of candidates in the fray

candidates. The P almer United Party has a coral of nin e Indianorigin candidates. Headed by Professor Clive Palmer as their Federal leader, the party was formed on the ashes of the U nited Australia Parcy (UAP), an Auscralian political party founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. Now in 201 3, the UAP has been re -lmu1ched b y Professor Palmer, with the slogan of 'Reunite the Nacion'. It's probable char as a newl y fo rmed parry, they needed the numbers from a cross -s ection of candidates, bur whatever the case, it is a fact chat the Palmer Uni ted Party supports the largest number of Indian-origin candidates in these e lections

SENATE

NSW Bhupinder Kumar Chibber (Labor)

Sam Swami Nathan ( Independent)

VIC

Gurminder Sekhon (Greens)

Binoy Kampmark (Wikileaks Party)

WA

Suresh Rajan (Wikileaks Party)

ACT

Indra Esguerra (Greens)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

NSW

Ammar Khan, Chifley ( Independent)

Mohandas Balasingham, Grayndler (Palmer United Party)

Raheam Khan, North Sydney (Palmer United Party)

Ganesh Loke, Parramatta (Palmer United Party)

Kalpesh Patel, Parramatta ( Independent)

Mohhamad Ashraf, Reid (Palmer United Party)

VIC

Alex Kaur Bhathal, Batman (Greens)

Ali Khan, Calwell (Liberal)

Dinesh Jayasuriya, Gorton (Greens)

Jatinder Singh, Holt (Palmer United Party)

Avtar Singh Gill, Isaacs (Palmer United Party)

Nihal Samara, Lalor (Liberal)

Manpj Kumar, Menzies (Labor)

Jag Chugha, Scullin (Liberal)

Shilpa Hegde, Wills (Liberal)

WA

Vimal Sharma, Cowan (Palmer United Party)

Vashil Sharma, Fremantle (Palmer United Party)

Kim Mubarak, Sterling (Independent)

SA

Bal winder Singh Jhandi, Barker (Palmer United Party)

Bikhar Singh Brar, Mayo

The WikiLeaks Party was incorporated as a political parry in 2013. According to its website, the party ' stands for unswerving commitment to the core principles of civic courage nourished b y understanding and truthfulness and the free Row of information'. The Constitution of the Wiki.Leaks Party li sts its objectives which include the protection of human tights and freedoms; transparency of governmental and corporate action, policy and information; recognition of the need for equality between generations; and support of A b o riginal and Torres Strait I slander self- determination Naturally,Julian Assange is its leader and is supported by rwo Indian oi:igin candidates, Bi n oy Kampmark, a respected academic and Suresh Rajan , a renowned economist.

Most of the South Asian ca ndidates standing for election are from across Australia but unsmprisiogly, none belong to the orthern Territory, Canberra and Tasmania. What is surprising though, is that none are from Queensland, with its relatively strong Indian migrant base. The candidates still do not seem to have a strong presence, bur the fact that they have o ne at all is promising from a lo ng term perspective.

So what kind of policies do these candidates support and what are they striving to achieve?

Jag Chugha is the first Punjabi SiJd1 co stand for a Federa.l Sear of P adiament in Australia. About his candidacy Jag says, "Scullin is a great p lace to live, but things should be better. Under La bo r the cost of living has s ky-rocketed, smaU businesses are doing it cough and people are worried about d ie ir job security. These are issues diat people are talking to me about daily. I want co give m y community a s trong loc al voi ce and fight for our fair share". As a lo ng- time resident of Scullin, Jag fee ls be understands the l ocal community's needs and can represent local families co deliver real results

For A lexander (Alex) Kaur Bhathal, Greens candidate for Barman in Melbot1rne's Northern Suburbs, it is her fourth candidacy for this federal seat. "I am standing for a vis ion of a future in Batman where we can all dirive, she says in a statement o n the Greens website. "I will work for a Aourishing small business sector, combined wi th a renewed manufacnu:ing base which could provide hundreds of local jobs in die renewab le energy industries building a s trong focus on renewab le technology research and d esign manufacturing in our suburbs wh ich have grea t manufacturing infrastructure and plenty of people looking for local work. W/e are the most progressive electorate in Australia, with a combined Greens and Labor vote of 78.5%".

SO- year-old Sa m Swaminatha n is a relarively new migrant who came here in 2003, and is standing as an lndependent. "I stand for economic growth, employment, the abolition of carbon tax, services for sen.ior cirizens and tax concessions for working parents," says Sam enthusiastically " \X'e're standing for three ke y diings at this e lecrion," says Dr Binoy Kampmark of tbe W ikiLeaks Party. "These are issues of transparency, acc ountability and justice. I call this the 'holy trin.iry' of our p latform. L1 terms of accountabilit y, Wiki leaks is well known for its slogan of 'We open governments, everywhere'. As a party we want no hidden deals, no backdoor deals. We want transparency i n funding, in accounts. B y accountability, we refer to surveillance. \'(/e believe die stare has become too powerful i n relarion co citizens. ls it necessary to spy on u s to keep us safe? \'K/e want to generate an interest amongst tbe public, as to what Intelligence does with our data In terms of justice, we seek protecrion for whistle blowers, and want to stop abuses of stare power".

