2016-06 Brisbane

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ADVE:RTISING

Growth, jobs and sandbagging

large part of the funding canbesourced from shelving thebudget proposal of lowering large business company tax to 25% from thecmrent 30%.

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, includi�g advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reprodu�ed 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 India,{ Link.. AII correspondence should be addressed to• Indian link

BYPAWAN LUTHRA

Thiselection may well be decided by onedichotomy: delayedvs instant gratification.

TheTurnbull-ledCoalitionis chantingthe mantraof 'jobsand growth' and promotinga concept whichcanbe alignedtotrickle-down economics.Bill ShortenandhisLaborteamare building ontheir credentialsof findingsolutions to the problemsin education andhealth today ratherthan puttingtheseon hold for a better tomorrow.A prime e.xarnple is theCoalitionannouncementinthis month'sbudget to freeze theindexation of Medicare rebatesuntilatleast 2020, whichdoctors have warned willlead tolessbulk billing,whereas theLabor Partybas declaredthat if elected, itwill spend$12billiontounwindthis freeze.

\X1'hi1ethe Labor policy is populist,it will addto thecurrent$150billionannual healthbudget. Labor believesthata

Loweringthistaxratewillallowfor theso-calledtrickle-down effect, the term whicl1,accordingtosomepundits, originated withUS President Reagan, Ina nmshell,taxbreaks atthetopend (individuals andcompanies) can spur economic growth. Companiespay lesstax andtheninvest themoniesin productive activities, which canincreaseeconomic growth, creatingjobs and oppormnities. Therewillbea trickle-down effectto those inlower ta_xbrackets. Onecan wellsee thelogicinthis,buttheconcept of loweringtax hasbeen criticised by many whobelievethatitdrainsaway the revenue from theTreasury totake careof thecountry'sneedscoday.USPresident Obamahasbeenopenlycritical of this theory which wasputinpracticeby RonaldReagan tostimulatetheeconomy. But then believersinhistheory advocate thatthispractice actually gave people anopportunity toearnmore,as there wasa large increaseinproduction and emplo}ment. However, itcakes time to filter

through theeconomy,and thequestion for Election2016 is,isthe electorate patientenough togivethis theory a tty, ordoes it prefer instant grati.fication of daily needs?The challenge is that wth today'slifestyle trends, wedowant instant solutions to problems. Labor will no doubt build on thisneed asthenext few weeks of campaigningprogress. According tothepolls,as to which way will the votegoon2July,currently it looksclose.The latest Newspollhas bothpartiesneck toneck,withLabor havingnarrowed the gapwiththe Coalition.Atd1isscage,it seems that theCoalitionis keenerto "sandbag"its currentseatsratherthan go to war over thosewhichitfeelsmay take away its resources from theones in hand. An example wasthe Prime1.-finister's day in\XlestemSydney recently: he raced to the Coalition-heldLindsay seat of Fiona Scott anddecided to then make his way to theReidseat of CraigLundy.That hedrovethrough withoutstoppingat thetwo Labor-heldmarginalseatsof Parramatta andGreenway, was aclear sign of hisstrategy.

Growthandjobsis themantra; sandbaggingis the game plan.

SendmoneytoourownbranchesinallmajortownsandcitiesinFijiandNewZealand Askusaboutourcommercialbusiness,wedoimportpaymentsandallinternational businessrelatedremittanceatbestrateandaflatfeeof $15.00only

649369 1723

Dhanya Samuel, Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Tasneem Zavery, Nisha Joseph, Sandip Hor: Sanam Sharma, Mohan Dhall, LP Ayer

YOURSAY

DEEPIKA ANDRANBIR4EVA

Results of our favourite celeb couple poll are in Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan 23% Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie 27%

Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor 37% Beyonce and Jay-Z 13%

WRITINGSTORIES,RIGHTINGHISTORY

Indian Linkreported on the unique event Literary Commons! which brought together Dalit and tribal writers from India andIndigenousAustralian authors to share and discuss stories of oppression, violence, injustice and lost identity

DrMrldulaNathChakraborty,ConvenorLiteraryCommons wrote:

A HUGE thanks to Rajni and the entire team for this wonderful coverage of Literary Commons! It is so comprehensive and catches some of the most powerful and poignant moments of the gathering. I love the soundbites you have captured. Please convey my heartfelt gratitude to Chitra Sudarshan, Aparna Ananthuni and Dipanjali Rao.

AneetaMenonwrote: This was a greatread with manynew book recommendations. Thanks, guys!

Debayan Sarkhel@DSarkhel tweeted: Much more to learn from the Aborigines around the world

ANINTERNATIONAL APPEAL

A 35-year-oldIndian-originmother of one in the US, diagnosed with Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system), is in urgent needof a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Whocandonate? People of South Asian origin (18-44 Years of age) for the best possible match

Howwould youdoIt? Read more at www.donateblood.com.au. Visit any branch of RedCross in NSW to be tested. With your consent you can then be registered on the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Important to note: Once you go on the registry, you will be contacted if you are a match for anyone who may require bone marrow/stem cell transplant. What Ifyou are amatch?You can donate through blood in the form of stem cells or through the marrow. Both are simple procedures at no cost to you. You could be 1 in 20,000 to save her life.

For more information please visit: http://www.abmdr.org.au/

If you do register please drop a line to hamsavenkat@gmail.com or jarcot@gmail.com

LOVINGRAYS FROMBEYONDTHESUN

RaniJhala wrote a heartwarming shortstory, basedon reallife events, on the power of a mother's love

Rani Jhala wrote: The article looks lovely and the double page spread makes t look so perfect.I think Arun must be smiling.

CORRECTION

In the article Anzac Day 2016 in our April issue, the image of Lt Col Jimmy Passan (Retd) was incorrectly captioned as Col Subroto Ghosh (retd). The error occurred inadvertently and is regretted. Lt Col Jimmy Passan (Retd) is President of the South Australian Defence Veterans Association Inc (SAIDVA), the body that organised the Indian veterans' participation at this year's Anzac Day parade and commemoration. Ed.

BEYONDINFINITY

Usha Ramanujam Arvind wrote about academic Sydney Srinivas' fascination with the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, the subject of a new movie starring Dev Patel

T.RAnantharamu wrote: A commendable job indeed.

Dlwakar Somathanahalll wrote: Quite a comprehensive review. Congratulations.

SamreenFatima wrote: Great knowledge comes from the humblest of origins.

T.Valaljl wrote: Well written Usha Ramanujam Arvind. Your writing style makes our eyesrun over the words easily and ourminds comprehend what is said in your writing.

Anu Shlvaram wrote: A well-deserved recognition to the mathematical genius Srinivas andhis namesake and equally talented SydneySrinivas. Your enthusiasm is infectious, Srinivas. May your tribe increase!

DrNagavenl wrote: Dr Srinivas, I just read the Link article. Congratulations on your excellent painstaking work regarding the great Ramanujan. It is not only inspirational but delightful and a pleasure to read. Your time and effort is very well spent. You have made a great contribution to information regarding the great man. The Link article is written in a flowing manner giving a glowing description of the great Ramanujan. It holds the reader's attention until the end. I rememberreading something regarding him being supportedby a scientist/mathematician in England in a police case.The book was either the bio of CV Raman or Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Chakravartl Madhusudana wrote: A well-written, detailed article.I enjoyed reading it. I think Indian Link is wrong in calling you Ramanujan's namesake inasmuch as Srinivas was Ramanujan's father's name. Also the equations have not been printed out correctly. Congratulations once again on your considerable efforts to bring this movie for the benefit of the greater Sydney audience.

ShubhaChandra wrote: Srinivas, I wanted to write to thank you for all the trouble you took to organise the special screening of the movie. The thing that impressed me in the movie was not just Ramanujan's intelligence and the tragic life, but Prof. Hardy's character as well, the way he not only recognises Ramanujan's gift, but how he gets him to do it the logical way and show the 'proof' so that today there is something that has become useful forfurther studies. As tragic as Ramanujan's life was, there is the work that he has left behind which will be usefulforever. By the way, the article in IndianLink has made quite a few people aware of the movie and they are planning to see it at their convenience. Well done.

ATALE OF TWO CITIES

PawanLuthra wrote aboutmaking the choice between Melbourne and Sydney

PetraO'Nelll wrote: I have justreturned from a few days in Melbourne prompted by the recent editorial on Melbourne vs Sydney.The food is a knock out in Melbourne - Brunetti's on Lygon Street for cakes - I feel the people are more relaxed and more patient. Bourke street mall hadsome great buskers, including Kate Ceberano who just decided to perform there with some of herband!

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VOTING RULES HAVE CHANGED?

Make your vote count this federal election.

At this year's federalelection, the way you vote for the Senate has changed and it'simportant that you understandhow to vote correctly.

On thelarge white Senate ballot paper, you can choose to vote either above orbelow the line.

If you choose to vote abovethe line, you now need to numberat least 6 boxes. Put the number '1' in the box for the party orgroup that is your first choice, a '2' for your second choice and so on until you've numbered at least 6 boxes.

Ifyou choose to vote below the line, you must number at least 12 boxes, from 1 to 12, for individual candidatesin the order ofyour choice.

Voting for the House ofRepresentativeshas not changed. On the green ballot paper, you must number every box, starting with the number '1' for yourfirst choice, 12' for your second choice and so on until youhave numbered every box.

'How to vote' instructions will be clearlydisplayed on your ballot paper. Don't worry if you make a mistake-just ask for another ballot paper.

This federal election your vote will help shape Australia.

/SKCON celebrates the Chariot Festival

BYTASNEEM ZAVERY

The ratb(chariot) was bedecked with flowers, paper lanterns and garlands of fruit.

Andof course,iniages of Lord Krishna.

Afour-wheel wooden d1arior,nearlytwo storeysinheight, itmade its wayslowly throughthestreersof BrisbaneCBD ona SamrdaymorninginearlyMay.

Builtto resemble a remple,with a colomfulred and yellow pillar made of clod, toppedbyagoldencoloureddome, it carrieddie idolsof LordKrishnaandSri Prabhupada,founder of the International Societyof KrishnaConsciousness

Ir was hand-pulled byoverthree lnmdred ISKCO devotees, who useddiickstrong ropeswidimuchfan.fare.The catchynmes of HareRamaandHareK..tishna,Krishna KrishnaHareHrirefilled theair.

Widipoliceescorr androads indie Brisbane CBDcordoned off, this was d1e grand celebratoryoccasion of 'The Festival of Chariots'.

"TheFestivalof Chariots originatedin Puri,Orissa over2000 years ago andis nowcelebratedineverymajor cityacross the world,"Nici Sheth,one of the festival coordinators,coldIndi,111Link.

It wasmarked originallyat theJagaonandi Temple inPuri(from wherethe term 'juggernaut' comes) whenthe deities,to this day,are putin amassivechariot and taken for anannual tourof d1ecity.

"Thisis one of the fewtimes that we come ourro me streets toreallysharedie love.It'sallabourgiving.Ourtagline for

diis yearis '.Joyof devotion".

Where didthecharior come from?

"Ithas travelledall thewayfrom ISKCON'sfarmingcommunityin MurwillumbahfromnorthernNSW," Nici revealed. "We bringit uponceayearfor thefestival.Italsotravelsfurthersouthto Melbourne."

ForRad11a Dasi, thepullingof the chariot holdsa specialsignificance."We arerememberingtheLord of theUniverse today," she said. "W/e a.repullingdiis Cha.riot, so thatLordJaganath (Krishna) cancome andlive in our hearts andcan remain in our hearts forever."

Windingthroughthestreetsof theCBD

foroveran hour, onlookers were in awe, tryingto geta selfie ortwo.TheCha.riot wasfinallybrought to KingGeorgeSquare, where a number of festivities were lined up for the day.

There was free foodfrom d1e 'Foodfor Life'tent,interactive gamesforchildren, sralls sellingsweets andtreats, he1rna and a cardreadingstall thatimpartedVedic wisdom.

A free-for-allevent,diehenna stall seemed ro bequite popular with die Austrnlia.11s. ehaAttal,henna artist, told IndianLink, "Hennacomesfrom the leaves of a plane,La111so11ia.Enermis.The scientific reasonbehindapplying itis, itreducesbody

heat. Itiscatchinguprealquick inAustralia and people thoroughly enjoyapplyinghenna on theirpalms or a tattoo."

]ndirmLinkalso poppedinto thecard readingtentto get aninsightintoa bit of Vedic wisdom.ThecardreadbyRanganath Dassaid,'Knowthatallbeautiful,glorious and mightycreations,springfrom, bur is a spark of,mysplendour.' lt forms the basis of one of mesongs Lord·Krishna sang toArjuna on the bloodybattlefieldsof Kurukshetra, areligious war chatwasfought tosafeguardme principles of religion.

Crowds throngedKingGeorgeSquareto revel in d,e festivities. Smiles, greetings,and enjoying oneself were me order of the day!

Food for thought

Tamil Feasts is a unique opportunity to welcome asylum seekers while experiencingtastySri Lankan Tamil cuisine

Nirmawas released, t11ey got rogetherto exploreif thismight bea feasible venture andtl1erest,as theysay,is hisrory.

BYDHANYASAMUEL

EveryMondayandTuesday evening, NLrmachan (Nirma) Murugamoorthyjoins hands witb his friendsS�,ligechan and Niro,alongwith a groupof kind-heartedvolunteers,at the Centre for Education andResearchinEnvironmental Strategies (CERES) CommunityKitchen. Together, theyproduceTamilFeasts,a three-course traditionalbanquetshowcasing the Aavours of SriLankauTamilcooking.

Tamil Feastsisa socialenterprisechatwas set up ro support recently settled asylum seekersin Melbourne bysharingtheir food,heritageand culmrewith thewider community. Theproject is supportedby CERES EnvironmentPark,anot-for-profit sustainabilitycentre andurban farmlocated in tl1e heart of EastBrunswick.

TheideaforTamilFeasrnwasbornwhen Nirmawasreleased fromdetention. \'7hile spendingtimeat thedetentioncentre, Nirma andseveralocherasylumseekersusedto cook for themselves andforvisitors.That's howhecametomeetDoriEllington,who usedto visit irma andochersin thecentre.

Dorisawa real opportunityfortl1e men toshowcase tl1eirtalentand gain employmentin the community. So,when

Receivingimmense community support, the dinners always soldoutinamatter of dayswhich gave mem theconfidence required torake theprojectforward Today, Tamil Feastshoststwodinners aweek (MondayandTuesday) outof the CERES Community kitchen,with meals servedat communal-style, long tables inanintimate setting,emphasisingexchangeof ideas and culture.

"Foodisa powerful medium forsocial changeandit'sa proven meansof bringing people together," Project Coordinator Molly cold lndit111 Link. "That'swhatTamil Feasts is all about. Irprovides a real oppormnity forpeople tocome togetherand to sbow supportfor thosecurrentlygoing through the difficul[circumstancesof seeki11g asylum - allthewhileenjoying three courses of taSC)'Tamilcuisine!"

Tamil Feastsisa self-funded project.The proceeds generated fromticketsales go cowardkeeping the feastshappeningeach week,coveringcosts,payingwages,and investingin anyitemsneededto keepthe enterpriserunningsmoothly.

"Sri, Nirma,Nigethan, and Niro are reallyspecial individualswith a greatsense of humomand playful personalities,it's not hard rofall in love with chem!"Molly said. "Theyare theheart of TamilFeasts, butwithout thesupport of the local commu.nity tl1eenterprisewouldnot be possible. Withsomuchnegativityintl1e

media surroundingtl1oseseekingsafe[), here inAustralia,Tamil Feasts has been a welcome, positive meansof connecting and supportingpeople presently seeking asylum."

The food,of course, is the highlight and theprimaryreason whytl:us enterprise is so successful. While l'vfondaynights offer both vegetarianand non-vegetarian option, Tuesdays arereserved for onlyvegetarian and veganmeals.Themenuvaries each week so youcan keep experiencingthis deliciousfeastwithout evergettingbored.

Froma scrumptious salmoncurryto devilledmussels,or tl1eirinfamouslamb andchickencurrytochutneys,dahls, kormas andmasalas,TamilFeastsis

aculinaryextravagance of spices and flavours. ortomention thedelectable sweetsanddessertsprepared lovinglybythe team.

Completingits first yearthismonth,tl1is community initiativeis notwithout its fair share of challenges. "\Whilewe continuero see greatsupportfromtl1ecommunity,it's importantthatweattractnewanddifferent peopleto thefeasts,"Mollyexplained. "Spreading thewordaboutwhat these men are doingand encouraging morepeople to come alongto aTamil Feast is something that wearealwayslooking for!Wehope togrowand expandin thefun1rebut dus willnorbe possiblewithout the continued andgrowingsupportof tl1ewonderful l'vfelbournecommuniC)r."

Sri, Nirma,Nigetl1anand Niroare still in the process of seeking asylum. Ir's been seven years butthe government stillhas not granted tl1emanylegal recognitionas refugees. Butthatdoesnotdeterthem. Theycontinuetocook andsharewitl1 usa tasteof their homeland with a bigsmileon their faces.

