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Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, includi�g advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reprodu�ed in· partor 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

The challenge of supporting elderly parents

Coalitionnow incharge,consultations on thistopichavejustbeen concludedand itisnow widelyacceptedd1at afive-year temporaryresidentvisa forparentswill soon be available.

could he around$2.9 billion. The $50,000-odd contribmory payment per parent will be nowhere close to meeting d1esecosts.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Walkiogthrough large

Diwali gatheringsin our majorcities inweeks past, one couldsee die diversity in die communiry and die age gapsamongst dievarious attendees.

Most notable was the youthful side of ourmigrantcomrrmnit)�whilethereis excitementandexuberance amongsr themof settlingina new coumry,the latem angst is about concern for their families,especially theparents diey have left behind in India, andthe thoughr of how theycanget their parents tospend morerimewidithemin Australia.

During melast Federalelection,there was increasingpressure on bothmemajor parties toallow forlonger temporary migrantvisasfor parents.When a petition with this demandgarneredover 30,000 signatures,diepressurewastoo much for bomsides toreject it,andbothpromised accion after theelection. With the

Currently, die contributory visa stream is the mainway to bringparencs into Australia.The cosr,which was about $26,000in 2003,isjust under $50,000 now.And yet,over 30,000applicants are in diepipeline wirh 2-3years'time frame to complete diis rype of migration. In thenon-contributory category,where me costisjust $3,870,mewait can be up to 30 years,thar's how longthe backlog is!

And so rhe temporary five-year visa for parents willbe an in1portant gap for thosewho cannot afford the large sums to fast-track their parents' applications or diose \vho may find a30-year wair unreasonable (perhapsrightly so).

This new type of visa may also work financially for the government,as the Produccivity Commission hasescimated thar aparent on a permanent visa in 2015can cost thegovernmentbetween $335,000 and $410,000over the lifetime of the migrant parent.In 2015,rhere were 8,675parent visas granted,andit is estimated that the government's liability for these visa holders over theirlifetime

Under thenew proposals,temporary migrant parents willneed to be sponsoredby their childrenwho will needto pass certain financialtests tomakesurethey can supportmeir parenrs;they will also needto rake up private i1isuranceetc. co meet any unexpected medical needs.The government reduces their financial commitments while stillfacilitating migrant families to reunite

The challenge, however,is how co balance the righrs of these remporary visirors, who willbe living in the country with limitedresomces and.limited knowledge of the local rules.There is anobligationwhich rhe government and community havein ensuring there is proper education of the eights of rhe aging parentscominghere on long-term visas.

Thelong-term visas is a welcome solution - the devil ,vill bein diedetail of how it is implemented co ensure fairness for all,most importantly for me vulnerable - tlieelderlytemporary migrants.

YOURSAY

CHECKOUT THEINDIANLINKYOUTUBECHANNEL!

We have been receiving some greatfeedback about our videoseries 'An Aussie's Guide to Hindu Gods and Goddesses', and 'Aussies Who Belong in India.' Check them out at youtube.com/lndianLinkAustralia

Verity wrote: I'm a newcomer to Indian Link and I want to say thank you for your videos! I'm another Australian in love with Indiaand I'm really, really enjoyingthem. More please! Withthanksfor what I leam from Indian Link

Jodi McKayMP,MemberforStrathfleld wrote: I proudly represent a culturally diverse community.That means I respectdifferent religions andcultural practices. This month is one of my favourite HindufestivalsDeepawali, which celebrates the victory of light over darkness. In honour of Deepawali, here is adummy's guide to Hindu Gods by Indian Link. If we are to trulydefeatdarkness, then we should start with tolerance and making an effort to understand each other.

SammyHowes wrote: So much knowledge, very smart, Kira!

AustralialndlaYouth Dialogue wrote: 'Bhasha is allabout identity!'

Utterlydelightful Indian Link series on 'Aussies who belong in India.' Also check out Lawson Tanner's rendition of 'Galliyaan' in the following clip!

ComradeWom @DrWom tweeted: Well done on this Indian Link- really good!

VljaySlmha wrote: How do these guys know Hindi?! It's reallygreatto hear Hindi from you guys. Also, Lawson, awesome voice mate.

RashlDlxlt wrote: Loved it!

DevlndarThethl wrote: Dr PeterFriedlander, a beautiful presentation of thoughts on language and culture.

ChandraKlshore wrote: Wah kya baat [Wow, what a great presentation]

SunltlMishra wrote: Appointmentfix ker le. I want to meet this gentleman

THE ART OFRANGOLI

In our YouTube series, Kokila and Anisha gave usa fresh look at the ancient Indian art of Rangoli

SheelaShlvraman wrote: Very nice, Kokila. You should share some patterns too for people who don't know how to do it. Broughtbackso many memories

BlnduArvlnd wrote: Wow amazing video! A lovely piece of cultureto pass on to our next generation

PoompaArasu wrote: It's called kolam in South India and rangoli in north. Connecting thedots to makea beautifulpattern, there's a lot of maths involved. During the months of December we wake up at 4am, splash water or drizzle it on the f oor of the front entrance and then make dots to form patterns. then add colours. For two hours women of the communityget together and create the patterns to welcome the goddess lakshmi

ChltraGounderwrote: Beautiful explanation Kokila and Anisha. Kudos!

Hema Pathlyli wrote: Awesome Kokila, well presented and Anisha spoke so well. Both of you did a great job!

Vandana Iyengar wrote: Awesome Kokila! Whata lovely tradition to pass on to your daughter and you both did such a wonderful job!

Neetu Mishra wrote: It's so true! Back in the old days everything we did we tried to save nature (using Rangoli to deter the insects rather killing them). Beautiful tradition!

DorothyDecroos wrote: Loved watching the video! My grandmother taught me rangolitoo andyes in the good old days everything we did was to preserve life and not kill! Mother and daughter duo - stunning!

Sumathl Narayanaswamy wrote: Very nice rangoli and very well presented. I remember the rangoli contest in school and you always did lovely patterns. Great to see you are still keeping up the tradition and passing it on to your daughter as well.

GlenRego wrote: That was awesome! I understood so muchabout the significance of Rangoli.

JyothlShankar wrote: Very nice, Kokila and Anisha I learned more about Rangoli today too which I didn't know.

DEEPAVALI2016THEMED TRAIN

IND/ANLINK wrote: InSingapore, they've launched Diwali-themed trains! Celebrating the Festival of Lights, they have decked out carriages with colour and fun. Something for 2017, NSW Public Transport, Yarra Trams, SA Transport, Queensland Rail??

Chandu Nagamalll wrote: Only one man canmake it possible, in fact by far andbetter, Arun Sharma and Celebrate India?

VanlSahdev wrote: Awesome!

VamadevanVlsvanathalingam wrote: Truly an Asian multiracial country in action

JalshreeYadav wrote: Enjoy Diwali is a foreign country is much better than having Diwali in India, where there is so much pollution

GurmenderGrewal wrote: Looks great!

IFFMA FINALIST INMELBOURNEAWARDS

We're excited to share that the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, hosted by Mind Blowing Films, has been selectedas a finalist for the Melbourne Awards by the City of Melbourne, under the category, 'Contribution to Multiculturalism by a Corporation.' This is their second nomination. Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Director Mind Blowing Films, said, "A big big thank you to the City of Melbourne for recognising our humble efforts. We are delightedthat IFFM'smotto of promoting diversity has added a little drop to Melbourne'smulticultural ocean."

Well done!

BETTERSUPPORTFOR OVERSEASSTUDENTS

KIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR reported on the recent MEA Conference on problems faced by international students abroad

YuvaAustralia wrote: Check out this fantastic report by Indian Link about the PBD Panel Discussion No 8 participation by Arpita Singh and Ani Bhowmik in New Delhi last month

A

NEW INDIAN HC FOR OZ

lndlan Link @indian_link tweeted: Sadto learn @navdeepsuri will be leaving;has made greatstrides in lndo-Aus relations. Good luck in new role as Indian Ambassador to UAE

lndlan HC InAus @navdeepsuri retweeted Indian Link: Thank you for your kind words. Also value your positive contribution to India Australia ties and to Indian community in Australia

lndlaInZimbabwe @lndiainZimbabwe tweeted: @navdeepsuri @indian_link Congratulations sir on your new assignment.

Ash Raina @rainaashutosh tweeted: @navdeepsuri you have brought the zing back in diaspora and involved local biz for economic collaboration. Wish you and #UAE the same theme.

INTERVIEW WITH AIR INDIA CHAIRMAN ANDMD

ASHWANI LOHANI

PAWAN LUTHRA spoke with Mr Lohan/during his recent visit to Australia, where he announced plans for 10 flights weekly between Indiaand

Australia

Correction

In an interview with Ashwani Lohani printed in our last edition, a question was raised about the 51% government ownership of Qantas. As pointed out by Gopal Hegde, Qantas was privatised in 1993. We thank Mr Hegde for his correction andnote that by law, Qantas must be at least 51% Australian-owned, and the level of foreign ownership is constantly monitored.

PreetlPurohlt wrote: Eagerly waiting for a direct flight between SydneyMumbai!!!

Manlnder wrote: I don't know why Air Indiais confined to direct flights to Delhi only. They should also consider direct f ights from Melb/Syd to other international airports in India like Chandigarh, Amritsar etc.

Ravi Manlan wrote: Will there be flights from Melbourne to other key capital cities in India?

CONVERTING FOR LOVE

PREETIJABBAL wrote abouthow a young Anglo Saxon woman became possibly the first official Hindu convert in Victoria through a rare ritual Jayant Bapat wrote: I have been able to get my hands on the latest issue and read this article. Congratulations, Preeti. It is a sensitive issue and you have done very well in handling it.

NakulMahajan wrote: Just read the article on 'Converting for love'. It is stated that ua young Anglo Saxon woman becomes possibly the f rst official Hindu convert in Victoriathrough rare ritual".

Are you able to please advise on: why it is a rare ritual? How do you claim for it to be possibly the first conversion? ISKCON has been initiating Anglo Saxons intoHinduism in Victoria, Australia since the 197Os. Would these not also be considered as Hindu conversions? All the initiated disciples consider themselves to be Hindu.

Ganesh Dhullpatl@GDhulipati tweeted:@indian_link@HinduRajyam interesting but what does it mean to convert into a Hindu? What kind of ritual is there to it?

Guest wrote: When one gets rid of the uenvelopes of exclusiveness", one automatically becomes uHindu"

THE INDIAN AUSTRALIANEXPERIENCE

lndlanLink@indian_link tweeted: Congrats to@roannagonsalves on the launch of your new book #ThePermanentResident, a collection of short stories about our community! #read

RoannaGonsalves@roannagonsalves tweeted:@indian_link thank you so much for support, I'm trying to create Australian literature charged with Indian characters

Michelle Llnder@linierom retweeted Indian Link: Can't wait to read Roanna's book on the Indian Australian experience.

HALLELUJAH TO ALLAHHU

JYOTISHANKAR and PREETIJABBAL wrote about how through theirmusic

MIRTH ANDMUSIC

We reviewedRaghu Dixit's concertsas part of ConfluenceFestival of India

In Australia

RaghuDlxlt@Raghu_Dixit retweeted Indian Link: Thanks so much for the kind words!

DamianRabbitt@DamianRabbitt tweeted: Great night@perthconcerthal to see@Raghu_Dixit &@trdp can'twait for more #confuence

SharpShooter@flankericeman tweeted:@DamianRabbitt Chotisfhai zindagi

PawanLuthra@pawanlink tweeted: Dancing in the aisles@raghudixit Amit Kumar Mishra@akmgmail tweeted:@Raghu_Dixit and@trdp rocked!

Sanjoy KRoy@SanjoyRoyTWA tweeted:@Raghu_Dixit continues to blaze a path through Oz. Another rocking standing room only concert in Adelaide!

CHANGE IS THEONLY CONSTANT

At the end of October, Indian Link celebratedIts 23rd anniversary! PAWAN LUTHRA reflected on the triumphs and tribulations

ChandraKlshore wrote: Congratulations, always enjoy reading Indian Link!

Sonam Kalra and The Sufi Gospel Project attempt to create a space where differences are removed and labels are blurred

SonamKalra shared Indian Link's post: Sonam KaIra and the Suf Gospel Project showcase the oneness of humanity, love and the universal truth

RohlnlPariharwrote: Super!

AminMesslkh wrote: The bestKalra!

lndlaInMelbourne@cgimelboume tweeted:#inmelbcity Serenity everywhere with@sonamkalra performing at@MelbRecital

Festivaloflndla tweeted: Full House at the Sydney Opera House Sonam Kalrashow, a message of peace & love through Conf uence

Raul Bhaskarwrote: I've jammed with a few of them when I had a band in India. The guy with the fute is Rajesh Prasanna. Do go to their show. They are world class musicians

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N() rr,ore. , )()IC "'1�eec-tl fy (WYl vo''IiC\ClflS

rewe eet

Tributes flow forIndian migrant Manmeet Alisher, fondly rememberedas an integral part of the community.

KIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR, RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA (Sydney) and VISH CHILUMKURTI (Brisbane) report

Austtaliawasonlyjustrecovering fromtheshockdeathsof fourholidaymalersatthe DreamWorldthemeparkwhen ManmeetAlisherwaskilledin asense.lessattack,setablazebyapassenger whiledrivingaTranslinkbusinBrisbane's southernsuburbs.

The29-year-oldneverstoodachance.

Maruneethadrecemlybegunhiscasual jobasabusdriverandwaslookingforward cosoonreturningto[ndiacomarry.

Noneofthepeoplewaitingatthebus stopthatFridaymorninghadanyinkling ofwhatwasabouttohappenwhenthebus scoppedtopickuppassengers.

Accordingtowitnesses,48-year-old Moorookaman,AnthonyMarkEdward O'Donohue,oneofthreepeoplewho boardedthebus,threwan"incendiary device"atManmeet,sparkingafirethat killedhimandinjuredpassengerson-board.

WhileManmeetwastrappedinthe driver'sseat,sixpassengerswerealso

trappedinsidethebusunablecoescapethe spreadingfire.

Hearingtheirdesperatecriesforhelp,a passer-by,taxidriverAguekNyok,kicked theback.doorofthebusopenandhelped thepassengersout.Butitwascoolatefor l\fanmeet.

"Thefirewassubstantial,"said QueenslandPoliceSuperintendentJim Keogh."Hewouldhavestoodlittlechance."