For Ganesh Loke, candidate for the Palmer U n.ired Party, a solution to tl1e Ca rbon Tax and die problem widi asylum seekers is paramount ''\Xie want to have tbe Carbon Tax abolished; co have a human.irarian refugee policy whereby Australia is protected while at the same time refugees have opporrmlities to enhance dieir lives, and to do away with paid polirical lobbyists," says Ganesh. "Both major parries are against refugees. That's against in ternarional law, which states tliat genuine refugees must be resettled.

Nlr Palmer's p o licy of onshore proce ssing is die most humane po licy in tli e debate," he adds.

Shilpa Hegde is a candidate for the Liberal Parry from Wills in Melbourne, and she says that L iberal has a plan to put Australia b ack on crack. This plan .includes generation of one million new jobs witllin five years by delivering lower taxes, more efficient government and more productive bus inesses. "l've noticed many families have become burdened by the ris ing cost of living and die lack of essential services in their comnmnity," s he adds.

"J\s a part of di e Liberal team, T have the real sol urions co lower die cost of living and fight for improved se rvices, like schools and hospitals, for our community l want to represent m y conmmnity in Parliament and make sure d1e residents of \Xlills get their fair share," she adds.

What was the 'X ' factor that convinced these candidates to join the party of their choice?

''T be protection of human rights is paramount co me. WikiLeaks Party delivers this," succinctly states Suresb Rajan from the WikiLeaks Party

"I've been in~' olved in the Liberal Par ty for a number of years now, and this combined with my interest in helping out my loca l commun.i cy, influenced m y decision to run for Parliament," says Sh.i.lpa.

" I was 6rst introduced to the Liberal Party several years ago b y m y fatlier and at that time realised that l too shared tlie beliefs of the parry," says Jag. "Ever yo ne should be free to pursue dieir goals and develop tli eir talents".

"I've never been in politics," admits Binoy "I've written e;,.1:ens ivel)' about politics though. And di.is is the first politica l party I've come across tbat extends my (passion) fo r being crirical of power. " lt's a party of review, if you like, a watchdog part, so important in today's world. That's tl1e first reason. The second reason is the party's diversity is remarkable. Membership extends across die left-right d ivide It's a broad eclectic group of people with simil ar interests"

J\ former Labor Party member, Ganesh claims he was completel y disillusioned b y tlie Party in recent times and so decided to seek a new p latform.

''\'(/e are tl1e most progressive e lectorate in Australia, witl1 a combined Greens and L'lbor vote of 78.5%," states Alex. "People in this seat value social justice, human rights and d1e environment. I would be proud to represent the people of mis seat".

The campaign trail is a rough and challenging one, which certainly needs the benefit of strategy to reach out to as many voters as possible How did the candidates deal with this aspect of the elections?

Jag is out campaig11.ing every day, listening to locals. " I'm meeting people at s hopping centres, schools, markets and train station s," he states "I've been out door knodcing and leaAecing, trying to let people know mar die Liberals have a p lan to reduce the cost of living for families, help small businesses get ahead and s trengthen the economy. l've also been attending com munity funcrions where I've bad the oppormnicy to meet many people of d ifferent cultures and backgrounds".

Sam, a chartered accountant b y background, has been reaching out to die l.ndian community through various associations, and has been meering people at culmral fm1ctions, and p laces of \vorsbi p. He has also been emailing Indian associations in Newcastle and Central Coast.

Binoy has been campaigning across various forums, particularly in social media, "I've also participated active ly in forums such as at the Fitzroy Town Hall recentl y w llich was received well. W/e've bad a variety of debates and meetings in our effort to gatl1er a support base. There h as been interest from die commrnlity because of di e Indian backgrow1d

(my motlier is Bengali). And also Indian connecrions overseas have brought good and posirive coverage for both Suresh Ra jan, our candidate in \'(/J\, and me," he claims.

Ganesh has been canipaigning at community functions such as tbe IndAu s Fair and the CIA Independence Day Dinner, as well as at shopping malls, local srarions, and places of worsh ip such as the Swaminarayan Temple. Ganesh also participated in the Daily Te legraph debate to put ford, his vi ews to a wider audience. "Being a tecllie, social media is one of m y strengths," he reveals "My Facebook page has 3,200 likes, more tl1an other candidates in my con sri tuency"

Sbilpa and her team have been following a similar strategy of letterboxing, door knocking and meeting peop le in shopping centres, community bub s and train st:.1.tions "I've been listening to locals and many peop le have been telling me tliat tl1e cost of living is having a real effect on dieir household ," she says " ] want people io \'{iills co knO\v that the Coalition has real sol u tions to lower tli e cost of living, create job growth, strengthen our local economy and get the Budget back on track".

AU the candidates are i nvo lved in various charitable acrivities, including support for specific charities, volunteering their time and efforts fo r the berrermenr of die co mmun.icy.

Most of the Indian origin candidates contesting in the Federal elections have a strong background and would be more than proficient at their role, if elected.

Sw:esh Rajan from WikiLea k s Parry bas had a disringuished career in economic s as well as having been a vigorous advocate for eth1.1.ic com.11iLuliries a nd people with disabilities. He ser ved fo r several years as head of the Edi n ic Communities Comicil of WA and is currentl y die President of rbe National Ecbn.ic Disability Alliance, t he peak bod y for the CaLD Disability organisations in Australia. Suresb holds a Bache lor of Commerce with a double major (Management and AccoLmting) a nd a Masters of Business A dmioistratio n from tbe University of Western Australia, and is a regular commentator on television and rad io in his role as a financial planner and economist.