TamilFeastshavealimitedcapadtyand arepre-bookonly. Youcanbookonline atceres.org.aultamil-feasts

Spucys-Taharand RajniAnand Luthra speak with three candidates who have links to the Indian community

It'soneofthelongestelectioncampaigns in50years,butthe2016federalelection lookstobeawarofattritionand competingideologiesaspartiesattempt cowooswingingvotersLmderthe constantscrutinyofthemedia.

\X'itnessestotheentirehullabalooare theIndianvoters,manyofthemmigrants withnoparticularaffinitycoanypartyor sentiment,fallinginthecategoryofswinging voters.Theyseektocutthroughtherhetoric andanalysetheunderlyingissuesinorderto makeaninformeddecision.

Generalelectionsareheldeverythree yearstoelect150membersoftheHouse ofRepresentativeswhichstandforan electoraldivisionwithinastateorterritory. CandidatesfortheSenatestandforan entireStateorterritory.Thereareatotalof 76Senators:12foreachstateandtwofor eachterritory.WhenaDoubleDissolution electionisdeclared,all76positionsare madevacant.

IndianLinkspokecocandidatesDr DesmondSoares(NXT),SenatorLisaSingh (ALP)andAllanThomas(???)tofindout whattheyhopetoachieveasrepresentatives ofthepeople.

Lisa Singh

ALP-Tasmanian Senator

Why didyou join the partyandbecome involved inpolitics?

1joinedtheLaborPartynearly20years agonm\cItwasthepartythatIfeltheld thevaluesmostsimilartomine,thingslike, compassion,equalityofoppornmity,and respectfordiversity.Iwasatuniversity andhadastrongfocusonsocialjustice.I wasinspiredbyPaulKeating,particularly intermsofhisstanceonsocialpolicy, thingslikewomen,migrantsandindigenous AustraliansIwasalsoinfluencedbythe workofmygrandfather.Hewasapolitician inthe1960sand1970sintheFijian Parliament,uidwasreallypushingforFiji tobecomeindependent.Ireallyadmired hisadvocacyand1alwaysknewIwanted coworkinsomeformofadvocacyrole,so policieswasanaturalfit.

You come from an lndo-Fijian background. Whatimpact has that had onyourlife inAustralia? Did you experience racism growing up? Have you experienced racisminpolitics? Growingup,Hobartwasnotthe multiculnLralplaceitistoday.Atschool, thereweredefinitelymorepeopleof amoreEuropeanbackgroundthanan Asianbackground.Ididfeelakindof subconsciouspressuretoneedtofitin.l ne\7erexperiencedanyexplicitracismperse, butthereweredefinitelyinstancesofcasual racism.

I'veneverpersonallyexperiencedracism

inpolitics,butsomeverydearfriendsand colleagues,suchasNovaPeris,definitely havebornethebruntofracism.Ihave beenveryvocalagainstallformsofracism inAustraliansocietysuchaswiththe 'Racism,itstopswithme'campaign Andespeciallywithattemptsbythe federalgovernmenttowaterdown theRacialDiscrinunationAct. Iconsidercombattingthose attemptsagreatvicroryasthey wereforcedtobackdownand reconsidertheirposition.

Youworked in Tasmanian politics before being elected to the Senate in2010. As the first person of South Asian descent to be elected to theAustralian Parliament, did you feel a sense of responsibility, or a sense of burden on your shoulders, to represent SouthAsian and migrantissues?

Itwascertainlynotaburden.I / actuallydidn'trealiseuntilIwas electedthat1wasthefirstpersonof SouthAsiandescentinParliament.Itwas acnrnllyrevealedtomeinaninterviewwith SBSPunjabi.That'snotmybackground, butpeopleoftenchinkwhentheyhear thesurname'Singh'thatitmustbe.Butit mademethinkthatwehavemuch.-nore workcodotomakeparliamentmore reRectiveofAustraliansociety.Ihave becomemuchmoreengagedwithSouth Asiancommunitygroupsandfaicb-based groupsandhavecometorecognisethat theyregardmeas'oneofthem'andthat I'manimportantfactorforthem.Ihave takenthisroleveryseriouslyandIliketo thinkofitlikethis;Imaybethefirst,butI certainlydon'twanttobethelast

How canwe betterencourage new Australians to become involved in politics?

Rolemodelsplayanimportantrole,but1 thinkit'salsoaboutagenerationalchange. Formyparents,itwasnotaseasy.They hadeveryright,ascitizens,tovoteand bepartoftheprocess,buttheyregarded themselvesasnotfittingin.Thenextstep ismygeneration,wherewehavelostthat feelingofnotbelongingtoth.iscountry. IhavespokenwithRaceDiscrimination CommissionerTimSoutphommasane aboutthismanytimes,abouttheideaofthe bambooceilingandwhywedon'tseemore peopleofdifferentculturalbackgrounds inleadershiproles.Ihopewiththenext generationmorewillhappen,morewill changeandmorepeoplewillbecome involved.OurParliamentwillnotbea trulystrong,robustdemocraticinstitution withoutmoremulricu.lturalmembersin Parliament.

Inyourview, whatare thethreekey issues facingAustralians this election? 1thinkinthiselectionthethreekeyissues areMedicare,educationandjobsoraccess toemployment.Thosearen'tjustissuesI've pickedfromd1eair,thosearetheissuesdrnc comeuptimeandagaininmydiscussions withpeopleinthecommLmity.

HealthespeciaUyisthenumberoneissue. Alotofmoneyhasbeentakenawayfrom hospitals,thereistheproposaltofreeze theMedicarerebateandbulkbillingwhich willleadtoaformofprivatisationofthe system-somepeoplewillnolongergoto thedoctorasadirectconsequenceofthat. Laborwaschepartycointroduce!v[edicare andthat'ssomethingwe'reveryproudof,l donotwanttoseeanAmericanisationof ourhealthsystemandtbeseproposalsare thethinendofthewedge.

Intermsofeducation,Laborispushing theneedforAustraliatofocusonSTEM andtoimplementtheneeds-basedGonski fundingmodel.Inthisway,fundingwill bedirectedwhereitisneededmost,and withoutSTEMtherewillbenojobsinthe future.Withregardtohighereducation, we'reanti-deregulationandseechangesto fundingmodelsandstudentloanpayback schemesasanattackonoureducation systemasawhole.

You have been relegated to the sixth position on theTasmanian Senate ticket,a spot thatis widely considered 'unwinnable'. What do you thinkof your chances?Are you campaigning to win or is this more of a farewell?

1amdefinitelycampaigning-1am notgoingtogodownwithoutafight. ObviouslyIamdisappointedwithhow thingshavenunedout.Itwouldtake somethingspecial,sometbinghistoric, formetowin.Ihavealwayswantedco giveTasmaniansachoiceaboutdiesort ofLaborvoicetheywantintheSenate. Whetheronrefugees,health,orthe environment,Ihavealwayssoughttospeak withconviction.Iamcampaigningand hopetogiveLaborthebestchanceforas manyspotsaspossibleintheSenate.

You were pushed downthe ticketin favour ofJohn Short, state secretaryof theAustralianManufacturingWorkers Union, a move blamed on factional deals. Do you regret not playing a great part in theLaborparty's factions?

Iamapartofthenationalleft,whichis moreofanon-binding,largelydiscussion basedfactionalenvironment.Factions exist;lamnornaive.lhavenotplayeda roleinthatandhaveinsteadfocusedon policydevelopment.lthinkthereshould bemorefreedomforindividualstospeak

Kira

ALLAN THOMAS

ouronissuesandsupportcommunityviews as theysee fit.There isnothingwrong with factions, butwhena fewpeople, or powerbrokers,controlhoweveryone else shouldvote,rather than givethem the freedom tochoosethat isproblematic. Though thosepowerandcontrol issues e.'list acrosspartylines.

I have always been apassionatelistener, accessibleandapproachable.I havewanted to focusonwhatwe couldachieverather thanonfactionalmachinations.There is stillalot IwanttodoasaSenatorand it's disappointing there's achance I maynot get codothat.

You have signed the 'Pollution Free Politics Pledge' backing calls for the Laborparty to wtch fossilfuel subsidies, which is against national Labor policy. Why?

There are varyingviews in the partywhen ircomes to fossilfuels. Labor hasa strong positionon climate change andI am highlighting that ifwewant comeetour targetsoutlined invariousinternational agreements,weneedtoensurewe're investing in renewable energy

andmoving away from areliance on fossil fuels. Of coursewecancontinue toprotect farmers butweshouldnotbe helping larger multi.nationalcorporations. We need to endsubsidieslikethe diesel fuel rebate that incencivisepolluting behaviours.

In a pamphlet wstributed inTASyou said you will "remain a strong and independentLabor voice for more compassionate refugeepolicies"- do you agreewith the Labor party's acceptance of boat turn-backs?

I agreewith the Party's policy onrefugees l workedcloselywith(Labor immigration spokesman)

RichardMarles to formulate ourpolicywhichincludes increasingAustralia'sintake and greater oversightof detention centres. Iwas nota voting delegate at the Labor Parry Conferencewhere themotionwas put regarding boatrurnbacks.I have been outspoken in the fact that I donot support turnbacks. I hopewiththeLabor policyand regional frameworkwenever havetouseboat n1rnbacks.

Whatis youropinion on preference deals?

I am for anything that gives more power to rhepeople.For the first time, at dus election,peoplewillbe able to direct their ownpreferencesin the Senate. Reform ofSenate vocingwherepeople are ableto have theirownchoice is apositive step. Democracyisnorperfect andit canand shouldbe reviewedfrom time totime.

I was in]ndia in March towitness the exiledTibetan governmentelectionsin Dharnmshala.Thereisa small, newdemocracytbat

DES SOARES

wecan relate to our countryand what can be improved.Democracycan'tbe sracic,it mustbeope_nandtransparent.

You had a strong connection to the republican movement prior co politics and have maintained this connection throughoutyour time as a Senator. Is that somethingyou would like to pursue further?

I will always be arepublican. Iwas very much inspired byKeatiog'sstandonthe issue.\'\Tecan learn through whatIndiawe.m through - itisaveryproudcountry due to itsindepende.nce from Britain.Itdefinitely holds usback interms of policiesin the Indo-Pacificregion.I have nothingagainst theQueen,she's a lovelylady,butwe needour ownheadof state,we need someone to standstrongand be led byoneus.

Tell usaboutahighlightfrom your dealingswith the Indian community and your travels to lnwa

Itwas anincredible honour toreceive thePrnvasi BharaciyaSamman.Inmy timeasaSenatorI have taken pride inbuilding friendly relationshipsbetweenIndia andAustralia,focusingon softpower. Iwentonavisit toIndiawithourShadow MinisterforForeignAffairs andInternationalDevelopment (DeputyOppositionLeader) TanyaPlibersekwhichwasa reallymeaningfulexperience.All myvisitshave beenspecial;India and Australia have alotincommon,butour reJationship isstilldeveloping.Thereis a longhistorybutwe havefurd1er togoto becomesttongerparmers;thatre.quires good leadership,commitment andunderstanding thatoursimilaritiesgobeyondcricket.

Whatdo you enjoy most aboutpolitics?

Thepeopleyoumeet.Beingin politics has opened doors I nevercouldhave imagined.One dayyoutalkwithpensions about howthey're goingtogetthrough a coldwinter.Thenitwasaprivilegeco meet withIndia'sPrimelvlinisterNarendral\fodi inpacliament inCanberra andon stagein Sydney.I haveseenthe fuligamut. Ihave alwayswantedtobe advocatingforpeople, representingthemandthethings that matter tod1em,ingovernment.

Whatmight people notknow about you?

I am always running late! (Laughing) That fitswithmy culturalbackground Also, I have apet cat,Ben, he'sa black shortbair, part Burmese. I'm always sharingphotosof him on myphone to people in the office!

Dr Desmond (Des)Soares NXT-SeatofMoreton

What convincedyou to join the partyof your choice?

ickXenophon strikes me as agenuine carer for the underdog,and for thosewho haveno voice.I was particularly impressed byhiswork inthefieldof gambling reformsandsupportfor dairyfarmers. Theparty calledfor expressionsof interest frompeople keen tojoin. Iapplied -along with some450od1ers! Allcandidates wereputthrougha vettingprocessthat eveninvolvedpsychologicaltestingand presentations.Ourwr:itcenapplications were analysed, and background checks were carriedour.Four candidateswere finaUy picked for mystate,Queensland,twoeach forSenateand House of Representatives. I've always been interescedinpolitics, but nevercook anactiveparebefore this. florthepastfivetoten years,I've been depressed bythepoliticsinour country. Labor andLiberals have both disappointed, and I've alsobeen dismayedby the slogans and d1e bad behaviour. Rather than grumble, IdioughcI shouldpmmy hand up,and seeifI can contribute meaningfull)'

,, There is still a lot I want to do as a Senator and it's disappointing there's a chance

I may not get to do that ,, Lisa Singh

for a11 ,, DesSoares

What are the three key issues facingthe people of Moreton?

We have95,000 voters, with some 40 per centborn overseas.There'sa high multiculmralelememhere.We have Indians, Chinese,Africans,weare very diverse. The age spanis also large. In terms of small business,wearethe fourth largest,with some 15,000 individual entities. Other industries,weareheavyonhealthcare,and there is some manufacmring. The key issuesin our areaare transportation,employment, health and education.

Why should the people vote foryou?

I'venever been apolitician,so I hope to bring a fresh perspective. I've promised peopleIwillanswer theirqueries anddeal with chemwithbonesryandrespect. I'm neither rightnorleft,buta sensible middleof-the-road.I'm not built byideology,but myown doctrines.I hope to be avoice for thosewho havenone.

Mypassionsareeducation., opporttuiity, equality and fairness. I believeinaccessible educationforall:we need toensure thateveryone hasaccess to the same qualityeducationregardless of wealthor backgrow1d.

lwantto helpthe people of Morecon to rediscover their voice.We need to become engagedandspeak and beheardon the issues thatmatterco us.Weneedco define whattype of communitywewant to live inandtheservicesweexpecrgovernmem to provideforus. We need to speak up anddefine howwewantourlocal member co behavebothinParliamentandin the community. We need to bringback respect in thewaywe dealwitheachother in our civicLife.

The campaign trail is a rough and challenging one, which certainly needs thebenefit of strategy to reach out to as many voters as possible. How are you dealing with this?

I'vedomknocked at some 1000 homes already.You'll/indmeatrailwaystations andbus stops talking to people. I'm also active onsocialmedia,Pacebookand Twitter mostly. I like reaching out and talking co peopleat events and barbecues. TheIndiancommunityI've metwith extensivelyin therecentpast,aswellas theFijian-Indiancommunityhere. We've recentlyhadthenewyearcelebrations in manyIndian communities; 1 enjoyed meetingmanypeopleatthe Kerala celebrationsparticularly! I have many ludian-origin patientsin mypractice, from across the diaspora, butparticularlySouth Africa. SoI'd sayyes,I amwellacquainted

withtheIndiancommunityin myelectorate.

What is your understanding of issues concernedwith the multicultural community in Moreton and how are you best placed to address them?

As an overseas-bornAustralian -I moved here from Indiaasa 15-year-oldwith my mum -I th.inkI understand verywellthe issues faced byfamiliesas theysettlein. I also treatmanyoverseas-bornpatientsand have over the yearscome in closecontact withmanyfamiliesatvariousstages of integration.Iremember verywellhavingto learn awhole host ofnewskills,atschool andoutsideof school, simplyinorder to fw1ctionwell.Butwe allworkhardat out studies,and.in outprofessions, to give back co thesociety thatwelcomed us in.Asan ortl1opaedic surgeon,I have paid back400 times, intax, overandabove caring for those inneed. Australiaowed menothing, butgavemeeverything,soI want co give bade

How can we better encourage new Australians to become involved in politics?

ln the Indiancommunity, Iwould saywe have .norreallystepped up,weare too busy earningaLiving! But Idi.inktheawareness is growingthatif wedon't participate,we willniissom.Wouldyoul.i.ke to simply complainwhenthingsarenot satisfactory, or get up and tryto help? Indians make upabout 2-3percent -or isit 4per cent?- of the population,andwe should haverepresentationtothatnumber.\Xie contribute significantlyto the economy,and as acommunity,wevalue education, family ties,agedcare, all of whichare vitalto tl1e widercommunity. Sowe shouldstandup andmakeaneffort.

What do you enjoy most about politics? Meeting people. Talking cothem,and equally, listeningto them. I've justcome off adiscussionwhereIwastold,yoLJguys want to puta scop to allpoker machines.I listenedclosely,andthen replied thatin fact we don'twant to,we justwant to findways to minimise the harm theycause. l think the messagegot home!

What might people not know about you?

That 1 wentto schoolin the northern suburbsof Sydney,andstudiedmedicine atSydneyUniversity.That afterworking in NS\'v'fora number ofyears, mywife andI moved co Nepal toworkwith aninternationalcharity that provided holisticmedicalcareandrehabilitationto people and faniilies affected byleprosy.

That 1 workedin KolkacaandMumbai withMotl1erTeresa's organisation.That I continue to teach coday, for the Pacific IslandsOrthopaedicAssociationin Honiara.

Andyouuiight not know this, but my mumtl1inks politicsisadirtybusiness!

Allan Thomas

JLN - NSW Senate

What convinced you to join the party of yotu choice?

