in schools and coUeges, is all set to grow with the defence ministry planning to increase its sanctioned strength from the existing 13 l.akh to 15 lakh cadets.

The outfit is a lso readying to change its a:aining syllabus, refining tl1e philosophy to make ir contemporary and meet the aspirations of the country's yomh.

These issues were discussed at the NCC Central Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting cha.ired by i\ilinister of State for Defence M.M. PaUam Raju in New Delhi recently.

"The in1portant issues discussed during die CAC meeting included ina:oduction of a new syUabus based on the relined a:aining philosophy co make it contemporary and meet tl1e aspirations of the youtli of the country.

"In addition, an increase in authorised strengtl1 of cadets to be enroUed in NCC, raising of additional NCC units and enhanced role of NCC cadets in social and

community development program.me were also discussed during the meeting," defence minist1-y officials said.

Addressing die meeting, Raju complimented the NCC on the excellent performance of its cadets in ,1arious activities pertaining co training, sports, adv ennire, social service and comrnmi.ity dev elopment.

Describing the l CC cadets as "leaders of tomorrow," Raju said since they are the key instrm11ems of social change, economic growth and technological innovations, there is an urgent need to channelise their energy in proper d irection with care

On t!1e occasion, l CC Director General Lt. Gen. P.S. Bha.Ua presented a detailed update on CC activities in the past two years to the members of the CAC.

CAC is the apex body that advises the government on policies regarding the constitution and administration of 1 CC.

The CJ\C also consists of nominated members of parliament, the tri- services chiefs, and eminent educatirni.ists IANS

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For more inform ation and t o make a n appointment to disc uss further , p lease con t act by Em a il : wayne@prmg.com.au or sms conta ct nu m ber 0412 345 100

A freestyle motorbike stunt rider flies in midair during a stunt show organised by an energy drink beverage company near the Indian war memorial India Gate in New Delhi, India on 30June 2012. The show is part of one of the biggest freestyle motocross tours in India.

erewor

The true trauma experienced by asylum seekers in detention centres comes alive through their artwork

hey say a picture paints a d10usand words. But as ] fixed my gaze upon Kama!esh's hanowing oil painting, I bega n to wonder whed1er di e age -old idi om did this work enough justice. We'd talked abom h is time at Villawood Immigration Detention Cenu:e plenty of ti m es before. Yet, nothing he had previously told me quite articu lated t he gri mness of life in mandatory detention as vividly as this pai n ting did. This p icmre didn't just paint a thousand words. It spoke infinite, Ltoutcerable words of pain and torture. Kamalesh, a Sri Lankan refugee who spent more chan cwo years detained at V illawood IDC, was evenmaJJy granted his visa in September 2011. The artwork, wh ich he describes as "refugee feeling," was painted whil e he was still in detention

I asked him how long he'd been painting, co which he replied, ''Befo re detention, I had not painted".

I knew he muse h ave been pulling my leg. The qualicy of Karnalesh's work clearly attested co a lifetime of making art. Bue from his serious cone of voice, L knew he wasn't lying.

"I learned how co paint from che TVS program Masterclass in Oils 1Pith Ken Horri.r. He is my master," he said w ith a chuckle. ''\v'hen I was in detention, I never missed iliac shmv"

Bur co create paintings with such intricacy and depch, be needed specific brushes and oil paints. Detainees he ld in Villawood IDC are rarely p e r mitted beyond che centre prern ises. It would have been impossible for Kamalesh to go shopping for resot1rces. \Xlhile

Ken Harr is caught Kama!esh

che very basic skills required in l andscape painting, ic was d1e volunteers at tbe Refugee Art Project tl1at provided him with most of d1e necessary materials he needed to make his art, and gave him the encouragement and profess ional guidance he needed co hone his skills

"One of d1e most fu lfilling p arts of mis project is seeing detainees en joy them selves in art, and then develop cheir

own creative vision an d style in spite of the many burdens and constraints chat are p laced upon them This was the case w i d1 Kamalesh," said Dr Safdar Ahmed, founder and director of the p roject.

The Refugee Art Project began in late 2010 as an iniciative co provide art classes for as ylum seeke r s in detention , and co showcase d1eir c reacive work in pub lic exhib itions. More d1an a ye ar later, the projec t remai n s in full swing.

According to the project's webs ite, most of d1e artworks done b y detainees share the d1emes of trauma, exile, hope and enduran ce The project's key intentio n is m express d1e stories and experiences of refugees in a manner that fruitfuUy engages w i d1 d1e general public.

''\Vhile refugee supporters do essential and valuable work, it occurred co us chat asylum seekers are too often being spoken for or abour, wid1 little room to speak for themselves" said Dr Ahmed. "Tims, our idea was to empower refugees by giving d1em a voice through art to ilie wider community"

Villa.wood IDC bolds asylum seekers from di fferenc parts of che world. l ot al.I of d1em have a good grasp of English , let alone a basic t1nderscandi ng of it. Arc g ives everyone d1e equal opportunity to speak d1eir minds withou t having to use accuaJ word s

"I was able to express my feelings d1rough painting," said Karna!esh ' Whatever materi als I n eeded, I asked Safdar and he brought d1em in for me."

An aspect of Kamalesh's artwork that 1 fmmd parcicularly striking was the tears of b lood seeping from the hoUowed eyes of the eerie hu m anoid tree in ilie central foreground of che painting. When I asked Ka m a!esh what d1ese blood y tears meant he said, "Great sadness " Was the concorted figure meant co be him?

He smi led and shook h is head "No le can be any refugee d1at is suffet:ing from being in detention fo r such a long time," was his poignant answer.

On March 30, a parliamentary inquiry i nto rnandatocy detention confirmed tbac 90 percent of detainees suffer clinicall y significant depression. The report also stated that ha! f ch is nt1m ber is diagnosed w ith pose-traumatic stress disorder, and a quarter

Artworks by Kamalesh

Tamil asylum seeker

Christmas Island boat tragedy

Dove

Sri Lankan army bombing the Tamils

Right:

Kamalesh (extreme right) with mates at the Refugee Art Project's kitchen open day ''

An aspect of Kamalesh's artwork that I found particularly striking was the tears of blood seeping from the hollowed eyes of the eerie humanoid tree in the central foreground of the painting.

report having suicidal thoughts.

1 asked Dr Ahmed about the impact the project has had on d1e mental bealch of detainees al Villawood. "The act of art- making certainl y pw,ides a polnL of immersion ducing which detainees can forget about their problems, so it is therapeutic in that way," he said.

Karnalesh agreed. "\\;' hen 1 was inside mr room, I "\vouJd always feel tension. But when l attended the: arr classes in the visitor's area, J was able to mix with different people and do painting. This made my mind feel relaxed," he re,7 ealed.

BuL Dr Ahmed made it clear that art d1erapy cannot significantly in1prove symptoms of mental illness. "We don't see mucl1 cl1ance of really helping people until they are taken out of the environment that is mak ing them sick in Lhe first place, which is d1e detention centre," he said.

Nonetheless, the momemarr solace and enjoyment that Kamalesb found when he mindfu.lly engaged in painting was one of the most memorab le parts of his time in detention. ln fact, he and other detainees who also participated in the art classes and have since been granted visas, continue tQ maintain links with d1c: ptojecL Some have even had Lhe rewarding opportunity to see their own artworks publicly disp layed.

Recencl)', the project hoste<l the highly successful L!fe i11 LJn7/Jo exhib ition at the Braemer Gallery in the Blue Mountains. The exhibition, whid1 contains a series of works produced entirely by asylum seekers, will aL~o he disp layed in Sydney's UTS building d1roughom July and will trave l to Melbourne in early October.

Dr Ahmed believes the presentation of these artworks

wiU have a positive impacr on the 1\ustrali,'ln public.

·'We are hoping to ge t lots of people into the c..xhibit.ion ancl really open their eyes Lo d1e inspiring talent, perseverance and promise of those who are so unfairly locked away in our detention centres," said Dr 1\hmed

·'The work in this exhibition shows the tenacity, hope and faith of people who have fled the most hellish circumstances to tr)' and forge a new life for themselves and their families, and they should be admired and supported for cl1ar," he concluded.

Beyond champagne chic

• • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• An enticing book takes a revealing peek into Indian diplomacy and its many intricate levels, writes

Indian diplomacy is 50 percent protoco l, 30 percent alcohol and 20 percent TN Kaul

(India's legendary fo r eign secretary in t he l ace sixties), so goes the famous one- liner. Bue it's dearly much more than g lamorous parties and clinki ng champagne glasses as a new book, wh ich stitches together analyses, insights and reminiscences of India's stalwart diplomats, shows.

Titled The A 111bassadon' Clt,b (}forper Collins), the boo k, edited by KV Rajan, a retired diploma t, weaves rare snapshots of lnd ian diplomacy in action at some of the fraught and exhilaracing moments in l.ndia's management of its fo reign relations.

The book bristles w ith revelations and rare in sig h ts into how Indian dip lomacy operates o n the ground amid challenging situation s an d takes you beyond dic hed ofticiaJ formulations and discourses that often hide more than tl1ey say.

AND Haksar's brief bur compelling accounc of an impromptu summit meeting between Pakistan's dictator Z iau l-Haq an d India's the n Prime

M:iniste r l'vlorarji Desai in · airobi in 1978 during the funeral ceremony of Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyarca is o n e sud1 exampl e that will prod read ers to dig deeper into tl1e book In the chapter entitled A Si11g1ilar Ju111mit, Haksar writes : "Bhutto w as executed in the following sw11m er of 1979 by tl1e Z ia gover nm ent despite pleas for d e m ency from many leaders and governments around me wo rld.

O ne which made no such p lea was India, the Desai government taking die view tl1at the m atte r was an intern al affa ir of Pakistan.

\'(fhether or n ot the previo u s summer's smnrnit had any role in this can o n ly be a s ub ject of specul;i tion."

There are also gripping accounts of some of t he country's much -esteem ed re tired diplomats whose stints coincided with hi.srory- changing moments in the countries in whi ch tl1ey were posted

TP Sreenivasan found himself grappling with the a ftermath of a coup in Fiji in 1987 which was aimed at u nd ermining the lndia norigin majority in F iji's affairs. A

Madh avan recalls vividly what it meant to be i n the midst of o n e of the iconic eve n ts of tl1e tim e, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and how India i ngeniously built diplomatic b ridges with a remufied Germany.

Jagat S Mehta, the doyen of Indian diplomats and n ow in h is 90s, looks back at his dip lomatic s tin t in China and seem s co question Nehru and his advisers in their judgments of Clunese inten tio ns in the late 1950s and 1960s. Commenting on Mehta's article, KV Rajan , the editor of the book, writes : " Cou ld tbe India- Chin a war have been avoided if ebru had been a better judge, or better advised, and his d evoted and overawed bureauc rats were not convinced d1ar 'Panditji knows best?"

What imparts a unique flavour to the book are first-person accounts lil,e that of The Last Dt?)'S of StilPado,· A llende, the Chilean dictat01; by GJ Malik and Ni ranjan Desai's gripping t ale of his travails in 1972 as an officer on special duty after Ugandan dictator Idi Amin whimsica lly expelled all Asia n s ho lding ci tizen sh ip of

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Britain

To e A t11bassad01:r' CIH/J is probably th e first in a series of anthologies of reflections and reminiscences by Indi:w diplomats as they juggle diverse domains ranging from cli mate change n egotiations to labyr intl1s of WT O talks and fills in on di e drama and atmospherics that are missing from more scliolatly tomes on international relations.

The book s hould be specially u seful co practitioners as well as students of international relations. Above all, it should inspire more young peop le to joi11 the woefully understaffed Indian Foreign Se.rvice.

In a foreword co the book, National Securi ty Advisor

Shivsha nka r Menon recalls how h e recently m et a young ma n who had made it to tl1e IFS, but was bei ng dissuaded by his lAS colleagues and his girlfriend from

MANI SH CHAND

joining i t. Me non says he tried to convince him about me singularity o f the diploma t's job, but in retrospect though t he sho uld just h ave given lu m this book to read to discover the joys an d challenges of Indian diplomacy.

''The book weaves rare snapshots of Indian diplomacy in action at some of the fraught and exhilarating moments in India's management of its fore ign relations. ' '

Analysing India

A foreigner's point of view on the country's sometimes baffling contradictions and interesting quirks

It's strange bow important: natio n al id entity is to us humans. Despite being an artificial construct, nati o n ality bolds a special place in many people's hearts.

Austr alian writers can c riti c ize Australia as much as d1ey like, but whe n a foreign jomnalist friend recen tly penned an arti cle abo ut Melbou rne's public transport system, d1e respo n se was pure vi tr io l Th e respondents, all Australian, appeared to have been personally offe n ded by her ra d1er honest a nd constructive thoughts. In his book Tbe Clash of Civilisatio11s, political scientis t Sa m uel P. Huntington claimed t hat wid1 me wars of tribes and ideologies ove r, culmral ide nti ty is me most na niral and obvious po int behin d which people will rally I r is with moderate trepidation merefore drn t I begin thi s m ontb's piece, covering m y o b servations of t he Indian psyc he.