A lexandra Kaur Bathal is a well-known and respected member of the community She has 25 years of experience working in die social wel fare sector, widi families and local communiries A lex is a former

Welfar e Spokesperson for the Australian Greens Victoria and .i s active in the refugee rights movement, anti-nuclear and environmental campaigning As a qualified so cial worker, A lex's professional expe ri ence includes clinical pracrice with yOLmg people, commun.it)' development, research, management, program and policy development.

Jag bolds quali fications of Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Commerce and Master of Laws. He is a practicing lawyer with over 15 years of experjence and i s currently die senior counsel at a rop 100 ASX Australian listed company.

Sam Swanunadian, the NSW Senate Independent has e,,crens ive \Vork experience ,vitllin tlie mainstream, through 11.is dealings witl1 charity organisations in tlie norm shore, churches, aged care and retirement facilities.

Bin oy arrived in A u stralia i n the 1990s but has been living in the US and in the UK where he \Vorked cowards a Cambridge PhD. Dr. Binoy Kampmark now teaches core legal courses witli.in die Legal and Dispute Studies program for tl1e Bachelor of Social Science at RMIT Universi ty.

Ganesh arrived in Australia in 1999 as a student, and took degrees in IT and education from Charles Smrt University He is currentl y an IT entrepreneur in Sydney. Sbi.lpa is an Electronics Engineer wbo cnrrentl y works for DWS as an IT consultant

So finally, why politics, and will this be a career for these candidates, regardless of whether they win or lose?

"Po litics is a platform by mean s of w llich you can bring real change ro society," says Ganesh Loke. " If you ,vane to change the system, come forward, get invo lved".

" Politics is a way of serving tl1e people. There's been nobod y from die India community so far who has risen in tllis field. 1 feel it is rime to take some responsibili ty and sea.rt to give back ," says Sam.

"I'll answer tl1at question by quoti11g from French writer Andre Malroux: Politics is justice; if yo u can't have tl1em rogetl1er, it's an empry miss ion," emphasises Bijoy.

Witl1 the elecrio n fast app roach ing, these 26 South Asian candidates are worth keep ing an eye on. To date mere have been a very small number of Indian - origin parliamentarian, including the serving Senator Lisa Singh from Tasman.ia, and the reconcesting Alex Bbathal lt \\~11 be interesring if the commmlity can add to tllis on die night of September 7th.

What 's dragging rupee down: Specu lation or eco nomics?

\.Vhat's fuelling the persistent faU in the value of the Indian rupee? According co experts, there are several reasons. But most of them feel the bottom i s yet to be tested.

Tbe rupee, which was valu ed at around 55 to a US doUar in January, now trndes as much as 18% lower at 65 to the greenback Against the British pound sterling, it has b reached che 100- mark. Each passing day is seeing a new low.

The Indian currency depreciated almost five percent this month.

Some analyses fee l the currency has weakened due to str uc tllfal problems in the econo my and the trend would continue if they were not addressed urgently. Others maintain the recent volatility is more due to speculations and external faccors.

" The decline is not ju st because of psychological factors alone," said Anis C h akravart:y, senior director, Deloitte in India. "This is hard economics," Chakravarcy told lANS.

He said str uctural problems in the Indian economy are impacting investment and growth and must be addressed urgently to ensure stability in the currenc y and equity markets.

"The re are issues wicl1 the Indian economy time need co be addressed".

He pointed out that India's current account deficit - which is the difference between the total imports and exports of goods a nd services, and also inward and out\vard money transfers - jumped more than 10 times in five years.

1n other words, a net amount of $90 billion equiv alent went out of Ind ia in 201213, as against $8 billion in 2007- 08, putting much pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves thar is generally used by central banks co keep currency markets stable.

E quated to cl1e gross domestic product, t h e defic it touched a record of 4.8%.

"Foreign ftmds have withdrawn significant amount of money our of Indian markets in the past couple of month s The trend continued during A ugust. It is evident that alarmingly high l evels of current accotmt deficit have been core ro th is slide," Chakravarty said.

Finance Minister P. Chidamba.ram said the rupee is undervalued and has overshot its reasonable linut due co "unwarranted pessimism" in the markets.

Some analys ts also see cl1e recent volatility as a result of speculation. " lt is more of hype and overdone," says Siddharth Shankar, advisor at brokerage firm KASSA.

''There \Vas oo such economic development in the past couple of moncl1s co justify cl1.is volati lity"

According to Deutsche Bank and several think tanks and analysts, the rupee will soon couch a new lo\v.

" W/e now believe the rupee could couch 70 to the US dollar io a month or so, although we expect $Orne revival by di e eod of the year," the German bank said in a report.

Shankar, referring co the Deutsche Bank report, said such statements only add to cl1e volatility that affects tbe econom y.

"No doubt, cbere are prob lems with the lod.ian economy - growcl1 is l ow, cunent account deficit is high. But these things have not come abou t in the lase one or two months. They have been there for a couple of yea rs," he said.