Losing Manmeet

_ManmeetAlisher,alsoknownasManmeet Sharma,wasanintegralpartofthelocal IndianAusttaliancommunityandalsoajunior memberofAamAdmiParty,whichhasa widefollowinginhishomestateofPunjab.

HewasfromthevillageofAlisher andhadadoptedthenameofhisnative villageforhisstagepersona.Hearrivedin Austtaliaaboutnineyearsagoonascudent visaandwasgrantedAustraliancitizenship sixmonthsago.

HehadjoinedtheBrisbaneCityCouncil

asabusdrivertwomonthsago,andbefore thathedrovetaxisaroundthecityforabout sixorsevenyears.

The29-year-old'sbrother,Amit,arrived inBrisbaneontheSundaymo_t:ning followingtheattacktocakehisbrother's bodyhome.

"Hewasnotonlyadriver,heisashining scar,agoodartist,agoodhero,hehad mademovies,hewasagoodsocialworker, hedidalotofthingsforhiscommunity inAustraliaeveninIndiaalso,"longtimefamilyfriendWinnerjitGoldy,who accompaniedAmit,toldmedia.

Inaspookycoincidence,agrateful Manmeethadpresentedaheart-felttribute tohisfatheronlyweeksbeforehepassed. InhisPw1jabipoem.Brljntterekarh,km11aon joggibogqyahethankedhisdadforalld1at hehaddoneforhim;healsopromisedhis ownshareofdutifulcare.

('YoutookmeroLmdtownonyour bicycle;nowI'lldriveyouroundtowninmy Audi';and,'Youputmeintheshadeandsat

inthescorchingheatyourself,nowI'llseat youinair-conditionedcomfort').

Indeed,hewasatypicalyouthfrom middleclassPunjabwhocameheretoeke ouraJivingandimprovehisqualityoflife throughsheerdeterminationandhardwork. Sadly,hisfatherwillnownotbeablero reaptherewardsofcoolcomforthisson wantedtoaffordthefamily.Inface,the familyhasdecidednottotelltheparents thatManmeetisdeaduntilhisbodyis home,as"Theyaretoo old -myfatheris70 -d1eywon'tbeabletotakeit,"AmitAlisher toldthe Brisbane Times.

Inatelephonecallwid1PrimeMinister MalcolmTurnbull,IndianPrimeMinister arendraModiconveyedasenseof concernbeingfeltinIndiaovertherecent brutalkillingofManmeet.PrimeJ',,liniscer Turnbullexpressedshockatd1ekilling andconveyedthatdiematterisbeing investigated.IndianHighCommissionerin AustraliaNavdeepSuriextendedallhelp possibletothefamily.

Farewellto a cheerful friend

Thecity of Brisbanewasshell-shocked as the news of Manmeet'sdeathspread;hewasa popularmember of thePunjabi community. Mamneet was aregular broadcaster of the PunjabilanguageprogramonRadio 4EB, amulticultural radio station.Hewas also anactivetheatreaccor andwasaregular member of lndozTheatreGroup founded by Rashpal SinghHeyer.

"Hewas oneof our senior members," Heyer cold TndirmI.ink. "Hewas the lead in aplay that Iwroteand directed called CbatumCho,;he wassimply brilliant inic. Hewasapoet,writer, actor andsinger. Together we didstageshows, radio shows andkavida1·ban(poetryevents),and even threeshort films.All heeverwanted codo wasentertain."

Butit is J\fanmeec's Erienclly nanU"ethat Rashpal Heyer will remember themost. "Thereadysmileonhis facewashis trademarkfeanue."

Rasbpal and Manmeet had been collaborating for fiveyears and were about to embarkonanewproduction,Di/aP"tti, for which rehearsals weredueto beginin eai:ly November.

Indeed,Manmeechad alsomadea foray into the fieldof movieproductionandhad beenapart of theproductionteamfor threemovies inhisnativelanguage.

His earthy styleof singing, with which heentertained atmany of the Indian community's events inBrisbane,clearly showed him offasatrue 'p11ttPunjr,bdr,' (son of Punjab). Iohis short films,he sent omthemessageof honest living and humanitarianism.

Safetyfor transport workers

Manmeet Alisher'sdeath hasexposed thelifethreatening risksthat arefaced by workersinthepublic transport industry.

Rashpal Singh Heyer saidthat adelegation representingpublic transport workers has proposedto the LordMayor Graham Quirk to bring about changes inlegislation to makesuch heinouscrimespunishablemore severely inorderto beadeterrent inthe funue.TheLordMayor reassmedworkers that special focus in theinvestigationswill belaid on theoccupational health and safety aspects of the incident, suchasexit doors andsafery information for passengers.

On the Monday following the attack, bus driversacross South Australiaworeblack armbandsinmemorial of Manmeet Alisher. The Transport Workers Unionalso made counsellors available at bus depots across the Scaceto providesupport for drivers.

A recentsurvey of SA bus drivers carriedout bytheT\.VU showed over half of drivers facedaggressivepassenger behaviour at leastonceaweekwhile 80%feltthreatenedby the behaviour of

passengers on their bus. Following the releaseofthesurvey, SA's:tvlinister for Transport StephenJ\,fullighanintroduced tougherpenalties for peoplewho attack public transport driversor secttrityguards on busand railnetworks.

The community mourns Gatherings of mottrnershavetaken placeacrossAustraLiainrecent days in spontaneousgesmresofgrief, dismay and loss at the horrific killing of Manmeec.

Onthe Samrday evening following theattack,theresidents of Moorookain Brisbaneorganised avigil in his memory. Hundreds of people from various communities paid homageco thepopular thespian andradio jockey.The Lions Club, BrisbaneCity Councilworkers,hundredsof taxi driversand members of theBrisbane Sikh Temple, LoganRoad,thevenue of a later vigil, werepresent to mournthe muchloved busdt:iver.Members of the Sikh community have also setupthe M=eet A.lisher Memorial Foundation Trust.

As Rashpal SinghHeyer said,"Thewider Australiancommunity hasshown avery macttreresponseto themishapandI expect that theQueensland PoliceServicewill ensurethat justicewill becarried out."

InAdelaide, morethan600people gatheredat Tandanyunga(formel"ly known asVictoriaSquare)surrmmdedby the constant streamof trams and buses.A friend of Manmeet's,J\,fi.nmBrarread a personal messageand then ashort message of thanksfromManmeet'sbrother, Amit. Also in attendancewasManmeet's Adelaide-based cousinHimanshu Sharma. Manmeec hadperformedat alocal Adelaide Diwali rnelatheprevious Sunday.

Hundreds alsogatheredat Melbourne's Federation Squareto hold acandlelightvigil inmemory of Manmeec.Localcommunity leaders usedtheir speeches to demand justice for his family.

lnSydney,hundredsof membersofthe community gatheredat RobynThomas Reservein Parramatta.A slideshow about Manmeet's lifeand work wasplayed,and vat:iousdignitat:iesandlocals offered their condolences to thefamil)'·

Indeed, Manmeet Alisher's death has toud1edthewider Australiancommunity , with strangers reachingout onsocial media to paytheir respects.Mona Razzal,wrote on Manmeet's Facebookprofile, "Iam so tinbelievably sorry thishappenedto you. I personallydon'tknowyou Manmeet but myparentscameherewith adream to make it in this country and I imagineyouwere the same. Rest in peaceandmy condolences to your family."Will Reidwrote, "Idon't know you,but asmilepersonallytellsmealot about one'ssoul RIPchampion." While Joy Kellywrote,"I don't know

you,but you andyour family areinmy thoughts and I'm honestly soheartbroken. I'm sorry tlus happened to you. I'm sorry you didn't gettomakeit hometakeoff your shoesafter aday'swork,andbecomfortable with your loved ones talking about your day over dinner. I'm sorry that your time was cue short beforeyougot to accomplish all that you wanted, but know that you made animpact andinspired od1ers. Peace,love, and warmth."

Others reached out as the incident lut closeto home. Dexter Mejiawrote, "My partner andI send our condolences co your family Mypartneris abusdriver aswell andtlusscoryhas affected us gravely. I hope thegovernment will do morecoprotect om transport workers."

The discussion turnsto racism

DespiteQueensland Policerulingout racism or terrorism as amotivefor the attack,many onsocialmediavented anger andtheconversation nrrnedinto a discussionabout racist behaviour inthe community. Indeed,many in Indiasuspect Manmeet's killingwas ahatecrime.

Gagandeep Luchrawrote,"I am sttre theattacker will escapehis ct:imewithout adequatepunishmentimposedonhim. We lost aperson fromour community andI am suretl1iswas apre-plannedracist attack due tothefacethat somepeople can'tdigest tl1efact that Indians work really hard day and 1ughtto make cheir lives better and help improveAustralia's economy wishthe attacker was back in India �1e] won'thave beenspared (sic)."

Terewrote,"I hate Australia,ittook away my friend" (translated from Hindi). Sunny Nandi wrote, "f Aussies" andSiddharth Jhawrote, "Didn't know suchkind of vile racism existedin Australiansociety.Thisis beyondhorrifying. Such kind of inhumane acts arenotexpectedin somedirt poor wartornAfrican country,let aloneAustralia. Really, evenafter 200years, Australiaisstill filledwith sick, depraved criminals.There wereother passengers too, but heespecially targeted thedriver, so it'snot acompletely random attack and looks to meit was racialJy motivated."

Ma.nmeet's brod1er told the ABCtl1ac whilehis family undersroodPolicedidnot believetheattack\Vas racially motivated, they fearedit might bethecase.

"W/esuspectthatitmay be (racially motivated),"he said. "W/ewould liketo see dueprocess,wehavefaithin tbe Australian system."

Afterreports emergedd1at thealleged attackersuffers from mental illness,several

onlineposts slammed thesuggestions. Ku.lwinder Brarwrote, "It is just rubbish d1at heismentally sick. No matter if heis physical or mentallyill,who cares about him? Hecommitted acrime.Shouldbehanged tilldeath Wewantjusticefor Manmeet and his family."SomanHundal wrote,"Hedoes notseemtobes.ick hemustbebttrntalive" andaFacebookpagecalled'RIP Manmeet Alisher'wrote,"Itisahumblerequest and appeal to alltl1e Punjabislivingin and out of Australiato demand forjusticefor i\fanmeet.Makesurethatthemurderer must behangedtill death or burnt alive.Don't let the AustralianGovtleavehimfreeby just declaringhimmentally sick "

r\nthony Mark Edward O'Donohue appearedin court on Satttrday after d1e attackcharged withmurder,arsonand11 coumsof attemptedmttrder.

Hewasremanded incustody, with the caseto beheard againlacenext month.

Supportfor the future

"The bestway wecan assisthis family at chistimeis notonlythrough our words of condolenceandsympad1y,but also in a practical way,"said Lord Mayorof Brisbane City GrahamQuirkas he announcedthe Council willdonate $10,000 to Mann1eet's family through d1eManmeec SharmaTrust _ithas setup.

DepmyMayor andpubLic transport chairmanAdrian Sch_rinner was very emotionalashecold tl1e meeting, " lc'san absolutetragedy andwhilewecan't changewhat happened, wecan't change the events of last week, wecan ensure drnt i\llanmeet's memorylives on inthepeople of Brisbane."

Greens councillor Jonathan Sri, who isof S_ri Lankandescent, saidhecouldemphasise with Manrneet Sharma's family.

"Theysend themaway witl1 the best of intentions andsomuch loveintheir hearts andit's agreat painto send yomson or daughter to dieother side of theworld, notknowingwhen you'll seethemagain," he said. "Andthey havethepridethat they havemade ic,they've goneto the \Xlest, they'vegoneco Australia.

"\Vhat ajoy to talk to om friendsin tl1e \Tillages and say how wonderfulit is drnt he is over there,tliat sheis over there, and for thisto happen makes meso, sosad.

"I wishtl1erewasmoreI couldsay or do to easeyour pain andthereis nothing."

Cr Sci acknowledged therebeen no allegation of racial motivation behindthe attack, "wecanalways do more".

''Wedon't always make it easy for our brothers andsisterswho comehere from other countries and, at times like tl1is, I thinkit'simportantthat werecognisethat."

With Frankey Gerard Fernandes (Adelaide)

\H PEACE

Sydney memorial (left) and in Brisbane (right)

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Adelaide mourns Manmeet

Agathering ofmore than600 people brought flowers and candles as aspontaneous gesture ofgrief,dismay and loss ar tl1e horrific killing of Manmeet ALisher. letookplace .ind1e heart of Adelaide's centralsquare,Tandanyunga (formerly known asVicwriaSquare). Surrom1dedby d1e constantstream of trams and buses,ir seemed fitting tohonour Manmeet at themost prominent public placeinAdelaide.

The gatl1ering was addressedby Transport Minister Stephen Mulligan,Minster for Multicultural Affairs ZoeBettison,and Federal lvfP Steve Georganas whoexpressed d1eir sorrowandsupport. Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Youngpraisedthe Somh Sudanese-Australianman Aguek Nyokwho heroically broke opentl1e bus tOsave tl1e other passengers.The crowdthenheard from South Australian .MLATung Ngo, d1e LordMayor ofAdelaideMartin Haese, andSecretary of tl1e T\X'U Ian Smith. Local friend of Manmeet,Mintu Brar read a personalmessage andthen ashort message of thanks frornManmeet's brother, Amit Sharma.

Organiserstl1eninvitedthe crowdcosir duringa 30minute kirtanprogram. Only then could the size of the crowd beseen. It wasverymovtng toseesuch ahuge gathering of people -Soum Asian, African, European andAsianAustralians -seated in solidarity, in sorrow,andunitedinthought andintention,as Adelaideworkerspassed

IIBIT

Internatonal Institute of Business & Information Technology

by andjotnedin.AJongline ofpeople continuedtoplacebunch after bunch of flowers andLighthundreds ofcandles, continuingwe!Jafter me last speakers,

111..ARusselJ Wortley, Manrneet's cousin from Adelaide, Himanshu Sharma,anda representative of abus company. Channel 7 dida live cross from tl1e garneringand many other mediaoutletswere alsopresent. Apologies were heard from Senator Pe1my Wong and Governor of South Australia Hieu Van Le.

