2014-07 Melbourne

QVEEN'S BIRTHDAY

DR MINOTI VIVEK APTE OAM

DR PREM PHAKEY AM

LAND NOW SELLING DON'T MISS OUT

LE GHI

INTRODUCING THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS ADDRESS IN THE WEST

K i ng's Leigh w i ll feature beauliful, lush landscaping with a majestic main avenue. Desi rable qui et streets with beautiful ly mani cured nalure slrips will be t he perfect set ling for I h i s new family friendly neighbourhood. Doc la nd has set ou l lo devel op the best new address I n the West, King s Leigh This new developmenl i s sel in on exclusive boutique resident i al development tho1 will be the talk of the t own. Lois ore sure to go quick. don' t miss ov t l

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One of the 3 founding Directors of l ronlish

Susanne has had an lnterest In pf0perty stnc:e 111 early stage or l1Elf career developlflll more than 1Oyears of industry ~ge She 1s experienced across a raft ol different operational and custanar seMce areas lrtrn property management and customer serva:e lo complian<:e, rislc mitigatioo and financial management Susanne was the Sydney OperabOns Manager for Joseph Chou's Oliginat Sydney propefly company from 2002 to the end of 2005. bebe setting up lronlish with Joseph Chou and Grant Rya, In earty 2006 Over the past 5 years she has since systemlsed and developed Ille operati:lnaf and management side ol the into one of the most sophisticaled operational systems of any property investmem business in AilslraHa_

A l\een propeny 111vesl0,' he!Self Susanne has a pas54011 lor conunualy clellverir~ value to ltonllsh IIM!slors developel's panner.; and staff

Managing Director, lronfish S)'dney

In early 2003 Linda left one of Auslralla"s leading lmpOrt & eXjl()l1 COITl)8nies to v.a1I with JOSBQh Chou Her business expenence combined With hElf pass1a, lor property as a successful iwestor quickly enabled Linda to become ono ol lrooflSh's most successful strategists aoo leadels She WOil the runber one investment st,ategisl award 3 years running Having personaffy ao:,.i,ootatec1 a muffi-mil lOO dollar multi-state property portfolb Linda IS a powerful mentor for Clients and staff and is an advocate of lionflSh's Portlolio Approach

In 2006 Linda moved to Adelaide 10 aSSlsl Adelaide MO Damon Nagel to set up lronlish's Adelaide office and for 3 years was a crucial part of the management team By mid 2009. lronfish had become Ille most rerogrnzed property investment brand in South Australia In 2009 Linda was appointecl the Managnig Director ol lronfish's second Sydney C4)erabon lroofish Burv,.ood Linda ls an accomplished s peaktlf about property 1nveslmenl She Is a registered Jl.CSllW of the Peace (J.P) a liceiised real eslate agent and a runyqualified finance broker

Managiig Dtre<:tor, lronflsh Melli oume

019nal y lr001 lianjin Chm B ien lived and studied 111 New Zealand for many years before fllllllly sel1Jing In Melbourne in 1999 She h;ls an exteoslve media backg,ouod, and WO!ked

!Of 3 years as Mal1\ellng Manager for Australia's only 24 hour a day ctunese Radio Station

Hor ctea1ivdy, innovatiOn and c!ynamiC business skils resulted in recold reveoues for the company and esiabrished herself as one of the mo:,t influential marketing figures In Melbol.me In 2Q03 she met Joseph Chou and was inspireQ by him to jOin Ifie property industry Ellen's natural tnlent.s surfaced as she immediately started de~vering phenomenal resuits and was extremelY successful under Joseph'S leadership In 2006 she was invited to set up lhe Melboome olfice of lronflSh In Box Hill. Wilh Ellen's passion for investmen~ she has buiH up a substanllal property portfolio IOI' herself, and helped more than 1,000 families along 1ne way

General Manager, lronf1Sh Penh

Helen moved to Pertll fran Beijing In 2006 aner a distfnguJshed management career spanning more than 12 years Her experience included business development. marketing, sales, customer care and operations She has led various teams and smashed many company records along the way

Upon arrival in Australia, Helen was paSSionate about property and Joiied the Real Estate Industry She sel up the first Chinese WA propefly websrte Perthmyhome oom to introduce property related knovAedge to the Perth Chinese oommuOlly She continues to be a guest snc:11or on a major Pertll Chinese Radio station and has been a writer for one of Perth s local property papers since 2007. In 2009 lronfish's CEO Joseph Choo invited her to estl!bli sh lronfish s Perth office.

As well as her passion !Of extending her property portfolio. Helen ls passionate about Chantable work and spends much of her spare time doing volunteer work in the community.

General Manager, l ronfish Melbourne (Box Hill Office}

Born i n Hong Kong and educated in Canada, Gary eventually migrated to Auslrafia whele he setUed in Melbourne He has been in lhe professional sales industry ror l'TlOfe lhan 25 years During tiis 20 years of working with one of the top Toyola dealerstnps In Austraria, he was part of a senior mana900Jent leam that helped Toyota regain the number 1 car ma11t1facturer status from Holden in Victona and along the way won many personal awaros 111ciuding lhe coveted saver knight award for excellence in customer setVice. As General Sales Manager Gary led a dynamic sales team that W>n the best saiespe!SOO awa rd in Australia 5 times

Gary met lronfish CEO Joseph Chou and Melbourne Maoagrng Difedor EPan Bian In early 2007 and was Inspired by them and Ille lronfish Investment system and vision He fina•y joined lronfish's Melbourne office that year and enjoyed Immediate success as Sales M:m. ager and then on lo General Manager

Gary is an avkl property investor hnnself and has a passiOn for the company VISiOll to help ordinary people fulfil lhelr dreams in this ·1uc11y country"

One of \he 3 founding Directors of lronflSh

Aller studying Law al'ld Arts 1n Wellington, New zeatand, Grant migrated to Australia 1n 1994

He met entrepreneur Joseph Choo by chance in Dec 1998 and has been worl<ing with him ever since Grant has been a respected property investment strategist, researcher and market commentator for more than a decade. He developed and refined lronflSh's diversified "Portfolio Approach" strategy to property investment over the past 12 year.; and it is widely regarded by many property experts as an asMe inveslment strategy that enables every investor to maximise profit and minimize risk whfle buildIng their portfolio. Grant IS an avid property Investor and has built up a substantial propefly portfolio.

Managing Director of lronfish Shanghai

Lanny has over 14 years of oorporate experience with both Australian and global Fortune 500 companies

In the early 2000's Lanny was the regional manager for Corporate Finance of a large Sydney firm and In 2004 he met founder and CEO Joseph Chou. He was so inspired by lhe l ronfish vision lhal Lanny joined the Property Investment Industry and has never looked back Lanny quickly became one of Sydney's top investment strategists and is today a sought after speal<er and presenter on Investment strategies and mar1<et trends. Lanny is a JP. a M y licensed real estate agent and has an MBA from one of the most presbgious management sehools In the Asia-PaoflC region.

Managing Director, lronfish Adelaide

In 1992 he n'lOlled lo Loodoo to further his education in fine wine By 1994 Damon changed careers and started WOl'king In real estate in the salubrious suburb of St Johns Wood Within a year he boUght his fir.rt Investment property In 1997 he opened ood ran a successful and in• novative property msnagementr111V8slmenl company i n South London The business was a mar1<et leader and so successful that by 2003, Damon was able to sell hls business and move back to his home town of Adelaide, where he bought a vineyard and spent the next 3 year.; bu ilding award winning boutique winery, Brackenwood.

In 2006 Damon root Joseph Chou aoo oouldn't resist the opportuni ty to open the Adelaide office of one of Austrafia's most dynamic property investment brands Damon has a large portfolio of properties In AuSlralla and the UK He oontinues to run his winery in his spare lime

General Manager l ronfish Brisbane

Nicole migrated from Taiwan with her fal'nly to Austraba in 1989

NiCole i sa well knOWn success s101)' "Mtt11n the Brisbane Propeny Industry v.ilh OV8f 10 years expenen<:e in property speciaflSlflg fl sales. property management aro marl<eling

In August 2006 she was appointed General Manager of the lronf!Sh Brisbane office Wrlh demonstrated expertise, a natural aptitude for property in vestment and outstanding v,(J(t( ethics Nicole has assisted many Brisbane investm; realise their dreams of begiming and expanding thetr propefly por1foti0 She leads a dynalfllC team of some of Bnst>ane's best propefly tnvsslmenl strategists,

Managing Director lronfish Melbourne (SI l<ilda Road Office)

Jason migrated to Australia from Sllanghal, China In 2001 and was Immediately slllJCk by the atroost limitless oppo,tunilles avaHable in Austrsfia Jason observed lhe propefly marital closely and over \he years buiff up a substantial property investment portfolio Halling obtained a Mssler.; 08',1'88 1n Computer and lnformalion Engineenng. he worked in lhe IT indust/y before vef'IIUrtng out on his own to run a very success/ul business In 2008, he met Ellen 8tan end beu~ a suoces&ful 111vestOI' and businessperson, he was insptred to join the property 111vestment industry with the lrooflSh Melbourne office as a propefly strateg1st Jason quickly established himselfas a leader and was promptly promoted to a leadership role Wllhin the company He ,s a fuly lk:ellseO real estate agent and was appointed Managing Df. reclc:r of l n;nfish'ssecond MeltxxKne office 0ronfish St Kilcla) at \he end of 2010

Please email your resume to

ADELAIDE BRISBANE ME LBOURNE PERTH SYDNEY SHANGHAI ww .i ronfsih . co m. au

INDIAN LINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

SUBl:DITOR

Lena Peacock

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

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

CONTRIBUTORS

Dipanjali Rao, Usha R Arvind, Jyoti Shankar, Chitra Sudarshan, Dhanya Samuel. Ravi Singh, George Thakur, Uzma Beg, Leanne Woodward, l=arzana Ahmad, Nancy Jade Althea

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Ashish Chawla 0468 389 272 cl ient@indianlink.com.au

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Nitika Sondhi 02 9279 2004

DESIGN

Danielle Cairis

PROUD MEMBER OF : • ~gtg1~lJ~

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!'laU: info@indianlink.com.au

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Preventing the radicalisation of our youth

Mi110,it;1 Ajfairs. He states here that scare spon sors hi p of moderate Islam neglects tl1e broader context of Muslim experiences, which is marked b y socio-economic und er-privilege and political alienatio n

I

Ne - ,vs that up to 150 Austt:alians could be fighting in Syria and Iraq for the extreme radical militant group ISIS is indeed concerning for all Australians. The Australian government, law enforcement agencies and, more importantly, tl1e community need to cake steps to prevent former radicalisation of o ur youth.

The Federal Govern ment has in the past sec aside fun ds, such as up to $700,000 in 2013 for community progran1s, co tackle e.xtrem ism To an extent it seems robe workin_g but it can be questioned if more can be done.

The challenge not only in volves what needs to be done with those of Australian origin who are currently involved in tl1ese jih adist activities, but tl1ere are also concerns of hmv ro integrate them with society when they remrn ratl1er tl1an allow furtl1er proliferatio n of extremism in the country.

To combat such .radicalisation both Stace and Federal governments need to m ove decisiv ely

An insigh c in meeting iliis challenge is given by Shahram Akbarzadeh in his 2013 article ' Investing in Mentoring and Educational lnici.atives: The Limits of DeRadicalisation -Programm.es in Australia,' which appeared in d1e Joumal rf lviwlitJJ

These experiences marginalise Australian Muslims and make die m vulnerable co extremist ideas. Thi s pattern is most evident an10ng the youth, whose sense of self is stiU in Aux, says A kbarzadeh.

Youth in our communi ties are still trying to find t heir place between d1e country of their parents' birtl1 and mat of their own upbringing. T he s hare o f Indian-born Muslims is 2.1 % according co the 2011 Census and 5 6% for Pakistani-born :tvluslims

From the commmtit:y point of v iew, iLis im portant tl1at we ad dress tl1ese i ssues so as to educate and franchise OLU· youth be tter.

\l(Thile Australia is home co them, their sense of identicy is still h)1)hen ated as th ey are referred co as Indian-Australians, S ri Lankan-Australia.ns or Pakistani.Australians To t he educated classes, these distinctions can b ill[ w ith time. For tl1ose who may be from a Jess advantaged socioeconomic background however a nd are on d1e fringes of religious marginalisation from die mainstt·eam, thtcre is more susceptibility to the pressures of the radicals wi thin their society

As the youth go searching for answers, those who can incite ratl1er than excite them about life should answer their questions

The 9 / 11 attacks, the London bombing,

AUTHORISED

the Mumbai attacks and the Boston Marathon bomb ings are all examples of you th go ne astray when their desire to believe is greater than their capacity co judge good from tbe bad.

Society needs co step in, and acceptance bas co be the keir. .Media, both social and traditional, has to be more accepting of d1e differences between peoples.

Political leaders need to aUow for more inclusiveness in tl1eir policy programs ratl1er t han jllst m ake token gestures. Businesses have ro step Llp the educational campaigns to convey die benefits of diversity.

In. view of iliis, Attorney Gen eral George Brandis' intention co repe.--il section 1 8c of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 is clearl y wrong. le is the right of indiv iduals from all walks of life co feel free and protecte d fro m unfair discrimination based o n race The government needs to retain section l8c of the Ace, which mal, es it unlawful for people to vilify otl1ers on racial grounds. Any repeal of chis act can send our society backwards.

The R acial Discrimination Act helps create a fairer Australia for all, and stops inclividuals from offending, insulting, humiliating o r intimidating another person or a group of people, based upon race, colour or national or etlmic origin.

The problem of m arginalised yo utl1 in our migrant com1muuties could pose serious security concerns and so needs to be han dJed sensitively.

Community acceptance and respect of eacb ocher will be an important platform in this end eavour.

STAGE

North Indian classical

Wed 16July

Debash i sh Bhattacharya, Grammy Award nominee and architect of the Hindusanti slide guitar, will perfor m at Arts Centre Melbourne for one night only. Performing with Sukanya Bhattacharya on vocals and brother Subhasis Bhattacharjee on tab l a, this virtuosic trio will perform a suite of North Indian classical songs with a twist, in a display of stunning musicality

Detail s: www multiculturalarts com au or office@multi culturalarts com au

Bollywood Dance

Sat 26 July 7.30pm - 1am

Annual Bollywood Dance presen ted by the Melbourne Rangers Club. Tickets must be pre-purchased. Held at Gaelic Park Hall, 324 Per ry Road, Keysborough.

BYO drinks

Detai l s and tickets: Jenny Gray 0438 092 909 or Glaxton Saunders 0418176 501

WHA.T'SON

FUNDRAISER

Jhankar 2014: The rhythm of revolution

Sat 19 July 7.30pm

Era of Entertainment presents a 'musical extravaganza'. Al I proceeds go to East West Overseas Aid Foundation. Held at The National Theatre, 20 Carlisle Street, St Ki l da. Tickets $39 standard , $49 deluxe, $59VIP.

Details: jhankar@eraofexcellence.com or 0414351 162

Triguna

Sat 15 Nov 7.30pm

Sam Goraya presents a fundraiser for India Vision Australia. Held at Beckett Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, at The Coopers M a!thouse, 113 Stu rt Street, Southbank.

Details: www.samgoraya.com

MISC

Sangam 's Snow Trip to Mt Buller Sat 26 July From 7am Sangam is offering a nippy get to ge t her in one of the best snow mountains of Victoria. Mt Buller is close enough for a day's escap e yet far enou gh away for a holiday. Pick up

and drop ott poin t s: Melbourne CBD. Adu lts: $75, Children: $50 Sangam members and fam i ly g r oups get d i scou nted pri ces Price i ncl udes bus fare, reso rt entry fee, morning tea and brunch.

Det ails: Chirag 0411102 426, Joel 041123331 4, Umesh 0402 509 965, Gu rpreet 0433 124 335 or sa n gamassociatlo n @yah o o.com au

Free English courses at Universal Institute ofTechnology

UIT are offering free cou rses in Certificate I in EAL Access (English Additional Language), Certificate II i n EAL (Access) Certifica t e Ill and Certificate IV Fu rther St udy All Eng lish courses are o pen t o peopl e 17- 90 years o l d Cou rses run for six mont hs Check website for eligibility. Held at UIT, Level 4, 398 Lonsdal e St reet, Melbourne Detai ls: www.u it.edu au

Community cricket tournament: Jags Premier League (JPL)

Parti cipate i n a South Asian cricket to u rnament organised by Wyndham Jags Cricket Cl ub with the support of ICC and Cricket Victoria. Grand Finals on Jul y 19 t o be played at Lawrie Emmi ns Reserve, Laverton , fo l l owed by prize distri bution by Mayor, i nternatio n al players an d other specia l invitees at Suzanne Corey H i gh School Theatre, Werribee.

Details: Sal vi Manish 0419 028 973

Essay writing competition

Austra li an university and tertiary i nstitution students are invited to partici pate in an essay-writi ng competit i on on the topic Bhagavad Gita as it is. Cash prize $10,000 Deadline for essay is November 28 and essays must be 2,500 to 3,000 words

Details: Satya Armstrong enquiries@ bgasitisessay com au or 02 8005 6140 or www.bgas it i sessay com au

Add Aussie technolo y to Indian milk, stirwel

New collaborations are set to open up between Indian and Australia in the dairy industry

Ahigh -level 16

mem ber lndian dairy business delegacion visited Australia this month to exp lore potential coUaboration opportunities.

The delegation was led b y Yes Bank, India's fourth largest private sector bank, and was supported by Austrade.

Auscrade has recently signed a Memorand um of U nderstanding with Yes Bank's Food and Agribusiness Strategic Advisory & Resea rch Group (FASAR) to offer Australian experience to impro ve the productivity and exports of India's food and agricultural sector , i nc ludi ng the dairy sector, as India addresses its food security concerns.

The d e legation, representing so me of the l argest dairy companies in India, toured Australia n research inscitutes, farms and dairy companies to understand technologies for possible use in India.

The L1dian delegation was made up of chief operating officers of agri business co ncern s and NGOs, agri commodities experts, research scientists, veterinary scienrists and entrepreneurs in the dairy industry from across the countr y T hey belonged m cooperative and private dairy sector companies such as the International Food Policy Research Institute (TFPRI), ITC Led, Gopal jee Dairy Foods, Deshpande Fopndarion , Lakshya Foods, Rajkot Dair y of th e Amul union Paras Dairy, Asad Farms and Kiaro Farms.

Traveling co Me lbourne and Brisbane, delegates gained an insight into Australian dairy farming, processing techno logy; \Vaste management, breeding, and research and practice in genetics

"I'm excited about the possibilities in two particular aspects," N i tin Puri , speaking o n b eha lf of the delegation , cold Indian Link at tl1e e nd of it all. ·'These are farming procedures and genetics. There's a lot of scop e fo r us to learn

fro m Australia here, and there are significant possi bilities for business collaboracious as weU".

Puri is tl1e head of FASAR, a division of Yes Bank which focuses o n consul ting, advisory, po licy and research in food and agriculture, working in the multinational, Indian corporate, government and multilateral space.

''India is the largest producer and consumer of milk iJ1 the world at 140 million to nnes per day," Puri said. " This means that while we are se lf-sufficie nt in daiqr, we are nQt really exporting Auscralia o n the other hand, prod uces one - tench of what we produce, b u t exports half of i t, thanks to its expertise in processing and livestock development"

Another stack difference in the Ind ian and the Auscralian industry is in farm size. "In India, tl1ere would be about rwo to three cows per farmer," Puri observed. "Here, it is hundred cimes that number.

A narui-al advantage i s pasture areas lilied with open grass. We don't have that, sadly; and because we h ave to m ake it up with consolidated feed, cosr structures become involv ed. The yield size, currentl y at 6-7 litres per farmer per day, is stagnati ng. We are not foUowing good practices ro see a su bstantial increase. In Australia, even thoug h the number of farms have gone down in receuc times,

tl1e herd size per farm has gone up, trip led in many cases, sc) the farms have scaled up tl1eir operations".

