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NRI opportunities for the government of India

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

wegocoprint, Indiahas st celebrated its 14"'Pravasi harariyaDivasinBengaluru. eraldedasthelargestever gatheringof overseas Indians,the event was attended,asperofficial estimates,by over7,000delegates,

of whom1500were Ris and500 wereAoating Rls.Thisfromover 30,000,000NRls globally.Yes,lessthan 0.007% of thetargetaudiencewere in actendance.

Oncetheannual conferenceis over,it maybeworthwhilefor thoseincharge to questionwhether there isabecter waycoengagewithglobal.Indians.That theywanttoengageisclear fromthe ongoingstagingof the PravasiBharatiya Divas(PBD),butis thisannualtalk

theircitizenshiporresidencestatus,they areless of aresponsibilityof theIndian government.Yet,whatthe NRIhas to offer toIndia,should be enoughof an incentiveforthe Indian government toworkthroughways of greater engagement withthiscommunity.

The30million non-residentIndians arelargelyhighlysuccessful in their newcountry. Accordingtoan estimate from aleadingUS source,''If NRis wereacountry,theirGDPwouldbe in excessof US$800billion,equalto 40%of 1ndia'sGDP,even thoughtheir population isless than3%of resident Indians."There also isanestimate thatrRls' remittancestoIndiastood atUS$6891billionin2015,accounting forover4°/<,of thecotmcry'sGDP. Th.is isgrowingasmoreIndiansfanout acrosstheglobe.

inpassionforallthingsIndian.Justlook atthenunoutduringtheIndia-Australia cricketseries,ortherevenuefigures from Australia whenmajorBollywood blockbustersarereleased,tobecome awarethatwhilethe''Indiancanbetaken outof India,itishardertotakethelndia omof theIndian".

Email:

festwinningandmakingin.roadsinthe heartsandminds of the NRis?

Dotheydeservemorefromthe governmentof India?

Ononeband,whenNRlsrelinquish

Lookingatthe financialreturns alone,without cakinginto account thesoftpoweropportunitieswhich thiscommunitycanexert,chisisan e..'ttremely important resource which shouldbemarshalled andused cowork cowards India's growth.

Withanestimated500,000peopleof Indianoriginin Australia,wedorepresent averysmallpartof the'lndiaspora'.But whatwelackin numbers,wedomakeup

On amore practical basis,PBDdetails need tobecirculatedin thecommunity mucheadier intheyearrather than afew weekspriorto9January.MostIndian AustraliansplantheirIndiatripduring thisholidaytimemuchearlierinthe year,andknowingdetails of PBDmay allowforagreaterparticiparion.Perhaps workingonadelegationrepresenting Australian Indianstoattendas acohort, maybringfurthermomentum fromthe community PBDisburoneoccasionof themany oppornmitiesforthe Indiangovernment toengagewithd1elocalcommunity. Invitinggreaterinteractionfromthe communitysuch as an Australia India Dayforanopen forumtomeetwith consular officials,couldbe onesuchnew oppornmicy,bywayof example.

Afterall,the passionforproviding greateroppornmitiesforIndiaisshared bybothIndiangovernmentofficeshere, andd1e local.Indiancommunity.

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YOURSAY

ERA OFDHONl'S CAPTAINCYININDIAN CRICKET COMES

TOANEND

DatwanlChand wrote: Saluteto the determined Sultan! Let's hope many more are generated with him as a precedent.

THE FORGOTTENVICTIMS

DIPANJALI RAO reported on new research exploring the impact of gendered violence on children's health

nm Henry wrote: A great article. The subject is [hopefully] one of growth. It also makes me wonder about children who witness violence in the family home where the behaviour is accepted, the child may be conditionedto believe this is normal. In turn this will perpetuate the situation and its negative effects.

AnllCherukupalll wrote: Nice article, Dipa! This is really interesting research. Had always wondered about the impact of domestic violence on children. Beyond physical health parameters, it would be insightful to look at children's mental health parameters and how they are affected by IPV in the next stage of the study.

PrlyaSrinivasan wrote: Great piece thanks for sharing ApamaAnanthunl wrote: Critical research, and great writing!

A SEATFOR THOSEINNEED

Promoting goodwill on public transport, ROYSTON REBELLO reported on 11-year-old Anirudh's efforts to encouraging commuters to give up their seats to elderly, pregnant and disabled people

PhyslcalDlsabllltyCouncllofNSW wrote: We hope to see a few of you at Central Station!

BradRossiter wrote: I would like to be included, however the railline down the NSW South Coast ends at Bomaderry andI live further south. Makes rail travel impossible.

lntematlonal DayofPeoplewithDlsablllty @IDPwD retweeted Indian Link: Anirudh, who we've spoken about before, gets more love, this time from @indian_link! Happy #idpwd everyone!

ADANICOAL MINEUPDATE

Work will begin in 2017 on the Adanimine in Queensland, amid assurances the Carmichael mine will not hire foreign workers on 457 visas.

YaduSingh@dryadusinghtweeted: @indian_link Jobs and economic growth are absolutely necessary in the North.Assistancefor infrastructure is right.

LetItBeHeard @Let_lt_BeHeard tweeted: @indian_link Is there enough local manpower to support the Carmichael mine then? Mining doesn't seem to be a popular career choice today.

SAYIT AGAIN

DEMONETISATION: HOWTO LOSE FRIENDS ANDDISILLUSION PEOPLE

After his recent trip to India, THE MUMBAI MUMBLER was unimpressed with Modi's demonetisation

Vlkas Kesarwanl wrote: I think a decision of such a big magnitude requires time to make its effects known, and it is too early to make final decision for or against it. There will be troubled times expected with such decisions at large. This decision itself willnot increase corruption as hasbeen mentioned in the article.

What is foremostimportant is that the people who are opposing the issue the most in the media are the people who are not the big chunk of direct tax payers. They are the businessmen who transact a lot in cash, that too in millions of rupees (even the writer of the article is a businessman as it appears). Or they are the bunch of politicians who would be happier if this was a big blunder on the part of the government,but are the ones who have gone to the High Court and Supreme Court to get the ordinance back, which is a testimonial that they are badly effected to their roots and appear to be lost completely.

We have seen that the Indian media has tried hard to get people to speak bad words about the government's decision but failed. The opposition's tried to call for an allIndia bandh, but they failed. This shows the mood of the public who is largely incorrupt and wants India to change at any cost. At least it now appears that India is alive andthere are discussions of curbing corruption and people aresupportive in what so ever way. Let's wait and watch fingers crossed.

Uday Mitra wrote: I have read your article on the demonetisation issue. I entirely agree with the author on the points made.I was in India during 8 Nov to 20 Nov, and experienced firsthand the havoc it caused. The money I withdrew from the airportATM upon arrivalon 8 Nov proved to be valueless as soon as I stepped outside. The motive was noble, but the execution was poor having no regard for the plight of the ordinary Indians andsmall businesses. This does not even count the loss GDP for the country as a whole during the process. I couldnot believe that a highly intelligent, sophisticated country with its intelligent public service could prepare so poorly for such a significant step.

H.S.Subbaramalah wrote: Good review on demonetisation by The Mumbai Mumbler. Whether the purpose of the demonetisation of 86% of Indian currency achieves the target of our Prime Minister or not, one thing is definite, there will be a greater loss to the Indian national exchequer in the shape of lost man hours by bank employees andextremely co-operative citizens of India. They had/haveshown the utmost faith in the ability of our Prime Minister by standing for hours, undergoingallthe inconveniences mentioned above article. There is also the cost of printing the devastated currency as well as the new currency being printed with transportation and other overheads.

Apart from that, over100 people have died while standing in the queue, about 53 bank staff risked theirjobs, the income tax officials are on their heelsto catch the bulk depositors, an police are on watch to seize bulk money transporters. With all this, the city corporations and municipal councils got back longstanding arrears, along with some banks.A few money laundering persons made news on TV channels which are totallybusy in showing the hardship of the honest citizens of India struggling to restore their faith in an individual of their devotion.

KalaRaghunath wrote: Well, discomfort was a part of the deal but is not the entire story. I was there in India when this happened and my father was just out of hospital. I too found it very difficult, but the truth is most of us Indians do not really believe in following rules and they need to pushed down upon us by certain force to be implemented. The idea is brilliant but yes the implementation could have been better, but remember they had to keep this whole thing a secret so people suffering was always expected.

KlrltlMortha wrote: Here's more ammunition to counter people with 'Modiblinders' on!

WELCOMETOOZ!

We welcome the new High Commissioner of India to Australia HE. Dr. A.M. Gondane [pictured here presenting his credentials to the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable SirPeter CosgroveAK MC (Retd)]

AWINFORIFFM

PREETI JABBAL spoke with Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Festival Director of IFFM, after they won the 2016 MelbourneAward for Contribution to Multiculturalism by a Corporation

lndlan FIim Festlval of Melbourne wrote: A big big big shout out to Indian Link and Preeti Jabbal for this article. It has been days since we won and we still pinch ourselves sometimes to check if it wasn't a dream.

Mltumlndblowlng @mitublange retweetedIndian Link: Thank you for this wonderful write up @LordMayorMelb @MartinFoleyMP @IFFMelb #Melbawards2016 #Magicofmovies #diversityRocks

#BESTOF2O16 SERIES

WhyIgnoranceIs moredangerous than MusllmImmigration

This piece from RITAM MITRA sparked much debate on the dangerous ignorance and intolerance displayed by Sonia Kruger's comments

Aashath Kaamll wrote: Well written article. Full credit to the author Ritam Mitra.

Bikinis aswell as blndls

Perth beautyChandrikaRavispokewith our MIMAYoung Journalist of the Year NAM/TA GOHIL about her path to stardom

Chandrlka Ravi wrote: What a fun interview this was! Definitely one of my best of 2016's!

Trevor Pritchard wrote: So awesome!You're beautiful and a role model for others, Chandrika

Chura llya...l

She's still got it! RAKA SARKHEL on how Asha Bhosle rocked her Melbourne and Sydney concerts

Mahesh Berwal wrote: One of the best concerts I have beento.LoveAsha

WhattheIPLcan learn from the BBL SANAM SHARMA on what BCCI can learn from Cricket Australia about nurturing, managing, and promoting cricket

Aussie Phll wrote: I feel for you Sanam. It must be frustrating to see cricket bastardised as it is now in the IPL and at the same time see how it can be run if only the BCCI could come out of their bunker andsniff the air. I bet they are very well paid but is it value for moneyspent? Hang in there though, with shrinking viewers thesestick-in-muds may have to shape up or ship out. Time will tell.

High School,Check!

Year 12 finishers from 2015 shared their experiences with RADHIKA BHATIA Rusequlthe wrote: Thanks forsharing these inspiringexperiences of learning, Radhika. I was so impressed how you showed some individual experience for each person whojust graduated on from their course.

Spectacular f reworks lit up the Sydney sky

#happynewyear2017

Blpasha Basu

INTRODUCING A 24x7 TOURIST HELPLINE IN 12 LANGUAGES 1 LanguagesSupported E""l"llh,�A,lhlic,.fflKlt.a.-,i,,..,._��l(��lft(CluNw��•1wui..

1800-11-1363

Av•iabta(•IIdlya) 24x7

A 24X7TOURISTHELPLINE

........ 1363

The government of India has launched a 24x7 toll free tourist helpline in 12 international languages to provide information relating to travel and tourism in India for domestic and international tourists. The helpline will also be able to advise callers during times of distress, if any, while travelling in India and alert the concerned authorities, if required.

+JOIN THECONVERSATION

> LOG on to your own Facebook orTwitter account >TYPE "IndianLink" into thesearchboxat the top ofthe screen andclickon the linkthatcomes up

>CLICK 'Like' tojoin theIndian LinkFacebookcommunity or 'Follow' @lndian Link onTwitter

Truth is Om Puri and Naseerudin Shah were truly the greatest actors of their generation and we never gave them that recognition.

Prltlsh Nandy

Glad to see new energy, keen desire andstrong drive among our diaspora to connect more extensively with India's socio-economic transformation.

lndlan PM Narendra Modi

�ou re so cool.

Australia's GK Harinath among Pravasi awardees

DrGK(Hari)HarinachOAl\f, Chair of 1v[ulticulmra.LNSW, has beenawardedtheIndian Government's 2017Pravasi BharatiyaSamman Awardfor communityservice.

Heisamong30awardeesannounced in Bengaluruon9January atthe Pravasi BharatiyaDivas(PBD).

Indian-originPormgalPrimeMinister AntonioLuisSanwsdaCostaand IndianbornUSdiplomat NishaDesaiBiswalare someof theother high-profilewinners.

The 55-year-old Costa,aChief Guest atthethree-day 14thPBD(Non-Resident IndianDay)celebrations,isthesonof GoanfatherOrlandadaCosta.

AsaseniorIndian-Americandiplomat, the48-year-oldBiswal, whohailsfrom Gujarathas beenoverseeingtheUSforeign policyand relations with11 countries in the region from BangladeshtoUzbekistansince October21,2013.

CostaandBiswalhavebeenawardedfor publicserviceandpublicaffairs.

