2012-08 Sydney (2)

INDIAN LINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Ramanujam Arvind, Dolly Singh Miranda, Tim Blight, Amit Dutt, Frankey Gerard Fernandes, Mohan Dhall, Sanjiv Dubey, Sandip Hor, Farzana Shakir, Saroja Srinivasan, Rani Jhala

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi 02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Nitika Sondhi 02 9279 2004

DESIGN Danielle Cairis

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, maybe reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

www.indianlink.com.au

Happy 65th birthday

government.

Having just celebrated its 65th Independence Day, India has now cemented itself as a nation known for its democracy and secularism. At recent functions in Sydney to mark the occasion, these two words were linked with India in all major speeches.

For us Indian Australians, we perhaps tend to take these achievements for granted. Democratic principles allow us the right to free speech and to participate equally in the practice of political selfdetermination. In case of unhappiness with the local and national administration, we do have the choice every five years, to vote out the ones we do not like.

And India and Indians have changed guard successfully in the past without bloodshed, with the decision of who will govern the country made at the polling booth. Contrast this with ongoing issues in the Middle East and Syria in particular, as civil war between the leader President Bashar al-Assad and the rebels continues to rage. It is a credit to our maturity and deep belief in our democratic traditions that Indians are unlikely to fight against Indians in the streets of Delhi or the suburbs of Mumbai, to effect a change in

Secularism is another area in which India has achieved much. Largely Hindu, India has welcomed people of all different faiths and religions, allowing them to successfully integrate in the social fabric of the country. Bollywood for instance, is ruled equally by Muslims and Hindus, having been founded by Zoroastrians a hundred years ago. The Indian cricket team is filled with cricketers from different backgrounds. There is equal respect for Eid and Diwali, Christmas and Gurpoorav, Navratri and Navroz. India has successfully built one of the largest multicultural societies in the world, an achievement that very few nations can lay claim to on such a grand scale.

But going forward, an area which needs revamping is the education system in India, to promote greater entrepreneurship and a stronger economy.

“Education is the key to build momentum to fight the evils of hunger, disease and poverty,” said India’s new President Pranab Mukherjee in his official address to the nation on August 15. Linking education to the economy, the message also said that education is the key and the economy is the fruit. Going down the route of the Three Musketeers slogan of ‘All for one, one for all!’, the President paraphrased, “All for knowledge, and knowledge for all!”

The speech rightly articulates the

vision, but the reality is quite different. According to a recent report, while India produces 2.5 million graduates every year, third behind the United States of America and China, the quality of education is such that these graduates struggle to get appropriate jobs.

Corruption in the education system with inadequate facilities not only produces inferior graduates, but the overall emphasis of rote education methods stifles innovation. Students are not accorded the opportunity to use their mental faculties, think independently or stimulate their creativity. India has failed to create a brand such as Apple, Google, Facebook or Microsoft globally. The country has great potential to be a major inventor in many industries that will lead the world in this century, but we have not been able to produce ground-breaking products. Great followers, but innovators? The answer is painful, but obvious!

The priority and vision needs to be articulated as to what needs to be done to encourage greater participation, both in quality and quantity, for the youth of India through its education systems. India should be clear on where it would like to be on its 100th Independence Day. Its educated masses should now aim to battle against poverty and disease, and by default, against corruption in the system. In the future, education should be another sparking jewel in India’s crown.

Malli Iyer, Usha

PAWAN LUTHRA

SPIRITUAL

Chinmaya Mission events

24-25 Aug Ladies Retreat at Chinmaya Sannidhi.

24-26 Sept School holiday camp for kids ‘Satyanarayan Katha’. Details Chinmaya Sannidhi 02 8850 7400.

Ramakrishna Sarada

Vedanta Society

Sun 2 Sept 1-day retreat on Bhagavad Gita under the direction of Pravrajika Gayatriprana, senior nun of Sri Sarada Math of the Ramakrishna Order. A class on The Three Kinds of Faith, chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, will be the focus for the Retreat. Program also includes time for silent meditation, question and answer session, group discussion and clarification of discussion. Morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be provided.

Donation for attendance per person is $15.00.

Venue: Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon. Details 02 9745 4320 or visit www.saradavedanta.org

VHP Australia

VHP Australia is seeking volunteer teachers to teach Hindu Dharma in Public Schools (approved by the Dept of Education). Training and materials will be provided.

Details Akila Ramarathinam 02 8814 7016.

What’s on

Sydney Veda Patasala is open for children and adults. It involves Vedic chanting and Sanskrit language. Classes are held at on Sundays Baulkham Hills, Carlingford and Moorebank. Details Sri Subbuji 0425 284 501.

* Bala Samskara Kendra (Sanskrit Language, Indian Culture and Heritage School for children) operates out of Toongabbie, Moorebank, Hornsby and Flemington.  Students learn Sanskrit language(writing, reading, speaking and reciting poems).

Details Rohini Srinivasan 02 9863 3067.

*

27 Sept to 30 Sept VHP children’s dayand-night camp during spring schools

holidays

Details Akila 02 8814 7016.

* 29 Sept Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Laksharchani at Quakers Hills Community Centre. Details Ramarathinam 0418 407 843.

Bhagavad Gita classes by SVT

Learn Chapters 7 to 13 of the Bhagavad Gita as taught by Sri Vasudevacharya, a senior disciple of Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati, and a respected Vedanta Guru. Darcy Road Public School Hall, Darcy Road, Wentworthville, 3:00pm to 5:30pm

No prior knowledge is required. The

course is in English and all materials will be provided. The course is free of charge; donations are accepted. Details at www.srivasudevacharya.org

Children’s classes by G.O.D

The Global Organisation for Divinity conducts ‘Gopa Kuteeram’, monthly spiritual educational classes for children aged 4-12 years.  4.00 - 5.30 pm on the 4th Sunday at the Crestwood Community Centre, Crestwood Drive, opp.Conway Ct, Baulkham Hills.  Classes are free.  Parents can join in the devotional lecture by Sri Deepak Vinodji, kirtans and prayers in the adjacent room during the children’s classes. Details Jayashree 02 9620 4676 or visit www.godivinity.org.au

MISC

Marathi Sakhi Ga Sakhi

9 Sept Marathi Association Sydney Inc announces its annual Sakhi Ga Sakhi. This year a ‘girls only’ picnic has been arranged to Shark Island after a short cruise around Sydney Harbour on MV Captain Cook III. Boarding from Huntleys Point, Gladesville at 8:45 am, return about 4:45 pm. Details Manjusha Ranadive 0402 753 840.

Hindi Divas

Australian Hindi Committee (AHC), IABBV Hindi School and ILASA (Indian Literary Arts Society of Australia) jointly

celebrate Hindi Mela with two events: Sat 15 Sept Kavi Sammelan at Epping Leisure and Learning Centre, 1 Chambers Court, Epping, 4.30pm to 7.30pm                 Sun 16 Sept Hindi School program at Thornleigh West PS, Giblet Avenue, Thornleigh, including display of students’ work and resources, children’s poetry recitation, light snacks, awards and skits, 10.00am to 3.00pm. Details Mala Mehta 0412 283 677.

Health seminar: Ready Steady Get Healthy

Sat 25 Aug SEVA’s Saheli

Project presents an evening of information and activities to increase the awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and to promote the active participation of the Indian community in the free Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service provided by the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS). Cherrybrook Community Centre, 3pm - 6 pm. Details Shantha Viswanathan 0422 082 608.

Seniors

Sri Om Foundation is planning to set up a Day Centre (from Sept/Oct 2012) at Liverpool for Seniors above the age of 65 with any disability. This Day Centre will be primarily for Liverpool LGA residents. The centre will be open

Walking for charity

once a week (Tues or Wed), from 10 am to 2 pm. All the activities, including transport, morning tea and lunch and once a month outing will be provided FREE.

Details Jay Raman 0410 759 906.

FUNDRAISER Baltarang 2012

7 Oct Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation

Australia is organizing a fund raising event Baltarang 2012 at Bowman Hall, Blacktown, Sydney. It is going to be a fun-filled evening of dances, dramas and songs performed by young local artists, and choreographed by top Sydney dance schools and choreographers. All proceeds of the function will go towards educating poor children in rural and tribal parts of India. All donations are hence fully tax deductible.

Details Devendra Gupta 0411 597949 or visit the website www.ekal.org.au

Diwali with a twist

Fri 5 Oct Mona Singh (Mrs India

Australia 2011), Poonam Chandiramani and Ranju Chaddha present a festive Diwali night. Join in for a night of extraordinary entertainment, sumptuous dinner and … a surprise element that will not be revealed until the night! Venue Urban Tadka, 321 Mona Vale Rd, Terrey Hills. $50 per head. Details Mona 0438 079 781.

Since its inception nearly 10 years ago, Vision 2020 Group has motivated the residents of Sydney NSW, a majority of whom have Indian origins, to donate over $ 85000 to charities in India. It has a group of committed volunteers who believe in complete transparency in the way they

reach out to the disadvantaged members of the society. They choose their targeted institutions very carefully and have given away substantial funds to organizations that care for elderly and the abandoned street children, orphanages, destitute and the desolate.

Their latest initiative of fund

raising, by means of a Charity Walk in the Lane Cove National Park was an outstanding success due to the levels of participation achieved. A total of over 250 adults, young and old and included 30 children who walked a round trip of 10 kilometres in mid-July. The weather Gods laid on benign sunshine which

created a picnic and carnival atmosphere. The event was much more fun due to the participants being provided fresh and hot food on the spot by volunteers at a nominal price. The uplifting nature of this event brought about spontaneous response from many visitors who joined in the fun and donated generously.

There were several registrations for Life Membership and the event inspired the Adelaide chapter of Vision 2020 to plan a similar event.

Vision 2020 may be contacted on Vision2020au@gmail.com should any reader wish to donate or become a member.

Malli Iyer

A little bit Indian, a little bit Aussie!

What habits have you retained from your life in India, and which new ones have you taken on after coming to Australia?

The number of Indians settled in Australia makes a comforting statistic for the community, and that number is undoubtedly increasing. But just how well have we adapted to all things Aussie, and how much of our own culture and tradition have we preserved living so far from home? Some of us have lived here for over a quarter of a century, some have been here a few months. So do we think “Oye, oye, oye!” is an Aussie watchword or the lyrics of some almost-forgotten Bollywood hit?

We ask Indian Link readers for their opinion on exactly how ‘Aussiefied’ they’ve become. Or if they still retain a good bit of their desi heritage. Have they completely forgotten their Indian roots, or do some vestiges remain as they add a pinch of garam masala to their pasta?

‘Thoda Indian, thoda Aussie!’ was the expected general response. We are adept at using barbies, have taken to sport and shorts regardless of the state of our bottoms (too large or nonexistent), we call chappals ‘thongs’ without embarrassment, and not a day goes by without using the phrase, “No worries, mate!”

And yet we still observe religious rites, do pujas, fast on karva chauth and think rice-dal-pickle-papad is the best meal in the world. We also believe that we are the only nationality in the world with an incomparable sense of duty to our parents and family. Even if they drive us crazy. We still follow our tele-soaps, surreptitiously keeping up with episodes on the net, because our children would laugh themselves silly if we were caught watching Kyonki Saas Kabhi Bahu Thi!

But our respondents agree that most of us love the life and manage to maintain that essential balance between all things Aussie and Indian. We get to work on time each day, but land up at a friend’s party two hours late in typical Indian-eshtyle, and no-one notices. So let’s celebrate our Aussie Indian-ness, or is it the other way around?

Cover illustration: Dakshinamurthy Anjanappa

Some chai? Or would you prefer Old Monk?

Amit Dutt, Melbourne

On a recent visit to India, I chatted with my mom as she made some tea. It boiled to the point where it turned pink. Then more milk was poured in, to boil yet again and again. That’s tea for you, Indian ishtyle, a habit I have moved miles away from, thankfully and fortunately, to say the least.

My Australian kind of tea with a tea bag and no milk is not only miles away from the tea I grew up drinking, it’s also “no good”, “Bakwas chai” and “gori chai” for my family and friends in India. They reckon I am missing out on the “true flavours” of tea. Beside the true flavours, I am also missing out on the acidity and the heart burn it caused. Like food, we have a tendency to over-cook whatever we get our hands on. Tea is no exception. A soft leaf, full of flavour, is done to literal death by boiling and re-boiling. I am happy with the new kind of tea I drink. I get to try the herbals, the greens and the earl greys and they all taste different. That’s one thing I am happy to move on from. Missing desi chai? Naaaaa…

But I could tell you about another drink from my old life in India that I still love. At a drinking session one evening, my mate opened his bar full of the Glenmorangies, the Taliskars and Laphroaig single malts. Sitting quietly amidst them was a familiar bottle, every desi’s jaan, Old Monk Rum. This, dear readers, is something I have not moved on from even after having lived in Australia for 14 years. Why would you even try to move on from something as good as Old Monk? Recently when I bought a case of the divine nectar, the queue of mates ready to buy their quota was long. Be it the complex vanilla taste or the wholesome flavour, it’s a well-known fact that Old Monk drinkers seldom move away from the monk. If they do, it’s to the Old Monk Gold reserve, even better. Every time I have a drink of the Monk it brings back memories from old times, college, Uni days, first job, first drink… even the first throw-up!

Here are two interesting stats which will make the Monk more attractive: it’s the 3rd largest selling rum in the world, and, they don’t advertise – its popularity depends on word of mouth and loyalty of customers.

Oh well, with a loyal customer base like me, we will keep the flag flying for a very long time!

Many aspects of my Indian personality have remained - and enhanced - since I moved to Australia 20 years ago. Primary among them, without a doubt, is praying. As a child I was taught to say my prayers and did so irregularly, tad procedurally; however today, my day is incomplete without them. In the early days I would just chant them but as they grew on me, I have delved into the deeper meanings of some of our foremost mantras. My research has convinced me even more about the power of prayer, and it has consolidated my core Indian values - being open, meticulous, logical and intelligent about everything.

Another aspect that continues to live with me to this day is the cooking I learnt from my mum. Most friends would tell you that I love to cook, and I attribute this passion to my mum. I don’t mean particular recipes my mum handed down to me (though those are precious too), but the entire science (and art!) of it: you know, how to go about it all, whatever you are cooking, not just Indian cuisine. And much of it I recall not from our time together in the family kitchen, but from memories of what she might have said in passing, or while she described something about cooking to someone else.

Looking back though, both aspects I have listed, have been honed through the skills I have picked up here in Australia. Through my formal training as well as my informal education here, I have learnt to approach issues in a humane and core-value-based manner. This has helped me greatly in all my endeavours at work and in life, and has actually helped me achieve many of my ‘impossible-ish’ dreams.

Another thing I must mention is that from the Australians I have learnt that no job is too small. I take absolute pride in cleaning my home (why, even the toilet), something many back home would never do - or never had to do.

Overall, I’d say, I’m a successful human being today because of the core values that were instilled in me in India, and equally because I learned how to apply my values and sharpen my skillset more effectively here in Oz. India and Australia are a dynamite of a combo that I’d recommend to anyone.

Om bhur bhuva… Dilip Jadeja, Sydney

The habit from India that I have maintained is my orderliness and fuss over cleanliness. I have always been finicky about having my things in order and keeping everything organised. After living in a society where domestic help is not available at your fingertips, I think this habit of mine is a blessing as it makes home chores easier for me if things are already in order.

The new habit that I have taken on is not being addicted to Ekta Kapoor’s saas-bahu kind of daily soaps. Whilst being in India, almost everyone is glued to the telly from 7pm onwards; however with the busy lifestyle here there is no time for following any kind of daily soaps. I am glad I have been able to break free of those highly melodramatic family dramas that everyone in India seems to idolise. These shows may have changed the face of Indian television but in my opinion are highly dangerous for society and I am happy to stay away from them.

It’s chai time, Uncle and Aunty!

Daniel D’Silva, Adelaide

Indian Standard Time

Amardeep

Arora, Brisbane

T he habit from India that I have maintained, is definitely keeping up respect for my parents and giving them that high stature in life that they deserve. I miss having them physically close to me and being blessed by them at important junctures of my life. Having a family support structure in this foreign land is the one very essential thing that is missing for most of us here. Therefore I try to keep in touch with my parents as much as I can and seek their blessings all the time.

The new habit that I have taken on after coming to Australia, is punctuality. I know that Indians have created the impression that we are always running late for everything, be it going to a friend’s place for dinner or meeting someone at a scheduled time. However after coming to Australia I have learned to meet time deadlines and to be punctual to the core. On my visits to India though, some strange looks come my way when I put my new habit to practice!

have maintained the habit of respecting my elders irrespective if they are family or not, and still address them as “Aunty” or “Uncle”. Addressing an older person thus is something we were taught as children in India - it showed our respect for our elders, and it was much appreciated by them.

The new habit I’ve taken on is having an early dinner which is at 6pm. Back in India 6pm would normally be tea time, just to refresh oneself after a long day out at work.

So what are habits?

Natasha Narain, Brisbane

Are habits the ‘us’ that others know us by?

Are they ingrained to the point of compulsion?

Are they stagnant or softly malleable as we adapt to change?

Are they cultural and personal – or are some habits possibly universal?

Is a habit, a method of doing or working?

Does breaking a habit cause anxiety and unrest?

Do I have a habit that causes others unrest?

Whether the term ‘Habit’ comes from ‘Habitation’ or the Habitat Centre at Delhi, it seems to have something to do with preserving culture.

Habits vary according to age and life situation.

My own begin from waking: the making of my bed, because it won’t make itself, and the magic maid has long resigned. Bleary eyed to the kettle, no matter how fresh the water in it is, it must be filled anew from the tap, anytime of the morning is fine, I can sleep in or be late, water runs at all hours unabated. Instant coffee or tea bag please – it’s too hard to boil milk and add the , unless there was someone at home I was bothering for. That noise, no it’s not the bhajans nor is it honking: I am still getting used to the droning of the mower and the beeps of the rubbish truck. The morning rush must be the same, lunches packed, kids TV or X Box switched off (with minimal argument today), the school bus triple packed replaced by Mummy’s taxi with chips under the seat.

Dare I think, that women in both places, rush about trying to run homes, be there for the family, organise away, and fulfil a quarter of the dreams instilled by juggling adapting to change. Some supported wholly, others partially and some not at all, each develops habits that make things possible according to the life situation.

But while I am home, I would rather ignore the cobweb and dust under the bed or the sticky range hood, but never the fuel gauge of the car or my net bank.

There is also the matter of my clothing, the comfy colourful one size salwar kameez to business suits and tights: taking on an identity that is harmonious to the place, but keeping the same soul within.

A soul that struggles with the fascination of chasing after balls of all shapes. One that confuses media and sports stars unless they are from Bollywood. One that uses random masala mixes and bottles of paste to make up concocted curries, delicious in taste. One that remembers the Kanthas and reuses old clothes as stuffing for cushions, and dyes skirts to deeper shades of red. That keeps the envelopes from letters with Indian stamps and hoards memories easily remembered after decades have gone by...

How my weekends have changed! Back then, the weekend was a time to spend with friends – at the movies, having long lunches, or lazing in front of the TV Now, weekends are spent playing ‘soccer mom’ at my son’s soccer matches, and lazing at a park with the kids running around and a picnic basket and a book for company!

On masala chai, seeking blessings from elders, petrol and punctuality

Vidya Muthanna, Brisbane

T he magic mantra when one migrates to Australia is “assimilate”. Out with the old, and in with the new. It was easy for me and didn’t take much effort. But what are the habits that I have still maintained? Well it certainly is my favourite chai! It was hard in the beginning to get my masala chai or Indian tea but the local Indian store always had a stock of good tea. But it’s easier now that is widely available (though I have yet to acquire a taste for Chai Latte)! And I still love drinking water from my stainless steel glass and by pouring it straight in to my mouth; lips never making contact with the glass. There is something about it! And water from that glass when it hits my throat tastes divine.

Another habit I have maintained is cooking an authentic Indian meal at least three times a week. Which means the food is spicy and not bland. I wanted my children growing up in Australia to appreciate Indian cuisine and whenever they travelled to India and home I wanted them to feel comfortable eating the food there with all its spices. So we may have the pasta, the steaks or Thai curries but rice, dal, roti, sabzi even idli, dosa and the occasional kheer is a habit I have happily kept up.

Having married into a Coorgi family I was told early on by my in-laws about touching elders’ feet to seek their blessing. Touching feet is a gesture of respect in India and though this practice is more prevalent in North India, as a social etiquette in southern parts of India it is uncommon. It signifies the humility of the person and is done to seek the blessings of elders. Now this is a habit that I have still maintained after 21 years in Australia. Whenever I meet my husband’s family, in India or in Australia, I dive straight at their feet and seek their blessings. It is awkward at times as it may be at the airport, at restaurants or at public places. It does take the relatives by surprise; some are pleasantly flattered, whilst some quickly try and stop it.

But the one habit I have adopted here in Australia is the famous peck on the cheek when I meet somebody. Growing up in Bombay I always saw my mother greeting people with a warm Namaste. For me after university and working in an advertising agency it seemed natural to shake hands when I was introduced to new people. But now, whether it’s old friends or somebody I am meeting for the second time, it’s a peck on the cheek!!

All of us here have also learnt to fill petrol in our cars. I had never stepped out of the car to fill petrol in India. It was all taken care of at the petrol station. But now not only am I an expert on filling petrol but have even learnt to fill air in the tyre. Hopefully I won’t have to learn how to change a flat car tyre!!

And of course the one habit I am glad I gave up was turning up fashionably late. It seemed OK in India to keep someone waiting for an hour or turning up late for an event. We could always blame it on the traffic and it was accepted. But now I have no excuses and with a watch on my hand, a clock in the car and with even my phone telling me the time, there is no reason to be late anywhere.

Getting rid of old habits is a matter of individual choice and a social process. But clinging on to old habits is also a gentle reminder of a life shared with family, close relatives and friends and a warm reminder of another place.

Imuscles. This was gonna hurt and bloody hell it did, one whisk and off came all the unwanted, unsightly, unsuitable hair. I nearly passed out from the unfamiliar feeling. I looked at the mirror and did not recognise the alien with two thin straight lines of hair passing off as eyebrows. A fortnight later I thumped through all the phone books and newspapers to find someone who does ‘threading’. I am talking about decades ago when Indians were seen few and far between in Melbourne’s suburbs, and a proper ‘eyebrow-wali ’ rarer. After much searching, I found someone who claimed to offer eyebrows and face threading. I was there in a nanosecond and happily endured the longer, more disturbing process of getting my eyebrows threaded. Each hair being pulled individually from its follicle seemed less painful than a simple whisk away. I even beamed with pleasure when the salon lady handed me a whopping bill that would feed a small Ethiopian village.