India's economic growth slumped to five pe rcent in die financial year ended March 31, 20 I 3. And according co Shankar, growth was likely to remain below fi ve percent in the cmreot fiscal as weU.

D.i.nesh Thakkar, chairman and managing d irec tor of Angel Broking, said the Indian rupee was slipping due to botl1 weak domestic and international factors.

"\Y/e expect the d epreciation in the rupee to continue until the Indian economic scenario stabilises and when tl1e world markets absorb the impact of the quantitative easing of stim ulus proces s by the US Federal Reserve," Thakkar to ld lANS.

The US Federal Reserve recently .indicated that .i t may resor t to quan ti tative easing b y trimming the $85 - b illion - a momh debt purchases later this year and eventually end it by next year if the economy performs in line with estimates and the job situation imp roves.

These comments led to a broad raUy in the dollar, while currencies of other emerging markets, including Indonesia, Mal aysia and Thailand hie multi-year lows

But the Indian rupee was me worst hit. lt has depreciated more than 1 5% in three month s

Foreign fonds have also sold over $11.5 billion of Indian debt and equities since cl1e Fed hi.med at cutting tl1e stimulus in late Ma)'.

Trimming of stin1ulus b y the US may lead co furmer outflow from ladia's equity and debt markets and put more pressure on the current account deficit - and ultimately the rupee. A foreign exchange reserve of $275 billion could prove little ro stave it off

Io a first-of-its - kind development in the country, auto -rickshaws in Chen.na i will be fitted w ith a merer with global positioning system (GPS) and e lectronic digital printer, Tamil Nad u Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said recently.

1n a statement issued revising the tariff for auto-rickshaws, Jayalal.ithaa said: "For me first time in Ind.ia, auto -rickshaws pl ying in C hennai will be fitted with GPS and electronic digital printer, free of cost, by the government, involving an outlay of Rs SO crore".

She said tl1e travelling public will be given a receipt with the distance travelled and the tariff rate.

"The operation of the auto- rickshaws will also be monitored effectively," she ad d ed.

The meter, the chief minister explained, will al so have a ' panic button' so iliac a passenger can press it in case of a.n y clanger. The dev ic e enables monitoring by a control centre.

She said the government has fixed tbe minimum tariff rate at Rs 25 for the first 1.8 km and Rs.12 for every additional km.

For night travel (between 10 p.m. and 5.a.m.), the tariff will be higher by 50 percent.

The waiting charges wiU be Rs. 3.50 per five 1ninutes, and Rs.42 per hour.

The revised tariff will be effective from Sunday and the tariff cards can be obtained from the regional transport authority office by the auto - ric kshaw drivers.

"One of the barometers of the law and order situatio n in a state/c ity is how the auto -rickshaw / taxi drivers charge thei r customers and how the governmen t imple ments the rule of law. In Chennai, auto-r ickshaws are notorious for over charging. I hope at least the government will now implement strictly the rule of law," she said. N itya a private sector employee told lA1 S.

1n 2007, when auto-rickshaw tariff was last revised, the minimLUn meter rate was fixed at Rs.14.

All five Mumbai rapists held, Chavan assures speedy justice tfaharas htta Chief Minister Prichviraj

Chavan Aug 26 said the Mu mbai ga ng -rape case would be tried in a fast track court and noted criminal lawyer U jjwal Nikam has been requested to appear as public prosecutor eve n as tl1e fifth susp ect was arrested

The last remaining accused was arrested in Delhi, hours after the fourth accused was held in Mwnbai, ending a three -day hunt iliac foUowed the horrific sexual assault of a photojomnalist.

"The case will be tried in fast-track court to ensure speedy justice m the victim," Chavan told rep orte rs in Pune.

Mohammad Salinl Ansari, 27, was nabbed ar Bharat Nagar in north Delhi, a Delhi Police official told IA.J'\JS.

An official said four officials from ?vlumbai Crime Branch and a team of Delhi Police trapped Ansari and rook hinl into custody as he was going tO a relative's house.

He was take n to a hospital for a medical check- up and presented before a duty magistrate before being taken to Mw11bai.

The Delhi court granted Mumbai police his transit remand for 48 hours, after which he would have to be presented b efo re a court.

Accorcliug to police, tl1e fourtli accused, Mohammed Kasim Hafiz Shaikh alias Kasinl Bengali, was arrested at Mumbai Central railway station early on A ugust 25.

Co-accused Siraj Rehman Kban was arrested tile night before.

A 1vhm1bai court sent both Hafiz Shaikh and Khan tO po li ce custod y till August 30 for questioning.

The 22 -year-o ld phot9journalist was raped by five men in an abandoned textile mill complex in central Mumbai o n Augusr 22 after her male colleague was beaten and bound.

The Mw11bai ga ng -rape m irrored d1e December 16, 20 12 sexual assault in a bus in D elhi ou a young woman who evenn1ally died in a Singapore hospital.

The latest incide nt shocked the entire nation, triggering fresh demands for d eath to rapists.

The Mu mbai accused allegedl y also shot picnires of the crime o n mobile phones and threatened the victims with dire consequences if tber complained to police.

The photojournalist was on an assignment for a n English magazine and had gon e to the desola te area to take p ictures of tl1e abandoned fac tories when she and her male companion were attacked.

