2012-12 Brisbane

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The more things change,

the more they remain the same

As we head into the final monch for 2012, it is perhaps a good time to take stock of the year about to pass.

For the Indian commtmicy in Australia, this time last year there was a b u zz in the air with the much awaited arrival of the lndian cricket team Team B lue did arrive down under but rather than the tigers of world of cricket, they were more like lamb who were s laughtered b y a mechanical and professional Australian cricket team. Their pathetic display on the fiel d - and arrogance off it - made it all a sad epi sode indeed for cricket lovers from the sub continent. As we go to prim, the lndian cr icket team has just been th rashed in India by E n gland by 10 wicke ts. The problem it seems, dear friends, L~ not in our stars bur in ourselves that we are underli n gs, to paraphrase a well known saying Aging scars, lack of visio n b y decisio n makers and impotent attitudes by people who matter, are all part of the decar And yes, chis can be carried across co the politics of India. le has been a yea r when the common man has become shriller in bis demands for

8

the Indian politicians to clean up their act. Prime J\,linister Manmoha.n Singb feamred on the cover of the influential Time magazine as a leader without a \Tisio n. \Vbile tbe Indian media reacted i n its predictab le way by featuring US P resident Ba.rack Obama on its cover as a u seless lead er, the point stiJJ is that India with all its promises has consistently failed to reach the heights which it has d1e potential for With GDP growth declining, and in fl ation h igh, the onl y money being made is b y the politicians In spice of top rating television shows o n social issues by well- respected film maker Aamir Khan, it seems that there i s no desire by the powers- that-be co create any effective change Ir is ove r two years since the sagas of Commonwealth Games corruption scandals surfaced; tl1ere is still co be any punishment meted om to the guilty parties who brou ght so much s ham e on the nation

In Australia, the strength of the Ind ian community is being noted and politicians are falling over each other to be present at Tndia-cencric functions. From tl1e Federal side, both Prime Minister Gillard a nd Opposition leader Abbott are playi ng tag with each other. As soon as one confirms their attendance for a function, the other also finds time to be availab le for the function. Stace Premiers in the two big states of Victoria and ew South \l(laJes also attend community functions

regul arly, and trade missions to India a.re tbe flavour of tl1e year as tl, ey work hard to draw out Indian investment to their state The Indian community, while enjoying the p hotograph ic opportunities w ith tl1e leaders, has not been ab le to gee access to their wailers to obtain fund ing for projects which can help tl1e local community. Perhaps with d1e el ections due in 2013 , tl1e Indian local leaders can lay tl1e r ight groundwork w ith the political leaders to make gra nd announcements at their functions. For tl1e Australian Indian community, 2012 was a year in which we continued our growd1 as a community. While numbers of students were down and businesses catering co them s u ffered, d1ere was an influx of professionals on 457 v isas as the governmen t worked hard to fiJJ in the skills gaps. We continued with our massiYe Holi and D iwali celebrations; overseas singer s and stars came to entertai n us; talk fests wid1 visiting inceUecmals took place; local music and dance performances k ept the e n tertainment levels high Community groups mutated and new associations were formed, presidents and leaders in some changed, in others they clung to d1eir positions co continue with their claim to fame.

Yes, the more things change , the more d1ey remain the same.

rqo1ct' 1n 11.1pp1nes~ f. 111d1Jrge 111 celt·1>ra11on.

Salultng the ones who made 11 po5s1ble

Who made lnd,a stand high & mighty.

Let's make them our ,nsp,rat,on

Vishma

our at

1n uare

Brisbane discovers the joy of Diwali through day-long celebrations of the festival

As Indians ail over t h e world celebrated the Festival of Lights, Brisbane rook to the stage with its own Diwali celebrations.

Diwali or Deepavali is a fiveday festival, and symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. Diwali commemorates the auspicious day when Lord Ram remrned wid1 Sita and Laxman to the kingdom of Ayodhya after 14 years of exile, vanquishing d1e evil king Raavan.

Organised by the Federation of Indian Communities Queensland (FlCQ) and supported by Brisbane City Council,

Queensland Government, Springfield Land Corporation and Adaui i'vlining Group, rue Indian Festival of Lights was held at King George Square in the heart of the Brisbane city, on November 2, from "11am to 11pm.

As the Diwali festivities took centrestage caking over the entire city for the day, King Geo rge Square was transformed into an outdoo.r auditorirnn, with hundreds of chairs centrally lined up with the stage in focus. Stalls bordering on either side sold everything from vibra n t outfits and cable TV to food stalls offering an array of exquisite, mourh-watering ly delicious lndian food.

Bollywood melodies boomed through the air, even through the aisles of the Queen Street mail.

When the festivities began, ilie day provided endless emettainment with a range

of dance performances like Bollywood, ka rh ak, classical, bh aratnatyam, Assamese folk dances and bhangra.

The program also included a 'welcome to land' prayer recited by an Indigenous elder, speeches by Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor of Brisbane; federal i\lIPs Bernie R ipoll and l'v[s Gambaro; Archana Singh, cbe Indian Honorary Consulate; and Samir Vora, CEO Adnani Mining Pry Ltd

A highlight was the honouring of the Queensland Premier Campbell Newman as die 'Honorary Indian of the Year' fo r die state of Queensland. He received a plaque and a sill, scarf in trne lnclian tradition.

One o f the key orgauisers of the event, Dr P Naidu Bodapati, President of FICQ spoke to Jndidn Link abom the event.

"Th e Indian Festi\Tal of Lights is an event we hold every

year r.ight here in the centre of Brisbane to celeb rate me festival o f Diwali, and each )' ear it gets bigger and bigger!" he said.

"As d1e day progresses and people co m e and go, we expect a mrnour of approximately 20,000 people throughout me day. Gene rall y it gets nmch b u si er after 5pm, and that's when v is itors gee a true feel of die festivities," added Dr Bodapati.

As evening came ro d1e city, as promised, the grounds became busier as people on their way h ome wandered over to view the festi,Tities w id1 awe. The atmosphere was filled with a joyous buzz as people gOL into the full swing of the event, enjoying d1e entertainment and in dulging in mouth -waterin g Indian de licacies!

The Indian Festival of Lights in Brisbane was indeed a ce lebration away from home, a day filled widi festive Joy!

(L-R): Lila Pratap (Wom en 's Committee Chair Person), Varad Raval (PRO), Dr. Naidu Bodapati ( President FICQ), Surendra Prasad (Patron), Jim Varghese (Patron), Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda (Vice-President), Premier Campbell Newman (Honorary Indian of the Year), Paramjit Sarai (Vice-President), Dr. Maha Sinnathamby (Patron).

Did you hold a student visa on 8 February 201 O?

If this visa was a subclass 572, 573 or 574 visa and your studies end soon, you need to think about your plans now.

This may i nclude choosing to return home or to apply for another Australian visa to study, work or travel. Remember that you must have a valid visa to stay in Austral i a Time is running out to apply for t r ansitiona l arrangements to work or study.

Applications close 31 December 2012.

Don' t miss out. To find out more, visit www.immi.gov au/students/8-feb-students

SIMPLY THE BEST RATES

1n

Capt. Sandeep Bhagat

Pack small, pack light, cake only what you need, know where everythi ng is so that you can reach for it in the dark, repack everything. As Captain Dr Sandeep Bhagat was crossing off the list of things he needed to cake to his deployment in Afghanistan, the mundane was being mulled over with some real concerns Is it safe? WiU the family manage? Who will cake care of them? \,Vhat i f ?

All of these were very valid questio ns for a 37-year-old happily married father of two children who chose to join the Australian Army, and was off to do a stint in the war zone. As a qualified medical practitioner and palliative care specialist, Capt Bhagat was required co treat military per sonnel, civilians and Afghans in Tarin Kowt for two months, followed b y a four month stint recentl y in the UAE and Kabul.

Ir m ay be difficult for many to understand, but Capt Bhagat was glad tO go there. Experiences like these were the .reason be jo ined the Army Rese r ve.

"!vfy deployments gave me an enormous sense of adventure and a great opportunity to work with people from all walks of life," said Capt Bhagat as he explained the reasons behind his readiness to work in tlus poten ciaJ!y hazardous envtronme n t. "I bave always had a penchant for uniforms, it could be the influence of m y grand father who served in the Ind ian Army in World War n, or m y relatives who chose the army as a profession"

Bei ng a Punjabi son, his inspiration comes from the Sikh Gurus, espec iall y determination and the sense of sacrtfice for others.

"It could also be due to the rraining l received as a cadet, in the prestigious Sainik School in Kapurthala, Punjab. I have always wanted to serve the nation I migrated ro Australia 12 years ago and went th.rough the initial settling-in period, bur I always knew l would end up in this uniform that is m y pride and joy.

1t is m y privilege to be able co the se rve my adopted countr y both as a practicing doctor and as an Army Captain," added Capt Bhagat with conviction.

"Like so man y hard working lndi ans in Australia, our deeds bring respect co o ur motherland as well as the country we call our home now," he sca red.

As I spoke co Capt Bhagat in

the comfort of his lounge, he came across as an everyday family man who likes to play cricket with his two sons. As his story unfolded 1 saw the grit and determination that earned him the name 'RocketPocket' from hi s army mates.

"Mos t of the men I work with are bigger and taller than me," he said disarmingly, adding, " I am not in the least b it daunted by tlus, though! I have a very srrong physical Jimess regin1e char holds me in good stead along with a seriously competitive streak that I developed during my days LO Saini.k Schoo l. I rend to be the first to clear most of the obstacle courses designed to test us, hence the nickname".

Capt Bhagat, who has just remrned from the Ivf.iddle East Area of Operation of the Australian Defe nce Force (ADF), hails from the state of Punjab in India. He was born in Jalandhar and went to a boarding school in Kapurthala at the age of 10, going through strict mili ta1.-y regimental schooling for the next 7 years. After his schooling be comp le ted his MBBS from Government 1v[edical College in Amritsar, and w ithin five month s of acquiring his medical degree , Capt B h agat left India to live in Hamilton, New Zealand where his bride Harvinder (Rosy) bad family connection s TI1e young

An enterprising doctor and inspirational individual carries forward the family legacy of bravery and honour

doctor was keen on doi ng medical research and M elbour n e appealed co him as a place chat offered more potentllll in the medical field as welJ as a mul ticultural environment.

Capt Bhagat com pleted his GP training and got his first break as an advanced academic registrar at Monash U niveq;icy, a prestigious funded position towards medical academics and research. He started his own practice in Drouin in West Gippsland. Bue as he always had a passion for caring fo r the frail and elderly, Capt Bhagat left general practice to undertake specialist physici an training in palliative care.

"The more you do palliative care, the more you love it It is a very nob le and humbling experience. I got interested in palliative care after a visit co an aged care centre as a GP. There I met a 94- year-old man from Br itain whose inspiring storr changed my mindset," he continued.

"This retired .Major who had served in the British Army at Amritsar reminded me of m y grandfather. The genuine wishes and b lessings drnt you get from the people who are affected and their families are dungs that money can never buy," s hared Capt Bhagat who is currently working as a Consultant in Palliati,7 e Medicine-Eastern Health and as a Sessional Primary Care Consultant in Dandenong Hospi tal ED.

Talking about his recent dep loyment in Afghanistan, Capt Bhagat claimed that bulJets and bombs don't discriminate.

"A.s a combat doctor, om skills are required to cure a common cold or simpl e ailmen t, to serious blast in juries. IEDs or home-made

destructive devices cau se injuries to everyone, including their own people. le is horrific co see the destruction espec iaUy when ic affects local children an d women," said Capt Bhagat as he shared his personal encounters during his time in Tar in Kowt previous ly, and in the Middle Eas t and Kabul recently.

Describing bis soujourn in Afghanistan Cape Bhagat said, " I will not go into specifics however in Afghanistan a typical day for us was very busy. Work days began at 0530 witl1 morning PT, and we would fini s h nor before 2300. As a doctor my day was fiUed with common ge neral practice type issues, along with creating war injuries in volving locals and coalition soldiers. W/e mainl y stayed in the camp bur we had opportunities co go out as weU. Afghani workers on the base were very respecrti.1! especialJy when th ey l earned I could communicate in Urdu. They have a special regard for Punjabis and Sikhs My leisure hours were fiUed with exercise and more exercise, or chatting with m y ream mates. l spo ke to m y family once a week, sometimes more".

And what was his most memorable e._x"Perience?

"There were lots of experiences char: I cannot elaborate on, however the most memorable ones were when I could s erve our bard working diggers".

A question that he is often asked is, was he ever scared for bi s life?

"My answer to that is, if I was, I wouldn't have gone for the second time and I wouldn't have offered m ys elf for the third rour "

He added after a thoughtful pause, "I do understand the dangers, though".

With an impressive list of credentials co hi s name, Capt Bhagat was awarded the .Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition .Against Terrorism (ICAT) Clasp, Afghanistan Campaign Medal and NATO Medal with International Securi ty Assistance Force Clasp by t he ADF between 201 1- 2012.

Capt Bhagat has served on the board of many medical and educational bodies and advisory commircees. Desp ite all his commitments, he is also involved in improving the care of patients dying w itl1 advanced w'U1cers in lndia, as a member of Australasia Palliative Link (A PLl)'s Ha.mrahi Project. As part of their commitment to the cause, participating doccors provide free mentorship to Indian doctors caring for patients with advance cancers and ill nesses in India. The)' also hose visiting doctors from India to gain experience in managing pain management of advanced cancers

When asked how be gees the time and energ)' co be i nvolved with defence, medicine, altruism and stilJ find time for family, Capt Bhagat shrugs philosophicalJy. ·'J believe in the ancient adage: 'Do all the good you can, by aU the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places yo u can, at al] the times you can, to everyone you can'. As a doctor I am fortunate enough to be able to offer comfort, and as a defence personnel I am brave enough to stand against chalJenge and controversy These to me are the ultimate measure of a man in uniform, and that is why if I am offered another opportunity to serve in Afglrnoistao the amwer will be 'yes' al1 over again," he says confidently.

Australia's earliest international student

An octogenarian UNSW alumni returns to Sydney and shares his experiences of life as a student

-; BY 1 JYOTI , SHANKAR

Sixty years ago when I boarded a BOAC Skymaster fl ight for Sydney I had m y one newl y- tail ored blue suit in my bag and very litcle idea of Australia, beyond an excited sense of o ptimism for what cl1e furure might ho l.d. I'd never before left Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and, of course, I'd never been on a plane. I had grown up io a rural vil lage where we rook cl1e buggy carr to school. And I hadn't had much rime co get used to the idea either. \Xfhen the teleg ram delivery boy tracked me d own on his bicycle at a tennis court in Colombo in 1952, I tore cl1e envelope open to discover m y application for one of cl1e ver y first Australian 1miversity schol arsbips for students had been successful and that I'd be leaving for fi ve years w ithin a fortnight."

This is 82-year- o ld Tennyson Rodrigo reminiscing about his journey to Australia as one of this country's earliest i.urernarional students, who came here under the 'Col ombo Plan'. He returned to Sydney last month on a special inv ite co attend a g ala dinner at his alma mater, ilie U ni versity of New South Wales. U SW itself has come a long way from the makeshift corrugated- iro n classrooms of Tennyso n's da ) 7 S to one of Ausn:a lia's premi er educational instin1tions with state-of- the-art buildings and programs. The Colombo Plan , under whose aegis Tennyso n came to Sydney, has since bro ught over 20,000 students into the cow1try, changing cl1eir lives forever and making a substantial impact boili locaUy and in their home countries

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell delivered the keynote address o n international education at che 60-year retmion on November 22 co an audience chat included Colombo Plan alumni daring back to the first year of ilie scheme in 1952. Tenn yso n was cl1e only person the}' could trace back from cl1at year.

ln the fi fries, after the Second World War ended, countries were

Tennyson Rodrigo in 1953, and (top right) in 2012

Right: Rodrigo's special talents made him a mini celebrity

comi ng out of their colonial shackles and tr yi ng ro rebuild their economies The White Australia policy was slowly being dismantled. Australia wanted t o move al1ead, change perceptions and engage i n a meaningful Souili-South cooperation. At che Commonwealth Conference of Foreign Ministers held in Colombo in January 1950, me

Colombo P lan was formulated ro strengthen ilie economic and social development of the countries in che reg ion, and promote the transfer and sharing of techno logy and developmental expe r iences. Original signarories to the Plan were Australia, Canada, Ceyl on, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Malaya aod North Borneo, bur later the membership expanded co 25 countrie s

Tenn yso n won one of the first Colombo P lan scholarships to stud y chemical engin eering, a nd at 22, found hu.1.1self bound for Sydney. Everything was new and different. i\filkshakes and baked beans o n toast soon became part of his diet. He soon discovered that his tailored suit w ith its huge lapels wasn't quite right, so he saved up bis allowance to buy a blue pin-striped suit from Gowings which helped him sail

through the next five years.