That’s one habit that I will not change. I will search high and low (actually don’t have to anymore) to find someone who will thread my eyebrows, instead of having them waxed into grotesque shapes.

What I did change though, was the habit of reaching everywhere fashionably late or according to ‘Indian Stretchable Time’. Barring the true blood desi events which operate on the same time-zone, I make sure that I get there on the dot or maximum five minutes behind. I have learnt to respect the value of getting everywhere on time, be it work or a social event. I understand how my coming late can inconvenience the host and upset their carefully organised event. I also understand that I am a role model for my son who will only emulate my behaviour. In a country where punctuality is considered a given, not an exception, I am happy to have adopted the good and shed my tardy habits from back home. Having said that, I gotta run now, ‘cause I am running enormously late for the Indian Independence Day celebrations. Hang on, did they say 7 pm for a 7. 30 start, or was it the other way round??

The weekend routine

Sibil Philip Zhaveri, Adelaide

Waxing eloquent… about threading

powerful mantra salutes the solar principle, evokes the supreme consciousness and three levels of consciousness to destroy ignorance with divine wisdom, and lead our intellects and energy in the right direction. When I could fathom sufficient courage to question this tradition, I quietly asked my grandfather, “Why this chant? I can understand the need for fresh air in the house, and we need to be clean, but why this chant every morning, that too in cold water?”

With his years of wisdom smiling on his face, he replied. “It is an invitation for a friend, into your home, for breakfast, as he comes to cheer you up and warm up your spirits. So will you not welcome this friend? If you don’t open your windows, don’t water the garden, get ready and invite him home, he might just walk away so not to disturb you!” Somehow, that registered. To this day, miles away from my birthplace, in Melbourne’s cold wintry mornings, I still do this in the hope that my friend will come for brekkie!!

Clearing leaves in the garden and from the roads, were always considered the gardener’s responsibility in India. Unconsciously I watched the mali (gardener) clean up the garden, rake leaves and stems from the pathways and the surrounding roads. One day, as I drove down the road, I saw him remove debris lying on the road, which all the others had ignored, walked past or driven around. Perhaps, the habit of raking up the dirt and keeping the surrounds clean was etched in his psyche. The past few years in Melbourne, I have been mowing the lawn, cleaning the garden, clearly organising the garden waste and unconsciously removing stems/leaves from roads when I see them. And I often wonder, is this a new habit or was the mali my original teacher?

Indo-Australian cakes!

Shaantha Jeyaraj, Perth

When I left India for Australia with my husband and two young children in 1989, the big fear that I had was, how would I get my children to follow our culture and traditions? My husband and I worked very hard to keep our culture alive in our family. The first step we took was to talk to our children in our native tongue Tamil.

Other things I did included joining the Tamil Association of Western Australia and becoming a member of the working committee; taking upon myself the huge responsibility of being the producer and presenter of the 6EBA Tamil ethnic radio channel which I continued doing for 10 years; organising annual cultural show “Kalai vizha” on behalf of the Tamil Association to promote Indian culture, and founding a school named “Palkalaikkalanjiyem” [The academy of fine arts and home economics] in 1995, which was purely aimed at promoting culture to the younger generation. The school taught music, dance and other culinary arts such as bridal dressing and cooking.

It is nearly 24 years since I landed on these shores. Now I can proudly say that my family still holds on to our culture, our traditions, our morals and values. However, although my husband and myself have worked very hard to maintain our culture, it has been inevitable that we too have been influenced by Australia and its many values. So I can also proudly say that I now understand Australia and its openness to other cultures. I can now say that although I value my culture very highly, I too like Australia, enjoy the multiculturalism of this country and am appreciative of all new cultures.

I especially love the new and wonderful cooking methods that I have come to learn during my years in Australia. I have learned a lot in relation to cake making and decorating here. In fact I have created a bit of fusion of my own, Cultural Cakes! This is a result of the combination of the traditions and culture of India with the new Australian methods and techniques of cake decorating.

One of the things I do unconsciously as I walk into a room, is to say hello to everyone individually. Likewise, when I leave, I like to say goodbye to each person individually. This is a habit I learned years ago from my grandmother. She would say, “Jab bhi ghar aao, to sabse shukrana karke milo ke theek thaak ghar aaye ho. Aur jab bhi jaao, sab ko sukh se mil ke jaao”. Fourteen years after moving to Australia, I continue to follow my grandmother’s edict. There are many other little things I learnt at her knee that I still practice to this day. Starting new ventures with ardas (prayer), eating a spoon of meethi dahi (sweetened yogurt) for good luck before a major event, taking recourse to haldi (turmeric) as the first shot of medication for any ailment, addressing all and sundry as family members (Uncle, Aunty, Didi, Bhaiya)… old habits die hard!

And yet, I’ve found that new values are not so hard to take on either. From the Aussies I’ve learnt dignity of labour, egalitarianism, the value of time. They lead simple lives – they enjoy what they do, and do what they enjoy. I’ve learnt from them to be strong enough to be myself, and say and do what I really want to without any pretense. I love that they have no competition, no social stress of ‘keeping up’.

I have been very influenced by the Australian value of volunteering, particularly their spirit of charity and compassion that makes them give of their time freely to worthwhile causes such as aged care, kids’ sport etc. I’ve been volunteering for some time now at a school for special needs children in my suburb.

And I simply love the Aussie concept of BYO: if only we could adopt this, socializing wouldn’t be such an expensive and

to dress well. Even as a Phys Ed teacher, I take special care each morning to make an impression with clean and smart clothes. Happily, I’m frequently complimented for it! And here’s something for you from my dear wife, who wants me to share with you that I haven’t lost the old habit of losing my keys: the locksmith has to be called - or the bathroom window smashed - on too regular a basis at our home.

The world is one big family Simran Rana, Sydney

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Council of Indian Australians

For the third year in a row, the Council of Indian Australians (CIA) has celebrated India’s Independence Day in Blacktown which has one of the largest populations of Indian community in Australia. Regardless of the controversy dogging the organisation, given the sudden exit of its very public former president Yadu Singh, the Council of Indian Australians pulled off a very impressive evening indeed.

The 400-plus people who were gathered were treated to an evening of entertainment which was well presented by a group of talented performers. With children as young as five taking part in a vibrant mix of patriotic songs, folk and classical dances, the cultural theme director Jaspreet Chopra did well to inform and entertain the gathered crowd. Pairing the husband wife team of Jennifer and Mohit Kumar as the MCs also added a fantastic Indian Australian touch to the evening. Both Jennifer and Mohit were well scripted and shared a terrific chemistry on stage as they kept the show running smoothly and on a tight leash.

There was a bevy of politicians and officials present, from Louise Markham representing

Opposition Leader Tony Abbot, Victor Dominello Minister for Citizenship and Communities, NSW Opposition leader John Robertson, Liberal Matt Kean from Hornsby, Liberal Geoff Lee from Parramatta, and Chair of the Community Relations Commission Stepan Kerkyasharian. Conspicuous in their absence, yet again, were representatives of the Indian government in Australia.

CIA President Subba Rao Varigonda while welcoming the guests acknowledged the commonalities between India and Australia in areas such as law, language and a commonwealth heritage. He emphasised the mission statement of CIA, which is to work for the growing Indian community in Australia in a transparent and ethical manner and urged all those present to join and contribute to the community through the organisation.

Louise Markham, representing Opposition Leader Tony Abbot also spoke about the high regard the Opposition leader had for the Indian Australian population and how wonderful it was to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Australia. Stepan Kerkyasharian, on behalf of the Premier Barry O’ Farrell also congratulated the

Community achievers are felicitated

promote greater trade with India,” he said, adding, “India is a priority market for us”.

NSW Opposition leader John Robertson spoke about the inspiration he gets from the life and times of the Father of the Indian nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

A special moment on the night came from a wonderful video presentation aimed at expat Indians: a clip from movie Namastey London in which actor Akshay Kumar extols the virtues of all things Indian. For all those present, it was good to hear about

be without awards? This time round, felicitaions were made for contributions in sports, academic and business categories, the awardees being cricketer Lisa Sthalekar, academic late Prof Bhaskara Rao and businessmen Sanjay Deshwal, Sanjay Patel and Neni Tiwari. It was interesting to note the omission of many Indian-origin Australians who have recently been awarded Australian Honours through a rigorous process by the government: sadly, not even a mention was made of these

Jai Bharat, Jai Australia…. Jai jawani?

individuals during the evening. For this, perhaps the organisers need to live up to their motto of transparency and clarity in all their actions and spend an adequate amount of time in getting this process right as many of the recipients of these awards do in serving the community.

With DJ Jogia taking centre stage for an evening of dancing and singing, it turned out to be a wonderful celebration of India’s 65th Independence Day. All credit to the CIA team of Subba Rao Varigonda, Balu Vijay, Praful Desai, Shail Wadwa, Jaspreet Chopra, Keyur Desai, Rakesh Puri and Tony Colaco.

Pawan Luthra

Fledgling organisation INDAUS celebrates Independence Day with an appeal to Indian youth to join their ranks

The Indian Australian Association of NSW (INDAUS) is the newest Indian association in NSW. For its inaugural function, it decided to celebrate India’s Independence Day on August 15, instead of on the preceding or following weekend as is common in Australia. On the night of August 15, the Parravilla Function Centre was host to over 300 people, an indication of the growth of the community and their desire to be a part of the celebrations. While the attendance was laudable, the organisation also allowed all attendees to participate for free, encouraging more people to join in.

INDAUS is headed by the irrepressible Yadu Singh, who initiated the organisation after a public parting from another Indian-Australian association, the Council of Indian Australians. Yadu, wearing his heart on his sleeve as usual, was publicly vocal in his comments of “branch stacking” and the proverbial “knives in the back” as his motivation to entice more youth into INDAUS, so that the politics of the older generation does not filter through the ranks.

Joining him on the management committee are Stanley D’Cruz and Gurdeep Singh as Vice Presidents, Anagan Babu and Gaurav Nirwal in the role of Secretaries, with Anil Sharma and Vinod Elte as Treasurers.

Attending the festivities at the Independence Day event were personalities from both side of politics in NSW, with the Liberals represented by Victor Dominello, Minister for Citizenship and Communities; Matt Kean; Geoff Lee; David Clarke and Kevin Connolly while the NSW Opposition leader John Robertson flew the Labor flag. Also present was Community Relation Commissions Chair, Stepan Kerkyasharian.

While the overall flow of the evening was patchy with some technical glitches, the audiences were more than enthralled by some good speeches from the main guests. Jai Bharat and Jai Australia were common themes in the addresses. Yadu Singh, while welcoming guests, stressed on the importance of the local Indian community, especially as their numbers are growing in NSW.

“Singh’ is the number one surname

in Blacktown,” he reminded Mr Robertson, who represents that electorate. Singh also spoke about the average age of the Indian migrant being less than 35 years, emphasising that his “desire is for INDAUS to have members who are less than 40!”

Continuing the theme of Singhdominated surnames in Blacktown, Minister Dominello encouraged the Labor leader to have a name change to John ‘Robertsingh’, raising a laugh from the attendees. As he warmed to the theme of the evening, the minister spoke about his travels to India and how he was overawed by the beautiful, rich tapestry of culture present in the country. He also acknowledged the wonderful multiculturalism

of Australia and India, and urged those present to celebrate events that bring us together.

Opposition leader John Robertson spoke about the contribution of Gandhi to India’s independence struggle and asked those present to remember the sacrifices made by many as they fought for India’s independence.

Stepan Kerkyasharian acknowledged the contribution of the local community in Australia to the mainstream, and complimented the community for the vigour they brought with them to this, their new country.

Visiting from Melbourne was Vasan Srinivasan, President of The Federation of Indian Association of Victoria (FIAV), who urged

the local community to get more involved in local politics.

“Whatever your belief, Labor or Liberal, do join some group and we can then move forward as a community,” he thundered. It was an overall enjoyable evening organised by this new organisation whose motto is, ‘Service with Integrity’. It was good to hear patriotic Indian songs from films of the ‘60s and ‘70s like Upkar and Purab aur Paschim; however what was missing for the younger crowd was the Chak de genre of songs to which they connect. After all, isn’t this the demographic INDAUS claims it wants to attract?

Pawan Luthra

Local decisions

Will upcoming local council elections realign socio-political equations in NSW as a record number of sub-continental candidates seek to represent changing demographics?

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

As the main provider of core services, it is incumbent on local government to consider what the changing demographics of Australia mean to the socioeconomic fabric of the society. The verdict is out. Dramatic spurt in migration from the Indian subcontinent has drastically changed the racial profile of the nation over the past decade.

The state and local governments have jointly launched a novel initiative - Destination 2036 - for strong and sustainable long term growth.

As local councils all across NSW (barring Wollongong and Shellharbour) go to polls on September 8 2012, it is heartening to note the increased participation of sub-continental origin candidates. Indian Link spoke to five sitting councilors re-entering the fray, as well as several community leaders, small businessmen, youngsters and influential residents who have chosen to take the plunge into active politics by representing the people at grassroots level. We certainly hope to see many new faces and increased participation in the coming years at all three levels of governance.

Cr Pr A b I r M AIT r A Labor Parramatta Council, Arthur Philip Ward (North Parramatta, Parramatta, Harris Park, parts of Wentworthville)

Councillor Prabir Maitra is back in the fray at the Arthur Philip Ward, having already served at Parramatta Council since 2008.

“The biggest achievement of my tenure was to represent the growing South Asian migrant community for the first time in Parramatta Council and I hope to serve them yet again,” Cr Maitra told Indian Link. “The hard working South Asian migrant population has changed the profile of Parramatta and it has been hugely positive, bringing

new opportunities. It’s not only in Harris Park, you go to any street of Parramatta and other suburbs and you will find a lot of businesses now owned by South Asian Communities. It’s creating jobs, bringing new festivals and new colour to multicultural Parramatta. But we need appropriate infrastructure and transport, to solve ever growing traffic and security issues. In many suburbs due to high rise buildings population density is growing but not the open space, leisure areas and child care facilities. I will persevere in these areas”.

Cr Maitra who works in IT support at Westmead Hopsital, also hopes to establish an annual Council funded sub-continent festival in the major events calendar to add new dimension to vibrant city.

As well, he is working towards long term relationship with a Council in India.

Maitra has continued to promote the community cause through his tenure at the local government level. During the international student crisis, he actively lobbied with the Council and the community, and was senior leader of Consul General of India’s special committee. Tabling a motion on the matter, he got the Council actively involved, eventually resolving the crisis.

He actively supported the initiative of bringing music legend AR Rahman to Parramatta Park, an effort that led to 60,000 people attending the high profile event.

As well he promoted Parramasala – the Australian Festival of South Asian Arts, having served on its board.

“I believe Parramasala should consult more with community organisations and people directly for greater success,” he stated.

Both as a resident of the Parramatta area and as Councillor, Maitra has engaged both with community and businesses for better infrastructure and facilities.

As well he has lobbied for grants and events in the local areas.

Among those who have benefitted are - Shakti temple, Sydney Kali Bari, Westmead Murugan temple and BAPS Swaminarayan temple.

He has also supported DA for a mosque in Granville as well as Gujarati Samaj building.

Likewise, he has reached out to the Sri Lankan community voicing their concerns and organising

vigils during refugee crisis.

Maitra helped the Sri Lankan Tamil community organise vigils in front of the Parramatta Town Hall after the recent massacre. Likewise, he has supported Gandhi Centre activities.

The Labor councilor, who is head of the Westmead branch, has represented his party at various state and federal committees.

Maitra was instrumental in organising the delegation of Parramatta City Council to India and Bangladesh, led by the Mayor and representatives from UWS, Westmead Hospital and local businesses.

He is also a member of the smart city initiative – ParraConnect, which introduced ParraSync Card to integrate access to many aspects of city living. He is also on its IT advisory committee.

“I believe in a culture of responsiveness and positive change”, he stated. “And this comes by listening to residents and working with the community to get things done”.

Cr D ILIP C HOP r A Liberal Party Hornsby Shire Council, Ward A (Asquith,

Castle Hill, berowra, Dural, Hornsby, Hornsby Heights, Wahroonga, Waitara)

Sitting councillor and Hornsby resident Dilip Chopra is seeking reelection as a Liberals candidate. A strong advocate of multiculturalism and community togetherness, he has served as vice president of UIA.

During his tenure at Hornsby, Chopra has served the Shire in various sectors. He has been particularly outspoken in areas of aged care and disability. Mental health care and seniors welfare is a subject he is particularly passionate about.

A gemmologist by profession, the Delhiborn Chopra has also been a member of the advisory board to celebrate Diwali

at Parliament.  As well he is a member of the Ministerial Consultative Committee of the State Cabinet.

He hopes to continue the rich work of the former council and leverage on existing relationships and close ties with the community.

“I believe Council should continue to support small business – a critical course of action in generating local employment”, he said.

He believes diversity adds to the rich culture of the Hornsby Shire. “While racism cannot be completely weeded out, it can be replaced with respect for multiculturalism,” he indicated.

“As a leader of the Indian community, I always encourage them to respect and embrace Australian culture and community life. We need to get involved in mainstream initiatives like CleanUp Australia and participate in Anzac Day ceremonies,” he added.

“I am honoured and humbled

to be one of the first Indian Australian councillors. I have once again been endorsed by the Liberals and am committed to my electorate,” he emphasised.

He also believes Council must continue to work with the community in meeting residential housing targets to ensure that the quality of life is preserved in Hornsby Shire.

Cr rA ke SH D UNCOM be Independent kuringai Council, roseville Ward

NZ born Rakesh Duncombe, who migrated to Australia in the seventies, has risen up the management ranks, serving in many roles before starting his own thriving financial practice in 2002. He has now diversified into real estate as well.

The Roseville resident was elected to his ward in 2008, after then Mayor Nick Ebbeck urged him to get involved because of his strong business and Rotary links.

“With political affinity towards Liberals, I represent the silent majority”, he told Indian Link

“I’d like to say I am a capitalist. I strongly believe in the common sense approach and keeping things simple. The “vocal minority” have too much influence in local government politics and have effectively slowed or even stopped our community

Dilip Chopra Vasee Rajadurai

Sitting CounCillorS

progressing”, he noted.

“I want to restore more balance in decision making.

The pendulum has swung too far to the Greens and the antidevelopment side of the spectrum, and policy creep means that what seemed like good small ideas years ago, are now entrenched in the psyche of councils; yet most of them do not benefit the wider community, rather, a narrow focused ideal of a vocal few. I think residents are generally fed up with decisions that are convenient to the hype of the day. I always represent any resident to assist them to get a fair and reasonable outcome to their issue,” he added.

A keen sportsman, particularly motor racing, he is active in the local community and has been a long time member of Rotary Club, serving as their youth director and later president.

A smiling face is the greatest tool when negotiating with even the nastiest of situations, he believes.

Cr Duncombe is a strong believer in “balancing the needs of the entire community and opposes the ‘human induced climate change’ movement.” He believes current policies are too restrictive, short sighted and pandering to Green elements.

Rather he supports “sustainable practices and operations provided residents aren’t continuously asked to fund these programs.”

He is the economic and social development champion amongst current councillors and managed to have the new resource appointed after nearly two years of effort.

“I am on the internal audit committee,” he

explained “and believe strongly in fair process, transparency and minimising bureaucracy. As a business owner, I understand and champion fiduciary responsibility, governance, strategic thinking and budgeting – a skill in my view that is generally lacking in our current group of councillors,” he added.

Cr Duncombe prefers to get the basics sorted, “before committing ratepayers’ funds to programs and ideas that are nice, but not critical”. Financial sustainability and strong working relationships with fellow councillors and residents are, he indicated, his biggest success.

He wishes to get started soon on “an excellent civic centre that residents will be proud of.”

As well he hopes to work on the image of the DA team. “Our Council is regarded as one of the most difficult to deal with,” he admitted.

Cr VAS ee rA j ADU r AI Labor Holroyd City Council, North Ward (Girraween, Pendle Hill, South Wentworthville, Toongabbie, Central Gardens Park)

Sri Lankan Australian councillor Vasee Rajadurai is back in the fray from North Ward having successfully completed his tenure.

“I am very proud to have represented the South Asian community. It was a great opportunity to act as a bridge between council and people,” Rajadurai stated.

Rajadurai has recently been

appointed Vice President of Parramatta District Cricket Club.

“Our colonial roots and British political legacy makes us Sri Lankan and Indians aware of governance experience. Anglo Australians should realise that we are not here to change the local culture, rather we only seek to enrich it by embracing our rich heritage as much as local traditions”, he emphasised.

“Nevertheless, a huge cultural change is happening in great western Sydney and the growing ethnic needs have to be met. This will be my work for the upcoming term,” he indicated.

It is a challenge for someone like me of ethnic background. I understand all the diverse needs but sometimes it is not possible to meet all of them, he added His biggest regret is the lack of cultural facilities. “At the moment, residents have to go to Blacktown or Silverwater for community functions. We urgently need a large hall to accommodate at least six hundred or more,” he admitted.

He also hopes to address transport needs and implement better policing.

An ongoing issue is high-rise buildings. “I have been fighting indiscriminate high density developments that are cropping up without adequate focus on infrastructure facilities.

As well Clr Rajadurai has worked closely with the community to stop closure of three council pools.

“I have had to fight tooth and nail to prevent this and I can happily say that it is one of my big successes”, he admitted. He will also work to better equip libraries with sufficient resources.

C r M A r C r er C er ATNAM Independent Ashfield Council, South Ward

Of Indian and Chinese ethnicity, Singapore-born Marc Rerceratnam was elected to Ashfield Council in 2004 elections on a Greens ticket. This time round he is contesting as an independent from the south ward after losing his endorsement.

Rerceratnam, who moved to Australia for post graduate studies, has a PhD from University of Sydney on examining interaction between communities and governments.

The community activist has been particular critical of high rise developments in 1 and 2 storey Federation style neighbourhoods.

Barely three months after his debut, he initiated the social and economic program to revitalize the Ashfield Town Centre – “a delicate proposition juggling the interests

of local residents, shopkeepers, pro-development landowners and local and state political networks”. This involved innovative ideas and the ability to create links and networks with the local actors in Ashfield CBD.

“By late 2006 and early 2007 significant improvements to the Town Centre was becoming visually apparent with many business owners, for the first time, reinvesting thousands of dollars in refurbishing their businesses along Liverpool Road,” Rerceratnam said.