Disgusted b)7 tl1e sordid details of tl1e gang rape, Hafiz Shaikh's mother told d1e media at her home in Mw11bai that t he authorities a nd courts were free to hand out the most severe punis hment to her son.

"He d eserves stro ng prn:i.ishment," sa id Chand Bib i in Agripada in south Mumbai.

Two Qllier susp ects, Vijay Jaclhav and Chand Babu Sattar Shaikh, are also in Mwnbai police custody riU August 30

While Shaikh was n abbed within 18 hours of tl1e incid ent that shoc ked the nation, Jadhav was taken into custody on August 24 Tb e photojournalist remains warded in h ospital after suffering serious in juries

On August 25, her family pleaded for her privacy w hile the Maharashtra government said public prosecutor Nikam, who successfully called for death sentence to Mun1bai terror attack accused Ajmal Kasab, i s set to take up tl1e case against tl1e five rapists.

India- born Satya Nadella in running for Microsoft top job India-born Satya NadeUa, currendy heading Microsoft's Cloud and E n terp rise group, is listed am ong likely successors to the information technology g ian t's CEO Steve Ballmer, who is set to retire widli n a year

As executive vice president, Nadella " run s a group that continues tO churn out growth an d profits," n oted Seattle Times in a story on the start of a guessing game among i\1.icrosoft watchers since Ballrner's impending depar m re was announced.

"Th ere is no single clear succ essor co a lightning rod of a leader wh o remains o ne of the most identifiable CEOs in tl1e country," i c said "\X'hat's more, the next CEO may well have a far different job tlrnn the one Ballmer i s vacating," tile Ti1J1es said as "Once tile dominant force in technology, Microsoft now finds itself chasing compa1lies in key businesses such as Google in Web searc h and Apple in mobile devices".

Nadella, 44, as head of Microsoft's $19 billion Server and Tools Business, is credited w ith d1e tran sfor mation of the business and technology fro m client-server software to cloud infrastrucnu:e and services.

Before joining Microsoft in 1992, w here he initially worked as the se1lior vice president of R&D for the Online Services

Division and vice president of tl1e Microsoft Business Division, Nadella worked with Stm Jvlic rosysrems as a member of the technology staff.

Listing Nadella an1ong potential Ballmer successors, the !Vall Street ]011mal noted he " ran the Server a nd Too ls business successfully from 2011 co this ye.ar and took over ruru:i.ing the company's impo rtant cloud -computing efforts iu l ast month's management reshuffle"

''Indeed, in reassigning a number of top executives, tl1at reorganisation seems a tailormade b,lke-off for tl1e cop job," it said r adella h olds a .!\faster of Science degree in Computer Science from ilie U1liversicy of W isconsin-Milwaukee, a Master of Business Administration from tile Uni~1ersicy of Chicago, and a Bachdor of Engineering i11 Electrical Engineering from the Man.ipal Institute of T echnology.

1 adella also figures on ilie New York Tin1es' li st o f current Microsoft execu tives ,vho could be contenders besides T ony Bates, forme r director of Skype and now executive vice president of busin ess development and strategy.

Speculation by an alyses and executives about external candidates incl ud ed Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook; Reed Hastings, dlief execu tive of Netflix and a former director at Microsoft; Score Forstall, who ran iOS at Apple tmtil las t year and John Legere, chie f executive of T -Mobile, it said.

He is also an alumnus of the H ydera bad Public School, Begumpet.

]nclian Arnet:ican medical journalist Sa.njay Gupta bas bad a strain of cannabis named after him sinc e he suggested a rdook at tlie use of medical marijuana changin g his previous position on the controversial issue.

A Colorado medical dispensary nan1ed a new type of medical marijuana - Gupta Kush - after Gupta, CN1 's Cllief Medical Correspt)ndent, adcliug him to a list of celebrities inclucliug President Barack Obama who have namesake cannabis strains.

" Dr. Gupta's recent reporting on marijuan a puts hinl at the forefro n t of the m edical cannabi s movement, and we thought what b etter way tO honour his efforts tllan b y giving him his own scrain," said Jeff Kless, owner of Helping H and s Herbals Dispensar y in Boulder, Colorado, in a media release.

"\Xle'd like to ensLLre he remains part of the annals of cannabis cu.lnu:e, and now he will," h e added.

Kless c all ed naming a mari juana strain after Gupta as "our way of tipping om hal and honouring hin1 for taking such a firm, science-based stance on behalf of marijuana as ' real' medicine".

"The political and health establishments n ow realise tl1at cannabi s bas genuine m edical benefits, \vhich we've been saying for year s," he said

"Gup ta Kush imparts a very relaxing state that calms the mind w ithout comprom isi ng clarity \Xlhen the mind is quiet and happy, people allow th emselves to heal. Medical marijuana hdps d1at happen," K less claim ed.

Gupta Kush is an inclica strain with its origins in the Hindu Kush mmmtains of South As ia, the reported birthplace of some of ilie world's old est and most potent cannabis strains, according to tile release.