" There were plenl:)1 of other new arrivals on campus, moscly Europeans in ilie first wave of post-war migration, but 1 did n ot encolmter racism ," recalls Tennyson "Some looked at me strangely but not with hostility, often disp laying a genuine curiosil:)• about Asian cultures".

Brown -skinned people were rare those days and Tenny so n so(.)n became a mini celebi~ry with his musical talents on the sitar, violin and tabla. The .fydmy 11,foming Herald nm a front- page picture of bim attending a ball. He was invited b y ABC Radio to p lay the sitar and featured on the cover of /IBC lf'eek,& The L1dian High Commissioner, KC Sengupta's wife Manjnla was accomplisbed in Rabindra Sangeet and Tennyso n was ofte n called Ltpon to accompirny her with his instruments.

His association with the Indian community was strong during his stay in Sydney, and he fondly recaUs cl1e s taging o f tl1e Tagore dance drama Chitmngadha wicb a

have gone on to occupy important positions in ilieir countries and have clone tl1eir b it to promote a mutual understanding of cultures, ilius becoming de - facto ambassadors for Australia Pas t Colombo Plan scholars include Baburam Bhattarai, the current Prime Minister of Nepal; M. J Perera, the first Director General of Radi o Cey lon, cl1e oldest radio station of South Asia; and Khaw Boon \Van, ilie current Minister for National Development i n Singapore. When asked if he ever thought of migrating co Australia, Tennyso n replies clrnt he never considered this m ove. The Sri La.nkan government had him sign a bond cl1at was assured by a famil y friend, to ensure his return after completion of hi s

H,i <, r\ ' "1ts ~ 5-year stu dv. That was not what ',I -'// ' 'I' ,;2 cook him back, hut a sense '• J&t /' of respo nsibilil:)' for

L}l<'IJ nation building. f-le returned co a job as 'temporary ass istant engineer' in Ceylon's @ public service on a salary 'k~i, "•-:,,~:1:-:: equivalent to $2 a month , Ss1'ft,~· - ~ but rose through the ranks ' Vt ' co set up and manage two ,'t• ___., of Sri Lanka's largest industrial ~,~7,•:,_,, projects: its first oil refinery

", and its first nitrogenous fertiliser ;:,, JJLant. Later Tennyso n took up .....:.., ..., senior positions in banking, consulting and industry. He has cast of Australian, Sri Lankan and Indian students. They li ved at the International Friendship Centre at Drummoyne, which became a little microcosm of cultures

"The mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Pak istani, Nepali, Filipino, Indonesian, Fijian, Papuan and oilier students, as well as their different re ligions, was itse lf unusual in Australia," says Tenn yso n.

He i s now pleased to see how multiculturalism is such an integral part of Australian society cl1ese days \lifhen leaving, he was presented with a boo k about Kangra Valley paintings of India by ilie then Secretary of the Indian Association as a parting gift, and he cherishes ilie book even to day

The Co lombo Plan graduates

continued to live in Co lombo with hi s wife co this day, occasionally visiting bis old friends in Australia and India.

Latel y, with the release of the Asian Century white paper, there has been much talk about reviving cl1e p lan with Australian students smdying in Asian countries as well, and time is no t a bad idea as cl1e equation has now changed. Developing c ountr.ies have a lot to offer too, and a mutually symbiotic relationship would go a long way to promote world peace and development. Tennyson says, '1 have always tl1ought of myself as lucky, rather than especially talented. I felt clrnt good fornme when that telegram arrived. Ne ither of m y parents had been co Lmivers i ty, so 1 was the first. My failier was a good man, but rather taciturn However, on that day l could see rhe pride in his eyes."

H e is happ y that Australia has moved away from i t~ insul ar "i'.v'hite Australia' ouclook since.

Ratan Tata conferred UNSW's highest award

Rac,~ ;ata, chai_rman ~f Inrua s Jargest mdustrtal conglomerate, the Tata group, was conferred with Doctor o f Business Honoris Causa by the Unive rsity of New South Wales in late November.

David Gonski, the university's Chancellor awarded the degree in a g li ttering ceremon y that was so well -attended b y d1e alumni and d1e Australian-Indian community, the nniversicy bad to change the ve nue to the largest auditorimu on campus, which was filled beyo nd capacity.

Fred Hilmer, d1e universi ty's Vice Chancellor, read a citation thac eulogized Ratan Tata's contribution in service co cbe global community via adva ncement in technology, innova tion and higher education. His hallmark was listed as his willi ngness to pursue bold ideas such as the law1eh of lndica, the people's car in 1998; ano, d1e $2000 car; the wave of acquisitions that include Jaguar, Land Rover and Corns; and his successful campaign i n modernising the Tata Group. He was Forbes As.ia Businessman of the Year 2004 But the highest praise was reserved for his philanthropic activities. His family has been known to distribuce d1eir weald1 co dozens of medical , educational and social causes, and Ratan Tara bas accelerated the trend.

The formal ceremony was followed b y d1e Wallace Wurd1 leccure, as part of which Tata was interviewed by bod1 David Gonski and Fred Hilmer.

Talking abouc the Tata busin ess dynasty char goes back ro its founrung in 1860, be talked about his unplanned entry into business

He had graduated as an architect and was working as o ne in Los Angeles when he was called back and asked ro join rlle group. He worked for about 9 years on die coalface of business in rlle iron and steel works.

" Shovelling limestone on d1e production floor was a greac levelJe.r," recalled die famil y heir.

Tara acknowledged that while he was initially pushed into the business b y bis family, it later became meaningfol as he realised what he could achieve for the greater good of soc iety through d1e business.

Talking o f mentors, he mentioned JRD Tata, from whom he inherited dle Tata

empire. They had a common love of aviation. He also mentioned Dr Bose, the owner of Lhe legendary audio company.

He listed his biggest achieve ment as streamlining me group.

W'hen he inhe1fred the group in 1991, me Tata Group was a loose confederation of over 300 companies mar he cons o lidated into 9 major groups. One of the major initiatives mat he used was to bu ild a common identity for the g roup companies on me basis of quality and common standards.

His b iggest contribution is leading d1e group from a conservati ve to a growth -oriented business group

Ratan Tata has helped me group hold on to dle values and ernics as the cornerstone of mis empire.

He was proud d1ac in an age of deteriorating values, he bas kept the group fumJy on the side of integrity. "~vfy goal was d1at we will not succwnb to any corruption; I wamed to go home at night and be proud of what we had done," he said, sharing hjs personal ideals wirn me rapt audience.

Only 2% of di e group is owned by me famil y, and the rest of the equity is held by vario u s cl1aricable trusts. Tata received immeas urable satisfaction in continuing the trarution of caring for the communities in which d1ey operate.

TaU<lng abouc d1e AustraliaIndia business and economic relationship, he mentioned drnt

Chancellor David Gonski

Australia has developed advanced technology in many areas, and India seeks some of it. In return , Australian business could rap inro the 350 millio n (soon to be 500600 million) strong midclle clas s He emphas ized th e role of s n1dencs in builrung bonds between cotrntries, going back to his fondness for the USA after he sturued and briefly worked mere. Free trade agreement, exchange of smdems and internship s is his three-pronged solution to puc our bilateral relationship to rlle next level.

Tam answered questions from rlle audience w id1 a great sense of htrn1our d1at had the audience in splits several times. He shared his le arning, views and opinions on a range of subjects from busi ness, democracy, role of women,

education ere He asked young people, especially women , to get the best possible education and ro hold their ideals high in d1eir career, and this will lead to success He also acknowledged th at meritocracy was more important in die world rather than concept of quocas; quotas can create rusadvanraged groups out of advantaged groups, he said.

The conferral of U NSW's highest award ro Ratan Tata is an apt conclusion to an illustrious career during which he revi ved India's most respected industrial group and continued to shine a light for India's entrepreneurs and business people, on hmv to uphold values and work for society's greater good Ratan Tara retires on December 28.

A respected industrialist and philanthropist, success has always been about the betterment of society for Tata

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For food and health and happy days receive our gratitude and praise

It was a spectacular start to the Gujarati New Year at the BA PS Shree Swaminarayan event mid last month at Macgregor Primar y School, Macgregor.

Immediately following Diwali, the Annakut ceremony saw in the new year with a traditional offering of food to the deities 'An.nakuc' li ter,'l.lly means 'a mo Lmtain of food', and that is pretty much what it was, with nearl y 1200 indiv id ual dishes prepared lovingl y b y the congregation.

Following custom, the food - all vegetarian, of course - was arranged in tiers or steps in front of the deities, including Lo rd Krishna and Lord Swaminarayan. The food items ranged from traditional vegetable preparations and curries from all regions of India co desserts such as cakes, ice creams and puddings. There we re

soups and fresh Jtiices; sweets and savouries, bakery items such as biscuits and breads; decorativdy carved fresh fnuts and freshly prepared salads, and man y other ite m s

More than 50 vol unteers, men and women, bad worked diligently co prepare the food and decorations, w h ich were arranged artistically

It created a stunning display, \Vith lighting and decoration, and remained exhibited for 'darsh,111' After prayers, tl1e food was distributed to all members of the congregaaon.

Essentially, Annakut is a way of offering thanks to God for the comforts in our lives, and as such, is a great way of commencing the new year. If you are happy and peaceful on this day, it is believed, peace and happiness win be yours for the entire year.

Devotees sang the 'thoot, whicb incl udes kirtom (hymns) listing and g lorifying the food items, presented rhythmically, as weU as hymns requesting the deities to accept the offerings a nd partake of them This was followed by Arti, Annakut darshan and Mahaprasad.

The event was graced by two BAPS (Hi n du monks),Jnanpurush Swami and Adarshrnuni Swami, who travel extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific for spir itual and moral up lift. Th e two - h o ur long programme was nicely balanced with blissful bhrgons, orti, p1yo, discourses, a cultural drama and a video presentation of the Diwali celebration w ith His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Amdavad, In dia.

The tradi tion bas become a Swaminarayan mainstay all over tl1e world. In most displays, tl1e

sweets are seen placed closest to the deities Often a mound of cooked rice is placed in the cen ere. The mountain symbolism is dsewhere in the layout of the food as well - the mithoi (sweetmeats) are u sually stacked up in circular tower-like arrangements.

Legend h as it that it .is Mt. Govardhan that is symbolized here. In one of the tales pertaining co Lord Krishna (the 'Govardhan Leela'), it is believed that Krishna had once lifted up the entire monntain and held it balanced on hi s little finger, to shel te r the people of Vraj. Indra, the God of the Heavens, prone to egoistic ta n trums, had unleashed a massive storm on the township of Vraj, incensed at its resid ents for honouring Krishna more than his own self. Krishna, wiili the help of ]\,fr Govardhan, sheltered tl1e people of Vraj for seve n

days, until Indra relented. When the people thanked Krishna , he said they should pay obeisance to Govard han Nath instead Anotl1er belief is that J\nnakut symbolizes the offering to God of the first harve st, and then distributing it to all. As each family added co the offering, the pile took the form of a mountain.

Whatever the symbolisms and legend s behind the tradition, the m essage essentially is generosity and welfare work, and is a joyful start co the Gujarati new yearVikram Samvat 2069, according co the Hindu calendar.

The BAPS cormmmity in Brisbane meets every Sunday from 5.00 pm to 7.00 pm at Macgregor State High School Macgregot; 29 Black wattle St (end of Wadley St.), Macgreg01; QLD, 4109 Details Suresh Patel 07 3299-2929 or 0487 I BO 000.

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Gujral: Gentleman politician

who sought peace with neighbours

Inder Kumar Gujral was India's prime minister for a brief 11 month s in 199798. Bur the mild -mannered , soft- spoken politic ian, whose personality Aew agains t the political archetype, w ill be remembered primarily for his keen interest in p rotecting and promoting India's external interests and the eponymous Gujral Doctrine - his ma n tra for India's n eig h bo urhood polic y when he was external affairs minister twice i n a decade.

Tbe quintessential Congress m e mber who late r left the party to join the Janata Dal after differences with fo rmer prime minister J ndira Gandhi over her auroc.ratic ways, Gujral died this month at the age of 93, as qui etly and gracefull y as he had exited the political stage rwo decades ago.

In a way reAecti ve of the man, who came to Delhi from Paki stan in t he traumatic post- partition period, the Gu jral Doctrine advocated m agnanimity towards small neighbours in d1e interest of regional peace and progress.

"The logic behind the Gujral Doctrine was chat since we had to face two hostile neigh b ours in the north and the west, we bad to be at 'to tal peace' w i th all o cher immediate neig hbours in orde r co contain Pakistan's and China's influence in the region," said Gujral in his autobiography i\tl.atters of Discretion

Derided as a weak and conciliatory polic y at the time when recip rocity was sti ll rhe ruling mantra at South Block, the principl e was nevertheless carried forwa rd by successive governments It helped change

mindsets and improved fodia's ties with irs neighbollrs through d1e years

Gujral s aid: "Wh en I finally demitced office (as prime minister) in March 1998, I had the s atisfaction char Ind ia's relations with aU its neighboms were no t o n l)' very healthy bur als o, to a large exte n t, the elements o f misCTust and suspici on had evaporated "

Gu jral headed the external affairs ministry tl1rm1gh two crucial perio d s (198990 and 1996- 97) under first prime minis te r V.P Singh and tl1en H.D. Deve Gowda. He help ed steer J ndia throu gh the crises of the early 1990s, when India was making the difficult adjustme n t to the end of the Soviet Union, a nd the oil shock administered br Iraq's invasion of Ku wait (both important oil .s uppliers to India)

T he Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was being nego tiated during his seco nd term and bis peri od as prime ministe r. Despite strong i nternational pressure, India refused ro sign the unequal trea ty as banning futme tests would have closed India's nuclear option.

The invasion of Kuwait n ot o nly di srupted India's o il suppli es but, more imponantly, left almost 200,000 Indians stran ded in tl1e region. Guj ral flew co Moscow, Washingto n and Baghdad and obtained assurances o n o il supplies from Moscow: In Bag hdad he was greeted by Jraq i president Saddam Hussain with a hug. Gujral was pilloried by t he Wes t ern and sections of the Indian media for tl1at but tl1e visit ensured char rhe Indians stranded in Baghdad and Kuwait were allowed to be evacuated w hen "others were being held as g u ests".

Gujral re,7 ealed in h is autobiograph y that in the general elections after th e fuse N DA governmem led by Acal Biha ri Vajpayee fell by just one vo te in parliamen t, Congress pres ident So nia Gandhi offe red him a Congress n omi nation for the polls.

"ln case, 1 did no t wish to contest, she told m e that she would back my entry to the Rajya Sabha H oweve r, I decided tha t having he ld the po sition of the prime minister o f lndia , I mu st refrain from switch ing parties and call it a day gra cefull y."

lnder Gujral was born Dec 4, 1919 in the town of Jhelum o n die banks of d1e river of the s ame name, now in Pakistan. His parents were freed o m fighters and members of the Congress but Gujral was drawn to the students' wing of the Co mmunist Party of India.

He was sent to L ahore Borastal Jail for organising a demonstration.

