2014-01 Perth

AUSTRALIA DAY CELEBRATE YOUR WAY

Australia Day means something different to everyone, and it's important you do what's right for you. So on January 26, reflect on what you love about being Australian.

australiaday.org.au #australiaday

Do what you love, love what you do

that future happiness is not decided by what your ATAR scores allow you to access.

Itwas the usual Saturday n ight dinner with Indian Australian friends when the discussion tllrned to the recently released HSC results and theATAR scores. Of the 20 people gathered, a quick whip around found tl1at only four could accuaUy remember their Indian HSC results and whether it was selec tive amnesia or embarrassment, it seemed chat 25 years on, chose results made little d ifference to their lives.

It was however, agreed that in their experience, while tl1e f-ISC allowed some an entry inco their preferred options, ochers found their personal future in tlieir own war-

The local Indian Australian community values good education \Xiitli the 2013 HSC results anno unced in mid-December, there is a scramb le for uuiversi ty places, as families push for higher education for their children. Around dinner cables, an analysis of courses and universities and hig her education options are being explored b y students and tlieir parents. \Vhile se lection of tbe appropriate course is importan t, it is also important co noce

DIRECT

The challenge fo r yow1gste rs and dieir parents is to find om what they enjoy and then do it Admittedly, ac times it may be difficult to get this right in die first go, bur over time one hopes that there wiU be a gradual shift to align personal passion witli professio nal endeavours.

Australia d oes offer die opportunity to learn from life experiences as perhaps c o mpared to India. In India, witli constant population press u res on the jo b market, along with social expectations, the ability to fine tune one's life journey is more restricted. Society and otlier pressmes make it cliflicul t to leave a stud y course midterm, whereas in Ausrrali,'l me ability to line rune is more acceptable. It is commonplace for young people co cake a gap year and enhance tlieir personal perspectives before embarking o n a tmivers ity course, whereas in l ndia, ro take time off after s ch ool to go trave lling i s u_nbeard off. Often long term professional happiness is s acrificed as the pathways for advancements are restricted

For parents of youn g Indian Australians, the realisa tion that die so cial systems are different between tlie two countries may help diem in guiding tlieir children as to tl1eir options

as they go forward. For the parents helping meir children to chart out tl1e rest of their lives based o n tl1eir ATAR sco res, they need to take into account wbac their children enjoy doing, as well as balancing meir O'\v11 life experiences with the social optio ns in meir country of adoption.

They may well be advised to use the following w·ords o f wisdom from tl1e famous $Leve Jobs Stanford speech, ''1'm convinced that the o nl y thing that kept me going was char I loved what I did. You've go t to find what you love And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work i s going t o fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And che only way to do great work is to love wha t you do. If you haven't found ir yet, keep looking D o n't sertle. As with all matters o f the hearr, yo u'll know when you find it. And, like any great re lationship, it just gets better and better as the years roU o n. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle".

And pedrnps parencs might also want to review their own life choices. Would th ey have done dungs differently i f they had m ore flexibility with meir options?

Pawan Luthra is the 2012 Parliament of NSW Multicultural Journalist of the Year.

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Student attack shakes local Melbourne community

In what is alleged to be an opportunistic attack, an Indian student from Melbourne was severely beaten and hospitalised

we.lcoming ro an y migrant."

1 BY , ,

~:NEHAL d-iHATRAPATI ' emor1es of student

Mviolence surfaced

again in Melbourne as an Indian student Manrajwinder Singh was attacked in early hours of December 29, 2013 close m Federation Square. Local community leaders have moved quickly to allay any fears of this being a rac ial attack, and local police has moved swiftly to apprehend the perpetramrs of this arrack.

From information gathered rdating to tbe incident, Manrajwinder was attacked about 4.15am near Princes Bridge, as be and two friends waited for a train. Reports claim that they were approached b y a gang cif e ight youths and Manrajwinde r and his friend were attacked , while the other friend escaped to raise the alarm. Manrajwinder was kicked in the head from an elevated position and then kneed, and was beaten while he lay unconscious on tbe ground. His friend was punched in the face and also scmck as he l ay on the ground.

One of the accused attackers, a youth of I 7 who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested on ew Year's Eve in re.lation ro the arrack, and has appeared in court but has been refused bail. The court heard that the boy, his twin brother and their younger brother were named by another of those arrested.

Detectiv es to ld the court tl1e boy was part of a gang known as 'KYR', which targeted vulnerable people, particularly those of Indian appearance. The detective testifying said she did not know what the initials meant, bm reports of ocher gang offences last year seated that 'l<YR' stood for 'Kill Your Rivals'.

The detective also confirmed chat CCTV footage capt LLted tbe eight youths approaching the men, although it was yet to be determined which of the gang had attacked Singh and his friends.

Manrajwinder Singh is still not completely ont of danger and remains in intensive care at tl1e

INDIAN LINK

Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. 1-Ie has gone through brain s11.rgery as a result of which he remained in a coma for seven days, bm each time he regained consciousness even for few minutes, he would express aggression and anger.

Speaking to Jndio11 Li11k, Singh's brotber Yadwinder Singh said, "Maybe he was remembering bits and pieces of the attack and was expressing auger about it." He also added that Manrajwinder's memory has been affected seriousl y, and he remembers very little of an-)'thing else. Though out of coma now, he is still not able to converse fully and bas had another surgery for his jaws and face.

"The police have been very cooperative with us all this wh ile.

I was informed last week b y the police that several of the members of tbe gang had been canght, cwo

were released on bail, one \Vas denied bail and the police are still on d1e lookout for the other two remaining members of the KYR ga ng," said Michael Singh Kang, cousin of Manrajwinder Singh. The attack on Manrajwinder has ignited past fears of attacks on Indian students which dominated the headlines in 2008 -09. Community leaders have stepped in to offer their perspective on this arrack.

Speaking to media at the 12'" Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in Delhi, Vinod Danie~ chairman of Ausl-Iericage, an Australia government organisation said, "I have worked and continue to work internationally on projects and have been to over 40 countries.

1 ha\7 e found Australia to be one of d1e most roleraot and safe countries, wbjcb is very

"This kind of incident can happen anywhere in the world even in India, there are so many such incidents," said Kushagra Bhatnagar, a fu1ancial anal yst based at Greenslopes, Queensland who was also in Delhi for the PBD.

Yadwinder himself, who has been living in Australia for seven years and is an Ansttalian citizen, also agreed drnt this was an oppo rmnistic crime. "Austtalia o-r Me lbourne for d1at matter isn't a vulnerable p lace; t his was an opportunistic crime that could have happened in any otl1er state or country," he said. "If an attack W,e this can happen in CBD right outside the ev er-crowded Federation Sguare without any fear of CCTV, then th is can happen anywhere," added Yadwinder.

However d1is attack has left him shaken The incident haunts Yadwindet every time he goes out, and even at home when he is by himse lf. ''Even I was attacked a few ti.mes in the past, but tbose attacks were notserious and all they wanted from me was money. In my brother's case their motive was not just money, as d1ey straight away attacked him wid1out demanding anytbing," said Yadwinder

Yadwinder i s very positive about Australia and would still encourage srudents co come here and smdy if that's whar. d1ey aspire to do. But he wou ld like to pass on a message to police and tl1e Victorian government. "1 be lieve d1at they should strengthen tl1e laws and take extra safety measures for all international students," he stated emphatically.

Botb the Australian government and Indians in Australia have worked hard in the years after the attacks against in Indian students .in bringing ford, di e oppormnistic natures of d1ese crin1es. The state governments are battling ongoing problems of increased violence in our cities. Examples of renaming terms such as ' king hit' to 'coward ly punch' is a step in the right direction. But more needs to be done in making our streets safer Those most \T\lillerable, such as irnemational srudents and young people, need ro have assurance of better polic ing and a stricter legal system co punish the offenders. Our political leaders and policy makers owe .it to everyone to make the streets safer for all,

Both the Australia n government and Ind ians in Australia have worked hard in the yea rs after the attacks against in Indian students in bringing forth the opportunistic natures of these cr imes

Atta ck v ict im Manrajwinder Singh ( ce ntre ) w ith brother Yadwinder Singh (left) a nd cousin M i chael Singh Kang in happie r times

'' Detectives to ld the court theboywas part of a gang knownas'KYR ~ w h ich targeted vu lnerable people, particularly people of Indian appearance

Students across Australia dissect the final year of school and how they achieved success in 2013

After au intense year of bard work and preparacion, the resuJrs of the Year 12 examinations are finally out, and a whole raft of new graduates are ready to embark on the next stage of their lives after school

lndian Link spoke to smdents across AL1stralia abom their Year 12 experience, how they maimained a healthy balance between work and play, and thei r plans for the future.

What was your studying technique? Did you have any added support from a tutor or at home?

Priyanka Banerjee: I made sure that l well prioritised my work so that 1 focussed on all of my sub jects w ith equal weighL i\lJy wide range of subjects ensu.red that instead of caking lots of irregular breaks to diversify m y stud y routine, I could simpl y shift between subjects to use different skills.

Nikhil Sach d ev: I tried ro study for a minimum of two hours each day Dllring a week where there was a SAC l did more, but I never studied the night before a SAC or exam. Around a month before the exams I aimed for 6- 8 homs a day in blocks of 2 hours. I preferred to study at the library where there were l ess distractions.

The key to studying for me was to find a way to Wlderstand and relate to the content of each subject. I learn best visually, so watch ing YouTube videos and downloading apps related to topics 1 was struggling w ith really cemented concepts for me, made them easy to remember and were a welcome change from my textbook! l didn't have a tutor for any of my subjects, but all m y teachers were extremely supportive. j\ (y parents were incredib le and a source of constant inspiration and encouragement. There were tears and times I fe lt burnt out, but my dad always managed to make me laugh, m y mum constantly reassuring.

Ap arna B alakumar: J was a pretty visual learner so would stick m y Englisb quotes all over my

room, and history timelines of key dates up on m y ceiling. I had a giant whiteboard in my room where I would map out responses to practice essay questions for m y humanities subjects, linking different ideas with different col oured markers. It's all about being creative! My motto was that there was no point making a hundred pages of meticulous notes unless I was going co be bothered ro read them (and 1 knew J wouldn't be). My home support was really great, I really appreciated that the whol e famil y never acted differently towards me, forced me to smdy; or stopped me from going co parties just because it was an important yea r. They understood that l would do what needed to be d one, when it needed to be done by, and trusted me to hmTe the ability to say no to commitments if I felt I needed to.

Vikram Kumar: I had a tutor for phys ics and for maths My studying technique was basically just revising the topics and content of the course and going over it thoroughly ac schoo l aud home and asking questions where I didn't unde rstand tl1e content.

Chaitra Baroc I did nor rake any support from a tutor to improve m y knowledge or underst.andjng.

1 use to smdy b y myself and took he.Ip from my subject teachers when required. Year 12 is a difficult, stressful and a hectic year in compare to any other year level in school and near the end of terrn 3, it becomes unbeljevably intricate. If you put in all the effort studyi ng who le year then you will delmitely achieve what you aim for.

D arren R e b e ll o: My study pattern was quire challenging, persistent and committed. I smdied for a coup le of hours, took a break and carried on this cycle tmtil 1 1pm. I had a wellorga n ised stud y pattern and prioritized tl1e important work load on a daily basis , which attributed to my success. l did nor hav e any added support from a private mtor or at home, except for the gujda nc e of teachers at Sr. Paul's, where help was always and readily available all the time My parents' cons tant following up and frequent

discussions helped me monitor my progress and guided me towards this achievement.

Curie Kannam pu zha: l studied in a lot of different ways, depending on the subject material.

0 ften when I was learning new concepts, I wouJd try to do it in a group. If I had additional difficulties, I would get help from m y teachers, family or mrors. With assignments, I would always plan m y work before beginning to wcite it up and refine it witl1 help from Lhe teacher. With practice and revision for tests or exams, I found it best to go over m y notes, textbooks and instructional v ideos by my self, because that way 1 was more focused and used m y time more effectively. I tcied to revise really frequentl y so that it wouldn't be too d ifficuJr to cram right before the exam.

D war kes h B arot: I was regular with my daily studjes, spending about 2 - 3 hours a day in study beyond schoo l. On weekends 1 studied for about 5 to 6 hours, buc I took breaks p laying sport and watching TV !never ever had a rntor in m y l ife except when I went to one for an hour at the beginning of Yea r 1 1. J\ fter that session, l felt that l could smd y by mrself. But I fee l privileged to be a part of Aquinas College as all the teachers gave tl1e required support and assistance. M)' parents never forced me to stud y or pressured me on what career I should pursue in m y life. This is the best form of support parents can provide because kids can only achieve their best when they a.re self-motivated.

How did you decide what subjects to pick a nd why did you like them?

P riyanka: I srndied Mathematical Methods (CAS) and Physics i11 Year 11, and tl1en in Year 12 1 studied French, Literature, Economics and History : Revolutions. I also studied Extens ion Economics at the Univ ersity of Melbourne, on campus with other first- year student.

Nikhil: M y subjects included Australian Policies, G lobal Policies, Economics, English, Business Management, Legal Studies

Naki t a : When I initially chose my subjects at the s tart of Year I 1 I rook into account m y interests, strengths and also potential future career prospects. I was confident when I made the decision tliat all mr subjects pJayed to my strengths, knowing tl1ar I would need as much time as possible to really g ive m y Extension 2 English and Visual Arts projects my all. I was also taking Spanish through d istance education at The Open H igh Schoo l, which was brilliant, bm required a Jot of time, hard work and se lf -di scipline 1 have always been a creative person by nature and the visuaJ arcs course gave me space to breathe. Business Studies rounded me and kept m y rational mind sharp. :My cho ice to lear n Spanish was slightly eccentric, however, it was a good 6t for me as I have al\vays enjoyed learning languages.

Aparna: J always loved spending hours researchjng and edjting an essay, and simultaneously struggled through 10 minutes of Maths homework. Whilst I enjoyed aspects of the sciences, I was not a 'natu.ral' at them, and always found more interest in learning about societies botb past and present. \X'hen it came to subject selection, my famil y and I made the dec ision co forget about ' scaling' or ' weighting' and just take subjects I w o uld enjoy and was thus Likely to excel aL Writing my 6000 word major project on volm1to ucism was something I found incredibly fascLnacing rather tl1an a chore, and similarly learning all about the Vietnam \'v'ar came in handy when l recentl y visited the region and viewed the historical sites firsthand. I loved that the things I was learning about in the classroom were tl1i.ngs I could see tl1e effects of and appl y to my everyday world.

