2014-03 Brisbane

A world power in decline

We are seeing a decline in American power, the controversial 84-year-old academic Noam Chomsky stated in the lf7'0Jhit1gto11 Post recently.

The rapidly changing siniation in Ukraine will be a limms test of America's inAuence on world affairs as it duels with its old foe, Russia. What plays out in the near fumre will have a significant bearing on world affairs, especially on an emerging economy like lndia.

The seeds of decline in the US might have been sprouting for a while now. Tbe '13- year war in Afghanistan and the bloody battles in Iraq have been financially costly and emorionaUy draining for tlie Americans. A lame duck President who is held back by the U S Congress and halfway tl1rough his second term with nothing more to prove, is not helping America's cause.

Two iucemational events in the recent pasc have also embarrassed the US. Its handling of the Syrian crisis was ineffecmal , with Russia negating any show of force wh ich cl1e Amer icans exerted diplomatically after the gas attacks against civilians

there. Furthermore, tl1e feeling globally i s that America has been played with by Iraq's promises of cooperation on nuclear advancement, in remrn for having tl1eir sanctions lifted. Israe l and ocher countries have been vehement in dieir astonishment at American gullibility on this issue

The US seemed impotem on the issue of Edward Snowden being granted asylum in Russia as \veil.

The l atest Russian aggression in Ukraine has a lso received a soft response by tbe US, largely syrnbolic. The US has suspended preparations for a GS summic in Sochi. Some countries have recalled ambassadors. Britain said its ministers would stay away from the Paralympics m be held in Sochi.

lt is doubtful if there will be any boots on the ground m defend parts of Ukraine 1mder cl:u:eat by Russia, a country d,at has spent billions under Putin to upgrade and modernise i ts forces that were dilapidated after the break -up of the Soviet Union. i\1feanwhil e, Moscow's special units are now seen as equa ls on par with the best in the world.

For lndi a, the stand -off between Russia and me US is alarming as is d1e perception of decline in American power.

With allied troops leaving Afghanistan this year, cliat part of die world can become increasingly vo latile. While die militams have been held back by the

US -led forces in Afghanisran in the past, the easing of pressure increases the danger of insurgency spreading to India, especially Kashmir. TI1e close conneccion between China and Pakistan, and part of the Pakistani military's closeness to the Taliban, can also raise temperatures in cliat part of the world.

India will need all its diplomatic skills to balance its relationships with the US and Russia.

Anotlier factor of concern for lndia will be about which country can best assist with meeting its own energy needs in the funtte. The U S has .recently fow1d vast reserves of oil and gas, and over the next 20 years will probably become largely self-sufficient. Their desire to fight any battles over energy issues will be li mited. According to a report in lntemationtt! E11er;gy Outlook, by 2040 India and China will account for 34 percent of the projected total world energy consumption. A large pan will be sourced from the Middle East, and gas will be obtained from reserves in Russia. \Xfhich current superpower wiU be more powerful in meeting lodia's energy needs will be a significant factor in the minds of Indian diplomats when deciding on which side to favom in the cmrent showdown.

Pawan Luth ra is the 2012 Parliament of NSW Multicultural Journalis t of the Year

nee

Same-sex marriage is an issue that the Indian Australian community needs to discuss

The Indian Australian community seems to be split in opinion on the issue of same-se.." marriage. While there is an acceptan ce of same-sex relationships, same-sex marriag e still seems to draw out critics. There are however, more questions and answers happening w ithin Indian Australian families, as children themselves are asking more questions Top rated te levisio n shows such as Nlodem Fa111i(y which openly depi cts samesex marriage between two of its main characters, as well as news headlines and radio talk shows have brought this issue om in the open and the migrant Indian community can no l onger ignore this topi c. Indian Ll11k talks to members of the community to find out their views.

"l fee l a healthy dialogue with our children is in order to understand what their sexual preferences ate, learning about gay- marriage through reading, and attending events such as ones organised by Ttikone Australas ia are important," says wen known Sydney radio personality Manbir Kohli, summing up the issue. "Al.ong with meeting and befriending people with sexuality tbat is different to our own deeply held values, will help us understand that gar relationships and gay marriage are normal and not a stigma that relatives back home, religious conservatives everywhere or caricamres in Bollywo od would have 1.1s believe"

According co W ikipedia, same-sex marriage, is marriage between two people of the same biological sex and/ or gender id entity. As of 19 August 2013, 15 countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, etherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Soucb Africa, Sweden, Uruguay) and pares of Mexico and the United Stares allow same- sex couples to marry. The UK will allow for same-sex marriage from the end of this month and Scodand has legalised ir from October 2014.

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In July 2009, the Delbi High Court rejected sectio n 377 of the lndian pe nal code whjch was enacted by the British in 1861. Th is code criminalises sexual activities "against the order of nature", including homosexual aces. This was challenged and this decisi on was reversed by d1e Supreme Court on December 11 , 20 13 to uphold section 377 of the Indian Penal code that criminalises same -sex marriage.

lnteresti.ogly, o n the very same day, the High Court of Australia also upheld an appeal against an Austra lian Capital Territor y ace of parliament t hat legalised same- sex marriages, which had come into operation on 7 r ovember in the same year. Passing judgment on 12 December, tbe High Court unanimously struck the act down; the ceremonies d1at had t."lken p lace had therefore become void. But the court also confirmed that the federal parUament has the power m legislate for same -sex marriage.

Since then this issue often plays our i.o d1e main media, as polls show that there is rising support for legally recognising same- sex marriage across race, ethnicity, age, religion and political af.filiation.

Director of the Indian Film festi v al of Melbourne and

wen known personality Mim Bhowmick Lange is in full support of same- sex marriages ' 'l am rotall y for it," he says vehemently "If two people love each other they should have the freedom ro decide what future d1ey want to have".

This is also reflected jn the views of 25-year-old Pri yanka Das from Ade laide who has been living in Australia for two years now. " Initially when l m..igrated here, l was ta.ken aback by how open this discussion ,vas; but now that I bave setded here and seen how society interacts with each other, 1 wonder wbar's rbe b ig deal? If people are happy with each other, all the best ro them and may tbey find long ter1n happiness", she says Similar views are echoed by ctickec guru Kersi MeherHomji, but he draws the line at sa.me -se.x marriage " Let me say at tbc outset that l am not a homophobe", says MeherHomj i '1 believe that some people are born homosexual and it is natural for them to have same -sex relations However, I am not for same- sex marriage.

Call me an old fashioned fudd yduddy, but to me marriage is between a woman and a man, wid1 procreation as its primary goal I hav e no objection if a gay coup le lives toged1er, have

sexual relations with eacb other and a.re faithful to one another. But 1 draw a line at same- sex marriage What would a priest or a marriage celebrant say at the ceremony, ' I pronounce you husband and husband / wife and wife?' I realise that we are now in the 21st century, but still it doesn't sound right to me", he avers. Retiree Krishan Kumar Pa.hwa .in Sydney is also not in favour of san1e-sex marri age.

i'vlelbourne local politician Gautam Gupta has however, a more conciliatory approach. Believ ing in unity in diversi t:y, he says that freedom of cho ice js a fundameoral human right, and whether it be religion, po litical persuasion or sexual orientation, it is the freedom to choose for ourse lves diat is paranmunt. " U ltimatel y how people choose to live their lives j5 a personal choice and it is this freedom that should be protected and promoted ," he states. "As a communi ty, we should strive to be inclusive and supp o rtive of all forms of djversiry. It i s fanrastic to see so many new initiatives that support tbe GLBTQI community and d1eir families", says Gupta.

While there i s strong acceptance of the gay and lesb ian choices by the Indian 1\ustralian community, as Kohli bas noted, t here needs to be a strong dialogue with making our children aware

of these lifestyle choi ces.

Rajat Bahri from Sydney's Newtown says that it is quite common to meet same-sex parents at his children's local schoo l. '1 am a s tudent here and am comfortable with the lifestyle choices people have," says Bahri. "But m y nine year o ld came home d1e otber day and wanted to know wh y his friend had two mummies while he had one. We did have a discussion about the in1portaoce of lo ve in the family, rather d1an ge n ders", he says smiling

Local Sydney lawyer Mahrukh Mnndul vocalises a d1ought which may be at d1e forefront of the minds of tbe local community.

"lnclian Australia.us who have grown up wi tb chis double whammy of so cio- religious beliefs and customs , rogether with d1e criminalisation of the relationships in India, are conflicted when confronted with the liberal attitudes in Australia," she says "Their solution is tO ignore the issue, as long as tbe ir children are straight, that's an that counts".

One suspects d1at as time marches on, there ,viii be more softening of d:i.is stance and more acceptance of samesex marriages.

~w@JITD®W Sheraton on the Park 161 Elizabeth St Sydney

• Saturcfay April 5 at 7.30pm: "Med ita tion as Medication for the Sou l "

• Sunday April 6 at 2.30pm: "Journey t hrough the Spiritua l Realms" ~@@~&)

Adelaide Convention Centre North Tee Adelaide

• Wednesday April 9 at 7.00pm: "Key to Lasting Happiness"

Sebel Playford Hotel 120 North Tee Adelaide

• Thursday Apr il 1Oat 7.00pm: "Spark of the Divin e"

U0D@~ lli)@ QJJ [?[ru@ Melbourne Convention Centre 1 Convention Cen t re Place South Wharf Melbourne

• Saturday April 12 at 2.00pm: Meditation Se min ar

• Saturday April 12 at 7 .OOpm: "Med itat ion: Secret to Spi ritu al Wealth"

• Sun d ay Apr il 13 at 1.30pm: "Experience Regions of Light Wi thin "

Local w/site: www.sos.org/aus/australia

Email: infoaustralia@sos.org

Tbe Indian Link Media Group has wo o yet another three awa rds at the 2014 Premier's l\ilulticulmral Media Awards held ar Doltone House in Sydney on 13 February, 2014 They took home the Best Print Report of tbe Year, --Sest Use of Online & Digital Media and Young Journalist of the Year: Ritam M itra.

Three wins at 2014 Premier's Multicultural Media Awards

The Sydney-based Indian media group was nominated in eight of the 12 catego ries. In one category, Best Prim Report, all three finalists came from lndia11 Link.

The awards were judged by an in dependent panel of academic and working media experts, with some categories varying from last year.

Pawan Luthra, CEO of Indian Link said he was proud of the ongo ing recognition that the media group has received, from within the community as well as from the mainstream.

"To claim three awards yet again chis year, reveals nor only our dedication but also the hig h standards ,ve set ourselves," said

Luthra. "1 congratulate my rerun for their talent and their efforts".

After this awards night, Tndian Link has now become the most awarded multicultural media group in Australia.

The event was opened by NSW Premier Barr y O'Farrell, who said the groWTh of cbe State's mu.lticulmral media reflects NSW's status as one of the most nmlticultu.ral so cieties in tbe world

'1 was impressed to see more than 110 entries were received for th e l 2 categories coveting print, radio, TV and oaline media in this year's awards, which are in their second year," said Premier O'Farrell. He also commenced on

the trend within the multirnlrural community which is see ing its med ia expand as compared to the main stream where it is contracting.

The Pre1nier's Multiculmral Media Awards are one of the feamte events of Mu lticulmral March, a celebration of what the Seate call$ o ne of its greatest assets, its culmral diversity.

"Co ngratulations to fodiafl Link, with the fortnightly publication taking out Best Print Reporter, Pawa n Luthra, Best Young Journalist, Ricam Mitra, and the category of Best Use of Online ru1d Digita l Media," Minister for C itizenship and Communities Victor Dominello

said after bis moving speech.

" The awards proudly recognise the ro le multiculmral media p lays in promoting I SW to audiences around the world," he furthered.

Dominello's speech in which he urged the gathered multiculmral media to put the spotlight on the wiacceptable treatment of girls ru1d women erupted imo a loud applause. He imp lored the nmlciculmral media gathered co continue tackle the " tough issues".

"\'(/e would like to congratulate tl1e other media 9rganisations that won or were nominated on the night," Tndian Link Editor Ra jni Anand Luthra said. "W/e also acknowledge the Government of NSW in providing a platform

such as [be Multicultural Media Awards to showcase our talents and efforts".

Pawan Luthra added, "At ludi,111 Link, we like to call ourselves ' observers of the trends in Australi a's Indian community'. Our clear grasp of issues in the community for 20 years now has earned us much respecr not only within the community but in the mainstream as well. W/e pride ourse lves on our 9ualit:y of content, our design, as well as regularit)' of production. Our core team ()f 10 staff members, and some 70- odd contributors across the country, wo rkvery hard to see tha't a 9uality publication goes out every fortnight, even as we struggle with the drastic upheaval that our industry L~ going through".

The company produces two fortnightly publications fo r its Sydney audience, and momhlies for Me lbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. On th e airwaves, it brings audiences together through lndian Link Radio. This was laund1cd I J years ago on a 'pay-radio' forma t for listeners in Sydney and lvfelbourne only but is now acc essible 'row1d the world round the dock' via a downloadable smartphone app as well as online streaming. Online, the company's presence encompasses an imernctive website, fortnightly e-newslecters that reaches the ca rgeted audience directly, a busy Facebook page, and regular 'Twitter feeds.

The Indian Link .Media Group is no stranger to winning awards. just last year at the inaugural

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Premier's .Mul ticulnual l\1[edia Award 2013, lndia11 l.J11k also won three awards: Best News Report, Best Onlin e Pub lication of die Year and Best Image of the Year. ln addition to th.is, flldian Link also cook out t\vo awards ar tl1e 20 I 3 Parliament of NSW Mulcicu lmral Media Awards, three awards at the 2012 Parliament of NSW Multicultural Media and the 2011 NS\V Premier's Harmony Award. This multi- media group ju st rn.ight have to buy a new shelf to display all of the awards won.

BEST USE OF ONLINE &DIGITAL MEDIA

www.in d ianl i nk com au

Always a step ahead, Indian Li11k has been on tile cutti.llg edge of technology since its bictl1. The sr:ylish website is now availab le across all platforms, including smartphones for 'news on the go' and links the latest news to their 24/7 digital radio station, and integrates their social media ompuL

By creating a highly effective digital strategy, the Indian Link Media Gmup has been able to stay up - to-date with the latest digital trends. We don't just create content for users, we also engage and listen co tllem in order co continue our media group's innovative use o f tbe latest technology.

