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EDITORIAL INDIAN LINK

The new hundred million

(i:>usi.lsi-lE:R Pa:-:Yan Luthra-; .

,.,1.~DIT.OR

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l!aj!"'!A~il_nc:l_~ut_hr.~ 1 ASSISTANT, EDITOR

.. --·-sh~ryfDixi( -MELBOURNE

·PreeJiJal,bal CONTRIBUTORS ·

Rohana Wood, Lena ·Pea.cock; ...

Usha Ramanujam Arvind;: ---·.

Priyil1ashini Chidambaranathan, Avi,£h_an~ioki :Nancy Jade Althea, Priyanka ,Tater, - --s_,_ ---- -•,Sai Nin-;ii°;,:··••>--· .•--.

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t seems chat one billion dollars is the ne,v one hundred miJlion. In nwnbers, a 100 million is 10% of the magic billion figure, but the way the billion figure is bandied about by the currenr politicians in Australia, it does seem like loose change, The cen tre of the world, or at .lease of Australia, in the first week of March has been \Xlestern Sydney. With PM Gillard camped out in the wild west, attention bas been turned to \vhat is on offer by the Labor government in Australia as the unofficial campaign for the September 2013 election kicks off. Dumbin g it down tO a price differential is easy, in terms of what Labor has to offer compared co what the Coali tion will offer, or take away. In business, the competition seems tO be in the hands of the dumbest player when al] that exists is a price differential, and decisions are made o n pricing rather than 9ualicy. This obviously has become the grand play in the political stakes where rather than policy, it is a loose throw of a few billion here, m: a few billion there. The entry fee ro stay at d1e

Lodge now can be counted in billions.

The Gillard government seems to be particularly keen to splash a few b illion around . Only this week (and at d1e time of writing rbis, iris Wednesday), $1.2 biUion has been allocated ro salary increases in d1e aged care sector; Wes tern Syd ney has been p romised SI b illion for a new road project (subject to conditions); last week Prime Minister Gillard unveiled a $1.1 billion school .r eading blitz and the week before she made a pitch to blue-coUar workers, unveiling d erails of the Government's new $1 billion jobs package, All o f chis, together with promises in the past, have even the Business Council of Australia worried, due ro the $49 billion black bole of unfunded new spending commitments. And this is before fonding has been decided for whar seem tO be two of Labor's re-election platforms, die National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and the Gonski Education reforms, which are both slated to cost about $10 b illion dollars a year.

Where the danger lies in these promised expenses for d1e rapidly increasing Indian Australian community, is d1e impact this spending - which has not been balanced by income - will ha,,e over d1e longer term. This can mean increased taxes on the aspirational and hard-working Jndian community, o r

government enforced austerity measures in d1e funu·e to pay off public debt.

More concerning is the Gillard government's demonising of foreign workers. Playing to its base o f rbe unions (and tbe funding received from them), d1e Labor Party, true to its DNA is keen tO allow for greater contraction o f the labour marker, so as to sq ueeze demand and increase wages. While d1ar can happen, what is shameful tO watch is the lack of respect sbown tO the hard work of these workers who contribute to the economy by paying their share of ta..'i:, 457 visa holders are nor supported by government-funded l'vledicare and also pay school fees for their children in public schools. They often take up jobs which create greater flow-on opportunities for d1e wider community.

I t is a shame that d1e Gillard government has failed ro recognise contributions by d1ese workers.

The Indian Australian community, which has grown strongly in the past few years with migrants starting in the 457 visa categories before becoming full time residents, has a right to feel insulted by the Gillard government's dog-whisding, If there are loop holes in the system, d1e government needs co fix them: they have the mandate tO do so, but not by belitding the contribution of those who work hard in their new jobs d own under.

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LINK'S AWA

IND

AT PREMIER'S MULTICULTURAL MEDIA AWARDS Best News Report, Best Online Publication of the Year, and Best Image of the Year

he hrdit111 Unk media group walked away with three accolades at the Premier's Mu.lticulnu:al Media Awards held in Sydney on Thmsday, 28th February.

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As well as a stack of nominations, T11dit111 Link won awards for Best I ews Report, Best Online Publication of the Year, and Best Image of the Year.

Held for the first drne, the awards ceremony acknowledged and highlighted the.important role d1at ethnic media plays in Australian society. With over 300 guests in attendance, awards were given co the best multicultlll'.al print, o aline, television and radio across the state. A\vards were judged by an

independem panel of academic and working media experts.

The evening was opened

by NSW Premier Hon Barry O'Farrell, who underlined the importance of nmlticultlll'.al media in this state, as it "ensures that people regardless of language and cultural background can participate fully in public Ii Ee and public debate." Also in attendance o n the evening·w ere M.iniste.r of Citizenship and Immigration Hon Victor Domioello and the Cb.air of the CRC, Stepan Kerkyasharian.

Editor Raj ni Anand Luthra accepts an award from Barry O'Farre/1, Premier of NSW

A Sydney-based media group,

Tndiau .Link was nominated in a whopping 7 our of the 10 categories, i..nduding Best Print Publication, Best Edi tori.al or Commentary of the year, Best Use of Online & D igital Media and Best Featlll'.e o f the Year.

Indian Link has been in operation since 1.994 and was born from Pawan Luchra and Rajni Luthra's destre ro act as more than just a voice of rhe Iadian community io Australia, bL1t also as a vehicle for cl:iange and a voyage of discovery. And judging from tbe results of this award ce.remony, the media group is going from strength co strength.

With its biggest strengths - focus on gualiry and high standards, cpmp~ehensi\7 e editorial content and sleek presentation skills Indian Link has come a long way.

Starting off as a small black-andwhite monthly production, it has today morphed into a media house with extensive reach across many 01ediun1s. The periodical of choice within Australia's Indian community, it is also rhe first point of conract for mainstream media when it has a 9uestioo on an Indiarelated issue.

Pawan Luthra, CEO of Indian U11k said he was proud of the ongoing recognition thaL the company has received, from with.in the community as weU as from the mainsa-eam. "In 2011 we were hooomed to receive the Harmony Award in the , SW Sub-Continent Community Awards. 2012 saw us bti.og home three of the 7 awards at che Parliament of NSW l'v[ulticulmral

Media Awards, and to claim three awards yet again this year, reveals not only our dedication but also the high standards we set omselves. l co ngratulate my team for their talent and their efforts".

Co-Editor R.ajni Anand Lmhra accepted the awards on behalf of the high-calibre media group. She d1anked the 70-odd contributors on both the radio and newspaper arms of d1e company, as well as the sponsors and supporters, who have all weighed in ro cake Indian Llnk to die high smn1s it enjoys today.

But she had a special word to d1e core team who work full- rin1e and behind the scenes. "The marketing staff Vivek Trivecli, Nitika Sondh.i Verma and Ashish Chawla, HR managerA□coinerce Mullins, contributing editors Pree ti Jabbal and Sheryl Dix.it, and graphic desi1:,mer Danielle Cai.tis, all work very hard to see chat a gualicy product goes om every fortnight," she said.

"Their cornmi □nent co e.xcellence is truly inspiring, and tbey all have egual ownership of the awards we received d1 is mond1".

This media group shows no signs of slowing down time s09n, as it continues to grow its portfolio. For Australia's lndiancommunity, this can only mean fresh pathways for better integration and a stronger public voice.

aor

Cover photo by Warren Duncan/CR( of NSW Photos:Warren Duncan/CRC of NSW and Vivek Trivedi

· ................ INDIAN LINK NOMINATIONS 2013 · ............... .

BEST NEWS REPORT OF THE YEAR Indian link Literature of Anguish BEST USE OF ONLINE & DIGITAL MEDIA Indian Link

6 MARC!-1 2013

BEST ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR Indian Link

BEST IMAGE OF THE YEAR Indian Link Aussie Kid Gandhi

BEST IMAGE OF THE YEAR Indian Link Julia Gillard at India Fair

BEST PRINT PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR Indian Link

BEST FEATURE OF THEYEAR Indian Link Australia Day Honours

BEST EDITORIAL/ COMMENTARY OF THE YEAR Indian Link Community Leadership

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NNINGNIGHT

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Rajni Anand Luthra and Dr Stepan Kerkyasharian AO, Chairperson of the CRC

1. BEST NEWS REPORT OF THE YEAR Uteraft1re of .-lnguish by Usha Ramanujam Arvind (Sept-2, 2012) Usha Ramanujam Arvind, one of !,,dim, LJnk'::, most experienced tean1 mcmbets, wrme the piece LJterah1rc of AllJ!,Jtisb. TIJ.is report concerns itself wid, a wcirers' conference held at the University of Western Sydney chat brought together leading litemcy figures from India anti Australia, over a duce-day period.

Usha's particular report was a pan of the paper's amhirious coverage of the entire event, which was based on the literature of Australia's Aboriginal community and India's Dalit cormnuniry. The writing eloquently explores the many shared similarities between cbese rwo seemingly different groups of people, who after generations of oppression, are now finding a voice through literamre.

The inrelligem and soft-spoken Lsha said, ·•The Dalits back home and Aborigines of the Terra

Nullius form a birtet chapter of their countries' respectnre histories.

Their tragic tales share so many common threads, criggering mumal healing and fostering healthier relationships".

She added, ''Growing up in a 'privileged' environment and as a member of India's 'forward caste', 1 bave :tlways felt 'guile' at the unfair exclusion of some sections based on caste, colour or rdigion.

Meeting die writers in person was an eye-opening experience. lt is heartwarming to see that this report has touched a chord with the judges and readers and hopefully one day, we can together put this bitterness behind us".

Usha has been a valuable member of the fotlian Li11k team for twelve years, and wrote for lndit111 !?,:,.press before moving co Australia. .,\l~o reporting &om tl1.e event were contributors Roanna Gonsalves and Priyadarshlni Cli.idambaranarhan, making ir a truly comprehensive report, re!lecring Indian LJ11k'.r highest sr.antlards.

Above: Victor Domine/lo, Minister for Citizenship and Communities and the Indian Link team

~e e t ~ v

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

www.muttc:ultur.al"sw.com.au

~ER'S MULTieur_~ 1?

1','lfDIAAWARDs 201 3

WINNER INDIAN LINK

MARC!-1 2013 7

~~s MULTicur,~ V

~oIAAWARDs 2013

WINNER 2. BEST IMAGE OF THEYEAR The M11hat111a is reborn - a.s D; 101mg Aussie hd, by Joanne Williamson (April I, 2012) The winning photograph for Best Image of the Year went to a photograph taken b y Joanne Williamson, o f a young Australian boy named Ben Stringer who dressed up as Gandhiji. The image was supplied by Languages campaigner Mala Mehta and was taken by Joanne at Cronulla Pltblic Schoo l.

The image was included in Indian link as part of a large feature story on a primary school program run iointly by six schools in the central

Sydney region. E ntitled " India Calling," cl1 e N SW Department of Education and Communities program is aimed at developing an understanding of Ind ia and its cuJmr e among primary school kids. As p art of their year-long accivities in this program, the sn1den ts celebrare India's fescivals, learn the Hindi language, and learn songs, as well as dances fro rn India.

This image was taken o n one such celebratory day w hen teachers as well as students dressed up in Indian costumes.

Ben as the 'young Gandhi' witl1 his co cron-draped atcir e, fake bald head and round glasses, certainly looked tl,e p art, showing the confidence of his revered altereg o as he posed confidently for photos.

Mala Mehta was thrilled by tl1e award. " lf it is anything to do with my /Jachcha.s, [young students], it makes me so pleased," ~be said upo n hearing tl1e news o f the award.

Another Indian Li11k image was also short-listed in the Best Image category. Encicled Designs 011 }Nlia, th.is image by A.AP pho tographer Paul Miller was taken at lasr year's India-Australia Friendship Fair and featured Prime l\fioister Julia Gillard getting a henna tartoQ on her hand by rmheridi artist Zeenat Lokhandwala.

• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3. BEST ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR fodian U11k

Julia Gillard a t India Fair byAAP photographer Paul Miller

8 MARC!-1 2013

Since its launch in 1994, Indian Ll11k now produce$ six print publicaci~1ns a month. In addicion co this, its fort.nightly e-paper is emailed to over 20,000 readers.

Last year alone, its webs ite ~ i indianlink.com.au had 433,000 page views, with 233,000 unique visitors. This large amoU11t of onlirre traffic viewed the wealth of infonnacion and entertainment available on the news, entertainment and leisure sections of the site, and is growing <lay by day. "\Ve have been on the cutting edge of technology since our incepcion,'' commented Publisher and CEO Pawan Lurhra.

Not just content with the written word, the

hugely popular Indian Link llildio is also available on me website.

The choice to eicl1er stream the radio online, or listen to .it through a downloadable smartpbone application, has brought in visitors from all over the work!.

The ouline presence bas improved dramatically, including cl1e iocreai;ed use of social media in 20 I 3 (Facebook, lnstagram and Twitter), with plans of improving chi. furcl1er.

The Indian Link website

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STAGE

PIAF offers a cha nee to 'act' in Raj Kapoor films A strong Indian presence offilm and dance made the annual arts festival a unique experience

BY ROHANA WOOD

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ndia India once again took centre stage at the Perth arts scene this summer, with performers such as Shiva Shakti participating in the renowned Perth International Arts Festival (PIAF) held from February 10 - March 3. The festival occurs annually in Western Australia's capital city and encompasses international and local contempora1·y dance act~, drama, live music and art installations. r ow in its 60th year, PIAF 2013 attracted performers such as dance troupe Aracaladanza from Spain, respected author l\fargaret Arwood from Canada and the Berliner Ensemble from Germany, co perform exclusively for the festival.

Indian participants joined o cher esteemed international acts at the event co share their talents, stories and shows with the people of Perth. The Indian contingent included acclaimed film clil:ector Srinivas Krishna who has links to Canada and India.

Described by The Critical Guide to Contemporary Directors as 'one of the most talented and provocach-re directors working in North America today', },fr Krishna burst onto the film scene in 'J 993 with his international hit, Masala.

This time around too, Mr lvishna did not d isappoint: his installation for PIAF was fantastic.

My L ame is Raj is the first crossgen.re project of the director and it combines photography with film. The project was inspired by famous Indian filmmaker and acto r Raj Kapoor, with the artist and audience bringing him back ro life in the installation.

An old shop from on Beaufort Street in the heart of d1e city of Perth was transformed by a niixrure of photos and film into a magical homage to Kapoor.

Audience members entering die makeshift studio could have a picrure taken as a film d,aracter and tben become a star in one of Kapoor's movies.

The crowds at the installation were a mix of students from d1e nearby Central Institute of Technology, passers-by, lovers of Indian film, and children. It was an

10 MARCI-I 2013

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Audience members entering the Krishna's studio could have a picture taken as characters and then become a star in one of Kapoor's movies

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My Name is Raj by Srinivas Krishna

Daksha Sheth Dance Company's Shiva Shakti ina:iguing installation which was praised by Perth Festival Artistic Director,Jonathan Holloway.