I wasborn inFijibut I'manAustralian citizen.I haveUncles andAw1tieswho are of Indian originandHinduismhas always beenapart of our familysetup. In the 1970s,I migrated toAustraliawithll1)' parents.Theysawoppormnitiesfor us here.

I joined tl1eJacquiLambie Network OLN)

becauseI cansee howherpolicies havea benefit wmyfamilyand ourcow1try.We celebrate PijiDayand all the majorf{indu festivals,I'm allfor multiculturalism,it's one of the biggest valuesinthis country.Jacqui Lambie's policiesai·e aboutcelebratingour differences but norimposingonAustralia.

BeinganAustraliancitizen,I want to see jobs remain inAustralia, Iwaneto stop theFfAsandimpose heavierforeign taxes co reduce the deficit. lhave no disputes regardinginrniigration,as longaspeople's valuesaregenuineandtheywanetobe pare of theAustralianwayof life.

I spent 14yearsin the Australian Defence Poree. SinceIleftthe armyI have helped provideresourcesto helpthose veterans receiveadequate benefits. I have seena lot of changesin legislation to the financial benefitsof veterans.Thesesoldiers put their lives forwardto protect this great countryand tl1eyshould be significantly rewardedand not have to justifytheir benefits given tl1erigoursof defenceforce life. I have been lobbying ataMinisterial level tohelplowerandmiddleclass people whoare findingithard to makeendsmeet. There'snorewards forthem,no trying to getahead. lc's about helping people by keepingAustralian jobsinAustralia.

The campaign trailis a rough and challenging one, which certainly needs the benefit of strategy to reach out to as many voters as possible. How are you dealing with this?

Ihave beengetting out there and talking to people. r have gone totheAustralian Workers'Unionmembersat PortKembla (in NSW) totalkabouttl1eSouthAusrralian submarine announcement. \X7e havea manufacturingplant inNewSoutl1 Wales making steel, sowhyaren'twe usingthatin the production ofAustralia's submarines? Whyarewe usingforeignresources? I have been speakingwith them about their issues. JobswiUbe lost. Moneyis going overseas andwe'relos.i.ogour. I havealsospoken withNSWl\faritimeEngineersabout emTironmentalprotectionandtheirissues.

I havebeen usingsocial mediato reach out wpeople andattending rallies all aroundAustraliaforveterans' affairs.

I JiveinBallina(in regionalNSW). Iam amember of a minoritytryingcogetmy name outthere.

Why should people vote for you?

\Xieneed co electpeoplewitl1 good values who arenot from tl1e major parties.The Senateis about individuals,especiallythose fromregionalareas,pusliingthe concerns of their community.

Whatare the three key issues facing people this election?

Firstly,employment and howwe go aboutsolving chis problem.Weneed to back ourselvesandimposeheavier taxes onforeigncompanies. We havegrear tradespeopleinAustraliaandweneed to investin upskillingand put greater investment into our resources, forexample, the foodindustry.

The second issue isuse of ourprime agriculturalland.Overthe decadeswe've seen the lossof our land to foreign investors. \Veneedto put more money into researchinghowwe canprotect our prin1e agricultural landanddevelopour crops. \Y./e shouldbe providingsubsidies to farmers to help them through droughtand to develop theircropsimoresourcesto be used by Australians.

\Xieneed toback ourselvesand protect the vulnerable.The pensioners, the unemployed need to be helped. Politicians are getting regularpayincreases andwe can'taffordto help thosewhoneed it most and tliatneeds to change.

What is your opinion on preference deals?

Thecurrent coalitionhas backed itself intoa corner.Theywant more seats in the Senate,buttheindependentswill get more seatsin this election. The independents wiU have more of a chance to change tl1ingsand make things right.

What is your understanding of issues concerned with the multicultural community in Australia?

1 don't thinkracism is actuallyabigthing in[hiscountry.As someone of dark colour intheAusrralian Defence Poree, Iwould have felt i[up front, but the dynauiicof chiscountrymeans we provideassistance to peoplewho needitmost. \Yleneed to embrace and accept people fromother countries just asforeignersneed [() accept theyhave adutyof care to abide bythe constitution of Australiaand havean understandingof English. Australiansare a veryembracingpeopleandnewniigrants arerewarded bypeoplecelebratingtheir cultures.

How can we better encourage new Australians to become involved in politics?

Iwouldencourage people ro see how open parliamentinAustralia is. When workingonveteransissues,Icook timeto readparliamentaryreportsandthe moreI read of government reportsandparts of Hai1sard,the greaterw1derstandingI had of politics in Australia. I thinkyouhave a better understanding doing thatthan readingwhat (Rupert) Murdochand his newspaperswant thecommunity to see. lt's alsoimportantformore multicultural membersof the communityto get involved. Watchdebates on television,get abetter ideaof whatitis you're votingfor.

What do you enjoy most about politics? Beingin theAustralianDefenceForce,I reallyexperienceda sense of camaraderje thatI have also foLmd intheJLN. Senacors are there to take your issues on, they're genuine peopleand havingworkedwitl1 theminthe past,beingpartof thatgroup would pllt meingood stead.

What might people notknow about you? Speaking to me on tl1e phone, people wouldn'tknow I'm F'ijian. r was born d1ere butwasbroughtupinAustralia. Lookingat myname peoplewouldn't guess.

,, My passions are education, opportunity, equality and fairness. I believe in accessible education

,, Jacqui Lambie's policies are about celebrating our differences but not imposing on Australia ,, Allan Thomas

Treeroot sha ed anc ors

In an engineering breakthrough, researchers discovertree root-like structures are stronger than traditional anchors

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

arure's skyscrapershaveJong intrigued geotechniqueexpert DrPierre Rognon, particularly the innatecapacity of trees to stay anchoredthrough varying weatherpatternsandi.ndiverse soil systems.

Takinginspiration from the efficacy of its complexrootsystem,DrRognonis leadingaworld-firstSydneyUniversitystudy on thepullour capacity of treeroot-like anchorsfor applications ind1efield of civil engineering.

Withaninterest in soil srabiliry,structural dynamics and earthquakeengineering, IndianresearcherShivakumarAtbani,who sharesDrRognon's fascination fortree roots,has recently joinedd1estudy.

Preliminary investigations at theSchool of Civil Engineering'sparticlesand grains laboratory revealroot-like strucrurescould providegreater stabilitywhilealso being morecost effective to produce.

The researchers have foundd1at anchors modelled onthefractal-shapedroots of trees required muchless material to build, making them morecost-effective compared to traditionalshaped anchors.

Their findingswill havefarreaching implications for me constructionindustrr.

Transmissiontowers,offshoreoil rigs utility poles, submerged pipelines aswell

as tunnels,whichare highly dependent on effective soil anchoringstrategiescould be mademorestablewith fractal-shapedroot strucrures.

"The quality of anchoringischaracterised by me pull-out capacity,FO,whichis me maximum tensileforce ananchorcan sustainbefore moving upward," said Dr Rognon,whoseresearch aims to predict conditions nnderwhichsoil moves, including landslides or avalanches.

"\'i/e are me first to produce d1etreeroot designand hopeto useour knowledge coconvert me concept into engineering solutions.Wehavealreadyworkedout several models to predict the pull-out capaciry of shallowanchorsin granular soils The next step is to assess the effectiveness of differentfractal geometries when used invariousshallowdepths inthe soil,"hetoldTndia11Link.

"Pull-our capacity is governed by the weight of me soilthatwould be mobilised

,, Anchors modelled on the fractalshapedroots oftrees required much less material to build, making them more cost-effective compared to traditional shaped anchors ,,

when tl1eanchor moves upward. Thisiswhy even small trees planted inshallowsoilcan be very difficult to uproot wimout the proper equipment,"Dr Rognon explained.

LikeRognon,Ad1ani developed a love for gardening as a schoolboy. His grandmother, aschoolteacher in Hattaragi, wasa tower of inspiration.

"Naturehasso many tlungswhichwecan explore,"saidArna.tu,whohasaBachelor of CivilEngineering from theBasaveshvara EngineeringCoUege,Bagalkoc and a Master ofTechnology (SoilMechat1.ics and FoundationEngineering) from me SV National Instirute of TechnologySurat.

"Trees area great exampleof adapting to adverseconditions likewindloading. If you examine treerootscarefully,you will observe thatthoseon awindwardside develop deeply and profusely,offering natural resistance.Likewise, in sloping terrain,roots are strongerwheresoil is naturallyweak.'i,'.qhat fascinated mewas, though theroots of smallplants arenot deep, sometimes itwas very hardtopull

mem outandweneeded thehelp of some tools ro uprootit complete.ly,"headded.

Accordingto thePhDstudent,part of me breakthroughinbiomimicry comeswith realisingmatsoilis not concrete.

"Rootsarenor homogeneous like steel. Sometimes soil canhold me trees very firmly andcan offer enormousresistance for uplift,"Athani said.

lncorporatingbranchingandtortuosity, the study isclosely lookingat,vays ro improve anchorcapacities by integrating novel strategieswim numerical modelling.

"\'Ylealsowant toformerexplore design options and understandwhy somedesign shapeswork bener tooptimise ourresults," DrRognonclarified.Three-dimensional printing,currently unsustainablebecauseof operationalcosts,isalso in hissights

Meanwhile,DrRognon's teamisworking with industry partnerAnchoringRopeand RiggingPtyLtd to develop uniqueanchors forgeorechnical applications.

"Researchin mis area of construction is vital to providinginnovative solutions andwearedelighted to havecommenced workingwid1 d1eUniversity of Sydney civil engineers," a spokespersonfor thecompany said.

Snatchinglifefrom thejawsofdeath

It's all in a day's work foremergencysurgeon Dr Vineeta Singh Aradhana

BY NISHA JOSEPH

The newspapers calledher'a ,voman who diedand came back tolife'.

TheArmadalewoman was rushedtohospitalby herhusband afterafreak accident while she wascooking. Shearrivedat theArmadale HealthService incardiacarrest,hadnopulseandwasnot breathing.The docror in Emergency,Dr Ash Mukherjee,thoughtshewas dead. But hiscolleagueDrVineeta Singhjoined him coliterallysnatch herback from thejawsof death.

"The lady wasclinically dead fornearly 28 minutes after losing morethan fiveLitres of blood ina freak kitchen accidentthat severed herfemoral artery and veinsin her right thigh,"Dr Singh described to Indian Llnk.

The patient hadcompletely bled outand thedoctorshad to fill her heartwithblood againas theteam worked onresuscitating her. DrSinghwasamongthe teamof surgeonsthat performed asix-hourcutting edgesurgery,successfully controllingher bleedingand savingherlife.

Aftertwodays in intensive care, the patientbegan to show remarkable signs of recovery,withnobraindamage. "It was very rewardingto witness such a positiveoutcome andthisincident is truly a testimony tothe skills of everyoneinvolved inthe team,"Dr Singh remarked.

Thankfulto be aliveonceagain, the young lady truly considers thistobea medicalmiracleandis extremely grateful rothe doctors whoctidnotgive uponher. She wasdischargedfromthe hospitalafter eight days.

ForDrSingh, thereis nothing more enriching thanseeinga patient leave hospital, all well again.

"Every day, we see individuals whocan't leada normallife forwhateverreason, gee betterand goon toleada fulfilljnglife," she said. "Ir's greatto see peoplerecover after surgery and gain independence from supportsystems."

Surely,everysinglecase doesnot to lead togreatresults?

"Of course chat's the saddest part of my profession -therearepoor outcomes at rimes,"she said. "Anumberof patients don't dowell evenafrer the best possible treatment.Bue1see eachfailureasa learninglesson."

Itis clear thatfor DrSingh,surgery isnot yourregular9-to-5job. It isquite literally away of life. Emergency surgery, where shecan use herskills co turnaround those couch-and-gosituations,is what attracted ber to thisfield.

Ageneraland oncoplastic breast surgeon in Australia for 10years, Dr Singh

specialisesin emergency surgery,general open andlaparoscopic surgeries andbreast cancertreatments. She practices atRoyal Perth,Armadaleand]\fountHospitalsin Perth. Sheis alsothe Headof Department andDirectorof Surgery atArmadale Hospital.

Herdaily schedule is choc-a-blockwith clinic,operatingsessions,administrative meetings, teachingandmentoring(besides

being mrnu toa 13-year-oldand wife to anothersurgeon). "Bue the bestpartof my profession isthe gratification I receive when patients dowell," she says. "I am indeeda patientadvocateand when the ouccome is favourable,icliterallymakesmy day."

DrSingh, whohailsfromAzamgarh inIndia,obtained her medical trainingin Uttar PradeshandMrnnbaiinIndia and Minneapolisin the USA.

"With hard work and the blessings of yourparents,anyonecanchasetheir dreams,"sheremarked.

Physicians from Indiaface hurdles like culturaldifferences,gap inphilosophies and beliefs. \Vith her active role in thescience andpractice of medicine, Dr Vineeta Singh hasshownbowthese gapscanbe minimised, sod1acd1elargerissuesinthe professionare successfully addressed.

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Electiontime atAIBC

What it's goingto take to lead the premier business council between India andAustralia

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

come tOus with newinitiativesandideas.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Thefederalelection is just around thecorner,but ic is also time for national elections attheAustralia

IndiaBusinessCouncil (AIBC), an organisation fosteringbi-lateral [radebec:ween the cwocountries.

Havingrecently celebrated its 30th anniversary,AIBC hasactive chaptersin Sydney,Melbourne,Brisbane,Adelaide, Perthand Canberra.Theorganisation's nationalleadershiprestswitl1meChair andVice Chair, who take responsibility for medirection of theCouncilwhile working withchestatechapters to build astronger relationship between the various srnces and tl1eIndiangovernme-nt and businesses. This couldwell be awatershed moment forAIBC. While tl1ere aregreat opportunitiesemergingwitl1tl1epotential implementation of theComprehensive EconomicCooperationAgreement(CECA) betweenIndiaandAustralia, the end of me miningboomand drop incoal prices could seriously scaleback theeconomicactivities intl1e traditionalareasof tradebetween d1e cwo countries.

ShebaNandkeolyar andJasbir Singh are contestingme position of AIBC National Chair,whileJimVarghese and PaulMcKenzie arenmningfortheposition of Vice Chair. IndianUnkasked the four candidates their views on where AIBC is currently positioned and 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 limitedcompany scrucmtewith stronggovernanceand accountabilityin place. As me National ViceChairI worked closely with the Chair Dipen Rughani to organisea very successfulbusinessleaders'address by PM

TheAIBCChair andl wereinvited by PMAbbott to join hisCEOdelegation whenhe visitedIndia and wehadthe opportunity co brief him one-on-oneprior co hisbusinesstrip.

AIBC haspresentedseveralwhitepapers ondoingbusinesswimIndiaandhas also beenprovidinginputs to CECAdiscussions.

Lastyear, 2015 sawAIBClead tl1e VibrantGujarat delegation,comprising over 45 AIBC memberswho were former joinedbyAustralianIndianBusiness Week delegates, makingup a delegation of over 100 plus.

Astrongachievement forAIBC has been tl1is ongoingpartnership wimVibrant Gujaratfor the past SL'(years, an initiative largely led by thecurrentChair of AIBC.

Morerecentl)7 , AIBC hasbeenatthe forefront on many nationalinitiatives includingorganisingthefirst evernational conference inconjunction withme Australian FinancialReview whichwas a brilliant initiative.AIBC ChairDipen Rughaniand1 workedvery hardto make this happen. Ir was aninclusiveconference wherein our objective was to dialup business interestinIndiaand bringtogether diversegroups of stakeholdersinterestedin workingwich India.

TheinauguralAustraliaIndiaTradeand InvestmentAwardsannouncedat the 30'" gala eveningrecognisedme importance of thisbilateralrelationship.AIBC is the only businesscouncil that has extensive Australia-wide presence andeach of thestatechaptershasextremelycapable managementcommittees.

AIBCindustry chaptershave madegreat contributions to sectors includingmining and resources,renewable energy, ICT, education,womeninbusiness and young professionals amongothers.

Whatcouldwe do better?Wecould contribute wimgreater policy inputs from AIBC, especially now tl1atCECA discussionsareinprogress. l would like to seeAIBCinvitedto bea more active participantinCECA discussionsandwork very closely witl1 botl1governments.I wouldlike to seebigbusinesses inAustralia moreengagedwitl1AIBCandSMEsto

Jasbir Singh GS): India isAuscralia's 12th largest tradingparmer and bilateralrelations havebeengivensignificant imponanceby borncountrieswithvery high level visits fromPrime Minister of Australia toIndia and reciprocal visitfrom Indian Prime Ministerto Australia.Australian trade ministerAndrewRobbledtl,elargest e\7er Australianbusinessleaders (about 450 delegates) toAustraliaBusinessWeekin Indiain 2015. Similarly annual meeting between tl,e foreign ministershas taken centrestage for advancingambitious bilateralagendaincludingdefence,finance, water andculrural affairs,including ComprehensiveEconomicCo-operation Agreement (CECA) negotiations.There is a pri1-iciplecommitment fromborn thegovernments to complete CECA negotiationsat the earliest.

Therearestill major tradebarriers, despite many complementary trade oppornmities.Two-way tradeis about $1415 billion andinvestn1ent is alsoabout $1011 billion. Australianinvestmentis sectors like manufacturing,telecommunications, hotels,mineral processing, foodprocessing, oilandgas and automotive sector.Indian investment ismainly concentrated inthe energy and resource sector.