It was curious conoretherewas no representation from the Liberal Party tmtil muchlater intheevening, and nospeeches. When questioneda spokesperson from tl1e organiserssaid,"This is no accident \Vhen acommunity is reelingafter what everyone feels is ahare crime,youcan't stomach hearing from people whosidewith those whomake hate speeches." Referring to meincident of Tony Abbottposing with One1ation Senator Paufu1e Hanson, andMinister for Women MicbaeliaCash huggingHanson after hermaidenspeech in parliament, the organiser said,"These people are the ones whoexacerbate division andparanoia,sono,sorry,weare not going tohavemembers of the Liberal Party heresaying they deplore bate crimes while posingwith the haters. They (the Liberals) can'thave itboth ways.They have towork harder tobring people together and their treatment ofmigrantsascashcows is currentlydeplorable."

The tenor of the gatheringwaspeaceful,

dignifiedandorganised. People srayedon afterwards for some time;toweep, talk and supporteach other.

After everyone badgone, d1e candles and flowers andphotos andmessages remained. Some hours later,the candles stiU burnt

brightly in the coldnight and passers-by stoppedtoreflect. A homeless manhad set uphis bed next tothe warmth of the fire;orperhaps it was rhewarmtl1 ofan outpouringoflove in aharsh wo.rld.

Frankey Gerard Fernandes

r1n

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Community consultation forumasks, what shape should the new parental long-stay visa take?

BYUSHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

Aseriesof in-depthcommunity consultations are underway inmajor metros to drive the continuous five-year visa for parents of immigrants inAustraliaand tailor awell-managed program.Thisfollowsthe announcement of d1enew sponsored parentvisa inSeptember thisyear byAssistant ImmigrationMinister Alex Hawke, acknowledgingtheinefficienciesof the current system.

The visa,whichislikelytocome into effectinJuly2017,will offer migrant families anewwaycoreunite onthe conditiontheycontribute tothe cost.

Only available on acase-by-case basis co applicantswhohave lodged aconcurrent permanentparental visaapplication, visitingparentsof Australiancitizensand permanent residentsarecurrently allowed a continuous stayof up to12monilis.

About1,500people migrateeach yearin d1epermanentparentalvisacategory.The mrnaround time for acontributor visa, whichcosts $50,000, is two yearswhile noncontributorvisa,at$7,000 cakes 18-30 years toprocess.

In Sydney,tbe fusecommunity fonun was held atParramatra,with stakeholders frombod1 sidesof politics,government andprivate sectorsaswell ascoremigrant groupsholding formal discussionsonbroad policysettingsand specific areas.

AlexHawke,whohas badextensive consultationswith hisLabor counterpart Shayne Neumannaswell asTanya Plibersek, Deputy Opposition Leader, clarified, "This newvisadoes notseek to fit aboxothermanto facilitate familyreunion. It isaproblem that hasemergedover some decades."

"The government islookingtowork quicklyand ourintention isto make d1e visamore accessible,withouttmduly burdeningd1e system. But, we all have a stake in makingthis happen witl1inrealistic settings,"he added.

Delegates fromthe SouthAsian community,which hasseena significant spurtin migration, included DrYadu Singh (Indian Australian Associationof NS\XI), TaraChand Sharma(HinduCouncil of Australia),MaheshwaranTh.iilai-Nadesan (Saiva Manram), Bivek Thapa (Nepalese Association),Mumu Ramachaothiran and AnaganBabu (TamilArts and Cultural Association).

i\1ichael Burke, AssistantSecretary PlanningDesign andPennyRobinson, Director of FamilyPolicy(Dept.of

Immigration)were alsopresentaswere representativesfromvariousaged care and edmic disability services.

Although communitygroupshave lobbied the government for the parentvisa, steppingup online campaignsahead of federalelections, abigconcern hasbeen d1epressure onAustralia'sta..xationand healthcare system,wim predictions that significantadditionalplaces will need tobe urgentlycreated inaged care facilities to meer currentdemandalone.

Financial obligationsandlegal responsibilitiesof sponsors,bond andcosts involved,workrights- particularlyin family business settings,medicalinsurance and healthcare premiums,pre-existingillnesses, andtransportconcessionswere someissues raised.

Othermattersof consideration included acentralised applicationlodgementsystem, availabilityof onshore renewal,and methodsof preventingrortingbymigration consultants.

Age restrictions, C'\LD-specific support systems accessible tovisaholders,social isolation andmental \Velfare,safeguards againstphysical abL1se, transfer of sponsorship in eventof death, andcurring red tape were someof the other planning issues raised duringthe discussion.

Contraryto forecasts bythe Productivity

Commission,the visawill have significant indirectbenefits for Australia maccannotbe immediatelyquantified,notedTaraSharma.

"Thecommission hastmfornmately lookedatthisissue from oneprism only. Besidesencouraginggrandparentsm support families willchildcare, itallows citizenstocare for elderlyparents,asis custom in Hindutradition,"he said. "There is alotco be gainedin a financial, social andcultural context,both in shortand long term,"he added.

Highlightingthecost blowouts faced by families,particularlyin accessingspecialist healthcare services,DrYadu Singh advocated aself-sustaining,not-for-profit Medicare-style insuranceproduct,tailored specificaUy ford1e visa.A large number of visitors donotseek medical assistance becauseof the cost involved,which can putpressure on hospital system later, he lamented.

Jane Flanagan, senior researchand policy officer withthe National EthnicDisabilities Alliance,highlightedtheinequitiesind1e current system and the bias towardspeople withdisabilities thatacost-based visa structure will impose.

"Australia.isn't quite meetingits obligations around disability,particularlyin theed111ic framework," she noted.

Seekingclear defi.tution of role and

sponsors,community worker BobMuller called for better supporc systems to be inplace to culmrallyengage long-term parent visaholders and prevent neglect,isolationandabuse.

AnaganBabura.isedthe issue of onshore visarenewal options, as well as a centralised online application process to avoid bureaucracyand systemic abuse by migrationagentsoverseas.

The deadline for public subnussions concluded on31 October.The government isexpectedto announce outcome of consultationsearlynextyear.

,, Matters of consideration forthe visa implementation includedfinancial obligations and legal responsibilities of sponsors, medical insurance and healthcare premiums, andways of cuttingred tape ,, responsibilityof

A ndl SADiwali

Indian Australian Association of SA celebrates the Indian festival of lights in Adelaide!

0n thebanks of the River Torrens, proudly stands Adelaide's iconic Hotel lmerconti11ental, which was the seat of this year's Diwali celebrations hosted by Indian Australian Association of SA (IAASA).

Thevenue truly adds tO the enjoyment of any celebration, and it certainlyproved eight for this event. The luxurious interior of the hotel received an Indian makeover which was an icing on the cake! The entrance of the hall was decorated aptlywith rangoli patterns created with flowers, colourful eartl1en lamps (diyas), and lit candles all around, enhancing tl1e feel of Diwali. The presence of a colourful Gru1esha statue - a true symbol of lndian-ness, witl1 tall floor lamps and many small lighted floor candles turned the entrru1ce into a mini make-shift ternple litwith fragrance, colours and lightsin the true spirit of Diwali.

The Ballroom, with a capacity of 320, was nearlyfull to its brim, and a corridor at the entrance provided a vibrant place for people to meet and greet each otl1er. Many politicians from both sides joined

the invited guests to celebrate the true multicultural event that Diwali has become here in Australia.

The "1v1inister for Multiculnrral Affairs

Zoe Bertison represented the Premier of SAJayWetherill, while the Leader of the Opposition Steven Marshall MP, President of the Legislative Council Russell Wortley, Shadow Education Minister David Pisoni, Tung Ngo tVILC, Dana WortleyMP, and = Chairof tl1e South Australian Multiculmral and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAivlEAC) Grace Porcolesiwere among manydistinguished guests. Many of these non-Indian guests enthusiasticallyjoined tl1e dru1ce floor to Bollywood dance numbers with tl1e rest of the gathering.

Representatives of the Parliament from both parties vied for stage rime to wish tl1e audience a happyDiwali. They were invited co light the floor lamps before being formallyadmitted in the hall bywalking

a red carpet while being showered with fragcru1t rose floral petals. This ruixing of Indian culnire and tradition witl1 the western created shades of a multiculniral welcome for the guests. Yotmg girls in traditional attire did a fabulous job of showering tl1e petals.

Tradition was also aptly represented tlirough classical dances such as the opening number of a prayer dance by the Young Stars. This was followed by a classical Bharatnatyam performru1ce danced with great aplomb by Dr Geetha Sadagopalan. The chumping beatwas provided, which the audience clearly enjoyed more,by many modern and fusion BoUywood style dance groups such as FusionBeats, a charming duet of semi-classical performance by Jeswin and Dilrose, an energetic Bollywood number by the young boys of CWalk group, choreographed by Adelaide's renowned dancerNavin Dakshinamurtl1y, and a graceful mix of contemporary style dance set co the melodious, music of A.R. Rahmru1 bythe girls from Mayuri group. Some Bollywood music karaoke performed by SabikaJasmine completed the evening, hitting the right notes. le was a great combination of quality performances which gave tl1e event its class and poise.

Rajni Madan was involved in creating the temple and taking up the job of being the MC of the event. The IAASA Diwali event was created by the enthusiasm of so many multicultmal souls coming together. The positive feedback recejved from the guests confirmed tint we need more shacing of culn1res and creating of common shared platforms; especially when racism and terrorism are crying to raise their ugly heads around the world.

Well done to IAASA President Adi Reddy Yara, the IA.ASA Executive Committee, and the local artists for an outstanding event tl1atnot only entertained guests but also promoted cross-culn1ral awareness and sharing of values and beliefs.

We're waiting for next Diwali already!

�, \. ", � ....,., ; .....,. "

Winterofdepression hits Kashmiristudentsasschools remain shut

A bleak fmurestares athundreds of thousands ofyouth,with 27 schools sec ablazeintheKashmir Valley inthepast fewweeksandall educational instirutions shut for fi,7emonths,leaving themwith few options -eitherleave thestate, do homeschooUng,or worse-join ranks ofstone pelrers.

Four months of renewedunrest and violencethat hasresultedin92 deaths,the failureof effectivegovernancein tbestate and thelack ofany central government initiative to resolvethepolitical imbroglio haveleft the commoncitizens of Kashmir in Limbo.

This has panicularly affected [(ashmiri youth,manyofwhomaresaid cohavegone into depressionwith theonsetofwinter that seems tospreada cold blanketon cheir futurehopes.

Thosewho couldafford it havealready movedtheir childrentoJammuor Delhi andgotthem temporai:ily admittedin schools orprivate tuicion centres.

And chosewhocouldn't are Living in despair,suffering the mental trauma caused by thedaily shutdown and violence.

Shazia Ashraf,a Class 12sciencesmdent, likehundreds of thousands of ocher Kashmiri srudents, has notattendedschool in thepastnearly five months. This includes the inicial twoweeks ofsummer,the Eid vacations andthen four months oftutmoil.

Sbazia was early this week hospitalised after a panic attack. Doctors,according to her family, havediagnosed bet:with depression.

Herpare.nts saidshehas beenselfscudyingathomeallthesemonths. Bue remaining confined insideche four walls of thehousestarted taking a collon her physical as well as mental health.

"Sheused to study for 3-4hours dailyinitially.Buewith time, shelost concentration and finally gotdepressed," her mother, wbo didnor wish tobe named, told I.ANS.

"It is but natural for any studenttofeel depressed.Thesituationissuch. Wedonot know whether sbe will ever beabletofocus on smdies again."

Accordingcoofficial estimates,some

1.2million boys andgirls arecurrencly enrolledin classes up to che12th standard. Theexamseasoninthevalley traditionally begins in October forthenew academic session cobeginin late November.

So far,barring DPSin Budgamand Srinagar, noschoolin the Kashmir Valley has been abletoconduceexaminations. The issueof reopening chescboolsbas become politica

Thegovernmentis accusing separatist leaders, whohavebeen spearheading theunrestand daily protests, of risking tbefunueofKashmir'schildren by not allowingschools and colleges coopen.The separatist say informally thatif they exempt schools fromtheirprotest calendar, cl1e governmencwill highlightit asa sign of political normalcy in thevalley.

WaheedParra of theruling Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP) said tbeissue needed robeseenas one thatisabove politics.

"Peoplethink that re-openingschools would be against their agitation.Thishas to be told cothosewhoask cl1em coshut down thatskipping educationwouldonlyleaveus (with a generationof)illiterates,"Parra said. Headmittedthatthegovernmenthad failedroreopeneducational inscicuces. "Definitely,thestatehas lessrolein facilitating theeducation chis timebut allyou haveis buildings andnostudents. Thosewhoare against educationare shutting theschools."

Shahnaz Bashir,an academician and author, SRid theburning ofschools "is connectedtoa certainpolicies"direccly or indireccly.

"I believe thathowsoever resistant and criticalof cl1escare,nowell-meaning studentcanbesornuveas cobelieve that it wouldbe in any resistancemovement's interest coburn academicinstitutions," Bashir said.

But thegovernmentcleacly blames the burning of schools on theseparatists. State chief minister Mehbooba Mufti also blamed chem for putting stones in the hands of .school-going ch.ildren rather than helping tbemgetgoodeducation.

TheUnion Home i'vfinisrer Rajnarh Singh has asked thestate cohelp theschools andtheJammu and Kashmir High Court hasorderedprotection for themand for

unmasking the"mysterious enemies of education."

RSsecretariat contradicts ministeron statusof Whistle Blowers Bill

A junior minister andtbeRajya Sabha secreca.riat areatvarianceon the starus of anamendmenctoa billtoprotect whistle blm.vers,a measurethatmanysay dilutes the lawandshould thusbereferred coa select committeeof the Rajya Sabha.

fareply toa questionin Parliament on April 28, 2016, i\'1iniscer ofState (Independent Charge) in thePlv[O,Jitendra Singh,stated that die Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill had been sent toa selectcommittee.

However,in response roan RTI application filedby social activist Anjali Bhardwaj,theRajya SabhaSecretariat scared that chebillis not pending \vicl1any parliamentary committee.

"The WhistleBlowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015,as passed by Lok Sabha,is pendinginthe Rajya Sabha.This bill is not pending with any patliamentary committeeat present," the reply said.

RTI activists haverenewedcalls for a stronglaw toprotect whiscleblowersafter rights campaignerBhupendraVirawas shot deadin Mumbai.last mond1.