"Srinivas Krishna brings a filmmaker's eye and a visual artist's sensibility to the celebration of 100 years of Bollywood films. Putting you right at tbe centre of the work - this is 15 mi nutes of fame tl1ac feels like it predates Andy Warhol," he said.

Mr Holloway was nor wrong as the audience clearly revelled in die joy of appearing alongside acrors in lndian films.

The Indian talent on show as pare of PIAF did not stop with Srinivas Krishna. The production Sliiva Shakti from the internationally acclaimed Daksha Sheth Dance Company also resonated with the audience.

The company is a family affair, founded and now co-clirected by Daksha Sheth and Australian born musician Devissaro.

The husband and wife duo have worked cogetl1er co establish d1e dance company and collaborate creatively witli Devissaro, using

his composing skills and Daksha Shedi's 45 years of dance ei-.-perience. The lead dancers are Devissaro and Daksha Sheth's daughter, as well as Bollywood actress Isha Sharvani, for whom performing in Perth was a homecoming of sores, because she is half Australian. Their son and brother Tao Issaro was also involved in creating tl1e music for Shiva Shakti.

The dance performance blended contemporary and traditional Indian dance, and represents a journey of the ancient Indian philosophy of Tantra. Shiva is the male principle pure consciousness, represented in Tantcic rexes by an upward facing triangle. Shakti, is the lively feniinine energy, denoted by the red downward facing triangle. Shiva and Shakti combine toged1er to create b liss, and d1e Kundalini Shakci whid,, manifests in everyone. This unites us and connect~ us in tl1e dance of Sliiva.

The ancient story was expressed in the PIAF performance as Isha and her fellow dancers used martial arts, yoga, dance and aerial acrobatics. The combination weaved an eJaborate web of ideas and took the audience co anotlier dimension.

Accornpanied onstage by five drummers, the dancers put on a show of incredible strength, agility and athleticism while using suspended hoops, sheets of red material and acrobatics. Performing for four sold-out nights, the show commenced with five drwnmers booniing a deafening beat and slowly the dance began. The initial aces took the audience on a journey of yoga: familiar poses such as the warrior pose and salute to tl1e sun could be seen in the routines. lsha, accompanied by five

other dancers, created an intense e:...-perience for die audience.

While there was no doubt that the physical strength of the performers was breathtaking and d1e performance awe-inspiring, the overall energy mer its peak too late in the show and did not reach a crescendo until tbe final two acts. When the energy did build it was fantastic, well developed and powerful, but overall the show \Vas not coo phenomenal. With a surreal and booming instrumental, there is no doubt about d1e creative brilliance in the D aksha Sheth Dance Company. And because of the Jin ks they have with Perd1, Australia will surely bring tl1em back to perform again.

Indian artists and performers were no r only the only Indian link at PIAF: so too were people who were interested in India and the couou-y's srories. British journalise and au tl1or, Anne de Courcy's historical book The Fishing Fleet examined d1e relationship between d1e UK and India in a new, unusual way. Talking to an audience of about 300 people at the Perdi Writers Festival which is pare of PIAF, Ms de Courcy was witty and emertaining as she discussed her research, travels and die tales uncovered while writing die book.

Her quips and anecdotes, delivered in her distinct English accent, pleased and amused the audience.

The Fishing Fleer cells the srory of hundreds of young British women who went to India during the Raj period. These women were different as they went to lndia in seard1 of husbands. In tl1e book tliere are stories about A ustraLians, British aod Indians, and it paints an interesting picture about this particular period in hisro1-y. Ir reflects die complex relationship between India and the UK. Overall, the PIAF ·was a g reat platform to showcase talent from d1e subcontinent to an appreciative audience.

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AUSTRALIAWIDE

The next gen in mobile phones Jacob John has had a rewarding career in the Telecom Industry

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BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

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;;;:::mmunications engineer Jacob John has won international recognition for his outstanding contributions ro 3GPP or Third Generation Partnership Project, an innovation in the high-speed cellular services known as 3G. Joh n, who is a distinguished member of the Motorola 1fobiLicy's Standards and Research Group, was bestowed an international standards award at the 3GPP Radio Access I erwork (RAN) Group meeting at Maira in February. John was nominated for the prestigious award by RANS chai.r John Brown of NTT DoCoMo, one of the world's largest mobile communication operarors.

Conferring the award, Brown stated that.: "Jacob John has contributed significantly to the technical and managerial reguirements of TSG RA.!'\! \Xlorking Group 5. Furthermore, he has canied bis knowledge and technical expertise into d1e Global Certification Forum (GCF), greatly beneficing the wider device-related industry. L1 all aspects of his work he has been an outstanding ambassador for his company and RANS and thoroughly deserves the recognition within the 3GPP co tn In unity."

A joint collaboration between eLite telecom groups in t ortb America, Asia and Europe, 3GPP or the Third Generation Partnership Project is the international standards' organisation responsible for the development of mobile communications standards of 3GPP technologies.

These include d,e second generation (2G) global system for mobile communications or GSM, universal mobile telecommunications system or UMTS (3G) and long term evolution or LTE, the fourth generation cmnmunication network for high speed darn transfer (4G). RAN is one of d1e four technical specification groups (TSG).

Talking to Indian Unk about winning d1e award, John said, "(The award) means a lot to me as

INDIAN LINK

Jacob John

I feel honoured, but at the same cime hLmibled, to be recognised by an international standards organisation • 3GPP. I definitely consider this award as one o f my greatest achievements as a telecom professional." "lr means a lot to my family as welJ who have been putcing up with my freguent kmg haul travel and being away from home," he added.

The award is in recognition of John's extensive contribution as a leading test and cercification expert not only in Australia, but worldwide.

He was unanimously elected as Vice Chair of 3GPP RANS, a group covering all leading carriers, device vendors and test industry in 2009 and again in 2011. The RANS group is responsible for the development of conformance test standards for mobile phones.

"These standards are then appLied in the certification of mobile phones by certification organisations like GCF," he explained.

John'.s core area of e.'lpertise is technical management and leadership in the field of wireless protocol development, testing and certification.

To be a successful leader in 3GPP,John beLieves that one has to combine strong technical proficiency with astute diplomatic skills. Displaying fairness and consideration, the role seeks co find consensus among competing .stakeholders. Through his wuque leadership style, be has not only managed tin1ely development, but also strictly adhered to high international conformance standards.

In 2011, John was a finalist for the Australian Communications Ambassador Award for his strong

leadership skills and visible contribution to the telecom industry.

"I took d1e lead role of aligning Australian regulatory requirements with die relevant international standards. Being one of die few delegates in 3GPP and Global Certificacion forum (GCF) from Australia, I have always promoted Australian interests and reguirements in these forums," he said.

He has made extensive inputs to the development of the Australian RegLtlatory Standards for GSM and I1ff-2000 Customer Eguipment as member of Communications Alliance working committees. John has also served as a vital source of technical information on 3GPP Standards and Regulatory Standards in othu jurisdictions to ACMA and Emergency Services Organisarions.

"Tn 3GPP, one of my significant achievements has been the o n- tin1e development of conformance test standards for LTE that allowed certification to be activated in December 2010.

This in rum enabled the launch of LTE devices by leading Operacors like Verizon, AT&T and NTT DoCoMo," John explained.

He continues to serve technical-consultative roles at the Australian Regulatory Authoricies and Industry Forums such as Communications Alliance and AMTA, as well as leadership roles in International Standards Development and Certification Organisations.

The e lectronics and commmucations engineer, who hails from the lnd.ian state of Kerala, completed his Masters in Computing from UTS Sydney.

Since his move co Australia, he

bas clocked over rwo decades of experience in the sophisticated area of systems design, development and testing.

Before joining Motorola's Australia Software Cencre in 1997, Job n has worked for the NSW State Government as Senior Engineer Special Projects in the Department of Gaming & Racing.

Speaking about his role in the rapidly changing industry that has witnessed dramatic overhaLtls in the past rwo decades, John beLieves he was "very fortunate to be part of the l\fotorola team responsible for die development of world's first commercial GPRS phone in lace 1990s".

"I started in 3GPP contributing to the development of GPRS Standards (2G) in 1999. From 2001, I began actively contrjbuting to the development of UMTS Standards and finally LTE since 2007. It has been exciting to see mobile data tech1iology evolving from dial-up speed during GPRS times to today's broadband speed d1rough LTE. We are headed cowards even higher data rates cluough aggregation of carriers as well as efficient use of spectrum," he added.

At Motorola, John leads the Test Standards and Certification team, which is responsible for generation of new ideas, and introduction of these ideas into the industry standards, including development of conformance tests for certification. "Some part of the 3GPP test standards are applied as regularory reguirements in many jurisdictions including Australia," he explained. The remaining is left up to d1e certification organisations Like Global Certification Forum (GCF) and PCS Type Certification Review Board (PTCRB) to apply in certification.

Leveraging on his roots, John has also lobbied extensively with bis Indian counterparts over the past decade. ''l\fany of d1e multinational companies are represented in 3GPP and GCF by Indian origin professionals and more and more Indian Telecom companies have started actively participating in 3GPP and GCF in the last few years. In fact, the next GCF meeting is being held at Delhi.

One o f the key objectives of chis meeting is to promote GCF to the Indian mobile industry," he revealed.

John is extremely upbeat about the future of this cutting edge industry. "Consumers can

expect the mobile revolution to continue m1al1ated with more and more features and appLications packed into a converged device.

In addition to d1e significant improvements in data rates, 3GPP is working in the areas o f energy saving and support of diverse applications Like Rich Communication Suire (RCSe) and WebRTC," he seated.

Another area of strong activity in 3GPP is support of arplications for 'Machine-roMaclune (M2M) Communication' service in mass markets. M2M products are utilized in the areas of transport, logistics, automobile, home automation, digital heald1 and fitness, remote monicoring and control, and energy management, be pointed out.

Besides commm1ications technolog)', jacob John is eguaUy passionate about badnunton.

Despite hectic demands on his time, the former scate and nationals player continues to represent the game at i\ifasters level, having won the NSW A-Grade Men's doubles with Yogen Bhatnagar.

''

John's core area of expertise is technical management and leadership in the field of wireless protocol development, testing and certification

'' ''

Consumers can expect the mobile revolution to continue unabated with more and more features and applications packed into a converged device

'' MARCl-l 2013 11

ARTS

Australian Tamil film for Oslo First Tamil movie filmed in Australia travels to Norway Tamil Film Festival

11!pwale Kaathimpm, a Tamil film made in Australia has been selected as part of the 4th Norway Tamil FiJm Festival to be held across Oslo, Berlin and London. Made by Eelan Elanko, a Sydney based film-maker, the film is among 15 selected for the a\vards co be held between A pril 24-28.

Tn!J,avale Kaalhirupw, which translates to Siveetheart f 111ill ll'aif for_yo11, is also the first Tamil film to be made entire ly in Australia (Love a11d Longing in a Foreign Land, Tndio11 Link, Oct (2) 2012).

The smry revolves around the cultural challenges faced by two Australian Tam.ii families after migrating co a new country. \Vhat seems at first like a simple love story between Thana (played by Dinesh Sivarajah) and Pavi (played

by Niloja Loganathao), acquires a twist as tl1e m ovie progresses and viewers realize that both characters have had a stormy past.

Tbe movie which took over three years ro make, played co full houses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

T his has definitely been a labour o f love for Elanko who is excited by the prospect of his movie being part of a prestigious international film festival foe Tamil films. The festival line-up features l 2 films fro m the Tam.ii film industry in India, and one each from Canada, Sri Lanka and J'uisa:alia.

He says thaL it is an honour for his film ro featlue alongside 12 films that bave been box office hits in lndia. "J\fost of tbe Tamil

films feamred in the list are not big budget films," h e explained.

"They have nor been chosen based on me actors o r on the budget and special effects, but only on me basis of comenr''.

He went on to say that it was unexpected and a very pleasant surprise that his 'veeft1 sa111aJ of (hom e-made food) should be selected for such ao honour.

"There are two metrics o n which films can be judged artistic merit and technical effects.

Technical effects are mostly dependent oo the size of tl1e budget, but the artistic m erit of a film is entirely dependent on the people working in ir. And we are happy chat this has shown through in om film," he added.

Honours seem to be piling up for Elanko, especially after Julie Owens, MP for Parramacta, mentioned me movieio her address co rhe Australian Parliament on Febrnary 7. Ms Owens congratulated Elanko on his achievement and stated that "The film has been selected to be screened in tbe Tamil Film Festh7 al in Norway io April 2013- a g reat achievement by E elan."

He is m ore excited by this event man me awards. "l feel like I have won an Oscar. This is a greater honou r than any award ," he said enthusiastically. But having tasted success, E lanko now feels tl1e weight of responsibility and the urge to make better films.

"I w ant co make films char are not onlr about Sci Laokans and Indians, but Australians as a w hole," he claimed. He is currently making two different short films in Tarn.ii and English, following wh.ich he plans to go to India to m ake a film based o n h is childhood there.

Elanko feels his success is very 1

Actress Ni/oja in lniyavale Kaathirupen and below, director Ee/an Elanko

significant, given his background as a refugee.

"I left my motherland holding notl1ing b ut my life in my bands," be said em otionally. Growing up in lndia as a young boy, he la cer

moved co New Zealand and men Australia, to study and work.

And havi ng travelled a long way from tliose beginnings, we wish E lanko success witli his future projects.

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AUSTRALIAWIDE

An officer and a gentleman Working for the Victorian Police Force has been an interesting and rewarding experience for Ash Dixit

'Do you have what ir takes?' This slogan printed on a plastic bag was to change the life of Indian business studenr Ash D ixie forever.

Ash, who was struggling to find a job despite completing a Masters Degree in Business Management from &\,UT University, was about to pack his bags and head back to India when a d1ance sighting of this 1:ecruianenr ad by Victoria Police altered d1e course of his life.

"My housemate went to the Police Museum and remrned with a bag that said Joi11 Victo1ia Police Num 1 read it and thought to myself, why not? l have always wanted to be a cop, so let me give them a call.

Thar was the start of my policing career," said Ash D ixie as he shared his story wid, lr,dian Li11k.

He found out that unlike India, candidates over the age of 28 were aUowed to join the police force in Victoria and he decided co apply.

"My application went through successfully and 1 was called in for selection much co my delight and my parents' dismay. Being typical Indian parents they took a while to reconcile to die fact d1at 1 was about to give up a potential 'business' career and become a cop instead," continued Ash. ''Many friends a·ied to dissuade me, hmve, er I was determined.

There was one major hitch, though. I did not know how co swim and d1at was a pre-requisite for this role. I rook 10 mond1s to learn how to swim and ir wasn't easy. Tbe physical was tough bur I managed to pass me swimming test and was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn't the last one out of the poo~ there were three od1ers behind me," he said with a laugb, reminiscing about bis eacly days in 2003 when be became one of the fit-st few Indians to join che Victorian Police Force.