AIBC,formallysecup in 1986, basa key role to play in the rejuvenationof thebilateraltraderelationship.Duringits thirty-yearhisrory,AIBChasseenmany troughs andhighs. With India emerging as the fastest growingmajoreconomy in the world,AIBC is now acmecnsp of abig oppornmity co establish itself aspremier businessadvocacy body for its members to facilitatestrongbilateral tradeand invesm1ent.AIBC can alsoleverageme strongcultural andsports relationships for complementary businessrelationship.AIBC needs to strongly parmer withgovernment bodie,5 likeAustrade, Indianand Australian consulates andHighCommissions, and federal audstateagenciesforpolicy advocacy foritsmembers.

PaulMcKenzie (PM): Havingbeen a veteran member of J\JBC for over 15 years, AIBChasfor fartoo longstruggled in performance,andnowmustmoveinto che right direction,forthe sake of members, stakeholders,andforAustralia-India trade relations. lnvesm1ent isnegligible.

However, discussionslike tl1erecent EnagingwimIndiaconference areagood start,but now mustturninto "action", if AIBCis cogrowingood profile and credibility after 30 years

Failings from thepastinclude too muchtalkoncommonwealth, curry and crid<etfor most of mose 30 years,and commerceis nota new wordsincePM Modi's Australianvisitin November 2014. Asa proud member of theAIBC,I see usas abusiness organisation havingtoo muchbilateraldiscussions andnotmuch action. We need to stop the criticslabelling us the "Australia India Business Cocktails" association.\Xieneed togrow witl1 unity, success,resulcs and pride, as me peak body inteamwork spearheadingtalksinAustraliaIndia business,tradeandinvestmems.We mustgettheAustralia-India Economic Agreement negotiated wellandfinalised, tocover"allbases", so thatno industry, group or consideration are leftout. I wane allAIBCmembers,tl1eAIBCindusu-y chaptersandall stakeholdersinvolved, to have asay andto cover all thebases,for tl1e Australia-IndiaAgreement.The "koife and fork" approachinside meAIBC must stop. Unity andtea1m.vork is needed for us to startwim action,to havegood profile and credibility, to bringinresults.

Achievements, toAIBC'scredit, mey broughtPrimeJvlinistersModi andAbbott togemerin 2014, tl1efirstti.metwo leaders got togemer onAustraliansoil in28years. PrimeMinisterModi at dieSydney eventin ovember 2014, said'Tmsorry ittook 28 years for anIndian Pc:imeMinistertovisic Australia,butI promise, irwon'tbe28years whenI rerurnnext."

Now thechallengeis to make che Australia-India agreementintoa realty witl1 prideandsuccess,andto ensure itisnot discussedfora further28years, waiting for anIndian Prime J\,fioister to renimto Australia.

1 haveseenAustralia-Indiatraderelations growfrom $3.3 billion in 2000 to over $15 billionin 2013. Nowthechallengeis toget tl1esedata updated andtoimpro\Teon mem into me future.

Jim Varghese (JV):I believemeAIBC has performedreally well as thepremier business council.

The 30�' anniversary Engagingwid1India conferenceanddinner,runin collaboration

Sheba Nandkeolyar

withAFRwasan excellentsuccess sroryand agreat exemplarof strategic positioning, engagernem,effectivenetworking,high qualityinformation andanalyses. Similarly, the twojointAIBC/Ail NationalEnergyandResourcesForums heldin2015 inBrisbaneand2016in Perth were alsosuccessful strategicevents that helpedAustralian and Indian companies explore serous business opportunitiesin this mega billion-dollar industrysector. Statebrancheshave also run.very successfullocalevents.

Whatwillyou doto improvethe deficiencies andbuild on the strengths ofAIBC?

SN: Buildingonstrengthsandimproving on deficiencies areinterwoven.Myfirst observationisthatabrand is known by the involvementof itspeople. 1 would Like to see more passionate newmembers joinAIBC andtobuildon agreatlegacy created by pastAJBCleaders. TwouldLike tbeleaders to mentor younger members topositionsofleadership for funire years. This is important for buildingfuture sustainability.

1 wouldLike tO seeAJBC being led in states andnationallybyindividualswho arepassionatelycommitted tOcreating a difference. AIBCneeds costeer clearof personal vendetta$ andpolitics. Fortunatelywe have movedawayfrom pettypoliticsandhaverolledover these recentyears toamore transparent style of functioning. Iwouldlike to strengthen this evenfurther.

Secondly,AIBC needs morefunds,

grams or sponsorshipstostrengthenthe ,5ecretariatservices at the nationalandstate level and1wouldverymuchlike toworkon this. Thiswill lead tomore benefits available to mernbers too.

Third,more policy-level inputs from AIBCwouldbe welcomeandamore national presence ofitsnational team too In thiscontextJimVarghesewhois based in Queenslandif electedwill provide for a trulynationalream.

Finally Iwould like toworkona collaborativemodelwhereinweworkwith diverse stakeholders fromGovernment and industry,toensurewe aUworktowardsthat onecommongoalof diaUingup this bilateraltraderelationship.

JS: AIBCcan playavitalroleand provide platformforitsmembers foradvocacy for federal and state policymakingin bothcountries,networking for members, facilitateparticipation inbilateraltrade missionsandingeneral become an information hub forhowto navigatethe businesschallenges in bothcountries. As NationalChair, Iwouldlike to provide a visible leadership in establishingcorporate governance,strategicandoperation excellence and expandingbilateral business relationsin newhorizonsorenvironments for members.Buildingand managing businesses in cross cultural boundaries are someof mystrengthsonwhichAJBC members canleverage.

As Chair, myendeavourwouldbe to promoteAustralia-Indiabusiness ties with a focused approach for eachbusiness sectorandmorespecific to membersfrom SMEs.Asasuccessfulprofessionalwith

nearly28yearsof industryexperience in AustraliaandIndia at seniorlevel,I have worked withgovernmentagencies,nonprofit organisations andbusiness partners ingeneral.

PM:Welllrnown.tothose insideAIBC, first of all,weneed toaddressour membership, ie,membership retentionand newmembers. \Y/e needco targetourselves towards 1,000members, cateringfor those involvedwithAustralia-Lidiarelations in.business,tradeand investmem, from individual business/professional people, toSMEs,corporations,organisations and right upto multi-nationals. Havinga dormantbaseof 500members fortoolong isnotacceptable and also notacceptable, is for toolong,manyarenotjoining. Secondly, AIBC needs to show action and leadership on the Australia-Indiaeconomic agreement/free trade agreement.Thirdly 1wantbetterAIBC/corporaterelations, toimprove sponsorshipand support in business, trade and invesunent.

JV: Improvingdeficiencies andbuilding strengthsis aboutwhatwe like to seemore of andless of.

1would like to see more of the AIBC asapowerfulnationalbusiness council that significantlyshapesandinAuences theeconomicand businessrelationship betweenAustraliaandIndia.

1wouldlike to see moreof theAIBC asaneffectiveadvocate that encourages theAustralian andIndiangovernments to engagewith the private sector and businesscommunityto ensure that the imminentComprehensiveEconomic CooperationAgreement drives future trade

andinvestment. l would alsolike to see theAIBC recognisedinanynegotiations aspartners,notpassive observers-with auniquerole to playin fosteringcloser economicrelations intbe contextof trade barriers,impediments to investment or lad, of cultural knowledge

In this context, itwould begoodto have yourChairandVice Char coming from different states butworkingas a complementary team harmoniously empoweringstate branches withinthe AJBCgovernanceframework.

1would like toseelessof tl1eAIBC gettinginvolvedand miredin the politicsof personalityand ego,or providingabreeding ground topursuing personal agendas. The passioncertainlyruns deep.The responsesindicatea desiretobringthe government of thetwocountriescloser butalso thegrassrootsof AJBC togrow themembershipwithabettervalue-add forall. While of the four candidates,only Sheba has bad theexperience of working atthenational levelthrough her past tenure asVice Chair, theothersbringtor\he table strongexperienceof workingwithin AJBCand in theirprofessions.BothJasbir and Paulare opentoworkingwith any successful candidate,while Sheba andJim haveshownastronginterest inworking morecloselywitheachother asa tean1.

With elections opennow, itisimportant forthe members toelect astrong team,given that challengesaswellas opportunities l.ie ahead for theAIBC.

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13citieswinfast-trackSmart Citycompetition

TheUrban Development Ministryrecently announced 13 winnersof the fast-track Smart Citycompetition,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 couldnotmake itto thefirstlist of 20 mission cities lastyear, hadimprovedthe qualityof its Smart City plan.Twenty-three cities participatedin tl1e fast-trackcompetition.

Theothercities thatmadeit to thenext 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 saidthese 13citieswere selectedonthe basisof marks scored by themin the fast-trackcompetitionand the benchmarks set bythe top performers in the firstcycleof the challenge.

Naidu said these l3 cities have substantiallyimproved their Smart City plansbyaddressingthe deficiencies .identified in thefirstroundof tl1e competition.This ensured a better profiling of the cities in terms of infrastructure gaps and baseline service levels,whicheffected consistencybetween thecitizens'aspirations andaction plans, morefeasible resource mobilisation plans, andcoordinatedand integrated picn1reof howindividual projectswillcontribute toarea-level changes.

Only 12 states andUTswererepresented in d1e firstlist of 20 missioncities announced inthefirstcycle of "India Smart CitiesChallenge" onJanuary28.

Othercitiesthat participated in the FastTrack Competitionwere arnch.iin Sikkim (ranked 14);Aizawl in1vlizoram (15);PasighatinArunachalPradesh (16); Dehradun inUttarakhand (17);Kohima inNagaland (18); Oulgaretin Puducherry (19);Sih7assainDadra&Nagar Haveli

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

These cities can submittheir revised Smart Cityplans for evaluation inthe secondroundof regularcompetition underwaybytheendofJune.

The first20citieswereselected from98 missioncities.

aidusaidtl1etie berween i\'1eerutand RaiBareli,inUttarPradesh,andJamrnu andSrinagar, inJ&K,will be resolved by allowingthem to participateintheSmart Citycompetition andonecityfrom earn of d1ese two stateswiUbe selectedon d1e basis of the qualityof theirrespective SmartCity plans.

Other capitalcities thatare left out of the Smarr CityMissionwillalsobe allowed toparticipate in thecompetition. These citiesinclude Patna, a)'aRaipur, Itanagar,Amaravati,Bengaluruand Thiruvananthapuram.

Givingan accountof tl1e gainsof new initiatives and approaches,Naidusaid thatforthefirst timeinthecountry,98 Smart Citiesand497AtalMissioncitiesaccountingfor over70percent of urban population -currentlybavelong-termfiveyearactionplansbasedon comprehensive analysisof infrastructure gaps.

Ontheoccasion,Naidu released a publication titled 'UrbanRenaissanceMay 2014-May 2016' giving a derailed accountof paradigm shiftin artimdes and approaches co urbanplanning andgovernance,and the major drivers of urban revival and transformationsetin motion duringd1e last twoyears.

Pakistan rakes upKashmir issue with mapsbill protest Bemoaninglackof .internationalsupport forits cause,Pakistanhas tried torake up tl1e Kashmir issue at theU byprotesting againstadraftIndian mapsbill that seeks ropunish"wrongorfalse"depictions of India's boundaries.

1n a letterroUNSecretary GeneralBan Ki-moon andSecurityCouncilPresident Abdellarif Aboulattaof Egypt,Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha

Lodhiwroted1at India'sdraftGeospatial Information Regulation BiU was"contrary to SecurityCouncil resolutions" and asked for UN intervention.

"Sadly, theinternationalcommunity andtheUn.ired ations have failedtorake noticeof tllisactionof India" in depicting allof Kashmir as Indian territory,she said inthe letter releasedto the media bythe u

Earlier reactingto a Pakistani Foreign Office press releaseon tbe maps bill, India's ExternalAffairsMinistrysaidthematter "is au entirelyiurernalJegislativematter of India, since thewholeof the stateofJ&K is an integral part of India. Pakistan or anyother parryhas nolocus standi in the matter."

lndia "firmlyrejects Pakistan's repeated and increasing attempts toimposeon die internationalcommunitymatters that lndia has alwaysbeenopentoaddressbilaterally wid1Pakistan," saidtl1e statement.

Thecl.raftof Geospatial Information RegulationBill,whichhas notbeen introducedinParliamentburonly circu.lated forfeedback,proposes fines andimprisonment for "anywrongor false topographic information of IndiaiJ1clud.ing internationalboundaries".

Whi.leLodhiasserted that Pakistan's positionof showingKashmir as disputed territory"is alsoreflected in theofficial mapsof the UnitedNations", arandom check byIANS showedthat maps by the UN andinternationalagencies are inconsistent in howthestateis displayed.

A UN mapof thephysicalfealllres of Indiatried toskirt controversybyframing .itwithout thetopportionwhereKashmir won.Id appear.

TheUnitedNations MilitaryObserver GroupinIndiaandPakistan(UNMOGIP) showsJammuandKashmirwiththe "Line of Controlaspromulgatedinthe 1972 SimlaAgreement''.

OneUNlCEFmapshowed allof Kashmirasa partof India,another displayed Kashmir separately, andyet anotherhad the Pakistan-occupied portion outside India.

U IndustrialDevelopmentOrganisation

Themonsoonbringswelcomerelief fromtheoppressiveheatwavethatsaw temperaturesacrossIndia reach 50 degrees celsius. Photo:AP

(UNIDO) left our thePakistancontrolledKashmir fromIndia,wbi.le UN Development Programme's (U DP) India page showsallof Kashmirasa part of Indiaon the page logo.

Canadian Sikhswant Komagata chapter in school curriculum

Even as PrimeMinisterJustinTrudeau apologisedtod1eSikhcommunityinthe Houseof CommonsinOttawafor tl1e 1914 Komagata incjdent, CanadianSikhs have demanded that theepisode shouldbe made partof school curricula across the country.

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

Since both IndiaandCanadawereBritish dominions at that time,d1eIndians shou.ld have had theright toenter Canada. But tbe Canadian government of that rime put in place variousclausesinlaws tobar Indians fromenteringCanada.

The KomagataMarn,whichentered VancouverharbouronMay23, 1914, was forciblysent backtoIndiaafter ti.VO months On reachingBudgeBudgein CalcuttainSeptember 1914, the passengers were subjected tofiringbyBritish Indian policeinwhich 19 of themwerekilled.

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

"Today-while knowing that nowords can fully erase tl1e pain andsuffering e.xperienced bythe passengers -I offer a sincere apologyonbehalf of the government for d1elawsinforce at the rime that allowedCanada to be indifferent tothe plightof the passengers of the Komagata 1vfaru."

TheCanadian prime minister said, "The KomagaraMarnincidentis a stain onCanada'spast. Burthehistoryof our cmrntryisoneinwhichweconstantly challenge ourselves,and each other, to extendourpersonal definitions of who is aCanadian. We have learned, and will continuetolearn, from rhe mistakes of our past.\'<Temustmakesure tonever repeat them."

Welcomingtheapology,advocacygroup WoddSikhOrganisation demanded that aKomagatachapter be included in school curricula across Canada.

Its presidentMukhbirSingh said, "Prime Minster Trudeau'sapology n theHouse of Commons rodayis ahistoricmoment for CanadianSikhsand recognises thedark chapter the KomagataMaru tragedymarks inCanada's history. While Canada istodaya modelof multiculturalismandinclusiviry,it isimportant forustounderstand that itwas nor always so."

"We believe itis essential that the KomagataMaruincident,as weU as the anti-immigrant sentiment tl1atfuelled this incident,bemade a partof our provincial

educationcurricula.It isimportant that weas Canadiansteachour yow1gsters toconfrontissuessuchas racismand xenophobiaandlearningaboutthe Komagata·Maruincidentisanexcellent oppornmity codoso."

Meanwh.ile, India has appreciated Canadian PrimeNliniscerJustinTrudeau's gesture of apologisinginthe Houseof Commons in Ottawafor theinfamous KomagacaMaru incidentof 1914.

"\V/ewelcomeand deeplyappreciate thegesnireof Prime11inisterof Canada codelivera formal apologyinthe Honse of Commons for the Komagata Mam incident,"ExternalAffairs Ministry spokesperson VikasSwarnpsaidin a statement.

"TheIndiandiaspora in Canada has contributedimmenselycoCanada's gro\vth and development andactsasa bondbetweenourtwo nations. Prime NlinisterTrudeau'sgestureconstitutesan acknowledgment of the positiveroleof the Indian diaspora," hesaid.

77 percent Indian parents expectto live withsons in old age

Almost 77percent of Indian parents expectto livewiththeirsons in oldage while sevenpercentwant co Jive with their daughters,accordingto the India Human Development Survey(IHDS), conducted jointlybyresearchers fromUniversity of Maryland andNationalCounc.ilof Applied EconomicResearch (NCAER), ewDelhi.

These are thefindingsfrom theIHDS-2 (2011-12) data-sec,coveringa representative sampleof 41,554 households across 33 states andunioncerricoriesinbothrural and urbanareas.

1nHaryana, the statewithIndia's lowest child sexratio (834females per 1,000 males),90percent of respondents said they wouldprefertolivewith tl1eirsonsinold ageratl1er thantl1eir daughters

Maharashtrawasnext,with85 percentof parents sayingtheyexpectedsupport from sons.