"Of theawardees,six arefromtheUS, two eachfromBritainandUnited Arab Emirates(UAE) andoneeachfrom27 ochercountriesthewoddover,"notedthe statement.

Fiveotheroverseas Indians fromdie

USsharingd1e honourswid1 Biswal areHariBabuBindalfor environmentalengineering,Bharat HaridasBarai, MaheshMehta andRameshShal1forcommunity service andSampatkumar ShidranrnpaShivangifor community leadership.

Priti PatelandNeenaGillare theawardeesfromBritainfor publicservice.

VasudevShamdasShroff and IndiaSocial andCulturalCentre from AbuDhabi intheUAEare mewinnersforcommunityservice andphilanthropy.

Two moreorganisationsAntwerp Indian Associationin BelgimnandSingaporeIndian Association inSingapore have beenhonoured with theaward for communityservice.

Theotherwinnersfor communityserviceare),Naseer Abamed1fohamedZackiriah (Brunei),NalinkumarSuman.LalKothari (Djibouti)and ArifulIslam(Libya).

Od1er twowinners for publicservice are Pravind KumarJugunath(Mauritius) and WinstonChandarbhan Dookeran (Trinidad &Tobago).

RaghunachMarie AntoninManet (France)andSandip KumarTagoreQapan) baggedhonoursforartsandculture. Ocherawardeesare1-fokundBhikhubhai Purohit(Canada) andSusbeelKumarSaraff (Thailand)for business;Vinod Chandra Patel(Fiji)forsocialservice;Lael Anson

E.Best (Israel)formedicalscience;TanSri DatoMuniandyThambirajah(Malaysia) for education&communityservice; RaghavanSeecharan1an(Qatar)forbusiness management;Zeenat MusarratJafri (Saudi Arabia)foreducationand CataniBalaraman Sanjeevi (Sweden) formedicine.

BYKIRA SPUCYSTAHAR

Alone andfrightened.The youngboy,just fiveyearsold, waitsfor hisbrothertoreturn. Thinkinghisbrother ison board,the boyclimbsaboard awaitingtrain whichtakeshim thousands of kilometresacross India.

HeLives onthe streets of Kolkatafor several weeks,far fromhome,barely surviving

Urban India isnotkindtoyetanother child beggar.

ButJuel< shinesoutheyoungboy. He finds himself at ano.rphanage. Adoptedbyau Australian couple,John andSueBrierley,thelittle boygrowsupin Tasmania.

Twenty-fiveyearslater,hauntedby memories, bepainstakinglypiecestogether railwaylinesandsnippetsof memory,using GoogleEarthcotrackdownand reunite withhishometownandbirtl1motl1er.

The storyof SarooBrierleyandhis remarkablejourney,firstco Australiaand tl1enreturningcoIndiaon aquesttofind hisbirthmother,isnow well-known."It's notnormal,"Brierleyadmits."1t'sabsurd really."

Firstwrittenas an autobiographical book,A LongIW�yHome, theincredible storyisnowthesubjectof anew

Hollywoodfilm,Lio11,directedby Australia'sGarth Davis,starringDevPatel andNicoleKidman.

BrierleyneverforgothisIndian family, and thememoriesof histimein India never lefthim.

"It was definitelyscary.1 don't think tl1oseeventsyoucouldever forget. I

thinkit's scarredin mymemory,"Bi:ierley cellsIndianLink."Thosememorieswere daunting,but ultimatelythatintense memoryiswhathelpedmefindmyway home.Somepeoplewouldgo,'Youmust have beenso traumatised', butIthinkI wasguice resilient. I wasn't taughthowto decrypt it. Inever had therapyor anything likethat. It was left cometomake a decision aboutwhat]thoughtaboutic, howtoprocessit."

Resilience isakeytheme inBrierley's story. Hewrotethebookasa personal reflection inan attempttohelp andinspire otherswhohavebecomeseparated from theirfamily.

"I had beencarryingthis weightou myshoulders, but I achieved, Ididit," Brierleysays."Itwasabout sharingthat knowledge."

The harrowing,against-the-oddsstory hascaptivatedaudiences.

"Thishasbeen apowerfuljourneyand awhirlwind timeforme,"Brierleysays. "As Istep back, I realise there arethese themes-everythinghappensforareason. There wasthisnostalgia. Iwouldbear songsthatwouldbringmemoriesback. Watchingchildrenplayin nuclear families wouldbringmemories back.Ibad lotsof dreamson the astral projectsideof things. Ihad theseoutof bodyexperienceswhere 1wouldmaterialiseon thestreetsof my oldhometown.Thatkept tl1ememories alive, perpetuallyinmymind."

Reflectingon thepowerful abilityof the brain to adapt, Brierleysays,"The brain isafascinatingorganinstilledwith adaptability,instinct,emotions, ability to,,,ander.I followed thatand ledto myaccomplishment.This was justmy destiny."

J\fovingto Australia,growingupin Tasmania,Brierleysaysheneverreallyfelt singledomordifferent.

"I thinkthat was there,but I wasjust sousedcochangeandtransition.One

minuteI waswith myfamily.The next I wasona train, wantingfor,searching for myfamily.Then I wasinKolkata andthen in Australia. Changejust seems tobe with me,"hesays."There wasn't muchof an issue. Ididn't registerwhat people thought of me.Ijust tookita dayatatime and was grateful tobein alovingfamily."

Brierleywas involvedinthescript developmentof the film,but thenleftit up to thedirector andactorstotellhis story. "If you'vegot agreat script,it's up toeveryone elsetobringittolife."

He watched thefilm fortl1efirsttime togetherwithbisfamily.

"I washoldingon tomyseat sohardmy fingernails were digginginto theleather. I wassoenchanted,soenthralled.1should befeelingdesensitised,butit felt like1 was relivingthe wholethingagain. Icouldn't holdthosetearsin,"Brierleysays.''Atthe endof themo,rie weallgotupand had agroup hug.My dad turned come and said, 'I didn'trealisehowmuchyou went through.'Wehadtalkedaboutit,butthis reallyshowedhim."

Onthecastingof Dev Patel and ticole Kidman,Brierleysays,"l thinkitwas a good choiceof people. Nicole Kidman hasadoptivechildren and Dev Patel isan amaztngactor- fromSl11111dogMillio11aire,co Skins,to Chapp;e,therewasnobodybetter outtheretoplaythisrole.They'reboth wonderfulpeople,botl1on stage andoff stage,fullof effervescence and vitality."

Brierleymet withPateloverseveral hours,andtheactoralsostudiedhis characterthroughreadinghisbookand internetarticles.

"Henailed that Australian accent," Brierleysays."Hepersonifiesme really well. Andmyadoptivemotl1er andNicole Kidman talkedalot.Mum'secstaticshe gotNicoletoplayher."

Asanadoptee himself,Brierleyseesthe adoptionprocessas''a great thing" and hopes tl1e governmentwill help break

down the barriers.

"l'v[yparentsjust\Vanted tohelpa childin needof careand loveinstead of producingtheir own,"hesays."They should re-open the gates whichhave been shutfor abit.Wecanonlywish.You have people like Deboral1LeeFurness and icoleKidmantryingtoget things underway.Wecanonlyhopetheyhelp open those gates. And Ihopethismovie portrays thatcoo.Myparentsareso grateful tohaveus,butI'mevenmore gratefulfor beingwiththem.Theyhave shownnothingbut genuineloveforme andmybrother."

Since reunitingwith his Indian family, Brierleybasreturnedco India around 14 times iu thepast four years. He has boughthisbiologicalrnotherahouseand looksafterhisremainingsiblings They speakonthephoneat leasetwice amonth. Hesaysbewouldliketospendmoretime in India,seeingthecountry,travelling around asatmtrist.

"Beingin India, seeingtl1eold styleof buildings,visitingmyhometown,visiting mybiologicalmother,thefamilyhome, theorphanagein Kolkata,it'samental cleanser,"hesays.''Atthesame time,my parentsare herein Australia;1know the people,theculmre, the language.I get a bit homesick. Bothplaces aregreat."

,, Watching the film, it feltlike I was reliving the whole thing again. I couldn'thold those tears in ,, Saroo Brierley

Dev Patel on Lion

oclianoriginBritishactorDevPatel, wholos[theBesrPerformancebyan ActorinaSupportingRoleawardatthe 74thGoldenGlobestoAaronTa�-lotJobnson,inasurprisewinforNoct11mal A11imais,saysheneveragreestotakeupa projectthinkingaboutawards.

DevwaspittedagainscOscar-winning ...._ actorJeff Bridges,SimonHelberg, Mahershala AliandJohnsonfortheGolden Globe,whichwasbandedouta[aglittering ceremonyatBeverlyHills,Californiaon8 Janilllry.

Priortod1eceremony,Dev toldTANS overthephone: "lamnmreall>'holding tnybreath.Iamfeelingverygratefultoget nominatedinchecategory Beingjust26,1 stillhavealottolearn.IaruluckythatI aru ablecorepresentlndiaonaninternati.ooal stage."

Howimportant area,vardsforhim?

1'Iwouldbelyingif1saychat awards arenotamazing. Awardscanreallychange someone'scareer.Yougetrecognition.You mightgetscriptstha[you didn't geeearlier. ButInevercookupaprojecrthinJcingabout agoldenstatue,"saidtheactor,whomade his debutintheOscar-winningfilmSlt1111dog Millio11aire.

TalkingaboutUon,which hewas nominated,hesaid,''\X1henwewere shootingthisfilm,wewereshootingin difficultsiruations.Walkingoncberedcarpet wasthefarrhe5ttl1ingyoucangeeinmine!. It'sallaboutcharacters,thejourneyandthe story."

Uo11,basedonSamo Briecle}"sbest-selling autobiography"ALongWayHome",isa truestoryaboutanIndianboywhofalls asleep011atrainonlytowakeLlpandrealise heismilesawayfromhomeinastrangeland wherebedoesnotspeal,d1elanguage.He

experiencesmanychallengesbeforegetting adoptedbya coupleinAusrralia.Yearslater, besetsomtofindbislosrfamily.

This isn'trhefirsttimechat theactQr,with rootsinGujarat,isplayingacharacterwith anIndianconnection.InSl11111dogMillio11aire, heessayedtheroleofJamalMalik,whowas raisedind1eslumsofMumbai.Histhird film,Be.rtExoticMmigoldHotel,preseoced him asan Indianbotel manager.Hisnext, Hotel Pvlmllbai,isagainsetinIndia.Itisbasedon the2008terroristattackontheTajZ...1.ahal Pa.laceandTowerHotelinMumbai. Doeshewantpeopletorememberhim asrheactorwhorepresentedfndiaon internationalplatforms?

''Therey9ugo.Yousaiditfoanmshell. Absolutely.I wantrhewocldtoembrnce storiesfromln.dia.Itshows thatmarkets -HollywoodandEngland-aretryingto explorestoriesaboutpeople nocjustabout an Asian personora rich person.It's about humanity,"hesaid.

"\XlhenldecidedtodotbestoryonTaj, welookedpastd1ecolourandskinof the cha1."acters (andfocusedon)hdwsomeof thestaffwentoverandabovetoprotect theirguestsintimesofterror,"headded.

Askedaboutbeingattracted co"underdog stories"hesaid,"I'veneverbeenoneof thesupremelypopularkids.Ilookatthese storiesasindividualswhorisethrough adversiry and facechallenges.Suchstories providemeinspiration."

Butisitdifficnllforlnclianactorstowork inHollywood?

"No.\'iv'hacyouhavetodoismrnan obstacleintoanopportunity.l'velearntto embracemyidentityandnotshyawayfrom whoIaminlilmsthatIchoose.That'swhat hasgotmesofar."

Natalia Ningthoujam

� Australia Day

Indian television personality and currentaffairs commentatorAbhigyan Prakash in conversation with PAWAN LUTHRA

Hemaybeacharismaticcurrent affairspresenterontelevision, butAbhigyanPrakashisalsoan astutepoliticalanalyst.

Prakashhasbeenpresenting liveelectionanalysesforIndianelections, bothstateandparliamentary,since1996 (ElectionPoi11t,VoteKi]uni)lntenTiewing Primel'vlinistersandtopleaders,i\bhigyan hasbecomeknownforhisparticularstyleof presentation-direct,honestandcredible. Alongwithnationalissues,inthepastfive yearsthefocusofhishugelypopularshows Newspoi11tandM11kabalahasbeenonpolitical economy.

Here,heshareshisvie,vsonavarietyof issuesinafreewheelinginterview.

PawanLuthra(PL):TheDword, demonetisation,continuestobethetalk ofthetownamongstIndianstheworld over.PMModi'sstatedviewswerethat thiswillexposethosewithblackmoney, weedoutcorruptionandalso,tackle counterfeitcurrenc.-y.Nowtwomonths on,wherearewe?