Gujral came co D elhi after the l 947 partitio n and got i nvolved in local po li tics, becoming closer to d1e Congress. Tn 1964 he was elected to the Raj ya Sabha wi tl1 lnclira Ga nd hi's backing Thre e years later , in 1967, s he made hi m mini ste r of state for parliamentary affairs and communications

W h en E merge nc y was imposed in 1975, he was the i n formation and broadcasting minister. Bur he soon fell foul of Sanjay Ga ndhi and was relegated co the planning minis try When his Ra jya Sab ha term end ed a year lacer, L1dira Gandhi sent him co Moscow as India's ambassador (1976- 80) "si nce he refused to bow down to the d e facto powers (read Sanjay Gand hi)".

He left th e Congress after h is stint in Moscow, lacer joining die anti -Congress Janata Dal. He was elected to the Lok Sabha

fo r the first time in 1989 &om Jalandhar in PLm jab, re -e lected in 1998 when he was interim prime minister but he decided not to contest the 1999 elections, choosi ng t o retire from electoral politics

He spent his last decade wri ting and speaking largely on foreign policy issues and was much sou g ht after in inteUectual and academic drcl es

China's naval modernisation a 'major, major concern' : Indian navy chief

Against the backdrop of Be ijing's asserti veness in South China Sea, India's navy chief in a t o ugh message early December said tl1e rapid modernisation o f rh e Chinese Navy is a "majo r, m a jor cause for conc ern" and declared su pport for an Indian firm's oil interest in the contested waters

Navy chief Admiral D. K. J oshi robustly defended freedom of navigation a nd w1derlin ed that d1e force was read y to protect the cou n try's assets i n the mai:itirne domain

T h e navy chief's remarks came on a day when ational Securi ty Adviser Shivshan.kar Menon is in Beijing to hold tal ks w ith China's influential sta te councillo r Dai Bingguo, Beij ing's chi ef pointsperson for boundary talks

" The moderni sation (of Chinese N avy) is trul y imp ressive It is actually a m a jor, major ca u se of concern for us, which we c o nrinuOL1 sly e\Taluare and work out our options a nd o m strategies," Admiral Joshi told repo r ters at the Navy Day p ress conference.

With an assertive China flexing its muscle s in Soum China Sea, he also stressed char d1e Indian Navy will protect O GC Videsh's investments in oil blocks off d1e coast of Vietnam.

" Our primary concern is freedom o f n avigation The ONGC also has blocks in die South China Sea. The navy is here to protect our interests in the maritime domain," he said.

"The Somh China Sea is a complex i ssue. \Xle are not a direct par ty. No teri:irorial interest is there for us," Jos hi mid reporters here to qu eries abom recent Chinese activities in the South Chin a Sea.

" In certain sectors ONGC Videsh has ce r tain interests le has energy exploration b locks, d1ree in number, and sinc e it is an area of fodian inte rest the Inclian Navy, should there be a need, would stand by," he said.

"Nor that we expect co be in those waters very, very frequen tl y, b m when the requirement is there for situations w here the country's interests are invo lved, fo r example ONGC Videsb, we will be required to go there and we are p r epared fo r that.

"Are we holding exercises for drnr narnre?

The shore answer is 'yes' "

Joshi also rn1de rlined that d is putes over freedom of navigation and territor )' within the South China Sea must be resol ved w id1.in the ambit of internati o nal treaties.

"Not only us, but everyone is of tl1e view char d1ey have co be reso lved by the parties concerned, aligned w ith the internatio nal regi me, wh ich is outlin ed in UN CLOS (U nited Nati.ons Convention on the Law of t h e Sea), that i s our fi r st requi remen t ," he said.

China's mas sive m ilitary build- up in recent years has evoked much concern among strategic circles in India.

Gurvinder Singh Chandi of India ( rear) passes the ball between the legs of Muhammad Rizwan of Pakistan (front) during their match on t he final day of the International Super Series hockey tournament in Perth on Nov 25, 2012. Hosts Australia beat England to win the tournament, a lead up to the Champions Trophy which starte d in Melbourne on Dec 1

"The accretion o f trans - bo rder military capability by China is a matter o f legitimate concern for India," C. Uday Bhaskar, a strategic expert at the Society for Po licy Studies, a think tank, told IANS Bhaskar stressed that while China does not pose an immediate threat to India's interests, the Chinese modernisation needs to be monitored carefuUy.

China's military budget ha s reco rded a major upswing, and has officially couched $106 billion in 2012.

With an evolving strategic enviconmem on m ind,Joshi focused on scaling up the lndian Navy's capabilities and spurring the modernisation of the naval infrastructure to meet a host of chall enges.

"11odernisation and enhancemenc of the Navy's capabilities is an ongoing process, to meet emerging maritime challenges/ threats. These include aircraft carriers, stealth fr igates, destroyers, corvettes, amphibious ships a nd submarines."

"The Indian r avy would also be inducting state-of- the-art aiccraft and helicopters co augment our snrveiUance and integral aviation capabilities," he said

More glamour than business at fashion week

From Indian names including Zeenat Aman, Bipasha Basu, Genelia D'Souza, Shazahn Padamsee to international fashion icons like Paris Hilton, Miss Paraguay Lery n Franco and Nicole Huber, the second edirion of India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) was more about glamour than bus iness.

With as man y as 30 shows, d1e four-da)' festival that was divided into three areas'The Fashion Show', 'The Fashion Village' and 'The l\fosic Festival', concluded in Goa recently, with a energetic performance by Paris, who visi ted me countrr for the second rime.

The first edition w itnessed 15 designers showcasing d1eir tal ent, but d1e second edition had mo re names.

Some of d1e estab lished names part of tl1e fashion fest were r arend.ra Kumar, Neeca Lu.Ha, Arjun and Anjalee Kapoor, Pria Kataaria Puri, James Ferreira, Falguni and Shane Peacock, Rocky S and Babita Malkani.

\Xl'hen asked why there were lesser established names this year, Mumbai -based designer Narendra Kumar said diat people in India were little exposed to trends in resort wear.

"l thin k I understand the value o f the resort week, other people probably do not unde rstand or cannot make clothes that are d i fferent from one collection to other. Ir's important diat I participated and am sure d1ere will be more desiguers who will enjoy the mi" o f fi.m, fashion and music cogether in the coming days," be said.

"l thin k the reson trend is relevant to lndia. le is one kind of doming that is perfect across India le is probabl )' the best dung one could do," Kumar added.

Un like last seaso n , this fashion week was orgatused in open air, giving more space for designers to showcase d1eir creativity.

While space was provided, there wer e hardly any collections displ ayed for the buyers Almost aU the stalls were empty, and d1ere was much .Leisure and chatting.

Shane and Flagu,u Peacock, who were the finale designers for the fashion week, said char orgaiusing a resort week is surely going to help the Indian fashion world.

"Resort week is de6nitely a good ming to do for the Indian market and it was our guc feeling mac made us say yes to tlus event," said the designer duo, who rarely participate in Indian fashion weeks because of their international commitments.

Amit Patel from E -Sense entertainment, who brought some of the internatio nal names, including Paris, said that buyers from arotmd tl1e globe had flown in to see the collection

"Indian fashi o n is much more appreciated outside India and with IRFW we strive to create a platform for all aspiring designers to showcase theic talent globally. Ir's a perfect blend of music and fas luon. Also there has been a lot of business as b u ye rs from around die g lobe have flown in to watch die collection," said Patel.

Visitors at the lRFW seemed more drawn to the music than the fashion.

The four- day event had a robust line- up of Indian and international disc jockeys (DJs).

From Indian DJs like V ijay Chawla , Anish Sood and Clem ent D'Souza to international names like Sidney Samson, Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike and of course Paris Hilton, tbe music definitely attracted one and aU.

Pakistani daily rues delay in opening trade with India

T h e outreach to Lndia could be the centrepiece of me Pakistani government's foreign po l.icy credenrials going into the election, a leadin g daily said recently, lamenting that the process of trade liberalisation with New Delhi has been "gummed up because of paro chial interests".

An editorial in the Danm said trade with India is supposed co be the game-cl1anger i n relations between the two countries.

"Beerer ties with India, including flinging open d1e doors co mutually benefic ial trade, is sup posed to have become a bedrock p rinciple among mainstream politicians. But few dungs here follow a s moo th script," it said while .referring co Pakistan missing a self- imposed deadline to allow all tradable items to cross the land border wim India.

Agriculturalists and their supporters in cabinet are reluctant to endorse the government's own plan ahead of an election, it said.

"The d1inking is typically protectionist, and bereft of a ful l understanding o f what Pakistan would have to do after cabinet endorsement of trade liberalisation wid1 India

" given the quality of debate in me cabinet and the electoral considerations of politicians becoming paramounr with an election on the horizon, rational argw11ent is an unformnate cas ualty in decisionmaking," the daily added.

Equally worrying, tl1e editorial said, is how eas ily d1e decision -making process c:,11i be manipulated by vested interests, even on the civ i lian side

"The outreach to India could be the centrep iece of t his government's foreign poliq· ctedemials going into the election; the manifold benefits of trade, including the positive spillover for otber security aspects of me fraug ht Pakisrn.n -India re lationship, are llt1deniab le; and with an econom>7 struggling to ren1rn to a high growth path , every litde bit can help - and yet the process of trade li beralisation with India has been gummed up because of parochial inter ests."

Jc went on to say that after over six

decades of a " dis piriting" relationship wi th India , there are few reasons or excuses drnt have not been proffered to d1wa r t better ties

" Bur at least this muc h has become dear: w ithom bold and cou.rageo us political leaderslup, meaningful iniprovements in Pakistan- India relation s will never materialise," it said.

"The issues and disputes between Pakistan and lndia are very real. The hawks on the Indian side a re equally real, as is the growi ng suspicion of Pakist,w across tbe Indian elite in goverornent, civil society and die media. But none of that is reason co s top trying. Trade is a win- win situatio n for both Pakistan and India; the federal cabinet needs to better educated in the matter," the daily added.

Tibet owes its religion to India: Tibetan PM - in - exile

Attributing the success of die Tibetan democracic experiment in exile to Indian values and traditions, Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay recently said that the country "owed irs religion to lndia"

" Tibet owed its religion to India and d1at it is owing to t he proximity to India physically and s piricuaJJy mac tl1e T ibetan

str uggle has conformed to the tenets of ahim.r,1 (n on -violence) , dialogue and reconc iliation," said Sangay, who took over as political successor to t he Dalai Lania.

The T i betan leader was speaking at me 'Sixth Dr. K R. Narayanan Memorial Lecture ' on the meme - 'Democracy in Exile: The Case of T ibet' a[ tl1e Jamia i\,lillia l s lam ia in New Delhi.

Har vard -educated Sangay, who was elected head of the Centra l Tibetan Administration, said that d1e Tibetan democracy, above all, owed itself to d1e vision of His H oliness the Dalai Lama.

On the impo r tance of Tibet's water and eco logy~ not just for India but for the environment sustainabili ty of me world, Sangay sai d d1ar continued destruction of natural resources, m indless expans ion in d1e name of development a nd extensive militarisation wiU only add to global climate worries.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India s ince fleeing hi s h o meland in l 959 The Tibetan exile administration is based in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh.

Some 140,000 T ibetans now live in exi le, over 100,000 of them in India. Over six million T ibetans live in what is now known as the T iber Autonomous Region in China. IANS

South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill poses during his visit to the Sikh Shrine Golden Temple in Amritsar on Nov 17, 2012. Weatherill was in India fora tenday visit to increase trade business finks and student exchange programs.

Minority within a minority

Same-sex issues discussed at South Asian GLBTIQ forum

Ia a first for Australia, the South Asian community came cogetber on l ove m ber 3 to talk abouc queer life for desis living here The forum titled Lee's T al k: Being South Asia n an d GLBTIQ was arranged b y Trikone Australasia, and held at ACON's Surry f-ljlls premjses. So u tl1 Asi aus consti mte one of A ltscralia's fastest growing comnmnities and hrul from the Indfan subconti n e n t, comprising countries s u ch as lndia, Bangl adesh, Palcistan, Sri L anka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldh7es. The event brought

together over 60 people from var ying culnual and religious backgrotrnds.

In a relaxed atmosphe re, the audience hea rd the views of a panel of experts inclu d jng heal th profess io n al Aziz Mal1ee; psychol ogist Sekneb HammoudBeckett; social justice advocate and conunentator Se nthonrn Raj ; academic and aucho r Dr Yasmin Tambiah; and lawyer Meena Sripathy. The panel disc u ssed wide-ranging top ics f rom human rights co d e pictions of sa m e- sex love in Hindu and Buddhist texts.

The audience listened attentively as the panel recounted d1eir own stories o f coming o ut in South Asian fanulies Tbe presentations were followed by a lively and at times moving , question and discuss ion session chrured by And y Quan, author and musician.

"Let's Talk h as been a great opportunity for Somh Asian s co come together and talk abo ut i ssues drnt aren't openly d iscussed w ithjn mu commm~ties," said A lan Maurice, co -C hair of Trikone Australasia.

' Tbe South As ian GLBTIQ community is a minority wid ~ a minority, and at the forum we came cogether to talk about o m identi ty, our vis ibility and our communi ties.

Many GLBTIQ South Asians have co leave home to b e able to live their lives freely. \Xie hope that today is me first step u1 making thi s process eas ier and tha t it Lnc reases t he visib ility of GLBTlQ Sou d1 Asians so that others k n ow d1ey are not alone," he added.

" The for um was fantastic,"

said a member of d1e audience. "\'7he n I first came our there were ver y few gay Soutl1 As ian peop le around. The organisers are creating something that has been needed for a lo n g time."

Fo llowing i ts success, or1,,ranisers hope co make d1e event an annual fixmre on the GLBT IQ comrntrnity c al endar. Let's Talk was sponsored b y ACON and Parish Patience Immi gration L awyers.

Trikone Au stralasia can be contacted via www.ttikone.org.au Simon Ruth

From Garden Ci

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

The .late British Prime Minister Winston ChurchiU, duri n g the early part of his life as an army officer, bad a three-year stint in Bangalore. He didn't like the place. In his memoirs titled My Ear!J1Life, he described the city which the British capmred after defeating emperor Tipu Sultan in 1799, as a "tl1ird rate watering p lace wit!, !ors of ro u tine work to do, without society of good sport".

Howeve r my experience was noming similar, when in the late seventies I first visited the elegant metropolis tl,at was founded by a chieftain called Kempe Gowda in the early 16th cenmry. Bangalore's colonial vestiges, architectural magnificence, historic sires and slow-paced classy Li fesr yle filled with cocktails and cricket, three piece suits and horse racing we re enough for me (and perhaps for many ochers) to fall in l ove at the first visir, and rhereafrer remrn rime a nd again

Blessed with a salubrious clin,are, lush gardens, parks and namral lakes, it was men fondl y called the Garden City. Along witl1 locals and tourists, I always enjoyed tru n d ling through the sprawl s of me 240 -acre Lal

Bagh Boranical Garden and me 300- acre Cubbon Park mat p rovided a spl ashing green landscape for grandiose edifices such as me Neo -Dravidian scyle state parliai:nem house caUed V idhana Soudha and the 19th cenrur y red- brick High Court and Government Museum buildings, all located nearby.

Being not an awfully pricy ciry, I could then afford sleeping at Lhe opulent five star Ashok or me co lonial West End for a price that was much less compared to similar horels in other Indian metros. I could dine in s tyle at the rooftop Topkapi Restaurant, which was said to be owned by Bollywood actor Amjacl K han of Sholtry fame, before getting into di sco mod e at one of me v ibrant joints at Brigade Road.

I lost couch with my heartthrob after moving to Australia in the eighties, but the capital city of Karnataka state did n't lose her

phce in my heart Driven b y that nostalgic feeli ng, few years ago I touched its soil again and was amazed by che quanttlm of cha nge tbat has swept through me metropolis since my last visir almost 25 years ago It was hard for me to spot the Bangalore 1 knew intimately.