U nlike Australia which is very strong on value-added lo nger shelf-life p r oducts su ch as c he ese and specialised milk powders (it is the world's fourth largest exporter of processed dairy produces), tl1e Indian cons umption is in liquid milk only. But wi tl1 an increase in health consciousness and lifestyle in the expand ing Ind ian middle class, tl1is need for value -add is growing, and so t he domestic marke r will star t seeing a shortage too.

India's Na rional Dairy Development Board has forecast milk demand co touch 180-200 million tonnes by the end o f 2020. Yet a ational Dairy Plan (NDP) drawn up in 2010 proposes co n early double India's miU: producrion by that rime.

Fortunate!)~ stakeholders are eager to bring in m o m entum to see chis throug h.

"U nlike other areas of food production, dairy is far more evolved in India," Puri noted. "No doubt tl1i s is becau se of theinfluences of co-oper atives such as J\mul in the 1960s, and more recently, tl1e involvement of the private sector. Storage, for example, is at par wi tl1 g lobal pracrices, as opposed to grains which is under governme n t control".

Changes have also been induced by factors l ike easy cr edi t facilities and dair y friendly policies by the governme n t, so tl1at dairy farmin g is less agrarian and more a professionally managed induscry " W/e are currentl y on the lookout for ini tiatives to h ave a marketable SLltplus in the next five to seven years".

And this, he is sure, wiU come from he rd genetics.

"Genetics wiU be a game changer. W hat we've l earnt in Australia this trip has been a revebrion for us. I'm foreseei n g that with Australian tec hn ology helping us in farming metl1ods and in generics, we wiU be able co increase our production subs tantially"

A u stralia showed off its dairy expertise and techno logy to lndia ar tl1e Dairy Show in H yderabad earlier this year. It provid ed an engagement m odel to co1mect with t he Indian industry using

tl1e global PRETSS approach (offering exp ercise in policy, research, equ ip m en t, technology, servic es an d s kills).

Here's to another white tevolurion in India, with a b iLof help &orn A L1stralia

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Freedom without fear

Activist Kavita Krishnan talks in Oz on leading the charge against sexual violence in India

''

"Women have EVERY right to be adventurous And we WILL be adventurou s. Don't tell us how to dress, what time of night or day is safe, how many people need to e scort us"

Kavita Krishnan

'

( - BY I ·. DIPANJALI RAO

Bekbauf Azaadi!

Freedom without fea r ! This chant reverberated in the streets o f Delhi followi ng the horrific gang rape i.n 2012 that shoo k India. Politician and activist Kavita Krishnan was one of the first to join the movement. Soft spoken and unassuming, she is the secremr y of the A.11 India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWJ\ ) and a member of the Communist Party of fodia (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI -ML). In 2013 she responded to the prevalent victim bl aming culture and accusations of victims ' 'advenmrous' be hav io ur w ith a fiery speech : "\'v'omen have EVERY right co be adventurous!

And we WILL be adventurous!

Don't cell us how tO dress, what time of night or day is safe, how many peopl e need tO escort us We shouldn't need to take measures to protect ourselves (from rape). Wle want freedom without fear.

Bekhmtf azaad1'. The speech went viral. Kavita Kcislman toured Australia in June on a speaking tour on the movement against sexual violence in India.

Tndia11 Link caught up with her in Melbourne.

She began by explaining the movement and AlPWA's involvement "The re was huge 10

anger amongst people ," she said. "Everyon e was demand ing the death penalty. People were getting sexist rubbish from politicians and self-righteous stuff about rapists being put to death. But th ere wa s something new; slogans against v ictim blaming: 'Don't cell me how to dress, tell them how n ot to rape'. We felt we could deepen and expand this conversation".

Of her speech that went viral she said, "People were l ooking fo r something like that".

"We need co keep working on it," said Kavita of the momentum of the movement. "There is no room for complacence".

She cited M u zzafarnagar in Utrar Pradesh and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu where right wing political parties have mobilised su pport demanding that Hindu women be protected from Muslim men and upper caste women be protected from Dalir men.

"This is a political attempt to rum tbe awakening lllst year on its head," she rued, "so chat we s tart imagining that in stead of safeguarding women's right to be free, we need co safeguard chem from certain communities like Datits and Muslims".

On what we can expect fro m Narendra Modi's government, Kavica stated, "It's earl y days yet. fostead of predicting, let's see what the government does" She made three demands of the governm ent, the first one being to acknowledge and criminalise marital rape. The second demand is to remove the impunity that the armed forces en joy against rape

complaints. Third, decriminalise homosexuality. She went on to talk about the imp uni ty that organised right wing groups have in limiting the freedom of yo ung peop le, especially women.

"The Bajrang Dal, a Sangh Parivar outfit close to BJP, and their student body ABVP very regularly attack young people o n Val entine's Day and threaten that they will force them to tie Rakhis," she said. She hoped the government will rein them in. "Modi can't say 'good times for Indians' if they are not democratic ti m es," s he reflected. Democratic or not, Mod i's popularity is u nquestionable.

"People are ve ry glib," said Kavita matter of factly, ''in saying that cl1e Supreme Court SIT (Special Investigation Team) didn't find him guil ty. Bm we must ask questions. Why were cl1e dead bodies from the Godhra train fire allowed by M odi to be displayed in the procession by cl1e Vishva Hindu Parisad (VHP)? On cl1e next day, why did Modi mention the Hindus chat were killed, but not the Muslims? He mid the SIT that his police officers didn't tell him. So why didn't Modi take action against t hese police officers?"

Krishnan also talks about the Modi government in Gujarat conducting illegal surveillance on a young woman. "Was it Modi who is referred to as the 'Sahib' in cl1e Sn opegace tapes?" demanded Kavita. "We deserve ro know, bu t instead we are pretending none of this matters; wh ich is very

dangerous for the country."

About cl1e BJP's popularity amongst the lndian diaspora, Kavim ventured chat Indians overseas do not see a nd experience tbe social change in lndia, and hang onco a te.'{tbook version of Indian and Hindu cul ture

''They d on't realise that the freed~)m they en joy here wouldn't be available to them in say, BJP ruled Karnataka when the Shri Ram Sene was aroun d," Kav:ica said. "Women in Mangalore have been attacked going to work w ith a mal e friend. If they (Indians overseas) were living in India, their perspective would be different".

Kavita's activism against gender violence, caste a n d communal politics h as attracted vicious trolling. She was threatened with rape on a live chat about gender violence "lc's crazy!" she exclaims and explains cl1at trolling isn't fuuited to social media, it also happens on live television.

Politician Subramanian Swamy said she s tands for 'free sex' during a debate on national TV. "It cook me a wh ile ro develop a thick skin," she said About how she copes, she says, "I read a lot of detective fiction!

Ian Rankin, Sara Peretsky, Kate Ross. 1 also listen to Hindustani and Carnarak music. I love the veena!"

I mention that I do a b it of Carnatik singing and her eyes light up. "Have you read T.M. Krishna?" she asked enthusiastically "l'm reading his book abom bow Brahminism

Kavita's activi sm against gender violence, caste and communal politics has attracted vicious trolling

is pervasive in Carnatik music. I'm hooked!" she laughed. \Y/e talked a bit more about music and I promised to send her a link co a folk rock renclition of Tyagaraja's 'Bantureethi' by a band called Agam. "I'd love that," she said warmly. "And you read T.M. Krishna," she said with a conspiratorial smile. "His w r itings should be mandatory for (privi.leged) Indians everywhere".

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INNOVATION, C S E OF LEAIJE ft'.,;

BY USHA R ARVIND :-;.,

Dr Marlene Kanga finds great inspiration in the lace

Steve Jobs' prophetic words, ''The only way to do great wor.k is to love what you do".

Embracing this philosophy, d1e chemical engineer, who specialises in risk management and safety engineering, has scaled greac heights.

l11e lme of the land <lown l]J]de r proved too hard to resist

for cbe feisty Indian lnstirute of Technology graduate. It was Australia in the 1970s. The White Australia policy had finally been dismantled and the AntiDiscrimination Act had passed rluongh Parliament Armed with an engineering degree, hope and a never- say-never spirit. P une-born Kanga migrated to Australia with her husband Rusrom.

Despite a stellJlt academic career anti dedication to her profession, breaking into the workforce was not eas y. What proved even harder for Kanga was shattering wellentrenched stereotypes, particularly gender based ones.

Nor one to give up, the outspoken Kanga eventually

secured her first breakthrough, rising quickly up the corporate ladder, making many meaningful contributions along the way.

Inspired by her father's achievements as one of India's first engineers in Goa and :iYiaharashtra, a young Marlene was determined ro follow in his footsteps

She enrolled at me Indian Institute of Technology in .Mumbai, one of the p ioneering women co do so in a male dominated industry.

''l'vfy father bad a great deal of integrity. He also had a great sense of purpose in senring d1e commmucy," she said

It is this legacy that she has passionately carried forward \X7b.i.le

UNDERST DI J

For her services to medicine, tertiary education and Indian community

USHARARVIND

AlcohoJ -induced pancreatiris and pancreatic cancer, a highly aggressive form of cancer with high mortality to -inc idence ratio, have been the focus of Dr :Minoti Vivek Apte's research for neacly tluee decades no\v. Hirl1erco, pancreacic cancer has defied traditional tl1erapeuric approaches, spreading aggressively before v isible symptoms appear.

A professor in the Facuh:y of Medicine at University of New South Wales and rile lngbJltn lnstimte of Applied Medical Research and Director of the

Pancreatic Research Group, Dr Apte was the first in the wotld co isolate and characterise the pancrearic scellate cell (PSC), the key cell responsible for producing scar tissue in the pancreas. An internationally acknow ledged researcher in rl1e field of alcohol-i.nducecl pancreatic injury, sbe is particularly recognised as a pioneer in the field of pancreatic /ibrogenesis. More recently, her work has established rl1ar close cross -talk bet\veen srellate cells and cancer cells is responsible for rapid progression of pancreatic cancer These pioneering srudies, have helped put Australian pan creatic research on the world map.

Dr Apte has a very accive sen,ice record at Faculty, University and Discipline Jevds. She is a fouoding member of the Australasian Pancreatic Club and Asian Oceanic

D CPancreatic Association. As past chair of tbe Faculcy HJgher Degree Committee and as pose-graduate coordinator for tl1e South \Western Sydney C linical School, Dr Apre has mentored numerous medical and science smde nts.

"Nurturing talenc is a very important respons ibility to preserve the future of medicine and research in our country," Dr Apte acknowledged.

"Students need tl1e right stmctnre and guidance rl1r0t1gh their journey. As medicine becomes more evide nce- based, we have ro engender stro ng research skill s and critical rl1inking," she added. She also regularly engages with the research community worldwide through gastroencero logical forums. 1n recognicion of her significant contrib u tion, she was recently made a Fellow of the American

~IVERSITY AND A UNI RSHIP

her core expertise has been in oil, natural gas and chemical industries, Marlene Kanga has served on many boards, driving innovation and creative leadership. She bas actively campaigned for diversity in engineering, and espoused the migrant cause.

"l always think of myself as an engineer and consider the task at hand in terms of the teclmic.'ll aspects,'' Kanga said.

"Others may see me as a woman and i:nay challenge my ability co do die job on di.is basis. I usually easily challenge chem back because l know l am good at my job and l always do it verr well," she added.

The co - founder of iOmniscienc, a market leader in intelligent

NG~ITIS

Gastroenterological Association (AGA).

For her services to medicine, tertiary education and Indian community, Dr Apte has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OANI).

"It is a recognition, of not just my work bur m y whole team, particularly my snpervi:mrs

Professors Jeremy Wilson and Ron Pi.rola, who encouraged and allowed me d1e freedom ro explore different areas,"

Dr Apte told Inditm Link.

"More impommtly, iris also very bwnblingas I often wonder if ] have done enough to deserve this".

Dr Apte is particularly grateful to her husband Vivek for being her bedrock of support and to her Tushar for coping with bavingsucli a busy mum.

INDIAN LINK

For significant service to engineering, and as a role model

'

surveillance systems and video analytics, Kanga is also on the board of Sydney Water and has held many prestigious positions in her long and illustrious caree r

She has fearured in the Top JOO Engineers in Australia as well as the Top 100 Women of Influence in Australia.

''If you ace able co w01:k in the area you love, it will never be just a job, you will discover that it will be endlessly satisfying and you will make a contribution chat is beyond your greatest dreams," Kanga tokl fodiatl U11k.

"1 never set out to change die world. 1 had smne clear goals and just faced each problem as lit] came along, The cumulative impact,

looking back, has been amazing," she said.

A member of the Engineers Australia Council since 2007, in 2012 Kanga was Chair of the Lmovation Taskforce charged with promoting further advances in enginee ring. She was also Chair of the National Comm.itteefor Women in Engineering in 2008 and 2009.

Mo re d1an d1ree decades after immigrating to Australia, in 2013 Marlene Kanga became National Presidenr of Engineers f\ustralia, the peak advocacy body and professional membership forum for engineers. "Although 1 am goal oriented, becoming President of Engineers Australia was not one of my goals," Kanga admitted.

'M y aim in contributing to the iostimtion was to give back to d1e profession and to Australia. I was later encouraged by my peers in engineering to srand for election because d1ey tboughtl would do a good job".

Today Marlene Kanga i s a board member of Innovation Australia as well as Chair of the R&D Incentives Committee, spearheading cliange and advising the government on new initiativ es.

Due to her stams as an exceptional role model and for her services to engineering, Kanga wa,5 appointed a l\-lember of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours List

"This award is a great ~xample of the openness and generosity

CTICC

"Without your family behind you, it would be difficult co achieve yoar full porentia~" she reiterated. "After all, research and academia are nor 9 co 5 jobs. It is a job for life, which requires dedication and commiunent".

She also credits her parents, .her sister and brother-in-law and a very tight- knit group of friends for her successes

Dr Apte strayed inm pancreatic smdies quire by accident. An a lllllll1us of BJ Medical College in Poona wid1 an interesrin E T, she first accived in Australia on a dependem spouse visa in the eighties.

"My visa did not permit me co work, so l volunteered in the Hismpadiology depamnenr at Newcastle University. where my husband was pursuing his doctorate io Chemical

Engineering," s he recalled. She soon began researching alcoholism and liver disease, winning a Commomvealth scho larship for a Masters in Medical Science, and became one of the 1:irst graduates of the programme. She moved co Sydney and eventually found a job ar the Prince of Wales Hospital.

L1 1998, as patt of her PhD thesis tinder mentors Dr Wilson and Dr Pirola, Dr Apte developed her world - first metbod for srellare cell isolation.

"We were the Erst in the world to show that a specific cell type in die pancreas helped pancreatic cancers grow," explained Dr Apte. " lts unique feamre is the huge amount of scar tissue. \'<!e proved d1at cancer cells recruited normal pancreatic stelbte cells to help them grow and travel to distant

parts of the body. Our ultiniare aim is to develop new treatments diat target the cross talk between the cells in pancreatic cancer so as co interrupt tl1ese growthpromoting pathways".

The pancreas is a very significant organ in the body

Dr Apte cold Indian U11k.

1\Jong with insulin secretion, it produces crucial digestive enzymes. Before her research, nobody knew v;,hat die mechanisms behind scarring were. ·'Scar tissue is found in pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer and plays ru.1 iniportam role in die progression of bod1 diseases," she explained. Indeed, patients widi chronic pancreacitis have a 15 fold higher risk of developing cancer d1an the normal population, according to Dr Apte.

Unfornu1ately, alcoholism is

of Australian society," she to ld l11dia11 Link. "When I came to this cmmrry, knowing no one at all and starting from scratch, 1 never anticipated that 1 would receive such recognition. I am both honoured and hwubled by this award. It shows d1at anyone can be a great engineer and make an effective contribution to Australia".

Having excelled in her calling, Marlene Kanga hopes to inspire man y new generations to take up the challenge.

"The world needs more engineers", she said. "lt is such a dynamic and creative pathway Young people need to understand the importance of science and technology in their lives from a very young age"

CER

now a major problem worldwide. "Drinking is no longer a stigma in Asian COLIJltcies," she lanienced. "Therefore, we have a responsibility ro prevent alcoholrelated disease through better education".

Not one to rest on her academic laurels, Dr Apce is heavily engaged in promoting 'Marathi culmre and arts through 1:,,L\Sl Her passion for classical dance and choreography has led to active involvement in event coordination and management, the highpoint being D11rgr1 Zali G{lfrri, a musical (dance- drama) wid1 120 participants.

Dr Apte has found time in her busy schedule co fir in meditation and dance classes as well. "I really enjoy diem." she confessed. ''Everyone needs a hobby, dance is n1ine".

. :.iNI ANAND LUTHRA

:..-.

Talk to RK Ram about his widespread community work, and he will tell you humbly tl1at he is bm carrying on a significant family legacy.

"My passion for service to migram comrnrn:uties can be traced back tO my grandfather, who moved .froll1 India to Bmma in the late 19'' century," Ram cells lndia11 Link. "He was clrawo towards helping

PUTTING STRUCTURES IN PLACE FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

For service to the Indian community ofNSW initially and to the wider South Asian communities of NSW over past eleven years

other migrants, especially labourers from India, who h e taught to read and wri t e and learn bas ic matl1s.

The informal cbssroom be stared became a well -kno,vn higb school".

Like his grandfather, Ram saw many needs and i ssues with the migrant communities in Australia that required addressing.

"I was fortunate tO come in contact with like- minded people," Ram says

Together they undertook soci al we lfare activitie$ tl1at have gone on to make a difference.

After years of work, Ram is now in a position where he help~ directly by creating structures for social enterprise mat provide service where a need is identified. This led to the creation of SEVA (Social Em:repreneurial Vearures of Australian South Asians), well-known in Sydney's Indian

community for its social wo rk in d ifferent fields.

"lo the area of aged care, for instance, we at SEVA are looking at training community workers wbo can provide cul turally relevant homecare. For families with special needs childrea, we have come a long way with our carer support program Sahelis ro meet me challenge of soc.ial isol ation. Samarpan, an as~oc.iation d1at represents peop le witl1 disability was registered as an associacion in 2012 after starting off informally in 2002. In ilie field of domestic ,riolence, we want to set up a safehouse for victims, but are starting with drop-in centtes where sympametic e lders in ilie communi tr can lend an ear; we hope to ultimately have medical and legal counsellon;. For these and similar programs, we are

engaged in evid ence-based research activities in collaboration w ith universities".

Social inclusion is another particular passion with Ram, ignited after tbelndian students' crisis of 2009 - 10. Rhythms of Peace is a recent ptogran1 of which Ram is particularly proud. "\:(/e came up with the program to enhance cross-cultural understanding at ilie earliest possible stages. In coUaboration witl1 Lhe Islamic Council of NSW and .Arab Council Australia, the government fw1ded us to engage prima ry school children in crosscultural activities. ivfiddle Eastern and Soum Asian kids presented performances and organised food fescivals to enlighten their peers about their culture. These took p lace in me Parraniatta and Auburn districts and culminated in

a grand performa nce at Riverside Theatres on Harmony Day''.

Another similar program that Ram is excited about which i s in tbe pipeline is based on story- telling.

Ram came to d1is country in 1969 as a member of the first ever Indian trade delegation. He was back in 1970 to set up a regional office here to look after trade between lnclia and Austtalia, NZ and Fiji, and has stayed on since then. W/hi le his professional life was dedicated to ilie growth and enhancement of tl1e bilateral trade and other relationships between rhe two countries, his volw1tarism has been an enduring aspect of his personality. le is now coming to the fo re as the community grows large enough to be able to suppo r t the plans he has long envisioned, and is now seeing to fruition.

ROCK SOLID IN HIS SUPPORT FOR SENIORS, A TRUE GEM!

For significant service to the Indian community of Victoria, to aged welfare, and to education

' 1 BY , , PREETI JABBAL

Ftom humble beginnings to being recognised with an A 1\lf in the Queens Birthday honours list this year, D.t Prem Phakey AM and his wife Usha have a lot to celebrate. Thi s year was also a oillestone for tben.1 as it marked 50 years of living in Austtalia The recently announced prestigious honours list recognised Dr Phakey for significant service to the lndian community of Victoria, co aged wel fare, and to education.

