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INDIAN UNK

APRIL 2014 3

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What makes Melbourne and two otlher cities so special?

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Special information evening for MELBOURNE INVESTORS: You will.I learn: • Why the Mefbourne property market is poised for growth?

• Which other two cities are also tipped to gro·w?

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• 3 tips to successfully identify the best properties, • The 3 hottest suburbs to invest in this year!

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03 9529 3988 I 0433 891 122 ch1irag.soni@ironfish.com.au Level 3, 613 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3004 Plenty of fre·e parking

4 APRIL 2014

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EDITORIAL INDIAN LINK

Victoria steals the limelight

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR

well as to its contractual company,

Lena Peacock, Sheryl Dixit

Mind Blowing Films.

As head of Min.d Blowing Films,

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

Preeti Jabbal 0423 242 522 melb@indianlink.com.au CONTRIBUTORS

Chitra Sudarshan, Neha Jain, Pinky Bhatia, Carl Buhariwala, Sukrit Sabhlok, Tim Blight, Sanam Sharma, Roanna Gonsalves, Ajit Singh Chauhan, Dhanya Samuel ADVERTISING MANAGER

Ashish Chawla 0468 389 272 dient@indianlink.com.au ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Nitika Sondhi 02 9279 2004 DESIGN

Danielle Cairis PROUD MEMBER O F:

•

x!Wmb'~

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of .the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian /ink_:.t'-11 correspondence should be addressed to INDIANLINK

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

,Ph: 02 9279-2004 l=ax: 02 9279·2005 ' E!').iil: info@indianlink.com.au

ollywood is an integral part of the Indian DNA: lndians carry tbis 'gene' with them ro whichever part of the world they travel, and this is passed down from one generation to another.

A great leve!Je.r, Bo!Jywood brings cogether people not only of differenc age groups, but also of different linguistic, social, cultural and educational backgro unds.

Melbourne's Indian commuuity is set ro bring in a ceiebration of a!J things Bollywood shortly. The state o f Viccoria has managed co win the hearts of the local Indian community through their support of tbe Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. No ocher state has offered such support to their Indian co mmunity.

Only in its du.rd year so far, the Film Festival has grown in stature by leaps and bounds. Tc has become one of tbe most anticipated events in the social calendar of Victoria's Indian community. For this, credit needs co go botb to the politicians wid1 a vision as

B

Mini Bhownuck Lange h as constantly delivered co tbe state o f Victoria on this venrnre. The festival bas been able co bring in India's lead accors to Melbourne on a regular basis.

A-list names such as Rani Mukherjee, Vidya Balan, Shahid Kapoor, Prii1aoka Chopra, Malaika Arora Khan etc. have trekked down under to link both the state of Victoria and L1dia through Bollywood.

Quality events such as d1e cliru1er at the residence of one of Austrnlia's most prestigious families the Pratts, the interaction and involvement of high society witl1 Bollywood, and the public events sucb as the dance competitions, shore film conrests and master classes with film-makers have brougbt in the masses not only from w it hin the community bu t from d1e mainstream as well.

Like witb most other endeavours, there has been some debate o f tl1e value and people. behind th.is veomre (che no-show of the iconic scar Amicabh Bachchan at last year's event was one such controversy). However, the success o f the past IFFM functions have vindicated the confidence whicb the

Victorian government has placed in Miru B howmick L ange and her Mind Blowing Films. While most detractors have had vested interests in grabbing a headline, it seems chat no one has yet been able to share their vision of bow an alternative can be established. Till another formula is found, o ne which is working ought to be appreciated.

This brings us to an interesting observation about Indian links in Victoria. What Victoria has done well, with t he efforts of well-meaning indi\7 iduals, is to b lo ck at least two hig h profile events in the calendars of the local Indian community. The Victorian Festival of Lights at Federation Square (with its team h eaded by d1e dynamic and visionary ArLu1 Sharma) and the Indian Film Festival of l'v[elboutne executed by Mim Bhown.u ck Lange have established a new qu orum on successfuI public events in tbe Indian communiry in Australia. The wider lndian communiry in Australia needs to appreciate these offerings and emulate them.

Of course, i f Victoria ever tires of tbese co rnmuniry endeavours, other states (especially NSW which is sadly b ereft of anyth in g subsrnntial Bollywood-based), could grab these great o ppo rru1-uties co engage with local Indians who are bonded by all things Bollywood.

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APR1L 20 14 5

WHA.T'SON Sangeet Sandhya Sat 5 April 7.30pm for a sharp 8pm start At Waverley Meadows Primary School Concert Hall, Columbia Drive, Wheelers Hill.

Children's segment followed by performance by Pooja Gupta and Gurmit Sahni. Free event, associat ed with the Sharda Kala Kendra.

Details: Vivek 0402 438 654 or Neeraj 0439 980 551 .

All lecture featuring Suresh Prabh u Tues 8 Apr il 6pm onwards Four-t ime member of the Lok Sabha, Suresh Prabh u, will give a public lecture on India's two biggest challenges, water and energy. Prabhu will discuss how a mix of technological innovations, global best practices, and India's traditional wisdom can be used to overcome them.

Free event.

Details: www.aii.unimelb.edu.au/ events/ indias-two-bigchallenges-water-energysuresh-prabh u

Yugadi celebration Sun 13 April 10am-2pm Murrumbeena Pavillion, 28 Gerald Street, Murrumbeena. Yugadi celebrations organised by the Melbourne Kannada Sangha with games, food and a special attraction Nalapaka Nalapaka (men's cooking competition).

Register before April 6. Participants will have to prepare one vegetarian dish at the venue. The winner will be decided by the judges, based on presentation, creativity and taste of their dish.

Details: Sharma 0401 900 080, Ravi Nan di 0403 134 306, Usha Ravi 0423 763 224 or visit www.mks.org.au Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday Appeal Walk Fri 18 April 9am-4pm Friends of the Children Foundation presents the 16th Annual Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal Walk. This fundraising event will raise donations for"the children of our future". The 28km walk will commence from Clayton Stat ion to Melbourne Exhibition Centre

(MCEC Jeff's Shed), Sout h Wharf.

Start meeting point in front of India at Home/ Jaipur Sweets 8.30am.

Det ails: Shashi Kochhar 9564 8228 / 0411 415 490 / kochharshashi@ hotmail.com, AshokJamini 95581663 /0432 8 16 557, Ratan Mulchandani 9546 2221 / 0407 559 113, Kiran Rewal0408 266016, Suvinder Sawhney 0413 406 101, Indy Jasal 0418 872 614 and www.friendsofthechildren.org.au

ASHA Mother's Day Dinner Sun May 11 5-8pm At Brighton Town Hall, Carpenter Street, Brighton.

Organised by ASHA, a newly formed not-for-profit organisation, which aims to improve the quality of life of Australian and South Asian communities. All proceeds will go towards providing basic school supplies and basic meals for school students in the slums of Bhopal.

Tickets: $40 per head, or $150 per family.

Details: www.ashacharity.org

Greeshma 2014 Sat 3 May 4.30pm-7pm At the Chandler Community Centre, 28 Isaac Road, Keysborough.

Greeshma is a festival of dance and drama. Be prepared for a fun filled evening with one act plays by children in English and Hindi, as well as folk dances. Note: Children under 12 will not be allowed to view the Hindi play, but activities for them will be available during t his time. Tickets: S15.

Details: Manasi 0419 815 323 or www.kalavishkar.com.au/register. html

Lions Club of Lyndhurst & District 201 VS p resents Autumn Breeze2014 Sat 17 May 7.30pm With Sri Lanka's no. 1 dance band: Mistry. Music, magic and memories+ DJ Naz. At Springvale Town Hall, 397 Springvale Road, Springvale. Dress code is formal.

Donation: $85.

Details and reservations: Malik Zaveer 0402 314 595

Community congratulates Indian Link Well done!

Congratulations for receiving the Premier's Multicultural Media Awards. It was pleasing to see the faces of the award winners on the front cover of the Indian Link February (2) 2014 issue.

When I walk into any Indian shop I look around for your paper and have been its reader for the I ast few years.

Your paper maintains a high standard of writing and informs us about news in the Indian community in Australia and publishes articles on Indian culture, cultural events, spirituality and entertainment. The manner in which the Indian Link presents itself with quality paper and colour photos, invites us to read the issues. It is apparent that hard work has gone behind all of these.

Mr Pawan Luthra's editorials, which I enjoy reading, are well written and deal with contemporary issues fort hrightly and where appropriate, diplomatically. They remind me somewhat of Arun Poorie's editorials.

Other writers write equally well. I, as a person who likes to know about Indian English works, find t hat reviews of selected Indian English writ ings are missing, of late, from the paper.

TVallal Canberra From the Editor Thank you for your letter TVallah and your congratulations. We have taken your feedback on board. Please turn to the Books and Literature pages in this edition.

Enjoy1

6 APRIL 2014

Congratulations on winning 3 awards!

Pawan Luthra: My heartiest congratulations to you and your team at Indian Link, for winning three Multicultural Media Awards.

It is indeed commendable that Indian Link won the awards for the Best Print Report of the Year, Best Use of Online & Digital Media and Young Journalist of the Year: Rit am Mitra.

As t he publisher, I am sure it must be very gratifying to provide leadership to Indian Unk, which is now the most awarded multicultural media group in Australia assisted by a very able team including Edit or Rajni Anand Luthra and Preeti Jabbal (Melbourne).

It is indeed deserving recognition of the high quality, frank and free community journalism work t hat has been the hal Imark of Indian Link over many years in promot ing diversity, community harmony and crosscultural tolerance among the com munities of t he Indian subcontinent, communities from other countries and the broader Australian community.

Keep up the wonderful work!

CS.Srinivasan (Srini) Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission Melbourne

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APRIL 20 14 7

COMMUNITYSCENE

statistics • erc1

on

A forum focuses on the unfair treatment ofyoung girls across the world and looks for solutions to their plight

~

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BY '

PREETI JABBAL

D

o you know that

according.to the United I ations, 200 million girls across che globe are missing? D o you know that iu countries like India, China and several other parts of the world girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls? Have you heard about the .l.ndian woman who strangled eight daughters as soon as they were born, and lived in the hope of having a son? Do you know that even today in villages in India, some people kill d1eir girls at birth by feeding them poisoned milk or putting a wet cloth on their moud1s so they stop breathing?

Now did you shield your eyes with horror, did you feel bad for some time or did )'Oll simply shrug indifferently as 'it does not happen in Australia'? Whatever your reaction may have been, you cannot escape the awful fact iliac 'gendercide' is still prevalent across the globe and that die three deadliest words in certain parts of

8 APRIL 2014

the world are, 'Ir's a girl'.

The South Asian Community Link Group (SACLG) celebrated lmemational \~omen's Day recently by zooming in on mis issue ch.rough display and discussion.. Shadowline Films' diougbt-provoking movie It's a girl was shown ac tl1e event, followed by a panel discussion mode.rated by Dr Manjula O'Connor from tlie Australasian Centre fo r Human Rights and He.alch (ACHRH), who is also die current Secretary of SACLG. The Women's Day dinner was held at the Spirit Of lnclia Receptions in Preston.

Directed by Evan Grae Davis, die lilm, released in 2012, is a documentary chat captures the personal stories of people, and die systematic and deliberate destruction of girls in India and China. The film focuses on culnual norms, India's dowry system llnd its patriarchal society, where, despite a ban on ultrasounds, the practice of determining die gender of the fetus is srill commonly available widi die help of bribes. The documentary also looked at China's one child policy, including forced abortions, human traflicking and increasing race of female suicide in the country.

To knm.v is not enough, but it's definitely a start in creating awareness of a disturbing decline in the population of girls in both these overpopulated coLmtr ies.

"Bringing about tl1is awareness was the main intent behind showing this film", said Molina Asthana from SACLG. The panel d iscussion time ensued cited examples, offered insight and sough t solutions from a variety o f people in tl1e audience.

It concluded that the world community need s to unite and bring about a mange in cultures that practice gendercide, and compel diem to value women and end. injustice towards them.

The mood turned sombre after watching the movie as tl1e audience was left digesting shocking statistics and clisturbing footage o n gendercide.

The sumpn1ous dinner that followed, however, triggered a change back into party mode ru1d several people took to the dance floor in die course of the celebration.

Prior to the film viewing, the audience was entertained with a multicultural fashion show tliat was beautifully choreographed by Rashi Kapoor. Local girls from all walks of life kept a fluid pace o n stage to promote culnual diversity.

The group showcased outfits from Punjab, Rajasman, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghru1istan, China and otl1er South E astern regions.

The outfits incorporated both a:aclitional and modem clothing, and customs mat have been passed d own through ages were celebrated th.rough clothes that are worn every day. The participants of the show performed tl1eir complex carwalk routines quite well under the able guidance of Kapoor. Dhaoanjay Kapoor who also doubled up as the DJ for the night, provided appropriate ethnic music to accom pany the catwalk.

Liz Beattie MP from Yuroke (A ustralian Labor Party) was tbe guest of honour for tl,e evening, and cogedier with Deepak Vinayak JP, fotmcler of SACLG, felicitated Dr O'Connor for her work witl1in the Indian community. ln her acceptance speed1 Dr O'Connor requested the audience to support her cause by signing a petition tl1at she had initiated recently. Ir urged judicial authorities ro ban and criminalise che demanding and receiving of cash and gifts by Australian residents in connection wi th a marriage, irrespective of its location for up to seven years.

Io addition, it also urged dowry rela ted offences to be ptuushable

''

Directed By Evan Grae Davis, It's a girl was released in 2012 and is a documentary that captures the personal stories of people, and the systematic and deliberate destruction of girls in India and China

'' with severe crimi.nal and civil penalties to apply.

PLmeec Gulati, upcoming actor and )'OLlth C Ltltural A mbassador SAYCA (South Asian Youth Connect Aus tralasia) wrapped up the evening by thru1king all the guests and sponsors especially tl1e Victorian Multicu.lrnral Commission for funding tl1e event.

