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INDIAN TIMES

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EDITORIAL INDIAN LINK PUBLISHl:R ~a-Yan Luthra·

Heading for a much needed change

l:DITOR f?ajni An_arid Lu~bra

' ASSISTANTl:DITOR L~~~ Peac~ck · Sheryl DiJ<it .Ml:LBOURNI: COORDINATOR · Preeti Jabbal C:QNTRIBlJTORS .

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Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 l=ax: 02 9279·2005 !:mail: info@indianlink.com.au

ven m tbeir most ardent supporters, it must be clear that the Congress party in India is headed for defeat in tbe forthcoming general elections. The electio ns ru:e about four months away, and while a week can be a long time in politics as th ings can change overnight, the question which looms for the Congress party is not if they can win, but how many sears can they acmaU)• hold on to. The experts feel that anything over a 100 in the 545+ Lok Sabha will be a good resulr.

The Congress faces the burden of incumbency. After 10 years in power, they are looking old and jaded. They are failing to capture the attention of the constituenrs, whereas the Bbru:atiya Janara Party has a strong and a highly controversial leader in Narendra Modi, who is successfully positioning bimself as a viable alternative.

What also hurts the Congress party is the lack of puhLic information about who acmaUy leads the party.

E

While Manmohan Singh has kept the Prime :tvlinister's seat warm, he is not seen as particularly charismatic.

Rahul Gandhi is muted as the heir apparent to the leadership, but bis recent performance on a popular TV show was universaUy lampooned, and he came across as a man who did no t have a clue on important local issues. His inability to articulate under questioning was painful to watch. Whether the Congress party considers someone outside the Gandhi dynasty is highly improbable, but perhaps there will be some deep soul-searching i f the elections create the catas trophic effect which pundits are predicting for d1e Congress.

Meanwhile, after forming government in Delhi, the fledgling Aam Aadmi Party has its share of support, though largely from the northern states. lts early days of governance in Delhi have been marked by a show of incompetence, but just the facr that the party is willing to stand against tbe endemic cocruptiou in India is enough to stimulate the hearrs and minds of voting Indians.

Of the 800 mirnon people in lndia who will be voting in the next elections,

150 mirnon will be first-time voters.

This generation that has grown up in the 2000s, having come across constant blockages co their dreams and aspirations from dishonest practices, will use their voting power co challenge the accepted norm of corruption.

Surprisingly, it is only lately that d1e Supreme Court of India has stood up against politicians with criminal records who may want ro contest in the next elections.

Currently, there are 162 Lok Sabha members who have criminal charges filed against them, and of these 72 are serious charges such as rape, robbery and murder. The Aam Aadrni Party on its platform of anti-corruption, has a very fertile field on which to plam its fumre plans.

The beauty of India's democracy is that after the elections, the bacon could change solely on d1e wishes of the constituents. 800 million people will express their wishes, and the politicians will follow their orders. How wonderful is that!

Pawao Luthra is the 2012 Parliament of NS\V Multicultural Journalist of the Year.

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STAGE

Strong Indian influence at CWAE event Indian artistes, in collaboration with local talent, make the CWAE event a memorable one

~ was_ a me morable eve~ng tor VlSJ rors to the Canrung World Arts Exchange (CWAE) free evem at che Shelley foreshore in Perth o n Febmary 1. The second year of this unique international arcs event featured performances by master musicians from I ndia, the Frem antle Symphony Orchestra, UWJ\ Choral Society, the Temple o f Fine Arts, WA Dance Sport Champions, and tl1e Middar Aboriginal Dance Company.

The performances began after a traditional welcome to the country speech by an Aboriginal elder. The Shelley foreshore is a beautiful landscape sec on the Canning River with plenty of grassy areas to set up a picnic. Hu.ad.reds of people turned up to enjoy the event and soak up tl,e atmosphere of an international arts exchange.

The m usicians from India were aptly described as 'maestros' by the compere. Artistes Sameer Rao on the /;a11s11ri (Indian Bamboo Ame), 1'fanish Pingle on the tJ10ba1111eena (Indian slide guitar), Vicky on che tabla and Tao Issaro, percussionist, enthralled tbe audience with their mesmerising

I

mUSIC,

As the musicians woUJ1d up their r outi.oe, tl1e U niversiry of Western Australia Choral Society (UWACS) artistes, all dressed in white, came on to perform a coUaborative routine with the Temple of Fine Arts (fFA) dancers. The chorus provided a backdrop of Sanskrit chants from the 1ig veda as tl,e TFA dancers rendered a dramatic performance entitled Ab11ti.

Painting is usually not considered as a performance which live audiences can enjoy, unlike dance or music. However, visual artist Sarasa Krishnan wowed the audience, combining music and dance movements while painti.og a canvas on stage in front of a live audience. Sarasa and an associate produced fantastic paintings of an Indian woman in a smi and Krishna playing a Aute, leaving cbe audience spellbound.

Aud they painted despite a su·ong breeze which made tl1eir canvas m ove around all the time.

"Painting on a moving canvas was a challenging but invigorating experience. T he wind factor was a force to reckon with"! Sarasa cold Indian Link.

So how did she get the idea of

INDIAN LINK

combining these att forms?

Said Sarasa, "I am basically a dancer and choreographer, and chis invariably influences my work as a visual artist. A dancer is inherently a musician, a painter, a designer, and much more. When you allow yourself tl,e freedom to 'play', a wondrous world is revealed. Only o ne requirement is necessary: an artiste has to be fearless".

"Philip Glass' opera Satp1graba, played by the Fremantle Philharmonic Orchestra and sung by tbe WA Choral society provided an e.,:hilarating

musical backdrop tl1ar infused tl1e movement painting! The audience being in close contact was certainly a catalyst on this incredib le evening", she added.

Among her many accomplishments, Sarasa is artistic director of the TFA and d eputy director of SMV. Abouc che evenc, Sarasa acknowledged organiser John 1i£claughlin, Arts and Culntral Events Officer of t he Canning cow1cil's accomp lish ment. "(He) is an artiste himself, and is not afraid w take chances. Such multicultural exchanges within the community

will foster a greater harmony witl,in our society. Many more councils should foUow his lead in creating such sizzling events tl1ar truly bring various cultures togeiliet", she said.

The even.iJ1g's performance had many o ther artistes of h igh calibre includi.og iliose of tl,e Fremantle Philharmonic Orchestra who showed commitment in leaniing and executing compositions from the rig veda and Ph.ilip G lass' St1t)'agraba musical p iece.

Tbe audien ce was created to a delightful mix of local and international talent, which is tl1e whole purpose of the arc exchange program. ln 2014, the T FA and lndian artistes in collaboration with local. talent, presented a remai:bble performan ce.

J:EBRUARV 20 14 5

NEWSMAKERS

Swinburne Uni honours Ravi Bhatia An honorary degree acknowledges Indian-born entrepreneur's contribution to the /CT industry

n honorary degree of Doctor of Technology was awarded to Inruan businessman Ravi Bhatia recently, by the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne. The degree was 'In recognition of acbjevemcnt of National and International E minence in Industry, Management and Leadership and substantial contributions to Swinburne U niversity of Technology'.

According tO the Citation for the G raduation Ceremo ny Program, .Mr Bhatia has con tributed significan tly to the use of high technology in Australia through founding of Primus Australia, and served as its CEO till J uly 201 1. He developed the orgarusation from i ts inception in to a highly successful and profi cable facilities- based telecommunications carrier, generating over A$500m in

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annual revenue through organic g rowth and acquisitions. Primus became d1e fourth largest telecomn1unication s carrier and cbe th ire! largest ISP in an environment of dominance by Telstra.

The citation stated d1ac Mr Bhatia Jed the development and commercial deployment o f Australia's first copper-based DSL broadband services. More recen tly, be was .responsible for the roll- out of first release l B sites in Tasmania and NSW. He also pioneered the developme nt of bypass and overrid e codes to introduce competition in Australia's international telecommunications. He was responsible for development and deployment of ind exable and searchable voice order recoriling systems tine concrjbuted a significant increase in productivity in the industry.

Earlie r, Mr Bhatia pioneered the use of inverse m ultiplexing to improve utilisation efficiency of

international cable bandwidth for the internet.

Accepting the honorary degree Mr Bhatia Slld , "I am a smdenc and not a d ay passes when 1 do not learn .something new, be it in the fields of technology, science or management. I am truly hw11bled b)' tl1e great honour bestowed on me by an august and a highly respected institution - Swinburne University of Technology, an institution with over 106 years of d istinguished history and an insti tution that belongs tO top 3% of universities of the world I am trernendously excited about the future and we have 1mtny oppo rtunities that Lie ahead of us at Swinburne U niversity".

Mr Bhatia who completed his B.Tech in El.eccrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi has more than 25 years o f international e.xperience in the telecommunications industry. He has worked in se1uor management

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Vice Chairman of AustraliaIndia Business Council, and Convener of COSRA, a non-profit organization that is assisting international students in j\,felbourne. He is also a senior advisor co HCL. Mr Bhatia strongly believes that advanced manufacturing, eocerprise IT, higher education and advanced healthcare are areas of strength in which Australia has long experience and tremendous knowledge.

According to him, "Some of these cbssical industries may no longer be viable in Australia for various reasons. However, I believe chat we have the capability to create centres of excellence, elsewhere in the world, for such industries usi ng our people, technology and management skills".

Mr Bhatia also took the opporturuty to congratulate all the international Stlldents who received their undergraduate and graduare degrees from Swinburne University. He thanked them for btinging tl1ei r cultures tO Australia, thereby enriching Ausb·alian society.

"Some of the international students may choose noc to st.-iy on in Australia, and 1 hope ilieir education a r Swinburne has endowed them with new skills and knowledge. l am certain they will rake back \Vitb d1em Australian values of maces hip, justice and a fair go," he said.

Mr Bhatia thanked Chancellor Bill Scales, Vice Chancellor and

''

"I am a student and not a day passes when I do not learn something new, be it in the fields of technology, science or management" Ravi Bhatia

'' ''

"I believe that we have the capability to create centres of excellence, elsewhere in the world, for such industries using our people, technology and management skills" Ravi Bhatia

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President P rof Kristjanson and Members of the University Council for the honour, claim.ing chat he will always cherish it and will try h is best to meet the expectations of his alma mater.

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J:EBRUARV 20 14 7

PEOPLE

Jason Singh's comeback may have been a while in the making, but it is a unique reinvention of himself

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BY EMIEROY

~:/,s!;,~7a~~:a11 Smgh, speaking co Indian Link after bis Bendigo Market Place gig, as pare of his Australia11 COl t.r, following the release of his first solo albmn H11111a1111eq11in.

He did sound very much like a simple Indian boy, unlike what I expected: after all, he was the front man of Taxiride, the rock band sensation in Australia in the early 2000s. He had a great ride with T;L"[illde, clocking live cop ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) platinum selling albums. And now with a new solo album, Jason is starting it all afresh.

With another gig co follow lacer that evening, Jason still took the time co chat, and happily rook us on a trip down memory lane.

It bas been quire a journey for Jason, beginning from the time a school friend suggested that he should do something with h.is vo.ice after hearing his rendi tion of Michael Jackson's /\/Ian i11 the mirro,·at a bus stOp. Born to a Fiji Indian father and a Maltese mother and brought up in Melbourne, he was an active part of the live music scene there before joining hand s with a few fellow mus.icians co form a band. A taxi driver friend would play their songs in his taxi and give them feedback from his passengers!

Soon enough, the boy band with Jason as the lead singer zoomed co fame as Sire Records signed them up. And the rest was history.

But d1ings dianged. The band met \Vith a hiatus, Jason con tinued his foray of the live music

8 l=EBRUARV 2014

scene, and for six years his solo album was in the making. As ir is re.leased, die major difference is, unlike ln1t1ginatc, T;Lxiride's :first album d1at which was recorded in the million dollar Ocean Way studios in Los Angeles, this one is recorded in Jason's home studio.

More importantly, unlike those songs which were the coUective contribution of a few songwriters, this one is his own creation.

And as he reimTen tecl himself

and the songwriter inside, "now it's all about different h uman emotions and feelings".

Jason feels people reciprocate by connecting to him and h.is songs more, on a personal level. " I was waiting on enough experiences in Jife, enough songs to make a record," he says.

Bue why the name H11tJJa1111equi11, I ask him. Doesn't it sound a bit as though it refers to something like plastic?

Chuckling, he tells me a story.

"The idea was to paint myself as a blank canvas in white paint and engrave the lyrics on me", Jason explains. '"l wanted to be recognised for my new project rather than just sta)' prisoner to the glory of good o ld days".

But tl1e photographer clicked before Jasorr opened his eyes, and he ended up looking like a

mannequin in d1e picture; the name was thus born!

An ardent admirer of Lara Mangeshkar and Hindi movies, Jason feels he is trying, with a few friends, to be an Indian and at die same tin1e, an Australian musician.

He has always tried to bring Indian elements to his songs as was obvio us with the earlier Gamgc Nlahal a11d its very recognisable Indian eJements.

And although Jason insists that he tried to recreate the feel of India wid1in him, Ht1t!lat111equi11 doesn't have much of w Indian flavour co iL Tbe album sometimes comes up with rhythms chat go very easy on d1e ears, but nor always. At times, it shows the characters of sophisticated dance music, at times it is catchy, but will it hold on forever irt the minds of listeners? Well, only time will tell! But getting someone like Charles Fischer to produce the album is a vet)' smart move, as he also produced Savage Garden's distinctive hiL~.

E-lolrf on fareve,; the lead single in the album has a beginning that lingers on, which mal,es it the appropriate track to be featured on Seven Network's promos for Million Dollar Mimtle.

The track SperJk.ers is more peppy and interesting as it talks about a girl who 'dances near the speakers'. "The song was written as I was inspired by a friend who likes ro feel the vibrations of the speakers", remarks Jason.

E"!J is a catchy song iliac starts slow and then picks up tempo.

T he words though sometimes cliched, give an honest insight into the rollercoaster called life.

For someone who likes to jump around with his kid and play rhe sitar, tab!rJ and harmonium in his spare time, success is revisiting Jason; and this time it's much more up close and personal.

Perhaps that's why people going about their routine shopping at the Bendigo Market Place are drawn towards his Jive performances there. And that is why l believe rum when he says that he is a simple Indian boy, trying co make a difference in the Australian music .industry, along with a few of his friends!

''

It's been quite a journey for Jason, beginning from the time a school friend suggested that he should do something with his voice after hearing his rendition of Michael Jackson's Man in the mirror at a bus stop

''

''

For someone who likes to jump around with his kid and play the sitar, tabla and harmonium in his spare time, success is revisiting Jason; and this time it's much more up close and personal

'' www.indianlink.com.au

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FILM

Hope is theme of short film competition MUMB

Talented young filmmakers offered a chance to showcase their work and win t's an oppornmity of a lifetime for talented young filmmakers looking to make their ideas a reality. The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in cooperation with Western Union have developed the Western Union Shore Film competition, whose theme in 2014 is 'hope'. The competition is open to entties from Indian and Australian filnunakers who can submit a ten-minute film which references tbe theme of 'hope'. Tbe closing date for applications is February 28.

