2017-01 Sydney (2)

Dr Purushottam Sawrikar

4DAYSUPER

PUBL.IS�ER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITOR.

Kira Spucys-Tahar

MELBOURNE COORDIN,ATOR

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

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BYPAWAN LUTHRA

FormerPremierMikeBaird\Vas muchadmiredinthestate's Indiancommunity:hewasseen asane.xtremeJyefficientand approachablePremierofNS\X(He didmuchforcheIndian-Australian community,butunlikehispredecessors, seemedtoshowalackofurgency forbuildingandstrengtheningthe relationshipwhichwasbeingdeveloped betweenNSWandIndia.

Overtheyears,thepoliticalleaders ofNSWhaverecognisedthefacethat itwillbetotheiradvantagetohavea strongerbilateralconnectionintradeand commercewithlndia.Withover180,000 peopleofIndianoriginnowlivingin thestate,itmakessensetodevelop deeperbondsbetweend1enumberone stateinAustraliaandIndia.Manyareas havebeenidentifiedwherechereare ampleoppornmitiesforNSWtooffer itsexpertisetolnclia-financialservices, smartercities,skillsandtrainingetc.

ovtneeds iastrategy

Infact,thesewereraisedwhenIndian PMModivisitedAustraliain2014and interactedwithleadingNSWpoliticians includingMikeBaird,theninchargeof thestate.

Theformerpremieralsometwiththe IndianPMduringhismaidenvisit to Indiain2015.Modidieninvitedhimback everyyearcobuildonthe$1.8billion tradebetweenSWandIndia.Nowtwo yearsdownthetrack,areturnvisi[bythe formerpremierhasnotbeenpossibleand byallaccounts,withthecurrentchange toanewPremier,itdoesnotseemtobea highpriorityforthegovernment.

ThepositivemovebyBairdtobuild astrongerrelationshipbe[weeoNSW andIndiawastheappointmentofhis predecessorBarryO'Farrellasspecial tradeenvoytoIndia.Barryiswellknown forhispassionforallthingsIndianand alsohasbeenafrequentvisitortoIndia. Itisgoodtonotethiscontinuitybeyond thecurrentpoliticalchanges.

Butforthosewithinthecorridorsof MacquarieScree[whowishtoprogress misrelationshiptoastrongerlevel,there needs[Obearenewedvisionofengaging withIndia.Onapeople-to-people level,thereseemtobeconsiderable resourcesbeingspentinneighbouring Victoriatobuilduptheirbrandwith

India.Witheventssuchas[behugely successfulIndianInternationalFilm Festivalcompletingit.sfifthyear,andthe upcomingpartnershipofMelbourne Wri[ersFestivalwithworldrenowned JaipurLiterarureFestival,NSWislosing outinmesoftpowerengagementwim India.ThecwoculturalofferingsParramasala(whichisnowbeingdiluted ofitsIndianheritage)andchelightingof OperaHouseforDiwali-seemtobethe onlytwoSWengagementswithIndia. Withthechangingoftheguard,itisan opportunitytolookathowtofurtherthe relationshipbetweenthetwo.Thestate's tradewithIndiaisnmgoinganywhere fastandwearenotdevelopingour softpowerpotential.Evenatafederal level,thereseems[Obeagapafterd1e changeoverfromformerPMAbbott, whowaspa.ssionateabomworkingwith India,tocurrentPl\,[Turnbull,who todatehasnotshownanyexcitement aboutIndia.Oneofthebestadvocates ofbuildingastrongerrelationship, AustralianTradeJ\,linisterAndrewRobb hasleftpolitics.

Inayearwhereonesuspects in[ernationalrelationswillbeabou[ allthingsTnm1p,itwillbeagood opportunitytocreatealongtermnichein d1erelationshipbetweenNSWandIndia.

Aparna Ananthuni, Sargun Bhatia, Mohan Dhall, Jyoti Shankar, Nanditha Suresh, Sondarya Krishnan, Dhanya Samuel, Sandip 1--lor, Ravinder Singh Jabbal

JORDAN SPRINGS

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MANISHMALHOTRA LAUNCHES VIRTUAL REALITY FASHION SHOW

Ace Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra launched his virtual reality fashion show, filmed at last year's Lakme Fashion Week. MaqsoodGodll wrote: Manish Malhotra is one of the best designers of India and has designed dresses for Bollywood celebrities. The idea of a virtual reality platform for the fashion week and show is to let everyonefeel like they are there at the show. My hearty wishes for success and congrats to the planners and programmers and sponsors.

ERAOFDHONl'SCAPTAINCY IN INDIANCRICKETCOMES TOAN END

Dhoni steps downas the skipperof India's OD/and T20 International sides DatwanlChand wrote: Salute to thedetermined Sultan: let's hopemany more are generated with him as a precedent.

DEMONETISATION: WHATSIN ITFOR US, MR MODI?

PAWAN LUTHRA was in conversation with Indian television personality and current affairs commentator Abhigyan Prakash SanjeevAgarwallast wrote: Where is Abhigyan ? We would like to see him, we need such people to save our country! Please do not quit!

VlkasSaxena wrote: The interview does not give the right balance of view in my opinion, too many questions on a particular individual and not on the topic at hand.

NRIOPPORTUNITIES FOR THEGOVERNMENTOF INDIA

With all they have to offer, the diaspora shouldbe better engagedby the Indian government, wrote PAWAN LUTHRA

JayShah wrote: While the government is trying to engagemuch more that previous governments, why can't we start doing our bit proactively?There is much we can do without government intervention. In fact, the discourse should be how we can come together and make a difference when so much change is happening already.

HSC: LESSONS ABOUTMYSELF

Students fromthe community who completedYear 12 with outstanding results shared their insights Into surviving the finalyear of school VarunThakkar wrote: I wish, in myfinal year of school, I was aware of all the career options available in Australia as well as overseas and also at what universities, theirfees, duration and how exactly would it be useful in life and also what prospects they hold!

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Hopeamidsttragedy

Australians show their true spirit in the face ofthe Bourke Street incident

BY PREETI JABBAL

At1stralians,especiallythose livinginMelbourne,havebeen unitedinshock,griefand condemnation of theBourke Streettragedythatresulted infivefatalitiesandinjuriestomultiple pedestrianswhowereplougheddownbya motorist.NetbraKrishnamurthy,ayow1g Indianmother,wasamongtheshoppers, rouristsandworkerswhofellvictimtochis senselessact.

