Electiontime atAIBC

What it's going to take to lead the premier business council between India and Australia

Narendral\fodi whenhevisitedAustraliain November 2014. AIBC also worked closely withAllto organise meCEO forum for :!\frModi.

come tOus with newinitiatives andideas.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Thefederalelectionisjust around the corner,but ic is also time for national electionsattheAustralia

IndiaBusinessCouncil (AIBC), anorganisationfosteringbi-lateral [radebec:ween thecwocountries.

Havingrecently celebrated its 30th anniversary,AIBC hasactive chaptersin Sydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,Adelaide, Perthand Canberra.Theorganisation's nationalleadershiprests witl1 meChair andVice Chair, who takeresponsibility for medirectionof theCouncilwhile working withchestatechapters tobuildastronger relationship between thevarioussrncesand tl1eIndian governme-nt andbusinesses. This couldwell be awatershed momentforAIBC.While tl1ere are great opportunities emerging witl1tl1epotential implementationof theComprehensive EconomicCooperationAgreement(CECA) betweenIndiaandAustralia, the end of me mining boom and drop in coal prices could seriously scale back the economic activities intl1etraditional areasof trade between d1e cwocountries.

Sheba Nandkeolyar andJasbirSingh arecontestingmepositionof AIBC National Chair, whileJim Varghese and PaulMcKenzie arenmningfor theposition of ViceChair.IndianUnkasked the four candidates theirviews on whereAIBC is currently positionedand where mefurure opportunitiesare.

How do you thinkAIBC has performed as the premier business council between India and Australia over the past 30 years?

Sheba Nandkeolyar (SN): I believe AIBC has performedvery wellin recent years andhasgrowninstaturefroma loosely heldorganisation, toa limited company scrucmte with stronggovernance and accountabilityin place. As me National ViceChairI worked closely with the ChairDipenRughanitoorganiseavery successful business leaders'address by PM

TheAIBCChair andl wereinvitedby PMAbbotttojoin hisCEO delegation whenhevisitedIndiaand wehad the opportunityco brief himone-on-oneprior cohis business trip.

AIBC haspresented severalwhitepapers ondoingbusinesswimIndiaandhasalso beenprovidinginputs to CECA discussions.

Last year, 2015 sawAIBClead tl1e VibrantGujarat delegation,comprising over 45 AIBC memberswho were former joinedbyAustralianIndianBusinessWeek delegates, making up a delegationof over 100 plus.

AstrongachievementforAIBChas been tl1is ongoingpartnership wimVibrant Gujaratfor the past SL'(years, an initiative largelyled by thecurrentChairof AIBC.

Morerecentl)7 ,AIBC has been at the forefront on many nationalinitiatives includingorganisingthefirst evernational conference in conjunction withme Australian FinancialReview which was a brilliantinitiative AIBC ChairDipen Rughaniand1 workedvery hard tomake this happen. Ir was an inclusiveconference wherein ourobjective was to dial up business interestinIndiaand bringtogether diversegroups of stakeholders interested in workingwichIndia.

TheinauguralAustraliaIndiaTradeand InvestmentAwards announcedat the 30'" gala eveningrecognisedmeimportance of thisbilateral relationship.AIBC is the only businesscouncil that has extensive Australia-widepresence andeach of the state chaptershas extremely capable managementcommittees.

AIBCindustry chaptershavemade great contributionsto sectorsincluding mining and resources,renewable energy, ICT, education, women inbusiness and young professionals amongothers.

Whatcouldwedo better?We could contribute wim greater policy inputs fromAIBC,especially now tl1atCECA discussionsare inprogress. l would like to seeAIBCinvitedtobea moreactive participantin CECA discussions andwork verycloselywitl1botl1 governments.I wouldlike to seebigbusinesses inAustralia moreengaged witl1AIBCandSMEs to

Jasbir Singh GS): India isAuscralia's 12th largest tradingparmer and bilateralrelations havebeengivensignificant imponanceby borncountries withvery high levelvisits fromPrimeMinisterof Australia toIndia andreciprocalvisitfromIndian Prime Ministerto Australia. Australian trade ministerAndrewRobbledtl,elargest e\7er Australianbusinessleaders (about 450 delegates) toAustraliaBusinessWeekin India in 2015. Similarly annual meeting betweentl,eforeign ministershas taken centrestage for advancingambitious bilateral agenda includingdefence,finance, water andculrural affairs, including ComprehensiveEconomicCo-operation Agreement (CECA)negotiations.There is a pri1-iciplecommitment fromborn thegovernments to complete CECA negotiationsat the earliest.