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APRIL 2014 9

COVERSTORY

r Guests enjoy a Bollywood-themed party to celebrate the launch of IFFM2014

A

LW visit to the

histoncal Raheen Mansion in Kew in Melbourne is about the whole experience. The Italianate style, heritage-listed building that belongs to billionaires Jean and A nthony Pratt, has a wealth of character. From the imposing gates and lush manicured lawns through to the ritzy decor and tastefuUy done interior, the mansion bas been the venue o f choice for many of :tvfelbourne's high society parries.

It was the perfect location to host a BoUywood themed parry to celebrate the launch of the 2014 program of the Indian Film Fesrival in Melbourne (IFFM).

Louise Asher, Minister for Innovario n, l\lliuister for Tourism and Major E~,ents, and l\{inister for Employment and Trade attended the dinner event in a beaurifully handcrafted smi presented to her by festival director "tvliru Bhowmick Lange. Many other guests also made an efforr to sport fodian Bollywood style dothiug and looked magnificent, thanks to all the colours and bling. Former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu cut an imposing figure in his orange gold siU, k11rta teamed up unusually with a natty tie.

Orange was also the d10ice for V idya Balan, BoUywood 's reigning actress, who was the guest of honour at the event. The rest of the invitees comprised of a select group of festival sponsors, supporters, organisers aud media representatives.

Ms Bhowm.ick Lange invited V idya Balan, braud ambassador of the festival to join her on stage ro announce the program. Gracious as ever, Ms Balan thanked the hosts for their hospitality and complimeuted Minister Asher and other guests oo their Indian attire, particuhdy Ted Baillieu who she claimed could be 'the Arnitabh Bachchan of Melbourne'. ''Amitabh Bachcl1an will be here in :Melbourne soon, perhaps we could make both o f you stand together to see who is taller", she said with characteristic chutzpah.

10 APRIL 2014

i\lfs Balan continued to share the various highlights that festival attendees could look forward to, including details of the inaugural awards presentation scheduled to be held in May. She claimed that she had a love affair with Melbourne that made her want to come back to visit this 'wonderful city full of warm people' again and again.

The entertainment for the night was in the form of some beautifully rendered songs by Australian actor Simon Gleason and bis wife actress atalic O'Donnell.

John Molloy, festival co-director,

officially thanked the guests for their contribution towards making this festival happen. \l{lhile listing the main sponsors. John also took the opportunity to thank Visy and rl1e Prates for their generosity in hosting this event. He then went on to acknowledge all the lndian commilllity .leaders and the media sponsors for their ongoing support in promoting the festival.

According to Job □, one of the great things about this festival is that both sides of rl1e politics come to enjoy and celebrate the festival together with everyone.

As the executive chairman of Visy, o ne of Australia's largest privately owned companies,

Anthony Pratt is an avid supporter of the festival and is also on the advisory board along with M iss Manika Jain, Consul General of India in Melbourne. The festival advisory board also boasts names like Ronnie Screwala, founder of UTV group; Vikramjit Roy head of publicity at Sony Pictures E ntertainment, lndi.a; actress Simi Garewal; aud Pamela Chopra, wife of iconic lilrn maker the late Yash Chopra. With over 40 fi lms on offer, several renowned festival guests iocludiog legendary actor Amitabh Bad1chan, an accomplished jury and many festival favourites on offer, this year's IFF.l'-.f promises to be quire an exciting event. See you there!

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Big B to open IFFM 2014 Moviegoers and aspiring filmmakers will enjoy a range ofcinematic treats and activities during the film festival he lndian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is not only Vidya Balan's favourite event (as she herself ad.mies), over che last three years it has created much interest in the co1nmunicy as it has continued to evolve and grow. The latest announcemenr of Amirabh Bachchan's participation has offered another new dimension to d1is festival that is likely to attract lovers of Indian cinema like never before. According to Nlinister Louise Asher, "Victorians and all visitors to Melbourne are in for a treat of Indian films this year. We have a stellar international guest list starring Bollywood screen legend Amirabh Bachd1an who will open the festival on May 1. It \\,ill be an honour tO ha,, e Amitabh Bachchan here, just a year after he opened the Cannes Film Festival with his The Great Gatsby co-scar Leonardo DiCaprio".

After the disappointment of lase year where Amitabh Bachd1an did not attend the festival despite being announced as a guest, the news of his expected arrival this year was received with predictable speculation. "Yes, Big B is definitely coining to the Festival in Melbourne," confirmed a beaming V idya Balan, speal~ing at

T

INDIAN LINK

the formal launch of the festival recently. Vidya ,vas in Melbourne at the IFFM, as the festival's brand ambassador. "He could not say 'no' to me as l p layed his mom in a film called Pa," she added jokingly.

"We now have confirmation from i\fr Bachchan's office," assured Mitu Bhowmick Lange, the festival's director. " Having Vidya as our brand an1bassador has opened doors for us and her name and association with our festival makes it easier for us to gain access and get support," she added, whilst introducing the 2014 festival program.

Vidya was at her charming, effervescent best at the morning tea and subsequent press launch chat was held ar the A l Z Investment Centre. The meclia seemed parti.cularly interested in her marriage and pregnancy as most of the questions at the press launch bordered around her latest fihn Shadi ke Side tjfects, or sought to m ake comparisons with her marriage to UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor (Managing Director of The Walt Disney Company India). Media savvy Vidya took all the questions in her sa·ide and answered chem with re.markable ease and qnick wit.

"No, I am not pregnant,"

emphasised Vidya for the record adding, "lam planning o n a two month break mainly co rejuvenate before 1 start promoting my next movie, Bobby Jasoos''. In response to how realistic she found Shadi ke Side Effects as a story and how she managed both her career and marriage Vi.dya said, "The movie Shadi Ke Side Effects seems to have found resonance with most people, even though I did not find any parallels in ilie story wirh my own marriage". Vidya claimed to be equally passionate about her work and her reL'ltionship with her husband SRK. "\Ve lead very hectic lives so there is joy in doing little things with each od1er and in sharing things Like travelling and reading, among others.

So I feel tl1ar we are stiU in the honeymoon phase of our relationship even though it has been over a year since we got married," said Vid jra.

Extending a warm welcome co those present at tbe press launch Vidya said, "Every year at the festival we like co push ilie envelope further and tbi.s year we intend ro ho.tel an awards ceremony where we would like to acknowledge the special work of Indian filtn makers and Indian talenL On May 2 we will be holding a special awards ceremony at the Princess Theaue here and

you will be able to see many people from Indian cinema whose work you have enjoyed over the years". Vidya comi.nued tO express bet pleasure ac being invited to be the brand ambassador of the IFFM tl1ree years in a ro", "Melbourne has always been wonderful co me and 1 feel very much at home when I visit here for the festival every year. I am hoping to come bac.k ,vitb my husband soon, as I am sure he will also enjoy visiting the city as much as I do," she said.

Following Vidya's bt:ief address, the official program of tbe IFFM 2014 was distributed amongst those present. The program promises an exciting range of activities and events between .May 1- 1J that will celebrate the cliversicy and vibrancy of Indian cinema. This year's program includes festival favourites like the Western llnion Shore Film Competition, Bollyw-ood Dance Competition to be judged by 1falaika Arora Khan, masterclasses ·with renowned Indian artists and a new section called New Voices that will feamre si.."< films from first tin1e filmmakers in l ndia. "The Victorian Governmenr has funded and supported the IFFM as it wishes to engage witl1 India at a cultural level, besides being friends in

terms of trad e and investment," said Minister Asher. "Tb.is understanding and appreciation of Indian culture will benefit the relationship between our two countries," she added.

Preeti Jabbal

APRIL 2014 11

COVERSTORY

All you need is merit. ..

IFFM Brand Ambassador Vidya Ba/an chats exclusively with Indian Link

stringent law enforcement Fo.r women to feel safe in general, tl1ese two need to be ou.r main focus.

ndian cinema's most awarded actress Vidya Balan was in cown recently to latmch the lndian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFF.M) 2014.

'Vidya has made a stellar career and carved an enviable niche for herself _in tl1e Indian film industry.Just before returning to India co receive the prestigious Padmashri award, India's highest civilian honour on March 31, Vidya spoke to Indian Li11k in an exclusive intervie,v.

I

Preeti Jabbal (PJ): This is your foutth trip to Melbourne and the third as Brand Ambassador of IFFM. What has been different this time?

Vidya Balan (VB): (Laughing) This year has been m y shortest trip co Jl,'1elbourne and mat'.5 different! But the main difference tl1is year is that we are introducing competitive awards at the IF™, and we have a fabulous jury who will decide on the winners.

Wim each year we try to add a ne\v layer, and we are very excited about these upcoming awards. Overall me IFFM will showcase about 40 films in 20 different languages, there will be some fabulous master classes, a short lilm competition and a Bollywood dance competition.

T he Festival will host some very importam guests like Amirnbh Bachchan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, and SL1basini Maniracnam, among others. The IFFM 2014 promises to be full o f exciting activities and events.

PJ: There is a lot of excitement in India as many actresses have joined the election fray like Kira.a Kher, Rakhi Sawant, Gui Panag, a mong others. What

12 APRIL 2014

PJ: There have been sonu: recent con tcoversial issues on the 'No Pregnancy Clause' in the lnclian film industry. How do you feel about signing this clause?

VB1 I don't have a problem with it.

PJ: Don't you think this is an infringement on women's rights?

VB: 1 think it's unfair if you are in the middle o f a film tl1at does not require you co play a pregnant character, and if 5rou get pregnant, it staHs the project. It's about commitment and l do not see how it is an infringement on women's rigb ts. \XTe a.re new age women and we lead our lives the way we want to, we are unapologetically professional. so l do not see any harm in signi ng a clause, if required.

You need to plan rou life accordingly. In any case I do not want to be working when Tam pregnant as I am sure I would want co take it easy. Most women like to be pampered at that time.

is your opinion on the coexistence of films and politics in India?

YD: I tl1ink people leverage meir stardom by entering poli tics, but 1 am not abom to join the fray. I believe that if there is ever going to be a time when 1 am ready to do more for tlie country than myself, that is when l may emer politics; however, currently I do not

have a political beur of mind at all. M y contribution will be that of an average citizen as I am hoping to cast my vote and help elect me right representatives, and hopefully have some good leadership in tl1e counrcy.

PJ: In .r ecent times lnclia has earned a bad name in Australia

on the issue of women safety, do you think this situation will 1ntprove? \'B: Yes, mere have been lots of unfortunate incidents of violence against women and rapes in India, however it's not something tliat will change overnight; we will req Lute attitudinal changes and more

PJ: Traditionally in the Inclian film industry once an actress marries, she tends to get insignificant roles or she simply fades away. Has your experience been any cliffereat?

VB: By God's grace I have even beccer opportunities than I had before Igor married. I am tnvolved in some ,,ery exciting projects and have a lot co look forward co. l'vfy marriage has 11or changed anythi ng for me. I am sute of my relationship with films, and people are sure of my commitment to films. I feel things are changing ra~idly and tliankfolly within tlie i ndustry, but I can only speak for myself, not for otl.1ers. Being an actor is a

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non-negotiable part of me even if 1 was to take a break, and no matter what happens, I will always be passionate about acting.

PJ: Melbourne girl P a llavi Sharda has done well in Indian films with out a godfa ther, similar to you . Can other peop le also be assured that they too c an be successful b a sed on merit in this ind ustry?

VB: Abso1utel)7 ! l was forn1.nate ro have God, my parents and my family who have always supported me. Merit is the one and o n ly thing that goes a long

way cowards being successful. I strongly believe that merit is nonnegotiable. That's the only thing chat takes you far. For example, belonging co a star family can give you the initial opportunities, but beyond that you have to prove yorn own credentials. 1 am Jiving proof of the fact that aU you need is merit.

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Vidya With fnd,·-:--------1 1tu Bhowmik L .

M." an Counsu/ Genera/ Monika J . ange and Minister Lo . a,n, festival director u1seAsher

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Walk for the children Charity walk for Monash Children's Hospital successfully raised over $30,000

e ld on 21\farch, the Friends of the Children Foundation (FOTCF) Walk for Monash Children chai:it:y event was hugely successful, managing to raise $30,597.81. The majority of the funds raised from this fun nm/ walk at Jells Park wiJJ go cowards purchasing beds for the parents of sick children ro use when their child is staying at Monash Children's Hospital.

The POTCF volunteers helped

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to cook up a sausage siz7Je storm for participants after they had crossed the finish line. Everyone seemed co b e in great spirits and were delighted abour the amount of money raised towards the hospital.

All FOTCF e~•ents revolve around their belief that "children are our future". The foundation was created in l 998 and held their inaugural walk to raise funds for Monash Children's Hospital in February 2013. Participants could do a 5km, 10km or 15km walk or run.

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APRIL 2014 15

COMMUNITYSCENE

Growing concerns

al terrorism

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India's intelligence services are capable of handling terrorism threats, but the government should be focused too

I BY ~ ;

f , CHITRA SUDARSHAN

jic Kumar D oval has an impressive professional track record spanning a challenging career in incelligence. Belonging to th e Kerala Cadre of IPS, he won the Kit-ti Cbnkm in 1988, the first to receive chat honour outside the m ilir,'lry. He was a field operative, acq uitting h imself well in several postings in India's north-ease for seven years an d in Pakistan for six years, before caking o n the role of Chief of the Intelligence Bureau's Operations Wing between 2004-2005. Doval's exploits are legendary- he was the Indian negotiaror with d1e terrorists who hijacked the Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999 - an d is by far o ne of d1e m ost successful I n telligence C hiefs lndia h as produced. He is now me Director of the Vivekananda International Foundation and is often invited to speak o n India's intelligence and security, as well as counter terrorism efforrs.