Inanincidentchatshooktheentirecity, 26-year-oldDimitriousGargasoulasallegedly drovehis carintothebusyBourkeStreet Mall,deliberatelystrikingpedestriansafter lunchtimeonFriday20January.Hewas witnesseddoingdoughnutswithhisvehicle outsidethebusyFlindersStreetStationprior tothecrash.

VictoriaPolicehavechargedhimwith fivecountsofmurderforkillingMatthew Si(33),Jess Mudie(22)ThailaHa.kin(10) andZacharyBryant(3months)aswellasan as-yetmi.identified25-year-oldman.About 30peoplewereinjured;manysurvivorsare stillreceivingtreaanentinhospitalincluding Nethra Krishnanmrthy.

Nethraiscurrentlyundergoingtreatment attheAlfredHospitalforherinjuries.She hasmultiplespinalandribfractures,a puncturedlw1gandlacerationsonherliver, kidney,intestineandscalp.She hasbeen throughmanysurgeriesandhermedical

treatmentwillcontinue.ltisexpectedtobea longroadtorecovery.

etbraisanITconsultantwhomigrated coAustraliafromMysore,Karnatakaand movedtoMelbotirnein2012.Sheismarried toMohan Kumarandtl1eyhaveaneightmonth-oldson,Hari.Shehadjustfitiished feedinghercliildwhowasinadaycareand wasreturningtoworkwhenthetragedy occurred. Herhusband was\,richher, howeverhewastmharmedintheincident.

"Iwasluckytonisstheimpactbut unluckyenoughtowitnesstl1emassacre firsthand,"hesaidinhissocialmediapost inforniingpeopleabouthiswife'swellbeing. "lwouldhavedoneeverythingIcouldand leaveeverytlii.ngI havecopreventthis from happeiiingtoher,"headdedashe thanked everyonefortheirconcern,careandsupport.

Accordingtoupdates ethrahadher ventilaror,lungandnasogastricmbes removedrecentlyandisabletotalkanddrink Au.ids.Sheisexpectedcoundergoplastic sttrgeryforthelacerationsonherscalp. FriendsandMohan'smother,whoreaclied Melbournesoonafterthetratunaticincident, arecaringforherchild.

Tliisunprecedentedtragedyhasimpacted manyfamiliesandtheoutpouringofsupport fromthecommmiityhasbeenenormous Thefloraltributes,messagesofhope, condolences,lettersandfundsarepouringin foraUthoseaffected.Vigilsandmemorials wereheldtohonourtheinnocentvictimsof tl1erampage.

Saddenedandconcerned,theAustralian communityhasdugdeepintotheirpockets codonatecothevictims.Atlastcountover $700,000hadbeenraisedfortl1emwithina coupleofdays

Afundraisingcan1paign \Vasalsocreated

forNethraandherfamily. ExceedINGits originalgoalinthefirstfewdayswithnearly 2000donations,Sofar,over5.5Kpeople haveshared thecampaignlinkandthere hasbeenanoverwhelmingresponsefor tl1eyoungfaniilyduringtliistragictime.To continuediesupportdonationscanbemade atmycause.com.au.

Besidesthegrief,thereisgrowinganger attl1eaccused,DirnitriousGargasoulas,who wasreleasedbyabailjusticedaysbefore heaJJegedJycausedtl1isincident.Thereis anincreasingdemandfromtl1ecommunity toreviewdiebailsystemandmake amendments oroverhaul currentstructures toprotectpeoplefromviolentoffenders.

Amidstchebacklash,meVictorian PremierDanielAndrews haspledgeda

fullexaminationofthebailsystemand establishmentofanafter-hoursmagistrate,5' court.Thenightcourtwillconsiderbail applicationsforpeoplechargedwith\riolent crimeswhenpoliceopposebail.Leaderof OppositionMatthewGuyalsoproposed a'onestrikeandyou'reout'policyand presw11ptionof remand forthosecharged withviolentoffences.

Asthestoriesof thevictimsunfold tl1ereismuchheartbreak;however,shining ilirougbaJJdi.isistheindomitable spiritof tl1epeopleofMelbourne. Kudostothose heroesandwonderfulpeoplewhoreached omtohelprhevictimsontl1edaythetragedy occurred and thosewhocontinuetowork tirelesslytocarefor them. Humanityisalive andkicking

Taking care of Bourke Street Families

TheVictorian Governmenthassetup a 'Bourke St Fund' forfamilies affected bythe tragic incident. Itwillworkin addition toexisting compensation being made available throughthe TransportAccident Commission (tAC) and WorkSafe Victoria For those who lostloved onesfollowingthetragic events ofFriday, people physically injured and witnesses, theTAC can coverthe costof:

• Ambulance and hospital care

• Rehabilitation services, including physic and psychologists

• Counsellingfor individuals families and couples

• Additional medical services, includingsurgery, pathologyand GP visits

• Prescribed medication

• Travel expensesto and from medical appointments

• Lossofwages

• Funerals and lump sum payment to dependants

WorkSafewill providesimilarassistance for people whowereatwork, ontheir lunch breakandwereaffected bythe incident.

Anyone directlyimpacted by the incident is encouraged to call theTAC as thefirst pointof contactduring business hours on 1300 654 329 to discusstheir needs. Anyone who wantsto make a donation can do so theVictorian Government's website, wwwvicgovau/bourkestreeLhtml or bycalling1800 226 226

GENERAL PRACTICE AS WELL AS SOCIAL WORK

Dr Purushottam Sawrikar, OAM Forservice to medicine, and to the Indian community of Sydney

owclidDrSawt:ikarfeelwhen heheardthenewsthathehad wonanAustraliaDayhonour?

"Honoured,butmostly surprised andalsomotivated cocakeon some moreprojects!"

PurushortamSawrikar,general practitioner,has beenasocialwork enthusiasteversincehearrivedherein 1972 fromHyderabadinIndia.

"Iloveinteractingwithpeople.Social workissomethingthathasbeenapart ofmylifesinceIwasaschoolkid. It continuedthroughmyuniversitydays andasayoungadult."Therewasmuch opportunityinIndiaforthistOfindoutlet. Asadoctor,preventivemedicinebecame oneofDrSawrikar'spassions andhe cook themessageof improvingquahtyoflifeto thepeople throughthemedia.