Thereare stillmajor tradebarriers, despite many complementary trade oppornmities.Two-way tradeisabout $1415 billionandinvestn1ent is alsoabout $1011 billion. Australianinvestmentis sectors like manufacturing, telecommunications, hotels,mineral processing, foodprocessing, oiland gas and automotive sector. Indian investment ismainlyconcentratedinthe energy and resourcesector.

AIBC,formallysecup in 1986,basa key role toplay in therejuvenationof the bilateral trade relationship.Duringits thirty-yearhisrory,AIBChasseenmany troughsand highs. With India emerging as the fastest growing majoreconomy in the world,AIBC is now ac me cnsp of a big oppornmitycoestablish itself aspremier businessadvocacy bodyfor its members to facilitatestrongbilateral tradeand invesm1ent.AIBC can alsoleverageme strongcultural andsportsrelationshipsfor complementary business relationship.AIBC needs to strongly parmer with government bodie,5likeAustrade,Indianand Australian consulates andHighCommissions, and federal aud state agencies for policy advocacy for its members.

PaulMcKenzie (PM): Havingbeen a veteran memberof J\JBCforover 15 years, AIBC hasfor far toolong struggled in performance,andnow mustmoveinto che right direction,for the sake of members, stakeholders,andforAustralia-India trade relations. lnvesm1ent isnegligible.

However,discussionslike tl1e recent Enaging wimIndiaconference area good start,but now mustturninto "action", if AIBCis co growin good profile and credibility after 30 years

Failingsfrom thepastinclude too much talk oncommonwealth,curry and crid<etformostof mose 30 years,and commerceis nota new word sincePM Modi's Australianvisit in November 2014. Asa proud memberof theAIBC, I see usas a business organisation havingtoo much bilateraldiscussions and notmuch action.We need to stop the criticslabelling us the "Australia IndiaBusinessCocktails" association.\Xieneed togrow witl1 unity, success,resulcs and pride, as me peak body inteamwork spearheading talksinAustraliaIndia business,trade andinvestmems We must get the Australia-India Economic Agreement negotiated well andfinalised, tocover"allbases",so that noindustry, group orconsiderationare leftout. I wane allAIBCmembers,tl1eAIBCindusu-y chapters and all stakeholdersinvolved,to have a say and to cover all thebases,for tl1e Australia-IndiaAgreement.The "koife and fork" approachinside me AIBC muststop. Unity and tea1m.vork is needed for usto startwim action,tohavegood profile and credibility, to bring inresults.

Achievements, toAIBC'scredit, mey broughtPrimeJvlinistersModi and Abbott togemer in 2014, tl1e firstti.me twoleaders got togemeronAustraliansoilin28years.

PrimeMinisterModiat dieSydney event in ovember 2014, said 'Tmsorry ittook28 years for anIndianPc:imeMinistertovisic Australia,butI promise, ir won't be 28 years whenI rerurnnext."

Now thechallengeis to make che Australia-Indiaagreementintoa realty witl1 prideandsuccess,and to ensure itisnot discussed for a further28years, waiting for anIndian PrimeJ\,fioister torenimto Australia.

1haveseenAustralia-Indiatraderelations growfrom $3.3 billionin 2000 toover $15 billionin 2013. Nowthechallengeis toget tl1esedata updated and toimpro\Teon mem into me future.

JimVarghese (JV): I believemeAIBC has performed really well as thepremier business council.

The 30�' anniversaryEngagingwid1India conferenceand dinner,runin collaboration withAFRwasan excellent success sroryand agreat exemplarof strategic positioning, engagernem,effectivenetworking,high qualityinformation andanalyses. Similarly, the twojointAIBC/Ail NationalEnergyand Resources Forums heldin2015 inBrisbaneand2016in Perth were alsosuccessful strategiceventsthat helped Australian and Indian companies explore serous business opportunitiesin this mega billion-dollar industrysector. State brancheshave also run.very successfullocalevents.

Whatwillyou doto improvethe deficiencies and build on the strengths ofAIBC?

SN: Buildingonstrengthsandimproving on deficiencies areinterwoven. Myfirst observation is thatabrand is known by the involvement of its people. 1 would Like to see more passionatenewmembers joinAIBC and tobuildon agreatlegacy created bypastAJBCleaders. TwouldLike tbeleaders tomentoryounger members to positionsofleadership for funire years. Thisisimportantforbuildingfuture sustainability.

1wouldLike tO seeAJBCbeingled in states andnationallybyindividualswho arepassionatelycommitted tOcreating a difference. AIBCneeds costeer clearof personalvendetta$ andpolitics. Fortunatelywe have movedawayfrom pettypoliticsandhaverolledoverthese recentyears toamore transparent style of functioning. Iwouldlike to strengthen this evenfurther.