Vikram : From Year 7 - 10 you develop an understanding of what you like and don't lil,e and at the end of year 10 yon realise what you want to do Chai tra : The subjects that I chose were Ivlatbs Studies, Bio logy, Chemistry, ESL Smclies, Hindi and IPP (Info rm ation Publishj n g Programming). With six subjects instead of four, J had to work hard but J wanted tO do something challenging

"I learn best visually, so watching YouTube videos and downloading apps related to topics I was struggling with really cement concepts for me, made them easy to remember and was a welcome change from my textbook!"

is very important to have a life outside of academics: sports, or volunteering or music or something that'll give you contentment and social interaction"

Nakita Dass

"It

Cutie Kannampuzha

Nikhil Sachdev Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne 97.4 ATAR

Dwarkesh Barot Aquinas College, Perth ATAR 97 65

Aparna Balakumar Hornsby Girls High School, Sydney ATAR 99.3

Cutie Kannampuzha Glenunga International High School, Adelaide International Baccalaureate Diploma score ATAR 99.80

Darren Rebello St. Paul 's College, Adelaide ATAR 99.75

Priyanka Banerjee MacRobertson Girls High School, Melbourne ATAR 99. 7 5

Nakita Dass Girraween High School, Sydney ATAR 97.80

Chaitra Barot

Vikram Kumar Girraween High School, Sydney ATAR 92.90

Roma Mitchell Secondary College, Adelaide ATAR 97 90

and different. I also had to give an entrance exam UJ'viAT (U nde rgraduate l':.-[edicine and Health Sciences Adrn.iss ion Test) to get into Medicjne and also, 1 am a part- time worker at Coles. le was all very stressful but I think it is advantageous to have the knowledge of more subjects and caree rs.

Darren: Right fro m primary sc hool, I preferred Mathematic and Science subjects and opted to choose Specialised Mathematics, Mathematical Studies, Chemistry and Physics from year l 1. 1 thoroughl)' enjoyed the th eor)' and applications of each o f these su bjects in Year 12.

Curie: l chose ro do the IB (international Baccalureate) where I was required to take 6 subjects, some e.xtra.-cuniculars and learn a subject called Theory of Knowledge. The subjects I did were English, l'vlaths, Chernisccy, Bio logy, French and Economics.

Dwarkesh: l chose subjects that challenged me and would allow me to follow m y ambit.ion. P lan "l'.,:.' is ro be a Doctor and Plan " B" - an Engi neer (typical Indian pathways I guess). As these careers a.re very demanding I had to choose perhaps the mosr challenging and difficult subje c ts. Overcoming the hurdles that these sub jects posed filled me with conteocme.o t and satisfaction.

Did you have a balance between study and play during Year 12?

Priyanka: Desp ite m y relatively heavy study Load, I was also Debating and Public Speaking Captain at sc hool and was involved in House Cho rals (wh e re I was Chorus Director) , L ipsynching and Senior Dance, was part of m y school's French Club. I also did charity work su ch as being a fundraising volunteer for the Royal Children Hospital's Good Friday Appeal. I made sure that I remained active ly engaged .in schoo l life, during lunchtimes, and then focussed on academics after schoo l and dur ing free periods. To remain well-organised, I created a weekly schedule so l could always stay on top of things and also still be an active membe r of the commu nity

I am reall y happy that m y hard work has generated ics rewards and jtis definitely my parents who have been integral to my success, as without their support and advice, I would not have been able to achieve what 1 did.

Nikhil: 1 rowed in the swnmer for sport, and until April I had long hours in training. In winrer l got into gaming and started phying two to three hours a day after study/homework. I kept one day on the weekend free where l did no work and could go o ut. T o balance chis, I sec deadlines for myself in terms of what I wanted

co achieve and whe n Small goals belped!

I'm quhe happy and proud of achjevi.ng a good score, bu t regardless of the ATAR, I feel li ke I did m y best. The support from m y parents in ensuring that my Life is balan ced and not all stu dy, and in not putting pressure on me made a huge difference in achiev ing m y ATAR. If l n eeded help or advice it was always available, but they n ever forced me to smdy This helped me to be se lf- ruotivated and I think the trust m y parents showed in me gave me a sense of ownershjp in terms of m y aim s for the year.

Nakita: I really tried to maintain a balance throughout the year, although m y wellbeing suffered a coup le of times when things became a bit coo overwhelmi ng. But I think 1 managed pretty well , as finding that equilibrium is vjtaJ if you want to succeed in life with anything! You'll be more productive if you can r.ake efficient breaks, don't be too hard o n yo urself. But it's important to know when enough is enough Procrastination is to be avojded at all costs, however so metimes inspiration sparks most vividly when you are under pressure.

It's important to remember that your final year of high school is somethin g you'll never fo rget, so make i t enjoyable! The year passes so quickly and I know the connection I shared with m y grade and teachers wW be something I miss dearly over the years to come.

Aparna: Definite ly! I didn't put things Like watching my favow:ite n rshows or learning bow to drive o n bo ld for the year. Ultimately tbe s tudy l evels did increase during assessment periods, burl maintained balance by watching a movie or interacting with m y family following a past paper. I also studied at the library with friends on a few days, so we could bounce ideas off each ocher and eat our after our work was completed. It's only a stressful period if you give the HSC too much importance and stop doing the other things that make you happy. Small tasks helped take my mind off formulas and quotes, and keeping bus y outside of study helped m y perspective that tbe HSC wasn't the be all and end all. This helped me scay much calmer when exams rolled around, and also forced me to use the study time I had efficiend)7

Vikram: Yeah, l tried to keep a strong balance between the two. I think it's extremely important because i f it's out of balance you tend to go towards the e.xtreme of e ither side, which hurts the other sid e of what you're doing.

Chaitra: l did not get much rime to p lay sports as I was occupied and engaged with my learning. I was also a Prefect in my school,

I had to host assemb li es, attend meetings, belp organise events, help teachers wbene.\Ter needed the Lisr is endless. I still somehow managed to balance m y workload in a productive way.

Darren: I felt it was mo st important to take some time away from studying. This not only reduced my stress, bur also helped me to review o ccas ionally the progress 1 was making academicall y, and the ways in which l could improve my work ethic and attitude.

Cutie: Year 12 was mosdy stressful, as expected. In the beginning o f the year especially, it was reall y difficult because d1ere was so much to do and I wasn't very organised, but after I'd devised a routine, the year was easie r to handle, even enjoyable.. It is very important to have a life outside of academics: sports, or volunteering or music or something that'll give you contentment and social interaction

Dwarkesh: Anyd1ing extreme is not good. You need to have a sp ace to vent and rejuvenate yoursel f. Planning and in1plernentation is the key fot success.

How did you and your family celebrate your results ?

Nakita: My parents were absolutely ecstatic, especially as they knew that I'd had three main goals throughout the year, to become an all-rounder, receive a nomination for the Extension 2 Showcase and an AT.AR of over 95. I'd had these goals, bu t they had seemed more like m1achievable dreams when I first formed them. It was surreal to achieve not jus t one, but all of them. My parents are extremely proud, and I feel a huge sense of relief. They gave me the freedom ro take d1e sub jects I l oved and to so many people, they were the ' non -inte llectual' subjects, the 'unimpo rtant ones'. My parents have always taken the stance that if you're n o r passionate abom something, if it doesn't excjte you and make you think , you should be doing something else that does. It means a lot that I can thank my patents through showing them that it's nor the subjects you rake that detemune success, but the effort and enthusiasm you put into them At the moment m y fami ly and l a re travel)jng through Europe, another absolute d ream come true! We are h o ping to have a barbecue when ,ve get back co Auscrilia to celebrate with d1e rest of m y family!

Aparna: My famil y were so excited! I woke them all up in the morning just after I looked up my marks at 6am the day d1ey were released. As I didn't come Out of many of the HSC exams thinking I aced the paper, and never made

an estimation about my marks, ir was a huge .relief. Coming first in the Seate for Society and Culmre was the biggest shock, and I called my parents straight after the Board of Studies called me and told them, 'you're going to have to take Tuesday off work!' As a family, we all wenr out to the temple and then dinner afterwards. We were all just g rateful that l recei ved an ATAR likely to get me into the U ni course I wanted The bonus was just knowing d1at the effort l put in throughout the year was rewarded, and that I can look back proud of the marks I received.

Chaitra: My family a nd I celebrated the bliss of my results by organ.ising a day out, followed h y a dinn er.

Darren: l was really thrilled when 1 saw my results in the morning on the internet at 8am. The whole family was over joyed and this increased hugely wben I got a call from the SACE boa.rd around 9am to say that I have also been awarded the State Governor's commendation! l had to come by fo.r a photograph by noon on the same day. Of course, my parents didn't forger to bring a lovely cake to celebrate, followed by a superb dinner at a restaurant on chat weekend.

Dwarkesh: We have not really celebrated my results as the jo b is nl1t yet done. I am still waiting for offers from universities. ln d1e. meantime, we called our family back home and visited d1e Hindu temple on d1e day the results came our.

What does the future hold for you and what will be your next accomplishment?

Priyanka: I wW be studying for a Bachelo r of Commerce ar die Un.ivers ity of Melbourne and am also hoping to smdy a concurrent Diploma in Languages (French) Ultimately, 1 would like to study the JD and work in international re lations / politics.

ikhil: I am hoping for a caree r in ei ther law or ruplomacy/politics I would also love to travel over the next few years.

Nakita: I'm hop ing to srud y E ngLish and Axt History at the Univers ity of Sydney wid1 d1e intention becom.ing a wri ter.

I'm wary of saying that, it's an ambi tio us path and a long one too, bur I am hopeful that things will work out. ldeally I would Like to go on to do an honours year and potentiall y postgraduate. stucLies, but we'll see how things shape up. I'd really like to keep writing and pubLishing work. More than anything, I'm looking forward to meeting all kinds of new peopl e and building up an arsenal of experiences with which to face the world. I think the next few years ate going to be an adventure to say the lease, and it would be foo lish to

"I am really happy that my hard work has generated its rewards and it is definitely my parents who have been integral to my success, as without their support and advice, I would not have been able to achieve what I did"

Priyanka Banerjee

"Try to keep a balance between study and whatever you like to do and don't get too stressed, it's not the end of the world"

Vikram Kumar

predict where I'll encl up, but the one thing I can say with certainty is that there will be p lemy of stories to tell.

Aparna: l have no idea! But chat's the most exciting part! At University I'll be studying Media and Communications, so hopefully I can continue writing, researching, and exploring all the world has to offer.

Vikra m : I hope d1e future holds a good job, and an easygoing lifestyle. l haven't thought that far ahead about my next accomplishment Oaughs) I would like co do media/arts at UNSW and 1 want to go into graphic design.

Chaitra: My future plan is to attend a Medical School, which wiU success fully lead me into acquiring a Medicine Degree (MBBS).

Darren: I am focused on community giving, I believe in helping the community and have opted to foUow Bachelor of Pharmacy through Uni SA. I am unsure abou t what d1e future may hold for me bm I now look forward to starting Uni, and hope

to progress through it attaining the best marks I can.

Cutie: What I'm aiming cowards in the future is a career in Medicine

Dwarke s h: Hopefully a career in Medicine where as a doctor, I can help unprivileged individuals, bm certainly not for the sake of it. Though this sounds like a bod.ng answer, our family v al ues and my personal e.'lperiences in serving the community have germinated this inclination to help others.

Purchermore,in my family, money .is always conside red as a secondary thing; the most importanr thing is to be a good htm1an being and inner development is the prime agenda as we are social animals and not mere animals

What would your advice be to future HSC students ?

Pciy anka: Keep co a routine of consistenc rev ision and making sure you seek support and help from friends, famil y and teachers, when necessary. Balance acaclenucs with extracurricular involvement, co make sure chat you become

well- ronoded individuals.

Nikhil: Make sure mat you choose subjects chat you like and are good at. If you hate what you're doing it will be harder to do well. Communic,ate with your teachers and parents. Talk to d1em if you're confused or don't understand something, or i f you are having any issues. More often man nor if you are open about dungs, teachers will go out of their way to help you. Keeping parents in the loop is good coo, just to bave an active support system. FinaUy, keep d1e year balanced. Nobody can study all day Enjoy extra curricular activities and go om on weekends

lr's a refreshing change!

Vikram: Try to keep a balance between stud y and whatever you like to do and don't get too stressed, it's nor d1e end of d1e world.

Chaitra : M y only tip would bework smart, not bard!

Da rren: Take control of your studies right from beginning of the year and work bard to obtain d1e results you see!,. Keep your goals in 1ni11d and work towards

them While mere may be periods where you are tired of sn1clying and feel like giving up, remember and look forward for d1e end of year holidays. If you remain pers istent and work hard, you will reap the rewards of what you sow.

D warke s h : My philosophy of life is simple: hard work alone satisfies oneself, so work ro your best and hope for d1e best, but be prepared for the worse. To do well at the end of the year it is imperative that you stare working from the very beginning. Onl y hard work can enable you to achieve the goal you want to achieve. Ir is absolmely essential d1ac you analyse yourself and recognise your strengths and weaknesses. EssentiaUy, a person's performance in exams and tests determines their year 12 results, so jusc follow your instincts and gi\·e it your best.

''The whole family was overjoyed and this increased hugely when I got a call from the SACE board around 9am to say that I have also been awarded the State Governor's commendation!"

''To do well at the end of the year it is imperative that you start working from the very beginning. Only hard work can enable you to achieve the goal you want to achieve:'

Dwarkesh Ba rot

Aparna Balakumar with Adrian Piccoli M inist er of Edu cation

Rep01·t co11tpiled by Danielle Mathais, Vi1111ya R.ai, N ebo Jain and Rajni Anand L uthra

Darren Rebello

NEW YEAR MESSAGE

HIS HOLINESS SAINT RAJINDER SINGH JI MAHARAJ

Saints and mystics throughout the ages have told us everything in this world is perishable. Only our soul is eternal. The contemporary saint, His Holiness Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, in his 2014 New Year 's Message urges us to wnsider this when making our first-ofthe-year resolutions. He says:

"At this time of year, most people have two major decisions to make. The first is what holiday gifts we want to receive The second is what New Year's resolutions we want to make.

The question of holiday gifts often focuses on a material gift we want for ourselves or to give our loved ones. From childhood, many children are told to make a list of what they want as a holiday gift and most focus on toys and games. As adults, we focus on gadgets, necessities, or something fun and entertaining. Most involve items that are perishable, as they will either break, become lost, or we will lose interest in them. Few holiday gifts are lasting and meaningful.

New Year's resolutions usually do not focus on physical gifts, but on making new habits to improve our physical body and mind. For the body, some popular resolutions focus on our weight, fitness, health, appearance, or bodily goals. For the mind, we may want to improve our emotional wellness, our relationships, or our skills. We may want to take a course to improve our mind or develop a new ability. Often we want to eliminate habits that are not helpful to us.