Life has been a gem for Dr Ptem Phakey who arrived in Australia in 1964 to take up a three-year contract reaching assignment He was appointed as lecturer in Phrsics at ilie Monash University in L967 and promoted

to senio r lecturer in 19TI and later on to reader in Ph ysics till he left the Univers ity in J 994 He was also hono rary lecmrer for Gemmological Association of Aus tralia, Victorian Di,rision from 1968- 1988. His scientific research included minerals, ro cks of importance, shells, teeth, gemstones and diamonds He expresses gratitude to Professor Rachioger, late Profess or Street and Monash University for encouragement and support to carry out s cientific research.

" I am passionate about Indian diamonds and have recently given a series of l O talks on iliis subject," said Dr Phakey wbo continues to be engaged in academics well past his retirement. With an expertise in crystallo graphy, m icroscopy and optics, Dr Phakey has contributed various papers and articles on gemstones and Indian diamonds in community newspapers.

Renowned for his work in moon rocks and lunar dust (both American and Russian sao1p les) Dr Phakey held many academic appoiotrnems and fellowships at institutes like

U niversity of Californi a, Los Ang eles (U CLA) , University o f California Berkeley, University of Washing ton and \X/illian1 E vans Fel.lowship at U ni versity of Otago, New Zealand. Locally he held a fell o wship at Royal Children's Hos pital, Melbourne, seni o r fellowship at the School of Dental Science, U niversity of Melbourne and after retirement, senior fellowsh ip at Monash University Dr Phakey is well reg arded in the Indian community for his dedication and involvement in the welfare of the community He was the founding s ecretary and then vice president of the Punjabi C lub of Victoria in 1987- 199 l , vice president and public officer for Australian Indian Innovations Inc. (AIU) from 2003-2005 and trustee of cbe Australia India Charitable Trust.

Heis equally passionate abouc the wel fare of senior citizens as the founding chairperson of d1e Indian Senior C itizen's As sociation (ISCJ\) and current president since 2007.

"Tbe need and composition of our society has changed and it is important to make efforts to

av oid isolation and bored o m for se1:uo rs, especially chose wh o may rel y financiall y and emotionally o n their children," said Dr Phakey as he e.xplained ISCA's objectives.

"At ISCA we offer an env iro nment where seniors can sociali se, display their talents, be entertained and educated," claimed Dr Phakey, "We hold regular taJ ks on issues relevant to the senior communit); we hold classes that assist seniors to adapt tO new technology like iPads, mobile phones, and we bave dedicated seniors teaching yoga and clmir exercises to others. In terms of entertainment we have a day centre that holds weekl y sessions of various activities and we also ce lebrate multicultural festivals and events. Our membership is gro wing at a rapid rare we have a pool of kn owledge, ralenr and expertise wid.tlo our o rganisation' ' Dr PhaJce y went on to share his vision for ilie senior community.

·•we have given the organisation a strong footing and taken it to a sustainable, stable position, however, it's now rime for the next generation ro get involved

a nd rake i r further," Dr Phakey expl ained. " M y dream is chat every senior benefit from an organisation li ke lSCA and w e should have more clay ce ntres, in n.10re areas around Victoria chat offer a structured, or open environment co facilitate seni o r care solutions and indepeadence".

Letters of congramlations are pouring in for Dr Phakey from all directions including commendation from tbe G o vernor of V ictoria Alex Chemov, Premier Denis r apthine, local u:uoi s ters and councillors. His famil y, comprising of WLfe Usha who is a retired reacher, son Vivek Phakey who is. an ophthalmologist and daughter ishi who is a dentis t, are proud of his achievements. " lt's good to be recognised with tl:u.s honour, howev er, as an academic I have had the opportunity to be rewarded in many od1er ways and all of diem are equally significant for me," answered Dr Phakey when asked about receiving the recognition. "This is tl1e icing on tbe cake, and as far as 1 am concerned there's still miles tO go before I sleep". www.indianlink.com.au

Young architect William Chan utilises his passion for the built environment to develop global communities

Young architect William Chan demonstrates how the sharing of knowledge can result in the de,, elopmenc of inn ovative solutions co global issues.

\'{/ illiam, named one of Australia's Top 100 Brightest Young ]\,finds in 2010, recently received the 2014 Student Prize for the Advancement of Arc hi tecture from the J\uscralian lnstitute of Architects.

His achievements are spectacular for o ne so young. Besides being a Future Green Leader for tl1e Green Building Council of Australia, he is also a you th mentor for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney.

His passion for socially an d environmentally s ustainable architecture has taken this young Australian, o riginally from Hong Kong , around the globe assisting communities in need

William graduated from the U niversi ty of S yd ney with the Convocation Medal from the Facul ty o f Archfrecture, Design and Planning and received a faculty scholarship co participate in an inter-disciplinary design program called Global Studio.

Globa l Stud io is an action research program with students, academics and p rofessionals from all over t he world diat use a participator y design process co facilita te projects.

William's first experience was a t Dieps loot, a slmu in J ohannesburg. This project opened h is eyes to how archicecmre could positively inAuence people and their livelihoods.

His continued invo lvement w itl1 Glo bal Smdio gave William the nex t op portuni ty co coordinate the prog ram in Bhopa~ India Here William was part of a team developing an urban renewal master p lan with a process o f i ndepm community consultation.

''Working in Bhopal a nd visi ting other p laces in India was a n incredible and eye-opening experience for me," William said.

The inter-discipl.inary project that William was pare of had sLx different groups working in tl1e Bhopal slums. Students and professionals from around the

Global St udio s tude nts in Bhopal, India

world - Europe, USA and Asia from the areas of architecture, business and law, worked in designoriented projects or researchorie nted project~, covering different aspects.

William's group looked at the master pla n of Bhopal They studied me new and o ld parts of Bhopal city, examining how the di stinctive Is lamic side and Hindu sides worked coge tl1er.

One to One Wall House at the Venice Bie nnale

why mey enjoyed me space.

T hey partnered wim tl1e local universi1:y, Manlana Azad Natio nal Institute of Techno logy (MANTI) who helped the overseas guests with incerpreti"ng, as weU as research.

The highlight of the whole process was its culmination in a festival called [Pe are Bhopal, which encouraged people who l.ive i n Bh o pal to sh are their ideas for the city.

''\'(/e held a communir:y consultation, asking children and ad ults to draw on maps of Bh o pal and put down me.ir ideas," said W illiam, me memory of me interactions still fresh in his mind.

"

\ '.\le showcased different ideas to give th e comnmni ty an idea of how a public space could change. We did illustration s and compmer renders to s how the 'before' and 'after' of possibilicie.~, so d1ar they could start talking and discuss these ideas "

So did di e project get implemented after the overseas v isitors returned home?

William regrets th01t tllis was unfortunately nor the case.

"Attempting co change a city i s a large scale project," admitted William.

T h ey p rese n ted the plan to the local government but he said implementing i t would be a long, hard process.

He fom1d me history of Bhopal fascinating.

" It was amazing to see how d1e ci ty 1·ecovered following the U nion Carbide disas ter and seeing h ow it has i m pacted me communi ty," he said.

As part of the process of d eve loping a masrer plan for Bh o pal, his group went around me publ ic sp aces of the ci ty, tallcing witl1 residents co find o uc how and

"At least we were able to initiate some di scussion around how to make the city better and we invo lved the co mnmnicy in chis process I feel it is so p owerful if we actually speak to the people. They will tell you what d1ey need, we just need to take the time to listen and find out d1e bes t solutio ns," he said hopefully.

Volunteering with World Vision and having worked in aid

and d evelopment, W illiam mer man y peop le who had previously travelled to lnclia

"When I was leaving, they warned me about h ow incredible and crazy India is. \'Vhile I was over there l could understand why!"

Besides Bhopal, he travelled co Mumbai, Delbi , Agra, Varanasi and Chandigarh

"Chandigarl1 was a llighlight for me as ic was designed b y m e famous architect Le Corbusi e r and it was interesti ng co see h ow architecture and design changes d1e way people l.ive Here was a city which was completel y p lan ned and I noticed how different i t was from tl1e rest of India Peop le followed road rules and respected tl1 e environm ent," he said

Tllis reiterated what William passio nately believes - an architect can create an environmenr that i n fluences me way people l.ive and behave, through design

In 2012 W illiam also received a scholarship co partic ipa te in d1e Internacional Exhibition ar the Venice Architecture Biennale d1e world's most prestigious archirecm re festival.

H ere he helped Anupama Kundoo, an Indian architect now based in Brisban e, build a low impact h o u se based o n her own h o me atAuroville in Po ndicherry.

"l was captivated by Dr Kundoo's passion in sus tainability and genuine advocacy for social inclu sion within architecture, particularl y how s he re-inte1-prets a·aditional design, materials and skills," said William.

Hi s experiences in Bhopal and around me world, has given t he youn g man direction for w ha t be wants co achieve in tl1e future.

Itis said, you bave to stand out to be outstanding" and tbat's exactly what Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor wished ro do in life Today he is the head of an international media and food empire and a hou sehold name in India.

Millions of viewers around d1e world watch hi s daily televi sion show, and he has hundreds of cookbooks and multiple restaurants in his name.

Bur did you kn ow, the Kbanr, Khaza11r1 whiz ventured into tbe field of cooking by accident?

At a reception while touring :Melbourne recently, Sanjeev Kapoor surprised everyone with the sto r y of how he stumbled on to what ultimately became a glor ious career.

At a time when the 'professions' (read m edici ne, engineering, ac coLmtiog) were considered prestigious above all other options, Sanjeev was determined to pursue something different.

"When I finished schoo l I wanted to do some dtlng that no one in my family o r circle of friends had attempted before," Kapoor revealed "Cooking however was not on my wish list at that po i.nr of time. I had al ways been creative a nd brilliant at ac ademics, a nd so ,vas veering cowards architecture, a little- known but still prestigious field rben".

A friend coerced him into app lying at a cooking institute so he could gain from Sanjeev's experience at me inter view. Sa n jeev applied on a wbim and even received au interview call. His fuse reaction was to refuse; however, he agreed co accompany his friend for his inte rview.

''\XThile waiting for rbe inte rview, the others around were discussing how the in stitute was really tough to get into and that merit did not count as one needed to 'know so meone' i n order to get

admiss ion there," Sanjeev recalled. "This triggered a challenge in my mind. 1 became determined to get an admission there witl1 absol utely no intentions of joining!"

He cooked up a plausible excuse and gained another opportunity to be interviewed A ccording to Sanjeev at that time, cooking was considered to be a mediocre field in India and not a common choice for people who scored well academically. During me incerview Sanjeev managed co convince me panel that despite his brilliant scor es he wished to do nothing else in his life but train as a chef.

He got selected, bur the admiss ion into

arch itecture came through as well.

Sanjeev decided to join coo kery upon advice from h is father's friend who said co him that 'it i s better to excel in a medioc r e field than be mediocre in an excellent field'.

Sanjeev decided he would t'lke up cooking and raise irs profile. The rest, as tl1ey say; is history.

Witl1 his passion, sustained effort and some pretty smart choices, Sanjeev Kapoor

e m barked on a rnission to raise the profile o f cooking across the countt:y.

Today, his Khana Khazpna show is the longest running TV s how in As ia with m ore than 500 mi!lion viewe r s. He has l.aunched

Soumeasc As ia's deb ut 24/7 cooking channe l, Food Food. He i s an internatio nally bestselli ng author, recipient of countless major awards, and the O\'lmer of a line of restauran rs, a cookware range and ready- co -eat meals

"l dreamt big," San jeev said simply, wim a shrug of his shoulders Sanj eev was in Australia earlier this year to fiLn a series on the cuisine and produce of this coumty.

To take the path less travelled, was the motivating factor in Sanjeev Kapoor's stellar career

A v is it to the MCG e a rlie r this year

ec ass1ca

It's a weekend-long tribute to Carnatic music's most enduring

BY · .'1 CHITRA : ' liJ ,. SUDARSHAN ~ -·

The annual rwo -day Mummoorthigal and Thyagaraja Festival organised by the futvichandhiras of the Academy of lndian Music

Australia Inc. and Sruti Laya

Kendra, lnclia, was held at the Kel Watson theatre in late May. This is the 167th anniversary of Saint T yagacaja This event pays tribute to his contribution to Camaric music, as well as that of his illustrious conte m poraneous composers M L1thuswamy

Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri.

Tbe gala event began with a traclitional puja at the al tar, fo llowed b y the congregational singing of the Pancharama kritis, the five immortal 'gems' composed b y Thyagaraja.

For the Carnatic music conuoisseurs of Melbourne, this is a much awaited event in th eir annu al music cale nda r. There are few that can equal the grand eur and the splendour of the top vocalists, instrumentalists a nd percussionists rendering d1ese great compositions together. lt is a trul y npli fting experience.

T h is year, they were joined on the stage by visiting arti stes

Sikkil Gurucharan, Shaswari

Prabhu (vocalists), mrudangam

maestro Karaikndi Mani, violinists

Sriram Kumar and A G A

Ga na sundaram, and Bangalore

Amrith, kanjira pl ayer. Maesa:o

Karai kud i Mani has performed with many international artistes incluclingJazz musician Paul

G ra bowsky of d1e Ausa:alian

Arc Orchestra A series of his compositions were adapted b y the Australia n Art Orchestra imo jazz and released as album Into tbf Fire in 2000.

The Talented Young Musicians

E n semble (TY1\ffi) is an initiative of Sri Rav ichandhira to encourage and promote young, emergin g artistes of iVIelbourne by giving them a platform and an opportunity to perform before top Carnaric musicians and dancers

from India, as well as a discerning audience. The group got alJ of this and much mo.re at d1e fescival mis year, presenring some interesting items, one of whicb was clirected b)' Gurucharau himsel f assisted by the 1yer brothers.

The TY1-,1[E segment consisted of mo.re than 35 vocal, percuss ion, instru m en tal numbers.

A competent and Wring bharatanatyam presentation was also made by a munber of students nominated b y Melbourne's reputed dance sc hoo ls uude r the coaching and able guidance o f Sh antby Rajendran, which ap tly included, among d1e items, Thyagaraja's Sti G,111ap"ti11i in raga Saurashtra m These were followed b)' in d ividual co ncerts by the crean1 of Melbourne's Carnacic music community, all familiar and established artistes and teachers.

One of the hig hlights of the entire event was the fullAedged vocal concert by Sikkil Gurucharan. He was suppo r ted on me violin by Sriram Kumar, on the rnrudangam by Karaikudi Maui and on kan jira b y Bangalore

Arn.rich. The percussion interlude by Guru Mani and Amcit was a smnning n1asterpiece.

The second day began with a TYi\iiE ensemble Th e instrumen tal segm ent was presented under t he able guidance of A GA Gnansm1da.ram which reflected the trueLalgudi padand1aram. Percussion was overseen by Bala.sci R asiah, which gave some insight into disti nctive s1:yles of structures composed by die stalwarts.

After some inclividual vocal and instrumental concerts by tbe cream of Melbourne's Indian classical artistes, AGA Ganasundaram presented a violin solo. Rajeshwari Sainath, a wellkn own bharatanatyam artiste, who is no sa:anger to Ausa:alia, having perfor m ed here o n many o ccasions su ch as TEDx Sydney where she was hailed for he r ' imaginative splendour tbat goes beyond technique', gave a brilliant performan ce, consiscing o f a fu!J repertoire: beginningwith a 111(1//a1i, a 1J(lra711 in valaj composed by the legendary m usic critic, tbe late Subbudu. In it, a mara d1on item, Ms Saina tl1 not onl)'

displayed her mastery over no(y11, bur also nritf(I by weaving intricate patterns w ith her footwo r k, th e jati.r having been composed by her uncle Karaikudi Mani himself, and ad111J11.r which would have been a challenge to dancers even much ymmger.

Vocalist Saaswachi Prabhu (a disciple of the legendary Lalgudi Jayaraman) impressed wi tb her pleasin g and tas t efo..l se lectio1J of music Yow1g Sai N ivaei dian w h o recendy obtai ned B hig h grad e in A ll India Radio m ade us proud by his effortl ess delivery of Nadbam mixed with dexteriry ou hi s mticlangarn.

Tbe festival director Ravi M R avichandhira OAM, said d1e event has now become an integral part of Melbo urn e India n com m unity's cultural calendar and was recognised by le aders in government, Australia Council, Department of Foreign Affairs, and tbe community, as e\Tiden ced b y me presence of bo th Liberal and Labor leaders mis year. I t has grow n in the last 25 years to beco me perhaps the second largest conference and fesrival of its kind outside India.

The festi val's overseas guest of

h onour was Prabhu Yagyararnan, tl1e Secretary of one o f the most respected s"bhm / m u sic al so cietie s in Chennai, the Krishna Gana Sabha He had high prai se for die way in which the festival was being conducted, keeping classical traditions alive in a land far from h ome.

aroos • m1r co ours

Vijay Kou/'s pie bounces into first place at the Canberra Times Autumn Photography Comp

Do Canberra and Kashmir have anything in conrn10n? They do, accord ing to CSIRO scientist, Vijay Kou! who won the fuse prize in the Ca11/;erm

Tiv,e.r Autu mn Photography

Competition, 2014. Koul's w inning click, was picked out from more than 400 en a·ies, is a shot of a bunch of kangaroos grazing peacefully ami dst the brea tluaking orange and red hues of the spectacula r Canberra autumn.

A native of Kashmir, Kou] has bee n living in Australia with his family for tl1e past 21 years. He is a scie n tist working with t he Bush Fire Research Grou p of CSIRO

Koul said that the beauty and magnificence of the changing seasons of Canberra, espec ially the spr ing and autumn colours, were h igh ly remini scen t of hi s homeland, Kashmir, which is often referred to as Paradise o n Earth for it.~ breath raking beaut)~

This i s the second time Koul has e ntered this p hotography competition. Last year, he cook part in the Canberr" Times \X' inter Competition 20 13; his p icture was shore- listed to be publis h ed but did nor win the title

Photography has always been Koul's passion, but this inte rest took flight when he began work with CSlRO, as he regularl y caprures photographs of hi s experiments Eve n tl1is winning picture was shot as he was finishing work in a nearby CSIRO lab.

"1 looked outside my window and saw d1e beautiful autumn sunset, trees, kangaroos; luckily I had my camera wid1 me, so jumped over the fence and clic ked the shot," he said of his wi nning ph oto

And when he is not wol'.ki ng, h e also enjoys sho oting for weddings,

INDIAN LINK

birthdays and communi cy-related events for friends and famil y At the moment, Koul said d1at he is not thinki ng of turning his passion into a profession, due to work and fami ly commitments, but he is keeping the avenues open.

Kou! shoo t s d1ese captivating images usi ng a Pemax w itlJ Sigma zoom lenses 18-200mm and 70300 mm. He told fodi011 U11k that he prefers not to use any photoediting software and if be must, he uses the software provided by Penta.'i:. He does not believe in fancy camera equip ment, but rather in the creative eye when it comes to capturing beautiful shots

" It is always best ro use auromode till one is confident before migrating ro manual focus," i~ KoLtl's adv ice for photograph y emhnsiasts and wannabe professionals. It is important to have an in -depth und erstanding of shutter speed a nd ap erture when using manual m ode. He also mentione d tl1a t a good way of learning and b roadening knowl edge is to refer co good jour nals, books and magazines dedicated to photog raphy Digital Photogn,pf?y for Dummies and Digital SLR Camern a11dPhotographsjor

D11!!1111ies by David D. Bush are the two books that Koul would suggest fo r no vi ces with a passion for photograph y

For those into travel p h otography; Koul's advice would be to invest in a good camera, a couple of SD cards and sp are batteries. "Go ahead and click as many pictures as yo u like; yo u can always delete the b ad ones," he explained. "And also remember t h e best cin1e for capturing good photograp hs is during the magic or golden hour which is o n e hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset".

He also points ou t tl1e ben efit of using a wide angle for capturing landscapes.