Secondly,AIBC needs more funds, grams or sponsorships tostrengthenthe ,5ecretariatservices at the nationaland state level and1wouldverymuchliketoworkon this.Thiswillleadtomore benefits available tomernbers too.

Third,more policy-level inputs from AIBCwouldbewelcomeand amore national presenceof its national team too In this contextJimVarghesewhois based in Queensland if elected willprovidefor a trulynationalream.

FinallyIwould like toworkona collaborativemodelwhereinweworkwith diversestakeholdersfromGovernment and industry,toensurewe aUwork towards that one commongoalof diaUingupthis bilateraltrade relationship.

JS: AIBCcan playavitalroleand provide platformfor its members foradvocacy for federaland state policy makingin both countries,networkingformembers, facilitateparticipationin bilateral trade missionsandingeneral become an information hub forhowto navigatethe business challenges in bothcountries. As NationalChair, Iwouldlike to provide a visible leadership in establishingcorporate governance,strategic andoperation excellenceand expandingbilateral business relationsinnewhorizonsorenvironments for members. Buildingand managing businessesin cross cultural boundaries are someof mystrengthsonwhichAJBC members canleverage.

As Chair, myendeavour wouldbe to promoteAustralia-Indiabusinesstieswith a focused approach for eachbusiness sectorandmorespecifictomembersfrom SMEs. Asa successful professionalwith nearly28yearsof industry experience in Australiaand India at seniorlevel,I have worked withgovernmentagencies,nonprofitorganisations and business partners ingeneral.

PM:Welllrnown.tothose inside AIBC, first of all,we need toaddressour membership, ie,membership retentionand newmembers.\Y/e needco target ourselves towards 1,000members, cateringfor those involvedwithAustralia-Lidiarelations in.business,tradeandinvestmem, from individual business/professional people, toSMEs,corporations,organisations andright upto multi-nationals. Havinga dormantbaseof 500members for toolong is notacceptable and also notacceptable, is for toolong,manyarenotjoining. Secondly,AIBC needs to showactionand leadership on theAustralia-Indiaeconomic agreement/free trade agreement.Thirdly 1want betterAIBC/corporaterelations, toimprove sponsorshipand support in business, trade and invesunent.

JV:Improvingdeficiencies andbuilding strengths is aboutwhatwe like to seemore of andless of.

1would like to see more of the AIBC asapowerfulnational business council that significantlyshapesandinAuences theeconomicand business relationship betweenAustraliaand India.

1wouldlike to see moreof theAIBC asaneffectiveadvocate that encourages theAustralian andIndiangovernments to engagewiththe private sector and businesscommunityto ensurethatthe imminent Comprehensive Economic CooperationAgreement drives future trade andinvestment. l would also like to see theAIBCrecognisedinanynegotiations as partners,notpassive observers-with auniquerole to playin fosteringcloser economicrelations intbe contextof trade barriers,impediments to investment or lad, of cultural knowledge

In this context, itwould begood to have yourChairand Vice Char coming from different states butworkingas a complementary team harmoniously empoweringstate branches withinthe AJBCgovernanceframework.

1would liketosee lessof tl1eAIBC gettinginvolvedand mired in the politics of personalityand ego,or providingabreeding ground topursuingpersonal agendas.

The passioncertainlyruns deep. The responsesindicatea desiretobringthe governmentof thetwocountries closer butalso thegrassrootsof AJBCtogrow the membership with abettervalue-add for all. While of the fourcandidates,only Sheba has bad theexperience of working atthenationallevelthroughher past tenure asVice Chair, theothers bringto r\he table strongexperienceof workingwithin AJBCand in their professions. BothJasbir and Paulareopentoworkingwithany successful candidate,whileSheba andJim haveshowna stronginterest inworking morecloselywitheachother asa tean1. Withelections opennow, it isimportant for the members toelect astrong team,giventhatchallengesaswellas opportunities l.ieahead for theAIBC.

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13citieswinfast-trackSmart Citycompetition

TheUrban DevelopmentMinistryrecently announced 13winnersof the fast-track SmartCitycompetition,withLucknow toppingthe list.Thesecities cannow compete to be a"Smart City" in the next cycleof "IndiaSmart CitiesChallenge".

Announcingthe list,Un.ionUrban DevelopmentMinisterM.VenkaiahNaidu saidLucknow,which could notmakeitto thefirstlist of20missioncities lastyear, hadimprovedthe qualityof its Smart City plan.Twenty-three cities participatedin tl1e fast-track competition.

Theothercities thatmadeit tothenext roundareWarangal(Telangana),Shim.la, (HimachalPradesh), Chandigarh,Raipur (Chhattisgarh),NewTownKolkata(\'<Test Bengal),Bhagalpur (Bihar),Panaji (Goa), Port Blair (Andaman&Nicobar lslands), Imphal (Manipur),Ranchi Qharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Faridabad (Haryana).