Speaking at the Australia lndia Institute at the University of Melhourne o n March 11, D oval impressed everyone present with his cla rity of thought, a no-nonsense approacl1 to Ind ian

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national security, and an uncanny ability to sort the wheat from the chaff, honing in on what is truly significant.

Speaking about 'T he Challenges of Global Terror.ism,' D oval in his characteristic style, began by declaring that d1e world is in many ways less secure from terro1:ism today than at the tin1e of 9 /1 1, despite President Ohama's claims to the contrary. Yes, rne Al Qaida is in disarray; yes, d1ere has been a robust response to terrotism b)' the internation al comnmnity; yes, the US took cbe battle co places from where terror emanated; yes, even smaUer nations have now built up im migration and other controls and anti-terror operatives.

D espite these positive developments, the world today is in many ways mote vulnerable than in 2001 because fastly, in Afghanistan, none of the objectives of the US intervention have not been realised.

The T alib an is o n d1e verge o f retmn ing to power; states c~mti.nue to give free passage co terrorists witl1 impunity; and most in1portant of alJ, nothing has been clone to counter the lslamisr .ideology d1at has been h.i jacked by terrorists.

Iron ically, Al Qaicla is more widely known today d1an in 2001, an d there has been no c.l1ange whatsoever in ics core strategic goals or in. its strategy of using terro r ro ach ieve diem. O ne A.I Q aicla operative wrote in an

is today a greater degree of unity among the different factions

Ajit Kumar Doval Arabic newspaper in D ecember 2001, how small splinter groups should o rganise themselves in the aftermath of 9/11 and hmv Islamic disconcenc around the world muse be merged with the Al Qaida strategy. T here is enough evidence to suggest tl1ey bave mor phed and ad ap ted quire successful.ly to new conditions.

T he Taliban are dictating terms in A fghanistan; the strategic goals of Mullah Omar are no t contested ; and tl1e fourth generation warfare - that of fighting extremist political Islam in the civ il society of Afghanistan and Pakistan is being lost, to name a few. There

and off-shoors of Al Qaida, and they are more economically and tech no logically resourced than before.

D espite t his very gloomy progn osis, D oval believes that me Indian Intelligen ce Services are very capable of meeting d1e challenges that India faces from global terrorism. It is the political leadership d1at must be clear in its objectives and have the will and the vision co develop a coherent strategy to co1mce.r it. The times call for clear-headed decision makers w ho have what it takes.

D oval answered several questions from d1e audien ce: about India's ab ility co deal with the Taliban in the event of its takeover o f Afgh anistan (he believes India is equal co the cask); home grown terrorism in l□dia and how it can be add ressed at the political, civil society, communitarian and intelligence !eve.ls. D espite Pa.l,isran/ISI's strategy of promoting terror in India (a cheap option considering the bigger strength of the fad.ian econ omy and military); he said despite Pakistan's best attempts co drive a wedge between Indian Muslims and w ider society, the former have rebuffed Pakistan's overtures and are working band in hand with aUIndians to thwart the export of terror. In tlus, all fadia□s are mi.iced in d1e pursuit of a common purpose.

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Doval began by declaring that the world is in many ways less secure from terrorism today than at the time of 9/11, despite President Obama's claims to the contrary

'' ''

Doval believes that the Indian Intelligence Services are very capable of meeting the challenges that India faces from global terrorism

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APRIL 2014 17

COMMUNITYSCENE

Balance for better living PS3 forum discusses maintaining balance in life for a positive existence

I

was privileged ro be a part of the first event hosced b;r PS3 in 2014, held ac Notting Hill Neighbourhood House on the 27,. of Feb 2014. PS3 (Positivity. strength, support and synergy) is a volunteer group of fout empowering women with the

mission of bringing together lndi,w women of alJ ages living in ·Melbourne, to empower chem through a series of forums that cover relevant copies that will make a difference in their lives.

These topics relate m anything from bringing up

children in a wescem society ro information about lifethreatening diseases like cancer. There is a distinct tone of oprimism and inspiration in the mission of chese ladies ro reach out to their compatriots.

The first forum of the PS3 invited Ranjana Goel as guest speaker. Raojana is a professional, but also a celebrant, a healer, and an empmvered woman with a great personality.

Her topic was on 'How to maintain balance in one's life'.

She spoke about how to rake care of the self while understanding chat life experiences, learning and choices matter in creating a healthy balance in an individual. She provided great insights on how to create awareness in oneself which not only alds in enhancing balance, bm also helps in making a difference ro sociecy.

Ranjana's topic generated a lot of discussion amongst the 12-15

attendees with lots of d iscussion.

Questions such as "How can we achieve balance?" and "What factors lead to achieving personal balance" received adept responses. She created an atmosphere of lively clrnner, interaction and ideas char helped attendees chink beyond the box. ln conclusion, Ranjana provided derails abouc her program ca!Jed S1vo)'at11 which bas helped numerous people 1ind balance in their lives.

"Thank you Ranjana, for giving us such a great insight on maintaining balance in our lives", was the general sentiment of those attending the forum at irs conclusion. \Xle!J done to PS3 for creating such a forum that is free and empowering for Indian ,vomen, and to Rnnj,rna for sharing her insights and making the event a successful one.

''

Ranjana spoke about how to take care of the self while understanding that life experiences, learning and choices matter in creating a healthy balance in an individual

''

NehaJain

It's physical as well as spiritual nourishment in the practice of the Surya Namaskar

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d1ings ro do is take a break from the confines of a gym from time to time and exercise out in nature. It's hard to describe the difference of physical activity clone indoors versus in die open.

There's the fresh air, wonderful views and the naru.rnl and serene sound tracks of nature - the wind, the birds, the waves ... Are you feeling the exhilaration yet?

On a recem weekend, some 150 participants rook a break from their Sunday morning routine to come and e.xperience the collecrive energy o f 108 sun salutations at beautiful Elwood beach.

The 3'' SIIIJ'O)'q/110, a ritual that tal.::es place on the last Sunday of summer every year, was organised

by Vasudev Kriya Yoga.

A cloudy grey sky met the calm and white waters around che cool brown sand, as calming

18 APRIL 2014

Sanskrit chants reverberated in the air. The soft voice of a young energetic man on the tnicrophone, encouraged a group of enthusiastic parricipants of alJ ages co make yogic postures to tbe 'Surya Namaskar', or Sun Salutation moves. Ir was a perfect opportunity to practice in the gemle warm th of tbe rising sun. I did quite a few rounds ro unwind, relax, and stretcll my stiff, sore legs and shoulders. What] particularly love about t he Sutya Namaskar, is that it is accessible to the beginner and seasoned pracritioner alike. It is the meac and potatoes (or for vegetarians, tofu and sprouts) of many osa11a practices. Witb the waves gently ro lling on to the shore, it was a very meditative and peaceful tin1e.

It is often said chat Surya Namaskar contains the enrire pracrice of yoga within ir. But whal does iliac mean? If you e.xamine the postures that make

up the sun salutations, you get

swear trickled down, balanced

a wide range of m ovements,

hr the brighmess of che light

forward bend, back bend, being still, lengd1ening the spine, grounding tl1e feet, strengthening the upper body, stretching tlie hamstrings, expanding the lungs and more. That is why Surya Namaskar is tbe ideal way LO warm tbe body at the beginning of a yoga practice. Even if you do not intend to practice yoga, the sun salutation is a great way to scare che day, as it also works on tbe mind. By hearing che breath and holding the gaze (d,isbtt), these movements aUow us to centre ourselves and ro quiet our wandering tnind.

Like many rimals in yoga and in Hinduism, the Sun Salmarions are repeated 108 rimes (die number is sacred and refers to che wholeness of existence).

As we finished the 108'h round, there was a sense of achievement and radiance o n our faces as the

around us witl1 the sunrise and the sounds o f the birds and waves.

Participants reached our ro one another smiling, some wall.::ing onto the beach to relax o n tbe inviting sand, some of us rushing ro partal,e in die food served by students and volunteers, and some reaching out to buy boqks on the practice o f yoga ar the stall in the front.

I took the opportunity to catch up with the founder of tlie Vasudeva Kriya Yoga, Rajendra Yenkannan1oole. Although he has Masters' degrees in Chemical Engineering as well as Business Administration, Rajendra has been reaching yoga in Melbourne since 2004. He began practicing yoga ar the tender age of I 0.

"I believe diac acquired knowledge must be passed on to ochers for the beneli.r of the society," says Rajendra like a

Rajendra instructs a participant true yogi.

Rnjendra reveals thaL he was happy ,vich the rumour of more tl1an 150 participants at this year's mass SLtrya amaskar evem.

"This exercise bas many heal di benelics," he notes. " J ts regular practice helps with increased energy levels, increased radiance, streng thening of die immune system, improved digestion, eyesight and life span and improvement in overall healdi. Above alJ we are invoking tlie grace of ilie Lotd in the stm m illuminate our path. As we nourish our outer personality, we must also nourish our inner personality".

Pinky Bhatia

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MAINSTREAM

aunc A policy to measure the success of multicultural affairs and citizenship has been welcomed with enthusiasm

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Victoria is known and has been acknowledged by the other states of Australia, to be the leading multicultural state

'' Premier D r Denis Napthine and M in ister Nicholas Kotsiras

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ictoria's Premier, Dr Denis Napchine MP, joined the Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, N icholas Kotsiras i\fP on March 3 to launch a landmark policy char will measure the success of multicultural affairs and cicizensh.ip in V ictoria.

The policy, Victo,ia} Advantage - Uni!)\ Diversi(y, Oppo1t1111ity, bas received bipartisan support and is a plan to support social cohesion and citizenship that ensmes the continuation of Victoria's commitmenr to divers ity. Minister Korsiras wanes to see V ictoria commit to screngthening its h armonious reputation for future generations.

The policy focuses on three major themes: maximising the benefits of our diversity; citi2enship, participation and social cohesion; and responsive and accessible services. Victoria's

V

20 APRIL 2014

p rogress made across these three pillars will be measured and assessed against key indicators, co ensme constructive action is taken.

The evening of the launch opened with a speech from Indigenous Ausu·alian Elder Carolyn Briggs. Briggs acknowledged the traditional owners of the land and explained how the state of V ictoria is filled with vast landscapes. ''\v'ith every different landscape there was a different tribe that spoke a different language," she said. "They had a great connection to their place of belonging. During their time, Indigenous Australians learned to integrate and were strengthened through adaptation".

From the days when Indigenous Australians occupied Victoria, they integrated with each other.

Victoria continues to carry on that legacy and bas been open for many decades to a diverse range of people Erom all over the world.

More than 26 percent of Victorians were born overseas, and 47 percent have at least one parent born overseas. Victoria is known as, and has been acknowledged by the other stares o f Australia, to be the leading multiculmral state.

Now, Victoria has moved beyond integration. Minister Kotsiras d.iscussed bow Victoria's next pbase is interaction. "The policy will help to strengthen a migrant's participation in local activities, ensure that they are able to access essential services and, most importantly, develop a society chat promotes respect and underscandiog," he said. "Thls initiative will develop and enhance engagement by all members of the community. Not only will foreigners interact with locals, bur locals will continue to share their time with migrants", added the Minister.

Some of che key issues the policy will address include, amongst others; increasing skilled migrants access to jobs, having a compulsory second laf1b>uage caught at school up to Yea.r 10, enhancing international engagement through u·ade missions; addressing special complaints about discrimination through legislation, improving literacy and numeracy skills of migrants, supporting crossculcure and multi-faith inceracti,7 e communities, improving access to the justice system and health care system, improving culcural

competence of the members of cbe public sector, and, showcasing Victoria's cultural, religious and linguistic d.iversicy.

Fostering greater interaction is irnportanc for the community and tl1e economy. More people with various backgrounds provide greater potential. Victoria has benefited and will continue co bene6t from d.iversicy. This investment in social cohesio n has helped Victoria to globalise and interact with other countries.

While a rise in population will pose a challenge for Viccoria today, Victorians will be grateful when the state realises its fol.I potential through a growing multiculrural community. The oppormnity co socialise with migrants and learn from their experiences is sometlung tha.t should not be nussed. lvfPs, senior members of rnulticulmral conmiissions and organisati.o ns, :md members of local communities attended the event to commemorate V ictoria's step towards a culcurally diverse society. Throughout tl1e eve1iing, a Latin American duo played traditional cunes on their classical guitars.

''

"The policy will help to strengthen a migrant's participation in local activities, ensure that they are able to access essential services and, most importantly, develop a society that promotes respect and understanding" Minister Nicholas Kotsiras

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COMMUNITYSCENE

Excited winners were chosen from a bevy of beautiful people at the MIQ 2014 event

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BY

NEHAJAIN

t has always been cny childhood dream co walk the rnmp dressed co the nines, with photographers clicking away. By participating in the recently held Miss, Mrs, Mr lndia Melbourne quest (J\UQ) 2014 event, I realised m y dceam and it is an experience I will always cherish. l\HQ 2014 is an arnmal pageant hosted by Anamika Sri of Chatismix events, who also coordinated tl1e preparation sessions tl1at included fitness training, choreography, public spea.king and photoshoots.

The final event was held at ViUage Green R.otel in Mulgrave.

In preparation, February was busy with fitness sessions where we worked hard and got training tips. " It was a wonderful session and it gave me great tips on how to have a body like Salman Khan," said Simran Sethi (Mr Melbourne lndia MIQ 2014).

Next followed the o utdoor photoshoot, at which Ramya looked absolutely stunning and went on to carry off the title of Ms Pashionisca in the finals. At the indoor photoshoot, Ashleen (!vfrs Universe fodia MTQ 2014) provided nmch oomph witli her glamorous poses. We practiced walking on che ramp and displayed our performing abilities .in the talent rollnd. An indoor photo shoot was organised where Ashleen (!vfrs Universe India MTQ 2014) provided the glamour.