Onradio,pt:int,TVandthroughaudio CDs,DrSawrikarreachedouttotbeIndian communityinSydneyonhealth-related issues.

OnhisMarathiradioshowon 98.5 FMAkashvaniSydney,ontheKannada languageCbandananrandonChannel 31,heproducedanddirectedshowsabout participatingingovernment-initiatedhealth andscreeningprogramssuchasthose forbowelcancer,breastcancerandthe Mother'sDay\'(lalkinParramatta.These showshelpedcreateawarenessan10ngst newlyarrivedmigrantsonavarietyof topics.Someofhismemorablesho\vshave beenaboutwhatto do whenaheartattack occurs,ourpredispositiontodiabetes,bow rostaveoffdepression,andage-relatedeye disorders.

Manyoftl1eseprogramswere turned into resourcematerials fordistributionat surgeries and atcommunityfunctions.

Arlarge-scalecommunityevents,Dr Sawrikarorganised forfreehealth clinics onBPand diabetes.

Asexecutivememberandpresidentof theAustralianIndianlv[edicalGraduates AssociationAIMGA,DrSawrikar advocatedonbehalfof India-trained doctorswho foundithard toqualifyfor

registration.

"Weliaisedwithministersandhelped organiseclinical attachments atatime when the draconianregistrationprocess wascausingsomeclistress."

Hewasalsoinstrumentalinorganising overseasconferencesand seminarsfor AIMGA,especiallyaparticularlysuccessful onewitbtheGlobalAssociationof PhysiciansofIndianOrigin(GAPIO)in 2014.

Anotherproject,creatingadirectoryof IndiandoctorsinAustralia,alsometwith muchsuccess:twoeditionswerecreated,in 2003andin2013.

,, Asexecutive memberandpresident ofthe Australian IndianMedical GraduatesAssociation AIMGA, Dr Sawrikar advocated onbehalfof India-traineddoctors whofoundithardto makeregistration ,,

Whatdoes thefutureholdforDr Sawrikar?

"I'm 71 now,andlatelytheissueofaged carebasbeguntointerestme.I'dliketo explore furthertl1egovernmentinitiatives thatarein placesuch asMyAgedCareand helppopluarisetheminourcommunity. Aswell,Iwouldliketoaidthecreationof volunteerteamswithinthecommunitythat cantake011someof theburdenofcaring forourseniors."

Givenheisstillworking12-hourdays mostdays, wonderwhen thisnewproject willrakeoff.

Rajni Anand Luthra

REMOVING DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE

Dr Ranjana Srivastava, OAM Forservice to medicine, particularly in the field ofdoctorpatient communication

Asan oncologistandamedical writer,RanjanaSrivastava claimsitwas herexperiences asapatient thatinfluenced howhercareerultimately shaped om. Herdoctor'sdemeanouras hedeliveredbadnews-his"unflinching truth"andhistears-sparkedalasting professionalpassionfordoctor-patient communication.

TodaytheMelbourne-baseddoctorhas wonacclaimnotonlyforherworkinthe field,butalso forherturni.nthemediaas ptintcolumnist,radiopresenter,television hostandexpectcommentator,andofcourse asauthoroffourwell-receivedbooks.

HerOAMhonour thisyeartopsan ever-growinglistofawardsthatincludes academichonours,prizesinliterature, 'womenofinfluence'mentions and distinguished unialumniawards.

"I'mveryhumbled,andalittle thrilled," shecells TndianLink.

Itisclearfrom DrSrivastava'swork thatbeingagooddoctor,isallaboutthe patient."Iwanttodemystifymedicine tothegeneralpublic.Thar'swhatgood medicineisabout-havingahandinone's ownhealth."

The"asymmetryinmedicinebetween doctorandpatient"isasourceofconcern forDrSrivastava.

"Taking thepatient'sperspective increases theirownunderstandingofthe situation.Thereisbettercompliance,and betterparticipationintheirownhealthcare. Italsoaids theminleadingagoodlife,and alsohavingagooddeath.It'simportant todefinetheirroleintheprocess,because ultimatelyheald1isasharedresponsibility."

Hercommitmentto dealingdirecdywid1 disparities in health carehas also motivated DrSrivastavatotakeupavarietyof other roles,suchashelpingmosethatneed immediatehelp. Shehasvolumeeredat naturaldisasterzones,andworkswiththe AsylumSeekersCentre.

Mentoringyoungerdoctorsisanomer aspectalongthesamelines.

"l\,figrantdoctorsespeciallyhaveatough time,"sheobserves."Thoseofuswho

knowtheropesmustsupportthemin whateverwaypossible.\Xieallhelpcreate agooddoctor,andallof societybenefits. I'mdrawntotheexperiencesofmigrant doctorsbecauseIidentifywithtbem."

DrSrivastavahasspokenoftenabout therolegoodmentorshaveplayedinher ownlifeasastudentandasamedical practitioner.

Aswell, sheis notaverseto speakingup aboutracism-andsexism-inthemedical fraternity.

"AIJof this tiesinwithmypassion for medical ethics,really," she concludes."That iswhy thereissomethingveryspecialabout beingamigrantandbeingrecognised(on AustraliaDay),intermsof whatwecan givebacktothiscountry."

Herwriting,with straightforward but captivatingtides (D)'i11gforaChat:The Co1111111111ict1tionBreakdownBet1veet1DoctoJJ andPt1tie11ts-,TellJvietheTmtb:Conversations withti{)'PatientsAho11tLifeandDeath;So It'sCm1ce1;NowlV"hat?andAfterCa11cer:A GuidetoU11i11gWei�mayhavegivenhera

fanfollowingoutsided1ehospitalscenario andinwriters'festivalsacrossd1enation, butitis medicinechatis herfirstlove.

"l'vfedicineisthefulfilling career; all else isicingond1ecake,"shereveals.'1always dreamtofbecomingadoctor,eventhough l'vebeenwritingsincel wasfiveorsix."

DrSrivastavawasborninCanberrabut grewupinIndia,UKandtheUSasshe travelledwithheracademicparents.Arl7, shereturnedtoAustraliatostudymedicine atMonashUniversity.