T he longer I spend in India, t he m o r e I begin to n otice m e subde national quir ks which m ake Indians who d1ey are. While lndians may n ot realise it , these seem to ba:ve profound effects on the country and the way mat it functions. My first observatio n is the very common juxtap osition of national pride and self- loa thing. l ationalism has swelled in India in recent decades, and al mough the country has always been a very p ro ud nation, th e patriotism shown in the past ten years suggests dus i s on me incr ease 1n fac t, accordin g to man y p eop le who I meet, lndia is me best country in the world. However, I'm often left wondering ju s t how good it is whe n those same peop le ask me to help them m igrate to i\ustralia.

W hich leads me to my sec ond observation; m at a majority of Indian people are in a so r t o f unequal relatio n s h ip with foreign countries, particularly Britain, J\.merica and the Arab Gulf states. With all the iss u es that plague Indian society, life in tbe West can be particu larly seductive, and as a result a large section o f so ciety see m s to iliink mat alth ough l\fother I n dia is home, d1e West is so m eh ow basically 'be tter'. Bollywood must share much of the blame for this, for it s productions n early always present

a san i tized version o f li fe in the \XTest, overl ooking actua l issues as soc ial isolatio n, alcohol- fuelled street crime and the sexuali,ing of children Equall y, many :Muslims on me subcontinent h ave an alm ost unfalter ing adn.uration fo r Arabs as the gatekeepers o f ] slam Thar respect is n't returned in Gulf Arab sta tes, wh ere many locals treat Indians wim contempt, and see Soud1 Asian Musli m s as being 'not proper !vfuslims' - a sentiment w hich in fact viola tes th e Qur'an's egalitarian values ] won der if this partial inferiority complex i s d1e legacy of hisroric events. Is the sp ecial r espect of India n s for Arabia and ilie West a hangover fro m the days of t he Mugh al and British administrations, whe n one was fo rced to respect Muslims o r Britain ?

\Xlhat results is a reali ty gap whic h manifests itself in perceptio n s of India and foreign nations At home, some Indians are inclined to believe dungs which might not b e accurate, but which compensate for a perceived inferiority " Buddha was born in. India", "India's Kanch e n junga is the highest mountain in die world", and "India bas me s trongest military in me world" are just a few exan1ples. Meanwhile d1ese sa me people set d1eir sigh t s o n the ' b etter' abroad - and often s till believe d1e filmi stereotypes about money, g irl s and success in th e West. A strange contradiction eme rges, where otherwise patriotic Indians di smiss attractions as being 'too poor' or 'too low ly', si m pl y be cause d1ey're in India - when in actual fact, mere's nothing wro ng wim said attraction At d1e extreme end of th is spectrum, we see tbe c ontradiction in some N Ris w ho will scrub commodes in me \ ':v'est to make ends meet, bm won't d rive through perfectly fine su b urb s in India b e cause " it's dirty'' Apparen tly, Indian dirt is worse that Western dirt.

The positive s ide of India's reali ty gap is mat Indian so ci ety remains less cy nical that soc iety Th e belief mat a dream m ig h t come true still exists in many Ind ians, no matter how ma n y beatings that dream m ay take. Lots of studen ts graduating from school actually believe tha t d1ey will o n e day be r ich beyo nd d1eir wild est dreams If they graduated in d1e West, a large section of soc ie t y would pull d1em aside and tell that mat n o matter how hard mey work, some people ju st never make it. Lots of Indian s seem to believe m at

Nationalism has swelled in India in recent decades.

love, in the end , will trium ph - in the West, it is commonly held that onl y the lucky o n es stick together. Wh en d1e D elh i Metro opened a co u p le of years ago, hearts thumped w i m pride. The sam e project in A u stralia W(mld have been torn apar t by a society fed up with b roken political promises.

D espite the constandy b roken promises of t heir government, an d despite often co m plaining about w bat:'s wrong wi th their country, for better or for worse, Indians are still a h opeful bunch.

I sincerely hope m y time in Jodia ha s rubbed off on m e, a n d ma de m e m ore Indian in mis respec t

So I h ope tha t I haven't offen ded anyo n e, o r cur roo close to rbe bo n e. Mor eover, I hope d1at t h is is n ot interpreted as an attack on Indians or Indian values - it is simply a recount

o f my observation s L1dia is a co m p lex being, a n d as such psychoanalysing he r is a h azardous task. An d as for a p syc hoanal ysis

o f A u stralian soc ie ty? D on't get me started

Architecture wasn't the only legac

Nurturing the neighbours

India reaches out to countries within its periphery, with the intention of building sustainable relationships

~· BY • NOEL G DE SOUZA

Stand ard & Poor is at its o ld game again This time it h as latched o nto vague id eas that India faces a financial slowdown, and the agency has thre atened to downgrade [ndia's rating. T his i s t he same raring agency which took years b efo re r eluctantly givi ng India a m ecli um raring. Meanwhile, i t h ad consistently given European countries high ratings when man y of t hem were ne arly inso lvent.

''Manmohan Singh has dedicated

n ow becoming clear

This does n ot m ean that lndia is a military alliance widi t h e USA against an ybody In March rbis year lndia hosted the meeting of the BRICS leaders: Presidents Dil ma Rousseff, Dm itry Medvedev, Ma n.moh an Singh, Hu Jintao and Jacob Z una. These include some of

himself to strengthening India's relationship with its periphery, which firstly encompasses its neighbours with whom it has boundaries com m on '' d1e wocld's most populous countries.

of Defence says, "India is a g lobal power, and rli ey are m eeti ng thefr respon sihilities and we welcom e tl1ac " lndia has been building irs naval resources in recem years. T h.is h as received much media attentio n particularly after d1e 2008 terrotist atcacks in M umbai which were launched from the sea D asgupta and Coh en's book A1wi11g 1l)fthoHI A iming (publis hed in 2010), lauded India's successful naval modernisation, buc ic was Clirical tl1ac this success was n ot u nderpinn ed by all)' stated aims. lnclia's offi ci al stance is that its n avy is being used for p eaceful purposes such as fig h ting p iracy and to bring stability to d1e region. D asgupta an d Co h en 's book was publi sh ed two year s ago India's stan d is Around the sa m e tim e, TIME magazine, quoting the IMF (In ternacional Monetary Fund) told a different s torr Ir said that the BRlCS group (Brazil, Russia, India, Chi n a and South A fr ica) had a G DP growth of 8 % in 2010 which h ad slowed to 6% in 201 2, whereas for the USA die figures were 3% to 2°i<> and for the Eurozon e it was 2% to-0 3%

\Xlhat is intriguing a bout Standard & Poor is that this threat was published jusc when India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukerjee was b eing touted as ics n ext President. There have been attacks on tl1e Standard & Poor threat by Indian commentators. At la st, o ne would say! At chat time a few Indian politicians like Mamata Banerjee were proposing tha c the Prim e Minister Man moh.an Singh should be the next President.

Manmohan Singh has dedicated himself co srrengrl1en in g Tnclia's rela ti o n ship wid1 its periph ery, w hich firstly encompasses its n eighbours with w h o m it has comm on bo undaries (Pakiscan, Bangladesh, Nepal , Bh.man, Burma and China) Bm there exist ochers some dis tance away wid1 w hich it has had historical and cultural relationships, snch as Afghanistan, the Gulf States and lran on t he o n e side, and Thailan d, Cambodia, Malaysia and Ind o nesia on d1e other side.

Th e US Secrecary of Defence Leon Panetta has been h aving talks wi d1 Manmohan Singh concerning regional securi ty and defence. lnclia is important wid1 regards to the Indian Ocean, as it is d1e largest navy in di e Arabian Sea and the Bay of B engal There is a shift of US naval fo rces from r11e In dian Ocean to the Pacific, w here Panetta h as signalled that six aircraft carriers will be based These events should be v iewed in the bac kdrop of th e Sou d1 Chin a Sea which Chi na clai m s as its own , against t he or11er claimants whicl1 include Vietnam , the Phillipines and Taiwan.

Th e USA is calling India a global power.

Captain John Kirby of die U S D epartme nt

M arun ohan Sing h m et

Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi after a meeting in Yangon, and in vited her to deliver d1e n ext Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture in lndia Suu Kyi h as accepted the invi ca ti ou, hoping co vis it India b efore long Singh ann o unced that India h as o p e ned a $500 million lin e o f credit from which Myanmar can draw; India is in terested in getting energy resources from Burma.

T he A ustra lian D e fe nce JvUni ster Stephen Smith, calls Incli a a " naniral maritime partner" of A ustralia, while pointing out r11at Ind o n esia is emerging as no r just a r egiou.,'ll, but a global influence. India, Indonesia and Australia have m adtime co•operation agreemen ts lndonesia shares a common maritim e boundary with Inclia north of the is land o f Sumatra and die An daman-N icobar Archip elago. Significa n tly, ln don esia refers to the Indian Ocean a s Samuclra Hindia India's relationship wid1 the JvUd dle Ease goes back cen turies The Jl,,fiddle East is tl1e gateway to Europe. Maritime trad e, based o n th e current reversals in the Arabian Sea, existed since the rimes of King Solomon Today the Gulf States are hosts to thousands of Ind ians and odier subco n rinencals who make valuable financial contributions to tl1eir m other co1.111tries Incli a has no mili tary presence, rnilike P akistan, in those countries, bm its n avy patrols th e Arabian Sea to prevent piracy.

I nd ia's pe ri phery th us stretch es over a a considerable swad1 between South east Asia and th e Middle East, and Manmohan Singh has been busy build ing up relations hips witlun its confines.

When TV leads the charge

Social activists, networks and advertisers around the world should take note of a radical new TV format creating phenomenal waves of change in India

the way diat Sa(J•mmv }tl)'ate is.

More d 1an a few commentators have suggested that we are witnessing die bi.rd, of a new format of television, wh ich acts not just to raise awareness, b ut as a genuine social movement.

Somethi ng strange is happening in India. Every Sunday morning, millions of Indians haul themselves out of bed to be told about all di e things which are wrong in diei.r country Unpalatab le though die home truths may be, .ltJl)'ame11 Jqy,,te ('Trudi alone prevails') has nonedieless garnered a massive audience and has become o n e of the highest rating shows on lnd.ian television. The programme and die issues that .i t highlights, regularly become die highest trending topics on Twitter. Considered so important for the nation is SatytJme1')tfJ•ate d1at .it is simulcast die national broadcaster Doordashan, as well as the commercial channel Star Plus for which it was produced. A ldiough presented in Hindi, .i t is supplemented with English su btitles, and dubbed in eight regiona l roagues And although .it is only up to its sixth episode, it is being hailed a revo lution in television, not just for India, but for television as a concept. Te levision has, to date, witnessed many incarnations as a medium of entertai nm ent, education, promotion, information and inc reasingly, interaction with aucliences. However, most television markets are yet to capitalise on the political and socia l activ ism w hich has take n d,e social meclia world by storm. Attempts in the past have generally assumed one of two forms: first, as a comparatively shallow attempt to take advantage of Twitter, Facebook or YouTube's flavour of the month, but never to lead the cha rge. A special Kony 2012 edition of the Seven Network's .f11111ise may be viewed as a recent example - tbe programme, along w idi celebrity twitteratti, responded to the already growing awareness of die viral 'Stop Kot!JI' video. The seco nd form of televisual social activism can be seen in programmes which raise awareness, but w id1out the stated aim of promoting political engagement The Opmh 1Vi1:hY Sho111 can be categorised as a high ly s ucc essful example of this - whi le it gained political clout for raising social awareness in recent yea rs, it was never wholly a 'call to arms'

After almost six months of hype on tel evision, pcin t and social meclia, .ltJ(:}1a11m1 ]lfJ'tJte premiered May 6, 2012. The first 90- minute long programme, conceived and hosted by Bollywoocl star Aamir Khan was a mel an ge of faces, figures and heartbreaking inter views on th e topic of female foeticide

Subsequent top ics ha ve included child sein.ml abuse, the practice of dowry, forced marriages and die state of India's heal di car e system

To air a nation's dirty laundry at 11am on a Sunday morning was a huge cisk, especially in a country as proud and conservative as Inclia. Yet some how rl1e gamb le paid off, and commentato rs have been left wondering why it worked , and if it could be replicated elsewhere.