AbhigyanPrakash(AP):Thekeyissue hereischatthepayouthasbeend1eproblem oftheprocess.Sincethearu1ouncementon 8November,2016,thepeoplehavebeen facinghugedifficulties,queuingupfor hoursatbanksandATMs,exchangingtheir notes.\Vhathasbeencriticisedthemost,is theprocessinwhichthisentireexercisehas beencarriedout.Betterplanningandproper procedurewasneeded.Alargesectionof thepopulationareinfavourofthemove,no doubt,theydon'twanttheeconomytorun onblackmoney.Butyoualsohavecoaccept therealitychatinIndia,only3percentof thecountry'spopulationaredirecttaxpayers, 97percentareindirecttaxpayers.Abour68 percentofchataremembersoftherural workforce,soyou'vegotaneconomywhid1 isverycomplexascomparedcoothe.rs. That'swhy1991,theyearofliberalisation andfreemarket,whichst'lrtedu.nderthe NarasinmaRaoCongressgovernment,is consideredtobesuchamilescone.

PL:Wastheremuchplanningdoneprior tothisradicalannouncement,ordoyou thinkthiswasdoneratherhurriedlyor withverylimitedconsultation?

AP:Therearemanytheories,butmytake onitis,ofcoursetherewasplanning,but thatpla□ningwasnotsharedwithcertain relevantpeople.Thispointhasbeenrai.sed bytheOppositioninParliamentaswell.

PL:Wouldthathavedilutedtheimpact andbeenacaseoftoomanypeople drivingthecaratthesametime?

AP:Ir'snotaquestionoftoomany peopledrivingthecarattl1esan1etime,it's aquestionofhowmanyroadblocksdo youwantthecartohavetodrived1roughl Thepointis,couldyouhavereducedd1e roadblocks?Wereyouable to convince theIndia□middleclass-whichlovedyou in2014andvotedhugelyforyou,giving youthatmagicalnumberof282(seatsin Paclian1ent)?Thepeoplewerecaughtby

surprise.Totallycaughtbysurprise.Soat 8pmon8Novembertheannouncement ismade,andthenyouseeatleasthalfof urbanIndiastandinginqueues!Ithink thesurpriseelementcouldhavebeen takenaway.Therecouldhavebeenamore dialogue-orientedprocessoftellingd1e people,'d1egovernmentisplanningtodo somethingandweneedyoutobackitand supportit'.Planningwaslacking,fromthe perspectivethatthepayouthascreatedsuch problems.Thatwasperhapsnotcalculated properly.

PL:Thethreereasonsgivenforthe policy are:exposingthosewithblack money,weedingoutcorruptionand tacklingcounterfeitcurrency.Eight weeksintothescenario,howsuccessful hasdemonetisationbeen?

AP:Eightweeksisashorttimetojudged1e scenario,butdefinitelyalleyeswillbeonthe budget.Ihavealreadywrittenaboutitinmy regu1'lrcolumnsforthemajorpublications inIndia.Oneofmycolumnswastitled, What1vi/11JJeget011tofit?Andthat'sd1ekey questionIndianswillbeasking,andthere shouldbeaclearplanandvisiongivento that.Prime"MinisterModihasdonewhathe wantedtodo;andnowpeoplewanttoknow fromhim,whatarewegoingcoget?\Xfill youbeab.lecogiveuscompetitiveinterest ratesascomparedtotheglobaleconomy?

PL:Whichhecan'tdo.Ifyoulookatthe globaleconomy,outsidetheUS,inmost OECDcountriesthey'relendingatone ortwopercent. InIndiait's10-12per cent!

AP:That'sright,that'sthesamepointI've raisedinmycolumns.Canyouslashthatby half?No,youcan't!Whentheeconomyis inasluggishmodeorstruggling,youcan explainitawaybysayingtbeglobaleconomy isinrecession.AUgovernmentsdothisBJP,Congress,whichever.You're□O\Vliving inaglobalisedworld,soonceyourbanksare backtobeingcash-rich,whatistheaverage Indiangettingoutofit?

I'vereportedextensivelyonruralagendas, economiesandfarmers.It'sanagrarian economyinIndia,wid168percentofd1e workforceinrurallabour.Isthefarmer nowgoing to comeoutoftheclutchesof thelocalmanwho!endshinlmoney,the sahuk.a1?\Vhoeventuallyforcesthefarmer to commitsuicideifthecropdoesn'twork out?Theclistressoffarmers,wiUthat drnnge?Isthefarmergoingtogetcash-rid1? You'vetakenmoneyawayfromd1emiddle class,orthosewhoyouthoughthadalot ofblackmoney,whichwastherightthing todo,nooneisquestioningthat.Burare peoplegoing to geeashareofthatnow?ls thisfarmergoingtogetit?Willhebeableto ploughhisfieldswithouttheworrythat'I'U havecoborrowmoneyfromthelocallender whowilleventuallytakemysignature,own mylandforchenext"I00yearsand,every time,addinterest?'

PL:So,doyouthinkitwillfilter through?

AP:I'mnottherightpersontoanswerthat. That'sthequestionthatNarendraModi hastoanswereventually,withJanDhanor variousod1erschemesd1athe'sworking onorhasintroduced.Willitactuallyreach thesepeople?Thatisthequestion.Let'sbe honest,nowhere.intheworldcanyoucreate acashlesseconomy.Youcanreduceit.Even inthemostdevelopednations,youdon't haveacashlesseconomy.It'.sagreatnotion, butitdoesn'thappen.Andaboutterrorism, yes,itisveryin1portamtocheckcounterfeits becausechat'syourmainsourceoffunding forterrorism.lndiabasbeenstruggling withterrorismforthepast25years,wid1 Pakistan'sISlregularlydisturbingpartsof Indiathroughhomegrownterror.Soallchis istherightmove,butwillitreachthepeople itneedstoreach,andhowfast?Thatiswhy I'llbeveryclosel)'\Vatchingthenextbudget.

PL:Anythingelsepeoplecanexpectin thenextbudgetwhichcouldbeeffected bydemonetisation?

AP:Worldwide,lookattheexampleofthe secondObamaadministration:weallknow hewasstrugglingwithalotofhispeople becomingjobless.Economieshavetobe refundedinawaybygovernmentspulling chemoutofd1eirowncrisisIfthatisd1e agenda,ifthatisthereasonthelndian governmentha.scoliecteclmoney,thenitwill havetoreinvestitintotheeconomy.And thatreinvestmenthastobeveryevidentfor thepeoplecoknowandrealise.Youcan't buildalltheroadsandhospitalsandbridges inrwoandahalfyears.Thatreinvestment hastobehighlyvisibleandthatwillsurely beoneofthechallenges.

PL:Toyourknowledge,howhave corporatestakenthedemonetisation?

AP:AlotofchemhaveofficiaUysaid,yes thisisshorttermpainforJongtermgain. Thathasbeentheline.Again,corporatesare verytaxdriven,whatelseisbusinessabout? It'sabouthowmuchtaxtheyhavetopayco thegovernment,sotheywillalsowantto know,whataretheconcessionscorningtheir wayfromthegovernment?Alreadytl1ere hasbeenatime-boundreductionsuggested ford1ecorporateta.xind1elastbudget. Everybodyagrees,thiscmmtryshouldn'tbe livingoffacash,blackeconomy.Butifit's aboutgettingorganised,aboutinlpleme□ting structure,leeusknow.That'smykeypoint. Letusknow,whatarewegettingbackfrom you?TellusaclearplanofwhatIndiansare gettingback-beitindustry,farmersornew businesssectors,andofcoursed1ehuge middledasswhichhasliteraliychangedthe landscapeofIndiainthepast25years.

PL:IsthisthebiggestgambleModihas takeninhispoliticalcareer?

AP:Ithinkyou'vehitd1enailofthehead. Ihavewrittenaboutthis.Inmycolumns forOutlookand BusinessWorldmaga7.foes, myfirstparagraphsargued1epointcbat NarendraModiwillbejudgedverycritically, justlikeNarasimhaRao'-Vaswiththe economicliberalisationandBahriMasjid incident,ViswanathPratapSinghforthe

mandalisationofIndianpolitics.1fany Primei\,[inistershavebeenverycritically judgedbywhattheydidinhistory,sowill Nare□draModi

PL:WhatdrivesNarendraModi?

AP:I'msurehehasacertainconviction; hehashisvisionforthecountry.Hehas beenkno,vntobeapersonwhoworks onthatandtakesadecision.Thisisavery bolddecisionNarenclraModihastaken. AnyPrimeMinisterwhohas282seatsin parliamentandhasacomfortablemajority, hasnothreat to hisgovernmentforthenext fiveyears,hascohavealotofconviction withinhimtotakeabolddecisionlikethis, whichcouldeasilytakeawayhisentire popularity.

PL:Youhavespokenaboutthe differencebetweenbeingthe'Chief MinisterofIndia'versusbeingthe 'PrimeMinisterofGujarat'.

AP:Thereason1saidthataboutNarendra Modiis,hewasaverydifferentkindof ChiefMinister,compared to otherChief MinistersinGujarat.Quickdecisionmaker. Wouldpushthedecis.ions.BueGujarat isastate.Nowhehastodealwithavery complexsocio-economicscenarioofahuge countrylikeIndia.Andyet,peoplewant hin1 to rakedecisionsinthatsamemanner. Hehadnothing to worryaboutasfaras thistermwasconcerned.Stillherookd1e decisionandheknowsitcangoagainsthim ifitdoesn'tworkourthewaylndianswant itto,orexpectitto.HashetreatedIndialike Gujarat?InGujarathecookdecisionsvery quicklyandimplementedthingsveryfast, butthisisIndia,averycomplexcountry.

PL:Whatarehisfall-backoptions shoulddemonetisationnotworkandhe hurtstheveryvoterbasewhobrought himtopower?

AP:Heisaverypopularleaderamong themiddleclass.Theyareahuge,affable, loveablesupportbaseforhim.Soitwill beveryinterestingtowatch.Women, inparticularwillbeanimportantfactor becausedemonetisationhasdi.reedyaffected them.Women,ourhome-makers,Ifeel aresomeofthefinesteconomisesIndia has-thewaytheyruntheirhouseholds. Remember,itwastheirsavingsthatwere broughtourofd1ehousedu.ringd1erecent weeks;it'ssomethingwhichhasnever happenedearlier.

PL:IfyouwereModi,whatwouldkeep youawakeatnight?

AP:ThequestionthatwhateverI've thoughtof,isitbeingquicklyin1plemented? Andalso,an1Igettinghonestfeedback? Feedbackisextremelyimportantina countrylikeIndia.Manypoliticianscome topowerandsicinanivorytower;they don'tgetthefeedbacktmtilit'stimetovote again!IthappenedtotheCongressin2014. Amajoritygovernmentbyanationalparty, wentclowntoamere44seats.

PL:Youhavebeenakeenobserverand

commentatorofpoliticsinIndiafor20oddyears.Howhaspoliticschangedin thisperiod?

AP: Inalotof ways!Forasimplereason: we'reavery youngnation,andouryouthare very activeinpoliticsintermsof opinion making,intermsof contributingtothat opinion,andof cmirseintermsof being partof theelectoralprocess.Therearenew politicalpar-tiesthathaveemergedin urban centreslikethe Aam AadmiPartyinDeU1.i. A lothaschanged.1thinkpoliticiansare comingcloser to therealitythatnew ways of politicshave tobeadopted.Butdespite that, caste politics hasn't changed.Ithas segmentedsectionsof Indianpoliticsover thelastfivedecades thathasn'tchangedthe wayit shouldhave.

PL:Isthereroomforsensiblediscussion inpoliticstoday?Istheretoomuch far leftandfarrightbutnomiddleground?

AP:That'savery per-tinem,seriousquestion. 1wasonaprogramrecently withJaved Akhterandwebothmadethispoint:India's greatestsocio-politicalstrengthhasbeenin itsliberal,centrist,secularpositioninkey tin1esof crises.Attl1emoment,it'sbecoming diJficultbecauseeitherit'sextremeleftor extremeright.Peoplearelookingforthe oppornmityforthemiddlegroundtocome back.That'salsowhy it'sveryimportantco seehowCongresswillgofromhere.

PL:Isthemediain Indiastopping sensibledebate?

AP: Alotof tl1etime,yes.Thesolutionis youhave to change thewayviewerslook atthemedia.Themediahastotmderstand it hasbeencompletely positioned-either

againstorfor.

PL:Let'sdivealittledeeperintothe politicsofIndia.TheCongressparty hadaresoundinglossinthelastgeneral election.TheBJPhadanoverwhelming majority.India,asthelargestdemocracy intheworld,needsstrongoppositionto anyelectedgovernment.Fastforward 15 yearsfromnow,howdoyouseethe politicallandscapeintermsofcentral majorpartiesandregionalbutstrong parties?

AP:There'sno doubtthat thenational parties,India'sonlytwomajoralternatives toeachother-BJPand Congress-have bothended uprunningthecountry through understandingthepoliticsof coalition. Traditionally,bothof them wereagainstit. The new spacewill notentirely belefttoa nationalparty,ornocentirelyto aregional party.Itwillalwaysbeacombination. Thenationalpartiesarenotbeingable toreinvent chemselvesinthestates.They docometo power inthestates,butic'salso very ob\Tious,wheneverthey'reinpowerin thecentre,naturallytheyalsodovery well iniliestates.Bmfrhasnoryet cometo a positionwheretheregionalpartiesaregoing tobefinished.Thatisnotgoingto happen.