On the day of the event, there was a Au.rry o f excitement in the green ro0m while the contestants got make-up and hair done for our big moment. We had all worked very hard and everyone was enthusiastic about finalJy getting an opporrunic:y to showcase their beautiful clothes, while strutting down tl1e ramp.

When called, I wall,ed on stage in a beautifully designed sam b y Niket and Jainee and in tli e Q&A round 1 was asked, "\Vhat would you do if you only had five minuces to live?" I replied saying, "They say that you should live each day as if it is your last, and

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22 APRIL 2014

if I only had five minutes to live, l would spend it with rhe most imporrant people in my life, my family and ensure that each of the five minmes was spem making memories and being happy". I walked away feeling like a winner to thundernus applause from the audience. All tlie contestants performed weU, walking the ramp successfuUy and answering tl1e questions with confidence. ext, tlie contesrants wall{ed the ramp dcaped in ethnic we;u from Salwar Point and Royal Sarees. Pooja (11fs BeaucifuJ Skin Iv□ Q 2014) looked stunning in a red A11mkali suit and walked tlie ramp with panache. The Jase round was evening wear, with female contestants dcessed in red gowns from Leiela and male contescancs in suits from Envoy London. Evet'}'One felt and looked like a million dollars in their creative designer outfi rs, including Merry (!v[s Pirness MlQ 2014). lt was a night full of glitz and glamour for the contestant-~ and

tlie appreciative audience.

Finally the results were announced. Everyone had done a great job and there was a definite ai.r of anticipation, but as is tl1e case in aU competitions, not everyone can be a winner. The IvlIQ 2014 winners in the 'Miss/ Ms' caregory were Ms Sheet:,1..l ChaiJ (Miss India Global United 2014) and Ms Shagoon Bhasin (!vis India G lobal Uniced 2014) who will both be ttavdling m Jv1innesoca to participate in the international pageant.

"I feel gread I am very happy thar 1 won this title," said Ms Sheetal, smiling emhusiasticaUy. " I worked really hard in the lasr few months and ir has certainly paid off. My future goal is to change society's perspective on Lndian woman. I want to encourage every single female ro love and believe in themselves, as thjs wi.lJ result in internal happiness and confidence, and then the sky is truly the li.111ir (for then1)".

The 'Mrs' category winners were Mrs Ashleen Dhamija

(Mrs India Universe) and Mrs Francesca McMillan (Mrs Australia Universe), who will both be travelling to Kuala Lumpur to take part in the international pageant.

This year, i\HQ 2014 also introduced 'i\lfale' categories and die winners were: 1lr Roh.it Dhillon (Mr Multicnlrural Melbourne (Australasia); Mr Simran Sethi (Mr Indian Melbourne); and Mr Aakash Yuvraaj (.Mr Melbourne). "It's been a great learning curve for me, I worked hard in each session to prove my W01'd1 and people have appreciated tliar," said Aakash on being crowned with the tide. "l have also gained a lot of confidence and made many new friends. I also believe char the event could have been better organised, but overall it has been a great way ro showcase my talen t. Congratulations to aU die ,vinners".

The audience enjoyed entertainment in che form of dances and songs from talented local artists between rounds.

Anamika thanked die exhaustive list of sponsors for their o ngoing support and generosity. She also commended MCs for the evening, Kritika Srivastava and Muknl Relan.

The guest of honour and exclusive fashion designer of tl1e evening was JN Collection (Niket and JaL11ee Mishra). According ro designers from India, their des~s have a a cosmopolitan .look, bur don't shy away from experimentation, reaching ouc to tl1e wocld with tlieir creations.

"The JN look is all abom gusto with the right twang of feminine flirtatiousness," claimed Jainee lvuslu:a.

The most difficult job for tlie evening however, was that of d1e judges who had a rough job choosing from so many eager and able contestants. The judging panel including AJoke Kumar, businessman and owner of Thornbury Theatre; Bindy Rayac, model and entrepreneur; Jvfary Bernadette, former Miss Bombay and dance school director; and Lucy Laurita, director of tl1e fashion brand Leiela.

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APRIL 2014 23

INDIAN NEWS 7J

tweet or engage on social media. Bur our children will vote witl1 their disconten tment

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rhxo ugh rbeir parents and communities," h e added.

"If our finance 111.iniscer is able to .include child budgeting in the mi.ion budget every year, why not in the mrui.ifestos," Jayakumru· asked.

An analysis o f the 2009 general eleccion rnanifestos of political parties by NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), reveals that the space received by children's issues range from a mere five percent to 14 percent across parries.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist and tbe DMK are at rbe lowest at 5 and 6 percent respectively wli.ile the Nationalist Congress Parry (NCP) scored the highest at 14 percent Pragya Vats, campaign manager ar Save

Straight from Melbourne to the Rashtrapati Bhavan: Actress Vidya Ba/an receives the prestigious Pad ma Shri award, one of India's highest civilian honours, from the President oflndia Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on March 31, 2014.

'Unrecognised' poll debut by motley group A former senior Maharashtra cop, a breakaway member of the AAP and an activist working among Sikkimese people - these are among the 24 people who have formed new political oudits that will make their elecroral debut, albeit as '\mrecognised parties", in the coming elections.

The 24 political parties, \Vith names as diverse as Hurn Sabki Parry, Rashttiya Vikalp Party, Apna Dal Uni ted Parry, Ex-Sainik Vikas Parry, Awa.mi Vikas Parry and eveo Free Thought Party, have been registered as U nrecognised Parties by the Election Commission for the April 7-May 12 L~1k Sabha polls.

With electoral promises ranging fro m introducing digital currency to tackling corruption, and working for tbe downtrodden to increasing participatio n of people in law making and administration processes, these new outfits have begun campaigning among voters across the country.

A leading news agency ttied co track these " new" political outfits - with many no t even having websites - and was able co trace three.

The Awami Vikas Party was formed last year by Shamsher Wazir Khan, a former t-.lfaharashtra assistant commissioner of police. " ln order to work for uplift of tbe downtrodden sections of society, there is no other option but to enter the poll fray," Khan said in a phone interview from Mumbai. The Mumbai-based parry is contesting for 22 Lok Sabha sears in Maharashtra and one in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that though 85 percent of the people in the country come from the Scheduled Castes and backward classes, they are always kept away from the mainstream o f society.

"So what if our party is ne\v? The party's ideology and our work an1ong the people will help us win seats," said Khan, adding that he formed the political ourfo co work for downtrodden sections of society, especially the mino rity communities, ro bcing them imo the mainstrean1.

24 APRll 2014

Llke his part}; there are a staggering 1,617 unrecognised outfits in the country so far waiting co get the poll panel's nod.

At the moment, there are six national parties and 47 state parties.

According to a senior official of the Election Commission, "Registered uurecognised policical parcies are th e ones who neither come under stare-based, nor national parties. Therefore, tbey are nor even eligible for a permanent party symbol during the elections".

U nder the rules, these parties w ill be allotted symbols from a list of 87 'free symbols' only when they fulfil the criteria of contesting 10 percent of rbe total seats in a st,'lte o r the country.

Added the Election Commission official: "If they win the Lok Sabha elections, d1ey will represent their party in tl1e parliament.

But tl,e parry will not be acknowledged as state-based or national".

They will then need to be engaged in political activities for a continuous period of five years, and bag six percent o f tl1e valid votes polled, with at least tl1ree members elected to a legislative a-ssembly and one to the Lo k Sabha to get recognition from tl1e poll panel.

Once recognised, the parties are eligible for allo 1ment of permanent symbols.

Tbe only Delhi-based party to be registered among the 24 new outfits is the Garib Aadmi Party (GAP / Poor Man's Party), wbicl1 has fielded 50 candidates across rbe cow1try.

The parry was formed rwo momhs ago by Shyam Bharti, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member. Among his poll promises, Bharti has proposed replacing paper currency with digital currency to "abolish corruption" and provirling ration cards and Aadhar cards to every poor individual in the coumry.

"Formation of Garib Aadmi Party was necessary as AAP, which initially clain1ed to work for poor people, has deviated from its objectives," said Bharti, who is to file his nomination from Varanasi - from where BJP prime ministerial caudidate arendra Modi is contesting.

A Hyderabad-based omfil, Mahajan Socialist Party, is focusing on ''injustice" to tbe Dalir Christians io southern India and is targetcing its campaign among chem. ln eastern India, the Sikkim Liberation Party (SLP) is campaigning among the "original" Sikkimese communities in tl1e northeastern state in a bid to include tl1em in tbe development process.

"None of the poli tical parties fighting in tbe elections are serious abom resolving the important issues relating co tl1e development of Sikkim," said SLP president Duknath Nepal over the phone from Gangtok. " Our party's aim is co develop Sikkim, and tl1e people of Sikk..i.n1 understand this very well. So tl1is rime we are confident of a win," said Nepal, a former social activist.

In their bid to bag as many votes, these new political oudits are focussing on speci.fic communities and raising issues that concern them during campaign time. Bm only time will tell whetl1er they will even open tl1eir accow1t in this election.

RUPESH DUTTA

Children do not vote, hence ignored by parties Children cannot vote, they cannot make political demands and tl1erefore do nor have any say in electoral outcomes. fa th.is the reason why, year after year, political parties have been ignoring the needs of children in their poll promises?

This despite the face rbat children constitute over a tli.ird of India's 1.2'l billion population. Children appear ro be tl1e most neglected segment in l ndia, with their rights being vastly ignored. "l t is time tbat our manifestos realise that we have an India with 440 million children below l8 years. U nfortunately elections ate about parnpecing the elecmrate and children do nor ·vote. Bur our political parties need co remember rbat our electorate values these children, politicians may not" ,Jayakrnnar C hristian., CEO of World Vision India, a grassroots organisatio n working for children, said recendy in New Delbi..

"Children cannot attend election rallies,

the Children, ano ther NGO working for children, told IANS: "Government5 have rarely prioritised cli.ildren, and fail to recognise that they have rights. l.ndia continues to hit the headlines for our staggel"ing statistics on all indicators relating to children's well-being.

"For a country which loses 1.4 million children w1der five years of age every year to death and disease and where eight million children still remain o ut o f school, tl1e welfare of children i:arely finds a mention in the campaign of any political parry:' she said.

India has the largest child population in the world: Over 17 percent of the world's child ren live in India.

Of tl1e 430 million children _in the 0-18 age-group, about 160 million are belo,v the age of six and abou t 270 million are between 6 and 18, acco rding to tl1e 2011 census.

"Children constitute 40 percent or a third of India's popuL'ltion but these statistics reflect that we as a nation are not doing enough for our children. By ignoring child1·en, we are nor only putting our present at peril but also ()Ur future," Vats maintained.

She said issues concerning children n1ust emerge high on the political agenda and translate int0 cornmiunents.

In February, a delegation of children, under tl1e aegis of Chetna, an r GO working for street children, mer Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik and G. Mohan Gopal, botl1 members of the manifesto drafting comni.ittee, ru1d presented a charter of demands. However, none of tbe demands were included in rbe party rn,'lnifes co released Marcl126.

"We were surprised to see that the Congress manifesto did not mention a single tl1ing w hich these leaders promised," said Chetna di.rector Sanjay Gupta.

"The parties should rake the issues o f children seriously," he added.

Recently, World Vision India released a manifesto for children which included the right to good health, health services in v illages and free and quality health services for all vuL1erable children in hospitals.

It also demanded strict enforcemenr of laws against trafficking and child labour ru1d better opportunities for disabled chil_d ren.

Add ed Gupta, "Children are rbe fumre of this cow1try. They are potential voters and their issues also affect the adult elecrorare. l e is high cin1e political parties thought about them".

SREEPARNA CHAKRABARTY IANS

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APRIL 2014 2 5

OPINION

Osama bin Laden is gone, but terrorism is not New solutions need to be sought to eradicate terrorism, as a/Qaeda grows stronger in North Africa and the Middle East Doval aad other intelligence chie fs appear to have forgotten one of the fundamental rules of solving cria1es - t he importance of establishing a motive. In order to ensure tl1e '\Xfar on Terrorism' is more successful tl1an the '\'v'ar on Drugs' or the '\Var on Crime', that is, in order for it to lead co a definite outcome rather cl1an con tinuing n March 11, 1 attended a lecture by on indefinitely for anocl1er 100 years, it is Ajit D oval held at the Uaivetsity imperative that the underlying reasons for of Melbourne's Australia India terrorism be addressed.

Institute. Doval spoke on 'The Challenges of Global Terrorism', a ropic on which There is a wealcl1 of research largel)' he is eminently qualified to speak, given ignored by the heads of the major intelligence agencies chat directl)' addresses his past role as director of India's Central lntelligence Bureau. t he question of how best co prevent individuals &om turi:Ling to terrorism in the Assurning one believes the o fficial story fus e place. Most of this scholarship is by about tl1e May 2011 Jcilling of Osama bin Laden by the American military, it would be inclividaals wirl1 significant experience in tempriag to think chat we are en tering an era counter- terrorism and policing. of safety and !hat groups such as al-Qaeda J'vt:ichael Scheuer, a former head of are on t he brink of being defeated. However the CIA's Bio Laden unit, argues tl1at accorcling to Doval, such a view is the Islamic terrorises are angered by America's opposite of the truth. To the contrary, support for corrupt and tyrannical Muslim .itis ti.me to brace omselves for a world governmen ts, western troops on the Arabian that is 111ote unsafe dian the Peninsula, western support for world which existed prior fame!, American pressure o n to the attacks of Arab energy p roducers to keep oil prices low, the occupation September 11, 2001.