The annual competition supports and encourages the careers of young fi.L11111akers from India and Australia, and fosters industry ties between the two countries. Two winners, one Australian and one Indian will be chosen from the submissions and the winning films will be screened

I

at The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne in April-May 2014.

The winning lndian fi.Lmnaker will. travel to Melbourne as a guest of IFFM, where they will meet Australian and Indian filmmakers, and the Australian winner will travel to Mumbai, the home of Bollywood.

Enttants will be judged by a panel of film industry leaders from India and Australia, including film directors Paul Cox and Nikhil Advani, who wiUchoose one Indian and one Australian winner. IFFM Director Mitu Bhowmicl< Lange said, ''Every year we are thriUed with the wonderful fresh ideas coming from aspiring film makers from i\usttalia and India. This year, with the ropic of 'hope' we are excited to see what great fi.Lns the competition will inspire."

The 2014 Indian Film Festival

of Melbourne (IFFM) has been growing in popularity since its inception, and in 2014 it will be held in April and May, presenting a broad, curated program of films ranging from Bollywood to art house and the sub continent, along with a series of masterclasses presented by some of India's finest filmmakers and industry leaders.

Jehan Ratnatunga was the 2013 /\ustralian winner, and is grateful for the oppormuities the competition bas gh en lum.

"Not only was my film watched

by Indian film makers that are otherwise hard to reach especially from Australia, but since winning the award I have secured development funding from Film Victoria and established a YouTu be channel with 80,000 + subscribers and over 300,000 views a month," he stared.

7

IFFM brand ambassador Vidya Balan The competition offers filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their talent to a discerning panel of judges and a wide range of audience from both

mainstream and within the Indian community. Interested parties visit www.iffm.com.au for more information or to download an application form.

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PEOPLE

China dream comes true An Indian-Australian teacher spends a year volunteering at a Chinese university

cursory look at an indiscreet ad in the daily newspaper one lazy afternoon, cook an Adelaide woman away from her home to China where she did voluntary work for a year.

"At an age when many are probably thinking abour retirement, I was looking for a dream job that would give me personal and professional satisfaction," Rajni Madan, an Adelaide-based teacher, says. "With my China sojourn organised by the Australian.

Volunteers lnternational (AVI), I ,vas able to do JUSt that".

Placed as an ESL teacher for Life-Science students at Nor thWest University for r ationalities in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province adjoining Tibet, Rajni claims she has had an amazing year. "]'ve always had an .inherent pull towards China and wanted to visit," Rajni reveals. "So to go there, and for a year, doing what I love best, was a dream come true".

A keen traveller and one who is always looking for new challenges, she was on the lookout for projects that would suit her qualifications and skills, wben she chanced upon two returned AV! volunteers from Fiji and fodonesia speaking about their experiences.

Her mind was made up.

Not long after, she found herself in a classroom in China, surround ed by students eager to learn.

"Ir was a pleasure teaching .in Lanzhou," Rajni tells fndi,111 Link. "The students are hardworking and polite and very respectful of their teachers. All the other volunteers thought so coo: many felt chat they had never experienced such respect in their careers! The students had only o ne objective - co learn. Since there were no behaviour problems to deal with, all m y focus was on my goal, that is, to teach. I fell I had made an impact on a mm1ber o f students who initially thought E nglis h was too di fficulr a language to learn, bur became enthusiastic learners during the course. At times my class had 168 students, che largest 1 have ever handled. Some students are still in touch".

Rajn.i Madan is a multi-faceted

ct·1 tnbing th Wal/ e

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INDIAN LINK

With students in traditional dress

personality in the true sense of the word. Arriving in Australia in 1993, armed with a Bachelor of Education and Masters in Life Sciences degrees, she went on to obtain a PhD in Biology.

Finding opportunities limited in that field , she used her B.Ed to take up relief teaching at schools and, at the same time, run a small business besides managing a fanuly of three school children and a husband whose job often took him to the bush.

Today she is all for organsations like the A\Tl that help people realise their dream of working to make a difference in the lives of people. But it was no walk in the park, she soon found om. fo.terv.iew after interview assessed

not o nly her skills but also her capacity to survive in a foreign land and level of family support, besides medical and psychological evaluations. It cook more than six months to get that final nod.

"When I landed in China, I was received by an AVI support officer and a university staff member. 1 felt I was with friends".

Her accommodation, however, was a bit daunting, but she claims all the concerns disappeared when she opened her fonrtb floor windows out co a beautiful hillsid e view.

"The university paid me local wages, and though this was not comparable to my Aussie wages, it was enough co Live comfortably.

Volunteer colleagues stayed in the

same building as me and before I knew it, I was on my way to becoming a 'Foreign Expert', a terminology used to describe us aU".

Outside tbe classroom, the students became friends and local guides.

"Tbey in formed us regularly on issues such as when the power or water supply would be cur, since such instructions were always in Chinese. The entire city had an ef6cienr heating system with oil heaters for the biting cold weather.

Some students accompanied us co d1e market helping us translating to the scaU holders and even bargaining. Invitations ro dinner at their homes were numerous, in line w ith Oriental hospitalic/'.

China itself was a revelation. ''AlthoLJgh the population is larger than drnt o f India, I never saw crowded streets or rail stations because of its large land mass.

Generally the streets are clean and safe to walk at any time of the day. I tcied co learn Chinese too, in weekly lessons. I tried my Chinese oo some students with limited success. Writing the Chinese script however, proved to be a kind of meditation. And when my family visited, we saw the sights, such as the Grear Wall".

How did she cope with food?

"Food was a major feat, yes.

Being a vegetat:iao how would 1 cope in a land where they say, anything chat creeps or crawls is eaten. But chat fear was soon overcome: the markers were full of fresh produce, vegetables, fruits and varieties of bread. Ir was a delight for a home cook like me. However there were problems when l went ou t wid.1 colleagues or to students' homes. They had no concept of bow anyone could Live \vithouc eating meat... has Buddhism failed in this regard, one is tempted to think".

And finally, any regrets?

"Probably that 1 ended up teaching ESL rather than life sciences!" Raj ni laughs. "But overall, ir was an amazing experience. I will avidly support anyo ne d1.inking of taking tbjs plunge!" .

FEBRUARY 2014 13

SCIENCE AS WELL AS RElIGION

Service to the Bengali and Nepalese communities

he hardesr thing about the notification from the Governor General's office was to keep ic all a secret rill the official ruinouncement" , confessed Di: Pratish Chandra Bandopadhayay with a s1nile, while sharing his reaction co the news chat be had been honoured with an Order of Australia medal (OAM) during this year's Australia Day roll of honours.

Dr Bandopadhayay was recognised for his service to tbe Bengali and Nepalese communicies in Mdbourne, and shared his journey from migrant to 0 1\.l\lI in Australia.

Dr Bandopadhayay is a distinguished, well-published scientist who has worked for CSIRO (Commonweallb Scientific Industrial Research Organisation) for over 30 years.

"T

"I have retired, but am still connected co CSIRO in other capacities", said Dr Bandopadhayay cold Indian Link.

"As che Senior Principal Research Scientist, my forte was mainly in Renewable Energy and Heat Transfer. My most defining moments professionally, were when l was involved in a project to run a diesd engine on brown coal oil mixmres, and also the project where CSIRO produced a cooling system for HJ\ZtvL\T suits for soldiers in the Australian Army".

According to Dr Bandopadhayay, his most successful personal ad1ievement was raising his three children Pramita, Pratiti and Prated:, all of who are docmrs. His wife Cbhandashi, his children and grandchildren were delighted wi.tb the news that chis in.spirarional mru.1 bad deservedly been recognised with an Oeder Of Australia medal.

Dr Bandopadbayay first came to Australia from Nepal at 16, after receiving a United ations Colombo Plan Scholarship in 1961. He went to Trinity Gran1mar School and then to the University of Me:lboume,

where be rook a degree in Engineering. He continued bis academic pursuits by receiving Monash Graduate scholarships char enabled him to complete first his J\fasters, and then a PhD. J\s one of the first few Bengali migrants tel Australia, Dr Bandopadhayay soon was actively involved with the local India Oub and orher student activities. ln 1975 Dr Bandopadhayay was awarded the Mahendra Vidya Bbusan Medal by the late King Bitenclra of Nepal, for being d1e first Nepalese citizen co achieve a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

He then went on co work for the University of Queensland in Brisbane, before joining CSIRO in 1978. ln the early sixties there were not many Bengali migrants in Melbourne, nor priests (pttrfJhits) who could conduct religious ceremonies. Undet the tutelage of priest Sri Chimaman Darnr, Dr Bandopadhayay learnt co conduct various ceremonies and Hindu m.arriage ceremonies.

He also gained formal training

and registered as a civil marriage celebrant. Dr Bandopadhayay was appointed as. the first p11rohit (priest) for rhe Durga Pooja conducted by the Bengali Association. Since then, he has conducted innumerable Hindu riruals and blessed thousands of devotees. ''.As a community priest, one tends ~o become a counsdlor cum confidante for many restless souls. A considerable chunk of my role is co offer advice to people who are desperate for soJace and wane answers. This can be most challenging, but also most rewarding and as a result, I continue to ex-pand my knowledge of the human psyche", said Dr Bandopaclhayay. \'{'hat gives him enorrnous pleasure is to teach children and adults how co play lndian musical instruments like rbe £lute as well as tl1e guitar. He has taught music for neatly 15 years on a volumat-y basis.

Dr Bandopadharay also voluntarily n·anslares literary material from Sanskrit, co English and Bengali.

"1 strongly believe children

should be exposed co many musical instruments as it is very beneficial co their development. The young ones should be proud of their heritage and be sensitive to ocher cultures", he stated.

Amongst his many purst1its, Dr Bandopadhayay is also associated with a band called Teen Pago/where he plays the Ante for Bengali folk songs along with two other artists. Any dakshi11a (donation) d1at he receives as a priest goes towards NGOs and charities char be supports in Kolkata.

"I value d,is honour and am humbled at being chosen for ic, however it does noc change anytliing for me. 1 will continue my work as long as l am able to. M)' reward is the pleasure I gee from contributing cowards my culmre and cowards the community", said Dr Bandopadhayay with conviction.

«We are lucky m be living in multiculmral Australia and if 1 ,vas to get a second cbanee co settle anywhere in rhc world, Australia would still be my first d1oice", be concluded proudly;

GREEN GUARDIAN .£

.

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

p

rofessor Deo Prasad, CEO of the Cooperacive Research Centre for Lmv Carbon Living (CRCLCL), was appointed as an Officer (AO) in the General Division of d1e Order of Australia on Ausrralia Day 20 14. Prasad's contribution towards sustainability and the development of greener cities was recognised not just in his line of duty, but for his wider involvement nacionaJJy and internationally, in this area.

The 59-year-old academic from Fiji moved to New Zealand and later to Australia, where he has been living for the past 30 yea.rs.

Prasad has published over 250 journal articles and six books, and received millions of dollars in compecitive research funding.

As an ambassador for Business Events Sydney, he promotes Sydney as a destination for highend sciencific events. He is also a Green Globe Award winner, and winner of the lnscitute of Arcliitect's Architectural Education Prize. He serves as a member of numerous international boards and committees, including those in Canada a.ad Seoul, and cl1airs the Asia Pacific Global Civil Society Forum for UNEP. "I started my career as an architect, bur a mrning po.int in my life led n1e co study sustainability," Prof. Prasad tells Indian Link. "I was overseeing an infrastructure project on a Fijian island where the displaced Banaban people were relocated from their island borne to make way for mining by the British Phosphate Commission. These people who were fishermen and farmers, fow1d it hard to assimilate into thei.r new environment, leading co rna.ny socio-economic problems.

Thinking about tbe impact created by this newly built environment led tne to come co UNSW for furche.r srudy".

Afrer a Masters in Science and then in Mam1gement, Prof.

Prasad did a PhD in Engineering and continued to work at UNSW,

NATIONAL EDITION

Distinguished service to architecture, particularly in the field ofsustainable urban design, as an academic and researcher, and to the solar renewable energy sector where he has continued teaching sust,'linabilicy co11rses since many years.

Prof. Prasad says, "The built environment is responsible for 40 per cent of energ)' use. This secror is very disparate, always at the mercy of the economy. They don't get tin1e co innovate, as they move from one project co another.

So I put together a large proposal and convinced the industry and government to put in more chan $100 million".

His efforts came to a head in 2012, when CRCLCL was escablisbed.

Research sometimes can be far displaced from tbe needs of reality and consigned co papers that gather dust in university libraries.

What is laudable. about CRCLCL is chat mis centre brings together 50 industry partners to join forces to find real-world solucions.

Prof. Prasad notes, "Researcl1ers and orga.nisacions tend to focus on one element of a larger problem; bm the reality is that creacing buildings and cities is a mulcidisciplinaryprocess, and so we need to approach it holisticaJly''.

39 varied and interesting

research projects are currently running at CRCLCL which include loo.king at modular construction for multi-storey buildings, energy use of domestic appliances, reducing emissions in the scl1ool sector, imegrating solar technology inco buildings and creating living laboracories of products, buildings and communities, where low carbon can be tested -and showcased.

For people who think that higher levels of consumption and waste mean chat we are doing berter in life, he has a mess;ige.

"Quality of life is not dependem on more consumption.

Well-designed homes are not necessarily large homes, but are appropriate to the size of the family. We can have a high quality life by living in harmony with namre", says Prof. Prasad.

Making green buildings a norm rather tl1an an exception, is Ptof.

Prasad's dream.

Imagine innovations such as roohng materials or building cladding d1ac double as solar panels! The world of low carbon will not seem so far-fetched wben this becomes a reality.

A FOREST OF OPPORTUNITY ~

I ~ ....,..

,_

C

Distinguished service to science, particularly in the field ofsustainable productivity and management offorests

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

~!::~~~~r

Nambiar is fascinated by forest~. There's no o ther wa)' to describe it, especially as he has spent over 45 years studying them.

More specifically; his career has been devoted to looking at ways in which co use forests sustainably to achieve economic growth. For his considerable concributions in the area, Dr Nambiar was honoured wicb the Officer of the Order of Australia award

on Australia Day this year.

"111is honour is really a recognition tbat my field of work, sustainability, is a long-term issue that is central to hL1man welfare," Dr Nambiar tells fodian Link.

Having retired from the CSIRO, the internationally recognised scientist continues to work daily.

He remains "personall)' and emotionally involved" in the study of how forests can be Ltsed for poverty alleviation.

"Some 400 million people live in or at the borde.rs of forests, in abject poverty," Dr Nambiar states.