Regardingtl1esons vs daughtersissue, manyIndianswantatleastone daughter

While73percent of the people surveyed said theyshouldideaUy have one daughter, 11 percent said tl1ey shouldideally havetwo daughters.

While as many as60 percent said they ideallywantedoneson,26percent saidthey wantedtwosons.

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

Tbe surveywas based onindirect questions torestpeople'sattitudes. Some quest.ions asked: Howmanysonsor daughterswouldtheyideaUypreferro have? If theywere co have anextrach.ild,what sex would they prefer?

Maharashtra hasalowchildsexratio (894 females per 1,000 males) and a high preference for ason (39 percent) for an extrach.ild.

The mainreasonIndian parents prefer sonsis thatIndians expectto 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 theyexpect co livewiili theirsonswhen old. Only 16percent Indians said theywould considerJivingwitl1 their daughters.

Statesin the south see higherpercentages tban cbe national average.

Tripurahas tl1ehighest percentage of parents (12 percent) preferring colivewith daughtersintheir oldage,foUowedby TamilNadu (17 percent).

Theperceptionthatparentscanlivewitl1 daughters has improvedover thelastseven years.Asked if theywouldconsiderliving withdaughters, 14 percent said yes during a surveyin 2004-05; 16 percentsaid yesin 2011-12.

Asmanyas74percentof Indiansexpect sons tosupport themfinanciaUyduringold age.Only 18percentsaidtheymayconsider takingmoneyfromdaughters inoldage.

Indian descent

Congressman's re-election in the USputatrisk byfather's illegalfinancing

The 83-year-oldfather of AmiBera, tl1e onlyIndiandescentCongressman,has pleaded guiltytoillegally funding his son's electioncampaignswith atleast$260,000 puttingatrisk his re-election in November.

AssistantAttorneyGeneral LeslieR. Caldwellannounced recently that Babula! Beraadmittedtomakingcontributions toAmiBern's two electioncampaigns fraudulentlyin thenamesof other people andoverthelegallimit.

Prosecutors haveclearedArniBera of involvementin thecampaign fundingscam, buritmakes hisre-electionprospectsharder as heis alreadyfacingoppositionin his constituency fromtradeunionsinhisown DemocraticParty. Hewasre-elected to a secondterm in2014by less than 1,500 votesafter abruisingcampaign.Therace was thecostliestHouse of Representatives campaign thatyearwiththetwoparties togetherrunningupa cabof $21 million.

Federal prosecutor PhillipA.Talbert cold reporters tlrnt therewas "noindication" thattheDemocratic Representative orhis '5taff wereinvolved intheillegal election financingand chat they hadcooperatedwitl1 theprosecutors.

AmiBera,amedical doctorwho representstl1e fromthe7tl1California Districtin thestatecapitalarea,cold The Socmrm//toBeenewspaper that hehadno ideathat his fatl1er had illegallyfinanced hiscampaign. He said thathehas sent the moneycontributed byhis fathertothe US government.

ln2010 AmiBeralost his firstelection campaignfor tl1eHouseof Representative forwhich his father,a retiredchemical engineer,contributed$240,000.The successful2012campaignreceived$40,000 fromhis father.

Accordingto the Federal Election Commission, thema,"illnwn an1ount an individualcancontributetoa candidatewas $2,400 in2010and $2,500 in2012.

Babula! Berawas chargedinthefederal court for theEasternCaliforniain Sacramento beforeJudge TroyL. Nunley, wboisco sentence him inAugust. Hefaces amaximumsentenceof 10yearsontwo

charges, but is unlikel)' get the harsh penalty givenhisage. TheLosAuge/esTi111CSreported that theprosecutors are recommendinga prisontermof upto30 months.

Court papers saidtl1atBabula! Bera asked about90 friendsandrelativesrosendover 130 contributions tohis son'scampaign in tl1eirownnames and thenhe reimbursed themsothat hehimselfwillnotappearco haveexceededthelegal fundinglimits.

Heis thethird person of Indian descent co runafoulof the election laws inilie past two years. Conservative author Dinesh D'Souzawas convicted in 2014of illegally contributing$20,000 cothe unsuccessful RepublicanSenatecampaign of his college friend, WendyLong. Although NewYork federal prosecutor PreerBharara sought aja.il term, ilie judgegavehim a$30,000 6.neand eightmonthsof community confinement that aUowed him co continue working.

SantSinghChatwal, a hotelier, pleadedguiltyin2014tomakingillegal contributions of $188,000 to three candidatesru1dwas fi.ned $500,000 and sentenced to 1,000 hoursof community service. In anunusualmove, thefederal prosecutor inBrooklyn at that time,Loretta Lynch,didnotdisclosewhoreceived Chatwal'sillegalcontributions Media reports,however,identifiedoneof the recipientsas HillaryClintonwhoreceived themwhen sheran forSenate.Lynch is

nowtl1eUSAttorneyGeneral.

ThescandalcastsashadowonAmi Bera's re-election bid inNovemberwhen he will facethe Republicru1SacramenroCounty Sheriff ScottJones. He is upagainstserious oppositionwiiliin hisown parrybecauseof his support for President BarackObama's TransPacificPartnership(TPP) Agreement, which tradeunions consider anti-labour. Becauseof tradeunionopposition hewas unableget the endorsement of hislocalparty unitco run for re-election and hehadcoget the backingof tl1e state partyconvention. Unions haveheldprotestsagainsthimin hisdistrictru1dvowedcodefeathimas d1ey say 12-nationTPPwillleadtolossof jobs and lowerwagesintheUSbecauseof the cheaperimports itwillallo-\r.

AmiBera's 2014victorywasa nail-biter. On electionnighthewasabout3,000 votes behindRepublicanDougOse, butas postal and other baUotswere tallied overa twoweek periodhe emerged the\vinnerbyjust 1,432 votes

Accordingtomedia reports,Beraraised $3.7 millionandoutside organisationslike theDemocraticCongressional Campaign Committee spent $6.5 million promoting him in the2014election.Oseraised $3.2 millionandtheNational Republican Congressional Committee andotl1ers contributedalmost$7 million 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 a natural harbmu:, chis coastal townshipis40km away from Faleolo InternationalAirport where annually around 120,000 visitors,mainly fromAustralia, NewZealand,US and neighbouringPacificnations,arrive fora blissful vacation.

Apia, asexpected,isnor abigplace,its lengthand breadthcaneasily be e.,""<plored by foot, choughajourney in one of the colourful localbusescan be fascinating. Old world and new collide herewith traditionalSamoanhousesstandingside by side with colonial churches,buildings and some 21"century additions. The centralclockroweris surroundedby shops, markets, bars,restaurantsand nightclubs adding some urbantouches to Samoa, it is aa good placeto getacclimatised to the island's Aair.The best way toexperience this introductionis at the lively local markets,abuzz with hordesof stalls selling almost everything from local produce to handicrafts.

Cultureis undoubtedly central to PolynesianIi.fe. Samoa's styles of music,dance, andvisual arthave gained renownthroughout thePacificislandsand the world.A visit to the Samoa Cultural Villageprovides a worthy understanding of how Samoans lead their lives bycelebrating and embracingtraditionalvalues,culture and environment.Forhistory buffs avisit

co theMuseum of Samoa isa mustto gather knowledge about the land'sheritage. However,peoplerarely travelto aPacific mopiato hangaround incity sprawl;the appealforvisitors to Samoa isintimate engagement withnamreand,in this respect, the rewardsare endless.

Samoais aplace of greatnatural beaury hosting some of the SouthPacific'smost stunninglandscapes fromrainforestcoveredvolcanicmountains,vastvalleys, cascadingwaterfallsandsteepcliffsto spectacular white-sandcoastlines.The riotof colourinnaturedisplayedby the Rowers, leavesand fruits bestow afeast for theeyes.Anidealholiday here involves a mixture of easy-goingrelaxation and activitiescateringto one'sad,1enturous appetite.

Beingan islanddestination,oppormnities for surfing,fishing and sunbathing ata white sandystretcharein abundance, alongside snorkellingand diving in one of theiridescent lagoons todiscover spectacularunderwater scenery.

When finished witb thewater, many go inland forawalkthrough lush green rainforest,cry horsebackrides,treat themselves to ajungle river kayakingsafari, jump into a luscious waterfall for a cooldip orsir inside a chopper fora bird'seyeview of theislands.

Many catcb theferry toexploreSavai'i fslandwhich has become physically bigger insize thanUpoloaftergushinglava froma volcanicexplosion intheearly 20thcenmry pushed the ocean away.

Villagesdominate Samoa, itssocial governance and way of life. Mostrural settlementsarevery clean andtidyand

dotted withrypicalSamoan housescalled "fi,ics". Every village hasachurchwhere experiencing massand choir ona Sunday isinvigorating. Villagers onSundaysare generally attired in white,perhapsreAecting theirloveforpeaceandpurity of minds on theday of communion with divinity.

Freshair, warm water,lushgreen surroundings and engulfing seren.iry make Samoaan idealdestination to livea healthy life.

ThisinspiredfarnousScottishauthor RobertLouis'sStevenson to spendthe final

years of his lifein thisparadise Hishome inApiaisnowa museum where the fusr editioncopy of his epical Tret1s11reTs/andcan be seen. He wrote this withan imaginary island in mind,but afterarriving inSan1oa maybe he d10ughr thisis the treasuredland. He lived theretill his lastbreathand had hismortalremainsrested in irs grounds Thehealing effect of thedestinationcan be sensedin ashort time by visitorsaswell. WhenleavingSamoa, you feelenergised with mind,body andsoul soothed and filled withfeelings of bliss.

FijiAirways (www.fijiairways.com) offersfullserviceflightstoApiaviaNadi.

Thereareplentyofhotel and resortstyleaccommodation optionsofvarying 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

Aussie election

campaigns are missing the masala

This federal election seasonis lacklustre compared to India's colourful political campaigning

BY SANAM SHARMA

The poLitical battlelineshave been drawn;Australiagoesro the polls on 2Ju1y 20'16. The country's major political parties have gone into election overdrive, furiouslycampaigning across the nation, as the people of Australiaget ready toelect tl1e federal government for the next three years.

Talkback radio is going wild with political opinionsand primetimeTV has political Aavour to its programmingacross aUmajorchannels.Australiaisabuzzwith election fever.

Yet,some of us who have had the

experience of growingup in Indiamay find thiselection season inAustraliaabit dull. Comparedto election campaigningin India, tile Australian version of this mega political event is rather bland.

Let's start witl1the election slogansof thevariouspolitical parties. Australia's current Prin1e MinisterMalcolmTurnbull recentlybeganthe Liberal Party's election campaign under tl1e slogan"OurPlan for a StrongerEconomy". That seems more Like a statement thana slogan. "Abkihoar, lviodi Sarkaal' is a slogan.A cleverly crafted, rhyming, social med.ia fiendly, hashtagable, contemporary slogan.

Slogansaside, the emblems of Australian politicalparties also lack creative Aair.

Brooms,lotuses, palms, elephants, sickles,

announcements is if you happen to be hidingin an underground bomb shelter. Arguably,it's afar more effectiveway for a politicalcand.idateto reachourco people in tlleirconstituency. Especially when you compare it with alonely Australian political candidate bravingtheearly morningcold while handingoutelection leaflets at a suburbantrain station, only to be mistaken by commuters as a volunteer for the Jehovah's Wia1esses.

Then, as 2July draws closer, political rivals across tile major parties will faceoff in prime tin1e tele,7isiondebates. The debates wiUbe strictly moderated, with professionaldecorum maintained by the politicians,TV hosts, panels andstudio audiences. Peopleathome willtune in and listenimentlywith a view to deciding whicb way they aregoingto vote. How boring!

Picture thelively Indianalternative: A

prominent city streetis dugupand turned into an electionp,wd,u,Ito hostan election rally for apoliticalcandidate.The adjoining streets and roads are blocked off while therallyis heldand truckloads of people pourin to listento their candidates. In a seaof top-notch security, Aoralgarlands and rousingslogans peoplewelcome the politicians to a lavishly decorated stage for rheir public address As soon as they are finishedralk.ing, the politicians are briskly whiskedaway.Over the nextfew days after this megaevent,life inthatcity slowlycrawlsback conormalcy -and then, anotller politician decidesto hold a rally. J\nd so it rolls on.

Billboards,roo,telladifferent story between theAussieand lndian election

weighing scales,bicycles, arrows, and many suchinnovativeemblemsadorn the ballot papersin a typical Indian election. Now, imaginevotingonamundaneAustraLian ballot paper that merely lists the party name, completely devoid of a colourful coUectionof electionemblems. One must compliment theAustralian SexParty for lendingsome much-needed spice to the Aussie ballot paper.

In India, anelectioncampaignis best deliveredthrough a slender loudspeaker, mounted on top of a modest autorickshaw tliat slowly crawls through tile city streets. The campaign slogans and policy man.ifestos,are deafeningly shouted across theentire city dayandn.ight. The only way you can miss hearingtllese political

campaigns Australian billboards are rnodest, sparsely placed tlirough cities, oftenfeaturinga photo of tl1e relevant candidate witl1 a succinct electionmessage listedunderneath. How banal.

Travelthrough anJndiantown duringan electionandwtness tl1eentirecityplastered with election billboards of all shapesand sizes.The billboards are colourful and busy,led by a smilingphoto of the political candidate anda featuringa supportingcast aslongasacomet's tail.The supporting ensemble comprisesof the,vell-wishers of thecandidates -their neigbboms,children, friends, even petdogsandcats!

East is East and West is West,as tl1ey say,and it seems federal elections are no exception.

,, One must compliment the Australian Sex Party for lending some much-needed spice to the Aussie ballot paper ,,

,, In India, the only way you can miss hearing political announcements is if you happen to be hiding in an underground bomb shelter ,,

As al,vays happensin thesecases, the motlierthen turned to her daughter and said, "\X/hat doyou want?You know I alwaysjust wantyouto dowhat )'OU want to do."

Thegir.lreplied,in haltingwords,"I. I. want wa.nt co jump."

Theteacher looked onandsaid,"You don'thave to do this."

Thegirl lookedat hermother whowas staring at herdaughter.Themothersaid, "Shesaid she wants to jump.Goodgirl."

The teacher looked aroundto the otl1er teachersi.n thearea.Theylooked uncomfortable, and a couple of them turned and looked away.The teacher looked at the girl.Lookedattlie blood. Watched her limp to the high jump, siton the ground to changeher shoes.

ocare

Can teachers step in between students and theirparents?

take a breaktodo anotherevent,comeback and continue changeshoes jump change shoes run

She said,"Mylegs hurt."

Shesaid,"I havesrun splints."

blood onherhandsand arms.It haddried msmears.

TheteacherwaJJ,ed overto her.

"Mynosebleeds when I am undertoo muchpressure,"she said.

BYMOHAN DHALL

Sheran in the openingrace. Shecame first. She jumped, initiallyqualifyingwithout apparentlytrying. Shethrew, the javelin travelling almost perfectlystraight. Sheran again. Andagain. Andagain.The 1500metres, 100m,200m 400111 threw again hoppingbet\veea events.Mum, shesaid, had made her run since she wast\VOyears old.

Theteacher watched as sheran thefirst race,notingherstrengthandpoise. The teacher saw hercomeand go from thehigh jump,competingtherebetweena packed scheduleof events. Theystrucrured the highjump competition inorder for herto change her shoes, markher run up,jump,

"i\lfy back hurts andtl1edoctors tellme thatI willneedmyvertebrae fused if I keep doingthis."

Stillshecompeted.

Hermotlierhovered close,watching eacheventclosely. Whisperingwords with handgesrures Thegir.lnodded. Competed again. Steppedup to throw thejavelin. Held it correctly, adjusting herhand just as she knew sheshould. She stepped forward and gave it her best. Thejavelin wobbled,lost the intended form and skimmed along tl1e surface.

Backco tl1estartline. Astaggeredstare. The teachersaw tliesecondlapof the 800 metreraceasshe swept past tl1e highjump venue.This ti.me though, shewas touching hernoserepeatedly. \Xliping herfingers onher shirt.Theteacherknewshe wasin trouble. At theend of this race therewas

"Please,don'tsayanytl1ingtomymumas 1 ,vill cop itat homelater."

Shortlyafterwards hermother wasasking howrughherdaughter wouldneed to jump inordercocome f:irst.The gid hadmissed mostof thehigh jump roundsonaccount of allof theotherevents shehad competed in. Nevertheless, theteacherhad heldher place opento finishthecompetition.

However,seeingthedried blood, the teachersaid,"She probablyneeds arest." Themother'sbodystiffened forafight and shesaid,'1tisonlyonejump.Tell me -how high?Canyoujust tellme what sheneeds to jump to win?"

The teacherreplied,"Hernosehasbeen bleedingandshe issore-I thinkshe has hadenough."

Themotlierreplied, ''It's her decision. l neverpressureher."

The teacher thought about how scared children will act to protect their parents. Theteacher tl1ought about themother. \Xlondered whather ownlifewaslike.

Recalled a conversation a dayearlierwith someod1erparentswhokepttalJ;:ingin frontof theirsonabout howimportant "nextyear'sexam"is, despiteitbeing 16 montlisaway.