BEST PRINT REPORT OF THE YEAR:..:..-----------_ - _-:_=-~ dian-Austra\ians

The 2013 Federal Election: An Indian community poll

Pawan Lu thra's p iece on the analysis of an lr,d;,m Link el ection surv ey, conducted in the lead up to the Jast federal elections , ,vas a clear and conc ise report on the issues which matter to th e Indian community, and their percepti ons of w hich political par ry would bes t fulfil their need s No doubt it helped the u n dec ided v ote r s in the communi ty tO make

their final electo ral decision.

"Our pre-electi o n surveys are conduc t ed o bjecti vel y and provi de valuab le insig ht i nto th e m anner in which the communi ty is thin k ing,"

Pawan said "This i s parLicuJarl y importa nt as l arge secti o n s of our community's voters live in marginal seat areas. It turned o m, we were right on targ et. In fact, this was the third time a row that our pre-election po ll wa s rig ht on target".

YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: RlTAM MITRA

T;:u~:=~of the Year Ritam Mitra, is a perfect exan1ple of the mentoring that fodia11 I.ink. does for young writers.

"I definitel)' was n 't expecting to win, and it was an honour simply co be shortlisted for the award," says Ricam of h is award. "Th e other nominees were of very higb calibre".

Ricam was 17 when he first began to contribute to Tndia11 I.ink. Today, at 2 1, finishing a law degree at uni and working for a leading Sydn ey Jaw lirm. he is one of the most pro lific write-rs on our team.

"Indian Link has given me a wide range o f opportunities, which I'm extre m ely gtateful for," says i\ Lltra._Ritam's e arliest writings were on youth is sues and h is great passion sport, but his body of work n ow in cludes pieces on po litics, scie n ce, technology, media, new media, governmeoc policy, assimilation, even on Indian traditions as h e sees tbe.m through his Australia-taised eye s.

"The Yo ung J o urnali st award was the last award ptesenced on the night, and i t was a new category - so there 10 MARCI-I 2014

was a fair b it of anticipation around it," recalls Mitra of the award night. " I'd s pent most of the night enjoying the speeches, cu ltural performances, and celebrating the Indian Link team's win in rwo other categories, so l didn't dunk coo much abour the award, as I knew there were some very impressive nominees who d eser ved tbe honour. From the moment ill)' name was called up, everything became a bit of a bl ur. It was a big surprise and a very lnunb ling n10menr.

" Bue i t was a moment l'll never forget and an award l'U bold very dearly ro me".

RESULTS

OUTING AN UGLY TRUTH

Manpreet Kaur Singh's enlightening and realistic report on domestic violence has won two prestigious awards. FARZANA AHMAD reports

SBS Radio Punjabi's Executive Producer Manpreet Kaur Singh added more feathers to her cap recently by clinching two awards in the 2014 NSW Premier's Mu..lticulrural Meclia .Awards held in Sydney. Manpreet's multi -award winning fea tL1.re The Enet1Q' Within was recognised as che Best Raclio Report and Best Feature of the Year (any meclium) during tl1e ceremony.

The report whicl1 was first aired in December 20 l2, confronts the issue of domescic violence witliin the Australian Indian community. le is a compelling dissection of family abuse through the voices of the victims, the police, experts and tl1e court system, and it has struck a chord witl1 the community on many different le,,els.

"The docm:nentarywas commissioned b)' SBS in 2012", Manpreec cold T,,dian Link. '·It cook around four months of intensive investigative work to complete. During this rime we consulted with authorities, experts and victims in Melbourne and

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Sydney to portray an honest picmre of domestic viol ence witll.io the Indian community in Austral ia. \'(/e presented seven stories by interviewing victims directly; of them, one couple and one victim are now deceased as a direct result of domestic violence".

The report aimed ro deternune whether Indian cu.Im.re and circumstances like arranged marriages and migracion make domestic vio lence unique in this community.

"We have asked the experts and tl1e victims, and now il is up to tl1e people to decide", she added.

Regarding tl1e reaction of the Indian community to this report, Manpreet said, "lt w·as an honest appraisal of questions everyone asks. The response bas been strong and mostly positive where people have realised mar 1.hey have co stop being in denial and do something about iL But at the same time, there has been some negative reaction with people arguing that tl1e viccims are parcly to blame too. For tl1e wider community 1.h9ugh, the

documencary has been an eye opener".

Manpreet regards me docurnencary The Enmry fl?itbin as tl,e most clifficu..lt and comp lex story she's handled professionally.

She is deeply moved b y me plight of victims of domestic violence in thelndian community and feels a need tO make a difference. She believes that although a lot is being done in this regard, it is not enough.

"There is a need for community organisations, government agencies and welfare groups m come together and work as a unit in understanding the intricacies of tl,e Indian culture and address fami ly violence accordingly'', she averred.

"Cu.rre11tly in cases of domestic abuse, the government wants the police to be the first p9int of contact, but most Indian victims wiU not do that as it escalates tl1e issue to a poinr of no return. CulmraJ oriemacion is necessary to handle differenc cases appropriately and sensitively", she added.

After the resouncling success of

me Punjabi broadcast, Tb c En1111D1 Tl'/ithin was remade in Englis b and a.ired in August 2013. lt received the United Nations Association of Australia Media Award in the special category 'Increasing Awareness and Understanding o f Women's Rights and Issues' and was also a finalist for tl1e Walkley Award in the same year. Tb.is makes Manpteet tl1e first Indian -origin journalist in Australia to be nominated for the \Xi'alkleys.

:Maopreet insisL~ tint though. it is gratifying co be recognised, she didn't make The Ti11et1!)' 11{/itbin to win awards. She maintains that she has done many stories on sensitive issues, and purity of intencion and compassion has been her strengtl1 in gert.ing the message oul.

"l have utmost respect for every victim who spoke to us in making this documentary," she said. "\Xi'e can't imagine what the)' go through, so let's not waste their bravado and do something co bring about a change".

Even though sbe is best known in Austr.alia as a radio broadcaster, .Manpreet's contribution to ocher

branches o f journalism , in print, te levisio n, raclio and o nline media, cannot be ignored. Bm radio is her medium of choice.

"To be honest it was the onl y medium tlrnt gave me a break when I came to Aus tralia," she revealed. " The work we do is totally spontaneous and unscripted. Peop le Jet us into meir homes where w e have intimate conversations with tbem that are straight from the heart. Peo ple open up more on radio as it prov ides the eJemenr o f anonynucy. I wouldn't change anything abour it".

Her 2 1-year invo lvement with SBS has seen her g o from being a 'one-man show' to heading a team as Executive Producer of the Punjabi broadcast. The SBS Punjabi bro adcas t went £tom being aired once a week to tive cirnes a week since lasr year.

F o r someone who has received considerable recognition, Manpteet is surprisingly down - toearch and friendJy.

She has received many awards including me Media Award at Victoria's 2013 Multiculmra..l Awards for Excellence in December 2013, and the state's Individual Award for Media Excellence in 2011.

Manpreet is passionate about preserving the history of Indian arrivals in Australia and contributes articles co tl1e reputed website Sikhchic.com.

A significant highlight of her career has been fulfilling tbe last wishes of a Sikh hawker Pooran Singh who died in Australia in 194 7, and wanted his a shes co be retutned to India and sprinkled in the river Ganges. l\1anpreet was inscrumencal in fulfilling d1is ,\clsh through Ltniting people from India, Australia and England in this goodwill mission. This story has now been commissioned by Educational SerYices Australia as an educational resotl.[ce for high school students in Australia.

octorate 1emma

Despite clearing registration, international medical graduates from India are struggling to find jobs

Scores of international medical graduates are struggling to find suitabl e jobs in Australia, as the length y and complicated registration p r ocess continues to dampen their spirits. Ma n y doc tors a re fo rced to take up odd jobs to survive, while others simply give up and return to India.

Pri ya migrated to Syd11ey after her marriage in July 201 1, o n completing her NIBBS from Gujara t in India in 2010.

Sh e spent cwo years preparing and cleared a lJ of the three. registration examinations, namely tbe Australian Medical Council (AMC) 1foltiple Cho.i ce Questions (i\llCQ) part 1, the AMC Clinical part II, and finally IELTS or OET (E nglish rest), in ord er to qualify to practice and wo r k in Australi a.

Bur despite s uccessfully comp letii1g all of these e--.am s, Priya has been app lying for a job in d1e m edical profession in every stare in Austra li a , with no posi tive result s

The iro n y is th at she is n ow tutori ng other aspirin g internatio n al medical stude n ts for d1e very same exa m.

" T have applied ever ywh ere in Australia Ltnder the Resident Medical O fficer c ampaign in June - July 201 3, b uc only faced disappointment", rues Pr iya. "I'm i n a Catch-22 situatio n bec aus e the AJ\,[C will o nly finalise my registration o nc e I ge t a job offer letter from a hospitaJ. And d1e hospitals wo n 't offer me a job due to m y lack of experience. I've started to lose confidence ove r my decisio n to come here", she adds.

Pri ya personally would not encourage overseas trained doctors to come to Australia "I bave spent over $10,000 to co m pl ete m y registration and I'm still struggli ng to fi nd a job," says Priya wid1 a distinct sense of d ejectio n " I k now of frie n ds w h o came here after d1eir ~BS and have taken up jobs as securi ty guards and taxi drivers, and are stiJI attempting co complete their registration. In m y opinion, Australia i s no r d1e c ountry for ove r seas trained doctors"

Som e lndian doctors just g ive up and leave, li ke Dr Sn eh al who also joined the Australi ai1 Indian Medical Graduate Association 12

(AIM GA) , to voice her concerns. She returned to Mumbai after facing job rejections fo r several years, despite being a registered doctor h ere Odi ers Li ke Pakistantrained Nasir Mehmood B aig who arrived in 2005 and h as a wi fe and fo ur children to support, drives a taxi while navigating his way towards reg istration.

Feelin g their pain and understanding their disillusionment, the AIMGA h as been active ly lobbying for t he welfare of fodian a nd ove r seas trained doc tors for over three decades Th e Associatio n has writ ten seve ral lerters to the Medical Board of Australia asking fo r more transparency on webs ites that explain the registrati on sys tem. Imernarional st11de nts e n d up paying a hefty financial reg istration fee and are caught unaware of the lo ng draw n our process, wid1 n o guarantee that they can wo r k as a doctor in Australia. O n ave rage it costs ab our $ 15,000 to complete d1e registration, w ith n o gu arantee o f success

"] think intern ational m edical g radu ates (DvIG) are suffer in g a lot, bo th financ ially a nd mentall y, due to a lack of proper information abom the rules of medical registration, the waiting pe riod between exarniiia tio n s, and the English examinations

There is no explanation or reaso n, g ive n apart fro m a 'pass' or 'fail' in the r esult", states Dr P Sawrikar, forme r Preside n t of AIMGA "Crucial i nformation like clinica.1 experie nce of a

minimum of three years before students can app ly fo r registration, is not mentioned anywhere in di e websi te", be adds.

D ep r ession is a noth e r big cause of concern, an endemic problem for lt\1Gs, when th ey fail to clear the examin ation s Th e g ap betwee n theory and clinical examination is another big hindrance in t he curre n t registration process, w hic h exac erb ates the doctor's time o ut of clinical wor k. There are no ex planations why some IMGs have co wai t much longer than l 8 months to si t fo r t he clinical exam after cleati n g d1e d1eor y part lt gets worse fo r those who fail in their first atte m pt; in fact, tl1e waiting period for the m cau stretch from 22 mo ntl1s co three years!

Dr Aditi P unjawat, an overse as m edical graduate fro m a dental college in Pun e, India came to Sydney three years ago " \Vhen ] first came here, I was warned by p eo p le about the lengthy process of demal licensing," she says " Th e exams are extremely difficul t and preparatio n ta kes a huge to ll on your m ental state It was very disheartening for me to fail on the firs t attempt, and I had to build up the courage to cry again. When I didn't c lear the exam fo r the seco nd time, I went in to depression and m y confidence levels were at an allti m e Iow"

" There should be more clarity and transparency of the AMC exami n atio n. It should state clearly where th e mistake was mad e,

whi ch questions we re incor rectly answered an d w ha t m ista kes were made", D r Punjawat avers

De spite being a qualified dentist, she continues to work as a dental assistant in a small fa mil y ntn dental clinic.

There is n o denying that Australian trained doctors are preferred over overseas trained doctors for jobs, and many IMGs feel a sense of helplessness iu a si tuation where d1ey have passed the .Ai\i[C exam s a nd got d1e ir certificate, but are un able co secu re a job because o f a lack of Australia n experien ce o r gen eral registration. The y need guidance and support which d1e Overseas Medical Gradua tes Assoc iation (OMGA) in Me lbourne h opes to provide.

Howeve r, the OMGA feels die L.\1Gs still don't come forward wi th t heir pro blems, nor do they co n sider approach ing die Association, as they should.

"The OMGA i s mote than w illi ng to help, guide and network ,vith t hese students who want to get r egi stered in A u stralia" , says Dr Geetha Venkatram, Presidenr OMGJ\ Victoria.

This Assoc ia tion of registered doctors lo b by o n behalf of l.J.vJGs in Victoria, reviewing their concerns an d prob lems They wa n e more participation from international m edical doctors in d1eir association " \Y/e really wane to help swdents caki n g d1ese exa ms with training and workshops and eve n references, if needed", emphasised D r Vealq1tram. "B ur

p eo ple are too scared to speak up and voice die ir problems. Thar men tality n eeds to ch an ge and ,ve need a united p latfor m wi th good numbers; only then can we approach the Australian Medical Counc il to raise our issues"

Pru Goward, Minister for Family and Community Services with female doctors from the Indian community at an AIMGA event in Sydney

Art dealer Subhash Kapoor is taken to court for illegally selling the NGA a 900-year-old bronze Indian statue, reports LENA PEACOCK

The NationaJ Ga llery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra has taken ew Yock art dealer Subhash Kapoor to court over the purchase of an 11 '1 century bronze sta tue of Shiva as Lord of the Dance (Natarrga). The GA is seeking the return of the $5 million it paid for the statue, plus legal fees and other costs. This artwork was purchased from Kapoor in 2008 for $5 million by the NGA, but in 2006 it was stol en from a Sivan Temp le in the J\riyalur District of Tamil Nadu in southern India.