TheWhistle Blowers Protection Ace, which was passed by Parliament,received presidential assent on May 9, 2014,buthas notbeen operationalised till date.

The Aceprovides a mechanismto investigatealleged corruptionand misuseof power by publicservants and alsoprotect anyonewhoexposes allegedwrongdotngin government bodies, projectsandoffices.

"Insteadof promulgatingrules ro operationalisethelaw,thegovernmenthas movedanamendmentbi.U in Patliarnent which seeks toseverely dilute cl1eAct," said Bhardwaj,"vhois part of theNational Campaign for People's RighttoInformation (NCPRI).

"Theamendmentwas broughtro the Lok Sabha wicl1outany publicdebateonirs contents. RTI reguesrs seekinginformation on thenature ofamendments weredenied to citizens. The texr of theamendment was only madepubliconMay 11, 2015, once itwas introducedin tl1eLok Sabha,"she

AmemberofIndia'sethnicMarwari communityhelpshissontolighta candleto expresstheirgratitudeto Indianarmysoldiersduringan eventas partofDiwalicelebrationsin Bangalore onTuesday,1Nov,2016.IndianPrime MinisterNarendraModilauncheda publiccampaignurgingpeopleto expresstheirgratitudetosoldiers guardingthe bordersbysending thempersonalisedmessages onthe occasion ofDiwali. Photo: AP pointedout.

Despitedemands fromparliamentarians torefer theamendment bill coa standing committee, die Lok Sabhapassedit on May 13, 2015.

"They arenot only dilutingbut also dilly-dallying wid1 tl1elegislation,which is supposed cobringtransparency in our system.Weargued for morestringent measures. During theUP.A(United ProgressiveAlliance)regime, morestringent measures wereinserted.

"Whenthebill was re-introduced,we foundoutthat many oftl1osemeasures that wereproposed during the UPAregime wereabsent fromthepresent bill. Thar is why weproposed thatitshould besent coa standing commiccee for scrutiny and discussion,"said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a Congress MP from \'(lest Bengal.

The bill was taken up for discussionin the Rajya Sabha onDecember 7,2015. Severa.IJvfPs moved arnendmencs and demanded that cl1ebill bereferred toa selectcommittee. Thediscussion could nor be concludeddue topaucity of time.

"TheWhistleBlowers Protection (Amendment) Bill ,vasnor referred coa selectcommittee.Infact,wehadsuggested thatit should bereferredtotheselect committee. As of now ithas notbeen sent," saidRajya Sabha memberD.Raja oftl1e Communist Partyof India.

According co RTI activists,Whistle Blowers Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015,dilutes the original Act by removing safeguards availabletowhiscleblowers fromprosecution under theOfficial Secrets Actand alsoby introducing wide-ranging exemptions.

"Thean1endmentbill states diat no disclosures should contain information which wouldprejudicially affect d1e sovereignty,integrity, securicy,strategic, scientificor economicinterests of tbe state,"said Bhardwaj.

Commonwealth HumanRights Initiative (CHRI) findings show thatsince theRTI Act cameintobeing,at least 56individuals have paid cbeprjcewith theirlives for demanding transparency and accountability in cbegovernment.

Maharashtra cops the Lisewith 10 alleged murders andatleasttwo suicides (12 deaths) foUowed by Gujarat with eight alleged murders and onesuicide (nine deaths),Utear Pradesh with sixalleged murders and onesuicide(sevendeaths).

Maoistsreceive big blow in attemptto regainfoothold

Thekilling of30 Maoists ina series of allegedgun battles with policeinthedense forests on theAndhra Pradesh-Odisha borderlaseweek has dealt the biggestblow tothe extremistmovement in theregionin recentyears.

The jointoperationby Andhra's elireantiMaoistforceGreyhounds andthe Special

AKashmirifarmerpickingsaffron flowersfrom afield inPampore, 25 kilometressouth ofSrinagar,the summercapital. Pampore isfamous foritshighqualitysaffronandKashmir isthe onlyplaceinIndia,and one of thefewplacesintheworld,wherethe world'smostexpensivespicegrows. Thesaffrongrowersclaimthatthis year,theyieldhasbeenlowdueto less rainfall. Photo: AP

Operations Group of OdishaPolice in Malkangiridistrict ofOdishaeljminatedtop cadres, dealinga huge blowtotheeffortsby the Communist Partyof India-!vfaoist (CPIMaoist)coregaina footholdin itserstwhile strongholdAnclhra Pradesh.

The ]Vlaoist outfit lostmanyof itsleaders, includingstatecom.t11jttee members B. Venkatararnna a]jas Ganeshand Krishnaial1 alias Daya.Manyofthe top slain leaders were from Andhra Pradeshand Telangana.

The killedMaoistsalsoincludel\fonna (23),son of Ramakrishna or RK,one of the top Maoist leadersand secretaryof the state committee of CPI-Maoist

Reelingunder the lossof several top leadersover thelast decade,the outfit hadalreadyretreatedfromits former strongholdsinunclivided Andhra Pradesh.

In theresidual state of Andhra Pradesh, theyweremore or lessconfinedtothe Andhra Pradesh-Odisba Border (AOB)area whilejnthe newstate of Telangana,their presencewaslimitedtoareasbordering Chhartisgarh andMaharashtra.

AOB,withits cLifficulc terrain,was consideredthe safest zonefor Maoists. However,the Greyhounds and Oclisha Police not onlyenteredthe cut-off area but alsodealt ahuge blowtothe Maoists.

Byeliminatinga large number ofcadres, the Greyhounds,which isknown forits expertise in fighting Maoists,hasavenged the killing of itsmen inthe same region. Maoistshadgunneddown 38Greyhounds after surroundjng themin Balimela reservoir in 2008. Ir was the single largest blowtothe specially-trainedforce, raisedin 1989.

Andhra Pradesh Police officers say the presence of the Maoisttop brassin Malkangiri for ameetingindicatestheywere planning a strategytoregroupin the region.

Civil libertiesleaders,however, arenot ready tobuythe police theorythat there wasan exchange of fire whenthe Maoists refusedrosurrender,forcingthepolice to retaliate.Theyclaim that police surrounded themeetingvenue,arrested the Maoists andgunnedthem down under a covertand planned operation.

"Thekillingsin one-sided firinge."posed the fascist tendenciesof the Chandrababu Naidu-ledgovernment in Andhra Pradesh," srudcivil ljbertiesleader G. Haragopal.

The CPI-Maoist has alsoclaimed chat a Greyhoundcommandodiedafter accidentaUyfallingintothe water but police usedit tocook up the storyofan exchange of fire.

"Ifit'sreallyan exchange of fire,why wasno Maoist injured,"askedMaoist sympathiser and revolutionarywriter Varavara Rao,whobelievespolicepickedup the Maoistsandkilledthem onebyone. Police,however,haverubbished the claims."These allegationsagainst policea.re notnew. In fact,theyhave been levelfu1g such allegarions for the last severalyears,"

srud a senior police officerin Andhra Pradesh.

The CPI-Maoist,which claimstobe fightingagainst theexploitation of poor andlandlessfarmers,istrying to regainits footholdinnorthcoastalAndhra Pradesh byexploiting theresentment amonglocal cribals against aproposed bauxitemining project and the construction ofthe Polavaran1multi-putpose irrigation project that would submerge several tribal viUages.

Analysts point out that the CPI-Maoist hadlost groundin recent yearsas they werenot getting fresh recrwts, especiallyin Andhra Pradesh andTelangana.

Thoughmanyofthe topleaders of tbe outfithail frornthetwoTelugu states,it hasnot been able to drawnewrecruitsor geenewarms. Theexpertsattribute this topeople losing faithin the ideologyof violence and benefits ofthe government schemesreachjng themasses.

The apprehensionsin some quarters that the CPI-Maoist willresutfacein Telangana also provedunfoundedasthe outfit had failed toregroup over the last twoyears

The Maoist group wasalmosteliminated from former strongholdsof north Telanganaand Nallamalla forestsin present Andhra Pradesh, followinga seriesof successesbythe police and Greyhoundsin undjvidedAndhra Pradesh.

The CPI-Maoist had emerged as the biggest andmost powerful Maoist outfit in Indiain September 2004 foUowing the merger of then CPI-MLPeople'sWar Group (PWG) with the Maoist Com1mmist Centre (MCC).

Followingthe failure oftalksbetween the Maoist.5andthen Andhra Pradesh government,the state wasrocl{edbya series ofviolent incidentsfoUowed bythe killings of Maoists.

Evolve mechanismfrom within tocurbtripletalaq:Muslim scholars

There shouldbe aninternal mechanism to curb triple talaq,likenamingandshaming themanwhoarbitrarilydjyorceshiswife, Muslim scholarshavesaid,emphasising that the government must scayout ofthe community'spersonal laws.

Theytermedthe government'srakjng up the issueat thistime asanelection girruruck,

andpointedout that there were several 1nisconceptio11s about triple talaq, ortalaqe-bidat.

Notwithstanding their dogmatic cLifferences,the Muslim scholars IA S spoketo- from HanafistoAhle Haclith and fromDeobandis to Barelvis andeven Shias - categoricallydecried anyinterference bythe government inmatters "whjcl,are purelyreligious",calling anysuch attempt "unconstimtional".

However,d1eyagreedthat theremust be a mechanism to protect women against the arbitrarybehavioutofmen whoare prone topro110LU1ce calaq "without validreasons".

"Such men must be punished,andthe commurutyshouldevolve amechanism, including boycottingd1em socially. Nobody shouldget hisdaughter married tothat man everagain,"N[au1'lnaAbdul Hameed Naumani ofthe Jamiat Ulema Hind,said.

He said d1at although triple talaq,or pronouncing theequivalent of "I divorce thee" thrke in one sitting,isharaam (prohibitedandsinful)d1e divorce isanyway effected.

AccorcLing to Muslim Personal Law,if a husband utters onlytwotalaqs, hiswife can continue to staywith him,but after the third talaqthe cLivorce comes intoeffect immediately The husbandcan neither stay wid1hiswife nor remarryher until the nikah-e-halalais done.

A njkah-e-halala is one where d1ewoman isrequiredtOmarryanother man (asand when thathappens) andif d1e second husbandcLivorcesher willingly(notLU1der coercion or as an understanding)after consummation ofmarriage,onlythen can the first husbandremarrythe woman.

"Thjscondition wasset as apunishment forthose men whowouldpronounce talaq arbitrarily," Naumani explained.

A Barelvi cleric,Maulana AnsarRaza,too, agreed d1ere shouldbe some checksagainst men cLivorcing theirwiveswid1out legitimate reasons."But triple calaqcannot bewished away.You cannot alter d1e lawof Allah,"he added.

Milli Council General SecretaryManzoor Alam,however,spokein favour of triple talaq. "\Vhat if a man findshjswife in a compromising position with anod1er man, orgetsevidence of her extramal"ital affair?

GeneraUy,apersonwouldbe enragedin

sucha situation andmaycake d1eextreme step. So,instead ofkilJjngthewomanor killing oneself, there istheeasywayout of marriage through triple talaq,"Alamargued.

Kamal Farooqui,a vocal Muslin1 and member of d1e All India Muslim Personal LawBoard,saidthat he isnot surprisedat the arendra MocLigovernmenttrying to politicise theissue of talaqin the garb of social reform.

"It ispart of their communal agenda. Theyare tryingtOcreate all sorts of misconceptions," Farooqui said,adding chat clivorce isamost unpleasant wordfor Allah.

Hesuggested that tocurb triplecalaq, concLitionscan be setin thenikahnama,or the contract of nikah. "ln Islam,marriage isa social contract.The womanandher guardianshaveeveryright andLibertyto setthe conclitions of the nikal1 as pertheir convenience,"he said.

Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe SacLiqechoed Farooqui's stand. "In Shia jurisprudence, there isnoconcept of triple talaq.But in sections of Muslim societywhere this practice isprevalent,theulema should sit together and decide what theycan doto curbit,"KalbeSadiq said.

However,he added,there is "no scope for the government'sinterference"in the matter.

Ahle Haclith cleric MaulanaAsghar Ali Salafi, coo,agreedwid1 KalbeSadiq. "Thereisnoconcept of triple talaqin our jurisprudence. But thosepractising it are doing soaccorcLing totheir belief system andtheir interpretation of the Islamic fiqh Gurisprudence).

" obody,including the government, hasanybusinessinterferingwithit, most certainlynotfor votes,"Salafi said.

Muslim scholarsalsorejectedthe contention that triple talaqbe bannedasit isin several Muslimcountries.

"Suppose it is bannedin 22 countries. But there are 52 Muslimcountries,which means .itis stillinpracticein the rnajorityof 11"uslim countries," saidJ\,fanzoor Alam.

"\'ile live in Inclia,not in Saudi or Pakjstan. We are bound by Indian laws,not of anyod1er country,andthe Constitution of Indiaguaranteesus freedom toprofess and practise ourreligion,"Raza said.

IANS

BYAPARNA ANANTHUNI

In conversation with Peter Maddison and Naomi JvWgrom,Bijoy Jain,leading exponentof sustainable and ethical architecture anddesign,anddesigner of Melbourne's third MPavilion,points our that a bundredyearsago,themodem concept of 'architect'didn'texist.

In London,after heleft the US,where in 1990he had received his M.Arch from Washington University in St Louis, USA, andworked forsome time in LosAngdes onthe Getty Centre,he thought more aboutthis.

"I'dremembermakingthis wholeseries of big, thick dockets of drawings.And I remember being at the construction site andwhere Iwasbuilding,they were unable toreadthe drawings."

He nowsees d1e capacitytomake things as "quite visceral";at his award-winning firm Studiol'vhunbai,whichhe founded in Mumbai in 1995,he has carpentersand masons that claimlineages of 10 or 20 generations. He cakes that "with apinch of salt'',but reflects, "that's thesense of continuity thatexists,soit'sintheir DNA orblood."Their knowledge isnot somuch technicalas knowledge "embeddedin

stories,and observations thateach of d1em specifical.lyexperienced".

In India,he highlights,more drnn 50% of the built landscape is notcreatedby architects.

"Sothere's a greatsense of sdf-rdiance because there'sanimmediacy,and also d1e technologydoesn't exist,and for thatmatter electricity."

In his work he uses local matet:ials,labour and expertise, anddrawsfromtraditional skills andbuilding techniques.