Theteacher recalled a 14-year-old boyhe had metyearsearlier.The boyhad come back to schoolafter ninedaysaway.The student hadsaid abouthisbruisedeye, "Myfather tlirew atennisball to me -but Ican.notcatch."His fatherbadin fact punched tliisboy'seye,fractncing his eye socket, ina drunken rage.Theteacher recal.led another teacherat thetimesaying, "Whatdidyoudo to make himangry?"

The teacherthought aboutthestudent getting20%in3-unitmatliematics because tl1eparents said, ''Maths matters"and pressureleads tosuccess.The sn1dent's an_detyand self-harmdid notlookW,e pressmeleadingto success.

Theteacher considered the issueof negligenceandtliedutyof care. Whatrole wastl1eteachertoplay?An activeoneor a passiveone?

How farshouldtheteacher'sobservations beusedtoinitiateactionand caJJthe parents co account?What was theroleof onlookers? Of teachers whoturnedaway?

Of doctors whomightfuse disks - when rest andrecuperationcouldhelp?

Howshould it manifest- mis dutyto care?

,, The mother turned to her daughter and said, "What do you want? You know I always want you to do what you want to do ,,

Business awards recognise Australia-India collaborations

InauguralA/BCAwards set to become a regularevent fosteringgreater trade ties

Businesses and individuals whohave madesignificant contributions to progress tradeand investmentbetween Australia andIndiawere recognisedwiththe inauguralAustralia IndiaBusiness CouncilTradeand InvestmentAwardsrecently.

The Awardswere pareof theEngaging with lndiaForum, heldby theAustralia lndiaBusinessCouncil and the Australian Financial Reviewin Sydney over 16-17May.

TheForum tookstock of thestate ofaffairsin theAustralia-L1diabusiness sphere.The messagecame out loudand clear: Australianbusiness needs a nudge along initsengagementwithIndia.

Bueformnacely,interest remains high.

Attendees heard froma variety of high-profile speakers suchasIndianHigh Commissionerto Australia avdeepSuri, ConsulGeneral of lndia in Sydney B. Vanlalvawna,AustralianTradeMinister

Steve Ciobo,AustralianSpecialEnvoy for TradeAndrewRobb, former Premier of VictoriaTedBaiJJJieuand S\XfMinisterfor TradeStuartJ\yres.

Business leaders including AshokJacob, Lindsay Fox,NevilleRoach,PawanLuthra, MichaelKasprowicz,Di.lipChenoy and many morealso gave presentationsand offered theirinsights.

Tophonours attheawards eveningwere given to Infosys andDeakin University for theiroutstandingcontributionsineach

country.

DeakinUniversity,whichreceivedthe OutstandingContribution by anAustralian Organisationin lndia,was the first internationaluniversity to open anoffice in India in 1996. Since then, it has invested $10million dollars, produced thousands of job-ready graduates and established numerouspartnershipsbetweenacademia andindustry.

Technology consultingfirmlnfosys, whichcookouttheawardforOutstanding Contribution by anIndianOrganisationin Australia, established itsAustralian presence in 1999and draws40 percent ofits3100 strongworkforce from the local community.

DipenRughani,AIBCNationalChair, waspleased toinauguratethese special awardscreated toacknowledge the exceptional contributions of companiesin advancingtheAustralia lodiarelationship.

NevilleRoachAO recei\TedtheLifetime AchievementAward.Overanillustrious careerspanning many decades, evillehas been honoured by both theAustralianand Indiangovernments for his dedicationand commitment to fosteringbilateral relations.

PenelopeStreet,founder of Narrowcaster,received theWomenin Business Award. Narrowcasterproduces multilingualself-guidedaudiotours for fores,palacesandtemplesinIndia,helping visitorsexperience thecountry's rich culcuraJheritage.Sheba Nandkeolyar,AIBC NationalVice-Chair &Chair of Womenin

Business,wasproud to spearheadthe first awardacknowledgingthe contribution of successfulbusinesswomenintheAustraliaIndiabusinessenvironment.

CricketAustralia receivedthe Special RecognitionAwardfor contribution to AustraliaL1diaRelations for collaboration withitsIndianconnterparts in bringing the competition tomillions of Indian fans.

Businesseswere also recognisedin categoriesincluding excellence in goods, servicesand invesonent sectors.

Cochlearwon the Excellence in Goods Export for anAustralianCompany toIndia Award.The company hasinvested more than$USlOmillioninIndiasince beginning itsoperationsand through innovationhas made hearingimplantsmore affordable and accessible to a greater number of people in India.

TataGlobalBeverages (fGB) won the Excellence in Goods Export for anIndian OrganisationcoAustralia.TGB hasbeen bringingunique Indiantea toAustralian consumerssince 1963nnderthewellknown Tetley brand.

SMECwasawardedExcellencein the ServicesSector for anAustralian company in India.SJvfEChasdeliveredprojects to clientsinIndiawithintransport, hydropowerand energy,waterand eiwironment and urban andsocial sectors since 1975.

Excellence in the Services Seccor for an Indian Organisation in Indiawasawarded

to SPJain School of Global Managemenr which uses innovative practices to delivers its educationservices acrosscampuses in Sydney,Dubai,MumbaiandSingapore.

Logisticscompany Linfoxwas awarded Excellence in Invesanem by anAustralian Organisationin lndia.Thecompany providesmodernsupply chainlogisticsin Indiaandemploys2500people.

High-tech aircraftmanufacn1rer Mahindra Aerospacewas awarded Excellencein lnvesm1ent by an lndianOrganisation inAustralia.The company has bee.11 operating in Australiasince 2010 and serves customers from30 countriesaroundtl1e world fromits Australianbase.

TheGeorge lnstinue for Global Health wonthe awardfor Excellencein Research andDevelopment between Australia and India for itsresearchandadvocacy work to develop affordable andscalablesolutions toempower people to improve their health and hasbeen operatinginIndiasince2007.

Theindependent judgingpanel forthe Awardsincludedhighlyrespected business leadersKumar Parakala,Di.lip Chenoy, ik Senapati andwas chaired by Grame Barty of Austrade.

lewas awonderfulevening of celebration spearheaded by AIBC'sNational Chair DipenRughaniandVice ChairSheba I andkeolyar. InAIBC's 30" year, these awards demonstrate theprogresswhich Australianand lndianbusinesseshave made incontributingto bilateral relations

INDIAN LINK SOCIAL MEDIA

·betoourchannel

LeveragingtheIndian diasporaforbusiness

PAWAN LUTHRA's address at the 'Engaging with India' conference organised by the A/BC andAFR

Consider, for a moment, yourown self -where you came from, where youlivenow,che kindof work you do,how youdefine yourself.

You'requite a "mixed up" personreally, aren'tyou.

1know.Because I am justas "m.ixed up" asyou are.

Thatis thecruxof my presentation today, celebratingour "mixed up" nature and seeinghow wecan put it tosomeuse.

Transnationalism

WhenIlookaroundthisroom,I don't seeIndiansandAustralians,or fodianAustralians,or any otherkindof hyphenatedAustralians.

By virtue of ourorigin andour work, we are all really "transnationals".\Y/e transcend thenational space as the reference point for our activities, and indeed,ouridentities.

\'(/eareconnectedtoseveralplaces atonce.Our multi-sited livesinvolve interactionsacrossborders.These exchangesmay be physical and/or economic,butcouldalsobe ideas, values andpractices

The many new modesof communication, rapidtransport,and easy-ro-acce.sstrade.and-informationnetworks,have all strengthenedotu:connections to twoor more places,at any giventime.

It's awonderfully enrichingframeof reference,in which we arecontributing

(hopefully significantly!) totwoor more different ethnosystems.

' either herenor chere"isa phrase chatonce typified us as migrants,but not anymore (Hindispeakers may know this as "11agbt11·k" nagb,1tkd').And noonereally usestl1eterm''ABCD" anymore: "ArneticabornConfusedDesi"or "Australia-born confuseddesi",,vhere "desi" is theIndian word for"Indian".

lf anything, the term should nowbe ABCD, "America/Australia-bornconnected desi"I

To my mindatleast, the ideaof such rransnationalismisnow even overtaking thatof multiculturalism.

Only recently,we allbecameacquainted witha brand new worldfigure, aPak.israniborn UK-resident,wholooks settobein chenewsoverthenextfew years. London

Mayor Sadiq Khan is the new faceof a "mixedupworld" -letmenowrephrase chat asa"transformed" world -tl1at is setting a whole new agenda.

Lastmonth,highrankingAustralian diplomat Harinder Sidhuofficially took up her new position, High Commissioner in New Delhi. She becomes the second Indian-origin personinth.isoffice,after PeterVarghesenot solongago. MsSidhu countsas hercontemporaries,an IndianoriginUS Ambassadorco India (Richard Verma) and anInd.ian-originCanadianHigh Commissioner Nadir Patel.

Theirrespectivegovernments have,

amongstotl1erqualities,leveragedtheir Ind.ianbackground tohelpoil thewheels of diplomacy. In fact, NadirPatelhas said that he enjoystalkinginGujaratiwith Prime MinisterMod.i, adm.ittingthat beingof Indianbackgrounddoesgive him an edge.

AsI interviewed HarinderSidhu onInd.ianLinkRadiorecently,she agreed."Thereis a genuine advantage incomingcoch.ispostingwith areadymade understandingof cross-cultural relationships," she rold me.

As transnationals, diasporiccommunities comenot only withsuch"ready-made Lmderstanding"of twoculmres,bura host of otherstrengths thatcan helpnudge along the bilateralequationin multipleways.

Global Indians

TheIndiandiasporaisthelargest in the world.There's astaggering30million of us, spread across215countries.

Think of the"dias-power"of ir!

NarendraModi cert.'Uilly does

The astute Prime 1tinisterof India (picturedright) hasplayed to thestrength of the Indiandiaspora likenoneof his predecessorsever has.He reachesout totheminhigh-voltage, massive-arena, theatre-style, sold-outevents.

Hismessagetothe"NRis"as they are calledin India,is thatthey are a"bra.in gain, nota bra.in drain".

Hepraises themas part of Ind.ia's "soft power", anditisclear that for him, they

are aconsolidatedand viablevote-bank, and as TheHi11dusa.id,"a redeemable, interest-bearing,assetthatis merely parked offshore."

Back in India, yourposter-boy diasporans may wellbe Sat:ya Nadella,or Russell Peters, orSalmanRushdie.Outside of India,the quintessentialIndianis theITemployee,the taxi driver, thecornershop owner, the motel operatoror the petrol pumpowner.

Of course,both categories of "Indians" are making theirmarkin theirown way.

The Indiancommun.icyin theUSis themostinfluentialof allthe diasporic communities.

There are morefodian CEOs than any othernationality afterAmericans,inthe S&P 500compao.ies,finds astudy by Egon Zehnder.

Timemagazineonce termedCEOs as India'sleading'export',claimingthat the subcontinent couldwell be'theideal traininggroundforglobal bosses'.

Tndia-bornCEOsSatyaNadella (i\ficrosoft),IndiraNooyi (PepsiCo), Sundar Picha.i (Google, right), andAnshu Jain (Deutsche Bank), are someof the personal.itiesinspiring a whole generation of MBAandITsn1dentsinInd.ia.

On theotherextreme from these highend executives, youalsohave smaller-scale success stories suchas thePatel commmuty wlucbdominates the budget motel market. There have beensuccessfulforays in state and national level politics aswell (Bobby

Jindal,Nikki Haley).

Acrosstheglobe,there are many other names from theIndian diaspora [hathave spurredyoungpeoplein [hehomeland into new careers,inthesciences,space exploration,creativewriting,film-making, contemporarrart,andin many ocherfields.

InAuscralia,Indiansettlement beganin the 1800s.

The first Indians arrived with theBritish who hadbeen livinginIndia.Fromthe 1860s, Sikhsand'Afghans' wererecruired as workersin outbackAustralia (pictured below). Many 'Afghans' actually came from lndia (aswellasIran,Egypt andTurkey). They workedascameleersto operatecamel trainsas 'pioneersof the inland'.

Itwasbusiness migrationcharbrought the second lot of Indians over.They travelledtherownsselling food andother wares outof cares

The 1881 censusrecords 998 people who wereborninIndia, but this bad grownco over 1700by 1891.

Today thereareover450,000peopleof Indian origrnhere,spreadacrossvarious industries.Whilethere wasa waveof medicalprofessionals who migra[edherein tl1e I970s and'80s,tl1ere arenowIndians in almost every fieldof endeavour,from cornershopownersro wiiversity academics, from IT professionalsmlawyers,even film makersandBooker Prize winners.

A special skillset

Now what is itabout che migrant experiencechat propels peopleto get ahead (mindyou,thisis the desire for getting aheadwhichbusinessesneedro tap into for tl1eir own growth).

Asmigrants,weareusedto change -perhaps even drawnmit.We are risk takers,which is whatbroughtmany of us to Australia, givingup the comfort of our solidsupport scructures. We areflexible, innovativeand constantly seekingto reinvent ourselves, androfindnew ways in everything wedo.

Thisset of personality craits,coupled witl1 corporate successinmany instances, can seeus become development partners witl1thehomecountry insignificant ways, in areas such asbusinesscreation, tradeLinks,investments,remittances,skills circulation,exchangeof ea'l::periences and even impacts on social and cultural roles of menand womenin thehome society.

So where tofrom here?

TheIndiandiaspora will do wellmlearn fromthe two ochermajordiasporas -the Jewishand theChinese, in tl1eir attempts at engagmg with their respectivehomelands.

TheJewishdiaspora is consideredthe most "classical,archetypalandmobilised diaspora" wim a greatsense of solidarity tliat has sustained over the years,andwhich basexertedmuchcultural,social,economic

andpolitical influence.

The Chinese diaspora ismore Like the Indian,much more diverse within itself, the powerful attachment m the home country overridingregionaldifferences. It is also just as widespreadas ours, with students making upa large proportion of rneirnumbers roo. Asthe Chinesegovernment Rexes its economic muscles, ithassoughtquite successfully to establish closer economic andculturalties

ChinaandIndia havepursued radically differentdevelopmentstrategies, wimIndia perhapspayinganeconomicpriceforits democracy,burithasbeensaid,"There wouldhave beenno Chinese economic niiraclewimouttl1ehelp of theoverseas Chinese."

ln aninterestingtrend we areseeing in rhe diaspora of bornChinaandIndia, STEM(science technology engineeringand mar.hs) seems to be theway ro go.Both governments have made hugeefforts m incentivize a return-to-homebyscientists.

InChina, theremrn of scientists,in for example rbeir "ThousandTalent" program, hasbeencoupled with anoutpouring of uwestmenrby botl1 government and private industry. InIndia,collaborative research projects with universities abroad have flourished;Australiahasalso participated extensively.

Astransnationals, how can the diaspora help?

Whilethediasporacanbeleveraged for business, tl1eir power can also help in oilier areas:

1. Influencing governments \\("le've talked of 1vfodi reachingomto thediaspora, bur tl1e engagementwirnchediaspora really began witl1 RajivGandhi,tl1efirst prime ministerrorecognisethegrowing clout of thediaspora. His economic Liberalisationinme 1990s openedIndia likeneverbefore.Butthecreditfor ucilisingchediasporamost effectively mightactually sit with ManmohanSingh, when the US-Indianuclear dealcame throughin2008.After he andGeorge WBushfirst agreed on tl1edealin 2005, America'sIndia□community,one of the mosteducatedandafAuentethnic groups there,lobbied hard forCongress to pass the bill. Before this, the 1974 Pokhrannuclear tests, me 1998nuclear tests andtheKargil conflict wereotl1er occasions duringwhich diasporan communities - evenroa smalle::-..'1:ent hereinAuscralia -were ab.le to lobby witl1 their goverruuents.

2. Crisis response In me economiccrisis of tl1e 1990s(ata time when India was facingirs worst balance of payments crisis, its foreign reserves weredwindlrng andirwas about to defaultonits

internationalpaymentobligations), the Indiandiaspora pulledits resources to help me country through bondssuch as ResurgentIndia.

3. Bringing in new business \'{lhen economic liberalisationin 1991 opened newbusinessopportunities,diaspora members inhigh tech development began cooutsourceto India, oftenat low cost, providingtechnical and managerial knowledge.

4. Importingbestpractices Diasporans rake best practices of merest of me world back home. Nehru,Subhash Chandra Bose andVallabhBhaiPatel werealsodiasporansat onepoint and returned home armed witl1 tl1e specialised experience marhelped lndia win Independence fromBritish occupation. ManmohanSinghwas at tbeLondo□ Schoolof Economics prior to becoming theFinancei'vlinister of India andopeningupthe economy. PersonalitieslikeSam PitrodaandSabeer Bhatiacontributedgreatly in thelaunch of IT as major industry. Many business schoolacademics from outside India continue ro tl1is day coadvise me Indian governmenton variousissues.

Which specific platforms lend themselveseasilyto being leveraged by the diaspora? Thediaspora can play a significantrole becausetl1ey know

• \"Where thecusmmers are

• Howto dealwitl1the local culture

• And in terms they bothunderstand

Tourism, health care,financial and educationservicescan be goodplatforms

Health Care: The diaspora has helped establish some of India's leading hospitals suchas Escorts,Apollo, PrasadEyeCare.

areshTrehan for example, wasaL ucknow lad who moved to NewYork, worked tl1ere for a number of years as acardiacsurgeon, andreturned to lndia u1thelate '80s to launch Escorts Hospitals.