There are several reasons of Iraq and Afghanistan, and First, there are the for Doval's pessimistic the support for Russia, India, tens of thousands outlook. First, there are the and China against d1eir Muslim in North Africa and tens of thousands in Nord1 militants. In other words, the Middle East who Africa and the Middle East Islamic terror groups are nor all irrational religious fanatics. who support al-Qaeda support al-Qaeda and its objectives. The They bave rational objectives and its objectives. chat capitalise on the public organisation has become The organisation has stronger and its reach now resentment caused by western become stronger and meddling in the internal extends further. Al-Qaeda its reach now extends now operates as an almost affai rs of Arab nations. Such further meddling has led to many global organisation, despite the efforts of the American atrocities against residents who are then inspired co sup port Central Intelligence Agency, Fed eral Bureau of insurgent g roups. Scand,11s relating to the Abu Gharaib Investigation and equivalent agencies in the United Kingdom prison, rorture, rapes by American and and Australia.

British soldiers, and collateral damage caused The American-led war in Afghanistan by drone strikes are just the rip of an iceberg against al-Qaeda's leadership has hurt d1e that goes back to America's overcl1row of o rganisation, yet Doval is worried about the democratically appo inted leader of Iran what will happen o nce Western forces have in 1953. It is practical concerns such as these withdrawn from the Middle East t hat have allowed al-Qaeda to thrive.

Scheuer's thesis is supported by Robert "We thought the antidote (to global terrorism) was cutting off their finances Pape of the University of Chicago. Based on and the people's support, bm it turns an analysis of 315 suicide attacks between out the antidote was really denying tl1em 1980 to 2003, Pape finds "little connection sanctuaries," he stated in his lecture. "They between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any one of tbe world's have had sanctuaries in Pakistan in the religions... Rather, what nearly all suicide past. Now if they get a Taliban-inAuenced governmem in Afghanistan d1ey could get terrorist attacks have in common is a specific secular and strategic goal: to compel modera sanctuaries in Afghanistan again and the simation could be very serious". democracies co withdraw military forces from territory that the terrorists consider to Despite spending billions of dollars and sacrificing hundreds o f thousands be their homeland". This 'logic' of suicide terrorism applies just as well in Sri Lanka as of lives, experts such as D oval admi.t that it does in cl1e US, Saudi Arabia or Iraq. anti-terrorism efforts have not led to stellar results. Yet Doval does not appear tO offer In the long term, lasting gains against terrorism will require all nations to any solutions apart from doing more of the same. He wants the US to be harsher on truly u nderstand their enemy. From this Pakistan for harbouring terrorists; for there undersrancling wm arise a .strategy for reducing the support that groups such as to be greater international cooperation; and al-Qaeda obtain from the public in Arab for intelligence capability to be significantly nations. This can be done without appeasing enhanced. But these are aU attempts at terrorises, giving up legitimate strategic tinkering with a system cl1at needs raclical targets or compromising national securit)r. root-and-branch reform.

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APRIL 2014 29

HOLIFAIR

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A mix of colours at All I Holi Fa 1r Celebration and co/our brings Australians and Indians together for a fun filled event

he annual All] I-Joli Fair was held on Sund ay March 16, with fun, fe.stivities and above all, colour for alJ! Held a d ay before the acmal date of Holi, the AIII Hol.i Fair is in its sixth year, and attracted a huge number of attendees showing up to spread the love and the powder!

O ne of several Holi events around the city in March, the AUl Holy Fair was attended by several high profile personages including Comm issioner Ch.in Tan, Chairperson of the Viccorian Mul ticulmral Commission; Victorian Labor lead er Daniel Andrews; and Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly Inga Peulich.

The event kid,ed off at 11 :30am with the rimal spreading of coloured powder, followed by a short pause while the bolik11 bonfire was lit. Then it was back on to more 'battles of colour'; Australia's own Desi D isc Jockeys warmed the crowd up as more musical and comedy acts prepared to hit the stage. Also present was Mumbai ker Sikander Khan, known for h is i.m.itation of the voice of Bollywood royalty Amicabb Bacbchan.

As day turned to evening, Mumbai-based singers Abhi.nanda Sarkar and Indian Idol final.ist Yashraaj Kapil rook to the stage.

Hilarious Pakistani comedians Irfan Malik and Ali Hasan kept the crowds entertained, while various government represematives spoke co the e.x cited audience, and the party rocked on. T hose who weren't dancing were being jolted around on the dodgem cars or other rides, and everyone \Vas lapping up the rich variety of Indian and .international food on offer at stalls.

Aill Chairperson Vernon Da ~ma called the Holi event an opportunity to "showcase Indian multicultural.ism within multicul.tutal Austral.ia," something chat ,vas truly o n s how with a h.igh level of participation from non-

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30 APRIL 2014

Indian Australians.

Speaking to Indian Liuk, J\III Vice Chairperson Harj Yellina explained bow attendance at this annual event had be,,=n as a predominantly Indian and SrLLankan affair, but bad now grown to include Austral.ians of various ethn.ic backgrow1ds.

"If you look at the crowd, Indians have very much gelled witl1 the Aussie community as well," sa.id Yellina, adding thar the festival "is a lot of fun for new m igrants to gel witb Ind.ian Aussies or Austral.ian Aussies .. . they're playing cogether - you don't see this in the restaurants or on the foory ground".

"The A1II festival is one of the largest Hol.i celebrations in Australia," Stated Yellina adding, "tl1e event is set to grow in tl1e future. It is now attracting musical, comedy and dance acts Erom India, Pakistan and the wider subcon tinent, as well as local artists. l pred.ict a doubling in the size of the festival".

Ail1 is Australian Indian Innovations Incorporated, a Melbourne-based group aiming "to promote, foster and empower the Indian presence in multicultural Ausrral.ia". Holi dates bad. to p rehiscoric tirnes in the subcontinent, where it has strong links to the celebrations surrounding the cntting of the harvest in agLiculnual regions. oting that f-loli is ac its biggest in Northern I ndia, J\Ill Executive Member Neeraj Nanda commented that the celebrations ate also enjoyed by communities across the religious spectrum.

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HOLi

Sensational Sunidhi rocks Holi Mela The renowned playback singer enthrals her fans and adds to the excitement of Holi

ecenrly on a Sunday afternoon, hundreds of Sunidhi Chauhan fans from all parrs of Melbourne descended upon Wercibee Racecourse to enjoy the Holi Mela and to listen to their favour.ite playback singer. With her ability to eJectr.ify a hall from tbe front pews to back, Sunidhi was at her dynamic best on the open stage that was created for Holi revellers by the organisers Siz7Jin Events.

Sunidhi's power packed performance is designed for spaces beyond walls and chairs and the famous, multi-award winning playback singer was able to galvanise the audience with her exttaordinary stage presence.

It was clifficnll to sit d1ere and simply tap one's feet as Sunidhi's effervescence had the ability to stir all music fans. The undisputed queen of Bollywood item numbers engaged the crowd into high spirits while belcing out hits Like Knn;/i, Sheela and Beed1; among others.

In the swarm of new and old pL'lyback singei:s in India, SunicUu has carved a niche for herself with her impressive voice and ability to express volublr in both Hindi and E nglish. Irr addition to ber continued successes in Bollywood, Suruclhi has collaborated with popstar Enrique lglesias on his song He"rtbeat (Jndia l\tfix) which featured on his album E11pho1ia (speciaJ lndian edicion). She was also the only Indian arcist asked to be a parr of llie Western Union World of Bette1:r campaign in collaboracion with internacional recording artists Alicia Keys, K'Naan, Qohn Legend and Pitbull).

You couJd sec why people were prepared to drive alJ the way to Werribee to revel not only in the

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fescival of colours, but to relish d1e acoustic treat offered by Sunidhi and her Jive band. '1f only the show had gone on for a little longer and it couJd have started a little earlier", commenced one of the VIP ticket holders as a beautifuJ black Porsche whisked the singer away.

This probably was the hrst time that Holi was being held at this venue and a free bus shuttle service was on offer co take people tO and fro. There were plenty of food staJls and treats to tuck into, aJong with staJls from service providers, media outlets and financiaJ services. Tt may not have met the claim of being the biggest Holi Mela in Melbourne; however it sure met me criteria for being one of the best, thanks mainly to Suniclhi Chauhan's crowd-engaging performance.

APRIL 2014 31

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VIEWPOINT

The great political showdown India is gearing up for its federal elections, but severely lacks worthy contenders

he world's biggest democracy will go co elections soon, co choose a governn1en c for its billion plus citizens, for the next five years. The voting process will start on April 7 and its results will noc be announced w1til mid-Mar Such is the enormity of this process.

Righc now India stands at political crossroads. Perhaps, the most poli tically fragile India 1 have ever known. VuL1erable, edgy and unsure. Politically, that is.

There are the two craditional political giants heading this nation in a face-off. The once-mighty and che party currently in charge over the last decad e, the Indian National Congress (lNC). And tl1e Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that is furiously knocking on the doors of power in these upcoming elections.

The BJP is iu this position of slight comfort going into these elections mainly because of me overwhelming grudges held by people againsc tl1e Congress parry over meir rnle for me last decade, rather tl1an any evident merics of tbe BJP itself.

People are seeking a change, aod chat sentiment is daorn clear! You do not have to be a political analyst to feel thac.

Alleged corruption scams, and l mean, mega corruption scams.

Massive ones! Perceived inability to lead from me front and address these scams. The rising cost of li-\~ng. And a 'puppet' of a Prime 11inister are some of the major ailments haunting the Congress Party. And mese may eventually spell their fall from grace soon.

More recently, a chird dimension has been added ro mis political paradigm in India. A very serious third dimension. This is a political parry in its infancy, but riding on a massive wave of citizen goodwill.

A quasi-revolution in itself. It's called the Aam J\adm.i Party (/\AP).

Headed by a maverick, an activist, or as somelike to caU him, an anarchist, Arvind Kejriwal.

Love him or loame him, tl1e face remains time him and his Party are serious contenders in these upcoming elections. If nor to win a majoricy and form a governmem

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tl1emselves, b ut certainly co cause enough collateral damage to dent the chances o f botb the BJP and Congress ro grab a clear majoricy.

And both parties feel threatened by tl1is last minute wildcard enrry .i.mo lndian. politics. They are deeply threatened. And they have themselves to blame for their predican1enr.

Now here is my rake on what all of this means for the people of India. No matter which way people voce in the upcoming elections, my view is that lndia will end up witl1 a 'sub-standard' regime. And a severely substandard o ne at chat. l n a recent incerview on national TV, tl1e second in command of the Congress Party demonstrated his lack of substance, charisma and leadership to tbe entire woi:ld.

His naivety and inaptitude for tl1e top job was on display in full splendour during this incerview. '\'<Tomen empowermem' is a great concept and has greac engagement potential, but only if you mink ic tl1rough and not use it as a tag p hrase (20-plus times) wimout any rational though t on national television. Perhaps it was suggested to Mr Gandhi by his media advisor. \'{feU, it backfired, and rightly so. A Congress victory is highly unlikely, .it seems.

However, if by a miracle tl1e Congress does win, a government under Rahul Gandhi or any other

leader for time matter, will spell yet another five years of naive experimen tation, sub-standard leadership, lack of accountability and no real cl1ange from me status quo.

The BJP have fielded Mr Modi as ilieir trump card. His stake to tl1e top job is being touted as the great economic transformation of his home stare of Gujarat, and a chord he seems to have struck wim the Indian youth, allegedly.

Also haunting 1\fr Modi is his pasc. The riots, tl1e bloodshed, the carnage. The courts may have provided hi m a clean chit, bur those communal taints linger on, vividly. Add chat to che already religiously polarised image of the BJP, tl1ey are bo1md to leave some serious doubts in tl1e minds of 'secular' citizens. The BJP is most likely to sweep the elections if you go by rnedia reports. But a sbi ft from che Congress ro BJP will merely mean a shift in religious and political ideologies. There is no real benefit for the ordinary citizen.

Then comes tl1e AAP. The dark h orse, the wild card. They tasted power in Delhi for aLuost a month. And tl1ey now crave the nation. They claim to cl1ange it all. Free me nation from corruption. Provide subsidised utilities. Encl corruption in India. l or lee corrupt politicians win. And that's pretty much what chey are all about, free

the nation from corruption. I agree it has to happen. But to form a government and run it for five years without no real po.licy or visio n outlined on an, major federal matters other than corruption is inadequate in m)' opinion. Kejriwal may be a wellmeaning person in his own right, but personally I have some serious do ubts abom h is capability and intem over time. I will be happy to be proven wrong, bur he has noc got my tick (n or t hat it matters). Yer. India needs a change, a significant change. lt needs respon sible and accountable governance. It needs a progressive, secular and enterprising lot of politicians.

Ones who will address intrinsic matters w hile keeping pace with the rest of tl1e world. However, as pessimistic as it may sound, none of che current parties fighting for power in the forthcoming election s will offer the balanced aod progressive government that India needs a c tl1is momem. They will all offer a government that is half-baked and inadequace. India will not achieve the change it so badly needs. The Congress and BJP are stuck in their craditional banter with little regard for che intelligence of the voters. The AAP on tl1e other hand is the lone alternative for people to turn to.

An untried alternative with noc much to offer than verbal bravado, for n ow.

APRIL 2014 33

BOOKS

1ron1c, • • oneens1ona A succinctly written novel unfolds the not-uncommon life ofpeople in a mohalla

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

AneesSalim

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

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BY CHITRA

SUDARSHAN

anuary and February seem to have been the season for literary festivals everywhere Chennai's The Hindt1 Uteraturefar Ufa festival was held over three days between January 13-15. This was foliowed by che now famous and established Jaipm· Utemfure Festival held between January 17-24, which has ac its helm celebrity writers N amita Gokhale and William Dalrymple.

The lisc of authors who attend chis festival every year must be the envy of lit fests everywhere. The Labore Literature Festiwl, the most

J

34 APRIL 2014

glamorous in Pakistan, was held berween February 2124, was attended by Vikram Seth, Mira Nair, Amit Chaudhari and a host of other well-known authors from around the world.

The 2014 Perth Writm' Fcsti1'tl! and the recently concluded Adelttide IViite,:r' Festival were attended by authors _Ja.5pteet Singh and Jeer Thayi l. Jeec Thayil's book N11rcopolis was reviewed in chis column a couple of years ago.