Naomi Milgrom,f0tinder of JvfPavilion - a uniqueyearlyarchitecturalanddesignproject d1at commissions aleading imernational architect tobuild atemporarypavilion in QueenVictoria Gardens - foundJain's approach d1eright fit for d1eproject. "Particu.larly in d1e collaborativeway thathe does everything,l minkthatre.-illy resonated wid1whatweare doingwiththe JvfPavilion."

She started lvJPa,1ilion,vim support from the City of Melbourne and the State Government after being inspired bythe Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London andwantingto implement the idea in Mdbourne.

"We like tothink of Melbourne as d1e culturalcapital, me fashion capital, the sport capital soI thought therewas a waytomake Melbourne the designand architecture capital of Australia. Because every good ciryneeds ro be differentiated."

What alsodrewher toJain'sworkwas the emotional connectivityhe brought to his ideas about thebuilding,the landscape

aroundit,and d1epeople using it.

"Myfirst brief toan architect is 'please don't giveme a building,give rnean emotion';thathasalways beenextremely important tome."

Jain's design for the MPavilion is based on the Hindu 111011dapa,a liminal structure that leads to d1e main temple.

''What it doesis serve tocontain somethingthat is sacred the structure is morea containerandashelter [that] enables people tocome and visit andparticipate."

lndeed, the idea behind JvfPavilion is invitation.Each year,from Octoberto Fehruary,it becomes a "cultural meeting place", a space embracing diverse events, performancesandtalks, al.Ifree to the public.

1nhis design,Jain hasalsoincorporated a tazia,a replica of the tomb of Hussein, carried inprocession during the mond1of Muharram (the first month of the Islamic calendar).

A square-and-domestructure,Jain sees it asrepresenting the earth andsky,and thus "something that'suniversal." Inhis design it becomes a ceremonial gateway,an invitation.

Jain has alsodescribedthe site of 1'1Pavilion as a "non-place",reAecting on

how it embodiesthe disconnect between d1epresent andthe past.

'0In time,whathas occurredwith dusparticularpieceof land, [isd1at)a displacementthattakesplace economic growth, colonisation, gold rush [al.Ibecome) part of thepark,but alsoin somesense isolated fromthepark. What if one connects back,justphysically,tothat origin?"

In keepingwith d1e idea of origins and universality, the structure of Jain's j\.fPavilion - assembled in Mumbai - uses bamboo.

Rudimentary and tmiversal,affordable and ubiquicous, bambooisused everywhere in India: in enclosures forfestivals, for te.mporary movietheatres,and alsoby the indigenouspeople of the forest fortheir homes.

Jain comparesthe bamboostructure of me Pavilionro rhe bones of me human body: "a skeleton or scaffolding on whichyou d1enenable otherd1ings robe activated."

Thisyear'sMPavilionfeatm-esa400-event programoverthenext4months, with upto300participants.Entryandall programmedeventsatMPavilionaref,-ee. Visitmpavilion.org

At thisyear's MPavilion, Mumbai architect Bijoy Jain demonstrates how local lore can inform ethical and sustainable architecture

,, A square-and-dome structure, Jain sees it as representing the earth and sky, and thus "something that's universal ,,

Thisphotoandabov . .

e.NicholasWatt

Youngjournalist showsgreatpromise

A student placement at Indian Link leads to a media award

BYRAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

It1dianLink's NamitaGohilhas won the YoungJournalist of the Year Award a[ thisyear's Mulciculn1ral andIndigenous MediaAwards.Sheimpressedthe judgeswith her body of work including awide range of arcicles on communiry affairs andin-depth interviews.

The 21-year-oldcame [O IndianLinksix months ago asastudent intern. A newly qualifiedbutexperiencedjournalist,she graduatedin August di.is rear with aMedia andCorumunicacioos degree from UNSW. While there,shewon ascholarsl.ip co attendthe University of Pennsylvaniain the USwhereshe undertookjournalism smdies. At bod1universicies,Namitapublished e."Xtensivelyandbuiltup animpressive portfolio of workthatshowcases her obvious talent for wricing.

At IndianLink,Iani.itahas contributed significantlywith alist of well-received arcicles.Theseincludeher thoroughly researchedpieces on Australia's early Sikh heritage;environmental accivism; healthyearingtrendsin today's society; contemporaryandpostmodernart;youth activism andsocial entrepreneurship;andas ayoungwomanof ni.igrant background,the assimilacionandintegracionimoAustralian society of od1ers of her age andgender.

"It is so rewarding to knowthat other people have valuedthe workwli.ich I have produced,especially on topics which are so unique andcontrary tothe stereotypical Bollywoodor cricketmaterialin Indian media," Namitatold Tndia11Li11k.

Namita's workclearlydemonstrates an tmderstanding of the issueswell beyondher yea.rs, aswell as askilful way wid1words.

Nan.itahasimpressed alsowith her knack for picking up leads andfollowing th.rough stories which she understands will interest readersbod1withinthe Indiancommunity andinthe wider mainstream.

For example,herpiece onenvironmental activist RameshAggarwal ('Ashot at ending coal mining') brought her accolades not only from Indianfollowers of the man, but also Australiansupporters,many of whomhavefundedhis campaigns inlndia. The piece receivedmuch feedbackin print andwas widely sharedonsocial media; a requestwasalso received for reprinciog by anindustrymagazine.

Nan.ita's 'Acknowledging the Sikh footprint in Australia'was anextensively examinedpiece onthe li.istoryandlegacy of early Sikhsettlersin d1is country.It receivedwonderfulfeedback:one Australian hiscorian wrotein m acquaint us of her own work regarding the li.istoryof turbaned Indians from the late 1800s.

As ayoung personfilledwid1 aspirations herself,Narnitais parcicularl)'interested inscoriesthatseepeople follow through

with their dreams andworkha.rdto achieve them. Her feamre on aPerth- based Indianorigin actor andmodel, which becao1e the cover smry 'Bikinis aswellas bindis', advocatedstronglyfor women of colourin the fieldof entertainment.

Hermaiden attempt at bei11g an art cricic alsocameoffquitesuccessfullyas she incerpreted andanalysedthemeaning and quality of avisiting Indianartist's work at the Sydney Biennale 2016.

HerAustralian upbringing notwithstanding,Namicais very much incontact with her Indianroots, seeking out stories that will help her coumryof origin.Her piece on ultra-marathonrunner San1and1a Gash ('A stridefor India's youth') helped raisefunds for projects addressing educacional inequality.

amita's personal passion for heald1y eatingis also brought to playin her wricing, such asin her analysisof vege[arianism in the piece '\'Vhi.rled peas'.

These stories showoff this youngwriter's zest for Iife just asmuch asher versatile wricingstyle.

Talking abouther experience at Tndia11 Link,Namitasaid, "I learnt agreat deal about how anewspaper is put toged1erdeciding on which arcicles wiU go inand 011what pages,how the advercisingis distributedacross the pages andreconciled with the articles,andtbe depth of subediting andfinal revisionsmade for all the writtenwork.I also learnthow the material fromprintis thentransferredto ooli.ne mediums (website andsocial media) andd1e variations d1at arerequiredto be made foran online audience. It was an amazing experience! I thoroughly enjoyed working alongside KiraSpucys-Tahar and

od1ers astheyalways valuedmyopinions andsuggestions. Ialso likedhaving die opportunity to do different d1ings aswell aswriting - watchingthe radio shows conductinginterview andmakinggifs for the Facebook page.

Namitalists her piece oo Perth model ChandrikaRavias oneshe parcicularly enjoyed. Itbecame acoverfeamre.

"Icouldsense theyoungwoman's desire to succeedin alucrative industry, especiallyasshe has beencaught amongst two conAiccing culmres. She was funco interview,hada great, dynani.icenergyand di.is meant that Iwas ableco get alot of informationand insight into her life and purpose," Namitarevealed. "I d1ink what I enjoyedd1emost was wricingabout ayoung womanwhich so many people who read mepaper canrelate to,includingmyselfsomeone unique, different and determined to achieve somed1inggreat. Chandrikais now onthepath forsuccess.It's inspiring. "

Among journalist role models thatinspire her, amitalists Caro Meldrum-Hanoa, Ma,"<Murch andSarah Ferguson. "Ihave much respect for anyone that is willing to go om,take risks anduncover horrors whichareofteninvisible inour world."

She devours news on adailybasis, especiallyfrom ABC,SBS,sometimes AlJazeera,the Independent and The Economist.

"I also sometimes watchnews segments onYouTube from sources like The Young Turks,wli.ich is supposedly non-partisan, but eventhenyou cansee aclear agendaso I trytomakesured1at I get myinformacion frommulciple sources.Istill readd1eweekly communitynewspapers ioprint."

Of course there ismuch about

mainstreammediamat Namita finds disparaging.

"]basically find fear mongering and populist political stories really annoying such aswhyimmigracion,parcicularly Muslim immigration, should be banned since theyprovide no concrete justifications, just opinions. I am also reallysick of how celebrity andPRstoriesare becoming more andmoreintertwinedwith real news stories."

What is she workingon at d1emoment?

"I'm lookingat an invescigative report on the difficultiesfacedbyyoung diasporic lndian women io Australia, the UKand the US,especially in college. Things like alcoholism,druguse, andsexual exploration is somewhat shunnedin the commwiity andnotenough is being done to provide support to d1ese people."

Going forward, Namitais keen to use herawardas aplatform to take further opportunities inwricingandreporcing.

"I don't want towriteabout trivial issues inIndia.I want to writeaboutimportant dungs andcritiquestandardisedpractises, mentalicies andsocietal norms.

Iwant Indians tostart recognising our soldiers,the accivists who work relentlessly to campaignforsocial justice issues,the hardships facedby manyand the health problems Indians today face. I want to encouragemore dialogue about mese dungs. Ihope l canused1e award toget somegreaterleverageandactually be recognisedbyorganisacions who have the resources to allowme to pursue more i.ovescigacive typework."

Go forth andmake your mark,young arnita.At IndianLinkwe will be watch.i.og your career with great interest.

easone

A coveted honour for one of Indian Link's most prolific contributors

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

Usba Ramanujam Arvindhas won the MuJticulmralJournalist of the Year Awardat the i\foJticLdtural and lncligenous Meclia Awards th.is year.

A journalist with 25years of experience, Ushahas been associated with IndianLink over the past 16 years,writingextensively forour award-winning newspaper on a broadrange of issues shaping the migrant population.

As one of llldianLink'ssenior most reporters, Usha has helpedraise awareness on criticalissues affecting the ethnic minority, andin the process, amassedan impressiveportfolio of writing.

"I am deeply honouredby the recognition,"Ushasaid at her honour. "It has been aprivilegerowritefor a quality publication that setshigh benchmarks for itself while reaching out to such a wide audience across Australia. Over thecourse of this journey, I have metso manypeople, builtsucha richnetwork of contacts and learnt so manynew th.ings Jchas been a rewardingexperience andone that has helpedme findmy feet in a newland."

*An analysis of theplace of Indian history in the SW history syUabus Science communication has grown to become one of Usba's specialities. In the last twelve months alone, she bas produced informative pieceson:

*Australia's meclical cannabis trials

*Anovel drug deliverysystem in cancer prevention pioneered by an Australian company

*A new cancer app that will aidinformation delivery and patient care management

*A peanut allergy breakthrough by WA scientists

*Tree-root shapedanchors beingdeveloped at SydneyUni

*A feature on a Sydney Uni academic much inAuencedby Inclianmaths genius S Ramanujan,coincicling,vith the release of the film TbeMan IV'hoKna111Infinity

*Profiles on J\NU nanotechnologist Prof ChennupatiJagadisb AC;SydneyUni marlmnatician Prof NaliniJoshiAO; UNSW material scientist Prof Veena SahawaillaOAM,andoncologist andwriter Dr Ranjana Srivastava.

Social issues are quite a passion for Usha. In 2015-16,herarticles helpedraise awareness about

*Sustainablyproducedschool uniforms manufacmredin Inclia

*Seniorwomen's well-beingin minority communities

*The needs of carers

*Differently-abledyoungsters

"Throughher in-depth coverage and sensitive portrayal of core migrant issues, Ushahasnot onlypresentedthe evolving dynamics, but also won the trustand respect of community members, thereby helpingcreate a strong and resilient society," IndianLinkCEO Pawan Luthra saidin his congramJarorynote.

Theseasonedwriterhas gaineda reputation for her well-researched and analytical stories on contemporary issues.

Usha's mostacclaiu1edpiecesina prolific year this year,haveincluded:

*Thegrowth of the'motherrongue' movement Ln SW schools

*Writing from the Subcontinent at tl1.is year's Sydney Writers Festival

*Theparticular needs of senior citizens of Inclianbackground

As a dance critic, Usba's reports on the thriving classical Indian scene in Sydney maintain critical impartiality. Her particular emphasis is on youngsters who keep tl1eir heritage and traditions alive.

Passionate aboutencouraging youtl1in various areas ofendeavour,Ushawrote this yearabout a teenage motmtain climber,a 16-year-old cricketingprodigy, an 18-yearold documentary film-maker, andyoung colleague at IndianLink Riram ivl..itra who recentlywon a Cricket VicroriaAward for media.

As an experiencedscribe,Usha bas consistentlygeneratedideas and follc>wed

leads to produce cover stories, specialreports andanalyses of events affecting tl1e community. She bas interviewedvisiting clignitaries,political leaders, industry heads andcommunity represenratives.

Her tmiqueselling point is her ability to report on allaspects of the community. Beit cuttingedge technology or age-old rraclitions, business or Bollywood, cricket or the arts, Usha's inimitable writing stylehas always touchedchords.

"Indians are respected for theirintegrity, work ethic and strong desire to enrich the environment tl1eylivein, distinguishing themselves across soman)'platforms in theprocess,"Usha said. "l have reaJJy enjoyedreporting about these achievements, particularlywomen in STEM.They have tl1e power to change other people's Jives".

As a first generation migrant, her work has focusedon the community but bas helpedbuildstrongties with mainstream as

well, sparking a vibrant bilateral exchange. AboutIndian community journalismin Australia, Usha has a dear understanding of ourresponsibilities andduties.

"\Vhi.le Incliannewspapers have broughr the communitytogether and raised its profile in tl1emainstream byreporting aboutlocal achievements and feel-good stories, journalistshave equal responsibility toturn the spotlight on unsavoury aspects. Forinstance,taxevasion, vocational educationscams,rortingloopholesin the system,domestic violence, andwage ine9ualities faced bycasual rnigraor workers. It is our duty ro enlighten both our readership and authorities to prevent sysremic abuse that will only ruin our wellearnedreputation."