"I'mgratefultomyparentswhotook merotmdtheworld,caughtmeresilience

andtocopewithchangebyrole modelling itforme," she recounts. "Theyalso taught me to keep intouchwith myroots. My workhasincreasinglybeguntorakeme backtoIndia. Iwas thereonlyrecendy: asavisitingscholarattheUniversity of Chicago,IwasspeakingattheirDelhi centreaboutmedical ethics I thinkitis importanttopaytributeto,vhereyou comefromandtoyourheritage.For instance,I'mmarried toan Ausrralianbur mykidsspeakHindi.Bestof bothworlds, I'dsay."

What advicewould shehaveforyoung doctors scarringout?

"Firsdy,always rememberthatitis an incredibleprivilegecodomedicine. Foreverypersond1atgetsin,thereare 100-150 aspirantswhohavemissedout. Second,don'tunderestimatethepowerof compassionandintegrity.It'swhatpatients mostremembermostabouttheirdoctor. Foragooddoctor,humility,compassion andintegritynevergoour of fashion."

Rajni Anand Luthra

,, 'For a good doctor, humility, compassion and integrity never go out of fashion ,,

PROMOTING NUCLEAR MEDICINE

Prof. Vijay Kumar, AM

omeofLife'sextraordinary momentshappenwhenyou leastexpectthem.

Sydney-based radiopharmaceuticalscientist Dr.VijayKumarwastravellinginEurope whenhelearnedfromhiswifeShanthat hehadbeenpickedforanAMhonourthis AustraliaDay.

Itisanhonouronlyaselectfewfromthe coLmtryarebestowedwith. Theroadtothisglorrhasbeenalong andmemorableone.

Itwasin1974thatayoungVijayarrived inthiscountryasabright-eyedresearch scholarfromTamilladu.

"Icamehereonascholarshiptodomy PhDattheAustralianNationalUniversity inCanberra,"herecountscoIndianLlnk.

Today,hiscareerspanningmorethan 40yearshasgivenhimsolidexpertisein thefieldofnuclearmedicine.Dr.Vijay owesalotofhisprofessionalsuccessand exposureto\XlestmeadHospitalandThe Children'sHospital\Xlescrnead."Nuclear medicineisaverynichearea,whichuses radioactivemedicinestotreatspecific diseases.Itcanimprovethetreatmentand palliativecareofpatientssignificantlyand alsoreducethesideeffectsoftreatmentsin conditionslikecancer,"heinforms.

Inthisspecialisedfield,the67-yearold scientist'scontributionsareaplenty.

Overthepasttwodecades,Dr.Vijay hasplayedapivot.'Liroleinestablishing radiopharrnaceuticalproductionand researchfacilitiesinmanyinstitutions inthecoLmtry.Hiscontributionscohis fieldofexpertisearenotjustrecognised nationally;Dr.Vijaywasamonganelite groupofscientistschosencoconsult fortheInternacionalAcomicEnergy Agency(lAEA),theacomicarmof theUnitedNations.Thisprovideda uni9ueopportunityforDr.Vijaycooffer professionalguidancetoseveraldeveloping naaons.

Withalonglistofachievements, recognitionsandawardsthatDr.Vijayhas

tohiscredit,heagreesthattheOrderof Australia(AM)topsthelist."Ifeelvery honouredbyd1isrecognition.Whatmakes meparticularlyhappyisthefactthatthis willbringrecognitioncothedisciplineand hopefullyencourageaspiringscientiststo takeitupseriously."

Dr.Vijay'sdriveforcommunitywork isalsowell-knownAformermember ofrl1eUnitedIndianAssociationsand founderoftheSydneyTamilSangam, Dr.VijayhasgivenbacktotheIndian communityinthecountrybyhelping severalimmigrantIndianstofinda footinginAustralia.

Hehowevermissesgivingmoretimero hispassions."InthepastfewyearsIhave beencaughtupwithmyprofessionallife, andIwishIcoulddedicatealittlemore timeformyotherinterests,"hemuses.

Oneoftheseisperhapshistalentfor music.Dr.Vijayhasutilisedhispassionto

,, Nuclearmedicine is avery niche area whichuses radioactive medicines to treat specific diseases. It can improve tl'eatment and palliative cal'e ,, joinhandswithsomeIndiancommunity associations/groupstoraisefundsfor charity.

Dr.Vijaybelieveshissuccesssterns fromthefactd1athegetsthebestof bothworlds."Iamveryproudofmy Indianupbringing,whichhasnurturedthe importanceofdedication,hardworkand diligenceineverycaskthatIundertake," hereveals."Couplethatwirl1theexposure, professionalism,professionalfreedom

d1atIac9uiredfromAustralia,Iamvery fortunatetOhaveobminedthebestfrom bothcultures."

Healsogivescreditwhereit'sdue-to hisfamily.AccordingroDr.Vijay,his wife,aretiredhistoparl1ologyscientist, his87-year-oldmother,son,daughterand hisrl1reegranddaughtersarehisgreatest suengths.

"Mywifehavingbeenascientistherself, itwaseasytosharesharingprofessional successwithher,"hesays."Asupportive familywhilehavingademandingcareeris thegreatestgift.Allthissuccesswouldn't havematerialisedwithoutthem."

HehopestheirsupportwiUallowhim tocontinuedoingwhathehasbeendoing. "Iseegreatoppormniciestogivemore backtorl1ecommunityandrevolutionise treatmentandcareforpatientswith conditionslikecancer,"hesaysconfidently. NandithaSuresh

Forservice to medical research in the disciplines ofnuclear medicine and biology, to professional organisations, and to the community

PIONEERING IN NEURORADIOLOGY

Prof. Makhan Singh Khangure, Forsignificantservice to medicine in the field ofneuroradiology, to education, and to a range ofprofessional medical associations

owdo surgeonstreatarupntred brainaneurysm?\'{Tell,inthe 'old'days,theywouldsaw throughtheskulltogettothe artery.Today,mostlikely,they wouldemploywhatiscalledendovascular coiling: theywouldgointhroughanartery inthegroin,insertacatheterthatwould travelupcothebrain,and thenthroughit, pushupsomeplatinumcoilsoracrylicglue to filluptheaneurysm,so thatbloodflow toitis sropped.

Thenewertechniqueismuchless invasive.

The 'old' days,youmightbesurprised tolearn,wasnotthatlongago.Thecoil techniquewasintroducedin 1995, andwent throughsevenyearsoftrialsbeforeitcame intowidespreaduse. InAustralia,Perd1basedradiologistProfMarkKhangurewas oneof theearlypractitionersinvolvedin thetrials.

lnthisyear'sAustraliaDayhonours, Prof Mark(i\fakhanSingh) Khangurehasbeen felicitated forhisworkinneuroradiology, amongother things.