Analysts have pointed to the host's public p r ofil e as being key to die success of die show, odiers h ave cited savvy marketing. Some attrib u te its success co widespread support for die initiative, with political parties, celebrities and journalists alike agreei ng on t he progra.rnme's word, (fbe term 'Sc1rymmv jtrytJlf' is also lnclia's national motto, so it has a particular pertinence)

Howeve1:, none of diese can exp lain why millions of peop le continue co be confronted ·with these often sickening copies ove r their Sun day morning chai or can they explain the mass ive public engagemellt widi the programme and .its social media platforms - die Facebook page rece ived 233,000 'likes' on die day of the premiere episode alone Furdiermore, neid1er die choice of host nor marketing can explain the huge p o li tical impac t of the show, which each week successfully encourages viewers co send text messages to petition hotl.ines, and pledge money to charities, the amoun ts of which are dien matched by the show's sponsor s. N in e days after tbe seco nd episode aired, and in direct response to that episode's 'SMS petition', India's parliament passed a landmark bill to legally protect minors against sexual abuse. Perhaps peopl e actually care?

The programme bas n ot been with out its detractors, however, who hav e decried its

melodramatic namre (the host has teared up in eve r y outing so far) and its 'infotainment' production, which sees an acoustic song reflective of die week's topic played at die end of die episode. Journalists who have bee n working for years to highlight these social issues claim it's sheer populism and have warned drnt it won't solve complex problems, while others have branded it anotber manifestation of Teju Co le's White Savior Industrial Complex, repackaged for midd leclass Indians. Some cynics have called it a sub-ge nre of alreadyexploirative reality television.

Regardless of what it represents, no-one disputes diat it is creating change where it is needed, and that the v ictim s of certain social ills are receiv ing more attention than ever before. And while d1ey d eny that they wer e motivated b y money, the ho st, networks and sponso rs are rallying up a tidy sum from it all.

So from outsider's point of v iew, all of this begs the question: can S,1t;1tJ111e11 Jqyate's success be replicated in odier counu-ies? To be su.re, p rogrammes li.ke this are not unprecedented awuod die world, even in Australia. Early incarnations of This Is ) our Llje tended to focus on unsung heroes, Al(Jfm/im1 .ft01y works to tell the stories which don't make the headlines, and even Seven's 2002 programme U11derco11er A ngels feanu:ing lan Thorpe and Nine's D0111estic Blitz were feel -good reality shows. However, nodung

has quite matched the lllix of star power, social meclia, social engagemen t, political activism, widespread endorsement and genuine appeal that this lnclian format has. Modern Australian television has become rather segregated, forcing the masses to choose between what is important and what is entertaining. Crucially, any show would require that X factor which would make people choose cliscussion o f heavy soc ial issues over light entertainm ent like The Voice.

Every councry h as its social issues, even if they are nor as visible to the mainstream as India. Domestic vio lence remains a problem ia Australia, as does home less n ess, the mental healdi system and bullying. Mo reover they remain prob lems wluch have die potential to unite Australians, and i f give n the right creatment, could stir national consciousness i.n the way Sa!)·11111e11 ]lfJ'dlP has done. A cruly cli visive issue could make or break the show's fo rmat, and ought be better left to another programme. The divisive issue of asylum seekers was highlighted last year b y SBS's excellent mioisecies Go BtJck To IV'hm Yo11 Ct1111e Fro111, but ultimatel y it didn't affect government policy. It's questio n able whetber the core concept of StJt)•a111e11.{t!)1tJtc is negated when the result is debate, bur die government is able to ride out die stor m of public criticism occurring on the letters page of n ewspapers.

Finally, there exists the view tha t most Auscralians, in die.ir 111.iddJe-dass bulk, are simply roo politically and socially apathetic to take serious action on social iss u es un less they are directly being affected. It's in1portant to remember mat the same concern was held about lndia's newlycomfortab le nuddle class when this concept was being developed: would peop le reall y choose th.is over th e glut o f tab loid news cha nnels, game sh ows and soap o peras which m Je d t he roost? A U that was required was enough peop le to take the risk.

~-tick 01·iginally published 011 the website www.mediaspy.org

Holidays and the concentrated mind

Maintaining a balance between recreation and work could prove to be a positive path for students

The mid- year ho lidays are upon us and it is timely for parents to ask how co approach the break from the point of v iew of their children. Holidays are necessary for breaking ro u tine, refreshing the mind and relaxing. However, d1ey can also be an opportunity for students to discover a new balance between rest and effort.

All students tend co look forward ro the idea of a holiday; The school term can vary in length between seven to twelve weeks. Students and their teachers look forward to a break from the early m o rning starts and the fullness of the term. Holidays usuaJly provide a complete break from school. The exception may be that some schoo ls provide activities and structured support for students in senio r years These schoo ls might offer study revision classes or time when major works for particular s ubjects such as Art and Design and Technology be completed. Ir is also possible that schools offer holiday care for students co he lp working families.

The question that should be asked is whether a complete break from study is, in fact, the best use of holiday ti.me.

Family time

A recent stu d y in Taiwan asked parents what they value most about school holidays. Taiwanese students are ctu·rendy on summer holida)'s. When planning for the h o lidays, parents in Taiwan firstly b u dget for famil y time. That is, they first aJlocare money and time for a holiday with the ir children. l.nterestingly, their second consideration is private tuition and study camps. This means that once the joint ho lid ay part of me school break i s ove r, t he parents expect their children to engage in some structured study, despite being on holiday

Balancing time

A balanced app r oac h to d1e holida)'S in cludes a mix of compl ete rest and rel:urntion, some ph)'sical activity, some reading, some mental exertion and some recreational and socia l time.

Students shou ld be allowed to have some comp lete days off to d o as they like - sleep in, watch televi s ion, play electronic media, socialise with friends and relax However, once a few days have

passed, d epending o n the age of the stud ent, it is appropriate to expect that one to two hours of academ ic work be done on eac h weekday. This might include an hour of reacling, some time revising past notes, doing practice questions, expanding their reading and revising of schoolwork covered in the school.

Focus is the key

J\ cruc ial issue w im respect to holiday work is how to focus Students might feel like it is very unfair or difficul t, co concentrate when they are on holidays There are several strategies that parents can adopt incl udi n g a discussion about the need to balance between rest and work, as well as to encourage children to take advantage of this time to think and integrate concepts and learning, and ro provide a chance to set goals and feel the personal re\vard of achievi ng d1em.

Balancing work and rest

In the smd y of orga nisational ps ycho logy there is a n understanding that coo much work can cause distress. Bue coo little work can be stressful as well

The optim al level of stress is caJled 'e ustres s' and in dus range of stress, peop le perform to their op timal capacity. Studen ts who rest too muci1 or work too much will tend to become stressed eas ily when pressured by the idea of srudy. However, a small amotmt of study, some phys ical activity, so m e socialising wid1 friendsthese are perfect days. Students who study and then play cricket, watch a m ovie, go shopping or spend times with friends are much more likely to feel like the leisure is well -d eserved and d1erefore more highly \7alued.

To help children find va lue i.n appreciating the benefit of some

structured study time, parents can start by teaclung d1em about goal setting.

Goa I setting

If asked what they would like co aclueve, many students might shrug uncertainly, or they mig ht say something extremely likely co make t heir parents proud such as beconu.ng a doctor, lawyer or pharmacist. Some might cheekily say d1ey would like co be a BoUywood scar or even a famous millionaire. The reality is that achievable, bur chaJlenging goals drive the best performance.

\'(/hen the goals come from within me child, d1ey are a source of inspiratio n , e nergy and focus

Parents can help childre n focus on goals by helping chem understand d1eir srrengths, listening to and sharing their interests, and by showing rnem how goals can be broken down into a series of small, manageable steps.

Goals can be negotiated at the scare of the holidays in orde r co make the most out of th e holidays These can in cl ude some goals for how much recreation, soc ial time, family time and also study time can be expected ove r the holidays

Predictability, structure and order

Even during the holidays predictability, order and structure are importa n t. Th.is is because to study for an hour or two a day requires some planning and discipline. lf the study is done early in the day, a mild feel a sense of achievement and pers o nal satisfaction, and e nj oy the rest of the day wid1 a great sense of accomplishment.

iPhone and iWon't

There are very many distraction s for stud ents when t hey try co concentrate. Primary arnongst

these is ready access co e lectronic media and socia l nel:\vorking sites such as Facebook. J\n aspect of holiday discipline is to help students wean themselves off constant access to d1e phone, mus ic and the internet. Surprisingly, they mig ht fi nd d1at they actually remember more, get more study done in less time, and start co intrin sicall y enjoy learni ng. The phone, music and iorernec will still be d1ere in an hour!

Holiday revision courses

One way for older s tud ents ro spend productive ti me during d1e holidays and also to meet ocher students is to attend h oli day revision courses. Spending rime at such course s can help smdents revise material already covered in sci1ool or to introduce areas of study diat w ill be covered. This exposure can rake stress off term time. A disad vantage of d1ese c ourses is that the)' can be expensive or require travel. An advanL'lge of the courses is that they can help to provide focused and supported smdy time. Furtherm ore, they can be ve r y affirming for studen ts, especially if d1ey already know the content and realise that they are learning strategies for appl ying me skills and kn owled ge t hat d1ey al1·eady have

Hitting the ground running

Srudents who cake a few d ays off from all smdy and thereafter integrate a sm all amount of disciplined study into eaci1 weekday of d1eir holidays will be doing themse lves a great service. The y will feel rested and relaxed whilst a lso ensuring that their mind is active, and they wiU be exercising their iliinking. With so me physical activity thrown in, yo u can have the perfect break.

The quest for ha p1ness

This state of being doesn't have to be as rare as some make it out to be

Th ere is an oft q uoted saying about h appin ess : "Happiness is J;kf, a b11tterf!)'

The 111oreJ'Otl chase it the harde1· it is to grasp it

H O//Jever ify o11 lei it be

It 1vill co111e a11d rest gentfy uponyour shoulder "

This is very apt as a truism Mo d ern la m en ts abou t the presence of sign ificant 1mhap p ine ss in so ciety is fueUed by di e ves ted im erescs of the consumeris t wo rld we li ve in, an d m ost people q u ite blin d ly m ake i t a sel f- fulfillin g p rop hecy ' 'I am lmhappy b ecause I d o n ot p ossess w hat i s the latest a nd m ost ex pe n sive" is a p o p ular r efrain. As soon as we ab dicate the p o wer to w h at m akes us hap py to m aterial diin gs, we beco m e p ossess ive a nd co ntrolling of h ap piness itself. Li ke b eaut y, happ in ess c anno t be

possessed exclu sively. W he n we d o feel h ap p y we cr y to hold o n to it, and want co retain it fo reve r at all costs Thi s invariably leads to its d es rructio n and certain d emi se, o nly to be followed b y d isappointment and d es pair.

TI1e m os t com m o n mistake i s to beli eve chat som e diin g outside of o urselves i s r espon sible for o ur happiness. In fact, it is some times quoted as a reaso n for th e brea k u p o f rela tio n ships: " H e/s he di d n ot make m e ' h ap py' ." Quite e r ro neo usly we believe cha t the possess io n of mate rial thin gs, di e kudos from o the rs fo r our ad1 ievemencs, o r d1ar o ne's par t ner has the respo n sibility co m ake us h appy Th ese p re requisites for h appiness, of co urse, sh a re cwo v ital in g redients - m ova b le goal p o s es and o n e's lack of co n trol over di.i s m ove m e n tl i\s t he go al shifts e n dlessl y, m ore an d m ore ma te rial things, m o r e and m ore r ecogni tio n from othe rs b eco m e n ecessary co m ake us h app y Wha t fo llows i s a v iciou s cycle of need turning to wam , w hich th en leads

co despair when it is n o t achieved Ins tead o f hap pi ness, what o ne em b arks o n is a self-ce ntered se arch fo r ple asm e an d hed onism , or a bloated feeling o f sel f-worth. Both o f t hese ar e rathe r fragile for they can be d es tro yed b y outside fo rces in die blink o f an eye t hat may we ll be beyon d o n e's con trol. If o n e stop s to smell the roses, help som eo n e in n eed, sh ow r esp ect to o ur fellow bei ngs a nd begin to enjoy the sin1 p le, in exp e n sive an d b e au tiful creation s

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of n am re chat is aroun d us, h appin ess almos t always land s ge n d y o n our sho ulde r like a beautiful but te rll y. Like t he but te r lly itsel f, tr u e h appiness is ex p erienc ing a vi br ant, free, en ergetic, yet very brief ex perienc e cha t leaves a lasting smile o n our face.

"\'v'e tend to fo rget di at h app iness doesn 't com e as a r esult of gettin g so m ething we d o n't h ave, but radi er of rec ognizing an d ap p reciating what we do h ave "

Happiness begins with:

* A tranquil mind

* An active body

* Hdpful hands

* Thoughtful actions

* Compassionate words

• Enthusiastic ideas

• A smiling face

A trusting namre

* Respectful deeds

* An attitude ofhumility and

* Enjoying solitude leading to a happy life!

Australian College of Vocational Studies

T''hisiswbere Buddhism was first introduced to our land," says Harsba, my guide, while standing in front of a white stupa at Mihintate in Sri Lanka. It is said tbat at this spot arow1d 247 BC, Mabinda, Emperor Ashoka's son met Sinhalese King De,'3.Ilampiya and inspired him to accept Buddhism as tbe national religion.