"Everybody agrees that forest~ support life, yet the custodians of forests are left om of development programs".

He cites the case of his native

state in India, Kerala: it may be one of the country's most prosperous states, yet its forestbased communities continue co be severely economically disadvantaged.

Dr Nambiar's knowledge of forest systems bas been applied in programs in lnclia, Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.

So what drew him to study forests?

"I trained as an. agricultural scientist inicially, and then moved to forestry," he replies. "The thrill of working witb complex 'big' things caused me to make this move. You see, in agriculture, you're vrorking at a micro scale: wheat for instance, has a short life cycle of say, four mouths. ~ lith forests, you're at the

CREATING A CLASSICAL CULTURE

Service to the arts through classical Indian music

lifetime's iuvolvemeat in music for Melbourne's Radbey Shyam Gupta has been recognised with the Orde.r of Australia medal for serviee to the arts through classical lndiau music.

Delighted and 'humbled" by

A

16 F=EBRUARY 2014

this honour, Radhey Shyam described his musical journey that has resulred in an immense contribution co the propagacion of Hindustani classical music in Australia.

Born lo Agra, India, Radhey Shyam bas been involved with music from the age of six. After winning several crophie.s and accolades for bis musical talent during h is scbool days, Radhey Shyam achieved the S,mgcet Visharad (graduation in music) from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai in 1966. lo J 971, the young musician

joined UT Delhi to complete a degree in Textile Technology where he befriended many professors who supported his association with music. He went on to learn techniques and intricacies of the sitar from renowned Indian radio a.rtist A nil Dhar, and he also did a stint ac the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Delhi.

His career in textile engineering took him to various places around tbe cotmtry and abroad, but he continued co nurmre his musical pursuits. In 1991, Ratlhey Sh}7am migrated with his young family co Australia. His wo.rk took him co Albury and Geeloog, but he held musical events in his spare time, which were weU received by the local communities there.

Around 1997, textile became a fading .industry in Australia and jobs were hard to come by, so Radbey Shyam decided to join RMlT co do a Diploma and then Masters in IT. AJong with a new career path in IT, Radhey Shyam also started teaching music to a smrul groLtp of people. The same year saw the birth of the nor-for-profit organisarion Sharda Kala Kendra.

"During those days there were no institutions that taught Indian culture, music, arts and langaage inMelboutne. With the help of like-minded music lovers and supportive friends 1 started classes

in sitar, vocals and harmonium lo

a Jocal school", recounted Rad.hey Shyarn, sharing his iospirarional story.

According to Radhey Shyam, music can be cli,;cled into three distinct categories: "There is pop dance music that affects the body, light music (includingghazal.r) that pleases cbe heart, and classical music that is designed for the soul", he said.

"My life is dedicated to promoting music. l believe sangeet L~ a way to attain spirimality and a pathway towards Nirvana", he said with characteristic gentleness.

Radhey Shyan1's reverence towards his art is reflected in the numerous performances in which he has been involved within Australia and India. He was insrnunental in starting the popular SotigeetStmdftya that has, for 17 successful years, been prqviding a free forum for amateurs and professionals to clisplay their musical talent. The Stmgeet Sandffya has since branched out to also offer Sahi(Ya Sq11df!)1a Qiteramre and poetry), Roag Rung (pure classical Hindustani music) and S1rnr S,1r1df?ya (lmta.oke-based sloging).

In January 2013, Radhey Shyam was also awarded the Multicultural Award for Excellence by the Victorian Government for excellence in service delivery ro the community through arts. He

is currently involved in spreading musical education to tl1e whole world at no cost, through his website www.sharda. org. Thousands of students around the world have access to printable notations and video lessons of d1e sitar, DVDs of vocals, sita,; hhqj011s a11d gh,,zals through this website. Radhey Shyan1 has been spending considerable rime and effort in recording hundreds of videos where he teaches various musical instruments, making it easier for beginners to have a thorough LLOderstaodiug of Indian music and musical instruments.

Steeped in classicism and yet willing m explore the new witl10uc compromising on tradition, Rad.hey Shyatn bas illumined the local scene of music for decades.

He is supported by his wife Anita and daughters Kokil and Vidusbi, who are 'absolutely tl1rilled' with their dad's achievements.

Awards in the Au.~tralian honours system represent the highest level of recognition accorded by Australia for ourstanding achievement and service. These honours recognise communiry values and celebrate what is important and unifying in Australian life. Radher Shyam epitomises tl1is sentiment towards tl1e community as he continues bis efforts to promote Indian music and culture.

www.indianlink.com.au

IJ

macro, m ultidisciplinary level. T hey drive every ecological system that sustains us".

The CSIRO in Australia offered him this oppormo.ity. He ended up building a giant team lhac orgai:uses forest programs across di e country, in research centres from Atherron to Tasmania, as weU as .in government-fonded a.id programs in developing countries. And it is co d1is team, that he credits aU his success. " I've myself made no greaL discovery," he says with hun1ility. "It's been my division more tl1an me".

"Perhaps our mosL signilicant contribution has been in providingthe most comprehensive understat1ding of how Australian forests work, especially in the high-stress circumstances created by drought, fire ai1d

pestilence," he reveals.

Aoomer achievement D r Narnbiar can look back on with satisfaction, is his work wim building man-mad e forests.

Australia's rmtlcin:ullion doUar wood-based industry is now reliant on the massive plan tations (eucalyptus, pine) mat are providing high quality wood in an efficient as well as sustainable manner. "lt's a 40 to 50 year cycle, and we're constantly monitoring me effect on ecology, sud, as soil and water healc.11 at1d biodiversity, as well as on rural economy," Dr Nambiar explains. "It's a great success story and I've been arguing in recent years that lndia could be doing mis too. \Xlood is the greenest, recyclable, reusable, carbon-neurral product of all

bnilcling materials. Wood-based products are responsible for only a fraction o f carbon emission as compared to concrete. The more wood we use in building, the more carbon. we will be locking up over a lo nger ti.me".

T he demand for wood is only set co increase, D r Nambiar notes.

"Estimates are, that by 2020, co nsrnuption will be four rimes mar of production. There is a direct linear relationship between economic growili and use of wood-based products. The more prosperous people get, tl1e more wood iliey want in me.it homes berrer futn.iture, wood panels, even g lossy magazjnesl" Dr Nambiar's work has also seen him become a legitimate somce of independem advice for iorerested parties, particularly me Australian

government. His team has been helping the government design science-based policy o n issues such as bioclivecsiry.

The India-born scientist has a Jong list o f award s to his name. His career is peppered wic.11 honours by the Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA), the Commonwealth Forestry Association (CFA) and fro m the International Union of Forest Reseatch Organisations (IUFRO), as well as those bestowed by oilier countries such as J\mecica and V iemam.

"1fost be my Bollywood good looks", he laughs. "Bur seriously, the recognition has nm been for me alone. In work of mis n.arure, there is an army of thinking people behind you. l see l11)'seJf as the conductor of an orchestra rather

man an expert piatli.st''. \X'hat's in d1e fumre for me multi-award win ning scientist?

"There's so much more work to be done! Sustainability is a journey, it's not a destina tio n.

Wim co ntinuous climate change, we have to co nstantly design at1d model and apply. I've been mentoring younger scientists on the issue. You know, sustainability is like a relay race. You run your lap and then pass ilie baton on".

Dt ambiar has c.ldin.itely done well on his leg of d1e race. Yet he'll ceU you ir was because he grabbed the opportunities d:us countr)' offered h im, at1d worked hard to prove h imself.

"I say to new migrants, Australia is the fairest place in the world. JL accepts you for the contenL of yonr W'ork, not for the way you look".

A LIFETIME IN EDUCATION person., seeing his own awa.rd as recognition not just of himself, but of all those who make such outcomes possible and who strive unrecognised to better the conditions of od1ers.

Sivakurnar retired as die deputy di.rector of me Northern Sydney lnstitute of TAPE where he had worked from 1995 to 2000.

His earlier position was that of director of several of the colleges of that Institute.

Amongst me otl1er notable posttions held br 1fr Sivakun1ar at ilie TAFE of NS\X/, are as the principal of the Seaford, and Cessnod-: TAFE colleges (19801990) and me deputy principal ar Granville TAFE college

(1980-1986).

Service to education

BY NOELG.DE SOUZA

: : : : H

simple life and att.imde bide years of experience in several prof~sional fields.

INDIAN LINK

Kumarasamy Sivakurnar was honoured with the O.Alvl (Order of Australia in the General Division) on Australia D;1y this year, for services in tl1e field of education.

Sivakumar is a significant achiever in the provision of mainstream technical education, and also in striving to better the educational and mereby social conditions of less fortunate communities at1d individuals.

But he is also a humble

Sivakurnar has an impressive wealm of experience which led to these higher positions. He was the General Studies teacher at the Sr George TAPE CoUege (19681973); later the head of General Studies at Wollongong TAPE (1978-1980); and bead teacher, English/Humanities, and senior head teacher, Sydney TAFE,

1975-1977.

Sivakurnar has always shown a desire to interact wim people from diverse backgrounds and in different countries. Of Tamil descent and born. on. a rnbber phntation in Malaysia, he speaks several languages and this

facilitated imeracrion wim people of different communities.

Sivakumar's activities have nor been confined to Australia alone. He has been .independent director, Sustainable Development Board, Papua New Guinea (2008-2009) at1d an advisor of the India Benevolent Charitable Trust since 1985. In this capacity, he has fostered educational opportunities for members of isolated communities in Lidia, wim the aim of .improving their future opportunities in l ife.

Sivakumar is, above all, a practical person. He organised the introduction of a training centre in NSW TAPE co produce well-groomed and experienced graduates in cooking and catering to ilie internationally accredited standards of Le Cordon Bleu.

This commercial training school is located at me Ryde TAPE College, and operates in barmony with ilie Tourism, Hospitality and Catering Institute of Australia, of which he was the director. Sivakurnar bas been an honorary judge, Restaurant Caterers Associariot1 (1994-2002), and an honorary director of me Hospitality Training Network since 2012.

Sivakumat has not forgotten

his roots. He was the president, Malaysian/ Singapore Sn1dents Association., University of Sydney, for rwo years.

Also included in Sivakumar's biography is his Knightl,ood of tl1e Order of tl1e Kn.igh rs of Rizal.

"This is a fraternal organisation created to honour and uphold the ideals of national hero Jose Rizal from d1e Philippines," Sivakumar says. "It is a fraternal organisation whid1 is nonsectarian, non-partisan and non-racial, operating with over 10,000 members. I see its role as a charitable body which helps poor students or poor schools witb ilie provision of textbooks, computers, among oilier requirements".

In particular, he has observed that educational items such as textbooks mar might be considered as om-of-date in one country, can be perfectl)' useful in another.

Sivakurnar sees his own work as exemplifying his philosophy tl1at an individual can make a difference. "'\Xfe should stop looking at the past, bur rather use lessons of me past in dealing wim me present, so that we can make a difference for die future," he says sagely.

!=EBRUARY 2014 17

INDIAN NEWS India could be as cunning in its policy towards Pakistan as China has been in its policy towards Taiwan.

Since Lldia has a lot of "s0ft power" ro deploy, especially tl1rough Bollywood, ir can use it to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Pakistanis even if and when it has difficulties with the Pakistani government, he added.

Cabinet okays Rs.17,631 crore-worth port projects

Bollywood tours: In its centenary year, India's film industry opens its doors to attract tourists through a unique tour package. Drive around Mumbai to see the homes of the stars, and get to see how film and television show sets operate.

With some luck, you could spot your favourite stars at work.

Lok Sabha expresses solidarity with students from northeast Lok Sabha members across the spectrum recently e.xpressed d1eir concern over the dead, in New Delhi of a youth from Anmachal Pradesh, with Speaker Meira Kumar stating rl1at the entire house was "one in protecting cbildren from the norrl1east".

Responding to concerns of the members on rl,e dead, of 19-year-old Nido Tania, Meira Kumar said that incident should be condemned by rhe entire house.

"A clear message should go rl1at parliament of India, members of Lok Sabha are one in protecting children and people of the north east. We should send this message everywhere," she said.

Tania, son of an Arunachal Pradesh legislator, was beaten up by shopkeepers in a south Delhi market following a quarrel over his appearance and cloching. He died in a hospital Jan 30. The victim's friends say it was a racial attack.

The speaker made her remarks amid din in the house. She later adjourned Lhe house for rhe day.

Raising the matter after the house mer at noon following an adjournment earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sus Luna Swaraj said rl1at Tania died following a quarrel after being taunted on bis hair st:yle.

"I \Vill1t to raise an issue with great pain... rhe dead, of a yourh from north east rhar shamed us," Sushma Swaraj said.

She said two women from Manipur had also been molested in the national capital.

"The child belonged to Arunachal Pradesh, a state -whose every residenr bas st0od as a soldier against China," she said.

The BJP leader said students from d1e northeast come to Delhi and other parts of the country due to lack of quality educational institutions at their places.

"1ndia is a diverse country. People in Delhi should understand that if there are people wirh sharp nose, there are those wirh fla[ nose," she said.

18 FEBRUARY 2014

Taking a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj said they participated in protest by students from d1e norrheasr when d1ey should have been taking action to book those responsible for Tania's clead1.

She also took a dig at Congress over rhe din in the house.

Sushma Swaraj demru1ded creation of hostels for smdencs in rl,e capital and said it should have students from the northeast and other parts of d1e cotmtry.

Minister of Stare for Minority Affairs Nino Ering said that the issue was not political.

Ering said he had given a notice for suspension of question hour bur withdrew it after a word with the speaker.

The minister said that "racial discrimination" suffered by studenrs of rl1e northeast was a sedous issue.

"A strong law should be passed so that such incidents were nor repeated in fumre," Eriog said.

He also suggested creating a committee to deal with complaints of smdents from the northeast.

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said the entire house should condemn the incident.

Commtmist Party of India-l\farxist leader Basudeb Acharia said the incident was nothing bur "racial discdmination".

He said every sh1dent has the right to go, study ru1d work in any part of the country.

India entering moment of extraordinary opportunities: Expert India j5 entering a moment of extraordinary oppornmities that will enhru1ce its global standing and in1prove its diplomatic and geopol.itical links, foreign policy expert Kishore Mahbubani said recently in New Delhi..

"Since we cannot tell the future, we can never tell how long this moment will last.

Hence, Lldia should seize this moment while it can," said Mahbubani, dean of d1e Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Delivering d1e K. Subrahmanyam memorial lecture for 2014 at me lnsritute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) here, he said several powers including the US, Japan and Russia were concerned about d1e rise of China. ''As a result, mese cotmrries are looking for countries to balance China. As they look around China's neighbourhood, several have corne ro the conclusion that lndia is the best candidate to provide such a bafance. This is why, for example, both the US and Japan have begun courting India," he said.

The India-US nuclear deal was a geopolitical gift America gave ro ch-aw India to its side, he said.