Heli11111 is a novel by Jaspreer Singb, which has as its backdrop the a.nti-Sikb riots of 1984. When his business a:ip to Iceland en route to Dell1i is prolonged by a volcanic eruption, scientist Raj Kumar begins to obsess; the killing of his former professor in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the day after lndira Gandhi's assassination; the whereabouts of the

professor's widow; the troubling role his father may have played in the killings, haunt him.

Vani!J Flagh (Picador India, 2013) by Anees Salim won The Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2013, announced at The Hindu's Utemture for Ufe writers' festival in Chennai. le is the tale of a young man, Imran Jabbari and his friends, who, partly out of boredom and partly inspired by their local legend and aging Don, Abu Hathim, decide to form a 'gang' to emulate him. This ragtag group doesn't really do much by way of big-time crime, u n til one day when they are hired to despatch some stolen scooters to different parts of the city. Nai:ve as they are, they think this is their big break, and agree to do it.

Only after bombs go off in all the locations where cbey parked their scooters, do tl1ey realise they have been conned and inadvertently involved in a terrorist act.

Sentenced for 14 years, lmran. is assigned to the bookmaking section of the prison, where each time he opens a book and stares at its blank pages, the memories of Vanity Bagh come alive and we are led gently th.rough tl1e notuncommon lives of the 111ohalla's inhabitants.

Lmran Jabbari is the son of the local /1//(/1/1, and like everyone else in the lllOballa, he was named after the successful, rich and famous of Pakistan. Lnran is tl1erefore, the

namesake of Imran Khan the cricketer, not the politician.

There's also Wasim,Javed, Benazir, Zia, ZulEkkar, Navaz Sharif and Yahya, among a colourful array of characters. We see the 111ohalla through lmran's musings from jail and one can't help loving Vanity Bagh the way he does. The author uses the right tenor of optimism and resignation; dark, bur ,vry humour that we are lulled into tl1inking d1is is a 'slice o f life' - of families, neighbou rs and the community.

It is an extremely readable book, written with wry, understated, self-deprecating humo ur, which will resonate well witl1 Austral.ians.

However, what I found tmsetiling was the entire Muslim community in r7ani[y Flagh identified with Palcistan, and that the only 'other' was Mehendi, a nearby suburb which is represented as a monolithic, unvariegated Hinduextremist neighbourhood.

The only idiom of interaction between the (only) two groups is a.long a binary divide, and of tense confrontation and perennial distru st teetering on communal riot; there was simply no otl1er form of inter-digitation, even of the commonplace everyday .life. This may have served the author\ narrative, but such reductionism, even for tl1e purposes of storytelling, seemed too simplistic and unrepresentative to me.

However convenient this is for a stor yline, such reductionism, and one-dimensional narrative is a little disquieting. This was my only real grouse with the novel.

Anees Salim is an advertising professional in Kochi who has written four novels and is working on bis fifth. Vani!J Bag/.1 is his second novel. Others on The Hindu Book Prize shortlist included Manu Joseph (The Illicit Happiness ef Other People), :Manjul Bajaj (AnotherMrm's Wife rmd Other Stmies), Sonora Jha (Fonig/1) and Amandeep Sandhu (Roll ef l-Io110111').

''

The author uses the right tenor of optimism and resignation; dark, but wry humour that we are lulled into thinking this is a'slice of life' - offamilies, neighbours and the community

''

''

The only idiom of interaction between the (only)two groups is along a binary divide, and of tense confrontation and perennial distrust teetering on communal riot

''

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APRIL 2014 35

TRIBUTE

a A tribute to the 'son of a gun; now immortalised through his writing

Khushwant Singh (191 5-2014 )

t

.,

I

~

BY ROANNA GONSALVES

ysonJadyn went missing in .Mumbai last year. We were at the Tata Literature Live Festival 2013 at the r ational Centre for the Performing Arts and we had lost each other in the fllda, so to speak. After looking for him in various comers of the building, I found him seated on a sofa near tables laden \vith books, his focus trnwavering from the book he was reading. Upon closer inspection, I realised it \Vas Khusbwant Singh's Big FatJok<! Book. An acquaintance who noticed what was going on raised his eyebrows to suggest drnt Khushwant Singh's jokes were not exactly suitable for a ten year old.

When l asked Jad)'t1 what he liked about it, he said with trademark ho nesty, "It has many rude words in idn It is for tl1e rude words, four-

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36 APRIL 2014

lettered and fearlessly multi-lettered, re.11 and symbolic, that I ,-vill remember Khushwaat Singh.

The 'son of a gun' is dead.

And with him an era has ended too. In the contemporary popular imagination, the nan1e of Khnshwanc Singh conjures up the image of 'the sultan of sleaze'. To be fair, one could be forgiven for thinking like this about a man who has writeen much that is sexist, much that treats women merely as objects of lust. But it will be a monumental shame if be is only remembered as a 'celebrated lecher', as die late Dhiren Bhagat cheekily called bim in a pre-obituary of Khushwanc Singh written in 1983.

In our contemporary rimes of paid news scandals erupting everywhere, the passing of Khusbwant Singh marks the encl of a more principled age in the media.

As the founder-editor of Yqjana, edicor of the l//11strated lP'fekg ef lndia, chief editor of New Delhi, and edicor of the Hi11dt1stan Times, he was irreverent and made no bones about bis views, saying he used "no condom on bis pea". He was born 99 years ago in Hadali village in what is now Pakistani Ptmjab. He

went to Oxford, practiced la,v; was awarded the Padma Bhusban in 1974, and controversially supported the E mergency. However, he remrned the Padma Bhusban in 1984 in protest against 'Operation Bluestar' where thousands o f innocent Sikhs were killed during and after the siege of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was a Rajya Sabha Member at that time, from 1980 to 1986. He was also co.nsulcing editor of the newly established Pe11g11in India, and along with David Davidar, set up the foundations of what would become a powerhouse for contemporary Indian writing. He was awarded tl1e Padma Vibhushan in 2007. ln his masterful two volume History of the Sikhs, Singh pres en ts a social, religious and political history of the landscape, and Sikh communities o f Punjab. Apart from being meticulously researched, the works are fuU of love for the geographies of Punjab, the poetry o f Guru Nanak, the music of kirla11. Yet these two volumes are far from hagiographies of the Khalsa. Singh minces no words in cl1ronicling the 'holocaust' of Sikhs in I 984, and the blood on tl1e hands of all sides of the political spectrum. 1-Iis novel Train to Pakisttm introduced a generation of readers to d1e scories of the Western partition of India, and to rbe sorrow of Partition lireratute, more broadly. H is column With Jvlafice To1vards One and All in the T-findwfa11 Til!les was widely read for its irreverence and humour. It is this irreverence and the courage to say as be pleased without fear o r favour, aka, the 'rude words', that is an inspiration co us.

Singb's work on religion and agnosticism are like roucbsrones for our age, especially in a communally charged lndia juse before tl1e general elections later this year. ln his essay The Nefdford Neu, Religion - Without a God, he says, "On rare occasions when I visited ag11md1JJara of a temple, J made it a point to watch people making obeisance before the Granth Sahib (the holy book of the Sikhs) or their favourite God. Those who cook the longest cin1e co rub their noses on d1e grotu1d were usually

those who more than others craved forgiveness for having lied, stolen, fornicated and made illicit money".

If you scratch below tl1e surface of his reputatio n as a dirty old man, you will find a ma□ who loved women., beginning witb bis grandmother. In the title story of his collection of short stories, The Portrait ef a Latfy, he paints a render picture of his grandmother who raised him: " ... her face was a crisscross of wrinkles running from everywhere to everywhere.

No, we were certain she bad always been as we bad known her. O ld, so terribly old chat she could nor have grown older, and had stayed at the same age for twenty years. She could never have been pretty; but she was always beautiful... " Death was o ften splashed across bis work. In his tongue-in-cheek story Porth11mo11s he imagines his own funeral and decides to die, "just for the fun of it," expecting his numerous friends and wellwishers to grieve publicly and long for their dearly departed friend.

However, bis tiny obituary notice appears at the bottom of page three in the newspaper, and only a few people mrn up to condole with his wife. By the time the hearse nears tl1e cremation grounds, there is no one witl1- him on bis final journey, except the driver, and ''even he seemed to be oblivious of tl1e enormity of the soul whose decayed mansion be was transporcing on irs last voyage".

Thankfully, this is not so in real life. In Australia, he will be remembered by those who have read him, and by those who have beard of bis larger-than-life personality. Ha.rwinderjit Singh, a prominent member of the Sikh community in Brisbane says, " He had a knack of seeing, appreciating and writing about the simplicity of God and religion. He would speal, up against bad praccices and 'man made' rituals, and habiL~".

Traditional and social media are abuzz witl1 tributes to Khusbwam Singh, from former subordinates gushing about their boss, to prominent media personalities acknowledging a great debt.

However, none can come close co the epitaph he wrote for himself:

''

In his masterful two volume History ofthe Sikhs, Singh presents a social, religious and political history of the landscape, and Sikh communities of Punjab

'' ''

Singh minces no words in chronicling the'holocaust' of Sikhs in 1984, and the blood on the hands of all sides of the political spectrum

'' Here lies 011e who spared neither 111a1111orGod !Waste not)'Ottr tea,,· 011 hi111, he was t1 sod 117riti,l!: nasty thi11g.r he regarded as

g-eatj,m Thank the Lord he is dead, this son ef a gun.

Vale Khusbwanc Singh! Tbank you for the rude words.

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APRIL 2014 37

SPORT

Thrilling kabbadi finish Half a point was all that separated the winners from the losers in an exciting tourney final

I

f you are of Indian origin and even if you're not particularly interested in sport, you would be familiar with the game of krJbhadi. T his sttenuous sport is still played enthusiastically in India, and for the third year runni ng it was played in Melbourne ar the Brim bank Kabbaddi and Indian Cultural Festival at Erringtoh Reserve, St Albans on March 16.

T his annual festival brought together the Punjabi community to watch teams play to win the crown, as well as to celebrate north Indian culntre.

Underdogs Brisbane Kabbadi Club triumphed over Singh Sabha Spor ts Club (SSSC) by half a point in a thrilling match. The competing tea.in s were Melbourne clubs Singh Sabha Sports Club, Yuwa Kran ti, Azad & Ymm Kabbadi Clubs; Brisbane was represented

by Brisbane Kabbadi C1Ltb and Brisbane Sports Club; and Sydney was represented by D ash mesh Sports Club.

An enthusiastic crowd o f 4,S00 people witnessed the incense

competition with host and favourites SSSC looking co defend its title, b ut they lost 40.5 to 40 in the final to a determined Brisbai1e team led by captain Lad Johal.

"What ai1 ama7Jng final at1d 1 can't believe we won th.is tournament over the always strong Singh Sabha Club. Thanks to the organisers and sponsors for making us feel so welcome," said the visibly excited Johal.

T he award for 'Most Valuable Player' was Sony Kaunke from SSSC who said, "I congratulate Brisbane on their victory in such a tigh t gan1e in a great atmosphere. We look forward to next year".

Masters of Ceremony Charnamat Singh at1d Rai1jit Khai ra performed a dual role of keeping the crowd in good humour while providing ei,qJetc commentary o n the k.11hhadi action. T he President of Craigieburn Gurndwara, Kulwant Singh attended the event which was officially opened by 1\faria Mamvakiniou, Federal l'vfP for Calwell, and closed by Chin

Tan, Commissioner, V ictorian Multicultural Commission.

Various dignicaries also graced the o ccasion, wi th representation from the Indian Consulate of Melbourne, the Scare government o f Victoria, Brimbat1k Council, Victoria Police, and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

The crowd s at me event were also entertained witl1 joyous hhm1gra dancing, traditional music and poetty from Baba! Rai, Jassi Gil and D adhi Jarha. 'rhe Punjabi movie industry was represented with scars in attendance, including Raj Kakra. D elicious food was provided by volrn1teers from the Craigieburn Sikh Temple while children enjoyed a variety of activities like face painting, a ttackless train, a jumping castle ai1d sports clinics run by the Melbourne Victory and Essendon Football Clubs. "\Vhar a thrilling finale to another great event and congratulations ro Brisbat1e

Kabbadi Club who showed great heart co win. A special thank you to our volunteers, Brimban k Counci~ all o f our sponsors and we were thrilled to launch SSSC's new partnership with Moneygram at the event", said SSSC Secretary General Ajit Singh. "l have been involved with the SSSC for the past 16 years but tlus event has been the best", stated SSSC Club President Tejpal Singh

D hillon, also acknowledging and mauking sponsors and members for making the event possible.

Established in 1994, SSSC is one o f tl1e oldest and proudest lndian sporting clubs in Austtalia. Ir has contributed enor mously toward s helping the Pun jabi community to betre.r integrate into Australian sport and culture while still maincaining traditional and cultural values.

Ajit Singh Chouhan

Record number of AFL ambassadors

This year sees 183 multicultural community leaders join the Multicultural Community Ambassador Program

M

arch 19saw l 14 of the 183 multicultural community leaders from around Austtalia join the APL M L1lticuJmral Community Ambassador Program of 2014. Contimung to grow since it began in 2013, ilie program aims to furmer engage multicultural commun ities in Austtalian football through a network of dedicated vohrnteers. ''The ambas$adors represen t

38 APRIL 2014

me mai1y diverse culrnres in A ustralia," said D orothy Hisgrove, APL general manager, people, customer and com munity.

She is pleased to see a record number of volun teers mis year and its widesp read national interest. "It will more than do uble in size in 2014 wi m over 180 ambassadors appointed, representing 44 cornuries of birt h, 65 nationalities and around 100 languages," she noted.