TI1ey willhavetolivewiththatreality. Theseniorpartywillbethemainpolitical parties,but youwillnotbeableto everlook atIndianpoliticswhereregional parties arecompletely sidelined,itisnotpossible. There areregional aspirations;thepeople wantanddemandmore, andmayfeel that theregionalplayersmightprovidebecter.

PL:Movingonfromnationalto

internationalaffairs,within24hoursof medemonetisationannouncement,we hadanotherseismicchangeinglobal politicswithDonaldTrumpelected asthe45thUSPresident.Howdidthe world,andmedia,getthissowrong? Nobodyhadpredictedthisresult.ls medianowmorefocussed011creating menewssuchaswhoshouldwinrather thanreportingongroundrealityofwhat actuallypeoplearethinking?

AP: ldon'tknowhowto answer.Those whoaretakingdefinitivelinesorfollowing definitiveagendasinthemediawillhave to watchout.The Americanelection again isalessonfor tl1emediaitself tolearn, worldwide.There'snodenyingthefactthat thecredibilityof tl1emediaisat stakein

India. AJoeof peoplenowquestion ilie media,massiveopinionhascome against the media.Peoplehavetobevery careful, becausethey generaUy feelmediais not gettingthe kindof independenceitshould, by itsel£ Idon'tknow about the American media,butof courseIalsowatchedthe electionsandresultsveryclosely.Your questionis veryrelevant,because Isaw,after newsof Trump'swinningindifferentstates startedcomingin,theexpertsandtheir viewsalsostartedchangingontelevision.

PL:WhatdoesaTrumppresidency meanforIndia?

AP: Itshouldbegood, for avery straightforwardreason:he bashisviewson Pakistan which hehasvoicedin che past. Indiahasbeen puttingalotof pressure onPakistan,giventhelastincidentsof terrorism.TheIndo Pakrelationship itself,started off welJunderModi,with

NawazSharif attendingl\fodi'sswearing inceremony. AndthenModi wascriticised afterhestoppedby unannounced inLahore toattendafamily function.Butthere11111s alotof effortmade.SushmaSwarajwent toIslamabadandannouncedtalks.Then of courseitallderailedafteraseriesof terroristincidents.

Narendra Modibadavery good relationshipwitl1BarackObama andit shouldcontinuewithDonaldTrump.The key factortherewillbetoseetl1ekindof Americanpressurea PresidentlikeTrump pmson Pakistan,andhow hisfriendship with Indiagoesfon.vardfrom here.

PL:WhataboutTrump'sxenophobic statements?Howdoesthatplayintothe extremerightelementsoftheworld, includingtheBJP?

AP: It willtake time co understandthe reactions.Thegood tl1ingaboutTrump-of coursehehasalotof peoplewhodisagree withhim-burhispositionsarequitewelJ known.He'sonepersonfrom whomthere's nocmuchof anelementof surprise. I don't tl1inktheBJP will havemuchof aproblem onthat front.

PL:Youhavetravelledextensively overseasandmetwithanumberof Indiansabroad-doyouseethem playingany roleinIndia'sfutureor wouldyoubelievethatastheyhaveno skininthegame,theyshouldkeepquiet abouttherealityinIndia?

AP:Theyshouldplay amuchlargerrole. Wearelivinginan eraof information andchange.Thereisaneed togathertl1e information andpassit on to ilieyoungsters backhomeandmaketl1emmore aliveto whattheworldisabout andhowtheworld ischanging.

PL:Whathasbeenthemostfascinatng storyyou'veworkedon-something whichhasbeenanabsolutegame changer?

AP: \'{/hen tl1e Pokhrannuclear test took placein 1998,l wasthefirst reporter to break it. Acal BihariVajpayeewastl1ePrime :MinisterthenandIliteraUybroketl1estory frominsidehishouse.Istillremembertl1at very clearly. Itwasahuge gamechanger for India,because just afew dayslater Pakistan alsorested.Tharwasamomentoustimefor lndo-Pakrelations.

Thedisturbingbitwas26/11-tl1eattack onMumbaiandattheTajHotel.Iwastl1ere asareporterallthroughrheperiod. Ihad seenmanyterroristincidentsiniliepast, butwhenyou realisehowcloseterrorism can actuaUygetco anormalhmnanbeing's life,that'swhenyou really understandhow internalsecurityisnotjust somephrase tobediscussedintellecmally,ithas to be implemented. Itmademe realise how absolutelyvitalitis to livein asafeand secure environment.

,, Narendra Modi must decide whether he is the 'Prime Minister of Gujarat' or the 'Chief Minister of India' ,,

Diasporaseeks more time to exchange old notes

TheDiasporacomprisingIon-Resident Indians (NRls)andPersonsof Indian Origin(PIOs)has soughtextension of the deadlineto exchange ordepositthe banned notes tillDecember31.

"Thedeadlineshouldbeextendedbysix months tillDecember 31asaUthosehaving the bannednotes will notcome toIndia justto exchange ordepositthembyJune," ThomasAbraham,aIRlfromDubai, saidatthePravasiBharatiyaconferencein Bengaluru.

ThegovernmenthadonDecember 31 extendedthedeadlinetoJune30 for the diasporatodepositorexchange thespecified bank notes (oldRs500 andRs1,000)aftertheNovember8 demonetisation.

ResidentIndians travellingor living abroadtemporarilyhavebeengiventhree months(uptoMarch31)todeclarethe banned notes they arecarryingacairports onarrivalbeforesubmittingthemin designatedReserveBankof India (RB]) offices acrossthecountry.

''Thoughmany of usmay nocholdhuge amountsof thebannednotesaswetransact inlocalcurrency and theIndianrupeeis notfullyconvertible,weshouldbegiven enough rimeto exchange chemsincemost of uscometo Indiaonceortwiceina year,"Abrahamsaidonthemarginsof the 14thPravasiBharatiyaDivas.

AnotherNRIfrom Omansaid the governmentshouldallowthediaspora to depositthebannednotesacIndian embassiesorhighcommissionsandcredit themintheirbank accountsincasethe deadlineisnotextendableafterJune30.

"TheRBIoroverseasbranchesof statenmbankslikeSBI(StaceBankof India) shouldbeadvisedto opencountersatour embassiesinallcountriesfordepos.iting thebannednotes whateverbetheirnumber astheyare ourhard-earnedrnsh,"said GopalankuttyKarnavar,alvhiscat-based NRlfromKerala.

SeveraloverseasIndiandelegatesattending thethree-daybiennialjamboreesaidthey normal!)'keeporcarryRs25,000-50,000in cashwhencomingtoIndiaforcontingencies despitehavingbankaccountsandusing debit/creditforpaymentsortransactions.

"W/ebringafew thousandsof rupees withuswheneverwefly toIndiaforinitial expensesat airportsor food,localtraveland purchasesbeforeconvertingdollarsorother currencies,"saidKanavar,abluecollar workerfromAlappuzhain Keralawho headstheMalayli wingof theL,diansocial clubintheGulf country.

TheGlobalOrganisationof Peopleof IndianOriginalso urgedthegovernment coextendthe deadline to December30, 2017,forexchangingordepositingthehigh denominationnocesinRBI orSBI.

Termingthenocebanawelcome move,amajorityof thediasporasaidits implemenrntionwas,however,poorastheir kith andkinwereatthereceivingendof the cash-crunchandcheeconomicdisruption.

"If thehighvalue noteswere banned cofightblackmoney,terrorfunding,fake currency andcorruption,themoveis laudablethoughicexposesthegoverntnenr's failuretocmbthemenacethrough ics enforcingagencies,"aUS-based RIsaid ontheconditionof anonymity.

AlthoughPrimeMinisterNarendra ModionSunday thankedthediasporafor supportingthenote ban,manyNRls and IPOs said unliketheir residentL,dians theywerenot impacted by itasthey don't transactin rupee, whichisnotfully convertible.

"Thesuddenbanhastakenusbysurprise thoughnotaffectedby itastherupee isnot usedinourcountryandthevalueof our remittancesisinrnctinourbankaccounts," saidJamesMathew,anaccountantina privatefirm atManamainBahrain.

Modi asksdiaspora tofirst develop India

Prime'MinisterNarendraModionSunday urgedtheIndiandiasporacofirst develop Indiaby investing andcontributingits expertiseinchelandof itsorigin.

"Tome,FDImeansFirstDevelop India throughForeign Direct Investmem,whose norms havebeenfullyliberalised forNonResident Indians(NRis)andPersons of IndianOrigin(PIOs)andmadeonparwith domesticfirmsforavailingsamebenefits," Modicoldthe14thPravasiBharatiyaDivas (Non ResidentIndianDay) inBengaluru. Inauguratingthe three-daymegaevent, J\fodiexhortedtl,ediasporatoparticipatein

thegovernment'sflagshipprogram.mes like DigitalIndia,Make InL,dia,Start-upIndia, Swacch Bharat(Clean lndia) andNamami Gange(CleanGanga)forthecountry'sallrorn1ddevelopment.

"DiasporacancontributetoIndia bysparingtl1eirtimeandenergy on implementingour flagshipprogram.mes andstay connecced,"saidModi duringa 40-minutespecialaddressinHindiand English.

Assertingthatengagingwiththe overseasIndiancommunitywasapriority areaforhim, tl,e PrimeMinistersaidthe governmentwastryingcoconvert'brain drain'into'braingain'byinvitingthe diasporatocontributetl1eirmiteinmaking Indiastrongandself-reliant.

"Brain drainhasbeen consideredaloss forthe country as Indianswentabroad seekingjobsandbetterlife.Butformeand mygovernment,suchamovementisnota braindcainbmbraingainastheycanhelp usinthedevelopment,"notedModi.

ForyoungIndiansseekingjobsabroad, Modisaidhisgovernmentwouldsoon launchaskilldevelopmentprogramme.

"\'v'ewillshortlylaunchaskill developmentprogram.me,thePravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana,targetedat Indian yomhseekingoverseasemployment"he said.

Theprogran1mewill traintl,ejob-seekers w.ithsoftskillssothattheydonotfeel scrangersinthecountry theymigratetoin termsof mannersandculture.

Modialso appealed toallpersonsof Indianoriginlivingtl,eworldoverto converctheirPIOcardsintoOverseas Citizenof India(OCI)cardattheearliest.

"Weareworkingonnewproceduresto ensure alldescendamsof Indians,especially th.eirfourthand fifth generationslivingin Fiji,Suriname,Guyana andCaribbean states cobecomeeligibleforOCIcards,"Modi said.

Clarifyingthatthegovernmentdoesnoc seechecolourof thepassportbutthe blood ties,the PrimeMinistersaid thePIOcard supersededtheindividual'spassportasfar ashisorhertiestoIndiawereconcerned.

Whenthe PIOcardisseen,"we don'tsee thecolourof thepassportbut tl,eblood ties",Modi saidtohugeapplause.

ReferringtoMahannaGandhi'srernrn

India'sSania Mirza andAmerican

BethanieMattek-Sandsteamed upto takeouttheBrisbaneInternational women'sdoublestitleon 7January, 2017,capturingthetrophywith a6-26-3victoryoverEkaterina Makarova and ElenaVesnina.Thewin meansMattek-SandsovertakesMirza astheNo.1-rankedwomen'sdoubles playerintheworld.

from SouthAfrica,Modisaid thisday marked thereturntoIndiaof one of the greatest Pravasisandthathisgovernment's prioritywascoconvert"brain drain"into braingain".

" Rlsand PIOshavemadeoutstanding contributions.Amongthemarepoliticians of greatstature,scientistsof repute, outstandingdoctors,brillianteducationists, economists,journalists,musicians, engineers,bankersanddid Imention our wellknowntechnologyprofessionals," addedModi.

Northeast could feed India up to 1,100 MWofpower by yearend

Thenorth-easternregion,withitshuge energy potential-50,000M\'\�bysome estimates-couldsoonbecomethe"power houseof India".Andcakingasmallfirst stepinthisdirection,itisexpected tofeed therestof thecountry upto 1,100l\llWby the endof thisyear,energy expercssay.

Sevennortl1-easternsrntes,excluding Sikkim,currently haveaninstalled capacity of 2,690MW,butassome of theplantsare veryold,theoutputis some 100MWshore of tl,epeak-hour demandof 2,200-2,300 '/vf\'v: However,thereisasurplusof 300 i\fWduring off-peakhours,whileanother 767:r,.,f\'v'of capacitywilJbeadded by yearend.Sikkim isself-sufficientat95.70MW

Thestace-run orthEasternElectric PowerCorporation( EEPCO),amin.iratnacompany undertheUnionMinistry of Power,alonegenerates 1,290MWfrom itssevenpowerplams amixof hydroelectric,gas-andsolar-basedunics.

"t EEPCO'sgeneration capacity would riseto2,060MW bythisend-2017as commissioningof threemorepower projectswouldbecompletedmuchbefore the endof tl1isyear," NEEPCO Chairman andManagingDirectorA.G.West Kharkongortold lANS.