As the plane was about to !and, me firsr change that h it m e was hearing, "Our flig ht will shortl y be landing at Bengaluru airport"

Though I knew abour the name change, me announcement instantly crea ted uncanny wimdrawal symptoms w imin me, something sim ilar to tl1e 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 India n Airlines, bur now sharing floor space with hordes of newly introduced domestic airlines from Spice Jet to Kingfisher. Pushing my trolley through the mick mulrilingmu crowd, I realised how liberalisation of air travel has revolutionized tbe way a common lndian used to travel earlier. Air travel is no more me cartel of tl1e rich and the mighty; i t bas almost become a common m an's vehicle.

Stepping outside I found the carpark foU as usual, bm goodo ld Ambassadors and Fia ts were replaced witl1 Toyorns, Opels, BMWs and Merced es, proclaiming India's economic progression parr.icula rly in th is city, due to me g lobal conve rgence of tl1e information technology business

W itl1 ' jobs being Bangalored' as th e western world quotes, m y 'Garden C ity' is now crowned with her new ti tl e, 'Silicon Valle y of the East'.

My image of familia r Bangalore soon got lost in a new genre of a traffic-clogged metropo lis sprinkled wit!, n ew flyovers, lofty office rowers, glittering shopping maUs, massive residential b locks and a plemora of l uxury hote ls, bars and resraurant5. F lavoms o f Microsoft, Ora cle , Pizza Hur and McDonalds have taken over me bato n from HAL, HMT a n d those traditional 'Udipi' restaurants. The city, wbicl1 was o nce a haven for wealmy retirees because of its slow- paced way of l ife, has become a hub for me younger generation keen on technology, money and a fast routine Forttmacely me magical transformation didn't take away m y imrins ic liking for mis So u th

Indian m etropolis that is stee ped w ith hi story and culture. Th e warm hug o f welcome didn't disappear.

I e n joyed my time watchin g the b lend of old and new and left with a promise to return soo n.

It took me another fo ur years to seep in there again and guess w hat welcomed me? More changes!

This time l wal ked ouc of an ula·amodem airport located 40 k m m.vay from the city centre; wafted around rhe ciry -hub usi ng the n ew mecro rail; visited new trend y restaura n ts; saw more lmm_ry h otels li ke the plush Park P laza ne ar Mararhahalli junc tio n ; found tha t street s have b eco m e swirling sea o f c ars and pedestrians while 1 stumb led on overh ead cra n es, bulldozers and dug up streets in every direction, a cl ear m ess age that so mething n ea ter and bigger is on the way.

INDIAN LINK

I am to ld n ow that over 10 million passengers move an nually throug h the new airpo rt whic h hints thar the ciry h as n't lost its charms, ot her than Time changing its offe r in gs. What sur prises m e th e most i s d1e return h ome of many ymmg NRis mainly from th e US, w h o prefe r B an gal ore to New Jersey or Los A n geles, from a Jjfes tyl e and employment point o f v iew

I came across a good number o f inte rna tional touri sts They trundled over p op ular stretches of MG Road , Commercial Street and Brigade Road taking pictures of co lo n ial buildings; crowcli ng th e sw:n m er palace of Tipu Sultan, a n elaborately decorated structure wi th o rnate arch es and minarets; visi ting the 300-year-o ld Venkataramanaswamy Temp le: and lighting candl es ins id e St. l\fa ry's Bas ika, d1e city 's oldest church. I felt p leased to see my favourite ci ty well -placed in the touristy circle.

But the w hy didn't

C hurchill like Bangalore? P erhaps during his tim e there was not much o f action and e n tertainment in the sleepy cantonment to keep yo ung E n g li shmen li ke him amused and occupied.

Th e thought came back to me whe n I visi ted the l egendary Bangalore Club establi s hed in 1868 to m eet the social needs for the city's European inhabitants It is said that young Ch urchill, who was m iserably bored, spent tim e at ili is club, perhaps drinking l ocs of w hi skey. le didn't d o h im any good; rather he left ilie city w it h a debt o f R s 13 owed to me c lub. Th e ledger book of the club from June 1899 is n ow di splayed in the club prem.ises and bas 'Lt WLS

C hurchill' named as one of 17 defaulters! lt is really amazing to see documentary evidence of a later- turn ed -ruig h ty Prime 1'1inister owi ng a small amount of m o ney ro an estab li shm e nt i.t1 a country d1 at

crune wider hi s rule. Many B ritis h citizens visiting the clL1b, after seei n g Lhe deb t h ave offered to clear hi s d ues, buc the club auchorities always politely refuse, sa ying mar hisrory is history, and can't be rewci cten !

GETTI NG THERE

SingaporeAirli nes (www.s inga porea ir.com) has conven ient fl ights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Adela ide and Perth to Bangalorevia Singapore.

ACCOMMODATI ON

Situated ina meticulously chosen location, the newly opened 234-room Pa rk Plaza Benga luru is pa rt of Sarovar Hotel s& Resorts (www.sarova rhotels.com)and offers5 star serv ices compara ble to the highest internationa l standards

MORE INFORMATION

Check www.incred ibl eindia. org or ca ll Incredib le India on 02 92219555

Building self-confidence and resilience

An effort should be made in understanding children's awareness of themselves when tackling esteem and self- worth issues

Parents and educators often assert that they would like children to have a heal thy self- esteem and to be resilient in t he face of change and uncercaint)'. 'Self-esteem is a nebulous concept and it is more probable that parents and educators use the term to inilicate that they want their children co have confidence and a belief in !heir own abilities In practice this should be seen when a child shows determination when faced with difficul ty, who will make repeated efforts to master so m ething when failure has been experienced, and who will also know when to scop if something is not quite working out.

Encouragement

le is often assumed th at encow-agement is all diat is required co build a heal thy selfconcept. Praising a chi ld can be very appropriate in reinforcing desired behaviow-. However in my experience, over- praising a child is acmally counterproductive for several r easo n s. Firstly, overpraising gives a child no room to grow. After all, from w he re can a child grow? "Tha t is SO awesome and I am numb ,vith amazement''. Sec ondly, too much praise can make a child seek outs ide affirmation a nd can actually reduce d1e capacity for child to develop their own personal standards against which to strive. ThirdJy, over praise tends co focus on wbat i s clone (the outcome), rather tha n o n how achieve m ent feels. Thus, the outcome can be affirmed when che processes matter more.

A more confidence- building approach to encouragem e n t would take the fo rm of noting elements of performance and ilie journey. Thus, acknowl edging effort ili rough observa tions suc h as: "I notice that when you try your best you seem most happy?" or " It is good to do well and I can see yo u are happy. What makes me happy is ilia c you are p leased wicl1 your effort."

Sometimes what appears to be enco1u-agement can actua.lly be quite destructive imp lied criticism. This is particul arly the case when ilie prompt co enco urage comes from a parent o r teacher's desire to have their own values and

standards imposed on another.

So, for example, a well-meaning parent m ay encourage hours o f study o r revision to in stil an understanding of academic excelle n ce and success

Howe\7 er, some children str uggle academically and may feel like ilie 'encouragement' pl aces iliem under pressure. Worse, it can actually undennine the child's sense of worth because they will always fee l not good en ough ] meet so man y children who are far behind thei r eyes because cl1ey are noc like their acad emically h igh achieving o lder (or younger) brother or sister.

Articulating the struggle for cl1e child is a good foundation al step in building a sen se of understanding a n d empathy. After all, children who understand cl1emselves are like ly to b e l ess s el.f-critical and more self-aware Th.is i s intrinsic to feelings of self-confidence and self-worth

In mis way a child can learn what d1ey find hard and then learn co manage strategies around dealing with th ings they find difficul t.

Friendships

One significant area where self esteem and inn er confidence can be built arises in cl1e realm of friendships. All pa.re nts and educators know mat friend s hips come and go, cl1ey change and cl1ey can be a somce of great happin ess and sometimes also great pain.

If a child asserts that they are ex clud ed from a friendship g roup it is common for a parent or teacher to reassure them by saying, "Just cry harder" or

"Friendships don't matter" o r even "If you show initiative and be confident they will follow". l one of these statements actually emboilies dl1Se listening or understanding A response like "So m etimes you feel le ft our and d1at makes you feel a b it lonely" is more like ly to foster a sense in ilie c h ild cliac ilie adult understands cl1em lt may also lead to tears. Protective parents and teachers may be more interested in solving the problem cl1ac being sciJJ with feelings and managing tears. Tears howe,1er, dry

Unformn acel y, a focus on solving me probl em generally app lies logic and rationalisation and misses d1e feelings aspect, d1us undermining a child.

U ndermining a nd non -validation can last much longer

This 1)1)e o f listening articu lates and normalises feelings and is bas ic co validating a child It a lso gives the children an oppornmity to further refine cl1e ir own values, thoug h ts and feelings around cl1e issue

Parents and teachers may ask, " But doesn't this simply instil in the child a sense of n egacivi1:y?" After all, articul ating feeli ngs of being left out and lonely sound s all very negative. Th e reality is, in fact, o cl1erwise. Starting with what is real means chat ilie child can learn to articulate at least what is happening v;rithin iliem. This is esse ntial as self-understanding buil ds self-awareness and also confidence. le also leads to a better understanding of others

After a child knows they a.re und erstood , a discussion

abouc inclu sion and friendships can be broadened. ln cllis way, the issue can be dealt wi th, whilst boosting cl1e child and increasing t heir independence and capac ity co understand.

Learning to fail

Learning co 'fail' can be a significam source o f learning, maturing and growth Both self confidence a n d resilience ('stickability') can be nurtured in an environment where the process matters ac lease as much as cl1e produce. Setting goals and challenging oneself to achieve them can place a child under pressure to perform. Goals can bring out the best in us, can encourage focused effort and a lso bring atte nti on co helping a person be cl1eir best. In doing so, a person l earns abouc himself.

When a goal is sec buc not acllieved , i t is often cha racterised as 'failure' or rationalised through exc u ses a nd logic. But cl1e real feelings of disappointment need to be articulated and felt rather than snppressed, as otherwise there can be significam emotional b locks to caking a risk a n d trying. 1n cl1i s way, achievement and effort can be understood and resilience bu.ilt. Following articulation , pa.rents and teachers can guide the child through the self- talk required for restoration. Thus, m oving from "Somecin1es ic can be ilisappointing when we miss out on something we wa n e" (articulation of feelings) to " If yo u we re to give it anod1er go, what would yo u do differently and h ow could I support you wicl1

that?" (resili ence and support).

An approach like ili is makes non-achievemenc of goals less likely to be perceived as failure, and much more likely tO be a learning and confiden ce- building experience. As children get co know d1emselvcs, cl1ey can gee bett er at setting go al s and learning how to adj ust to changes, and iliey can focus o n the process of achievement, rather cl1an purely on the o utcomes

In summary

We all wane children to learn to be independent, confident and resili ent. These notab le qua.Ii ties are built through the way cl1e normal stuff of life i s m an aged Too ofte n parents and educators bring a rational, linear and logical app roach co solvi ng prob lems and being suppo r tive. Howeve r, often well -meaning support is misplaced and actually undermin es the child

Scarring with the child and affirming chem for who cl1ey a re is likel y to build self-esteem, self- understanding and feeling of confidence. Nloreover, a focus on the m eans and processes helps children co integrate feelings and mus understand themselves whilst also learning abom the namre of adlievemeot and resilience

Great Game East

A unique novel tackles the global, political and social importance of a beleaguered country

BY \ ~ l / CHITRA SUDARSHAN

;

In the old colonial days, the 'Great Game' was a reference to the rivalry between Russia and the Britis h co lonialists in India, over Afghanistan

Later, the 'New Great Game' was the moniker given co the conflict between the \Xie.stern powers and Russia and China over Central Asia's o il and natural resources. Across tl1e Himalayas, in the east, another great game has been on for some rime now between the two A~ian giams - India and China. The fight began over Tibet and now includes Northeast India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and the lndian Oceanone that will significantly impact the course of global politics, according co Bertil Llnmer, and be calls it the 'Great Game East'. Lintner has even devoted o ne chapter to lndoBangladesh relations in his b ook.

Strategically located at the crossroads of tl1e Indian subcontinent, China and Southeast Asia, tbe nordi-eastern states of lndia and the continuing armed

sa:ife in that sector ho ld me key to unde rstanding the crue complexity of die hostilities and political ambitions that Asia's two giants harbour. In the Great Game East: India. Cbi11a and the Stmgg/efo r Asir1 s Most Vol,,tile Frontier. (Harper Collins, India) Berti) Linmer

- acknowledged as one of the foremost expercs o n insurgencies in the region - unpacks the layers and layers o f complex political intrigues a nd spy networks di at define the Grear Game East, and looks at the geopolitics of that region. The defining rivalry is the India -China one, which saw a border war i n l 962, and an uneasy peace since. Spies and agents from bodi c ountries have been stirring up trouble.in tbe \70)acile frontier areas all these years. Besides, intelligence agencies of various other countries (the United States and Pakistan, among them) have also been keeping a sharp eye on the develop ments in d1e region. Lintner believes chat at the core. of China's covert interference in the region is the Indian Ocean which the country wants to penetrate for sa·ategic gains, wid1out India's interfere.nee.

China's role in north-eastern

Bercil Lintner

lndia is not to create, but ' maintain instability' because it wants to keep India out o f Myanmar, says Bertil Linmer. The intricate net of intrigues has kept tl1e game going, d1e writer says.

"ln 1950, China invaded Tibet after which the Ameticans began to support the cause of an independent Tibet. In 1959, the Dalai Lama Bed co India and China was angry. In a few years, China attacked Inclia resulting in the border war of 1962 and by the mid1960s, China decided to support d1e rebel movement in the nord1east. Pakistan was also i nterested Difficult games are being played in

the region," says Llntner.

Myanmar wim its ed1nic groups along the border was in die crosshairs. Lintner says, '1t is difficult for Myanmar ro lessen i rs dependence on China; d1ey can't do it. China will always be there

As for Myanmar's ethnic con flicts, they will always b e there. These conflicts ha\7 e existed for hundreds of years - star ring with Myanmar's ancient warrior kings waging their wars against the non-Myanrnarese nationalities and continuing to dli s day - and are not likely to go away any tinie soon".

Lintne r, who is recognised as an e.,-..:perr o n :Myanmarese issues as well as on South Asia, was one of tbe first outsiders to reach i'v[yanmar's isolated northern-he.Id rebel areas; and reach China from India's nordieast after a 2,275- km

''China's rol e in north-eastern In dia is not to create, but 'maintain instability' because it wants to keep India out of Myanmar, says ' ' Berti/ Lintner

overland trek in 1985. Lintner has been the FEER correspondent for Southeast Asia for 20 year s, and has written several books on :Myanmar, die Go lden Triangle, South East Asia, Ch.in.a and Korea. Thi s book needed co be written - as few com prehend or appreciate the myriad of co mplexities or the significance of that region better d1an Lintner. The book has an entire chapter on die relation sbi p between Assam and Banglades h , and it will surprise the reader: tbe massive migration from Bangladesh and tbe conflicting separatist movements and the struggle for land. This is a mustread for anyone who wishes to gain an understanding of d1e political fun1te of a continent, or tbe world.

Travel Between December & March

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OPINION

Spare more than a thought

Christmas is the season of g iving, so let's be generous in word and deed to those less fortunate than us

care and sol ace from the many philancropic organisations in the USA. They were set 1p by s u per-rich p e ople like Ford , Ca rn egie, Bill an d Melinda Gates, a nd B uffet. P residen t O b itma

i n h is v ic tory speech , rightly tol d a cheering a udience, "Wlc believe in a genero , ,s America, in a c ompassio n ate America "

Chrism1as is a u nive rsal festival in a country li ke Australia Sch ools and wo r kp laces have their own Xmas parties. Children, no matter of what religious d enomination, expect to receive presents a t C hrisrmas-time and tO s h ow those gifts to th eir friends Shopping centres play C h ristmas songs an d are well-decorated at Yu letide and thus, one cannot escape a permeation of cbe Xmas spirit in the atmosph ere.