Ash arrived in Melbourne from Nasik in India in 1999, as a business student. On completion of his course he applied for a permanent residency. His story resembles that o f many migrants who go duough die initial struggle to /i.nd a job and ro assimilate in a new environment. Ash's choice of vocation however, was quite unusual as he joined a police force that was predominantly Caucasian at mat time. " Initially people were qui te surprised to see a non-Caucasian

Ash Dixit, Senior Constable

7

INDIAN LINK

like me when 1 went on my beat; however over time I noticed that d1ey felt more comfortable in approaching me, especially those who belonged co muJticulmral backgrounds," claimed Ash. "Many ethnic communities have different perceptions of the police based on their experience in d1eir own countries. For example, in lndia people generally hesitate ro report a crime as the policemen in lndia are considered co be unapproachable, corrupt or ineffec tive. They carry that perception/ experience witb tl1em when d1ey migrate and are reluctant to have anything to do with cops even if they are the victims. They are also unaware o f their rights. My job is to change tl1at mindset," he explained.

Senior Constable Ash Dixie is currently the Community Liaison Officer for Maribyrnong Police Station. He works widi people from a wide variety of personal backgrounds, interests, academic fields of smdy, hobbies, belief systems and personalities. In June

2010, Ash joined former Viccorian Police Commissioner Simon Overland in addressing members of the Indian media about Victoria Police's drive ro attract a more diverse range of police recruits to reflect the mti.lticuJmralism of Victoria. The appeal was a way to create greater trust and understanding with the community.

Continuing d1is tradition of fostering community relationships, Ash recently helped to establish the l\faribyrnong African Youd, Advancement Committee. This initiative is to guide roung African people ro procure jobs, traineeships or voluntary work, with a view to gaining employment. "As a migrant 1 can relate to tl1ese newcomers and understand the difficulties d1at mey face in starting afresh in a new coLmtry," said Ash. Ash e-"'<pressed his concern over me increase in incidents involving people from l ndian/ migrant background. in Melbourne, and said that there is a tendency to underreporc victims of d omestic violence within our community.

"I am keen to liaise widi the Indian community to make [hem aware o f d1eir rights, to inform them about services that are available co diem and to assure then, that Victorian Police is very approachable," he said. "I wane die community to know that we are here to help".

Ash's advice to people from tl,e community w ho are interested in a policing career, is to spend a couple of years in Au stralia before considering joining the force.

According to him it is important to be familiar wid, die language, culnue and lifestyle o f die community and have some local work experience before joining tbe police.

"I have reall)' enjoyed my job as cop for nearly 10 years and would recommend policing as a career to anyone. ln particular, l would encourage those from minority communities to join as it is critical diat we, as a service, are reflective and representative of the entire community," said Ash in conclusion.

MARCl-l 2013 13

SCHOOL

A special guest at Ash bury Public School Ela Gandhi talks to primary school kids about her grandfather's work s the primary school smdents sang the number F-l11m bonge kallf)'Ob ~!Ve shall oucrco,m), an emocional Ela Gandhi related how she sang this very song to herself when she was incarcerated in a South African prison during the days of the anciApartheid struggle.

The parcicular song was a favourite of her iUustrious grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, and became an anthem of the movement be led for India's independence from British occupacion.

The smdents at Sydney's J\shbury Public School welcomed peace accivist Ela Gandhi ar a special school assembly, as part of a program on Indian smdies. Called 'India Calling', this innovative educational program is aimed at developing an understanding of lndia and its cuJmre among primary school children. With five other schools in the area, 520 students in Years 3 and 4 celebrate India's festivals and learn the Hindi language, as well as songs and dances from India. The project was launched by the Sydney Region of the NSW Department of Education and Communities in 2008, as pare of its 'Expanding Horizons with Asia' initiacive.

At the assembly, Ms Gandhi interacted with the students, the blue of her sari in sync with the blue of their uniforms. She spoke to them about her grandfather, describing in particular his iconic Dandi Salt Jvfarch. (The smdenrs learned that with this 24-day walk on which thousands of people joined him, Gandhi triggered off the peaceful Civil Disobedience Movement that ultimately ended the British colonization of India).

The other participating schools joined in via video-conferencing.

Ms Gandhi also watched a special presentation in which a young student read out a peace poem. This was highlighted by a Powerpoint presentation made up of iUustrations created by the students. And of comse, chis was a perfect oppornmity to present !.hat Joi Ho dance number yet again!

As well, :M s Gandhi planted a tree in the school's Peace Garden.

Earlier on, she was welcomed in true Indian tradicion by Ashbury kids, who marked her forehead with a tikka.

Relieving Principal Mrs Sally D'Arrigo said later, "It was a beauciful clay. The stud ents got to see Ela Gandhi's peaceful nature first hand and learned of the value of non-violence".

Mala Mehta, founder of

A

14 MARCI-I 2013

the .lJ\BBV Hindi School .in Thornleigh who helped devise the India Calling progran1, also attended the event ai1d was thriUed \Vith how weU it went. " I was quite overwhelmed, not only with the fact that the kids responded so weU, but also to note that the program has come so far as to be ab.le ro host a personality of the scanue o f E la Gandhi," she said.

www.indianlink.com.au

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SPORT

Despite financial hardships a determined athlete doggedly pursues his sporting dream for glory

''

Twice winner of the Victorian Javelin Throw championship, Ravinder's throw of 72.42m in the javelin event got him to 3rd place in the 2013 Hunter Track Classic in February 2013

In the b,,ttle that goes on through life

Task b11t a field that isfair, A ch,111ce that is equ11I }l)ith all in the strife, A co11mgc to strive and to dare.

This sportsman's prayer rang like a litany in the mind of Ravinder Singh Khaira as he prepared to compete for the Victorian O pen and AWD Track and Field Championship recently. The event was the Men's Javelin Throw and Ravinder had reached the finals.

The Lakeside Stadimn in Albert Park had nrrned into h is personal battl.efield, and he was in it to win.

Hours of gruelling training sessions and determination came ro the fore and Ravinder won tl1e gold, coming fitst with a throw of 70.86m.

"It was not my personal best," remarked Ravinder as he described the event lacer. "I have thrown at 74.68m in official competitions, but my aim is to reach 77m and more".

If Ravinder throws at 77m o r more, the Vic torian Institute of Sports will pay for his Aighrs and accommodation to attend competitions around Australia.

At the moment he is mostly selffunded and has had ro forego certain competitions due to affo rdability.

Ravi.nder came ro Australia from Patiala, Pun1ab in 2009 as a srnd ent to do an Autom otive Diploma. He currently relies on his parents in India and his weekend taxi job in Melbourne to make ends m eet and to finance his own training. "lt is not easy for me to pay for coaching sessions, club membership, expensive equipment, dietician, physio and massages on a regular basis, but I have somehow managed thanks to generous friends and supportive pa.rents, and most importantly, through the sheer ,vill to continue and aim for a world championship," claims Ravinder. 'forice winner of the Victorian Javelin Throw championship, Ravinder's throw of 72.42m in tl1e javelin event got him to 3rd place in the 2013 Hunter Track Classic in February 2013.

16 MARCM 2013

'' Ravinder has also qualified to attend the Ausu·alian Athletics Tour: Qanrns Melbourne World Challenge to be held on April 6 at Lakeside Stadium, i\lfelbourne; and the 91 st Ausu-alian Athletics Championships & World Championship selection trials to be held 011 April 11 at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Cen u-e, Sydney. This event is the culm ination of the Ausu-alian do m estic season, and more than 600 athletes are expected to represent thefr state or territory at this champion ship. In 2013, the meet will also serve as the official Selecti.o n Trials for tl1e Australian Flame team to the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

Ravinder is also preparing for the Asian Track and Field championship robe held in India in July 20 13.

Says Ravinder's ex-coach Gus Puopolo, " Rm7 inder has talent and potential. He now needs to mm his talent ro distance."

His current coach Iain Simmons agrees. "1 have known Ravinder for a few years now, bm I've only been coaching him for just over a year since I retired from javelin throwing. 1 believe Ra,Tinder has the potential ro at least be an O lympic finalist, as some of his physical resting is at a similar level to the world's best javelin throwers," he says.

He add s, "We have a goal of qualifying for this year's world championships in Russia. To be able co reach these goals, Ravinder has to train full tim e that involves 12-14 sessions per week. This makes it d ifficult co support himself with the high cost of being an elite athlete, witl1 continuous coses including medical, training, coaching, dietary and travel mat add up well into thousands of dol.lars. He does mis while worki ng as a rnxi driver. I admire his dedication to his sport and his drive to compete for his country, though tl1is is not the best training environment for an elite athlete".

L1 2007-2008 prior to coming to Australia, Ravinder used to participate in javelin events for the National Institute Of Sports in Patiala. Between 2003-2006 he also competed on state and national levels in volleyball. He rook up javelin throw around mat tim e, after getting disgruntled with team sports and the associated politics. Ravinder always enjoyed tin kering around in his house and be decided to come to Australia. to complete h is diploma in Automo tive.

"Australia is a country where people with sports talent aim for the best. Jvfajority of the sportspeople here aim to be pan of the world championships, Olympics or Comrnonwealm

Games. They scare by aiming very high and when they put in the effort they definitely get results.

I admire tl1is men tal strength and l feel motivated by it," says chis driven young man.

Ravinder's story is in spiri ng as he strives to compete and win against athletes who are far better supported rha.n him through sponsorship packages and monetary backing. He puts in nearly 25 hours a week in training and p hysical fitness, which does not leave much time or energy to earn a living.

His parents who are born teachers by profession, are very supportive and help him as much as possible.

"However, it is not much when you convert Indian mo ney to Australian dollars," says Ravinder practically. "1 understand that financial stability is important. My friends keep chastising me for relying on my parents and not taking up a full time job; however I am convinced that this is the prime of my sporting career and I should focus on my sport completely above all other things.

I am willing to put in the hard yards and qualif), for the world championships". "l will be representing Australia as well as tl1e Indian and Sikh commuuities," he concludes with hope.

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MARCl-l 2013 17

INDIAN NEWS

A child, dressed as Lord Shiva, plays with sand on the banks ofthe Sangam in Allahabad during the Maha Kumbh.

The Kumbh Mela, which runs from January till March takes place every 12 years in Allahabad.

Didn't talk official issues with Pakistan PM: Khurshid External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid made it clear chat be held no official talks with Pakistan Prime l'vfinister Raja Pervez Ashraf at Ajmer.

Khurshid said he merely received him formally.

"If (anyone) chooses an Indian religious place like the Ajmer dm;gah for mental peace, we formallr receive him and allow him to do what he wants," Khurshicl said.

The minister was speaking co reporters on the sidelines of the 44th raising clay parade of the Central fodustrial Security Poree (CISF) in Uttar Pradesh. "\~'e received Ashraf in a formal ,vay but there were no official talks because that was not a suitable occasion. If the Indian government talks to a government, it is done at the government level in a formal way," said Kbnrshid.

He was asked how far the Inclia-Pakisr,'ln peace talks have been successful.

"Success cannot be acquired in a dar... For success, there is need to build a foundation on which a house can be constructed and people can live in peace.

Bur it takes long long time."

Ashraf flew co Ajmer on a private visit to pray a t the dargah of Khwaja Moinudclin Chishti. He renirnecl to Pakistan also on the same day.

Allahabad Kumbh ends with last bathing on Maha Shivratri The curtain came down on the Kumbh 2013, the b iggest religious congregation on earth, with over 70 lakh people taking a holy clip at Sangam on Maha Shivratri.

Lakhs of devotees f1ockecl to Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

The Krn11bh began Jan 14 with Makar Sankranti with six major bathing dates passing off peacefully. Over IO crore people visited the Kumbh mela premises in the 55 days.

On the last day, seers, sain ts and pilgrims had begun clismantling their tents and proceeding back home. Several seers moved

18 MARCM 2013

to Varanas i for their further religious Journey.

While no major incident took place, a middle-aged man drowned in the Ganga near Sector 14 of the Kumbh mela, police said.

Acleqnate arrangements had been made aL the railway station where 37 people died in a stampede at Manni J\mavasya Feb 11 due to poor arrangements and overcrowding.

Addressing the meclia, Devesh Chaturvedi, clivisional commissioner of Allahabad and in charge of rbe Kumbh, said more than 10 crore people had bathed dur.ing the Kumbh, ar an average of five lakh people each day.

On Mauni Amavasya, the number of people visiting the Kumbh crossed a massive three crore, Chaturvecli added.

Maha Shivratri was observed in other parts of the state with traditional gaiet)' aod fervour. However, two people were killed during a stampede at the famous Loclheshwar Mahadev temple in Barabanki, 225 km from Allahabad.

President gives Stree Shakti awards on International Women's Day President Pranab l'vfokherjee presented the Scree Shakti Puruskar for 2012 on l.nternational Women's Day while thanking women for their contribution in the making of India. ''I take this opporrw1ity to e.xtend warm greetings to women in all parts of our coLmtry. I thank them for their invalnable contribution in the making of our great nation," the president told the awarclees.

The mother of die Dec 16, 2012, Delhi gang-rape victim who succumbed to her injuries, was given the Rani Lakshmi Bai Award for "die spi..tjc of Nirbhaya", nickname for the girl. "Nirbhaya, as she is now known, was a brave and courageous girl who fought till the very last minute for her dignity and her life. She is a true hero and symbolises the best in Indian youth and women," Mukherjee said.

He added: "Her sad demise should not be i..t1 vain. We must do everything possible to ensure that such an inc.idem never happens again."

Ochers who received the award were Pranira Talukdar of Assam, Sonika Agarwal of Delhi, Guramma H. Sankina of Karnataka, Omana T.K. of Kerala and Olga D'Mello of Maharashtra.

The president said: "We muse strive to en sure that women feel safe and secure at all times in our country." ''The figure for female Lite.racy is 16.7 percent below male literacy. Surveys have indicated diat female hourly wage rates in agriculture vary from 50 ro 75 percent of rhe male wage rates. More disturbing is the increase in the incidence of violence against women," he said.

US honours "Nirbhaya - brave heart, fearlessn Nirbhaya, the "Fearless" Delhi gang rape victim, has been honoured with a US "woman of courage" award posthumously for "inspiring people to work roged1er ro end violence against women in India and ar0tmd die world."

US first lacl}1 Michelle Obama joined Secretary of State John Kerry as he praised the determination and courage of "a woman known simply as Nirbbaya - brave heart, fearless" at the State Deparm1enr presentation ceremony on International Women's Day. "Her bravery inspired millions of women and men to come together with a simple message: No more. No more looking the ocher way when gender-based violence happens. o more stigma against victims or survivors," said Kerry.

"Nitbhaya's fight survives her," be said an nouncing the award "for inspiring people co work together co end violence against women in lnclia and around the world by clisplaying immense courage in demanding justice."

The audience stood up and observed a moment of silence after he read om the citation.