False provenance papers were created by dealership Arr of the Past, prior co selling it to tbe l GA. The false supporting documents included a letter of provenance stating that the statue had been purchased b y a di plomat in India prio r to l 971.

Kapoor is also facing charges in

India over art smuggling allegations

The NGA had previ ously bought 21 items through Kapoor's act dealership, which the Australian government has now asked the gall ery to investigate. These works were bought from Kapoor for A$1 1 million, ancl the deals were finalised berween 2002 and 2011.

"We are going to deal wid, the Indian high comn:i.ission with a view to pursuing d1e matter to a satisfactory outcome", said Australian Arts Ministe,r and Attorney- General George Brandis. Repatriation is an issue that affects many artworks exported from India and it is hoped that dus case draws further attention to scolen works. "The trade in artefacts and antiquities is a minefield for public galleries, being littered with fakes and phoney provenances such as the one supplied wid, the Shiva Nataraj', writes Anstralian arc historian Jobn McDonald o n his website. "The NGA's rapid acquisition of so many Indian pieces was a strange fad pursued with reckless abandon". McDonald questions whed1er chis srame will " be the catalyst chat destroys d1e N GA's insularity and

creates a new relationship with the public". After all, the five metrehigh figure of Shiva su.rroLrnded by a ring of fire represents boch the destruction of the world

Jason Felch, a repo.rter and the author of Chasing Aphrodite: the Huntfa,·Looted A ntiqNities in the fl7orld} lvfoset1111, says the gallery shou ld have known better and did not do enough to find om if the stame's provenance records were genuine. " There was a credible amount o f evidence that a lot of the ancient act available for sale was coming wi th forged documents ancl bogus ownership histories to cover up die fact d1at they'd been recently sto len", he says. "In 2006-2007, when this object was being considered by the National Gallery, diere was an international controversy going on about museums acquiring ancient art". Felch al so questions whether, after d1e OS authorities have seized $100 million of Kapoor's

art coU.ection, there will '"be mone)' left over for die National Gallery to recoup?"

"Based o n information obtained the Shiva has lost its li nancial value, and i ts clouded title and notoriety means that the work cannot be promoted as a key work of art in the gallery's Indian collection", court docun1enrs read And any attempts to sell the work are unlikely to occur because of the uncertainry surrounding its past, the documem also states NGA have confirmed that they have contacted the Indian government to "discuss avenues for restimtion" fo r the stame; however, a spokesperson for the gallery said they were unable to comment o n die court case, as it is scill before die court. The spo kesperson al so declined to comment on how the federally funded gallery is paying for the court action.

Free eye surgery camp to help thousands

Doctors from the US donate time to work a t an eye camp sponso red by Science of Spirituality

Afree eye surgery camp sponsored by the Science of Spirituality/Sm,van Ki.rpa.l Rnhao.i l',i[ission will screen ove r 1,000 people for surgery in 2014 at Ki.rpal Bagh, Kalyan Vihar in Delh i, under the direction of Sam Rajinder Singh Ji Maha.raj.

This first free eye surgery program of rhe yeai- was he ld on February 6 as part of the 27'" International Human Unity Conference, with Sam Raj inder Singh J i Malia.raj presiding. Tbe dace was also the birch anniversary of Sant Kirpa1Singh Ji Maharaj (1894 - 1974), fou n der of the Human U nity Conferences

Three prominent surgeons travelled to India from the United States to volunteer their skills

"Jc is very grnti.fying to be ab le ro provide services like chis," said Dr Sumic Bhatia, one of the surgeons. "Docto r s in the local hosp ital operated alongside us, and in one

week we were able to help mo re than 500 peop le. Many peop le contributed. Com panies donated supplies as d id the hospitals in che United States where we are on staff" The three doctors, who cook time off from rbeir Chicago area practices, stayed at Kirpal Ashi-am in Dellii.

Since its inception in 2002, 11,000 eye patients have been treated, and those with cataracts are operated on free of charge The patients, who come from villages and small co,vns in orthern India, are very poor and mostly illiterate. The surgery provides free s ight- saving operations co those not othen,vise able co affo rd them.

Sant Raj ind er Singh Ji Maha.raj, me current bead < ) f die Science of Sp iriruality/Sawan Kirpal Ruhani

Mission was honoured wicli a request to be guest edi tor of the Times ofIndia Speaking Tree, an

8-page special edition, published on February 2 in Delhi. H is feamred article, Deali11g JJJith Stress and A ,(ger, gives readers practical tips for daily life and how medication can keep them calm and balanced.

The issue also indudes ocl1er articles focused on meditation. For example, Dr Louis A. Ritz, professor of neurosurger y, U niversity of F lorida, Gai nesvi Ue, explained how meditation can bring positive changes to the brain. KLmwarjit Singh Duggal M.D. from the Chicago area in Illinois, detailed how medication can improve performance at work, in sports and in schoo l, as well as reduces pain.

Th.is special Ti,11cs of ludia Speaki11g Tm edition reached millions of people and raised awareness of die value of medication on cl1e inner light and s0tmd, as taught by Sant Raj inder Singh J i Maharaj. Sant Raj inder Sing h J i is also President of the

Human Unity Conference and author of many best-selling books, such as Nleditatio11 as Nledication_for the S 011I, Spark ef the Divine, Inner a11d Ot1ter Peace through M editatio11, and E11pou1e,i"11g l'ottr Soul through J\lleditatio11, all available through Amazon com and Barnesandnoble.com in both print and Kindle eBook format. He recentl y presided over the 27,1, Internacion al Conference o n Human lnregration in Delhi , lndi_a earlier in February

For more information, please visi-t: www.sos.org/auslausb·alia

LOTUS FOREIGN EXCHANGE

We'll miss the Maruti 800

Discontinuing manufacture of the car of the people will leave behind many memories, and a tinge of sadness

- i, "' ,.' ii -;.

(... '

about it to 6ll vo lumes.

BY AVI CHANDIOK

J"\1.amti

'Papa, mere ktJ

khareed do na' 'Ha heti, kal rhalenge'.

This conversation won't be happening anymore, as :tvfaruti Suzu ki has taken rhe d ecision to stop producing the original, muchloved Maruti 800 Ir was cheap, affordable, the young loved it and the o l d felt in control driving k If it broke down, i t was light e n ough to push along, and alm ost any wor kshop in the country conld r epair it. Ir was miserly wi th petrol and was known to carry a whole haraat, well almost!

'So what is co111t11011 betUJeen a Mamti and a haemorrhoid problem?'

'E11e1yone gets it sooner or later

The reality is that almost ever yone did have a Marnti, and along the resi dential streets of Delhi it seemed as if their num bers grew overnigh t , like mush room s in the dark. The Marnti see.med to be a part of the family and enough jokes were to ld

Bur it was not always such lighth earred fun Going back in his rory we might recall the dour days of the stagnant Indian economy, inAuenced by th e Soviet style 5- ye ar p lans w h en the only cars on the s treets were the Fi at 1 100 a nd the Hindustan Ambassador from Ital y and England, respectively. These mode ls, already thrown o n to the scrap heaps in their countries of origin , were introduced into India in the 1950s a n d 60s and for decades, wer e the only ve h icles to be seen dmgging around the streets. Su rely, th.i s d iscomaging state of affairs could n ot continue forever.

T he public was dise n c hanted.

The cars available were expensive, one had to join a wai ting list when p lacing a n o rder, and the n accept whatever colour of car tha t was offered 1 ew cars we re already o u t- dared, did n ot h ave p leasing designs, bad little character and were basic in the extreme. The public was being taken for a ride! Th en along came the swashbuckli ng Sanjay Gandhi, son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. This youn g man

had tal{en to tiol{ering w ith moto r vehicles in his younger days and to consolidate h.is learning, he served a n apprenticeshi p with Rolls Royce in England. He came back to India with a vi sio n of producing an ind igenously mad e car from scratch that would be affo rdab le for the masses. The favourite son was soon g iven a licence to produce an automobile.

'The na m e 'l\faruti' was chosen and Gandhi set about making t he automobile he had visualised. Regrettably, h is effo rts ca.me ro na ught as he und er estimated the comp lexity invol ved in produc ing a road -worthy machine.

1n Mrs Gandhi's se cond term as PM she resurrected her son's idea wh.ic h cleaclj' had a lot going for it, and set about ma ki ng ir a reality, in earnest. The rest is history!

1n 2012, the 1 0 millionth Maruti was sold. Of the series, about 2.8 million Maruti 800s were sol d in all, and dus car has bee n exported to many coumries Even the K athmandu taxi fleer i s almost entirely made up of these cars. The introduction of th e M aruti SOU was more than just anothe r car fro m which to choose. Tr

was a b reath of fresh air. The colllltry was being released from the sh ackles of the Fiat and A mbassador Th ere was now a choice, a more modern , up -rodate des ign and e n gi n e. W h e n a country is used ro carrying a family of fom on a s cooter, the tiny 5-door hatchback felt more like a limousine. Ar a price of around two -thirds of diat of a F iat, the demand for this car simply skyroc keted!

After using it for a few yea rs, m y aunt wanted to sell her "Nfa ru ti 800 ''You can't do that, we'll have it", said h er children. So th e 800 went down the lin e from p are n ts to children and onro friends Like a pet, one just d oesn't bave tl-ie heart ro get rid o f i t

But the tim e has co m e! 1vfaruti

Suzuki announced that they are clisconti m t.ing production of t he ir original Maruti 800. Maybe this should be a time of sadness in India. Now w i th a choice of almost 1 00 cars, the 800 has had its time and goes out qui etly.

B u t surely it will be the one remembered, wh en many other model s have faded from memor y.

India wants BIMSTEC to focus on five key areas

India recently outlined five focus areas for the seven - nation BTh1STEC ro realise tli e full p ote nciaJ of tlie regional grouping o f 2.5 billion people with a combined output of $2.5 trillion.

"In today's inter-linked and interdependent world, commonalities between us provide oppornmities to enhance our cooperation", Foreign 1'1in.ister Salman Khurshid cold the ministerial meeclng a head o f the summit in. ay Pyi Taw in Myanmar.

"BIMSTEC is privileged to have a full a nd active membership committed co its priorities", said the foreign minister, who is part o f the delega tion accompanying Prin1e N1inister Manmohan Singh for tl1e su mmit in Myanmar capital.

The fore.ii,m minister highlighted five focus area s for BlMSTEC, die Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical a nd Economic Cooperntion comprifilllg Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan:

• Providing connectivity for sea1nless m ovement between India's northeast, Myanmar and Thailand on o ne side and w:ith Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal o n tl1e other.

• Facilitating economic development as a strategic imperative and promoting techno logy and inn ovati on, while providing better livelihood to the people of tl1e regio n.

• Addressing energy secm ity concerns b lessed with ruitural resources wiili cooperatio n in the use of gas, hydropower, renewable energy sources and gr id interconnections for mumal benefit.

• Working co address ilie security co ncerns of the difficult neighbourhood chat has a high incidence of terrorism and other transnalional crimes.

• E ncouraging people- to- people Links, which is by far tlie srrongesc link in bringing

rogeilier the culmral experiences of the seven councr.ies by promoting tourism and youtl1 exchanges, among otl1er facets. Khu.rshid said India was keen to ruake this happen.

Kashmir first state to get new child health program

Jammu and Kashmir recently became the first state in India to lam1ch the Rashtriya Bal Swastl1ya Karyakaram (RBSK) Project Swasthya Slate.

Health and Family Welfare Minister

Ghulam Nabi Azad and New and Renewable Energy 11iniscer Farooq Abdullah inaugurated a 220- be.d super-s peciality hospital in Jammu, besides launching me RBSK Project Swasthya Slate and the 102 referral servic e under the Nacional Rural Health Mission (NRH1\,f)

Co ngratulating tl1e people for getting iliis s pecial health care institution, Azad s aid he \Vas optimistic about the s uccessful functioning of this prestigious centre w hich will play a key role in perking up medicate facilities in the state

He. said tl1e focus was on extending optimum relief to t he people and thu s save diem from waiting for montl1s in ocher states for special heal th care se rv ices.

"\Ve have not only given new dimensions m the health sector, bur all development fields have w itnessed a discernible change in tli e. past 4 -5 years", he said.

He said o ne more medical college has been s anctioned for Rajouri discr.ict, tlierefore raising the mtal number of newl y-sanctio ned medical colleges in the state to five.

Azad sai d the union govern ment bas given the nod to 75 new cancer instimtions in the countr y compared co only one such centre in tl1e last 65 ye ars.

On the shortage of medical faculty jn the state , Azad asked the sta re government co enhance the retirement age of doctors so

mac the healili secmr does n o r suffer for want of adequate staff.

Corruption, Lokpa l to be key poll issues: Google survey

Corruption and Lokpal are lik ely to be the. two decisive factors on which young people are going to vote in the L ok Sabha polls, search engine Google said recently in New Delhi.

J\frer a three- month smvey, Google concluded that tl1 e Lok Sabha election s have evoked unprecedented interest among online users who want to kn ow abour the various issues io Aue ncing national politics.

"These. elections are tui.ique because for me first time, it's a clash o f personalities as much as it is about ideology and party affiliations. The battle lines are draw n primarily between Narendra Modi o n tbe o n e hand and Rahul Gandhi on the othe r", the survey said.

"Tbese elections are also unigue because of the Lmprecedenced in terest that's been generated online, the war for votes is being fought online as much as it's being fought on tl1e streets and in main stream media".

The survey said ilie Adarsh Society s cam follmved by tl1e coal scam and t h e 2G scam were among the highest number of online searches.