"Thecompanyis now commissioning threepowerprojects 600MWand t10NfWcapacityplantsinArnnachal Pradesh andanotherof 60MWcapacity in Mizoram,"headded.

"If thegovernmentallowsNEEPCO,it wouldsupplysurpluspower tootherstates of thecountry,"Kharkongorsaid.

And,tofeedthesurpluspowerfrom thenortl1eastto other partsof India,the state-runPowerGrid Corporation of IndiaLimited(PGCIL)has erected800-kv capacity and 1,728-km-longHighVoltage Direct Currem(HVDC)transmissionline fromBiswanath Chariyalli inGuwahatico AgrainUtcar Pradesh ataninvestmentof Rs 12,000crore($1.8billion).

Thepowerministry hasestimatedthe hydro-powerpotentialof thenortl1-eastern regionat58,971l\,f\'(�almost40 percentof thecountry'stotal potential,butonlyless thancwopercent(1,200'MW) hasbeen exploitedrillJaseyear.

Energy expertSudhindraKumarDube saidthatthepower generation potentialof thenottl1-easternregionmustbe utilised withproperplanning.

"Theregionhasnotonly potentialto

TibetanspiritualleadertheDalai Lamainteractswithdevoteesduring thefifthdayoftheKalachakrain Bodhgaya,India,onFriday,6January, 2017.Buddhistdevoteesfromacross theglobe, includingHollywood actorRichardGereandhisgirlfriend AlejandraSilva,havegatheredinthis smalltowntoattendthe'Kalachakra' orWheelofTimeinitiationsbythe DalaiLama. Photo:AP

generateahugeamountof hydro-power butalsohasscopetosetupmoregas-and coal-basedplant5iutheregion,"Dube told IANS.

NEEPCOalso plans togenerateatleast 1,500MWfrom non-conventional sources of energysuchassolarandwindpowerin thenextfiveyears.

Withapopulationof 45.58million iuthenortheasternregion,theeight statesincludingSikkim,haveapercapita electricityconsumptionof 257.98kilowatt hour (kWh)againstthenationalaverageof 778.71kWh.

SeatePowerandTransporcNlinister ManikDeysaidthatTripurahasagreedto supplyanadditional 100M\'v'of elecrricit:y to Bangladeshoverandabovethe100MW being supplied sinceMarch23,2016.

"TheBangladeshgovernmenthassought moreelectricityfrom India co cackleits powercrisisintheeasternpartof the country.India's power ministryrecently wantedtoknow whether theTripura governmentisreadyto provideadditional 100l'vf\Vof power toBangladesh.Wehave accordinglyagreed,"Deytold IAt'-JS.

US-basedSikh bodygiftsdiamond-studded sa6reat

Patna gurdwara

AUS-basedSikhbodygiftedadiamondstuddedsabrewithasilverhiltatTakhtSri

HatimandirJiPatnaSahib,thebirthplaceof GuruGobindSingh,duringthecelebrations of tl1e350tl1'PrakashUtsav'orbird, anniversaryof tl1e l0thSikhmaster.

The'KhalsaRaj' sword presentedbyme SikhDharmaInternational(SDI)isplatedin 24-caracgoldandcostmore manRs 1crore.

HymnsfromtheSikhscriptures,bothin EnglishandGurmukhi,havebeenengraved onbothsidesof thesabre.

Thesabrewascraftedespeciallyfor the celebrationsheldatthegurdwaranear Pama fromJanuary3to 5.Thesabrewasabig attractionforthousandsof devotees who thronged mecelebrationsfromacrossthe countryandabroad.

The AmericanSikhsassociatedwith thereligiousbodyshowcasedtl1eirskills with'gatka' (Sikhmartialart)duringme celebrations, shesaid.

Adelegationof moretl1an·125American men,womenandchildrenassociatedwith theSikhDharmalocernational visited gurdwarasinPatnaandnearbyTakhtSri HarimandirJiPatnaSahibcopayobeisance.

formerUSAIDchief RajivShal1to head RockefellerFoundationRajivShah,who headedtheUSgovernment'sforeignaid operations,hasbeenappoimedtheheadof theRockefellerFoundation,amulti-billion dollarprivateglobalcharitywithprogrammes in India.

TheNewYork-basedFoundationsaid iliatitstrusteeshadselectedShah,whoisa medicaldoctorandwastheadministratorof USAlD tobeitsnextpresident.Hewilltake overtl1ejobfromJudithRodininMarch.

The43-year-oldwillbetheyoungest personandtl1efust Indian-Americantolead theorganisation, whichhasanambitious $75millionprojecttobringelectricpowerto

Indianvillages.

Shahreceivedthe PravasiBhartiya SammanawardfordistinguishedIndian diasporain2011.

"Ilookforwardtochartingacoursefor TheRockefellerFoundationtoengage witl1partnerstopromotetl1ewell-being of humanity,andtotakeontl,echallenges of todayandtomocrowbothintheUnited Statesandaroundmeworld,"Shal1said Shah'sappoinm1entcame adayafter anotlier lndian Americanwiththesame surnameandasimilarfirstname,RajShah, wasappointedbyPresident-electDonald Trumptobehisdeputyassistantand researchdirector.

TheRockefellerFoundation,which sicsonassetsof $3.4billionaccordingto Bloomberg,saysthatitfocuseson healtl1, ecosystems,"securelivelihoods,"andurban problems.

Announcingtl1eappointment,tl1e FoundationsaidtliatRajivShal1"is bestknownforelevatinginternational developmentinforeignpolicy,delivering resultsthroughpublic-privatepartnerships andtl1erespectheearnedworkingwith counterpart governmentsfrom Afghanistan to Central Americaandwitlibipartisan leadersin theUSCongress".

HewillbetakingovertheFoundation atatimewhenthelndiangovernmem istighteningsupervisionof tl1eworkof foreigncharitiesandNGOs.Theother majorAmericanphilantliropy,theFord Foundation,hasbadrun-inswiththe governmentoveritsfi.mdingof certain groupsorindividuals witliaperceived politicalbent

BornintheUSandeducatedintheUS andBritain,Shah,asamedical student,had volunteeredinapoorcommunityin India. Hehasamedical degreeandamastersin healtheconomicsfromtl1eIvyLeague Universityof Pennsylvania.

HewasthebeadofUSA.IDfrom2010to 2015andamongthehighlightsof hiswork tl1erewasmobilisingactionagainstd1eEbola epidemic in Africaandorganisingrelief for Haitiafteritseartl1quake.

Afterleavingmegovernmenthewas appointedDistinguished FellowinResidence attl1eGeorgetownUniversity,aJesuit-nm instimtioninWashington.

Healsofow1dedaprivateequityfirm,

LatimdeCapital,whichainistofinance powerandinfrastructureprojectsin developingcountries.

Hestartedin PresidentBarackObama's administrationin2009aschief scientistand AgricultureUndersecretaryandthenext yearwasappointedUSA.IDhead.Hehas also worked fortheBillandMelindaGates Fow1dation.

In historic breakthrough, 5 Indian-Americanssworn-in as membersofCongress SealingahistoricbreakthroughforIndian.Americans,fiveweresworninmismonth asmembersof theUSCongress-oneof them,KamalaHards,becomingthefirstto becomeaSenator.

AmiBera,whowasmeonlyIndianAmericaninthe435-memberHouse of Representativesandre-electedinthe Novemberelections,wasjoinedbytl1efour others,increasingtheIndian-American contingent tofive membersintheCongress. AlifiveareDemocratsandtliree of them- Harris,BeraandRepresentative RoKhanna- arefromCalifornia.The otl1ertwoRepresentativesareRaja Krishnamoorthifrom Illinois andPramila JayapalfromWashingtonstate.

Harris, whose motherwasfrom Chennai andfatlierfromJan1aica,hasadualidentity asbotl1an Indian-American andan AfricanAmerican.Vice PresidentJosephBiden administeredher theoathof officewhich shesworeonaBiblecopyheldbyher husbandDougEmhoff.

Afterwardsherfamilyandfriends gatheredaroundthecoupleincelebration. Twoof tl1emwere dressedinsaris,although Harrisworeatwo-piecewestern outfitin blue.

In 1956,DemocratDalipSinghSaund became thefirstIndian-Americanelected to Congress.Forry-eightyearslater, RepublicanPiyushBobbyJindal waselected totheHousein2004andre-electedin2006. Buein2007hewaselectedgovernorof Louisianaandleft Congress. Afterafiveyeargapfor Indian-Americans,Berawas elected to Congressin2012.

Republicanshavethemajorityinboth chambers. In theHouseof Representatives, theyhave241seats toDemocrats' 194 and RepublicanscontroltheSenate\\,ith

52seatstodieDemocrats' 46witl,two Independentsalliedwitl,them.

Banned Indian noteswith special numbers couldfetcha fortune

Am.idtl1erushamongIndianexpatriates whoscurriedhometoexchangetl1e demonetisedRs500andRs1,000notes beforetbeDecember30deadline,aDllbaibasednumismatistwhohailsfrom India,has advised hiscompatriotsto"hold onto ilieir oldcurrencynotes".

"Checktheserialnumbecsof thecurrency notes.Special serialnw11bers,fancyandroyal notescouldfetchseveral timestheirface valueinfuture,"tbeKhalerjTi111esquoted numismatistRamkumarassaying.

Thecollectorwill nevermakealoss,said the 36-year-oldnumismatistwhoisfondof rarenotesandhasbeencollectingthemfrom last 15years.

Ran11.7Jmar,whoisfromChennai,said peopleshould"treasure"currencynotesof anycounrry.

"Howmuchprofitonecanmakeontliese notes,purelydependsondemandandsupply. Thereisworldwidedemandforfancynotes," Ramkumarsaid.

Hesaidthatrarenoteshaveabeautifol historyandfromaninvestmentpointof viewtheygiveveryhighreturnsiulongterm. Ranikurnarhasacollectionof royal number000001from LOdifferentcountries. Healsoownsanoldnoteof Rs1,000which wasdemonetisedin 1978in Indiaunderthe HighDenominationBankNotes Acc. Apartfrom the oldRs 1,000banknote,he alsohastherecently-demonetisedRs 1,000 note,andbotl1havesameserialnumber 666666. Accordingto himitis''tl1eonly knownfancynumberthatsurvived".

Hiscollectionalsoincludestheoldest sucvivingIndian banknote,datedSeptember 1812.

Askedabout thevalueof sucl1notes, Rajkumarsaid,''Thereareafewitemsfor whichpricecannotbedetermined,asthey areeitl1eroneortwothatareknownto exist andmereisnoprevioussalehistoryof sin1ilaritemstodeterminethevalue."

Solid (orcontinuous)serialmunbersare morevaluablecomparedtoroyalnumbers.in banknotes.

IANS

01n rou

BYDHANYASAMUEL

Silk Estate,abeautiful twohectareexpanseon theSouth Gippsland Highway,isthedream project of Sarita Kulkarni,who isdeterminedtohelp Australia rediscoverits longlostsilkgrowingindustry.

Inabidtoshowcasechatgrowing mulberriescanbeacommerciallyviable andsustainablecropindustry,apartfrom itsseciculrureuse,Saritabegangrowing mulberrytreesonherestate.Today,it makesforabreathtakinglybeautifulsight insummer,withtreesladenwiththousands of sweetberries.Thefruiteventuallygees bottledasmulberrywineorliqueurandas puremulberrysyrup.

Anativeof Karnataka,Saritaarrivedin MeJbournein1987followingherengineer husband. Armed withaMastersinZoology (specialisationinsericulmrefromDharwad University,Karnataka),shealso hadample experience teaching and workinginthe sericultnreindustryin India.

Sarita was verypassionateandambitious abouthersericulmrework,soshedecided to furd,erher expertisebydoinga PhD.

Bue,unformnacely,Australia's silk indusrry haddiedlong agoandnooneseemedto know anyd1ingaboutit.Quireoften,she was taunted whenpeoplerespondedthat theyknewonly'Aussieculture' andnot 'sericulture'.

Noconetoacceptdefeat,Sarita wenton togeeasecondMaster'sdegreein Applied Agriculture/EntomologyfromMonash University,andin 1994,beganwork with rneAgricultu.reDepar011encworkingher way upto beaquarantineofficer. Itishere drncshe got theoppornuucyto work closely wirn, andunderstand,tl1efarmingpractices andindustrywidun Australia,alsoworking extensivelywithd1egrapevineindustry here.

Beingknowledgeableabout Australia's goldensill{era,Sarita waspositivernac itwasonlyamatterof timebeforeshe wouldfindmulberrytrees here. Anddiat opportunitycameafterachanceencoLmter withMonnieFennerwho usedtomaintain silkworms tospinsilkforherweavingand craftactivities.Sarita'sexcitementknewno boundswhenshecameacrossanursery whichwassellingC\vo-year-oldmulberry treestothepublicwhowereinterestedin growingtheseintheirbackyardsforthe sweetfruit.