1t has a rich green co lour hidden beneatl1 a deep layer of trichomes, and a thick, hashy, floral taste O n set is inun ediate and effects are long-lasci ng, it said

Since publicly announcing his changed views on medical m arjjuana earlier this mond1 , Gupra has inspired a m o re serious loo k at weed and eve n generated some pressure on Obama to re-examine his position on marijuana laws

Ho,vever, the White Ho use lase week indicated Obama isn't looking to change current federal laws rdating to marijuana anytime soon in d1e light of Gupta's views

Obama considered naming CN 's Gupta as surgeon general in 2009 , bu t d1e n eurosurgeon later said he withdrew his name so he could maintain his surgical career IANS

Lucky Si ngh is a ll ears a s CG Arun Goel s p ea k s in Sydne y

Representi n g ou r motherland in our new home

Responding to an invi tation from the High Commissioner 's office, a group of retired service officers made a trip from Sydney to Canberra tO attend the Independence Day celebrations. Apart from the fabulous weather, the great drive a nd very engaging company, the day i s one co remember.

The ceremony was held at the Commonweal th Club in Canberra an d the guests were received by d1e H.igh Co mmissioner M r Biren Nand a and his wife a nd other m embers of his office. The atmosphere was electric and th ere was exci ce m en t in the air. It was great to see the Indian

officers mingle with their serving counterparts from the Australian defence forces. As finger foo d and soft drinks were served, guests from the two countries mingled with each other sharing thei r thoughts and views Then it was rime for the official cerem ony. A coast was raised to the President of India which was followed by d1e Indian national andi e m. A roast was then raised tO the Queen and this was fo ll owed by the Australian national anthem. The true essence of being an Indian Australian dawned on me as ] sang both the amhems with equal fervour and pride. The High Commi ssio ner Mc. Nanda addressed the August gathering which included the diief guest Senator Lisa Singh and Andrew Leigh representing Fo reign Minister Bob Carr. In h is speech i\tlr. Nanda spoke about the bilateral ties bet\veen. lndian and Australia and how the visit of forme r Prime Mfoister, Julia Gillard to India helped improve and righten these ties as it opened a 'new chap[er' in the lndo -Australian relationships. He also spoke about Prime 1foiister Kevin Rudd's visit in 2009 d1at prompted di e growth of reh1ci ons between India and Australia in die fields of education and trade. He hoped that iliese relations would continue to grow and strengt hen as mi1iisters from both the countries continued to visit each other.

Senaror Lisa Singh quoted Jines from Nehru's famous 'tryst with destiny' speech as she spoke about her Indian connections. She a r ticulated that the TndoJ\.ustralian relations were strong, healthy and ever-growing. Sbe spoke about the lm·ge number of Indian students stud ying in Australian universities and about the formal agreements between Australian a nd Indian universities, including student exchange, staff exchange and academic research ln his speech, Andrew

She also spoke ab ouc the Australia lndia Institute established in the University of Me lbourne which has helped enhance the under standing and cooperation b etween the t\vo countries. The senator's speech was inspiring and delivered a stro ng message of continued friendship.

Leigh spoke a bout his lndian conn ections, his visits to India and d1e vib ra ncy of d1e Indian nation. He spoke about t he interesting Indian politics and was amazed at the way e lections were held and offices formed in t he largest democracy in. the world. His speech was very refreshing and laced with hwJ10ur.

1\s d1e ceremony concluded d1e feeling was o ne of eiruberance and pride of being lndian Australian. As Indian Australians we make positive contributions to tbe fabric of the community that we are currently a part of. It is die Indian s in Australia who create and build platforms fo r better ties between the two countries. W/e are the representatives of our motherland in this adopted country of o urs and we s ho uld always be conscious and aware of this responsibility.

NimaMenon

A song for azaadi

The Indepe ndence Day flag hoisti ng ceremony in Syd ney did not follow tradition thi s time ro und.

I n a change from routine, the event was held around midday, as op p osed to 9am in previous year s. Those of us who h ad to leave wo r k o n a weekda y to attend, expec ted to see a ch in crowd but we were pl easantly surpris e d indeed Ga tl1ered at the INDIAN

Con sul General 's Pleasant Ave reside nce in East Lind-field, o n a pleasant ,vinter morni ng, were some 300 m e mbers of the Indian communi ty, all geared up to sing tl1e national anthem, many dressed in suitably Indian colours

Lucky Singh wore her ch erished tira11gCljhc111dt1 as a d11pattt1 over a pl ai n w hite chmidar suit (o k, not really, we know she's way too patriotic for ch at: h e r chm111i was daintily d yed in the natio n al colours). Rek h a Bhattacharya, an Allahabad U niver si ty alumnu s who ha s always worn white on Independence D ay, brough t out he r pearl-white Assamese sill, sari for the o c casi o n And the ad orab le Oscar wa s there again th is year, as he is every ye ar, in his trad e m ark l ehru cap and swashbuckling khr1di suit worn over his favourite Gandhi -them ed t- shirr.

Consul General Arnn Goel was d oubt tickled p ink that his little experi ment had worked. He said at the outset dia t the change was in keepin g wi th local demand as commuaicy members found it h ard to get to the north shore at an early hour. As well, he declared, the new riming coincided with the tinling of che real celebration back home.

Not changing traditi o n howeve r, he unfurled the T ricolour, led the gatl1ering in a re nditio n of tl1e nacional antl1em, and read ()ut the message o f

Honorary Consul Arehano Singh unfurls the tricolour and addresses the Brisbane Indian community t he President of India o n the occasio n.