Mukesh Ambani richest I ndian as Bill Gates returns to top

Mukesh A mbani again emerged as t he richest among ten Indians in t he Forbes annual list of a record 1,645 billionaires with an aggregate ne t worth of $6.41 trillion, up fro m $5.4 trillion la.st year

Ambani, with a net worth of $18.6 billion was ranked 40th as i\1icrosoft founder B ill Gates was back on mp as the world's richest person o n Forbes' 28th annual ranking of the world's billionaires after a four- year hiatus. His younger brother An.ii 1\mbani

was v alu ed with a net worth of $5 billion.

Gates ha s copped tlie list for 15 of the last 20 years With a net worili of $76 billion, up from $67 billion in 2013, tl1e tech n ology guru moved up o n th e list by o ne sloe di.is yea r.

Th e Reliance industries chairman was followed among the. Indians by steel tycoon Lakshmj Mfrcal (No 52) witl1 $ 16.7 billion in the second place and Wipro's Azim Premji (No 6 1) wi th $ 15 3 billio n in ilie third p lace.

Ocher fodiaos on me lisc were: Dilip Shanghvi (No 82) $ 12.8 billion, Shiv adar (l02) $11.1 billion, Kumar Birla (19 1) $7 billion, Sunil J\,Uttal & family (244), $5.7 billion, An.ii Ambani $5 billion, Mkky Jagciani (28 1) $5 billion and Savitr.i Jindal & family (295) $4 9 billion.

Gares bear o u t te lecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu (2), who had maintained the number one spot for the past four consecutive years but lost $1 billion of his net worm, now valued at $72 billion, according co a Forbes m edia r elease.

Spanish clothing retailer Aman cio Ortega (best known for the Zara fashion chain) maintain ed hi s number 3 spot fro m 2013, but increased his n et worth $7 billion for a total of $64 billjon, ahead o f \X'larren Buffett (No 4) with a net wo rth of $58.2 billion.

While Google c o-founder Sergey Brin (19) made ir into tl1e mp 20, tl1e biggest nee worth gain er was Face.book's Mark Zuckerberg (21), who more tl1an doubled his fortune from S 13.3 billion in 2013 to $28.5 billion.

The company's COO, Sheryl Sandberg (1 ,540), made the Ii st for tl1e first rime.

Thanks to tl1e tech boom and stron g eguity markets, d1e US led w iili tl1e greatest munber of billionaires, witl1 492, foUowed by China w ith 152 and Russia ,viili 'I 11, Forbes said

Regionally, Europe b oasted the most billionaires omside of the US, with 468 billionaires, followed by Asia- Pacific wiili 444.

Now, Geographical Indication rights for'Tirupati laddu'

Tirumala T irnpati Devastl1anam (JTD), which runs tlie affairs of the richest Hindu temple, is enforcing Geogrnphical Indicatio n (GI) r ights for its famous 'Tirupaci laddu'.

The Office of the Reg istrar of Patents, T rademarks and Geographical Indication s, fodia has already awarded the statuR to Tirupati laddu, the fan1ed sweet given to million.<; of pilgrims as 'prasadan1' or sacred offering by Tirumala temple.

TTD had filed an application for GI to safeguard its i me.Uecmal property. The GI registratio n was facilitated by Confederation of Indian Industry's Andhra Pradesh Techno logy Developmen t and Promotion Ce ntre (APTDq, said a statement in H yderabad recently.

APTDC, ilirough its network partners, brought o ur the fact that a few entities from small time miscreants to large well known sweet outlets have been selling 'laddus ' with names similar to 'Tirupati laddu'.

Th e JYladras High Court in D e cen1ber last year had restrained a sweet scall in Chennai from selling 'laddus' by using the brand name 'Tirupati ladclu'.

The 1TD bad argued that ~rirupati laddu' has i ts own sanctity as it is offered at tl1e feet of Lord Venketeshwara before being made available to devotees

The ladd11, made £tom flour, sugar, ghee, o il , cardamom and dry fruits is sought after by those vis.icin g the temple. The temple

An Indian woman dressed as Hindu Goddess Kali participates in a "Shivratri" procession in Allahabad, Thursday, Feb 27. "Shivaratri" is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva

authorities prepare around SO million 'laddus' every year.

ITD, \vhich last week approved an arumal budget of Rs.2,401 crore for 2014- 15, has projected revenue of Rs.190 crore from sale of 'prasadarn'.

Agreement si~ned to kickstart Delhi -Mumbai Industrial Corridor

Tbe i\1fabarasbcra government recentl y s igned the state support agreement and shareholders' agreement for the first phase of the ambitious Delhi-Mumbai Industria l Corridor which aims to create around 3.80 million jobs in the state.

The mega-infrastrucnLre project, whid1 will generate industrial output by Rs.20 lakh c.rore by 2042, will cover 26 percent of the state's population in eight districts - Thane, Raigad, Pune, Dhu!e, Nandurbar, Nashik, Ahmednagar and Aurangabad.

Giving details in Mumbai, Chief Minister

P rirhviraj Chavan said tlrnt four major industrial clusters in engineering, food parks, textile, printing and construction will come up with provisions for regional -level roads, open spaces, public utilities, etc , wh ich have tl1e potential to make l\faharashtra a \VOrld leader in manufacn1ring.

Aimed to be developed in l:\vo phases, the mega -infrasmLcture project's first phase will focus on development of the ShendreBidkin Industrial City and an exhibition-cumconvention centre in Autangabad, a MultiModal Logistics Park at Karmad and a water supplr scheme in Shendre.

The Shendre-Bidkin Industrial area will be spread over 84 square km of which 32 square km will be developed in Phase I with ilie projected industrial activities to create around 500,000 jobs and an investment of Rs.17,3 I9 crore.

In the second phase, Chavan said tl1at projects will include tl1e Dighi Port Industrial area, Dhule Mega lndusccial Park, Nash.ikSinnar-lgatpuri Investment Region and a Multi- Modal Logistics Park.

"l\faharashtra's contribution would be in the form of providing laud for the projects with 51 percent stake, while the centre's co ntribution would be to the mne of Rs.3,000 c.rore for each of the township p rojects. The rest will come from a tie- up with Japan International Cooperation Agenci', Chavan told media persons after the signing ceremony.

The state government and the DMIC Trnst have formed the joint venmre for developing all these projects over che next nearly iliree decades, envisaged m1der the National Manufacmring Policy-2013 which aims to enhance the share of manufacnu:i.ng seccor in DGP growth from 16 percent to 25 percent in a decade and create 100 million new jobs

Besides DMIC, the central government has alteady aru1ouoced J\mritsar-Kolkata

Industrial Corridor project with the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor as i ts backbone, the Cheonai -Bangalore Industrial Corridor and the Bangalore-Mw11bai Economic Corridor.

Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and state Industry Min ister Narayan Rane were also present ar the signing.

Everest climbers will be asked to bring down waste

In a bid to clean Mt. Everest of waste accumulated over decades of d i mb ing, the Nepal government has introduced a new provision, effective as of d1e coming spring season , where every climber will have to bring down at least eight kg of garbage to base

camp while returning from the expedition, an official said recently in Kathmandu.

"Each clinlber will have to return with a miniumm of eighc kilograms of solid waste from the coming spring and everyone will have to abide by chis condition", Madhusudan Butlakoti, joint secretary in Nepal's tourism ministi-y, to ld Xinhua over phone

Though the l epal government has always sought that climbers to the world's highest peak come down with some solid waste, this is the first rime the government has stipulated the minimum amount of waste it wants to be brought down.

The tourism ministry announced in the tl1ird week of February the setting up of a contact office at the base camp of Mr. Everest to ensure the safety of climbers The contact office will also have personnel o f tbe Sagarmarba Pollution Commi nee (SPCC).

"The mountaineer will have to hand over the waste he/she carries back from Everest to the SPCC", said Burlakoti adding that this would "not only help make the peak clean but also help to preserve tl1e glory of Nepal".

The SPCC will men dispose the disposable waste and bring the non-d isposable waste to Kathmandu and hand it over to the Kathmandu Metropoli tan Office for further treatment.

Previous!)', climbers were asked to hand over disposable garbage at SPCC while carr)~ng non-disposable waste all the way to Kathmandu and g ive it to ilie Kathmandu Metropolitan Office.

Burlakoti said the campaign will be launched on a trial basis.

"lf it succeeds, we w ill prepare a legislation to further the campaign and e..xpand i t to o ther mow1taias", he said.

According to government statistics, aro1md 450 climbers from all over the world scale d1e world's highest peak every year.

Stakeholders said Mt. Everest still has some SO tonnes of waste, including used oxygen cylinders, ropes, bottles, ladders and clothes, among others, which have been piling up for the last more than 50 years.

Healthcare in India shou ld be cost effective: Montek

Healthcare in fodia should be cost effective and indi,~dual states should come up wiili innovative ideas to address this challenge, Planning Commission Depury Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in New Delhi recently.

"Health actually is nor a centtal subject but a state subject. Only medical education is Llnder the central government", Ahluwalia said addressing a conference on the furore of healthcare in New Dellii.

As a country, India has to focus on what is the most cost effective way of getting results in the health sector, he said.

Ahluwalia contended tl1at the next decade can be the period when lndia manages to improve its health infrastrucrure.

According to Healili Secretary Luv Verma, India's total health expenditure is 3.7 percent of the GDP which is "woeful".

"The quality of healthcare services suffer as there are doctors who are not adequately trained", he said.

Pratl1ap C. Reddy, chairman of Apollo hospitals, hoped that the conference would ilirow some light on the needs of healthcare in India.

"Amazing progress has been made in healthcare over the last 30 years, yet barriers of accessibility, quality and cost persist", he said.

Educating the criminal mind:

Tihar shows a way out

Crinlinal behaviour can be changed by imparting education and towards this, New Delhi's Ti.bar Jail, one of the largest i.n Asia, is vigorously conducting a literacy campaign among its teeming inmates, 20 percent of whom are unlettered and a staggering 65 percent have not even studied rill C lass 10.

Observing drnt the "lesser the literacy me more tl1e crin1e seems to be tbe trend ," prison authorities are conducting various education programmes to raise the awareness level of its inmates and broadening their mental horizons away from tbefr criminal past.

"As per data compiled, the majority of the prison population (around 65 percent) has

education below C lass 10, thus providing the linkage bel:\veen educational standard and criminality", an official of Ti.har Jail said recently in New Delhi.

The official added that the illiterate population of 20.68 percent would have been much higher but for tl1e jail's literacy programme.

Most of tl1e prisoners in the illiterate category are newcomers.

The prjson administratio n has sec up centers of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to impart education to prisoners.

The official said tl1at adult education classes are being co nducted in the 10 subjails in the prison that has 13,552 prisoners. Amo n g d1e conv icts and under trials, the ma.'l:imum number are accused of rape and murder. Over 33 percent convicrs, and over 24 percent Lmder trials are in jail in murder charges, while over 13 percent of both categories are in jail for rape.

According to Tihar data, at the time of admission, more than 19 percent of the males and 36 percent o f females were illiterate, while 44 percent of males and 34 percem females have noc passed Class I 0. However, around five percent of the males and six percent of the females are graduates while one and three percent in each category are postgraduates.

"The prison ad.ministrat.ion in 2013 started stenography courses and foreign language classes in French, Spanish and German, as well as in Hindi and English to build selfconfidence among the prison inmates", said Director General of Prisons Vimlaa Mehra. The prison inmates are also being trained in hotel management in collaboration with tl1e tourism ministry.

Mehra said that campus p lacements are also being organised to provide job opportunities to the qualified inmates to help them earn a respectable liv elihood and keep them away from crime after their release.

Jail officials also encourage irnnate.~ to participate in activities like poetry and essay writing to bring om their creativity, she said.

A worker fixes a light on one of the towers of a Taj Mahal replica in the India half of the 1TB International Travel Trade Fair in Berlin March 4. The 1TB is opens from March 5-9

Brea ;...211

BY ,t - ~ PRAKASH ' SUBBARAO

Itwas 5.45am and a bi t cold when 1 arrived at Haleb idu with my daughter Apoorva. The sun was just breaking through the horizon, and I was excited to explo.re and phocograph the famous sculptures of Halebidu and Belur.

Halehid is 16 kms from Hasan and approximately 200 kms from Bangalore by road.

As tbe sun sta.rted to cast its golden rays on the temple, the effect was surreal. The 12'h century sculptures sta.rted to come to life with a warm glow, as I srnrted to click away. I began at the ease- facing fa<;ade, shooting with the camera in my hand as l was informed that tripods/rnonopods should not be used as they may damage the floor. 1 also had no flash, so 1 bumped up the ISO, trusting d1e sensor of m y camera.

When I visited the same location to phocograph it for the first rime about 20 years ago, it was with my mento r who knew the history of d,e temples as well as the best shooting angles and composirion. I still remembered the beauty of the sculptures and imagined the bard work that must have gone into producing such life from stone with ancient imp lements.

Halebidu temple was consu·ucted during die Hopala rimes, and was dedicated to Harshava rdhan and h is wife Sbantala by the famous architect Jakanachru:ya. The temple and sculprures are can7 ed in soapsco ne and date back to 112 1.

AU the panels dep ict Hindu gods in various forms. There are various sculprures of shi!abct!ikas or dancing figures, which have been re- produced on canvas many times. The postures of the .rhilabalikas on swne are great sub jects to be captmed on canvas or camera. The temple was never compl eted because of an attack from di e north by Malik Kafur, a Mughal king. His army destroyed the beautiful sculpmres by disfiguring the idol s.

While I focus on the panels to captllCe t he iorricate details on the stone, my mind is shocked to see the drunage caused b y religious into lerance! The andi bull carved out of monolithic stone was never comp leted due to repeated plunder. The beauty of Shiva> Arjuna, the dep iccion of the Mahabharata battlefield,

life

different avatars of V ishnu and Ganesha a.re beautiful beyond words!

As the sun rose, differem panels lit up, displaying the weather- beaten stone sculptures as ir bas been do ing for cenru r ies. Here and tl1ere a shafc of light penetrated the shadows and brought life to a panel. I enjoyed solitude in the company of those sile n t scul ptures and figllCes; this is hiscory yo u can touch and feel.