He said that tl1e scope and potential fo r growt h in tbe field of n atme and travel p h otography is immense, as Australia ha s many scenic locations and breat htaking natural beauty. He also m entio ned that d1e scope for event photographers is also huge owing to the large lndian population here

Koul is currently in tl1e p ro cess

of p r o d ucing a photographic book capmring the spectacular scenery of tl1e spring and autumn seasons of Canbe r ra. A project very close to hi s heart, he says d1is book will be his dedication to

Canberra and to i ts breatluaking natural beauty during these seasons

To interact w ith Kou! a nd catch a glimpse of his amaz ing work, visitwww facebook.com/vkoul

DHAN YA ~ SAMUEL

Model, actor... and change agent

Mr Melbourne launches new organisation to encourage social change

Mr Melbourne Australasia

2013 Puneet G ula ti recently officially launched his noL- for-profiL o rganisation O n e World Family (OWF)

The lau nch took p lace at his re siden ce, wi th promin ent figures including Assi sta n t Commiss ione r of Police Victoria Mr Andrew Ctisp and Djrcctor of the Victor ian M LLl ticulmral Commissi on Senio r Sergeant Mr Rud y Monteleo n e in attendance.

are filmed in documentary form and presented to the world through a webisode posted on OWF's YouTube channe l. The documentaries aim to make peop le th in k about the power of the common person and his ability to do sometbing special for the community OWF's first project T:-Jope to Homeless aims to better the lives of homeless people a nd raise awareness of the increasing prominence of homelessness, particularly in the western and northern suburbs of Melbourne.

made an impact by providing a makeover for a homeless man, sponsored b y Penny's Salon in Box Hili. The man was tben given private accommodation and work so that he could earn money and smrc a new life.

O\XIF plans to further the organisation's impact b y rai sing awareness of a broade r range of issues from violence related causes to environrnenml concerns. Their main objective is to empower peop le to influencing change. If OWF can do it, so they.

ro impact v iewers. Audiences can learn from both the good and tl1e bad by watching responses co situations surrounding an is s ue. j\fr Andrew Crisp said he is impressed witb tl1e organisation's focus o n homelessness, as it is O\XIF w ill maintain the webisode and visual media strategy. They strongly believe that visual media, a long with the vision of O\XIF, has greater power

a difficult i ssue for police to deal with and is always prioritised in order to keep homeless peopl

OWF hopes to gain the support aud sponsorship s of local and in ternational businesses to enhance their cause Being a notfor- profir, they also rel y heavi ly on public donations and support.

Ravi Singh

continued to refurbish the hall. The day's activities in cluded M11rti Pra11 Prn1ishtbt1, the ac tual 111oorti sthapno and _pra11pmtishtht1 supported by t1t11"ti and Sha11ti Path. The ceremony ended wi th offerings of prasnd aud 1110haprasad.

For the Sankat Jvfochan Samiti, it was a long-cherished dream realised.

Tbey celebra ted the grand opening of a temple dedicated to Lord Hanumru1 in south -east Melb01.un e recendy

They call i t 'Ken dra', or centre, to denote tliar it b inds, rather tban segregates humanity.

Fighting me deplorab le 8 degrees of soggy Melbourne weather at 9am o n Sunday, 15 June, a 100 plus of us were already congregated at tl1e venue. A select 40 of us rook our sears in groups of eight around five individual sacrificial fires know n as Hova11 K1111d.s. Simul mneousl y and wimonr b reaking the continuity of the rhythm, we chanted the uhutis, all e leven thous a nd of t he Gtl)'Ohi Mo11tra.s d iscip li ne, and b urned consecrated saat11ag1i ro seek god's bl essings for our physical aud sp iri n1al purificatio n. Volunteers in t he b ac kground

The Kendra boasts 200 p lus square m e tres of the hall t hat is used for spirin1al activities, and e ight sq uare metres of office space ln Ram Datbar, the devotees perceive the san ctified manifestation of f-It11111111,m;i, D111;go Mato, Gonesl?J~ Shirdi Sai Bnba, Sbivali11g, and also 1'\Javagraha, the nine planets that deter mine destinies. The Kendra will be forme r augmented with deities in years to come.

Just as unco n ditionall y as Hanuman served Lord R ama, the Sankat Moch an Samiti, a welfare organisation, is committed co providing physical, morn! and spiritual guidance tb those of any colour, caste or creed in need. Irrespective of one's religious beliefs, the Samiri invo lves itsel f in providing culrnral heri tage education to members of the fastest growing community in Victoria, the Indian communi ty.

Juxtaposed imaginative ly in a refurbished shed at 1289/\ North Road ia Huntingdale, the Kendra is by the Mo nash Univers ity bus stop and a convenient walking distance from tl1e station, off street parking aplenry Fo r more informatio n , please contact Samiti President Dr. Sunila Srivastava on 0427 274 462.

George Thakur

Australian Telanganites celebrate statehood

Telangana fever results in the creation of new associations in Australia

the s tate ar home o f which r he maj o rity o f peop le live under the poverty lioe.

ATAI conducted a blood donati o n camp o n I June and d onated fuods to an orphan ag e in H yderabad in order to renovate their Shar adh a V id ya N i ketan schoo l. They also cook o ver a water purj fication plant in Koorkal village, where impme water is conv erted to mineral water. This has enabled the servin g of 4,000 people with cl ean water.

In J une India celebrated the formation of its 29'1 state, Telangana. T hese celebrations extended to the Indian community in Austra lia as well, resulting in the formation of rwo more IndianAustralian associatio n. in Sydney, over 500 people gathered at Greystanes Community Centre to participate in Fo rrnation Day celebrations, organised by th e Australia Telang ana Porum (ATF).

A lamp was lit at the Telangana Tha lli portrait, followed b y praye r and a two -minute silem tribute dedicated co the martyrs that gave

their lives to enable the formation of the new state.

Councillo r Gurd eep Singh from H orn sb y Council shared his happiness toward s rbe new s tate, and stressed more communication and contribution towards the relationsh ip between Australia and Telangana.

Mem bers of the ATF, and o ther Telanganires and sponsors, who worked on coUective initiative, venue arr angements, food arrang ements, e ntertainment programs and the other logistics of the function, were thanked.

Telangana food was se1ved co all participants, and the event

was a grand success.

Nso following the Formati on Day celebratio n s was the inaugural fooction of the new Australia T e laogana Association Incorporated (ATAl) in Melbourne.

Held in June at Hawthorn Arts Centre, the ev ent gathered over 600 peop le and invo lved culrural acts including class ical danc es, s kits a n d fashion sho ws based on Telang ana culmre a nd tradition.

The ATAl serves as a platform for cultural , educational, social a nd economi c dev elopmental activ ities. It~ visio n is ro support and represent the Telangana

community in V ic toria an d addres s issues facing the c ommunity such as education health.

T h eir role in v o lves catering to the need s of migrant s tudents, preserving and pr omoting Telang ana culture and identity and addressing issues of the growing population

They h o pe w do this b y conducting workshops, forums, info sessions and s uppo rt groups to ed L1cate and rai se awarenes s of issues facing rhe Telangana Australian commu n i ty They also hope to engage in developmental and charitable acts ro support

Around 200 families have sh own their suppor t for the formatio n o f ATJ\l.

"lt i s my hope drnr ATAI will fill the g ap an d ful fill the r esiden t's needs b y conducting various programs to keep m 1r culture and he lp the need )' in Mel bourne and Telangana stare," sa id ATAl Treasme Shy am Lingam palli.

Present at the inauguratio n was p resident of ATAI Raj Vulpala, and Vice- CotmciUor of the lncliao Co nsulate Shri. M.C. Bhagath, who l a1mched the ATAl's official website Ravi Singh

Preventing hair loss after cancer

Disha raises funds for new tool that tackles hair Joss after chemo

Losing hair can be more frigh tenin g tban a mastectomy or even death.

"I would rather die than lose my hair," uttered a very scared but determined young lady who refused co go through chemothera py even though her doctor had informed her that this treatmeOL could save her life This young lady is nor d1e o nly one to experience t his dilemma

Acco rding co docrors, in the majority of cases, when cancer p ati ents are recommended to undergo chemotberap)' their fusr questio n will n ot be ''Will I be cured?' i n stead it is "Will I lose my bair?"

Losing hair is one of the most visible signs o f a cancer patient's battle to get well.

"Losing hair during chemotherapy can be traumatic and distressing fo r patient~," said D r Ta ra Chandramouli from Disha - Direction to Hope, which is an organisation that raises fu nds for wo rthwhile causes

"lt can rob them of their confi dence a nd sel f esteem ro look

at the mirror and see someone who does n or look like them anymore. A t Disha we wanted to do something ro keep their spirit going Disha helps cancer patients to <lea I with a cruel chapter of their lives by offering them hope in various ways," continued Tara.

Disba is proud to introduce to Mel bourne the 'Scalp Cooling Machine' tharwill s top hair from falling during chemotherapy.

The 'Scalp Cooling Machine' called Dignitana, meaning for dignity, costs $50,000. Disha is aiming to donate this equipment to the Peter M ac Hospir.'ll. Disha will

also s upport the Olivia Newton John Cancer & Wellness Centre in their pilot project ro start a Library of Wigs and Accessories. This will aUow the patienrs LO walk our after the treatment w ith a brand new hairstrle rnd1er than with no hair at aU.

An annual dinner dance was recendy held by Disha to raise funds for this wonhwhile cause. Held at Lincoln of Toorak, it was a fun filled ev ening with a serious intent The d1eme of 'Pink for Health' saw the majority of guests make an effort to dress up in variations of pink. With BoJJywood

style ente r tainment, music, raffles and auctions the evening was enjoyed by hundreds of people, mainly from the Indian community in Melbourne.

A highlight of d1e evening was an entertaining video of a flash mob dance performed around Melbourne's Flinders Street by the Disha team. The ladies managed to gather many people to join them in singing and dancing to Pbareli William's hit song Floppy Their fun filled video was met wid1 thw1derous applause from the auclience who seemed to appreciate

their efforts and enthusiasm.

H owever, the evening reaUy belonged to a young lady who spoke from her heart about her fami ly's journey through her morher's battle with cancer The attendees were touched as she spo ke candirU y about d1e reve rsal of the morher-daughrer roles when she found berself taking on the responsibility o f supporting and assisting her mother during her treatment. Her moving speech brought home the realisation that more needs to be done in terms of cancer treatment, research and education.

Di sha has raised more than $100,000 for cancer since their foundation was fou nded. They have donated mo n ey to rhe Alfred Hosp.ital for lung cancer Researcl1, R oyal Mel bourne Hospi tal for d1e Booe Marrow Transplant Unit., and the R oyal Women's Hospital for ovarian cancec. Di sha continues to work with dedication towards supporting those t h at are fighting t hi s disease and helping those who are coping with or who have survived its effects.

Preeti Jabbal

The Vatican announces its cricket team: From left, Deepak Anto from India, captain Anthony Currerfrom England, and Ajeesh George, Davidson Jestus and Pratheesh Thomas are part of the St Peter 's cricket team, made up largely of Indian and Sri Lankan priests, deacons and seminarians st udying in Rome. The new t e am is going on its first tour in September, play ing an Anglican squad at the Kent County Cricket Club and the royal household's XI at Windsor. The "Light of Faith Tour " aims to forge greater ties between the Catholic and Anglican churches, which split in 1534 after English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment

Government cla i ms that Indians in captivity in Iraq are safe

According to the government, Indians held captive by suspected Sunni militants in Mosul cown of Iraq are une une unharmed even as efforrs continue to secure their release from their abductors in the vjolence-h.it Gulf country.

Exrerna l affairs ministry spokesperson

Syed Akbarndclin cold reporters that efforts were being made to move Indians our conflict zones in Iraq,

He said the government's information flow has improved and is enabling more efficient channels of in formation transmission.

"On the iliplomatic front, our efforts are continwng both in Iraq and outside. Our initiatives are gaining impetus. We are proceeding systematically and carefully. Various doors are opening now; these are primarily in lraq at various levels, all of which are significant," he said.

Akbarudilin claimed there were about 120 Indians in conflict zones in Iraq and 17 had moved out.

"Seventeen lnclians have been removed from die conflict zone \Ve are working to ensure that rest of the Indian .nationals in conflict zones are moved out of there," he said

Asked if there was real danger of d1e 39 abducted lndians being used as a shield, he claimed there was " no safety in captivity".

"'~/e are ever y day trying to obtain information, corroborate information and confirm information. Based on drnr, I can confirm d1ey rema in unharmed as of now," Akbarudilin stared

] t is understood that India is in touch with countries in the region like Saudi Arabia to urge them to assist in freeing die captives.

The Inilia.ns, who belong mostl y to Punjab and Hai-yana, we re working in Mosul as construction workers, drivers or sarutary workers Susp ected militants of tbe Islamic Sta te of Iraq and d1e Levant (ISIL), who have overrun large p ar ts o f northern Iraq and taken over Mosul and Tikrit, abducted d1e workers around a week ago.

Acco riling to Akbarudilin, die 46 Inman nurses Tikric are also safe He said the safety and security of Indians in Iraq remained a matter of prio rity fo r d1e government.

''We have received 120 requests in Baghdad and 300 at our control room in New Delhi for ass istance of various types," he said. Some of the requests may, however, be duplication, he added.

Akbarudclin said diere were more dian 10,000 Indians in Iraq and d1e return of those not in the conftict zones would be on normal contracmal terms. He claimed there were 12 major comparues where Indians were working and the company with the largest presence of Indians, around 2,500, was in , ajaf. Several Indians wan ted to return and the lniliai1 government is also in couch wid1 the companies d1at h ad sent them to Iraq to wo rk.

On reports of the death of an Indian, he said d1ere was no information from the concerned company about d1e possib ili ty of an Indian wor ker in southern Iraq who may have succumbed co a heart attad,.

"When I checked t hat up, d1ey [tl1e Inilian mission] hadn't yet got confirmation from the concerned company. It is possib le that the company is completing their procedures ar their e nd before they come to us. Bur should this unfortunate event have taken p lace, we will assist the return of die mortal remains of diat lnruan national in

accorda nce with the standard procedure," Akbaruddin said Officials stated that requests for assistance from lnilian nationals in Iraq were being constantly addressed. The Indian mission will help t he workers to obtain passports ro rerurn, as the employers would have taken their passports away under the Iraq i labour laws.

The ' Phoren' dream resu lts in Iraq misery

Promised a good life in rich havens like Dubai, Kuwait and Jordan, hordes of gullible youth from Punjab and Haryana have been manipulated by travel agents and in country associates to work in miserable conditions in conflict-torn Iraq.

With the number of people stuck in lraq due the recent sectarian Rare- up, rising to neatly 700, the old story of failed "phoren (foreign) dreams" and lost b ig bucks is being retold.

' 'Many youth are pronused jobs in Dubai, Kuwait and Jordan bur d1ey are taken by d1e travel agent.~ to Iraq instead. Once tl1e you th reach there, rney do have d1e option of rerutru.ng. It is a nuserable trap. The youd, spend lakbs of rupees of bard earned money or sell land ro go abroad, and end up in a life of hell," said Paramjir Singh, who remrned from lraq after wor king d1ere for over cwo years.

Bbagwant Mann, the Aam Aadmi Parry (AAP) Lok Sabha member from Sang rur, has taken to social merua and set up a helpline to reach out to youths stranded in Iraq and also help connect them to their families in Punjab.

f-le said the actual number of people from Punjab snick in Iraq could be much higher than 700.

"Though Tdon't have the actual figure, I am told diat up to 4,000 Indians, mostly Punjabis, are sruck in Iraq," Mann said.

"1v1ajority of tl1e youth are raken to Dubai, Jordan and Kuwait and dien sold o ff to companies in Iraq ," he added.

The Punjab government has already submitted a list of 5 14 people from Punjab who are stranded in lraq.

Going abroad is a common fad among youths from Punjab, especially in the Doaba region (ilie area between Sutlej and Beas rive rs) comprising the di stricts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawan Sbabr and Kapurthala.

" Rural youths and also diose from smaller towns just want co go abroad by any means. They see no fumre and employment fo r themselves in Punjab. Despite big promises, the Punjab governmem does little for d1em. The levels of frustration are Lugh," said Sarnam Singh, a Jalai1clbar-based travel agent.

The unscrupulous travel agents take advantage of mis simation and exp loit such youth. They swin dle them of lakhs of rupees and dump them in counc11es like Iraq," he said.

Accorrung to reports, militants have taken hostage 40 Inilians, mosrly Punjabis, in Iraq's Mosul town. Their fate is unknown since they were abducted. The families of the men smc k in Iraq , who are mostly poor o r lower middle class, say they can only hope for the remrn of di eir loved ones.

·'We don't have the re sources or money to gee them back We want ouc boys back," said Baldev Singh, a relative of one of the youths held hostage in Iraq

The story of Ancaryami and two o thers, who were taken hostage in Iraq neruly a decade ago, is still fresh in the nunds of people but tliat ha s hardly d eter red youd,s from risking everytlung to go to Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq.

The fanuly of A n taryami, who live in a village in Hin1achal Pradesh's U n a ilistrict, adjoining Punjab's H osluarpur ilistrict, wanes to keep away from the media glare at d1is time, when d1e hostage crisis is being repeated wi th odier youd1s from Punjab.

Amaryarni rumself drives a truck and has not worked on foreign shores since

Indian missions pick up pieces of US Visa mess lndian missions in tbe US have mrned to social media ourlets such as Facebook and Twitter as d1ey scram bled co clear up a visa mess as a result of the changing of contractors for proces!>ing consular services.

Following n umerous complaint.~ against the prev ious service provider BLS International, the Indian embassy awarded the new contract for provirung visa and od1er consular services to Cox & ((jogs Global Services i n May.

The switch, however, made ilie ordeal of travelling to India, particularly from d1e West Coast, worse in the i1utial clays. According co a media report, outrage an d anger over delays boiled over inco fights on ar least t\VO occasions at the outsourcing agency's office in San Francisco.

" Is the Indian Consulate in SFO complicit in stealing US passp orrs maybe not but should n or d1e DHS look into trus," t\veeted one angry traveller.

"There would be no eme rgency if you bozos would just process a normal visa application," he said in another tweet.

The Indian consulate general in San Francisco has reassured those who h ad applied wjth the previous service provider

BLS International for Overseas Cicizens hip of India (OCI) that their applications bave been taken over for ptocessing by the mission itse l f.

Earlier, to deal with the crisis, d1e Indian embassy in Washington DC and other Indian consulates in the US started movi ng their own staff to consular service outsourcing centres in order to help the applicants.

The mission s also started directly providing visa services to all Urgent/ Emergency cases and set up helplines for complaints against the previous and new service provider.

The Indian "embassy and consulates are taking extraordinary steps to respond to recent Consular complaints. Write to Consu.larHelpline@indiago\7.org," said a twitter mes sage.

"Senior officers would be visiting the consular service outsourcing centres to monitor the progress in service," the embassy assured in another Lweet.

Passports of Indian workers being held by Iraqi employers

According to Amnesty International, there is evidence that several hundreds of Indians were stranded in the N a jaf province of Iraq as d1eir employer refused to return their passports.

"With fighting between state forces and armed groups intensifying and affecting civilians across Iraq, the stranded Indian workers could be fac ing rising dJtnge rs," Amnesty International India said in a press release

They said they spoke over phone to so me of the Indian workers.

"They said they have not been paid salaries for the past five mond1s and d1eir passports have been held.

"We have been restricting ourselves to the company premises since d1e conflict began because we are scared. \'v' ithout o ur passports, we can't leave this country, and every passing clay rnakes us feel more and more tmsafe. We just want to go home," one o f d1e workers was quoted as relling Amnesty

The workers also cold Amnesty char d1ey had raised di.is concern with the Indian embassy in Baghdad, wluch asked them to provi.de their passport details via text message.

The workers sent the details and are now awaiting a response.

Anod1er worker said their employer told them they were safe and wou ld be moved to safer locations if they perceived a dueat from the armed groups led by the Islamic State in Irag and al-Sham (ISIS). However, another worker said d1ey were only 200 km from the conflict zone.

The international human rights organisation welcomed the lncl.ian goverument's initiatives ro evacuate stranded workers quickly and urged ir to "pay s pecial attention ro ru.igra.i1t workers who may have had to hand over their passports and other travel documents to their employers".

They also called on the armed groups to immediately a.11d unconditionally release all civilians they were holding as hostages, and end all attacks on civilians.

Amnesty furd1er said ir had called on the telephone Lines of the construction company as well as o n d1e mobile phones of three of irs managers but could not get on to anyone.