The minister said these 13citieswere selected onthe basisof marks scoredby themin the fast-track competitionand the benchmarks set bythe topperformers in the firstcycleofthe challenge.

Naidu said these l3 cities have substantiallyimproved their Smart City plansbyaddressingthe deficiencies .identified inthefirst round of tl1e competition.This ensureda better profiling of the cities in terms ofinfrastructure gaps and baseline service levels,whicheffected consistencybetweenthecitizens'aspirations andaction plans, morefeasible resource mobilisationplans,and coordinated and integrated picn1re ofhowindividual projectswillcontribute toarea-level changes.

Only 12 states and UTswererepresented in d1e firstlist of20 mission cities announcedinthefirstcycleof"IndiaSmart CitiesChallenge" onJanuary28.

Othercitiesthat participated in the FastTrack Competitionwere arnch.i in Sikkim(ranked 14);Aizawl in1vlizoram (15);PasighatinArunachal Pradesh(16); Dehradun inUttarakhand (17); Kohima in Nagaland (18); Oulgaretin Puducherry (19);Sih7assainDadra&Nagar Haveli aidusaid tl1e tieberweeni\'1eerut and RaiBareli,inUttar Pradesh, andJamrnu andSrinagar,inJ&K,will beresolved by allowingthem to participateintheSmart Citycompetition andonecityfromearn of d1ese two stateswiUbe selected on d1e basis of thequalityof their respective SmartCity plans.

(20); Kavarartiin Lakshadweep (21);Diu inDaman&Diu (22);andSh.iUongin Meghalaya (23).

These cities can submittheir revised Smart Cityplans for evaluationinthe second roundof regular competition underwaybytheend ofJune.

Thefirst20citieswere selectedfrom98 missioncities.

Other capital cities that areleftout oftheSmarrCityMissionwillalsobe allowed toparticipateinthecompetition. Thesecities include Patna, a)'aRaipur, Itanagar,Amaravati, Bengaluruand Thiruvananthapuram.

Givingan accountof tl1e gainsof new initiativesandapproaches,Naidusaid thatfor thefirst timeinthecountry,98 Smart Cities and497AtalMissioncitiesaccountingfor over70percent of urban population - currentlybave long-termfiveyearactionplans basedon comprehensive analysisof infrastructure gaps.

Onthe occasion, Naidu released a publication titled 'Urban RenaissanceMay 2014-May2016' giving a derailed accountof paradigm shiftin artimdesandapproaches co urbanplanning and governance,and the major drivers of urban revival and transformationsetin motion duringd1e last twoyears.

Pakistan rakes upKashmir issue with mapsbill protest Bemoaning lackof.internationalsupport forits cause,Pakistanhas tried torake up tl1eKashmirissue at theU byprotesting againsta draftIndianmapsbillthatseeks ropunish"wrongorfalse"depictionsof India's boundaries.

1n a letter roUNSecretaryGeneralBan Ki-moon andSecurityCouncilPresident AbdellarifAboulattaof Egypt, Pakistan's Permanent RepresentativeMaleeha

Lodhiwroted1atIndia'sdraftGeospatial Information Regulation BiU was"contrary toSecurityCouncil resolutions" and asked for UN intervention.

"Sadly, theinternational community and theUn.ired ations have failedto rake noticeof tllisactionof India"in depicting allof Kashmir as Indian territory,she said inthe letter releasedtothe media bythe u lndia "firmlyrejects Pakistan's repeated and increasing attempts to imposeon die internationalcommunitymatters that lndia has alwaysbeenopentoaddressbilaterally wid1Pakistan,"said tl1e statement.

Earlier reactingto a Pakistani Foreign Office press releaseon tbe maps bill, India's ExternalAffairsMinistry said the matter "is au entirely iurernalJegislativematterof India, since thewholeof the stateofJ&K is an integral part of India. Pakistanor anyother parryhas nolocus standi in the matter."

Thecl.raftof Geospatial Information RegulationBill,whichhas notbeen introduced in Parliamentbur only circu.lated for feedback, proposes fines andimprisonment for "anywrongor false topographicinformation ofIndiaiJ1clud.ing internationalboundaries".

Whi.leLodhi asserted that Pakistan's positionof showingKashmiras disputed territory"is alsoreflected in theofficial mapsof theUnitedNations", arandom checkbyIANSshowed thatmapsby theUNandinternationalagenciesare inconsistentin howthestateis displayed.

A UN mapof thephysicalfealllresof India tried toskirt controversybyframing .itwithout thetopportionwhereKashmir won.Idappear.