B y 8 30am the sunlight was too ha.rsh for photography, and it was time to pac k up and head for a cuppa at a nea.rby cafe.

I left wid, a feeling o f not having captured the full b eauty of Hale.bid which was imprinted inmy mind.

\Xle then drove towards Belur, which carries the same signature of sculpting, to get more photographs.

The 12th century Halebidu temple is a photographer's delight with its intricate and beautiful sculptures

An aberration of compassion

Has Australia lost its sense of kindness for the plight of desperate refugees seeking a better life?

, BY -~ ·\ YESHAJOSHI '

Aus rralia was the sixth country ro sign and ratify

tl1e Internation al R efugee

Co n ven tion in 1954 u nder Liberal P rimel'vliuisrer Robert Me nz ies

Ou Jauuarr 22, 1954, Au stralia's rep rese n tative co the U nired I atio n s said, "l am g lad now ro offer further eviden ce of o ur com passion ate co n cern witl1 this pro b lem by form ally stating our binding adh erence to conven tion which will eleva te the sta ndard of rreatm ent of refugees to the stai:I.L5 of in ternatio n al legal obl iga tion"

Our nation al an the m crafts a na ti o n of compassion an d we pro udly sing these lines, "For tl1ose who' ve co m e acms s t he seas we've bouadJess plains to sh are, with courage l et us all combine co Ad va nce Au stralia Fait"

These words are n or meaningless Our governme nts in t he past under for me r Liberal

P rim e Minister Malco lm F raser acted on the m b y o pening ouibord ers on com passio nate groun ds ro V ietnamese refugees w h o fl ed

INDIAN LINK

during tl1e Viemam Wa r between the 1 950s and 1 970s , U nder PM Fraser's leade rship, Australia saw an intake of about 200,000 migrants fro m As ian countries with nearly 56,000 Vie m amese r efugees settling in A u stralia. They all call Australia h ome, and h ave co n tribu ted g r eatly to t he advan cen1e n t of A u stralia as a nation

We once unders tood mat com passio n was importa nt \'</ e h ad policies b ased o n humanitarian ground s. We h ad cr ue leadership.

But roclay; Australia's intake o f refugees i s not in the hundreds of thousand s, which com pares poorly to UN figures sh owing Canada witb a n in take of 170,000 r efugees each year, or Ger m an y where approximatel y 600,000 refugees are resettl ed

Our i mmigration system is crip pled, and dete n tio n cen tres are a plac e of cruelty and mental harm.

Thi s mon m we beard the sh ocking news of a young In d ian studen t who commi t ted suicide in : Melbourn e's Mari bymong immigration deten tion. The 27-year-o ld lndia n uruversiry student hu ng him self o n Februar y

13; he h ad been detained by the Immigration D epar tment for ove rstaying beyo nd bis visa

This follows the report of th e

l\fanu s l slan d derenti o n c en tre b reakout whic h saw Reza Barati, a 23-year-old as ylum see ker fro m lran fatall y s hot, alo ng wi th an oth er 63 asylum seekers injured.

W hile our Immigration Nliuisrer is sketchy o n tl1e in formation abom Manu s Is lan d, refugee advocates have argued tl1at mental health is a p ress ing issue in Australian dete ntio n cen tres. Yee, tliis is increasingly b eing ignored b y our governme n t

The degradation of people's me ntal health is inevi table unde r a mandatory d e te n tio n po licy mat lo c ks up people's fumre for political gain. To put i t simply, Australia has a harsh deterren ce policy w hi ch supp orts indefi ni te detentio n of men, women and c hildren w h o seek refuge and asylum.

Brad Chilcott, D irecto r of Welcome co Australi a says, " For over a decade we've been told to suspect tl1ose arriving by b oat of havi ng malicious intent and bei ng of devious d ,aracte r We've been encomaged to fear, to e.,clude and to accept sim ple cruel ty as a solution to a co mplex problem

This is slowly eroding our character as we've n orm ali sed this kind of beh aviour as acceptable for our leaders We've rewarded peopl e wbo h ave d ehu manised asylum seekers and promised us brutali ty

if we'd vote for them

Australia can be, and is, a welco mi ng, kin d an d gen erous n atio n J see it wherever people turn tl1eir values into action, wh erever a community is set free from fear, w h ereve r peop le lift tl1eir eyes from their own situati on and see the humanity in another Th is is th e Austr a lia th at is possible"

Arguably, i t isn't abom ope ning o ur b ord e rs to simply a nyo n e seeki ng to settlein Austr alia; its ab o u t committing to our international oblig ation s ro the R efugee Cotwe n tion. It's a bou t making sure we p ro cess t he fiJes of refugees an d en sure char genuin e refugees have me righ t to settle and co n tribuce to di e advan cem ent o f Australia

.Moscin1porta ntly, it's abour compass io n. Because fo r as long as we have wars, the p ro secu tion of inno cent s and gross i nequali ty, we will always h a ve desperate people willing ro do an ything for a ch an ce at a better life

Men tal illness is p r evalent in o ur d e te n tion cen tres After a U, o n e can only im agine w hat die mental toll must be to have fl ed a wa rtorn cou n try in search of a ho m e chat is prom ised co be kin d , carin g and acc epting; o nly to find t he experienc e to be t he e..,act opposite.

A trip from the country's southern tip to its capital is an adventure -filled rustic experience

soon fully loaded with provisions so heavy, the axle broke. A rudimentary repair gor us going again, witb motorbikes, farm equipment and furniture strapped on top, bags of sand, luggage and briq uettes underneath.

hether iLwas my eyebrows that had been left unattended fo r several weeks or some other curiosity, the Lao wo man seared on the bus beside me intently scrutinised my face for six hours, a U the while screwing up her nose suggestive of disapp roval. The VIP bus promine n tly disp layed on posters across the small city of Pakse had morphed into a l ocal bus with hard seats which , whe n all we re occupied , led to the productio n of plastic stools fo rming seats for passengers al ong the aisle. Periodically women vendors would board, sq u eezing themselves past, peddling the veritable mobile feast they were selling of bottled soft drinks, sliced tropical fruit, sticky rice and BBQ chicken pressed between bamboo sticks

I never e.xpected that the jo urney from Pakse in southern Laos to Vie n tiane 685 kil ometres north would take 10 hours as tl1e posters had indicated, so I b roke the journey midway at Savann akher, a city on the Mekong and one of the majo r crossroads of south-east Asia, with traffic bound fo r Hanoi and Bangkok.

He re I met an elderly Frenchman riding h is bicycle who directed me to my guestl, ouse, the website conveying somewhat enhanced images as tl,e inte rior had peeling paint and cl.tips from the ceiling collecting into a bucket. Savannakhet is a sleepy, languid city with honey- coloured Frend, colon ial villas, their crumbling facades showing their age. l gathe red together market provisions of ra111b11ta11s, bananas a nd a baguette for the next day's journey and faced with a restaurant men u I was unable to dec ip h e r, settled oo a tasty bowl of French fries.

Next morning I set off by local bus with only two other passengers, a student an d a young enginee r who worked for an Australian company. Stoppi ng for a n yone who waved , the bus was

The scene ry was flat, unli ke th e mountainous terrai11 of the n orth wi th fields of cice and corn and small villages After an 11 -bour bus rid e, I was relieved to arrive at tl1e d elightfo.l :11ali Namph u Guesthouse and was s hown to my room ove,rlooking a lush courtyard

Vientiane, the capital of Laos i s onJy beginning to awaken to rhe possibilities of tourism, and while it offers travellers much to see, tbe first place 1 a lways head fo r is the Joma Baker y for a delic ious rye bread , cheese and salad sandwic h , befo re strolling on the promenade alongside the Mekong, a place w here locals gather to exercise in the early evenings.

The next day I visi ted the \Xiat Sisaker, a temple d ating from 1818 with thousands of Buddha figures of silver, wood, and bronze, some from the 15' " cenmry, and minutely detailed murals.

Ir is the o nl y Vientiane tem p le not d estroyed by the Siamese w hen they invad ed Laos in l 828 Opposite is another notable temp le, Haw Pha Kaew, dating from 1565 that was badly damaged, later rebuilt and i s now a muset1m for religious objects. Ancient Buddhas dating from the 6' " - 9'1 centur ies of scone and br onze line the temple exterior, bur sadly the renowned Emerald Buddha, now found in the royal com pound in Bangkok, was once housed here.

Nearby, the Presidential Palace is a vast flamboyant chateau used for ceremonial occasions t ha t was built in 1925 fo r tile French Governor.

t\ ciry ,vith no hi gh- rise buildings, Vientiane is laid back, providing a pleasant lifestyle for its inhabi tanrs including several iliousand interna tional aid workers Ma ny cafes a nd restaurants have been establi shed in recent years by expatriates Vientiane has wide tree-lined avenues an d im posing F re nc h

colonial architecmre interspersed with monuments, Chinese shop houses and sprinkled with gracious Buddhist temples le i s a city that is ideal for exploring o n fooc.

The most striking example of the French presence is the Patuxai, or victory gate, a smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe. Completed in 1969, it features distinctl y Laotian ornamentation made from cement that American funds had earma r ked for building a new airport. The French left o ther urban markers, including the Settha Palace Hotel built in cl1e 1930s as an administration building, that opened as a l n..,'Ury hotel in 1999; and Place Namphou, a large foUJ1tain encircled by European restaurants. Lingering culttual in Buences include locally grown coffee and baguettes served by street vendors hi led w ith pate, but adapted to suit wicl1 Lao style vegetables and dressings. The best restaurant for traditional Lao cuisine is Makphet, in a lovely old colonial

build ing that provides training for disadvantaged youth.

While travellers head for the orderly Talat Sao Market with its embroidered silks in every form, locals head for Talat Klrna Din with fresh produce, clothing and mm1erous stalls for manicures a nd hair washing There are also several high-end bou tiques along Nokeo Kumman with fine hand woven silk scarves, silver jewellery and wooden carvings.

The most venerated location in Vientiane is Pha That Luang, a gold -coloured chedi with an elongated spire cl1at is said co co nta Ln a relic of the Buddha, and may date to 3BC. Ir was abo badly damaged, pillaged and abandoned for a lmost a centt1r y: Si.nee being restored, it is a pilgrimage site for Buddhists from across Asia.

Change is coming to Laos, but only incrementall y compared with the turbo -charged pace of development beyond its borders i11 Thailand, Vietnam and China.

And while services and infrastructure are basic in most parts of the country, any hardship experienced by the traveller is duly compensated. The Mekong and it~ tributaries provLde life support for much of the country, and several days later as I crossed the Friendship Bridge into Thailand, I thought of the conversation I'd bad with John

while enj~1ying a delicious mango, banana and pineapple sbake. At 73, he had worked for 30 yea rs for the United Nations undertaking assignments across Asia and Africa. Unintentionally he had decided that fo r h im , Vientiane was now home Melbourne is busy and bitterly cold in winter, be said, while here it is peaceful. And w id1 that, he hopped on his bicycle and slowly rode off into the night.

GE TT I NG THERE Severa l

ights from Austra lia to Vientiane incl ud ing Th ai Airways International and Air Asia.

have connecting

GE TTI NG ARO UND The city centre is compact and eminently walkab le. for the adventurous, Grasshopper Adventures offers escorted cycl ing t rips of Laos lwww.grasshopperadventures.com). Travel ling by public bus is cha llenging.

WHERE TO STAY The Ma li Namphu Guesthouse iHharming; clean, centra lly located and moderately priced. Request adeluxe roomticing the courtyard lwww.malinamp hu.com). The luxurious Senha Pa lace Hotel has spacious suites and a club-like amb ience (www.senhapa lace.com).

WHERE TO EAT Many cafesand restaurants have b~nestablished in recent yea rs, many by t'l<patriates, inc lud ing.Joma that has gll'atsoups, salads and sandwiches. Coffee shops offer fll'ew i-fi, with Common Grounds Cafe and Bakery one of the best. Makpetserves flavourful traditional l;Jo cu isine in lovely surrounds.

WHERE TO SHOP Saobanworkswithtradit ional artisans to pll'serveand promote vil lage crafts under fair t rade princip leslsaobaocrafts.com). Be careful when choosing silk such asatlalatSao Market, to ensure it is lka nd hand-woven.

INS ID ER'S Tl P English is not widely spoken. Avisa is requ ired for entry into Laos. W: www.laoembassy.net E: laoemb@b igpond.net.au

airlines

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ire

6 wardrobe essentials will keep you looking trendy and warm as we bid adieu to summer

I ,, BY KALYANI WAKHARE

A!though it hardly felt anytbing like aunnnn when going ro press, I couldn't belp bur feel excited doing some research on this season's b ig trends and sourcing good ideas on which to spend yo ur dollars.

Here are some of the best pieces chat v;,ilJ take you th.tough this autumn and winter in style and best of aU, you can ch oose to 's ave' or 'spend' on your favourite ones. Ch amb ray (sha111-b-r'!Y) shirt: The ' casual' classi fication of denim is fast changing a nd even moving into tbe so- called ' sophisticated' style of dressing.

wirh Sussan ($80)

The warm coloured jacket: \'\!hat's autumn \,,itbour a warm coloured o utfit! Don't we aU just gravitate towards brown, mustard, orange and shades of red and pink? Well, d1e good news is t hat shades o f red are rig ht on trend, including the area of make up coo I like to imerpret thj s trend by selecting a burgundy or orange smact cut blazer, and wearing ic over an aU black base.

I know you 're thinking, whateve r happened to d1e perfect Ertle black blazer? If you like co stick to convention d1en go a head and wear your black jacket over a red pnlo neck, by all means. I just like co quirk things np a bit!

Save wirb Forcast boyfriend orange blazer ($41) or spend with Witchery's relaxed fir coral jadm (S JO0)

Cashmere jumper: oching g ets classier than cashmere. It ranks higher in the dollar \7alue., bur a b lack or grey piece will be a long- term invesrmenc. Cashmere will provide the perfect base for a beautiful statement neckpiece for an evening out, or a bright printed scarf for a weekend look. The soft woo l knit will keep yon warm and die. natural fibre will lase longer and keep looking fresh.