"Each ain bassador has been

selected based on ilieir com mm1ity leadership skiUs and en thusiasm to share tl1eir passion for i\FL wicb d iverse communities, Ltsing Australian foo tball as a vehicle for engagement ai1d inclusion," co ntinued Hisgrove. lfldia11 .Link's very own Ashish Chawla was one o f the commUiuty leaders chosen by the program. "\What a pleasure and ho nou r itis to be a part of Sllch a popular sport in Austtalia and help the com mu1_u ty to engage

in more activities for APL," he disclosed. Ambassadors will attend an induction session before comm encing their ro les during the Toyota APL Premierslu p Season.

2013 National Multicul tural Ambassador of t he Year Sue Yeon was delighted to win th is honour as she is proud of the role she is playing in co nnecting people in her comm unity with 'Austtalia's G ame'.

Fingers crossed that Ashish is the 2014 win ner!

Lena Peacock

Indian Link's

Ashish Chow/a w ww.ind ianlink.com.au

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APRIL 2014 39

FOOD

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An unusual use for chillies adds a touch ofspice and sweetness to warm up your winter

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- :.ANYA ..::, SAMUEL

he practice of making jams is an ancient one, dating back as earlv as the 16'" century. There is a lot of hisrorical debate about the origin of this process, but it is believed to have started in the l'v1iddle East, where cane sugar grows naturally. Sugar was first discovered in Asia, bur there is no documented evidence of jammaking from this region. It was the J\rab traders who introduced jams to European society and since then, the popularicy of this sweet preserve has risen to become the multi-billion dollar marker that it is today.

It is believed that the idea behind making a jam or any fruit preserve began with a real need to preserve food . Before the advent of refrigeration, this was a key method to keep fruit and some vegetables from spoiling. \Xfhat is a jam ? As per the culinary definition, a jam is prepared by using the pulp and ju.ice of a whole fruit (crushed o r chopped) which is then heated with wa rer and sugar. This process releases pectin, wh ich gives the jam its jelly-like consiscency, and the h igh concentration of sugar acts as the preservative. These days, artificial pectin is added to jams co boost it5 commercial value which detracts the natural taste and sweetness of the fruit, making it unhealthy for our body in the Jong run.

Jams were considered to he a royal delicacy in early European society and were often prepared using the d1oicest of fruit grown in the royal garden o r orchards.

Today, it has become the common man's food and you can find so many different varieties of jams on our supermarket aisles made with almost every kind or combination of fruit.

Chilli jam - sounds quite retro, doesn't it? And probably the lase ingredient that we might think of us ing to make a jam. Though this may sound quite contemporary and a modern twisr to rraclitional fruit jam, it is nor so. Chilli jam is actua!Jy a traditional preparation of South Africa, especially from the Cape Town region.

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40 APRIL 2014

Chilli Jam 8 big, ripe red chillies, sliced or chopped fine 2 sha!Jors; sliced or chopped 6ne ½ cup brqwn sugar; add more for extra sweetness A pinch of salr 2 cups of water

\\:/hen you hear the word 'chilli,' all you can think of is fiery hotness burning your tongue.

But chilli jam is a revelation, a burst of flavours for those who have never experienced it before.

A jam which truly capture~ the real flavour and texture of chilli, wid, out its Gery heat.

Both the reel and green varieties can be used co prepare this jam, though the red one gives a more delectable appearance when made into a jam. lt is important that you use only the big chilli varieties, since these have relatively less bear. The smaUet ones usual.ly pack a punch and can land

you in some serious 'bot' trouble!

Pick out ripe, yet 6rm chillies to make this jam. The pith and seeds need nor be removed as d,is imparts just the right amount of hear, making this jam a spicy sweet one. But if you are alitde wary or doubtful about the heat quotient, then take off the pith aod seeds. You could either slice the chillies iota rea!Jy di.in juliennes or finely chop them up - the difference is only in the appearance of die encl product.

Here's bow you make this quirky Soud1 African jam.

Add aU the ingredients ro a pan and bring to boil. Reduce beat and cook rill the sugary water begins ro thicken and forms a syrup coating the chillies and sha!Jots.

Cool and store in an airtight container. Can be refrigerated for up to a month.

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Traclitiooa!Jy, the chilli jam is served as an accompaniment to grilled meats or fried fish. Bur iL is a wonderful accompaniment to many India□ starters like potato tikk.is, vegetable cudets,pakoms and other snacks. Jr is amazing when spread inside a grilled cheese sandwich; a sweeter spin to the Indian chilli cheese toast!

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

COCHIN $830 KATHMANDU $885 CHENNAl $845 BANGALORE $850 COLOMBO $855 HYDERABAD $830 MUMBAI $855 DHAKA $890 DELHI $899 AHMEDABAD $985

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Well educated, professional, NRI Alliance invited for Sikh Tonkshatriya girl. Her date of birth is November 1985. She is 5'5" with a charming personality and is currently pursuing her PhD in USA. Caste no bar. Contact: j skarrer@gmail.com or0415101 393 Fair and young looking Hindu lady, 5 5, an Australian cit izen, 5'2'; divorced, vegetarian, and invites correspondence from a suitable match. He should ideally be aged between 50-60 and a non-smoker. Please contact: 0449 623 316 or email radiance88@live.com

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Seeking groom for Hindu Punjabi girl, 32 years, never married. Well educated, modern girl with Indian values. Slim, fair and beautiful.

Looking for educated and well settled boy.

Caste no bar. Call: 0403252240 or email sharmaoz@outlook.com Looking for an intelligent, handsome, PunjabVHindu boy for my younger daughter.

She is 28 years old, 5'7: slim, fair, beaut iful, and works in t he insurance ind ustry wit h a finance background,on a high income. We have been settled in Sydney for t he past 35 years. My elder daughter is happily married here in Sydney. Please respond back with your details and photo to: 24advertiser@gmail.com Seeking qualified Hindu match for our daughter who is s·1·; 26years old and a vegetarian. She was born and brought up in Sydney with Indian family values. She has

42 APRIL 2014

completed dentistry from Sydney university, and is working as a dental surgeon.

Contact fat her in Australia by email: rlagrawal55 @gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES Alliance invited for well educated, nevermarried, 5' 9'; 1975 born Sikh Khat ri boy. Looking for compatible Sikh girl from Aust ralia for an early marriage. Phone: 0422 8 12 939 / 0415079 724 or email:jas_ghaiO l @hotmail.com Well settled family in Australia invites alliance for a 30-year-old, 5'10, who has a Bachelor in Software Engineering (honours). He is a Sood Punjabi boy, who works as a senior IT consultant for t he Aust ralian government (EL2). He i5 seeking an Indian girl, caste no bar.

Please send bio data and recent photo to: soodaust@gmail.com Parents seeking match for tall, slim, smart, attractive Indian born Bengali doct or boy who is 28 years old and 57". He has been brought up in Australia with Indian family values, and works in a government hospital in Sydney. Contact: skand k55@gmailcom Well established Pharmacist Brahmin, 38, who owns two large pharmacies in Perth seeks very attractive, dynamic, caring, confident and cultured girl under the age of36.Shemust have family values well-tuned t o western conditions. Ring 0411 770 755 or email: chetanh@westnet.com.au

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ARIES March 21 - April 19 The cards indicate that that this month you will not be bored. You have a lot of things going on which will be very exciting, and you will be feeling passionate and motivated. The presence of the Fool card shows that you are ready for anything. Be carefu I not to overdo anything that may cause you to have small accidents and annoyances. Watch your temper and make sure you pay attention to loved ones and matters on the home front

TAURUS April 20 - May 20 The cards indicate a time when you will be feeling stressed out with relationships, and you will be thinking about how to make things more comfortable. Your partner may be suffering from health issues, with the appearance of the Moon card. There may be fear about some situations.

Work will be challenging, but you will be gaining recognition and respect. There will be some Interesting meetings with old friends and you may even bump into someone from the past.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20 You will need to strap yourself in tight this month. However, you will be feeling totally loved, and feelings of sensuality and attraction for someone will dominate your thoughts In mid-month. Work will give you the results you require, with a possibility of promotion and recognition for your efforts. You may decide to book a holiday and be amongst nature and water. You may also look at changing your car or accommodation. You will be feeling very adventurous.

CANCER June 21 - July 20 This month you may be looking at getting married, with the appearance of the Empress Card. There will be some beautiful moments when you decide to propose to your lover. You will be feeling love and contentment. However, it is very important to take care of any excesses.

Keep up the physical activity to keep yourself calm and balanced and in good health. There may be a female member of the family who may be unwell, have tests carried out.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22 This month you will be feeling distressed about a relationship you have lost There wiU be some memories of a past love and how you could not get things sorted out. With the appearance of the Three of Swords, you ate feeling rather disappointed. Work will help take yout mind off issues, but frustrations may heighten so take it easy with people around you. Your health needs to be taken care of, with aches and pains in your body.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

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This month you will be feeling very happy, and sociable. There will be a lot of invitations and events that you will attend. The appearance of the Tower means that you will want to start meditation and keep yourself grounded, as it's going to be very busy. Life at home is also a little strained, as you need to keep a balance. Your partner may be feeling ignored and wanting attention. Your relationship may go through some tests.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 This month you need to be careful not to be over-sentimental with situations and circumstances. You will be drawn Into some discussions and family inddents. You will be taking time to exercise mote and will be walking and looking after your health. There will be issues at home with building problems that will need attention.

Some family members will be coming to visit you. The 3 of Pentacles shows that you are doing well financially, and feeling at ease.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21 This month you will be in a very flirtatious mood, your desire for fun and adventure will keep you available for love and romance. If in a relationship, you will need to make sure you take your partner on some romantic trips. You will be feeling happy and bal.anced.

There will be some colleagues at work who will be making life a little difficult for you, so make sure you keep calm and watch how you speak to them.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 This month you are feeling very restless and may wander to find new and exciting opportunities and adventures. You have a lot of ideas and dreams to travel extensively, and ideas about pastures anew. The appearance of the Ace of Wands shows that you are now on the road to making many changes and decisions about your life. You will be looking at trying to relocate from where you are currently living. An increase in finances is indicated here.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19 This month is all about new opportunities and meeting new people.

Single Capricorns will be meeting new partners with whom they will find a romantic connection, and will pursue a new journey together. There will be many offers from the opposite sex. You will concentrate on work and making many new plans and decisions about business. You will concentrate on your family and children.

With the appearance of the Lovers, it wlll be a great month ahead.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18 This month you will be feeling very excited and full of energy.

There will be some people of the opposite sex who may be trying to get your attention. You will need to be very strong and resist the temptation, especially if you are married. Work will be busy and will require your full attention. You will be looking at a new property to purchase or may be planning to invest in another land. Your family will need your help.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20 This month your love life will be very important to you. You will be feeling full of energy and excited, as you will finally find the courage to move your relationship to another level. You have the Ace of Cups, which is a great card for relationships. Your health will be a lot better and you will be feeling less stressed and able to handle any situation that may come up. Work will be busy and demanding, so be prepared.

I-IARROWING TALE OF SURVIVAL INAM STARRING: Sugandha Ram, Karan, Saritha and Karuna DIRECTOR: Santosh Sivan

****-;r ar stories are challenging to narrate without being controversial. But cinematographer-filmmaker Santosh Sivan has crushed that notion to pulp with his film lnam, a war-drama which explores the lives of a group of orphans during the Sri Lankan civil war.

Without taking sides and not provoking political sentiments, Sivan tells an emotionally arresting tale of human barbarism, hope and survival. Even with a documentary style narrative, mostly slow, lnam tugs at your heartstrings and presents the story from two different perspectives.

Rajni (Sugandha Ram), a lone survivor of the Sri Lankan civil war, shares her harrowing story of survival to an interrogating officer (voice by Arvind Swamy). We are taken back in time and introduced to a group of orphans between age groups five and

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20, homeless, living under the care of 'Tsunami akka: played by Saritha. From then on, the story takes us through the lives of these characters, their struggle for survival, moments of joy and a lot more. What happens to these characters during the course of the war?This becomes the crux of the story.

From celebrating human spirit to capturing the worst bomb explosions, lnam tests human endurance on battleground. The willingness to survive is stronger than the fear of death. This philosophy is reinstated throughout the film, which is built around an array of anecdotes that take place in the orphanage.

While the story is told to us through Rajni's past, Sivan also wants us to see his work through the eyes of Karan, a special child, who plays the role of Nandan to perfection.

Through Rajni's story, he shows us exactly how innocent lives are lost in a war, children are orphaned, and young girls are molested. Through Nandan's story, we see that even in warfare, there's room for optimism, care and affection.

For instance, in a scene where bombs are being air-dropped and everybody

is running for cover, Nandan takes the effort to save a turtle. He befriends a human skull and calls it'Mr. Friend; builds a strange relationship with it and even saves Rajni from her molester towards the end of the film. lnam is backed by wonderful performances by an almost unfamiliar cast. From Sugandha to Karan to Saritha, Sivan has extracted raw performances from everybody.

And the reason the actors are believable in their respective roles is because they are unfamiliar.

The real star ofthe film undoubtedly is Karan, who entertains at regular intervals with his innocent mischief. He carries the film on his shoulders and you root for him more than you root for others.

Sivan's striking cinematography makes even remorse moments in the middle of a war-zone, a visual splendour to gaze at. One particular shot that stands out in the entire film is when we see a group of foreigners leaving Sri Lanka in a hurry with a polythene bag full of fish with a dead one floating inside.

You understand this particular shot little later when in another scene, people

pass through hundreds of unattended bodies in search of cover during the war because nobody has the time to even bury these bodies.

Vishal Chandrasekhar's music helps you connect with the film on an emotional level. Even though there are three songs included merely to give the film a commercial touch, it's his background score that draws your attention. lnam, coming straight from the heart of Santosh Sivan, deserves to be accepted, embraced and celebrated.

HARICHARAN PUDIPEDDI

JAANE BMI DO...