TheUnited NationsMilitaryObserver Group inIndia andPakistan(UNMOGIP) showsJammu and Kashmirwiththe "Line ofControl aspromulgatedinthe 1972 SimlaAgreement''.

OneUNlCEFmapshowed allof Kashmir asa part of India, another displayed Kashmir separately, andyet anotherhad thePakistan-occupied portion outsideIndia.

U Industrial DevelopmentOrganisation

Themonsoonbringswelcomerelief fromtheoppressiveheatwavethatsaw temperaturesacrossIndia reach 50 degrees celsius. Photo:AP

(UNIDO)left our thePakistancontrolled Kashmir fromIndia,wbi.leUN Development Programme's(U DP)India page showsallof Kashmirasa part of Indiaonthe page logo.

Canadian Sikhswant Komagata chapter in school curriculum

Even as PrimeMinisterJustinTrudeau apologisedtod1eSikh communityinthe Houseof Commons inOttawafor tl1e 1914 Komagata incjdent, CanadianSikhs have demanded that theepisode should be made partofschool curriculaacrossthe country.

The KomagataMarnwas aJapanese ship thatwashired byMalaysia-based richSikh BabaGurdirSingh tobring376Indians, mostlySikhs, to Canadato challenge the racistlawsof thetime in 1914.

Since both IndiaandCanada wereBritish dominions at that time,d1eIndians shou.ld havehad theright toenter Canada. But tbe Canadian government of that rime put in placevariousclausesinlaws tobar Indians fromenteringCanada.

The KomagataMarn,whichentered Vancouver harbouronMay23, 1914, wasforciblysent backtoIndiaafter ti.VO months. On reachingBudgeBudgein CalcuttainSeptember 1914,thepassengers were subjected tofiringbyBritish Indian policeinwhich19 ofthemwerekilled.

In hisapologyin the Houseof Commons this month,Trudeau said, "Canada's governmentwas,without question, responsible for thelawsthat prevented thesepassengers fromin1migrating peacefullyandsecurely.For that,and for every regrettableconsequencethat followed,weare sorry."

"Today- while knowing that nowords can fullyerase tl1e pain andsuffering e.xperienced by the passengers - I offer asincereapologyon behalfof the government for d1e lawsinforceat the rime that allowed Canada to be indifferent tothe plightof the passengers of the Komagata 1vfaru."

TheCanadian prime minister said, "The KomagaraMarn incidentis a stain on Canada's past. Burthehistoryof our cmrntryis one inwhichweconstantly challengeourselves,and each other, to extendourpersonal definitionsofwho is aCanadian.We have learned, and will continuetolearn, from rhe mistakes ofour past.\'<Temustmakesuretonever repeat them."

Welcoming theapology, advocacygroup WoddSikhOrganisation demanded that aKomagata chapter be included in school curricula across Canada.

Its presidentMukhbirSingh said,"Prime Minster Trudeau's apology n theHouse of Commons rodayis ahistoricmoment for CanadianSikhsand recognises thedark chapter the KomagataMaru tragedymarks inCanada's history. WhileCanada istodaya modelof multiculturalism andinclusiviry,it isimportant forus tounderstand that itwas nor always so."

"Webelieve itis essential that the KomagataMaru incident, as weU as the anti-immigrant sentiment tl1at fuelled this incident, bemadeapartof our provincial educationcurricula. It isimportant that weas Canadiansteachour yow1gsters toconfrontissues suchas racismand xenophobiaandlearningabout the KomagataMaruincidentisanexcellent oppornmitycodo so."

Meanwh.ile, Indiahasappreciated Canadian PrimeNliniscerJustinTrudeau's gesture of apologisinginthe Houseof Commonsin Ottawa for theinfamous KomagacaMaru incidentof 1914.

"\V/ewelcomeand deeplyappreciate thegesnireof Prime11inisterof Canada co deliver a formal apologyinthe Honse of Commonsfor theKomagataMam incident,"ExternalAffairs Ministry spokesperson VikasSwarnpsaidin a statement.

"TheIndiandiaspora in Canada has contributed immenselycoCanada's gro\vth and development andactsasa bondbetweenour two nations. Prime NlinisterTrudeau'sgestureconstitutes an acknowledgment of thepositiverole of the Indian diaspora,"hesaid.

77 percent Indian parents expectto live withsons in old age

Almost77percent of Indianparents expecttolivewiththeirsons in oldage whilesevenpercentwantcoJivewith their daughters, according to the India Human DevelopmentSurvey(IHDS), conducted jointlybyresearchers fromUniversityof Maryland and NationalCounc.ilof Applied Economic Research (NCAER), ewDelhi. These are thefindings from theIHDS-2 (2011-12) data-sec,coveringarepresentative sampleof 41,554 householdsacross33 states andunioncerricoriesinbothruraland urbanareas.

