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 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 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.

(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.

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

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."

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

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.

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