He has been the Chairperson of Local Multicultural Ethnic Affairs Committee, Shopping Trolleys Working Party/Taskforce He is also member of Works & Infrastructure Committee, Community Services Committee, Communications Committee, Library Committee, Environment Committee, Budget & Operations Review Committee, Strategic Planning & Economic Development Committee.

rA j DATTA Labor Strathfield Council (Strathfield has no wards)

Raj Datta needs no introduction to South Asian readers. The long time Homebush West resident has not only been preselected by ALP to lead the elections at Strathfield Council but is also running for Mayor. There are no wards in the council.

“This pre-selection acknowledges the views of the Labor Party on the achievements of Australians from Indian and Indian Sub-continental heritage in making New South Wales an increasingly better place for all Australians,” Datta stated. “For me these elections are about standing by a set of values that bind us together as a community, such as respect for social equity and equality. It is about belief in principles that if the same god created us all, we all deserve the same opportunities of life including opportunities for education and health. It is about our commitments to these qualities, values and principles,” he added.

Initiating the formation of the Deepavali Festival Committee (DFC) of NSW, he was also instrumental in arranging the first-ever external illumination of a parliament house in western society.

Since then it has been transformed into one of the highest profile celebrations in the state.

He also spearheaded the installation of a plaque acknowledging contribution of the Australians from Indian and Indian sub-continental heritage. A dedicate community activist,

Datta took a lead role in initiating a dialogue for safe and speedy resolution of the students crisis by establishing the Premier’s Working Committee, which he went on to chair.

Datta led the initiative to institute the Premier’s Award for Australians from Indian and Indian Sub-continental heritage in 2010 to celebrate multiculturalism and social contribution.

He is also passionate about rebuilding Australia as a “knowledge nation” and believes in increased funding for public schools.

“To ensure our kids perform to their full potential, our system must be totally merit based and focus equally on academic and sports excellence,” he emphasised.

“I am leading a team that is fully committed to working in close co-operation with the community in a proactive fashion. This new Labor team believes that there is a need for the councillors to be more in touch with residents and to work in close consultation with the community.”

The proposed Australian Catholic University redevelopment has been a key concern for Strathfield residents.

Inadequate policing is another major issue.

“I have personally spoken to many business owners around the shopping area and they say there is not enough police presence. The shopkeepers don’t feel safe because people break out in fights around their businesses. Many other issues are being brought to our attention by community members and we are reviewing it all,” Datta added.

bALA j I

Ve N k ATA r ANGAN Labor

Holroyd City Council, east Ward (Merrylands, Granville, Westmead, Holroyd, part of Wentworthville)

Balaji Venkatarangan calls himself a foot soldier of the Australian Labor Party.

A founder member of SubContinent Friends of Labor, Venkatarangan has time and time again lobbied on community issues and government policies.

“I believe in the fundamental role that we, as members and activists, play in our party’s electoral success,” he told Indian Link

The community leader and union activist will contest local government elections from East Ward of Holroyd Council.

“I can deliver a new vision to Holroyd city council along with my team Peter Monaghan and Sandra Kaltoum. As president of an association, union delegate and community representative, I have the time, energy and experience to lead us forward. I will fight hard

Prabir Maitra

Marc Rerceretnam

Rakesh Duncombe

Local decisions

to guarantee that the voice of the membership is not only heard but valued and respected”, he added.

While better infrastructure, transport and recreational facilities top his agenda, he also hopes to stop Liberal government imposing freeway tolls and prevent overdevelopment of the region.

“There has been a rapid change in the structure of the population within Holroyd and this change has not frequently reflected in the change of service for these people. We need more community halls and sporting venues as much as good roads and footpaths,” he stated.

As well, he hopes to bring in more high profile events like Diwali Mela, UIA Friendship Fair to the region to boost the local economy.

“I care deeply about this community and am steadfast in my principles of ensuring Holroyd community for families of all ages and businesses of all sizes,” Venkatarangan continued.

A member on the advisory board of the iconic Parramasala and president of the Indian Australian Arts and Film association (IAAFA), Balaji is passionate about arts and culture, organising numerous events aimed at vibrant cultural exchange. Through this forum he has engaged the community, particularly youngsters and reconnected them with their values and heritage. He has brought in traditional as well as contemporary artists, besides organising film releases all over Australia.

Energetic and proactive, he has been a core member of community groups including the Parramatta, Holroyd & Blacktown Migrant Resource Centres, RSPCA, NSW Police, NSW Fire Brigade, Australian Red Cross, Recreational NSW, Aboriginal Artists of NSW, Art Galleries of NSW, Scouts and Guides NSW.

He has also led Indian Australian community through several forums.

“Back in 2009, at the height of the international student crisis, I was deeply involved with several community members and organisations like the Community Relations Commission of NSW, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW and NSW Police Parramatta Local Area Command, reaching a sensible solution”.

Local MP David Borger and then premier Kristina Kenneally acknowledged his efforts.

Venkatarangan has also lobbied for greater trade exchange between Indian and Australia in the minerals sector, particularly uranium.

Lobbying with unions and government is another asset he brings to this role, having represented AWU and AMWU, particularly in manufacturing, automotive and rail industries.

G U r D ee P S INGH

Liberal Party Hornsby Shire Council, Ward b (Asquith, Castle Hill, Dural, Cherrybrook, Waitara, Wahroonga, Hornsby, Normanhurst)

When Gurdeep Singh chose to settle down in Hornsby more than two decades ago, it was for the quality of life the north shore suburb offered. The bushland setting, transport connectivity and top class education facilities are cherished quite as much even today.

“The whole Shire has changed since and only for the better,” he told Indian Link Singh hopes to make a difference to the local community by improving services and amenities.

The convenor and secretary of the North Shore Sikh Association has been endorsed as Liberal candidate in upcoming local council elections for Ward B.

“I wish to preserve and propagate its heritage. I want to make the Shire a place where local government addresses local issues with a great degree of care and sensitivity. More importantly I want to reduce red tape-ism and roll out processes that are well thought out, consultative and transparent,” said the civil engineer, who runs an independent practice in the Sydney metropolitan area.

Deeply involved in the community, Singh is also an active life member of the Council of Indian Australians and a Vice President of the Indian Australian Association of New South Wales.

Naturally, he will bring to this role a wealth of experience not only as a professional but also in broader spectrum of core human values and relationships.

Having been extensively involved in community consultations processes, he values his cultural heritage as well as uprightness.

“Given a chance, I am only too keen to go the extra mile to serve the community that has encouraged and supported me,” he added He hopes to become the first Sikh Australian to represent

the community in the local government area.

“I am truly honoured to be the first Sikh in Australia to be given the Liberal Party ticket”.

S USAI b e N j AMIN Labor blacktown Council, Ward 3 (Doonside, Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Prospect, blacktown, Huntingwood, Arnside)

“We are here to stay. So we need to have a say” is advocate Susai Benjamin message to the Indian Australian community. And politics he believes is the perfect instrument to effect meaningful change. The well-known social worker and legal rights campaigner could well become the first Indian Australian in Blacktown City Council, if elected from Ward 3.

“I won’t make promises I can’t keep but so long as it is compliant to rules and can be implemented, I am ready to listen and undertake to articulate on behalf of people’s needs,” Benjamin told Indian Link

His big vision for Blacktown is to emulate the example of Parramatta. “I would like Blacktown CBD to take shape and evolve as a future smart city,” he said. He also hopes to run a survey to find out what are the needs of small businesses at the grassroots level.

A review mechanism of Council infringement notices is top of his agenda. The hard-core Labor supporter, who heads the preselection list for the September 8 election has served the local community tirelessly since his arrival in 1987.

Nicknamed nil-fee lawyer, it all started when he offered free legal advice to new migrants.

“Since then, people have come routinely door knocking on all matters legal or quasilegal”, he remembered. This trend has continued despite his hectic professional and electoral commitments.

In 2007, Susai spearheaded the establishment of Toongabbie Legal Centre after extensive community consultations.

Offering free legal aid to people unable to access this service because of prohibitive costs, TLC is now an iconic local institution with a large network of volunteer solicitors and law students.

Having worked with numerous state government organisations like NSW Treasury, Work Cover Authority and State Authorities Superannuation Board, Benjamin

has extensive public service experience.

As well, he is a regular at community events, championing the cause of multiculturalism.

“I believe in walking the talk and to this end I founded a not for profit company Australian Multicultural Forum Ltd,” he stated.

The organisation, he explained, encourages “dialogue among people who care to identify key obstacles to harmonious living”.

He was appointed as Executive Committee member of the Ethnic Communities Council of NSW and as a board member of Migrant Resource Centres in Blacktown and Parramatta. He also served as the Board member and later the President of Multicultural Arts Alliance of NSW.

Significantly, he served for two terms on the Australian Government’s Australian Multicultural Advisory Council (AMAC). Through AMAC’s contributions, Benjamin believes that Australia now has a Multicultural Policy.

Early this year, he was appointed as ambassador for multiculturalism, one of only forty named by federal government.

Susai is also involved at the professional level and has held many positions in professional organisations, such as the Council Of Australasian Tribunals (COAT), the Australian Institute of Administrative Law (AIAL), part-time member of the Government and Related Employees Appeal Tribunal (GREAT) and many other activities.

He has been invited to many international forums, speaking passionately about community development, adult education and environment. Both Susai and his wife Anne, former executive director of Catholic Schools in western Sydney, are very active in their parish.

“I have always been in the business of reviewing policy and making laws. My job is to listen to people and implement their needs,” he added.

TANV eer A HM e D Liberal Party City of Canada bay Council, Drummoyne Ward

Psychiatrist, author, columnist and comedian, Tanveer Ahmed is all set now to don a new mantle – that of Councillor. He is contesting on a Liberals ticket from the prestigious Drummoyne constituency of the City of Canada Bay Council, featuring high on the pre-selection table.

Born in Bangladesh and raised in Sydney’s western suburbs, the former Sydney Grammar student has been outspoken on migrant

issues. Multiculturalism and mental health issues naturally are hot favourites and he has written passionately and extensively on both subjects in the Sydney Morning Herald

Named as one of the future leaders of Australia under the age of 40, Ahmed has a very visible public face and he has chosen to leverage this in aid of his pet causes.

“As a resident of Drummoyne, where I recently moved and as small business owner, I thought the best way to express myself in the community was through the local government elections,” he told Indian Link

“A young family has made me more interested in the core aspects of local government, which is sometimes reduced to the 3 Rs - roads, rates and rubbish. But I am very interested in how the area evolves, given we have moved in there recently and can see our children being raised thereschools, parks, roads, better shop areas,” he explained.

“I have become more conservative in the past decade and given I am a small businessman now running a medical practice and am quite individualistic - the Liberal party made sense,” he added.

Council elections will be a road test for talented Tanveer who nurtures bigger political ambitions. “Perhaps the Federal arena down the track,” he revealed. “Yet I see local government as a kind of practical politics and look forward to getting involved”.

b e TH e L Perer A Unity Party Holroyd City Council, east Ward (Merrylands, Granville, Westmead, Holroyd, part of Wentworthville)

Bethel Perera is an amalgam of many cultures. Proud of her Indian heritage that combines Hindu and Muslim ancestry, Fijian born-Australia raised Perera was brought up with Christian beliefs. The young communications professional, who works for AusGrid is married to a Sri Lankan Buddhist.

“All of these values coexist harmoniously. I was brought up to respect individuality. We may not agree with a different ideology or values but we need to accept their choice,” she stated.

This is what attracted her to Unity Party, which was born in 1998 to challenge Pauline Hanson’s vision of a “white” Australia. Equality and multiculturalism, fairness and acceptance are focal points of her rainbow of religions.

“It’s interesting how opportunities come to you”,

she recalled.  Having worked in events for a decade now both professionally through her husband Ritchie’s business and passion-inspired pet projects, she was introduced to Unity Party head Peter Wong and then Kogarah deputy mayor Annie Wang.

“I had engrossed myself in data and statistics relating to issues and changes within the community. This was the point when I grew hungry to get involved and make some positive changes.  This prompted me to take part in local government and represent ethnic Australia,” she explained.

By representing her electorate, she wants to improve quality of life.

“I want residents to be happy and feel safe,” she stated. “I also want to reach out to our youth.  This is an area that needs to be addressed but it takes a certain kind of person and I know I can do it”.

Upgrading local parks and facilities, exploring parking issues, particularly around Westmead station and Plaza as well as investing in childcare, are among her immediate priorities.

“There is a nice garden at the park behind Lane Street in Wentworthville but to create a shaded area with a non-smoking area would offer the locals a life style,” she pinpointed.

Bethel believes her subcontinental heritage will work in her favour. “We always like to support someone we can identify with or who we feel is our own.  Influencing supporters based on my cultural heritage (Fijian or Indian) or by my Sri-Lankan last name (by marriage) will happen,” she said.

Husband Ritchie, Bethel revealed, has been her “strategist, engine room and advisor”.

And the warm response from the people has been a welcome surprise.

“This may be my first year running, but the reception from my electorate has been nothing short of positive,” Bethel admitted. “I am touched by their support and faith. It has made me realise there are so many levels that we relate and connect to people on”.

rA j IV bHANDULA Liberal Party Strathfield Council

“It is a matter of pride and acknowledgement of my contribution that I have been preselected for Strathfield Council,” Rajiv Bhandula told Indian Link.

“Having spent the first two decades in the country establishing my family and my professioinal interests, I am now committed to wholeheartedly serving the

community”, he stated.

Bhandula is inspired by the figures that have emerged from the latest Census. “It shows the Indian community in the Strathfield area has grown significantly and it’s time to represent the same in council as well, so that council can also serve its people effectively”.

He believes it is time that Indian Australians participate actively in governance at all three levels and strengthen the multicultural fabric of society.

“The Liberal Party has always been an inclusive party but the perception in the community needs to be changed. Being a Liberal candidate for Strathfield Council, I will help the party, the council and the Indian community for better understanding and coordinated cooperation so that we can serve this wonderful nation better”, he stated.

Talking about pre-selection, Bhandula explained that local MP Charles Casuscelli and Liberal candidate for Reid Craig Laundy invited him for talks.

He believes his greatest asset is his strong community links and excellent business rapport. He has established an extensive network among the business community.

While his priorities are Liberals based, his campaign is ‘Local for Locals’. He hopes to encourage greater interaction among residents.

M4 extension and reducing traffic congestion figure high on his agenda.

“There will also be some work which will be focused towards the needs of people from the Indian subcontinent. These includeallocating Council facilities, such as hall, library, etc for community events, as well as programs for exhibitions and celebration of festivals associated with people of Indian Subcontinent,” he highlighted.

Bhandula firmly believes that the Liberal Party is totally committed to having a proper representation of the Indian community.

“Our strategy is to bring the subcontinent community together so that Strathfield Council can adapt new policies to meet the demands of people from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Fiji”.

N AV ee N G AND r A Liberal Party Liverpool Council, North Ward

Naveen Gandra came to Australia in 2001 to pursue higher studies at University of Wollongong. The computer science student from Hyderabad fell in love with the people and lifestyle and soon adopted citizenship.

“Working and living in Liverpool each day, I am in

constant contact with residents (my neighbours) and the business community through my work as a business banker with Westpac”, Gandra indicated.

“I see each day the difficulties that this community faces, and I want to do my part as a member of the Liberal Council team to work for a better Liverpool, for families and small business,” he added.

He has been endorsed for the North Ward in the upcoming Liverpool Council elections.

“I want to make Liverpool a better place for families to live and work,” he stated. “Community safety in Liverpool is a big issue, so we are committed to introducing CCTV cameras in the CBD. At the moment the residents are very scared about break-ins and being robbed on streets. We will also increase infrastructure budget, focussing on footpaths and street lamps. Better parks and reserves are also on our agenda. We are also campaigning for fairer hours of operation for the Parking Meters. Currently they operate for too long, and it is hurting business”.

According to Gandra, the Liberal Party hopes to inject more resources into junior sports clubs and grounds. “We will provide more Council support and funds to junior sport,” he promised.

The Council currently has an enormous debt from the failed Labor Oasis project. “We will work to balance Councils budget, work to pay off Labors debt, and fight Federal Labor’s Carbon Tax, which will hurt small business and push up rates”, he continued.

Gandra and his Liberal team have been door knocking for every vote and meeting leaders and community groups. As well, he has set up street stalls for direct interface.

“This election is about a fresh approach, who the community believes will listen and deliver for them,” he reiterated.

Susai Benjamin

Balaji Venkatarangan

Naveen Gandra

Tanveer Ahmed

Raj Datta

Gurdeep Singh

Beth Perera

Rajiv Bhandula

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Applicable Hindu Dharma

HYA conference aids greater understanding of the ethics and fundamentals of the religion

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

Knowledge is powerful; knowledge is limitless; but more importantly, it is freely accessible, bound by neither patents nor property rights - that is the basis of sanatana dharma or the Hindu way of life.

A dynamic group of young individuals in Australia have made it their mission to pass on the age-old wisdom contained in our sacred texts and in the process, reconnect modern youth with their ancient heritage.

‘Unite, discover, lead’ is the motto of Hindu Youth Australia (HYA), founded three years ago to provide a forum for like-minded peers.  Since then they have run many fruitful programs catering to the diverse needs of their target group, the flagship event being the annual youth conference.

Held at Rooty Hills Novotel, HYA’s conference this year was aptly titled ‘Find the Dynamic You’.

“Our focus for 2012 was on workshops, as public education is one of our main objectives,” NSW HYA coordinator Krishna Ramarathinam told Indian Link As Krishna aptly put it, at the end of the day each and every participant took home with them a DIY kit of ‘applicable Hindu dharma’.

“Our aim was to show how the knowledge and values of Hindu dharma can enhance our daily

lives,” he added. Inspirational talks, interactive learning and thought provoking discussions were some of the items of the day’s agenda. While the program was primarily aimed at a younger audience, it attracted people from the wider community as well.

Opening the conference, keynote speaker Arjun Nidigallu spoke persuasively about Hindu renaissance. “Our culture is like the vast ocean and the blue skies. We do not know how much there is and how to tap its infinite resources,” he commented.

Demonstrating the importance of culture in shaping one’s identity, Arjun elaborated on core Hindu philosophy of Sat-ChitAnanda (existence-consciousnessblissfulness). His clever choice of metaphors and analogies struck an instant chord with his young audience. Existentialist themes like why, how and what, introduced by Arjun formed the framework of discussions, taken up by other speakers over the course of the workshop.

Kailash Satyanarayan gave a passionate presentation on social service. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi (“Be the change you wish to see in the world”) and Michael Jackson (Man in the mirror), he urged the delegates to be active in the community.

Guest speakers included Sanskrit scholar Dr Jennifer Cover, Chinese Australian Liberal MP Geoff Lee, and ISKCON leader Viraja Krishna Dasa.

Dr Cover, who has translated Narahari’s Bodhisara, explained the meaning of ‘dynamic you’ (Saatvika Tvam Bodha). “In the midst of hectic everyday activity,

stated.

Mr Lee urged second generation Hindu Australians to embrace their culture “as it provides a great roadmap for strong relationships that strengthens the national fabric”.

Br Krishna Dasaji spoke of selfgratification and self-realisation, and the importance of making meaningful contributions to enrich social structure.

Youth activists Aravind Srinivasan and Sushyanth Subramaniam explained the significance of pooja and temples, both integral to Hindu religion and culture.

After a hearty vegetarian meal prepared by the resident chef at the Novotel, the delegates participated in hands-on mentoring sessions.

Adelaide-based Yogicharya Devidasan Giriji gave a brief introduction to the simplest but most potent Hindu mantra –

Hindu traditions in the west today, with proven non-invasive therapeutic qualities. The acharya briefly explored its undervalued, but far-reaching potential.

Actuary student Anusha

Niddigallu’s sneak peek into Vedic Mathematics, popularised in the early 20th century by Bharathi Krishna Thirtha Maharaj, certainly had young minds alert and engaged. Consisting primarily of sixteen sutras and its corollaries, they provide useful calculation strategies particularly in arithmetic and algebra. Delegates were quick to learn sutras like Nikhilam Navatascharamam Dashatam and Ekadhikena Purvena.

Vandana Anand briefed the audience on fundamentals of public speaking, an all important life skill, before engaging them in a brainstorming session on various aspects of the Hindu way of life and its relevance in modern contexts.

Likewise, Krishna Ramaratinam’s informative presentation, “Why Sanskrit?” spoke volumes on why this deva bhasha is undergoing a revival today.

The session concluded with a public forum seeking new and proactive directions for growth. Among the contentious issues discussed were integration without loss of identity, bullying and racism, relevance of God, role of parents, as well as spirituality in modern context. Delegates came up with fresh ideas and novel perspectives, which HYA’s core committee hope not only to take on board, but implement over the current year.

The goal for 2013 is to be more inclusive and throw the conference open to mainstream participation. Having been initiated into the new pathway, the youngsters are well and truly now part of the Vasudeva Kutumbakam and will hopefully make the changes they wish to see in the world.

Girls’ day out

It was glamour, tradition, culture, arts – and plenty of laughs – at the Punjabi women’s festival Teeyan

Sarsaon ka Atta and badaam

BY DOLLY SINGH MIRANDA

When I think of Teej from my childhood memories of visiting my ‘Vadi mamma’ (grandmother) in a small village in Punjab, these are the images that flash in my mind – brightly dressed women in fluorescent colors of orange, green and yellow, exuberance, loud laughter, excitement, bangles, swings, rain, hot pakodas, kheer, mehendi, giddas and dhols!

Recreating that same festivity, and celebrating our cultural heritage as well as our lives as women, are the reasons why the Teeyan society initiated the Teeyan Teej festival in Sydney in 2007.

Teeyan Teej certainly has an emotive connect with women who grew up celebrating it! In a day of festivities, gay abandon, careless fun and revelry, women can relive their childhood and experience the same excitement.

This year, the festival celebration was held in Bowman Hall in Blacktown, and was attended by 900 women. The event began at 10:30am with each guest welcomed

Women were dressed traditionally in bright lehengas and salwars, but the brightest aspect in the room were definitely the smiles and excitement.

In keeping with the traditions and customs of the festival, there was music and dance galore. Dance performances by the wellknown Purnima Sharma from the Indian Dance Centre; a bhangra by little girls choreographed by Reema Randhawa; gidda by the Kingswood Girls were all in keeping with the spirit of the day. However, the most special and endearing performance of the day was by 70-year-old Mrs. Mallik from the seniors’ group in Blacktown who danced to the tune Madhuban mein radhika naache re. Kudos to Mrs. Mallik!

Other performances included famous Punjabi singer Kirat Maan who sang a medley of Punjabi songs.

Besides the dance performances, heaps of games and quizzes throughout the day with loads of fantastic prizes added to the excitement. Not to forget the high energy and zesty Punjabi and Bollywood music by DJ Dimple!