"Migrant workers, including those from lndia, are among d1e most vulnerable groups in Iraq," said Amnesty.

"Under international huma.rucarian law, state and non-stat e actors are obligated co take necessary precautions to avoid endangering d1e civilian population. The parries to me conflict muse facilitate the safe passage of all chmians w ishing to flee tbe fighting".

Gujarat stepwell listed as World Heritage site

Queen's stepwell, Rani ki Vav, in Gujarat's Patc'ln town, has been added to UNESCO's list of World Herimge sites, said a cultmal ministry release.

Prime tvliti.ister Narendra Modi welcomed the decision, calling it a "matte r of great pride" for d1e state.

'

'Rani Ki Vav in Patan., Gujarat, has been added to the UNESCO Wodd Heritage list! A matter of gi·eat pride for us. Next tin1e you visit Gujarat, you mu se visi t Rani Ki Vav, an exceUent symbol of our g reat art and culture," he tweeted.

"Rani ki Vav has been approved for inscription on the World Heritage list," said d1e release, adding that UNESCO made tbe decision at the World Heritage Committee session at Doha.

U r ESCO recognised this masterpiece as an excepcional example of technological development in utilising ground water resources in a single component.

lt was also acknowledged for its water management sys te m and for illustrating the exceptional capaci ty to break large spaces into smaller volumes following ideal aesthetic proportions.

"The ancient stepwell wa.s buil c in che 11th century and is an exampl.e of a wuque lndia.11 subterranean architectural structure. Its seven storeys of ornamented panels of sculpmres and reliefs accurately represent the MaruGmjara style," said the release.

''Following the flooding and d isappearance of die Saraswati rivet due to geotecton.ic changes, the property was buried under layers of s ilt for almost seven cenruries and has been preserved undemeatl1 an exceptional state of conservation by d1e Archaeological Survey o f India (ASl) ," the release added.

Reconnecting maritime cultural landscapes across the Indian Ocean

The cu.ln1re ministry has launched a project that aim s to re-estab lish commrnucation between countries across the .lndian Ocean.

Culture ministry secretary Ravindra Singh launched t he 'Mausarn' project at d1e 38th session of the World Heritage Committee at Doha.

"One of rhe main deliverables o f this project is d1e nomination of maritime cultural landscapes across the Indian Ocean as a transnational property on d1e \Xforld Heritage IJs t of UNESCO," stated an official release. Tbe project endeavours to position itself at rwo levds.

''At the macro level, it aims to re-connect and re-establish communications between counrries of the Indian Ocean world which would lead to an enhanced understa.11ding of cultural values and concerns," said the statement.

''A t the rnicro level, d1e focus is on understanding national cultures in their regional maritime milieu," .it added.

According to the sta tement, the central rnemes that hold this project together are chose of cultural routes and maritime landscapes thar not only linked different parts of me Indian Ocean, but also

The Rani- ki- Vav (Queen's) stepwe/1, on the banks of the Saraswati River in western Pata n, some 120 kms from Ahmedabad, has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status

connected the coastal ce ntres to d1e ir hinterlands.

New approach to development needed that benefits poor and saves the environment

There migh t not be any e nd to the debate on h ow to promote urban d evelopment without harming the environment.

However, environmemal journalist and aumor Baha Dutt believes she knows where d1e problem lies.

The is sue is a "development model drnt alienates locals perspective and is carbon intensi ve," says Dmt.

"There is something wro ng with our model of d evelopmem that is so carbon inten sive, a.11d doesn't take into account how local people feel about natural resources".

As an environment journalist, Dutt has compiled an account of her work assignments in a bo0k tided Green IV'01,· d1at talks abonc development in different parts of the cotmtry. It explains bow di.is aimless deforestation .i s destructing the serene environment and displacing many peop le

One of d1e chapters of the book highlights how in 2006, the then chief 1nin.ister of Uttar Pradesh , Mulayam Singh Yadav, proposed a plan to build a stace-ofart airport at his ancestral Safai v illage in the Ecawah district.

This "development" was a death warrant for sarus cranes of India, \vho have made d1ese vast wetlands their home.

Upo n learning of bis proposa~ Dutt

pledged Mr Yadav co abandon d1e non-migratory crane's narural habitat. H.e initially refused to respond, but when her CNN -IB:M news channel spoke of d1e issue, Yadav had no other oprion bur to drop the project.

The tit-bits of this investigative• environment report is what the book is all about.

"The book looks at areas o f conflict, for instance in the northeast where over I 00 dams are slated for construction in a biodiversity hotspot, or areas like Goa where people have wa_ged a war against nuning," she said.

"Everyone says tha t mining or dams will bring development to a region, but by that .logic Oclisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand should have been our most rich states".

Du rt feels development models sustain lifestyles of me rich, and barcl.ly do anything for t h e development o f d1e area of the poor.

''1 wish our development models were for our p o pulation or d1e poor. Bm what I have tried to highlight is that more dams, roads and ruining projects are being used to sustain the lifestyles o f the rich in our cities," she said.

"If diey were meant for the poor, then tbat would still be. less of a problem Odcl.ly enough we develop coal power plants for the rich and want the poor to turn to renewable sources of energy such as so lar," she concluded.

IANS

Green leafy vegetables are good for you (whichever way you eat t hem!)

Mamta Lalwani

This happened quite a while ago, back in L1dia, during my college days. J was in my furn ! year and ver y close co graduating so f decided to invite some college friends over for lunch to celebta[e my binhday. l'vfy sister-in-law offered to cook palak paneer and I thought I would whip up my famous pm1i pmi co serve as an appetiser

I felt quite good having opted for the easier of the two dishes to make. The "puris" were ready made, I onJy needed co prepare the pa11i so I came bad, earlier than usual from college and set about doing my smff. I cook ouc all the ingreclients, whizzed them through the b lender and pm them in a bowl. I got interrupted b y tbe door be ll and ran to let m y friends in.

Everyone wished me "Happy Birthday" and had brought presenrsl l got really flustered and excited. All thoughts of the p,mi pmi got shoved ro the background, as I started ripping ope n my presents.

I realised I bad promised them my famous p mi pu,i so l went to the kitchen co get it A l l I had to do was add the icy co ld water co the ground mixture in the bow l which 1 quickly clid, decorated ic w ith boondi; and ver y confident of my special.icy, served it without tasting it. One b y one all m y friends casted it and each one of them put their p lates down with a very weird express ion on their faces. The expression was an amalgam of confusion and pure clisgust! What on earth was going on? Wh y in the world were m y friends acting like I had fed them rat poisoa?

I quickly tasted it myself and wished I were dead!

My sister- in-law who was makingpalak pa11eer had ground the pcilak and some 11111salas in

a s imil.ar bowl co 11:i.ine. I had accidentally served that with the go!gappas and she in tbe mean time had come into the kitchen aad pm my pani p11ri mixmre in rbe palak paneen The outcome was two really bizarre dishes! " Palak Puri" and "Pani Paneer"! Basically there was nothing to eat on m y birthday! There were presents for sme but was I going to give an ything back to m y fr iends? No sir! I was going to starve my friends on my b irthday ! A pa rty they'd never forget. Surprise!

Sweet daughte r -in-law

Nuzhat Rasheed

l was newly married and v ery eager to please m y in -laws In those clays there we.re huge expectations from daughters -inlaw, especially in the first couple of years of marriage.

I had onJy been married a few days and m y in-laws were coming over for tl1eir very first meal at our place, which meant they were going to taste my cooking for the very first time. I am a very good cook, conlidant of m y culinar y skill.s, but on tliis occasion was nervous nevertl1eless because it was my in-laws l had to impress.

I had decided to go the extra mile and prepare a huge feast. Since cooki ng came so naturally to me I never folJowed recipes.

i\liy cl ear mot!1er bad caught me all tl1e tricks aad I had made her proud. I used my instincts when it came co adding in 111tJsalas. After a full day of laborious cooking

1 was very pleased w ith the sumpruous spread.

i\'1y in-Jaws arrived very punctuall y and after tl1e pleasamries we re exch anged, clinner was served. A very strange eirpression came over their faces the moment they tasted the food. They all seemed to be exchanging glances and smil es that d idn't exactly say "WOW" ! \Vhat were these snii les about? 'i\'lhat on earth was going on? I was so busy serving everyone I hadn't casted tl1e food yet. :Maybe it was time to do so.

1 quickly puc some food on my plate and into my mouth. \X!hy did everything taste like dessert? Oh my God! 1 had pm sugar in. the food instead of salt!

Nothing goes to waste here! Ru

Duff

I was cooking a chicken soup o n e night, along witl1 some fried chicken, as an appetiser before the mam course.

When the chicken was fried I realised there was some unused corn Aour lying around. I thought it would be a tenible waste to

throw it away, so 1 decided co u se it in the soup The excess corn Aour in the soup completely destroyed it, rendering the main course inedible to all and sundry !

My husband tried to eat it on account of the fact that be was starving. However, it was an exercise in futility becau se it tasted like goo! My kids clidn't have ir either; they hated it. I thought, rhe hell with t h is, 1'11 eat it m yse lf, but spat it out as soon as I tri.ed it. So

1 dec id ed co just tluow it to the dog. The dog examined it fro m

all side s and l ooked at me like I was crazy serving bim a clish like that! Even the clog d idn't eat m y cooking!

To salvage a little bit of corn flour, 1 had destroyed the famil y 's entire meal and wasted two chickens!

Red hot chilli aloos UzmaBeg

I was visiting my cousin in London an d decided co try m y culinary skills on hirn. He was a bachelor and a very bad cook so I had a great chance of looking

From fires to crimes against the taste buds, our readers share their stories about all things disastrous in the kitchen

really good in front of the really bad.

I decided to make aloo ki sabzi (curried potatoes). It was d1e simplest recipe and wouJd be easy, or so I d1ought!

The family cook back home had said to heat up the oil and put red chiU i powder in it before adding the potatoes. I put the o il in the pot to heat and settled in from of the TV to cm the potatoes and got completely absorbed in tbe television show that m y cousin and l were watching. After a while m y cousin said, "I sme U sometlung burning in the kitd1en" Oh dear! I bad completely forgotten about ilie project 1 had commenced!

l ran to the kitchen. The oil was burning hot and there was smoke everywh ere. I told my cousin to o pen the window and proceeded to put chilli powder in d1e oil

As soon as I threw in the chilli, the oil Rared up in to Rames! I screamed .My cousin rush ed into the kitchen. He was horrified to see the Aames and grabbed tl1e burning pot and shoved it under d1e tap in the sink. As soon as the water hit the o il the Aames burst our of control an d }ut the ceiling! 1 screamed hysterically

My cous in , realising that the apartment was going co be on fire pretty soon, grabbed the Aaming pot and made a mad dash for d1e balcony Meanwhile I was sc ream.ing hystecicaUy and waving a ve ry sharp butcher's knife i n d1e air. My cousin saw the knife coming straight at him a nd to avoid being scabbed, he made a s harp turn rig h t into the g lass dinning table which moved wi t! lus weight and jammed into the gyprock wall, putting a big dent in i t!

He somehow managed to escape a U iliis drama and make it to ilie balcon y door. The fire a larm was deafening. There was banging on tl,e front door and seconds la ter the concierge burst

INDIAN LINK

into t he apa r 1ment. 1 just kept screaming unconrroliabl y throughout iliis fiasco. The fire was finally p ut out. The pot had to be lefr outs id e overnight for it to coo l down. My cousin was b leeding from having h it the glass cable's corner while trying to avoid being stabbed by m e. The landlord had to be informed about the big dear in the dioning room wall and the black kitch en ceiling, and of course my cousin had to pay for all the damage!

Oops! AJJ l was trying to do was m a ke aloo ki st1bzi.

Egg sa nd chick s Veena

Kumar

It was a beautiful cloudy day a nd my whole fanill y demanded breakfast in bed. The boys all had a day off from school and m y husband and I always SL'lttecl d1e cla y late anywa)~ so I decided to spoil everyone. They all wanted au English style b reakfast with th e works; eggs, baked beaus a nd roast Buc unlike ilie English, they wanted their eggs boiled. With at least two eggs per person it came to ten eggs in all so 1 dec ided ro boil the entire case Qf a d9ze n eggs

As soon as I put t he eggs qn the phone rang.

way I read

I read recipes tne same · \ oet to · science f1ct1on. the end and I think.

Mrs Sharma's son was in love with aJ,ori and she was devastated, an d of course 9 o'clock in the

morning was t he best rime to bring it up. I got completely engrossed in me sqap opera tha t

was Nus Sharma, The Son and His Gori. Kind of W<e The Lion, Tbe IVitch, t111d The lf:1/ardrobe! Goss ip had a scrange way of g iving imm ense satisfaction to all participants Th e eggs were comp letely out of focus bf now

and d1e screams for breakfast iliac came from up stairs were totally muffled. The only thing chat was crystal clear was th e gori dragon who was about ro enter Mrs Sharma's Li fe

The loud wail of the fire alarm made me jump our of my skin and brought the rest of t he reside nts of the house come iliunclering downstairs. THE EGGS!!! Oh Ill )' Goel! wlrs Sharma had to be stopped or the fire engines would be parking outside pretty soon! Tbe eggs no lo nger existed! They had boiled t hem selves to dead,; all the water was gone and die eggs were omv on the ceiling! Instead of breakfast in bed I h ad given my fanuly a special treat with breakfast on the ceil ing !

Ch eck ou t o ur Pinte res t board for more food fails: www.pinterest com/ indianlink/food-fails/

•Well, that's not" going to happen. your cards

Adelaide to Agra

OPINION

United we stand, divided we...

Why the decision to welcome Telegana as India's 29th state is wrong

I, MoneyGram~

My homeland has been divided yet again on 2"d June 2014, India witnessed the formation of its 29 d, stare, I be lieve in a

democratic, sec ular and tolerant India and hence, 1 be lieve rbe decis ion to form this new state is enrirely wro ng; socially, politicaU y and democratically.

Socially, a conunon dissent (amongst man y others) voiced b y the citizens of Tehmgana who aspired for a new state is diat linguistically, they spoke different languages .&om the other regions of 1\ndhra Pradesh. Exarnp le,"i\tfy Telugu accent has always been ridicul ed b y those

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need to pump in to uplift the majotity of Telangana is colossal. and to the tune of several billions. lt is a task that might not be easy to achieve in spite of getting Hyderabad which practicaU y functions like a satellite city. And the other hand, are the cost and resources required fo r setting up a new government and related governmental agencies and administrative offices. The truth is that the elected government does nor have a clear blue print to address any of the critical .issues facing Telangana today

''Democratically, as we get closer to completing 68 years of independence, it is a saddening thought that we still follow the'divide and rule' policy of the British Raj which destroyed our land

from other parts as I speak a different version of the language".

Our country was divided along linguistic lines at the time of state formation postlnd ependence, bur within a state, every village or district speaks w ith a different style or accent even today and all o f us have at some point ridiculed or been ridiculed for our accent or language. But does this qualify for die demand of a new s tate , a new di visio n ?

Economically, the c itizens of celebrate as if d1e battle has been won. But the real battle is yet tO begin! The new government is faced wi ch the mammoth cask of the economics of running a new state. J\ principal reason cited for needing a new s tate was d1e fact that m ost regions of Telangana were economically backward and not g iven

d1e due attention b y the former Pi:adesh government. With a total l and area of 11 4,000 sq . km and a population ove r 35 million, the only prized asset Telangana can boast of is H yderabad, rbe technology hub of which che new governme nt believes can contribute tremendo u sly

Politicall y, the r iots and struggles for a new state began

in the early 1960s. Initially, it was a publ ic outcry against the landlords of undi vided Andhra who exp lo i ted d1e farmers a nd other workiiig class of the Telangana regions It didn't take long for the politic ians to discover that chis sense of inju sti ce in rhe minds of the public was a good wa)' to gain votes. Soon tli e public disdain became a po li tical outcry. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (f'RS) formed in 2001 as a result of this and rhe party chose to form an alliance w ith the Congress (which held the

stronghold at that rime) in the hopes of a new statehood. But the Congress party had no su cb inclinations and hunger stri kes, riots and so cial unrest becan1e d1e o rd er of d1e d ay. \Xlheu the date for the 2014 general. el ections was set and the Co ngres s par ry realised that it could be wi ped om from power, the decis ion for the new state of Telangana was pushed in a last minute attempt to gain a couple of votes from the region. A petty political m i scalculation which co st the party dearly die general e lections.

Democraticall y, as we get closer co comp leting 68 years of independence, it i s a saddening thought that we still follow tl1e

We did not need

to cut ourselves up on the basis of language and regional differences; we need less corrupt leaders who would

'''divide and rule' policy of the British Ra j which destroyed our lan d We did not need a separate state; we need ed a sensitive government to understand tbe real p light of d1e peop le We did n ot need to cut ourselves up on the basis of language and rei,>ional differences; we need less corrupt leaders who wilJ direct funds in the right manner to promote growth and development. And above all, di rect funds in the

to tl1e development of the new state Though

right manner to promote growth and development

''We s hmtld hm7 e learnt

we need to exercise tolerance, a sense of unity and brotherhood, a trait in such short supply among Indians back home and around rhe g lobe the city of Hyderabad has t be eco n omic po tential to bring Telangana out of its financial and develop mental

from our past mis cakes, the glaringl y obv ious ones like Jbar kha od. 1t is going ro be a lonely road doom, it is .important to realise tli at the rest of the sta te remains backward with poor infrastructure, far m ing or irrigation facilities Water is another issue on which the two divided states will continue to lock heads with each o ther. Oo one band, the revenue and resources that the new government ,vill

for Te langana and but here's to hoping the new leaders can deliver rbe promi ses m ade. As well a s hoping diat tl1e new government does not di,1i de and cut up lnclia again into Gorkhaland , Bod oland and Vidarbha for petty political interests.

A Melbourne-based engineer develops an app that lists Hindu te mples in 50 different countries

Temple Details

Driving Directions

Face book/Twitter

or the devout Hindu, god is everywhere and in every being He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent.

:Most of us, nevertheless, also fi nd strength and solace in a peaceful dm,·bt111 at temples. Today, no matter which corner of the world the globetrort:i.ng Hindu finds him or herself in, there is bound to be a Hindu temple, offering the right spiritual direction

Through the innumerable resources of the World Wide Web and the irumvation of Indian Australia Hari Iyer, finding god is now eas ier than ever.

Leveraging on the very latest in mobile technology, lyer has come up w ith a nove.l web and mob ile phone application to service the needs of the Hindu community

Mapping over 2,000 temples in 50 major coLmtries outside India, I yer recently lamiched his free Hindu temples directory, www allhinduteruples.com, and app for iOS on www. HinduTemplesApp.com

downloadable through App Store.

The temp les app is a comprehensive directory and is particularly handy for getting directions, opening hours, contact details and services offered. The information can also be saved ofAine to d1eir device.

The high ly i n teractive app is particularly unique in its \Xfiki-style customer inte r face that allows users to netwm:k, collaborate, leave feedback and provide useful advice for omer temple -goers. Users can also update information and include phocos.

"Every other religion except Hinduism has apps and directories as weU as lots of information 30 JULY 2014

Temp les

on.line abou t d1eir places of worship," lyer told Indian Ut1k.

"\Vhile so many Hindus have carved a niche for themselves in information technology, we don't have many resources online".

The idea for the app arose w h en Hari and his w ife Samridha turned up at a local Sydney temple, o nl y co find it dosed

"I subsequently tried to find their openi ng hours and realised mere was not much information available," Iyer said.

"Their website was down as well and even when it was restored i t lacked adequate content in a mobile friendly website. This is the case for most temple websites"

It was the frustration of not having access to basic in formation that inspired Iyer co create his app, wim d1e intention of making temple visits easier for everyone.

"I decided to create a directory whose main purpose i s instant access to basic logistical information. ~'herever the y are in

Contact Details

[ Opening Hours]

Share Details

Sav e Favorite s Offline

the world, me rech -savvy devotee can u se the app to locate a Hindu temp le near rbem," explained Iyer.

As a typ ical "Tam- bram" (Tamil Brahm.in) the Mumbai-born Iyer was a frequent visitor of local temples His marriage to Samridba also strengthened his spiritual foundations as she not only brought a furn religious grounding back inro bis life bur also actively encouraged him to create the directory.