At a time of s uch festivities, we n eed to pon d e r on those families which h ave been d ealt a sud den shoc k, such as b y H urricane Sand y when n umerous people were affe c te d Some h ave h a d partial ltJsses such as the

Li kewise, talented young Americans w h o arc hit by the b urdens of recess ion can exp ect, in a non-d isc.rim inarory atmosph e re, to be helped a long. Obama continued his speech , " in a tolerant America open to the dreams

o f an im migrant's da ughter w h o studies in o ur sch ools an d p le d ges ro our flag, to the young boy o n the so u th side of Chicago

w h o secs a li fe b eyond the ne ares t street corn e r, to the furniture worker's child in Nortl1 Carolina who wants

''It would be hoped that the super - rich in Australia would set up ph i lanthropic foundations as the

super-rich Americans have done ' ' seen incredi ble des tr uction by th e force of waves and by fire, such as a long th e w a terfrom in Man ha ttan.

loss of c hi ldre n's coys, w h ilst tJth crs v ir tually lost everything. Severa.I neig h bo urh oods have

I Ierc i n A us trali a, we have been spared such devastation . I Ioweve r, there have been other shocks In recent weeks and month s, n ume rous work e rs, s uc h as in manufacturing in d ustries, have s ud d enly bee n mad e re d u nd a nt; their families cann ot celebrate as th ey would normally d o E arly November saw the loss of 400 m an ufacturing jobs i n V ictoria alo n e.

The Australian l\fanufact uring Wo rker s Union (AMWU) mlldc

a cas h donation to h elp sup port the h omeless wi tl1 eme rgency a ccommodatio n Some of tl1ese eou ld actually be memb ers tJf the u n ion who n ow face hard ship.

to b ecome a doc tor o r a scien ti st, a n engineer or an e n trepre neur, a diplomat or even a president " Ob a ma 's po ignant words apply to all countries, par ticularly tl1ose which a re doing well like A ,,stralia and w hic h take: p r ide i n being co n sid ered as d emocratic. They app ly to I n d ia as

well, a nd they en capsulate the teac hi ngs of Maham,a Gand h i.

I n dian r eaders can take time-hono m e d concep tS of Indian philosop h y to d raw a roadmap (mnrga) for tl1e fut ure. Tha t is why CJu jscmas and New Year is considered as a good time fo r ma ki ng resolutions.

Those who are we ll -off can reach o , ,t to tl1osc w h o a rc sufferi n g (dukha) and give th em solace (da11) w hich m ay o r may not be material help; there is n o s u bstitute fo r sym path y which is si ncerely given T h e term dan is akin to the French donne r and English donation Giving can be material or emotional.

Those wh o are d oin g well

Those who are welloff can reach out

to those who are suffering ( dukha) and give them solace

s h ould refrai n from the greed (tnh11a) of co n stan tl y acq ui1·ing mor e. They m ay a lso do T he m uc h - loved D arrell L ea confectione rs arc expecte d to close stores and reduce prod uctio n while cu tti n g some 160 jobs. There are th ousan ds of jo bs be ing lost

well by refraining to Aaun t their wcaltlJ o r ind ulgi n g themsel ves excessively in the pursuit of sens ual p leasures (k.oma /1111/Ja), w hil st those around them s uffer for want (dan) '' in the motor ca r ind ustry, i.n pharmaceutica ls a nd in Q antas

The pain s u ffere d b y wo rkers an d thcir families gets exacerba te d when com p any managem e nt gets rewarde d w ith high e r pa ys and bonuses, d esp ite t heir workers getting retrench ed.

It is s itua tions li ke tl1esc that p u t heavier pressure on charitable o rg a nisations like th e S alvation Army. I t wou.ld be h oped that the supe r-rich i n Australia would se t up philantl1ropic fo , mdatio n s as the sup e r- ric h Americans have d one.

I lowcver, th e stare of Vi ctoria has bee n said to h ave quietly gained some 13 ,000 m anufaem.ring jobs i n the private sect or (Ian Po r te r, Fai1·fa.x Medi a) One would wish s nch enterprises every s uccess

Those who arc suffe ri ng th e aftc rmatl1 of I [ urri ca n c San d y can exp ect to receive some

of tl1c mere b a si c s.

Those who moan tha t the Indian community in A ustralia h as numero us associations based on d iffe rcm languages and religions s h o u ld cons id er that at times Li.k c Christmas they m ight actuall )' be a s trength, because th e y may be the bes t plac ed to provide companionsh ip and solace to those mem bers of their comm un i ties w h o feel distressed an d lonely.

L et me cl ose witl1 tl1e following li nes from R abi nd ranath Tagor e's celeb rated Geetmyali: 117/Jn·c the 111it1d i1 J11itho11t.fear and thr bead is held h(gh; IV/Jere k,110111/edge is ji'e.e;

IP-here the world bas 110! bee11 hrokm 1tp t//!o.frag111ml.r ~'J' 11a1r01v rkit11estic 111al/J; 11110 that hea11e-11 efJreedot11 , ll!J Father, let 11!)' co11nhy al/lake (Geetmyali, B engali 1910, Engli sh 1 920)

w ww. in d ia n li nk.co m.au ij

Dilemmas of an ussie guy in Chennai

India i s really a country th at you fee l. As a feeling person, as a spiritual person, 1 can h o n est!)' say tha t I felt at home here and would stay l o n ger, possib ly foreve r, if I h ad t h e option. Perhaps I am actuaUy sui ted co Indian life?

After eighteen monchs in India, my time as 'An Aussie Guy in Chennai' is n ow drawing to an end. Over the last year and a half I've had mad e lots of friends, seen so m e amazing sights, learn ed a lifetime's worth of lesson s, suffered frorn 'Cbennai drnnder' twice, and significantly improved m y knowledge o f H indi.

(Unfor runa[ely, t he latter came at the expense of tongue- twisting Tamil, which l have failed t o pick up despite some attempts).

I have battled tl1e bureaucracy, the heat and humidity an d the traffic, and been hie at low speed b y a motorbike (me drive r was most apol ogetic, and I walked away with barely a scratch). I've visited north, soum, ease and west ar ou nd the nation w h ic h I now fee l is somewhat an adopted home for me

Throughout m y time in India, o n e qu estion 1 have grappl ed with is w hy I lik e ir here Som e say i t's tl1e preferential treatment I receive as a foreig n eralthough tl1at actu ally makes me ramer uncomfo rtab le. Some have p ointed to th e exotici s m and g lamou r of li ving ab r oad, although 1 p romise mere were just as many unpl eas ant experien ces as [here were enjoyable. A Hindu approach might suggest tl1a t I live d in India in a previous life, and felt chat I had come home. A M L1slin1 o r a Sikh might suggest that the sense of communi ty is responsible, being dose co the m11111ah or the shcma11 di kau111, tho ugh I might not know it. A Marxist might tell me th at I have turned my back o n tl1e ma terialist West, b ut anyo ne w h o s hops in India kn ows that's not tr u e !

Two yea rs ago I wrote an article enti tled 'Indophil e' in which 1 decl ared my love for India, and spoke of the eve ryday spir ituality which enchanted m e with every visit. Having now lived here, I can rea.ffum these sentiments.

Yes it's dirty, polluted, crowded, fi:ustrati.ng, difficult and all the rest of it. However tl1ese un p leasant facts of life might only serve to heighten one's awareness of o t her aspect s. Unlike me subd ued rises and falls of Ji fe in Australia, the highs and lows of life in lndia are extreme, terrible and beautiful.

INDIAN LINK

Perhaps i t was S[eppi.ng out of m y own soc iety and inro o ne where I was a nonymous, whe re I could be whoeve r I wan ted to be, where I would be judged differen cl y - isn't that wh at so many of us love about b ei n g in a fo reign cou ntry? Being a novelty soon wears off, but tl1e feeling of breaking free from tl1e s h ackles of our n ative society is a powerful drug. How many Indian A u stralians love their lives in Australia for tl1at reason? W h e n we leave o u r native country to live abro ad , \Ve offer a contract to our own selves; that we w ill relish the positive aspects of life in a new nacion, wi tl1 [h e n egatives as a sma ll cost. With out such a contract, living abroad wouldn't seem wo r m it: "Oh yes, Australia has its proble m s, but look at the ben efits!" is a phrase wbid1 can be app lied both ways. Not to mention th e fact that we often judge our own culture much more harshly than we do others - how m any people pass off (o r don't notice) negatives in fo reign countries w h e n the same ming in thei.r own would make them cringe? Maybe mis i s ch e secret co w h y I love it here.

Pei:baps t hese question s will never be answered Ar me end of a year and a h alf in India, there are still many q uestion s to be answe red, asid e from mese.

\Vhy is ' India the superpower' an ideal fasc-becom.ing reality, yet develo pm ent fo r the average Indian i s largely an elusive dream? Why, a fter 65 years, h as so li ttle changed in me nation's relationship with Pakistan? Why is I ndi an politics so domi n ated by stuffy, bureaucratic, c orrupt old men when the country's youth have so m uch exciting porential?

Why i s Sal man Khan n o t in jail? Maybe like tbe reasoning behind m y affectio n for India , we'll neve r solve t hese Bm India is a riddle w hich might n ot need solvin g

As D ev Patel's character iu ThP Best Exotic Marigold Hotel said time and time again, "Eve r ything will be alright in the e nd. If it's not alrig ht, it's not the end " Say wbar you like about me film, truer wo rd s were n ever sp oken ab out life in India - t here is hope, no matter h ow futile, that things will be better. It's a lesso n we could all use from time t o time.

/\tthe end of a year and a half in India, there are many questions to b e an swered. Why is 'India the superpower' an ideal fastbecoming reality, yet d evelopment fo r th e average Indian is large ly an elusive dream? Why, after 65 years, has so little changed in the nation's relationship with Pakistan? Why is Indian politics so dominated by stuffy, bureaucrat ic, corrupt old men when the country's youth have so much exc iting potential'! Why i s Salman Khan not in jail?

living in India has brought about a strange, comforting and paradoxical sense of belonging in the author

Australia supports revival of Nalanda University

This historic University will emulate the same high standards of education as its original namesake

Nalanda is situated about 80kms south east of the city of Patna, capital of the state of Bihar in India, and is borne to the ruins of tbe ancient Na.landa University. Lord Buddha is said to have visited this site.

Historical sources indicate that the ancienr and original Na.landa University had a long and illustrious life which histed almost contiuually for 800 years from 5- 12 century CE Ir was !he first reside ntial international educational institution in the world which housed about 10,000 students a nd 2000 teachers. Its educational m odel. emphasized inter-civ ilizational connections and the develop ment of inte rAsian interactions. India at that time was cons idered a leading place for imparting knowl edge, and Nalanda's reputation attracted scho lars from distant countries such as China, Turkey, Korea, Japan, T ibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Close to the end of the 12th century, Na.landa was destroyed by invaders. The period from which Nalanda ceased co exist was a time that the great universities of the western world came into being, marking the sbift in knowledge production and dissemination from the ease to the west. Only Al Azhar in Cairo (972 CE), Bo logna in Italy (1088 CE) and Oxford in the United Kingdom (11 67 CE) had been founded before the destruction of alanda.

Recently, d1e idea o f a new university has been mooted, at the sire o f this old institution of earning. ln June 2007 , d1e Government of India announced the establishment of a new unive rsity close to the sire of the original Nalanda.

A Nalanda Mentor Group was con stituted under the C h airmanship of Nobel Laureate and Bharat Ratna awardee Prof Amartya Sen. This incl uded members from Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand , UK and India. TI1e Parliament passed the Na.Ia.nda Univers ity Act in 2010 following \vhich d1e University came into existence o n 25 November o f the same year, as a non- state, nonprofit, secular and self-governing international institution with a continental focus that would bring together the brighte st and the most ded icated stude nts from all countries of Asia

The unique cl1aracter of Nalanda University is that its re viva l was we lcomed not only by lndians, but also by Member States of the East Asia Summit (of which Australia is a member) th.rough a Joint Press Statement iss u ed at the EAS Summit in Thailand in Ocrober 2009, co strengthen regional educational cooperation, understand ing and appreciation o f each od1er's heritage and history l alanda University is an international university and has been declared as an institution of national importance.

Inter- Asian linkages, such as those which grew out of Nalanda, had declined during the colonial period, but have been revived in recenr decades It is antici pated drnt L alanda will again play a major role in Asian connections sim.ilar to the one it played in the past. The University aims co build for contemporary Asia, an appreciation of Asian achievements and mutual learning as exemplified by tbe original Nalanda.

The University regards Easr Asian Summit member states as partners and sees their ro le as central to forming links berween nation s separated by geography, but linked to one another for centuries. The most obvious interactions will be through collaborative projects, University level tie-ups, and student exchanges. It is hoping to aru-act the brightest students and faculty from around the world and establish a global centre of scholarly excellence.

The si te of the University is located about 10km from the sire of the original Nalanda University. The Univers ity plans to embark on a new concept of campus building by emphasising sustainability and environmental sensitivity at all levels w hile developing the campus. As an integral part of this innovative approach, d1e develop menr will consciously 'wal k' the path of Net Zero. The ultimate aim i s t o achieve a campus that is Net Zero Energy, Nee Zero Emission, I er Zero Waste and Net Zero Water.

The University plans co stare the first two of its seven Schools - d1e School of Ecology an d Environment and the School of Hi sto rical Srucljes - in 2014. Other Schools will be started subsequently phases The Universi ty wiU reach its planned maximum intake of smd ems by 2021 - 22.

The estimated cost of establishment of d1e U niversity, exclurung che cost of land measuring about 450 acres, which has been provided free by the Government of Bihar, is expected to be R s 2 150 crores or $400 million approx. In d1e Jo int Press Statement, the member scates of EAS had e n couraged appropriate funding arrangeme n ts o n vol untary basis from governments and o d1er sources, includjng public-private partnership. Thoug h some EAS member scares have alread y made or offered so me contributions to the Universi ty, bulk of d1e funding at present is being provided by tl1e Government of India.

A u stralia, as an important Member State of the East Asia Summit, has been supporting the project. le was party to d1e Joint Declarati o n issued by EJ\S in ThajJand supporting tbe establishment o f Nalanda University. The Government of Australia has also offered co finance a Chair in the field of Eco logy and Environment at d1e U niversicy, and Prime J\,[inister

J Lilia Gillard during her recent visi t co India confirmed that chis grant would commence in 2013

The first gift to tbe University has also come from Australia in the form of a large collection of books o n mediev al Chinese and Korean history This is a collection by late Prof Ken Gardiner of Australian ationa.l University.

Ao incidental link of tbe Univers ity wid1 Australia pertains to personnel - d1e present High Commissioner of lndia, Mr Biren Nanda and the Consul Genera l in Sydney, Mr Anrn Goel were among the fuse few officers the Ministry of External Affairs to handle this project on behalf of the of India. Ir is hoped d1at they will maintain their liok wid1 Nalanda and encourage further close participation by Australia in this prestigious project.

i\forr detaiLr at 11111m• 1wla11d111mii1.td11.i11

Sudhir K1111111r is a Jor111er t11w1her of th,· Indian Pore{r,11 Serl'ire a11d had se,nd a.s a Co11s11/ }11 the C01wdatc General o/ Indi,1 Syd11tyJro111 1999 to 2002 _ lfier retimm11fJi om the service, he is prwwt(>' rrorki11g 11s a C1ms11/to11t with }\J11lt111d<1 U11i1·e1:ri!J•

The ruin s of N a /and a in mode rn day Bihar

Military

Grab attention with army jackets, skinny cargo pants and lace-up boots

1,.BY , 1 TALI~ KAUR_'

Milicary fashion as a trend is nothing new; in fact, it's been o n the rise since 2008, coming back every few seasons; but this time it seems like it's here to stay. In 2012 we saw cbe military tren d evolve from a cough edgy look co a more chic look in collections by Alexande r Wang, Tomm y Hilfiger and Victoria Beckham. Items like army jackets, skinny cargo pants and lace- up boots are easy ways to wear t his trend and of course, the earthy palette of olive greens and neutrals along with clean cuts is a perfect complim e nt to every wardrobe. This is a perfect trend to cake advantage of - once you get a few stap le military pieces in yo ur wardrobe and yo u know bow to style them to suit your personality, you'JJ be sec for many seasons co camel Here a re a few ways co rock yo ur military chic look

Rock Chic

This style is all about toughening up your loo k w ith detailing such as structured jackets, sbo uJder pads and large gold buttons. Go ld detailing and orn ate trims re,1lly sec off the slick military cllts and add a little extra energy co yo m outfit. An easy way co pull off tl1e rock chic look is w ith a simple, yet edgy military jacket- it's a musthave! These can be of various types wi th different lengths, fabrics, curs, embellishments and shades - just experiment and wear a jacket that fee ls comfortab le and reAects your personali ty so you feel confident when wearing it. A personal favouri te that gives a great edge to an outfit is a khaki coloured jacket with black leather sleeves. Pair it with some black skinny pants o r shiny leggings and smdded ankle boots or even a pair of killer hee ls, and yo u 've got yourself the ultimate rock chic m.iJi cary out fit.