But perhaps the most eagerly awaited part of the event was the Miss Teeyan and Mrs Teeyan contests. Participants were judged not just by their costumes and

knowledge of Punjabi culture and a talent round.

Mrs Amandeep Grewal from the organising committee revealed that the ladies prepare for this contest many weeks in advance.

“Getting together, deciding and planning costumes, which talent to show off, and revising cultural and historical trivia is all part of the build up,” she said.

Interestingly, this year the Miss Teeyan and the Mrs Teeyan titles were won by two ladies with the same name ‘Ramandeep’ (time to change my name perhaps!)

There were several prizes and giveaways including dinner vouchers by leading Indian restaurants in Sydney, gift hampers by Tuli Jewelers and a return ticket to India (courtesy Sairam Travels).

Mr. Amarjeet Khela, CEO of Unique International College very generously gave away 10 free first aid courses and a Diploma of Management course being run at his college.

The food at the event was organised by Billu and suitably comprised festive fare such as spicy samosas, the all-time favourite dahi bhallas, kheer and rasgullas, as well as mains like butter chicken, chole puris, etc.

“The focus of the day was on fun, health and wellbeing,” said Amandeep, one of the principal organizers of the event. “Teeyan Teej aims to bring women together and create harmony and support while having fun.”

The team next year plans to make the event more interactive - with more participation by the seniors’ group, as well as including an educational element with information on health for women.

This mega day of fun and frolic left women eagerly awaiting the next year’s celebration. “Culture and being connected to your roots is an essential part of life, growth and continuity,” concluded Amandeep, and this celebration helps us do just that!

Traditionally in Punjab, the festival of Teeyan welcomes the saawan or monsoon months; it is also a symbolic celebration of married women returning to their maikas (parental homes) for the first time after marriage.

The festival is reminiscent of the smell of freshly made and delicious kheer and puris in the air. Women apply mehendi on hands and wear bright new clothes. Swings are set up especially on trees and there is a lot of merry-making with dancing and music, particular boliyan, gidda and bhangra

Inner West’s Bollywood stars

Darshana Shah’s Bollywood classes at Strathfield North Primary School are growing in popularity

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

He swayed his hips and twirled his duppatta quite like the Badshah of Bollywood as he danced to the catchy tunes of Mahi Ve. Eight-year-old William looked every inch like the King Khan himself, only a diminutive version.

The Year Two student of Strathfield North Primary in Sydney’s inner west is the latest to join the Bollywood bandwagon. Offering a gateway of sorts to the Indian experience, Bollywood has become quite the rage down under with more mainstream audiences lapping up its vibrant colours and textures.

Strathfield North has been offering Bollywood dance classes for the past two years thanks to the initiative of classroom teacher Darshana Shah, who volunteers her time for the program.

“With a 100% turnout at all lessons, it has been so popular, I have had to turn away more than half of children for want of space,” she told Indian Link

Shah now runs the extracurricular activity thrice a week before school and during the lunch hour, in two groups catering to differing age brackets. While the students get to show off their newly acquired skills through a range of events, they have been rehearsing particularly hard this semester in the lead up to a big performance for Public Education Week.

This year’s performance turned out to be extra-special as the school invited some of its treasured alumni, the Kirby brothers, as guests of honour. The

retired justice Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, Hon David Kirby QC and Donald Kirby started their academic pathway at Strathfield North back in the forties.

The Bollywood segment, featuring two hits Dolna and Mahi Ve, was one of the highlights of a huge multicultural showcase organized on the occasion.

A professional singer and choreographer, Shah comes from a musically inclined family and has trained in Mumbai’s Sangeetha Mahabharathi, as well as with Pandit Dhruba Ghosh.

Back in 2008, Shah trained a small group at Westmead Primary to perform at presentation day. Inspired by its success, she started regular Bollywood classes.

When she was transferred to Strathfield North, the school principal was only too happy to encourage this novel initiative and tap into the cultural diversity.

“Obviously it is a whole new experience for the predominantly Catholic community,” Shah explained. “In no time, its popularity has grown and I am glad to bring the colours of India to our multicultural society. They love the moves and the beats, as well as the bindis and the bangles.

Parents have been very welcoming and supportive too. In fact the staff at SNPS now wants me to run a dance workshop for them as well!”

In addition to the sheer joy of creative movement, Shah believes the classes offer a great opportunity for the children to experiment with new concepts and develop their self-esteem and confidence in the process. She believes that a strong focus on cross-curricular activities strengthens core literacy and numeracy programs.

“Initially, it is difficult for young inexperienced students to pick up the dance moves,” Shah admitted.

“Remember that 90% of these students have never done any kind of dance. However, I encourage students to be themselves and you will see that they put their own charm and character in their dances. I have seen them evolve in the last few months. They have become more confident, self assured and expressive”.

A lot of thought and planning goes not only into the choreography, but also the structure of the dance lessons. “As there is a lot of stop and start, I make sure the sessions don’t get either tedious or monotonous. It is important to enjoy the journey as much as the outcome,” she noted.

“I have to plan what dance moves are suitable for the music and the lyrics, and make sure they feel the beat and get the timing right. When a large group moves together to the tunes of Bollywood, the effect is simply breathtaking,” said Shah enthusiastically.

Another exciting aspect of the experience this year has been the colourful costumes, designed and sourced locally by Shah and Yasmin of Parramatta Fashions.

While Shah cannot be more pleased with the huge success of the group, her eyes light up at the mention of William.

“He is an absolute jewel. To dance among all other girls as the solo male dancer requires guts and courage, but he stole everyone’s heart and he never missed a beat! I think if Shahrukh were to see him he would be impressed. Bring on Bollywood Stars 2013! We have some super stars right here,” she quipped.

Spurred by the positive outcome, Shah is already looking for new avenues to showcase her school’s potential.

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Film flags safe and fun Sydney

A new Bollywood movie takes a light-hearted perspective on student life in the city

BY DANIELLE MATHIAS

Endearing love stories, unstable family relationships, crosshemispheric locations and tongue-in-cheek humour – all these themes are incorporated in Prateek Chakravorty’s highly anticipated Bollywood film From Sydney with Love.

The film was mostly shot at the University of New South Wales during 2011, and features other popular Sydney locations such as Bondi Beach and Central Station.

The film is the story of Meghaa Banerjee, a small town girl from West Bengal who moves to Sydney after winning a prestigious scholarship to UNSW. Complications arise as her old and new cultures collide and love begins to take over.

Meghaa’s story is drawn from Chakravorty’s own experiences and memories of his time as a student in Sydney.

“Filming here has been really nostalgic,” he said. “It reminds me of my old college days back in Sydney and returning here is almost like reliving the whole college experience all over again”.

Prateek is the grandson of popular filmmaker Pramod Chakravorty and he wrote, directed and starred in From Sydney with Love. The film is a comeback for the family banner Pramod Films, which also produced films such as Deedar (1992) and Barood (1998).

From Sydney with Love is typically a vibrant and musical Bollywoodstyle experience. The timely, well-produced music score and sound effects add to the emotional intensity of the melodramatic scenes.

However, the more Western aspects of the film, enhanced by the youthful college setting, are emphasised by clichés and cheesy lines like, “Dude, I seriously owe you one,” verbalised by Prateek Chakravorty’s character Raj Bakshi.

The film premiered at the Ritchie Theatre at UNSW on August 1, and the cast of Bidita Bag, Sharad Malholtra and Karan Sagoo, flew in from India for the occasion.

Sadly, due to a family emergency Chakravorty was unable to make it to the premiere. Anupam Sharma, head of production in Australia for the film and himself a UNSW alumnus, described Chakravorty as a “visionary and a wonderful person”.

significant decline in the number of Indian students coming to Australia.

In its aftermath, Bollywood began reconsidering shooting films in Australia, and acclaimed star Amitabh Bachchan turned down an honorary doctorate from the Queensland University of Technology, which he subsequently accepted in October 2011.

Indian actor Aamir Khan had also stated, “It is most disturbing to hear about racist attacks on Indians living in Australia…the frequency and seriousness of such attacks, I think, calls for an extraordinary reaction from the Australian authorities.”

The leading lady of From Sydney With Love Bidita Bag (who plays

“The film will do good things to help bridge the two cultures as emotions are the same everywhere,” she added, claiming that the film would relate to Indians and non-Indians alike.

As for filming at UNSW the cast and crew had nothing but praise.

“It’s been so welcoming, so warm,” said actor Karan Sagoo.

“Not just the weather, the people have been great, and the university has been so hospitable. I would love to come back and shoot here as much as possible to be honest. It’s been an absolutely fantastic journey, like wonderland”.

Ms Bag, who left university to start modelling, said that filming at UNSW made her want to start studying again and was impressed with the university facilities and

infrastructure.

“I’ve never seen people just lying on the grass in Indian universities,” she said.

Pro-Vice Chancellor of UNSW, Ms Jennie Lang, has been a big supporter of the film throughout its production. “The synchronisation that occurred between a university as a centre of learning and a wonderful production team of this calibre has just been phenomenal,” she said.

In his short speech at the film’s premiere, cast member Sharad Malhotra took the opportunity to thank the Australian media and tourism, followed by an address by Ms Lang who stated that UNSW was proud of its close links with India, and that it was a “dream come true to welcome the stars and crew here”.

“Should there be a sequel, you’re welcome back anytime,” she added with a smile.

From Sydney With Love is an enjoyable film that will hopefully change India’s perspective positively on the way their students are being treated in Sydney.

“Come and fall in love with Sydney!” is actress Bidita’s advice to Indian students contemplating studying abroad.

“I think Indians are pretty excited about coming to a different country and studying in Australia. At first they might be a little apprehensive, but slowly and steadily, like me, they get used to the environment and at the end, they can become more Australian than Indian,” stated Chakravorty.

From Sydney

With Love is an enjoyable film that will hopefully change India’s perspective positively on the way their students are being treated in Sydney.

Meghaa’s story is drawn from Chakravorty’s own experiences and memories of his time as a student in Sydney.

Actors Bidita Bag, Sharad Malhotra and Karan Sagoo; and above, with Australian producer Anupam Sharma and UNSW staff

People Parties Places

Amod Gholkar and Atul Misra win the Doubles’ title at the Hills Table Tennis Olympiad

2012 Olympics: Indian effort starting to shine through

India returned with its best-ever Olympics medal tally from the London Games. If there is anything missing, it is a gold and that has been somewhat made up by two silver medals out of a total of six. The performance of the Indians is indeed creditable as the expectations were also realistic.

While shooting and wrestling led the charge with two medals each (one silver and one bronze in each of the disciplines), two other finishes on the podium were from badminton and women’s boxing. India finished 55th on the medals table, 10 rungs higher than their count at Beijing, and having doubled the three-medal tally from 2008.

India began its medal account with 29-year-old Gagan Narang winning the bronze for shooting, and after just three unproductive days, luck again smiled on India as army shooter Vijay Kumar scooped up silver.

The Indians also achieved spectacular success on the mat at the Excel arena, with Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt getting a silver and bronze respectively.

On the badminton court, Saina Nehwal etched her name in India’s sporting history by winning the country’s maiden medal from the competition to become the second Indian woman to stand on the Olympic podium.

Women’s boxing saw Manipur’s M.C. Mary Kom scripting history by becoming the country’s first woman pugilist to win a medal at the Olympics when she finished with a bronze in the 51 kg event.

India’s medal winners

Vijay Kumar won Silver at Shooting Men’s 25m rapid fire pistol. Sushil Kumar won Silver for Wrestling Men’s 66kg freestyle.

Gagan Narang won Bronze at Shooting Men’s 10m air rifle. Saina Nehwal won Bronze at Badminton Women’s singles. Mary Kom won Bronze for Boxing Women’s 51kg

Yogeshwar Dutt won Bronze for Wrestling Men’s 60kg freestyle.

Although India won only six medals at the London Olympics, Indian sportspersons had done the country proud, President Pranab Mukherjee said recently.

“The number of trophies may not be too large but it is a remarkable improvement upon the last count,” Mukherjee said in his Independence Day-eve speech.

“Four years later, when I hope to address you again, I am sure we will celebrate a medals spring!”

Vijay shoots silver

Army shooter Vijay Kumar made India proud by winning a welcome silver medal at the London Olympics in the men’s 25 metre rapid fire pistol event.

Vijay Kumar, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) in the 16 Dogra Regiment, ensured a finish on the podium scoring 30 in the final. “There was lot of pressure on me but I stuck to my plans and came out well,” an elated Kumar said at the Royal Artillery Barracks. “This medal means such a lot to me. It has been my dream to win an Olympic medal. This is the highest you can get”.

He added, “I was focused like I normally am for other competitions. But this is the Olympic Games and it is very special. You can never blank out the fact that you are competing in the Olympic Games but I managed to remain focused. I knew I had to keep control over my nerves. This was my first Olympics, I knew I had to concentrate and never let that falter”.

For Vijay’s family, it was celebration time in the nondescript village of Badsar in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh.

“Had the cable connection to our home not snapped at the last moment, I would have seen my son’s medal-winning moment in the comfort of my home with other family members also watching,” an upbeat Vijay’s father Subedar (Retd) Banku Ram said, whose mobile phone was continuously

ringing with congratulatory calls.

Vijay’s house was bustling with villagers, relatives and officials of the district administration.

Elated mum Roshni said she got a call from London from Vijay immediately after the event. “He said he’s satisfied with his feat and his dream is fulfilled,” she revealed.

Vijay joined the army at the age of 16. Serving as a Subedar in the Indian army, he took up shooting in 2001 and his father said he never expected his son to reach such heights.

“I never thought he would reach this level. My happiness has no bounds,” he said.

Vijay had spoken to his father two hours before the event.

“He was quite confident about winning the medal,” said Ram.

He had no regrets that his son missed the gold. “No… not at all. I am very happy with silver. I think it’s no less than a gold for us.”

The Haryana state government has already announced a cash award of Rs.1 crore to the shooter.

Team Sushil celebrates Olympic silver

Sushil Kumar’s team celebrated the Olympic silver, hailing the wrestler for making endless sacrifices that made him the only Indian individual athlete to win back-toback Olympic medals.

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) secretary-general Raj Singh, who is a part of the Indian team, said Sushil deserved the gold medal but added that the wrestler was not well going into the final bout.

“I think the semi-final bout that Sushil won was one of the best he has ever fought. Before the final bout, he was dehydrated and started vomiting. But that is not an excuse. Sushil gave his best in the final and luck was not with him today,” said Singh.

Sushil’s personal coach Yashvir Singh was also elated at his ward’s feat.

“This is a great feat for the sport in the

country and I hope things will only get better from here on,” said Yashvir.

Sushil’s mentor and father in-law Satpal Singh, an Asian Games gold medallist, thanked the sports ministry for providing all the help for Delhi boy’s training.

“We are grateful to the sports ministry for providing Sushil with all facilities. Be it training at Colorado Springs in the US or at Minsk in Belarus, Sushil was provided with all the top facilities. I expected a gold medal from Sushil, but nevertheless a silver is also a great achievement,” he said.

Sushil’s wife Savi Singh was also ecstatic and said all the sacrifices that her husband had made in the last one year have finally paid off.

“We got married in 2010 and since then we had just two months for each other. Today all the sacrifices that he had made finally paid off. I am really happy for him. After the semi-final bout, he came to me, held my hand and said he would go for the gold. But I think luck was not with him today. But we are proud of him,” she said. It has been a roller-coaster ride, says Gagan Narang

Olympic bronze medallist, shooter Gagan Narang said his journey from the Beijing Games to the London Olympics had been a roller-coaster ride.

In Beijing, the rifle-shooter had failed to qualify for the final eight by a whisker, and Abhinav Bindra had gone on to win gold. But destiny had something in store for Gagan in London as he went on to clinch the bronze.

“I have achieved finally what I deserve,” said Gagan on landing in India. Gagan, however, said that his mother was not happy with the bronze.

“She wanted me to win the gold medal. I hope to fulfill her wish in the future,” he said.

The shooter, instead of going back to his hometown of Hyderabad, preferred to spend some time at his Gun for Glory

Silver for wrestler Sushil Kumar Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt takes bronze Bronze for boxer Mary Kom

Academy in Pune where wild celebrations welcomed their hero.

Gagan was also felicitated at the academy by Maharashtra Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Padmakar Valvi.

“Pune has been a special place for me. I have trained here for the last four years. When you look back at all those years of training, winning an Olympic medal was very tough.”

“I learnt a lot from the people who believed in me, I learnt more from the people who did not believe in me. I particularly want to thank my coach Stanlius Lapidus, he has gone back for a vacation. I hope my effort inspires young kids to take up shooting,” he said.

Gagan was happy with India’s campaign at the Olympics.

“It is a gradual process. Sporting culture is needed where marks are given to students for sports in schools, jobs are assured for sportsperson and sponsors are willing to support them through rough times,” Gagan said.

“We have picked momentum and are moving in the right direction. It is an encouraging sign,” he added

Saina changes Beijing heartbreak into Olympic bronze

World No. 5 Saina Nehwal gave India its maiden Olympic medal in badminton. She won the women’s singles bronze after her opponent Xin Wang of China broke down with a knee injury after taking the opening game.

Wang retired after winning the first game 21-18.

Nehwal, ranked fifth in the world, became only the second Indian woman to win a medal in an individual Olympic sport.

From a heartbreak in Beijing to the bronze medal in London - the first for I ndia in Olympics badminton, shuttler Saina Nehwal has come a long way in four years.

The Saina of 2012 is a matured and feared opponent.

In fact her journey from Beijing to

London has been that of sheer hard work, grit and determination compared to ‘conquering’ the Great Wall of China. She worked hard on her game, especially the mental part, against the Chinese domination.

The 22-year-old Hyderabadi may be elated at getting the medal, but she did not get into any exaggerated celebration since the medal came in a way she never wanted to. But her smile on the Olympic podium summed up her feelings at winning the bronze.

Saina will receive a reward of Rs.1 crore from the Haryana government for her bronze.

Though Saina lives in Hyderabad, she has got the reward under the category of sportspersons from Haryana since her family hails from there.

“I still can’t believe that I have won a medal,” Saina Nehwal said after the match. “I never believed that India could win a medal in badminton because the competition is so tough. It is a dream come true for me”.

“I had trained hard and there was a lot of expectation. I initially thought that Wang was just taking rest as she was tiring out, but then I realised she was injured. It’s sad that she got injured, but I was confident of beating her as I was coming into rhythm”.

“I had never won a match like this before. May be, the medal was written for me. I have always wanted an Olympic medal and to see India’s national flag going up at the podium,” she said with emotion.

Saina is also a recipient of the country’s highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award which she won in 2010. Apart from being honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2009, she was also conferred India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.

Mary Kom wins a historic bronze

India’s M.C. Mary Kom scripted history by becoming the country’s first woman boxer to win a medal at the Olympics when she

finished with a bronze in the 51kg event at the London Games.

Mary reached the semi-finals, but went down fighting in her pre-summit bout against local favourite Nicola Adams.

Losing 6-11, Mary Kom became only the second Indian boxer ever win an Olympic medal, sharing the bronze with US’s Marlen Esparza. Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut in London, and both semi-finals losers were awarded bronze medals.

A happy Mary Kom said she was satisfied with her effort.

“It has been a tough journey. I carried on with the support of family and friends. I want to continue playing the game. Despite the loss today, I am satisfied with the way I performed.”

Speaking at a felicitation ceremony after her return, the 29-year-old said she faced problems while facing the taller and bigger opponents in the 51kg.

“I won the medal and I am really happy. But I did not play well throughout the tournament,” said the candid Mary Kom, who won her five World Championship titles in 48, 46 and 45kg class.

The mother of two had earlier hinted of retirement after the Olympics. But after her memorable feat, she has put those thoughts on the backburner. The bronze medal has motivated her to carry on till the 2016 Olympics.

“The planning for Rio has already started. The good thing is the weight categories could be increased to six categories there and I can go back to the 48kg class. If that happens, I have a great chance of winning gold.”

Asked about the women’s boxing future, Mary Kom said there was enough talent in India, capable of performing at the big stage.

“If we have good facilities, good infrastructure, we can hope to win more medals at the Olympics. My medal is just the beginning and things can only get better. There are a lot of women boxers at sub-junior and junior level. If you want them to do well internationally, you have to prepare and plan from now onwards,” said

Mary Kom, who runs a boxing academy in Manipur and has plans to extend it in the whole of northeast India.

I was hungry for this medal: Yogeshwar

Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt said recently that he was desperate to win an Olympic medal after a disappointing Beijing Games. Yogeshwar won the bronze in the men’s 60 kg freestyle wrestling.

“I’m happy to have completed my dream. This is what I have always wanted and I was hungry for this medal,” he said.

“I want to thank my family and people who gave me their blessings. I also want to thank God without whom this would not have been possible,” said the elated 29-yearold.

Dutt had been plagued by injuries but overcame them to win the country its third ever wrestling medal. “After 2008, I thought of preparing for the London Games. I had many injuries. In this sport injuries are a part of the game. I concentrated on the idea of winning and not on injuries, and this medal is a result of it.”

The wrestler always believed that it was “now or never” for him at the London Games, perhaps his last Olympics, with expectations high for a good performance.

In the last four years, Yogeshwar has had a tough run. After the heartbreak in Beijing and narrowly missing a medal, he had to undergo two career-threatening knee surgeries in 2009. All these setbacks, he said, made his resolve to get back stronger.

Gold medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2012 Asian Championships only reinforced Yogeshwar’s belief that he was destined for better things in London. Experience of the past Olympics made him a mature wrestler.

Training stints at the US Olympic Centre in Colorado Springs and Stayki Wrestling Complex, in Minsk, Belarus, ahead of the London Games, also helped Yogeshwar to fine-tune his skills. IANS

Silver for marksman Vijay Kumar

Bronze for shuttler Saina Nehwal

Travelling to India? Call Ram!

RAM WORLD TRAVEL

PTY LTD, previously known as Australiarama Travel and Tours Pty Ltd, has been operating as a fully licensed wholesale tour operator-cum-retail travel agency in Australia since 1991.  It has its own wholesale package program exclusively for India and retail to all parts of the globe. It also sells tour packages and cruises for Europe, America, Canada, Alaska and Far East through its strong professional and trusted travel partners.

Ram World Travel is managed by professionals who specialise in tours and travels to India and other parts of the world.

Mr. Ram Gusain, the Managing Director of the agency, is an India specialist who has worked in travel and tourism field for more than 40 years, both in public and private sectors.

Ram World Travel is a

trusted name among ethnic and Australian travellers for more than 20 years.  About 85% of its clientele is either repeat or referral clients that proves the satisfaction level of its customers and the service quality of the agency.