Masters give a different perspective on life. They point out that any gifts or resolutions related to this physical world, our body, and our mind are not lasting. They are perishable as anything made of matter will one day be destroyed. Material gifts we receive or give have a limited shelf life Resolutions that affect our physical body and mind are also only going to last as long as we reside in this physical

body. What, then, are decisions we can make for holiday gifts and New Year's resolutions that are lasting? Sai nts advise that the gifts that are lasting are those of a spiritual nature that benefit our soul. Our soul is eternal and anything we receive to help our soul or any choices we make to improve our spiritual development will last beyond our physical life Such spiritual gifts go with us beyond this life and stay with us for eternity.

The most lasting gift we can give ourselves and our loved ones is learning how to meditate on the inner Light and Sound. Through meditation, we connect with an eternal source of all happiness, love, and Light that does not perish. This inner connection fulfills us with more joy and bliss than any material gifts ofthis world. The best resolution we can make is to meditate daily an d avail of the spiritual riches God wants to bestow on us-union with God. Of all the resolutions we can make for our body and mind, the one with the most lasting benefit is meditation as that enriches our soul. Fulfillment of our soul provides far greater joy and ecstasy than any gains for our body and mind.

This year, we can benefit the most by placing meditation on the inner Light and Sound at the top of our gift wish list If we already know how to meditate, then let us pray for the regularity, devotion, commitment, and passion to keep it a priority in our life For our New Year's r eso lution, by placing a minimum of two and a half hours daily meditation at the top of our list, we can enjoy a gift that never perishes and is always a source of joy, love, and bliss-union of our soul with God:'

H.H. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is head of Science of Spirituality, an international, multi -faith organization dedicated to personal transformation through meditation. To learn more about Science of Spirituality and Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, visit: www sos org/ aus/australia

eac to erance

The gay rights debate continues in India after a devastating reversal by the Supreme Court

Gay rights parades have become annual events in India's major cities

you to cal.I these people criminals?"

Itwas a Facebook spat between t\vo young people I know, living in different parts of the world, that set me thinking. Do we have a riglu to judge what we don't understand and what is beyond our sense of normalcy? D o we bave to be intolerant? D o we have to voice our opinions and prejudices in social media? This wbole business of likes and dislikes? Are we so i.mo ourselves that we have stopped caring about things that real!)' matter?

The topic was homose:,,.,ialit:y. ·'Hats off to The f-lono mable Supreme CoLrrt of India. Hom osexuali ty is illegal and a crime i.n India. I mean homosexuality is observed in 400 animal species but stilJ it is not a namral way of sexualJy exploring yourself. Our ancient \Ted Puraoas also don't alJow this. \X!e are proud o f our own rules and cultme," said a friend in India

''Are you seriously pro ud of this? was the reply from Australia. " ls it a personal injury oi: insult to you if a man and a man or a woman a nd a woman \Vant to be together? As citizens of India, these people have the same rights as you. \Vho are

12 JANUARY 2014

The argument continued, ''Thanks for your opinion it is not my verdict but the verdict of Honourable Supreme Court Of India those are far more inte lligent people than you and me who lay the rules for the whole country. 1,000 years ago irwas we who taught the world to be civilised and laid our own cu lnue. Indian culmre does not allow us to be homosexual. It is now vice versa we are now forgetting mu· own tradition and quickly adopting these westet:n Aaws."

De friending ended this argument but it set me chinking. How many of os th.ink a.long these lines?

U nder section 377 of the Indian Penal Code 1860, it is an offence for a person to vo luntarily have "carnal intercourse against rhe order of nature". It wasn't Ullti.l 2009, in the Naz Foundation case that Delhi High Court found Section 377 and other legal prohib itions against private, adult, consensual, and non-com1nercial same-sex conduct to be i.n direct violation of fundamental eights provided by the Indian Constitution Thi s decision was welcomed by people a11 over t he world.

Though hardly 200 people have been convicted unde r this law in over 150 years, homosexuals in India, and there are an estimated 50 million, are often ha.rassed on this basis. On 11 December 2013, the

High Court decision was set aside by the Sup reme Come of India.

\Xlhile many in India welcomed this, like t he first young person in my story, on the basis that it upheld "Indian cuJrme," man y have been saddened by this retrograde seep Gay right activists believe chat this will lead to further alienation of LGBT pet:Sons (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and cause a setback to AIDS prevention efforts. Naz Foundation who started the case d1at led tO the De.ll1i ruling, will be filing a petition for review of the SC decision.

Seeing one of my favourite authors, Vikram Seth, so incensed with the judgement that he consented to appear on the cove r of Tndio Tod,!)' looking dishevel.led and angry and ho lding a chalkboard that reads,"• OT A CRIMINAL. To n ot be able ro love d1e one you love is tO have your life wrenched away" is sad. Seth is a master of words a nd the heart-wrenching words in hi s essay on g ay rights move.

"Of al1 the cruel ties d1at we a s human beings can v isit on one another, o ne o f d1e most cruel is to say: You may say you love each othet, but I do n or care," says Vikram Seth "No, you have nor harmed me, b u t I will harm you l will disown you, I will treat you with contempt, 1 will make you an o u teas re or a criminal, I \viii lock you up. l will break your legs, l will Ai.ng acid in your face, I wiU hang

you from a crane, I will srone you to death. If the mob helps me, so much the better. If the law helps me, so much the better. If I can wrap myself in a Aag, so much the better. If I can drape religion aroun d m yse lf, so much die better. \X'.1hac makes li.fe bearable is love - to love, to be loved, and even after death o r parting - co know that you have loved and been loved To not be able co love the one you love is co have your life wrenched away. To do d1is to someone else is to murder thei.r soul "

Can anyone who has loved and bee n loved, be so cruel as ro deny another human being their basic right co love? What harm does chis cause you, other than a perceived sense of damage to your so calJed morals ? \Xlhe.n will society wake up w cbe bigger prob lems of li fe?

It is abso lutely wrong for a person co sexualJy abuse a child, domestic v iolence is w rong, the rape of our environment to enrich private coffers is wrong, mistreating d10se who wot:k for you is wrong. Lee us make some noise about these wrongs. There can be n o way tO justify these kind of wrongs but ho mose}.,1ality is no one's business. If you are born inclined in this way, who am l to chalJenge yorrr fee.lings ?

Wake up people, open your mind and your hearts. r o one deserves co be trea red this way

omeo t uture

An ecologically sustainable house designed by an Indian engineer has won accolades across Australia

Ever thought 'luxury and comfort' and ' health and sustainability' ate two mutually exclusive groups? I thought the same mo, before meeci1ig Sanjiv Gosain at his 9- sL'lr energy rared (ACT House Energy Racing Scheme) insulated concrete thermal mass house, which is beyond carbon neutral. The hou se is listed in the zero emission category, and produces enough clean tenewable energy to supply all its operating needs. And the best part is that it is affordable cool

Recalling how he embarked on the idea of building a house like this, Sanjiv shares a personal anecdote about how his fatherin- law gave h is wife some 'Vtut11 shastnl (science of construction) notes when they were planning on building a house in Canberra. Based on those instructions, a p lot of land which faces nord1 with a water-body in front was most appropriate for constructing INDIAN LINK

a house. Bur going by Australia's geographical location, it was impossi b le to build a very high ene rgy rated house on this. And that set hint th inkilig. Being an engineer, the best thing for Sanjiv co have his wish materialise, was to adapt a technology that would help him.

' The technology didn't exist at di e time, so 1 decided to invent it, it's as simple as that," he reveals. And thus came a design with diermal waUs, named 'econ wall,' whicl, changed the who le scenario "In term s of saving energy, d1e thermal ma ss property of concrete was utilised to absorb, store and release energy and that not only saved energy, but improved occupant comfort levels too," explains Sanjiv. The proof of d1e principle comes from the fact that the home's expected operation has been declared close co carbon neutral by Beyond Neutral, a specialist greenhouse, energy and environment- related service provider.

The home is airtight, unlike most of the Australian homes, to avoid uncontrollab le air leaking, in line widi d1e new mantra in b Lillding architecture wbid, says to 'build tight, ventilate right'. Anod1er interesting feature is

d1e use of five layered insul ated curtains with radian t barriers and layers of fabric which are used in snow jackets, d1at shuts out d1e outside temperature.

"Saving energy is not just about making alterations on die building, it is about personal discipline as well," says Sanj iv. "Even widi innovative design, construction, energy and water conservatio n facilities ill place inside the house, the timely, wise decisions from the occupants will make all die difference. For in stance, LED downlights light up the building and a lighring control sysrem has been installed whicl, can be conttolled from an iPad, yet the decision to switch it off as you go to bed is yo m s".

A passive solar d esign is u sed, a long w idi the active one. The sun's warmth is used to heat up rooms, wid, windows installed in the northern direction. As part of the active design, solar energy is abso rbed ill die roof's solar hot water collector which is furdier circulated in to the h yd ronic hearing sys tem. DC ceiling fans which use 40% .less electricity than AC fans, are used d1roughour the building which can be reve rsed in winters to circulate warm air.

"Jusclike ears of the hwnan

body get cold first, the external elements of d1e bu.ildlng like driveways conduct a lot of hear," explains Sanj iv. "Thus, many elements of the buildi11g like driveways, alfresco slabs and pergo las have been installed with thermal breaks co prevem heat from getting conducted to die house. Even the awnings, gates, down pipes, solar inverters and lightings have been connected to the house using diermal break fasteners and the house has an insulated garage too," he adds.

The design and construction of th e building can be welJ localized too, in a ny part of a country like Australia with its varriog climate zones The high bushfire survival racing o f the buildi11g makes it the answer to one of the burning necessities faced here ln terms of affordability, Sanjiv believes d1e basic d1ermal mass ,valls will cost the same as brick veneer technology. Certainly i t makes much more sense to build such a sustainable abode, drnn spending thousands of dollars to enhance your kitchen! The technology which has been used is very practical, and die numbered panels of the econ waUs ensllte t hat d1e construction can. be clone quickly.

The concept has been well received by Australia, and the accolades that the technology has received are an attestation to this.

After becoming a fuialist in HIA National Green Smart Product of the Year Award 2013 and HIA National Green Smart Custom Home Award 2013, the house went on to win the }.,faster Btillders Sustamable Construction Award 2013 and the prestigious Master Builders National Excellence Award for Environment and Energy Efficiency in 2013. Sanjiv draws inspiration from award winn ing Indian architect Satisb Gujral , who made Indian arcbi tecrure talce a new turn by bui lding functional spaces chat igoi te life.

'1 believe it is in tbe carbon neutral housing d1a r the future of the wodd resides," says Sanjiv Ald10ugh a late smrcer in sustainable housing, Australia has made tremendous progress so far, thanks to the cighten.ing of energy racing for houses. The next step 15 to create awareness about the option of sustainable living in an affordable budget, and the biggest push will come from the customer's sid e. After all, w ho wouldn't want to be c o mfortable and at the same rime, stay safe?

Sanjiv Gosain (on right) receiving one of his Master Builders' award

Three enterprising young men experience the vastness of Australia in an exciting road trip

,,: ~j' • ' BY , • It'

fl AVI , 7 ; CHANDIOK

It is well known that even as toddlers, li ttle boys love playing with car s. Cars seem tO be in the male DNA, so to be ab le to undertake adventurous jorn: neys in a 4x4 fo r a Jiving must be one of the best jo bs in the world.

Sanjay Madan (37) and Tushar Agarwal (33), both from Delhi, founded Adventures Overland (www.advennu-esoverland.com)

a couple of years ago to provide exci ting driv ing ho lidays for their clientele. For design, publicity and to capture images on camera, they were jo ined by Prasad Deshpande (3 1), the you ngest member of the group who, appropriately, hails from the home of BoUywood

The tean1 currently holds a

fistful of Limca records for various dri ving feats on the subcontinent.

With their recent mammod1 drive around Australia, they have broken the Guinness World Record for the 'longest drive in a sing le coumry' and tb.is awaits registration. They now go on to Africa co continue their round the world expedition (www. greatindiamvorldcrip.com) that \\~ll cover 70,000 kms over 50 countries. To accomplish such daring cha Uenges muse require strength of character and I was curious to find out a little more abour these record-breaking young men.

In 2010 and still unknown co each oche r, Tushar had driven from London to Delhi and Sanjay had driven in a Taca Nano on the highest motorable road. A little later the [\VO met in Delhi.

"\Vie found we had a common passion for the road and as we talked, i t made sense to get together," Tushar said. "\V/e had

shared similar experiences and had a feeling that we could trust each other"

A world trip tbac would last rwo years requires considerab le resources. Toyota India and Jindal Panther are very generous sponsors for this trip, but to succeed it surely requires much more. "Dedication! How badly you want it, o n ly then can it happe n. And Sanjay feels di e same," explain ed Tushar. While acknowledging that there could be dangers and uncertainties ahead, Tnshar was confident that be spoke for Sanjay as well when he said, "If you re spect nature and go -with nature, the so lution will come )'Olll' way". Thi s absolu te conviction and unwavering confidence had a ring of fatalism about ir. Desp ite several probing questions I could not find a chin k in their belief that they would succeed.

"So what does it cake?" I questioned. "A positive belief,"

stated Tushar adding, "It _is i mportant tO chase the dream. \)(le are prepared to get by in materi al things for the sake of the trip They are not the means of happiness. Bur these memories will last a lifetime".

It is often tl1e case that those who are the m ost succes s ful are often modest, generous and just pleasing to be witl1. The y don't need ro boast and are not loud, their achievements speak for themselves They may appear soft bL1t have an icy deterrnination wi thin. The more time 1 spent with the boys on their only day in Adelaide, the greater was my respect for tl1em. l was p leased co have been able to arrange a '1i1ee t and Greet' for them with Stephen Yarwood, che Lord Mayor of

Adelaide City Cmmcil, and Counc illor Natasha Malani. As a change from the view of a road, the group would have appreciated being shown around the historic rooms of the Town Hali

Bue it's not easy being away from home, admit the boys Sanjay admitted that he missed h is two children and Tus har said that his parents think be is crazy, bur now they don't mind bis adventures as

he has some experience. Prasad just loves the variet y of sce nes that can be p hotographed. His stills and movies w ill be part of a documentary which s hould appear on the History channd of JJiaC0111111. The b log, notes, diaries and filmed interviews on the trip

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will most likely feature in a b oo k on th is great Indian world trip, which already has a publisher. They have family at home w h o follow theit progress w ith some

an..xiery and a !or o f pri d e. So do they find it easy to sleep, I asked.

' ' or unless we have driven at least 9U0kms in a day!" was the respo n se. Yes, a se n se of h rnnour is also n ecessary, as is t es p ec t and the enjoyme nt they h ave of each other's company.