Sheadded, "Astl1eprofileof Inclians inAustralia continues to change, I would like ro engage further witl1 the community across a range of issues I have not explored before."

Our heartiesrcongraml.ations, Usha.

,, Asanexperienced scribe, Usha has consistently generated ideas and followedleads to produce cover stories, special reports and analyses of events affecting the community ,,

henfoo transcen • arr1ers

Dhanya Samuel's work with food - and social issues - earns her a media honour

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

I11dia11Unk's Dhanya Samuel has chis month won a Victorian honour in the field of multicultural media. She won a Certi6cate ofMeritat the Victorian Jv[u.lticulmral Commission's Multicultural Awards for Excellence, in the Media category.

"lt is an awesome feelingwhen your hard workandpassion getappreciated,"Dhanya toldIndianLink. "I feel ontop oftheworld Iris alsoaninspiration todobetter work in the future."

Dhanya's keen interest in local social andcommunity issues,coupledwith her insatiablelove for writing,hasmadeher one of tl1e most read journalistsin the Australian lndian community.

Her particular cake on theseissues in Australian society,andtheir impact on the large multiculm.ralcommunity tlrnt resides in this country,continues to increase awareness andunderstanding of multiculturalaffairs across Victoria,andindeed nationally.

"l have always chosen to write about topics and issues thatare a reAection of myideologies andhence haveenjoyedwriting every single feature sofar. But if Iwere topickmy favourites fromlaseyear, itwould have tobe Breaking Bread

Together andTamil Feasts. Boththestories were cenm:d aroundhow sharing food togetl1erisperhaps the best way tocelebrateyourheritage yet break downbarriersand differencesthat exist in our society."

Her story 'Breaking Bread

Together'was particularly well-received;it profiled a documentaryseries that captures tbe heart andsoul of multicultural Australia, showcasing foodas possessingan extremely powerful ability to bridge intercult:ural differences.

Showing sensitive understanding of social issues,herpiece 'Food for Thought' promotedthework ofalocal enterprise Tamil Feasts,a unique kitchen project in East Brunswick set up tosupport recently settledasylum seekers.The piece hada constructive impact onthe work ofthe CERESEnvironment Park whowere Aoodedwitl1 bookings.

"Thereacesomany stories waitingto

be cold and somuch ofwork maceach of uscan do tobring thesociety together," Dhanya observed. "Attendingthe awards ceremony alsogave me a chance cointeract with andlearn aboutthe work of others, which was trulyan eye-opener."

A great believerin the power diat youth andsocial media holds toleading Australia forward, Dhanya is alsointerested in stories of young Australians followingtheir dreams, working hardtomake themcome true.Through her writing,she has raised awareness oflocalartists and docw11entary makers from diverse cultural,linguistic and religious backgrounds.

Dhanya is alsoa prolific foodwriter andruns popular foodblog,'The Spice Adventuress'.A uniquecreativevoice, her blog was nominatedamongst tl1e Top30 Australian food blogs of 20I5. Her work was alsopublishedin Bank of Melbourne's crowdsourced cookbook which celebrated me fooddiversity ofVictoria.

Thephilosophy behindher food-based writing is toshowhowfoodcan be usedas

a mediumtobridge geographical, cultural,social andreligious differences.

Dhanya's foodcolumnshavegraced many of IndianLink'sissues, seeking to dispel me myths surroundingIndian food,encouraging our readers couse local .Australian ingredients in traditional Indian dishes,andputtingan Indian spin on several Oz favourites like theVegemite chicken or curriedkangaroo!

Where does herlove of food- and food writing- come from?

"Mymother is an excellent cook and it was asherlittleassistant tlrnt I began to

exploredifferent flavours. Spices intrigue me and Ilove to use them liberally in my cooking; cherishing the ancient Aavours and techniques but embracingnew ones too.But my blog, 'The Spice Adventuress' was a result of mylove for writing as well as storytelling. Every dish has a story and aninherent abiliry cobring back memories and make us happy from within. Ilove co discover these stories and share them with the world. It helps us understandother cultures and religions which in cum makes us more accepting of the differences."

Dhanya continued,"The blog is alsoa space to showcase regional Indian cooking cothe global palate. India has such a strong

culinary heritage and I believe that most of it stiJJ remains a mystery to the world. AndI love to combine tbis knowledge witl1 tl1e amazing produce that Australia has to offer,comingup with my signature Indo Australian recipes. The best of botl1 worlds!"

Dhanya is alsoa keen participant inher local council activitiesin Dandenong and uses her skillsin writingtopromote the council's work. Hercommunity-mindedness also findsexpression in her voluntary work with new migrants, guiding them through the settlementprocess intl1eirnewhome andhelping tl1em feel welcome. Keep up thegood work,Dhanya.

'' The philosophybehind her food-basedwriting is to showhow foodcanbe used as amedium to bridge geographical, cultural, social and religious differences ,,

AnodetoRaghu Dixit

Voice fragrantwith the earth, rumbling W<e rivers in spate, soft as flowers,loudas thundersinging of people, villages,cities of India, highs and lows, of the ordinary andthe exalted,a voice like none other.

\Xfhen I first heard the earthy, powerful voice of Raghu Dixit,I was in delighted shock. This happens tOme when I come across rare phenomena like RD,which is what I will call him the restofthe way for ease. Another such voice is Kailash Kher. Butmore on that some other time.

Raghupati Dwarakanath Dixit, was born on 11November,1974. His music is a mix of ethnic Indian folk and styles from aU over the world. The main artist of die Raghu Dixie Project,he is married coMayuri Upadbya,artistic direcror ofa contemporary dance group, ritarutya.

Ihave heard his music for the past six years or sowith an almostdesperate dream cosomehow watch him perform live along with his troupe. I tried to dothis more than a couple of times in Bangalore,which is where he performs quite often.lewasn't tobe.

Finally, thanks tothe Confluence Festival of India in Australia, I witnessedit all, jumping andsingingalongwiththe crowd, andmy littledaughter next to me, atthe large open-air stage at Elder Park.

'Lokada Kalaji'had everyone memorising tl1e chorus at the behest of

RD,while 'Jag Changa'badmost of us gettingwobbly-kneed from all the jumping up and down. 'Anuna' tugged at the heart strings while 'Para Shivana', 'Mysore se aayi'and others had everyone asking for more.

Cladin ethnic shirrs ofthin handloom cotton, lungis and dancing bells,in the case ofRD,the bandappeals toevery sense.

\Y/e gotpies and bought CDs andeven now our daily music fixin the car is his.

The neJ(tday saw me back at the Ukiyo Tent to watch andcover the Piya Behrupia Hindi play, a translation of Shakespeare's T1JJelftbNight, again a part of the Confluence festival.

I tl1oughtI saw RD sittingand looking at his mobile phone, and before I was sure,he lookedstraight at me and beckoned, asking me tositnext tohim, with his wholetroupe.

With a slightly raisedheartbeat, Iwent and sat with them!

This took the e."Xperiencehigher by many norcbes,since Icould see how impressed be was with the music, hilarious dialogue and the whole play itself

As bonus, I gotto char with him in the breaks. I came to learn he is working on the music of six Indian films, two of them for Bollywood.

His journey tomusic was different from most. He was a sciemistin Belgium and atthe behest of friends,and, forsure,

an inner calling,he madehis way backto India. He rooksometime togethis first break in Mumbai. Just when he began to think he hadmade a big mistake, following his passion for music,he hit the big time. There has been nolooking back after the release ofhis fine album by VishalShekhar in 2010, which reachednumber

one onthe iTunes worldmusiccharts in the UK.

TheRaghu DixitProjecttravels incessantly and along with Raghu Dixit's foray into the film worlds ofvarious stares of India,his band now playsregularly, rouring India and theglobe.

SunilaVig

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking a suitable Hindugroom, for39 yearold Hindu girl, never married, qualified chartered accountant employed. She has been brought up in Sydney, with blend of Indian and Australian cultural values. Please email details to pkm2691@gmail.com

Seeking match for a Hindu girl, 25 years old, 5'3", fair, slim, beautiful and currently working as doctorin Melbourne. Highly motivated, caring and with strong family values. Looking for a doctor with similar background and values. Details to agg_1234@optusnet.com.au

Suitable match forAustralian citizen, Sydney based, Sikh girl, 1991 born, 170cm, qualifiedcharteredaccountant. working forAustralia's leading bank. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to hs52216a@gmail.com

Uncle based in Sydneyseeks suitable match fortheirMumbai born 1989, 5'2" niece. Well cultured, well educated, Masters in Bio-technology, working in a well reputed firm in Mumbai. Please send your interest with all the relevant details and pictures at kacharya45@gmail.com Caste no bar.

Alliance invited for31-year-old, beautiful, slim, fair, graduated from SRCC, Delhi Uni, issueless divorcee (mutual)girl, currently in Sydney. BrotherAustralian Citizen, well settled, married. Family from Gurgaon, India. Seeking match up to 34 years age, handsome, well-educated, well-settled. Send details to hkdutta@gmail.com or call 0402 163 676

Seeking professionally qualified settled match forSydney-based Australian Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri, 43, 5'3" slim, fairand attractive girl. Girl is postgraduate and is working in a good position in government organisation. Please send details with photo to indsyd2016@gmail.com

Seeking alliance for our daughter, Sikh Brahmin, 26 years old, 5'0 feet. Bachelor of Business and Commerce in human resources and industrial relations. Currently working in fnance as afinance consultant, Sydney-based, Australian citizen. Seeking a qualified boy, well educated, working, well settled non-smoker, nondrinkerand an Australiancitizen. Please contact 0412 308 816

SEEKING BRIDES

Professional match forPunjabi boy,31, 5'11", fair, B.Com/BBA, Chartered Accountant, completing CFA, Australiancitizen andworkingwith a global investment bank in Sydney. Family settled in Sydney for24years. Girl should be Hindu,24 to 30, slim, professionally qualified, Australiancitizen orPR, and Sydney based or willing to relocate to Sydney. Please send photo &details to: sanjdeep6@gmail.com

EXCESSLUGGAGE, ELECTRONICS,GIFTS

DOCUMENTS6MOREi

at's our ecision?

The organ and tissue donation process is about making informed choices and discussing them with your family

BYKIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR

Everyone has theirownreasons regarding whether tobecome anorganand tissuedonor.Dr Arvind Rajamani,an Intensive Care Specialist at Nepean Hospital,has been working in d1e field of organ andtissuedo.nationford1epast seven years. After completing most of his medical. training in India, Dr Rajamanihas been in Australia since 2004. In bod1Australia andIndia hehas seenhigh incidences of peoplewho have medesireto donate, but areconfrontedby me manymythsand misconceptions surrounding the organ and tissuedonationprocess.

Dr Rajamani sat down wim Tntlia11Linkto tell us about the importance of broaching chis sensitivesubject wid1your family.

What is the most rewarding thing about workingin organ and tissue donation?

Thefact mat you can help peopleand see me good coming out of abadsituation. I canseethedonation taking placeandd1e differenceit makes to thedonor family.I don't seetherecipients,but lstill get to seesomebenefit coming out of a tragedy.

Thedonor family finds itrewarding and life-changingthemselves.Thereis a transformation of thesituation. Even though d1ey'regrieving,thereissomeone whocan benefit fromtheir loss,whoselife can bechanged forthebetter.

Why is organ and tissue donation important to allAustralians?

Organ andtissuedonation is important not just for Australians,buc for everyonein me world.Therearelots of peopledying from organ failure,suffering wim organ failure. Thecurrentstatistics showtherearearound 1500peopleinneedof atransplant, and

more man l0,000 Australians on dialysis. Often, peopledie waiting for a transplant. When atransplanthappens,d1eir lives aretransformed.

Rather than confinehealthy organstoburial orcremation, d1ereis a need totransform chatorganfor anewuse. Peoplecan become fathers and mod1ersagain to their children, contributetosociety by workingagain it's something you can't put intowords.Jc goes to d1e altruismof tbe donor andtheir family.

What faith and cultural groups i.nAustralia support organ and tissue donation?

As far as I understand,almost everyone supports organ andtissuedonation.Most majorreligions aresupportiveand soare most cultural groups.This is a l1Lm1an thing. Most of die time peoplewaneto donate, but might beconcerned.\Vithom the facts,grievingfamiliessometimes make decisions diat arenot in linewith their lovedonesdesires,sowe needtodispel d1e misconceptions.

Is someone more likely to receive a transplantfrom another person who has a similar ethnic background?

Officially,transplants arenot screenedor matchedaccordingtoraceor ethnicity, but themedicalcriteria doctorsuse means someonewhohasasimilar ethnic backgroundwillprobably beagoodmatch. Thebestmatchisusuall)1a siblingorfamily member, but there is alsoa greaterlikelihood of agoodmatch wid'lin the samebroader ethniccommunity. Every raceshouldact on d1eissue of organ andtissuedonation.

Why is it important to register on the Australian Organ Donor Register?

Ir is important for an individual to consider and makeup their ownmind about donation.Then, it is about howthey

,, There are 3 steps to becoming an organ donor -

Discover, Decide, Discuss ,,

communicate d10sewishes tod1eir family. Previously, peoplecouldmarkthemselves as organdonors on their driver'slicense, but \Ve found there were toomanyproblems with d1at system,soit is nolonger an option.

How do you register to become and organ and tissue donor?

Therearethreesteps weaskpeopleto undertakein becoming anorgan andtissue donor:

Discover - learn the facts about organ donation, Decide-makeyour own,personal decision, Discuss - communicatewid1your loved ones

Thereis a way toregister online,whichis an incredibly easy process,oryou canput your wishes formally in writingmrough printed forms availablefromMedicare.

Do you need to tellyourfamily what your donation decisions are?

It is vital to teUyour fauuly aboutyour decision.Evenif youdecide todonate, at dietimeit willhappenyou will be unconscious andunabletocommunicate yourwishes. It is your familywhowill ultimatelymal,ethedecision, andthey can overturnthewishes of anindividual. Butd1estatisticsshowwhenit donationis discussedwith the family whilethepatient wasalive,they almost never overturntheir loved one'swishes.Tt is themost important thing totalltabout it with your family.