Kerry also read part of a statement from Nirbhaya's mother and father saying, "W/e never imagined that the gir l we thought was our daughter would one clay be the daughter of the entire world. She was meant to be the daughter of the world. This is a huge

achievement in itself."

"Today, out message to the world is: do not tolerate any attack oo your dignity aod honour; d o not silendy bea.r ill tream1enr," they wrote.

"Earlier, women would keep silent and hide away when they were Sllbjected co sexllal misconduct," irbbaya's parents said . , ow ''\'v'omen, both in Inclia and in the rest of the world, refuse to be stigmatised and will nor keep silent anymore," they said. "This incident has opened their minds and empowered chem. T hey are no longer scared of what anyone will say."

Besides Nirbhaya, eight other women were give rhe annual award recognising women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership .in advocating for women's rights and empowerment, often ar great personal risk.

They are Malalai Bahacluri, first sergeant, Afghan National lntercliction Unit (Afghanistan); J ulieta Castellanos, rector, National Autonomous University of Honduras (Honduras); Josephine Obiajulu Odumak.in, president, Campaign for Democracy (Nigeria); Elena Jl.1ilashina, journalist, human rights activist (Russia); F'artuun Adan, executive director, Elm an Peace and Human Rights Centre (Somalia); Tseri..t1g Woeser (Wei Se), Tibetan author, poet, blogger (China); Razao Zeimnah, human rights lawyer and founder, Local Coordination Committees (Syria) and Ta Phong Tao, blogger (Vietnam).

Tihar Jail's female inmates turn designers Staff members of T ihar Jail walked the ramp as d1ey showcased dress and jewellery designed by female inmates of die jail.

As pare o f rbe Enttepreneurship Development Programme, the inmates were enrolled in a one-year certificate course in fashion designing under designer Monica Dalal. "\'v'e have taken the initiative to train our female inmates dress designing and jewellery designing so chat when they leave prison, they will have an opportunity to sustain themselves," said VirnJa Mehra, director general (prisons).

The jail is also coordinating with companies who can provide employment ro the trained inmates.

US NGO joins Vedanta for free cleft lip surgery A US-based l GO has partnered with Vedanta Hospir,'lls, a multi-specialty healthcare facility set up in Odisha by Vedanta Aluminium Ltd. (YAL), to carry out cleft lip and palate surgeries, the company said.

Vedama Hospitals at Lanjigarh in d1e state's Kalahandi clistrict started these surgeries free of cost a year ago, VAL p resident Mukesh Kumar role! reporters.

"The partnership with Smile Train, a US-based imernacional charity, will leave no stone unrurned to treat sucli cases in the state's Kalahancli-Bolangir, Rayagacla and Koraput region," he said.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are bir th defects that occur when a baby's Lip or moud1 do nor form properly.

In India, over 35,000 children are born every year wid1 clefts and over 50 per cem of them remain 1mtteatecl for lack of awareness.

www.indianlink.com.au

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INDIAN NEWS Smile Train conducts free cleft lip and palate smgeties worldwide and has completed more than 80,000 such surgeries.

Vedanta Hospit.'ll is the only Smile Train Centre in western Odisha, Kumar said.

SAARC literature festival starts in Agra A three-da)' SAARC festival of lirerauire beg,111 with a call for concerted efforts to raise eco-consciousness and resist predatory policies that devour nature and its components.

The theme of this year's festival is "Environment and Literature" .

"As the 1--limahyan glaciers shrink, sea levels rise and green patches are replaced by ugly bald terrain. It is o nly befitting that the pen-wielders of the SAARC region put up a united front against polluters and p redators," said Ajeet Caur, president of the foundation of SA.ARC writers and literamre.

The festival is being attended by delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sci Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and India.

More than 15 delegates from Pakistan attending the festival stressed on commonal.ities and desired peace and goodneighbourly relations.

The SAARC literary awards went to writers from Pakistan, Nepal, Sti Lanka and Afghan.istan.

"This annual meet of writers acquires special import.'lnce in the context of the continu.ing co nflicts in the SA.ARC region based on lang uage, ethnicity, religion and culmre. W/e believe char literature cannot exist in total isolation from lived c ulture.

Dreams o f our future shall emerge frorn this shared identi1y, conttibutory history and participatory destiny," Caur stated.

Sri Lan.l<an writer Daya Dissanayake said: " \'.qoman is co nature what man is co culture.

This idea has been hijacked, distorted and misinterpreted by the male dominated society."

Jharna Rehman, a writer from Bangladesh, said women and nature were closely related.

Pak.istan's Farheen Choudhary said: "Natural disasters are the worst part of environmema l issues, creating mass g raves, dislocations of people, food scarcity, health problems and even psychological issues. Surprisingly, wrjters didn't pay much attention to the subject particularly in south Asia."

Harvard meet grapples with India's complex growth story How to involve India's massive middle class and its rich and hefty d iaspora in lndia's growth story? W/here co find a place for thus far marginal.ised rural India in its growth narrative? How to drive systemic change in education and why is the Indian political .scene so unattractive to its yomig people?

These were some of the questions that panellists grappled with on the first day of the India Conference, the largest studentrun India- focussed conference in the US, organ.ised by the students of Harvard Universiry March 9- LO. Now in its temh year, the conference with the theme of " India vs. India - Local Strength or G lobal Growth?" was attended on die first day by 22 speakers mingling widi over 300 attendees representing voices from across die professional and

INDIAN LINK

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee is conferred the Liberation War Honour by Bangladesh President M. Zillur Rahman as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina looks on ideological specmm1.

The theme refers co the decision co embrace India's daunting complexity and seern.ing incoherence rather than 0\7ersimplifying the hackneyed "growth story'', according to the organisers.

Focusing on government and development issues at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, panellists alluded again and again to the real.icy of the many stories of India.

There was the economist's story of India, the po litician's, the student's, and, bit by bit, a more multilayered narrative Indian story than any of diese, which could nor be encapsulated in any one way.

The daunting □am.re of India's complex problems and systemic and infrastructural challenges were described in great detail by each of the conference's four keynotes.

Ashok Alexander, formerly country tlirector of the Bill and l\1lelinda Gates Foundation, spoke about the need to rise above tbe standard reaction of paralysis in the face of this complexity.

Arnn Singh, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Washington, mentioned the many colours of India and the di.fficulty they pose when viewed through d1e lens of US cooperation, but closed on a hopeful note, touching briefly on the po rtfolio of internationally cooperative research achieved nonetheless.

Ajay Maken, Indian minister of housing and urban poverty alleviation, talked about how India and its policy-makers rook a decade to accept that urbanisation is inevitable, but today everybody understands that urbanisation is actually desirable.

Sam Pitroda, advisor to the prime minister on public information in frastrucrure, spoke about radicalising democracy duough making information more radically available to a new generation of Indians.

The events at tbe Harvard Business School campus in Boston, across die Charles R.iver, promise to continue this dialogue.

Tourism ministry's new film awarded in Berlin The tourism micistry's new film Find What You Suk received the fust prize at the 11th

Golden C ity Gate Tou.rism Media Awards Ceremony held in Berlin co coincide with Indian Tourism Bourse (ITB) Berlin 2013.

The Golden City Gate is an international film, print and media contest for the tourism industry. The awards ceremony is held every year at ITB Berlin, the world's leading crave.I trade show. The competition provides tOLirism advertisers an oppor tunity ro participate in the comest for presenting their new creatives.

All entries are assessed by 45 independent international expert jurors with strong industr)' background. Tourism M in.ister K. Ch.iranjeevi had launched die new campaign, Find What Yo11 Seek, as the second phase of Incredible India Campaign at W/TM 2012 last ovember, along with the new domestic campaign Go Bryo11d.

By launching this new campaign, the tourism ministry has made a paradigm shift by shifting the focus from destinations and products ro consumers (travellers).

The new campaign empba.sizes diat there is something for every ttaveller in India and every traveller can find what he or she is seek.ing while travelling in our incredible country.

Go Bryond urges travellers ro ttavel beyond the obvious, the known destinations to the lesser known destinations.

Shakespeare now comes in Punjabi; Darwin to follow It rook a retired history professor two decades of meticulous effort co bring \':{lilJiam Shakespeare closer to Pwijab.

Eighty-t\vo-year Surjit Hans has finally translated all the works, including 38 plays, of the 16th century Bard of Avon inro Punjabi.

Hans, who taught history at Amritsar's Guru Nanak Dev Un.iversity and chose to translate Shakespeare imo Punjabi full-time only after his retirement .in 1993, recently finished die translation of T-lemy VTTI, the last of the plays of d1e Bard (1564-1616).

He was assigned die translation work by the Patiala-based Punjabi University.

And d1ere is no stopping him.

Hans says he is ready to start translating Charles Darwin's The 01igi11 of Species.

"This is worth doing. Da.nvin is the founder of die modern rimes. His work has

modernity of thought," he said.

"Now, l want Punjabi readers co know abollt The Origin of Species coo," Hans said.

Hans' relationship with Shakespeare goes back co his college days when he played the part of die wounded soldier in Macbeth and acted in Hamlet.

"The inspiration to ttanslate the work of Shakespeare into P unjabi came at that time.

1 wanted that the average reader in Punjab should be able to read Shakespeare even if he did not know English," Hans said in an interview at his residence in Punjab's Mohal.i rown, 10 km from Chandigarh.

"I ttanslated l'vlacbeth into Punjabi when I was in college in the mid-1950s. I started foll-ti.me translation of Shakespeare's works only in 1993 after my retirement," he said.

Hans says his mltlad (mentor) Raj Kumar Kaul in Hoshiarpur told him in the early 1950s that "a good reader should also write".

"An Anglo -Irish teacher o f mine also helped," he said.

H.is love for t he Bard's works got sttonger when Hans lived in London for seven years in the 1960s and saw plays at the Royal Shakespeare Club.

Asked about the difficulties he faced in translating die Bard's works inro Punjabi, Hans said: ''Translating Shal,espeare constructionally and in verse form was not d.i.fficult. In Punjabi diough, there are no words to ttanslate English words like he, she, him or her. You have to use a verb to tell di e gender. In his poem, Ve111rs and Adonis, die reference to these words comes in every line. Bllt die beauty of d1e verse gets lost in doing ttanslation. The weakness of (Punjabi) language is there."

Among all die works of Shakespeare translated by him in Punjabi, Hans rook the maximum time over Tivo Noble Kit1s1J1en and T-lemy Vlll. "These have a lot of rhetoric," he pointed out.

Hans says some characters and situations in Shal,espeare's plays have a commonal.ity w ith Punjab.

A fter finishing The O,igin ef Species, Hans wants to ttansbte Adam Smith's The lf7ealth qf Nc!lio11s as well.

"This is basic book of economics. People should know about it," he says with a smile.

!ANS

MARCI-I 2013 19

ARTS

• Snapshots from the homeland lead to HSC success for visual arts student Tanaya Deshpande

ndia, it is said, is an amazing place for photography.

For budding Sydney photographer Tanaya Deshpande, her native India turned out to be a weaJ th of opportuniry - and a cause for HSC success.

Tbe Turrarnurra )'Otmgster picked photography as her

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20 MARCM 2013

medium for her Year 12 visual arr course last year. Taoaya's major work, entitled !\,fade in India, is based on a series of smnning images from her homeland. It won her a Band 6 result.

"I was looking for the real lndia, stripped back from the commercial," Ta□aya, who fini5bed her HSC at Pymble Ladies College (PLC) in 2012, told India11 I.ink.

Getting down co the bare basics, the young photographer found beauty in shots of nature, just as much as in those of people.

Poignant photographs of street

kids, the colours of .life on streetsides, even moments from the daily routine of life, captured ber interest. For sure, you wiU find hints of the western stereotypes about India - the Taj, elephan ts, ht1111t1 tattoos. But this, ultimately, is the beauty of the work: it shows the artist looking at lndia from the vantage point of a native, as weU,is that of an outsider.

The striking feamre of tl1e composite image is that the individual. shots are projected on to the bare backs of human figures.

''My statement is that travel changes you: it leaves a mark on you that stays forever," Tanaya revealed.

She might as \vell have been saying that India leaves a stamp on you forever.

The work was presented on 9mm-tl1-ick wood, with otl1et phocos on thermacol.

It comes as a surprise co learn that Tanaya only cook up photography three years ago.

"My uncle is a keen photographer and inspired by him I began co play around with the camera," said Tanaya.

Her first pieces were based oo Aowers. ''l wasn't even going to d o visual art as a subject in Year 12," Tanaya admitted. " It just occurred to me while thin king about my possible subjects that pechaps T should do sometl1ing creative to get a break from the rigour of o cher subjects, so I picked it. And then I couldn't decide between photography and ceramics, both very popular options at my school, and both of which scale weU". fa tl1e end of course, it aU

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worked well for rhe spunky young girl.

"Nor only did I finish with a Band 6 in visual art, it also turned our to be my best subject!" she said.

Today much of Tanaya's Year 11 and Year 12 work is shown as samples for the benefit of younger students at PLC who are starting off in the subject.

Speaking about her school course in photography, Tanaya said, "ln my first year in photography in Year 11, 1 learned all about the camera and bow to use it. A lot of it was new ro

INDIAN LINK

me, such as ISO exposure and all the jargon! We also learned how to organise phoroshoots and did various experiments such as underwater photography, and then went on to Phocoshop as well."

She continued, "By die end of Year 11, I was hooked. I couldn't wait to get on to my major ,vork for rhe HSC. Various projecr ideas came Lnto my head, especially as my reacher said, 'think big, die world is your oyster'."

That year Tanaya travelled ro India widi her family and came back with abouc a diousand shots on her camera. She knew then

chat those photos would form her final work for the HSC. "Of course, to pick 6 out of the lot was a challenge," she said wid1 a laugh. "But my reacher helped me as I sorted through diem.

As I looked at the work of odier artists to get a better perspective, the idea came to be that I could project each of my chosen images on to the bare back of a human figure."

The encl result was nothing short of striking.

The work is certainly a pat on the back for th.is talented photographer.

Tanaya Deshpande

MARCl-l 2013 21

BOOKS

The Tagore women and a tale of empowerment The women of the famed literary family from Bengal were harbingers of change in their own right, writes MADHUSREE CHATTERJEE

. ..................................................................................................................... ta time w hen the struggle for a ~orld cha t i~ safe tor wom en 1s 111 the n ews, here is a book chat is timely, even as it retells history.

Amna Chakaravarti, a 2004 Commonwealth Writers' Prize nominee, recalls tbe contribution of the Tagore women to the m odern women's movement in her new book Jorasanko (H arper Collins India). Jorasanko is the name of the Tagores' ancestral home.

Jnanada□andini, wife of Satyendranath Tagore, elder b roth er of poet Rabindranath Tagore and the first Indian to enter the Indian Civil Service in 1863, was the force behind the opening of che zenana (area where women were kept in seclusion) in the tractitio nal e lite househo lds of 19th century Bengal.

She was the first woman from a feudal family to accom pany her husband ro his place of work.