Asked about their most memo rab le exp erience while driving in Australia warranted a longer answer than expected.

"Th e vastness - it's intin,idating, overwh elmi ng! The eeriness of

Coober Ped y. The monster roadtrain s. The beauty of di e Snowy }.fountains T he '90 Mile Strnight', a 1 45.6km stretch o f gun -barrel straig h t road on the Eyre Highway in South Australia Seeing desert snakes The lone ly road in Western Australia th at douhles every now and again as an emergency airstrip.

Driving fro m Penh to Bro o me nonstop, coveting 2400kms in 30 hours. Being hit by a kangaroo at

4am". And 1 th.ink Tushar could have gon e on and on Now in Delhi while their trusty Toyo ta 4x4 is being shipped to Mombasa in Kenya, die boys will rem em b er how safe t h ey felt in Ausrral ia. As I waved goodbye tO them for the last time, Tushar's words came back to me, "\Y/e will finish rbis trip - come wha t may!"

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True religion can't be the basis of hatred, says PM True religion can't be che basis of hatred and ilivision, Prime l'vf.i.niscer Manmohan Singh said recently in New Delhi, urging every cicizen co imbibe lessons from Swami V ivekananda and learn co be colerant.

"Let us , in all humility, imbibe lessons from Swam i Vivekananda. Let us learn to be colerant of one another, have respect for all religions and dedicate ourselves to the deve lopment of our people and our country," the prime minister said at the closing ceremony of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda at Vigyan Bhavan in the capital.

"There is no use celebrating Swamij i's life, paying our respeccs to h is ideas and teachings and honouring hi s memory if we do not also imbibe the val ues that he advocated."

"His true message for us was that true religion and true religiosity can't be the b asis of hatred and ilivis ion, bm of mutual respect and tolerance for the faiths and beliefs of all," he said.

The prim e mini.seer said be sincerely be liev ed that the "best tribuce" co Swami Vivekanan da "would be to recognise the relevance of hi s teachings and his tboughts to the 2 1st century, for coday's India and tomorrow's Inilia".

Con gress pres ident Sonia Gandh i, Defence Minister AK. An cony a nd Cultu re Minister Chandresh Kumari Katocb also paid tribmes to Swami Vivekananda.

The prim e minister said Swami

Vivekananda's pluralist a nd syncre tic view of religion was a real "religious experie nce".

"I h ave personaliy been inspired by Swamijii's syncretic views. This view of religion is one of the great contributions of Hindu.ism and of che civilisations that rook root in this ru1cient land of ours," Manmohan Singh said.

" T he idea that the whole world is one family has inspired millions of people aroLU1cl the world. But, I also believe it is an idea that defines India and the 1ndian view of the world," he added

Sonia Gandhi described Swrun i Vivekananda's life as that of magnificent achievem ent.

" Several of our great l eaders drew inspiration from Swami Vivekanand a in nation building," s he said.

Vi vekananda recognised the importance of gen der equality and lived to il1uminate the life o f others, she said.

The prime minister also mentioned how Swami Vivekananda's speech ar Chicago in 1893 instilled courage and faith amo ng people.

"One striking feature that I fi n d in Swami Vivekananda is t he amount o f courage and faitb he.instils in the reade r s thtougb his stirring speeches," he said.

"Let us be hm11ble en o ugh co recognise that there is much that we can learn from the world and therefore be open to new ideas, new oppormnities and new chaUe nges," he added.

Manmohan Singh also Luged young5tets to be inspired by ' ' t his courageous man "

"l urge eve r y yoLU1g lnilian , irrespective of faith and religion , to be insp ired by such a man as t hey build their own future," the 'Prime Minister's Office tweeted, q u oting J\fanmohan Singh's speech.

"Inilia's true liberation wo uld come when every lodian feels liberated from the scourge of poverty, ignorance and disease. Inilia, this great m otherland of ours, has much to learn from the world around us and, equall y, much to teach the world," he said.

Diaspora meet sees greater footfal I, but little communication

People who came from across the worl d co atten d tbe 12th Pravas i Bharati ya D ivas (PBD), the annual gathering of the loilian diaspora that con cl uded in ew Delhi rece n tly, say, though tl1e even t is gaining steam every yea r, they found a lack of communication among the participants.

A number of people from various corners of the world stated that t he y have fel t the ev ent somewhat chaotic with a lack of communication and the purpose of their visi c was not really fa.lfiJled.

However, people, who have atte nded past years' programmes as well, say footfall at the annual even t is increasin g every )7ear.

Kushagra Bhatnagar, an Australia- based finan cial analyse and active m ember of the Ove rseas Friends of BJP, sai d he came co Delhi to attend tl1e programme but he ilid nor fu1d anything inte resting, and the refore, was leaving for Australia without atten ding

the third day's prog ramme.

Ravi nder Singh, chair of the lndo Comnwnwealth Ex-Arm y Heritage, who came from Canada, said tliat tl1ere was a Jack of communication in the event.

" People of Indi an origin from across the wo rld are finiling it djfficult to interact with each other, which is the putpose of the event," Singh said

Singh, who has anended the annual dias p ora meet since its inception in 2003 every year, however, feels diac d1e programme is getting more participative and eac h year the number of people attending the event is growing.

Shihab Kottukad, consultant to the Non- Resident Kerali tes Affairs (NORKA) department of the Kerala government and a volunteer at the loilian embassy in Sauili Arab ia, too h as actended the programme every year He said he found the programme very interesting and gees the chance co meet a lot of people from dj fferem p a rts of the world here.

Vinod Daniel, chairman of AusHeritage, an Amtralian government organisation, said this was the first PBD he has ,mend ed and he found it very imp ressive and nseful. "R eally appreciated hearing Erst hand from senior 11.linisters and bureaucrats o n where they see In d ia going I per sonally am very posi tive abom India and this congress has made me more exc ited about India's future," he said.

Accoriling to Rrunesh Agarwal, a delegate from d1e US, the event could have been organised better "Had a goo d time here,

A pho to of Michelle Obama's Bolfywood moves during a Diwali bash has made it to one of the top White House photos for the year 2013. Taken by Chuck Kennedy, the 49 -year- old First Lady is seen learning a Bolfywood dance in the State Dining Room along with choreographer Nakul Dev Mahajan and students from a Bolfywood dance clinic at the White House on November 5

met so many people but the event could have been more organ ised," Agarwal , a professor at Was hington University, said.

Subramaniam Kandsamy, a del egate from Malaysia, sa id the event was yet co gain the full attention of lndians abroad. " Diaspora meets are a good move taken up by the government of India, I appreciate it," he said. "Still tbe event has not yet gained d1e full attention of non- resident Indians bur with e..xperience it will became a good p latform for Indians living outside India," he added.

According to official sources, of the around 900 delegates from 60 countries who attended the event iliis year, around 200 we.re from Malaysia.

PBD is celebrated Jan 9 eve r y year to mark the contribucion of 0\7 erseas Indian community in the devel o pment of Jan 9 was chosen as it was on chis day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi returned to lndia from South Africa.

African footballers flock to India for greener pastures

Far awar from their homes, African footballers are Aocking co India for greener pastures. They have not only won a million lndian hearts in the las t two decades but have also been a source of inspiration for young Indian footballers While som e 400 Africans are playing in various clubs in India, around 25 feature in the top clubs in the elite I -League football tourname n t.

They come from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and South Sudan, the world's newest nation that is engul fed in civil strife.

Ac a time when Indian football is taking time to catch up with the world's best, African footballers have given a new face co the game in the country. Their raw speed and power remain a challenge for d1e Indian p la yers who are tr)'ing co mal<e their way co foreign leagues in Europe and America.

Be it in Kolkaca, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune or in Goa, African footballers a re finding their way into the top sides in lndian football. And why not? After all top clubs are spending an.ything between $100,000 to $400,000 each on African imports for a season.

Mohun Bagan skipper Odafe Onyeka

Okolie is now the highest paid professional footballer in India with a pay package of approximatel y $400,U00 His compatriot Ranry Martins, w ho p lays for United SC, is also not far behind.

The fact that in the last six seasons, t\vo Nigerians, Odafe and Ramy, have e m erged as the cop goal score r s in I -League shows the impact African footballers are having on lndian football.

" lndia made me famous. Had I stayed back in Nigeria, 1 wouldn't have achieved all d1is name and fame. India is speci al as they have good players and playing w ith them has been a great experience," Oda.Ee said in an interview.

Right from the days of Nigerians Emeka Ezugo, who recently convened co Is lam, and Cheema Okerie, who used to be the star attraction in. Kolkata teams during the 80's, African footballers were always in great demand.

Emeka, who played fo r both Ease "Bengal and Mohtm Bagan, also represented igeria in tl1e 1994 World Cup and is now a coach with professional side Abia Warriors in t he Nigerian Premier League.

Emeka will always be remembered as d1e fil'st World Cupper to play in India. He

A Sikh martial arts expert applies kohl to his eyes with a sword while participating in a religious procession in Amritsar India, 06 January 2014. The religious event was held to mark the 348th birth

was adjudged the best p layer in the 1990 Nehru C lub Cup, scoring eight goals to take Kollrnca's Mohaum1edan Sporting into tbe semi -Enals.

The fast Africa n name to strike a chord in India was David Williams wbo represented T amil Nadu in Santosh Trophy in the 70's before being recru ited by East Bengal.

But the way Emeka and Cbeema dazzled and enthralled rhe fans wirb their skiJJ and power, opened the window of opportunity for other African footballers as well.

Even d1e youngest country in the world, South Sudan, which is in the midst of an armed conflict, has a player in James Moga who plays for East Bengal.

Former India captain and Olymp ian P.K. Banerjee feels Emeka a.ad Cheema have had a great impact on Indian football.

"Of all the overseas footballers, Cheema and Emeka we re a class apan and no wo nd er they played Wor ld Cup. Ir is not easy co get such quality players all coo freque n tly," he says

Former India coach Sukhwinder Singh feels players lil,e Odafe a.re crqwd pullers and good advertisement fo.r the gan1e.

"In the past, peop le used to come co see Cheema and Emeka. There was a dip in between, but now Odafe is creating waves in the I - League," says Sukhwinder, a former nacional coach.

But Brazilian Jose Barretto, w ho remains the most successful overseas player in recent tin1es, feels that th e quality of .African footballers bas gone d own in the last four tO five years.

"\'<le had some good African footballers in India , bur I feel in the la st four- five years the quality has gone down. The cwo main reasons are cash cnu1ch and lack of proper scouting. I alsq feel the clubs are to also blame for it. Had they been more professional in their approach, the quality of foreigners could have improved," Barretto, who now pl ays for Kolkata's Bhowanipore FC in second division I -League, said.

Barretto feels Martins l'emains the best African player in the last five years adding

that it is discipline that sets Brazilia n players apart from a.LI other overseas imports India encouraging oil exploration through policies : PM

India is encouraging d o m estic and global companies ro explore pocentiaJJ y hydrocarbon-rich areas through stable and enabling polic ies towards achieving its goal of se lf-sufficiency in h ydrocarbons by 2030, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said recently

He was inaugurating the 11 tl1 Internacional O il and Gas Conference and Exhib ition " Petrotech-2014" at rh e India Exposicion 1-lart in Greater Noida, organised by state- run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp.

"\'<,7e are encouraging domestic and global companies to explore potentiall y hydrocarbon- rich areas in the framework of a stab le and enab ling policy environment," Manmohan Singh said. "We have made a numbe.r of cha.ages in our energy po lic y regime in the past few months and 1 am sure you would be aware of them," he added.

The governme n t will offer a t lease 56 oil and gas b lod,s in the 10th round o f bidding tmder its ew Exploratio n Licensing Policy (NELP). This is d1e largest offering of blocks since the start of NELP in 1999 in an effort to attract more invesunents into die exploration and production se ctor.

Partnerships an1ong various stakeholders were essencial for meeting the emerging challenges of d1e oil and gas se ctor, he said "Such partnerships could result in outcomes like improved recovery from m an1re fields, exp loitation of ultra- deep ,vacer energy reserves and progress in complex frontier areas. They could also h elp in exploitation of uncouvenciona l forms of energy, apart from addressing concerns about environmental degradation and climate change," the prime minister said.

Singh said as a responsible rnember of the g lobal community, India i s committed to reducing its carbon footprint.

"The challenge of achieving high economic growtl1 and yet reducing emissions is a formidable one indeed, but we are determined to meet chis challenge full y," he said

"This entails work in several areas like demand management, e.nergy conservation, energy efficienc)' and renewab le energy technology. It also requires focused research and development iniri;itives," he added.

Development should not hit fragile tribals : President

Marginal and highl y fragile tribal communities should not be disturbed in the name of development, President Pranab Mukherjee said in Pore Blair recentlr.

"The marginal and hi ghly fragile tribal communities should not be disturbed in the name of development, lest they gee destroyed as has happened in the past as a resu lt of attempts to ass imilate them ," Mukherjee said, inaugurating the Andaman and Nicobar Tribal Research Instin1te (ANTRI)

''Any assimilation should come from wiiliin, not be imposed from outside," he said.

Mukherjee said instinaions like ANTRl should g uid e policy makers on how to avoid dec isions which are contrary to the natural inscinccs and practices of the tribals.

"Policy should not be static but ad justed as per developments;' he said. He also appreciated ANTRI's plans to create a 11011convencional museum.

"Such a museum should not be for tourism or commercial exploitation of artefacts and handicrafts of tribals. Instead, it should encourage the cribals co tell their own sto ries and through d1is pro cess help d1em idencify d1eir needs as well as shortcomings It should empower them to ad dress deficiencies on theil' own," he said.

Tbe president also said ANTRI should sn1dy how tribal practices have evolved over d1e centuries and how such practices are suited to d1em and provide relevant inputs for policy-making.

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OPINION Political power play

Polarisation seems to be trending in modern democracies

the Congress party. Now KejriwaJ's party, with the oncside support of tl1e Congress Party, has formed the gove rnment and many within theAAP are in favour.

\ BY NOEL G DE SOUZA

Many of the world's democracies are suffering from polarisation.

Thi s means tbar electoral support for the C\VO main contenders is about equal and just a shift of o ne or C\vo per cent can co uld res ult in a change of government. Howeve r, there is often

De lhi is of6cia Uy called tl1e National Capital Territor)' of India With a population of 22 million, it in cludes several cities within its 1,484 square kilometres area, Alwar, Bagbpat, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Faridabad, Ghazi abad, o ida and Greater o ida It is welJ industrialised and has the highest per capita income of any state in L1dia.