The industrial engineer, whose expertise is sales and consulting, invesred all his spa.re time into this unique project. A year in d1e making, it initially began as an Australian temples direcrory and b log, expanding steadily to include many more countries.

"It did mke a lot of coordination, bringing together work from different locations wim data analysts in Noida, app developer in Europe and graphic designers in Ko lkata. I had a lot of support from family, si nce a

Joe of my personal time and money has gone into bringing it tO current stage," ryer explained.

Each of me temples had to be individually mapped on Google maps as weU as data sourced and cleaned, co ensure accuracy for u sers The App itself had been in development for over four months and was exrensively tested to ensure compatibility with all iOS devices and screen sizes.

"In spite of the best of our efforts, this sort of information is clynam.ic," he added

"Opening hours c hange, temples often start small and then move on to bigger, pe r manent locations, phone numbe rs change and contact details also vary So I'd call upon users to report any changes that mey notice so it can be updated to benefit me whole community".

Although the project itself was self- fu n ded, in order to cover d1e cost of sustaining it on App Store, me app bas been priced at $2.49 and has already received many five

star 1·eviews.

Consumer feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive. Peak H indu organisations like VHP, Hindu Council of Australia and Overseas Friends of BJP Aust:ralia h ave offered their support, but Iye r hopes to expand the app's reach even furtl1et.

"There is still work needed to spread the word especially in countries like U K, US and Canada," he reiterated "Mapping temples all over the world is such a massive project that no one can possib ly do it all by himself, but i f everyone had to ooly look after one or two temples in their local area co keep d1em updated and correct mat's easily doable and will benefit me entire communiry"

Iyer is also keen for temple managers to claim ownership of d1eir li sting and manage it d1emselves The sire also allows temples to upload any local events or festivals to help them get m ore visibility amongst devotees In d1e future, Iyer also hopes to co n nect with temp les in India. "That will be a mammoth pro1ect and we are trying to find local organisations there that we can work with. Conservatively speaking there would be at least 10,000 large temples in India d1at we'd like to include in the directory," he stated. Spurred by me demand, he has already begun wo r k on the Android version. To reach a wider audience, d1e app will be free.

'

'.As I will soon be mapping lndian temples, I do not wish to put it a behind pay wall," Iyer indicated. "1 also don't want to run ads, as it ,;vill corrupt d1e spir itual experience. Instead I p lan to hold a fundraiser through I.ndiegogo, whe re pe()ple can contribute whatever mey wish towards app development cost"

Fi11d out more at: bttps:/ / 1JJ11111J. i11diegogo.co1J1/projects/globa!-hind11te11Jp!es-t!irector;y-belp -cm1te-r1n-aiveso111efi'ee-011d1·oid-opp-110-ads

Diwa i atsc

Celebrate India launches essay competition for primary students

When tbe Ce lebrate

Inclia organisation was founded some eight years ago, the main intem was to undertake activities that would give main s tream Australians a feel of Indian cul ture.

Today, the group can claim iL has accomplished this successfully, given they have taken the festival of Diwali straight to the heart of Melbomne city, attracting thousands of citizens as well as those in the topmost rungs of government, as guests.

But of course Cdebrate India will not merdy rest on their lamels.

Led by Arnn Sharma, the notfor-profic organisation has come up w i th a unique initiative that will take che lndian festival of lights to primary schools across the state.

An essay competition o n Diwali has been bunched for studencs in Years 5 and 6, des igned to encourage them to exp lore and share the ir e:s,.-perience of lncli:an culture. Entrants will submit a p iece of desc ri ptive writing, 300350 words long, on the s imilarities and cliJferences between the

lndian festival of Diwali :and Christmas.

Some aruactive prizes have been announced, including cwo Air India tickets to India , and a 6-week APL Leader sh ip Program (including a visit by an APL pl ayer) for the school with the most entries. Winners will be annow1ced at the mega Diwali celebration to be held at Fed Square later this year.

Sharma has been working on the project for nearly two years now.

"l t a.U sea.reed with a little experiment last year," be cold Tndia11 Llnk "We worked witl1 one school that has adopted the study of Hiocli across all year groups. Focussing o n two classes, we ran a simple essay competition on Diwali. Some 2 0 students emered, and ,ve received some beautiful p ieces. We feamred them in our magazine, This got us exc ited, and we decided to cake it furtl1er".

The Ed ucation Deparanent was immecliace in its support to take tl1e initiative across the scare.

"Nearly 5,0UO scliools will now

be approached to participate," an excited Sharma revealed. "Even if we get ten entries from each school, it will be a fantastic response!"

And a logistical nig htmare for purposes of assessment, he confessed, bm he is not fazed. Espec iall y given the response h e has received when requesting support. The Education Department jumped at the idea as soon as it was presented, and the Government of India was just as quick to offe r assistance. Air India was happy to ob lige, and the APL, ,vh.ich has been pushing hard recently to increase .its multicultura.l 1·each, ca.me on boa.rd too.

This got some fabulous prizes Li ned up; more are currently being worked out.

"I'm looking at tl1e b igger picture here," Sharma revealed.

" To p r omote social inclusiveness, there's no better place to start than ac me ea.cliesc possible age l evels. Giving young kids a feel of other cultures helps in building familiarity, dec reasing discrimination an d racism, and

merefore in prom oting harmony. W ith the essay contest for inst.'lnce, not only the participating kids but ceacliers as well will become involved, for whom we have developed a teacher's resource kit on Diwali. Then, hopefully me families of ilie students will become involved coo".

This possible trickle. effect will ultimate ly help in promoting acceptance.

"I've just been told that when mis venture was described at a schoo l principals' natio n al conference, there was widespread po si tive feedback," Sharma revealed. "No othe r 11on -English speaking communi ty in the country has ever suggested such an initiative. In Victoria at lease, I believe students are required to spend a stipula ted numbe r of hours in activities of a multicul tural nature, and programs such as these eas il y fit in there So we're hoping that other schools, even private schoo ls, take up this or similar projects".

Of course there are other aims too, Sharma revealed , o ne of them

being to re:ach out to out o,vn kids in a different way.

"For our second generation kids, who are not as connected to our traditions, ir will be meaningful to see the mainstream communi ty participating in an Incli,m activity and enjoying it''.

Speaking to lndia11 Link before the official launch of the program, Sharma mentioned chat he has been seeking support from a variety of otl1er platforms.

"We've approached the mainstream press, VMC , a nd many parlia.memacians. To tl1e Indian community ac large, we say, get behind this initi:ative a nd hel p us make it a success".

The competition rw1s from 30 July to 20 September

Rajni Anand Luthra

ArunSharma

Check out this list of fascinating books that paint a picture of Delhi through the ages ..... ..... ... ........ .. .. .... .. ...... .. ..... .

such as Noida, and the city 's push furtl1er i nto what were once rural Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. There, modern gated colllmtmities jostle for space among erstwhile and urrenc villages, in a nev erending search for new laud for 'deve lopments ' tliat are shorn of an y character or i ngenuity Arvind J\diga, writing i n his novel White Tige1· (2008) , said Gurgaon was built b y tbe rich and had ".no parks, lawn s or playgrounds - it was just buildings, shopping malls, hotels and more buildings. There was a pavement outside, but char was for the poor to Live o n"

Rana Dasgupta, anotl1er novelist who made Delh i hjs home i.n 2000 when he moved tliere from Britain, bas recently written a book on his adoptive city called Capital:

/r1 , ~~ITRA

• ~ , SUOARSHAN

Thomas Metcalfe, while working as the Governor General's Agent at the 1mperial Court of the Mughal Emperor, senr his daughter the 'Delhi Book' in 18 44, which was au album of 120 paintings of the ciry b y Indian artists .!Vfetcalfe wrote his own descriptive text alongside the paintings, and the album remained in the family for almost 150 years before being added co the British Library collection. Ever si nce, Delhi has prompted h istorians, novelists, academics and travel writers, to pm pen to paper ;md capture tbe el u sive spir it and soul of the city. There is the definitive work of Delhi-at- the -time-of-the-Mutiny by Mahmood Farooqi (2010) called Brsieged: Voicesfro111 De/bi 1857 whereby au author, historian and raconrem captures the pall

diat fell over the rebel govemmenc of Bahadur Shah Zafar in Delhi, around whom the sepoys rallied and marched against the British in Shahjahanabad. Farooqi laborious ly trans lated Urdu documents from the time of the Mutiny in the National Arch ives to evoke the mood of that seminal momem in Delhi's hjstory.

Two other books N e 111 Delhi: Making of a Capital, by Malvika Singh and Rudrangshu Mukherjee (2009) aod Delhi Metrapolitan by Ranjaoa Sengupta (2007) trace die evol ution and emergence of the modern city from the time the British moved the capital to Delhi in 2011 : from the new city that Lutyens planned, to the colonies that came up to absorb the in Aux of refugees at the time of partition, to the new metropolis of 16 million people that it is today.

Two works of fiction T!11ilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali ( 1940) and Delhi by Khushwant Singh (1990) paint vastly different images of the city tl1rough tli cir protagon ists. Ali's novel chronicles the disintegration of a Delhi family d1at traced its lineage to

one of die city 's sultanates \'>;Then tl,e patriarch of the family visits the 191 1 Durbar, he grieves when he sees the d escendants of the exiled Bahadur Shah Zafar begging in the streets. Si.ngh's p r otagonist inimitably describes Delhi as the "mistress to which he returns whe n he h as had his fill of whoring in foreign lands".

Two od1er books can be said to be predominantly about Delhi at the time of the Emergency. They are Salmart Rushdie's Mid11ight's Children (1981) and Emma Tado's U11settli11g Memories (2003). Rushdie riles against tl1e excesses of tbe Eme rgency in his novel; so does Taro, but as an anthropologist who uncovers files of t he Munici pal Corporation in Delhi tl1at in volve the fo t:ced sterilisation of the poor.

Then tliere is the book about Delhi for expatriates by Dave Prager ti tl ed Delinous Delhi (20 l3). Prager and his wife moved co Delhi from New York His was a love -hate relationshi p w ith t he c ity before he found a balance between the best and worst thei r new home had to offer. Prager strucnu·es his book as a guide for

ocher expatriates, with chapters on food, shopping, workplace culture and transportation. It especially highlights Delhi's traffic, ab out which Prager seetl,es. Howe,1er, the book is more than just a howto guide. It i~ an appealing memoir, as P rager is a solid storyteller, and the book is an enjoyable tour through the ciry. Highly recommended for anyone wishing to travel to the cicy.

Dalrrmple's Ci-()1 of Djinns (1993) remains one of the most popular bo o ks on the city eve r written. H i s Delhi is the city of multiple empires an d kingdoms, sh aped b y mon ey, food, art and Jiterature. 1fore recent!)\ San1

Miller published D elhi: Adventures in a M egacit) , which is almost entirely h.is view of the place as a wal king city: th.rough manh o les, obstacles and speeding traffic, through Naida a nd G urgaon and the most absurd sights.

This brings us to a recently published book ca ll ed Ud1a11 V ill11ge1; wrinen by Vandana Vasudevan (2013) on the recent urban expansion that has led co tl1e growth of satellite towns

A Portrait of Tiven!J First Cet1t11ry Delhi (2014) le i s a brilliant and compelling book that examin es th e growth of Delh i since die countr y embraced free market principles i.n 1991. He writes with the elegance of a novelist and the incisiveness o f a chronicler, and argues cl1at g lobalisation has been catastrophic for cap itaJism. The nexus between politicians an d developers has only fuelled corruption and the market economy has curtailed the rights o f the poor. It bas ruptured d1e delicate fabric that held the city together since Partition when over one million Hindu and Sikh refugees poured into the ciry A ciLy that once fuelled the ambitions and hopes of millions of peopl e, now serves only the rich. Dasgupta concludes, rather sombrely, chat for tl1is reason, De lhi will never be a city like any in the West.

''

Khushwat Si ngh's protagonist inimitably describes Delhi as the"mistress to which he returns when he has had his fill of whoring in foreign lands"

A modern twist to an old classic

Australia

Ic was a moment of pride and honour for all Indian foodies to see acclaimed l\1.ichelin- scar Chef V ikas Khanna appea r on 1\i[aste,Chef ./11tstralia currently being aired on Channel Ten.

He was invited to set up a pressure test challenge on the 6th season of the show.

And the challenge be set up - chicken tikka masala! t ow before you th.ink chat would have been easy, rem e m ber this is Vikas Khanna and this is Maste,Chcf. The hosts were pleasantly surprised and che contestants filled with dread when Chef Khanna lifted the cloche to reveal his s ignature creation, rose rea smoked chicken tikka masala with coriander oil, r ice pappadurn and lemon r ice.

Khanna said tl1at th.is dish incorporated the numerous traditional elements that he learnt while growing up and travelling in India along with some modern and contemporary Western influences that he learnt while living a nd cooking in the US He explained to the conrestanrs that the smoking technique is a traditional one followed in lnd.ia where sp ices are added to ghee and poured over hor charcoal to infuse flavour and aroma into the dish. In this particular dish, he used a melange of spices, dried rose buds and Darjeeling tea leaves to lead a distinct tandoor flavour to the chicken.

There were many modern. elemenrs but Chef Khanna said that the main one was the chicken i tself; instead of using regular boneless p ieces, he created a chicken roulade stuffed with roasted tomatoes, garlic, Mad ras spice mix and figs to create the traditional sweet and sp icy flavour tones of chicken tiklrn masala. The rice pappadum was the ocher surprise element where he infused boiled rice with orange blossom , white wine vinegar and mustard seeds and then oven baked it to create the pappadum.

The dish was a challenge for marry of the contestants who were nor familiar with Indian flavours and in spite of being a pressure test, Kha= was present with each contestant throughout the challenge offering advice, boosting morale and sometimes, even_ lending a helping hand. 1n spire of be ing such an acclaimed celebrity

chef, he is an extremely warm, kind and friendl y pe r son which really came across on the show.

Khanna's cooking journey began in his original home town of Amritsar, Punjab. He was interested in food from an earl y age, so naturally, his grandmother became his first reacher. She passed on to him the traditional arc of h is family's cuisine. From then, it wasn't long before he scarred co share his love of cooking with otl1ers. Ar the age of 17 he starred his own catering business.

Today his accomplishments are numerous and varied, and his recognicion is wide. Khanna is an accomplished chef, restaurateur, fil mmaker, author, and television personality. He also runs and owns Junoon, a highly acc laimed restaurant in New York showcasing modern Indian cuisine. He admits running a restaurant is no easy task and still works very ha rd to prove his potential.

Ocher successes include catering for events ac the White House in the U S and authoring many books including Tbe Spice Street and Modem Indian Cni.,ine. Producing

and filming the series Ho(y Kitche11 is also on this list, where Khanna taltes a look at the role tl1at food plays in our spiritual lives, festivals, traditions, and how cooking food and sharing food can bring people, and the world closer. His successes also include becoming a televis ion chef and personality, scarring in Gordon Ramsey's Kikhen Nigbtf!lares and Hell's Kitchen, with Martha Stewart on her show, and hosting A{dstnChef .l11dia.

During his brief vis it to Melbourne, Chef Khanna took a whirlwind cul inary rour of the cicy with the Maste,Chefhosrs, Gary, George and Matt. He said char he enjoyed sampling local Indian fare which also made him realise

tl1at there i s much more to explore and experience in culin:u:y Melbourne an d promised that he will be back soon. Whac advice does Kharu1a have for fellow ymmg Ind ians here in Melbourne who have migrated from the east co li ve now in the west W,e he did? \Xlas he ever lonel y, did he struggle with cultural differences, how di.cl be gee his confidence?

"New York is a place where ever yone is from everywhere e lse," he replied. "Everyone is a sel fsrarter and everyone is moving and creating, and that is the culture of the place. There was no one particularl y lonel y; there i s not that sense, what you do is, you just get stuck iaro it, into plans and imo creating a life for yourself roo". Watch the foll Masterchef episode, ifyou missed it, on htt-p:llte11play.co111 a11/cbmmeltenlmastercbeflepisodes

www in dia n lin k.com au

LEANNE WOODWARD and DHANYA SAMUEL on Chef Vikas Khanna and his recent stint on Masterchef

A!though they come from the land of Karna Surra, I ndians are n ow gammga repmariou at the dreaded Bad Sex in Fiction A,,mrd for passages of pleasure gone wrong The award's .latest rec ipient, for the year 2013, is Mani! Suri, who took the gong, o r rather the climax, with his sub atom.ic bisexual orgy The City of Devi (Bloomsbury). Aniruddha Bahal's B11llker 13 cameio a [lmmber o ne.in 2003 , a n d there have been many, many other nominees includ.ing bigwigs Salman Ru shdie and J\ru nd hati Roy

For those not familiar with Literary Revieuls annual antiaward, it was establis h ed in l 993 by Rhoda Koenig and Aubero n \'v'augh and aims "to draw atte n tion co the c rud e, badly written, ofte n perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel, and to d.iscou.rnge it". Lad y D iana, P rincess of Wales even prese n ted tbe award one year.

Critically-acclaimed writer, professor of mathematics at a US university, nominee on th e ]\fan Booker and even sho r tlisted for the Fa uJ.kner awards, Manil Suri is now also the w iru1er of a Bad Sex Award Suri's taboo- busting book The City of Devi, his third , i s an apoc aln)tic thriller se t in Mumbai The famous, or .infamous, de pending o n how you look at it, sex scen e comes fro m an u n usual lo,,e rr.ia ngle in cl ud.i ng the n arrator Sarita , h er husband a nd a young gay Musli m man. Suri m anage d co woo me judges w im the passage: S11rely supernovas explode that instant, somewhere, in some gal.axy. The h11t vanishes, and with it the sea and the sands - only Karim's body, locked with mine, 1·emaim. We streak like superheroes past suns and solAr systems, we dive through shoals ofq11arks and atomic nuclei In celebration of our breakthrough fourth star, statisticians the world over rtjoice. How couJd rh.is sexual explosion through time, sp ace a nd co n sciousness, involving all of tl1e ch aracters of the book, n ot win?

Indian writings ofpleasurable things between the pages win Bad Sex Awards for all the wrong reasons

Suri was n ot present to accept the award for his super charged work. Instead, n ovelist Joan Colfa1s presented it to his p u blisher Bloomsbury, who accepted it o n his behalf in London. During the acceptance speec h the sex sce nes in the n ovel were described as "unfette r ed, quirky, beautiful, tragic and wildly experime n tal".

Aniruddha Bahal's 2003 es p ionage thriller B1111ker 13 (Faber & Faber), also went on to w in tl1e Literary Re11ie1v's Bad Sex Award for i ts take on. sex, drugs and corruption in th e Indian army. A part of the winning section o f the novel is:

She picks 11p " Bugatti's 1110111e11tt1111.

Yo1t JI/{//// her 1J1ore t1t a Vo lkswagen's steatfy trot. Sq11eeze the lllileage out oj yo11rgallon of gas. But she's eating 11p the road with all rylif!dm h!t1zi11g

Cars and sex seem to b e a combination in Bahal's novel, even if it does make one wo n der w h at type of a Volkswagen h e wanted? Perhaps a slow and steady kombi va n ?

Babat even decided to publish a tongue -in- cheek piece on o u tloo kinindia com regarding h is expectation s on winning the pr.ize:

My soitrce also told me that he had it on good a11thority that the winner ofthe award some years back was trailed by five beautiful and luscious women to the hotelfrom the evening's venue and taught many things by them during the course ofthe night They might have taken pity on the w riter's sex writing and wanted to enrich his experience so that he could in future do full j11stice to the subject ofsex in his works

It was also suggested that siJ1ge r Sting, w h o presented Bahal the award, would catch up with him late r w ith " fi ve cantric sex goddesses and a b u cket of grease". Surely such a night could not possibly be topped for a wrirer i n n eed of imp r oving their w ritte n. sex scenes, for in spi ration alone?

Th is comment raises an eyebrow at what the sex lives of these writers who w in tl1e Bad Sex Award are really like. Bairn! comically answers th.is by say ing in his p iece:

Some duffers have also started walking up to me these days and

Bunker 13

asking whether my real life sex was as interesting as nry writing. 17-Je women 1 have taken aside andjotted their phone numbers down to give them some detailed answers 1be men have had their nuts reconfigured.