After a one-and-a-half year scim in Bombay, as Mumbai was called, w here her husband was p osted as assistant collector, Jnanadananclin.i brough t the "Par si way o f wearing th e sari" to Bengal.

The sari was ea.rlier wrapped around the bodies o f wom en in a single sheath withou t p leats o r a shoulder drape. Bue Jnanadanandin.i wore it tl1e way it is draped today, with p leats arou nd the waist and the fabric g athered into a drape to cover the "breasts and the sho ulder", making the woman look elegant.

T he feisty wife of the civil administraror was also tl1e first on e to wear tl, e Oriental dress - a Mughal style k11rta (sh ire) and volmninous pants - to travel.

The ligh t-eyed Jnanadanand.ini,

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Aruna Chakaravarti

. ............................................ ' ' Jnanadanandini, wife of Satyendranath Tagore, elder brother of poet Rabindranath Tagore and the first Indian to enter the Indian Civil Service in 1863, was the force behind the opening of the zenana in the traditional elite households of 19th century Bengal. ' ' described as "mealy m outhed" by her mother-in-law, i ntroduced the nuclear family with.in the very walls of Jorasanko, adopting tl,e western way of life.

Chakravarti's account reads like an absorbing family soap, and o ne m ight be forgiven for forgerti□ g that the work is non- fiction.

The work examines other women in che Tagore house hold too.

Satada Sundari, wife of D ebendranatl, Tagore and mother of poet Rabindranatl,, suffered the throes of seeing family values change. The ratl,er plain wom an, who conuna□ ded tl,e Tagore household and a dashing

husband , refused to let tl1e "old world conservatism slip by".

A little ind olent and lazy, she rebelled against daughter-in-law J nanadanandiui.

Sarada's sister-in-law Jogmaya was a total contrast to her.

Though second in the hierarchy o f women in cbe household, she was the o ne who loo ked after alJ needs of the family. She proved an excelJent mother to not only her own chi.ld.ren, but to Sarada's as well, Chakaravarti holds.

Of T ripura Sundari, w ho was not exactly renowned for her beauty, the author says condescenctingly that she made up for tl1e lack of beauty '\vi th her tireless work of household management ... She had the strength and energy of the barren woman and all her heartache.

Though she received a lot of comm endation, it failed to satisfy her".

Digambari, wife of pioneer Dwarakanath, Rabindranath's grand father, is painted as sto ic.

She bore her husband's absence without co mp la.int, and the force of her cha.racter su.rprised even Brahmin pund.its.

D riven by tl1e urge to "atone for her husband's sins" of moving inro a new home from ancestor

eelmoni Tagore's abode, for his association with British rulers and for the pleasu res he soughr in nautch girls, Digambari Jocked herself in the prayer room.

In contrast, Kadarnbari D evi, the wife of Jyoti.rindranath and sister-in-law of poet Rabindranath, was a melancholic and gen tle woman with deep sensitivities, relined in telJect and an insatiab.le thirst for knowledge.

She was driven to end her life.

"Mrinalini was salc-o f-theearch", the silent force behind husband Rabindranach's meteoric rise Ln t he Liternry world.

What the writer perhaps forgets to add is the contribution of the petite former Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore, the widowed begum of Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pacaudi, and great-grand daughter of Rabindranatl1 Tagore.

Sharmila ,vas symbolic of tl1e family's continued presence in tl,e n ew popular cultural milieu o f cinema in India. An d i.i1 a strangely karmic way, she was also the f.unily's tenuous tie co its ancient secular roocs, the Pirali Brahm ins of Jessore, who were ostracised by tl1eir Hindu brethren for allowing tl1eir blood brotl,ers co convert to Islam and bri.i1gin g d,e two faitl1s togetl1er nearly five cen turies ago. l

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OPINION

OPINION

Spoiling India's name Is higher education a guarantee of success?

Lynching ofoffenders by mobs has become their method of meting outjustice, while the legal system is being ignored

the convicted killers o f Rajiv Gandhi. The Chief Minister, opposition leaders and other politicians in Tamil I adu Jed demonstrario ns to commute the capital sentences of rhe perpetrators. \'v'as the Rajiv Gandhi atrocity any less worthy of capital punishment, compared to d1e Delhi sexual assault?

The Delhi agitarion against assaulters of resident Pranab Mukherjee has issued women had morphed into a lynch mob. an ordinance at the recommendation Lawyers refused to defend rl1e accused.

Whilst saying that he appreciates the anger of of tbe Indian Cabinet, which provides more stringent penalties, amongst the people, no less than the august personage of rl1e Chief Justice of India A.li:.'l111as Kabir others, for group assaults on women. It has warned that such anger must not mean encapsulates the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee. It returns the that the legal processes are bypassed. issues which have been so overplayed in the ''Peop le's reaction has been that do not media, to the principles of legal processes. send the accused to trial. Hand them over Indians spoiling the name of India has to us, we will deal wid, them or hang them. seemingly become an art form. No other But let us not get carried away. A swift trial should not be at die cost of a fair trial," he comparable country soils its own image so well. Political dramatics have been warned. commonplace in Delhi. The first organised There has already been a lynching incident giant 111e/a took place in Delhi when of a high-profile politician, Bikrarn Singh Brahma by a mob in Assan1. He is the demonstrations by adults (and their children) assembled to hear Anna Hazare proclaim Chairman of die Baksa District Congress himself the prime speaker against corruption.

Comnurtee and ilie Congress party's Bur corruption exists worldwide, including in coordinamr of the Bodoland Territorial Australia and the USA Such corrnption led Council. to the G lobal Financial Crises.

A political rival accused Bralmia of The An na Hazare campaign was extremely entering his house early one morning and well organised, down to a large number of sexually assaulting a woman. The video persons preparing and distributing food. One footage of rl1e lynching has gone viral. He wonders from where and from whom die was diankfolly handed over to the police as money came. Soon after, a similar campaign he could not have defended himself when much of the san1e crowd, came to see Swami being assaulted.

Ramdev, an exponent of yoga, rant against When sla\ ery was abolished in the USA the Congress-led Indian government. in the l 9rl1 century and thereafter until At that time the now famous horrendous 1920, an estimated 3,500 Negroes and 1,300 incident took place in Delhi - the medical whites were summarily lynched in America's student gang-raped in a bus from which she southern states. In 1891, eleven Italian migrants were lynched in New Odeans. Such was a!Jeged!y later thrown out. Her horrific injuries led to her death in a Singapore horrendous 'trials' continued upto 1968! hospit,11. There were loud and consistent cries This led to a wholesale Aeeing of Negro for the alleged perpetrators to be awarded comtmmities to d1e north where they now capital punishment. form a subsranrial part of d1e popularion and The crowds gathered in Delhi now had a enjoy a good degree of political power. egro emancipation was a triumph for live incident to show the world. Bur d1is time President Lincoln. Creditably, the USA the anti-Congress forces were o utwitted.

Sonia Gandhi, the Congress sought to protect human President, took up the rights dtrough legislative measures. The Dyer Antiagitarors cause as did Sheila Dixit, d1e Congress Chief Lynching Bill in 1922 sought 11:inister of Delhi. lt was 'To assure to persons within Indians spoiling the jurisdiction of every State now these two ladies who the name of India the equal protection of d1e led the agitation. has become an Jaws, and to punish rhe crime \X/ith di is incident, die art form. No other agitation then moved ro of Jynchi.ng... .'. women's safety. India is It defined 'mob or riotous comparable country assemblage' not the world's only place as 'composed of soils its own image three or more persons acting where women are bullied. so well \X/'har about rhe Australian in concert for d1e purpose commission looking imo of depriving any person of women being sexua!Jy bullied his life widmm aud1oriry o f in the armed forces? A newly established law'. D yer was a Republican and his biJJ was blocked by Democrats who then dominated commission is also investigating sexual crimes in Australian religious i.nstimtions. And d1e southern states.

Ultimately, the USA passed the Fourreemh similar incidents are reported from I rel and, Canada and Britain.

Amendment which guarantees the eight One may get the idea that in India, to due legal process whilst the Eighth its people favour harsh judgemems and Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. punishment. Bur it was only mond1s ago that there was an agitation in Tamil Nadu, Legal processes should remain pararnoum similar to the Delhi agitation, to pardon as opposed to mob rule.

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While the government and Universities entice students into taking degrees, will added qualifications ensure a better career?

It's nor an exaggeration to say that the current university system promotes conformity at the expense of lateral. d1inking and creativit)" Many of the world's entrepreneurs - tal,e Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg - were coJlege dropouts who made it big despite, or perhaps because of their lack of formal training. University ot too long ago, Senator Chris tends to compartmentalise bur the real Evans announced an injection \vorld isn't always Like it is in textbooks, of $67 million in funds for a especially if diose textbooks are written partnership between universities, schools and state govenu11enrs. The raciouale was by state- funded professors whose theories simple: help more Australians ad1.ieve their aren't subject to the discipline of the market. goal of going to University. "A university degree gives Australians a greater chance Chances are, in a free-market without at getting a high paid and high skilled job," governmem crutches, specialisations said rhe Senator. such as 'gender studies' aren't Likely The Gillard Govermnent believes diat to attract many paying students and higher education should be encomaged, will be reliant on philanthropic support and says its goal is ro reach its target of to survive.

40 percem of young Australians holding a There would also be significantly fewer bachelor's degree by 2025. That's despite economists pontificating about policy experts like Tom Karmel, managing director issues - in cenrnries past, economics was considered a hobby, nor a of ilie National Centre for Vocational Education Research, indicating d1at there is profession. Only those disciplines that a risk greater numbers of people pursuing directly relate to providing a good service - in helping produce computers, cars, university degrees won't get a 'good return' trains, or curing cancer - would find large from it.

Yet since the governrnem spends numbers of customers willing ro pay for ilie course. millions each year subsidising education and making ir easy to attend college, d1ere Without government funding of higher are even more credentialed individuals dian education, there would be no raxpayerever before. This naturally makes getting subsiclised p leasant interludes of se.x a job after graduating more competitive and parties between leaving school and than say in 1991, when only 8 percent of beginning working life (the laid back undergraduate lifestyle). 1foteover, people aged 15 and over held a tertiary qualification. There is - in economic terms practical business skills such as admi.nisrracion and effective communication - potentially an oversupply of graduates relative to the number of jobs available. might enjoy a resurgence.

While it's true d1at a lot depends o n die None of rl1is is ro say diat d1e humanities aren't worth pursuing or that only particular degree you do (the arcs degree, forever the butt of jokes, is probably knowledge di ar's commercially valuable is less useful on the job marker than a important. degree in medicine), the Bur it's a reminder to debate around university parents, students and qualifications has raised anyone at d1e beginning of some valuable questions. their careers tliat further education isn't necessarily Questions like " ls d1ere a It's not an a guarantee of success or better way to structure our exaggeration university system , a way gainful employment in one's to say that the chosen. field. The number that doesn't load students current university with unnecessary debt and of cab drivers in New gives rhem a realistic chance York City who have system promotes degrees should be proof at getting a job down the conformity at the u-ack?" of that. As Michael expense of lateral Writers li ke Tony EUsberg points om thinking and Featherstone, for example, in The Education of creativity argue d1at in business, a i'VW/io11aires: Eve~-ythi11g more Aexible mode of You Ll7oni lJa1·11 in College education would better serve .Abo11t How lo Be S11ccesifitl, companies. Instead of die even graduates need ro standard 3 year campus-based degree, learn how to market diemselves. why nor allow students to gain That's a lesson that Julia Gillard would be qualifications while doing work experience wise to consider before subtly instilling the and receive on-the-job training? Or mentali ty that tertiary education is an end in itself. It's not the degree that matters - it's why not let them enrol in a shore-term your street-smarts, creativity and diligence or part-lime course for subjects, as the d1at count. need arises?

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MARCI-I 2013 23

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TRAVEL

A fairytale town with imposing grandeur and contented charm

olunteering as Protocol Manager during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, I had oppor tunity to meet and greet a few rimes, a young, jeans-clad Danish bloke Frederik and his Aussie gitlfriend .Mary. Five years lacer they got married and became Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark. So upon arriving in Copenhagen, not knowing exactly where to begin exploring, this loose royal connection inspires me to go on an imperial odyssey.

I start with Amalienborg Palace where the golden couple reside along with Frederik's mother Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, the present head of state.

Denmark is an archipelago comprising of over 400 islands. le is linked to Germany by a land border and to Sweden by a magnificent bridge. Fabled with stories of the 9th cenmry Vikings,

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this Scandina\Tian nation boasts one o f the oldest monarchies in Europe. Over centuries, the Danish rulers beautified their land with architecturally st:rnrning edifices - palaces, churches, bastions and monwnems that stand today as one of main attraction s of Copen hagen, the capital city where most of the regal actions took p lace.

Like their British counterparts, the Danish royals don't have any .real power, but carry lots of prestige and charisma. They are highly prized by the people as a living manifestation of the country's history and tradition.

Also their sim ple lifestyle earns them respect. The Queen, who ascended the chtone in 1972, is highly educated and i ndependent, with her own interests and work as a stage designer and translacor.

The Crown Prince and Princess are said to live Like any other Danish citizens and are often seen within the public domain without any royal hang-ups.

1 reach Amalienborg Palace with the sliui hope of spotting diem

somewhere, buc disappointingly find they are all away in London for the Olympic Games. So f am left on my own to explore the regal quarters edged around an octagonal cobblestoned square. The centre piece here .is an equestrian statue of Frederic V, the 18th cenmry king who developed chis palace and the adjoining neighbourhood as a new, smart and elite district to celebrate 300 years of bis family's rule of Denmark.

The palace complex consists of four similat looking stately buildings, three of whicb are official residences of the royal family members while the fourth is converted to a museum. Visitors are aUowed to wander freely in the square, take as many photos they like of the beat-skin hatted guards, buc access to die inside of the royal residences is prohibited, though b)' visiting die museum one can peek into the pomp and grandeur of it all. I learn from an attendant that this palace became the royal home after their original abode, the Chrisrianborg Palace was destroyed by fire in 1794.

Copen.hagen to some resembles a fairy-tale city, still L'1rgely low-rise with houses featuring oxidised copper on die roofs. The ciry area, criss-crossed widi caa.als like Amsterdam, is small; you can easily wal k from one end co the ocher in less than an hour. A walking tour is best for a handson encomi cer with sights and sowi ds of the Danish capital, however a canal cruise is highly recommended for a different orientation of tbe city, very colourful with centuries old gelaticoloured gabled buildings at the starting point in Nyhavn.

Copenhageners claim their city to be the safest in Europe, if nor in the world. It's true; your only fear will be getting bit by a speeding bicycle! Cycling surely is the preferred mode of transportation for the 1.2 million people here, keeping chem fit in a clean environment. However there is also a good array of public transportation comprising of trains, buses and taxis.