Feminine

The key to keeping military looks feminine is to choose fitted pieces. The most feminine way of wearing this trend would have to be by wearing skirts. Military skirts ending just above ilie knee are classy and versatile - team tl1em up with a white or nude formal shirr to dress it up, o r a p lain black or white t- shirc to

dress it down. i'vlilitary jackets can also be played up wiili a feminine touch. Pair a red military jacket with a dark coloured Aoor-length gown and fu1 ish off with some jewels. It adds a pop of colour and edge, while sciJJ remainin g soft and ladylike. Another way to make this trend feminine is a brass - buttoned jacket wi th a peplum finish. The pep lum style has been big the past few months and is a supe r girly addition to any outfit. The cut allows it to show o ff your curvy sill10uette, but tl1e darker green colour still ensures yo ur keeping up witl1 the military trend. A Ii ttle b lack dres s is also a no -faiJ option, bm look for militaristic vibes such as button -from details or inclu sions o f khaki c olours. To maintain tbat edgy feel, accessorize your LBD with a fur collar, some statement jeweller y and a pair of heels.

Casual

This look is probably che most easy to achieve. A military trend shire is a very versatile piece of clothing. You can mck ir in or leave it open. You can use it as an outer layer or wear it under a jacket. Chose an arm y- style buttoned shin, leaving it o pen and contrastin g it with tighter, more polished pieces inside. Play around with proportions too - a slim pencil skirt witl1 a loose khaki sweater on top with some ankle boots is a perfect casual look. A pair of pan cs is also a basic yet versatile military trend item. It works fo r everyone as it sui ts all types o f bod)' frames. For a casual look, opt for distressed, day panes in s hades such as olive, khaki and even navy. These pants should be worn witl1 a very simple b lack, white or nude coloured cop.

Not only does tlus immediately make the putEt look and feel more -relaxed, it also allows all tl1e attention to be focused on the trousers. Feel free ro add a few fun necklaces and bangles or a printed bag s ince tl,is is a casual look. Even the most basic uliliraryinspired pieces deserve a dose of print. A leopard- printed bag is rhe perfect offset to a mix- and- match casual military omtic.

However, as with any heavily themed trend, the trick is neYer to go overboard - one piece per our6c is always enoughwhether it's incorporating tbe coolest military trench coat into your wardrobe, or pairing khaki coloured jeans with a favourite striped shirt. Don't be afraid to experiment and see wbac you're most confortable wearing because in tl1e end, pulling off che military trend is aU about having confidence!

7 bad pantry foods

With the New Year nearly upon us it's time to clean out the pantry and make a fresh, healthy start

Whatyoucook as meals and wha r you eat is mainly determ ined by what is available in yo ur pantry. If it includes healthy nutritious food, that is what you would be eating; bur if your pantry is either no t stocked with healthy options or stocked w ith calorie laden foodstuff, you would eat out or get takeaways or end up preparing h igh- calorie meals.

The first step towards a healthy diet is co stock yo ur pantry w ith h ealthy foods and throw the extra calories, sodiw11, fat, sugars and preservatives into the bin.

Here is a List of food items t hat your pancry could do without:

Soda and high calorie sweetened beverages

One of the worse foods in the pantry is sweetened beverages, as these are just empty calorie s without providing an y nutrition Even diet soft d rink s have artificial sweeteners an d caffeine w h ich may n ot be good for us. Ioscead, ope for natural r efreshing drin k s like le m o n jruce,;,1!Jeem, coconut water, green tea or fruit juice Drink plenty of water, as it is the best drink.

High sugar snacks and cereals

High sugar cereals made ,v itb refined sugar and flour contribute no nutr itio n and do n or even satisf}• brmger for a long time, as these are h igh Gl. Some sugarla den cereals are even worse than candies. Loaded with white flour, most often from wheat, corn or rice, and refined sugars such as h igh -fruc tose corn syrup, most breakfast cereals are not a good way ro start the day. Cookies and cand y bars are also high GI carbo hydra tes and no nutrition, a nd will provide you with on ly m omentary boosts of energy.

Pick cereals and cookies wi th wbolegrains listed as one of the first ingredients and those that are hig h i n fibre.

High fat pre- packaged mixes and meals

These foods are with saturate d fats, trans- fats or

hydrogenated fats. Trans - fats are chemicall y altered saturated fats that show up on food labe ls as 'par tially hydrogenated' or ' h ydrogenated oil' Hrdrogenared fars are created whe n oil has hydrogen added to it - a process designed to extend the shelf life of the products that contain ir. These fats raise level s of bad (LDL) cholesterol while loweri ng levels o f good ( HDL) cholesterol, which can lead to heart and other h ealth problems, and have also been associated with some cancers. These ar e also high in sodiu m and may cause hypertension. Try to make yo ur own sauces and gravies at h ome w ith fresh ingre dien ts, less sal t and no preserv atives.

Refined flour

Products made from refined flour such as white bread , bagels, pasta, crackers, mrtillas and cookies are low in Gl and do not make you full. White Aour h as been ground, processed and stripped off the outer layer of fibre and nutrients. Replace these w h it e flour products with produces made with wholegrain Aour w h ich contains m ore nutrien t s a nd fibre s u ch as muJtigrai n , soy linseed or pnn1pkio seed bread, wholewheat bagels and buns and oats. Replace rice w ith low G I brown rice or basmatj rice.

Processed meats

Processed m eats are high in saturated fats, calor ies and sodium These include sausages, salami and ham. The y also contain chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic. Try to avo id processed meats or at least limit your intake and balance by eati ng more fruits and vegetables. Even better, choose organ ic meat and unprocessed chicken and turkey, and round ir out by eating more fish as a smu:ce of pro tein to get more omega-3 Ears.

Chips

Open a packet of potato chips and it is gone. This is o n e food yo u start to ear and never seem to stop until the whole packet is fini sh ed, especiall y if you are si tting in from of the television o r wo.rking on a computer. But chips are h igh in salt, oil and m ostly trans - fats. These ju st add empty calories and provide no nutrition. Instead, try snacking on nuts or u n salted popcorn.

Salad dressings

Sometimes you sacrifice a high-calorie meal wi ch a s alad, but if it full of high calorie d ressings. Yo u are better off having a regular meal. It is sometimes surprising as to the amount of fats and suga r s in salad dressings And generally. far reduced salad dressings have more sugars than regular salad dressings. Most o f the bottled salad dressings are ve ry high in sodium too. Even i.f a bottled salad dressing is low in sugar, sa lt and contains no bad fats, most dressings bought at the supermarket contain preservatives, artificial food d yes - a nd some contain monosodium glucamare. These hoLidays, clean up and srock your pantry carefully and e n joy healthy food.

Gentlemen of the game

Two of the world's greatest cricketers are honoured for their passion, courage, talent and integrity

'-.'II''

~oBY

RITAMMITRA

In October, the Sydney Cricket Ground p layed host to the seven th annual Bradman Gala Dinner, a

trul y memorable event that recognises not just cwo of the greatest cricketers of all rime, bur rwo gentlemen who exemp lified the values of integrity, respect, and determination - traits char Sir Donald Bradman brought co the game more successfully than most. Th is yeac, the rec ip ients of the honour were Australia's G l enn McGrath and India's Rahul Dra,Tid.

Each year since 2006, The Bradmao Fo Lmdation has

.., :r 0 8 C: '< honoured a successful past cricket player who brought co the game every otmce of passion ? and courage expected of a Test cricketer, but left pride in the wake ! of humility botl1 on and off the 3' field. 5

Tbe list of past Honourees is few and exclusive - the list reads:

Norm O' Neil, Nei l Harvey and Arthur Morris (who were both in a ttendance on the night, and are also the onl y two surviving members of Bradman's 1948 'lnvinc ib les' ream), Sam Loxton, Bill Brown, Alan Davidson, Dennis Lillee, Sunil Gavaskar, Adam Gilchrist, Rid,ard Hadlee and Bob Simpson.

If it wasn't already rough enough to find more iJJ ustrious company, the 20 12 Bradn1an Honourees managed to raise tl1e bar. Altl1ough Dravid was unable to attend the function because of an illness in the family, he gave his acceptance speech through a familiar voice - former Prime Minister John Howard delivered Dravid's words co an audience packed with paSt cricketing icons, after they had a once-in -a-lifetime opportunity co have drinks on the field and rake a phoco witl, a very rea listic curour of the Don himse lJ.

"l remember tl1e excitement

tliat went through Indian cricket when we heard di e news tlur

Bradman had seen Sachin Tendulkar bar on TV and thought he batted like him. It was more than mere approval; ir was as if the great Don had finally passed on his torch Not to an Auss ie or an Englishman or a Wesr Indian. But to one of our own," said Dravid tl1rough Howard.

Ridtie Benaud OBE, tl1e former

er :,

Australian captain and now Patron of me Bradman F'oundarion, paid tribute co both, McGrath and Dravid on their achievements.

Benaud is synonymous witl, the Australian su mmer of cricket, and as one of the most respected cricket personalities in history, the praise he reserved for these two p la yers will certainly rank among rneir proudest honours.

Benaud aptly summed up the esteem in which Dra\Tid is held worldv,,ide sa}~ng, " He repre senrs everything that is decent about dtis great game." Benaud also looked back 011 calling Dra vid's debut match at Lo rd's - a debut he shared wid, Sourav Gangulywith gemtine fondness

Jo int Honouree Glenn

McGrath was no less generous in h is praise of Dravid hin1self. "I'm proud to accept tltis alongside Rahul ; ro me he's a guy d1e Austra li an team respec ted more tl1an any other in the wor ld. He's a class player and a top bloke.

There are a lot of memories w ith h im - good and bad, of course o n e rime in KoUrnta be and VVS (Laxman) batted all day," he said.

In Dravid's absence, however, McGratl, was the focus of the 1tight, with tributes being pa id not only to hi s wonderful career - he rook 563 wickers in Test matches and 38 1 i n ODis, retiring as tlJe leading Test match fast bowler o f all time - but a lso to his work

in establishing d1e Jane McGrath Foundation, w h ose 78 McGrath Breast Care [ urses now support over 16,000 Australian families. McGrath has also recently taken over from Dennis Lillee's role as the director of MRF's Pace Foundation fast bowling academy in Cheunai, under which howlers like Javagal Srinatb, Zaheer Khan, Brett Lee and Chaminda Vaas have all prospered. Ind eed, even Tendulkar spenr some time at the academy in his younger yeacs, training to become a fast bowler. McGrath's stature in die gan1e as one o f the most respected greats will certa in ly have a significam impact in ltis nurmring of the next generation of fast bowlers

" To srnnd here (at tl1e SCG) it's a.mazing co see w h ere the time goes. I feel privileged and lucky to represent Australia for founeen yeacs. I sciJJ get goosebumps when I walk o u t onto the SCG - it's m y favourite grotmd in the world. To tltink about where l grew up to think I was lucky enough to p lay for Australia for fourteen years alongside guys liJ(e Steve Waugh, Martl1ew Hayden and Gilly," reminisced McGrath in what was a humb le and heartfelt speech.

P lenty of otl1er fast bowling greats were present on tl1e night - 2009 Bradman Joint Honouree, Dennis Lillee, as weU as Ltis partner- in -crime Jeff Thomson formed pact of a world Series

Cricket 'Expert Panel', along with Rick .McCosker and Richie Benaud.

Quizzed by Stuart Clark (who was sci.lJ fresh off tl, e plane from the Sydney Sixers' Champions League triumph in Soutli Africa) and Tin1 Gilbert, tl1e quarter gave some fasc inating insights into the rise of World Series Cricket and the chaJJenges it overcame to c h ange the face of cricket forever.

The players looked back with perhaps bittersweet nostalgia about the tough ti.me tl,ey had as p layers in the face of a regime u nder which players rece ived little pay and relied on en1ploye rs being accommodaring with leave requests, making it imposs ible for players to support their families.

Benaud continu ed to charm with hi s quips - saying Cricket Australia, formerly known as the 'Australian B oard of Control', was named so "for good reason".

Thomson in particular was the crowd favourite, and perhaps with good reason - he bowled some qttick - fire b0tmcers at the late Kerry Packer (all in good humour of course) to prove that he was sciJJ as sharp as a tack. Incredulous at the amount o f money Packer had thrown at the game in order co bring entertainment value t o cricket and professi o nalise the pl ayers, Thomson's selfdeprecating humour and

McCos ker's raw admiration for the West Indian quicks at the tin1eHo lding, Garner, Croft, Robertstypi fied d1e relaxed yet interesting conversation.

Lillee summed up Packer's influence on rhe game with tl1is: "Eve ry single professional c 1:icketer should find Kerry Packer's gra,Te and worship him." And indeed they might - Lillee recalls being paid in the vicinity of $400 a Test match at the rime.

The night was stiU however, mostl y abour the two Honom:ees - and McGrath and Dravid are two of iliose gentlemen in the game's hi sto ry who are, qttite simp ly, in a class of thei.r own.

2012 Bradmon Gala Dinner

Aamir Kh~n n~ver ceases to surprise viewers

In Talaash, he does so quite literally. The complex screenplay, succinctly written, interlays smoothly police investigation wit h personal emotiona l turmoil of the characters, making Talaash a nail-biting thriller.

The plot, about a po l ice officer Surjan Singh Shekhawat (Aamir Khan) investigating a high profile case of film star Armaan Kapoor's accidental death, keeps you riveted. Alongside the main plot, one gathers that Shekhawat and his wife Roshn i (Ran i Mukerji), have lost their eightyear-old son Karan in a freak accident in a lake, for which Shekhawat blames himself and l ives in guilt.

His investigations constantly l ead h i m to Kareena Kapoor, a prostitute with a good heart, who acts as the ace informer for Shekhawat. Kareena as Rosy has shades of her earlier Chameli, although she makes a conscious effort to be different. She is effective and convincing, touching your heart with the innate goodness of her character, in spite of h er circumstances.

The mystery shrouding the case unravels gradually in a carefully written tight script, with no lo opholes. The film is entirely unpredictable, not conformi ng to the usual approach to thrillers in Bollywood This one is clearly different and keeps you guessing till the very end

!=ILM: Talaash

The climax brings you to the edge of your seat, but leaves you satiated. As the case unfolds, you get your answers from the characters on celluloid. But clearly, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, the scriptwriter duo, give you much more than just that. They take you through a comp lete self-exploratory journey and bri ng you back replete with answers Farhan Akhtar's dialogues in colloquia l parlance are witty and unleash several underlying messages

Ram Sampath gives an apt background score, in keeping with the flavour ofthe film and if anythi ng, only enhances the viewer's experience Music i n the film otherwise is nothing to write home about, but you're definitely not complaining The plot and performances leave no room for frivolities

Rani Mukerji in her de-glam avatar, is true to her character as the distraught mother.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui asTaimur, the lame Man Friday in the brothel doing odd jobs, excels in a superbly written role. Realistic performances and getups of all the characters, add to the ingenuity of the plot.

The cinematography, though simple, captures the essence of Mumbai. The locales of the city are wonderfully depicted, making these a character i n the film rather than a mere backdrop.