Marked as a significant event in tbe land's histor y, tbis devout espousal led to the integration of state royalty witb religious orders wbich in subsequen t periods influenced art, culture, lifestyle and architecture lr is evident tbrougbout Sri Lanka; but mos t expressively in tbe ancient cities in the nortbern plains from where 2500 years ago, tbe v:ihrant journey of a nation and a religion began.

An odyssey througb past legacies following tbe steps of tbe royals and Buddhism is a major attraction of tbe lndian Ocean Island, currently witnessing unprecedented growth in tourism at tbe end of its long-dcawn etbnic unrest.

Speculations suggest tbar me island of 64, 000 sq km area was originally occupied by i{untergatherers called Veddahs, w1til 5'h century BC, when Vijay, an ousted ludian king toucbed its sbores and instituted tbe firs t

Sinhalese kingdom tbat ruled the land from tbeir capital Anuradhapu.ra for tbe next 1200 years. It was during this golden era tbat myriad palaces, temples, stupas and monasteries were townships were developed with massive irngation systems needed for survival in tbe hot dry land,

and artistic and architectural endeavours were sponsored. After Anuradhapura was destroyed b y tbe Chol a kings from Soutb India, Polonnarawadown s ou.rll becan1e tbe n ew epicentre and remained s o for over two centuries rill the Europeans moved in and th e power base shifted further south to Kandy and finaJly, to Colombo.

Tbe primeval sites are lo cated around 3 hours away by road from the capital C olomb o , an international getaway met ropolis which in sty le and ambiance is diffi:rent from rest of tbe n ation. I r is more cosmopolit an ; represents a unique blend of cultures derived from its early settlers - the Arabs, Portuguese, Dutch and British - and displays tolerance for all religions, t estified by the number of Catholic churches, Hindu temples and Islamic mosques sharing space witb Buddhist shrines.

To experience the true Sri Lanka and its roots, and to comprehend the evolution of Buddhism in this land , all guidebooks recommend mov:in g out of Colombo and driv in g north to Anu.radhapu.ra and its surrounds, often referred as t he Cultural Quarter.

Founded b y King Pandukabhaya in 384 BC, Anuradhapura is undoub tedly the jewel in tbe crown. The ensemble of ta11 Buddhist s tupas or dagobas, admirable sculptural samples and me remains of royal palaces, temples, monasteries, gardens and ceremonial bath s, depicts a strong connection between royalty andrellgion. All the srupas are well - preserved, prominenr among them are

1huparama dag oba, said to be me oldest of its kind in the world; Ruya.nvelisaya dagoba guarded by a wall witb a fresc o ofcoundess elephants standing shoulder-to - shoulder; tbe 100m tallJetavanarama dagoba tliat on ce housed 5000 monks; and

Abhayagi ri dag oba, the largest in

the domain

Unlike Anuradhapu.ra, at Polonnaru.wa s ome Brahmanic monn.ments built by the Chola kings add to the assembly o f epic .ruins of palaces and.pn ctuaries e ndowe d by several Indian and Sinhalese d ynasti es in a per fect natural setting Rewallng superior samples of art and architecture , they appear to b e in marginally better physical c ondi t ion , perhaps being y oung er fo age Unfortw1ately b ecause of time constraints ic is no t possibl e to see a1I of them , however d on't miss the g iganti c ro ck - carved Buddha figures at Gal V ihara , the 1 75m diamet er s tupa at Rank:o t Vih.ara and the four sitting Buddha busts, placed on a.raise d platform a t the Quadrangle

The mo st sacred emblem in Anuradhapura is S ri Maha Sodhi, a huge tree which has grown from the cutting of the same plane in Bodhgaya in India, unde r which me meditating Siddharrha

G autama attained e nligbtenm ent and became Buddh a. The sapling was brought to Sri Lanka in 244 BC by Sangan1i tta, Emperor Ashoka's daughte r to inspire me new religion introduced earlief by her brorller. Over the years, the sprout grew into a h• tree, withstood sun and rain for more than two millennium and survives t od ay a t the s ame location as the oldest histo rically authenticated nee in the world.

I-rs presence .iJ ~Fjl(.i,o the heart of every arde nt 811 dd;irt io ' thousands thronging the Pilgrims inlarge lllll1lber also visit mountainous Miliitale

which millenniums before was deeply forested , where roy als voyaged m hUDl d eer It was during one such trip o n a full m o on day tha.cKing Devanamp i_fa saw the apostle Mahinda aiiB was instantly engaged b f his spiritual strengtb The wondrous settin~c ame renowned a s me cradfri:,f Buddhism and Anur4l).apu.rft kings of tben and the e in tb e precinct with b eautiful s hrines , s tupas and caves, o ne o which is a cclaime d as Mahinda's meditation camp ' 'A m ore p erfect sanctuary for die son s o f Buddh a could not be fq und anywhe re else throu.gho €1eog_th and breaddn,f Ceylon ," said 2 0 th cennuy B ritish archaeologi Harry Bell, a nd ~ors, irrespecti ve of their religion , tmd to agree with this stateme nt w hen at Mihi t ale 1hough not clearly docume nted, many Sri Lankans ~tba~u.ddbism was instituted Into the Jlhd es C#.lier l,j;~e Lord b.imself"-vdto, a~ng ro Ie ed S ri Lanka tluee 1'ftnes - in 528 BC, 5 23BC and 520 BC to

:they stand t oday as si tes of '

l grimage for Buddhists from J ov!th e w orld. So does the 2 2 34 mo lr ain peak of Sri Pada w ere ud"1a is assume d to have left his oo , rint duiing his second visi t.

However in t erms of ven eration , petbaps n o thing b eat;S l\,.woth TempJe in K andy Thi s sllfine'treasures Bu.ddha's toom which was 'ftlCdVered from his fune ral p yre and smuggled t o Anuradhapura w ith c reden ce t hat whoever has custody of ir o wns tbe righ t t o rul e t he king d o m. Witb me d e mi se of an cien t ~al.lMhe re w a s shifted to a:ilibple in Kanlf,-which now stands as a. major attra ction for visi t ors to S ri Lanka, irrespective

m tea ~: stone edifi ce .is y carved and decorate d ·

caskets placed on a le ~ kept in a two -story inner chamfter fronted by two large elephant tusks. There are certain times during the day when pilgrims can see the casket from a clistance.

The pious piece is removed ' &om its shrine only once a year, during the 10-day Esala Perahera, possibly recognized as1he Jargm Buddhist celebration in the world. During the full moon in late July or early August, a royal male elephant carries the reliquary of the sacred tooth and leads a colourful parade of dancers, drummers , dignitaries and several ornately d rated elephants.

Harsha tells me ch enda atthc.Iestiva1 exceeds the million

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK SRI LANKA

GETTI NG THERE

SingaporeAirlines (www.singa porea ir.com) has dai lyflights to Co lombo from Singapore with excellent connect ions fromAustral ia offe ring 107 flights per week intota l to Singa pore from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Adelai de and Per th. The A380operates on two offou r fl ights from Sydney, and one from three fl ights from Mel bourne.

ACCOMMODAT ION

Cu ltu ral Quarter preci nct offers an array of qua lity accommodation options; however Heritanc.e Hotel at Kandalama (www.heritancehotels.com) aptly boasts a haven of bliss. AGeoffrey Bawa creation this luxury hideout is notfarfrom any of thedistinguished sites, and is uniquely styled li ke an outspread wing of a bird. Overlooking a t ranquil la ke the 1.8 km long hotel is7 stories high, yet appea rs to bea perfect nat ura l extension of the rocky mounta in. At Kandy, it is mostconven ientto stay at the colonia l Queens Hotel (www. queenshote l.lk ) in front of the tem ple.

TO UR PACKAGE

Ait ken Spence Travel (www.aitkenspenc.etravels.com) for Cultural Triangle package tours or for transportation ina privateveh k le with driver cum gu ide

The tendency to overeat is higher in winter, but some foods can keep you increasing the calories

Well into winter now, one of ou r mam concerns 111 tbis season is putting on weight with less activity. For most of us, it is too co ld to ventur e o ut fo.r our regular exercise This is the time when we just want co sit down on di e couch cuddled up in our quil t a nd drink hm beverages while watching om favmtrite TV show or just readi ng.

Some people s u ffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD ) , which adds moodiness, causing one co stray from their health goals Studies have suggested diat there is an increase in aches and pains during w inter, alo n g \vith an increase in fmictional impairment associated w ith seasonal depression An increase in appetite is also reported, with die stare o f the wi n ter season.

Nature has its own way of keeping the body warm. Heat can be generated &om within t he body as well as from food di at raises the body's temperature co help it cope. The body needs to burn more calories co keep warm, and hence there is a n eed to ea t more However, cerr.ain foods have a more warming effect than others. In the win ter we te nd to increase OLtr intake of hot, spicy and fried foods like p"ris, sat110S{IS, gulahja111Uns, caffol ha/ll)a and gara111garallljalebi. Bue with reduced activity an d an increase in t he intake of high calorie foods, we pile on the kilos We can hide this weight u n der bulky winter clod1es but it becomes a ma1or concern m smnmer.

But we can chase away OLtr chills with foods that generate heat and keep our bodies warm, while nor adding to our weight.

Soups

A bowl of hot soup in w inter is w h at our bod y needs to take the chill out of our bones. So ups can be an excelle n t way to ad d veggies, lentil s, beans and protein- loaded chicken, fish or meat to your diet without the addition of too many carbohydrates and fats in your diet. Having a Jow calorie bowl of soup before d inner help yon consume fewer calories

in your m eal whic h in turn can prevent weight gain. Try to make soups with diffe rent combinations and also by using different ingredients such as beans, green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, sweet p otatoes, fish, chicken and meat. You can even have thick bro d1s of soup as a meal if you add enough proteins, vegetab les, and potatoes or sweet p otatoes for carbohydrates. Avoid having very creamy so u ps or adding too much cornflom co thi cken th e soup. If you want to buy commercial soups, co contro l the amount of fat, sodiu m and calories in yo ur soup, shop for low-sodium, lowfat brand s o r prepare your own soups at h ome using .low- sodium vegetable broth. Not only are soups h ot, tasty and nutritious, b u t d 1ey also provide water which we often forget to cons Lmie during w inter Hot liquid also helps b reak up congestion and liquefy mucus.

Herbs, spices and condiments

Winter is a great time to add condini ents and herbs like g inger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon and turme r ic to )'Our meals In addition to th e ir wa rming effec ts, diey coma.in phyto nutrieots a nd have anti -inflammator y properties that help fight in fections and disease. Garlic a lso has allicin, an antioxidaot diat helps fight bacteria and strengd1ens our immune system

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruit like lemons, grapefruit, oranges and m andarin are loaded w idi vitamin C and thus help us fight against common colds and flu These foods strengdien our immune system and die vi tamin C also helps combat free radicals and thus may also aid i.n preventing certain cancers. Citrus foods ar e good so urc es of potass ium and folate, the nutrients needed for a healthy heart.

Nuts and dried fruits

Nurs can be a frie n d 01" a foe in w imer. In India w iili die Ram LiJa come die rehri/lJalas with peanuts,gach11k a nd reV!i N m s can be very healthy snacks for w inter, if eate n i.n moderation. They are a good source of energy, protein, i ron, sele nium , vitam in E and unsaturated fats. Most dried fruits sucli as dates, figs and prunes are high in fibre w hich helps with constipation that sets

in with reduced activi ty and less water i n the winter momhs.

Dates and a pricots can b e good desserts instead of hot g11/ab jo111u11 But v-rid1 the nu ts, sinc e these are e nergy-dense, moderation is die keynote - no t more than a handful a day

Whole grains

The traditional l ndian who le grain cereals besides wheat and cice include hqjra, jo11Jar, oats, barley a n d corn whic h have g reat warming properties Millets can be used to make hot porridge. Whole pul ses and legumes like beans soybean and lentils can be u sed in soups an d stews. Whole grains and wholegrain breads are a heal d1y way to ad d fibre to your diet and a lso to keep you full.

Seeds

Seeds such as smillowe r seed s, f!axseeds, linseeds a nd sesam e seeds are known for d1eir warming effects and health prop erties. Om wioters in northern lndia were filled with yummies such as alsi kc ladoo, ti! kJ gachak and ti! ke Jadoo.

Seeds bave phyto- estrogens mat are good an ti- oxidants which help in preventing cancers These seeds are also good sources of m1saturated fats, protei n s, vitamin E and minernls. But it is heal d1ier to add seeds in om cereals and

stews, and only occasion ally have the iadooJ.

Lean meats, chicken and fish

Th ese high protein foods are associated w i th increased heat production and higher thermogenesis Bur stick to d1e grilled and steamed optio n s, rather tban the fried o n es

Tea

Teas such as g inger and t1ilsi tea have been used co treat cough, co lds, body aches and pains Tea has flavo noids which help to strengthen the inimune sys tem But be careful co ad d low fat milk and not load it with sugar Ginger tea with half a teaspoon of honey or jaggery is great for winter.