Prom the Amalienborg Palace precinct I march up to see the Marble Church next door, whose large green dome, designed co rival diac of St Peters in Rome, dictates the city's top view. lt took nearly 145 years co build chis grandiose edifice, made mainly from I orwegiaa. marbles whose lack of supply delayed the

completion. It's said at the end Jocal marbles were used and you can easily spot the two types. You are allowed to go to the cop of the bell tower for a breathtaking v ista if you can negotiate 260 steep and twisting steps. I give ic a miss and spend time m the brick-built Rosenborg Palace, a museum displaying a d azzling collection of crown jewels, perhaps comparable to the ones displayed in die Tower of London.

My nex[ stop is che hiscocically significant Cbristianborg Palace, n ow home to the Danish Parliament, Supreme Court and Royal Reception Rooms. Ir is located on a small island. 1 reach there walking through Stroget, the world's longest pedestrianized street, flanked on bodi :;ides with trendy bars and cafes blended with an interesting mix of churches, stan1e.s and museums.

The hefty granite faced neo baroque palace I see today stands at the site where die city's founder Bishop Absalon established a castle in 1167, making iL the nucleus of a future metropolis.

The castle was later replaced by a grand palace, renovated several times by future Danish monarchs who added more and more grandeur. A devastating fire twice destroyed large portions of it however, making it unliveable. The present version was built around what remained of die previous

structures, bur by then the royals had settled at the Amalienborg Palace.

Another citadel. that interests royal enthusiasts is che Krooborg Palace which is located in the nearby port rown of Helsingor, 45 km north of Copenhagen.

Shakespeare has made this imposing castle immorral by making it the setting for his Ho!!llet. The half day trip from Copenhagen is thoroughly enjoyable ro trace the dramatised paths of Prince Hamlet and his uncle Claudius who poisoned Hamlet's father ro become King of Denmark.

You can spend days in Copenhagen chasing royal grandeurs, bur there ate other attractions that demand attention as well from first time visitors; most significant among them being the Tivoli and the Little Mermaid.

D otted right in the heart of the city in front of Radhus, Copenhagen's grand red brick town hall, rl1e 1843 established Tivoli Gardens is a colourful and vibrant park filled with adrenalin rushing rides, stage shows and top notch entertairnnent that brings your childhood alive. At night, the lighting and fueworks display is unpress1ve.

Perhaps Little Mermaid needs no introduction. LLke Big Ben is ro London, Eiffel Tower to Paris, the Little Mermaid is the iconic symbol of modern Copenhagen.

Placed at the end of the city's picturesque harbour promenade in 1913, rl1is tiny bronze srame of a mermaid sitting on a rock and sadly gazing at the passing ships was carved by famous sculptor Edvard Erikson. He was commissioned ro do so by Danish beer baron Carl Jackson who was inspired by the tale of a little mermaid falling in love with a prince as portrayed by writer Haus Christian Anderson in his ballet Uttle Me1waid. For many visi rors ir's the first thing ro see in Copenhagen and as expected the waterfront area is packed with busloads of tourists and souvenir sellers all the rime.

As said, the city is small but attractions are big and Yaried. So I leave the. once-upon- a-time home of the Vikings with a promise to come back, next time. with better luck pernaps to spot some royals.

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COMMUNITYSCENE

New Swaminarayan Temple hopes to be hub of activities i.:

erth has a new Hindu temple, che Shree Swaminarayan Temple, at 11 Marshall Road, Bennett Springs (Beechboro).

The temple was opened in a special ceremo ny on 14 January, 2013.

The temple belongs tO a wider group of Swaminarayan organisations and temples around the world. Besides the tern pies in India, there are over 30 such temples located in major cities in the US, Europe and Africa. ln Australasia, there are established temples in Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne. The. first Swaminarayan temple goes back a long way in history and was constructed in J\hme.dabad in 1822 AD on land given by an English colle.ccor during the.

British Raj in India.

The land for the Shree Swaminarayan temple in Perth was purchased in December 2007. The construction of the Mandir began in mid 2011 with completion in December 2012 and the opening ceremony in January 2013.

Rav ji Gangji Ha.Lai, President of the Perch temple committee, told Indian Link, "There is an immense sense satisfaction for al1 of us involved in seeing the temple open to the public in 2013. Hundreds o f community volunteers contributed their rime during weekends in the temple building efforts, and for their efforts and dedication, we are truly grateful".

Describing the activities at the centre, Jvlr Halai said the temple offers the younger generation especially children the opportuni ty to reconnect with their roots in the context of religious and culmral identity.

"Currently, Gujarati classes are being conducted at the temple and there a.re plans for many more such activities," be revealed.

A pipe band and 1ezim folk dance troupe have also been successful progra ms undertaken by the Haribhaktos (co mmunity of devotees).

The temple hosts the main deities from the Hindu pantheon like Lord Ram, Krishna, Shiva, Ganeshji, and also primarily,

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Shree Swaminarayan, who is the key guiding force for this faith.

Shree Swaminarayan was born in 1781 near Ayodhya in India, and renounced family life to become a yogi at the age of 11. Ar 18, he adopted Rarnanand Swami as his Guru in rhe state of Gujarat.

He initiated over 2000 sadhJJs, builr cemples and installed 11111rtis (stames).

Ser in large open spaces, in the suburb of Ben11ett Springs in the Swan region of Perch, the temple is beautiful, clean and well maintained. The interior hall is vast with stunning statues of the deities, bedecked with jewellery

and adorned with resplendent lighting. Giving a modern touch to the religious activities, there are 2 large TV screens inside the temple displaying audio visual information to visicors.

An in reresting feature ,vas that chey display the wordings of hymns being cha.need - a definite convenience for the many who may not know the hymns but wish to participate in the singing.

The temple is open daily and welcomes all visitors. Derails abouc opening timings and activities at the temple are available on the temple website at hctp:/ / sstperth.org

MARCI-I 2013 29

FOOD

Off the couch and into the kitchen Attempting a special dish in the kitchen with success is a real-time experience, unlike foodie TV shows

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Fill a large bowl with water. Keep aside for larer. Warm a souffle (oven-P,roof bowl) disli in the oven at 1 50 Whisk together eggs, su~r and vanilla essence in a bowl.

Combine milk and cream

3 0 MARCM 2013

know it's sacrilegious to show even a sneaking dislike of food programmes on TV but 1 ask for forgiveness in advance, being one of the few who would rather not ,·varch them. lt's almost unheard of to press the 'off' button or change channels when cbese programmes are on. Cooking shows have taken the airwaves by storm and provided a rich source of content for the media.

Don't get me wrong, I have no objection to others enjoying these shows, bm they are not for me.

A recem count of shows on eight of the main T V channels during p rimetime in a single week showed chat over '10% of peak viewing time between 6-9pm is devoted to food progra=es. Bur there are a variety of sho~rs li.lmed in all parts of the world ranging from farming on smaU-holdings and raising cute, heald1y animals and birds destined as produce, to the art of entertaining wim family and guests having a real jolly time of it and, o f course, chefs in kitchens doing d1eir d1ing. What's next, where do producers go from here as they try to leverage every bit of audience from this genre? Cooking in outer space, on Everest or even w1de1water may be on d1e cards, for our entertainment There .is no doubt that al.I this interest has raised d1e awareness in all aspects of what we eat and how things grow. And d1at is not a bad thing. Yet obesity rares only seem to be on the rise in o ur society. A look at newsagents' racks shows a proliferation of magazines on cooking and food, while the internet is awash with biogs, sites and YouTube demonstrations of recipes. It's almost as if d1ere is a huge industry at many !eve.ls, and participants have been able to cash in on the coat-tails of chis interest in food . Bue we musm't lose sight of the fact d1ac mere are only so many people and t.l1ey can only eat so much. It's not as if more food is being cooked, or is it?

To get an answer to the question above J decided ro take a look at some government

numbers. They revealed a fascinating picmre. They showed d1at in 2009-2010 expendjmre on supermarkets and groceries rose by 2% over d1e previous year, but well below d1e long-term trend. The conclusio n is that te.lative ro prev ious years, peo ple muse be cooking less or us ing cheaper ingredients. A nd wou.ld you believe ir, the next set of numbers showed that me g rowt.11 in expenctiture on takeaway foods, cafes and restaurants had skyrocketed and more or less doubled it.~ long-term trend. Thjs tells us at least two things. Of course, d1e more prosp erous the economy, the m ore people will eat our. To me cbjs ties in with a vision of people sitting armmd in cafes and restaurants with d1eir smart phones and iPads, and mjs is more o r less what one can see m ost times o f the day. But what sticks out like a sore dmrnb if one beljeves the numbers, is that people must be cooking a lot less than they used to, contrary to \vhat one m ight expect fro m this apparent mushrooming of interest ju cooking.

Sharing a mea.l with friends is undoubted.ly one of the real pleasures of life. When all the food has been cooked and enjoyed, good -byes said and the guests have gone, you sit at me table and drain that last sip of wine t.l1at remains in your glass.

It's peaceful now and you sic in quiet contemplation o f d1e evening and men reali cy strikes yi kes, mese endless piles of dirty plates and glasses. Yes, clearing-up is next. Ever an integral part of cooking and entertaining, will we see a show on d1is part of the process? I don't think so! \Xlh o is to reaLiy say what people are getciJ1g up to in their kitchens and with their eating habits.

For my part, I am grateful to have a nice, square meal every day. A while back I had a hanl{ectng for creme caramel.

D o you t.l1ink J could find .it anywhere - no, not on your life!

It surprises me that m ost restaurants do not serve d1is heavenly dessert. l had no choice.

I picked up a recipe book, put on an apron and after some hesitation and a lirde tension, r made something which still had to be mrned upside down. Plop, out it came. Much to my delight it looked just as a creme caramel should, the taste was divine and since d1en my popularity amongst my family has increased no end. Cooking - l'm beginning to like it!

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FICTION

• The power ofprayer and faith manifests itself into reality for the true believer

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hy do you persist in rormencing me so," Parvati's mother

lamented. "\'qbat have I done now, mother?"

"Tonight is Maha Shivaratri, die great night of Shiva. Ir is a clay of prayer and penance, bur you want co go co the movies with your friends. Your presence is needed at home. You can tell )'Our friends tbat you can meet them on another night," she answered. ''Nforner, I have no interest in eidier die prayers or d1e penance.

J do nor want anyd1ing, nor am J seeking forgiveness for any wrong," Parvaci replied.

"Of course, you want somed1ing!

AU unmarried girls want this.

Ao eady marriage and a good husband," Narayani annorn1ced. ''And your Lord Shiva can give me that. In rerurn for keeping me awake a.U night chanting his name, he will bless me with a good husband. And will this good husband of mine also be sitcing up aJJ night and praying for a good wife. Or does he have the privilege of having a boon granted wid1out penance?"

"Don't be silly, child, men do not have to ,vorry about that Ir is the privilege of LIS women to seek Lord Shiva's bless.ing," replied her mother. ''Nlum, Dad left you to seek Mount Kailash and his god. What good did your prayers do for you? If 1 was you, I would ask for compensation," said Parvati.

"PARVATl! Thar is enough!"

Narayani screamed. Then, calming down she said, "Besides, d1at was my mistake. I used to cheat when I was yotmg. Instead of saying my prayers I used co read novels."

"I don't believe you did it And you never got caught?" asked Patvati, astonished that her mother would deviate from her moral path. ''No, we were good at it. But it was not the right thing to have done. AU d1ose novels I read brought me a good husband bur I was cheated from a long file with him," lamented l arayani.

"Mum, it has noming to do with how well you prayed or how good )'OU behaved. Men are human beings and have human failings and

INDIAN LINK

A huge Shivaling in Kota Rajasthan aspirations. Unlike you, I do not hope for an ideal person. I want him to love me more d1an he loves God," said Parvati.

"1 do not begrudge your father his need for spiritnal enlightenment, for when I finally learnt to pray properly l had asked for a husband w ho was wise and who also deeply worshipped my Shiva. \Xie each have our own journey co undertake.

A nd l can't complain, he gave me a wonderfo.l daughter and he left us well provided for," Narayani justified.

"1 don't think ir was how you prayed, mum, bur what you asked for d1at may have been your downfall," Parvati joked, then giving her mum a hug added, .cl must rernember to word my prayers properly if I ever have to deal with your Shiva." "\'v'ould you rather that l had married a womaniser, an alcoholic or an abuser? My Shiva gave me a good man. I have mud1 to be grateful for," said Narayani stoutly.

For the first rime, Parvati reaJJy looked at her mother. Somewhere between her superscicions and her rirua.lism, her mother had found srrengdi to fight life's challenges and a faith that sm,v each challenge as a reward. Somewhere in between her prayer and Shiva's boon, she had found peace and forgiveness.

Leaving these sombre thoughts behind, Parvati cominued on a lighter note, ''\Xfell mum, if Shiva gave you a good man but for a short rime, then we will pray chat I find a 'not so good man' for a longer tio1e."

"There you go, acting foolish again. Don't fool arow1d \vim faith

and belie~ my child. While other girls wrote Lord Ram and Lord Shiva's name on me bilva leaves d1ey offered in prayer, 1 wrote the names of my favourite actors. \XThile tliey made garlands to adorn the Sbivaliog, I made one to decorate my hair. And while tliey fasted with sincerity, I would pinch die pm.sad from the shrine or pluck the fruit.~ from the orchard," l arayani recounted wim shame.

Parvati smiled again. Her motber, who never broke a rule, was quite die imp in her youth. Then in an accepting voice she asked, "Ok mum, why don't you cell me what your Shivratri is all about and maybe, if I am convinced, I might join you this year in the poqja."

Narayani had waited for th.is moment for me past five years, in fact, since her daughter's sixteend1 birthday. Grabbing Parvati's arm, arayani led her to die prayer room and sat her daughter down next to her. Then pointing to d1e Shivaling she spoke of itS significance as d1e creator. Looking at die photo of Shivji she related die tale of how co save mankind from d1e poison churned out from the ocean, Shivji drank .it but held it in his throat, turning .it blue and earning him die name Neelkanta - the Blue Throated One. Finally she lifted rue statue of Shiva standing in a dancing pose wid1 a ring of fire around him and told of his cosmic dance, caJJed d1e 'Shiva Tandav', die dance he undertakes to display his omnipotent power as creator, preserver and destroyer.

Then she detailed how the Shivratri prayers are done. The ShivaJing is first deansed with

water, milk and honey, representing tl1e washing away of bad emotions.

Then vermilion paste repre.~enting virtue is applied on the Shiva.ling as a reminder to adhere to righteousness. The offering of tl1e hi/Pa leaves is symbolic o f tbe surrender of oneself co die tl1reeeyed deity. This is foUowed by die offering of fruits, which represents the offering of our desires. When these a.re given back as. pm.sod, it represents tl1e fulfili11ent of O LU' wishes. Incense is burned to purify tl1e air and to symbolically spread goodwill and success. Lamps are lie to spnbolise the awaking of our inner being and the attainment of knowledge.