As a wholesaler, it offers a range of tour packages for India covering unique and diverse cultural historical, and natural wonders of India at a very competitive price range and by taking care of all the comforts of the tourists (clients). It also specialises in organising tailor made tour packages for individuals, couples, families and small groups.  Special interest tours, such as camel safari, elephant safari, botanical gardens tour, wildlife safaris etc., can also be organised for student groups or other interested tourists, who would like to experience the richness of India’s history and culture.  For detailed tour packages

please ask for our tour brochure.

As a retail agency, Ram World Travel provides air tickets to the Indian subcontinent and to all other parts of the world at the most competitive price.

Ram World Travel has also introduced the following amazing tours this year:-

PURNA KUMBHA MELA Allahabad, Jan-Feb 2013. The tour package includes sightseeing of Delhi, morning boat cruise and sightseeing of the holy city of Varanasi and Allahabad including sacred snan (bath) at the Triveni, the Kumbha Mela site in Allahabad. Twin share accommodation with breakfast provided in Delhi and Varanasi and luxury tented accommodation on full board basis is provided in Allahabad.  For more details please send us an email.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

“THE INDIAN MAHARAJA DECCAN ODYSSEY”

A Royal Luxury Train tour for 7 nights / 8 days covering-Delhi-Agra-JaipurSawai Madhopur (Wild Life Park), Udaipur, Aurangabad (Ajanta) and Mumbai or vice-versa.  This Luxury train is equipped with all modern facilities.  All meals and sightseeing tours are included.

FORMULA 1 GRAND

PRIX OC T 2012

This year (2nd year) this well known car race will be held in Greater Noida, near Delhi from October 26-28, 2012.  A special tour package has been designed to experience one of the biggest sporting spectacles.

We take this opportunity to thank our patrons and well wishers.

We wish them well!

In-diosyncrasies

BY TIM BLIGHT

Those savvy with internet-based popular culture will likely be aware of the comedic blog. ‘Stuff white people like’. Some may have heard of ‘inspired-by’ websites such as the Australian-based ‘Things Bogans like’. However the two ‘Stuff desis/Indians like’ blogs (yes, they actually exist!) seem to be stagnating. So it is in this spirit that I thought it appropriate to compose my own tongue-incheek, completely un-factual list, based on my cultural observations over the past year.

1. Breaking news

‘Breaking news: Maoist forces attack bus’. ‘Breaking news: SRK blockbuster releases today’. Can you see the difference? An Indian television news director can – one is an urgent, headline-grabbing story, the other is about a terrorist campaign in the east of the country. The masses lap up the latest and ‘breakest’ breaking news about the lives of celebrities. ‘Just in: Priyanka Chopra dons a baseball cap!’

‘Breaking news: Who cares?’

2. The status quo

Ever wondered what would happen if an NRI didn’t visit all of their relatives in a visit back to Mumbai? “This is not done, yaar!”, I’m told with a disapproving tone. Apparently I’ll have to continue wondering, as it is never done! I did consider taking my parents on a local train when they visited, but was also told “This is not done”. I began to wonder what is done! “Marrying a foreigner?” “Why not?” I was told enthusiastically. “Like Sania Mirza did?” “Arey, this is not done, yaar…”

3. Singularity in English

Even the proudest Indians see English as a mark of status. In India, it’s better to have poor grasp on English than to have never grasped at all. A friend’s mother could barely stand the shame when her husband admitted that his English wasn’t that good – despite the fact he speaks fluent German, Spanish and Japanese. However what really intrigues me is the notion

that everything must happen in isolation. “I’m vegetarian only”; after all, one must distinguish oneself from all those carnivorous vegetarians who aren’t only vegetarian.

4. Wearing shirts

Indian men love collared shirts. They’ll wear them to parties, to the office, to the temple, around the house, to the beach, on holidays, while flying, while driving, while shopping, to weddings and to funerals. I know someone who wears a collared shirt to bed. I foolishly wore a non-collared shirt to a casual day at work, and was told, “This is not done, yaar…”

5. Talking about prices

Indians have a mind-blowing talent to maintain a lengthy conversation about the cost of things. Long after the car has been filled up, months after the house has been furnished, decades after the wedding has taken place, they’ll still possess an encyclopaedic memory of the itemised bill. How much did this newspaper cost? Free? Ok, but how much did it cost you to get to the newsagent?

6. Mobile phones

At last count, there were 919 million mobile phones in use in India. I never cease to be amazed by the catalogue-like knowledge of Indians about all the phones on the market. I was once told that my phone would cost (see point 5) around Rs. 55,000 here, but about Rs. 45,000 in the US, unless I got the 16GB version. The guy was a rickshaw-driver.

7. Verbal distinction

Have you ever felt the need to stand out from the crowd by talking more profusely, or more elaborately than others? In India, this is a national sport. A sentence’s impact is proportionate to the number of times it is repeated. A child is going outside to play? Don’t just warn him –do it 17 times, by several family members – that way, he’ll get the picture. “Don’t fall off the cliff!” Seems like a redundant statement?

Say it anyway! And don’t forget the man who is dismissive at the dhabawallah in rural Bihar, because they don’t serve espresso. “When I went to America…” he scoffs, making sure to say it loud enough that everyone else around him knows.

The things that Indians love: a joy - and sometimes a challenge - to discover

8. Overlong wedding videos, until…

A wedding is the second proudest day of an Indian couple’s life. The proudest day is when they show the 6-hour long wedding video to every acquaintance who visits their home for years to come… until they have a child who learns how to play a concerto. Or who has learnt Odisha’s traditional dance. Or can recite the Mahabharata from memory. As the starry-eyed offspring begins the 17,834th shloka, and his parents beam with pride, the guests have just noticed the clock strike 2am and ask politely for another chai

9. Doing an MBA

meals, they keep it in the fridge for a rainy day.

10. Becoming old and philosophical

Medical science is yet to determine exactly what occurs in the Indian male’s brain at the age of 55. What is clear, however, is that beyond this age, an Indian man feels qualified to express his philosophical musings to anyone who will listen. Sometimes these slow and deliberate monologues are insightful; often they are statements of common sense. The Indian culture of respect for elders means those around him will simply say, “Wah!”. And dissenters like myself are told, “This is not done, yaar”. If you have any other ideas, please write to us at info@indianlink.com.au

Remember this is meant to be a fun, not nasty, look at Indian idiosyncrasies.

Beyond the age of 55, an Indian man feels qualified to express his philosophical musings to anyone who will listen.

To whinge or not, that is the question!

AMIT DUTT

few days ago over drinks at a party on a Saturday evening, there came up for discussion various issues relating to living in the great land of Oz and our adaptive behaviour. Prime among these was the issue of teenage pregnancies and the government’s support through the single parent pension.

Are we still outsiders who are so grateful for being accepted, that questioning anything would make us antisocial, if not antinational?

I brought up the issue as the suburb where I run my business is home to an alarming number of teenage pregnancies, and girls as young as 15 or 16 are open about carrying around a 1 or 2-year-old in their pram more as matter of right, than that of a goof up.

Surprisingly in a room full of Indian Australians, a large number of my friends, even the ones with teenage daughters, were accepting of this social norm, terming it as adapting to the changing times and to the place where we have decided to live. While this can be termed as individual opinions on the matter, what hit me was that, I, one of the few opponents of this norm, was told to adapt to the Australian way of life or go back to India! Go back to India??

This raised an interesting question in my mind. Does questioning any Australian social norm or anything prevalent in the society of my adopted country make me un-Australian enough to be asked to go back to my country of origin?

Pointing out the deficiencies or questioning norms or attitudes in any society only indicates that one wants to make a change, if it can be made. Like living in India and questioning the lack of hygiene on roads, public urinating or corruption, does not make anyone un-Indian; similarly, merely expressing disapproval of a certain social norm cannot be termed as un-Australian. While we express our gratitude for being Australian, every day that we live in this great country, questioning some norms only makes us feel like we belong more, and thus, more Australian.

Having lived in Melbourne for the last 14 years, I have become as Australian as is possible. I am no different to a Caucasian Australian who complains about public transport, unsafe streets at night, high taxes, traffic and layers of local bureaucracy when dealing with the local council. So when I stand in a queue with other Australians and complain on how long it is, why tell me to go back and live in India, where the queues are longer?

Till the time we continue to feel indebted for the opportunity of living in this lucky country, we will never be a part of it in the true sense of belonging

What happens if a Caucasian Australian here for a dozen generations, to cite the example of my neighbour, questions or objects to the same norms? To where should he go back? Are we still outsiders who are so grateful for being accepted, that questioning anything would make us anti-social, if not anti-national?

I feel it is now time for us to act more Australian, and accept the good with the bad. If living in the great Oz land is fortunate for us, we need to take the bliss with the small nightmares. There is nothing wrong in calling a spade a spade, and if it does not make a Caucasian less Australian, I am no different.

Till the time we continue to feel indebted for the opportunity of living in this lucky country, we will never be a part of it in the true sense of belonging. I will continue to whine and complain if things go wrong. After all, if living in Australia for 14 years has given me the right to love this country, it has also given me the liberty of free speech without being un-Australian.

Being truly Australian is accepting that everything is not perfect down under, and having the guts to speak about it

Stalking the sun

An Adelaide lad travels from country to country enjoying the essence of summer across the globe

in a manner that dispels myths, misconceptions and mindsets that also go beyond culture.

through the aisles, as the congregation sang, clapped or danced along!

BY FRANKEY GERARD FERNANDES

Friends describe him as crazy, passionate and funny, but also hardworking, intelligent and worldly.

Meet Kynsley Edgar Laurence Savio Nazareth, who is on a special mission travelling the world. He began this exciting project from Adelaide in August 2011, and shares this interesting experience with us.

Kynsley contacted us nearly nine months later in mid-July, from a farm at Sátormapuszta, outside the village of Hegyesd, 7 km from the town of Tapolca in South Hungary, where he was working on a farm in exchange for free food and accommodation.

So what prompted him to undertake this tour and what does it mean?

“I quit my job to travel the world, and am hoping to write a book about my travels,” says Kynsley. “My mission is called “510 million km² of Chasing Summer”; that is the earth’s entire surface area. I follow the summer sun around the world and to countries where it is summer. I have been swapping hemispheres as per the waxing summer sun. I also use the word ‘summer’ loosely so as to not just mean summer but also happiness, selfdiscovery and joy in small things”.

Kynsley believes the world is a far more positive place than people think it is, because of all the negative stories heard though the media. People are afraid these days, and do not trust strangers.

“I thought if I were to preach the message that the world is a good place, I should be able to prove this by example. So for almost all of my travels through nearly a year gone by, I have been living in the houses of absolute strangers. They too, opened their doors to an absolute stranger like me. Part of my aim is to also spread the message of multiculturalism,” says Kynsley.

He is a good example of this, being Indian, born in Mumbai to a Goan family of Portuguese heritage. He has a New Zealand nationality, but lives in Australia, having moved because of his family who are settled here.

Kynsley attempts to understand a culture and then write about it

“My aim is also to encourage others to travel and view the world with curiosity and openmindedness, and in an inexpensive manner,” he states.

So what made him embark on this journey? “I realised that I needed to do something really different. I wanted to visit every country in the world but even using every single annual leave in all my life solely to travel, I would still not be able to visit even half the number of countries. So while this journey will get me closer to my goal of visiting every country in the world, it is still a largely unattainable goal,” he says ruefully.

How is Kynsley funding his trip?

“Well, I couch surf (live in the houses of strangers) which helps save some money. I have some savings that I have been using, and considering that the Australian dollar is at an all-time high, there’s no better time to travel. Besides this may be my last chance to travel before I decide to settle down, if I do!”

Always seeking the next big escapade, Kynsley has varied interests from extreme sports and adventure activities to spirituality, intellectual debates and partying, whilst also exercising that balance between planning some events and yet being spontaneous for others.

In the course of his travels, Kynsley has had some interesting experiences. One of these would have to be Europe’s most dangerous airport in Gibraltar. “Watching planes land on a measly 1.8km long runway, that was amazing! The runway has the sea at one end and a Jurassic age mountain rock on the other, and not only that it bisects the highway that leads to Spain, and is used constantly by pedestrians and traffic!”

He has also explored Africa’s untamed wildlife during safari game drives; and attended a Catholic mass in a Kenyan church, where certain members of the Eucharistic ministry had the interesting task of dancing

“I have been welcomed into the homes of absolute strangers including female strip dancers, a drug peddler (didn’t know until he later told me), a male model who models only in the nude…you name it, I’ve seen it,” says Kynsley.

“I have attended the Rio Samba Carnival, the biggest party in the world; witnessed African religious rites where the devout

trace-like state in the Candomble ceremony; visited Panama where the sun rises in the Pacific and sets in the Atlantic, and vice versa in other parts!” he adds.

An interesting life indeed, and one that most of us could only dream of living.

In Portugal, Kynsley decided to seek out his roots, and went in search of them only to find a whole raft of interesting information about Goan

cultural traits. I visited different places in Portugal and at various points I garnered information about surnames in the Goan Catholic community and their relationship with Portuguese surnames,” explains Kynsley. “I found three Nazareths in the telephone directory in Lisboa, but I still visited Nazareth (Nazaré in Portuguese). We share common last names like Braz, Braganza, Gomes, Mathias, Fernandes, Almeida and so on with the Portuguese. I also learnt that the Portuguese have many names, some of which include those of their parents, a trait that many Goan Catholic Indians got from the Portuguese. In my own name, Edgar is my dad’s name, Laurence, my grandfather’s on my mum’s side and Savio comes from Jesus Christ, the saviour”.

complement them (ç ã and ç).

“Additionally, last names like D’souza came from ‘De Souza’ meaning ‘of Souza’, so if someone is called by the common Indian Goan Catholic name of Maria D’souza, it originally meant ‘Maria of Souza’ or Maria is the daughter of Souza. It’s amazing how we accept surnames over the generations without really having a true understanding of them,” states Kynsley enthusiastically.

And finally, when with his amazing journey come to an end?

“On embarking on this trip, I promised myself a maximum of 12 months before returning to Adelaide so ideally, I should return in early September,” says Kynsley. “However, it’s more than likely that I will extend my journey to return to Australia in early 2013”.

And why not? Kynsley is

Clockwise from top:

The culturally astounding Pera hera festival in Sri Lanka with the lighted up elephants

In Brazil with strangers who became new friends in Brazil

Sahara desert in Morocco

Last day at work at the South Australian dept of Correctional Services before heading off on his journey

Gyor in Hungary

Spain at the ultimate cutting edge of continental Europe where you can see the waves clashing

“I have been welcomed into the homes of absolute strangers including female strip dancers, a drug peddler (didn’t know until he later told me), a male model who models only in the nude… you name it, I’ve seen it”.

Kynsley Nazareth

Independence as a goal of education

The

BY MOHAN DHALL

The purpose of education is often characterised as ‘to get a job’, ‘to get into university’ or to ‘create a well-rounded person’. In practical terms, going to school can feel like an abstract experience; for example, higher mathematics in high schools for some students can seem quite irrelevant, except to stimulate theoretical thinking. Similarly, rigorous testing can feel like pressure without purpose. Formal schooling will encourage social skills, learning to share and respect for others. These aspects of education – curricular and noncurricular – combine to shape experiences for students. However we view it, children enter school dependent, and are expected to leave at 18 years, largely independent.

Starting out

When children first leave home and go to school they are vulnerable, and need a high level of guidance and protection. Parents well know the feeling of dropping off their child on the first day of school, and the emptiness of trusting unknown teachers to look after their child as well as they do as parents. Over time though parents realise that children are fine at school and that the parents’ influence extends over the student and remains strong despite other influences also becoming a factor in their child’s life.

Uniforms and individuality

Through schooling, all children however old, like to express their individuality. Some do this through a cheeky sense of humour. Others do this through pushing the uniform policy, getting involved in extra-curricular activities and making strong friendships with particular people. However children express their individuality, school uniforms reduce and limit personal expression. Over time, the same uniform that feels restrictive or bland can transform into something else.

A measure of personal maturity can be indicated by the pride with which a student wears their school uniform and the responsibility

they demonstrate in ensuring the uniform is well presented. Wearing a uniform can foster a sense of belonging that students want to feel, particularly during adolescence. Thus, attitudes to uniforms can be analogous to attitudes to responsibility.

Transitions

Schooling, like life, is about managing a series of transitions. At the end of each year, the children progress to the next grade. After six years of primary education there is a major transition into high school. High school requires a greater level of autonomy than primary school. Managing up to thirteen subjects, varied teaching styles, different class cohorts, different expectations of teachers all require some maturity.

By the end of Year 10, students can opt to take up a vocation by going to TAFE or by working full-time. This is a major transition. However, for most students they will stay at school and transition into rigorous higher study – the last two years of schooling. At the same time, children are now old enough to learn to drive, receive independent medical advice and are preparing to become informed voters.

Getting older and personal autonomy

As students get older, their tendency to want greater personal freedom increases. They want to make more decisions, take greater control over their lives and tend to argue about why they should be allowed more autonomy. This can lead to tension between parents and their children, or teachers and their students. Parents seek to protect and guide, but their children seek to move away from protection and stand on their own in new situations. At such times parents need clear limits placed on their child, whilst also trusting that they need to let go of some control.

Of course, since some level of curiosity can characterise a need for independence and autonomy, it is likely that as children seek independence they will make mistakes and get hurt from time to time. At such times they need an environment free of judgement that is emotionally supportive and understanding.

It might also mean that children need limits re-evaluated to protect them from their own decisions. But mostly, a little pain can lead to improved decision-making.

Friendships

As children grow, they form friendships which can come from school peers, sporting groups, community participation and of course, from amongst the children of parents’ friends. Through schooling there can be great disruptions and changes to friendships, and these can be very stressful for children. A part of growing up is clarifying personal values including those arising from friendships. Mutual support, kindness, common interests – these are the sorts of things that characterise healthy relationships. Children learn to become more independent when they learn to manage changes in friendships. Included in this, is how they learn to manage conflict in personal relationships.

Autonomy and technology

A significant issue with respect to the independence of children relates to technology. The power and capability of technology means that children can live on two levels: the real and the virtual. From a parent’s perspective this can make parenting extremely difficult. This is because issues arising through the use of SMS, social networking media, file sharing sites and the like can be masked or hidden. Distraction, online bullying, grooming behaviours and scams can all be an aspect of the online space. However, the secrecy that surrounds the online sphere is much more troubling for parents. Here, the right to act independently needs to be weighed against the risks associated with the medium. Autonomy and independence require a balance between rights and responsibilities.

Rights and responsibility

As they grow, all students are keen to assert their rights. They seek to express their point of view, challenge authority and distinguish themselves from their parents. Maturity however, requires that in asserting rights, students also act with responsibility. Responsibility implies understanding how one’s actions affect others. In this respect, students will need to be taught to see things from the perspective of others.

A capacity to empathise takes time to develop. This is an extremely important aspect to the gaining of independence and a crucial aspect of a wellbalanced education. It requires a development of the capacity to sense how others feel. If students can learn to do this as they grow, they will be likely to understand how what they say and do is likely to be perceived and understood. This can help to regulate actions and can lead to much personal satisfaction and strong interpersonal connections.

Impulse control

A feature of adolescence is impulsiveness. Education can curb impulsiveness by training the mind to concentrate and by training the breath to be calm when everything seems urgent, racy or immediate. Response-ability, that is, the capacity to respond rather than react, is a central goal of education. Thus, the right to independence carries with it the responsibility to act with maturity, insight and wisdom.

In this sense independence is not just a moment, or a transition but rather a lifelong practice of growing into wisdom.

Children learn to become more independent when they learn to manage changes in friendships.

The capacity to empathise … is an extremely important aspect to the gaining of independence and a crucial aspect of a well-balanced education.

schooling process in a child’s life is good grounding in their path towards becoming responsible adults

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Lankans and Punjabis to battle for CFPWCC crown

Community cricket tournament brings sub-continent players together

BY SANJIV DUBEY

The second Cumberland Ford’s Parramatta Winter Cricket Cup (CFPWCC) supported by Indian Link and Parramatta Park Trust has moved into its final stages. The tournament which began in May with games played at Parramatta Park, is due to witness the finals on August 19, battled between last year’s runner-up team the Sydney Lankans and the Barnala Punjabis. The winning team will receive a cash prize of $2700 and the runner up team will go home celebrating with $1000.

The 14-team contest is in its second year of competition, and witnessed many episodes and close ties that were no different from the Oscar-nominated movie Lagaan. Teams winning on last balls, and entire families present to support their team every Sunday, have been features of this winter cricket tournament for most of the participating teams.

For families, Parramatta Park has become a weekend hangout as the park has many attractions for young kids, like a play area, cycling and walking tracks, creeks with flora and fauna, picnic areas and of course, the cricket. It is hoped and certainly promised, that the same excitement continues with the summer cricket competition.

The winter cricket contest also offers off-season training for many top first-grade cricket players from the western suburbs, not only to keep up their match practice but also to keep up their association with their own ethnic groups.

Many aspirant young cricketers have the chance to play with seasoned cricketers, competing and at the same time learning from them. Among the many teams is Footwork Sports Academy which fielded a team of more than 6 boys below the age of 15, a rare opportunity for these young gifted and talented kids to showcase their skills. 13-year-old twin brothers Ali and Hussain were outstanding as bowlers, as was Suraj, who opened the batting for the Academy team and surprised everyone with his skills.

Group A was made up of

the Mount Druitt Eagles, the Indian Knights, Footwork Sports Academy, Sydney Lankans, Omar Tools Pak Cheetahs, Vibrant Gujarat and Auburn Smashers. From this group, Vibrant Gujarat, Omar Tools Mount Druitt and Sydney Lankans qualified for the knockout stages. Group B’s teams were Parra Smashers, Afghanistan Lions, Barnala Punjabis, Red Devilz (Pakistan Boys), Velly Tigers, Ekahtoor (Bangladesh boys) and Melbourne Institute of Technology Sydney.

In this group, the Afghanistan Lions, Barnala Punjabis, Red Devilz and Parra Smashers reached the knockout stage.

The knockout round saw high voltage, nerve-wracking dramas, with teams winning on last balls, and players displaying all types of emotions from elation to deflation. In a nail-biting finish, Sydney Lankans beat Parra Smashers by 1 wicket on the last ball of the game, with the losing team distraught at their loss.

The quarter final results were:

• Barnala Punjabis defeated Vibrant Gujarat

• Afghanistan Lions defeated Mount Druitt Eagles

• Sydney Lankans defeated Parra smashers

• Omar Tools defeated Red Devilz

The semi finals were equally exciting with unpredictable moments that made the games very interesting. Barnala Punjabis, with not many superstars in their side, stunned their much-fancied opponents Omar Tools-sponsored Pakistan Cheetahs, who had quite a few first grade players on their side. Barnala Punjabis beat the Cheetahs by more than 35 runs, and went straight through to the finals.