Delhi's election results a third fo rce and it is th is trurd force that can hold the ke y co who forms the next government. If one of the ma.in contenders for power l ends support tO the t hird force, then the third force b y itse l f could form the

exemplifies tl1e two and three party result t hat is to become tl1e norm in various countries, such as the split vote between the H o use of Represe ntatives and the Senate in Au su:alia, a similar break -up in the USA and also in Britai n. government.

This sort of political power p lay is vividly seen in the drama being enacted in

''This sort of pol itical power play is viv idly see n i n the dra m a being enacted in the Union Territory of Delhi

the U n ion Territory of Delhi Soon afte r the inconclusive recent elections, Lr-Gove rnor i ajeeb Jung had to inform the President of lndia that currentl y there was a political impasse but efforts to resolve the issue were in progress

There are th.ree majo r parties in tbe makeup of tl1e new Delhi legislature, th e BJP, the Congress and Arvind K ejriwal's Aam AcLni Party (tl1 is can be translated as " \'!le, The Peop le's Party'' or " The Common Man's Part)''). Tbc BJP won 28 scats and tl1ereforc fell short of an absolute majori ty, the Congress Par ty won just eight seats witl1 even its leader, the former Chief Minister Sheela Dixit, losing ber seat a n d the A.AP winning a surpri se 28 seats.

To add to the complicated p olitical picrure, the Indian Lokpal (people's Ombudsman) b ill came up before the

Indian Parliament. Its chief protagonist was cbe avowed Gandhian Anna Hazare who l ed a big campaign for its passing Kejriwal, a Hazare supp orte r, was nor as keen on tl1e content of the bill and actually criticised ic.

At the same time Kejriwal considers himself to be a follower of the GandhianGuru like figure of Hazare. K.e jriwaJ and Hazare worked together in their anticorruption campaign which culminated in tl1e passing of tl1e Lokpal Bill b y the Indian

Kejriwal 's Government in Delhi will have to be cautious as it is dependent o n Congress sup por t. In 1 996, neithe r theBJP nor the Congress parties had sufficient numbers to form a governmem for the whole of India It was then a du.rd party, the Janata Dal Party, which formed the government with the support of the Congress. The man chosen for this cask was the almost unknown Deve Gowda. He was famous for sleeping during parliamentary sess ions There was no mention of any medical reason for thi s habit. He lasted less tJ1an a year in the Prime Ministerial position. He was succeeded by anotl1e r member of the same Parry Inder Krnnar GujraJ. There are instances of parries havi ng come to p ower with wafer- tlun majorities which later became p opu.lar. In New Somb Wales, the Bob Cart Government came to power in 1995 with just one seat majority. He was ren1med at tbe next C\VO elections w ith substantial majorities. He had run a cautiou s and centrist government. That could be the key to Kejriwal. c o ntinuing in office.

''Th ere w ere ru mb lings in the BJP camp that Kejriwal was secretly negotiat ing with the Cong ress party

Parliament. \Vbile concinuing to say tl1at Hazare is his Guru, who "lives in his heart," Kejriwal made the dubious assertion that millions of rupees have been spent co drive a wedge beC\veen him and Hazare.

Kejriwal supposedly wanted the BJP to form the Delhi Government but, in turn, tl1e BJP said that it was Kejriwal's parry which s bould form tl1e G overnment. There were rumblin gs in tl1e BJP camp that Kejriwal was secretly negociacing w itl1

In the Ukr aine ("Little Russ ia"), we are shown in news bulJecins very large g atl1erings fcom the air. But on the grotu1d tl1e story is d ifferent where tl1ere are two op posi ng parties at logger beads, one wishing co join the Em:opean Union and tl1e other wishing to realign themselves with Rus sia. The

current pres ident bas decided to throw rus Jot with his former Soviet parmer Russia. Russia is going to lend t he Ukraine the equiv>1lenr of n.incteen billio n emos a nd besides give a concession (reportedly o f thirty percen t) for gas supplies.

lr is too early to judge the AA P party and tl1e new government in Delhi becau se it will depend on how Ke jriwal runs that government. He has begun by givi ng free water to every household up to a certain limit. However, KejriwaJ's trials have just begU1.1.

e num ers ame

While achieving a high ATAR is considered essential, the true test of strength is in the struggle

Ireceived a message just after the HSC results were released. lt read in pan, as follows, "1 got 64 in English, 65 in Legal Stuclies, 68 in Business Studies, 7 3 in General Mathematics and 64 in Chemistry that's what I got and I can't change it. I just need to continue to work hard to get somewhe re".

1 also received three other messages, two from students who, again st their expectations, got ove r 90 in Legal Studies. The third was about the studemwho came first with 100%, a student who sought m y assistance when seeking to improve her responses.

The apo logies, the relie f, the joy from these different students was palpable. But none of them unde rstand t he meaninglessness of numbers, 100, 92, 90, 64! These numbers do not indicate the struggles each of these. students shared with me through the year The journey was individual for each one, and they faced their own specific clifficul ties and successes

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'64 ' for example, had to face a realisation that academic success framed around competition a nd time tria ls was not a personal strength. With wo rk experience, he saw a manager who worked alongsid e his employees. He found out that the manager was personally paying for the. medical care of a staff member suffering from cancer. He told me he wanted to be. tl1at kind of manager. DL1cing work experience, '64' made. an observation about tl1e supply chain that has since been ad o pted b y the business, saving it time and money

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (AT AR) does not measure his observation or his insight. '92' at 17 years, has already had considerable sporting success, competing nationall y as a sta te champion for many years.

A year younger than most, the HSC can be difficult when time and experience can affect tl1e quali ty of analysis and insight.

Neve rtheless, after spending Year 11 struggling academically, '92' finally started to believe that she could do very well academically by app lying the same discipline and sa:ucnLre to academic stuclies, as s he did to her sporting success. There were, of com·se, tears and frustration o n the. way. She

sometimes stated aloud that she could never get over 12 marks i n a section of the paper worth 15 marks This did not stop her from se nding draft responses again, and ag,iin, and again. Sh e kept refining her answers and seeking her best form.

The J\TAR does not measure her growth in clisciplin e o r humilit)' in accepting tha t s he needed to keep trying.

'90 ' has an older sibling in whose s hadow her academic returns have always been compared. In this context, sbe waited a very Jong time before committing herself ro cryi ng her best. Fear of faihtre can paralyse.

'90' would never ask questions in class for fear of feeling exposed for 'not knowing'. When submitting draft responses, they would usually carry an apology. A strategy was devised whereby she would create an outline ro a question first, and t hat would be marked prior to her writing a complete response. This, she. realised, reduced the tension around havi n g to focus on achievement. Rather, focusing on tl1e Iittle steps helped manage her processes and anxiety. le also hel ped her to concentrate o n skillbuilding.

The ATAR does not measure

self -definition or the effect of the success of an o lder sibli ng on a yow1ger sibling's growth.

'100' worked consi stently and quietl y throughout the HSC year, displaying great cliscipline and tenacity. Howe,, e r, she came seco nd in the trial HSC, not first. This means that within the schoo l coho r r she was n ot always the stro ngest candidate. The student who beaL her in tl1e trial exam worked extremely hard and born students clisp layed excellent organisation, tenacity a nd insight Both sought spec ific mentoring to eraclicate mistakes. '100' competed against herself, whereas me other student so metime s compered against others In t!Jis regard '100' only wanted to do her best, whereas the other smdent wanted to d o her best and also beat everyone else.

The ATAR does n ot measure how a person achieves against his o r her own best self.

Of all tl1ese muubers, in som e. ways, '64' clisplayed some character traits that none o f the others clid. '64' captained a schoo l team and would always help others. When asked to give a speech at a formal dinner, '64' found qualities to celebrate in every o ne of his teammates. He was nervous speaking in front

of a large, forma l gatherin g, but '64' prepared his speech as a leader would do: around the success of each of the others

During the yea r, '6 4 ' befriended tl1e most marginalised students and included tl1ern in the popular group. He also wore the putdowns from three teach ers w ithom anger - though h is anger would have been justified. Veiled comments by tl1ese teachers implied that '64' was dumb and would never achieve Tr is hard to assess what impact the low expectations of these teachers had on the academic success of '64'. It is very important that teachers and parents do not define success in terms of numbers. Numbers are inherently limiting and as shown, can be quite mis leading.

an1

Students from Delhi's Tender Heart School are proud winners at the Special Olympics in Newcastle

Sometimes life brings you che company of fellow htm1an beings who are such an inspiration, thac you feel rejuvcnaced and proud co be one. l\1[eeting Renu Bali, Kakoli Mukhejee and Kacy Fitzgerald, has been one such encounter However, unfortunately meeting cheir wards, che eight participants of the Special Olympics AsiaPaci fic's Team India from Tender Heart School, was not possible as they were flown straight to Newcastle and back. Tender Heart School is in Bhatola, Haryana, a small village si tua red I 0krns from Faridabad, near Delhi. Thar these children have overcome their disability aod participaced in these Games with such success, is something you would like to shom from the rooftops co anyone who cares to listen!

le has bee n an immense effort on che part of chese three women to bring eight children to Australia. Kary, an with a passion for photograph y and for India, sold her photographs taken in India to raise funds for che crave! of tl1ese children to che Special O lympics, held at Newcastle from 1 to 7 December. (Her inspiring story was featured in cbe July 1, 2013 edition of Tndian U11k). At the opening ceremon}; an enthusiastic crowd greeted rhe smallest teams of ach letes from Cambodia and Mongolia, wich as much noise as the 398 athleces in the Australian team. Governor-General Quentin Bryce, welcomed 2,5U0 atbletes from more than 32 countries

Tender Heart is a nongovemment, not- fot-profic organisation, starred 15 years ago, with the aim of providing social and educational opporttmities for disadvantaged children. Ir provides education to ' normal' children from around Bhaco la, chose with physical and mental disabilities who

need special education, and works on helping to empower women 200 cb.ildren and 50 special needs students study and play together in this inclusive school. "Wicb the special need s children, the emphasis is not only 011 provi ding an education, but also on making these often rejected people a pan and parcel of society," says Renu Bali, fonnder of the Tender Hearl School.

"l observed a tendency of these children co feel rejected and depressed, and consequently uninclined to participate in an y activ ity. This resulcs in low selfesteem and obesicy," exp lains Ren u Also observing that given the opportunity, these kids were happy when p laying games, Renu wrote co the Special Olympics Bharat committee and g or the children started on a games training program organised by them. The hrst camp at Jam mu, attended by these children who bad never .left home, was a big challenge. Most of tl1em hardly spoke, but Renu says on the second day, she received a call saying that a d1ild wished to speak ro her. "Yahr111 k,1 pr111eer bah11t acchht1 hai," (the water from here is rea11y good) said the child. Renu was stunned to bear this from a child who apparently had no logical thinking, and hardly spoke before. She realised chat tl1e n-avel and participation in games had made this big difference. "After this, I stepped up participation in training camps. These were often he ld inter-state and l had a cough time convincing parents of children to lee them go, but my efforts paid off," claims Renu. "Each ti.me mey came back wich new words in their vocabulary and started doing very \veil at district, state and then national level games," she adds. Two and a hali years later and the d oors to international level competition were opened co them, so bere d1ey were now - in Australia!

There couldn't have been a prouder sec of people than Renu, Kacy and Kakoli (a special educator at Tender Heart Scbool), when the f:inal medal caJlywas announced. They had no sponsors initially

but kept up with the practice for participants, egged on witl1 a strong determination ro make it happen for tl1is special contingent. Amongst themselves, the eight participants won 14 medals! Team Bharat made up of 381 participants, won 387 medals in all. A tremendous achievement considering diat able-bodied sportsmen at normal Olympics struggle to win a single medal for India! Renn wishes ro make the efforts of these participants known to the whole of l.ndia. "They need to gee a hero's welcome," says Renu. le is a picy that such adulation is r eserved for cricketers and Bollywood stars only, she rues. "ivly aim is to make these children stand on d1eir feet and sustain themselves. l am advocating hard for d1ese participant.~ to get cash awards like otl1er O lympic medal winners This could provide some support, as well as encouragement," she avers. Speaking of hardships, Renu cells the story of when the school had an opporrunicy co send a student for the shot putt activicy. The prob lem was, they did not have o ne. So she asked the child to start by throwing stones, fonnd in abnndaoce around di e school. At first he wasn't happ y doing this. "J0·011 1mjhse pattht11' phek111,lle ho," (Why are you making me mrow scones?') he complained, but chis practice stood him in good stead and he was ecstatic when he won at shot putt at the stare level,

and received a Rs.15,000 cash prize!

One of tl1e participants was Bhupender, and his forte is athletics , Though on the IQ scale, h is ability may be only 35, on the running scale, he beat able -bodied people ro win go ld at the Deihl Marathon. 'Don't DISrnyABlLITY' is what these achievements cry ouc.

Not aU s tudents from Tender Heart School are 'children'. The oldest and sole female participant is Aarti wbo is 32 Participation in each of the sports cacegorr is based on ability. P iyusb who won the IOOm, only wanted to play cricket but Renu's gentle coaxing \vorked. "Nq)'e;oothe doge to 111ai11 bht1f,Oo11ga," ('I will run only if you buy me new shoes') said Piyush, and Renu was more than willing to oblige him with a pair! Otl1er athletes were Deepak, Uttkarsh, Vishesh, VikJ:am and Keshm~ the youngest ac eight.

Reau has a bank of 's uccess stories' about these children, and this is what drives her ro aim higher. Given the opportunity, these special children achieve anything Vikram dropped out of school in Year 7 as his wheelchair was hard to navigate on muddy roads when it rained. He asked Renu if he could learn a vocation.

The girls at the school made soft toys and he started wim drafting and cutting templates, which che girls tl1en stitched During the

course Vikram said he wanted to study again, and so Renn goc him a better wheelchair from Red Cross. Vikram has completed his graduation d1is year in spite of many hurd les. Now international volunteers at Tender Heart are training hin1 in computers as he has been promised a job at Convergys, an IT company, if he is able co upskill in MS Excel.

"\X,'e need parrners on this hard journey Our projects should be able to sustain themselves, and only then can d1ey be successful," says Renu.