1nHaryana,the statewithIndia's lowest child sex ratio (834females per 1,000 males),90percent of respondents said they would preferto livewith tl1eirsonsin old age ratl1er than tl1eir daughters.

Maharashtrawasnext,with85percentof parents sayingtheyexpectedsupport from sons.

Regarding tl1e sonsvsdaughtersissue, manyIndianswant atleastone daughter

While73percent of thepeoplesurveyed said theyshould ideaUyhaveone daughter, 11 percent said tl1eyshould ideallyhavetwo daughters.

Whileas manyas60percent saidthey ideallywantedoneson,26percent said they wantedtwosons.

Whilemorepeople (73 percent)waneat leastonedaughter,when askedpreferences foranextrachild,onlysi..x said theywanted daughters.

Tbesurveywasbased onindirect questionstorestpeople'sattitudes.Some quest.ions asked: Howmanysonsor daughterswouldtheyideaUyprefer ro have? If theywerecohaveanextra ch.ild,what sex would theyprefer?

Maharashtrahasalowchild sexratio (894femalesper 1,000males) and ahigh preference for ason (39percent) for an extrach.ild.

The main reason Indianparentsprefer sonsis thatIndians expect to dependon chemin tl1eiroldage.Morethan three-

India'sfirstindigenouslymadeand reusablespacelaunchvehiclelifts offfromthelaunch pad atSatish

Dhawan SpaceCentreinSriharikota, inthesouthern IndianstateofAndhra Pradesh,on23May,2016.India successfullyflighttestedamodel Re-usableLaunchVehicleTechnology DemonstratororRLV-TDinitsbidto developreusablespacecraft.

Photo: IndianSpaceResearchOrganisationviaAP fourths (77percent) of therespondents said theyexpectco livewiili theirsonswhen old. Only16percent Indians said theywould considerJivingwitl1 their daughters.

Statesin the south seehigherpercentages tban cbenational average.

Tripurahas tl1e highest percentage of parents (12percent) preferringcolivewith daughtersintheir oldage,foUowedby TamilNadu (17 percent).

The perception thatparents canlivewitl1 daughters hasimprovedover thelastseven years.Askedif theywould consider living withdaughters, 14percent said yesduring asurveyin 2004-05; 16percentsaidyesin 2011-12.

Asmanyas74percentof Indiansexpect sons to support themfinanciaUyduring old age. Only 18percentsaid theymayconsider takingmoneyfrom daughters inold age.

Indian descent Congressman's re-election in the USputatrisk byfather's

Illegalfinancing

The 83-year-old father of AmiBera, tl1e onlyIndiandescentCongressman,has pleaded guiltyto illegallyfundinghisson's election campaignswith atleast$260,000 puttingat risk his re-election in November.

AssistantAttorney GeneralLeslieR. Caldwellannounced recently that Babula! Beraadmitted tomakingcontributions toAmiBern's twoelectioncampaigns fraudulentlyin thenamesof otherpeople and over the legal limit.

Prosecutorshavecleared ArniBeraof involvementinthecampaign fundingscam, buritmakes his re-electionprospectsharder as heisalreadyfacingopposition in his constituency fromtradeunionsinhisown DemocraticParty. Hewasre-elected to a secondtermin2014 by less than 1,500 votesafter a bruising campaign. The race was thecostliestHouseof Representatives campaign thatyearwiththetwoparties together runningupacabof $21 million.

Federal prosecutor PhillipA.Talbert cold reporters tlrnt therewas "noindication" thattheDemocraticRepresentativeorhis '5taff wereinvolvedintheillegal election financingand chattheyhadcooperatedwitl1 theprosecutors.

AmiBera,amedical doctorwho representstl1efrom the7tl1 California Districtin thestatecapitalarea,cold The Socmrm//toBeenewspaper that hehadno idea that his fatl1er hadillegallyfinanced hiscampaign. He said thathehas sent the money contributed byhis fathertothe US government.

ln 2010 AmiBeralost his firstelection campaignfor tl1e Houseof Representative forwhich his father,aretiredchemical engineer,contributed $240,000.The successful2012campaign received $40,000 from his father.

Accordingto theFederalElection Commission, thema,"illnwn an1ount an individualcan contribute toa candidatewas $2,400 in2010 and $2,500 in2012.

Babula! Berawaschargedinthe federal court for theEasternCalifornia in Sacramento beforeJudge TroyL. Nunley, wbois co sentencehim inAugust. He faces amaximum sentence of 10yearsontwo charges,but is unlikel)' get the harshpenalty given his age. TheLosAuge/esTi111CSreported that theprosecutorsarerecommendinga prisontermof upto30 months.