A lthough Bahal happily accepted t he mvarcl as a " r ebellious ges nue" for bis saucy writing, du e to h.is belief that there is too m uch censorship o f writing in India, he was also a tad peeved , as, "lots of other wri ters in India moughc m y book had great sex writing".

Following on from Suri's credenti als , it seems that critical acclain1 of the writer is no guarantee chat me sex passages they write will be any good Amo ng noteworthy winners are John Updike, Hilary Mancel,Joh n Mortioler and Kingsley Amis. A nd keeping up the lnclian trad.ition, we have none otl1er than Salman Ru shdie in Shali1J1ar the Clown Qo n athan Cape) nominated in 2005:

"'Let's, you know, ca1·ess each other in five pl.aces and kiss in seven ways and make out in nine positions, but let's not get cmried away".

ln reply, Boonyi pulled her phiran and shirt offover her head and stood before him naked except for the little pot offire hanging low, below her belly, heating further what was already hot

''Don't you treat me like a child, " she said in a throaty voice that proved ,-he had been unsparing in her dmg abuse

Sht1!i111ar the Clown was nominated for t he prize , despite winnin g the 2005 Vodafone Crossword Book Award and b eing a finalist at the 2005 Whitbread Boo k Awards.

Keeping Ru shdie company in the 2005 shortlist was Tarun Tejpal, currentl y in jail for sexuallr harassing a young journalist who worked at his magazine Tehelk11 T ej p al was nominated for his novel The Alche111y of De:ri,·e (Picador):

We began to climb peaks and foll offthem We did old things in new ways. And new things in old ways Any body part could be joined to any body part. And it would result in 11 masterpiece

A few years earlier, another of India's Booker Prize win n ers

Arundhaci Roy found herself nominated for her highly celebrated work The God of .lfllall Tbi11gs, for ideas such as "nucbrown breasts (th at would n't support a toochbrnsh)," alon g with "haunc hes (that could support a whole array of toothbrushes)". l remember blushing up a storm when I bad to read these passages ouc to my English lie class at uni. Wby oh why had I chosen those quotes for my speech?!

Other nominees have included Siddhant Dhanvanr Shangvi (2004) for his book The Lt,st Song of D11sk (Weidenfeld & N icolson); the Pakistani writer Nadeem Aslam (also 2004) for Maps far Lost Lo1,ers (Faber & Faber); Hari Kunzru (2002) for The b11jmssionisl (Hamish Hamilton), and Nee l Mukherjee (2010) for A Life Apa,1 (Constable).

Certainly no one can say that w r iting a sex scene is an easy task, whid1 is why so many authors, Lldian or o therwise, shy away from writing one altogether, especially with the threat of winrung this award Indian or otherwise. Writing about sex in a non-crude, non -redundant way is one of d1e hardest things to do. How much information should the author give? Or not give?

As Sarah Crown in The GHardia11 writes, " Maybe it's me, but l find d1e concentration on phys ical sensation, a whole lot sexier than an y amount of thrusting, grabbing or grinding". Sbe also notes that "as someone wbo works hard to get it right in my own novels, I'm very aware of just how difficult it is to depict well," and wanes to know where the good sex awards are? Perhaps writing from lndia, a country thar is foil of co n tradictions abour attitudes towards sex ha s even more of a c hallenge.

A survey conducred by Men's Health in 2013 found mat Indian men are the least sexuall y active among their counterparts. Noc only are Indian men having Jess sex, tbe education system refuses

to even teach children about sex. Nirmalya Dutta on The Health Site asks, "Is our refosal to talk abour sex o r pretend it doesn't exist breeding potential predators who never realise that sex is meant to be an enjoyable experience between two consenting adults?" He concludes, "\Y/e keep on having to remind people about this but t he so-called Indian culture they keep on h:uping on about isn't even Indian, it's the remnant of 19th cenrury Victorian morality and there's noming Indian about it". Is it these attitudes chat are resulting in bad sex writing? Or maybe it's just a happy (ending) coi ncidence chat many of the win.oers and nominees are Indian writers?

And if you are wondering why Fif!Jr

Shades of G,·ry bas yet to win d1e dubious honour of winning, d1e award is not for pornographic or expressly erotic Literamre. So mere goes an y mentions of the narrator's "inner goddess doing d1e lambada". Such a shame

From Roy's rood1hrushes, to Tejpal's peaks, Rushdie's awkward teenagers, Bahal's steady VW's and Suri's supernovas, Indian writers sure know how to impress tbe Bad Se,--c Award judges. Here's to me cmde, to the badly written, and co me redundam passages d1at lnclian authors have written, we salute you for giving it a red hot go in a tricky fie ld of crumpled bed sheets and underwear on the floor.

Who "vill win tbe 2014 title? And which lndian writer will find themselves on the s hore-list?

Tweet @indian link @Lit_ Review #BadSex what book you think should win this year's prize

Add a tropical touch to your next sweet or savoury meal

Sweet and sharp aren't usuaUy words used to describe a p iece of fruit. EspeciaUy when tropical is thrown into the mix. Bue that's exactly what passion fruit are, and th ey're the perfect addi tion to meals in w inter.

"Weight is the most important fearure i n choosing passionfruit," T ina McPherson, an Australian passion.fruit grower, says. "Choose a fruit that feels rather heavy for its size. "It d oesn't matter whet!1er the fruit's skin is wrinklr as th is i s not a n indicator of ripeness".

Rich in antioxidants including vitami ns J\ and C, potass ium and dieta ry fibre (a.nd low in calories), they're g reat a lo n gside pork, prawns, chucked into a smoothie or dessert.

MOROCCAN GLAZED BBQ PRAWNS

Serves4

For the marinade/glaze:

6 passion fruit

'/2 bunch coria nder (r oots and stems)

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive o il

2 tsp mild paprika powder

1 t sp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 esp ground c inammon

'/2 tsp ground ginger powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

Chilli powder, to taste

Sale and pepper

For the remaining dish:

24 peeled, deveined, raw prawns, tails on

16 bamboo skewers

2 passionfruit

½ bunch coriander Qeaves, from above)

Green salad and crusty bread, to serve

Remove passion fruit pulp and place in a bowl , microwave for 30 seconds 011 high , then

strain through a fine si eve. Reserve the juice and cliscard the seeds (op tional) Thorough l)r wash coriander and pick leaves, set as ide for decoration Chop the sterns and roots and place in a mortar and pestle along with some salt. Grind to a p aste, then mjx jn o live oil, aU the spices, and passion.fruit juice. Place marinate and prawns in a bowl and mix thorou gh ly to coat Allow to marinate for at lease 30 minutes In the meantime, soak skewers in some cold water for at least 30 nii.nutes to prevent burning.

Using rwo bamboo skewers at a rime, thread three prawns onto

PASSIONFRUIT, WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CASHEW CHEESE- FAKE

Sen•es4

Base:

¾ cup (11 0g) raw almonds

¼ cup (S0g) p istachios

1 cup (90g) desiccated coconuc

8 Medijool dates , (170g pitted )

1 vanill a bean, seeds only

3 tbsp of passionfruit seeds ot1ly

Pinch of salt

Cheesecake:

440g cashews, soaked over n ight

250g lemon and lime juice

250g honey; raw honey o r agave

270g extra virgin coconut oil

2 vanilla beans, seeds only

½ tsp of salt

l tbsp of lime zest

I tbsp of lemon zest

juice and seeds. Zest and juice t!1e lemons and lin1es, set aside.

L ine the base of a 26011 spring form cake tin with baking paper. To make the base place, almonds, pistachios, des iccated coconut, dates, vanilla, passion fruit seeds, and salt in a food processo r Process 1mti1 the mbmu:e resemb les a line crumb a nd comes toget!1er when pressed. Place crumb into t!1e cake tin and press down evenly to form the base. Chill in freezer. Melt the coconut oil in che microwave at 10 second bursts until it becomes a liquid.

To make cheesecake layer, place dra ined soaked cashews, lemon and lin1e juice, honey, vanilla, salt, melted coconut oil an d zest into t!1e food processor. Blend until very smooth and well combined. Pour half t!1e mixture into the cake riu and tap to level o m the filling. Place in freezer to set for one hour.

eacli of the skewers so that the prawns are se mi straight and sir snugly together. Keep remaining marinade and mix in the passionfruit and a little extra olive oil if you need to loosen it - this will be the glaze.

Heat BBQ to a medium heat and place prawns on grill, baste constantly with the passionfruit glaze, mrning every so often, and cook 1mti1 the prawns are just cooked through (you will see when they cha nge co lour). Serve hot, garnished with coriander l eaves and a side of crusty bread and green salad

1'/, cup passionfruit seed less pul p, (Ap prox. s ix passionfrui t), reserve seeds for base

Garnish:

200g block of good gllalicy white chocolate, shaved (optional for l actose free)

2 smaU passio n fruit, halved and placed on top

1 tbsp of lime zest

I tbsp of lemon zest

Soak cashews overnight in wate r, or pour boiling water over cashews and soak for cwo hours. Remove pass ionfruit pulp and place in a bowl, microwave for 30 seconds on high, then strain through a fine sieve. Reserve d1e

In the meantime blend t!1e other half of tilling with pass ionfruit pulp unti1 weU com b ined. Then pour over chilled first larer, and set in freezer for at least two h o urs. Prepare the garnish, using a vegetable peeler shave white chocolate into ribbons. Cuc passion fruit into halves.

When cake is sec, remove from freezer, and with a wooden skewer release the edges of d1e cake before rem oving i t. Scatter shaved white clmcolate and zests around die center of the cake and top with hal ved passionfruic. Enjoy frozen or chilled

All 1-ecipes and photos:

Sammy and Bella Jakubiak (My Kitchen Rules 2011 winnen) for PassionfruitAustralia www.pnssio11fruitaustralin.org.au

THE KING OF ALL WORLD ASTROLOGER

It takes a stroke of genius to be able to state the obvious in a manner that is side splittingly funny. Take this one liner for instance, 'I started out with nothing and I still have most of it; or 'I can handle pain until it hurts: Michael Caine once said, "I enjoy making people laugh. The trick is to tell them jokes against yourself. If you praise yourself, your stories aren't funny''.

To be able to laugh at yourself requires courage and confidence and Indians have mastered this art of making people laugh. They are achieving great success in the field of comedy doing just that and much more. Here is our round-up of Indian origin comedians making a splash on the global entertainment scene.

10. Paul Varghese, USA

This Indian American comedian resides in Dallas and has often been dubbed the funniest stand-up comic in Dallas. His acts revolve around his observations on being an Indian. He has performed in the Just For Laughs festival in Canada, Last Comic Standing and the HBO comedy festival.

9 Dan Najnan, USA

Dan Nainan is half Indian, half Japanese and usually bases his stand-up comedy performances on his personal ethnic experiences. He ls an American comedian with a mission, in 2007 Nainan opened the Bethesda Comedy Club in Washington DC with the aim of promoting clean comedy. His book How to become a full time stand-up comedian was published in 2012. Nainan has performed in countries all over the world including Australia, UAE, India and Ireland.

8 . Aziz Ansari, USA

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Aziz Ansari is one of the most prolific writers and performers on the comedy scene in recent years. Born in America to Indian parents, Aziz started his career as a stand-up comedian in 2000. He went on to create and star in MTV' s critically acclaimed comedy show Human Giant. He is well known for his role as Tom Haverford in NBC's Parks and Recreation. Aziz released his first CD/DVD on Comedy Central in 2010 and continues to tour as a stand-up comedian.

7. Meera Syal, UK

Married to comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar since 2005, theirs is a match made in comedy heaven. Hailing from a Punjabi Indian background Meera Syal is a well-known British comedian, actor, singer, producer and writer who sent the audience into stiches with her performance as hubby Sanjeev's grandmother in The Ku mars at No. 42. She was awarded the MBE in 1997, has written two novels, as well as numerous scripts and screenplays.

6 . Aasif Mandvi, USA

He may be best known for his performances on Comedy Central's The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, but Aasif Mandvi's career as an actor, comedian and writer is much more illustrious. Mumbai born Mandvi has appeared in numerous films and television shows including Merchant-Ivory's Mystic Masseur, Sex and the City, Law and Order and Miami Vice, to name just a few. He even has an Obie award under his belt for his hilarious play Sakina's Restaurant, which looks at the Indian American immigrant experience.

5. Lilly Singh (Superwoman), Canada

With three million subscribers to her YouTube channel Lilly Singh, aka Superwoman, is an i nternet star on the rise. Her vlogs, skits and standup acts present comical takes on various everyday issues. Born to Punjabi parents this 25-year-old Canadian entertainer remains true and proud of her Indian roots. In her work she aims to showcase Indian culture and characters inspired by her Punjabi heritage.

4. Mindy Ka ling, USA

Identified as 'One of the 100 most influential people in the world'by Time magazine, Mindy Kaling is often referred to as the new queen of comedy in America. She is best known as Kell y Kapoor on NBC's sitcom The Office. Born to Indian parents the talented actor, comedian, writer, producer and director has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series as a producer of The Office five times in a row. In 2011 her witty memoir Is everyone hanging out without me? And other concerns was well received by critics.

3. Sanjeev Bhaskar, UK

As the host of the The Kumars at No. 42, Sanjeev Bhaskar's is a face recognised universally. The British Indian comedian, actor and broadcaster was awarded an O.B.E for his services to drama in 2005. He has starred in BBC Two comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and in British films including Anita and Me and The Guru. He was recogn i sed as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy by The Observer in 2003.

2. Arj Barker, USA

This American stand-up comedian and actor of Indian European descent admits he loves Australia, and partially lives here where his biggest fan base is. Arjan Singh started his career as a comedian in 1989 and adopted the stage name - Arj Barker. He appears frequently in Australian comedy festivals, has performed in Thank God you're here and hosted Comedy Central presents twice. His other claim to fame is his stand-up comedy inspired web series Arj and Poopy about himself and an animated cat.

1. Russell Peters, Canada

Russell Peters was born in Toronto with an Anglo Indian ancestry and started his journey as a comed i an in 1989. His achievements i nclude winning a Gemini Award in 2008, appearances at various comedy festivals like Just For Laughs and David Frost Comedy Festival Special and talk shows on BBC TV. His quick wit and improvisation skills have made his shows sell out in many countries around the world. Russell is known for keeping his audience engaged with his humorous observations of different races and cultures including Indian society.

SEEK ING GROOMS

Looking for a Punj abi boy for our daughter who is 29 years, 5'7: slim, very beautiful and working in finance sector in CBD. We have been settled in Sydney for past 40 years. Elder daughter is happily ma rried in Sydney. Look in g for a professional Sydney-based boy fo r our younger daughter who is close to Indian culture. Please email details with photo: oz in d i an 11 @gmail.com

Seeking suitable match for 37•year-old Hindu girl charted account, never married, w th Indian fam il y values and well-tuned to western values. Please ema i l with particulars: rkn 1263@gmail.com

Fair and young looking Hindu lady, 55, Australi an citizen, 5 '2~ d i vorced, veg, in vi tes correspondence from a su itable match. He should ideally be aged between 50-60 and a non-smoker. Please contact 0449 623 3 16 or email: radiance88@l ive com

Looking for an intelligent. handsome, Punjabi/ H indu boy for my younger daughter 28 years old, 57: sl i m , fa ir, beautiful, work in g in in surance in dustry with finance background, on h igh in come. We have been settled in Sydney for past 35 years. My elder daughter i s happily married here in Sydney. Please respond with your details and photo to: 24adverti ser@gmail.com

Looking for a groom in search for a bride born and brought up in Adela ide, Austral ia, currently workin g as a registered nurse at the Royal Adela de Hospi tal. If in terested please feel free to contact any time either by email or mobi le. Phone:0422 385 033 or ema il: interest1989@yahoo.com.au

SEEKING BRIDES

Well- settled family in Australia invites alliance fo r their only son, a smart, 31-year--old, 5'9"tall Punjab boy, working in a private sector holding senio r pos t ion. Contact 0401 666 184 or email particulars and recent photo to: tan ia.kumar@rocketmail.com

Seeking suitable match for the re-marriage of a 1978-born Punjabi Brahm in boy, 5'9". He i s an i ssueless, well-settled Australian citizen, working as professional fo r a corpor ate based In Sydney. Caste no bar. Please email parti culars w th photographs to: replymeonline@gmail.com or contact0424 75 2 328

Alliance invited for well educated, never-married, 5' 9 : 1975 born Si kh Khatri boy. Look ing fo r compatibl e Sikh g irl from Australia.

Ea rly marriage. Phone 0422 812 939 or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Alliance invited for Sikh, divorced, 38-year-old boy, 5'1O", CAD-CAM Eng ineer, Australi an citizen.

Pa rents well settled in India. Sister Australian citizen well settled in Sydney.

Email: amanpv@yahoo.com.au

Kamboj Sikh boy, '82 born, 5'8'well settled, PR, own house in V ic, living with Australian citizen brother with h is fami ly look in g for Kamboj sl im well-educated g irl, al ready in Australia or com in g to Australia on her own visa (study)

Phone: 0497 784 783, email: simarjot99@icloud.com

Seeking suitable m atch fo r '82-born Punjabi

5'9: well

Brahm in boy

TA n QTPR~DICTIONS !=OR JU LY K

By NANCY JADE ALTMEA

ARIES March 21 - April 19

July will be a time of some confusion and high energy. You will feel happy one minute and low the next. There are a lot of changes coming up, and it is time to hang on to all your dreams. The cards are indicating a time to take stock of what you really want right now. Around mid month your love life should feel a bit more balanced. Take time out for yourself and try to meditate.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

July will be a great month for making progress and you will feel your confidence rising. On the work front you will feel a lot more settled. Things seem to be moving in the right direction after a time full of delays. Travel is indicated and also moving to a new home, or selling a property. There may be good news in terms of a marriage or the birth of a child in the family. Time to celebrate.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

A wonderful month for a new romance or making a love interest stronger. This Is a great time to live the llfe you really want. The cards are indicating that you will be looking to the future and making decisions about your work, and also where you want to live. There is an indication that you will be getting an increase In finances. Take care not to get involved in petty arguments. People will try to test your patience.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

This month you will want to spend more time with your family. There will be some matters that you need to deal with at home, which have needed your attention for a while. An older member of your family may be suffering with some health issues, they need to take it easy. You will be making plans to take a holiday and relax. But you will need to stay focused this month; do not get drawn into temptations.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

This month you will feel a little upset as there may be some memories of the past haunting you. You may be under stress at work. You will feel a little stuck in a relationship. All you need is some time away together to talk to each other and decide what you want to do. You will be considering a new exercise regime and also a new eating plan. Keep yourself grounded -try walking on grass barefeet!

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This month you will be anxious about your assets and you will make plans to look into more investments or moving your investments around. You will have some problems sleeping, as you will be worrying a lot. The welfare of a younger male member of your family will be a concern. He may not be in very good spirits. Check how he ·· is doing at school. Any legal matters around you will be sorted out In your favour.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

This month you will need to take care of additional expenses that come up at home. There will be some tension between family members. You will need to act as the mediator. Things will ease by mid month. There will be some exciting news which will make everyone happy. Make sure that you do not overwork this month as your energy levels will be depleted with everything going on. There will be some news of visitors arriving.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month will be a busy and exciting month for you. Chances are, you will make plans for your future. Some magical changes are taking place around you. You will be embarking on a new chapter in your romantic life leading to a commitment. You will feet content and balanced. There will be some stress with a work colleague that needs to be handled very carefully. Your stomach may be sensitive so be careful of what you eat.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

You will be undecided about a business plan to start alongside your full time Job. You will also be looking at purchasing a house, and will be making enquiries as to where you would like to invest. You are also looking to move to another city, as you want to spread your wings with work and there may be a promotion offered to you. A past back issue may start again so take medical advice. You are planning a surprise for your partner.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month will be filled with fire and ice. One day you will be sizzling with heat and excitement for everything around you. The next you will be thinking that you are just not getting anywhere. A new business plan will bear fruits of your hard labour. Financially you will be feeling more secure and content. Work will cause you minor stresses but you will handle everything as you do In a calm manner. Keep an eye on your diet.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - f=eb 18

This month is a very eventful and busy month. You will be making plans to go on holiday with the family and there are also some major changes with your work life. You will be increasing your ptivate work and seeing more clients. The cards are indicating growth and recognition. You may even be thinking of writing a ' book and putting ideas down on paper. Keep your paperwork upto-date as there will be some bills lying around unpaid.