In the second semi finals, the Afghan Lions who had not lost a single game during the round robins, crumbled under pressure getting bowled out for a meagre 88 runs. However, their bowlers refused to give up and made a gritty effort to bowl out the Sydney Lankans. Major family support saw the Sydney Lankans ride home in the last over, but only after they lost 8 wickets.

The finals of Cumberland Ford’s Winter Cricket Cup between Sydney Lankans and Barnala Punjabis will be on August 19, and promises to be a big family day out. The winning team will become

SEMI FINAL 1

• Barnala Punjabis VS Omar Tools

Barnala Punjabis 163 all out (Daljit 51 runs, Amin 26 runs). Omar Tools Pakistani Cheetahs 127 all out (Prashant 31 runs).

Man of the match: Daljit.

SEMI FINAL 2

• Afghan Lion VS Sydney Lankans

Afghan Lions 88 all out (Hamid 25 runs)

Sydney Lankans 90 for 8 wickets (Hansa 31 runs)

Man of the Match: Hansa.

the champion of the winter community cricket tournament, and the teams will pocket nearly $4000 dollars in prize money. Above all, this tournament will bring communities togetherIndians, Afghanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, Anglo-Saxons and all cricket lovers will gather together to applaud the spirit of this noble game.

The summer corporate cricket tournament is scheduled for a mid-September start. Interest teams contact Sanjiv on 0433 669 334.

From Garden City to

The late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, during the early part of his life as an army officer, had a three-year stint in Bangalore. He didn’t like the place. In his memoirs titled My Early Life, he described the city which the British captured after defeating emperor Tipu Sultan in 1799, as a “third rate watering place with lots of routine work to do, without society of good sport”.

However my experience was nothing similar, when in the late seventies I first visited the elegant metropolis that was founded by a chieftain called Kempe Gowda in the early 16th century. Bangalore’s colonial vestiges, architectural magnificence, historic sites and slow-paced classy lifestyle filled with cocktails and cricket, three piece suits and horse racing were enough for me (and perhaps for many others) to fall in love at the first visit, and thereafter return time and again.

Blessed with a salubrious climate, lush gardens, parks and natural lakes, it was then fondly called the Garden City. Along with locals and tourists, I always enjoyed trundling through the sprawls of the 240-acre Lal Bagh Botanical Garden and the 300-acre Cubbon Park that provided a splashing green landscape for grandiose edifices such as the Neo-Dravidian style state parliament house called Vidhana Soudha and the19th century red-brick High Court and Government Museum buildings, all located nearby.

Being not an awfully pricy city, I could then afford sleeping at the opulent five star Ashok or the colonial West End for a price that was much less compared to similar hotels in other Indian metros. I could dine in style at the rooftop Topkapi Restaurant, which was said to be owned by Bollywood actor Amjad Khan of Sholay fame, before getting into disco mode at one of the vibrant joints at Brigade Road.

I lost touch with my heartthrob after moving to Australia in the eighties, but the capital city of Karnataka state didn’t lose her

place in my heart. Driven by that nostalgic feeling, few years ago I touched its soil again and was amazed by the quantum of change that has swept through the metropolis since my last visit almost 25 years ago. It was hard for me to spot the Bangalore I knew intimately.

As the plane was about to land, the first change that hit me was hearing, “Our flight will shortly be landing at Bengaluru airport”. Though I knew about the name change, the announcement instantly created uncanny withdrawal symptoms within me, something similar to the experience of being taken away from your comfort zone.

The next lot of surprises came after entering the same old airport terminal building once dominated by Indian Airlines, but now sharing floor space with hordes of newly introduced domestic airlines from Spice Jet to Kingfisher. Pushing my trolley through the thick multilingual crowd, I realised how liberalisation of air travel has revolutionized the way a common Indian used to travel earlier. Air travel is no more the cartel of the rich and the mighty; it has almost become a common man’s vehicle.

Stepping outside I found the carpark full as usual, but goodold Ambassadors and Fiats were replaced with Toyotas, Opels, BMWs and Mercedes, proclaiming India’s economic progression particularly in this city, due to the global convergence of the information technology business.

With ‘jobs being Bangalored’ as the western world quotes, my ‘Garden City’ is now crowned with her new title, ‘Silicon Valley of the East’.

My image of familiar Bangalore soon got lost in a new genre of a traffic-clogged metropolis sprinkled with new flyovers, lofty office towers, glittering shopping malls, massive residential blocks and a plethora of luxury hotels, bars and restaurants. Flavours of Microsoft, Oracle, Pizza Hut and McDonalds have taken over the baton from HAL, HMT and those traditional ‘Udipi’ restaurants.

The city, which was once a haven for wealthy retirees because of its slow-paced way of life, has become a hub for the younger generation keen on technology, money and a fast routine.

Fortunately the magical transformation didn’t take away my intrinsic liking for this South

Bangalore has come a long way since its botanical nature has given way to the best of technology

Silicon Valley

With ‘jobs being Bangalored’ as the western world quotes, my ‘Garden City’ is now crowned with her new title, ‘Silicon Valley of the East’.

Main picture: State parliament building

Clockwise from top: Spectacular blooms

Garden city

Park Plaza Hotel

Former Royal Palace Bangalore Club

High-rise housing Shoppers’ paradise

Indian metropolis that is steeped with history and culture. The warm hug of welcome didn’t disappear.

I enjoyed my time watching the blend of old and new and left with a promise to return soon.

It took me another four years to step in there again and guess what welcomed me? More changes!

This time I walked out of an ultramodern airport located 40 km away from the city centre; wafted around the city-hub using the new metro rail; visited new trendy restaurants; saw more luxury hotels like the plush Park Plaza near Marathahalli junction; found that streets have become swirling sea of cars and pedestrians while I stumbled on overhead cranes, bulldozers and dug up streets in every direction, a clear message that something neater and bigger is on the way.

I am told now that over 10 million passengers move annually through the new airport which hints that the city hasn’t lost its charms, other than Time changing its offerings. What surprises me the most is the return home of many young NRIs mainly from the US, who prefer Bangalore to New Jersey or Los Angeles, from a lifestyle and employment point of view.

I came across a good number of international tourists. They trundled over popular stretches of MG Road, Commercial Street and Brigade Road taking pictures of colonial buildings; crowding the summer palace of Tipu Sultan, an elaborately decorated structure with ornate arches and minarets; visiting the 300-year-old Venkataramanaswamy Temple: and lighting candles inside St. Mary’s Basilica, the city’s oldest church. I felt pleased to see my favourite city well-placed in the touristy circle.

Churchill like Bangalore? Perhaps during his time there was not much of action and entertainment in the sleepy cantonment to keep young Englishmen like him amused and occupied.

The thought came back to me when I visited the legendary Bangalore Club established in 1868 to meet the social needs for the city’s European inhabitants. It is said that young Churchill, who was miserably bored, spent time at this club, perhaps drinking lots of whiskey. It didn’t do him any good; rather he left the city with a debt of Rs 13 owed to the club. The ledger book of the club from June 1899 is now displayed in the club premises and has ‘Lt WLS Churchill’ named as one of 17 defaulters! It is really amazing to see documentary evidence of a later-turned-mighty Prime Minister owing a small amount of money to an establishment in a country that

came under his rule. Many British citizens visiting the club, after seeing the debt have offered to clear his dues, but the club authorities always politely refuse, saying that history is history, and can’t be rewritten!

The ledger book of the club from June 1899 is now displayed in the club premises and has ‘Lt WLS Churchill’ named as one of 17 defaulters!

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A penny saved.....

As the cost of living increases, it’s time to begin saving on the necessities of life, writes

Heightened inflation is a legacy that the global financial crisis has left in its wake, and people all over the world are reeling from its effects. The cost of living is constantly rising, forcing everyone to tighten their belts. Here in Australia we have grown so accustomed to an easy, comfortable life that this global phenomenon and more recently our own carbon tax resulting in inflated petrol prices, skyrocketing water and electricity rates, unaffordable housing and unpalatable fruit and vegetable prices, is hitting us pretty hard. The good news however, is that a few simple steps and changes can ensure we get back on top of things, make our dollars go a longer way and develop some good saving habits that will serve us well throughout our lives.

Saving on electricity

The recent electricity bills have been the bane of everyone’s existence and it is time to make some changes:

• Use electric blankets to warm up your bed in winter, rather than heating the whole room which takes up much more energy. Electric blankets cost a little more than duvets and use only a fraction of electricity compared to heaters.

• When using heaters or air conditioners, readjust the thermostat. For every degree you turn down on the heat during winter or turn it up for summer, you will save one to three percent on your total electricity bill.

• Turn off the lights when you leave the room.

• Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with energy saving fluorescent bulbs can save up to 75% on your annual lighting bill.

• Turn off appliances at the switch. Don’t forget to switch your computer and television off. A plasma TV on standby uses as much energy as your fridge.

Drying your clothes in the sun instead of using a clothes dryer can save hundreds of dollars on your electricity bill.

• Use the washing machine in offpeak times to take advantage of lower rates.

Saving on water

In the light of recent droughts, water is to be conserved anyway and a rapidly ascending water bill is just one more reason to be thrifty with water.

• Use rainwater tanks to collect water and save on your water bill.

• Wash dishes in a dishwasher,

FARZANA SHAKIR

Replacing old incandescent light bulbs with energy saving fluorescent bulbs can save up to 75% on your annual lighting bill.

as this appliance uses much less water than washing by hand. Scraping food off dishes rather than rinsing before putting them in dishwasher also conserves water.

• Take shorter five minute showers and use a low flowing shower head. This way you will use only about 45 litres of water compared to 140 litres for a fifteen minutes shower with a high flowing shower head.

• Wash your car less often as each wash uses up between 150-350 litres of water, and even using the carwash can sometimes help you save on water bills.

• Plant drought-resistant plants in the garden and mulch to save on watering cost.

• Turn off the tap between brushing and shaving.

• Invest in a water-efficient dishwasher and washing machine and you’ll be amazed at the difference in your water bill.

Saving on fuel

Low fuel prices now truly seem a thing of the past and we have

all accepted the fact that high fuel prices are here to stay. However, these tips could help you save those extra dollars instead of spending them on fuel.

• Shop around for the best place to buy fuel and use your fuel vouchers from the shopping trips.

• Slowing down can save on petrol, as acceleration uses more fuel.

• Turn off the AC and roll down your car windows in pleasant weather.

• Set up a car pool. Sharing your car ride with just one friend can save the both of you hundreds of dollars.

• Check your air filter and tyre pressure regularly to keep your car fuel-efficient. Cut down on unnecessary loads in the car like roof racks and bull bars if you don’t need them; it will save on fuel.

• Avoid hard braking and flat footing to reduce fuel consumption by 30%, and don’t rest your left foot on the brake of an automatic car as the extra drag increases fuel consumption by 5%.

Saving on food

• The best way to save on your food bill is to reduce the number of times you eat out or better still, stop it altogether. Take a homemade lunch to work and make your own tea or coffee. This is not only healthier, but ends up saving you heaps.

• When grocery shopping, always check your receipts; you’ll be surprised how many times even computers stuff up.

• Buy in bulk and check the unit prices to get the best deals.

• Use your stores reward, loyalty or membership cards to save on special deals.

• Make a budget and stick to it. Set yourself a limit on money spent on food per day. Once you’ve reached that limit don’t spend more, no matter what.

• Revert to paying by cash. It is proven that people spend less when they pay in cash, rather than when using credit or debit cards.

• Buy store brands for basics like sugar, flour and salt etc. They are all just the same, but big brands cost more.

It is proven that people spend less when they pay in cash, rather than when using credit or debit cards.

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Looking back at independent India

Each decade of India’s journey since Independence has been a challenging one, heralding change not always for the better

BY SAROJA SRINIVASAN

The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security for the minorities. Lord John Dalbert-Acton, 1877

As we celebrate India’s 65th year independence, a bit of nostalgia has crept in. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see what perceptions of gains made since independence come to the surface.

From what I can recall and what I have been told, the mood of the people in the early days after India’s Independence was euphoric. There was a general sense of relief that all the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle had paid off. However, this was also tinged with a lot of sadness for millions who were affected by the partition of Pakistan from India. For thousands of

years this geographical area of millions had gone through several invasions and natural disasters, yet continued to live with tolerance and respect. Now suddenly they were torn apart. Families were separated, many innocent lives lost. India struggled through those years trying to create a new identity, shedding the vestiges of colonial masters and re-discovering their unique Indian-ness.

Friends in the Fifties

In the 1950s, too young to totally comprehend the meaning of being independent, we were excited by the charisma of our new leaders and their ideas for a bright future. The five-year plans seemed achievable and many other countries were keen to seek our friendship. I remember a huge celebration welcoming the then Chinese leader, Chu en Lai singing: “Hindi-Cheeni bhai bhai!” Come 1962, it was: “Hindi-Cheeni ladai ladai!” We were at university, patriotism was strong. Several friends signed up for the army and were posted at the front line. This meant that there was a possibility that some of them

would not return. This realisation catapulted us into the reality of the world around, and gave us a rude awakening to life as adults.

Sixties herald change

The 1960s were troubled times –many changes were happening and India as we knew it was now being systematically carved up along language lines, conflicts over a national language, while shortages of food, electricity and water were all too pressing. The promises of politicians were beginning to be seen for what they were. Our social reformers of the past were advocating genuine equality for all; now religion and caste were becoming politicized. In the name of technological and industrial progress, agriculture was relegated to the backseat. We also saw the exodus of many academics overseas and the steady ‘braindrain’ picket up momentum. With this came the move in large numbers from rural to urban sprawls, increasing the population of already over-crowded cities.

R&D improvements

India through the ‘70s and ‘80s, now seen from afar, seemed riddled

with insurmountable problems – population explosion, strong parochial sentiments, and a lack of opportunities for the young were all too visible. Political divisions were polarising the masses. Unscrupulous politicians were able to buy the votes of the illiterate. The distance between the haves and have-nots was getting wider. A steady murmur of discontent, conflicts with neighbouring China and Pakistan were also increasing, with each taking a strong nuclear stance. Yet progress in space research, nuclear technology and IT boosted the much-needed hope for the future. Slowly expat Indians were beginning to see opportunities in India.

Hope in the new millennium

The decade of the ‘90s and the hopes for a new millennium brought a steady influx of returning NRIs. The standard of living rose, creating a huge educated middle-class. Multinationals were competing to enter our lucrative market, in turn providing many employment opportunities; but also draining profits out of the country.

Suddenly India became the land of hope for the middle-class through its IT brain-bank. Multinationals saw the potential for inexpensive outsourcing and call-centres. More patriotic sentiments were becoming obvious within India, with many young now choosing to remain in India rather than move overseas. More Indians were slowly becoming confident and proud of their rich heritage, washing away the feelings of inferiority long encouraged by the colonial masters. Sadly, it has also meant the diluting of our rich culture. While some changes have enriched many traditional practices, embracing uncritically foreign cultural practices that may be unsuitable to the indigenous culture, is also creating many conflicts in the society.

We still seem to have a long way to go to pass ‘the certain test of freedom’, the security for the minorities, as Lord Acton stated back in the 1800s. Yet the sheer energy and optimism within and outside of India, the Indian-ness, is something to be truly proud of and makes India and its role in world culture forever immortal.

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A whole new attitude to food

One of Dimpy Singh’s favourite memories from childhood, is cooking for his family.

“When I was 12-13 years of age, making breakfast for the family was a regular weekend activity,” Dimpy reminisces.

Growing up in Delhi, he had learned by watching his mum in the kitchen. Already a foodie in his early teens, he could tell you which of the local hotspots sold the best tikka or the best fried fish.

It was clear he would be making a career out of food.

Today the Sydney-based Singh has carved a niche for himself in the Indian food scene in the city.

Urban Tadka, his latest venture with partner Mandeep Rana, may be all of 18 months old, but it has taken the fancy of the Indian community here.

Nestled in an acreage in leafy Terrey Hills, Urban Tadka comes as a new concept in Indian dining. In fact, Dimpy defines it as a “whole new attitude to food”.

And to be sure, it is rather different, when you first drive in to the estate-like location – as if you’re at a farmhouse in the outskirts of Delhi, away for the hustle and bustle of the big city. (In fact, Mandeep reveals that they were indeed influenced by the spurt of farmhouse-located restaurants around Delhi).

Once in, you are ushered in to a swanky lounge area as you wait for your table. Here you enjoy a predinner drink from the bar, and the

friendly banter with the staff and the mood lighting both relax you instantly.

At your table, your meal ordered from an exhaustive menu, you can actually see your selection of dishes prepared in the open kitchen. The meal when it appears, is beautifully presented, and you feel like taking your time with it to savour every mouthful. The food is pretty authentic, and there is some unusual fare on offer, such as the Indian-Chinese preparation Chicken 65 and Fish Koliwara.

The dastan-e-chaman veggie patties are like none you’ve ever eaten before, and the lakhnawi seekh hazarvi is finger-licking good. The kheema baingan makes you wonder why you never thought of the combination before; the Simla pork lababdar is rich but deeply satisfying, and the unda-funda will take you back to the streets of Delhi. Rotis, give the methi lachcha paratha a try – you’ll never order the naan again.

The wine list has a good range of white and reds, Dimpy himself is quite keen to help you match your wine to the food you have selected for your meal. “A Riesling is normally good with Indian food but we do have a lot of choice for those wishing to try their favourite wines,” he adds.

Not exactly new to the restaurant scene (having run Magic Curries and a range of other restaurants on the north shore), Mandeep and Dimpy have put in some clever innovations to stand out.

“As a restaurant we are a step ahead of the rest,” Dimpy says with characteristic self assurance.

“Look, since you’ve decided to go out to dinner, we’d like to make the whole experience that much more special for you. Our lounge area is cosy and romantic; we incorporated it in our plans because it is customary in this country to have a drink before dinner. With the open kitchen, we take the mystery out of Indian cooking: we don’t use ‘lots of spices’, and we work with fresh produce and efficient procedures. And finally, we like our food authentic and our presentation classy… We reflect the food trends in the high-end restaurants in Delhi or Bombay today”.

Mainstream clients have been thronging the restaurant, and both boys beam with pleasure when one guest comments while leaving, “This is one of the finest Indian restaurants in Sydney”.

The Indian community have been coming in from as far as Penrith, Mount Druitt and Hurstville, and this is just as satisfying.

“We always knew the response would be this good!” the Tadka boys say with typical Punjabi confidence.

Yet Mandeep admits he was shocked when he first saw the venue his partner had picked to build the restaurant on. “It was an abandoned farmhouse, overgrown with weeds, snake holes and spiderwebs everywhere…. But

there was a vision, and we made it work in the end”.

The swanky end-result seems like a far cry from what is described, and the passion of the proprietors and the hard work they put in, seems evident.

The purpose-built function centre at Urban Tadka (or ‘UT’ as the trendy set are calling it) has been particularly popular with the community. The 250-person capacity, the dance floor, the DJ facilities and the ample parking are particular drawcards, and smaller events have taken place under specially erected marquees in the sprawling grounds outside. A variety of functions have already been held here, such as birthdays and anniversaries, as well as wilder themed parties (eg a Moulin Rouge themed adult show girl party). Farm animals have been brought in for kids’ parties, and a local school event once saw fifty boys and their dads gather here to watch the State of Origin finals. At a recent event, an entire streetscape from Delhi was created with stalls offering no less than ten different cuisines.

“Tell us what you want to make your event special, and we’ll organise it for you,” Mandeep says confidently. “And remember, if you can’t come to us, we’ll come to you, with our catering service”.

So what’s in store for the future?

“More Urban Tadkas!” It’s that unmistakable Punjabi self-belief yet again. “We’re already looking at new sites and franchises”.

They sure look like they’re here to stay.

Give the Tadka boys a try –you’ll definitely go back for more.

Rajni Anand Luthra

“We reflect the food trends in the high-end restaurants in Delhi or Bombay today”.

Dimpy Singh

Dimpy and Mandeep with wives, Mona and Simran

Exemplary doctor and community mentor

Avery charismatic, engaging and frank person who endeared himself to anyone he came in contact with, Dr V Govindan was a very good friend to all of us. A good doctor with a friendly and busy general practice in Berala, he actively involved himself in community work.

Dr Govindan migrated to Australia in 1973 from Mumbai, and instantly became friendly with the small Indian community in Sydney. He started his medical career at the Eastern Suburb Hospital in Sydney and went on to work at the Wollongong Hospital, followed by the Lidcombe Hospital. He then decided to start a private general practice at Berala where Dr Govindan served the medical needs of people living in Berala, Lidcombe and Auburn and many more from several parts of Sydney.

As a member of the medical fraternity, Dr Govindan recognised the need to help many doctors arriving in Sydney from the Indian subcontinent, and went out of his way to assist them. Dr Govindan was a founding member of the Overseas Medical Graduates Association (OMGA). He strongly

Carnatic music. In addition we

enjoyed a feast of several jugalbandis, a fusion of Hindustani and Carnatic music.

The Kumbabishekam of the Sri Venkateswara shrine at Helensburgh on June 30, 1985 made Dr Govindan turn his interest to temple activities. He was President of the Sri Venkateswara temple from 1987 to 1991. During this time he efficiently handled the temple finances bringing them back into black, and also initiated the start of the Siva shrine.

Dr Govindan was born in Aamboor, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu on October 2, 1943 and grew up in Mumbai where he studied medicine at the Nair Medical College. After graduating in medicine from Bombay University, he soon decided to migrate to Australia.

Dr Govindan is survived by his wife Bhavani, son Rajesh, daughters Vinodini and Malini, daughter-inlaw Preethi, son-in-law Ramesh and grandson Gopala, with whom he spent lots of time. He delighted in engaging with Gopala, and indeed, his face would light up simply on seeing his grandson.

May his soul rest in peace.

Om namo bhagavathe Vasudevaya. R Natarajan Iyer

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Dr V Govindan

A happy song, that’s what life was all about

Feelgood. That’s the word that comes to mind while remembering Debi Banerjee.

Debi stood out as someone who carried about her, a sense of “life is good”. With happy banter and unaffected laughter, her bright personality drew heads wherever she went.

Of course she was recognised as a star in Sydney’s Indian community.

Most people knew of Debi as a singer, having entertained the community for 20 years now.

It was the peppy songs that she excelled in: the naughty, teasing numbers that put everyone in a happy mood almost instantaneously. If you knew Debi was going to take the mic, you would expect something light and merry such as Babuji dheere chalna, Mera naam chin chin choo or Tadbeer se bigdi hui or Jaiye aap kahan jayenge or Saiyan dil mein aana re, all songs she sang at her 500-odd concerts over the years. She didn’t have to put any effort into these songs because they suited her to a T, and her vibrant personality shone through when she sang them.