Indians in Australia. can help d1ese children and man y others in their situation by becoming a volunteer at tl1e school, buying products made by chem or donating to the Tender Heart Foundation (wwv,aenderhearmgo.org). "There have been many vo lunteers from Australia and w ith tl1eir help we are u·ying to upsk.ill our teachers ro u se better training methods for special needs students. l realise we have a long way co go," says Renu. "\~hen 1 saw Australian children speak on d1e mike before huge crowds at the Special Olympics opening ceren1011y, aU I thoughcwas diat I want to make my children d o tl1at!" We can a11 try ro make chis happen and we don't have to dig deep into our pockets. As Kako li put it, "A dollar a day is more than enougb to bring up a single child in India".

as,

MELBOURNE: Level 7 , 399 Lonsdale Street SYDNEY: Level 4, 545 Kent Street

From eating 12 grapes to wearing polka dots, the special day has many different traditions across the globe, reports FARZANA

AHMAD

Doesn'tNew Year's Eve bear a comfortab le familiarity? Every year, we all know pretty much what's in store People dress up in celebrato ry outfits, children don wings, halos and carry glow sricks Everyone awaits the big m o ment when one yea r will breathe its last aod another will be born. Some stake our die best va ntage points from the morning for the spectacular fireworks and the rowdy countdown to m idnight. There ate New Year E,1e's parries and picnics where people just l et their hair down. Thar's how Australia celebrates the start of the New Year, and that's bow it's done all over the world, rig h t? \'v'RONG

Some culmres take their New Year celebrarions much more seriously, in the belief that what you do on the birth of a year will reflect oo how your luck will play our diroughout the year.

South America

In South American culmre something as simp le as choosing the colour of ym1r underwear on New Year's Eve can play a vital role on how your ludc will pan our for the next 12 months. Ir is ser ious business, so if yo u ate looking for love you go for red, or if it is moner you are after you dish out tliose bright ye t.low Lmderpants.

Britain

Here, the First Foot New Year

INDIAN LINK

custom is quite common. lt is believed tbat the first things a person sees when the New Year arrives is indicacive of d1e rest of the year. A male is usually chosen to eater die house a t midnigh t bearing symbols of prosperity like alcoho l, food, money etc.

Denmark

Two old ew Year customs have smvived in D e nmark to this day Leaping off chairs at the stroke of midnight is believed to ward off evil spirits and tlirowing crockery at friends' houses is a reminder of love and friendship. People store away d1eir cracked plates aocl bowls to tli.row at tlieir friends' houses on ew Yea.r. The more broken crockery you have ac your d oor the next day the luckier you are because it is indicarive o f how many friends you have.

Spain

It is a long standing tradition in Spain co eat 1 2 grapes betweeu the first aod the twel fth Stt<>ke of midnigh t oo New Year. It is believed tlim if you frnish 12 grapes by die last stroke yo u wiU have 12 mond1s of good luck.

The Philippines Filipinos focus on round diings o n New Year. It is strongly believed that consuming round fruits and wearing clothes with cfrcular patterns l ike polka clots ensures good luck for the rest of the year It is associated with gaining wealth in the coming year as coins are round

Panama

ln Panama d1e New Year celebrations take oo a macabre twist. Here, highly detailed dolls cal.led munecos are crafted of promineor celebriries and poliricians and se t alight on New Year.

Ecuador

A similar custom is als o fol.lowed in Ecuad o r where people gather around in die neigh b ourhood and burn pictures of diings they do no r want in the New Year.

Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans clean and decorate d1eir houses in preparation for the New Year. This i s thought to deanse rbe spirit and ward off bad luck. It is al so customary to di row buckets of water out of windows ro tbrow the old year out and make way for the new

Mexico

Staying witl1 d1e spirits, Mexicans celebrate New Year's Eve Lrying to communicate with the dead io order to seek guidance for the coming ye ar. Short sess ions of spiritualism, meditation and communicacion with the dead are offered at various places for a small price.

Chile

Chileans like ro include their deceased ancestors in dieir New Year celebrations as wel.l. The custom here in some cities is to participate in mass on New

Year's Eve and then visit the graveyard to await t he New Year with the dead.

Ireland

1n Ire la nd , singl e women place mistletoe leaves under their pillow on New Year's Eve in rhe hope of finding love and getting married i n the corning year. Tb e mistletoe leaves are also believed to deAect bad luck.

Scotland

The New Year celebrarion or rhe Hogmanay Festival is b igge r than Christmas io Scotland. On l ew Year's Eve rnen parade tlie streets swing ing huge baUs of fire attached co chains, over their heads. ln die Scottish culmre, it is believed that the fire symboli ses purity and is d1ought to bring sunshine and hope. At the end of the ceremony the fue balls are thrown into d1e sea.

So the fact remains d1at despite all of our little differences, deep down we ate all quite similar in our b elief that a n ew year symbolises hope and comes wirh a pro rnise of new beginnings In al.l culmres it is considered a rime co make resolucious to give up bad habits, adopt good changes and loo k fonvard to a better future. Here's co the new year.

If you like Pina Coladas

Grab a few of those spiky, juicy fru

Sure ly you've been to

its

and get that BBQ, blender and oven ready, suggests LENA PEACOCK

a stack of parries b y : now, you've eaten : Roast pork with down to 180 deg rees Celsius and way too much food : pineapple chilli salsa roast for a further 30 mins or uncil and you're starri ng : Serves 4 ski n is crisp an d cracking (use this to worry about making your New : method if the skin o n optio n i s Year's resolutions, or even just : Ingredients chosen). fitting imo your pams. So why :

1.5kg roUed pork roast 2 Mi, all the ingredients for the no t buy some pineapp les and !

½ tbsp sea salt flakes salsa in a b owl and leave in the have a bit of fun with th ese prickly !

1 tbsp olive oil frid ge for an hour for the flavours fruits? : Salsa ro develop.

They're high in fibre, v itamin • 1/2 pineapple, diced inro small 3 Remove the p o r k from the C, fat free, and the best bit? : pieces oven, d iscard the far l ayer and

They're packed full o f bromelai n, : 1 red c hili, sliced finely (seeds slice the m eat. an e nzyme that breaks down : optio n al)

4 Serve t h e meat topped with th e proteins, meaning it's great for : Handful of fresh mint, :finely pineapple salsa and serve w ith digestion (yay!), and yo u can u se it : chopped boiled kipAe r potatoes and a big to te n derise meat. You ;ust might : ½ avocado, diced into small pieces gree n salad drizzled with extra be able to 6t back into your work • Juice of a lime virgin olive o il and lemon juice ward robe after aU! Pinch of se a sale dressing.

A n d h ere's a random pineapple

BBQ Pineiilpple

Set1•es 4

Ingre dients

1 pineapple

2 cup s G r eek style yoghurt

4 tbsp crus h ed macadamias

Method

1. Cut th e pineapple lengthways into eighth s

2 Grill on the BBQ for a few mins on each cut side of the fruit until you see ni ce caramelised grill marks.

3. Serve each quarrer with a small bowl of Greek yoglmrr topped

Method

•-- ---. Cracked black pepper fact for you to pull our at the nexr dinner party, p in eapple is not strictly speaking a fruit, rathe r it's I 00-200 frui dets all fused cogether You don't have to " like. ge tting caught in the rain" for d1ese easy recipes.

1. Pre heat oven co 220 degrees Cel sius Rub salt and olive oil in to skin and place in roasting rray. Roast for 30 mins, the n turn

Note: ff yo1t eat the crackling you are getting more fat and energy, but ifyou're trying to /.ose weight, remove it before eating.

with t he crus h ed macadamias

Note: No, don't peel it. It looks divine with the skin still on. After cooking, just nm a knife between the skin and flesh and cut into segments, but serve this dish intact, on the skin.

Pineapple green smoothie

Ser/Jes 2

In g redie nts

½ pineapple, cue into chunks

1/2 b anana (65g)

1 cup coconut water, ch.iJ.led

Leaves from 2 sprigs o f fresh mint

20g (1 cup) baby spin ach leaves

1 tbsp fresbl y squeezed lemon juice

SmaU Lebanese cucumber (70g) rnr in half

Method

1. Puc aU ingredien ts into a blender and b li tz fo r a couple of mins.

2. Pour over ice cubes inro cwo long glasses and serve.

All recipes courtesy ofnutritionist Dr Joanna McMillan for Australian Pineapples

ueen of the pa e

Here are a few dress styles to rock your Christmas and New Year~ Eve parties and get you in the groove for festive fun

hues in paisley or ikat print if yo u chink that works beaer for you

tBY -d KALYANI WAKHARE

Tis the time of the year we all enjoy, warm weather, holidays, parties, barbeque invitations, festivities and of course, Christmas sales! l always take this opportunity co stock up my wardrobe with quality pieces for which you don't have to pay full price, especially dresses. Also, they are the pieces from your wardrobe that wo.rk overtime in December!

Jf you are investi n g in dresses, rake a look at these fi ve styles that are sure to make a s triking impression at the party.

Sequin and meta ll ic

This is a sure-s hot partywear option! Of course, when it's a bling dress it is bound ro rake cenrrestage, so go easy on accessories. Either choose neutral s andal s and clutch bags, or if you are game to gra b all the attention, pair up bold red sandals with a red pouc! If yo u thought chis dress trend's o nly for the evenings you are almost .right, although a light metallic knir could be worn during the day with Aat sandals and a tan handbag for a chic, dresseddown l ook. For those who prefer co keep it simple, go for sequin embellishments on a sheer dress, or just wear metallic heels with a plain dress.

Printed dress

Move over, Aorals! It's time to think p ol ka dots, watercolour washes and even ethnic prints. I sometimes feel ove rdosed on floral prints by the time Spring comes ro an end! Polka dots can be a refreshing change Classic black and white, or white dots on a pastel background are equally trendy. Play up the dress with contrastin g accessories such as red w ith b lack and white, and nuquoise with pastel pinks and corals! Watercolour prints are nice and su btle for a daytime offi ce Chri stmas party. Pair this with minimal accessories li ke neutral sandals and a peai:I necklace for elegant, sophis ticated g lamour. Opt for ho.I der and mote vibrant

Personall y, I Jove a bright b lue or fiery orange with these prints, and would recommend wearing b lack or g.rey sandals with a matching clutch bag. Remember, when in doubt b lack accessories always work!

LBD

Now, if yo u like the more tried and rested formula for party dressing, tl1ink no further than the LBD (Little Black Dress) . I am a strong belie,7er in this one and think it can suit absolutely anyone, irrespective o f age, body type and pers o nality After all, black is well known co hide your flaws and flatter your body shape. The key lies in finding the best shape, cur and material. A knee length s hift dress with a smart cut is an absolutely stylish option, worn best with animal prints or i:netallic accessories co add that glamorous touch! If you aren't impressed with b y metallic dresse s, try a gold belt with an LBD, it 's trend y and acids just the right amount of bling co yo ur partywear.

Sheer and lace

Another elegant par ty dress option is lace. Black and lace, can there even be anything more attractive than th.is combination? Red or emerald can be exciting too, especially if you wane co be the highlight of the party!

Combine tl1is with black parent leather sandals and a satin clutch to look like a movie star. Sporting an outfit in sheer material w ill make you look like a demure princess, especially if you choose powde r blue or pastel pink. Sheer material like chiffon has a soft, beauti ful fall tl1at is in contrast to a stiffer fabric witl1 sh arp curs. It is therefore e:,sen rial co choose a more re laxed fit for a graceful look. Pointy roe heels and snakeskin b ags can be a good choice with sheer for an edgy l ook.

Block colour

This one's perl,aps the easiest to shop for and is stylish too. There is absolutely no dearth of smart d resses in so lid colours like cobalt b lue, tangerine, bottle green, deep red I could go on an<l on! The fun Lies in picking a lovely sun.1mer colour (one that best Aarrers your

skin cone) and playing with fun accessories. Statement necklaces work perfectly with solid colours. You could also experiment ,vith some unique separates like a printed cluLch bag and embellished peep-roe heels. Alternately you could add a belt in a conu:ast colour co the dress, and coordinate yout heels with the belr

I hope you enjoy chis party season co the fullest and have fun with these suggestions to create your dream party outfit.

ur

Volunteering and travelling to make a difference to the less fortunate can be a life changing experience

Think about a paid travel experience to vo lunteer and be the change in rural pans of lndia and Kenya Prom helping communities co buiJcling toilets in schools, planting trees, learning arcs and crafts to tmderstanding their basic needs, and living in their shoes for a period of two weeks le is bound to be a life changing

" I believe travel and voltu1teering are the most amazing ways co open people's eyes to new perspectives and to see what really matters in their life," says Kristy Moore of Hand Up Australia, a social enterprise that provides a unique opportuniry for Australians tO connect and experience life in mraJ India.

Hand Up Australia was founded in December 2012, with ove r 4 ,000 people participating in their international pro!,,>rams from UK, Canada and U SJ\ over the past 10 years, through Hand Up 1\ustralia's international pa r tner Me to \Xie. For the first time, these volunteer travel adventures have been made available to .Australians, with two trips already made co India.

' Hand Up Australia believes in providing a hand up, rather than a hand our," says Kristy. "\Ve believe las ting posi rive change is best achieved through selfactualisarion". The organisation connects Australian vo lunteers with Free the Children, an international charity which works in North West India around the villages of Udaipur with the communities of Lai, Berna., Barind, to name a few.

The most recent trip co India in September 2013 saw a group of six Melbourne teenagers visiting the communiry of Barind. "This trip confirmed my belief that people who have a better understanding of gratitude and empathy are the happiest people in the world," says Hugh Van Cuy lenburg, who connects Hand U p Australia in secondary schools". He further says char while building a toilet in the school fo r the girls in particular,

they realised that fifty percent of the girls had scopped coming to school once they hit puberry, as d1ere were no proper hygiene facilities available to them. The volunteers often joined the boys at the school during d1eir games sessions, or he lped them in their herb garden "\'{l ith this project we hoped that mo re girls would attend school," says H.ugh.

So who can apply? " Our programs are open to Australian families, business teams, adults and teenagers who are looking for a meaningful and sustainable way to make a difference in the world, and a lso in their own work or family life," says Kristy. " Our team of passionate t:rnvellers, volunteers and business professionals are happy to make it easier for Australians to volunteer overseas". You can either appl)' online, attend an information session, or invite the Hand Up Au stralia team to s peak at your company, group or scho0I. Their onetime fee covers all ground costs, including transport, accommodation, meals, facilitation and safety for 5-20 days Itineraries are handed out before each trip, with activities ranging from being welcomed into the homes of local community members, learning t heir l ocal language, customs and traditions, exercising at die break of dawn, learning and gaining an insight about microfinances, or helping chem in getting clean drinking water.

''Purpose built living areas are provided for guests of these

programs, surrounded b y stunning sceneq, and near die communities with which they meet and work," says Krisry. "Working alongside community members enab les vol unteers to be part of solutions that break the cycles of p o verty, w ithout feeling like they are imposing in an y way".

Krisry further states that parents of teenagers from d1e last: India trip said d1ey feel cl.at the ir children appreciate their education much more than before.

The next Hand Up Australia trip has been organised for January 2014, and interested adventurers will be advised about which commttnity they wili be working with from the eight village~ on d,e list.

Children's charity OzChild needs you.