He said India should respond to rhis new courtship by being "cunning". ''It should welcome the courtship and take advantage of all the offers that come. Hence, it should welcome Japru1's proposals for closer trade and invesm1ent links. Similarly, it should welcome a rrade agreemenr with me US, although this is unlikely to surface soon.

"However, even while ir accepts all d1ese offers, fodia should not allow any of these great powers ro assume that they can take India for granted. The best way for India to demonstrate this is to develop equally close relations wid1 China, especially on the trade and economic front," he said.

He said India should use this opportunity of great courtship by tl1e powers to push its case for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"No great power wants ro say no ro India at d1is moment However, India cannot get in alone. L1dia's entry will have ro be part of a package deal d1at also acids a permanent seat for Africa and Latin America. These two regional groups will block reform if they are not included. Hence, lodia should reconsider its policy of working with d1e G4 group (Brazil, Germru1y, India and Japan)," he said.

T he union cabinet recently approved development of infrastructure at five ports d1at will require invesunenrs of Rs.17,631 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), cl,aired by Prime :Minister Manmoban Singh, approved the proposal at a meeting in r ew Delhi.

Under the proposal five projects -- four container terminals - one each in the major ports of Kanclla,Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust QNPT), Ennore and Kolkara - and one multi-purpose cargo berth project in Mw11bai Port - are [0 be developed.

T he five projects will email an investment of around Rs.17,631 crore in port infrastrucmre, according roan official statement re.leased after tl1e cabinet meeting here. ·'The proposed container projects will double the container handling capacity of ruajor ports and will add capacity to the mne of 11.6 million twenty feet equivalent units (MTEU).

Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella calls for change to drive innovation Shortl)' after he was named the new CEO of Microsoft, Hyderabad-born Satya Naclella shot off a letter to emplo)'ees asking the software giruJt to "prioritize innovation" and "help drive cnlmral change." ''\Vhile we have seen great success, we are hungry to do more," wrote Nadella, only d1e third CE O in the company's 39-year history, after taking over from Steve Ballmer with foL111der Bill Gates by his side in a new role as " technology adviser".

"Our industry does not respect tradition it only respects innovation. This is a critical rime for the industry and for i\,iicrosoft," wro te rhe 22 yeru· Microsoft vetera11, who before his elevation beaded one of its fastest-growing divisions-the Cloud and Enterprise Group.

"Make no mistake, we are headed for greater places - as technology evolves and we evolve wirh and iliead 0f ir. Our job is to ensure tlrnt Niicrosofr thrives in a mobile and cloud-first world."

Sharing "some background on myself ru1d what inspires and mo tivates me," Naclella, 46, who has been married for 22 }'ears and has 3 kids, wrote: ''J\fany who know me say I am also defined by my curiosity a11d thirst for learning." "l buy more books thw I can finis h. I sign up for more online courses man I can complete. I fundamentally believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great ru1d useful things. So family, curiosity ru1d hunger for knowledge all define me," he wrote.

Naclella said be was at Microsoft "for tl1e same reason I think most people join i'vlicros0fr - to change d1e world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things. I am here because we have unparalleled capability ro make an impact."

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INDIAN NEWS Paraphrasing a quote from Oscar \'(liJde - we need to believe in die impossible and remove die improbable - he wrote, "This starts with clarity of purpose and sense of m.ission that will lead us to imagine the impossible and deliver it."

But, would Nadella, who attended Hyderabad Public School in Begurnpet and earned a Bachelor of Engineering in E lectronics and Communication from d1e Manipal University before coming to the US, be free to cake fo1ward his plans.

The W'a!! Street Joumalhad some doubts.

Gates' return to the company in his ne\v role ·'raises questions as to how free a hand j\fr.

Nadella will have in setting bis own strategy as tl1e company responds to an array of business challenges."

"1'Ir. Gates, while known for his technical expertise, is also linked to past Microsoft product stumbles and has little track record in areas such as smartphones, which are critical to the company's future," it said.

Technology magazine Comptrtmvodd also suggested that Nadella was toeing tl1e Ballmer line in reiterating die company's strategy of becoming a provider of hardware devices and cloud services. ''\~hether diat's a good first sign or a bad one depends, of course, on whether one believes tl1at Microsoft is generally on tbe right trad< or that it needs instead to be shaken up," it said.

Kashm iri student gets NASA approval for two projects A Kashmiri student bas received approval for l:\vo of his projects from the ational Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre recently.

A defence statement said in Srinagar: ''A youth from a remote village .in Kashmir, Asif Ali, has brought laurels to the Valley, as bis two projects on astronomy have won approval from tl1e Kennedy Space Centre, NASA, the US. '~'\sif, who comes from a humble bad<ground from a village in !Vfattan area of Anantnag d.iscrict in south Kashmir is studying astronomy at rhelndiao Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIS'I) in Thlrnvananthapuram, Ketala.

"The two projects Asif will work on include chose on estimation of asteroids (also e,'llled minor planern made up of rock and metal and forming part of the inner solar system) and tl1e effect of gamma ray emissions (emitted from tad.ioactive isotopes). ''.Asif, who has done B.Tecb from JIST and is currently doing M.S. in astronomy from the same college, said he would be Aying to NASA soon to start his project work."

The statement said Asif did his basic schooling from the Army Goodwill Sdiool, Aishmuqam, Anantoag, and later Government Higher Secondary School, i'vlattan.

India-born politician keeps powerful portfolios in new Danish cabinet J ndia-born Danish politician Manu Sareen, 46, continues to hold some of the most powerful and sensitive portfolios in the new Danish cabinet announced in Copenhagen by incumbent Prime l'vfinister Helle ThomingSchm.idt recently.

Sareen is the first male minister in Denmark to hold tl1e portfolios of social welfare, gender equality, church and Nordic cooperation affairs since his induction into the cabinet in 20 I I.

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Magh Mela: Hindu devotees gather for a ceremonial dip in the Ganges at Sangam, Allahabad, India on 4 Feb 2014, on the occasion ofBasant Panchami

A social-activist leader of the Danish left Social Liberal Party (die Radikale Venstre Partiet), he bJ:ings to tl1e coalition of Thorning-Sdimidt's Social Democrats and cl1e Socialist People's Party great influence and much welcome electoral confidence, particularly an1ong the divisive ethnic immigrant minorities in me country.

Although a smaller party, tl1e Radikale Venscre is considered by the country's political pundits as tbe veritable cornerstone of the coalition.

The premier Danish daily, Tid11igC11 Ber!i11sk.e has edicorially bestowed a lot of praise and great hope on Sareen.

"There exists a direct bridge between the Social Democrats and the Dansk (Danish Liberal) Folkparti whereby the voters tend co vacillate - albeit, mostly in one direction -- from left to right," says tl1e prestigious paper's political editor, Benr Winther.

"However, with tbe integration affairs/ policies in the capable hands of l\fanu Sareen, it can be safely left for many tumultuous Aip-Aops and conAicts between cl1e two (major) government parties witl1ouc fear of collapse," Wind1er stated.

Born in India May 16, 1967, Manu Sareen's family moved to Denmark in 1970, and settled in the Danish island of Ao1ager, in the stair of Oresuod that forms pare of Denmark's capital Copenhagen.

A trained social worker and disputes mediamr, Sareen is also a prolific autl10r and much sought after lecturer.

Also active in numerous socio-political and culmral fields, Sareen was nominated for Politician of tbe Yea1· in 2003, 2006 and 2007 by the National Association for Gays and Lesbians, a prestigious, respected and much loved lobby as well as a coveted political asset in liberal Denmark.

On Oct 3, 2011, be was appointed the first male minister for equality. Sateen is the first minister of Denmark with a non-European ethnic background.

Sareen is married co Anya Degn Sareen and the couple have three children.

Indians have drifted away from Bapu:Tushar Gandhi Indians have "inherited" tl1e divide and rule policy of me British, Mahatma Gandhi's

great-grandson Tushar Gandhi said in Kollrnca recently, ruing that society has drifted away from tl1e belief of peace and 11011-violence and from the Mahatma himself.

Drawing a comparison between aotiapartbeid icon Nelson Mandela and Mabamia Gandhi, the autl10r of Let} Kill Gandhi said the South African leader used tl1e Gandhian way of healing in his country after tl1e apartheid.

"Today, we have inl1erited tl1e divide and rule policy and so we keep dividing ourselves. Every time there is an election, we find new division in our society. lnstead of healing the society, it is fragmentising the society more and more," he said. ''That is where we have gone away from Bapu and that is where we have gone away from tl1e belief of peace and non violence," he said at the D. Mehra memoriallecture on "Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi: The Long Road to Freedom" at tbe 38th International Kolkata Book Fair in Kolkata.

"He (Jvlandela) cl.id not impersonate Bapu, he did not try to copy Bapu, he actually studied die Gandhian mediods and distilled what he felt was good enough for his people and his nation that he was crying to build out of tbe ravages of apartheid.

"He cl.id a unique Gandhian experiment of truth and reconciliation, where on one side the perpetrators of tl1e atrocities were invited to come and mal<e a confession of repentance for their deeds and the victims or d1e victims' families were requested to come and purge themselves of their grief and anger and forgive tl1cit oppressor," Tushar Gandhi said. ''This was the magic that J'-.fandela cliscovered in the teachings of Gandhi," he said.

However, be lamented that Gandhi's assassination in 1948, a year after Independence, was d1e reason that India is yet co "move on" from tbe events. " Unformnately, because Bapu was removed very soon from our midst after we got 1ndependence, the process of healing tl1e scars inAicced by Partition was never completed.

"Even 66 years later, Partition is a memory tl1at evokes such passionate responses...

we should have healed, we should have moved on. The elements mat thrive on that hatred continue to poison the society," he added.

Vivek Murthy breezes through hearing for "America's doctor" President Barack Obama's pick for surgeon general, Vivek Murtl1y, breezed through his confirmation hearing before a Senate panel in Washingcon recently, even as several Republican senators expressed concern over his support for Obama's signature healtl1care law.

Murthy, 36, who would be me first .Indian-American to become "A.merica's doctor" if confirmed by tl1e Democratic controlled Senate, was an early supporter of Obama and his bealtl1•care law.

A physician widi the Brigham and \'(/omen's Hospital in Boston and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, he co-founded an advocacy group in 2008 called Doctors for Obama, a national organization of 16,000 doctors and medical scudems.

It later became Doctors for America and promoted the Affordable Care Act niclmarned Obamacare.

Murthy cold the Senate panel he would focus on commrnuty health prevention projects, especiaUy combating obesity, and nor primarily on political issues. ''The role is not to be a legislator or a judge," he said.

"The role is to be a public health educator."

Murthy said he believed the surgeon general should focus on areas where tbete is broad agreement, including prevention of chronic diseases, efforts to curb smoking, and programmes to improve d.iets.

He also said he would try to work at the co1nmunity level, recmiting religious groups and even arts organizations into public healtl1 education programs.

As tl1e US Surgeon General, Murtl1y will be the leading spokesperson on matters of public healm in the US and me operational head of the 6,500-strong US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, one of the seven tmiformed services including army, navy, ai.r force and marines.

IANS

l=EBRUARY 2014 19

PHOTOGRAPHY

• A budding Indian filmmaker captures facets ofAustralia's unique beauty

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Karnataka, India.

A crimson sun sets o ver a herd of Samba deer, and a young, aspiring wildlife photographer captures an artful shoe of the setting SWl between che antlers of a deer.

It's a turning point of sorts for A moghavarsha, software engineer turned photographer, storyteller and filmmaker. "There were 20 otl1er phorographers tl1ere, and I was the only one to get that shot.

Eve□ today, people identify me by chat particular shot", he says enthusiastically.

Today Amoghavarsha is a successful, full-time wildlife photographer and filmmaker. He was part of the Indian delegation at the Australia- Lndia Youth Dialogue in 2013, which gave him an opportunity to visit Australia for the first time. "\v'hen I knew someone was picking up the rnb, I decided co make the most of it", he says cheekily.

And he did. He travelled for 5 weeks, from the Tarkine rainforest to che Great Barrier Reef, filming remote wilderness and urban landscapes. The result is a 4-minute independently funded video called One A mtralia that he released, to perfect riming, on January 26, 2014: Australia Day and India's Republic Day. Ic's noc been an easy journey for Amoghavarsba. He gwt che comfort and srnbility of a job in software programming in Bengalu.ru, and plunged headfirst inco wildlife photography.

"The first six months were really, really, REALLY difficult, even to just make ends meet", he says. "The biggest issue was □oL money. One copes by making lifestyle changes. \Xlbac was harder was finding and building a market for my work. Then die financial crisis hit in 2008. I questioned myself, wondering if Twas good enough. Tbat was the hardest bit".

20 FEBRUARY 2014

Commercial opportunities like wedding phorography came along where Amoghavarsha had che opporrunity to make guick money. Tempting though it was, he d idn't give in. And it paid off. In six m ouths, things starred falling into place. He started teaching short-term courses in photography, and got opportunities to work wich Karnacaka Tourism and the Centre for Envi ronment and E ducation. ''\"With photography, I realised chat there was a lot of focus on the tiger," he explains. "So J started photographing snakes and frogs, some of which are so rare, on1)' 4 or 5 photos of chem in tl1e wild ex.is t!"

He landed an assignment witl1 Nat11ral Geographic, where he worked on a 61111 called Secrets of the King Cobra.

This was another mrning point of sorts. "l realised that l love telling stories," he reveals. "Film as a medium seemed very natural to me''.

And so a film of his Australian travels was the obvious choice for Amogha,1arsha. A riveting montage of his travels, the films plays more like a fastpaced thriller than a travel film.

The music - contempo rary, fresh, and laced with a sense of mystery - was composed for and inspired by the film. Covering 7000 kilometres, the Ii.Im features Philip Island, Apollo Bay, che Great Barrier Reef, the Tarkine rainforest, Bruny Island, Airlie Beach, South Stradbroke lslaod and much, much more. Amongst the urban landscape is a rimelapse feature of the Sydney Opera House. Amoghavarsba laughs and recalls shooting it from the 18'h Aoor of che Shanghai Hotel in Sydney wich friends. Yes, tl1ere was beer involved. And yes, he does mix business wich pleasure.

Talking of beer brings us to Melbourne, and a beer shop be visited in St Ki1da chat stocked 600 types of beer from all over world. " I love beer", he chuckles, "and che sheer variety at tllis place was amazing. I guess I work hard and J party ha.rd!"

Amoghavarsha adds,

Amoghave rsha "Melbourne's a bit like Bengaluru. Very arty a.ad cultural".

When asked about Australia in general, he says he was captivated by the beach culrure.

"We don't have tl1is sorr of a coa~tline in lndia", he e,,:plains, "I loved the beach, and che seafocussed cultnre. l loved the Great Barrier Reef, it was something] bad always dreamt of. Plus I did divi ng for tl1e firs t time. Now l'm hooked!"