Save with Woo.lovers online buy (2 for $ 67) or spend with DVF at Net a p o rter ($385).

Chambray most certainly Ets the bill for a 'sophisticated' style. Well, chambray is essentiaUy a fabric that looks .like denim a nd feels like linen, quite handy for a comfy s hirt, right? It is cosy, versatile and easy to pair with a pencil skirt, coloured denim pants, knitted leggings or worn as a jacket over a striped dress. I'm sure you are beginning to imagine and sryle some of these. looks in your head already! Chambray is available in a variety of dark and light denin1 tones, so cons ider buying a wash that will compliment your s kin tone or contrast with your reguht blue denim jea ns for a 'double denim' look without m aking a fashion fa11xpas!

Save with Krnarr ($ 17) or spend

INDIAN LINK

Dark deniut: OriginaUy worn by workers and synon ymous wi th teenagers not so long ago, denim has come a long way. A well- fitted pair o f jeans is a highly desirable piece; it's am azing co see the range of prod ucts available, and rbat's ju st in regular blue denim! Light wash, mid wash, dark wash, straight, boot cut, super skinny, curve Aattering and so on. There are so many options which can b e good, but a bit confusing at rbe same ti.me. So let's simplify. The trend this season is ankle grazing, slim fit jeans in a relatively dark wash but then again, rbis is definitely not the 'be aU and end all'. So go for a wider leg if chat is more flattering, but get the hem right and preferably pick ,t darker colour. Work the look with your chambray shirt, black cai;hrnere

jumper o r a warm co.loured sweater and leopard print flats for a sleek aummn outfit.

Save with Target's every day jeans ($10) or spend with Sussan slim dark wash jeans ($90).

Something with that 'ed,,,ay' detail: So wbat is tl1is 'edgy something'? Pardon my vagr1eness, but 1 am ar a loss for using a better word! l'm referring to the 'leather and .leopard' kind of detailing. You probably have noticed plenty of fu.1Lx leather detailed tee shirrs or leggings, skins with side panels, and leopard print clutches or snakeskin trimmed bags lf you were tempted to pick up one of these l'd suggest you do, because d1at is 'edgy derailing' and ir certainly is a stylish trend this ~eason. Save with Sussan 'Olivia' leopard detail pouch ($40) or spend with M.a.i:cs 'Pebble Victoria' smaU satchel bag (St 89)

Ankle boots: This one is a pre.tty quick and easy to understand trend, and rm sure many of you have great ankle boors from previous season s that will be coming om of the closer soon. Well, yo u certainly should save be.re if you already have good boo ts, as there is reaUy no rig µt or wrong. Bur if you're looking fo r a great pair, g o for my suggestionsuede, suede and suede! J can't

The trend this season is ankle grazing, slim fit jeans in a re latively dark wash but then again, this is definitely not the 'be all and end all'

ger enough of this classy material, but leather or faux leather is good enough LOO and for those of who love tbeir UGGs, bring chem on as well!

Save with therapy suede ankle boots ($50) or spend witb Country road suede ankle boots ($ 199).

Wha t canisay about Holi that hasn't already been said?

What can I say about anything really, that hasn't already been said? A little, but I shall try.

As a child, I loved Ho li. So many c r azy memories, tl1e sweet smelling gulaaf, the cool water on a warrn , SUDn) d ay and weirdly enough, the h ysterical runni ng like my life depended on id

1 remember begging random lcids at school co "please, please throw gll!aal on me!" whi le also supplying them with my owngularil and pichkari.

I'm sure a l ot of us cLid these hilarious, mental thi.ngs when we were young, but as we grow older, we mess it up. We gradually become very lazy about many thi ngs, but festivals in particular.

We feel we have 'grown- up' and therefore have grown out of these silly gam es we used co play as kids I guess a l ot of us becom e more comfo r tab le just watching the kids have a b.l ast, and make m ental notes of which corners we will have to clean, and how long it might take.

Lame, I know!

So, all my fellow 'grown- ups' out there, if you think you've outgrown the giggling over funny faces and running behind friends with a squirt gun; if you thinJ, you're too old for spending a night filling hundreds of water balloons o r jumping io a poo l filled with a rainbow o f colours; T ins ist, think again! There might just be a few more Holis left in you.

Here are the cop ten songs on m y Holi list to get you in the mood for some guloal funl

1O) Do me a favour, let's play Holi

When the sexy Akshay Kumar calls you to play Holi in the voice of Anu Malik, i s there really a choice but to say yes?

Thi s song from IV'ctqt is the perfect number to get you off your bum and start talcing HoLi fun a Little more serious ly

9) Holi song Oye hoye pyar ho gaya

Holi ,vale din /;11//et da Si!ent"er hai !ah kya, Ni main todke tadke

Lightan te chct!aan bhi km leyo

Teti go1igal utle dos kehda nmg !alJJa

Tere beli di hr,i zid

Tere_yaar di hai zid H oli !ere 11aal 111a11t11va.

Yes, those are the lyrics co yo u r ne.xt favourite Holi song.

You're welcome!

8) lkJunoon

This song fro m Zindagi 11a milegi dobt11"{J is the chemical free HoLi for the sensitive skin lcids! Hundreds of h appy strangers oo the streets armed with tomatoes io Spain celebrating a festival so close to our hearts wi tl1 just as rnucl1 m adness This song also reminds us that oo matter who we are, where we were born or what languages we speak, we're all really not that different!

7) EygoriDelh i Heights

A nother recent number that's bee n added to tbe list of happy Holl songs bas some great advice coo. Keep it fun, don't be shy and throw some colour around! After all, "Aqj k.e di11 1110.sti no pm11jil'

6) Hol i ke din dil Hali kab hai? Kah Hai holi? Kah!?

Hohohehehahaha

Yeah, no Holi list in di e past, present or future is ever going co be legit till tl1is epic musical from Sholqy is on it!

5) Ek ladki ne mujhpe

This upbeat Holi song combined with the jhintak Govinda moves takes your dancing e.xperience to another level. This one is for all the desi tap0ties out the re!

4) Holi re

This is tl1e perfect song for a boys versus girls dance off at Holi! The dashing Aami r Khan and char ming Rani Mukhrjee puJJ tliis off with maximrn11 111asti and minimum effort.

3) Lahu mu lag gaya

This song from Ram Leela .is without a doubt, one of the sexiest BoJJywood numbers ever to be made A couple in love, just a handful of g11l0t1! a n d so mucl1 magic. This one is for all. the lovers om there. Don't you dare sit tbrougb th is!

2) Rang barse

This song makes me blush, there's al most no need fo r g11la111'. Two ex-lovers s inging about their romance right under the noses of rneir currem spouses, 111ah! This song truly

encapsu lates the wild abandonmem of Ho li. P l us it's the most amazing Holi number, ever!

1) Balam Pichkari

Thank you gods of divine tunes for bestowing u s with this sprightly, z ingy 11umber!

How apt for a shy and introverted Naina tO let go and have fun, just in time for Holi This song from ) eh .f01111mi Hr1i Diivani has been on all our party playlists si nce i t was released, and now we finally get to dance to it on the day of bho11g and pitckt11is

DEBBIE FERNS believes the festival of colour can be even more enticing with sweet pichkaris and savoury kanji

HoLi is one of India's most resplendent festivals that owes it origins to a variety of legends that vary fro m state to sta te. Some celebrate the onset of spring, others burn the effigy of the evi l Ho Li ka with enth usiasm; however, the one co1nmon element of the festiva.l is the joyousness and enthusias m with which it is ce lebrated. Peop le prepare for days, loading up on co lo u red powders of every hue, and children deLigh tin iilling water balloons ro bombard unsuspecting passer-byes

On the clay itself, adding to the gaiety of r.he sometimes riotous ce lebration, there are a few specia l preparations char are traditionally associated with HoLi. Like tha11dai, a cooLing drink usually made. of purified water, sugar, seeds of watermelon and muskmelon, almonds, lotus seem seeds, cashew nut, cardamom, s,imif (aniseed), rose- flower, white pepper and saffron. [cs ingredients comb ine to ensure a good deal of energy for the fun to follow. For the conservative crowd, char is!

But the more popular versi on, undoubtedly so, is when bha11g is added co this concoction. A mere

spoonful of hha11g mixed with milk, ice and cream and added co thcmdai can create a delightful air of extrovertism.

Holi is synonymous w ith hbang, an essential and accepted part of the celebrations The buds and l eaves of the cannabis p lant are squashed and ground to a paste to create bhang, and when added to the thandai, it transforms into a potent, yet nutritious and refreshing drink.

Bhang can also be used in the preparation of certain sweets like hahva or added ro savoury pak,qras or vada.s. Bhang is traditionally associated w ith Lo rd Shiva, w ho has been awarded rhe honour of d iscovering the intoxicating properties of the plant.

Because it is illegal to use, possess, grow or sell cannabis in Ausrralia, people ce lebrating

HoLi here ,vill have to enjoy tl, e rather sanitised \7 ersion of tha11dai.

But Jet that not dampen yom ceJeb rations. And wbile yo u're at it, ro get into the rrue mood of the festiva~ here are a couple of recipes ro help you hit chat

I-Ioli h igh!

Kesar aur aam ki pichkari

2 very r ipe mangos

10 strands saffron

300gm ricotta cheese

2 leaves of gelatine

100ml cream

Pinch of salt

65g confectioner's sugar

lO score-bought canno Li shells

Pistachio nuts, mango puree, strawberry puree for the garnish

Cut the mango inro small cubes and set aside Soak the saffron in warm cream and keep aside. Add soaked gelatine leaves i11 warm cream. Mix the ricotta cheese, s al t and confectioner's sugar together, and fo ld in the mango cubes and saffron cream. Let it sec for two bours in refrigerator

Fill the cannoli shells with the mango mixmre.

To present, d r izzle with some pureed fresh mango, strawberry and garnish with pistachio.

Carrot kanji

650gm black carrots, peeled (u se regular carrots if you cannot find b lack carrots)

2 medium beets, pee led

2I tr water

100g brown mu stard seeds, coarse ly ground

Sprigs o f mint (optional)

Cut the carrots and beers into thin sticks and b lanch in hoc wate r for two minutes. Let tl1em cool in the same water. Add grot1nd m u stard seeds and salt to caste Leave in the st1n for three to four days, until the grou n d mustard seeds rise to the top and the col our of the Li q uid turns brigh t red from its original dark mauve

For a d ash of co lour and Aavo ur, add a sprig of mint

Bod:, recipes courtesy of Ai1dy Chauhan, Sip & B i t e Cafe in Cante,-bury.

Do you remember mucking around with friends when you were little? Do you w i sh those water tights, pai nt skirmishes and mud wrangles could go on beyond childhood? Wel l , in some cultures they do, and are celebrated as traditions by some societies There are annual festivals dedicated to foo l ing around It's no joke! The order of the day is pandemonium, and people are encouraged to throw care into the air and let loose, en masse Don 't bel ieve it? Here is a list of the world's top 10 muck around festiva l s, that bring back the memories of good times!

10. Songkran (Water festival) - Thailand

Thailand celebrates New Year with the world 's largest water tight - the Songkran Water Festival. Attracting a crowd of more than 100, 000, it is a spectacle to behold. Combatants carrying water guns, water balloons and cannons patrol the streets Water is hurled freely, drenching everyone including the police. The festival promotes the symbolic purity of water to cleanse the soul on New Year. An organised public soak! Pretty cool, eh?

9. La Raimo (Grape throwing festival) - Spain

To celebrate the end of the grape harvest, Spaniards make purple rain by pelti ng each other with grapes Every year, tonnes of grapes are hau led by trucks and dumped in the midst of waiting throngs, prompting a grape throwing frenzy. The festival originated in 1930 when the people were left with l oads of bad grapes unfit for wine making. Not knowing what else to do, they started launching the surplus stock at each other and a beautiful , but messy tradition was born.

8 Cheese rolling festival - England

Rolling with the cheese is actually what this annual tumble down Cooper's Hill near Gloucester in England, really is Every year on the Spring Bank Holiday, people from all over the world gather on Cooper's Hill to kick off a tradition. A lar ge round Dou ble Gloucester cheese is rolled down the hill and people race after it. Falling, tumbling and crashing into each other to win. The first person to cross the finish line claims the grand prize - the cheese. Totally worth breaking a few bones for, don't you think?

7 Sindur jatra (Vermillion powder festival) - Nepal

In the village ofThimi near Kathmandu, people celebrate the advent of spring and the Nepalese New Year by dousing each other in orange powder The cold night turns warm as ceremonial torches are lit to welcome the spring season. Deities in wooden temple structures are carried through the streets Then the fun begins, vermilion dye is showered over the deities, friends and neighbours as a token of good wishes, honour and respect

6 La Tomatina (Tomato festival) - Spain

Held on the last Wednesday of August near Valencia in Spain, La Tomatina is the world's biggest food fight. Every year, thousands head to Spain to enjoy the tomato festival. More than one h undred metric tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes are hurled around, crushed underfoot and squished to a mush Scenes of people covered in

tomato juice, wading through streets resembling rivers of to m ato puree are common

5 lvrea Carnevale (Battle of oranges) - Italy

Many centuries ago a city ty rant tried to have his way with a young girl in l vrea in Italy; instead she cut his head off and the whole town celebrated with a battle of oranges Go figure that one out! Every year since, Italians commemorate the fortunate demise of this tyrant by staging a battle of oranges Peopl e join one of the n i ne teams divided into two groups - the orange 'throwers' and the 'thrown-at'.

This is the l argest food fight in Italy, with prizes awarded for bravery and accuracy

4 Els Enfarinats (Flour and egg throwing festival) - Spain

Kicking off on April Fool's Day in lbi, Spain, this is really a massi ve flour tight, painting the who l e town white in its wake. In a unique twist, if you beat the city council w ith your barrage of flour and eggs, you win the power to make rules for a day. The ru les are implemented strictly and disobedience is punished with tines , with the proceeds going to charity

3 Boryeong (Mud festival) - South Korea

You can't get muckier than this! Held in Boryeong near Seoul in South Korea, the mud festival attracts more than a million people every year Tonnes of slimy, g rey mud is dug up from mud flats and dumped on the town beaches for revellers to wa llow in. The festival started in 1998 and features mud based activities like the human mud pyramid, mud massage courses and m u d-slinging competitions

2 Holi (Festival of colour) • Indi a

And then there i s Holi, the Indian festival of colou r. The country comes together as one big happy family to smear co lourful dyes on each other, splash colour everywhere, dance under sprinklers and have parties The atmosphere is of carefree abandon as bhang is consumed and differences are forgotten On the eve of Holi, large bonfires are lit to mark the burni ng of the demon Hol ika.