The Linga is also marked widi the 'Tripw1dra', the three horizontal stripes made by smearing holy ash and symbolising spiritual knowledge, purity and penance. A rosary of Rudral,sha seeds beloved to Lord Shiva and a statue of die Cobra snake are p laced near.

Parvati listened carefuUy and tl1en asked, 'Why tonight of aJJ nights?"

"Mythology says, Lord Shiva dedared that tl1e rituals performed by his devotees on the 14d1 da)' of the dark fortnight in d1is month please him tl1e most. Scientifically, the planetary positions on chis night are such that there is a powerful natural upsurge of energy in the human system. 1ti5 said to be beneficial for one's physical and spirin1al weU-being. l\1Iy modier believed ir was die night Shiva manifested his physical form into the Linga form. Odiers have said it was d1e night Shiva married Parvati, hence girls pray to Goddess Parvati as well. Whid1 is what you should

be doing, since you are starting so late o n this journe)', It might help you catch up, if you pray to born," Narayani added ~~th a laugh. ''Alright mum, but just to make it clear, I am going to pray because of you and not Him," saying tlus, Parvaci bowed in front of die sluine.

Narayani looked at her shrine, "~peel me tears from her eyes and said to her lord, ''You have a hard task ahead of you \vith this one. I was a piece of cake."

Just then the doorbell rang.

Paivati rushed to save her momer the trouble. A stranger faced her, a good-looking one who seemed to know about her for he said immediately, "Parvati, I have a letter from your father. I am a botanist and was stud)~ng plai11s in the Himalayan ranges when I mer your father. As I left, he asked me co personaJJy deliver this letter to his wife."

Taking d1e lerter from him, Narayani, who had now reached them invited him in.

Even wid1out opening the envelope, Narayani knew what the contents wort.Id say. From a distance, her husband was fulfilling his last role as a fatlier. Only that would explain why he had chosen d1 ts day, to send tllis man.

At drnt moment she heard tl1e words that confirmed her belief. "Forgive me, I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Shiva.raj, Sllivaraj Lingaraja," he said.

The unopened letter feU to me Aoor, escaping arayani's trembling fingers. Her Shiva was once again granting a boon.

MARCl-l 2013 31

Make way for Munnabhai3

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Is anyone out there missing Munnabhai? Well, it's good news for fans of the character, as filmmaker Subhash Kapoor has been roped in to direct the third instalment ofthe highly successful Munnabhai franchise. The film will go on the floors early next year.

The first two films Munnabhai M.8.8.5. and Lage RaghoMunna Bhai- were directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

And the unusual jodi of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi made the films enlightening and entertaining, with Boman Irani thrown in for good measure. But these super successful films were made in 2003 and 2006 respectively, so it's been a big break for the iconic Munnabhai. And which issue will he tackle next, the upcoming election? Kapoor is reluctant to comment.

"Right now only one thing has been finalised that I will be direct the film.

Nothing more than that;' he said. Naturally the trio of Sanjay, Arshad and Boman will be a part ofthe film. The leading lady is also yet to be finalised.

Kapoor's ongoing Jolly LLB also stars Arshad and Boman along with Amrita Rao in the lead roles. Laced with humour, the film is a satire on the country's legal system, and will release in mid-March.

So let's get ready for some more Munna capers!

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JACKY BHAGNANI

Desi Gangnam is gift for dad

SI-IILPA SI-I ETTY IS WELLNESS ICON n elated Shilpa Shetty was named the Wellness Icon at the NDTV Good Times Lifestyle Awards 2013 in Greater Noida recently. The actress and reality TV star is married to businessman Raj Kundra and has a nine month old baby boy called Viaan. Shilpa tweeted that she is happy to continue inspiring

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people in the field of wellness and fitness. She received the trophy and certificate looking fit and fabulous in a green leopard print Dolce & Gabbana dress. It's interesting that the actress was picked among so many of her seemingly equally fit contemporaries.

But good job Shilpa, show us how it's done!

Actor Jackky Bhagnani has an unusual gift for his dad, producer Vashu Bhagnani, regardless of whether he may want it or not! It took Jackky a long time to get the rights to Korean singer Psy's superhit number Gangnam Style for his film Rangrezz, but he finally clinched the deal.

Directed by Priyadarshan, Rangrezz releases on March 22, and features actress Priya Anand opposite Jackky.

"I thought that Indians should also have this song. So I started a conversation, which took three months. When I got the papers signed finally, I took them to my dad and said, 'You have done a lot for me and I have got a gift for you'. He was shocked to see that gift;' said the 27-yearold actor.

"We call it Desi gangnam;' said the actor, who admits he is now"trying to establish my own identity:' Not too sure how he's going to achieve that considering that Gangnam Style is now last year's style! A good gesture, but a tad late, Jackky!

But as it's desi, maybe Jackky will make the song trendy again. Good luck with that, Jackky!

Directin~ SRK is on John's wish list John Abraham turned producer with Vicky Donor, so can direction be far from his thoughts of progress in Bollywood?

Not really, as the hunky actor admits that direction is also a part of his plan, and he would especially love to direct superstar Shah Rukh Khan some day. "I think I will do a fairly decent job directing, because I feel I have a vision and I would like to get that aaoss,"the 40-year-old said.

"I would love to direct Shah Rukh! (He is) very interesting and very charismatic. ..

I would not like to play on his strengths, but I would like to get something else out;' added John.

Generously, John admits that other actors are also interesting to direct.

"Aamir (Khan) directs himself, so that's interesting about Aamir. Each one is different and probably if I am doing a fun film, may be Akshay Kumar. But I am not thinking about it right now, so it's completely hypothetical. I may (also) direct newcomers;' said John.

His latest release I, Me aur Main hasn't done that well at the box office, so it's likely that the dream of directing may become a reality sooner than later! Good luck, John!

Charm in character, insists Soha Soha Ali Khan is almost as outspoken as big brother Saif when it comes to the film industry.

The actress recently made it clear that she doesn't believe in the 'hero-heroine dynamics' of Bollywood. Instead, the actress prefers a character-driven role in a movie, even if she doesn't get to play the protagonist's role.

"I look for character-driven scripts. I find the words 'hero' or'heroine' very absurd.

We all play characters;' said the outspoken actress in an interview recently.

Even her debut Bollywood film Oil MaangeMore, released in 2004, reflected this choice. 'When I did my first film, I chose the character of a girl who chooses her career over the boy. But then everyone was like, 'You are not the heroine of the film! She has to get the hero: But I felt the other role was more interesting," Soha said.

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JOHN ABRAHAM URVASHI RAUTELA

soHA AL.I KHAN

The 34-year-old daughter of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore is appreciative of the kind of cinema the Indian film industry is witnessing currently. "It is not star-driven. It is script and plot-driven... this is more exciting for me:' she said.

Soha has been a part of offbeat films like Soundtrack and Midnight's Children as well as commercial films like Rang De Basantiand Tum Mile. And she is happy the lines between the two are blurring gradually. "In the 1970s, there was commercial cinema and parallel cinema.

Now that line is not so clear. Good films work at the box office, with offbeat subjects or actors. So the distinction is blurred now,"she said.

"I want to be part of good cinema...with songs or without songs, with or without

masala, with or without Salman Khan. The story should be good, the character should be good. Whether it works or not is secondary," she added.

Soha also admits she regrets being a part of some films, but she doesn't allow herselfto dwell on it too much.

"There is no point regretting anything.

I don't look into the past. Of course, there are films which I have done, which have not worked. But I don't dwell in those;' she said.

Soha will be seen next in Tigmanshu Dhulia's Saheb Biwi Aur

Gangster Returns.

But if there's one thing that annoys this actress, it's references to her royal background.'Don't rub in the royalty, please!' seems to have been Soha's underlying statement when, while promoting the new film, she made her displeasure clear at her royalty references being relentlessly rustled up. Director Dhulia put his foot in it when he said at the event that he chose Soha to play a princess in his film as she looked every inch the royal in royal finery. To this, the

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sharp-tongued Soha retorted, "Oh yes, I even sleep in royal clothes." Explaining her snappy response, Soha said, "It is true.

When I was asked if I was comfortable playing my character because of my royal background, I did respond that way. But I was being facetious in merely stating how 'unroyal' my dress sense is. As a matter of fact, I am so bohemian in my dress code that only recentl y have I started wearing shoes instead of chappals. So I was actually making fun of myselfl" Naturally, Soha added she is very proud of her royal antecedents. "I embrace my identity. It is a privilege to come from the background that I do;' said the daughter of the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who was nawab of Bhopal until 1971, when India abolished royal entitlements.

Well, we'll be seeing princess Soha in royal style soon!

Urvashi impresses in debut film Urvashi Rautela is just 18, but has already impressed director Anil Sharma with her debut performance in Singh Saheb

The Great.

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Sharma believes she has a long way to go. "As the leading lady in the film, Urvashi has done a wonderful job. So let us welcome this new girl with all our good wishes,"he said.

Urvashi is said to have replaced Ameesha Patel in the movie, and w ill be seen romancing Sunny Deol, who is 38 years her senior.

Urvashi was in t he news for winning the I Am She Miss Universe pageant in 2012, but she had to give up her title because she was found to have been 25 days below the minimum age limit of 18 years.

Sharma, who had earlier directed Ameesha and Sunny in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, says Ameesha was never signed on for Singh Saheb The Great.

"She was supposed to be a part of the film, but officially we never signed her.

It was very much a media created news;' said Sharma.

Looks like Urvashi has had more success with Bollywood than beauty pageants.

Good luck to her!

MARCI-I 2013 33

SPIRITS SOAR SKYWARDS KAI POCHE STARRING: Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav, Amit Sadh, Amrita Puri DIRECTED BY: Abhishek Kapoor

***** t really can't get any better than this, can it? The year has just begun and we have one of the finest, most vibrant and fulfilling coming-of-age films in living memory.

Kai Po Che (the war-call uttered during kite-flying in Gujarat) is not about kiteflying. In fact there is just one fleeting sequence, very effectively positioned in the meticulously structured narrative, where the characters actually fly kites.

Kai Po Che is about spirits soaring skywards, as the characters - each one so vividly etched into the compact narrative that you come away with people whom you will probably carry with you for keeps - let their spirits roam wild and free, soaking in the sunlight of desire, longing, aspiring, stumbling and getting back on the feet.

Set in Gujarat during times of peace and unimaginable stress, Kai Po Che takes Chetan Bhagat's engaging novel about friendship among three dissimilar young

3 4 MARCI-I 2013

people struggling to find their voices in Gujarat in and around the year 2000, and converts the written word into an enrapturing entity far beyond just a story well told.

The three, joined by a fourth - a girl who happens to be the sister of one of the heroes secretly involved with the hero's best friend - bring to life a world where the accidents of existence collide gently but powerfully with man-made and natural calamities that shake the very existence of an Indian middle class, living on an edge where toppling over the abyss is a real possibility.

Sure enough, by the end of the film one of heroes Omi (Amit Sadh) does fall into the abyss of bigotry. Though he is finally given a chance to redeem himself, it's too late. A dream has already died, though another one is reborn.

Kai Po Che is about the shared aspirations of three friends: the reckless and devil-may-care cricketer lshaan (Sushant Singh Rajput in a remarkable film debut), his cautious, shy friend Govind (Raj Kumar Yadav) and their somewhat confused friend Omi, the son of a liberal temple priest who tilts towards Hindu radicalism more out of an economic necessity than a ideological

imperative.

Into these lives, screenplay writers Abhishek Kapoor, Chetan Bhagat, Pubali Chaudhuri and Supratik Sen introduce a socio-political perspective that is rare in mainstream Hindi cinema.

There are many reasons why Kai Po Che is one of the most compelling products of the post-renaissance era in Indian cinema. To my mind its greatest achievement is its fusion of"cinema" and "history': a synthesis that filmmakers today would consider unpalatable for viewers. Hence they serve up the junkfood equivalent of cinema. Quickly ingested and easily forgotten.

Not this time!

In Kai Po Che, the characters and situations created to bring out the personality conflicts emerge from the two crises points in Gujarat's history - the 2001 earthquake and the post-Godhra carnage in 2002.

The sustained palpable tension of the riots towards the concluding lap of this riveting tale is the stuff th at great cinema is made of.

The virtues of the film are many: songs (AmitTrivedi) and background music (Hitesh Sonik) that seem to echo the protagonists' inner world

without making a song and dance, cinematography by Anay Goswami and editing by Deepa Bhatia that says it all without a single shot being redundant, and most of all, a terrific gallery of actors who make the brotherly bonding look so real you feel other celebrated films about male bonding (including Abhishek Kapoor's Rock On) were mere teasers.

And yet to describe Kai Po Che as a film on male bonding would be akin to treating Dr Zhivago as a film on the medical profession.

Taking the core idea from Bhagat's novel, Kapoor weaves together a tapestry of thoughts, characters and lives that embrace an entire ethos and culture without sacrificing individuality.

Fearless and almost flawless, Kai Po Che bubbles over with the warmth of lived-in experiences and with central performances that are so unstudied you suspect the actors were born to play these parts.

Among the trio, Amit Sadh as the fence-sitter turned Hindu radical gets into the skin of his character and remains there t ill the end, and not for the first time. He was also admirable as a narrator-journalist in Kabeer Kaushik's Maximum. Here's an actor who deserves a lot more.

Raj Kumar Yadav as the voice of reason among the trio of friends yet again displays his amazing ability to come to grips with the body language, speech and inner world of the people he plays. I've not seen any actor deliver his lines in recent memory so naturally without artificial punctuation. Raj Kumar's triumph is the triumph of refined acting in Hindi cinema.

And let's not forget the talented the spontaneous Amrita Puri as lshaan's sister. She is at the periphery of the pivotal axis and yet makes her presence felt with such an endearing lack of vanit y.

As for Sushant Singh Rajput, the script favours his character. And he repays the compliment right back, with bonus.

With his compelling screen presence and an ability to render restless energy in a restrained pattern, he immediately establishes himself as one of the most articulate actors of the post-Ranbir Kapoor generation.

His relationship with the cricketing prodigy Ali (Digvijay Deshmukh) is in many ways the core issue of the multifarious plot. You cheer for lshaan's streetwise heroism in a way you haven't cheered in a long while.

Take a bow, Abhishek Kapoor. You have proven that Rock On was no flash in the pan. Kai Po Che takes the theme of friendship to another level.

Yeh dosti hum nahin todenge, indeed.

Sometimes the best of friendships get swept away in politics and history. It takes a master storyteller to remind us that cinema is finally a mirror of forces which have a bearing on life.

Kai Po Che just tempts me to tell the escapist merchants ofBollywood to go fly a kite.

SUBHASH K. JHA

www.indianlink.com.au

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ODE TO MAYI-IEM AND MACI-IISMO ZILA GHAZIABAD STARRING: Sanjay Dutt, Vivek Oberoi, Paresh Rawal, Arshad Warsi, Chandrachur Singh, Ravi Kishan, Divya Dutta DIRECTED BY: Anand Kumar

**-;...~ asseypur's gangs never had it so good. Seeing the glorious guttural outflow of blood, bullets and profanities in Zita Ghaziabad one could safely assume, Wasseypur is safe.