Devoid of the usual Bollywood masala and gimmicks, this one is a pure treat. Aamir Khan's fans apart, Ta/aash has the power to grip all cine-goers

Troy Ribeiro

CAST: Aamir Khan , Rani Mukerji,

Kareena Kapoor, Na wazuddin Siddiqui

and Shernaz Patel

DIRECTOR: Reema Kagti

Searching for something out ofthe ordinary INDIAN LINK

Mira's back with a big one!

Internationally acclaimed director Mira

Nair recently claimed that her latest film The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is her most ambitious project yet. The film was the closing movie at the 43rd International Film Festival of India in Goa, and was very wel I received. It is based on a 2007 bestseller of the same name by Pakistani writer Mohsin Hamid.

A brilliant exploration of bias and the phenomenon of globalization, the fi l m is about a Pakistani Princeton graduate who is torn between his American dream and the call of his homeland.

Its sense of nothing being completely what it seems comes across in an unsettling manner from the characters' d ivided selves, or through the locations, which see Atlanta standing in for New York, and Delhi substituting for Lahore and Istanbul.

"It is how we - the east and west, see each other," said Nair about the film.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist has an international cast and crew of Hollywood, Indian and Pakistani actors, and depicts two very different worlds coming together through dialogue. It took three years to adapt the novel into a screenplay and was shot across four continents

The movie is a comment on t he situation in the world today. "We d iscuss two very important forms of fundamenta lism- that of the capitalists and that ofterrorists;'Nair said.

Nair's debut film Salaam Bombay was nominated at the US Academy Awards for best foreign languag e film in 1988. Her other acclaimed films are Mississipi Mas ala, Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, New York, I Love You, among others.

Nair is the founder of Maisha, a centre in Kampala, Uganda, that provides film labs and workshops for aspiring screen -

writers, directors, actors, technic ians, and documentary makers from Africa. And like most of her other offerings, let's hope this one's fascinating too!

Vidya

Ba Ian, Yash Chopra tribute at Melb Indian Film Fest 2013

Vidya Balan will return to Melbourne as the ambassador for the 2013 Indian Fi lm Festiva l of Melbourne, Victoria's Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Louise Asher announced in Mumbai recentl y.

Vidya is one of Indian cinema's most respected actors and a genuine box-office drawcard.

"Securing such a high profile actor as our brand ambassador adds to the prestige of the festival andVidya's attendance at next year's festival will be sure to delight our local Indian film fans," Ms Asher said.

To be held in April 2013, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne showcases the diversity and breadth of Indian film culture to Victorian audiences and will once again be deli vered by Mind Blowing Films.

The Minister also announced that the Festival will pay a rich tribute to legendary fi lm makerYUash Chopra next year.

"Mr Chopra had a deep relationship with Victoria given he was a Patron of the Festival and that he shot two major blockbusters in Victoria, Salaam Namaste and Chak De India;• Ms Asher said

Speaking at the event, Vidya Balan sa id she was delighted to be the ambassador for such a vibrant and exciting festiva l showcasing the best of Indian cinema. "Melbourne is like a second home to me and I look forward to being back," she said.

Minister Asher was in Mumbai as part of Victoria Week, a program of activities to showcase Victoria's cultural, creative and business strengths in India. Her government is delivering on an election pledge to develop an Indian film festival and bring the best of Indian cinema to Victorian audiences, she said.

Saif the shweet hubby

Kareena Kapoor is over the moon, and it's not just because critics have been giving her rave reviews for her performance in Reema Kagti's Talaash. It's also because husband Saif Ali Khan seems equally thrilled at her role and plans to throw a small party to celebrate the actress' success.

"Saifis still in Lucknow, but he's been very excited as he has been receiving messages from our family and friends about my performance in Talaash;' said an elated Kareena.

"He was happy about the fact that th is is

my first big fi Im after our we dding and we have broken the norm to prove that even married women can get the box office going," she ad ded.

A decade after Chameli, Kareena once again plays the rol e of a prost itute in Talaash, and is delighted that the audience has accepted her in this role

"It's quite ironic that I did Chameli when I was 22 and I did Talaash when I am 32;' Kareena sai d "It is easy to do song and dance, as though it is a part of me and my USP, but I feel really b lessed to play something like this on scr een''.

As the happy couple are thrilled, Saif plans to make the occasion special with a small party for friends and family Not a bad start for a month-old marriage and wonderful to see that supportive filmi husbands still exist

Inspiring Akshay

His is a strong presence in Bollywood's teeming industry, and he's also one of its most bankab le actors After the success of Akshay Kumar's films Houseful/ 2 and Rowdy Rathore, the actor has catapulted into the Rs 100 crore club But despite all the hype, the actor remains disarmingly modest about his success and performance And although Akshayfeels the pressure of success, he says once a film releases, he doesn't dwell too much upon its box-office performance

" I feel p ressure when the film nears its release, but after that ifit doesn't work, I am on to the next film. I also don't take a big hit too serious ly, because the next Friday you have to go into the same circle you never know what will happen. I just take it as it comes I just work and entertain;' said Akshay

The actor made his Bollywood debut with 1991 film Saugandh and went on to acquire the tag of'Khiladi Kumar'for his inclination towards action But since then, Akshay has veered his focus to comedies

"After Khiladi 420, I stopped doing action movies because I got married I just wanted to work on comedy, romance and everything Being a father and a husband, a man has to settle down a little bit. Now my son has grown up, I want to go back to action;• said the actor, who is married to actress Twinkle Khanna and has two kids - Aarav, 10 and daughter Nitara, who was born in September

Rowdy Rathore signified Akshay's return to action, his first love, and his new film Khiladi 786 will see him in a similar avatar. "It is a great thing to return to action. It is my love I have been in this industry because of action. I have tournaments of action

I have my own personal gyms Action is what I am It's because of action that I am here;' said the 45-year-old martial arts expert

Over the years, the genre of action has been mixed with comedy and successfully presented to the audience through hit films like Dabangg, Ready and Rowdy Rathore.

And there's a good reason for this, reveals the talented actor "The audience wants th is from me They want overthe-top action (movies) These are their demands and we have to try and give it to them. The films are made for everybody. Not only masses, but classes also love this," said Akshay.

He added that now the overseas

INDIAN LINK

audience wants to see one actor as a master of all -whether it is action or comedy The past formula of having a separate comedian alongside an actor in a film is long gone.

"People want their actors to do comedy too They want one so lo hero and want to see everything in him;' he said

Well, looks like the perfect description of what Akshay does best. So will the action hero-cum-comedian lives up to his reputation in Khiladi 786? Let's wait and see

Talaash is a true thriller

We've come to expect nothi ng less from Aamir Khan, and once again, we are not disappointed. Taalash released recently and has been l auded not just by critics and the industry, but also by the aamjunta. The thrill er is expected to have raked in Rs 15 crore on its opening night Aam ir 's wife, filmmaker Ki ran Rao is very happy w ith the movie as she says it offers something for everyone "It is my kind of film and I real l y liked it;' the 39-year-old said.

"We just hope that peopl e also like it. The story is such that everyone wil l get something in it. It is emotional also, so it should touch the audience and wil l lead them to think as well;' she said.

Directed by Reema Kagti, Ta/aash is a thrill er and al so stars Kareena Kapoor, Ran i Mukerji and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Asked to describe her husband in a few words, Kiran's response was to the point: "A good human being and very talented at the sametime:'Nuff said and well sa id!

Paris gets Goa grooving

She may be miles away from the dazzle of Hollywood, but socialite--cum-actress-cum -singercum-entrepreneur- cum-heiress Paris Hilton got into yet another avatar on her recent trip to Goa And she did a good job of it too As deejay at the Sandkastle Music Festival of India Resort Fashion

Week (IRFW), Paris knew what was needed to get the aowd swinging and swaying She began wit h the popu lar Korean song Gangnam Style, peppering the hit number with the words, 'We will rock this night Goa!"The crowd went wild as Paris kept them grooving, dressed for the occasion in a metallic knee-l ength dress It was her second venture as DJ, but she certa inly kept the party goi ng!

"So Goa how are you feel i ng today, all set to rock the night and get grooved?" she asked before starting the performance and continued by adding, "I love you peopl e. You guys are just so amazing, I love India and the country rocks!"

The 31-year-old also played

Last issue Caption Contest winning entry

What are Big Band Anil Am bani saying to each other at Bal Thackeray 's funeral?

We each may own Mumbai in our own way, but ultimately we go like everyone else

, India

Monisha Lahiri Kolkata

Monisha wins a CD of new Hindi film Jab Tak HaiJaan

tracks that she had remixed herself

People from as far as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai, and from countries like Ireland, New York and London attended the show, enjoyi ng it in their own ways Paris finally ended the show, p romising to return and tweeted : "Wow! What a fun show! Had the best time performing ton i ght! So happy that you all loved my set! Loved seeing you al l dance! Yes (sic):'

The heiress also wa lked the ramp for fina le designer Shane and Fal guni Peacock on the trip She admits to being fascinated by Indian fash i on "Whenever I visit, I ma ke sure to buy something for myself. Last time I tried a sari;' she said

"I l ove everything that is beautiful and this is the reason why I l ove India for its vivacious and bright colours and designs''.

And naturally, Paris took ti me out to indul ge in her favourite occupati onsh opping. "I bought some spi ces I love In dian food. I also bought trinkets from the local market here for my family and they are just beautiful''.

I'm sure Paris'trip has boosted the country's retail economy

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Australian Christmas lunch

This X'Mas, try a local laid-back lunch that allows you to relax and enjoy the holiday

The s Lm is beaming down and the air condicioning has been switched on early mid- morning. The sound of kids splashing in the pool echoes throughout many su burban back ya rds. It's summertime and Christmas day. There is no need to spend homs slaving over a hot stove. Chill our and have a cold style Christmas Aussie lunch.

Roast Chicken

Drumsticks with Sa lsa

Serves 8

Preparatio11 lit11e: 30 111i11utes

Cooking time: 1 hour

This dish should be prepared the night before Xmas, scored in the fridge overnight and ready for you r Christmas lu nch the next day.

2 kgs chicken

drumscick s

1 lemon

I tsp paprika

½ esp lemon pepper

seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

P inch of salt

Lemon wedges co ser ve

Preheat oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees (fan forced). Place the drumsticks in a roasting dish. Cut the lemon i n to quarters and squeeze lemon juice over d ie drumsticks. Rub the oil over the drumstick s and sprinkle with paprilrn, lemo n pepper seasoning and sa lt. Roast the drumsticks for 45mins - l hour, until golden brown. Cool and refrigerate until needed.

Sa lsa

4 ripe tomatoes

½ small onion, finely chopped

l clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp lemon juic e

I tbsp Tabasco sauce

I tbsp olive oil

Pinch salt

¼ cup chopped parsle y

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove che seeds. Dice t he toma toes into 1cm cube -sized

p ieces Comb ine this in a bowl with cbe diced onion, crushed garlic, lemon juice and o il. Add Tabasco sauce and salt to taste. Stir through die parsley. Sta n d for and hour so to le e the flavours

INDIAN LINK

develop.

When read y serve alongside chicken drumsticks.

Brown Rice Salad

Serves 8

Cooking ti111e: 15 mi1111tes

Prep11rr1tio11 time: 15 111i1111tes

The rice can be cooked in advance for this recipe. Slice and chop the vegetables beforehand and place in fridge until read y co serve

500g small cooked prawns

2 cups (22g) cooked brown rice (approx 2/3 cup uncooked brown rice)

1 medium red capsiCLtm, chopped

finely

3 spring onion, finel y chopped

2 trimmed celery stalks, finel y

chopped

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp crean1

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

l tsp cas cer sugar

Shell and devein prawns, chop up into 1cm cubed sized p ieces. Place brown rice in a large bowl. Add chopped prawns, sliced capsicum, chopped sp ring onion and chopped celery stalks. Combine

lemon juice, olive oil, cream, chives and sugar together. Add to rice and vegetables Gendy toss through.

Homemade Pesto

Pasta Salad

S erves 8

Prepamtion ti111e: 20 111in11tes

Cooking times: 10 111i1111/es

I bunch fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp p ine nuts

2 g loves of crushed garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

500g penne pasta

250g grape romaroes

½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced

1 red capsicum, thinly s liced

Bocconcini cheese

Place d1e basil leaves, pine mus, g arlic and cheese into a food processo r. Pulse until welJ chopped. Slowly add d1e olive oil and continue to pul se food processor. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in boili ng salted water as per die packet instr uctions. Once cooked, drain pasta into a colander and rinse with cold wacer.

Place into a large bowl.

Ad d grape romaroes; scatter thinl y sliced onion and capsicum through dish. Add the pesto sauce and stir until well combined Ready to serve!

• • • • •••••••••••••••••

Green Salad with Mango

Serves 8

Prepamtio11 ti111e: 20 111i11utes

3 Lebanese cucumbers

1 small red o nion t hi nly sliced

2 medium mangoes, peeled and cut into matchsticks

400g mixed salad leaves

I /3 cup olive oil

'/• cup lemon juice

2 esp wholegrain mu stard

Using a vegetable pee ler, cut thin ribbons from cuCLm1bers. Place cucumber in a l arge bowl. Add onion, mango and salad leaves.

Wh isk togedier oil, lemon juic e and mustard in a bowl until weU combined. Add di e dress ing to the salad Tos~ gendy to combine.

Serve

• • •••••••• • ••••••• • ••

Sunset Pavlo va

Serves 8

Total cooking time: 1 ho11r

Prepamtion ti111e: 30 111i111tfes

The Pavlova should be made di e day before.

4 egg whites

I cup castor sugar

2 tsp corn.flour

1 tsp white v inegar

I cup fresh cream ¼ cup flaked coconut

½ peeled, cored and dunly sliced fresh pineapple

I peeled and s liced thinly fresh mango

2 peeled and sliced fresh b an anas

2 fresh passion fruit

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees for a conventional oven or 150 for a fan forced oven. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the egg whites and a pinch of sale into a large and very clean glass bowl. Ensure the egg whites ar e at room temperature. Using an electric beater, beat slowly until the ,vhites stare co become a frodiy foan1, increase the speed of the beaters until die bubbles have become small and evenly sized When the foam forms stiff peaks, add che sugar graduall)~ continuously beating after each addition., until the mixnire is diick and glossy, and all the sugar has dissolved. Don't overbear the mixnire odi erwise it will become grainy. Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted cornAour and vinegar. Spoon th e m.ixntre into a mound onto the prepared baking tray. Lightl y flatten the top of the Pavlova and smooth the sides. The Pavlova should have a cake shape. Bake t he Pavlova for 1 bom, or until pale cream in colour and crisp on d1e outside. Remove from di e oven while warm, and carefully rum upside down onto a serving dish

Spread flaked coconut onto a baking tray with baki n g paper and cook for 2 -3 minutes, until lightl y toasted. Cool complete.ly.

Using the electric beaters, whip die fresh cream until soft peaks form, di en spread over tbe Pavlova.

Top die cream wi th d1inly sliced pineapple, mango and bananas Drizzle die Pavlova with the pulp of 2 fresh passionfruit, and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Cm into wedges a.nd se r ve.

A

strange quirk of fate and technology results in a new beginning and ending

he smartp hone she held in her hand

bu rn ed her lingers

She read t he text message again. That is all he had sent, a re.xr m essage comprising a mere word s: " l can't d o d1is co h er. I'm nor coming hack. Sorry."

T en years of m ar ri age wiped out b y te n words. \Xlorse, her husband had not even had the decen cy to tell her in person. "Sorry-' ' - that s ing le word was neither an apo logy nor a consolation. As rears slid d own her cheeks, she asked he r self the qu estion: \'\!h y me ?

Wbat vital sign of the affair h ad she missed? His regular absence from h o m e was n ormal co heL

He was a pilot and the very nature o f his job called for chose trips

Like m os r wives s he had been o n the lookout for the classic signs - lip stick o n the collar, wrong numbers, un explai n ed gifts, new additions to the wardrobe and di sappearance of mo ney fro m d1eir accounts. But of mese b ad happ en ed. When be was home, ever y moment was spent with her. And yet there was d1e message o n her phone, fo rcing her heart to believe what it did not wa n t to L1 me n ext fe,v h our s she faced all ten aspects o f human personalities.