T h e Pr esident's m iss ive was a call to rise up to the. many challenges t hat face tl1e natio n today. He sp oke early o n about tl1e declining m orals within society, a cause fo r concern for every rightt h inking citizen. " \Ve have allowed unb r idled personal enrichment, sel f- indulgen ce, incolerance, discourtesy in behaviour and disrespect for au thority to erod e our work cul tu re," he decl ared.

'

To end , he reminded his p eople of their d e m ocratic duties in term s of tl1e up coming general e lectio n s, and somewhat spiritually, placed r esponsibility directl y in their own hands if tl1ey wanted to see change in t he larger society

'The ideals of patriotism, c ompass ion, to lera nce, se lfrestraint, honesty, discipline and respect fo r women have to be con verted to a living force". H e spoke of the n eed for a "judiciar)' that gives justice w itho u t delays," and the need fo r world class un iversities as entitlements that will lead to empower m e nt of t he people. The U ttarakhand tragedy and the Maoist violence in Chhacisgarh al so fow1d m e n tion.

Afterw ards, the gathering moved to an ad jacent community hall for a cultural sh ow. The regular culprits were up on stage, Vinod R ajput, R ekha Rajvanshi and others. B ur ic was n ewbi e Dawa D ol ma tliat sto le the s h ow. Her stron g Ae mere IVClfan ke logo11 literally brought t he h ouse d own D ear Rekha Bhacta was reduced to tears in a hall tl,a t came to an absolute standstill. And i f you tl1ough t it was because sh e is one of the old er m e m bers of the communit y, what would you s ay to t he twenty- something D eepa Gupta w h o ope n.ly jabbed away at her eyes with a tissue CG Goe l revealed later that Do lma ran g his office out of the b lue, to say she wanted co present th is particular number on the occasion. Our very own Lara 1fangeshkar was immdated with offers afterwards.

The brunch that followed - or should we call it a filling lunch - was very welcome after that emotional interlude. The fresh bhat11re, the b iggest sa111osa.r you have ever eaten , the gulabjam1111s and the masaia ch"i were all lapped up eagerly.

Hurray for azaadi, a newfound singing sensation, and oversized S{lfl/OS{IS.

Rajni Anand Luthra

And where were you on 15 Aug 1947?

Acrowd of about 50 gathered at the India Consulate at 344 St. Kilda Rd, Melbourne to celebrate lndia's Independence Day. The early morning ceremon y saw the acting Consul General Raj Kumar unfurl the Indian national flag as the members of the lndian community collectively sang the national anthem.

Mr Kumar also read om the message of the fodian High Commiss ioner in Austral ia Mr Biren Nanda, to Indian nationals here.

"India's relations with Australia have grown from strength to strength since the establishment of a strategic partnership between the t\vo countries in 2009," Mr Nanda observed.

,cLast year people born in lndia were the largest segment of new immigrants in Australia. The 400,000 scrong Indian community in Australia is acting as a bridge between the two countries. They have the potential and the capaci ty to qualitativel y transform our bilateral relations in the future". Commllnicy memb ers then took the floor. Th e eighty-something Krishna Arora, favourice "Aunty", spoke warmly about her memori es of mid August, 1947.

"l was a teenager in De lh i," she recal led as everyone listened, enthralled. "There were feelings of happiness swee ping over the entire city We sat g lued co the rad io, our only source of information. I remember the ciry all lit up in celebration. The India Gate area was decked up like I had never seen ir before". l o doubt the description was of the days before the religious riots between the Hindus and the Muslims broke om. Or perhaps, Mxs Arora cleverly chose to ib>nore chat part of our histor y on this particula.r occasion!

84-year-old Gurmindcr Dhingra took the oppornuiity ro remember Jawal1arlal Nehru, l.ndia's first and most popular prime minister.

A poem presentation in Hindi by Aviti was another highlight.

Over snacks, the discussion was all about the upcoming Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in Sydney later this year.

A.sh ish Chawla

Independence: To w ish for glory

L011g_)'ears ago I/IC nu,de a tTJ'Sf 1vith desti19; and f!OIJJ the time coflles

1vheJ1111e shall 1·edee111 ourpledge At the strok.e qf the 111id11ight hour, 111he11 the 1vodd sleeps, Tndia 111i/l a11111ke to life

{llldJi·eedo111 A 1110111ent col/leJ; JJJbich comes but nwe!y in hislo~y, 1vhen we step fro111 the old to the new, 111hen an "ge ends, and 111he11 the soul of a 11atio11 /011g .mpressed, ji11d,s 1llten111ce"

These immorral words of Pandit Nehru delivered an ancient and proud nation into independence.