So is the other release this week.

Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che is as far removed from its Friday competition as flying kites is from a hail of bullets.

To be fair one can't compare two films as disparate in intent, purpose, tone and treatment as Kai Po Che and Zita Ghaziabad ... except for the fact that somewhere down the line as we approach the crux and the core, both films say the same thing.

If you want to survive in this cut-throat world, you have to recognise your own weaknesses and strengths- not that one sees the hurried restless unanchored

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strangely identity-less and vapidly violent characters of Zi/a Ghaziabad ever doing any introspection.

Where is the ti me to sit and think when everyone is out for a kill? The biggest casualty in all this gore-mongering is a logical pattern of storytelling. The material is edited more to accommodate optimum punches and punchlines than to tell an anchored story. The narration leaves no room for any kind of emotion to take root.

We meet the characters as blood-thirsty creatures of the underground. And we are most happy to leave them to their internecine intentions. This is the kind of staged drama where lawmakers and lawbreakers behave with equal impunity.

Both sides are wedded to anarchy. Screw the emotions. This is an orgy of elemental escapades.

And that's where the fun side of the film unleashes with fatuous fury. The

action director is the real conductor of this disorderly orchestra. One violent outburst follows another as two clans of Zila Ghaziabad battle it out to a bloodied end.

Admittedly, the action is staged with a whole lot of gusto. Tragically, the underlining humour of Salman Khan's Dabangg is missing here. These scowling, growling, barking and biting characters take themselves and their anarchic hinterland too seriously.

They speak in a self-confident drawl in words about bodily functions thatVishal Bhardwaj or Anurag Kashyap's characters might use on a lazy Sunday to shock their neighbours. But make no mistake. The people who inhabit Zila Ghaziabad mean business.

The business of being mean is perpetrated in a torrent of rapidly-staged drama where aggression is King. The film has a sprawling banquet of actors, and some very competent ones at that.

Sanjay Dutt delivers a punch-filled performance as a cop inured to ambivalence. He strikes swaggering postures that suggest John Wayne never really hung up his hat and boots.

Vivek Oberoi, who was gloriously goofy

as a bumbling gangster in last week's underrated Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story, here displays a mean streak quite convincingly.

So does Arshad Warsi, better known for his comic acts, here slipping into a rugged roguery with relish. If you look around, Chandrachur Singh and Paresh Raw al also show up to add muscle to the mayhem.

Every character seems to have fun with his part in this Khichdi Western, a distant doomed spiced-up teekhacousin of the celebrated 'Spaghetti Western; though whether we as the audience share the characters' sense of enjoyment or not depends entirely on the frame of mind we are in.

If judgemental, one could be deeply offended by the unstopped flow of aggression and profanity. However, if in a lenient m ind-space, the bloody battle for indeterminate causes could provide some amount of lowbrow fun.

As expected, in this ode to mayhem and machismo, the ladies have little to do besides shake a leg and shed a tear.

Minissha Lamba shows up somewhere along the way trying hard not to look lost in the stag party.

It's hard not to laugh out loud at these heroes of a subverted hinterland who live and die by the gun. They deserve the death they get.

But what about us?

SUBHASH K. JHA

TENDER ROMCOM LETS YOU DOWN GENTLY I, ME AUR MAIN STARRING: John Abraham, Chitrangda Singh, Prachi Desai, Raima Sen, Mini Mathur DIRECTED BY: Kapil Sharma

**1r/::rtt hat do you with a selfobsessed guy like lshaan who shoulders no responsibility except that to his iron-board torso and matinee-idol posturings, who takes everyone from Mom, Sis and girlfriend to success, friendship and karma, for granted?

John Abraham plays the kind of narcissist whose life is just waiting to fall apart. It does soon enough, leaving him... well, high and not quite dry.

For much of its economical playingtime, /, Me Aur Main glides along innocuously in an urbane corporatised haze where women are allowed to be successful alongside men, though that success comes with a price.

Hence to no one's surprise, Anushka (Chitrangda) locks lshaan (John) out of her home and life. lshaan doesn't waste a moment in moving into a new apartment where he begins anew with flirty neighbour Gauri (Prachi Desai).

This is dangerously thin ice for a desi romcom to tread on. The principal characters do not aspire to any higher ground of existence beyond what they

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are allotted by writers.

Director Kapil Sharma's film derives some succour from urbane dialogues that the characters throw at one another at work and in parties.

Indeed the most interesting character to be obtained in this romcom is that of lshaan's frosty saree-clad, self-styled diva boss Beena (Raima Sen) who takes over the business and has poor lshaan by his balls.

It is interesting to see John play a complete jerk, the kind unfortunately girls of a certain age do fall for.

John plays the trashy lshaan without reservation -you wonder how this self-serving ass will fina lly get his comeuppance.

The payback comes in unexpected ways. The way an executive lifestyle and its sterile relationships are kept afloat in the film, are proof of intelligent minds energising this endeavour which strives to titillate but gradually falls into the terrain of torpidity with no hope of a rescue.

John as the commitment-phobic cad skims over the smooth surface unable to nail the character beyond the occasional smirk and the constant gleam in the eye.

His character evolves gradually, though, with fatherhood fuelling a sudden change of heart that would have been more convincing had lshaan's growth from self-obsession to

caring been charted a bit more boldly.

Dwelling in the domain of surfacelevel emotions,/, Me Aur Main tickles our fancy just enough so we do not walk away with a sense of betrayal.

John works hard to give character to his amoral character. His mumbling monologue at the end with his newborn is touching.

Chitrangda smoulders with her bridled sex appeal exuding oomph without letting any of it spill over.

Prachi literally plays the girl next door with a warmth that wraps around John like a cosy shawl in winter.

Television anchor Mini Mathur and Raima Sen provide colour and character to a script that needed more motivation and a larger sense of responsibility in showing its protagonist go from irresponsible to the committed.

I, Me Aur Main is an inoffensive, tender rom-com about a selfish jerk and the

two lovely ladies who come into his life. With an endearing threesome of principal actors who aren't afraid to play flawed, this film should have left us floored. Instead it just leaves us pleasantly underwhelmed.

SUBHASH K. JHA

MARCl-l 2013 35

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ARIES tvlarch 21 - Apri l 19

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

You will find help from a co-worker who tries to help you deal with a problem, but the cards indicate that it may cause more confusion. Try not to feel upset or angry, as it won't help. There can be romance in the air when someone reveals his or her true feelings for you. A Scorpio plays an important role. This month you will be feeling a little restless and overenthusiastic, so try and relax and let things flow.

TAURUS April 20 - tvlay 20

The cards show that you will be seeking harmony in the workplace this month. You are advised not to get involved in any office politics, easier said than done. Loved ones will look to you for advice and support. Take a deep breath. You will be able to help everyone out and still have time for yourself, Tarot knows. There will be some nagging health issues around an elderly member of the family. A blood test is required.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

You will manage to keep quiet about things that are upsetting you and this reticence will pay off. The cards indicate that a close friend will need to talk to you and will reveal some personal information. You will be thinking about a love relationship and wanting to know where you stand. There will be a very strong desire to ask your partner for a commitment, but Tarot advises take things slow and steady, and everything will work out.

GEMINI tvlay 21 - June 20

The cards indicate that this is the month to follow your instincts in business matters. It is in your nature to tell the truth so stick to it, and don't try to cover up as you will be found out. Love takes on a real twist as an old friend will resurface and wantto begin a relationship. You too will have strong feelings. Just follow your heart. Tarot foresees a legal matter as needing your attention.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 The cards indicate a time when you will need to be very honest and open with a close friend. Your romantic life slows down this month, but don't get discouraged. This break will give you time to relax and focus on yourself. You need to keep going to the gym or working out, as you are not feeling too healthy right now, Tarot suggests. Check on your diet and work schedule and make sure you are getting enough rest.

The cards indicate that you will need to be patient at work this month. Make sure that you think about your best interests, as very often you do not always think about yourself and your own needs. Make decisions wisely. There is a real need to get things done and resolutions should be found. Lower back pain could be an unfriendly visitor this month. There is a kind of nagging pain: get it checked out, says Tarot.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

The cards indicate that you will be all too willing to try and help everyone out at work. A great new romance is on the cards for you, so be sure to make your moves. Financially you will be looking at some investments, and will come across some lucrative deals. There is a block of land near water that will catch your eye. You need to make sure you check the oil, water and brake fluid in your car.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22 This month, you will find that you have become a shoulder to lean on. You will be giving loved ones your support and attention. Your caring, patience and support will be appreciated. It is a busy time for you at work, so make sure you give yourself a break. You will be planning to purchase a new car. There may be news of an engagement, foresees Tarot Clear out your wardrobe and throw out things you do not wear.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 The cards show that you will be feeling very social this month.

At work, you will progress as a team. You will also be meeting up with friends and will not feel like a hermit. There will be some lovely evenings spent with loved ones who will rely on you to take care of a family matter that is causing stress. There may be an Aquarius involved, Tarot suggests. You may be thinking about buying a new pet.

The cards indicate a great time for you at work. A great new opportunity will be presented to you. Your intelligence and efficiency will shine through. Don't be shy when it comes to meeting new people this month. Your sweet, sensitive side will bring you close to someone with a lot of connections.

You will be attracting a lot of attention from the opposite sex. Be careful of those around you, warns Tarot.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - ~eb 18 J

The cards show here that you need to allow your practical side to lead you in decision-making as the month begins.

Do not make any hasty purchases. A relationship will move quite swiftly, and you will realise that you have a lot in common with that special person. There may be talk of an engagement. Tarot urges you to look after your health this month. You may join an evening class to learn a hobby.

PISCES ~eb 19 - tvlarch 20 "'lf ~

The cards indicate that this month will be a time when you will feel a little trapped. You will take time out to relax and enjoy time with your loved ones, giving yourself a break from it all. Virgo and Sagittarius play important roles. You may be thinking about travelling for a while and just finding out what you want to do in life. Tarot suggests you will come across a soul mate to share your dreams.

BACKCHAT

Did it 'drive'you crazy too?

It's nerve-wracking and stressful, and way more challenging than actually driving on NSW's roads

v the time this articJe is published, I will have either earned rightful ownership of one of the most coveted possessions, 'the NS\XI driver's license' or be sulking over what went wrong and why the res ring officer couldn't be a rad bit lenient.

Whatever d1e case, I truly and most sincerely believe tbat of all the examinations iliac I have taken in my life until now, the NSW driving test has been the most petrifying of all and has made me feel like a 'good for nothing' even before attempting it. Having said chat, let me confess mat d1e fuse bit, ilie computer test was a cake walk.

Aren't we Indians sheer geniuses ar all iliings theoretical! While the guy next to me was venting co.lourful epi d1ecs after a.Imost every d1ird click, 1 found myself breezing through it and finished tbe tesr way before time.

Yes, I had done it, I had passed d1e DKT (Driver Knowledge Test) in one go. Bur was iliat ilie real challe11ge? For all of you who have gone through it, I bet you know ilie answer.

It was the next stage, d1e practical bir, the driving test mat was sending shivers down my spine.

I had beard stories, real stories of how one can fail the driving test.

One of my friends had shared her experience. She had barely started ilie car when die testing officer said, "You have failed, would you still like to continue?" "What? Ine car hasn't eve.11 moved, how I can fail?" she quipped. Well, she hadn't

B

kAkl" ti CAD•I )~hfE"SCIIOoL

I

J ~ -

moved the car, but had moved me rear view mirror to adjust it, after she had scarred the car. Rule broken = Fail.

Another friend who has been driving on Indian roads even before he started high sdiool had committed a supposedly common mistake, stopped just past the stop line. Rule broken = Fail.

A regular Listener who often rings in on my show on Indian Link Radio, Ruchika once shared wim me on-air, how she had always been a copper all her life and how failing ilie driving test had shattered her confidence and made her feel miserable - to me extent d1at she didn't attempt it again for years.

Fortunately she recently called up to say that she had finally mustered some courage and attempted it again, this tinie passing wim Aying colours. Well, I have a bank of such hotror stories, but I shall 'brake' at mat.

So, co cut a long story short, I

decided to enroll myself in a driving school. Needless co say $60/hour did hurt, but as everyrhing comes at a cost, so be it!

Now here's another common 'fimdt/ ilia t we Indians tend to share: getting a 'desl trainer to tead1 us me nuances of ilie Aussie rules.

After all we share a bond, they would understand ilie psydle of a fellow Indian like no orher Aussie trainer, and above all, have to give us some discount at least!

But let me warn you, experience has it d1at twless you are prepared to reveal your entire ancestry, every Litde detail of your exisre11ce and answers to aU mose encroaching questions during the course of chat one hour .lesson, steer clear of d1e desi trainer. Pay some extra bucks and gee someone who's not .interested in your history, but in your driving and driving only!

So, back to me driving lessons.

Wim every lesson as much as l

was fielding chose questions, I was getting co know ways in which one can fail d1e test. Scare without ilie leg on ilie brake = Fail; don't signal for at a least 5 seconds before leaving a parking space or moving from a kerb = Fail; and d1e list simply goes on. And d1en d1ere is a Lise for loss of poincs coo.

I don't know how many of you have gone ilirough somedung similar, but crust you me, if you were one of iliose who passed the test before things became so strict and difficult, consider yomself lucky.

Did I not men tion mat I used to be an e.xpert behind me wheels back in India, but does mat matter anymore? Don't bother answering, that was meant m be a rheto rical question. So while it may be too late for you to wish me luck, here's wishing good .luck to all of you who are yet to drive past ilie dieckpoint.

Stop Press: I passed, 111atch out NSWroads!

Casual journalists So you have a passion for writing .... Indian Link Newspaper is seeking reporters in your city, to cover Indian community events, as well as India-related events in the mainstream.

Having been successfully operating in Sydney for the past 20 and Melbourne for the past 12 years, Indian Link has now established a presence in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

We would like YOU to be part of our exciting growth! Appropriate remunerations paid.

Contact info@indianlink.com.au 38 MARCI-I 2013

www.indianlink.com.au

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INDIAN UNK

MARCl-l 2013 39

HAPPY HOLi FROM TELSTRA UNLIMITED CALLING UNLIMITED CELEBRATION

UNLIMITED CALLS TO INDIA FOR $1 □/MONTH Now you can get the best deal for calling overseas for $10/month on your eligible Telstra home phone.

Unlimited calling means you'll have time to talk about everything (even getting your mother's famous Besan ka Ladoo recipe).

IT'S HOW WE CONNECT

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 1800 118 597 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW· The Telstra International Calling Pack is available with any eligible Homeline® Plan for customers with a 13 digit account number. Homelme® Part plans are not eligible.

Incompatlble with some offers including Telstra InternationalValue Pack.

TEL0507

40 MARCH 2013

www.indianlink.com.au

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