"IwasdelightedwhenI heardd1enews," hetellsTndia11U11kin histrademarkgencle manner.

lnacareerchat spansalmosthalf a cennu-y,Prof. Khangurebasnotonlybeen practisingnenroradiology(asubspecialcy ofradiologyfocusingonthediagnosis andcharacterizationofabnormalitiesof thebrain,head,neckandspine),buthas alsobeeninvolvedincounselling,teaching, researchandadvocacy.

Hebas also served ontheboardsof a numberofmedicalorganisationsincluding AustralianandNewZealandSocietyof Neuroradiology,RoyalAustralianandNew ZealandCollegeofRadiologistsandthe AustralianMedicalAssociation.

i\,femoringothertraineesandadvocating forradiologists havebeenparticular passionsthatcontinueto thisday.

"Ilikecotellyoungerpractitionersto beinvolvedwiththeircareersinabroader sense,overandabovemerelyearninga

living,"hereveals."Iwantthem cothink aboutconsumerconcerns,government funding,equipmentupdate,advocatefor privatetreatment,andgenerall)' tobe honestandprovidewhatpatientsexpect."

Prof.KhangurewasborninIndiabut grewupin theUKwherebisfamilymoved whenhewasnine. Hefinisheduniversity d1ereandworkedbrieflybeforemovingto Perchin 1976. HeworkedwiththeRoyal PerchHospitaluntil2006 butforabrief stintintheUSforfurthertraining.Itwas atRoyalPerd1 thatmeclinical trials for endovascularcoilingwereundertaken.

Theprofessor'slinkswicl1meland ofhisbirthcontinuesinaprofessional sense."I'vebeenteachinginJvhunbai aboutprocedures forruptured aneurysms

,, Iliketotellyounger practitionerstobe involvedwiththeir careers in abroader sense, overand above merely earningaliving. I wantthemtothink about consumerconcerns, governmentfunding, equipment update, advocateforprivate treatment, and generally to be honest andprovide whatpatients expect ,,

wid1omsurgery,inbothpublicandprivate hospitals.Traineeshavecome heretoo, tolearn fromus:ayoungIndiandoctor workedwithusforayearbeforesetting upin India. Od1erthanIndia,wehave been trainingradiologistsinUK,Germany, Singapore andMalaysia."

Toda)' hecontinuestoworkactively,but foraprivateradiologygroup,andismosrl)' involvedindiagnosis.

"I'mlikeahigh-endsportspersonwho hasclimbed thepeakbeforefallingback intotheprecipice!"he laughs.

\X'hennotseeingpatients,Prof. Khangureisintolongdistancewalking, classicalmusic,theatre,travelling,and spendingtimewid1 hisgrandchildren.

Rajni Anand Luthra

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In Ritesh Batra1s delicious story, inspired by Mumbai1s world-famous lunchtime courier service, disillusioned office worker Saajan (lrrfan Khan) receives a stray lunch prepared by Ila (Nimrat Kaur), an eager young wife trying to impress her distant husband.

7:30pm Saturday February 11

$17.50Adults, $14.50 Concession $11.50 Children Under 16 Special Dinner Served 6- 7pm ($22)

Casula PowerhouseArtsCentre 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula CasulaPowerhouse com}

our

arts an

It's time the Indian community acknowledged First Peoples' ownership ofthe land, and decolonised ourperspective on arts practice

sanctitythatbeatbeneathourfeetaswe wall,andprosperin'our'newcountry.

BYAPARNA ANANTHUNI

untyCarolynBriggs, Boonwurnmgelder from Victoria,istellingusastory.

"Atthetimeof the first Europeansettlement,this areawasoccupiedbytheYalukit-\X!iUarn clan. Itis nowover 180 yearssincethe Emopeanshaveenteredourcountry.They cameuponoursacredriver,knownas the Birrarung "Shespeaksslowly,firmly. She isakeeperofthehistoryandgenealogies ofherpeople.Sheiswelcomingustotl1e countryuponwhichwehaveallgathered, inthesuburbnowknownasFootscrayin Melbourne.

Herstoryisanimportantone,for itisthestoryof thelandonwhichwe stand. Sheistellingusaboutownership, sacredground,and mostof all,respect. "Respectingsacredground.Weshouldall acknowledgethesacredgroundonwhich westand "

Shesays thecreatorof the Boonwurrung,BunjiJ, taught them to alwayswelcomeguests.But theguestsmust firstpromise twothings:one,nottoharm tl1elandandrwo,nottoharmthechildren. Thisiswhereitgetscomphcated and yetverysimpleaswell.Becausemereis nodenyingthattheearhest'guests'tothis land,whosearri,7aleventuallyledto mis placethatwecalltheCommonwealthof Australia,anation-state,a'modern'state, didnotmake,andcertainlydidn'tkeep, tl10sepromises.Andthatwewhohave comeaslacerguests,haveourselvesinlarge partignoredtheoriginalownershipand

Acknowledging coµntry

AFi'f iecerir' lndian Conrnlale 'ev-eiit'.111 Sy<li1eft1:riY1c1tl- lndl,'(s; Ptavasj" Bll,,�aliy;:iDiva"Sj 11ie. Pn.rieiqfJnvft;1;:lispef\�•HS{N•.1vill_ii, l}oac:;n; M.ala Mehtµ .:)11d Pc'l'll'(an Lutl1ra)all 6eciin itieiitaUis Lit 'nchn(\�inrtgit;g\011nii}' fr\,.;ilS(:I wonderful cha11ge i11 protocofotan lncilan t'.'ornmu�i�)'�\lent,()i1ell1;;t wewisl1 will:be lakl.3n up witlJ morr. lfE:lfll�llCV; .

Theplacewas Foorscray Community ArtsCentre,andtheeventwasDay 1 of ArtsFrom,anextraordinary,tl1ree-day, physicaland virtual gatheringof artists,arts workers,andartproducersfromallover tliecountry.AninitiativeofFeralAns,the ain1wastodevelopa sharedvisionforarts andculmrein 2030.