1 Moose Dropping Festival - Alaska

You must play the cards you are dealt with, and that's what t h e Alaskans do. They have dedicated a festival to their official state animal 's poop. Alaskan town Talkeetna celebrates the annual Moose Dropping Festival by l iteral ly dropping moose poop on targets from hot air ball oons. You stand to win big bucks ifthe droppings land on you. Wait ! It gets better Craftsmen sell jewellery made out of moose droppings on the day. Dung necklace and earrings anyone?

From fruit to colour to poop, some festivals are simply a celebration of having a messy good time, writes FARZANA AHMAD

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SEEK ING BRIDES

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ARIES March 21 - April 19

This month you will feel enthusiastic and full of energy towards new projects This is a great new cycle for you and mid March wlll see a time when you will feel your energy is at a peak. Relationships will feel more settled and you will also feel more secure and stable. Take care this month not to speak too harshl y as you will be misunderstood and feel irritated You will be thinking about going to the gym

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

This month sees a time when you w i ll feel determined to make more of an effort with everything around you. You will feel at ease and this will enable you to meet new people and make new friends, who will be of great benefit to you in the future Try not to feel that you are not worthy of love, as the cards are indicating a time of confusion around intimate relationships

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

This month is showing you in many positive situations, both in your personal and professional relationships. There ls a strong Indication that you will feel very confident and at peace with motivation to ca rry out many of your dreams. Work will go through some major changes this month and you will be looking at new opportunities or indeed promotion in your present company. You will be planning a holiday

CANCER June 21 - July 20

This month shows a great time to push forward with plans to either purchase a property or land in another country. Your professional life will be a little stressful. With regard to your love life, the cards are i ndicating a time of more patience and support Your partner may not be feeling very well. Look after your finances, as you will feel tempted to buy things you do not need.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

This month you will be feeling very confused and will need to determine how to deal with a certain person. Your work is busy and you will be looking at new projects further from home. The health of a younger member of your family will cause you some concern. The relationship area of your life will be going through some ups and downs, but you will keep things amicable.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This month shows a time of re-vamping your whole life. You will be looking at new ways to increase your income, with an idea for a small business. There will also be a new phase in your relationship area. You may need to take care of your health mid month, as you will be pushing yourself too hard. You may have some house guests over. You may be ·· thinking of chahging your car.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

This month the cards are showing that you will be planning to sort out your personal papers There are some important investments that you need to look into. Wo r k will be slow Your relationship area will be a bit strained, as you will be feeling a bit restless this month. There is an indication that you need to start a new hobby to remain de -stressed.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month is indicating a new phase in your love life If you are single there is a new love being indicated This month sees you th inking of starting a new project that has been a dream of yours for some time You will be planning this for the future. There are some small health i ssues that you need to take care of. Your family may be trying to give you advice on a property matter.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

This month you will be asked to perform some extra duties at work, and there wlll be a lot of pressure and long days. You may be planning for a new addition to your family There will be some stressful situations with a close neighbour who may be taken ill. The cards are showing a time to avoid making promises that you will not be able to keep Your partner may be overly emotional this month.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month sees you pushing forward with plans and keeping the momentum going. You have been stuck in a rut for too l ong. There will not be any time or energy for superficial relationships and will take time out for yourself to reassess and evaluate your future. You will have the support of your family and friends to keep you going, but you wantto remain a little isolated to think things through.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

This month you will be putting new ideas forward at work. There may be some colleagues who will try and hamper your plans and progress. The cards are showing a good time to make plans for a family holiday There will be some stress with children at this time, but nothi ng to worry about, as things will be reso l ved. A great time to start a new regime to keep fit.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20

This month you w i ll be will be feeling very motivated to push forward with plans to get a new business off the ground. You will also be working, but this will be a way to make extra money. Your relationships will be going through some transformations. A time not to overdo things as you will find you will be totally exhausted. Make sure you take time out to relax.

ELEGIAC EXCURSION INTO KNOW-MAN'S LAND

HIGHWAY

STARRI NG: Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt

D IRECTOR: lmtiaz Ali

eing in the world th i s enchanting film inhabits is like being in the state of a waking dream. The world is fatally flawed. But it's also beautiful in spite of the deep flaws, or maybe because of them?

lmtiaz Ali's new intriguing work takes us into the heartland of India, much in the same way thatJab We Met and to a lesser extent Rockstar did. lmtiaz loves his India. With all its gigantic contradictions, anomalies and aberrations.

And Veera, the arresting protagonist of Highway, is an anomaly herself.

Alia's performance nails Veer a with a persuasiveness that belies her two-film old history. Veera is a girl ridden with complexities and contradictions. Wealthy and spoilt, in a superbly staged highway drama, she is k idnapped on the eve of her wedding by a hood, played by Hooda with his habitual clenched intensity

The rest of the narrative is pretty much in character with what we expect in a film that constructs its wistful fable out of the harsh reality of the ailment known as the Stockholm Syndrome. Goi ng by the book of"How To Fall In Love With Your Kidnapper': Veera promptly falls for her scowling kidnapper whose associates (played effectively) conveniently fall off the plot's radar to leave the lovers alone.

WhetherVeera genuinely feels a love or whether that love is born out of defiant rejection of the life of I uxury and affluence, we will never know

As played majestically by Alia, Veera

appears to be a bundle of snarled contradictions, some compelling, others purely annoying

At times we feel she is doing what she is doing and behaving in that gratingly headstrong manner only to get even with the Iife that she wants to leave behind. Highway is riddled with ironies, not necessarily intentional. Veera falls in love with Mahabir s angst-laden past, but is aware she has no future ahead with him. A responsible director can't be accused of glorifying a life of crime. Hence in the end, the entire premise of the l ove story, constructed with painstaking intensity, falls apart al l of a sudden, leaving us with a sense of emptied-out expectati ons

But the journey, while it lasts, is exhilarating and even inspiring. No Bollywood fi lmmaker shoots the Indian heartland with the aesthetic affection of l mtiaz Ali. On this occasion, he has cinematographer A nil Mehta capture the sand and the snow, the angst and the ecstasy in enrapturing welters. Mehta is the magician behind the film's textured feel.

No other actress could have played Veera with such infectious passion as Alia, who breathes fire and l ife into every moment of her screen time. Luckily, she is there almost across the entire length and breadth of the narrative imbuing the canvas with tender glory and slender strength

A l ot of the film's blemishes -for example, the predictability of the plot and the rather strained attempts to introduce

an element of grim social realism, are covered up by the sheer spontaneity of the main performance

Matching Alia's fearless portrayal is the director who stea ls up into her dar kest secrets and then allows the character to smell the air's freedom in a world where the stench of decadence is a given You can't escape corruption and violation except when thrown together with someone who is as violated as you are This is what Veera 's tale ofroad romance seems to say

In some vita l ways, Highway resembles Gyan Correa' s Gujarati masterpiece The Good Road. One sequence where the kidnap victim helps her kidnappers escape detection by the police at a checkpoint on the highway is almost interchangeable in the two films.

In Correa'sfilm you could empathi se with the child protagonist's growing attachment to the truckers In Highway, it's real ly hard to be one with the wayward Veera's heart.

Randeep Hooda is in fine, if somewhat typecast, shape Though his accent is distracted from his performance, the character's pain made itself apparent through its mawkish mother-fixated

past- history

It's tough, if not impossible to make a politica ll y correct fi l m about a rich girl fal l ing in love with her kidnapper. To a very large extent, Highway manages to trave l a credible road, letting the sleeping dogs li e by simply believing in Veera's truth (fo r whatever it may be worth )

Admi r ably, lmtiaz Ali is not afrai d of silences. The sound design by Resul Pookutty is r ich in the sounds of nature. The bubbl e of the brook, the chirp of a b ird, the groan of a tired sou l and breaking of a heart, are all tangible. A special menti on must be made of the texture of incidental noises on the soundtrack and the quality of the folk songs that play in the background as Veera and her kid napper traverse a spectrum of cultures in search of... what??? We really don't know!

At the end, we are left with a deeply dissatisfyi ng fi l m whose very incompl eteness lends a sense of beauty to the narrative.

SUBHAS H K. JHA

LOOKING INTO A MARRIAGE, WITI-I A SMILE

SHAADI KE SIDE EFFECTS

STARRING: Vidya Balan, Farhan Akhtar, Vir Das and Purab Kohli

DIRECTOR: Saket Chaudhary

When I do something wrong, I say sorry to my wife. When my wife does something wrong I say sorry to my wife''. One of the gems that flows out of Farhan Akhtar's mouth while addressing the oldest question on the gender equation, what does a woman really want in a marriage? Could it be the same things as a man? Maybe the route taken by the two individuals i s different?

Director Saket Chaudhary raises some pertinent questions on the fake roadsigns that could lead to an aborted marriage. Not all of the winking homil i es work.

But the film holds together primarily because of the intelligent writing and the sharp and crisp way the two main actors

interpret the parts of the two individuals in a marriage that has a lot going for it. That includes a baby girl who arrives just in time to get this seven-year del ayed sequel trotting on the right road.

Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan look compatible together and give delectably nuanced performances without looking over-rehearsed, and looking so 'married' on screen. They come together as a couple that desperately wishes to make the marriage work.

The script i s written entirely from the male point of view, and Farhan's voiceover is a reminder of which side of marriage the scri pt is on.

The film opens with a sequence where the pair plays a tantalising game in a crowded pub to kindle some additional romance into their togetherness. There is a freshness in the way Farhan and Vidya approach this sequence and their roles. There's a kind of lived-in familiar ity with the world of the marri ed couple, and yet played at a detached dispassionate pitch.

The second-half deliberately forfeits the blithe spirit in pursuit of a more penetrating perspective on marital

SCARILY YOURS, TRULY

DARR @THEMALL

STARRING: Jimmy Shergi ll, Nushrat

Bharucha, Arif Zakaria

DIRECTOR: Pawan Kripalani

tis easy to dismiss all films of the horror genre as surplus spook, more amusing and annoying than scary. Once in a while there comes a clutterbreaker among the harvest of scare fests that descend on us annually in batches of boo-startle.

Darr@The Mall is done with less stress on savagery than the genre favours. Though the head count does multiply alarmingly as the story progresses, we are pulled into the supernatu r al mayhem more by intelligent forces than grisly gimmicks. The characters get into the bloody mess without swimming in a tide of hysterical terror.

The film is set in an eerily emptied-out mall where various supernatural shapes come and go at will leaving behind a harvest of unfinished business from a past trespass, to be dealt with in the present. In a sense, this film is more about guilt and the conscience than horror in the highlands.

The narrative moves at an even pace, quickly eliminating characters so that we zero in on the evi l core of the malai se

w ithout losing time or momentum.

There are some smartly done setpieces of terror in the narrative meant to get the audiences riveted to the edge of their seats. A death in a skating rink is shot with austere anxiety Director Pawan Kripalani who earlier made the excessively gruesome horror film Ragini MMS goes easy on the gore, focus ing rather on building the story up to a rather moving finale where the mystery of the mauling the mall is unravelled. Admirably Kripalani's direction seldom sinks into excessive gimmickry. The sound design harnesses incidental sounds of startled screams, muffled cries and distant childish laughter mingling to create a feeling of fatal foreboding.

The cast shares the plot's fear factor without using the panic element to aggravate the terror. Most of the sequences are scary without visual props. This is unusual for the horror genre and enough reason to pay a visit. The performances move fluently through the horrific hinterland. And the large spaces and swanky interiors afforded by the mall are used effectively to generate a sense of heightened anxiety.

The ever-competent Jimmy Shergill holds the proceedings together in ways that become apparent as the plot progresses. The rest of the cast is not bad either.

woes. Even when the film loses a lightness of touch, it nonetheless remains even-pitched, preferring understatement to hysteria, thanks to the two principal actors.

Vidya looks great, radiant and expectant as a pregnant woman in the initial scenes; she glides into the zone of paranoid motherhood with plenty of panache.

Farhan is every inch the harried husband here, partly man and partly boy, he's looking for a boys' night out without feeling guilty about leaving the wife home with the baby.

Shaadi Ke Side Effects is a cute nugget of a film that tries to be wispy and witty, without getting unnecessarily polemica l on the subject of urban marriages. A warm, funny, thought-provoking take on the man-woman equation, director Saket Chaudhary gets it bang on. The chemistry between Farhan and Vidya crackles and hisses with tantalising tension. Brittle and yet supple, the lead pair 's chemistry irons out the film's uneven edges. I w i sh the peripheral characters were written and played better.

Purab Kohi as the nosy nei ghbour and

Vir Das as the boorish manifestati on of Farhan's character's bache l or fantasies, offer interesting possibilities but stop short of being a support system i n this drama of marital discontent. Nope. You can't take your eyes off Farhan and Vidya. They look evenly matched and entirely yummy in their yin and yang yearnings.

You do wonder why the script takes them to Australia. But then marriage does make people do strange things, right?

SUBHAS H KJHA

Darr@The Mallis one of the more polished products of the much-abused horror genre. This one tends to hold itself back from the excesses associated with the genre. No over -saturated soundtrack, no creaking doors, and most surprising of all - no busty women running down

long dark corridors.

When was the last time we saw terror pumped without cleavage?

The moaning glory is held up without cheap props. And that in itself is reason enough to applaud this fi l m.

SU BHA SH KJHA

CELEBRITY RIGI-ITS!