Kama (Love): Theirs had been a Jove marr iage Th ey had fought famil y and society for the rig h t to wed. People had accused them of forge tting all se n sibilities fo r an em otion they we re m istaking fo r love. And just when everyone was linally admicring that they were wron g, Just had trul y stepped in and made a m ockery of t heir marriage.

Kro dha (Anger) : Thi s was me one emotio n that s he had never shown during her entire m arriage. Yee now after the initial shock b ad worn off, i t was me ern otion d1ac surfaced lirsc. Anger a t her husba nd, an ger a t 'tha t woman' a nd most of all, she ex pressed anger at her own srnpidi ty. She was angry witb the phone M o b a (delusion): She derided

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herse l f fo r getti ng caught up in di e ilfosionary world of love. She had built her life aroun d what she felt for her husband a nd was al ways grateful for what she got return. Buc now that th e illusion had bee n lifted , all she fel t was betrayal And she vowed that it would never happen to h er again.

Lob h a (Greed): She spent a good h alf hour logging into the ir bank accoums From the join t accoun ts sh e transferred h alf of the funds to her personal account. She was tempted to emp ty the accoun ts as retr ibu tio n , t hen realised t ha t r ight has its p lace, but greed would always be w ro ng. And a nyd1ing wrong had no p lace in her future.

Ma d a (Pride) : She cook a l ong time co come to terms wid1 th is failing bur no matter how much she wante d to forgive her husband, her pride would not lee her. Had he left after celling her t he trL1th, s he could have forgive n him. Bue to sen d her a te.'(t me ssage celling her that their marriage was over a nd d-iat d1ere \Vas another woman in his life, was unfo rgivable

l\1a tsara Qealousy) : Of course, she was jeal ou s She was d1e wife, theirs had bee n a love marriage and he had promised her a lifetime of togetherness. Now h e was promising all that to another. The parm er l eft behind is d1e one most disadvantaged. They still wan t t he past, rh ey still hope fo r a future and d1ey b e lieved in the pre sent.

Manas (Mind): The mind was d1e hardest to control and d1e

[iJ ru pda te sta,tm lfil Add photo/ vidcQ ~ As1r q11e:stion

~-~- -~- -~-~

Amy•'t-la e E'lfiott went frombe tn g in a rtla6on:;rnp· IIl 511'@1e•,

• t l<;c eomment • 33 imr,ules ago

And just when everyone was finally admitting that they were wrong, lust had truly stepped in and made a mockery of their marriage.

m osr difliculr to steer in d1e r igh t direction Since receiving that o n e message, her mind was out of h e r control. Her mougbts ran helter- s kelter! It remembered w h at t hey had togethe r an d i t mourned what mey would n ever have After hours of mentally torturing h erself, she decided, she wo uld stop hurting herself. Her husband was feeling n one of d1e pain sbe w as, so wh y was sh e wastin g h er time w id1 d1ough ts o f 'w hat was'. J c cook her many hours to conclude d1at if she did n o r ma tter to h im , h e would n o lo nge r maner to h er Bu d d h i (Intellec t) : As mou g h ts of reve nge surfaced, she decided th at she wo uld never give h im a divorce. If be wa n ted d1e o d1er woma n , she would have to wait a li fetime for hi m. A lifetime! The sam e li fetime d1at she would have co waste in tears and h eartac he! But as t houghts of revenge and h atred filled her mind, b il e began to lill her throat. Was revenge worm more of this bile? Would mey ever be able co Jove eac h od1er again? When bo d 1 questions got a negative answer, she decided tha t it w as tim e to use he r in tellec t. S he was an educ ated woman, w ho o nce bad an independent c areer. Sbe could use both mose experie nces A n independen t life of dignity was b e tter than a life where sbe was me rely tole rated Chitta (\Xl iU) : After many hours of soul- searc hing, her inner power res urface d and assur ed h er tha t she would s urvive the turbul ence

Not o n ly would she survive, but she wo Ltld mrive o n e more. le spoke of courage and sttengm It bro ug h t calm and peace She was the sam e person she was before she got d1e m essage, a complete b ein g a n d she would always be the same p erso n as long as she believed in h e rse l f and adhered to her principles.

A h ,mkar (Ego) : The self drnt had been hurt, insulted and abused, scattered into the unkn ow n. The self mac remained was a spiritual b eing and t he person drnt n ow looked at the message asked just o n e question, "\'v'hy nor m e?" In wh at way was she more special di.at t he woman living n e.'(t door? fo what way was she clearer man the wife d own the street? Between h er intellect and her will , sh e chose di e pad, that was right fo r all.

S he packed her b ags, locked d1e fro n t door an d left in her car. She drove to the beach house she and h er husband loved during th eir short breaks She would not be Man dod ari, sile ntly waiting for her hu sband's in fatuatio n w im an other woman to end. She would not be R avana who was Lmable to contro l the ten aspects of his life as symbolised by h is ten heads. She would do as Ra m a did, rake a n egative situati o n a nd bring about a pos irive result.

Just as she reached the beach house, her husban d e ntered their h ome. " D arling?" he called out. His words were met with s_ilence. He looked around but could nor lind b is wife Her car

It took her many hours to condude that if she did not matter to him, he would no longer matter to her

was missing as well. Intending to call h e r, he cook our his mobile phone. J u st t hen a m essage showed up in his in box. I r was from h is w ife. " l hope yo u both are very happy roged1e r. Go odbye "

Goodbye? He looked at cbe word a nd frowned. And then panic set in a s he sc rolled down co r he message below. His words jumped up fro m d1e screen Hell! He had mhed up the t\vo messages. As realiLy set in, h is mob il e slipped to the floor.

TA n QTPREDICT IONS FOR DECEMBER 20,2 K

By NANCY JADE ALTH EA www nancysood com

ARIES Ma r c h 2 1 - April 19

It is i m portant that you are ver y firm about an y p l ans that you have, and not a ll ow a nyon e to co m e in yo u r way Re main stro n g an d d eter mined i n what y ou d es ire The card s indi cate th at y o u need to be very m etic u lous w hen it comes t o a ny b u siness dea l i ngs th i s month Ch eck the facts, details and wo rding before you sign any d ocu ments Romantically, t here is a strong c h ance of meet ing a fire si g n which can turn into a lon g ter m lo ve

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

Yo u will b e th inking o f t ak ing a n ice long holiday You are p a rticu larl y fon d of w ater, and the cards indicate that you will b e close t o it M ake sure t h at you allow people t o p rove themse lve s t o yo u There are also a lot of changes aroun d you r work llfeand you are bur sting w ith ideas You wi ll be thi nki ng about a pa st lover, an d yo u may hear from them. You may need a blood test- do not delay

GEMINI May 2 1 - Ju n e 20

The ca rd s in dicate that you may meet a lo ve r of t he o p posite sex w h o w i II share yo u r mon t h o f b irth Yo u w i II b e b etter off as fr ien d s You w ill be called upo n by a n or g an isation t o p rove y o u rself Th is m onth p ro mises a ti m e of great achi evements and fre sh i deas Yo u wi ll also be full of energy w h en it comes to you r own hea lt h an d exerc ise routi nes You may w ait fo r a mail or d o cument, wh ich wi l l arrive t h is m onth

CANCER Ju n e 21 - J u l y 20

The cards indicate a tim e t o be ext ra careful w ith fin ancial matters. Yo u may b e tem p ted by a fi nanci a l p ro p osa l, but make su re yo u r ead all th e small p rint an d no t a llo w you r self to get carried away Th ere is a marked improvement i n yo u r life at home, yo u wi ll b e fee ling better and happ ier about th ings There i s a n i ndicati o n th at y o u may be f eel ing a little stressed-out th i s m onth , but allow you rself to say, t h i s too sh a ll pass!

LEO Ju l y 21 - A ug 22

T h is month t he cards indicate a time to get aw ay with a lo v ed o ne for a w ell-d eserve d b reak So m e l u crati ve j ob o ffers may come yo u r way , bu t yo u need t o be abl e t o accep t t h em with full confi d en ce. Th is month is a ll about advancement an d promotions. Yo u are in r ea l need ofrest, so there is an in dicat ion t hat you w i ll need t o g o ou t less d u rin g the w eek You will b e l ookin g at a n ew ca r, t r e atin g yourself ?

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

Th i s m o nth you are bein g u r ged to start ma ki ng pl an s and t o stick t o them as you hav e been sitti ng o n th e fence fo r far too l ong Th er e are amazi ng o p portu nit ies coming you r way, bu t y ou h av e g ot i nt o a l azy mode, a n d are u nab le t o go forwa rd A stro n g co nnect ion w ith a m a rr ied p e r son m ust stop, as the r e is, an indication of heartbrea k You a re a l so th inki n g of b u y ing a p et Think carefully, as a dog i s for li f e !

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

The ca rd s indi cat e a t ime t o t reat yourself an d spen d on some w ell- d eserved luxuries. Yo u are feeli n g unhapp y with you r lov e life of late, an d recentl y you ha ve becom e bor ed and frustrat ed Th ere h as t o be some mu tual interest and respect wh ich is m issing. The cards show a very good ch ance of a prom ot ion o r a new opportun ity arou nd you this month M ake sure yo u d o n ot show comp lacency, as th i s opp ortunity w ill be very g ood for y ou

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 2 1

The ca rd s ind icate that yo u n eed to m a ke som e firm d ec isions t o ch ange your lifesty le There will be a new p e rso n enterin g you r life, and you need to ma ke sure yo u can accommodate t hem You are qui te set in your ways, but t h is lo ver w ill w an t a serious r elationship. Work-wi se, if i n b usiness th ere i s a won d erfu l opp o rtun i ty, b ut you are advised to l ook at a ll ang l es and plan acco rd ing ly Take it easy so you d o n ot g et il l.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

Th is month you r focu s w ill b e debts and m o ney You hav e a l ot of strength an d are will ing to take on some n ew cha lle nges. You w ill al so be in a v ery opt i m istic mood w ith wo rk an d fa m ily. Ev en tho u gh there has been so me di fficu lt t imes lately, y ou w ill be able to keep t he pe ace Th ere a re fri ends aro und you w h o w ill be supportive and stand l ike p illars of strength w hen you need th em Look at cha ng i ng y ou r hairstyle.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

There are some h appy t i mes in store for you, both at work an d in yo u r rom antic lif e Th ere i s a need to kee p happy and smi ling, and avoid f eeling tense an d angry fo r too long for no reason Be pa rticu larly tactful w hen d ealin g with co lleag ues When you are dealing w ith them , listen to t heir viewpo int There are so me d ifficult fam il y m embers around y ou th is month, so keep your pa t ient ha t on or you w ill get into arg uments. Check you r health

AQUARIUS J an 2 0 - r=e b 18

Th is m onth you w ill be looki n g at a physical exercise an d fi tness routine, w h ich will h elp so lv e m an y major probl ems around you J Ther e m ay be som e office politics, t h e cards i n d icate t h at you need to keep clea r of t hem. There are maj or changes t h is month, w it h reg ard to relat ionships you w i ll b e m aking an effort t o compromise w hich you do not find easy to d o Your par tn er wi ll b e testi n g you r p atience and you m ay h ave som e arg u m ents Ke ep coo l.

PISCES r=e b 19 - tv1 arc h 20

Th is m o nt h is a t im e for b u i l d ing o ld bridg es an d fo r g iv ing t hose wh o have u ps et y ou. Th ere w ill b e so me hea lth i ssues that are p e rs i st ing. Nothing to worr y about , just ach es a nd p ains seem to be b oth ering you You w il l b e t h ink in g about buying a p roperty o r d o ing som e house -hunting, as th ere is a ch an ce y ou w ill be moving from your p resent ac commodat ion Work w ill get bett e r as long as you pu t in 100% effort in y o ur da ily r egime

, ,.

BY .,. LP AYER

Christrnas is around the corner. Some call it the 'silly' season, bm it is really the 'C'illy season - a time fo r carols, cakes, cra ss co n smnerism a nd cards l or the kind of card s yo u send o ut to convey goodwill cowards fellow humans. Ir is the credit card, sn1p id! It is g iven a workout as if there is no co m orrow. In fact, some fol ks would wish that tomorrow, when the pay m ent is due, never comes. U nfornmare ly for them m oney doesn't grow on trees. Christmas tree incl uded! The plastic panacea used ro cure all shopping ills soon turns o u t a pose transaction stress di sorder.

The c redi t card, w h en it ap peared on the hori zo n a few decades ago, had a noble pmpose. Like the o ld saying ' the way co hell i s paved with good intentions', it has, over the years, produced so m e dread ful deb t consequences. !ts original concept was to give its holder the convenience of n ot car r yi n g cas h without ever running our. It was to take the weight off the wallet, travel light and shop w ith security any ti me, any pl ace Now credi t card provid ers literally lighten your wal.let every tim e yo u pay a bill, charging a percenc or two o n top of the bill amounr, besides an a n nual fee. You pay a fee to pay yo ur money co someone! How fair is that? The points too, have become poin tl ess over time. My return jour ney to lnclia once cos t 70,000 points. Now that will take m e up co the local airport.

In t he beginning, cards were issued by b anks in bland colours co a band of selecr custo mers who bad to pass through several hoops of credit wo r thiness. Soon retailers moved in fo l.lowed b y airlines, petrol stations, all and su ndr y. The y are now offered willy-nilly. I have seen so me women carry umpteen plastic card s, enough to recreate Mic hael Jackso n. Sorry for showing disrespect to the departed; one shouldn't speak i ll of the dead Talking about a li,>i ng legend , J ane Fonda 's trim, taut figure i s an all- plastic miracle a nd nor from her well-p ublicised workout. The car is o m of the

bag only a fter thousands of wo m e n had s hed several pou n ds (monetary) with their creclit card s to buy her fitness fads.

Over the years, the credit card bas evolved into a class syscem of its own with silver, gold and platinum types signalling the st.'lntS of the holder Ir has also taken on new avatars li ke charge and deb it card - tl1e darling of m erchants wbo get their money on ce tl1e card is swiped Each swipe shaves a slice of your savings with silky sm ootlrness What swip e, tl1e

Y-gen may ,vonder. In its infant days, the card was p laced on a metal cradle with a wringe rtype roller passed over it and a set of triplicate vouchers The triplicate had an Indian aura since

everything over there still needs to be in triplicate. (Even ou r god system is Trivmrtbi).

Besides the o ne chat offers perma n ent san cniary in the US, tl1ere is a green card tliat does nor cost you a cent. Ir is the Meclicare Ca rd, provided the ser vice provider bulk bills yo u.

It may bulk up his bank account and eve n make you green witl1 e nvy.

Over the years, cards have grown out o f the tt swipe cradle and moved to hand- h e ld machines with 'PIN' or 'sign' commands. I don't l.ike to be pinned by a set of numbers and PIN being a Pain In (the) Neck, I always opt to sign Ar 01) age with a poo r memory, tl1ac is the only w ay to reme m ber

who I am Even th i s choice i s n ow under threa t. No need ro sig n i f the pu rchase is LL11der a ce r tain amorn1c. Just a wave of the card and away yo u go. Bingo! Can't gee easier than that.

If you lose your card someo ne can use it and smile all the way out

o f the shop shouting, "Start tl1e earl" ti !t1 the Ikea ad To assuage cardho lders' concerns, providers assure that they will bear tl1e cost

o f purchases under a certain amotu1t; some say $50 and others, $100 So if your December statement s hows a munber o f $99 99 pu rchases, someone may h ave had a good silly season. You might have spread so m e goodwill.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

JAN-PRO: The Key to Your Future

Awarded the fastest growing franch ise 3 years running, JAN-PRO offers commercial c leaning franchises starting from as little $13,500+GST.

For further information & to find out how you can un lock the key to your success, visit www.jan-pro.com.au or contact 1300 JAN PRO.

.J 2 Years Guaranteed Income

.J No Sell ing Required

./ Ful l Training Provided & Ongo ing Support

.J Ranked #9 Global Franch ise*

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