Almosr seven decades from that day challenges and promises remain with the country now truly established on the wrn:ld stage and one to be reckoned wich and not taken lightly ln Adelaide the celebrations were conducted with pomp and ceremony with the Indian community our in force, man y proudly resplendent in national dress. The proceedings, organised by the Indian Australian Association of South Australia (IA.ASA) , started with the singing of the Australian and lndian national anthems. Dr Rake sh Mahindra, the incoming President of IAASA reminded us of how our forefathers had to fight long and hard for tl1e freedom we are enjoying today. Thar it was a day for us to reflect on the sacrifices made and our opportunity to pay homage to those brave souls. Guests included J\'LI'. Jay Weatherill, Premier of Soutl, Australia, Mr Hien Van Le, Lt. Governor of South Australia, other ministers of the St.'lte, and local government representatives. Soutl1 Australia has singled l.ndia our as a cmmrry witl1 which it would like to establish trade links so it was not surprising ro have the Premier,Jay \XleacheriU, st.'lte his desire to establish a broad -based economic and cultural approach on an i.nstin1tional basis with India. Other speakers present also e,xcolled the positives to be bad in a relationship with India. Recognition was also paid to the large number of migrants from India who call South Australia home.

Across the world, Independence Day is celebrated by lndian communities big and small.

Following the speeches, the mood was lightened by music and dance from a ll corners of che cou.n try highlighting the variety of language, race, culture that is India. The programme commenced wid, the Bbarataoatya m praye r dance Pushpanjali in welcome to the auclience. Th.is was followed b y a couching performance of a patriotic song in T elugr1 by Sharda who dedicated the song to her mother and to her childhood when she w;is caught d1is song. A simple deli,7 ery, a lovely voice coming from the heart was quite captivating. The Temple of Fine Arts bravely put on a Gujerati Dandiya dance with children some of whom were of pre- school age. The brightly colomed clothes, the clicking of sticks and movement in dance could only be applauded b y an appreciative audience. We had the aptly named and very accomplished Murali Ramakrishnan playing a hau.ming me lody on tl1e murali. The cultural progr amme came to an uplifting end wit!, the Guru Nanak Society performing a b lazing bhangra with energy, colour and carefree abandon.

The importance of celebrations of the Independence Da y cannot be oversrared as one can easi ly forget in the daily humdrllm of life the sacrifices made by many for our futures. The roll- call of 0L1r saviours such as Mahatma Gandhi, Lokman ya Tilak, the debonair Bhagat Singh, Mau lana Azad, Dadabhai Naoroji to name a few, goes on and on. Bur I leave you with the words of the m ys terious, tl1e enigmatic and the one who inspired fierce loyalty, Subhas Chandra Bose: "lvllyhe khoon do, main tmnhe azadi doonga " Avi Chandiok

Celebrations as w ell a s soul searchin g

The 66th anruversary of India's Independence

D ay was observed on a warm sunny Thursday morning at the Honorary Indian Consulate in Brisbane. Although the rurnout was a mere few peop le, it did not dampen the patriotic spirit burning strong in the hearts of those. present.

The Indian flag was hoisted at 9am sharp by Archana Singh, Honorary Consul of India for Queens land along w i tl1 Prof

Sarva- Daman Singh, former Hon orary Consul of India for Queensland. The fodian .national anthem was sung with fervour.

Speaking on the occasion, Archana Singh, Honorary observed, "Jndia can be very justi.6ably proud of all her achievements in all Gelds o f industry, infrastructure , education, research and technology Economic performance and growrh rates are no doubt an important indicator of our tremendous achievement.

H oweve r, hand in hand with the celebrations, some soul searching is also crucial to India's future progress. It is o nly when every citizen becomes an integral part of the journe y into the fun1re and partakes of the benefits of freedom and deve lopment tl1at we will be true to the m emory of all freedom fighte rs There is so m uch to be done. The motlier that bas nurntred and Sllstained us through trials and tribulations over the centuries, now more than ever needs careful attention"

She further sa id, "\Xle may not live in India , but in our own sm all ways, we can all honour and sustain her great traditions of social harmony, religious p luralism and freedom of thought and belief. This is the true essence of independence".

Signing off with a Va11de l\,ltitara111 and wishing each other 'Happy Jndepe.ndeuce Day' , people dispersed to either run ro work o.r grab a bite of tl,e fresh hot sa111osas Not ro forget devour sweet syrupy delicious g11labjam1111s prepared by Archana Singh, Honorary Consul of lndia for Queens land, herself.

Tasneem Zavery

Spirit ual h eal er of In ternational fame

Pure and powerful clairvoya nce with s upernatural gift from god. Surpris ing res ults and deeply effec ti ve s uccess and a worldwide reputation. He can help you to so lve yo ur problems , br inging love back in yo ur life for the better, to s top unwanted union. love. marriage. hea lth care, successful in job a nd business. exam. co urt case. work, cure impotence become j oyful. Remove nightmares, misfortune and fa mil y problems let me destroy your prob le ms before it destroys you ' ! 11

T-MOBILE: 0405 515 401 or 0497 533 909

SUCCESS IN JUST FEW DAYS AND 100% GUARANTEE

Pu t an e nd to all your worries by phoning Mr Malik malikhelp@hotmail co.uk

There are no life without problem

No matter what your problems are I can help solve them with honesty and efficiency, If you are suffering from curses or evil case I will get rid of them, marriage, love problems unite your family, bad luck,sexual (impotency-conceive), business, unknown diseases, court cases, miss furtune, read you future, money(lottory) games etc.

Do not suffer in silence come and see !SPIRITUAL YOUSUF

It's effective and confidential

Mob: 0470 607 887 or 041 0 093 812

Pay upon result, consultation personally or by correspondent

Speaks: English, Arabic and Portuguese

Email: nobasnobas2005@yahoo.com