OTERI STARRING: Pulkit Samrat, Bilal Amrohi, Anupam Kher and Sara Jane Dias DIRECTOR: Umesh Bist

~

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ucki ly, this is not an official remake of Kundan Shah's classicJaane Bhi Do Yaaron. If it was, the makers of the original could have sued for defamation.

0 Teri borrows the concept of two bumbling, very unprofessional professionals who chance upon a scam from Kundan Shah's film and turn it into an extended Santa-Banta joke. It was Naseeruddin Shah and Ravi Baswani in the original. It is Pulkit Samrat and Bilal Amrohi in this remake, designed to give ulcers to a civilisation doped on the hope that cinema can shake the corrupt through satire.

0 Teri is like a stretched-out political joke where the raconteur forgot the punchline and is hoping he would rediscover it in the process ofundertaking

44 APRIL 2014

his aimless ramble.

Samrat and Amrohi are given lines that sound like bulk SMS messages. They try to enjoy the banter. But, poor freshers, they can't really savour the unpalatable. If television anchoring was meant to be as brainless as shown in this film, then our tainted politicians would safely find alternative employment.

And really, Sarah Jane Dias doing a Bhakti Bharve from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron? That is funnier than anything this film has to offer.

Anupam Kher doing Pankaj Kapoor's role from Kundan Shah's original, is cast as a Suresh Kalmadi kind of brazenly corrupt politician who cannot be amusing unless given some kind of a humour platform beyond the ordinary rites of laughter.

Tragically, the intended satire is so frumpy and baggy that it collapses under its own weight.

Debutant director Umesh Bist would have done well to study Kundan Shah's cult classic for its contoured, sly comicality.

Bist attacks the material with wolfish relish, making a hash of the political satire, much in the way that the Kai ma dis of politics are

doing of our nation.

Save yourself the agony of watching this masala-mix version of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron.

Just watch the original again.

SUBHASH KJHA

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APRIL 2014 45

Waheeda's tribute to Nanda

AND Tl-IE KELA GOES TO... t was an unmagical m oment for stars Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn and Sonakshi Sinha as they were winners of the Golden Kela Awards (Indian Razzies) held recently. The sixth annual Awards honoured the worst actors of 2013.

Aamir won an award for his performance in Dhoom 3, while Ajay carried away accolades for Himmatwala which was also named the worst film, and Sonakshi was cited for R. ..Rajkumar. An impressive list indeed!

"In Bollywood today, the box office figures have no correlation to the quality ofthe film. Our sincerest hope is that 10 years down the line, the figures will be forgotten, while the'Kelas'they got are remembered," said Anant Singh, creative head, Golden Kela Awards.

The honour for the worst actor in supporting role went to Aditya Roy Kapoor for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandes and Amisha Patel jointly won the worst supporting actor (female) for Race 2.

As part of the special awards, Deepika also won the Dara Singh award for the worst accent for Chennai Express.

The Kela for the worst director went to Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Goliyon Ki Raas

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Lee/a ... Ram Leela.

The Baawra Ho Gaya Hai Ke award went to Aamirfor Dhoom 3.

"Aamir Khan once said that he loves the Kela Awards, because all other awards are rigged. Wonder what he has to say about us now," quipped Singh.

Dhoom 3 also shared the Ra.One Award for Worst Premise with Krrish 3.

Voters chose Party all night from Boss as most irritating song.

But all was not lost. The Anti-Kela awards honoured some ofBollywood's good efforts like Saheb Biwi aur Gangster Returns, Go Goa Gone, The Lunchbox and Shahid.

Nice to see a touch of creative reality in Bollywood!

46 APRIL 2014

It pains veteran actress Waheeda Rehman to talk about her 'soul sister' Nanda in the past tense. She says she will always remember her friend of 55 years as a 'thoughtful, caring and loyal' person, who loved to cook and never let'an iota of professional insecurity' come in the way of their unique friendship.

Nanda died on March 25 in Mumbai aged 75, following a heart attack. The veteran actress led a reclusive life except for meeting her close friends.

Waheeda recalled her last meeting with Nanda, when they had lunch and coffee together.

"We were friends for 55 years, from the time when we worked together in Vijay Anand's Kala Bazaar. After marriage, friends, specially women friends, tend to drift away as they've their husband and children to look after. But Nanda and I remained close friends even after my marriage;' she added.

Waheeda shared that she and Nanda were very different individuals.

"Quite a study in contrasts, and yet we were very close friends. Or maybe we were close friends because we were so different... so we found t hose personality traits lacking in ourselves within each other': explained Waheeda.

Waheeda, 77, says people used to wonder how two leading actresses could be so friendly.

"There was not an iota of professional insecurity between us. Both of us believed in destiny and that whatever work was meant to come our way, would come. We were both very secure about our careers': explained Waheeda.

"Nanda and I never discussed work.

Our work never came into our friendship. We were both down-toearth and very Indian. We didn't quite fit into the glamorous image on screen.

We both attempted glamorous roles, but we realised it's better to do roles close to our personalities': she added.

"She was an introvert. Basically she was a loner. She was nervous of crowds. I am a little more outgoing. But like I said, we were like-minded people. We shared the same values. She went suddenly.

She deserved a lot more than she got': said Waheeda.

RIP, Nanda, may you live forever in the annals of Bollywood!

Evelyn's positive Bollywood experience She's a newcomer to Tinseltown and speaks with an accent, but Evelyn Sharma's half-Indian and half-German lineage has given her an edge in the Hindi film industry which has warmed up to foreigners over the past few years. She says being a 'foreigner'in Bollywood has been a boon for her.

Over the years, the globally popular Indian film industry has opened up to

EVEL.'IN SHARMA

talented foreign beauties with open arms. Cases in point are Katrina Kaif (Britain), Jacqueline Fernandez (Sri Lanka), Nargis Fakhri (US), Elena Kazan (Russia-born German), Elli Avram (Sweden), Lauren Gottlieb (US), Hazel Keech (Britain) and Kristina Akheeva (Russia).

"It's been a positive (to be a foreigner in Bollywood). It is up to the directors - ifthey dress me up in western, I can carry off the look well, and I can also carry the traditional look in Indian wear for an Indian character", said Evelyn enthusiastically.

In fact, this flexibility has opened more doors for the 23-year-old, who turned to acting after a stint in modelling for Britain-based brands. She was born to a Punjabi father and German mother, but her dad died early. Coming to India three years ago helped Evelyn discover a love for chai, parantha, biryani and 'drama'.

Evelyn hasn't been in the industry that long, her first bit role being in From Sydney With Love in 2012, but she has played a mix of desi and videshi parts since. Her role as a sexy, glamorous beauty without brains in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani led to a role in the forthcoming Main Tera Hero.

And in the pipeline is Bhaiyyaji Superhit, in which Evelyn says she plays a cute, traditional, very desi girl - with an accent! She is brushing up on her Hindi as well, and has discovered yoga.

Well Evelyn, here's wishing you success in Bollywood, accent and all!

Acting is satisfying, says Sunny He has been wearing grease paint for over three decades and actor-producer Sunny Deal describes his journey as an actor as 'satisfying'. The 57-year-old began his journey with Betaab in 1983 and over the past 31 years, he has worked in about 90 films. Sharing his experience, Sunny acknowledges that "acting is a very satisfying profession".

"As an actor you get an opportunity to portray different characters and experience different things. Acting is the best thing that happened to me. As far as a producer's job is concerned, it is to keep the team happy;' said the actor,

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I f SUNNY DEOL

ALIA BHATT

SALMAN KHAN

lacking is a movie inspired by sport.

And now the actor is keen to rectify this situation.

"I would like to produce a film based on sports,"Salman said recently, at the music launch of sports-based film Khwaabb. "I have played almost all kinds of sports. I have done swimming, have played football. I even used to play cricket;' he said, adding that "sports should be encouraged"in the nation. Salman, 48, lamented how due to lack of encouragement and facilities, sportspersons in the country are sometimes unable to deliver their best, and then face the wrath of their countrymen.

"Khwaabb showcases the life of two athletes, their struggles, ambitions and aspirations, and stars Navdip Singh, Simer Motiani, Rishi Miglani and Nafisa Ali. When you watch such films, you realise that there are no facilities for training and without these, how will our sportspersons perform better?"he asked rhetorically.

"And when they (sportspersons) do not perform in the Olympics, then we criticise them and say 'You didn't win even a single medal'. There is no

who recently featured in Dishkiyaoon, a gangster drama.

The film is actress Shilpa Shetty's maiden production venture and Sunny clarifies that he did the film because of its story. And although the actor is best recognised as the 'action hero'with the 'dhai kilo ka haath: Sunny says these are merely tags, which he can do nothing about.

"My persona has become such because of the films, but I am not like that in real life;' said the soft-spoken hero. "I don't like tags like action hero and 'dhai kilo ka haath; but we (actors) can't do anything.

The characters that I had portrayed were strong, so maybe because of that (I have been given these tags)': he added.

But regardless of whether he's in a gangster or action-packed flick, Sunny sure lends his presence and personality to the big screen. Here's wishing him box office success with Dishkiyaoon!

Salman snippets Salman Khan has covered almost the entire genre of Bollywood films, from drama to action to comedy. But what his impressive repertoire seems to be

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Deepika Padukone or Lady Victoria Hervey in Gaurav Gupta Couture Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianlinkAustralia •

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encouragement," he lamented.

Salman is also keen that small films should be given fai r release. His own movies often mint over Rs.100 crore at the Bollywood box office, but the actor feels that small-budget films deserve as much fair visibility in theatres as b ig budget entertainers, as they too involve money and passion. "People make small films with a lot of passion, they put their own money in it and if these films are not supported, then they would never see the day of light and hence, lot of money is lost'; Salman added.

The actor has earlier supported films like Chillar Party and National Award winning film Filmistaan. Well, Salman's certainly making dreams come true by supporting small quality films like Khwaabb. Good on him!

Buzz about the Bhatts Actress Alla Bhatt, who has filmed some intimate scenes with Arjun Kapoor for her new movie 2 States, says she is an actor on screen and not anybody's daughter. Asked how her parents reacted to her intimate scenes, Alia said, "Have you seen my father's films?

I am an actor on screen and not anybody's daughter. And anyway, I don't think my dad has any problem with it''.

As daughter of fi lm -maker Mahesh Bhatt, Alia certainly knows her dad! The talented young actress plays a Tamil girl in the film, and says her character is very mature.

"Ananya is much more mature. She is very intelligent... after all, she is an MBA. I relate to the character. She can do anything for the people she loves'; explains Alia .

Meanwhile Daddy, a film by her father Mahesh Bhatt is being adapted to a play by theatre and television actor lmran Zahid. The highly-acclaimed Daddy saw big sis Pooja debut on the big screen in 1989. Zahid has already created a play from Bhatt's compelling fi lm Arth, but Daddy will be a tougher proposition to adapt. "lmran Zahid is on a high after tasting the success of Arth The Play. Daddy is a tough screenplay to adapt as a stage play. But lmran has the resolve to hit the bull's eye': says Mahesh.

Let's hope the play is as successful as the film.

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APRIL 2014 47

BACKCHAT

It's an unequal contest when one opponent has the stronger serve, and rightly so! volley itself, but here I am dishing out another low speed second serve straight to her strong forehand.

"So you took out the garbage bins and men checked your Facebook updates! Flicked through tl1e TV cl1annels while seated on the sofa!

Cursed and uttered opinions about the political chaos in lnd.ia!" was her account of my evening. And an accurate one coo! A voice in my head urged me to shm up and keep a check on my stupid utterances.

She was making sense and I was fast numi.ng out of responses, bang on, 'excuses'.

Score: 15-40. Gome Point.

By mis stage l am well aware of my deficiencies. I am no match

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fter a hectic day at work, running after our little boy and his dad as well occasionally, and getting things organised in the kitchen in the evening, my wife u sually tries to sneak in a few quiet

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moments. Jl.iloments of peace, on her own. Fiddling with her phone, watchin g something on TV of her own choice, reading a book, or sirring silently by herself and catching her breath. She caUs it her 'me time' for tl1e day. Her space to regain her 'sanity' as she sometimes puts it to me, when I try and be a 'typical man' crying to intrude on tliose moments. r often p rotest tint I 'deserve' some 'me tin1e' too. Caution, be mindful of the liberal use of the word 'deserve' wi th your wife, iL

can lead to a very complicated argument of its own, if m ishandled.

A cliscussion that you can not win, ever!

So yes, I often stake my claim to 'me rune' as well. After all, Thad worked ha.rd all day. 1n my office, rbat is. "I have worked hard too.

Same hours, same effort!" she says, as she serves a strong forehand volley tight pa.st my backhand.

Sco1·e: 15-AII. I scamper for a quick response in indignant defence. "I came home before you and bad tea ready for

us," I say, valiantly stating my case.

Here's tl1e response I am rightfully served. "l picked up our boy from school. Did the groceries on my way home (wirb the kid hanging off one knee), filled up the car tank," she retorts. Now mat.is a 250kmph ace right through me centre of rhe court. I do not even attempt to return serve.

Score: 15-30. ''1 took ou t the garbage bins," l respond yet again, a bit sheepishly this rune. I know I should have conceded me gam e at the previous

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to tl1e skill, commitment and workload of my opponent. And rightfully sol So I plan to retreat.

Withdraw myself from the bou t mat I shouldn't have initiated in me first place. Bur the game point was yet to be scored.

As I tried co rush out of the door having conceded my shortcomings, I heard a final power-packed volley launcl1ed at me. I deserved i tl "\'v'h.i.le you were b usy pondering over world matters on me TV and if you failed to notice, I did me dishes, made sure the kid was fed, made the beds for the night, o rganised myself for the next day, sorted out the lam1dry, and put up ,,;,ith the tantrums of the boy," were her parting words. 1 did nor have a response as l hu rried towards the door, making for a quick exit. I would not have attempted to respond even if I had half a response ro that. She had been the better player and deserved her ' me tin1e\ Gc1111e. Set. lv[atch ...

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