Fluids

Water is die most neglected dming win ters Make sure you sip on enoug h soups, tea and juices to keep yourself well hydrated

En joy yom winter meals widiout the addition of extra cal ories o r the fear of cholesterol going high.

Itwas tbe film awards nigh[. The winner of the category 'New discovery of the year' was abom to be announced. Anica sat on the edge of her seat, her parents on either side of her mimicking her stance. It see m ed so surreal. A girl &om a small cowrr outside Mmnbai with no financ ial backing and no internal connections was sea red amidst the nominees, awaiting the announcement of the winne r 's name

As fa r as Anita was concerned, she had arrived. Even if s he did not win, the movie industry has woken up co her. He r manager was looking at two new offers, the perfect ro les to set her up for d1e future.

She had two people to thank for thi s. A simple man who worked as a chauffeur, and an even simpler lady who wor ked as a teacherher beloved parents! L iving in their middle class world away from the g litter and g lamour of d1e celluloid world, no one could understand the insatiable need that Anica had to be an actress.

They say ber very first word was ' movie'. B y the tin1e she was .five, she was acting in school p la ys By the time she was in college, she was acting on me stage. Aud it was at one of her shows chat a film director too k note of Anita's talent. He put her into a p lay that his wife was directing. Before the season ended, he had signed her up for his next fih11. le was the usual 'scarcer film' with the usual plot - girl meets boy, g irl l eaves boy, boy finds girl. But even he acknowledged that it was her acting chat had made the movie exceptional.

"Auel the winner is " These words brought Anita back co me present.

The actress who stood on the stage ho lding d1e trophy was ilie famous leading lady Rica, of the past era. With her d yed hair and a face caked with make- up, she now evoked more sympad1y d1an adoration. She was noted for clinging co die microphone when she got hold of it, screeching like a teenager in her pretended enthusiasm, and dressing like a madam of a cheap brothel.

"Anica!" Her mother clutched her hand, repeating the outcome.

For the first tinle in her life,

Anita's heart beat with happiness. So much joy, chat she was even ashamed of her petty thoughts.

"Let Rica relive her glori es, I an1 go ing to walk up to mine!"

Anica hugged her parents and then slowly made her way to the dais. This would never be hers again, so she walked slowly, savouring each moment. Her very first award!

Finally she reached her prize Rica enveloped her in a hug and wished her every success, but did not release the trophy. Instead she told the world that it was an honour for her to be able ro give the award to an actress with so much talent Anica bowed with hwnilicy, drnnked her gracious ly and then b lew a k iss to her parents. le was to d1em that she owed her gratin1de. They had ensured that she was given every oppormnity irr life, unmindful of the cost or the personal hardship. And in her acceptance speech, she acknowledged their sacrifice Both of diem broke down. Anita too, was in tea rs.

Rita took the opportun.i cy co take the microphone back.

Irritated, Anita grabbed i t back and finished her acceptance speech She thanked the direcror, me producer and her co- scars.

Finally she walked away &om the stage leaving Rica behind, who continued ro wrest for the microphone.

After that incident, s he made sure she kept her distance from Rita at the celebration party, but somehow whenever a phoco was taken , R ita wou ld manoeuvre her way into me shoe. Sh e even managed co involve hersel f in the interviews.

After arr hour of playing the game, Anita finall y decided chat she was go ing to be frank and tell me old actress co leave her alone.

When she saw her go cowards the balcony Anica followed, stopping for a few more press phot0graphs along d1e way.

On stepping out omo the balcony, s he looked around but could not see Rita anywhere.

Turning co go back in, she noticed an open door to the stairwell d1rough wh ich voices she recognised were raised in argument.

"Anita is famous n ow We have fulfilled our side of the deal; it is time co fulfill yo urs," her father said.

"l have given you everything )'Oll have always asked for but no,v that she is arr independent woman, your services are no longer needed," Rita replied.

"The services of a parent never end," her mother seated.

" Parents! You bo d1 were acting a role, nothing more. A role for which you were wellcompensaced !" came d1e scornful reply.

Anita's head beg an reeling What were they talking about? Why was parenthood and compensacion being used in the same sentence?

"

\V./e may not have given birth co Anita, bm she i s our child," her mother said.

"B ut yo u are not her mod1er," Rita screamed

" l aml She is our child Just as d1e hw1dreds of illegicimace childcen you actors prodL1ce who become children to parents like us We give legitimacy to your kids while you all continue in yo ur caree r s and pretend co live noble lives. Look around and you will see the resemblances J\11 the proof is in that room," retaliated her father

Rita did not refute d1e claim; instead she spat back, "You take

money to be a mother. How nob le do yo u call that?"

"And you? You pay tO keep your child hidden," her fadier arcacked.

"Not any more, ic is tinle for me to introduce my daughter co the world," Rita replied.

" \\lhy now?" asked Anita's mother in a softer tone.

" Because it is time for my revenge," Rita replied and then added, "Do you know who her father is?"

''Yo ur affair w i th your co- scar was well known," her father answered.

"Ah, but that was the cover up. It was not an actor wbo was Rita's father, it was a dicect0r," Rita replied

Anita leaned against cbe wall. She lmew who t hat director was.

A loud b,rng made Rita and Anita's carers rush onto the balcon y Seeing that it was empty they heaved a breath of relief, then turned to see Rita's award. She had smashed ic against the wall.

Moments of triumph can be followed by crippling moments of truth as a young lady faces her demons

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our e re

Th is warm colour can make a strong glamour and personality statement if worn properly and with fla ir ;I

l MINNAL KHONA

BY

Weari ng red li p stick or a red dress is n or som ething every girl ca n car ry off wi th panache. Red is a sexy, glam orous colour and not all of u s h ave th e ab ili ty to sizzle in it. But red is a great colour co wear, especially if yo u wa n t tO loo k a nd feel li ke a millio n doll ars And you can, but all you need to do is follow a few sim p le guideli nes to up yo ur sizzle guotienr.

Red letter Iips

Le t's start with ma ke- up. Red lipstick is o nly for the brave or the confident. O r so th e JU)' th goes Agreed, not everyo ne c an wear red lip sti ck and n ot be selfco n scious, bu t you ca n use it to your adva n tage if:

• You wear re d lipstick w h en goi ng to a pub or a p arty

• You wear a sh ade o f red th at co m plem e ncs your skin.

• Yo u ap ply it correc tly so that it highlights your fea tures and does n't look like a red slash ac ross yo ur fac e

• You coordi na te th e righ t shade o f red li pstick w ith little b lac k dresses, glam orou s b lack sa, ees with bling a nd evening gown s

• You do n't wear red lipstick to work o r in t he d aytim e.

A lo t d epen ds o n how you wear red lipstick. For a classy look, o pt for deep reds ch a t have a to uch of burgundy in the m. Matte s hades o f red that don't loo k dry a nd are m oisture-ric h work better th an gl ossy s had es whic h can make yo u loo k car ry

To m aro a nd fire e ng ine reds are a .stric t n o -n o U nless of course, you a re extrem el y fair skinn ed. A d eep er sh ade o f red wor ks bes t with Indian complexion s

Nowadays th e rre nd of wearing a lip- liner is th ankfully o n the w ane. l have seen cou ntless exam ples o f lip -liners in sh ades way di fferent fro m t he lip stick app lied with great p ride \X l hat these poo r wo m e n d o n't realize is tba t the li p- liner need s to b len d into th e li pstick so it b as to be a similar s had e. Jc is essenti all y u sed to pr event the lipstick fro m bleeding

So if you m ust use a li p - lin er while ap plying red Li pstick, use a red one. Nor shades of m aroon or brown

Subtle face \l{/ h at abou t the rest o f th e face

w h en your Li pstic k is red ? Th e colour being what i t is, red li p s will ove rs hadow every other featme. Th e best th in g to do is co be sub tle with the r est of your m ake-up A dun line o f eyeliner or jus t a coat o f ma scara wou ld work to lughlight t he eyes. I person ally don't lik e co wear eye s hadow i.f the lipstick is red , but tl1ere are sorne b old ones who can carry it off If you mu s t experi m ent, go with dull gold or bro nze shades for your eye shadow

Fo r th e b lushe r, u se a sh ade of n ude an d avoid p in k blush e r The nude sh ad e will give your ch eeks a slight colour and glow, and will n ot clas h wi t h the red l ipstick.

If yo u are o n e of t h ose lucky o nes wi th b ig eyes, h igh ch eekbo nes and a glowin g skin, I suggest you d o n' t wear an y other m akeu p. J ust translucent p owder sh o u ld do the trick.

Accessorise avidly

\l{/hen it comes to jewellery, try an d p ai r it with your outfit an d n m your m ake-up If you are wearin g black, you can wear diamon d jewellery or oxidi zed silver Bo tl1 would look good an d offset th e red lip stick

If yo u are wearing a red d ress, tl1e o b vious thing to d o is wear nude coloured m ake-u p and let the d ress do t he talking

Keep yo ur hairstyle as sim ple as p ossible An elaborate haird o \\~ tl1 b lingy accessories will make you look

Like an over-dressed Ch ristmas a:ee A si mple pon ytail o r your hair left loose works best. lf you are wearing a nice blad<saree, a low bun at the na pe o f your nec k will highligh t t he lipstick Wearing red Lipsti ck is no t everyone's cup of tea, b u t i.f yo u work within certain p aram eters and don't m ake an y fasluo n ja11x pas, you can carry off a sa:on g sh ade of red with style

.a, II

BY r TALIA KAUR

Gone are the days c>f hund.liug up in layers of warm clothes to beat the dull of winter. Special new winrer fashion trends have made it possible to look chic and trendy, while keeping wm:m So here are 5 winter winners co beat up your look.

Knitted jumpers

Meet winter's most popular fashion piece. There's nothing more comfortable than a cozy knitted jumper and it's become an absolute musc- b11ve chis co ld season. The great thing about jumpers is char they come in so many differeut styles and colours - from light pastel, preppy ones to dack- patcerned drapey ones - so it's impossible not to find a perfect opcion for you. A soft cotton or wool jumper will look great with almost evetythi.ng, so don't be afraid to let your imaginacion nm wild this season and team them up with different textures, fabrics and parters. You could pair a pastel b.lue knitted jumper with some floral trousers for a feminine look. If you fee.I like going for something with a bit more edge, team a leather skirt with a bright knit and add a chi11 belt at the waist - it's right on trend, yet so comfortable.

Faux- fur coats

We've seen maoy winter trends come and go, bur a lmrurious fauxfor coat will always be a time less winter essential. It's super st-ylish, yet so wacm! And mainstream fashion scores are not only sel.liug many differe-m cuts, co loms and textures, bur they're also making chem affordab le so there's a coat to suit everyone. Bue, it can scill be a challenge finding the perfect one. Depe nding on your sense of style, it can be rcickr to pull off a full- length faux - for coat without looking overdone, especially with the bolder col ours. If you're less of a fash.i.onista, you cao ope for a safer option sud1 as the short vest and choose neutral or earthy tones However, i t's important to remember that no matter if you want to go all out or p lay it safe, when ic comes co rocking this trend, always keep the rest of your ensemble. as simple as poss ib lein rhe end, you wane the coat co make a statement.

Ankle boots

This trend, big last winter, is back this season and will be huge for many more winters to come. Ir's chic, comfortable and praccical during the frequenr winter rains. There are ankle boors in every style from platform heels for a night out, to flar.5 for a more daytime casual look. r eucral coloured wedg e boors are also a great safe opcion and are especially hoc right now as they add height without being as as brigh t bee!

b()ots. But if you're l ool....-ing to add an edge to your ourfrt, ope for a weste.i:n style learher boor. lf you wane co go one step furchei:, cry coloured suede or animal prims, bm remember to keep Lhe rest of the out.fir simple so the boots are in focus. Also, pay attention co detailing like lace- ups or buckles for a bit more style.

Try b r ightening chis cold season up and rerun a pair of tan leather boors with bright coloured jeans or leggings - it adds a fresh look and is a welcome break from black.

Coloured jeans

The perfect piece co turn these gloomy \\'liter days atound!

Just about e\7 ery store has jumped on board. If you're fee.ling a lictle unsure about whether you can pull off this trend, go for paste.I colours or rid1er, luxurious colours li.ke teal blue, burgnndy red or emerald green. To finish ir off: team it up witb neutral cones sud1 as a white shire and ran boors. This way you're still including some colour, but making su(e it's not too ovetpowering. lf you are daring and go for brighter coloms, be sure to ream up with earthy cones, and don't overdo the accessories A bright red pair of jeans reamed with a white and cream striped knitted jumper would look great. i\m)tber way co be a bit more playful is to pair it with a bold prior - polka docs, nautical stripes or even floral, geometrical, leopard or zebra prints.

Berets and beanies

This year's winter bas seen berets and beanie.5 in all different shapes, sizes and styles, and has become the ultimate topping to just about any winter ensemb le. Whether you ope for a super slouchy, boho style beanie or a chic French bere.c, the.re are so many colours and textures to suit every sryle.