Today,India'ssecondaryandtertiary healm careservices notoaly provide care,buralso addto healmtourism.\XiithcheAustralian healtl1 care system strugglingto keepupwith tl1edemandsof anagingpopulation,thiscan beaninterestingopportunity.

Science and technology:JuseasTaiwan andIsraelhave leveraged their diaspora to take advantage of highly trained experts and scientists u1fields such asIT,biotechnology andnanotechnogy,Indian-origin scientists canhelp develop India asanR &Dcenn·e.

Over tl1e past few years, the Indian community i.nAustralia havebegun to make me mark in tbesciences.

University departmentssuch as Material Sciences andNanotechnology have strong representation fromour community,Dr VeenaSal1ajwalla fromU SW having become theposter girl for women inSTEM in chis councry.

TndianLinknewspaperhasrecently been carryinga spate of articles reporting on scientific advances made by Indian-origin scientists in cancer research, dairy,crops, pest control, wildlifeconservationandtl1elike.

Education; Aninterestingexampleof how aworldclasseducationinstitution wasset upleveragingtl1eIndiandiaspora,isme IndianSchoolof BusinessinHyderabad. Launchedin 1996byRajatGuptaandAnil Kumar(botl1 senior executivesatMcKinsey) incollaboration,\�thinternational business schools\X/hartonandKellogg,roday it ranks 33rd inthe,vorldinrhe2015 Financial TimesGlobalfl.IBARankings.

Thediaspora wasused tOfacilitate academic exchanges,collaborationand twinning arrangementsbetween Indianand foreigninstimtions.

There areother more basicways inwhich diaspora can help in facilitating businessin their home counn-y:

Remittances; The remittances from the Indian diasporaareestimated at $70billion, the highest u1 the world. Remittancesare suchahugeindustry that wehave largescale companies vyingfor the business -suchas MoneyGram. (And creating, in the process, other rnterestingformsof cross-nationalreferences suchasputting Bollywoodbadshah Shah RukhKhan on thebacksof Sydney buses!)

Tourism: Tourism is the4tl1largest induscry in the world. When diaspora "return"home,connections arebuilt with thelocal economy.

Diasporans also help bringrn tourism. Plenty of us cake omfriendsback home for weddings orjust showingtl1em ar0tmd. I've acted as murisrguide myself many times and havealso devised elaborate itineraries for my Aussie friends

While thebig players will involve themselveswith majorindustry, the service sector in lndiais poised for stronggrowth which willhave furtl1er opportunities witl1 the follow through of CECA.

Lee's nor forgerthatir was the return home of one diaspo.ra personalitychatcrea[edan independentbusinessenvironmentinIndia. MohandasKaramchandGandhileveraged hisknowledge from overseastO get Indiaits independence.

Fastforward69 odd years, here we are, discussinghow ro leverage theIndian diasporaforbusiness success\

Laughingatourselves

It's comedic gold and cultural commentary as All India Bakchod take the stage in Sydney

Hindi readers,itisthatrude.

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

ComedianTanmay Bhat was hilarious as heripped into Indianjournalists' behaviour towardscelebritiesascompared to theirwesterncounterparts.

"Journos on aHollywoodredcarpet are like,'HiBrad, HiAngelina, you look lovely whoareyou wearing ?' Indian journos onaBollywoodred carpeton theother hand,loseeveryinchof their dignity(c1ct.rlikehe'stc1kiugoffhisclothes), AISHWARYAPHOTO!! AISHWARYA BYTE!! AISHW1\RYAPHOTO!!

AISHWARYABYTE!!"

Of course hewastryingtobe funny, bmitwas almostasif he wasrecountinga recentreallife Sydneyeventat whichIndian journos descended wildly ou a bewildered Aishwarya as shearrivedcoJauncb her signature watch atLongines.

Buethat isexactlywhatTanmayand his partners-in-crimeinAll IndiaBakchod (AIB) do -lampooncontemporaryIndian societyandshowit off for how ridiculous itcanbe.

Andas hisimaginarylushwarya walked off the stage,Taumaywas stillincharacter, shoutingafter her, "Bachchakiskahm?" o, wearenot goingtotranslate thatfornon-

Rude, that'stl1eotherthingtl1atAIB do. Andtlieydo it sowelltliat rudewould actuallybeapoliteword.Indeed,they themselves would9ualify"rude" with an adjectivebeginning withf.

AIBwas attlieir rudestbestastbeytook co tlie stageinSydneyrecently.

Tan.mayBhat,Gursimran Khamba, RohanJoshi andAshishShakya rose co fameinInclia in2013asYouTube

in their 20s and 30s they were seeking entertainment not tradicionallyofferedby communityprovidersand lappingup every minuteof it..

AIB tooktbemickeyomof anybodyand everybody•politicians,Bollywoodscars, cricketers,journalises,homophobes,dieyouth, theb11Z!"l!/,theirownparents, themselves, Indians,Aussies,Americans,Koreans,the French,even Pakistanis, andadmittedlyonly omsideof India,theSh.ivSena!

proclaiming: F-l1111JPhirBhiKh11shThe(But111e ll'Crehcippyandcontent). Yeah,righcl Abishi'vfactliew wasbrillianc with his takeontoilethabitsi.n publicand what the nonverbalbehaviour of cricketersreally means.

1n an .interviewonIndian Liol<Radio in thelead up totheirAustraliatom,Ashish Shakya unabashedlyadmittedRussellPeters was cl1eir major inspiration. (Russell must feelciclded pinktohavebecome theSalman Rushdieof thestand-upworld inIndia, inspiringa generationof comicsin a new careerjust.likeRushdiespurredonyoung writers).

comediansbuc hittl1enational headlines with theirinfamousRoastwhich the Sanskaristook umbrage against. Ulcimately, theprotestorsate humblepieasAIB's popularitywenttbrougb tberoof.Today, theyareIndia'sbestknowncomedyace, courageous in their attempt to lampoon the deshintimeswhenallkindsof unnecessary boundariesare beingdrawn.

Onthe Sydneystage,AIB werejoined by AbishMatthew, anotheremergingscar in Indiancomedy.

Thesell-out audience at theEnmore Theatrewas alsoarevelation.Largely

Rohan took onhis peopletheGujjus; .Lot.refGujaratisi11theaudience?Oh,so1JJeare giving011!co111pli111entc11ytickels.

AndIndiansarethe011!ypeople011thep!at1ef 111hotraveltho11.rand.sefmilestobe1vithother Tttdi,ms.

Kha.mba did the same forSikhs:AraSikh IhavetoSt£)'Man111oha11Singhhasreal!)brought o,n-com111tmi!J'd01vn especial!)'afterct!/thegood 111orkMikaSinghhasbeendoing.

AshishShakya channel.led hisownand all parents in theirnever-endingreminiscences about their impoverishedchildhood,despite theircurrentlycomfortablelives, andyet

Theirmentor thoughwouldprobably givethema few morelessonsonaudience interactionas tlieypicked onthosefront seaters somewhatless successfully,but, hey,we'rejust nit-picking here - in a show matotherwisewenc off superbly.And whilewe'renit-picking,AIB, weexpected a bit moreAussie content. So youhad the mandatoryconvictjoke,vegemite, Masterchef andSydney/Melborunerivalry but perhaps tliere's morematerialouttliere -Jobnny Depp and tbe dogs,tl1eAussie cricketers well known in India that shoot off at the mouth

As comedians, tlieywereno doubt playingfor a laugh. Butas social commentators, whichis ultimatelywhat theyare -whethertheyadmit it ornot, tliey werereaUyholding upa mirror ro moderndayIndia.

#WeAreLike1hatOn!JJ

,, India's bestknown comedyact, AIB are courageous intheir attempt tolampoonthe deshintimeswhen allkinds of unnecessaryboundaries are being drawn ,,

A'nextwave'IndianoriginYouTuber

Shyamali Sinha's popular YouTube channel Foodie's Hut chosen for the 'One Million Views' project, as part ofthe Next Wave Festival

BY DHANYASAMUEL

Next \'<lave isan experimental arts festival that has been runningbi-annually in Melbourneforthepast 30 years. Established in 1984, thernainideologyof the festivalhas been to providecareer development and presentation opportunities to artists, particularly emerging artists. The festival va.luesideas chatarerisk-taking,andalso emphasises onthe inclusionof artists from diverse genders, sexualorientationsand cultural backgrounds

'Onel'vlill.ion Views' is thedebut

collaborativeproject ofXanthe Dobbie andTiyanBaker,awardwinningdigital artistswhosharea common loveforvideo portraimre,popular culture,newtechnology andtheinternee.

According to socialmedianews.com.au, AustraliansloveYouTube,with 14miUion unique visits inMarch2016 alone. Baker says thatAuscral.ia'sYouTubeconsumption habitsonl.inereflect alove of celebrities andpersonalitiesthatplay intimate roles in theirprivatelives,andyet are almost wholly unacknowledgedbeyondthe internee.

"ThroughOneMill.ionViews,wewantedco investigatethis culm.ralbl.indspot byusing portraituretoaskwhoareYouTubers,why do they make chis content,whowatches this contentandwhy?"

Tiyan andXanche believethat YouTubers areanamazinglot of people andit takesaton ofcreativity,bardwork andcourageto startandkeep achannel going. So OneMill.ionViews is also about legitimising this faceandcelebratingthese YouTubers as true creators. "One of our other major goals withOne1v[illion Views' wasco integrate two major audiences: art audiencesandYouTube audiences. As

artistswho loveYouTube,wewanted to see what happenswhen d1ese two worlds get mixed together."

And that'swhere Poodie's Huecomesin, createdby aMelbourne-basedBengalichef celebrating herJoveandpassionforIndian/ Bengali food inheradoptedcountry.

SbyamaliSinhawas bornand brought upinKolkataandmovedto Melbourne in 2011 withher husband. She hasalwayshad apassionfor food,wanting co learnand experience all kinds of tastes,whichmake herabit ofa travel aficionado coo.

Butwhat really drivesheris herpassion forBengaliandIndianfood,wanting to cakeit to aglobalaudience andshowing theworldthat Indiancuisineismore than just curry andbutter chickenmasala.And thiswas themainmotivationbehind her YouTubechannel, Foodie's Hut.

Themove to Melbourne madeSinha homesick forall d10se comforting Ravours andtastes from backhome,andshe actively began co think ofdoingsomethjngabout it. Sbealsonoticed d1erewere very few YouTubechannels focusingon the cuisine of Bengal.Coupledwith her husband's motivation(alsohertechnical expert),she

launched Pooclie's HutonBengaliNew Year'sDay in2012.

She cookabriefhiatus cohave abeautiful little girl and rem.med toMelbourneand Pooclie's Hut. Speaking toIndianIiuk, Sinhasaid, "Homecooked food is not just about feecling your hunger,itis alsoabout feeclingandnourishing your soul,igniting memories of family andhomewhichcan bea rather strong emotion whenyouare Livinginadifferenc country. Younot only wantcocookfamiliar tastesbutalso learn traditional recipesandre-create these in yourownkitchen,eventually passingondiat knowledge co the next generation."

Apart fromBengali delicacies, Poodie's Hutis also about simple Indian and international recipes thatare suited for chosewhoare rnshedfortime,andalso chosewho are juststarting colearncooking.

Shyamali is excited about beingapareof theOne MillionViewsproject.She says

it is ahugerecognition forherpassion and hardwork, beingfeatured alongside othercreativeYouTubers Italso provides Poodie'sHuewith a globalaudienceanda biggerplatformcoshowcaseherpassionfor food.

To newbiesorwannabeYouTubers, d1e onlythingshe has to say is thatthejourney is along one,and only hardwork,passion and dedicationforyourcraft will helpyou be successful Onel'viillionViewspresentedsix diptych portraits of the YouTubersin shop front windowsalongErrol StreetinNorth Melbourne,from5 to 22May.Also included wasawalkingtour of the exhibition locationswith theartiststhemselves,anda HowtoGoViralYouTuberworkshop on Sunday 8May atArts House.

There is also an onlineportalwith essays, videosandinterviewstharwill bereleased soonatonemillionvie,vs.com.au

,, Home cooked food is notjust aboutfeeding you1'hunge1', it is also about feeding and nourishing you1' soul, igniting memories of family and home which can be a rather sb'ong emotion when you a1'e living ina different country ,,

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKINGGROOMS

Brother seeks suitablematch for 1978 Mumbai born, 5'4",mediumbuilt, nevermarried, Gujarati girl. Well cultured, Bachelor of Commerce and working for MNC Dubai shipping company. In Sydney from mid-May. Hindu grooms please contact on 0412 346 590

Seeking suitable match for Sydney-based Hindu, Punjabi girl with strong family values, born 1986 and working as a school teacher. Height is 5'0"; slim and attractive. Family well-settled in Sydney. Enquiries from families of groom with permanent residency or Australian citizenship only. Professional match preferred. Please send photo and details to sydcity15@gmail.com

Looking for a suitable match for Sydney-based Sikh girl, 30, 5'7", slim, fair, very beautiful. Currently working as dentist in dental clinic in Sydney. Family verywell settled in Sydney. Boy should be qualified and smart. Please email details with photo to inder7763@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified, settled match for Sydney-based Australian Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri, 43, 5'3" slim, fair and attractive girl. Girl is postgraduate and is working in a good position in government organisation. Please send details with photo to lndsyd2016@gmail.com.

Looking for a suitable match for Sydney-based Hindu,Telugu Devanga girl, 28, 5'1", slim, from a well cultured family. Currentlyworking for NSW government in Sydney. Seeking a qualified groom, non-smoker, working in Australia aged between 29 and 32, never married/divorced. Please send photo and details to tramesh@y7mail.com

Suitable match required for Australian citizen, Sydney based, Sikh girl. 1991 born, 170cm, qualified charteredaccountant, working for Australia's leading bank. Parents highly educated and well settled inSydney. Please respond to hs52216a@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

Qualified professional match for Bengali boy, Australian citizen, 31, 5'10", Master in Quantitative Finance, FRM, and Manager in a leading Australian Bank. Girl should be Hindu, 23 - 28 years old, slim, professionally qualif ed, Australian Citizen or PR. Please send details to vidhu7612@gmail.com

Looking for a smart, professionally qualified attractive girl for Hindu, Punjabi Khatri boy, 42 year old, 6' tall. Boy is Sydney based Australian Citizen and is an engineer working in a good position. Please send details and photo to lndsyd2016@gmail.com.

Looking for a suitable match for 32 year old Brahmin boy, well settled in Australia. Involved in familybusiness. Fair complexion, height 5 foot 8 inches, caste no bar.Email at sham.kumar@bigpond.com

Seeking nevermarrieddecent Hindu bride, citizen or PR, 28 to 32 years old, for an Australian citizen, 1981 born boy, 5'11'', chartered accountant. We are Kannada Madhwa Brahmins from Bangalore. Please contact on 0420 793 738 or anitaraoblr@yahoo.co.in.

Seeking alliance for 29 year old, 5'9" tall, very fair boy. Working as Systems Engineer in Delhi, well-travelled, speaks Hindi, English and German. Boy hails from political/bureaucrat family and has written a novel, 'My Neighbour's Daughter'. Vegetarian, teetotaller and non-smoker. Girl should be upper caste only, very pretty and well educated. Contact sudhirchowdhary@y7mail.com or arun60kumar@gmail.com

Seeking match for very fair beautiful 5'5, verycultured, educated and working Australian citizenGhumar Sikh girl, 1984 born. All family settled in Australia. Looking for an educated, professionally employed, Sikh match, never married / divorced, preferablyfrom Australia/Canada contact 0421775525 Email ab09hii@hotmail.com

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Wehelpyouachievea betterlifeandpursueyourdreams

demands them to do so.

Akshay Kumar exhibits his physical prowess with his over-energetic performance of a dual personalityand a crippled bound to a wheelchair, he is dynamic and is aptly supported by equally talented co-stars; Riteish Deshmukh whose tongue often slips and Abhishek Bachchan who often breaks into a crass rap. The trio have excellent onscreen

HOUSEFULL 3

STARRING: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Jacqueline Fernandes, Lisa Haydon, Nargis Fakhri, Boman Irani, Jackie Shroff and Chunky Pandey

DIRECTOR: Sajid and Farhad Samji tt-;c,· I� �

A classy film for people with crass taste, Houseful/ 3 seriously blows your sensibilities away.

The film is without a doubt creatively designed with quirky character traits, good locales, glamorous images and incredible gags that hit the zero denominator much too often.

The narrative starts off as an afterthought, with a confusing and inexplicable heist that takes place in central London, which occurred six

years earlier.

We are then transported to presentday London where we are introduced to Bhatook Patel (Boman Irani) and his three daughters Ganga aka Gracy (Jacqueline Fernandes), Jamuna aka I Jenny (Lisa Haydon) and Saraswati

I aka Sarah (Nargis Fakhri). At a party, Bhatook vehemently declares: "I'll never get my daughters married." And he has his reasons.