This firstdaywasinfactdesigned byArcs Front'sFirstPeoplesSteering Committee,whoputtous two,intertwined questionstodiscuss: Hmvdo111ep11tFintPeoplesatthecentreof a11sp1"11ctice? Howdoll'edecoloniseourselvessoasto decolonisethispmctice?

It'sworthnotingatthispointthatthere wereexactlyfiveIndians (includingmyself) in theaudience.Andwe combinedwitl1a grouprepresentingPerilmagazinetoform tlieonlymeagrecohortof Asianartists,in aseaof\Vesternpractitioners.Beforetl1e FirstPeoplesdelegationcamein,peopleof colourwerebarelyvisible.

Asformerlycolonisedpeopleofcolour, IndiansinAustraliashare,toacertain degree,inrhe marginalisation ofviews, practices,languagesand histories iliacisrhe everydayrealityof theFirstAustralians. Andyetwealso distanceourselvesasa communityfrommiskindofpose-colonial understandingofourplaceinAustralia. Westayinsular,cu!mral,evenexotic.But mostimportantly,wedon'trecognisetl1e privilegeinherentinourbeingable to expressourculturalidentitiesatall,andto practiceourarts free, inasuperficialsense atleast,oftl1ecolonialgaze.Thisisnot theexperienceofIndigenousAustralians, forwhomdecolonisationcontinuesto he anagonisingly,unfairlyslowprocess. TheFirstPeoplesCommitteeforcedus toreckonwith meurgencyofthistaskof

pmringtbembackintothecemreofarts policy \'{Tewereasked:H01J,haveJIOubeen decolonisi11gyo11r111inds?Ho1vhaveJ'Oll beet1 decolonising_yo11rpractice?How haveJ'Olfbeen decolonisingthethoughts11pon111hichyou're depending?Knowingth11tsomuchof colonit1!is111 istf"11vel/ingfonvardi11to thefutureifwealldon't decolonise011rmindstogethe1: weneedJ'Olltot1cti11elygooutthereandthink aho11twhatitistobedeco/011ised.

Tonotdo so, wewerecold frankly,is to eraseIndigenousculture, and Indigenous peoples memselves.

Totakeasimplebutpowerful example of pmtingFirstPeoplesattliecentre:tl1e

Neville Roach

firstactivityofthedaywasanintroduction activity,whereeveryoneinmeroomhadto begintheirintroductionwim the nameof thetraditionalownersoftheland thatthey livedorworkedon.Manypeoplealready knew,others saidtl1eywouldhavetolookit up.Justdoingthisexercise,tl1ough,altered theatmosphere,andcl1anged thepicture. ForherewaswhatAuntyCarolynwas speakingof,givenitsrightfulplace:sacred ground,ownership,respect.

Itis st.illrareforus as an Indian communiq,toacknowledgetbetraditional ownersofthelanduponwhichwe meetforourmanyconcerts,festivals, celebrations. Furtl1ermore,weviewthe

For me, as an Australian citizen, acknowledging country is my way of rejecting the lie of 'terra nullius' and recognising Indigenous Australians as the original owners and carers of our lands and waters. It also affirms my commitment to genuine Reconciliation, both symbolic and practical.

For visitors, it is a matter of simple courtesy to thank the First Australians for their welcome to what is their country. Prime Minister Modi set a wonderful example of this when he acknowledged country at all theformal events during his visit, including the Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament in Canberra, probably the first foreign Head of Government ever to do so.As an Indian, Ifelt very proud of him and personally delighted because this gesture was the result of a recommendation that I made to then Consul General, Sunjay Sudhir, who relayed it to the Prime Minister's Office.

topcourt had it banned in 2014 on groundsof animal cruelty. Photo: AP

,, As formerly colonised people of colour, Indians in Australia share, to a certain degree, in the marginalisation of views, practices, languages

mainstreamarts space, andourposition inrelationcoit,through alens char missestheartspracticeoftraditional owners. It is timeweunderstand char to notacknowledgethemspeakstoa lackofacknowledgementofourown colonisation,and,consequently,alack of respectforthehistoriesof Indigenous Australians. Hiscorieschatstillpermeate tl1eirlives today.

Itisalsotimetocomeomfromour self-enclosurein ilie"culmral" space,and moveforward,withorganisationslikeFeral Arts, to envisionanewfom.re forthearrs inAustralia.Adecolonisedfuture.A funue thatrespectssacredgroLU1d.

Mala Mehta

I believethat this is a very important way of giving IndigenousAustralians back their place in society by acknowledging that they are the traditional owners of this land. This is the Australian culture which everyone must learn to respect. As Indians we are already used to starting off our ceremonies by acknowledging our gods and gurus. Hopefully it will come naturally to the next generation as we continueto educate them.

Ijust wish more Indigenous people would be involved in the running of our country like the Maoris in New Zealand.

Acknowledgement of country is a simple but profound ritual and gives respect to the Indigenous history of Australia. By acknowledging their rightful place in our society, weAustralians willdevelop a greater respect forourselves as truly a landof migrants and of our own plurality. This is the 50th anniversary of the referendum where Aboriginals were given the right to vote: over 91% of people voted in favour. Australians believe in giving all a 'fair go· (perhaps flowing through from a convict past). It's time to give the Indigenous community in Australia a fair go by acknowledging that we live on their land.

and histories that is the everyday reality of the First Australians ''

Pawan Luthra

tEWII t

haveaduryofcare to tl1em,coensure theiroverallwelfareintermsof physical, emotionalandmentalwellbeing.Theonus isonustoseenotonlythatthey'reOK, butalsotoreducereoffending.Wedochis byencouragingthemtogainlifeskillsand encouraginggoodhabits.Weaim toinspire byteachingthem skillsthroughTAPE coursesandotherprogramsmattl1eycan usepost-release Inshort,weworkto provideastrongrehabilitativesystem for iliem.

The hardest thing aboutmy job is Theunpredictabilityofitall.Igotowork eachclaywearingasmile,butreallydon't knowwhattoexpect! Of coursechiscould begood,givenchateverydayisdifferent. NotlongafterarrivingatGlenInnesthere wasanincidentonemorning.Thetraining kickedinin1JTiediately.Itwasallhands on deckas soonaspossible!Wecompleted a varietyoftasksincludingaheadcheck.\Xle helpedinvestigatetl1eincidentwith NSW Pol.ice.