If you're wearing a simple coat,

a bright beanie can add a bit more derail and colour, bur if yo u've chosen a brig h t coloured jumper, a neutral beanie will add the /inishing touch. Try experin1encing with texcute.5 and prints as well. Team a solid co loured cotton knit with a faux- fur printed beret, or a cashmere cardigan with an oversized knitted beanie. This will also help co balance the thickness of the fabrics. Also, look for derail s such as bows and ball tops for a more feminine style Beanies or berets are also a really cheap acces sory that can cover up an y bad hair day while keeping you warm!

C oco ate cake wit a erence

Of all the quirky ways to include chocolate in your food, here are a couple of options that are delicious and somewhat healthy

find, as I did, when you make chis more frequently, that everybody will want their own mug, so beware)

Teacher: ff )'OIi had 10 rhocolate rakes, a11d so/lleoue {IJked.for 3.75 cak.es, ho1v 111a11y 1v1J11ldyo11 h111•e !t:ft?

St11dmt: 10 ra/e.es

T eadwr: Ok'!]•tbm, i111agi11e if so11m1ne farcibfy remol'Cd J.75 choco/(i/f rllke.r .fr1J111_yo11, thm ho111!110!!)' 1P1J11Jd_yolf haz·e?

Jt11dent: 10 cakerand a dead hoq_}• It's said that nine out of ten people like chocohte, and the tenth person lies. I've always wanted to tty one of the choco late barfis from the big silver- tray tiered windows in the Indian shops, but Mum always says "Chocolate barfis are terribl e!" (I think she just had a bad experience w ith them at some point ) aod it got me th.in.king abom how many different ways there are that we consume chocolate - in a drink, .in .icecream, fruit smothered in ir, the topp ing for bars and slices and the easiest and probably 'favourirest' block or bar. Chocolate cakes were probably the first thing I learned to make (with help from my friends Betty Crocker, Greens and White Wings) and i t is said that everyone should bave a good choco late cake recipe in their repertoire. But now, like with phones and computers, there are so many different new modern types! I've heard of chocolate mayonnaise cake (apparently th.is gives a rich and dark texture and not a taste of mayonnaise) , choco late cake with beetroot Q1ow healthy is mat?!), chocolate cake with oatmeal, chocolate chilli cakes, and even weird extremes like vegan chocolate avocado cake (not sure about d1at last one ). Here are some recipes mat our famil y loves. Chocolate Mug Cake is a 'lazy' dessert - easy, s imple and quick to make, fun to eat on a cold night as you sit arow1d in your PJ s watching TV. (fhe recipe provided here serves one person only: you'll

The Chocolate Beetroot has less Aom and butter, (Chickpea Cal,e none at all) so you can coov:ince yourself that they are a healthy alternativel

Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tbsp Aour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

I small egg

About 3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp butter or margarine melted, or vegetable oil.

½ tsp vanilla extract

L tbsp choc chips

L large mug

l\llix me dry ingredients cogemer in a mug

Crack an egg and add it ro tl1e mug Be sure to mix it well to avoid pockets of Aour in tl1e comers. Pour in the milk, melted butter/ oil and vanilla extract and mi..x well.

Pop your mug into the microwave for about 2- 3 minutes on maximum power, depending on your type of microwave. You'll know when it's done when the cake stops r ising and sets iJ1 tbe mug. Run a knife around the sides of the mug, and tip the warm cake out of the mug and onto a saucer.

Chocolate Chickpea Cake

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2/3 cup chopped dark cooking

chocolate

1 x 375g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 large eggs

I /2 tsp vanilla e.xtract

I /2 cup granulated sugar

I /2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

Grease and Line cal<e pan

Me.It the chocolate, eithe r in the microwave (remember to stir

between intervals) or over the stove.

Puree chickpeas, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and blend co combine

Add melted chocolate and blend to combine, scrap ing down sides of bowl well as necessary. The batter will be thick. Tt-ansfer into prepared pan and bake until knife inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1 hour depending on the srrengtb of your oven

Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes on wire cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar just before serving

Chocolate Beetroot Cake

This cake comes out really rich a.nd moist and you'd never guess ir was low far, but there is no butter and almost no flour Definitely use the besr quality chocolate you can buy.

250g good - quality dark chocolate

250g raw beetroot, peeled and

finely grated

250g light brown sugar

40g self- raising Aour

40g plain flour

3 eggs

2 tbsp maple. syrup

2 tbsp honey

¼ tsp bicarbonate of mda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

25g cocoa powder

50g ground almonds

100ml strong b lack coffee

30ml vegetab le oil

150g good -quality dark chocolate

3 tbsp strong black coffee

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp clear honey

Preheat oven ro 180 degrees. Melt me chocolate ove.r a pan of simmering water, then let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with me sugar, vanilla, map le syrup and honey for three minutes with an electric hand till Au£fy.

Add in the flours, bicarbonate

of soda, salt, cocoa and ground almonds.

Remove moisture from tl1e grated beetroot with some kitchen paper. Add in the beetroot, cooled chocolate, coffee and oil and m.ix together.

Pour tl1e mixture into a greased round cake tin and cook in the middle of the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. After this time, cover the cake with foil and bake for another 30 minutes

To make tl1e topping, melr the chocolate in a bowl ove.r a pan of simmering water, th.en remove from the heat and add the coffee and the vanilla essence.

Set aside to cool for 15 minutes before icing the cake Cut the cake rnrough tl1e middle and ice it in the centre and on all sides.

Veteran actor Rajesh Khanna recently gave h i s fans a bit of a shock after l anding in hospital in Mumbai for some tests, and staying there for a while. The actor, a mere shell of his flamboyant young self, has been battling health issues for some time now His ex-wife Dimple Kapadia has been taking care of him. The 69-year-old was pleased to see worried fans l ined up outside his house, waving to them and showing them the 'V'for victory sign.

Bollywoods celebs visiting Rajesh Khanna, aka Kaka, included actress Reena Roy, former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, his close friend Anita Advani and former girlfr i end Anju Mahendru. Rajesh Khanna 's daughters Twinkle and Rinke, and son-in -l aw Akshay Kumar also came to see him in the hospital.

But it was thespian Anupam Kher, who worked with the actor i n Vijay, who spoke for all of Kaka's colleagues and fans when he said, " Rajesh Khannaj i is a part of our youth and be l ongs to the era that taught us about romance He al so portrayed d ifferent aspects of acting He is the first superstar and I pray to God that he has a long and healthy life:·

Incidentally, Salman Khan made a bid to see the aili ng actor after visit ing hours, and was politely but firmly turned away by the hospital , much to h i s surpri se For once the Sallu charm didn't quite do the trick

Here's wishing Kaka a quick recovery back to health!

Rahman to rock London Olympics

Grammy award winner AR Rahman wil l team up with Hollywood director Danny Boyle again, to compose a song for the London Ol ympics' opening ceremony The music maestro reveals it will be a Punjabi song celebrating

GUEss7 WHO.

Th is spunky Punjabi kudi was a model before she entered Bollywood, and represented India in the Miss Universe contest

Indian influence i n Britai n It's another feather in the cap fo r th is prolific, yet humble musician extraordinaire, who worked with Boyle in Oscar-winn i ng film Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours

"It's a part of a medley in the Ol ympics opening ceremony, according to Danny Boyle's creative wishes!" Rahman stated It has also been reported that music composer llayaraja's composition Naanthaan ungappanda, from Kama l Hassan's 1980film Ram Lakshman w i ll be a part of the opening ceremony too Thank goodness Indians in England are now well beyond the curry and cricket comb i nati on!

Esha-Bharat wedding makes Bollywood news

Actress Esha Deol married businessman BharatTakhtani in a tradit i onal South Indian ceremony at the ISKCON temple in the Mumbai's Juhu suburb, follow ing a reception attended by the best of Boll ywood. The who l e family of dad Dharmendra, mum Hema Mali ni, sister Ahana were present to wish her well and partake of the ceremony Esha is close to her cousin Abhay Deol, who took the part of her brother, as half- brothers Sunny and Bobby were conspicuous in their absence

The bride looked happy and resplendent in a red lehenga made of three Kanjivaram saris and gold jewellery, while Bharat looked dapper in a white sherwani with zardozi work and a maroon pagdi. The wedding outfits were designed by Neeta Lulla

The decor at the temple was simple, yet beautiful and heavi ly decorated with flowers.

Hema Malini claimed she was "very happy"for her daughter, and would miss her "It was a normal South Indian wedding, w ith just slight changes . I am very happy for Esha, she has found the right person. We all are very happy I wi ll miss her but she is going to be in Mumbai, so I am happy about that;'said Hema, looking gorgeous and elegant in a orange-red hand- woven six yard sari, which she teamed up with a green blouse and kept her hair neatly tied at the back Esha's dad and yesteryear star Dharmendra kept it simple with black trousers, a white sh irt and grey jacket

Present at the ceremony were Bollywood's biggies incl uding Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan, legendary actress Vyjayanthima l a l ooking evergreen in a purpl e and orange traditiona l sari, Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha and her twin sons - Luv and Kush Hema's niece and actress Madhoo, as well as Vi nod Khanna, Manoj Kumar, Anu Ma l ik, Rani Mukherji Fardeen Khan Ramesh Sippy, Sand i p Soparrkar and w ife Jesse Randhwa were

11MALAIKA ARORA KHANI ! Rajesh Khanna recovering

also there to bless the couple.

Sahara's chief Subroto Roy, industrial ist Mukesh Ambani's wife Neeta Ambani and Sun ii Rane of Atharva Group of Institutes, who is a family friend, were among the other high profile guests

Top notch Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders too attended the wedding, from Raj Purohit, Mumbai chief ofBJP, to party president Nitin Gadkari to national vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, all attended the event

The reception saw even more of Bollywood and India's elite attending, with an invitation sent out to Sonia Gandhi who couldn 't attend due to security reasons. She has however, invited the newly married duo to visit her at her residence.

Here's wishing the happy couple all the very best.

Akshay as Krishna in OhMyGod

Akshay Kumar is back with a vengeance, and this time it's in a heavenly avatar Debut posters of his latest film Oh My God in which he plays the modern day Lord Krishna, show the star riding a motorcycle through the clouds with a bright colourful sky in the background This time Akshay has teamed up with Paresh Rawal in his production venture, who appears in the second poster. It shows Paresh, who plays Kanahaiya, standing with a smile on his face and gods and goddesses surrounding him

Based on Umesh Shukla's Gujarati play Kanji Viruddh, the movie is about unconventional happenings in normal day to day lives, and is due for a lateSeptember release.

Now Akshay must be feeling his age as the actor's former karate student Prateek Chakravorty has turned director with From Sydney With Love, and actually calls the star 'uncle'!

"He calls me Akshay uncle Backstage he asked me if he should cal l me Akshay uncle or not? I love what comes from the heart," said the 44-year-old Akshay recently

"Will you believe me if I say I used to teach him karate? He was a good student but then he stopped;' added the actor. "He always wanted to be a director and an actor, and I am proud that he has become an actor, he has directed his first film and he has taken forward his grandfather Pramod Films' name ahead''.

From Sydney With Love stars Prateek himself along with Bidita Bag, Sharad Malhotra, Evelyn Sharma and Karan Sagoo, and will release in end -July

Looks like exciting times ahead for Akshay fans, so watch this space.

Hrithik impresses Hollywood

Despite being a booming business, Bollywood's actors have found it hard to find a firm foothold in big sister Hollywood's hallowed halls But now, apna Hrith i k Roshan as found a fan in Scott Speer, director of Step Up Revolution, who is impressed with the Indian star's acting and dancing "Yes, of course, anyone who is

interested in dance and music will know about Indian movies It has a lot of music and dance and colours in them;' Speer said recentl y "I liked Hrithik Roshan as an actor and dancer i n the Indian movie Kites and have seen him dancing in Dhoom 2:• Step Up Revolution is the fou rth instalment of dance movie Step Up, due to release in end July.

Speer is an American music v i deo director and has done several music videos for Mexican singer Belinda So will Hrithik be buzzing from Bollywood to make a hit in Hollywood? Let 's wait and see Aamir

expounds views on marriage

In an increasingly preachy tone of voice, actor Aamir Khan feels that the institution of marriage i n India has changed manifold and urges parents to ensure that the i r children are wellequipped to take decisions about their life partner independently. "There is constant change in society and the concept of marriage has changed for the better; marriage is now l ooked upon as companionship;' Aami r said.

"Although this concept is good, we should empower our kids with ri ght tools to be ab le to make their own decisions and think on a broader level. Marriage should not bring along fear with it We should provide ample support to our kids and teach them to live happily;' he added Aamir was chatting with listeners on a radio show, talking about his ground-breaki ng series Satyamev Jayate.

The 44- year-o l d, who made h i s television debut with Satyamev Jayate fee l s the show has brought him closer to the peop l e of India, and says every citizen should work to make the country a better place to live.