Courtpapers said tl1atBabula! Bera asked about90 friendsand relatives rosendover 130 contributions to his son'scampaign in tl1eir ownnames and then he reimbursed themso that hehimself will notappearco haveexceeded thelegalfundinglimits.

Heis thethird person of Indian descent co runafoulof theelection lawsinilie past two years. Conservative author Dinesh D'Souzawas convicted in 2014 of illegally contributing$20,000 cothe unsuccessful RepublicanSenatecampaign of his college friend,WendyLong. Although NewYork federal prosecutorPreer Bharara sought aja.il term,iliejudgegavehim a$30,000 6.ne and eightmonthsof community confinement thataUowedhimco continue working.

SantSinghChatwal,ahotelier, pleadedguiltyin2014tomakingillegal contributions of $188,000to three candidatesru1dwas fi.ned $500,000 and sentenced to 1,000 hoursof community service. In an unusualmove, thefederal prosecutor inBrooklyn at that time,Loretta Lynch,didnotdisclosewhoreceived Chatwal's illegal contributions. Media reports, however,identified one of the recipients as HillaryClintonwho received themwhen sheran forSenate. Lynch is nowtl1eUSAttorneyGeneral.

ThescandalcastsashadowonAmi Bera's re-election bidinNovemberwhen he will facethe Republicru1SacramenroCounty Sheriff ScottJones. Heis up against serious oppositionwiiliin hisown parrybecauseof hissupportfor President BarackObama's Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)Agreement, which tradeunionsconsider anti-labour. Becauseof tradeunionopposition hewas unable get theendorsement of hislocalparty unitco run for re-election and hehadcoget the backing of tl1estatepartyconvention. Unionshaveheld protests against himin his district ru1dvowedco defeat himas d1ey say 12-nation TPP willlead tolossof jobs and lowerwagesintheUSbecauseof the cheaperimports itwillallo-\r.

AmiBera's 2014victorywasanail-biter. On electionnighthewasabout3,000votes behind RepublicanDougOse, but as postal and other baUotswere tallied overa twoweek periodhe emerged the\vinnerbyjust 1,432votes.

Accordingtomedia reports,Beraraised $3.7millionandoutsideorganisationslike the DemocraticCongressional Campaign Committee spent $6.5 million promoting himin the 2014 election. Ose raised $3.2 million and the National Republican Congressional Committee and otl1ers contributedalmost$7million to campaign for him. IANS

BYSANDIP HOR

The people of Samoa, a tiny nation in the South Pacific, are always happy. When in 201 l the nation jumped over the international dateline, they lose 24 hours of theirlives, butdidn'tlose any glee. Rather they burst into celebrations at midnight on Thursday 29 December as the calendar bypassed Friday and Aipped over to Saturday due to their switchover from the US time zone to that of Australasia.

Theywereelated co be, since then, the first nation in theworld to welcome a new year.

Visitors are thrilled ac the thought of being in a land where each new day on earth begins, particularly at sunrise when enjoying the glorious crack of dawn while the rest of the world is scill in bed.

Positioned in the heart of Polynesia, somewhere midway betweenAustralia and Hawaii, Samoa comprises of ten islands, which were formed many miJlenniums ago as result of massive basaltic shield volcanoes rising from the seaAoor of the western Pacific Ocean. Upolu and Savai'i are the two main islands where the majority of thenation's 194,000 people live.

Samoa's international in1age is chat of a tropical paradise, surrounded by turquoise blue water, filled with sprawling coconut plantations and inhabited by visitorfriendly, Aower-wreached people, attired in colourful Aoral tops and dark ski.rtlike bottoms with various tattoo designs marking their bodies.

The history of the place spans more than 3000 years. According to legend, Samoans believe theirancestors descended from the heaven and made their way across the Pacific in canoes thousands of years ago. European and American whalers and traders began arrivingon irs shores soon after Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen discovered che islands in 1722.

The Americans and European colonisersDutch, British and German - foughtmany batdes among themselves co lay claimto the cerricory.

In 1899, after years of civil war, the islands of the Samoan archipelago were divided - the Germans talcing the islands to the west and the Americans taking the ones to the east. After WWI, New Zealand became the administrator of German Samoa in a military occupation driven by Britain and held power until 1962 when Samoa became the first Pacific nation to gain independence. The other part, called American Samoa, is still under the US regime.

Today Samoa is a destination where outsiders arrive co seize fromwelcoming locals some of their endless happiness and to dip into the "Samoan way" a lifestyle focused on acti,Tities that relax, unwind and soothe urbanised souls.