Talking about achievements, Amoghavarsha says taking his work across lndia across different mediums and reaching a mix of people, is very satisfying. H is work was exhibited on a mobile train

exhibition organised by the lndian government which aimed to reflect India's biodiversity and spread awareness about conservation.

"Two million people saw m y phoms and were able to connect with the \'(/escern Ghats. To dunk people in remote parts of the world know me through my work ... it's humbling", he states.

One Au.stmlia c1m be viewed at http://bit.ly/011ea11s or visit www.amogh avarsha.com

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21 FEBRUARY 2014

BOOKS

Is there an alternative to

democracy?

Why democracy does not always lead to solidarity, prosperity and liberty but to social conflict, runaway spending and a tyrannical government

............................................................................................... .

Beyond

Democracy Why democracy does not lead to solidarity, prosperity and liberty but to social conflict, runaway spending and _ ::::.....""I a tyrannical government. ~ 1

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ach year, the Un.ired States government releases a Human Rights Repon on China. In tbis report it waxes eloquent abom the lack of democracy in the Commtmist Party controlled state, as if it were beyond question that democracy is an Lmambiguously good thing. So confident is the U S government about the moral infallibility of democracy, that in the presiden r's ational Security Strategy document, promoting democracy abroad is stated as an explicit goal.

In B~)'Olld De!llocrtu:y by Frank Karsten and Karel Beckman, cbe auchors dissent from the

E

22 l=EBRUARV 2014

mainstream perspective on democracy and focus on its negatives. After reading this book it would be difficult to ever again view democracy in a positive light.

Instead of promoting freedom, democracy cakes i t away.

It is an inherently collectivist system that can be likened to rotalitarian ideologies such as Naz.ism, Fascism and Communism. "In principle, no freedom is sacred in a democracy, every aspect of the individual's Life is potentiallr subject to government conrrol...

Ac the end of the day, che minority is completely at the mercy of the whims of the majority" (page 27).

Frank Karsten and Karel Beckman point out that while democracy may work welJ w hen implemented in a small city-state, there is much less accountability when applied to large countries with millions of people of varying

cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

In smaller jurisdictions, politicians can be expected to be c loser to cl1e people and to be hesitant to depart from what a majority wanes, due to the personal nature of their eleccorace (everyone knows e~reryone else). l n larger jurisdictions however, political parties frequently do things cl1ac a majority of people do not want.

Accountability is also diminished by cl1e indirect nature of democracy which relies on the election of representatives.

Citizens have less say than in a d irect system where they are allowed to vote on every legislative proposal: '"Everyone knows chat governments regularly take decisions that most peopJe o ppose. It is not 'the will of cl1e people'; but the will of politicians - prompted by ,groups of professional lobbyists, interest groups and activists... they all know how to work cl1e system to cl1eir advantage" (page 18).

Votes that are cast in large countries are vague preferences by whicb politicians are only loosely bound, since there are no legal consequences for brealung an election promise. For this reason, the authors suggest cl1at "(v)oting is the illusion of influence in exchange for the loss of freedom" , arguing that the probability of one vote making a difference is so small tbat it would undoubtedly be better to remove many decisions - over healthcare, education and so on - from the democratic arena, and instead have tbem made by individual citizens cluough the private sector. l'v1oving away from voting, Karsten and Beckman also argue char democracy has broader effects on society, including on crime ("The democratic welfare state e.ncou.rages irresponsibility and antisocial behavior''); educacional and cultural standards ("[D]emocracy may be expe.cced co lead to a dumbing down of cbe population and a lowering of general cultural standards'); and poverty ("Democracy doesn't lead ro prosperity, it destroys wealth"). l'v[y only concern is cl1ac an

undecided reader wollld fo1d cl1e book's arguments lacking in detail and sophistication. A closer inspection of contemporary democracies would have. illustrated their points more convincingly. For example, ,vich respect co democracy and crime, a comparison of cases such as Auscralia - where crime is comparatively lower than in other democracies such as South Africa and America would have made the arguments stronger.

Karsten and Beckman do a superb job however, when discussin~ alrernatives co democracy. ln response to the C)llescion 'What would we replace democracy with?', Br;1otJd D e111ocracy provides a nice answer: secession should be aliowed, and a conttacmal society should be encouraged. "Diversity in governance implies that people can decide more easily under what system they wish to live", the authors write.

"They carr go to another municipality or county if they desire different governance.

Such competition ensures that rulers are held accountable, which is hardly the case when a citizen's influence is restricted to elections once every four years".

The aucbors see a positive. future for realising freedom.

Human beings are not opposed to decentralisation per se: it is just cl1at they demand a high threshold before seeking to break away. U nless there is some urgent pressing _reason, people prefer to co.lerate their differences.

Thus when Pakistan seceded from India irr 1947 and the Indian government decided co accept Pakistan's deparuire, it was probably due to an acknowledgement of irreconcilable culuiral differences (in cl-us case the clear division between Hindu L1diaos and Muslim Pakistanis).

Ali in all, B1!)'011d Democrncy is a refreshi ng b reath of fresh air. The authors have done a great service in compiling cl1e main arguments against democracy in an accessib le manner.

''

Finally, the book says that "today, parties are in newspapers, not in localities, they conduct public meetings, although they are otherwise absent in the mohalla"

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Finally, the book says that "today, parties are in newspapers, not in localities, they conduct public meetings, although they are otherwise absent in the mohalla"

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• For all your hard work you done & your tim ing advice, really helped me in getting my PR ... thanking you from bottom of my heart - K. Singh, Glenmore Park, NSW. • I withdrew (my) first 457 visa application...& I got It the second time with Ramneek's help. Thank you so much. - C. Koppela, Homebush, NSW • Ramneek, handled our matter in a very professional way ... was precise with what he wanted ... his knowledge is deep & accurate. I felt very comfortable. - Shree Ra m Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW • Because of his sound knowledge & experience, my 457 has been approved w ithin 2 weeks. I would highly recommend - R. Gaur, Bikaner • Many thanks for acting promptly when needed. - K. Patel, 457 Sponsor, Sydney • Thanks for the efforts you put in for this achievement - T. Kaur & N. Singh (SC 475 to PR) • I consulted couple of agents & was very d isappointed as they were very much sure t hat there is no 457 & I was not eligible for that. This is a special note for thanking Mr. Ramneek for helping me throughout my 457 visa process. - M. Ramakrishna Jeksani, Homebush, NSW • We were hopeless after our initial application was m ismanaged. Now I got it successfully within 4 weeks my grant which was done skilfully without any questions from case officer, Thank you - Ramneek. S. Kola (SC 457 visa to PR), Liverpool, NSW • Has understanding of t he system & very helpful. He is reachable & responds to the q ueries very well.

- Narendra Gupta (SC 457 to PR), Ashfield, NSW • Everyone thought that I won't get my 457 visa ....thank you for making my application successful.

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- Harry, Bakery Owne r, Oatley, NSW • Ramneekbhai, thank you so m uch for your help. I got my 457 visa ... excellent service, thanks - Krushnakumar Patel, Parramatta, NSW • Ramneek Sir handled my SC 190 visa & I got approval within 4 weeks of lodgement. I acknowledge my deepest thanks for his fabulous work. - A. Shah, Perth • I would like to express my sincere t hanks to Ramneek Sir for his well done work in getting my PR. - M . Marediya, Perth, WA • Has impressed me with the accuracy of his guidance & the time frames he gave us for our (Sponsorship/457) applications were spot on. I personally recommend anyone to use his services.

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l=EBRUARY 2014 23

TRAVEL

An aerial tour of Antarctica is a great way of beating the heat in sunny Adelaide

hree wee ks into the New Year and Adelaide suffered a scorcher with the mercury tipping to over 40'' every day. \i1hile most preferred to cocoon themselves in air-conditioned comfort or clash out the beach to cool their heels, one Adelaide woman d ecided to beat the heat by flying over Antarctica. "l am not a thrill seeker, far from it! 1 ext to my profession, my love includes animal welfare, the environment and travel", revealed Jayalaksbmi, a GP of 42 years standing, Aying on her own during most of those years.

"My nr fare is limited to such progranunes and Artenborougb is a permanent guest in our liv.ing room. After seeing his Frozen Planet I dreamed of the day when I would see the Antarctic.

Knowing my passion, my children gave me a surprise birthday gift when the once-a-year summer flight was advertised".

Chartering Qantas planes, Antarctic Flights organises only one or two flights from all capital cities to tbe polar region during the summer. These flights are u nique: no checking in, no bag!,,>age to board, and the destination is marked as a 'Mystery Flight'. Two boarding passes are issued, each with a different seat number since passengers are asked to swap seats while the aircraft is flying midway 'over the ice', to allow most, if not all, of them a window-seat view of the wonderland below.

This year's smnmer flight commemorated the cencena.r y of Dr Douglas Mawson's renun to Ad elaide in I 914, after bis threeyear exploration of Antarctica, Australia's first. The 747 flight o n January 19 with 320 sears was fully booked.

A Business class seat burns a $7,000 hole in one's pocket, while the Economy ranges from $1 ,200 to $2,800 for the 12-hour nonstop flight from Adelaide. Those who have booked window seats and the ad joining three seats can swap seats, but those in the middle seats don't swap and ate free to roam around and peer over those

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24 !=EBRUARV 2014

sittin g by the windows.

The pilot chooses the best possible route from among the 19 flight pad1s prepared

by Qantas, depending on the day's weather conclitions.

After flying at armmd 30,000 feet for some three hours, the airctafc d escend s and flies some 2,000ft above the highest point on the ice cap at a slower speed, to provide maximum viewing oppormnities of the snowcapped continent. Two experts who know the polar region like d1e back of their hands due to years of research or work there, provide a 'flying' commentary on all aspects of the region and the sights below visible from both sides of the plane.

Antarctica with its 13.5 million sq kms is nearly twice the size of Australia, with 99.5% of its area covered in ice ranging in thickness from one to four

miles. Tc contains nea1:ly 70%of the wodd's fresh water.

The lowest tem perature recorded is 90", making me wish some of dmt coolness blows our way in d1is scorching sunimer. Antarctica was o nce part of the super-continent called Gondwana, from which South America, South Africa, India and Australia split and moved northwards some SO-plus million years ago. So India can be justified to have some claim to chis 'motherland.'

There are 40 research stations manned by various countries wid1 some 4,000 personnel during summer, reducing to l,500 in winter.

India's Antarctic programme, promoted by Indira Gandhi, began in 1981.Jts research station D akshin Gangothri was replaced in 1990 by Maithri and now wid1 Bharathi ad ded, ir h;is joined nine od1er coun tries co have multiscati.o ns. So far, over 30 Indian expeditions have visited Antartica.

By the way, there are two ATMs down there, 1 am told. To d ispense 'cold cash'?

The rest of the story is best

www.indianlink.com.au

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1ca

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told .in Jaya's words: I was al thf airport al 5r1111Joi· the 6.300111 tak,e-ojf.

Afterf!ying south-easter(y far r1boul three ho1mptts! Tas111t111ia r111d then lV[acq1101ie Tslr111d, 1ve began to see icebergs of rnriou.r sizes f or1ti11g in the sea, i11dimting thr1l 111e were nea1i11g the iced covti11e11t.

D11ri11g winte,; the sea freezes completeb', a11d hea'!Y mo1vflill 11ear the coast ,'l)tllpacts to for111 glaciers. I,, suvm1e1; the sra ice thaws and the glaciers 111elt, 1J1ith chunks of ice cmshing and ftot1tt1(~ t1s icehe1;e,s.

11:7e smv cmcks 011 the ice sheet t1s theplr111e fte11, over Co111111011weri/1h Bti_J, .from 111here .1.Wmvscm started his exploratio11. The South Mag11etic Pole

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(1101 lo he cotif11sed with the South Pole) is a 111ol!ingpoi11lfl' and 1vas cttrrcntbr dose tq the co11st/i11e near the Com111on111ea/Jh Blf)\ the wi11dieslplace on Earth.

As 111e fe1vji111her into the conti11mt it wtis one 7/lass of ice, notjust a fr,t sheet /mt l/lith peaks and troughs, so111e peaks 1isi11g up 0• severt1! h1111dred 111etres. As the plane pt1ssed over the French research slt1tion D1111to11t D11nlille, 1ve sighted supplies being 1m!Or1dedfro111 a ship. H ou1et'n; 1ve missed the R11s.rian ship that had been wedged in the ice for n1eeks, as it had bem releasedjust two dqy.s ear!ie1: F91ing oue1· the A11Stmlia11 1·esean:h statio11 Cas~y, the ct1ptai11 asked thf staff of 55 do11111 he/ow, inc/udi11g 17

IJJO/llell, via mdio, about thdr life and plan.rfa1·Awfl'alia Dqy. The callfar the seat swap-oue,; I felt, came so111e111hat late. S0111e of 11s i11 the aisle seats had less time lo mjq}' the 1•iei11 jlYJIII the windom Sa11sages se,wed 11s /1111ch far this vegetarian, rJ/tho11gh vry l'l!qttiremeut 1/JtlS uotijied a week ahead, JJJas a sorn poi11t. Ajter a half ,m ho11r 111r1it and 1J1ith a cold stm·e, .w,1e J1egetarian di,h appemwl 1/lith the hostess m11arkit1g !1JJice that some cmv had ti) sacrijicf her faod lo 111eet 11!) request.

The crf/1! shmJJed more interest ;,1 selling sot111enh:,; /mt thq)' had 110 m01-ki11gs to show that th1y were.fro111 an /Intarctica fight. When Tsuggested there could hm,e bem so111e relevaut inscriptio11s, the crew replied that there ,vas no ti111e to organise

such things. Chinese suppliers co11/d hr111e er1si!J' obliged. Aren't these flights nm e11e1y year 011d hooked ahtt1d?

Before the flight, Tfelt, some ti111e co11/d have been spent lo effe,· 011 i11sight of the sig11ijica11t sights on our tour 011 the i11fight smens, si11ce thry go bl1mk 1JJhen the e:xpert starts cot11111mti11g dming the flight.

S0111e {ynchmnisation 1vo11!d have helped.

Listening i11tmt!J is tilro hampered l,ry people scuroing to 11Car~y 1vit1doJ11s. Birt that is part qf thega111e!

Nonvithstandi11g sttch human i111peifectio11s, Nat11ro put 011 a good shon: The mas.rive ice cap is 1111 0111esomc ,pectacle, 1zltho11,gh what we stnv 011 this flight is but a s1T1a!I slice of ,1 h11ge co11tine11t. It /J}[1s 11 drea111 come tme}or me, thanks to "IJ children!

l=EBRUARY 2014 25

INDIAN LINI{ COMPETITIONS

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FOOD

The unique flavour and texture of kali da/ adds a touch of majesty to any menu

ali dal (black lentil) is such a pretentious dal in Indian cuisine that it has to be called something grandiose. You know, like Maharani.