Bhatook finds excuses to prevent his daughters from getting married and how three guys - Sandy aka Sundy (Akshay

I Kumar) a footballer, Teddy (Riteish Deshmukh) a car racer and Bunty

I (Abhishek Bachchan) a rapper - corner him into accepting them, forms the crux of the tale.

There are other minordigressions too, which complicate our prospective trio's

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chances.

The directors - who have also written the story, script and dialogues of the film - have whipped up all the tropes of the comedy genre to give us a mishmash of palatable entertainment.

With dialogues like, "Will you be my tawaif Err wife", or "Suck the ants from my pants" with metre and rhyme, there is poetry in the dialogues as well as the lyrics, too. Also, transliterated dialogues like; "Hum/og bachche nahin bana rahen hain ", which means, "We are not kidding", prompts a chuckle. But too many of such transliterated jokes over-eggs the humour.

The actors, except for Jackie Shroff, indulge in buffoonery to the hilt. They all are loud, over-the-top characters who go overboard with their exhibition and that's because their characters

"buddy" chemistry. with perfect comic timing. Though the actresses have nothing much to offer in terms of histrionics, they are equally charming.

Chunky Pandey as the restaurateur Akhri Pasta with his recycled line, "I am joooking" is staid and stereotyped.

Jackie Shroff as the Don of Mumbai, Urja Nagri urf Urja Bhai, lacks energy. And, Boman Irani, though a talented actor, fails to leave an impact as Bhatook Patel.

With songs like "Nachenge sari sari raat, tanguthaake", "Pyar ki ma ki puja" and a rap number like, "Teri maa behen teri maa behen", the music and background score is loud and elementary which does not help the narrative.

Overall, Houseful/ 3, with few seriously funnymoments which are few and far between, is a huge let-down.

TroyRibeiro

Getting recycling

sorted together

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UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON WHAT'S HOT AND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

SONU NIGAM: ROADSIDE USTAAD

The latest hit newsmaker is definitelySonu Nigam, Bollywood's golden-voiced boy, who sanghissongson Mumbai streets completely unrecognised.

Itwas only months agowe read about Richard Gere going unrecognised bythe crowds in NewYorkone morning. No one gave a second glance as hesat around like a homeless person, all scruffy, atAstor Place.

Thistime around, in Bollywood's version, the high-profile personalitydid managetoget attention, but onlyforthe sheertalent hewas displaying. No one recognised him forwho he really was.

Sonu sangformore than three hours on theside ofsome of Mumbai's busiest streets. He was in disguise, dressed as an old man and in shoddy clothes, but with a pairof dark glassesprotecting his eyes as he played on an old harmonium. Passers-bystoppedtoenjoy his music, even ifbriefy,someevenwalkingupto have a quick chat ortotell him he had a beautiful voice.

The experiencewas caughton video, asix-minute film goingviral, collecting 3.3 million views on YouTube in lessthan a week.Alongwith sending a message across offinding happiness with the present, the video is also a marketing featureforSonu's newsingle 'Crazy Di/', launched this month.

About people's reactions, Sonu said later, "People didn't recognise myvoice. Theyliked myvoice, and itwasgood that I could actually attractthem simply through mysinging."

He admitted thoughthat he dreaded beingcaughtout, as he didn't have his usual entourage ofbodyguards and managers beside him.

Karl Katgara, creative directorat Culture Machine's Being Indian platform which launched thevideo, said ofthe intentbehind the exercise: "Theidea wasto inspire people totake a moment outoftheir busylives and appreciate the beauty ofmusic. To do this, who betterthan Sonu Nigam, one ofthe mostsought after singers in the country, and the most recognisable voice."

Sonu,forhis part, said, "We had no idea that people would like itso much and makeitso huge. What learning canwegive others,we ourselves learned a lot."

Continue to inspire us, Sonu!

TROLLS HAVE FIELD DAY OVER TANMAY BHAT VIDEO

And sostand-up comicTanmay Bhat continuestobe inthe news.

Atfirst he raised ire with his spoofof SachinTendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar. The controversial Snapchatvideo used the app's face-swap featuretoliberally ridiculethetwo icons.

And nowa reportbyThe New York Times ontheentireepisode hasthe trollsbreathingfireyet again.

ThereportdescribesIndian icon Lata Mangeshkaras a "so-called playback singer", and seemstohavegarnered the ireofTwitterusers,who perhaps misconstrued the meaningof"socalled".

A description ofthevideo in The New YorkTimes report reads: "Playback singers record vocalsforsong-anddancenumbers,towhich actors and actresses lipsync."

Despitethe explanation,the "so-called playback singer" phrase didn'tgodown toowell with some people, whotookto Twittertoslam the newspaper asthey took it as an insulttothe 86-year-old, whostarted hercareerin 1943 atthe age of 13 and has been regalingmusic loverswith hermellifuousvoiceoverthe decades.

In reaction tothetrolling, Ellen Barry, SouthAsia bureau chieffor The New YorkTimes, explained in a tweet: "A note on 'so-called': UsedherefornonIndian readers unfamiliarwiththe term 'playbacksinger'. In noway a commentary."

Even the article's co-writerSuhasini Raj clarified quotingthedictionary: "'Socalled: used to introduce a newword or phrasethat is notyetknownby many people'."

Meanwhile, weleave ittothecerebral film-maker Hansal Mehattophave the lastword on the Bhatvideo: AIB is usuallyfunny, sharp and clever.The #TanmayBhat video is none ofthose. Question is, does a bad joke deserve punishment and/orabuse?

FARHAN, SHAHID TO RETURN AS RAJU AUR PAPPU AT IIFA STAGE Actors Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtarwill return asthe hostsfor17th editionofthe NEXA International Indian Film Academy (IIFA)Awards in Madrid, Spain.Theywill beintheir'Raju and Pappu' avataron stage.

IIFA Weekend and Awards will take place June 23-26.

Farhansayshe can't waittosharethe stagewithShahid, withwhom he shares a greatrapport and has hostedthe 13th aswell as 15th IIFAAwards in Singapore and Tampa Bay respectively.

Shahid had previously admitted that he had the mostfun hostingthe 13th edition of IIFAAwards in 2012 with the Wazirstar.

BOLLYWOOD FUNNY-MAN

RAZAK KHAN NO MORE

Razak Khan, who played comic roles in around a 100 movies in the past 25 years, passed awayfollowinga heart attack.

Tall,thin and lanky, with a hippiestyle haircut, Razak Khan wasfirstseen in Roop KiRani, Charon Ka Raja in 1993, and later appeared in comicrolesin many movies.

More than his real name, hisscreen characternames- Lucky Chikna, Keshav, Manikchand, Fainku, Babu Bisleri, Popatwala -became his trademarkas he enacted memorable comicscenes besidessomeofthe biggestactors.

Among his notable roleswere in movies likeKyaaKool HainHumseries, don Kabira'ssidekick in Baadshah, Raja Hindustani, Hello Brother, Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Bhagam Bhaag, Ankhiyon Se Gali Mare, Pyaar Kiya To DamaKya, Loha and lshq

LOOKING

FORWARD

TO National Award winningfilmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming period drama Rangoon will release in February nextyear. Thefilm, whichstarsShahid Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and SaifAli Khan, isset inthe1940samidstthe turmoil of India'sindependencestruggle and will feature some epic historic references.

Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur's OKJaanu (directed by Shaad Ali and produced by KaranJohar) revolves around the lives oftwo young lovers and depictsthe issueoflive-in relationships. This remakeoftheTamil super hit OK Kanmani (helmed by Mani Ratnam, and featuring DulquerSalmaan and Nithya Menon in the lead) is slated to release on 13 January nextyear.The on-again off-againleadpair are expected to revive theirAshiqui2 magic.

After his 2002 film Everybody Says I'm Fine!, actor Rahul Bose has returned to direction with Poorna, a biopic about Malavath Pooma, a tribal girl from Telangana. Pooma created history on 25 May 2014, by becomingthe youngestgirl in theworld toscale Mount Everest. Aditi lnamdar, a girl hailingfrom Telangana, was chosen to playthe role offemale lead after Rahul auditioned

109 girls. Rahul plays the role of her father. Swara Bhaskarwillbe seen in a neverbefore avatar in her upcoming film AnaarkaliAaraah-waali.The gentle actor will transform herselfinto a foulmouthed, feisty andfiery orchestra party singer from the volatile town of Aaraah in Bihar. The film speaks of her travails as an artist in an openlymasculine and feudal world.

ANDANOTHERKAPOOR SON

Harshvardhan Kapoor, Anil Kapoor's son,makeshis Bollywood debut with RakeyshOmprakash Mehra's Mirzya in October this year.Inspired by the legend of Mirza-Sahiban, the film is pegged to be an epic action-romance that plays out in contemporary times. It will have heightened drama and action-packed sequences in the visually rich terrain of Rajasthan, juxtaposed withf ashes of the fantastical universe of the folklore set inthebleakness of Ladakh.Thefilm also introduces Saiyami Kheralong with AnujChaudhary.

Actor-producer Anil Kapoor is all set to see his little boy on the bigscreen. "It is an extremely special year for me as my son is making his debutt he said recently. "There is a lot that I have from my own experiences to share with him." He also shared that his son is a quick learner. "It is surprising that he already hassuch a deep understanding of things. He is a quick learnerwho is

enthusiastically waiting to explore this world. I hope thatmy advice comes handy to him in his journey."

SAFETYMEASURES FOR OUR STUNTMEN

We all know Akshay Kumarspends a fairbit of his time working on charitable ventures and onfringe issuesrelated to the industry. This time round, the action star hastakenup the cause of safetyfor stuntmen.

"Safety is not great here in Bollywood," he said. "We'vefinally got ambulances and medical personnel on set now, not onlyforstuntmenbut also for all cast and crew. However, it's surprising that there is no insurance in place forstuntman yet in our industry.It's something we've got to act on."

Someone had to do it. Akshay, we hope you see this through.

ABOLLYWOODTHEME PARK IN DUBAI

Bollywood Parks Dubai, a frst-of-itskind theme park showcasing the true blue Bollywood experience laced with drama, action, music and dance, is poised to give tourism in Dubai a big boost when it opens its doors in October this year.

It will host of a melange of cinematic rides inspired by Hindi movies like Zindagi NaMilegi Dobara and Don,

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

NAOMIE HARRIS or KANGANA RANAUT in BURBERRY PRORSUM?

+ Shareyourviews with us on our Facebook page /lndianLinkAustra/ia

thrilling attractions and live Broadwaystyle shows.

Located half an hour away from downtown Dubai, just before the DubaiAbu Dhabi border in the United Arab Emirates, Bollywood Parks, spread over 1.7 million sq ft, is a part of the mega $2.7 billion Dubai Parks and Resorts project, an attempt to add to the tourism portfolio of the city.

The theme park's area is spread across five zones: Bollywood Boulevard, which houses Rock On!, a restaurant with a live band; Mumbai Chowk, which will have a 3D immersive tunnel ride called Don The Chase inspired by Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don: The Chase Begins; and Rustic Ravines, featuring entertainment options around Lagaan, Sholay and Dabangg.

There is also a "Bollywood Film Studios featuring Hall of Heroes", where visitors can get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes of a Hindi movie production. This will also house Ra.One Unleased, a virtual 4D multi-sensory ride; as well as Krrish Hero's Flight, a f ying theatre experience recreated from the movie Krrish.

A key attraction of Bollywood Parks is its majestic Royal Plaza, which the team describes as the "Disney castle of our theme park".This houses an 850-seater Rajmahal Theatre that will be home to a Broadway-style Bollywood-themed musical.

The October launch maysee a plethora of Hindi cine stars, but no names can be confirmed yet, officials said.

WHATTWEETYBIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Matchthe stars to the following tweets

Amitabh Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor Salman Khan,Tanmay Bhat

DekhnaJaroor. #SultanTrailerOnSONY

Dear @thetanmay, being your friend I know whatyou sayand do is never to offend, but to make people laugh

Please pay me @Snapchat

Meeting the Press the entire day almost and admired their questioning on cinema andTE3N

What's JAYA BACHCHAN thinking here? ?

Send inyourresponsesto win@indianlink.com.au and win asurprise prize

What's the chitchat here between newlyweds BIPASHA BASU and KARAN SINGH GROVER?

Cuddle for the cameras ??

Sunita Singh Sharma Strathfield North, NSW

Sunitawinsaticketto the film Sarbjit

plahenTrump yshis hand

A humorous look at what life would be like in America under Donald Trump

byonetoughguyforanotl1er.

BY LP AYER

Itis lateJanuary2017.Thefarnous house at .

1600on PennsylvaniaAvenue wears atotallydifferent look. J\new shinybrassshingleatthefrontgate loudlyTrumpets to the world whothe flamboyantnewresidentis. Justpastthe maingateoneithersideof thefrontlawnare twola.rge cages,holdingcaptivetherestlessly pacingSiberian whitetigersCruzyandBushy. Itisrw11ouredthattl1erare catsaregiftsto the new resident froma certain Moscow machismo.A show of grudgingadmiration

Outsidethegatesalargegroupof Americans,mostlywhites,arewavingplacards reading'Trumptriumphs.'111eyhavetheir haircolouredandcoiffuredjustlikethenew OvalOfficeoccupant.Ou01rn11beringchem isalargermishmashof ethnicgroupswaving banners'Trump tragedy, mirroringtheclear divideof tl1eco1mtrycausedbytl1eelection of DonaldTnm1p,foi:merdeveloperand casino mogul.Oops,sorry,he doesn'tlikethat wordanymore.

onetheless,the entireexteriorof the White Houseisnowfittedwitl1streams of flashingcolouredlights; the dome is illuminated with megastrobe lights rivalling the bigcasinos of LasVegas.Yes,thisis nowthe world's mostfamouscasino.At the PennsylvaniaAvenue entrance, tl1e beefy securityguardshave now been replacedwitl1

cheersquadchicks inskimpyskirtswaving pompomsto welcome the Chinese high roUers.If the arrivinggambler isa billionaire, a fireballis firedjustlike theone that follows a sixerinaT20game.

Besidesmakingmillions asadeveloper in NewYork,Trump's earlyambition was to own casinos outstrippingVegason theease coast.AndsohebuiltTrumpTowerandTaj MahalinAtlantic City. Now\\�th tl1eirgloss gone,\Xlash.ingtonis where theDonald will roll thedicetodecided1efutureof America, evenmeworld.

Onthesouthern sideof tl1eWhiteHouse, tl1elushgreen lawns, wherevisitingworld leaderswould address membersof the press in bygonedays,arenow markedwimwhite Linesand pegged forsub-division tohouse prestigious mansions. Donald's developer DNAisnowon fulldisplay.

After agabpresidential inaugurationchat resembled aglobalglam-fesr,mingsseem tobe movingaccordingtoplan.Bucnot forlong.Reportsfromsecretariesof key departments like Finance,Defence,lnland Securityetc.listunexpected problemsarising fromhisthreecore promises -ban the Muslims,blocktheHispanicsand banish tl1e Indians -parroted duringthecampaign Arrival loungesinmanylargeairports that were oncecrammed,now look desolate Flightsfrom thel\1iddleEasthave ceased altogetherfoUowingDonald's decision todenyentrytopeople from tl1atregion. Etihad and Emirates don't liketo flyempty planes,evenasspendtlu-iftsheikhsstayput duetoshrinkingoilwealth.

On tlieotl1er hand,departurelounges arepacked,witnessinga masse.xodus. Dejected with thePresident'sofficeturned intoaprestigepoker machine palace,pious ·Muslims,aversetogambling,areleavingin droves.Specialprayer roomsbui.ltat many airports, havingnotmuchusenow,are convertedto minicasinos expectingbigtime gamblers from South-EastAsia.

SmartIndian computergraduateswho oncesawAmericaas thesoftwaremeccaare headinghome witl1 manyof d1emdeniedHB visasandnogreencardsinsightin thisonce greenerpasnu:e.TrumphasdecbredtheIT fieldas tl1epreferred domain foronlytl1ose guyswhoareasAmericanascherrypie.

Lengtheningtheexitlinesof leavers includepeoplefromMexicoandcountries fi.u:thersouthasHispanicsdon'tcommand muclirespectfrom tbenewCommander-inChief. Sincetheydon'tpossesspropertravel documents,theytrudgemroughthe secret n=elstheyonceusedtocome in.

Acrisismeetingisheldintl1eSituarion Roomasmajorbanl,sandfinancial institutions aregrindingtoa halt, witl1 many of theirspecialist software staff havingleft theco1mtry.Same story atNASA,where Indians forma large partof thesea.ff,wirn spaceshuttles stuckonthe launch pads.The Presidentissuesanurgentordertostopthe flightof Indians.Backflipone

The loudestpromise made atTrump's campaign rallies-buildingawaUalongwitl1 Me.xico tostop the Hispanics-hascome to astandstill becauseof shortageof labour, most of whom areilioseamigos from d1e adjoininghnd who, rakinglow wages,helped tobuild tl1eeconomy.Anotherpresidential edict'blockthe nmnels' goesour. Second card turns updud.

"\'(/ill youallowLondon'snew mayorto come in?' asksajournalist. Donald ducksfor cover.

'Heis trtm1ped,ohmyGod!' I shouc.

"CallingOLttGod;had abaddream?" mywifewakesme up. Ifeelsheepish.The Americanelectionisstillseveralmontlisaway.

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