Beingnew,IguessI stillhavealotto learn. Thereisanelementofdangertoo: weoftenface simationslikeotl1erfrontl.ine officerssumaspoliceandambulance officers.Butwearetrainedtorespond efficientlyandprofessionally.

The positive aspects

I'mhelpingpeopleturntheirlivesaround oratleastI'm doingmylittle bit. Iworkwithavarietyof differentpeople, such astheserviceandprogramsstaff. AndI'm exposedtoavarieryof different e..xperiencesasIhave the opportunitytobe transferredtooiliercentres

Workingataregionalpi:ison,50kmfrom menearesttown,provides anopportunity counderstandlifeandtheworld. Intermsof mycolleagues,they'remy newfamil)'inalandwhereIdon'thavemy own.AsaSikh,everyonehasreceivedmy faithverywell,andI'velearnttheAussie wayoflife fromthem.

Howthe job has changed my life I'velearnttobegrateful toGodforevery littleblessinginmylife.I'vealwaysvalned myfreedom,butnowIappreciatetl1elittle things. l find that beinggrateful aidsinmy happiness.

In this column, we look at vocations in which members ofourcommunityare involved. This edition, wego behind the scenes in the corrective services

My name ParamvirChattwal

My job title

CustodialOfficer

Myemployer

CorrectiveServices NSW

Ihavebeeninthisjobfor Sevenmonths.Iwasworking with theNS\V PoliceForcewhenIcameacrossaprison

officeratGoulburnCorrectionalCentre. He motivatedmetOjoinCorrectiveServices S\"'v'.IgraduatedinJulylastyearandnow work atGlenInnesCorrectionalCentrein thestate'snorth.Thiswasafterastintat GoulburnCorrectionalCentre-Iwas the first Sikh toworkthere.

My educationalqualifications

MBAFinance (India)

MastersinScienceand EquineManagement (US)

CurrentlydoingPhD inAnglo-Sikhhistory (UK)

CertIIIinSecuriryandRiskManagement (currentlydoingCertIV)

CertIIIinCorrectiveServices

DiplomainIntelligenceAnalysis(AUS)

What the job entails Secu.riryoperations.Th.isinvolvesday-todaymanagement of peoplewhoarein cuscody.Asoffenders,theymaybeput away,bmthebuckdoesn'tstoptl1ere.We

Advice forpeople who maywant to get into this line of work \'{forkingin the publicservicebeings stability,especially fornewly-arrived migrants.Theconsistencyiscomforting. Getinearly,impresswithyourskillsand capaciry toworkhard,andnothingwill stopyoufromachievinghigh. Igotinto this jobwhenIwasbrand newto the country,witl1 no priorexperience,and foundmyselfwelcomedw.itl1openarms.I wouldencourageyou,evenbeforeentering thecountry,tocheckoutjobsavailableon aforumsuchasIworkfor.ns,,r.gov.auor similarwebsites.

Paranwir'Singhy'ChattwalspoketoRAJNI ANANDLUTHRAontheinaugural Con·ectionsDaywhichwasmarkedon20 Januarythisyear.Ittookthecummunity beyondtheprisonwallstohearthestoriesof themenandwomenoftheNSWcorrectional systemwhorehabilitateinmates,keep offendersaccountableandaimtoreduce reojfending.

WHAT'SON

COMMUNITY

UNSWRemembranceCeremony andGandhiOration,Mon30Jan, 5pm

UNSW is l1olding theAnnual Remembrance Ceremony to commemorate Martyr Day from 5pm on the Library Lawn, followed by the Gandhi Oration to be delivered by Dr Hugh Mackay AO on the topic of "The state of the nation starts in your street" from 6pm in the SirJohn Clancy Auditorium Registrations are essential. Visit: unsw edu au/2017GandhiEvents

GYAAN2017, 6pm

GOPIOSydney presents GYAAN 2017 at Castle Hill Community Centre, 14 PennantStreet, Castle Hill. With Bollywood dances, a three course meal, and raising awareness against domestic violence, GYAAN 2017 will honour HSC high achievers in a memorable way. Tickets are$50 per person. Kids under the age of 5 free If you buy 9 tickets, you get 1 ticket free Topurchase tickets, visit eventbrite com au/e/gopio-gyaan-2017

PERFORMANCE

Sunderella, 17,18,24,25Feb 8pm; 19,26Feb 6pm

A queer, all-male, Bollywood twist on the familiar tale of Cinderella Held at PACT Theatre, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville nckets: $35. Visit: sunderlla com au

Sammohanam,Sun19Feb, 6pm

A pan-Indian celebration of music and dance by Aruna Sairam and Malavika Sarukkai. Come and experience the Sammohanam, 'enchantment' as the artists explore some of the myriad moods and landscapes associated with Lord Krishna. Visit: riversideparramatta.com au

FUNDRAISER

SriOmCare:Dineforacause,Sat

18Mar 7pm-10 30pm

Get to knowSri Om Care in 2017! Dine for a cause and make a difference to theelderly of the community

Come and enjoy afour-course meal with entertainment and wonderful

company Held at Parravilla, Parramatta Donations welcome Donations over $2 aretax deductible. Visit: sriomcare.org.au. Contact: Jay Raman 0410 759 906

NationalBloodDonationDrive bySathyaSalInternational

Organisation

Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG is again having a blood donation drive and is encouraging all of its members who are able to contribute in this wonderful and much needed service. Giving blood is giving life What betterway to Love all; Serve all' and honourSathya Sai Baba. Contact: Mayavan 0404 059 093

MISC

QueerScreenMardiGrasFIim Festival,15Feb•2March

Angry IndianGoddesses Screening,Thurs16Feb, 7pm AsiaPacificQueerFIim Festival

AllianceShorts,Sun26Feb 1pm

To showcase theamazing queer f lms being made in tl1eAsia-Pacific region theAlliance, with ACON Asian Gay Men's Project, has put together a package of the best in new, Asian cinema. A highlight is The Threshold, about an Indian teen caught between a traditional upbringing full of genderstereotypes, and his natural urge to identify with the opposite gender.