" The effect Satyamev Jayate has taken all over the country proves the fact that we are addressing genuine issues that are prevalent in India. I have, on a personal level, come closer through this initiative to our country," he said For any country to be happy, we need to join hands to work towards the common goal... We shou ld all work together for the betterment of the country."

Aamir also talked about the response that his show has received ti ll now and says a change has already been brought in society

" We have crossed the halfway mark and have rece ived positive response throughout the country

The healthcare episode has helped improve generic medicines, the health minister is also supporti ng us and so is the government;' he said Sharing an incident about the bias against the girl child, Aamir recounted, "At a Delhi wedding, a family member said a guest blessed the bride that she will give birth to boys at which point the other members present stated that a girl child is equally

What 's the chitchat between Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar here?

Send

welcome and such gender bias shou l d not exist. I was reading in the newspaper that the people are now going to the police, child hel pline - so change is evi dent (against the bias) and I real ly believe in India and our peop l e:•

The success of Satyamev Jayate has proved naysayers wrong "Peopl e told me that a show on social issues wou ld be a failure, but now people from (Jammu and) Kashmir to Kanyakumar i are associated w ith the show and want to see change in our society. We should use this opportunity to plan and contribute the most The required change should be brought about inside;' Aamir said Well, there's no doubt that this is just the beginning of the great heights that the show is bound to reach, in bringing awareness of social issues to the forefront. Good luck to Aamir, the man with the Midas touch!

A romp into raw, ru g~d heartland

Bleeding brilliance in mainstream Hindi moviegoers, almost every frame, this is not an unknown territory breathing fire through At least four other recent films every available orifice that - Paan Singh Tomar, /shaqzaade, the characters possess, and Rowdy Rathore and Shanghaiwhipping up a kind of frenzied, have hurled audiences right into flamboyant bloodshed that the notorious anarchy of the was once associated with the north Indian small-town where Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio the barrel of the gun speaks an Leone and Sam Peckinpah, irresistible language of mayhem Gangs OfWasseypuris, briefly, It's a strangely dichotomous one huge gang-bang. No world where music and protection provided. songs (Sneha Khan) mock the

From its bludgeoning opening characters' subverted herogiri. when merciless marauders While the characters indulge ambush a powerful enemy's in their unmanned violence, fortress-like home with army- viewers become numbed like meticulousness, Gangs Of participants in the rites of the Wasseypurtakes us into a world wrong -doing. where compassion is a dinosaur, The almost-ritualistic forgiveness a faux pas, and slaughter of all rules of civil kindness an unforgivable sin conduct in Gangs Of Wasseypur

Welcome to Kashyap's is not redeemed by the presence Wasseypur. This is no country of any hero. for the weak - hearted. Country- Even the main protagonist made guns go off without in the blood thirsty saga is a warning, bombs are hurled from certifiable rogue named Sardar two-wheelers and abuses fly out Khan. As played by Manoj even faster than the bullets. If Bajpayee in what is arguably you are the kind of moviegoer his most feisty and filled-out who doesn't enjoying hearing performance to date, Sardar and seeing the unimaginable Khan is a second -generation things that can't be done to criminal and socia l outcast. various parts of the human In the film's unforgettable anatomy, then I suggest you try prologue, Sardar's father something more sugary and (Jaideep Ahlawat) serves as a safe henchman to the powerful local

The world ofWasseypur is politician (Tigmanshu Dhulia). soaked in blood and revenge. Politician has daddy killed by a The mafia in one form or hired assassin and Sonny-boy another rules the little town. To grows up swearing revenge.

This in a nutshell, could be the plot for a cheesy 1980s potboiler. In taking the grammar and language of the formulistic vendetta drama from the 1970s and 1980s and converting it into a crackling saga of compelling contemporary currency, Kashyap turns all the rules of mainstream Hindi cinema on its head. He uses the language of Manmohan Desai and Narinder Bed i's cinema. But he applies these to characters who are as far removed from the world of escapism as Sicily is from Wasseypur.

Oh, did we really say Gangs OfWasseypurwas derived from The Godfather? Nah The two worlds are inter-connected only by their legacy of lineage and violence. Beyond that Kashyap's mode of storytelling, and the way his characters loom over the proceedings without become caricatural. are frighteningly original and as liberated of reference-points as any of the path-breaking films on gangwars that have emerged out of Hollywood in the last 25 years.

Kashyap celebrates the drama of the grotesque with the relish of a seven-'coarse' meal. We can count the number of thuds and stabbing sounds every time a victim is cornered and done to death. Violence on this level has never really been a part

of mainstream Hindi cinema before. The end of cinematic niceties is here. Take it or leave it Kashyap, in Wasseypur, legitimizes gore with glorious gusto. In the gang war that he portrays with such feral immediacy, victims are chopped up piece by piece, their body parts sent to the butcher's to eliminate legal evidence. A finger floating in a cesspool of stale blood is a commonplace sight in the world of unchecked mayhem that Kashyap has constructed with such casual resplendence.

His team of technicians are unconditionally mired in the mood of violence Rajeev Ravi's camera mows through the imaginary world of Wasseypur with a devilish dispassion.

The film looks layered and even luminous in texture. But the tone of narration is detached. The dereliction of the damned and doomed characters is neither romanticized nor demonized.

Indeed Gangs Of Wasseypur invents a new language of cinematic expression. It creates a world where the characters inhabit a universe of vapid stagnant violence And yet the narration, never short of breath even in the most breathless state of violence, exudes a kind of vibrancy that comes from neither rejection not

acceptance of an undesirable situation. It comes from within the characters. As they battle each other in bitter futile feuds, they also seem to be battling the demons within themselves. The synthesis of what lies within and without is devastating.

And yet for all its outward show of ruthless machismo Gangs Of Wasseypur Is a film with a heart. There is a rather enticing love story featuring Manoj, his screen wife (debutante Richa Chadha) and t h e other woman (Reema Sen) tucked away in the folds of the ferocious tale Manoj's wife is a very happy happening in this sad but savagely funny tale. She is quite the discovery of the year, and that too in a film mottled with exceptional performances by Manoj, Nawazuddin as his son (more of him in Wasseypur 2), Tigmanshu Dhulia who is clenched, controlled and combative as the villain in chief, Pankaj Tripathi riveting as Manoj's be lligerent enemy, Piyush Mishra remarkably restrained and wise as Manoj's mentor and guide, and Huma Qureshi, another whammy performer who we will see more of In the sequel.

In fact, every character, b ig or small, is cast with what looks like first-and-last options You can't imagine any other actor playing any of the myriad parts.

Brutal, brilliant, dark, sinister, terrifying in Its violence and yet savagely funny In the way human life is disregarded, Gangs Of Wasseypuris one helluva romp into the raw and rugged heartland Not to be missed. I can't wait to see the sequel. But be warned Avoid meals half an hour before and after viewing. Subha sh K. Jha

Uninteresting story,flatjokes

There are many occasions Radha and the screechy girl who the recreate the celluloid version And we aren 't talking in this three-tiered love comes in-between them (Neha of a high school play where the about h is tractor. story when the two Sharma) is, believe it or not, props are borrowed from the The attempts in the protagonists simpl y run out of Meera. furniture-wa/i aunty 's store. pre-Partition segment to words as the dialogue slumps This self-consciousl y And by the way the Lata instil a sense of patriotic into an embarrassing silence. mythologized modern day love Mangeshkar-Kishore Kuma r pride, is shamefully baggy. This, you fee l is very much in triangle prompts a friend of the duet Likha hai tere ankh on mein The Gora Log are played character. On paper, I am sure Teri hero to quip, "Yeh Radha aur from t he Dev Anand starrer Teen by junior artistes whose Meri Kahaani must have seemed Krishna ke beech mein Meera Deviyaan wh ich plays in the only credential to represent like a terrific 3-in-1. A sumptuous kahan se aa gay1? " background in a street scene British India is the colour feast of role and accent Wel l, LOL to that. Krish and featuring Shahid and Prachi of their skin. The patriotic transference for the charming Radha often resort to smileys Desai, did not exist in 1960. It Indians get to shout Vande pair. Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka and LOLs to express their came five years later. Mataram in fresh ly-stitched Chopra are among the best talent growing fondness. The smi l eys That brings us to the music kurtas and tops. Mercif ully we have today. They are versatile, remain singularly isolated in and choreography, so essential we are spared a re-mix. confident, good-looking and their amusement. There is not to evoking periodicity specially The clothes suggest a simply cool. Director Kuna! Kohli a moment when we empathise when the lead pair dances so well. close affinity between boutique gives them three different love with the protagonists or feel the But getting Shahi d to do Shammi w isdom and periodicity. And that stories to sink their decalcified intended flow of their love for Kapoor? Bad idea. Very bad idea. seems to be the preva lent mood teeth into. one another. What we see are Shahid's measured steps would of the romance. The emotions

The problem starts ear ly. None two stars trying to breathe life have made Sham mi LOL. seem to be obtained off the shelf of the three stories i s i nspired into a mutual affection that never The worst story of the three Priyanka and Shahid struggle or even interesting. The high- quite takes off. is the one set in pre-Partition hard to look deeply interested in points in each story are so weak It gets worse. The two other Punjab. It almost seems to spoof the l ines and in each other. we don't know when they arrive. stories are even less engaging. Vidhu Vinod Chopra 's 1942: A It's a losing battle. There's Some of the material that has The one set in the film industry Love Story. Like Anil Kapoor in only so much you can do w ith gone into telling the triple-tiered resorts to painstaking periodicity Chopra's film, Shahid cares not a conspicuous ly corny lines l ike, story frank ly appears to be a to recreate Mumbai in 1960. A hoot about India's independence. "Are we like those coup les who secret joke where the punchline tram crosses Mumbai's heartland. He cares only about "love-shove". ta lk on the sms and on line and is known only to the writers. To his credit the art designer tries And please take the 'shove' have nothi ng to say when they

For exampl e in the segment hard to get the exteriors right. serious ly. The grinning rogue come face to face?" in London 2011 Shahid and Though some of it is so shallow Iikes to put it in wherever he gets Even if they are, do we care?

Priyanka are named Krish and you feel Kunal Kohli is attempting space.

Just why Kunal Kohl i , a director

who has shown some sensiti vity in handling the man-woman re l ationship, chose to make this film is mystery solvable on ly by the actors who agreed to be part ofthe endeavour.

Subhash K. Jha

!=ILM : Maximum CAST: Naseeruddi n Shah, Sonu Sood, Neha Dhupia, Am it Sadh, and Vinay Pathak

WRITER - DIRECTOR: Kabeer Kaushik

Ask Auntyji

Dear Auntyji

~W\ttrtex th.tlV\

*Help me, na, Aunty! I have a question on which you could enlighten me My husband and I were born in Fiji, but we have been here for quite a few years. My husband is 35 years old with only a high school education, and he does studio production work in an advertising agency He has worked in this industry for 12 years. He doesn't love his work, but every now and again, he likes it Unfortunately, the advertising industry is not very family-friendly, but the worst past is that each time the agency loses a big client, the agency downsizes. Last week, the agency lost a b i g client and my husband is nervous about his job. This happens every six months, it seems. In contrast, I am a middle manager in a large organisation with a Masters in Management. I am fairly ambitious and want to do well, and all signs point towards me going places in my organisation My problem, Aunty, is that my husband never feels he has job security. He does not love what he does and at 35, he still has no idea about what he wou ld like to do w ith the rest of his life. I am concerned that one day he will wake up at 45 with lots of experience, but no education that cou l d move him into a better, client-facing role. He feels that education will not get him anywhere and he has a lot of experience to compensate. Consequently, he feels that there is no need fo r him to do anything different, but every time we have this discussion, he says that it's difficult to find jobs in his industry and he can't really change roles. Auntyji, can you please tell me what I should be thinking in this situation - as I really don't want a middle - aged husband who hates his job and his life because he feels that he was somehow cheated - when the reality is that he could have taken control of his life and made a difference. What should I be thinking, Auntyji?