PISCES f=eb 19 - March 20

This month the love angels are working around you to keep you and your loved one in harmony. There has been a bit of stress around your relationship. If single you have a strong chance of meeting someone very interesting by mid-month. You will probably think of teaching or lecturing at a local institute. You could also be looking at purchasing a new car. A change of wardrobe would do you the world of good this month.

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DTDC has come a long way since its modest beginning in Bengaluru in 1990, becoming a power brand that has over 5,800 channel partners, 5,500 direct employees and overseas operations in ma jor countries across the world.

lo 2012, DTDC established a joint venture in China. Over 22 years, DTDC has seen an exponential growth in its exp ress business and has become a leading brand and a house.bold name i11 cbe country.

DTDC aspires to emerge as the l eading Express and Cargo D istribution Company in India by 2015. To do this, the y aim co constantly introduce new services and products that are relevant

to tl1e needs of their conSlLmers. Heavily invested in technology, infrastructure, brand development and networ k expansion, DTDC has implemented a three-year program involving an in vestme nt of over R s 25 crores in b r and building, and a compl ete upgrade and standardisation of all DTDC ou tl ets.

The success of DTDC as a company is attributed to die vision, efforts and forethought of its founder and chairman, l'lfr. Subhasish Chakraborty.

l\fr Chakraborcy was recogni sed by the Indian government for his contribution ro die industrial d evelop menc of die country, by honouring him with the Ut[yog R.itttm award ilirough the Institute of Economic Studies. At DTD C, he is known as "the Guru".

DTDC prides itse lf on i ts unigue value-based business m ode l. They aim co create job prospects as well as entrep reneurial oppormnities for many. DTDC have carved a niche for themselves in the marke t

as a company that "builds life" by g iving peopl e from all walks of life a chance. i\!fore than 80 per cent of DTDC's channel partners across l ndia are first- time businessmen, wbo are often under-graduates from under-privileged backgrounds.

As proven by DTDC, having a social pmpose does not prevenc bu siness leadership or threaten d1e financial health of a company.

The company has been presented wid1 numerou s awards and recognitions by the industry including Best Franchisor Award for die eighdi time by Franchise India and the CIO 100 Award, which h o nours development and excellence in IT, for d1e third consecutive year.

DTDC was also named India's Most Trusted Courier Service Brand by The Brand Trust Rep o rt TM - India studr 2013, tha t was published by the Tru st Research Advisory Sh ri Subhasish Chakraborty was conferred the prestigious I nspiration Leader of New lndia award at the Power

Brands Glam Me 2013 eve.nt by PJauman Jvfedia Pry. Ltd., which was held in Las Vegas. Going fonvard, DTD C aims to create strong relationships wid1 all its stakeholders by adding to its values of transparency in all transactions, emphas ising service efficiency and promoting

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HUMSHAKALS

STARRI NG: Saif Ali Khan, Ram Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh, Bipasha Basu, Tamnannah Bhatia, Esha Gupta

DI RECTOR: Sajid Khan

Tammanah Bhatia makes so many faces in every frame you wonder if she's auditioning for a film against cocaine addiction while pretending to be in a comedy about three sets of identical characters wackily whopping it up.

Bipasha Basu who plays one of the female misleads sorry, leads, in this comedy of ghastly errors, has gone on record to say she was extremely disturbed by the end-result of this film

So, to be honest, are we. And the end that Bipasha talks about seems to take forever to reach as we watch three grown-up ostensibly evolved actors lapse into a collective state of incurable retardation

Humshaka/s seems to be designed for the mentally challenged. Even they would cringe at the way the two protagonists Ashok and Kumar (Ashok Kumar, gedddit?) are depicted. Moronic and misconceived, the duo seems to

revel in crass mediocrity.

As inmates in a mental asylum in London (no less), Saif Ali Khan and Riteish Deshmukh raise the ante for lunacy to a point where sanity begins to seem l ike a state of mind invented to make us believe there is a world, a relatively sane one, outside what comic filmmakers in Bollywood consider to be funny

To be fair, Sajid Khan's new brainwave replete with triple roles for its three male leads, plus a drag act each in the second half which is genuinely funny is as obnoxious in treatment as the slapstick comedies of Rohit Shetty or Anees Bazmi.

I suspect the actors had a wha l e of a time shooting the scenes. And Sajid Khan must have enjoyed writi ng the comedy of mistaken identity especially when the look-a l ikes keep multiplying as the plot progresses But the growth is unstructured. It's l ike supplementary food being air- dropped to famine victims The basic food items are missing What do you do with add - ons?

The comedy, ha ha, moves with the screechy stealth of a choir boys singing

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Yo Yo Honey Singh's numbers when the h ead priest is on vacation

Every member of the cast (and crew ) seem to be in a vacation mood. Many of the gags stretch themselves out l anguorous l y as though the director commanded the camera to roll and then went off to sleep.

Saif and Riteish vac il late between being spoofy and spiffy with some help from Ram Kapoor who gets to play two characters, one of them suffering from what the medical experts on board for this specialized comedy refer to as "OCD Level 3''.

Riteish, a regular in Sajid Khan's cinema with titles beginning with "H': makes a better impression than Saifwho tries hard to show us he's in the fun nobrainer mood Saif is clearly out of his depths i ndulging in the sl apstick lu nacy of a world that has no l ogic except to create a chaotic humour out of a stockpile of mistaken identities

Oh, there are three ladi es in the sh ow who wriggle and pout whenever the p l ot is in doubt (which, as you can tell from the nature of the material, is very often) Even the opposite -sexiness is handled more engagingly in the hands and chests of the three heroes wooing their own doubles i n voluptuous drag Wh i le Saifwoos Riteish in drag and v i ce versa, bizarrely Ram Kapoor woo es himself in drag to create a kind of auto-eroticism that has no bearing on the fi lm's predominant

mood of sexual innocence

To shock us, there are lots of gay jokes popping up when you least expect them to, as though the director wants to remind us that political incorrectness is not only about mistaken identities but a lso about identity crises

Don't even try to make sense of the world that Sajid Khan bui l ds. Th e sand cast l e of goofiness can at any time be washed away by the high t ide. The director doesn't really care

Sajid Khan takes potshots at himself and his sister Far ah Khan by showing Himmatwala and Tees Maar Khan as part of torture curriculum in the mental asylum Don't be surprised if the DVD of Humshaka/s shows up in Humshakals 2 as a torture device

In one ofthe rare genuinel y funny sequences, Saif and Riteish try to impress Ram Kapoor by pulling off the tablecloth from a table filled with food, promising as they do, that nothi ng w i ll spi ll.

Of course all the food comes crashing down But does the fear of fa l ling ever hold back the broad comedy of ill manners which Bollywood thinks is funny?

Wish we had as much fun watching this fi l m as the team seems to have had maki ng it Saif is shown to be a bad stand - up comedian The film never outgrows its hero's character 's cravi ng to make people l augh.

SUBHASH K JHA

TAX DEPRECIATION SCHEDULES FOR

KICKING UP A STORM

Salman Khan's song Jumme ki raat, released recently as a teaser to his upcoming film Kick, has gone viral. Released appropriately on a Fri day (jumma), the video shows a hunky Sallu romancing a ravishing Jacqueline Fernandes It seems to have done its job, which was to whet the appetite of Salman fans across the diaspora eagerly waiting for the Eid re lease of the fi l m.

The song sung by Mika and Palak Mucchal is composed by Himesh Reshammiya.

Of course you can't help noticing the similarity to that other famous jumma number, Big Band Kimi Katkar'sJumma chumma de de from Hum (1991).

Salman himself agrees the similarities are there. "I love Jumma chumma; every time it plays on TV I watch the whole number!"

But his number is filmed differently, he hastens to add.

Regardless, the song has definitely kicked up a storm, with near ly 8 million views on YouTube for the film's trailer by the next morning. We wait to see if it trans lates to bums on seats, come Ei d. A recent SRK-Kareena Kapoor pre -release of a song went similarly viral, but alas, did nothing for the film when it was eventually released.

Expectations from Salman and Kick are huge, especially since Salman's last release Jai Ho under-performed at the box office.

Pretty Preity in Ness mess

Preity Zinta's allegation of molestation against her former beau and business partner Ness Wadia has not got much reaction from the film fraternity. Many like directorTanuja Chandra feel it's better to wait for the legal process to move forward and "avoid playing judge and jury ourselves;'while Moon Moon Sen feels"it is entirely their business''.

Chandra, who directed Preity in author -backed film Sangharsh, says, " I imagine she must have thought a great deal about it and hasn't done this on an impulse. Like all women in the country she has every right to approach authorities if she feels her individual space has been violated. We must wait for the legal process to move forward and avoid playing judge and jury ourselves''.

The outspoken Pooja Bedi has decided to sit on the fence.

She says:"Neither Ness nor Preity come across as a liar. Both are such lovely people. So it is just very unfortunate that it's all turning out the way it is. Having said this I feel it is for the courts to pass a verdict, not us ''.

Neetu Chandra feels the matter is personal. However, she also feels Preity is not the kind to raise a hue and cry unnecessarily.

"As far as I know, she is a no-nonsense person and leads her life with dignity. A break-up is never p l easant. Both the partners have to be very careful about preserving each other's self-respect in public after the break-up, for the sake of what they shared in the past''.

Preity lodged a written complaint againstWadia with the Marine Drive police station on June 12. She accused Wadi a, her former beau who co-owns the IPL team Kings X I Punjab with her, of grabbing her hand and abusing her during a cricket match in Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 30. Wadia has denied the allegations, terming them "totally false and baseless''. His fri ends have suggested that Preity is jealous because Ness has moved on and is now in a new relationship

Actress -parliamentarian Moon Moon Sen feels the two should sit and talk it out, even though she says she admires Preity's courage here.

"Maybe there's a history of abuse and now it has erupted in a public place to embarrass both of them. Surely the two can sit down and sort it out. No matter how we look at it, it is entirely their business''.

Movie guru Shailendra Singh finds the

incident unfortunate

"It's unfortunate that a girlfriendboyfriend fight has national import ance. There are far more serious matters awaiting the nation's attention".

The battle of t he newbies

Fresh -faced Armaan Ja in will soon make his acting debut with fellow newcomer Deeksha Seth and first-time director Arif Ali, in LekarHum DeewanaDil.

The number of fresh faces continues to ri se in Bollywood and Armaan Jain wishes them alI the best of Iuck or so he says.

"There are a lot of youngsters, around l0to lS, ofmy age group doing the same genre of films;' he states.

"I believe in healthy competition. I hope we all work hard and have healthy competition. Hopefully, people accept my first film first an d we all grow together''. Yes you l ike healthy competiti on, we get it. but do we believe it?

Jai n has worked with two former assistant directors Sidharth Malhotra and Varun Dhawan, who are now successful actors, and says that he bonded with them while assisting filmmaker Karan Johar on My Name Is Khan.

"I was an intern, joini ng towards the end of the schedule. I gotto spend a l ittle bit of time with Sidharth and Va run during shooting schedule. It was great bonding with them,"says Armaan.

While he feels he is too young to explore the filmmaking part of the industry, he is not against it.

"When I started assisting, I wasn't aware of how films are made, what happens. Once I got involved with technicals, I started making short fi lms. I used to try and get my hands into editing. I directed a short fi Im to understand the craft practica l ly also My ma in concentration is to get this film r ight and act for now. Definitely at some point of t ime, I would love to direct a film I lov e editing as well;' adds the former intern, assistant, editor and wannabe director.

Armaan is the cousin of actor Ranbir Kapoor, and has also shown interest in RK Fi lms, the banner established by his

PREITY ZINTA

late grandfather and actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor

"At some point, if my uncles or Ranbir do [revive the banner] and if they want to involve me in some way, I would be honoured to do so If someth ing comes up, then definitely,"says Armaan Lekar Hum Deewana Oil will release on July 4.

Lost in translation

Ukranian ballroom dance expert Maksim Chmerkovskiy is visiting India to be the first internationa l judge of reality TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, the Indi an version of Dancing with the Stars.

However, it seems that the housewarming was not so warm with reports claiming Maksim is already unhappy as a judge on the show as he cannot speak or follow Hindi.

Maksim was quick to deny the reports "That's not true. I am having a blast And that report is bull - ;' he refutes.

"I came to India to embrace a new language and culture This is a once-ina- lifetime opportunity for me And I am enjoying every moment of it''.

Sounds legit. But he still can t understand a word of what the contestants and fellow judges say, with his own statements ticker -translated on screen

ARMA AN JAIN

Luckily, with a bit of help (and by that, we mean an entire production team), the ballroom prodigy battles on " I had hoped that the production team would understand there would be d ifficulties And everyone is helping out I sit between Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar They're constantly telling me what 's going on It helps that the show is taped and doesn't go on air live So, they stop the shooting and explain what's going on The experience I am getting her e is not something you get in a classroom;'he affirms

At least something is going his way, with Maksim claiming that Bollywood contestants have a lot more respect for the judges on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa than on Dancing with the Stars.

First step to being a better judge on Indian TV: Hindi lessons!

The key to a healthy relationship: Breaking box office records

Movie star Akshay Kumar's latest film Holiday -A Soldier Is Never OffDuty has minted Rs 102 62 crores in three weeks at the domestic box office and producer Vipu l Shah could not be happier

The Shah -Kumar partnersh i p has once again struck gold with this fi lm adding to their co ll ection of hits incl uding Aankhen,

WJ-10 WORE IT BETTER?

MAKSIM CHMERKOV S KI Y

Waqt - Race Against Time, Namastey London and Singh Is King.

However every relationship has its rough patches, fo r examp le the Action Replay fiasco.

"It has been a fantastic journey with Akshay;· Shah said, when talking about his partnership w ith the superstar.

" Holiday is our sixth fi lm together and four out of five films were successful. What is very i mportant is that all films got a lot of credibility from the audience''.

Holiday i s about terrorism in which director A R. Murugadoss focuses on sleeper cells and how quietly they merge into their target society before unl eashing havoc.

The thrilling drama featured a new style of action directed by renowned British stuntman Greg Powell, known for his work in Hollywood's super hit franchises such as Harr y Potter anc;t James Bond

The filmmaker said the successes have helped them in winning a "good reputation''.

"My relationship with Akshay has reached that stage where we constantly want to do better wor k together It has become stronger by the day;' said Shah

We sincerely hope you've been buyi ng him flowers But we wonder, who pays for dinner?

No more Bipasha : Vashu Bhagnani

Producer Vashu Bhagnani is so upset with Bipasha Basu, one of the female leads in his just released Humshakals, that he has decided not to work with her agai n

Directed by Sajid Khan, Humshakals, which also features Riteish Deshmukh, Saif Ali Khan, Ram Kapoor, Esha Gupta and Tammannaah Bhatia, hit the theatres in mid-June

The dusky beauty, who was m i ssing from all the promotional events of the film, stated that she was dissati sfied with the end resu lt of her role i n the fi lm

Bhagnani says that he never misled her about her role

"I asked Sajid myself to cast Bipasha," Vashu says. "She is a lovely lady But I don't know what her probl em i s It's not like we told her something and del ivered something else''.

Share

Is the feisty Bipasha too much of an alpha-woman fo r Bollywood's misogynist ways?

Dear Auntyji

Dear Auntyji

rv\.tV\ d. !!Jo vlr ovJV\ lovlStV\855~

l have been seeing this really nice boy for six m onths. About a month ago, I overhead his mother and aunt refer to him as adopted. I was shocked and amazed, but secret ly I was not su rprised because Ricky doesn't l ook anyt hing like h!s family members. So Ricky does n ot know this because I tried t o ask him in a number of ways w h ether he was adopted b ut he very proudly told me he was his fat her an d mother's du/ara Yes, I know you're probably wondering who uses that word anymore, but he picked It up from a movie we were wat ching called Anmol Rishta or something. So it turns out his rishta with his paren t s is not so Anmol after all. I am th i nking that in six weeks time, at a family gathering, I will ask Ricky's mum about t his an d have her te ll him to h is face t h at he is not adopted a n d is her real son. I wa nt t o fully expose her for the liar she is. So, I thought I would ask for your feedback on this first, I don't want Ricky to hate me after thfs, but I am doing him a favo u r. Please let m e know your thou ghts Aun tyji?

Auntyj

i says

My goodness, how old are you? Five? Seven? 17? You couldn't possibly be older than thi s becaus e your total lack of common sense and empathy is indicative of a stupi d bachchi, rather than a grown woman. Here is what is wrong with your nasamajh planning, you stupid kalaankani. How do you really know what Ricky 's mum and aunt were speaking about? Were you part of the conversati on? How do you know they weren 't speaking about Ricky on Days of our Lives, because you do know that he was adopted right? Just after Bo and Hope got married. Wait, I am confusing myselfthere. In any case, your first mistake was to l eap headlong into a conclusion w ith no basis. In doi ng that, it looks like you have yourself a concussion because your second mistake was to thi nk, you horrid little besharam /adki that you can i nterfere in the lives of others. You have no right whatsoever to start maki ng allegations about anything, and that too at a public forum. I mean, seriously, what were you thinking? All this i s really none of your business and I wou l d let sleeping dogs lie Until you are told information first hand, you shouldn't do anything with this. And second, it's not your place to be the local grapevine Having said all this, I'm beginning to think that Ricky deserves better than a churail like you, so by all means, go ahead with your plan. You will make it obvious to all that you don't deserve to be i n that fam i ly then you can go and find some other family to torment. Man you really have been watching too much Zee TV Honestly, don't you have better things to do than to live a Zee TV serial of your own? And is your serial called, A busybody ki kahaani or Ek nadaan, pagal si /ad k i

On Facebo ok, my ex keeps posting pictu res and comments abou t how much fun she is having wit h her new man, and she makes poin t ed references t o how crap I was. Each time she post s someth ing, something i nside o f me d i es. I don't wan t her back, but I wish she wou l dn't write such crazy st uff, you know what I m ean? What should 1 do, Auntyji? I have not done the full tit-for-tat kind of thing, buttnan, I am so t empted. I wish I could just find myself a supermodel and post pictures on Facebook with pithy commen ts about how fabulous my life is Do you have some honest candid advice for me, Auntyji ? You know I really va l ue what you have to say.

Au nt yj i says

Ah, yes, Facebook, the place where fri endships go to die and where people's spi r its are slowly crushed. I have one very simple piece of advi ce for you But first, I have a questi on. What the fudge are you doing on Facebook anyway? Why are you on there vicariously living everyone else's meaningless and dull l ife? The only useful thing Facebook i s good fo r is to help keep your self esteem down, where th is one is getting promoted and that one is eating a fantastic meal and the other is living a lovey-dovey life with h is or h er otherwise really bor ing other half. So, unless you are going to say th at you use Facebook to gather insights into human behaviour in order to predict the next big trend, I don't see any reason for you to be on Facebook Who cares what your friends are up to I mean, do you really care that Amrita from g rade 6 is now married and l iving in Denver w ith two ugly, but intell i gent kids who get trophies for w inning spelling contests? Do you really want to see narcissisti c Ankhit posting p icture after boring p i cture of his l ovely-i n-hi s eyes new wife Shila? And do you rea ll y, really care that Madhu ate aloo sabzifor breakfast? Serious l y, do you rea ll y want to know all this? No, you should want to know more important things in life, such as, how to eradi cate poverty or mal aria and what is Modi s five year strategy? So my advice is for you to get off Facebook, then you won 't have to ca re what your ex does with whom. Remember she is playing to an audience of one. Why g ive her the satisfaction? Obviously you did not g i ve her sat isfaction when you wer e together but she is getting her sat isfacti on now Oh, I do hope this del icious irony is not lost on you! In any case, get off Facebook, and live you r own life. That 's my candid advice to you. Now take it and go. Live your life. But not on Facebook for Vishnu 's sake

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