Growing up, it was the da/ chat only came out of the pantry when guests were over. On o cher days, you ate something less fancy Your parents explained that it was a " rich" or " heavy'' dal, and so you should only eat it once in a while. (fhey were probably right).

But you always ate it when you wenr ouc. And probably still do, whe never you choose to go Indian. If you're visiring north Indian friends, you kind of expect to see hi/i dal at dinner.

And of course, you continue to cook it for your own guests; it is such an integral part of a fancy Indian meal.

Like caviar: in face, it could be called the caviar of all dais. But I wouldn't dare go so far, because I could lose you at this point, dear reader, for committing the sacrilege of equating chis elegant dr1/ ,v.ith something so repulsive as, ugh, fish eggs. Before you click away &om this page (or, if you're the o ld-fashioned type, throw this paper clown) in protest or disgust or both, let me rephrase for you: ka/i dr1/ shall remain, as it should, d1e queen of all dais. You know, Maharani.

Everyone has their own style of cooking kali dril, also called Ma ki dr1f, ot Dr1/ Makha11i. Some pressure-cook. Ochers slmv cook.

Yet ochers devise a combination.

And d1ere are those who prefer to cook ir in an open pan, simmering away for .how-s on the back burner.

Then again, some will cook it with cream, od1ers with evaporared milk o.r regular milk, and yet others with neither cream nor milk. Some will add br1/di (rurrneric), others will swear agaimr it. Some will add a touch of kmoori 111ethi (dried fenugreek leaves) ac rhe end,

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others will. say there's no .real need.

Yer, most will clain1 their recipe to be the most authentic. I've had recipes for kali da1 passed co me as "Taj" o r "Oberoi" recipes, referring to the very best of Indian hoteldom, Bur there ru·e hard-core Punjabis who will say "Taj-Oberoi hbr1ad tJ1ei11 jr1rrye, the most genuine recipe is the one used by sr1ddi 1mm1111/'. No doubt named after her too.

Personally, I have for some time now sh ied away from d1.is hard-to-digest dish because- let's face it - it is an un-aclvenmrous (least risky?) item on a dinner menu. But I am becoming inclined towards it again, especially after a recent Brazilian meal in which it appeared before me as a soup, with mear and veggies added in.

Meat in your kt1/i d"I, I hear you ask again in disbelief. Relax, dear reader, ir was probably puy lentils or beluga beans or some such, bm trust me, kali dalwill work just as well ... le was simply delicious.

Come winter, I am going to give it a try: Soup Jv!aharani, with crusty bread to dip in, and a side salad of greens. (Vegetarians please stay away).

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Monish Gujral's Moti Mahal Dal Here's another recipe for traditional kr1/i da/I've chanced

Ltpon, and whkh claims robe the real deal. This one's from Mori .Mahal, a long-standing Delhi institution, and is provided by Monish Gujral of the restaurant cbain. According to Monisb, his grandfad1er Kunclan Lal G ujral, founder of rhe famed Moti Mahal, can1e up with this recipe.

500 gm black gram (uradwhole) 250 gm kidney beans (rajJJ1r1) 250 gm Bengal gram (channr1 da~ 1 litre mil k 1 litre tomato puree Salt to raste 25 gm reel chili powder 25 gm cumin (jeem) powder 25 gm garam masala 500 gm cream 1 kg butter

Pick and clean the dttls and ra_jt11r1h.

Adel salt and rub gently with both hands; rinse with water. Soak the mixmre overnight in water.

Take a utensil with a heavy base, acid the drained dr1/ mbm1re and double the quantity of water; coo k over low heat. At the restauranr, we put it in a tandoor for a while to simmet slowlr Stir d1e mixture vigorously enough to mash it.

Once the mixture tl1.ickens acid milk and cook till the milk is completely absorbed.

Acid the tomato pttree and all spices; cook (for about 30

minutes) till grams and beans are tender.

Add butter and cook for 10 nunutes.

Now acid cream and stir for one to two minutes.

Remove and serve hor.

Source: JANS

Soak for about half an hour.

Wash rice in several changes of water until water is clear. Soak for about half an hou r.

Pour out soaking water from dai and wash again mseveral chauges of water tmtil water rw1s clear.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and ad d cumin seeds, bay leaf and cardamom pods. When they splmrer, acid asafoeticla and broken Ma ki dal ka pulao I first beatcl of this as dry red chillies.

Wait for chillies to darken and Kali rial ki kbichidi. 0£ course l went, what the ... ? A khid1idi is then introduce onions. Fry till meant to be simple and nutritious, onions are lightly browned. and often for d1e convalescing. Isn't Adel in the drained dal, sale and ka/i da/ way roo cich for a k.hichid!? stir to mix well. Acid two cups of Bue this concoction turned out to water and pressure cook to one be so delicious that I have since whistle. renamed it a p1tlao. Yes, a pttlrto is Turn heat off and when certainly more befitting of d1e dal's coo~ open t he lid. Stir d1.e dal 'royal' standing, don't you think? once [() check, and then add in tl1e drained rice. Mix gently and add ½ cup long-grained rice in about 3/, cup of \Vater. The dr1/ ½ cup black lentils should already have some water I mediw11 onion, sliced in ir. Check for salt and then 1 tbsp olive oil pressure cook on medium high to I tsp cumin seeds one more whistle.

1 large bayleaf Tmn off heat and let cool. Open Pinch asafoetida the lid and lee stand for five minutes.

3 black cardamom pods Unlike a khichidi which is sloppy, this should look Like a p11lao, with 2 dry reel chillies Salt ro taste rice and rial still maintaining their graininess. Fluff up with a fork.

To temper: 2 tbsp olive oil To temper, hear oil and add reel Red chilli powder to tasre chillies. As it splurcers, pour over pulao.

Serve with a raita o r plain Wash du/ in several changes yoghurt and pappr1dnlJ/s. of water until water tuns clear.

l=EBRUARY 2014 27

TRAVEL A1R •

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PSYCHE

•

es1 arentssa arn We hear and ignore words of wisdom from our elders all the time, but actually listening can help improve our life -

..... 'iiil

BY SHAFEEN . . MUSTAQ y parents think I never listen co them and most of the time they are right, but here are a few gems from chem (said in a very offhand passing manner which is probably why I remember chem more than the 'sir down and let me tell you about Life' lectures) that I have taken to heart.

1 was sitting with my dad and whining abou t how ha.rd my lLfe is and how my friends could go wherever chey wanted and do whatever they wanted, and how come I wasn't allowed? He paused tapping away at the iPad, looked up at me over his glasses and said, "You are allowed. I raised you, fed you, educated you. I have done my job. You are now allowed co do whatever you like. But just remember chat I have already been where you are. So if l tell you not co do something or not co mix with someone, the.re is usually a very good reason for it, a reason l do not always have to disclose co you. If you were strong enough in yom faith to pull people into tbe gravity of your goodness, then you could mix with whomever you

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wauc. But you are not ... neither am 1. So be selective with whom you mi'< with!"

Ammu always tends to become very philosophical when she's in the kitchen, as if peeling potacoes and chopping onions helps release her inner Confucius. One day as we worked cogetber she said to me, "Be ready for change. Wake

up every day as if something good will happen today. lt is only when you ready yourself for good things, that good things will come to you". At the time I laughed it off, but in the coming days l would wake up aud sar those words to myself, ''Something good will happen today''. Slowly I began to dress more carefully, because

something good would happen today. I began to live in the present and be more aware of my surroundings, because something good would happen today. And then I realised, something good 111as happening coday! And every day! When I am dressed for today, when I am Living in the present and thinking in the present, I am better placed to recognise the goodness in every day and be grateful for it.

At another such time in the kitchen again she said co me, ''\Y/e can ·all pray for your funrre but till you pray for yoursel f and do something to help yourself, why should God help you?" I spend so much of my time watching TV shows or on Facebook, if only 1 had invested a small portion of that time on my mind, body and soul, on prayers, exercise and meditation, I would be much better placed as a human being and in my own spirin,aJiry ro tackle life head-on.

A small reminder to pray even for a minute each day makes a huge difference. A small step in stopping an action that causes you harm such as smoking, makes a huge difference. Only you can help yom own cause.

And lastly, this one is for all you single laclies (and lads) out tl1ere. 1vfy dad has these words of wisdom to impart. "So what if you're not married? YoLt took a step cowards God and He is

''

When I am dressed for today, when I am living in the present and thinking in the present, I am better placed to recognise the goodness in everyday and be grateful for it

'' testing how strong your step is.

Are you faltering?" We arc all amazing in our own ways, we all deserve love and happiness. When you stick to yourself, when you uphold your values, when you refrain from indulging yom need for love for a greater purpose, it hurts. Sometimes a lorl But you are not alone. You are not the first co go through this, and you won't be tl1e last So d on't falter. Be steadfast in you.r goals, pray, focus and achieve them. And go give a hug to your amazing parents who sometimes sa1 the darndest things!

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l=EBRUARY 2014 29

FASHION

Pick a trendy theme to match your personality and style this summer Androgyny

on'r you just love the long days of summer, with entertaining, activities and endless fun? Even if it is back to school and work, it's sciJI too early to say goodbye to barbeques in t he backyard, picnics in the park and light 'n' airy summer outfits to dress u p for these occasions .

I d id somerbing exciting chis summer holiday, and ch ar is where inspiration scrnck me to w rite about outdoor fashion ideas. 1 went camping! I had reservations about ch is adventure, but spending the night at Cockatoo Island with a fancy 360 degree illuminated city view was a bit too hard to refi..tse. And the result was some fabulous outdoor fashion ideas with a hint of chic and sophistication.

Some fashion rbemes work really well wirh outdoor fun, so pick any chat blends with your activity, personali cy or simply be adventurous . ..

D

Bohemian

rreod is about embracing ethnic prints and flowing forms.

Printed panes are kind of a part of this theme.

These are the soft flowing cotton ones, or rhe harem pants style with Aztec prints, or - even Indian blo ck prints and ikat.

Pair thern with a solid-coloured LOp and a long neck-piece with a cli'.ssel pendant for a fun look. If you are a lover of dresses, team up a maxi <lress in cool colours with Oat bliog sandals and a messenger bag. \X!b_ile prints are principally die heart of this look, you can even wear plain bright-coloured dresses with a bandhani print or ba11jara mirrorwork bagaod lots of layered bracelets tool

ow what is this? Is it really a rrend? Believe me, it is; not necessarily one I advocate, but 1 like to step out of my comforc zone from to time and chaUenge a completely fem· style! Yes, the androgyny trend is ki 'dressing like a male'. Ir's not qr· as one would tend to p icmr is to balance a sbarp loo

cool, breezy t, mat skim your be a body-hugging fit, look. Adding that fun princ accessory will always this look quite appropriate.. let your imagination run wild (pun intended)!

Timeless chic For me, nothing is more timeless than stripes.Contrary to some beliefs diac horizontal stripes make you look bigger, 1 find them reaUy chic. It all depends on the colour and pattern of the stripes. I can assure you d1at there is no limit to st:yling stripes into ,a sophisticated omfit. Stt ipes with red accessories makes me dunk of a European boli<lay for some reason! I haye' made the most of my boxy shape<l stcipe<l tee and black and while striped dress this season.

Pair stripes with black and white, brights and even neons, and you will neYer be disappointed with these hard-working pieces from your wardrobe!

Cheery brights What is summer without some brilliant pieces to Aaunt? I personally love co combine cheery bright tops with my crisp white jeans and they jmt work perfectly, especially when a contrasting accessory is thrown into the mix. Like a lemon yellow top, white jeans and a fuchsia bead necklace, or a tangerine shift dress with a mint bauble necklace. The key lie.~ in balancing the <lose of coloUL I would neither have too much 'matchy' nor ·clashy'. An injection of neon can be good coo, go for an accessory if r ou ate coo worried about picking clothing in diese colouts.

1 hope you enjoy these summer nights and days ro the fuUest by be.tog inspired co rry om one or more of these themes, adding more fun co your outdoor attire!

One in seven people in the world suffer from some kind ofphobia, so rest easy-you are not alone, writes FARZANA AHMAD ake a look around you. Do you know seven people?

Psst . ... guess what? One of them is a phobic!

A phobia is an irrational fear and anxiety disorder in which a person experiences persistent dread of a situation, creature, place or thing. Sufferers go to extreme measures to steer clear of triggers and if confronted with it, they can break out in cold sweat, experience shortness of breath, chest constriction, nausea and shivers. To date there are 530 types of documented phobias and about 1 in 7 of us suffer from one.

Some phobias are fairly common, like claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces); arachnophobia (fear of spiders); and acrophobia (fear of heights). And then there are some that elicit a dropped-jaw, wide-eyed, stop-in-your-tracks reaction. We've waded through pools of research to pick what we believe are the strangest of paranoias.

Tighten your seatbelt and whizz through our list of top ten weirdest phobias.

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6. Phobophobia: Fear of phobias This has to be the mother of all phobias. Phobophobia is generally thought to take root in people already suffering from some phobia.

Having experienced a panic or anxiety attack as a result ofthat, leads them to start fearing the symptoms brought about by a phobia hence resulting in phobophobia, the fear of developing or experiencing a phobia.

10. Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting down

5. Omphalophobia: Fear of belly buttons

Sit tight for this one, cathisophobia is a rare psychological disorder that sends the sufferer in panic mode at the thought of sitting down. Haemorrhoids, physical abuse and punishment by being forced to sit on sharp objects are considered possible reasons for developing this irrational fear. Some cathisophobics only experience symptoms of anxiety at the thought of sitting down in the presence of celebrities and elites.

Pick your jaw up if it just dropped and believe it, omphalophobia is a recognised condition in which a person suffers great distress at the sight of belly buttons. Beaches and pools are no-go zones for them.

They cannot bear the sight of someone else's belly button being touched, let alone their own. Some go to great lengths to protect their navel by covering it with plaster and never wandering near it during showers.

9. Zemmiphobia: Fear of the great mole rat

4. Epistemophobia: Fear of knowledge

The three blind mice very likely chased the farmer's wife to this. Zemmiphobia is a little known anxiety disorder, defined by a morbid fear of the mole rat. As suggested by the name, the mole rat is a kind of rat behaving like a mole. It is devoid of hair, has small beady eyes, sharp teeth and is blind. An unfortunate experience with rats or moles could lead to zemmiphobia, or it could be bought on by the somewhat off-putting naked appearance of the creature.

An epistemophobe just doesn't wanna know! That's a pretty accurate description for this unusual fear of knowledge. People with this phobia will do anything to remain in the dark. They shun books, newspapers and even television. The phobia could have been bought on by learning about things that caused problems for the sufferer, and the overwhelming feeling that not knowing would have been better.

8. Geumophobia: Fear of taste

This abnormal and persistent fear of going to bed and sleeping could stem from worrying about having nightmares or a problem controlling bedwetting. Clinophobia can develop into insomnia which can be greatly detrimental to a person's health.