Thisrelentlessenrnusiasm andpassion forhersubjectmadeherplaceanorder for 20mulberrytrees,apersonalattemptto provethatthesilkindustrycan berevived andcommercialised inchiscountry.This evencnallyledcotheSilk Estatefarm, which Sarita andherfamilypurchasedin2003and

wheretheyscarredthemulberry plantation in2005.

Sarita refusedtoacceptthe factthatsilkdoes notfarewell hereasdepictedinthehistory of Australiansilk,but her repeatedattempt.�toget rne universitiesor thegovernment interestedfellondeaf ears. Projectsandsmdiesweretaken upanddiscardedforthesilk venture;soshedecidedthat icwastimetoshowcasethe versatilityof mulberryasafruit andinadifferentlighttorne public.

Inanattemptcoprove thatitcan beacashcropand mulberrycultivationisan organicandsustainableventure, shebegan topackage andsell theberries comarkets across Australia.WhileSydneytook tornesedeliciousberriesina bigway,Melbournemarkets wereabitsceptical.And chis presented anotherchallenge; mulberrieshaveanextrernely shoreseason. Sarita wasforced toresearchhowtopreserve thesefor longer,andthisled cornemulberryliquem,wine, syrup andjam project.

WhentheSilkEstate MulberryLlqueur wonabronze award atan international wine show in2011, Saritaknew· shewasontherightpath. Today,rneliqueurandsyrupis producedinsmallbatchesevery year,dependingonthecrop, in association wim aVictorian companyandisavailablefor saleonrequest. Aboutique producthandcrafted with lovingtendercare,theliqueuris sweet andvibranton thepalate remindingyou instantlyof port w111es.

The winemakesanexcellent pairingwithpoultry,seafood, dessertsandcanalsobeused inmakingcocktails.The syrupisthickandsweetfrom thenamral sugars presentin mulberries andwouldbeanincredible addition toanybakingproject.

ln spiteof amajorhealtl1setback, Saritaisstillpassionateabouttakingher sericulture work fonvardinthehopethat thesilkindustryof Australiacan berevived. SilkEstatealsogrowsotherproduce, hasasmalltempleonsiteandSaritaalso hasplanscobuildamuseum toeducate, increaseawarenessandshowcaseher studies withsilkworms.

otonetosicstill,shealsorunsa successfulbusinessandistl1eQuality AssuranceInspectorandEntomological/ QuarantineandSericultureConsultant at Brij BugTrapConsultancyPtyLtd.She

also works asCommunityDevelopment Officer/Trainer/Llfecoach withthe Victorian ImmigrantandRefugee\\?omen's Coalition (VIC&R\\'i'C).Sheis also a trainerwirnLearnLocalsin thecommunity inmanydisciplines,tokeeptheproject afloatandviable."lamextremelyrnankful coeachandeveryonefortheireffortin makingthisventurepossible,"shecold lndia11Link.

While themulberryliqueurandother byproducts makeexcellentbusiness sense, Sarita's realpassion remainsforsericulrure.

"Sericultureisavibrant,incredible, prodigious,sustainable,environmentally friendlyandmiraculouscommoditygiven comankindbyaccident,whichshould

giveouragciculmreindustryaboostnot onlyinrnewineindustry,buralso in tl1e fruit,healrn,andwell-beingof mankind," Saritaobserved,herpassionforthefruit comingthroughclearly."The gurusof rne silltworldoncesaid to me whenIwasin rneircountry,togived1em100hectaresof landand theywillmakesurechat Australia willbeseenasoneof thetopproducers incheworldmarketof silkproduction.Ir isthisdream thatkeepsmealive.Oneday, l wish tosee thesilkindustryof Australia geeuponitsfeetagainwitl1a!orof help fromfamilies,government bodies,ventnre capitalists,andmanyentrepreneurial dreamers\Vhohaveavisionandsimilar goal."

A Victorian farm is determinedto redefine silk farmingforAustralia, but fornow, it's wineand liqueur

01n uten ee

Lookingtoeat healthier?Add variety and tastetoa gluten free diet while still enjoying your favourite meals

Whetheryouarecoeliacorjust enjoyfollowingaglutenfree lifestyle,theserecipesuse fresh,wholesomeingredients andshowhow youcanadd vacietyandcasteintoaglutenfreediet.

Fromthepetlectsavoury orsweet

breakfastdishtoagourmetsandwichfor lunch,followedby theperfectaltemati\7e tofriedfishandchips,thissummermenu hasbeencreatedbySophieHenleyof Henley'sWholefoods,usingHelga'sGluten Freebread.Someoftherecipesarealso dairyfree.

Indulgent Gluten Free French Toast

Preparationtime:10 minutes(plus30minutessoaking)

Cookingtime:17 minutes Serves2

Ingredients

4 slices Helga's Gluten Free Wholemeal

bread

3 eggs

1/3 cup almond milk

Pinch of salt

50g walnuts

1/3 cup maple syrup, plus extra to serve

4 rindless rashers bacon (optional)

2 smallbananas

1heaped.tbsp coconut sugar

Method

Place eggs, almond milk andsalt in a bowl and whisk until combined. Place bread into lamington pan or similar rectangular dish.Pour batter over

bread. Leave to sit and soak in the eggy goodness for 30 minutes, gently turning after 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 1800

Line baking tray with baking paper, scatter with walnuts and pour over maple syrup. Stir to coat nuts evenly. Roast 12 minutes or untilnuts are toasted and caramelised, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Turn off oven. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

Cook bacon 2-3 minutes each side. Remove from pan and keep warm in oven. Remove bread from the batter, cook both sidesuntil golden brown. Remove from

pan. Cut bananas in halflengthways and coat inside lengths with coconutsugar.Place in pan, sugar side down and cook until golden and sticky.

Now it's time to assemble the stack! Layer from the bottom up: bread - bacon - banana - nuts -bread - baconbanana - nuts - then drizzle with the extra syrup to serve.

Savoury Spic;y Beef Breakfast James

Preparationtime: 15minutes Cookingtime:45minutes

M'lkes2lafftec

Ingredients

4 slices Helga's Gluten Free 5 Seeds

bread

1tbspolive oil

1brown onion, finely chopped

500g beef mince ( If you don't eat beef, you can substitute another meat proten)

1 carrot, grated

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tsp ground cumin

1tbspfinely gratedginger

1-2 red chilies, finely chopped (keep seeds if like a little extra kick)

400g can diced tomatoes

¼ cup tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

2 tspfresh thyme leaves

Salt, to taste

Olive oil spray

2 egg yolks

Baby spinach leaves

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan over a medium

heat.

Add onion and cook 10 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally. Increase heat and add mince, carrot, garlic and cumin. Cook,stirring constantly, to break up mince, until browned.

Addginger, chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme and salt. Reduce heat andsimmer 30 minutes, until very thick, stirring occasionally. Spray ajaffe iron with olive oil spray, then preheat.Spread1 heaped tablespoon of spicy beef over one slice of bread, make a wellin the centre of the beef mixture, thencarefully place an eggyolk in the well. Top with a few baby spinachleaves. Gently cover with another breadslice. Repeat with remaining bread.

Carefully place the two sandwiches in the jaff e iron and spray with olive oil spray. Close the lid and cook for 5 minutes or until bread is golden and crunchy. Refrigerate leftoverspicy beef mixture.

Henley's Chicken Sandwiches

Preparation time: 35 minutes (plus overnight chilling of coconut milk and 30 minutes cooling of chicken)

Cookingtime: 1 hour 20 minutes

MakP-s 24 r.ocktail sandwiches

Ingredients

Poached chicken

1whole chicken

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns

1 stalk celery, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1sprig rosemary

Henley's"sour cream"

165ml can coconut milk

3tsp lemonjuice

½tsp apple cidervinegar

¼tspsea salt

FIiiing

¼cupfinelychopped parsley leaves

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1/3 cupslivered almonds, roasted and roughly chopped

Sea salt and ground black pepper

12 slices Helga's Gluten Free Wholemeal bread

Garnish

1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced Torn parsleyleaves

Method

Placecan ofcoconut milk inthefridge overnightto chill.

Placechicken, peppercorns, celery, onion, carrot, bay leaves and rosemary in a largesaucepan and cover with cold water. Bringtotheboil,then reduce heat to low and simmergently for1 hour and 20 minutes.

Remove chicken and set asidefor 30 minutes to cool.

Removechickenfrom bones and skin, thenshred meatwith 2 forks. Carefully turn the can of chilled coconut milk upside down, then use a can openerto removethe bottom ofthe can. Drain off the liquid and scrape thethick coconut cream into a bowl. You should have about 1/3 cup coconut cream. Add the lemon juice, vinegar and sea salt. Stiruntil smooth.

Combine 2 cups chicken, Henley's "sour cream", parsley, spring onions and slivered almonds into large bowl, and mix well.Season withsalt and pepper. Evenlyspread filling over 6 ofthe bread slices.Topwith remaining bread slices and press down gently. Cut each sandwich into 4 squares. Top each squarewith a slice ofcucumberand garnish with parsley.

Wholesome Crusted Flathead

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cookingtime: 22 minutes

c;.iP-,VP-c:. 4-6

Ingredients

5 slices Helga'sGluten Free Sunflower & Red Quinoa bread

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup chopped parsley leaves

1 long chilli, finely chopped (remove and discard seeds)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts

Sea salt and ground black pepper

750gfathead fillets, halved if large

Olive oil spray

Quick lemon mayonnaise

2 eggyolks, atroom temperature

¼ tsp sea salt

1tsp Dijon style mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

100ml vegetable oil

100ml extra virgin olive oil

To serve

Lemon wedges

Sweet potato chips

Green salad

Method

Preheat ovento180C.

Tearbread into rough piecesand place on a large bakingtray. Drizzlewith 2 tablespoons ofthe olive oil and tossto coat. Bake 12 minutes oruntil toasted. Place bread pieces in a food processor along with parsley, chilli, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper and the remaining olive oil, and processinto rough crumbs. Linethe oventraywith baking paper and place fathead filletsonto the paper. Evenly pile and compressthe breadcrumb mixture on top offillets. Spraywitholive oil. Bake 10 minutes or until fesh isjust cooked through and crust has browned.

Meanwhile, to make lemon mayonnaise, place eggyolks,salt, mustard and lemon juice in a talljug. Combine oils and pour ontopofeggyolks. Place a stick blender intothe bottom ofthejug. Blend for 10 seconds, then slowly draw thestick blender up, thus pushing remaining oil intothe emulsion.Season with extra lemonjuice, mustard and salt, totaste. Servefsh with lemon mayonnaise, sweet potato chips and a green salad.

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

Chinarodayisfullof travellers . .

fron .

1differentpartsof theworld. Althoughourtourcovered fourcities,itisthecity ofXi'an thatleftthegreatestimprint. ModernXianisalargecityandthecapital of Shaanxi Provinceincentral China.Once knownas Chang'an(EternalPeace),itis fullof symbolism:itiswherethegreatSilk Roadbegan;itwas theOldTangdynasty capital, and capitalof theZhou, Qin,[-Ian andTangdynasties andformanycenturies, thecentreof the Chinese Empire. ltwas notwithouts.ignificancethat Indian Prime MinisterModimettheChinese President hereinMay,2015.PresidentXiJinping travelledtoXiantowelcomeModi-the firsttimehehasdoneso.Itisveryrare for Chineseleadersto accompanyforeign guests outsideBeijing.Xianalsohappens to beXi'shometown.

ModernChinaisnowrevivingthe conceptof theSilkRouteandhasalso AoatedtheideaofaMaritimeSilkRoad (MSR)asan expressionof itsaspiration todevelopastringof portsandcoastal economichubsalongitsmaritimetrading routes.Thisencompassesd1eOneBelt OneRoad(OBOR)initiative,andtheChina PakistanEconomicCorridor (CPEC)atits core.Thesuccessof thisvisionwouldallow Chinacogate-crashasapowerfulrule-maker ofinternationaltradeandcomrnerce,and iscentraltoBeijing'sriseasamatureglobal power.Xianisborhthecentreofancient Chinaandtheharbingerofanew,inAuential andpowerful Chinaasaworldpower.

H.isroricXianhasthreegreatsightsto offer: TheOld CityWalland d1e Palace; the'\XlildGoosePagodaandthefamous Terracotta\Warriors.

XianCity\Xlalland theOldPalace are quiteimpressive.Onceasophisticated defencesystem protectingChina'sancient capital,Xia.n's637-yearoldl\ilingdynasty citywall is nowthe onlycompletewall fortificationleftin China. Afterd1e establishmentof meMingdynastyinthe 14"' century,ZhuYuanzhang,thefirst emperor,begantoenlargethewaUbuilt initiallyduringtheoldTangDynasty (618907),creatingthemodernXianCityWall.

TheSoud1Gateof the CityWall is theimpressiveZhuQuegateway,where distinguishedguestswere oncegreeted andwelcomedintimes ofyore.Reading thesignsand placardsinmeOldPa.lace,I in1aginedhowin645AD,whenthegreat Xuanzha.ngreturnedto ChangJ\nafteran arduousseventeen-year journeyto Indiavia the ancientSilkRoad,he wouldhavebeen warmlygreetedatd1arveryspotbythe TangdynastychancellorFangXuanling Today,youcanrentbicyclesand goriding

Tothehistorybuff,Xianhasseveral talescotell,andeveryancient wallinXian remindsoneofXuanzhang,thegreat medievaltravellerandBuddhistscholar whocame to Indiaduringthereign of King Harsha.