Enchanting Upolu is the epicentre of Samoa, home to thenation's capital

Clockwisefromtop left:Tropical Samoa; atthe localmarkets; catchingtheferrybetween islands; common hazards; man power; a midmorningnap; in theirSundaybest

Apia. Dotted on anaturalharbmu:,chis coastal townshipis40km away from FaleoloInternationalAirport where annually around 120,000 visitors,mainly fromAustralia, NewZealand,US and neighbouringPacificnations, arrive fora blissfulvacation.

Apia, asexpected,isnor a bigplace,its lengthand breadthcaneasily be e.,""<plored by foot, chough ajourney inoneof the colourful localbuses can be fascinating. Old world and new collideherewith traditionalSamoanhouses standingside by side with colonial churches,buildings and some 21" century additions.The central clockroweris surrounded byshops, markets, bars, restaurants and nightclubs addingsome urbantouches toSamoa,it is aa goodplaceto getacclimatised to the island'sAair.The best waytoexperience thisintroductionis at the lively local markets,abuzzwith hordesof stalls selling almosteverythingfromlocalproduceto handicrafts.

Cultureisundoubtedly central to PolynesianIi.fe.Samoa'sstylesof music,dance,andvisualarthavegained renownthroughout the Pacific islandsand the world.A visit to theSamoaCultural Villageprovidesa worthyunderstandingof howSamoansleadtheirlives bycelebrating andembracingtraditionalvalues,culture and environment.Forhistorybuffsavisit co theMuseum of Samoaisa mustto gatherknowledgeaboutthe land'sheritage. However,peoplerarelytravelto aPacific mopiato hangaround in city sprawl;the appealforvisitors toSamoaisintimate engagement withnamreand,in this respect, the rewardsare endless.

Samoais aplace of great natural beaury hostingsomeof the SouthPacific'smost stunninglandscapesfromrainforestcoveredvolcanicmountains,vastvalleys, cascading waterfallsand steep cliffs to spectacularwhite-sandcoastlines.The riot of colourinnaturedisplayed by the Rowers, leavesand fruitsbestow a feast for theeyes.Anidealholiday here involves amixtureof easy-goingrelaxation and activitiescateringtoone'sad,1enturous appetite.

Beingan islanddestination,oppormnities for surfing, fishing and sunbathing at a white sandystretcharein abundance, alongsidesnorkellingand diving inone of the iridescent lagoons todiscover spectacularunderwater scenery.

Whenfinished witb the water, many goinlandforawalkthrough lush green rainforest,cry horsebackrides,treat themselves to ajungle river kayakingsafari, jumpintoa luscious waterfall for acooldip orsir insidea chopper fora bird'seye view of theislands.

Many catcb theferry toexploreSavai'i fslandwhich hasbecomephysically bigger insize thanUpolo after gushing lava froma volcanicexplosionintheearly20thcenmry pushedtheocean away.

VillagesdominateSamoa,itssocial governance and way of life.Mostrural settlements are very clean and tidyand dottedwithrypical Samoan housescalled "fi,ics". Every village hasa church where experiencing massand choir onaSunday isinvigorating. Villagers on Sundays are generally attired in white,perhapsreAecting theirloveforpeaceandpurity ofmindson theday of communion with divinity.

Freshair, warm water,lushgreen surroundingsand engulfingseren.irymake Samoaan idealdestinationtoliveahealthy life.

ThisinspiredfarnousScottishauthor RobertLouis'sStevenson to spendthe final years of hislifein thisparadise His home inApiaisnowa museum where the fusr editioncopy of hisepical Tret1s11re Ts/andcan be seen. Hewrotethis withanimaginary island in mind,butafterarriving inSan1oa maybehe d10ughr thisis the treasuredland. Helived theretill his lastbreathand had hismortalremainsrested in irs grounds Thehealing effect of thedestination can be sensedin ashort time by visitorsaswell. When leavingSamoa,you feelenergised with mind,bodyandsoul soothed and filled withfeelings ofbliss.

FijiAirways (www.fijiairways.com) offersfullserviceflightstoApiaviaNadi.

Thereareplentyofhotel and resortstyleaccommodationoptionsofvarying standards, located in Upolo and Savai'i. Millenia, SaletogaSands, Seabreeze, Savai'i Lagoon, CoconutsBeach Club,TanoaTusitala andSheratonSamoaAggie Greynearthe airportare afewfromthe long list.

ContactSina WorldTravel(www.sinaworldtravel.com)fortailormadetoursto Samoa

SamoanTala, 1AUD = 1.90Tala

Australianpassportholders don'trequirevisatoenterSamoa

Checkoutwww.samoa.travel