Auntyji says

Oh dear, this is indeed a perplexing question and I can totally understand why you are bothered. I certainly hope you l ove your husband for who he is, rather than because you're hoping that one day he will become as ambitious and as driven as you. The solution for your husband is quite simple. Unfortunately for him as much as he tries to deny it or ignore it, the truth is that he is competing for jobs where the base level is at least a university degree Even though his experience is important, the truth is, if he was to apply for a job and the manager in charge had an option from two candidates with the same experience but one had a qualification, the qualified candidate would be chosen, even ifthe degree might be in Religious Studies from the University of Ballarat. This is the sad truth of the situation. Further, your husband, God bless his soul, seems to be the kind of person who lets things happen to him, rather than controlling part of his destiny. And by this I simply mean that instead of being nervous about his job, your husband should be taking charge and ensuring he either up skills himself to have more options, or move to an industry where there are more job opportunities. But unfortunately it seems to me that you can't make him understand the situation from your point of view. So, in this sad situation, my dear Anarkali, my discontented phoolon ki rani, there is only one solution. You need to change your mind. Accept the fact that you are driven and ambitious, and you will be the one in the family potentially earning the moolah And that your chota-mota chand ka tukda husband is neither ambitious nor driven. Let your husband be, and give him advice when he asks for it; but other than that, leave him alone. Why else did you fall in love with h im than because of his easy-going nature?! This is your only solution and the salvation of your marriage Be an understanding wife as much as you can be, but don't judge him or try to control what he does with his career. A good supportive wife will do the right thing. Of course, if you can see a future where your unhappy, middle-aged husband sits at home all day and no-one wants to hire him because of his lack of education or dull nature because he does not have the drive, and you begin to develop a revulsion to your husband as result, then you need to do something. Leave him now It's obvious you two are mismatched. Why waste your time with a bekaroo? Go find yourself a lawyer or a doctor or an engineer. These professions will always be in demand - unless of course they do something unethical, in which case the consequences will be much worse. Let me know how you go. I am most interested to hear of your plans

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Dear Auntyji

Oh my goodness, Aunty, I am a right mess! I have found out some information and I am dying slowly, slowly on the inside! I am really, really hoping ke aap madat karengi mujhko. Oh, Aunty! Mai bilku/ pareshaan hoon, ye sharmindagi, yeh bekhudi, what to do? Anyway, here is my sad, sad, pagaal si kahani, my bemisal story. I am 50 years old. My 75-year-old mother l ives with me. All my saari zindagi, I have felt that I d id not belong to my family. I look completely a/agfrom them - my aankhein, my baatein, my samajeverything is too different! Then two weeks ago, my maaji was going through all her old suitcases and we came across old chitthis and photos And in the photos of my nani, maasi, kaki, kaka, uncle, aunt y and pets, etc., there was a photo of Robert, or Raabart, as my mother called him, same way that yesteryear actor Ajit used to call his best buddy wh ile he was stroking Mona's hair. In any case, saawal yeh hai, ki yeh Raabart kaun tha, and most important, mai kyu is Raabart ki thara lagthi hoon?The same neeli-neeli aankhen, the same skin colour, the same features. In fact, I seem to be a female vers ion of Raabart the mysterious, na? When my mother saw me gazing with confusion, then apprehension, then sudden realisation at Raabart's chhaapa, she grabbed it from my haath and quickly put it inside her blouse. Her safed choli. But her choli on ly was safed, her cha/an was kaala My own mataji!The besharam! The behaiya! How could she do this to me! I have refused to speak to my mother from that day when I insisted that she tell me who Raabart was, and why I l ook like him. Thank God my dad is dead, otherwise he would be absolutely gobsmacked, even t hough I am sure he is spinning in his grave now (we're Anglo-Indians so he is buried). What shall I do, Aunty? How do I find out who Raabart was? And shall I tell my badchalan maa exactly what I think of her?

A untyji says

Oh, you shaitaan! Arre akl ke dushman! Oh you kulachchini - have you no sharam saying such gandi baatein about your own mataji? How do you know what happened in your mother's life that you stand there judging her? The possibil ities for what might have happened 51 years before your birth are i mmense, and your fertile imagination shou l d be running wild, but why bring your mother into all this tamasha? What do you hope to achieve by bringing up the past, which you can't change anyway Chances are that this Raabart is too old to care, and so are you. At your age, what difference does it make whether it was Raabart or Raman who sired you? You have your neeli-neeli aankhein, your fa i r compl exion and your chhoti si samajh and that 's all you should care about. I could provide you with three good reasons for why you look l ike Raabart, but what difference does it make? Nothing changes, except what you know. Let these bhooli bisri baatein be. And what will you do with this i nformation anyway? Let you r mother enjoy her twilight years w ithout you caus ing her grief. Do not judge her, for you are not Bhagwan And be grat eful for your life Your mother could have strangled you or fed you sa lt at the moment of your bi rth, but she raised you, no doubt through much hardship because you seem like hard work anyway. So be grateful for your life, keep calm and carry on. lfRaabart was around, that's what he wou ld be saying too.

TA n QTPREDICTIONS FOR JULY 20,2 K

By MANCY JADE ALTMEA www nancysood com

ARIES March 21 - April 19

This month, you will be enjoying great health and a vibrant amount of energy. The cards indicate that you will be feelin,g a lot better with your work situation. You will be thinki11g of spending more time with a loved one, and want to make a commitment. There is also an indication here that you will be thinking of taking on a new healtli regime. A short holiday rs indicaled. Your home will also be on your mind this month. __,,:.- .....,,..--,

;:L.=:,,~_,._-------==;..._-

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

This month , your attention will be on ,omance and love. The cards indicate a time of feeling super sexy and your creative juices will be flowing. There is a good job offer around, so you will need to decide what to do. Decisions will have to be made as you will be templed to go for the offer. On the other hand, you are doing well in your current job. There will also be a new health tegime around you.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

There is a possibility that you will want to change things around your home and re.decorate. The cards indicate a time for making plans and re-assessing your life and future. There are a lol of changes around, you will be feeling full of energy and will e~oy the coming surprises There is an indication that you will be looking at shedding a few pounds and starting a new, healthy eating pattern. Your car may give you some problems this month.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

This mohth, there will be a lot of communication flowing, and you will also be travelling. Be careful with work, as you may gef inlo trouble by saying the wrong things There is someone who js trying to gel you into trouble, and will be pressing all lhe wrong buttons. Keep cool and try to rise above the situation. Be careful about your spending, as you will be tempted to buy soma things you may find you do not need.

LEO July 23 - Aug 22

This month, you are going to be a very busy person. There will be some health issues ar.ound a family member which will cause stress. Try nol to overeat or over indulge, as you will feel very bloated and sick. You may need to gel some food testing done as you may be allergic lo some foods. The cards show that you need to be strong as a friend will be asking for a loan, and money is lighl.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

The month will be all about accumulation of assets, money and power. You are looking to make changes and are ir, the mood to make thin_gs happen immedia\:ely. Take care of losing your temper, as family mal:ters will frustrate you. You could take on a new project that you have been thinking of doing. You can capitalise on an opportunity. There are some amazing results to be had if you just go foril and take a Jeap of faith.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

This month, you will be in a romantic mood. You will be feeling confident and able to impress the one you love. There are chances of greater recognition at work. Take care of your health, as there is a nagging headache around you. You need to lake in more fresh air and exercise. Lately you have been neglecting yourself and the stress is building up. You may want to buy yourself some new clothes and change your image.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month should be a very happy time ~Your thoughts are on the future and its possibilities. Look for surprises around the home front, they could really be great! Your career will get a major boost. The cards indicate a time of recognition and rewards. A member of staff at your workplace or business may leave suddenly and cause problems. There is secrecy around your famiJy and you will feel left out. Build some bridges, and don't be foo sh.inborn.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

Your career will take prime focus.this month. and it is a great time for real advancement. Your mind is jumping all over the place with possibilities for the future. Relationship issues will probably be a major motivating force for you. Your partner will want advancements in the relationship. There are $Orne issues you need to deal with •· before you take this decision. There seems to be mistrust and you need to have an open discussion about moving forward.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

If you are looking to travel, now is the time. Pack (hose bags and don't look back You need a break. Youi;- caree,r will take a major boost as you lur.n the tables on any ongoing confusion. Walch those purse strings as there will be a tendency lo spend more Hien you need to. You love life needs a boosl, but you will be spending more time socialising. Your popularity will grow and you will feel better about yourself.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

Have you been watching the family budget? If you haven't, you will. It will be your key focus this month, but not in a burclensome way, You may surprise yourseff at your own creativity 'when jt comes to juggling financial responsibilities this month. The cards are indicating at time of great planning and also looking at whab you would like to do in foture. There ts a possibility lhalyou may consider studying and furthering your interests in spirituality.

PISCES J=eb 19 - March 20

This month sees the focus on committed relationships, and you will have ample energy in-that area.iSome problems Ol'i old grievances could surface, and you will have to deal with .them. Take time out for yourselfin case of slressful situations at work. There are some matters tfiat you are not dealing with, regarding paperwork and matters around the house. Take care of your knees this month as you seem to be suffering with some aches and palns.

ar1n canine

After three sleepless nights, it is a revelation to discover a retriever worth his weight in gold

Seven hundred select guests out of the seven billion people on this planet were enjoying crisp cucumber sandwiches washe d down with a variety of liquids at Beth's backyard. The HRH (Her Royal Horde) of corgis were lolling around the high heels of the wellheeled, munching diamond- shaped jubilee cake baked for this special occasion.

The four-day feverish (the wisecracking old Duke felt a bit that way) fervour of the Queen's gala event did not catch on D o wn Under. However a week later we, the loyal citizens of Oz, enjoyed a long weekend of beer and barbic s to mark another tick on the chronological calendar of the gracious grand d ame of Bucks. Even as the cushy corgis were rerecovering from their hangover, I was having a dog's day thanks to my spouse, a staunch dog lover who once used to instantly panic at the sight of even a pun}' pooch

During the long weekend we were delivered a golden retriever, Enzo, along with two bags - one containing his special food, and the other his gear including a mattress, blanket, purple jacket, ID card and wait for it - a 90page manual of instructions with specific commands! \'Vhy all this fuss? Because Enzo is no ordinary dog One day he will b e the eyes and even ear s of helpless humans whose dark world he ,vill light up, helping them live a near-normal life. Dogs like Enzo, according to the Royal Society for the Blind, cost around S20k to be trained from a playful pup to a purposeful guide dog So it is no wonder the Society takes extraordinary steps in drafting a manual and setting up protocols in choosing trainers and carers for these canines. A number of good-hearted mums and dads volunteer their services My wife enrolled her and myself, overriding my hesitation, as volunteers.

The seachange in my wife's cynophobia to dogs came about after we acquired a lovely Labrador who lived a contended 15 years, receiving cuddles and cookies in catton-loads from all the four in our family After a sudden stroke and an agonising two weeks he

had to b e put down, much to our sadness. His departure left a big void, and to fill that my wife wanted another pet pooch. As any dog owner would vouch, losing a pet dog is a heart- wrenching experience. \Xie did not want to go down that path, but we still wanted to enjoy canine company. And the RSB seemed the best option as it offered three choices - full time trainee/ carers for 12 months, c,r weekend carers, or occasional care givers when a regular one wants a break. \Xie put o ur names for the third option and expected immediate enrolment.

Not so easy.

We were asked every possible personal detail, fronted up for two interviews followed b y police clearance, all of which took several weeks. Strangely, we brought forth into the world two lovely children without any of this rigmarole. Perhaps it's not a bad idea to subject every couple to some tests to see if they are fit and proper persons to be parents

Once on the volunteer list, we

had a few training sessions with dogs Having trained our black lab by Pred ~tis closer to truth that he trained us to his way), we thought it was a breeze to care for Enzo just for three nights. I was told he was well toilet-trained, and once he had relieved himself before b edtime , he would not bother us till the next morning. Being groomed as a guide dog, Enzo is to stay close to the human he is intended to serve, according to the manual. So 1 slept in a spare room with Enzo lying on the floor close by. Around midnight 1 felt his breath close to my face. Signal for a time out? On that biting cold night I took him to the backyard and kept repeating 'busy busy', the special command for him to do the job. But all that he did was busily sniff around as l stood shivering in my pyjamas. Back to bed , where it took me some time to get back. to sleep. Two hours later, another nudge and another outing. It was action replay with no action. Tossing in bed to recapture my broken sleep, 1 wondered if

we were wise in hosting him while my "',jfe, who had volunteered my services, was blissfully sleeping. .Around 4am was another Enzo wake- up call. Third time lucky, 1 thought. But this outing was without any outcome, like the previous ones The next two nights were no different. Tired after three sleepless nights and with bleary eyes, I packed his bags for his departure. As his full-time carer came to collect him I felt how close we had beco me in just three days, and was sad to see him go. He had followed me like a shadow which, at times, was disconcerting. But Enzo, being programmed as a guide d og, is expected to fo llow every movement of his sightless human charge, to keep any harm out of their way. We humans place such a big burd en on these creatures to care fo r the visually challenged, and they d eserve every ounce of care and love lavished on them. Once this dawned on me, three sleepless nights \Vere too small a price to pay for the experience!

2012 ETHNIC BUSINESS AWARD ~

You have worked hard to make your business dream a reality. Now is the chance to be recognised for your achievement. If you were born overseas and you are an owner or part owner of a business, you are entitled to apply for the longest running business awards in Australia, The Ethnic Business Awards We are a l so looking for stories of achievement by Indigenous Austra l ians. The In digenous in Business Award Category recognises the contribution of Indigenous Australians to the Austra li an Business l andscape. The Ethnic Business Awards recognise success against all odds.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE 27 JULY 2012

For information and to register Visit www.eth n icbu s i nessawards .com Call 02 9568 5022 Emai I awards @eth n icbu s i nessaward s .com