She researched extensively to prepare her shows, making sure to pick peppy songs that would uplift the mood and involve the audience. Often towards the end, she would pick foottapping numbers and invite the audience to dance along, such as to Kajra re or Beedi jalaye le. Her kind of entertainment was solely designed to spread happiness and she revelled in the audience’s enjoyment.

Of course Debi sang in other genres as well. Nothing could stand in her way of embracing a diverse range of musical styles in her concerts, always upholding a performance standard full of style and dignity. On one occasion her clear and crisp rendition of the soulful Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi hairaan hoon main simply blew the audience away.

What many of us didn’t know was that Debi also made inroads into other areas of the arts. A couple of years back she took part in a Bengali theatre production called Noti Binodini; a famous epic story among the people of Bengal. Debi acted in the lead role, on live stage in Sydney, Melbourne as well as India, performing in Kolkata’s legendry Star Theatre on 3rd January 2010. It was the first of its kind; artists from Sydney joined hands with artists in Kolkata to stage this renowned play.

Debi’s compassion, combined with her sweet voice, naturally led her to sharing it for charity. Debi’s most notable charity event was

the large cast theatre production of an old Bengali folk tale called Tasher Desh. Debi not only sang but also co-produced this dramatic piece and donated all proceeds to the Fred Hollows Foundation. The production was so loved by Sydney’s Bengali community that there were numerous encore performances.

To marvel us even further, Debi was never classically trained in singing or acting. Clearly the courage and fire in Debi begged all those talents out of her.

Debi’s pioneering not only extended to her love of the arts but also her personal life. Choosing between California and Sydney, Debi’s thirst and aspiration for a better lifestyle for her family, led her to the shores of Sydney with husband Swapan and daughter Shoma in October 1982. Debi had ambitiously arrived from London, where she had shared her first five years of wedded life with Swapan. With son Shumit born shortly thereafter, Debi dedicated her life to motherhood in the years that followed.

She adored travelling and so in between visits back to her favourite destination India, she would lead family road trips up and down the east coast of Australia, often luring numerous friends along. Not surprisingly, as Debi’s children turned to adults, Debi indulged in luxury holiday experiences almost annually, to most continents of the world.

Debi came from a family of ardent politicians and entrepreneurs. Having been born and raised in India’s City of Joy, Kolkatta, Debi’s appetite to succeed flourished in her early years as she boarded at Darjeeling’s Loreto Convent.

School friends of Debi described her as a leader and one who thrived and flourished in the arts, be it drama, opera singing or dancing. As such it is no surprise that later Debi drew on these loves of her life as enthusiastically and gallantlysinging became Debi’s true love and ultimate accomplishment. Debi then followed through on her family’s course as she studied Political Science at Kolkata’s prestigious Lady Brabourne College.

To her own family Debi embodied sweetness, was the epitome of strength, the wild one without a doubt. Debi had given her family something that was conspicuously lacking: she brought audacity. With the energy and persistence to conquer anything, nothing was impossible; she would either find a way, or was determined to make one.

She held nothing back. She was far too open-hearted to bottle up her feelings. If a project caught her interest or a song her heart, she would seize the moment and persevere to accomplish it. She always wanted to go the extra mile and managed, in her particular style, to bring a method to the madness of it all.

Behind the glamour of Debi’s voice, the whopping jokes and the radiant smiles lay the passions which made Debi the extraordinary woman that she was. Debi was and always will be the apple of their eyes.

Her other family – her large circle of friends – described Debi as stimulating and charismatic, bringing spark and splendour to any dull or dusty situation. For Debi, good humour was a tonic for mind and body, and she happily shared that any time and any place. At community functions or at weekend gettogethers, you only had to scan the room to know which section

was having the most fun; it would be where Debi was. Debi would be the first to get up and dance at any occasion, always turning up in a dazzling sari of the newest design (her striking collection of saris made up an enviable wardrobe indeed). Her unpretentious laughter, witty remarks and good-natured teasing of those around her, helped people warm up to her instantly, and won her many admirers. She had a fantastic way with people and the world loved her.

Debi’s life, as gallant, inventive and dynamic as it was, was taken away just as overwhelmingly, at age 58. When Debi became sick she accepted the reality and instead of dwelling on what might have been, accepted her life for what it would be. Her determination in life did not fade as she contested her illness. She maintained a fiery determination, self-motivated energy and might that truly demonstrated her adoration of life. She continued

to dream and persevere. For Debi, the world changed in an instant, but not the way she chose to see it. And thus she succeeded in becoming a symbol of pure grace and harmony.

Whether it is a joke, a text, a phone call, a song, a hug or a kiss that is our lasting memory of Debi, let this fleeting memoir leave a smile on our faces, one that we would always see on Debi’s face. Let us draw on our favourite memory of Debi; her laughter, and tap our feet to the beat of her favourite song Sheila ki Jawani. There are just two things that Debi wanted to be remembered by, her love for merriment and her passion for life. She once shared those with us, and although we can no longer hold her hand the way we did, we can smile, because she lived.

The Banerjee Family with Rajni Anand Luthra

Debi Banerjee

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Sensational

This issue, we take fish around the country and cook it for you in six different ways

If you don’t eat it all up within a couple of days, that is!

se

BY SHERYL DIXIT

While India is blessed with many unique forms of cuisine, it is renowned for the plethora of seafood that graces our tables. Thanks to a vast coastline that flanks two sides of the country and its numerous rivers and lakes teeming with marine life, seafood features in the cuisine of nearly every state. Lovers of seafood can explore curries from the exotic north to the mysterious east, conservative west and traditional south, from the comfort of their kitchens.

Barring a couple, all these recipes take an effort to prepare, but the effort is well worth it. So try these varied fish flavours from India, and journey on a trip of culinary discovery.

Amritsari fish

A delicious accompaniment to warm one up on cold days, this traditional Punjabi dish has now gone global

600 gms king fish (surmai) fillets

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)

2 tbsp ginger paste

2 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup gram flour (besan)

1 egg

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

1 tsp chaat masala

2 lemons, cut into wedges

Wash the fillets and gently place in a mixing bowl. Add red chilli powder, salt, carom seeds, ginger paste, garlic paste, lemon juice, gram flour and mix well. Set aside. Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying. Break an egg into the fish mixture and mix. Place the fillets, one at a time into the hot oil and deep fry till almost done. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Deep fry again just before serving, till golden and crisp. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Serve hot, sprinkled with chaat masala and lemon wedges.

Goan Prawn Balchao

Although this recipe takes a while to prepare, its final result can be pickled and enjoyed for months.

½ kg headless prawns, deveined, shelled and cleaned

4 tomatoes, finely chopped

2 green chillies, chopped

8 curry leaves

4 medium onions, finely chopped

4 tbsp oil

Sugar, salt and vinegar to taste

For the paste

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 dry red chillies

1 tbsp vinegar

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

Take a pinch of turmeric powder with some salt and rub into the cleaned prawns. Leave aside for five minutes. Next, wash the prawns well and drain. Grind together the ingredients for the paste into a fine mixture and keep aside. Next, heat oil in a large kadhai or frying pan and add in the curry leaves. Add finely chopped onions and fry on medium heat until the onions are soft and light brown. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till the oil separates from the mix. Now add the prawns and paste and fry briefly. Stir occasionally. Add the green chillies, sugar, salt and vinegar to taste. Mix well. Cover and simmer on low flame for about ten minutes, until prawns are well-cooked. Cool and serve as an accompaniment to a main meal or simply spread on a slice of bread and enjoy.

Note: To preserve for longer, add more vinegar; to add a touch of sweetness, add sugar. Add salt based on your taste.

Parsi Patra Ni Machchi

My personal favourite, and a dish served at traditional Parsi weddings. This dish is delicious as it is baked/steamed and wrapped in a banana leaf to preserve the flavours. A must-try for foodies!

6 thick white fish fillets

1 fresh coconut finely grated (approx. 3 cups)

3 green chillies

1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves, roots and stems removed

1 small bunch mint, stems removed

2-inch piece ginger

3 garlic cloves

½ tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

4 tbsp lemon/lime juice

Salt to taste

1 large banana leaf, central spine removed, cut into six equal pieces

1 tbsp cooking oil

Place fish steaks in a large, flat tray and drizzle with lemon/lime juice and salt, coating fully with this marinade. Keep aside for 20 minutes. Grind together the coconut, green chillies, coriander and mint leaves, garlic and ginger, cumin and turmeric powders to a smooth paste, adding salt to taste. Add very little water, if required, just enough to achieve a chutneylike consistency. Liberally coat each piece of fish with this mixture, and keep aside. Take a banana leaf and lightly smear oil on the smooth side. Place a piece of fish in the centre of the leaf and wrap over to form a neat parcel. Tie lightly with cotton string or twine. Cook in a steamer for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot unwrapped but with the string removed, as a fish parcel.

Note: Instead of steaming, the fish can be baked in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes until fully cooked

Chettinad Fish Curry

Typical of south India, this delicious curry is a traditional treat, specially when accompanied by hot rice and a great selection of papads.

½ kg fish, cut into medium sized pieces

2 tsp red chilli powder

3 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)

1 tbsp poppy seeds (khus khus)

For the seasoning

½ tsp mustard

½ tsp black gram (urad dal)

¼ tsp fenugreek seeds

½ tsp fennel (saunf)

6-8 curry leaves

1 small onion, chopped

6 garlic flakes, chopped

1 cup tomato, chopped

Tamarind extract to taste

Salt to taste.

Wash the fish slices and keep aside. Grind together red chillies, coriander seeds, fennel and poppy seeds. In a kadhai, heat oil and temper with mustard seeds, black gram dal, saunf, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Add garlic and onion and fry till onions are light brown. Add ground masala and fry well. Next, add tomato and tamarind extract and let the curry simmer for a few minutes. Add fish and salt, cover and cook till done. Serve hot with white rice.

afood

Hyderabadi Fish Biryani

What could be more appealing that a combination of rice and fish cooked together in an array of delightful spices, from the city that invented biryani

1 kg white fish fillets

1 cup yoghurt

4 cups Basmati rice

2 medium sized onions

12 green chillies

1 large sprig of mint leaves

½ bunch fresh coriander

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp turmeric

½ tbsp whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper)

½ tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp pepper powder

1 tbsp lemon juice

Few strands of saffron soaked in

approx. 4 tbsp of warm milk

Oil for frying

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste.

Wash the Basmati rice and place on the boil in a large vessel with twice the quantity of water, eg. 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Slit

4 -5 green chillies vertically and add to the water, along with the whole garam masala. Add salt to taste. Boil on low flame until the rice is half-cooked, then drain and keep aside. Marinate the fish with yoghurt, red chilli, turmeric and garam masala powders, adding salt to taste. Heat a teaspoon of oil and fry half the chillies, mint and coriander leaves for 2 minutes on medium flame. Grind this to a fine paste and add to the marinated

fish, adding pepper powder. Cut the onions into thin round slices, and deep fry until golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Add the rest of the vertically slit green chillies, fresh mint and coriander leaves, and keep aside. Place a teaspoon of oil in a large thick bottomed vessel, and spread it across the base. Pour the marinaded fish mixture, then place a layer of onion mixture over the fish. Pour the lime juice over the onion mix and then layer it with the partially boiled rice. Sprinkle with a little preheated oil used for frying the onions and ghee. Add saffron milk for flavour on top of the mix. Shut the vessel with a tight fitting lid and leave it to simmer on a slow flame for 20-25 minutes or until

the rice is fully cooked and the grains are separated. Mix gently before serving. Serve hot with cucumber raita

kerala Crab Masala

Another favourite from coastal south India, this succulent dish is tangy and tasty, and is reminiscent of swaying palms and gently swishing waves

1 kg crabs, cleaned but with the shells intact

6 garlic pods, finely minced

1 inch piece ginger, finely minced

2 green chillies, slit vertically

½ tsp tamarind paste

1 medium tomato, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

6-8 curry leaves

1 dry red chilli

1 tsp garam masala powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp oil

300 mls water

Salt to taste

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnishing.

Heat the oil in a deep-bottomed

kadhai. Add curry leaves and red chilli and cook briefly. Add ginger and garlic and cook for two minutes. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft. Add the green chillies, garam masala, turmeric and salt, mix well, cover and let simmer. Add warm water to the tamarind pulp to make a paste and add this to the mixture. Add chopped tomatoes, crab and mix well. Add water and cook on low heat until the crab is thoroughly cooked. Stand for ten minutes to let the crab meat absorb the flavours of the curry. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Barring a couple, all these recipes take an effort to prepare, but the effort is well worth it.

Thanks to a vast coastline that flanks two sides of the country and its numerous rivers and lakes teeming with marine life, seafood features in the cuisine of nearly every state.

Clockwise from top left:

Prawn Balchao

Chettinad Fish

Fish Biriyani

Patra Ni Machchi

Amritsari Fish

Our rings of faith

group of volunteers pull back their shoulders and begin the immense task of creating a township where only sand or soil exists. Brick by brick, they raise home after home. An infrastructure is created that includes the supply of clean water, power and food. Access to education, medical facilities and transport to the town are

I remember the idea being scoffed at when we first began. It was said, “Spoon feeding will lead to a generation of idle and irresponsible citizens” and that “it would be a financial failure”. How

Today, athletes come from the five inhabited continents and their participation is aptly symbolised by the five rings on the flag.

BY RANI JHALA

Centuries ago, a group of athletes came together to meet and engage in competitions in friendly rivalry. All discord was put aside for the duration, as Olympia saw the first of what came to be known as the Olympic Games. Time saw an expansion in the number of athletes and nationalities. Today, athletes come from the five inhabited continents. Their participation is aptly symbolised by the five rings on the flag - intertwined rings of different colours that symbolise the five continents unifying in friendship and equality! The aim is to promote sportsmanship and goodwill.

We too have our ‘challenge’ coming up. Men and women coming together from those same continents, for the same duration, but unlike the athletes that will fight for their place in history, we are collecting to create ours.

There is Peter, the architect from Australia who, a decade ago, lost his family to the floods. A single moment was all it took

to collapse around him. When the water receded, he got his home back but not his precious belongings, nor his even more precious family. He told me once that he had faced two choices: drown in despair or swim above it. He chose the latter. When he met our organiser, he knew what destiny had planned for him and became our Asia-Pacific coordinator.

Ram, an ophthalmologist became our Asian Subcontinent co-ordinator. Rising from humble beginnings, he had won a scholarship that saw him rise to the status of a world-class eye surgeon and head of a renowned eye hospital in Mumbai. Never forgetting the past, now retired, he wants to give back to society in the best way he knows.

Abraham retired from his prominent position in the United Nations, and became the president of our organisation. He brought with him the social network that saw our dream escalate from vision to reality. His vast circle of associations includes many gentle and gracious souls who are more than happy to assist with aid and guidance.

Pierre is the renowned chef who retired to open his own catering company that supplies wholesome dishes packed with

enough food to feed every man, woman and child on this planet if it is not wasted or caught up in bureaucracy and red tape. His motto is, ‘Respect food today and it will nourish you tomorrow’.

Robert, a US citizen, is a landscaping artist famous for his popular television series where he travelled the globe, designing playgrounds for the underprivileged. An orphan himself, he began his career at the age of two, when he shovelled dirt with his shoe and planted rocks in anticipation of seeing beautiful plants.

Abdul is the co-ordinator of our African region. Once the president of his tiny nation, he has seen his country destroyed by war and famine. Undefeated, he got together a small band of volunteers to rebuild his country, village by village, town by town. It took him fifteen long years, but he proved to the world that unity and faith are strong building blocks. It was he, who came up with the idea of our ‘villages’.

And so, every four years, the committee gets together to choose locations on each of the continents and negotiates the procurement of land. Then they band together their army of volunteers.

The next four years sees this

This is our fourth ‘challenge’ and in the twelve years, we have seen fifteen villages set up, three children earn scholarships to high schools and two villages become totally self-sufficient. In both places, a cottage industry was set up that gave employment to the men and the women.

Governments have now become involved, large companies have come forward with donations and raw materials, and political parties have offered their support.

Abdul had a dream one day, to raise his nation from the ashes. We have extended that dream. We want to create a world where every child can call a building ‘home’, where every man has a source of income and where every woman can seek education and equality.

The road ahead is difficult. Wars make it hazardous, but just as athletes do not give up at the first hurdle nor sit back on past accolades, so too will we venture forward. All we ask is for you to wish us well as we create a mini utopia for people who have never had a place to call their own.

We name our ‘villages’ after the top five medal winners in the Olympics that year. Like us, these athletes have spent four long years preparing to make a dream come true.

What keeps us going? Our rings of faith!

Wars make it hazardous, but just as athletes do not give up at the first hurdle nor sit back on past accolades, so too will we venture forward

Dreams can become a reality when fortified with courage, determination and the will to succeed

in Bollywood

the Buzz

Sunny set to sizzle again

Well lads, it looks like Sunny Leone’s here to say, much to your relief. After Jism2, in which the Indo- canadian porn star kept her clothes on for at least a few sequences, she’s now bagged Ragini MMS 2. Shooting of the horror-thriller sequel will start in a few months.

“I love India. I am so happy I am here, I’ll be staying here for a while. I have a lot of different projects coming up,” said Sunny enthusiastically. She has recently announced her association with music company Saregama, which will give its customers access to her content. And you can bet that will include a lot of downloads!

But Sunny’s now concentrating on getting ready for Ragini MMS 2, the sequel to Ekta Kapoor’s 2011 film of the same name that starred Kainaz motivala and Raj Kumar Yadav.

“I’ll be doing workshops here in India before Ragini MMS 2. I’ll be taking dance classes, hindi lessons, watching hindi movies... It’s like going back to school for me!” said the actress.

It’s certainly a step in the right direction, and we can be sure that Sunny’s here to stay.

What’s interesting is that the actress doesn’t feel the heat from her Bollywood peers.

“I don’t like the word ‘competition’,” she admitted. “Unless it’s in sports, it’s kind of like a negative word, at least in my book. These women (actresses) work so hard. I know what goes into making a movie now”.

I-Day treat for Tiger lovers

Or Salman Khan fans, I should say! his latest and much anticipated release Ek Tha Tiger hits cinemas on Independence day, and the ka-ching of moolah can already be heard across the country. high on action, the spy thriller has an interesting dose of romance too.

Since Sallu’s 2009 release Wanted, the hunky hero hasn’t looked back. he’s been churning out hit after hit, with the more recent Dabangg, Ready and Bodyguard, all of which entered the exclusive Rs 100 crore club. They too were high on action, but what’s exclusive to Ek Tha Tiger is that Salman’s teaming up with ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif after four years. Now that’s a sure-fire winner!

The couple were last seen together in Yuvvraaj, and Bollywood’s been buzzing that this jodi is what will attract punters to the cinemas. But critically acclaimed director Kabir Khan says Katrina will show her true acting potential in the movie. The story is by Aditya chopra and the film’s screenplay has been co-written by Kabir Khan, a renowned documentary filmmaker, and well-known journalistturned-lyricist-writer Neelesh misra. despite his reputation, Kabir Khan only felt reassured of the film when renowned screenwriter and Salman Khan’s father Salim Khan okayed Ek Tha Tiger without any changes.

Sridevi set to sizzle again

Fans who have missed seeing their favourite actress Sridevi on the big screen can heave a sigh of relief, as the actress makes her re-debut into hindi films with English Vinglish, scheduled for release in early October. Also debuting as a director is Gauri Shinde, wife of filmmaker R. Balki, who says the film is inspired by her mother, which is interesting as Sridevi’s playing the lead role.

“This film is inspired by my mom. Like most people in India who struggle with the English language, it’s just the insensitivity and insecurity that made me do this film,” Shinde said.

Sridevi herself says she is very confident about her comeback, having fallen in love with the script and character. “I am very confident with this film and not insecure at all. I am very excited,” said the 49-year-old actress.

Sridevi has been away from the small screen for a whopping 15 years, and was last seen in a full-fledged role in Judaai. But the actress was back in her comfort zone during the filming.

“Thanks to Gauri and Balki, they made me feel so comfortable. I felt like a newcomer,” she admitted. “I am so used to Gauri I don’t know how I am going to work with other directors,” said the actress, who seems confident that other offers will follow.

So what made Gauri choose Sridevi for this film? “I didn’t have anyone in mind while writing the script,” said Gauri. “But when Balki met Boney and Sridevi, he mentioned that I was writing a script. Sridevi liked the subject, I narrated the script to her and it just happened”.

Like Balki, who is known to portray all women characters in his films in a very strong light, even Gauri has managed to do the same in English Vinglish. “I am a woman and I will show all my women as strong characters,” she asserts.

Well, she’s certainly got it right with Sridevi, the original strong lady!

“I know all these different appearances and other things that we do, it’s a business and on top of that you have a lot of fun. But there is no competition, everyone is in their own league and in their own space,” she added.

Well, let’s hope that viewpoint remains unchanged after a few years in the business, Sunny. But don’t hold your breath!

GUESS WHO ?

She was nominated for a British award for one of her best-known roles.

(Find the answer under Caption Contest)

“When we showed this film to Salim saab, I was a bit nervous. But when he saw the film, he was very happy. he hugged me and said the film is very beautiful as it is. don’t change anything and release it as it is. I felt like I had cleared my final exams and I was not bothered about anyone else’s opinion after that,” he said, obviously elated at the veteran screenwriter’s response.

The film revolves around Tiger, a rugged, handsome and mysterious bachelor, played by Salman, who is a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer. We shouldn’t be giving away the whole plot, but here’s a sneak peek into the movie’s storyline.

Tiger is sent on a safe mission to dublin, Ireland, to observe an Indian origin scientist who is suspected of sharing his research findings with the Pakistan defence establishment.

he attempts to meet the scientist but is not successful. he then tries to befriend the scientist’s part-time home caretaker, Zoya (Katrina).

As Tiger begins to get closer to Zoya, he discovers his human side and for the first time in his life he falls in love.

What follows is a tumultuous journey that Tiger and Zoya embark upon, battling the dark world of intelligence that forbids its soldiers from falling in love.

Another good actor, Ranvir Shorey will

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

be seen as Gopi, a RAW officer and Tiger’s close friend.

Ek Tha Tiger is said to have cost above Rs 50 crore, but obviously, the team expects to make much more with at the box office. The film has been exclusively shot at five foreign locales like dublin, cuba and Istanbul. So will hit the Rs 100 crore mark? Let’s wait and see…

Like father, like son

Now we all know that Bollywood star sons have a great deal of respect and admiration for their actor dads and Sanjay dutt is no exception. The actor adopted his father Sunil dutt’s dacoit avatar from the 1963 film Mujhe Jeene Do for his upcoming movie Of Sardar (SOS).