3. Clinophobia: Fear of going to bed We thought this one must be hard to live with, literally! How would you survive if you started hyperventilating at the sight of food? To our relief geumophobia or geumatophobia is an exaggerated and unreal fear of taste which can bring a panic attack on the sufferer at the idea of tasting something new or something with a specific flavour like sour, bitter, salty or even sweet. Traumatic experience of being forced to taste something horrible as a form of torture, could be a possible cause of this phobia.

7. Dextrophobia: Fear of objects on the right side of the body No kidding, this is an obsessive-compulsive personality phobia, with its very own twin levophobia, or fear of objects on the left side of the body. A person suffering from dextrophobia is obsessed with maintaining order on the right side ofthe body. Like needing things to be just so on their workstation or bedside table. Chaos or lack of organisation of things on the right can bring on a fullblown panic attack with chest constriction, gulping for breath and crying.

INDIAN LINK

2. Geniophobia: Fear of chins By the hair of your chinny chin chin, if your jaw is not absolutely perfect a geniophobe will not let you in. People with this phobia are obsessed with other peoples' chins especially imperfect ones. They avoid interacting with people who they consider have hideous chins and in extreme cases become introvert because of it.

1. Eu phobia: Fear of hearing good news This, we felt, had to top the list of the weird and unusual phobias out there. After all who doesn't like hearing good news? Well, people with euphobia don't. Instead offeeling elated at hearing good news, they feel anxious and start panicking. They thrive in the negative and enjoy chaos around them. Possible reasons for developing euphobia could be persistent disappointment after hearing good news that didn't turn out to be true.

FEBRUARY 2014 31

· · ·· ·· · · · · MATRIMONIALS · · · · ·· · · · · SEEKING GROOMS

SEEKING BRIDES

Looking for an intelligent, handsome, Punjabi/Hindu boy for my younger daughter 28 years old, 5'7'; slim, fair, beautiful, working in Insurance industry with Finance background, on high income. We have been settled in Sydney for past 35 years. My elder daughter is happily married here in Sydney. Please respond back with your details and photo to 24advertiser@gmail.com

Hindu Panchal boy, 29 years old, 5'-4'; 52 kg, completed Master of Professional Accounting, working as Accountant in CPA Firm, WA 6233, seeking suitable girls. Please send details to san10_ 1984@yahoo.com

Seeking qualified Hindu match for our daughter, 5'1 '; 26 years, vegetarian.

Born and brought up in Sydney with Indian fami ly values. Completed dentistry from Sydney University, working as a dental surgeon.

Contact father in Australia at rlagrawal55@gmail.com Parents seeking match for fair, slim Hindu Sindhi girl who is 33 years, 156cm working as lecturer at a leading university. Permanent resident of Australia with dual degree M.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: mohri1324@gmail.com or call 0406 608 146. ~

Christian Catholic boy from North India, 27 years, never-married, highly qualified, interested settling in Australia, seeks alliance from well settled, qualified Christian girl, contact with details anandita.egbert@gmail.com Fiji Indian male Australian citizen from Melbourne, mid-forties, invites correspondence from single or divorced females (no kids) for relationship or marriage. Please contact on 0478 083 457.

Indian man late 40s, Australian citizen, educated, seeks honest Indian lady for marriage.

Contact tamaya@hotmail.com Alliance invited for well educated, never-married, 5'9'; Sikh Khatri boy, who was born in 1975. Looking for compatible Sikh girl from Australia.

Early marriage. Phone: 0415 079 724 or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Can you Help?

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Q TPR~DICTIONS !=OR l=EBRUARY

By NANCY JADE ALTMEA

ARIES March 21 - April 19 This month you will be inclined to feel a little exhausted, as things are a little slow. You may feel demotivated at work, as you have no challenges coming your way. Be careful of colleagues; there could be some who are out to try and give you a hard time. The cards indicate a time when in your love life, things will finally start getting more balanced. This is a good time to take up new hobbies.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20 This month you will think of making some changes at work or in your business. Love seems to be stable and you are feeling fairly content.

Financially, you need to spend wisely. Health issues need to be addressed, and try to reduce your salt intake. Tarot suggests you will be thinking of saving for an exotic holiday, a place that is a dream destination. Get all your paperwork sorted out and get rid of all the Junk around your house.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20 Be careful with how you deal with people this month, as relationships can be strained. Conflicts can occur with your colleagues due to misunderstandings in the workplace. Take care that you are not spreading yourself too thin and getting too worked up, which can cause stress and low energy. Take care of your lower back and eat appropriately to maintain your iron levels. Be prepared as you will be making new friends this month. Keep your neighbours happy.

CANCER June 21 - July 20 This month the cards indicate a time when you will be very busy at work.

Be careful that you do not make minor errors or miss any important deadlines. You will have to be firm and assert yourself with colleagues.

An elderly member of your family may need some health checks.

A friend who owes you money should return it, but you will need to give them a gentle reminder. You need a break, and will be travelling this month.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22 The cards show that this month, you will be very busy socially. There wlll be a lot of different events and functions which you will need to attend.

There will be news of a pregnancy in the family. Younger members of your family will need some encouragement with their studies.

Make sure there are no issues with bullying around them, as there is a confidence issue. Take in some fresh air and start walking. Keep an eye on your BP.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 You will think of redecorating your house this month so you will have a good time looking at new colours and furniture. There will be a lot of changes and decisions around work, but company politics need to be ignored. You just need to get on with your job and keep doing it well.

Your partner needs to exercise, but needs some encouragement, so perhaps you can both walk together. Make sure you get your health check-up done.

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LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 The cards show that you will be very single-minded and Independent with your thoughts. Be careful with how you deal with people, as some situations will try your patience and you can easily lose your temper. Have your blood pressure checked and make sure you consume plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. There will be news from friends who are planning to have a beach wedding. This is a good time to plan your wardrobe.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 The cards indicate that you will concentrate on putting past heartaches behind you and moving on. This month will beat! about observing all the changes happening around you, and going out, and meeting new people. There is a wonderful month ahead so make the most of it and if you are thinking of taking up some new hobbies, go ahead. Work will be full of new projects and extra responsibility. Take time to relax, and have a soothing massage.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 The cards indicate that this month you will be feeling bored in your existing relationship. This is a time for you and your partner to give each other some space and to take time off to reflect. You will try to make this happen so that both of you can work out what you really want. The health of your mother may be delicate right now. Work will be stressful and arguments with colleagues must be avoided at all costs.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19 This month you will be trying hard to get your work projects sorted out. New developments with contacts will pay off in mid-month, so be patient. The cards indicate a time of new relationships and love.

Take care of your health and stress levels. You will be making plans to start saving and planning for your future. You may be looking at moving to another city or country. You may even be thinking of investing in a new property.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18 This month, take care not to overwork yourself. You will have a lot of pressure and deadlines to meet. You may even need to travel more. Manage your stress levels and if necessary, change your diet as you will be feeling exhausted. Yoga will help and so will spending time in fresh air, dose to water. You will be planning a new look and may even decide to change your hairstyle. You may be thinking of changing your car.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20 This month the cards show that you will be taking someone special out on Valentine's Day. You may get some excellent news at work about a promotion. Your interest in spirituality and meditation will also increase, consider this a good sign. Be alert when driving and try not to drive too fast or break any traffic rules. A member of your family may need to have an eye check-up. Avoid sweet foods as these may reduce your energy levels.

FOR SALMAN FANS ONLY JAi HO STARRING: Salman Khan, Tabu, Danny Denzongpa and Mohnish Behl DIRECTOR: Sohail Khan

e really can't judge a Salman Khan-starrer by normal yardsticks. If this film starred another superstar, it would be evaluated from another perspective.

But Salman is...Salman! He doesn't desire nor seek anyone's approval. The characters he plays also display the same level of arrogant self-worth. When he roars against corruption, the Dolby sound quivers in approval.

Say hello to the uncommon common man. He is tough, he is gutsy. And he doesn't believe in common courtesy. He delivers a mean punch when required.

But at home he's just your regular guy snuggling up to his plump super-mom, confiding in his sister and fighting off the amorous advances of the overfriendly neighbour, who is fortunately female.

To Salman fans, Jai Ho is a powerpacked and punch-drunk exclusion into Salman-land. The kinetic energy flows out uncorked in sequences that seem designed to show the main lead's unconcealed distaste for corruption and humbug. In that sense, this film is Salman's equivalent of his Being Human campaign in real life.

Very often the endeavour of being human is reduced to at-shirt slogan in this film. But that's the cool quotient Salman is aiming for. Take it, and leave the theatre.

Debutant Daisy Shah does a lot of stalking in the film.

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34 l=EBRUARV 2014

If you're an avid Salman gazer, you'd know that Salman chooses to reverse the rules of filmy courtship. Normally in our cinema, from the time when Raj Kapoor stalked Nargis in Andaz and Rajendra Kumar heckled Babita down the slopes of Gulmarg in Anjaana, it's the guy who showers persistent attention on the seething simpering heroine.

In Salman's films, the girl often takes the initiative in courtship. In Jal Ho Daisy is the pesky girl-next-door who keeps barging into Sal man's sprawling household comprising of any number of kins and their visitors, lovers, associates...The hectic household here is a lot of SaIman's real-life openhouse home.

Actually all of Sal man's films are basically extensions of the superstar's own personality. Jal Ho is more so than any of his earlier films. He wants us to know he cares for the common man.

The script, a revamped 'Salmanesque' take on the Telugu Chiranjeevi starrer Stalin, is designed to exhibit the superstar's philanthropic and humane side.

Jal Ho is all about loving your extended family. How extended, depends on how large the conscience and how broad an individual's vision.

Sohail Khan's direction provides ample breadth for Salman's superstardom to shine. However, there is a perceptible absence of depth in the anti-corruption plot. The narrative is plotted w ith tokenism rather than any serious in-depth attempt to understand the decadent dynamics of present-day politics.

Seize the moment, and you'll

probably make a difference to society. This is the mantra Salman adopts in Jai Ho. This formula of instant socio-political remedy and quite appealing, though the vigilante insinuations are also dangerous.

The film makes for an engaging but somewhat incomplete view of presentday corruption-ridden India. Sohail Khan keeps the proceedings moving briskly. When there is a danger of a sudden slackening, the director pumps up the adrenaline with rugged action sequences where Salman goes at his adversaries full -throttle.

It's all a vehicle to enhance Salman's image as the messiah of the downtrodden. He is one helluva angry man who's not just anti-establishment but anti-antipathy. He implores the public to rise and revolt against humbug. Coming from a star with so much clout, that's quite a hard-hitting message. Regrettably, the episodes to show the superstar-hero's concern for humanity are text-bookish and illustrative.

Yet you cannot but take Sal man's clarion- call for social awakening seriously. He gives you no choice. The crusader's role is played at an arrogantly absent-minded pitch as though the hero of the masses has too many things to worry about, the least of his concerns being how best to occupy that camera space. The lack of concentration is glaring when the leading man occupies almost ever frame of the film.

There is no dearth of talented and not-so-talented actors in Jal Ho. There are more characters in Sohail's extended family than in Sooraj Barjatya's Hum Saath Saath Hai and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! combined. The entire galaxy of characters in Jai Ho has a purpose: to extol the unending virtues of our one-man army.

To his credit, Sohail has spun a credible and often compelling anti-corruption yarn that succeeds in justifying the need for Sal man's stardom to monopolise the entire length and breadth of the footage.

His rhetorical rowdyism brings the house down.

Santosh Thundiyil's cinematography and Sandeep Shirodkar's background score a.re almost affable extensions ofSalman's messianic hero-giri. The visuals and the sound nail his crusade down to a cohesive if not comprehensive cinematic statement.

Besides Danny Denzongpa who has some meaty interactive episodes with Salman, the rest of the cast including the very talented Nadira Ba bba r, is wasted. Correct me if I am wrong. But I did catch a glimpse or two of the once-incandescent Tabu in the new eagerly-awaited Salman-starrer.

SUBHASH K. JHA

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A WORLD OF UNMITIGATED DEBAUCI-IERV MISS LOVELY STARRING: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Niharika Singh and Anil George WRITERS: Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar DIRECTOR: Ashim Ahluwalia

****-> o aesthetically capture the scummy on screen in all its naked glory is not an easy task. Debutant director Ashim Ahluwalia has achieved a stirring and disturbing synthesis ofa documentary-styled narrative on the notdefunct world of horror-porn from the 1980s, and a conventional Hindi film love triangle (two brothers, one girl, tension, tension!)

The storytelling is not just unique, it is also extremely disturbing. The characters do not follow the redemptive path from sleaze to atonement. They remain till the end damned, doomed and despicable in their greed to capture female flesh in lascivious dose-ups.

The lure of the leer is laid out with

brutal directness. The tale is a trap for the compromised. But it's not a morality tale.

The camera space between the characters and the audience is next to non-existent in Ahluwalia's narrative.

And that's the highest compliment one can pay the cinematographer K.U. Mohanan and co-editors Paresh Kamdar and Ahluwalia who have done their jobs so well they seem non-existent in the scheme of Ahluwalia's scathing sting operation on human depravity and uncontrollable sexual appetites.

There is an unevenness about the narration which perfectly matches the smoky seedy mood of t he story. Barring Niharika Singh's character who epitomises beauty in the sleazy cesspool, all the actors are captured in grotesque flabby close-ups. Niharika looks aloof and detached from the sleaze. She seems to be playing the title role. But then, deception is the name of the grime.

There is nothing pretty or lovely about Miss Lovely. Scene after scene of cheesy titillation is piled on with little space for

narrative niceties.

Clearly Ahluwalia knows this dark desperate ugly world. He enters it fearlessly and shamelessly. Emotionally and visually the narrative remains married to the murky until the bitter shocking end.

The finale leaves us as sick in the pit of our stomach as the rest of the film. These are characters who belong to the armpit of humanity.

The four principal parts are played with disconcerting scrupulousness by Niharika Singh, Anil George, Zeena Bhatia and last but not the 'leashed' Nawazuddin Siddiqui who continues to create compelling characters culled from dark desperate corners of the human condition.

Nawazuddin's Sonu Duggal is a curiously untarnished soul trapped in a world of unmitigated debauchery. His romance with the wannabe starlet Pinky (Niharika Singh) comes to an expectantly sticky tragic end. The bitter rage with which Nawazuddin confronts the betrayal of his innocent love for the girl is more

Shakespearean than you'd expect a film of this nature to be.

Loath it or love it, you've never seen anything like Miss Lovely. It builds a world of vicious vices with its raw stock of stark visuals and elemental emotions. The sound design is deliberately hazy, going as it does from Asha Bhosle-R.D. Burman in the opening credits to incidental distant sounds of girls giggling in fake ecstasy and moaning in ersatz pleasure.