DonateLife ThankYouDayisSunday 20Novembe 2016. 1hisisAustralia's nationaldaytoacknowl.edgeHuingand deceasedorganandtissuedonorsand thefrfamilies.Formoreinformationvisit donatelife.gov.au

ove1s ■■■

A weekend with Sathya Sai at Normanville

After driving with friends for more than an hour, through green androlling hills and meadows, dottedwithcows andsheep,we arrivedat thesprawling Dzintari Latvian Camp at NorrnanviUe. \Y/e were there for a weekendcamporganised bythe SathyaSai Organisation, SouthAustralian Chapter, themed 'Love is ' Mydaughter and I hadlooked forwardto this withexcitement.

Normanville is about 84kmsouthof Adelaide. Situatednext tothemouth of the BungalaRiverit isthe largest regional centre onthe western side of the Fleurieu peninsula.

The camp siteitselfhadquite a few dormitories with bunk-sryle beds,a large kitchen cumconference haU,vast surrounding paddocks andthe view of the ocean.This mokthecake, andwhenever

Istepped out, I foundmysdf staring open-mouthed.Appearinglike avastbowl because of the hills at thetwoends, the changelingwaterwasattimes molten silver andclear blue,greeny-gold,or sunset pinkhuedat others.

The programme had the morningwakeup song or S1tpmbbata111toSwami,as Sathya Sai Babais lovingly called, foUowedbylead

andfollowstyledevotional singing. I theJ1 leadashort yogaandPranayamasession, whichwas followedbybreakfast.

There were at least 100 people, young and old,some havingcome for the entire weekendandothers asdayvisitors. Fivemonch-oldbabyOjas and75years young Amma, as she is known toaUof us, formed the twoends of thedelightful spectrum.

Childrenasyoungas five,alongwith older girls andboys, \vokeearly, ate heartily andplayed non-stop,be it basketball,soccer, mini-golf orboard games.Theyattended just acouple of sessions in die conference hall andled the Bhajans one evening.

Weadults hadthepleasure of attending rivetingtalksof aformer student, Amitabh Duttagupta, fromthe Sad1ya Sai Educational Institutions,basedin Puttapard1i, India. He rookus up anddown an emotional roller-coaster ride asheshared snippets frornhislife in Purtapard1i blessed bySaiBaba's constantphysicalpresence.

Laughter andmoisteyes alternated listening to his memories as be unfoldedhis heart before us.

There wereod1erspeakerstoowhowere interesting andengaging,allworking around the central theme.

The small group of ladies whocooked aUd1roughthe weekend wereinspirational,

HUGE SAVINGS ON PREMIUM TILES

cooking andservingin time w.ith happysmiles and banter.

Anysdf-respectingcamp shouldhave abonfireand sowe did,andbygolly, what a huge bonfire d1at was! MarshrnaUows and hot chocolate viedwithdancing aroundthefire msongs both devotional and general.

Wewere fullysatisfied bythe boo.fire, mymusicloving litde one and me.

The Rames,theglow of die fire,the people,the food at the heart ofeachevent we feltthetheme 'Love is' shining mroughus,andwe arelonging for tbenextcamp already.

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ARIES March 21 - April 19

An interesting and busy month for you, as you will be fully involved in organising work, family and your relationship.You seem to be on a mission to get things sorted out, as we come to the end of the year. You will be feeling relaxed andhappy about your relationship. The cards are indicating that your finances are improving. There may be some concerns about health and it is advised you make sure you go for a check-up.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

This month shows you being very dedicated to your partner and making sure that you are getting things right in your relationship. Work will be hectic and there will be extra work coming your way. There may be an opportunity for an increase in salary, and some travel is indicated too. Finances should be getting better and you will be looking at savings plans. Take some time out to relax andspend time with the family.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

This month you will be feeling full of energy and looking forward to a move. The cards are indicating movement - either a house or an office move. Relationships will be much happier and peaceful. There may be some upset in the family, but there will be a lot of strength between you. Finances will be healthy and you will need to keep saving. A trip will be planned for early next year and you will need the time off.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

This month you will be feeling a little frustrated with your love life; there may be a lack of understanding or togetherness with your partner. You will need to make sure you are able to communicate with the one you love. Financially you will be planning to make some new investments and making larger purchases. New recruits at work will look to you for advice and help. A busy time at work ahead.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

�-��yr.1 This month you will need to be careful with your spending and also make sure you are not over doing it. There will be some bills that you will need to pay, including some money on your car.You will need to take care of paperwork and make sure everything is in order. Take care of your health too and make sure you do not over do things, beware of careless accidents. Take the plunge with the one you love.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

This month you will bespending time with the family and relishing the time together. There will be some business plans to put in place and financial gains to be made this month. Work will be stressful and demanding, so you will take some time off. There may be some finances coming to you that have been owed for a while. Family will .., visit thismonth and you will be feelinghappy and relaxedin their company. A happy time.

PREDICTIONS FOR NOV 2016

BYNANCYJADE ALTHEA

LIBRA Sept 23 - Oct 22

This month will bean exciting and fulfilling month for you with your partner.You will be feeling very connected and in love, and wanting to experiment and spend time together. The cards indicate a time when you may be looking at changing your job and opportunities will be very tempting. You may be looking atstarting a new exercise and eating regime. You may also start meditating. It will be time to make those long overdue changes in lifestyle.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month you will be feeling a little upset as your love life seems a bit unhappy and tense. The cards suggest that you need to give yourself a break and decide what you want to do and how you want to go about it. Life will be very busy and you will be financially stable. There will be a lot of social gatherings that you will be invited to, and you will have a chance to meet old friends.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

This month you will be planning some new adventures and holidays with your family. It seems like you have been very busy working and now need to take some time off. Your partner may be feeling a little unwell due to over stress in their job, so look after them. There will be some happy news from within the family about a new addition. Some projects you have been contemplating may come to fruition this month.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month is going to be a very busy and productive month for you. You are on a mission to increase your finances and work hard. There will be some interesting developments with projects. You will be speaking to someone very interesting who may end up working with you - it will all be productive. Relationships will sizzle with enthusiasm and you will be happy and content.You may be planning to travel. Exciting times ahead.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

This month will be a very busy month for you. It will see you doing a lot more of your personal work, and you will also be busy in your regular job. You might plan a holiday with the family and take time out for relaxing. Financially you will be planning another purchase of a property or other large purchase. You may be thinking of changing your furniture and redecorating your home. Life will be hectic but fun.

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

This month you will be planning to meet some old friends you have not seen for some time. You may be feeling low on energy so you will need to take care of your diet. At work you may be asked to do extra hours as it will be very busy.You may be looking at purchasing a new car. Takesome time out to rest and relax as you have been working very hard lately with very few breaks

SHIVAAY

STARRING: Ajay Devgn, Erika Kaar, Abigail Eames and Sayyeshaa

DIRECTOR: Ajay Devgn

1rk:r- ,,..�,

"Tum mein Shivajaisa kya hai," the lady asks Devgan lustfully.

I held my breath wondering what he will show her. Relax. It's just the tattoos which make ourhero so loftily heroic. Just to drive home the hero's anointed

status, we have the noisy background I score where star-stuck choruses chant in unison about Shiva, the Destroyer, I blah blah blah.

I Shivaay is so steeped in selfimportance,so awed by its own intendedgrandeur, it seems the makers forget there is a story to tell. The story is there to tell, but the plot is propelled forward in stuttering staccato waves of melodrama and action. It's like Shekhar Kapurdesperately tries to shake hands

with Rohit Shetty. But they just can't seem to find a meeting-ground. Not in thisAjayDevgn-directed lopsided melange of mayhem and melodrama.

At one point in this tedious homage to mountain climbing and cross-cultural copulation, debutante Sayyeshaa (she could do better, I'm sure) tells us that she wanted to help Ajay because "superheroes comic books ke baahar nahin milte".

Precisely the problem inShivaay. It wants to make Ajay a larger-thanlife superhero, the kind that may look appealing in a comic book but appears amply askew in areal-life situation.

And I use "real life" with much reservation.

Shivaayis as real as 300or Baahubali, minus the comfort of escape into fantasy. Devgn plays a whole lot of superheroic roles all in the course of one film.

He is a mountain climber (ala Sylvester Stallone in the disastrous Cliffhanger), and an unabashed explorer of uncharted territory. That includes a Bulgarian woman Olga (Erika Kaar, listless and clueless). The two are soon shown getting intimate and passionate, while the censor board looks the other way. This is after all, Ajay's first stab at on screen passion, and we all must step back reverentially for the grand occasion.

The fruits of the passionate liaison is a little girl Gaura (Abigail Eames), who alas is vocally impaired. Gaura, I suspect, has been written as a mute character to accommodate the young foreigner actress' inability to converse in Hindi. I really can't be blamed for being paranoid about the scriptural contrivances. Shivaay is cluttered with them.

The plot moves from trying to be a Masoom inreverse(illicitliaisonand the complications thatensue when the child gets insistently precocious) to being a clamorous wannabe clutteredand

confused adaptation ofPierre Morrel's Taken where Liam Neeson rescued his teenaged daughter from fesh traders. Some such catastrophic eventuality crops up in the narrative, like an uninvited viral fever, when oursuperhero Shivaay's half-Bulgarianspeechless daughter insists on meeting her mother who has by then, upped and left.

Recently, we saw the calamitous incidents that awaited the father and daughter when they took offto meet the girl's motherin the Koreanfilm Train To Busan. But in oilinghis triple tattoos, catering to his demanding daughter and saving the world, I doubt Shivaay has time to watch Korean films.

He does seem to have watched Taken closely. The actionscenes are shot with the uni-focusedsingularity of a screen hero who wants to give the audience enough thrills to forget the Hollywood super-hero films.

Alas,it's alosingbattle.Shivaay is a cumbersome over-blown actiondrama. While the stunts are quite engaging at times, the drama is unbearable and unintentionally funny. It is hard to even bear the characters, let alone devote nearlythree hours of time to them. The performances are partially to blame.

Ajay's strong-and-silent act had been done to death. Mercifully, he doesn't try comedy here as he did in ActionJackson. Sad to see talented actors like Vir Das and Saurabh Shukla wasted in sketchily written parts.

Aseem Bajaj's cinematography captures the bleak foreboding mood of the plotmuch betterthanany of the actors.Shivaayis not the light, fun, crackerjack Diwali film you'd like to sit through this festive season. It is laden with an overbearing darkness which eclipses all of the film's efforts to pull us into its embrace. The proceedings get so edgy that they finally topple over.

Subhash K. Jha

INDIAN LINK RADIO APP

AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL

STARRING: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, RanbirKapoor, Anushka Sharma, Fawad

Khan DIRECTOR: KaranJohar

1rlrl�·.'.(

Let's get thisstraight. Karan Johar loves his films to look beautiful. He works towards gleaming, pol shing and grooming his locations and actors as though he were building a Taj Mahal for Gen-Y to rest its reposeful romanticism.

Ae Di/Hai Mushkil (ADHM) is one good-looking film with actors who epitomise human beauty. True, they strive helplessly towards reaching the inner core of their being to obtain a spiritual centre to match that abundance of physical beauty. That synchronised connectivity between innerand outer beauty escapes the f lmmaker, as well as his characters who are heard mouthing some beautiful poetry that seems ordered online.

It's all very designer-designer in

ADHM. You know, like kitchen interior and living room walls in a home decoration magazine. But nonetheless pretty to look at and enormously gratifying forthe high level of visual aesthetics thatKaran invests into his frames. Full marks to cinematographer Anil Mehta forshooting Karan's locations and actors with an intensity that frequently betrays theirshallow interests in life.

Though there are four pivotal characters in the capricious quadrangle, the focus is entirely on Ranbir and Anuskha who seem determined to make a tamasha out of their togetherness. And I do mean that literally. If lmtiaz Ali's Tamasha had paired Anushka with Ranbir, this would have been what Tamasha would have looked like. Thank the casting director, Deepika Padukone. Ranbirand Anushka, in no-brainer mode, whoop it up like two kids at a theme birthday party blowing up condoms in the mistaken belief that they are balloons. Not that Karan's vision would allow even a nip of non-

vegetarianism. ADHM is an exceedingly pure take on love, of the unreciprocated kind.

Ranbir's Ayaan loves Anushka's Alize.

They have a lot of fun togetherand are constantly exploring the wild juvenile side to their personality. But she f nds him to be justfriendship material. Now what was that Deepika film where lmran Khan faced the same crisis of credibility. Ah yes, Break Ke Baad.

You will spot a likeness to many recent romcoms including Karan Johar's own Kabhi AlvidaNaa Kehna in this mish-mash of maudlin emotions and mushy poetry. By the time Fawad Khan saunters in as Anushka's object of adoration, we are physically exhausted by the juvenile antics of the RanbirAnushka pair.

While Ranbir behaves like the guy from Barfi! fused with the dude from Tamasha, both cloned into the angstridden singer in Rockstar, Anushka's chirpy high-octave act is doomed into self-destruction but salvaged by her spontaneity. Surely, she can do better

than get typecast as the new avatar of Preity Zinta.

Fawad's entry is welcome and his exit baff ing. Why does he reject Anushka's love? If you are a Fawad fan, his meagre presence and sketchy role will infuriate you. There is also a paucity of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the plot. She looks svelte and extremely fetching. And her character spouts poetry with arresting allure. But her presence in Ranbir's Ayaan's life is never ratified beyond a scratch-level attraction.

It is not that these characters are not capable of deep-level breathing. It's only the directorwho keeps them af oat on the surface of a very blue, very tranquil, very scenic ocean. The scenic invariably overpowers the cynic in KaranJohar's cinema. He loves the good things in life and dislikes the thought of the make-up being washed by tears of desolation.

Consequently, we see the characters in ADHM not as individuals but an amalgamation of the surface beauty that Karan accumulates in his vision and invests on the screen in the hope that the audience finds a centre to the placid conflicts.

That is not to be.

By the time ADHM gets into a full-on Devdas mode, we are in no mood for tragedy. But what to do? Karan Johar won't let his characters enjoy theirselfinf icted painwithout a pay-off. These people love the good life and must pay a price forit.