For d1oseuninitiated,Xuanzhangstarted off fromChang'an(ancientXian),along theSilkRoadin629,indefianceof the TangEmperor's banontravel.Helped bysympatheticBuddhists,hetravelled viaKumu�followingtheTianShan mountains to Tmpa.n.Hed1encrossed whatatetodayKyrgystan,Uzbekistan andAfghanistan,imoGandha.ra(modern Kandahar),reachingIndiain 630AD. XuanzhangtravelledthroughouttheIndian subcontinentformenextthirteenyears, visitingimportantBuddhistpilgrimagesires, studyingattheancientuniversityat alanda., anddebatingtherivalsofBuddhism.

AfterreturningtoChinaandhaving obtainedpermissionfromd1eEmperor Gaozong(628-683),Xuanzhang,established theDaci'enmonasteryand,asthefirst

abbot of the Daci'enTemple,supervised the building ofa pagodainside.

Oneofd1epagoda'smanyfuncrions wastohold theSutrasandrelicsof theBuddhathatwerebroughtto China from IndiabyXuanzhang.With the support ofroyalty heasked 50 'hierarchs' in the templecotranslateSanskrit sutrasinto Chinese,totalling],335volumes!

Eventoday,thisWorldHeritageListed templecontainspractisingBuddhistsin me monastery.

,, Every ancient wallinXianl'eminds one of Xuanzhang, thegl'eatmedieval traveller and Buddhist scholarwho came to India dul"ingthe reign of King Harsha ,, alongthewall,and theview of thecityfromthecopof thewaUisquiteimpressive. AlthoughXianis apparently onlya'secondtier' city, with a populationofabour 14 million,ithas alarge airport, wideroads,parks,shops andboastsseveral Indian restaurants as well.Since me discoveryof d1eTerracotta Warriors,ithasbecomea populartouristdestination.

Thenow-famousTerracottaWarriors ofXianisasightnotto be missed byany visitorto China.Theyare the thousandsof life-size,hand-mouldedfigureswhichwere buriedwid1China'sfirstemperor,QinShi Huang.111eTerracottaWarriors andHorses arememostsignificantarchaeological excavationsofthe20thcentury.Work is ongoingat d1issite,,vhichisaround 1.5kilometreseastof EmperorQinShi Huang'smausoleumin Lintong,afew kilometresfromXian.Uponascendingthe throneattheageof 13 (in246BC),QinShi Huang,laterd1efirstEmperorofall China, had begunto work onhis ownmausoleum. lt tookhim I1yearstofinishmeproject. Eachsoldierlooksdifferent,andfor rourists,thereisthemandatoryvisitto mesitewhere meydemonstratehowthe figureswere made andmanyshopping opportunities!

ModernXian hasexcellentinfrastructure, wid1averymodernairport,train station, wide boulevards,statelybuildings,good publictransport,and severalIndian restaura.nts aswell!

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING BRIDES

Matchrequiredforawell-established actuarist,handsome,Hindu/Pm1jabiboy,6ft3in,35 yearsold,slim,fair.Citizenof AustraliaandUK.Lookingforbeautiful,tall,fair,educated girlfromaculturedfarnil)'- CasteNoBar.Respondwithphocoandprofiletopuran@ prasand.com.auorcall +61412563757

HinduPunjabip:trentslookingforasuitable matchfo.rtheirson,26,basedinSydney, withgoodmixof Indian andmodernvalues,graduatedfrom areputed Australian university withfirstclasshonours,wellsetdedandworkingwithconsultingcompany.We prefergraduates.Email:jvaid312@gmaiJ.com.

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekingagroomfora well-qualifiedGujarati,Vaishnav girl,MSc,age31,currendy wot:king,basedinIndia,visitingherbrother (Canberra) inFeb2017.Interestedcandidate withsimilarbackgroundcancontactbhaumik_bmnia_2000@yahoo.comforfurther inquiry

Seekingprofessional and wellseededmatchforMelbourne-based,HinduGoldsmith (Verma)girl. Australiancitizen,workinginacustomerservicerole,1982born,5'2", mediumbuild,divorced (issueless).'iXlhacsApp: Sneh Verma (callormessage): +919876 798901,Email:tiuavermapallvi@gmaiJ.com

ARIES March 21 - April 19

Things have been a little unsettled for you of late. The cards are indicating a time when you will be trying to sort out matters from the past. There will be some fnancial issues to organise and there will be new opportunities to bring in funds. There will be some unsettling discussions around family relationships. Try to keep calm and positive.You will be thinking of moving to another area, and will be making plans for the coming months.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

This month you will be looking atnew opportunities and making plans to climbhigher up the corporate ladder. The cards are indicating a time when you will be concentrating on finances, your career and progression. Romantically, you will be wanting movement within a relationship or someone you like. You will plan a holiday and there will be some good news regarding tests you have had recently. There will be a great feeling of energy and determination around you this month.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

You have startedthe year feelingslightly tired and under the weather. It would be a good idea to look at your diet and start eating more fresh food. There is a feeling of optimism when you and your partner start sorting out your relationship which has been a littlestressful of late. The cards indicate you will be doing wellfinancially and at work. You may decide to buy a new car and help a friendin trouble.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

There may be some re-organisation at work and you may be asked to take on more responsibilitythis month. This willcome with benefits and might well lead to a promotion. The cards are indicating you will be feeling a little restless in your relationships. You need to start relaxing more and communicating better with your partner. There will be some interesting revelations with regard to a matter that hasbeen bothering you for a while to do with the family.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

�-��yr.1 You needto keep an eye on your health this month asthere may be some ups and downs. The cards are indicating you may be thinking about moving to a new career. Take some time out and decide what you would like to do. There will be some interesting developments in the love area of your life and you will be feeling quite content. Take time out to go for walks and get some exercise included into your routine.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

A very passionate andfiery month will be enjoyed between you and your partner. There will be some discussions with regard to where and when your next vacation will be. There is some important paperwork that you need to sort out. Make sure that your car is checked at the mechanic. The cards are indicating you will have a .,. hectic and productive time. There will be a lot going on, but progress in business andfinances is expected this month.

PREDICTIONS FOR JAN 2017

BYNANCYJADE ALTHEA

LIBRA Sept 23 - Oct 22

As usual, you willhave started this year with a lot of thinking and planning. You will be making sure you have arranged your next holiday, finances and affairs. The cards are indicating you will be able to take hold of opportunities with success and ease. There will be some interesting developments with an oldfriend you have reconnected with.Your partner may not be feeling very well, so it is a good time to go on that much needed break together.

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month you will feel passionate, renewed and fullof energy. You will be feeling extremely loving and highly sensual. The cards are indicating you will want your love life to be sorted out and contentment to prevail. There will be successful negotiations at work and you will be able to obtain what you desire most. It will be a month of kindness and excessiveness at times. You will have to exercise restraint and make sure you do not spend unnecessarily.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

You will be making some important resolutions with regard to your relationship this month.You may also have to make some difficult decisions with regard to financial aspects of the relationship.You have been working very hard lately and you will be at the point of feeling that you efforts are going unnoticed. The cards are indicating a time when you willspeak up and get what you desire and deserve.A good time to meditate on your issues.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month you will be deciding what you would like to do with regard to your career.Youhave a mindful of ideas and plans. There willbe some dizzy spells of excitement and your head will be spinning. In your love life, you may be heading towards a more settled, committedphase of your union. The cards are indicating you need to think about your health more. Plan to walk and take some outdoor holidays to revive your motivation.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

This month will start with bold plans and decisions.Your current job is very busy and hectic. There will be new superiors hired and there may be some upset around the workplace. Ideas and plans may be a little muddled but there is an indication that things will settle down. Finances will be healthy. The cards are indicating a time when you will want to get back in touch with people from the past and start the year with positive energy.

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

You may be feeling a little up and down with your moods this month. There will be definite plans with regard to career and relationships, and you are determined to make everything work just how you want it to. There may be conf icts with colleagues as you're not in the moodforsoft words.You need to get your point across and you know how to do it.You need to look after your spending and not exceed your limits.

his daughters' destinyto a glory denied to a lot of women in this country. ls this his best performance? Can't say whatever hehasdoneearlierpales into insignificance.

Significantly, Dangal doesn't play the feminist card at all. There are no speeches tirades and pushy homilies on feminism. The men in fact are not shown to be excessively sexist for the sake of aggrandisingthe dramatic impact of girls' ultimate victory. While Aamir plays the epitome of gender equality, Aparshakti Khurrana who plays Geeta and Babita Phogat's goofykind-hearted cousin is a feministeven without knowing what the word means.

DANGAL

in the expansivescript, this is clearly the other elder daughter Geeta s story, her blow-hot-blow-cold relationship with herfather and herultimatetriumphin the wrestling ring.Aamir andZarina Wasim/FatimaSana Shaikh (the two girls who play Geeta) play againsteach other withvivacious credibility.While we watch Geeta wrestle her way to the gold medal - and shefights her opponentsin the wrestling ring like a true pro - we also watch Geeta and her father wrestle in ways that are not manifested physically.

STARRING:AamirKhan,Sakshi

Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra DIRECTOR: Nitesh Tiwari ....,\

There are outstanding films. Then there is Dangat. A film so rich in the f avours of home-grown emotions you feel you are floating in afieldof aromatic sensation for close to three hours without feeling manipulated.You come away from this experience so moved andso much wiser that you wonder why cinema can't be so rewarding more often.

But then again, if every other fIm was a Dangal how would we know the difference?

There I go, raving about a flm which, let me state right away, will be rememberedby posterity as one of the landmarks of Indian cinema in the same breath as,say MotherIndia, Sholay or Lagaan.Yes, Dangal has that kind of an impact. Not because it has anything new to say. On the surface it is another

rags-to-riches sportsfilm where a girl, GeetaPhogat,from a small dusty town of Haryana brings the gold medalin wrestling to India.

No. It is not the theme. It's in the heartbreakingdirectnessand artlessness, the absolute absence of artifice, in thenarrative that we discover that mysterious oft-abused entityknown as the Real India. These are places and people with real dreams and ambitions. These are characters whom we live with, sometimes within ourselves. It takes a Mahavir SinghPhogat and his mulish obstinacy to pullIndia's perverse patriarchy dragging kicking and screaming out of its heavily cordonedlair andto say, enough is enough.

It takes an AamirKhan to bulk up to the extent oflooking like a tired but undefeated has-been to play the I wrestler whose determinationsaw his daughtersbreak throughthe masculine bastion of wrestling to prove women can do anything men can. Aamir lives the role ofPhogat, sternly manoeuvring

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No one in the cast and crew - not even the eternal attention-seekerAamir Khan and not Sethu Sriram's cinematography - seeks attention here. Not even when fightingso ferociously in the wrestling akhaada. These people do what they have to. Theyfight inner andouter adversaries because - well, they are there and they must be fought.

Danga/neatly and nimbly avoids all classifications and isms and emerges as one of the strongest cinematic statements on women's empowerment in recent times. The performances go alongway in imbuing a sense of unrehearsed classicism to the simple tale of a simple father who lives out his sporting dreams through his daughters.

As simple as that.

And such doughty daughters! The two sets of actresses who play the younger and older versions of Geeta and Babita Phogat are so liberating in their spontaneity that they at some point, cease to draw attentionto their skills at character assumption andsimply invite us to follow the girls' journey to victory.

While theyoungerPhogat daughter Babita, playedably by Suhani Bhatnagar and Sanya Malhotra, does have her say

Geeta's change as she becomes famous is mapped with nojudgmental regret. This is not afilm that wastes time trying to slotjudge or condemn human failings. It breathes with the characters andletsthemexhale at their own will. That is the real beauty of Dangal. It is what it is not because it tries to be great. but because the story it has to tell is effortlessly ensconced in excellence.

Director Nitish Tiwari simply plucks the fruits of a tree whose roots go deep into our culture penetratingsocietal biases towards thegirl child, with a cluck of the tongue that is barely audible.

The climactic wrestling bout shot with adrenaline-pumping immediacy could have avoided reducing Geeta's coachto ascheming villain. Neither thefilmnor Aamir's timeless portrayal of Mahavir Phogat neededto be propped up and peppered with scriptural spice.

Dangal hasno patience withjudgement values.It is so precious andso valuable because itlets us look at home-truthswith wisdom ratherthancunning.Thisfilm will be remembered by posterity as one of the landmarks of Indiancinema,not because ittries to be one.

Thank you Geeta Phogat, Nitesh Tiwari, AamirKhan.India is proud of you.

Phogat's sake, Dangal must be watched.

Subhash K.Jha

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OM PURI: AN ACTOR FOR ALL SEASONS

His craggy, pockmarked but distinctive face may have kept him from becoming a leading man infilms, but Om Puri used the remarkable range of expressions he could convey, from impotent rage to blazing menace to comic exasperation, along with his trademark baritone, to play some immortal roles on the big and small screen in India and abroad.