We need someone like you - Someone who is caring and patient ; who won't see the d isability, but see their own ability to help

With training and support you can help g ive these families much needed respite Two days a month is all it takes to support a family.

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking suitabl e match for Punjabi Khatri 33 years o l d 5'2"well qualified, fair, slim, beautiful, family oriented girl. Currently working as IT analyst in Sydney. Innocent divorce Well settled, qualified professional suitable matrimony required Caste no bar. Email biodata with photo to: matrimonial4alliance@gmail.com or cal l 0413 820 305

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SEEKING

BRIDES

Our son is a Sydney based, 31-year- old Hi ndu He i s slim, fair, 160cms, and i s divorced after a brief marriage, graduating from part-ti me, government job He is seeking a bride and is respectfu l to elders Email: humtum772012@gmai l. com or text +61 438 235 205

Seeking bride for 30-year- old Hindu Punjabi boy of 5 ' 8'; who has a Bachelor of Business in finance, and i s a res ident of New Zealand Working w ith g l obal FMGC i n Auckl and, earn ing 100k +NZD / annum, l ooking for educated, outgoing, professiona l girl in New Zealand or Australia. Contact father on:jaipal datta@gmai l.com

Alliance invited for well educated , never- married, 5'9'; Sikh Khatr i boy, Parents seeking match for fair, slim Hindu who was born in 1975. Looking for Sindhi girl who is 33 years, 156cm working compatib l e Sikh girl from Austra lia as lectu rer at a leading university Permanent Early marriage Phone: 0415 079 724 resident of Austra lia with dual degree M. or email: jas ghai01@hotma il.com Com (Accounts and Finance), fond of sports, travelling and cooking We are a tight knit, professional family Please mail proposal with education job details and recent photo to: mohri l 324@gmail.com or call 0406 608 146

Well established pharmacist Brahm in, 38 years o ld, owns two large pharmacies in Perth and seeks very attractive, dynamic, caring, confident and cultured girl under the age of 36 She should have family values and be wel l attuned to western conditions Contact: 0411 770 755 or email : chetanh@westnet.com au

TA n QTPR~DICTIONS !=OR ~__,, K

By NANCY JADE ALTMEA

ARIES March 21 - April 19

2014 will be an interesting and eventful year for you. The cards indicate challenges in your relationship, continuing perhaps from last year. The middle of 2014 will see things ease up, though. There may be health issues around your partner. Perhaps another relationship will exert stress in your relationship. Be careful of your urge to break away and remain distant. Work will be rewarding. Try meditation to bring in some calm.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

A wonderful time for work: your hard work in the past is paying off. Grab all opportunities that come your way. This is a time for serious hard work and accomplishments. Tarot sees strong teamwork. Your work wi ll take over your life. Personal life takes a backseat until the end of the year. Make plans to take breaks in between your busy work schedule: it will do you and your body a lot of good. Spend time with family.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

This is a great time for growth in professional life. You look and feel strong, with finances also a lot better later in the year. If looking for a stable relationship you may decide to tie the knot in the second half. You will feel at peace mentally and that your life is going according to your requirements. You will feel charged up and full of energy for most of the year. Do not allow anyone's negativity to affect your positive feelings.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

2014 will be a very fruitful year for you. You have many dreams and ideas and your motivation is on a high. Your personal connections are going to be valuable at the beginning of the year. Financially there will be highs and lows, and you must keep a constant eye on what is coming in. There will be some interest in arts and you may take on a short hobby course. A special person could enter your life in June/July.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

This will be a fantastic year for work, with expansion and huge gains. Your confidence is on a high and you will focus on new projects. The second half of the year will be slower but things will still be on a level. You have dreamt of changes, now is the time to reap rewards. Travel is on the cards yet again. Your marriage will go through some stress. A person from the past might return and cause some excitement. Watch your health.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This year offers growth and numerous gains at work.Your persistent hard work and new ideas will give you continuous motivation and energy. Personal life will be harmonious. Tarot foresees a lot of socialising and friends around you. Be careful offlirtations though, and keep that ego in check! You will want your partner to be more giving, and you need to be careful that you do n o t start becoming over demanding.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

This year is all about communication. You wi II be inclined towards being friendly and also trying to better yourself as a person. Tarot foresees a lot of community work. You ·, will spend time around nature and with people who have suffered trauma. You seem to be spending less time with your partner. If you are looking for a mate, you will find someone during a trip where there is greenery and water.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

2014 will be a fantastic year for you, after much struggle last year. You are able to look forward to some fantastic times professionally. Be warned though as there could be some stress in your personal life due to unexpected financial pressures. Keep your expenses in control , and do not spend money you do not have. Be careful of taking rash decisions. Your temperament needs to be checked too.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

You have many plans up your sleeve to make this an interesting year. You may be looking at settling in another country, as this has been a dream for a long time. Or you could add to yourfamily. Some of your more personal goals may take a while to achieve. You will lack in energy in the second half of the year. Your stamina is normally very high and it will be back on track. Enjoy the ride.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This year you will be busy in every area of your life You will find opportunities which will take you to new heights You will be involved in social groups and discussions, or even public speaking. At home there is maintenance to carry out. With personal ties you will need to put in adequate effort to maintain the bond. After a year of struggle your mind is made up that you will not allow the same situations to occur.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

At work there are some changes coming up, with new roles and more responsibility. There will be some travel; you may J also work in another city or state. You will plan to put in place some policies to protect your family. Spend time with family. , You may not have a fantastic relationship with your spouse but you will be able to sort things out. There may be some upsetting news at the end of the year.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20

This year you will be very busy and not only with work. You will be like a social butterfly, with some lovely people around you who are helpful and caring. Work will be a little boring so you will look for other opportunities, perhaps even set up on your own. You will be look at ways to increase your curiosity about spirituality. Taking time out will also do you good this year. This year will start off with an emotional high.

INTRIGUING BUT UNl=INISMED...

DHOOM3

STARRI NG: Aamir Khan, Katrina Kaif, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra

DIREC TOR: Vijay Krishna Acharya

here is a secret that this intriguing film springs at us mid-point. Alas, the secret, if one may ca ll it that, only contours the film's most well-known fact: this is an Aamir Khan show all the way. And he gets to give his most overthe--top performance, some of which looks like a dig at Shah Rukh Khan's My Name Is Khan, since, hold your breath, Dharmesh Darshan's Mela.

Okay let's say it out loud there are two Aamir Khans in Dhoom 3. Twin brothers out to have some serious fun at the cost of the city of Chicago where the cops, we get to know, are so dumb they need help from their Indian counterparts Which is really ironical when considered in the context of present-day political relations between India and America.

But this, as we know, is Chicago as seen through the eyes ofthe architects of the Dhoom franchise Director Vijay Krishna Acharya who helms this avatar of Dhoom furnishes a fabulous style to the proceedings. The frames are beautifully lit. Sudeep Chatterjee's cinematography knows, recognises, acknowledges and records beauty in every form, from the architecture to Katrina Kaif.

The preamble with Jackie Shroff playing a magician on the skids, is done up in shades of shimmering discontent suggesting a deep fracture in the plot separating the haves from the have-naughties.

A sense of twinkle-eyed mischief

never abandons the narrative

And thank God for a sense of humour to back up the boytoys that the grownups seem to be playing with. Gimmicky props are constantly brought up for consideration. Sleek motorcycles that turn into moto rboats in green-blue canals, magicians'tricks which show up at any given moment, twins who swap roles without warning

There is a tremendous sense of fun and games in the goings-on But there is al so a deep sense of tragedy underlining the playfulness. Sombre ramifications accentuate the bevy of bacchanalia.

The finely framed-out film finally comes to a very sad conclusion where the theme of the twin is seen as a mirror-image that's wiped out under pressure

Aamir holds the key to the film's efficacy. And how much you like this segment of the Dhoom franchise depends enti rely on how well you accept Aamir's over-emphasised performance, ceaseless smi rk, constantly arched eyebrows and all. I was left w ith very mixed feelings about the performance.

Abhishek Bachchan as Jai, Aamir's lawenforcing adversary tries to offset Aamir's double-edged swat with some straight faced acting. Uday Chopra as Abhishek's sidekick Ali is hopelessly uninteresting. And the Jai-Ali nexus is celebrated in some really dumbed- down action borrowed from Prabhudheva's cinema

Katrina Kaif has a series of breathtaking dances to perform. She jumps, glides, somersaults and gambols until we flip for her graceful moves. She al so has a very interesting date- sequence with the shy, stammering Aam i r-avatar where she confidently ties his shoelaces for him quipping, "Nice excuse to bring a girl on her knees on the first date".

There is a bed-rock of warm humour underlini ng the plot. The director knows how to juice the characters' emotions without spilling the sentiments all across the frames. Messy, Dhoom 3 is not. It is a well-packaged enrapturing drama with beautifully designed sequences

Technical l y Dhoom 3 is one-up on the first and second instal ments of the series. There are beautifully layered frames, shots where the lighti ng creates the afterglow that fol l ows moments of spiritua l revelation. Though that sort of depth is just an illusion and a mirage in this film, like the magician's trick which defines the film's plot.

Dhoom 3 is an i ntri guing piece of work: slender, suppl e, sma rt and subtle; and yet helmed by a central performance that screams for attention.

Such is the irony of life.

SUBHASH K.JHA

MAJESTIC ODE TO LIFE AND LOVE

DEDH ISHQIYA

CAST: Naseeruddin Shah, Madhuri Dixit, Arshad Warsi and Huma Qureshi

DIRECTOR: Abhishek Chou bey

ust to hear these roguish, duplicitous characters walk the talk is a pleasure beyond the ordinary. Make no mistake. Dedh lshqiya walks many extra miles beyond your highest expectations. It negotiates a nawabi era long gone, or perhaps never in existence. And it does so with a bracing bewildering beguiling blend of aristocratic arrogance and ironic humility.

Welcome to the world of quaint contradictions This is Mehmoodabad, a place close to yet far from Lucknow where time stops still, where mushairas and mujras jostle with very contemporary preoccupations, like making fast bucks.

The one thing that can be said with supreme certainty about Dedh lshqiya is that you've never seen such a marriage of old-world charm and new-world subterfuge before.

Who in his right mind except the utterly wacked-out Babban (Arshad Warsi) would say, Tumhari saari nawaabi, tumhare pichwade mein ghused dunga and get away with it? Yup, nawaabi gets its twinkle-eyed comeuppance in this tale of the fading Begum (Madhuri Dixit) and her besotted suitors.

EPIC FAIL

MAHABHARAT 3D

VOICES OF: Amitabh Bachchan, Sunny Deol, Vidya Balan, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha DIRECTOR: Amaan Khan

1rlrxx:.r

f you were hoping that animation films would come of age with this purported epic, you are in for a disappointment. Though the characters from Mahabharathave faces and voices ofthe biggest stars, the images do not add upto a compelling canvas Not by a wide margin.

Or, perhaps, it's because those eminently known faces and voices assume the roles of the mythological characters that we are unable to connect, let alone empathise with the astonishing tale of valour, manipulation and war that we've grown up with. Folklore and mythology when done with excessive flamboyance loses its efficacy.

The presentation is epic in intent, yes. Alas, the execution, packaging and

There is a delightful sequence in Madhuri's mysteriously-lit inner chamber where Naseeruddin Shah and Madhuri exchange courtly confidence while their respective sidekicks discuss the pluses and minuses of latest iPhones.

A sequence such as this draws out the dynamics of the old and the new world, and the ideological clashes that define life in certain cultures which are defined not so much by contemporary existences as by nostalgia.

This is a world that exists only as an idea Director Abhishek Choubey gives a tantalising tangibility to the non-existent world in this boudoir-based burlesque where autumnal characters filch Urdu poetry from their peers and pass it off as their own to gain brownie points with the grand patroness of the fine arts, who incidentally is not quite what she seems. But hush!

Without giving away the plot I'd like to say nothing is as it seems.

The roguish deceptions of two of the four principal characters, Khalujaan (Naseer) and Babban are known to us from the first film lshqiya, in which the Naseer-Arshad duo more than met their match in the spunky Vidya Bal an.

The location has now changed. And so have the female protagonists. The rustic cow dung compulsions ofBalan's burlesque in lshqiya are now replaced by the decorous but decadent tragic aristocracy of Madhuri's Begum Para.

When we first meet Begum, she strikes us as a beautiful anachronism Honestly, projection leave the epic undernourished and overemphasised.

The magic of animation cinema is to transport the audience into the world of make-believe, but in a way that we forget the characters are not real people. In other words, for animation to be effective, the narration must transcend the technique of animation.

Mahabharat, as told by director Amaan Khan, never goes beyond self-congratulation. The animation characters are so busy posturing they are never humanised. All we see are graphics, not the spectacular characters from the Mahabharat whom we've grown up with We hear them. But they never attain credible shapes on screen.

To their credit, the superstars have lent their voices with great d ignity and restraint. And I'd have been happy just hearing Mr Bachchan as Bheeshma Pitamah, Sunny Deol as Bheem, Vidya

this is a 'Para'-normal situation! Madhuri's lahja, tehzeeb, adaas, aahen gile-shikwe remind us of Meena Kumari in Pakeezah. But the lady has a past, and a future. She is no walkover, although she pretends to be one.

Her lady-in-waiting (a very Shakespearean touch, that) is played by the exorbitantly sexy Huma Qureshi, who is growing into one of our more engaging contemporary actresses I really can't imagine anyone but Huma bringing the same libidinous chutzpah to the character. She is in many ways superior to the film's main attraction, Madhuri who I felt struck some wrong notes in her character's faltering firmament.

But when Madhuri dances to Birju Maharaj's choreography we tend to forget and forgive all the false notes in the characterisations.

Naseer with his wizened face and twinkle eyes conveys the full weight of delayed ecstasy felt by a man belatedly in love. If recently you've forgotten this actor's calibre, here's your chance to rediscover it.

The inimitable Guizar has a l oad of fun writing the songs. This is a world of poetry and music where there is room for both Begum Akhtar and Yo Yo Honey Singh.

Giving Naseer tit for tat in every scene is that bundle of implosive talent Arshad.

Kohl-lined eyes, and a sweeping vista of mischievous expression qualify Arshad's performance. Indeed there is more ice and fire, courtship and lust, in Warsi's scenes with Huma than there is in the temperate toned-down mocktragic togetherness of Na seer and Madhuri.

Indeed, the film is more about same-gender bonding than about heterosexual l ove. I saw more chemistry between Madhuri and Huma than I did between Madhuri and Naseer.