Ranbiris adept at exhibiting designerangst. But his feelings for the 'heartless' woman never rises beyond youthful desire. At heart, he remains a philistine who thinks Mohammed Raf cried rather than sang. "Ae di/hai mushkil jeena yahan "

Subhash K.Jha

UP-TO-DATENEWSONWHAT'S HOTAND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

KJOJUSTCAN'T CATCH A BREAK

From the momentthe trailerofAe Oil Hain Mushki/was released, this movie hasfaced nothing but controversy,from the intimate scenes between Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,to Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's involvement in the film. And yet again, Karan Johar has found himself in trouble with the mention oflegendarysinger Mohammad Rafi in the film.

In AeOil, actressAnushka Sharma says, "Mohammed Rafi gaate nahi, rote the (Mohammed. Raft used tocry, notsing)."

Rafi's son Shahid, criticised the film's director KJo forincluding a dialogue in the film that hefound insultingto his father.

"This isso insulting. I am ashamed of Karan Johar. I didn't expect this from him atall. My dad hassungsongsfor Karan's father (Yash Johar) and this iswhat he has done now," Shahid said. "I haven't seen the film yet. Whoever has written this dialogue is an idiot. He doesn't knowwho Rafi saab was. He was the most versatilesinger. How can hewritesuch crap about a legendary singer?"

Shahidis expecting an apologyfrom Karan.

He said: "The damage has been done.So manypeoplehave watched thefilm. I don'tthink he is evengoingto editthat part. All I expect from Karan is an apology letterfrom him."

Mohammed Raft,who delivered innumerablehitsongs like Kya hua tera wada, Baharon phool barsao, Likhe jo khat tujhe and Chura liya hai tumne jo di/ko, died in 1980.

Talkingabouthisfather'sfans,Shahid said: "It'sbeen 36yearsand still hisfan following is only increasing day by day. Peopletend toforgetsingers injust a few days but look at myfather's body of work and his fan followers. I have received close to 9,000 messages on my Facebook accountfrom my father's fans who are readyto protestagainstthis. Hisfanswill protest."

AMITABH BACHCHAN'S DIWALI PARTYBRINGS

B-TOWN TOGETHER

Diwaliwould be incompletewithout a big Bollywood Diwali bash. The Bachchansof Bollywood turned hosts fora star-studded Diwali partywhich sawseveral movie celebrities - all dressed in ethnicwearto live up the festivefervour- in attendance.

The Bachchan family looked more or less colourco-ordinated for thefestival, which wascelebrated on 30 October.

While Jaya Bachchan decided to breakthe monotony by donning a shimmery,green and red salwar-kurta, Amitabh, Aishwarya and Abhishektook the limelight away, clad in off-white and white Indian outfits.

Big B dedicated the festival oflights to Indian soldiers. "A light forthem that sacrifice theirlivesforus," he posted onTwitter, with photographs which featured his houseglisteningwith lights, in the background as he lit up a phoo/jhadi (sparkler).

The grand party was attended by guests like Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Ranbir Kapoor, Kabir Khan, Vidya BaIan, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif, Mika Singh, Mukesh and Neeta Ambani. Jackie and TigerShroffwere seen in photographs captured. and posted onsocial media by Bipasha and Karan Singh Grover.

Others present were Sonu Sood, Shraddha Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Amrita Arora, Aditi Rao Hydari, RajkumarSantoshi, AftabShivdasani, Bhavana and Chunkey Pandey, Kirron Kherwith son Sikander, Dia Mirza, Prasoon Joshi, Konkona SenSharma, JP Dutta with family, Neha Dhupia and Remo D'souza.

Karan posted images on lnstagram, where hewas seen posingwith Sanjay, Bipasha, designer RockyStar, and party hosts Abhishek and Aishwarya.

"Thankyouso much Abhishek, Ash, Mr Bachchan and Jaya Ji for being such awesomehosts! We had a blast," Karan wrote, captioningthe image.

Fashion designer Manish Malhotra also shared a photograph with Aishwarya and captioned it as: "With thevery beautiful Aishwarya Rai in M Malhotra world. Fun, Diwali, celebrations."

RANBIR IS THE BESTACTOR:

AAMIR

Superstar AamirKhanis overwhelmed with actor Ranbir Kapoor's performance in Ae Oil Hai Mushkil and calls him agreatartist.

AamirtooktoTwitterto laud filmmaker Karan Johar's directorial venture.

"Just saw 'Ae Oil .'. What a flm! I

justloved it! Karan has hit the ball out ofthestadium. Ranbir, Aishwarya and Anushka havejust killed it. Ranbiris the best actor! Period! A mustsee!"

Aamir posted.

RISHIWANTS 'INCH PINCH' ON RANBIR

After Ranbir Kapoor copied a scene from hisfather Rishi's Chandni in Ae Oil Hai Mushkil, theveteranactor isnow keen to do a "take off" on hisson.

ATwitter user shared a video ofa sequence in the film with Ranbir and Anushka Sharma in it, terming itthe "bestthingabout Ae OilHai Mushki/".

Respondingto that, Rishi posted: «Well that's myson's take off on me in ADHM. Soon I shall do a take off on him. Inch pinch."

Filmmaker Karan Johar's Ae Oil Hai Mushkil released ahead ofthe festive occasion of Diwali. It minted Rs 35.60 crore in itsopeningweekend.

CELEBS WISH HAPPY BIRTHDAYTO KING KHAN

Shah Rukh Khan, whose career of 28 years has seen him charm the audience, first as an anti-hero and then asthe undisputed Kingof Romance, celebrated his 51st birthday on 2 November.

The actor has been working nonstop forthe pastfewmonthsshooting Raees, Dear Zindagl and lmtiaz Ali's next flm, and he rang in his birthday with his family in Alibaug.

Unlike lastyear, Shah Rukh did not hold any press conference, but he returned to his house 'Mannat' the day after his birthday celebrations and waved for hisfanswhowere waiting outside the bungalow toget a glimpse ofthesuperstar.

His low-keyfestivities also didn't stop celebs from wishing him a Happy Birthday on social media.

Director, and SRK'sclose friend, Farah Khan wrote, "A million memories, a 1000 shared dreams n 100s of insidejokes!! friendships rmade of these! happy birthday @iamsrk maythe force b with u!!".

Reel-life Dhoni, SushantSingh Rajput also tweeted: "Real Magic iswhen u can't understand the craft & u don't

even want to, U just want to look at it in Wonder #HBDWorldsBiggestStar@ iamsrk."

Shah Rukh tweeted in reply, "Thank you everyone who came from all over the world to wish me. U make me feel sospecial & loved. Really this is the best moment for me."

He further tweeted, "If I could, I would jump amidst you. So that you could take me home. Thank you all for coming and making my birthday so special. Love you!"

ANUSHKA SHARES A SPECIAL EQUATION WITH SRK

Actress Anushka Sharmasays she shares a very special equation with Shah Rukh Khan as the superstar was herfirst hero.

After making her debut in Bollywood in 2008withRabNe Bana DiJodi opposite SRK, she went on to starwith him inJab Tak HaiJaan. And soon, they will recreate the magic on the big screen with lmtiaz Ali's The Ring.

"It's our third film together I share a very special equation with him because he was my first actor. I am very comfortable with Shah Rukh. lmtiaz is someone whom I've always wantedto work with.Jab We Met is the reason why I have become an actress. To work with the same director, is a great feeling. It's been a good experience and

it's a love story," Anushkasaid.

The actress is also producing her second film Phillaur/. She says it's a big risk to invest money in a film.

"It's difficult. It's a big risk.Youknow it's not a money generating thing for you, especially when you are a new producer. So, for me and my brother it's just to put the project together. If you are an actoryourself, you are not a liability on it. Youare not taking too much money. You have to find means to save money so that the project doesn't get affected."

ALIA BHATT: I ADMIRE SHAH RUKH KHAN AS A WORKER

Actress Alia Bhatt is beaming withjoy upon working with superstar Shah Rukh Khan - who she admires for his professionalism - in DearZindagi.

"It was absolutely amazing. It was such a beautiful experience to work with him. He is so professional," Alia gushed.

Since her debut projectStudent of the Year in 2012, Alia has delivered laudable performances in films like Highway, 2 States, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Kapoor &Sons and Udta Punjab. Gauri Shinde's DearZindagi marks the first time that she will appear in a film with Shah Rukh. And she is

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

KAREENA KAPOOR or PARIS HILTON in PHILLIPP PLEIN?

+ Share your views with us on our Facebookpage /IndianLinkAustralia

ecstatic about the project.

"I admire him as a workerso much because he is so good to work with and be around on the sets," said Alia, who is the daughterof filmmakerMahesh Bhatt and yesteryearactress Soni Razdan.

THERE ARE GREY SHADES TO SRK'S CHARACTER IN RAAES

DirectorRahul Dholakia says the audience will be surprised to see Shah Rukh Khan in a role with grey shades in his upcoming film Raaes.

"There are a lot of grey shades to his (Shah Rukh's) character. He is playing an interesting character. He has done a great job. He is brilliant in the film people will be amazed to see him like this," Rahul said in an interview.

"It's a big film forme. One needs to do his best and I have given my best," he said.

SHAHID KAPOOR WILL ADD IMMENSE VALUE TO PADMAVATI: RANVEER SINGH

Fora few weeks now, several rumours about Ranveer Singh's demands with regard to his upcoming movie, Padmavati, have been doing the rounds.

"At the beginning of the year, Mr (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali (film-maker) spoke to me about it, saying that he wants to make a film called Padmavati with me. I thought it was going to be a beauty versus the beast or the heroine versus an anti-hero kind of a story. I was very excited and committed to it," Ranveer told the Hindustan Times.

"Then, I went to shoot Befikre, while the scripting (for Padmavati) was on. When I came back and read the script, there was a prominent third part. I told him what I thought about the script."

As a policy, I never get into the casting decisions of afilm, unless my opinion orsuggestion is asked for.

We had that discussion and I clearly, told him that, "We should get the best possible actorto play this part." And I am very excited about Shahid coming on board. I think he's a brilliant actor and an amazing inclusion to our team. He will add immense value to the film."

What's the chitchat between AISH and RANBIR in this throwback snap?

Send in yourresponsesto win@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize

What's the chitchat between FAWAD KHAN and KARAN JOHAR?

Ae Di/ Hai Mushkil

Jeena Yahan, Zara

Hat Ke, Zara Bach Ke

Yeh Hai India Meri Jaan

JASPREET KAUR, Springfield, QLD wins a ticketto

Ae Di/ Hai Mushkil

Maturedtoperfection

Tell-talesigns don't lie about your real age

BY LP AYER

Iamheadingcowards achronological milestone before cbe end of this year.

My family wants to celebrate thisevent and announce co thewholeworldmy age thatI have zealously guarded as my very personaldarn I an,notoverlyenthusiastic about theirplan,but,acthesametime,do nor wantcobe apartypooper.

1Yf),reticence to disclose my age has been bequeathed tome bymy father. one of bis fourchildreneversucceededin finding our their exact dare of birth.There wasno birth certificate officially issuedinhisera. 1have noofficial birch certificate either, having been bornin pre-Independencedays in asmall village. The cuscomtherewas to inform the village 'vmnsifof one'schild's birch, for him co record in adog-eared register. Soit was not difficultco followmy father's traditionin dodgingmy children's queries co find ommy DoB.

MoseIndians have twobirthdaysevery year-an actual DoB accordingtoEnglish calendar,and their 'star'birthday. Since the latter is arnoving target occurring on a differentdateeachyear,my childrenhave never been able to work ourmy DoB.

Andnow thewhole world will know soon.Infact,half theworldalready knows asI have todeclare this co faceless persons atthe other end of cl1ephone every time Imake any enquiry of a financial nature. lndeed,you disclosemuchelse as well,like your dog'sname andotheridentifiers.So much for privacy!

Howevermuch onemay trynot co reveal one's age,somecell-talesigns silently and stealthilycreep up on youwith advancing years. Any amount of standingin front of amirror rnuttering "Oh, not bad"won't minimise theravages thatagehas wreaked upon you. Itis just an exercise in delusion like myyoungishlooking picture on this page.

As the yearsadvance,greyhair aces as adarkremindercliatyour colourfulyouth is adistantmemory.Criticalsenses like

hearing and seeing fade away. But counter-measures are available. Glasses not onlyhelp to regain sight, they can alsobe used as afashionstatement.But stickinghearing aids in your ears scilJhas astigma.The

'neverstoop toconquer' attitude of younger days may continue coprevail, but astoop seamlessly conquers the spinal cord.

Jf only apharma company coudl develop aViagrafor vertebra,what a boon it wouldbe for my bowing backbone!

Our fridge tooserves as acoolreminderofmy growing old gracefully?

Fridgemagnets from variouseateries cl1atonce adorned its door are now replaced wicl1 onesfrom medical specialists. In fact, they hold the doorin place. The bedside cabinet is bursting with capsules of various colours.The kitchen pantry toohas changedits look wicl1new fad healcl1 foodsreplacing my once favourite cakemix and cream bikk.ies.

Just

Memory is another faculry fallen victim to the vagaries ofadvancingyears. As abornAMP (absentmindedperson),I used co spendhourssearching for my keys andwallet Now addedtothelist is the mobilephone,modernmiracletime-saver. But 1 spendmore time looking for it than using it. It ismoremobile than myself, left easily anywherein the house,carorgarden. Friends christenedmy previous phonenot BlackBerry bur black brick,because of its size and weight. Now I have asmartphone, maybe tomake up theloss of mysmarmess with slippingwith years. Itis aBP (budgetpriced) item. I haveno burning ambition co buy anew Samsung oran iPhone that will burn ahole in my pocket.My new

Know Thyself as So I

Youare a soul ofa permanent unchangeable nature, and if you would live as a soul, you would neverbe affected or changedby outer changes.

Nurtureyourspiritual life throughmeditationonthe innerLightUyoti)andSound (Naad)andrealiseyourtrue self. Alleventsarefree. for further information 1800 462 193 www.knowthyself.org

phoneisstealinghours of my shortening lifespandue toits slim sizerenderingit harder ro find.Wish someonewouldinvent amicrochip tobeembeddedin one's arm cofunction asaphone so cl,at it isnever misplaced.Don'tsee thathappening inmy lifetime,though

Meanwhile let me nor forgetco nun up at theevent my family isplanning to celebrate my life journey of having sighted athousand fullmoons.

It is aprivilege tohave travelled this far.

-Sant BaljitSingh

,, Anyamount of standing in front of a mirror muttering

"Oh, not bad" won't minimisethe ravagesthat age has wreakeduponyou ,,

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