It was a wish come true for Sanjay who had plans of remaking his father’s film, but that plan was incorporated in SOS, an Ajay devgn-starrer. If a reliable source is to be believed, Sanjay’s clothes and make-up have been modelled around his father’s look.

however, this wasn’t the original plan, according to a reliable source.

“When Sanjay signed on for SOS, he didn’t even know what his role was. he just did it blindly for his friend Ajay devgn, who’s producing the film,” said the source. “But they needed a special look for Sanjay, and the actor suggested his father’s Mujhe Jeene Do look, which had fascinated him since he was a child. director Ashwin dheer approved right away,” added the source.

dheer says the Mujhe Jeene Do look went a long way in giving character and personality to Sanjay d in SOS. “Sanjay plays Sonakshi Sinha’s over-possessive brother. Yes, his look and character bear a definite resemblance to Sunil dutt sahab in Mujhe Jeene Do

In fact, we put Sanjay on a horse after a very long time. It’s uncanny how much he resembles his father in SOS

I pointed it out to Sanjay, he got very emotional,” said the director.

This is not the first time that Sanjay has donned his dad’s on-screen dacoit avatar. In 1990, Sanjay did Jeene Do which was a straight homage to his Mujhe Jeene Do. Sanjay later felt that at that time he was too young to carry it off. But now, Sanjay is able to effectively carry the role. The actor has a hand-to-hand, fist-to-fist combat with Ajay during the climax of SOS, and he reflects his father’s personality very visibly in the scene, said the source. Like father, like son, truly with Sanjay and Sunil!

Testing trio

filmmaker Karan Johar has his hands full with his next directorial venture, Student of the Year (SOTY), which will see the launch of three new faces. It’s a huge responsibility for Karan as the future of these three new faces depends on the film’s box office performance.

“The film is a big responsibility on dharma Production’s shoulders and mine. We are launching the career of three new faces through this film - Alia Bhatt, Varun dhawan and Siddharth malhotra. All of them are very promising and talented. So, we as a production house have to make sure that we stand up to the expectation of all,” said Karan.

Alia is filmmaker mahesh Bhatt and actress Soni Razdan’s daughter; Varun is director david dahwan’s son, while Siddharth is a model. Their future careers will be on the line when SOTY hits screens in mid-October.

The first trailer was launched recently, and like any savvy filmmaker, Karan says he has “planned elaborate promotional activities” to create awareness about the film.

“We will start with the release of the first song online on Aug 24, followed by music launch,” added the 40-year-old known for directing hits like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, and producing successful films like Kal Ho Naa Ho and

Karan has co-produced SOTY with Shah Rukh Khan’s Red chillies Entertainment. So let’s hope the youngsters take their responsibility as seriously as their director. Good luck, Karan!

Erotic tribute to Bhatt brothers

No seriously, it’s a tenuous link, but an interesting one. director-turned-producer Anubhav Sinha is set to produce his first ‘erotic’ film as a tribute to mahesh and ukesh Bhatt, his mentors who he feels, successfully created a ‘genre’ within mainstream Bollywood. To make things more exciting, the erotic thriller will be

y erotic thriller is my official mahesh Bhatt and mukesh Bhatt, with no humour attached to the statement,” Sinha clarified, a trifle anxiously.

The film is due for a late 2012 release. The Bhatts are known for producing erotic films like Murder, and Jism 2, among

“I am still in the process of getting the right director for the film,” said Sinha, obviously not considering either of his heroes in a directorial role. he’s also coy about the cast, but what’re the odds that Sunny Leone may be high up

The Jana Gana Mana spirit

National anthems worldwide often become ritualised with adherents paying little attention to the words or their underlying meaning. But on the occasion of India’s 65th Independence day, a new documentary seeks to search for the essence of the country’s national anthem. Bharat Bhagya Vidhataa: The Architects is filmmaker Shashi Vyas’s way to ‘explore the spirit’ of the Indian national anthem. The documentary held its inaugural screening in mumbai on

The documentary traces the countrywide journey of mumbai youths Anshul Ramnani, Vaibhav Wali and Juby evasia looking for the essence of India outside their urban cocoon.

Narrated by popular actor Boman Irani, the documentary was inspired by the 100th anniversary of the anthem in 2011. Slickly shot, the aim of Bharat Bhagya is to connect India’s younger generations to the glorious struggles that the anthem represents and “rediscover India through fresh eyes”.

“I’m sick of you two acting like two stupid children…”

Shashi K Sharma

Penrith NSW

Shashi wins one ticket to new Hindi film Ek Tha Tiger

the values that are personified by its common men and women who work tirelessly, with integrity and courage, in order to make a difference, because they understand the power and responsibility of being a citizen,” says a backgrounder to the movie.

Vyas, the film’s conceptualiser and producer, seeks to find the answer to what the national anthem actually means from the standpoint of the urban protagonists.

In the documentary, the youths meet and engage prominent Indians such as Infosys founder Narayana murthy, environmentalist Bittu Sehgal, well known theatre personality Vijaya mehta and activist Sunitha Krishnan. To balance the perspective they also interact with everyday Indians such as Vijay Nambiar and Babar Ali among others.

Jana Gana Mana was written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore and first sung at the calcutta session of the Indian National congress on december 27, 1911. It was adopted as the national anthem by the constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950.

“It is a journey to understand the traditions and values that still hold strong as the backbone of India, Answer to GUESS O?hW

Tannishtha hatterjeec

Pooja Bhatt here?

SANJAy DUTT

SUNNy LEONE

kARAN JOHAR

SALMAN kHAN

Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

Cine Talk

Fast-paced, furious, frenzied and frenetic

If you try to count the numbers of bullets that are fired at unsuspecting victims in the ferociously violent world inhabited by Anurag Kashyap’s trigger-happy goons, you might end up crosseyed. caught in the crossfire of vendetta and redemption, the characters of Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 2 are so on-the-edge, they don’t fear the abyss that awaits them at the end of their vengeful voyage.

In any case, no one in Kashyap’s god-forsaken kingdom takes cops seriously, not even the cops themselves. There’s a typically wry Kashyap joke just before interval when the raging protagonist faizal (or ‘faijal’, as everyone including his sexy wife calls him), carries his kid-brother’s corpse home. cops stop faizal and politely ask him to accompany them to the police station.

“don’t you see I’m taking my brother home,” faizal bellows.

“We understand,” squeaks a khaki-clad gentleman. “Why don’t you hand over the body to us and come with us?”

This, if you are familiar with the language of commercial hindi cinema, is in character with the image of the filmy police force.

It always arrives late. Kashyap crams in-house jokes into every nook and cranny of this diligentlyconstructed breathtaking ode to the culture of street violence. The gang wars are so real that they are unreal. does that make sense? It had better! That so-real-that-it’sunreal tempestuous twilight zone is where Kashyap’s film belongs.

The violence of the politically corroded north Indian town (Wasseypur, or what you will) is exaggerated to a point of utter outrageousness. In Kashyap’s version of the Wild West, you could get killed on the spot for anything, for asking the time or raping your neighbour’s sister. The price for any crime, petty or grave, is the same.

The ceaseless shower of bullets gets a hand-up on the visceral soundtrack from Sneha Khanwalkar’s excruciatingly evocative folk songs of Bihar (some of which are used in two versions, ironical or poignant, but always intensely definitive) and with excellent use of the puerile film songs of the 1980s, which used to

be out on the T-Series label back then when music piracy was as rampant as political hooliganism.

Even when the epic narration moves into the 2000 millennium, the characters are stuck in the 1980s. A whole thesis can be written on the interesting caller tunes from the 1980s and 1990s used by the characters in their mobile phone.

And yes, there is Yashpal Sharma, the resident stage singer of Wasseypur crooning a 1980s song for every occasion.

While the funeral of two of the key characters is on Yashpal’s earnest attempt at musical expression, soars into Yaad teri aayegi mujhko bada sataayegi and Teri meherbaniyan tracks, they seem to unintentionally mock the solemnity of the occasion. The latter was actually sung in the film at the death of a canine.

The ceaseless violence is quite often savagely funny. The series of miscommunication and misinformation among the assassins when Sultan Qureshi (Pankaj Tripathi) is to be gunned down in a crowded market, is straight out of comic-action films from the 1980s.

When Kashyap is not paying tongue-in-cheek tributes to an era from hindi cinema that seems to repeatedly define the lives of the film’s characters, he is busy taking digs at his own brilliantly crafted homage to gangsterism.

In one sequence, an assassin asks his intended victim the address on a visiting card.

“No, this is dhanbad. The address you want is in Varanasi,” says the helpful man before he’s gunned down in the crowded bazaar.

for the record, the Gangs Of Wasseypur marathon is located in the dhanbad belt, but had to be shot in Varanasi.

There are funny scenes of violence, tragic scenes of violence and tragi-comic scenes of violence. But violence, let us reiterate, is a constant in the lives of the characters as they stumble, fall, attack, kill or get killed in this blood-soaked bullet-ridden saga

of gangsterism which makes director francis ford coppola’s Sicily look like a holiday resort. more fast-paced, furious, frenzied and frenetic than the first part, Gangs Of WasseypurPart 2 confidently occupies that semi-feverish space where dream, nightmare and reality play a savage hide and seek with your sensibilities. The performances are tactile and dramatic.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the ganja-zonked protagonist delivers the deadliest performance in Kashyap’s gang as the most swaggering mercurial gangster on this side of James caan in The Godfather. Richa chadda as his mother portrays the simmering intensity of a passion whose flames won’t die down with old age. during a family wedding when chadda, while singing a wedding song breaks down and then regains her composure, she proves she’s no ordinary actress. We are in the midst of some extraordinary talent here. Let’s not undermine huma Qureshi’s saucy turn as the love of Nawazuddin’s constantly-endangered life, just because she’s hot and glamorous.

huma scorches up the screen with her casual vibrancy.

There are as many remarkable actors in this film as there are corpses scattered with scary casualness all across the lengthy saga. mention must be made of young Aditya Kumar as faizal’s kidbrother Perpendicular, who uses razor blades for everything except shaving, and Zeishan Quadri (the absolutely amazing co-writer of this saga) as definite, faizal’s halfbrother. he looks ordinary. he is dangerous.

Interesting parallels are drawn in the relationship between the half-brothers faizal and definite in this film and Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor playing halfbrothers in Yash chopra’s Trishul.

These are filmy people who choose to replace the ketchup in the action films of the 1980s with real blood. But their emotional ties seem to hinge precariously on the logistics of commercial mainstream cinema.

At the end of the first Wasseypur whammer, manoj Bajpayee’s character was showered with bullets. At the end of the second and concluding part of the bloodfest, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is gunned down mercilessly by the people whom he depends on.

When you live by the gun, you die by the gun. Unless Anurag Kashyap decides to bring you back to life. Then you are in serious trouble.

Subhash K. Jha

FILm: Gangs Of Wasseypur: Part 2

CAST: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadda, Rajkumar Yadav, Zeishan Quadri

DIrECTOr: Anurag kashyap

Tortured souls seek sensual salvation

ine years after Jism gave us a new kind of heroine in Bipasha Basu who emerged with erotic insouciance out of the water and headed straight for the hip region, Jism 2 gives us a strangely inhibited porn-star heroine.

for those expecting a sex romp with the queen of adult content, Jism 2 is a bit of a damper. There are three welloiled bodies, two male and one female, caught in the throes of an anguished do-or-die passion that can only burn itself out. But sex is really not the solution for these wounded characters.

director Pooja Bhatt aims to take her characters beyond their bodies. These are seriously flawed people not afraid to scream out their outrage when life deals them a particularly unfair blow.

But then, there we have it. Who said life was only about fair deals and perfect bodies? The outer world of Pooja’s people is a Sri Lankan paradise lit up with toasted beaches and enticing holiday resorts where time stops still. But secreted in this idyllic setting are deep wounds of anger, resentment and protest, all accumulated from years of unexpressed hurt.

Izna announces at the outset she is a porn star, not unlike the actress who plays her. She wears

the perfect clothes, travels business class and sleeps only with the poshest men. She is now on to her riskiest client, a high-end terrorist Kabir, played with an enigmatic wackiness by Randeep hooda, whom the Indian government, represented strangely by only two officers Arunodoy Singh and his senior Arif Zakaria, wants dead or alive.

As luck would have it, Izna was once in love with Kabir. Now she must pretend to be in love with him again. Perhaps because ms Leone is new to dramatic acting, we never quite understand how Izna feels about rekindling old passions with the man who once loved her and then left her.

Is she still in love with him while pretending to be seducing him? does she take up the dangerous job in the subconscious hope of teaming up with him for life? And when Kabir finally tells her a deep damning secret about the people she’s working for she reacts so foolishly that we can only say working with the body numbs the mind.

Just how much the confusion and inner chaos projected by Izna is actually Sunny Leone’s is hard to tell. But like Sonam Kapoor in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya, we often feel the character’s confusions

to be suspiciously close to the actress’ own inability to grasp the complexities of her character.

On the plus side, ms Leone often looks surprisingly vulnerable and wounded on camera. She has a terrific pair of legs which she generally keeps crossed. The bust is expressive too, yes. But she manages to keep us interested in more than her physical assets.

Arunoday Singh as the man who leads Leone into the lion’s den (so to speak) plays a role akin to Abhishek Bachchan’s in Dhoom 2. But a lot more angstridden. he’s a man who falls in love with the honeytrap. Singh is not fully able to express the character’s emotional turmoil. he is far more in control doing action scenes.

finally the film belongs to Randeep hooda. As an assassin on the brink who recites Ghalib

Kumars Taj

in a voice that poets would envy, plays the cello and allows the woman he loves to lead him to destruction, hooda brings to his part a lacerated hurt and a resonant retributive glory.

This is the actor’s second triumph in a mahesh Bhatt script in a row after Jannat 2 he plays the two selfdestructive characters on different scales, but equally effectively. If only hooda had taken off all those religious rings in his finger. They don’t go with his character.

The passion-play is underpinned by a whole lot of evocative background songs and on-screen poetic utterances that remind us of the close relationship between violence and art. What segregates the outcast from the messiah is the way the talent of self-expression is channelised.

hooda’s Kabir is genius gone the wrong way. more dreamy than steamy, Jism 2 takes us far beyond the body experience into three tortured souls looking for sensual salvation. Pooja Bhatt delivers a good-looking film with an arresting inner life. This may not be the right evening out for those who found last fortnight’s “Super Kool” film entertaining. But those who feel life in the movies is not always about the good times, Jism 2 makes its point forcibly.

Subhash K.Jha

FILm: Jism 2

CAST: Randeep Hooda, Arunoday Singh, Sunny Leone

DIrECTOr: Pooja Bhatt

Ask Auntyji

Dear Auntyji

We have come a long way as a nation. But lately, Aunty, in my opinion, it seems that we are losing our way. I know everyone has an opinion about this, and what I wanted to know your feelings on the latest tamasha –this new film called Jism 2 do you think that we should be more mindful of how our children are growing up, and what they are seeing on TV and cinema? Auntyji, do you think we are aping the west blindly and one day, we will have no maan maryada left? What are your thoughts on all this, and what do you think of that girl Sunny, and also, that Sherlyn who posed for Playboy and calls it an achievement?  Yeh zaleel ladkiyan hamari izzat badnam kar rahi hain. They are bringing shame upon us. Our mooh is kala on the international stage.

On Sunny and Sherlyn

Auntyji says

Yes, since Independence, we have come far as a nation.  We have a lot to be proud of, at the same time we should be aware of how far we must go in order to reach enlightenment. But this Sherlyn and Sunny saga perplexes me somewhat. I am undecided on the subject of what constitutes morality, because there are multiple philosophical arguments to be had about this. Jism 2 is being produced in the land which gave us the Kama sutra and the erotic art at Khajuraho.  We as a people were much more relaxed during various stages of our being.  But I suppose we should talk about where we are now. On a personal level, I do feel that some of those music videos are a little more explicit than they need to be – and if I had young children, I would be concerned about the message that these videos are sending.

On the subject of Jism 2, well, I have not seen the movie and cannot comment on the artistic merit of it, but I do feel compelled to make general observations about the philosophy behind the tamasha that it has generated. But first, let’s just talk about the cultural impacts of Bollywood films in a society where morality and decency are paramount. In such societies, a lot of things then disappear beneath the surface of respectability. So, our appearances are one of respect, maan, maryada, but darwaze ke peeche, we show our true colours. meanwhile, in other societies where people are more open and are comfortable with being themselves (no matter how objectionable some of their behaviours are – as long as it is not illegal) we tend to tolerate people’s peccadilloes. I suppose what I am trying to say is that any society that claims that respectability is much more important than true expression, has as its core a fundamental hypocrisy. There are countless examples across the world where such duplicity exists – the catholic church and its history of abuse is a clear example.

So back to Bharat mata. Let’s look at the society we live in. We have been sexually repressed in the public arena for a while. holding hands in public and any public displays of affection were frowned upon. And now, we are allowing ourselves the option to change this. Using Australia as an example, no one has issues with public displays of affection, but no one does it either. You rarely see people running around and engaging in indecent behaviour, unless you count those girls on a friday night carrying on – but that’s another story altogether. Give these same girls another 5 years and they will be models of decorum. The point I am making is that Indian society seems to be becoming more open-minded, but in an experimental way. We are using cinema and art to push forward an agenda – and this cannot be a bad thing. Ok, with such progressive movements, there are bound to be problems, but I would like to think that one of these days, a nice balance will be met and that videos and films with gratuitous sexual imagery will be seen as rather dull and lacking artistic merit. And as for Sherlyn and Sunny? Well, the more important question is not what these girls choose to do with their lives, but what we do with ours. We can choose to watch the images or the film. We can choose to see the message they are endorsing rather than the veneer behind which the message is cloaked – that openness in and acceptance of matters of sexuality are part of a tolerant and progressive society. That’s all I have to say on the subject. Except for this one thing. Sherlyn and Sunny are very naughty girls. They must be punished severely except Sunny would probably enjoy that. I shall have quiet words with them when I see them for diwali.

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Dear Auntyji

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Mid-life crisis

It was my birthday on the 8th of August and I turned 45. Auntyji, I wonder where most of my life went. It just flashed by in a hurry and did not give me time to catch my breath.  While I have a fantastic job and education, a very big and beautiful house, multiple investment properties and a very loving  family, I sometimes wonder if I could have achieved more. And then, I also wonder what the second half of my life will bring. I have no intentions to buy a flashy red car and drive off with a blonde chikni chameli, but sometimes I wonder if this option is still available to me. And then I ponder and ponder the life I could live with my blondie and how much masti I would have. Of course, my teenage bachche will be aghast to know I am thinking such lurid thoughts, but I am a mard. I need to prove my mardangi every now and  again. can you give me some hints please?

Auntyji says

Oh you %$^&*! Is budhaape mein aap masti karna chahete ho, and that too, with a blonde dayan? I am simply channelling your mother-in-law, because her words should ring in your ears as you ponder the virtues of the apsara who would be your blonde chameli.  Now, 45 is still very young. This is evident by your immaturity. If you had any akal, any wisdom, you would have realised that your life has been immeasurably blessed. You have more than most log would achieve in teen generations in some countries.  So instead of focusing on your Leo self, and yes, it is always about you, maybe you should be taking the waqt to think how you can give back to a society and community that has given you so much. Perhaps you could be looking at ways how you can help other people in need, instead of working out what else you can claim in life. And while I am here, I may as well give a nadaan like you some salaah, because it’s evident that tumko to bilkul bhi akal nahi hai The purpose of life is to live to your potential, and give of yourself to others. This does not mean you give yourself to a blonde chammak challo, but it means using what you have – whether it’s resources or your time – to help those who have less than you. And when you can make a difference to someone else’s life, and when you can make someone else’s life much better, only then can you feel that you have achieved your goals. This is what your mardangi should be about, and definitely not about how many ways you can get chikni chameli to tell you that you are the best.

Bhullar and Jaypee Group Joint Venture

Bhullar and Jaypee Group have signed a 50-50 Joint Venture to establish 20 vocational training centre’s in India. These will be established at a cost of US400 M over 5 years.

The project have the blessing of founder chairman Shri Jaiprakash Gaur. As a matter of fact the first centre at Chitta (UP) is the birth place of founder chairman of Jaypee Group.

Now local students will be able to access International Qualifications without leaving India from these institutes.

Set on 28 acres 1and half hour drive from Greator Nodia in UP, the facility is Most Advanced and the largest International Vocational Training facility in India, which came at a cost of Rs100 Crore.

This training institute will deliver internationally (Australian) recognized courses in India.

Arrival of guests for inauguration

The institutions will run under the name of XLTJAYPEE International Engineering & Vocational Centre. XLT is a registered RTO in Australia

XLT Institute of Welding Engineering and Technology is a multi award winning and internationally recognised organisation specialising in the delivery of customised engineering, construction, and safety training, as well as consultancy services.

XLT has proudly been servicing the Mining, Engineering, Petro Chemical, Marine/Maritime, Oil & Gas (On-shore/Off-shore), Defence, Refining, Building & Construction, and Light/General/Heavy Engineering industries worldwide for over 20 years

Bhullar and Jaypee Group are setting up another 4 facilities this financial year including one in Noida in sector 128. 3 University campuses are also under construction including 60 acres in Anoopshahr (UP), 120 acres in Ahmedabad and 150 acres in Guna (MP).

Under the MOU 500000 people will be skilled at these facilities, contributing to the target set by NSDC.

MOU has been signed at Australia India Skills Conference held at Perth on the 10 of July in the presence of The Hon Chris Evans (Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science & Research).

The official signing was witnessed by 300 plus delegates representing Australia and India in one of the biggest Vocational Training Initiatives lead by Mr Dilip Chenoy (CEO) National Skill Development Corporation.

This joint venture also sets the strategic bilateral education partnership between Australia and India and we hold the position of a leader in Vocational Education & Training in India.

www.xltjaypee.co.in

Shri Jaiprakash Gaur (middle)

From left Rekha Dixit, Janelle Dowall, Mr Clive Langley, Mr Monoj Gaur, Mr Sunil Sharma, Mr Michael Bhullar, Mr Ranjit Bhullar (28 Acre Campus)

Mr Dilip Chenoy on the right (CEO/MD NSDC)

Mr Monoj Gaur (executive Chairman Jaypee Group) ,Mr Michael Bhullar (MD& CEO) Bhullar Educational Service & Mr Ranjit Bhullar (MD) Bhullar Steel

First centre was inaugurated on the 9th of February at Chitta (UP).

Professional