Dedh /shqiya is at least The writing in Dedh lshqiya and the Urdu dialogues are among the best we've heard in Hindi films of recent times. The language is a ravishing blend of the sublime and the smutty Here's a world of poetry and parody that never co-existed anywhere else. This is a work suffused with a sighing splendour, giggly groans and yes, a zingy zubaan that yokes shayari and colloquialisms. At least dedh times more audacious and amorous than lshqiya!

What an enticing start to the year.

SUBHASH K. JHA

BaIan as Draupadi. and what have you.

Incidentally Draupadi's vastrahan scene has to be seen for us to know how clumsily inadequate the animation and graphics are The saree doesn't unfurl. It ties itself up in knots, in a manner of speaking.

There is a laboured attempt here to prove that animation has come to

animated life in Indian cinema. Sadly it ends up proving only the opposite. We've a long way to go. If you want to see a credible dramatically deft adaptation of the Mahabharat, check out B R. Chopra's televised version

As for animation, I suggest Indian ci nema leave it alone.

SUBHASH K. JHA

RIP FAROOQUE SI-IEIKI-I

Multi-faceted actor Farooque Sheikh's life came to an abrupt end on Dec 27 in Dubai following a cardiac arrest. He was 65. The talent, who delivered impeccable performances in films as well as in TV shows and on stage, will be remembered by his colleagues and confidantes for his innocent charm, uninterrupted honesty to his craft and his unmatched humility, colleagues and friends in the industry said

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, with whom he was on a vacation in Dubai.

From his big screen debut with the widely acclaimed Garam Hawa in 1973 to films like Shatranj Ke Khilari, Bazaar, Umrao Jaan, Chash me Buddoor and Saath Saath; TV shows like Shrikant, Chamatkar, Ji Mantriji and Jeena lsi Ka Naam Hai; and a longrunning play like Tumhari Amrita - Farooque's body of work was creatively rich.

Born March 25, 1948 in Baroda, Sheikh started as a theatre actor and later went on to exhibit his natural flair for acting in both parallel and mainstream cinema If he convincingly played a nawab in UmraoJaan, he essayed the role of a common man in ChashmeBuddoorwith equal aplomb.

He featured in just over 50 films, but it was enough for him to make an impact He took the 2010 National Film Award for best supporting actor for the film Lahore.

Furthermore, his finesse at creating a balance between the two worlds continued till the end - he was seen in the box office b l ockbuster Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewanl and the critically acclaimed Club 60 and Us ten Amaya.

His last assignment was Youngistaan, scheduled for release later this year

Although Farooque finished his work on the film a few weeks ago, the film wrapped up production on Dec 28 a day after his death

ProducerVashu Bhagnani offered an unusual tribute He orderedjalebis for the entire unit.

"In October, Farooque saab had personally got us jalebis from this particular shop in Indore and force fed all of us I am not a jalebi guy. But I enjoyed Farooque saab 's insistent warmth On the last day of shooting, we celebrated his positive spirit by ordering his favourite jalebis''.

Farooque's last scene for Youngistaan was to include a guest appearance by bigwig Ajay Devgn The late actor shot the scene without his co-star, who could not be available, because he wanted to finish off his commitment without inconveniencing anyone

Cool, laid- back King Khan

He is known for his endless energy, undying l ove for h is craft and being a workaho li c. But superstar Shah Rukh Khan says now he doesn't work as much and feels inspired with others' good work.

Shah Rukh, who had only one release in 2013, superhit Chennai Express, featured in just one movie in 2012 too - late filmmaker Yash Chopra's last d irectorial venture Jab Tak Hai Jaan. And now in 2014, he is shooting for Farah Kha.n's Happy New Year, which also stars Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood and Deepika Padukone

I have become laid-back and I have started working less. I fee l happy if the quality of work that others do is good. I l ook at their performances and get i nspired;' Shah Rukh revealed recently at the 14th Zee Cine Awards, which he wi ll host He is also planning a special l ive performance for the event, which will be exclusive and not seen before

After being a part ofthe fi l m industry for over two decades, SRK said he i s over the initial excitement of being nominated for awards "I have been a part of so many award functions that I have lost the system of waiting to see if I have been nominated. An award is a reflection of a whole year's work. If I win, I feel thrillec;t if I don't, then I think I wi ll work hard next year," he sai d The actor stated that he dedicates all his awards to his children - Aryan, Suhana and AbRam "I dedicated my first award to my mom Now I dedicate them to my children;· he said. "Either I keep it on my daughter's or my son's bedsid e table. I keep alternating They get very happy," he added

However, the Bollywood Bad shah says the awards teach the rig ht lessons to his chi ldren. "The next day (after winning the award), I take out some time to tell them that I have got the award due to my efforts, so that they concentrate on that rather than the stardom and glamour, which surround it," he said.

King Khan also recently performed with southern stars Mohanl al and Mammootty at an awards ceremony in Dubai recently, and said that he was touched by the Iove they bestowed on him The actor took to Twitter to share the emotion s he experienced on performing w ith the two stars "To be given so much love by Mammootty and Mohanla l sir, felt like crying receiving so much kindness from artists who inspire me to be an actor;'Shah Rukh posted. "Heading back to Mumbai, all issues of li fe seem sma ll. I felt so proud to be an actor tonight. Thank you all and Allah for giving me so much l ove;' he added.

So wi ll it be just Happy New Year for SRK in 2014? Or will he break the spell and bring out a coupl e of blockbusters? Let's wait and see

40 and still a hotty!

Hunky actor Hrithik Roshan turned 40 on January 10, with family, friends and colleagues taking to the net to w i sh the star strength and happiness. Hrithik certain ly seems to have gone through a rough patch i n 2013, with varied medical problems and a split from wife and childhood sweetheart Suzanne Khan.

The one bright spark i n the year past was naileing his popularity as Indi a's celluloid superhero once again with the success of Krrish 3 On his birthday, friends and fami ly, including his former sister- in- law and jewellery designer Farah Khan, and celebrities like Vivek Oberoi and Prateik Babbar took to Twitter to wish him.

But ifthere's one person with unfailing faith in the star's success, its dad Rakesh Roshan, who says that he would never work with any other actor, unl ess he is making a women-centr ic drama like Khoon Bhari Maang Rakesh had launched Hrithi k with the b l ockbuster Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. Later they worked together in the"Krr ish" series.

Sharing an emotiona l moment, the director and filmmaker said, "He can work with outsid e directors. But I'd never work with any other actor, unless I am making an out-and-out heroine-oriented film like Khoon Bhari Maang. I might be tempted to make a fi l m with a fema l e protagonist, but only if Hrithik is too busy to work with me:·

Rakesh predicts th at H rithi k too will direct a fi l m some day. "Now I fee l Hrithik, who is such a successful actor, far more than I ever could be, has a fi lmmaker lurking within him. He will one hundred percent direct a film some day. Mark my words, he'll be a very fine director. I am sure of that. He may not be a good producer, but he'll be a ter r ific director," he said.

MADHURI DIXIT

Rakesh admits that he has enjoyed Hrithik's films outside the famil y banner. "I liked his performance immensely in Jodhaa-Akbar, Agneepath, Guzaarish and specially Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in which he had to play a normal regular guy That's really difficult to do He never let us feel a superstar was playing that role,"he said.

But first and foremost, Rakesh daims that he wants his son to be happy. "My wife and I want Hrithik to be happy and at peace with himself, no matter what," said Rakesh who looks forward to launching Hrithik's sons - Hrehaan and Hridhaan - as heroes "Provided they want to be in films. I'd love to launch them My b lessings are with Hrithik. Whatever he does in life, my wife and I want him to never change

He's kind, helpful generous. He deserves happiness;' he said Seems like Rakesh has Hrithik's life panned out for him - no pressure, dad!

Madhuri makes a magical comeback

The verdict on Abhishek Chaubey's bold film Dedh lshqiya is out. Critics have extoll ed it as a "genuinely smart film'; "deliciously dark film'; "rich cinematic experience" and "a gripping fare''.

Audiences have loved it too And the accolades make it a perfect comeback for Madhuri Dixit.

Seen on the big screen in a lead role after a gap of seven years, the 46-yearold diva made an impressive attempt as a fading 'begum' named Begum Para in the movie

In the sequel to lshqiya in 2010, the

WI-IO WORE IT BETTER?

HRITHIK RO SHAN

recently released Dedh lshqiya has bought Madhuri accolades, but more for her chemistry with actress Huma Qureshi, than her jodi with Naseeruddin Shah One of the critics even said there was more chemistry between Madhuri and Huma as compared to Madhuri and Naseer.

Naseer and Arshad, who reprised their roles of Khalujaan and Babban respectivel y from lshqiya, also won many hearts Of course, Huma has proved that her work in Gangs of Wasseypur was not a flash in the pan And its not just crit i cs who are raving about the film, even industry colleagues and fans have been surprisingly generous with their praise.

Well, its clear that this is just the beginning of another stint in Bollywood for Madhuri! Quite the comeback!

Suchitra Sen still not out of danger

At the time of going to press, veteran Bengali actress Suchitra Sen was in a stabl e condition, but not out of danger as she was hospitalised in Kolkata. The veteran actress initially suffered chest infection, and was undergoing treatment for it at the nursing home since Dec 23, but her condition worsened, prompting doctors to put her on a ventilator.

Family members of the 82-year-old actress have been by her bedside throughout the day and she has been communicating through signs and gestures

Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianlinkAustralia

Suchitra Sen, dubbed as Greta Garbo of Bengali cinema, has rema ined an enigma as she has avoided spotlights since her retirement. She gave powerpacked performances in h i ghly acclaimed fi lms such as DeepJweleJaai and Uttar Falguni in Bengal i, as well as Hindi movies like Devdas, Bombai Ka Babu Mamta and Aandhi She won the best actress award for Saat Paake Bandha at the Moscow Film Festival in 1963 Get wel l soon, Suchitra Sen.

sHAHRUKH KHAN

SUCHITRA SEN

Jacqueline Fernandes or Ashley Benson in Amit GT?

ueen-size resolutions

The Queen, Julia Gillard and Miley Cyrus reminisce on the year thatwas and pen their hopes for the new year

Got way over (nearly a nullion) for m y Alcona cottage; taxpayers will fork our 200k a year co support me for the rest of my life and pocketed haJ f a million advan ce ro writ e a book. Now Living in m y seaside mansion lam reminiscing how 2013 turned Out 't1t1111JS honibilis' w ith misogyruscs calling me n ames, co!Jeagues colluding co ditch me and wor st of all Bill short-changed me hours afte r swearing loyalty and the front-line feminist Penny w(r) on g- footed me. There was no one around to crust. The only bloke who stood behind me was my hair stylist - nor for doing the hair though Of course, my dog coo I am spiJJi ng the bean s in my book for the 201 4 Xmas release a1Jd want it to be a b lockbuster. I need co hurry up before that crafty Kevin d oes bis book''

Therese's diary read, "If only those millions of selfies had turned out to be votes, Kev would still be king"

' : BY Z:,. LP AY ER

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up a Little later than usual and srarted cleaning LIP the debris of the pre,rious night's party on the rear deck of empty b ottles, paper p lates, left-over rubb les and other bits and pieces 1 found an innocuous brown envelope near a pot plant. From ES. I have 11 0 Eartb Sbaket as a friend or foe. I'vfaybe so me guest bad forgotten it?

Instead of ringing 50 odd people I decided co open it ro find its owner. I felt a lightning strike from above and the earth below me opening up at the same time. Signed Edward Snowden. \Xlhy me of all the people, I wonde red?

Since the ABC was snowed down by scatlung cri ticisrn for releas ing his last leak on Australia spyi ng Indonesian leaders, S n owden wanted some other 'reliable' source to do the job. Knowing that I often write t he Backchat page, be mig ht have chosen me to tell the world, a wad of New Year's reso lutions of some of t he powerful persons on this planet, the real Quee n and some reality queens. Having a cult fo llo\\>7ng for my Backchat I am 3

duty bound to tell the I.Juk readers first.

The top sheet was a parchment paper with an embossed crest in gold. The Queen in her own hand,vriting had penned, "Like the Ashes, my recent Christmas message was a lose cause. My audience once stretched from Sydney to Saskatcliewan, but has now shrunk co the E nglish shores. Even Lad y Gaga, who is no l ady, has more Facebook followers than l. Even m y tweets are not as well received as the b udgies in Fergie's (Andy's ex) books Otl1erwise 2013 bas b een goo d to m e B y George, m y Royal brood has expanded, but m y \Y./WW (\'\!orld's Wealthiest Women) ranking has gone one uocch be low that woman, the uncrowned qneeo of m y former colony considered a jewel in the

crown. Hope 2014 turns o m better, only i f my horses can win J\scot".

The second was from the queen behind the Delhi ' durbar'. "It has been a rewarding 20'13. 1 am now the 12"' richest woman eclipsing Elizabeth tbanks to the fair- minded Indian masses They prefer to be ruled by anyo ne w ith a fair skin. Even m y mother-inlaw preferred me 0\7 er her native hahu I wish the H11ffingto11 Post didn't publish that I'm worth two billion. 0 f course it is all huffing and puffing since they withdrew it. I am content \Vith my lot. But only o n e s m all wisl1 for 2014. Just that old chair once my husband, mother-in -law and her father occupied in the South Block.

If Rahul, with his popularity p lummecing can't get it 1 wish Priyanka picks up that piece".

Julia GiUard's was next. "Lost the throne but made a fortune

Next one from another woman who reigned from behind tl1e s cene. Therese's diary read, ·'If only chose millions of 'selfies' h ad mrned out co be vo tes, Kev would still be lung Poor chap is busy writing lus story witb 'program matic specilicity.'

UNdeterred he is fl ying aroLmd the g lobe lobbying for some UN job UN mindful of airlines' cold sandwiches Hope 201 4 UN folds a funtte that ,vill m ake the UNgrateful Aussi es squirm for U, ceremonious ly du mp ing him. For me, of course, 2014 holds a bright fmure wich Hold e n workers lining up at m y recru.ianenc firms looking for jobs With my assets now to uclung 200 millions, mi s Rein is well 011 the way to catch up w ich that Rinehart".

:Mil ey Crrus' list popped up ne.xt. \Xlh at else is left for th is pop queen to reveal? My curiosi ty revved up ro see her stuff.

"What have you been doing in the deck so long?" my wife ye lled ouc. Hurriedl y stuffing the papers in to tl1e envelope, I sheepishly said, "Wond ering what New Year resolution should I cake?"

" Don'c spend too much time writing silly articles. That should be resolution," was her fu·sc piece of advice for the New Year.

Happy ew Year e~reryone!

Now living in my seaside mansion lam reminiscing how 2013 turned out 'annus horribilis' with misogynists calling me names, colleagues colluding to ditch me and worst of all Bill short-changed me hours after swearing loyalty and the front- line feminist Penny w(r)ong-footed me