Actor-filmmaker Aamir Khan, who is geared up for the new season of his social issues-related TV show Satyamev Jayate 2, says he wants to continue to take the right advantages of being a celebrity, who is so loved by his fans "If a celebrity does some work, there is more attention. But the audience is very sharp, they understand everything. Whatever goodwill I have earned over the years, I'll (always) take the right advantage of it. I hope many more celebrities do it the more the better'; said Aamir recently.

The actor clearly didn't want to reveal much on the topics that he will touch upon in the second season of the immensely popular TV show, saying, "All I can say is that all our topics are very important and all the topics are such that which you will feel that this is important and timely, and it is important to think about this''.

And typically, Aamir did deliver with the very first episode in Satyamev Jayate 2

'Heart stirring' and a 'real hero'was how viewers lauded the episode that focused upon the issue of rape in the country. The much-awaited talk show, with the tagline 'Jin he desh ki fikr hai' (those who care for the country), recently aired and host Aamir once again struck the right chord The show received around 12 lakh missed c alls in two hours from people who want to join the fight against rape.

Titled Fighting rape, the first episode began with the narration of the December 16 Delhi gang rape case, in which a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was brutally gang raped i n a bus

With some more cases of acid attack, rape and molestation, Aamir then shared the statistics of rape cases in India and on changes to legislation involving rape

Aamir al so i nterviewed Urmila Singh Bharti, a Dal it from Madhya Pradesh, as well as Suzette Jordan, who discarded the anonymity of being known as the 'Park Street rape victim' to fight for justice. The two rape survivors narrated their respective horrifying ta les and fight for justice

Its heartening that a Bollywood celebrity like Aamir Khan should take up social issues and try to make a difference. So if he wants to use his celebrity 'rights ' for a ood cause, go right ahead, Aamir!

Films, friendships and Nargis Fakhri

US-born actress Nargis Fakhri is still learning the ropes of making it big i n Bollywood, where she observes that people are "best friends" with a person t ill they have work

"I've learnt a lot about the ways of Mumbai's entertainment industry. But not enough yet The one thing that I've sadly realized is when people are working with you, they are your best friends Once a film is over the friendship is also over This is a painful process for someone who thinks friendships are for a lifetime'; she rued So does she truly feel at home after three years in Bollywood? "I am still a fish out of water I don't understand a l ot of things here. I am sti ll trying to find my way around this place, trying to 'belong'. Like I am told that if you are working in Boll ywood, you have to use accessories l ike wigs, false eyelashes and lots of make-up So I do that although I am totally anti-accessory'; said Nargis candidly

But does she rea ll y need to do what everyone else does? " You do! If you don't, everyone will accuse you of being difficult'; stated the actress vehemently "It's ver y tough to create a balance between what I am comfortable with and what people expect from me If I have to survive, I've to try to be a conformist'; she added.

There are still lots ofthings that the young actress doesn't understand "What hurts the most is that people here are so friendly when they are working with you and then they become like strangers'; she reiterates "For someone like me who is very picky about fri ends, that's very painful. But a friend told me, 'You got schooled, not foo l ed! ' You feel stupid when yo u are conned by people. But eventually you come out wiser. I never want to get bitter about experiences, no matter how bad '; said Nargis.

The actress had a brief respite from a hectic schedu l e when her mother visited in January, for the fi r st time since Nargis moved to Mumbai. So did she have to hide the boyfriends and beer bottles?

"Not at all. I ta lk about everything under the sun with my mom. I am a lot like my mom. We're very close. I take care of her financially and emotionally She is my best friend. We tal k about drugs, alcohol, and sex'; laughed the actress And peopl e even wrote that Nargis was li ving in with Shahid Kapoor, she claimed, enjoying the joke!

So is Nargis still partying hard and fast?

"I am not doing much of anything else either right now except working. So it's a depressing life fo r me'; she retorted tartly.

The Rocks tar actress has been appreciated for her role in Madras Cafe wh i ch got good reviews, and Nargis now looking forward to the release of Main Tera Hero She got along famously with co-stars Ileana D'Cruz and Varun Dhawan, so let's hope that they don't become

strangers once the film releases Now Nargis looks forward to Shaukeen, wh i ch is in the pipeline.

Here's wishing the young actress a promising career and lots of'real ' friends in Bollywood

Suneil's a sensitive son

No films, no comm itments, and not even the excitement of his daughter Aathiya's film debut - Suniel Shetty has put asi de his work and priorities for the sake of his father, who is unwel l.

To make su re his dad is comfortable, Suniel has even converted an entire wing of h i s home in South Mumbai into an ICU.

"I haven't had a proper night's sl eep for three months now It's a very m ixed kind of feeling for me. On the one hand my daughter Aathiya is getting ready for her film career. On the other hand my father is very unwell'; said Suniel. Aathiya has left to shoot for her debut fi l m Hero with Sooraj Pancholi in Mana li.

"The excitement of Aathiya's debut is sadly diminished At the moment we're all focusing on looking after my father'; he added

His father's frail health is the reason why Suniel was away from the Celebrity Cricket League matches The actor is also aghast about the stories that he had an on-field fracas with Ahab Shivdasani.

"How can I 'come to blows' wit h anyone, least of all a guy as sweet and gentl e as Aftab? It is very embarrassing to read such stori es, specially at a t i me when I am going through a personal crisis Right now nothing i s mor e important to me than my father's health'; he said

Suniel has been turning down movie offers as wel l. "There will be many opportunities for work later. The time spent with my father now is much more vital and va l uable;' he said.

He is not the least perturbed about his daughter's shooting schedules outside Mumbai. "I know she's in compl etely safe hands Salman Khan's production crew is l ike family to us. They look after both Aathiya and Sooraj like their own children,"he sai d

Kudos to Suneil for being such a caring son!

RAJNIKANTH

Sona m's bikini doesn't faze daddy

Anil Kapoor doesn't cease to surprise, and the latest is his reaction to his daughter Sonam appearing in a bikini for the film Bewakoofiyaan Because he didn't react! While many eyebrows were raised at the daring biki ni shot, Anil Kapoor was unfazed "He knew about that (the bikini shot)! My dad is an artist and he is very open-minded actually he was the one who encouraged me to become an actress He didn't say anything, he just said the film will get a good opening", said Son am recently The tall actress, who was once on the heavier side on the weighing scale, says she didn't have to go through much stress and strain to look fit enough for a bikini scene. "I didn't have to work hard because I am playing a regular girl in the film'; she said

While there has been a lot of talk on whether Sonam has been able to pull off the two- piece garment, she says she always knew about the scene and she was comfortable with it. "When I signed the film, it was my idea I was briefed that there is a pool and I have to wear

suNIEL sHETTY

swimsuit. I said my body is lean, and it is thin on the waist...so let's just show that If you see the shot. unlike the shots in fi l ms like Dhoom or Race, the cameras are not panned on the body. It's a normal shot where I am wearing a swimsuit and jump into the poo l '; she added Directed by Nupur Asthana, Bewakoofiyaan also features Ayushmann Khurrana You can bet Sonam in swimwear should be a sight worth seeing!

Rajnikanth an awkward romantic!

Southern superstar Rajnikanth has decimated vi ll ians, shaken his booty and romanced lasses on the big screen for decades. But for some reason, his daughter Soundarya Rajnikanth, who has directed him in the forthcoming Tamil period-drama Kochadaiiyaan, said that he was not at ease whi l e shooting romantic scenes with his co-star Deepika Padukone

"I guess it was because I was around and calling action and cut, dad felt very awkward to shoot some romantic scenes,"said Soundarya who would love to direct her father again "God willing if I get an opportunity, I would love to direct

WORE IT BETTER?

dad again. I feel blessed to have directed him. I would be really happy to work with him agai n;'Soundarya said recently. Also starring Jackie Shroff, Aadi Pinisetty, Shobana and R. Sarath Kumar, Kochadaiiyaan has music by double Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman and i s due for release in Apri l.

But the task of having his daughter direct him in romancing a heroine young enough to be his daughter is one that even the stalwart Rajnikanth would find daunting. Frankly, it boggles my mind! So Soundarya, don't keep your hopes up

Lucky Madhuri

Artists often talk about the hardships they have had to face in finding their first big break in filmdom, but 1990s diva Madhuri Dixit says she never had to strugg l e and the offer came to her doorstep in 1984 with Abodh "I have never struggled for anything in my life because I never thought I wil l be an actress The film just walked up to my house w ith Abodh We met them (the makers), then my family decided that I will do just one fi lm'; reminisced Madhuri, added that her family used to run away from movies

But destiny had stardom i n store for the young actress and she continued to grace the big screen; however it was the 1998 release of Tezaab that catapulted her into the big league and there was no looking back for her afterwards

"The struggle was to prove myse lf, to do my best. I am thankful to whatever I have got in my life, but one thing which is always at the back of my m ind, is my dance academy which I wou l d l ove to see growing'; said the actress whose comeback after a decade of motherhood has been an exhilarating one as she won plaudits for her performance in Dedh /shqiya

Much awaited i s Madhuri's next release Gulaab Gang, which will see the actress acting alongside contemporary actress Juhi Chawla Set to release soon, the film draws its inspiration from the real life vigi lante group 'Gulabi Gang; which operates in the Bundelkhand area of Uttar Pradesh under the tutelage of Sampat Pal.

Not a dhak- dhak role for Madhuri, but there's no doubt that she will do it full justice

Alia Bhatt or Jennifer Lopez in Christian Dior

SONAM KAPOOR

Epic battle of an election

Mythological characters from a bygone era plot modern poll strategies

' : BY ~, LP AYER ....,

The vast 111aida11 in front of the Hasthinaplll:i palace was packed with protesters brandishing placards, demanding a change of government. Inside, the 100- strong ministry was .in an emergency session. After a 12-year regime without any opposition, the rulers seemed to have lose their way and the only choice left tO them was to call for an election But having come to power outside an electoral path, they had no idea of how ro face and win an election. So they called in all cbe wise men in the kingdom - Dhrona, Bishma, Vidura, el al.

""Brothers oops colleagues, this is a turning poincin our life", said Dhuryodhana, "and we need every ounce of counsel and cash to fighr this bact.lc. The public seems co favour our opposition, the Pandavas, even though they were in

exile and had no media exposure for over a decade. I want each one of )'OU to come with an j dea".

Duchathan, being the second in comman d, was the first to venture with a thought. "\Xie need to announce some major programmes like 'gmibi hatao' or 'panch see!", he said.

Dhury: Are you out of your mind? Never utter 'p 111ch' it may be mistakenly attributed to the Pandavas Uncle Sakuni, you a re a genius. Machiavelli marvels at y ou and Kissinger keenly follows you on Facebook. Any clever ideas?

Sakw1i: What about another mess game?

Dhw-y: That's old hat! Who plays chess when the internet has tons of gambling games!

Kaurav3: 1 have been playing those games and am good at rl1em. Bring it on!

Kaurnv4: I could do a better job too, as l have been watching on m y l aptop those movies where it is routine to disrobe

Dhw-y: Sorry! Who wears saree.r in our country now when Bollywood babes <la.re tO bare all, with Poonam Pandey and Sunn y

Leone omstripping chem a.ll? Uncle Sakuni, please come up with a super con job?

Sakun i: We open a casino and offer free offers to the Pandavas: Nowadays, the Crown is cbe place to lose one's crown

Dhrona: 1 am afraid you can't escape democracic routes any longer. Otherwise people may resort to Arab spring-like demos

Bishma: For an election you need a pa.rty wid1 a popular name.

Kaura v5: Like 'A am aadmi' we can call ours 'A alll Kaumv ek sot/ or 'AK100' for short!

Vidw-a: That sounds like an updated model AK47; no voter will bire the bullet

B ishma: Next we need catch y slogans like 'Kevin 07' or ' Scop che boats'.

Dhw-y: How about ' Kauravs for corruption hatao'.

Bishma: Um We need to think up better ones. Next to catchy slogans, you need cash, a lor of it.

Kaurav6: Bue rhe gqja11a is empry. We are running a big deficit. Kama too has lost hi s lot in GFC, includi ng his earrings!

Sakun i: \X:'e must form a fundra.isiog committee. I have a few e:,.,.-perts in mind - Mayawati, ]'vfaulyam, Lallu Prasad, Pawar and

the super schemers from the Sourl1 - Karunanidh.i, A Raja and the Marans Of course, there are a lot mote from every corner and we can form several regional committees

Dhury: (Admiringly) Uncle Saku.ni, you are amazing Go ahead w ith your plan \):l hat next?

Dhrona: \'\le need co allocate constituencies for yonr clan of 100.

Kaw:av7 : I dou'r ,vane a 'yadapa' one Krishna will corner all their vores!

Dbury: As part of the campaign, we may go on a 100 'rathyatnl co let people know we are not faceless men.

Kaw-av5 : Advani had done that. It was a fizzer. To be more modern we should go in a £leer of JOO Nanos

Bishma: That's a no- no Ta- ta to that idea!

Vidura: We may not win a majority. We need to form alliances with minor parries like Janata Dal, Bajrang Dal, etc.

Bishma: With so many 'dais' we may end up with a 'kichidi' government.

Dhury: Talking about kichidi, it's ri m e for a lunch break. Let's meet again after that.

Around rhe san1e rime, the main opposition group, the Pandavas,

were in session ar their hideout.

Yuthisbtra: 'Change,' rliat's what people want See how Oban1a used that one word like a magic bullet. We know people are o n our side. All that we 11eed is to run a campaign of 'dhar111a.' That is our Modi's operandi.

Arjun: I need a lot of my posters on every tree so fo lks won't confuse me with Arj un Singh.

Bh i m.: M y 'gatha' can be our party's symbol to show chat we will crush all corruption.

Sahadev: How about the bull as a symbol? During the exile, I acted as a cowherd and it worked well.

N akul: It was once the Congress party's symbol. The way that mob is faring right now, it won't be bullish.

Kdshna: I bet on the horse. U m I mean the horses pulling Arjuna's chariot as I narrate t he 'Gita'. That image is in everyone's mind and will ca.rr y you over the line.

The Pandavas nodded in unison an d loudly chanted, ']a; K1isb11a!

'Wi ce ofyou to drink of God even in y om· sleep. But do you n eed to shout so loudly?" asked my unfe elbowing m e 11.nd breaking up my d ream.

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