The true tribute to any actor is in remembering some of theirperformances and for Om Puri, who succumbed to a sudden heart attack this month, there is no shortage of roles, big or small, heroic, comic or villainous, in masala or art films to recall his skill.

Will we remember him for his depiction of the victimised tribal of Aakrosh (1980), conveyinghis anguished helplessness by facialexpressionstillthe very lastshocking scene when he finally opens his mouth in a loud protest, the hapless policeman in Ardh Satya(1982), the enthusiastic poetry-lover in In Custody/ Muhafiz(1993) or sinister terrorist Sanatan in Maachis (1996).

Or will we prefer to remember him in anotherlight, assuspicious secretary Banwari Lal in Chachi420(1998), thejovial and kind but dutifulInspectorKhan in Pyar To Hona Hi Tha(1997) or determined Inspector Udham Singh in Gupt (1997). Then there is also his portrayal of British-Pakistani George Khan, who is loving but can be authoritarian and abusive towards his mixed family in East Is East (1999).

And let us not forget two cameos where he wellmarked his presence - Nahari, the unrepentant rioter in RichardAttenborough's Gandhi(1982), and as GenZia ul-Haq inCharlie Wilson's War (2007), whichshows how the Americansbegan their slide into theAfghan quagmire.

Vikas Datta

DEV PATEL: SEXIEST MAN ALIVE?

Popular American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres thinks Indian-origin British actor DevPatelshould be named the sexiest man alive.

Dev appeared on The Ellen OeGeneres Show recently to promote hisfilm Lion, and DeGeneres encouraged him to start a campaign for "Sexiest Man Alive".

"Because you look so good, and people are saying youlook buff and everything, I had this made for you," DeGeneres told Dev before presenting the 26-year-old actor with a fake magazine cover of him as People's annual hot man honouree.

"You can hand this out, it'll help your career"

Patel responded, "I'llgive it to my mom, she'll put it at the entrance to her house."

"This is very awkward," he went on, leadingDeGeneres to quip, "You don't understand Hollywood."

Awww, simple,lovable Dev!

Meanwhile, Ellen is making many new Indian friends. Recall how wellshe got on with Priyanka Chopra not so long ago? She had PeeCee downing vodka shots one after the other (in an obvious send up of apni Priyanka's vodka confessions at a red carpetjust prior). And if news is to be believed, Ellen has signed Deepika Padukone to appear on hershow, in the lead upto the release of xXx: Return ofXander Cage.

Vodka for Priyanka, People magazine cover for Dev wonder what Ellen has in store for Dippy? Need any help there, Ellen? How about good looking boys names Ranbir,Ranveer, Ranvir maybe ?Just a suggestion!

Dev, PeeCee, Dippy, we can't wait to see you in your new films.

And on more TV talk shows!

IT'S ATOILET BREAK FOR BHUMI PEDNEKAR

Her firstfilm Oum Laga Ke Haisha contained the message that over-sized women are not at a disadvantage as long as there is love.

Bhumi Pednekar's second film too has a societal message. It's about... toilets? No, it's a love story. Heck, no, it's a love story set in a toilet. No, no, no, it's a story where toilets fall in love.

Excuse our confusion. But the filmmakers are not telling us much about thefilm other than the fact that it's called Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. Now you understand our foggy minds

The 27-year-old actorsaid the film isn't preachy.

"It is a beautiful love story that taps into aspects of our society as well," she noted.

While it is quite apparent from the title that the film is about personal hygiene, the producers are keeping the storyline close to their chests to retain interest in the movie that is set to release inJune.AkshayKumar stars alongside Bhumi.

Bhumi is more than happy about Bollywood making message-basedfilms and says cinema is the easiest way to communicate with the people.

"I feel that today's people, audiences andfilmmakers, we all have become very aware of the problems andthe situations that we have around us," she remarked. "Earlier, we were in a position to ignore them but I think we have now reached a point where we cannot ignore certain things and I think that's fantastic. Cinema is the largest and the easiest way to communicate with the masses and if you can put it to good use, then why not."

She went on, "What attracts me is real stories about realIndian girls." You go, girl!

Bhumi, who before entering the world of flms was a casting director, considersherself to be lucky for bagging realistic roles.

"I think I have beenreallylucky that I have been getting roles where I can play the girl-next-door or a girl... My roles are not similar at all," she said.

Oum Laga Ke Haisha came in 2015 and Bhumi's nextfilm is all set to release in June 2017.

Will the time gap help her build a new image?

"The time I took off was planned because I hadto come back to being Bhumi (my naturalself) and it took me this much time. I had gained an insane amount of weight for the film and I had to drop it off,"she explained.

WHEN PRIYANKA GLITTERED IN GOLD

Priyanka Chopra made a glittering statement at the Golden Globe Awards in her custom-made Ralph Lauren golden gown.

Priyanka's outfit was described as 'one-of-a-kind hand-embroidered evening dress' by the official Twitter handle of the designer brand.

In a candidconfession to IANS before the 74th edition of the award gala,

UP-TO-DATE NEWSON WHAT'S HOTAND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

Priyanka had said that she likes to have a "fun on red carpet as I meet people I work with. It's fun time for me."

Bollywood's 'desi girl' made her debut appearance at the Golden Globe Awards, which recognise excellence in film andtelevision, both domestic andforeign, to present the award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series -Drama. She was joinedbyHollywood actorJeffrey Dean Morgan. She gave away the trophy to Billy Bob Thornton for his role in Goliath. ColleaguesZac Efron and Dwayne Johnson certainly liked her look.

"Bad is an understatement. Why I love her! Stunning tonight. Being 'Baywatch' Golden Globes," Johnson tweeted.

"Congrats Priyanka! Teams killin it tonight! You look beautiful! 'Baywatch' babe," Efron tweeted.

Many back home complain that most Indian celebrities opt for international labels for their red carpet appearances. Does Priyanka feelsuch comments are justified?

"I think people wear clothes that work for an event. I have worn Indian designersinternationally, and vice versa. There is no harm in t as clothes are clothes. People should wear what they feel like wearing," Priyanka said.

AUSSIE HOLIDAY FOR BIPS

Bipasha Basu was inAustraliarecently and on extended honeymoon with her

bridegroomKaran Singh Grover. Sydney and the Gold Coast featured on their itinerary, with the loved up duo bringing in the New Year in Sydney, an arms' length away from the world-famous fireworks on the harbour. The bubbly actor tweeted pies of herself and her miyan at the Opera House forecourt, at Pitt St Mall, in Myer in the city, on a boat in Sydney Harbour, fish and chips at Watson's Bay, in Leura in the Blue Mountains, beach-bumming, at various restaurants all accompaniedby the hashtag aussiemonkeys.

On ya, Bipasha!

WORTH WAITING FOR? YOU DECIDE!

Ohhhhh, here's another unfortunately named film: Haramkhor, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi.

Shweta (of Masaan fame) has been gushingall over the place about her talented colleague.

"Atfirst, I was worried sharing screen with an actor like Nawazuddin Siddiqui because he is a remarkable actor and an outstanding person," she said recently. "(But) he didn't make me feel like a newcomer. Nawazuddin brings himself down to match thelevel. I felt as though I was working with an actor who has same experience like me.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

KATIESTEVENS orMALAIKA ARORA KHAN in ZEYNAP ERDOGAN?

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That's why I respect him so much. I don't know anybody who does that. He givesspace to another co-star."

Er, okay.

Shot in asmallvillage in Gujarat, the film exploresthe romance between a 14-year-old schoolstudent and her teacher.

The main characters of thefilm are the teacher, the student, a boy who has a crush on the girl and his friend who helps him and the teacher's wife.

Meanwhile, SalmanKhan is headed to Morocco with former squeeze Katrina Kaif, for director AliAbbas Zaffar's TigerZindaHai, a sequel to 2012 blockbuster Ek Tha Tiger.

Zaffar is currently busyscouting locations in Morocco.

Produced byAditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, thefilm is gearing up for a Christmas release this year.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Matchthe starstothefollowing tweets Deepika Padukone, ShahRukhKhan, Priyanka Chopra,KaranJohar, Salman Khan,Amitabh Bachchan, AkshayKumar

Sometimes too many options aren't a good thing #GoldenGlobes #GirlProblems suggestions?

The Sundaywell wishers always an occasion to consider that life is worth what it gave me

Jaan se #Zaalima tak Hope you all like it!

Joining hands on a project where @ akshaykumar is the hero and will be co producedby @karanjohar and #SKF

Here it is #GoPagal with our first song, my favourite song from #JollyLLB2!!

Cried my heart out in #LION and absolutely loved #DevPatel sad and cathartic butso magical in many moments

Thrilledto announce that #XxX:TheReturnofXanderCage will release in India first! before anywhere else in the world! #14thJanuary #VinDiesel

What'sthe chitchat between LIONstars DEV PATEL and SONNY PAWAR

Send inyourresponsesto win@indianlinkcom.au andwin asurprise prize

What'sthe chitchat between AKSHAY KUMAR and SAJIDNADIADWALA duringtheirgrand entrytothesetof Yaaron Ki Baraat Everybodygetready for Houseful/ 4!

SIMONESINGH, Werribee, VIC wins a ticketto OKJANU

The in ane ition

What'sApp-eningonyouronline familygroup? Canyou identifyyourelectronic parivaar here

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BY SANAM SHARMA

Abigpart of the Indiansocial fabricaretherishtedaars (relatives).1n India, onegrows uponanoverdoseof 'relatives', sometimes thoseyou'renot evenreallyrelatedto,andtheycome inall shapes andsizes.Thereare theniceones withwhomyouseemtospendyourcwomonth-longsummervacationseachyear. There are thenot-so-niceones,whoyoutry, usuallrunsuccessfuli) to avoid.Thereare the ones\vhoare onlyconcernedabomche examgradesscoredbytheotherkidsinthe family(aapkcbachekekitnem11J1berac!)'Ctypes).

Andthecompetitiveones who arealways theretooutdoyouin everything-but with

acharmingsmile,of course.

Familygatherings,birthdays and ,veddings havetraclitionallybeenthe bondinggrounds for thetribe.Itisduring these occasionsthatall therelativesinthe khandaan(clan)cometogetherovera hearty mixof celebrations,feasting,andgossip (in noparticularorder).

However,withtheadventof social media,theIndian1ishtedcJarishavemoved online.FacebookandWhatsAppare thetwomostconm1onplatformswhere modernlnclianfamiliesplayout d1eir e.xtended social scene.Socialmeclia has brought familiescloser,especiallythe Indian ones. Relativeswho usedtocatchupand conversemaybeannuallynowpingeach od1er'roundtheclock.

Withthisonlinemigrationof India's extendedfamilies,theIndian1ishtedaari. etiguetteseems co haveseamlessly transitionedintotheWorldWideWeb. Internalfamilypolitics,gossip,jealousies, disputesandgrudgesallseemcohave

adoptedanonlineavatar.Forthose'good' relatives,social media is agreatforumco keepatabonthewelfareof theextended family.Ford10se borderline tomischievous risbtedaars,FacebookandWhatsAppare potentcoolstodishoutconcealed sarcasm and sometimes,notsoconcealedoutrage. Therehas neverbeen abetter time to beasp)'intheInclian extendedfamily. Just 'friend'd1eentireclan onlineand d1enpeacefullysitback,withadrinkin hand,andscrollmroughyourFacebook tirnelineatleisure.Innotime,youwillhave enoughverifiabledatatocomeupwith educatedconclusionsaboutthebreak-ups, link-ups,factionsandfrictionswithinyour kba11daa,1.Gossip andgloryof theentire famil)7atyourfingertips,readyco unleash atd1eslightesttrigger. ItisdieWikileaks eguivalemof theon.linedesi.

WhatsAppandFacebookalsocaterfor thosewhofancykeepingagrudgegoing. Dropinasubtlehintof displeasureand \mfriend'a1isbtedaaronFacebook,orleavea

familygroupon\X/hatsApp.Tiuswillgetthe entirefan1ilytalking Groupspeculationwill givewartoone-on-onemessages,debating thecauseof yourdiscontentwhilesoliciting wayscobringyoubackintothefamilyfold. Somemayevenbecourageous(orstupid) enoughtomessageyoudirectly- eitherto discreetlyshared1eirdispleasure withthe familyaswell,orcocryandpleadacasefor youtore-join theelectr01ucpe11ivacJr. Thenthereared1eonlinepassiveaggressiverelatives.Theyresortcocreative statusupdateswhichareadeguatelyvague enoughtogiveawayidentities,yet keeptbe restof theclanguessingaboutwho'sd1e targetof meir rams.The onesinthefamily whoaremostboggledbysuchupdates are boundtoreacl1outandprobeforfurther clarification(if onlytorulethemselvesout).

Last but not d1eleast,if youclaim tobe awriter,youmarendupgettingyourself thrown out of d1eonlinefamilynetworkfor writingsucha piece.Youknow,kbcmdacmk.a naamhadnaal/lkaruekeljye!