The dark, sinister, sexy, dangerous and devastatingly lurid, the sleazy world ofBollywood's semi-porn scarefests is recreated in a scarily new cinematic language.

The view in Miss Lovely may not be pretty but it is unfailingly provocative and exhilarating. This fi lm is not for the squeamish.

Neither is life.

SUBHASH K. JHA

SLICE OF URBAN LIFE, DONE UP IN TASTEFUL SMADES ONEBYTWO STARRING: Abhay Deal, Preeti Desai DIRECTOR: Devika Bhagat

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t takes a while to figure out why this deliciously yummy concoction about urban aspirations is called One

By Two. And it would be a crime more criminal than character assassination to tell you why the two main characters in the film never meet till the closing moments.

This is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve. And it doesn't roll up that sleeve when the narrative is endangered by uncomfortable twists of circumstances.

Devika Bhagat loves her protagonists Samara and Amit, quirks, excesses, flatulence and all.

The urban fable constructs Samara and Amit's dreams as a spiral of frustrations.

We really don't expect these two people to come out triumphant at the end. And really, they don't. What they do is to connect themselves as very believable young people with dreams that seem to be picked out from the streets rather than manufactured on a cinematic stage.

He likes to pound the guitar. She loves to dance. She is on that crazy journey through the dance-reality show, the kind that Anushka Sharma embraced in Aditya Chopra's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to fob off a housewife's boredom.

INDIAN LINK

The dysfunctional girl Samara (effectively played by Preeti Desai) has serious dreams that seem driven more by her alcoholic mother's frustrations. Indeed some ofthe film's most effective drama emerges in the mother-daughter scenes. Quite understandable, when the mother is played by the ever-dependable Lilette Dubey.

There are some very interesting incidental characters lining up to lend a sense of optimism to the central dilemma of two characters who never seem to get their fundas right. Among the peripheral characters, Abhay's two clingy office colleagues make an interesting study in work-place behaviour.

I liked the spirited girl (played by Yashika Dhillon) who plays the brassy bahenji chosen as a bahu by Abhay's over-zealous parents (Rati Agnihotri and Jayant Kripalani, making a cute if cliched 'careless' couple).

Besides the fact that the real-life Abhay-Preeti pair never meet till the end, the remarkable thing about One By Two is that it weaves interesting episodes into inherently routine lives, making their anonymous existence seem far more special than it actually is.

That's the magic created by the skilled writing, convincing characterisation and of course credible performances.

While Preeti as the day-dreamer tripping over her dance shoes to get to the finishing lines, gets a tailor-made role (including a scene justifying her poor command over the Hindi language), Abhay clocks up a very assured workingclass hero's character. He is bitter but not broken; bewildered by the vagaries of life, but never unamused by the irony of it all. He is everyman, and yet special in his ordinariness.

As for the film, the quirky mood is never too far off from the smooth surface. Pushing its way out of the film's

inner-world, the characters' clamorous self-projections become more amusing than tragic when weighed against the sheer commonness of their dreams.

There is a warm lived-in feeling to Bhagat's directorial debut. It may not win your heart as unconditionally as Farhan Akhtar's debut Oil Chahta Hai. But there's a winsome., bouncy and ebullient quality to this take on urban aspirations.

Irresistible in parts, One By Two never disappoints.

SUBHASH K. JHA

l=EBRUARY 2014 35

Ekta's into passionate love Perhaps in keeping with th e mood leading to Valentine's Day, producer Ekta Kapoor plans to hit the small screen with a new TV show called Kumkum Bhagya.

Ekta, whose TV soaps like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, were highly popular, revealed that the new show, a "passionate story of love'; will replace the current one, Pqvitra Rishta.

Kumkum Bhagya is loosely based on the novel Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen. The show will be an Indian interpretation of the novel, following the life of a mother who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters wed.

Chitchat on the Chopras

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SIIDI-IARTI-I SET TO SI-IINE AGAIN elative newcomer Siidharth Malhotra made his Bollywood debut with Student of the Year, and did a commendable job. Now, gearing up for his second release Hasee Toh Phasee, the 29-year-old feels that he has improved as an actor.

But he did feel a lot of pressure when doing the new film, following the success of his first movie.

"There is definitely pressure from the business point of view. After Student of the Year I have become more responsible, more aware about what is happening around. I guess I have improved as an actor, both in terms of quality and quantity, in terms of performance'; said Siidharth recently.

The actor revealed a bit more about his latest movie saying,"Hasee Toh Phasee is completely different from a typical Karan Johar film. We had a restricted budget, there was nothing like luxurious cars or anything. We used to pack up early, there were restrictions. I realised how spoilt I was in Student of the Year, but it was quite exciting!"

Talking about his character in the movie, Siidharth said, "He is lost, not successful and sentimental. He is not a typical hero kind of character. He is under pressure and is the most stressed out character of the m ovie''.

Filmmaker Anurag Kahsyap is impressed with Siidharth's acting skills.

"Siidharth is fabulous in the film and the kind of restraint and focus he has shown is impressive," Kashyap said in a statement.

According to a source, the Gangs ofWasseypur director is actually writing a film keeping Siidharth in mind.

It looks like Hasee toh Phasee will be the platform that will establish Sidharth as an actor. And with Vi nil Mathew directing the film and Parineeti Chopra in the lead role, the actor is sure to enjoy success. Good luck, Siid!

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36 l=EBRUARV 2014

These days, Bollywood's buzzing about Priyanka and Parineeti, the Chopra cousins. While Priyanka gets ready for the release of Gunday, Parineeti's perked up about forthcoming flick Hasee Toh Phasee.

Parineeti, who is seen grooving to the beats of Drama queen in the movie, says that she takes the word very positively.

"The word 'drama queen' is very positive for me, because I am like that. I am very outspoken, I talk loudly, I am always happy and smiling... I do a lot of dramas and I don't think it's a bad thing'; Parineeti said recently.

She didn't seem to m ind that the film was a medium budget one either.

"For me, to p lay the character was a challenge, but coming to the sets of Hasee Toh Phasee was not new because I have always done medium budget films.

You know, I have always done movies with restricted budgets, so shooting was fine with me but the character was a challenge;' she said.

Parineeti, who made her Bollywood debut with Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, says she had a lot of personal pressure while filming.

"I wanted to do something different.

The role is not like /shaqzaade or Shuddh Desi Romance because in those two I played very Indian characters. Th is was completely different, I am off (mentally) in the movie and because of that I really had to do a lot of work'; she said, admitting that she would be essaying the role of a mad scientist. "The character that I am playing is very quirky. It is different from the ones I have played before. Usually in movies, either an actress p lays a normal girl or a mentally challenged one, but my character in the movie is between the two. It was physically very exhausting for me to play it'; she said.

The young actress also admitted that she was waiting to watch Priyanka's Gunday, but also insisted, as we've heard before, that"there is no competition with Priyanka''. Both films release within the gap of a week.

Priyanka, on the other hand, is her usual assured self when it comes to Gunday.

And everything else! She had to slip into several outfits like corsets, fishnet stockings, and train with French cabaret dancers for the song Asalaam e lshqum from the film, and admits that it was difficult to do the track.

"It was a really tough song for me to do and I'm glad it's being appreciated'; Priyanka said in a statement.

The video is inspired by the chic burlesque acts of the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret of Paris. Priyanka also had a tough time shooting for the song as her father (Ashok Chopra) passed away a few days before the shoot, in the summer of 2013.

The costumes too, had to be created overnight.

"I really admire Priyanka for the courage and determination that she displayed during the shooting of the song. She put in all her pain and converted it into an intense energy, which has reflected in Asa/aam e /shqum'; said director Ali Abbas Zafar.

The talented actresses will give us a treat of a performance, but which film succeeds is anyone's guess right now. At least there's 'no competition'!

Selling via Sunny In what purists will view as a radical marketing ploy, the theatrical trailer of lndo-Canadian adult film star-turnedactress Sunny Leone's latest offering Ragini MMS 2 can also be accessed worldwide across adult websites.

"Sunny enjoys a huge viewership on adult websites, so yes, we are launching the trailer on these websites;' said Tanuj Garg, CEO of Balaji films, in a statement.

The film, directed by Bhushan Patel, is a mix of horror and sex.

"Nothing spells super sexy and super scary as well as the RMMS 2 promo does," said Sunny."This is something my fans and lovers haven't seen before! It's a treat that I don't want them to miss".

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SUNNY LEONE they love their own sisters''.

Well, as long as they add their best wishes to ours for the newly married couple!

PARINEETI CHOPRA PRIY ANKA CHOPRA Does anyone really care about the scare when they can see sexy Sunny? What do you think?

New Delhi at a later date.

Ahana met Vaibhav at her sister Esha Deol's wedding to Mumbai-based businessman Bharat Takhtani in 2012.

They were engaged in June 2013.

Ahana's half-brothers, Sunny and Bobby, reportedly did not attend the wedding, but a source said that they would bless the couple at the reception in the capital.

"Neither Dharamji nor Hemaji would want to hurt Prakashji (Sunny and Bobby's mother). The family has decided it's better if Sunny and Bobby stay away'; a source said.

"Sorry to disappoint the gossipmongers, but there is no ill-will or bitterness about the Deol brothers' absence from Ahana's wedding'; added the source unnecessarily. "Sunny and Bobby love both Esha and Ahana like

Ahana Deol weds businessman Veteran actors Hema Malini and Dharmendra's younger daughter Ahana Deol married Delhi-based businessman VaibhavVora in Mumbai recently, with big names from the fraternity like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan and politicians like Narendra Modi and Raj Thackeray on the privileged guest list.

The wedding, a mix of Punjabi and traditional south Indian customs, were similar to that of elder sister Eisha's wedding in 2012. Ahana's wedding clothes were created by Jodha Akbar fame fashion designer Neeta Lulla.

The pheras and reception were hosted at the ITC Maratha, with another reception at the groom's farmhouse in

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WI-IO WORE IT BETTER? • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Emma Stone or Kangna Ranaut in Burberry Prorsum?

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Mixed genre films coming soon With both Jai Ho and One By Two having received a mixed response at the box-office, the upcoming potpourri of films in different genres may fare better or worse, say industry watchdogs.

Films soon to release include romantic comedy Hasee Toh Phasee, medical thriller Heartless, youthful love story Babloo Happy Hai and Ya Rab, a fi lm on terrorism.

Hasee Toh Phasee promises to be much more than a regular rom-com, with Siddharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles. The film revolves around a stressed out guy who meets a completely different girl, so it may take up t he fancy of the audience.

It's a medium budget film, made with approximately Rs.25-28 crore.

Actor Shekhar Suman's directorial debut Heartless is another interesting option. The medical thriller features Shekhar's son Adhyayan Suman along with Deepti Naval and Om Puri in lead roles. Shekhar has gone all out to make the fi lm a success, spending Rs.1 crore for the movie's title track that has been sung by Sonu Nigam. Made at an approximate budget of Rs. 12-13 crore, the film is about an emotional journey of a young man from falling ill to healing. It will be shown in approximately 600-800 screens pan India.

Bab/oo Happy Hai has been directed by Nila Madhab Panda, who won a national award for his film/ Am Ka/am . The film features Sahil Anand, Erica Fernandes, Sumit Suri, Amol Parashar and Preet Kamal.

Ya Rab is a film revolving around the concept of terrorism. Directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala, it features Ajaz Khan, who was last seen in Bigg Boss Saath-7, along with Arjumman Mug ha I, Raju Kher, Vikram Singh and lmran Hasnee.

Both Babloo Happy Hai as well as Ya Rab have been made on budgets of Rs.10 crore each and wil I be shown in about 200-300 screens across India.

So there you go, pay your money and take your pick!

l=EBRUARY 2014 37

BACKCHAT

How much does packaging count?

How do you like your neta types - in desi garb or in western wear?

bout400 years ago in RIJmeo andJuliet, Shakespeare ,vrote the well-known line " ... arose by any other name would smell as sweet". A major reason for the immortalil)' of Shakespeare's works is the insights they portray on human values and his deep understanding of human behaviour. The words above are spoken in a famous passage by Juliet where she infers that no matter what Romeo's name, be would still remain the same person.

Put another way, you can't judge a book by its cover.

Yet in the political sphere anyway, it would seem that the cover is more important than the content! It's the paclq1ging that counts. How politicians dress in the public arena matters, as public judgement will be based on what the public sees.

When the Cultural Revolution came to China, many forms of traditional culrnre were thrown ove1·board. Chairman Mao made famous his blue jacket, that was worn by the masses. But come the end of the Cultural Revolution, die Mao jacket was abandoned and instead d1e universally accepted western style of dress was adopted by the political elite. So n ow we have the entire Chinese leadership dressing in dark suits, white shirts and plain,

A

usually red, neckties.

Today we see most male world leaders dress in suits and ties. The white sh.in, dark suit and tie has become something of a uniform.

Most countries have their national dress in which they would have considerable pride, so it's interesting d1at their leaders would be prepared to abandon the national dress and conform to the modern uniform of suits and ties.

The question is whether the adoption of this western style of dress has been as d1.e result of a calculated decision.

By dressing in a uniform manner an impression is given of having something in common, not being too different, of shared thinking and common goals.

Being in harmony con.Id lead to smoother discourse, better understanding and mnmally beneficial outcomes. Weighing up the pros and cons, leaders must conclude chat d1ere is a net gain in sacrificing meir traditional dress.

Yet there are a few notable exceptions to the rule, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being one of chem. In his

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September 2013 visit to die White House he dressed, elegantly it has to be said, in an achkan, and not a suit. Contrast d1is to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's visit to the White House a mond1 later, where he was dressed in a suit with a tie almost die same colour as that worn by US President Ba.rack Obama. Perhaps d1ere was nothing in it and di e dress was a matter of personal choice. Or had Sharif seen d1e light and come to the conclusion chat conformity does bestow certain advantages, or at the very least, removes a point of difference?

On a national level in India, we have the paradoxical situation of politicians believing chat d1ey should be seen in national dress, preferably in khadi. Yer the public is used co seeing their superstar male cricketing and Bollywood heroes dressed in snappy wescern clothes. Blanket TV coverage and the widespread availa1Jility of the internet means d1ar d1e public is always well informed about the latest fashions and style of dress.

Kmtas and c1chka11s are a throwback to the post-independence days. The country is in the 21" cenntry with more than 50% of the population under 25. Perhaps politicians will recognise tl1is and move with me times. Or it might be the next generation of politicians who will have the courage to give up the achk,111 for a suit?

Perceptions in life are everything, and first impressions count. How will you dress for your job interview? Or for diat first date widi someone new? To meet prospective in-laws? And which car should you drive? Is it the content d1ar matters, or is it tl1e cover?

''

By dressing in a uniform manner an impression is given of having something in common, not being too different, of shared thinking and common goals

'' ''

On a national level in India, we have the paradoxical situation of politicians believing that they should be seen in national dress, preferably in khadi

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