Forum:TheImportanceofQueer

CinemaintheAsiaPacific,Mon27 Feb,6.30pm

TheAsia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (APQFFA) hosts this forum at the University of Sydney Hear from delegates from theAlliance membercountries, including China, Hawaii (USA), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, andThailand. In addition, there will be representatives from Brisbane and Melbourne Queer Film Festivals. At theend of theforum, you will get the chance to ask yourown questions. Visit: tix queerscreen.org.au

HindiClassesSaturdays 2.30pm4.30pm

Located at the Indian Cultural

Centre, Level 1, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Hindi classes are$5 per one hour class or$40 for ten classes. Registration is essential as there is a maximum of 20 people per class. Paid parking is available in the vicinity To registeremail hindi@ indianconsulatesydney org or contact 9223 2702.

SPIRITUAL

Spiritoflndla FreePresentation on Pranayama andLayaYoga,Sun

29Jan, 2.30pm-4 30pm

Spirit of India is organising a lecture by ProfessorAtul Parikh from Ahmedabad, India Held at Gravellia Hall 2 Lane Street Wentworthville Prof Parikh will discuss the importance of breathing, chakras, yoga, kundalini and more Visit: www spiritofndia org

SpiritoflndlaYoga,Saturdaysand Sundays

New Classes start 14 Jan Yoga classes areheld in Ryde, Wentworthville, Quakers Hill and Epping All levels incl. beginners, senior citizens, children's To enrol in this 15 week course e-mail spiritofndia2002@yahoo com, visit www.spiritofindia.org or contact Suresh 0412 202 182

SantNlrankarlMissionSydney, Sundays 5 30- 7 30pm

Congregation helps us strengthen our devotion. Weekly congregations held every Sunday at Sant Nirankari Bhawan, 166 Glendenning Road, Glendenning followed by community meals Contact: Devinder, 0403 216 084

HeartfullnessRelaxatlonand Meditation

Saturdays 4 30pm-5.30 pm; Sundays 11 30am-12.30pm All are welcome toexperience

Heartfullness Therearenofeestojoin thegroupat SevaYogaStudio, 3c/8, CowperSt.Parramatta Contact: 02 80046547 orsydney@heartfulness org

Srlmad Bhagavad Gitaclasses, everysecondSaturday

Learn the proper chanting of each shloka and its meaning in English Students also learn Sanskrit as they progress and no prior knowledge of Sanskrit is required. Participate eitherthrough physical attendance at 20 Station St Pymble oronline attendance through ZOOM: zoom. us/j/6140211522. Contact: Babu 0402 115 223 or devbab@gmail.com

SVTClasses·VedicChanting

Sundays 10am

The classes take place in Sri Venkateswara Temple, Temple Rd, Helensburgh Thiscourse will cover pronunciation and then practise with Sanskrit before moving to Vedic chanting To register and attend, email enquiry@svtsydney org

HindiDadaBhagwanSatsang, EverysecondSunday 5pm - 8pm Held at Wentworth Community Centre Hindi SatsangTime: 5 00pm-6.30pm

Aarti nme: 6 30pm-7 00pm Preeti

BhojanTime: 7 00pm-8 00pm Kids

Gujarati Language Classes: 5 00pm6 00pm The venue is Kurajong Room underneath Redgum Function Centre Contact 0421 127947 for further information

VHPAustrallaclasses,Sundays

A local initiative of VHP Australia, SydneyVeda Patasala (SVP) holds weekly classes including vedic chanting, advanced veda classes and Sanskrit language program Bala Samskar Kendra (BSK) holds weekly Sanskrit language lessons as well as a culture and heritage program at various public schools Contact: R Subramanian 0425 284 501

Indian diaspora seeksModi's helpoverdemonetised currency

TheGlobalOrganisationofPeopleof fodianOrigin(GOPIO)haspointedout to PrimeMinisterNarendraModithat diasporaIndiansarebeingturnedawayby theRBIfromdepositingorexchanging theirdemonetisedcurrencyandappealed thattheybeallowedtodoso.

TheGOPIO,whichbringstogetherthe fodiandiasporaaround theworld,saidina statementthatIndiandiasporawithforeign citizenshipandO0/PIO cardholders arebeingturnedawaybyReserveBankof lndiafromdepositingtheirdemonetized currencies,despitetheextendeddeadline forNRisbeingtillJune30,2017.

TheGOPIO,inanappealcoPrime MinisterNarendraModi,saidthatafter standingoutsideforseveralhours,Indians withforeigncitizenshipwerebeingtold bytheRBIthatonlylRlswithIndian passportcangoinsideandexchangethe scrappedRs500andRs 1,000notes.

TheorganisationrequestedthePrime MinisterthatDiasporaIndianswithforeign citizenship,andPersonofIndianOrigin (PIO) and Overseas CitizensofIndia(OCI) cardholdersbegiven thesameopportunity fordepositingoldcurrencynotesasgiven co NRis (IndianPassportholders),aUowtng themtodeposituptoRs2,50,000ofIndian currencyintheRBIinsteadofnotified amountof Rs25,000.

Theappealfurtherstates thatDiaspora Indians(whoarenotabletovisitthe country)shouldalsobepermittedco depositmoneymtheirbankaccow1cin Indiathrough anauthorisedagent.(The an1ountcertifiedbythe foreignbranchesof StateBankofIndiaorIndianMissionsin thecountryoftheirresidenceorinRBI/ NROaccountswithvariousbanksinIndia.)

GOPIOalsosaidthatsinceallDiaspora lndianswithforeigncitizenship,PIOand OCIcardholdersmaynotbeableto,,isit IndiapriortoJLU1e30,theyshould be aUowed todepositoldcurrencynotesat eitherthe RBI/ ROaccounL�mamtained withvariousbanksinIndiaup toDecember 31.

TheappealaddressedtothePMstates, "YouhaverepeatedJyacknowledgedthe

roleofNRls/PIOsandexpatriatesin the resurgence of Indiaandtheirrecordannual remittancestoIndiawhichisthehighest compared toanycountryintheworld.\Y/e urge}'OUtoagreetotherequested concessionforgoodwiUof30million NRis andPIOsand amendthenotification #RBI/2016-17/2005/DC:M/(Plg)No 2170/10.27.00/2016-17datedDecember 31,2016."

TheCentrehade:,rtendedfors_ixmonths thelastdate forapplyingforconversionof PIOcardstoOCIcardstoJune30,2017 fromDecember31,2016.

ThePIOcardwasfirstimplementedin 2002asabenefittoforeign nationalswho couldestablish atleastathirdgeneration tietoIndianorigin. Itwas validfortravel, work,andresidenceinIndiaforaperiodof 15years.

TheOCIcardwasimplementedin2005, andcarriesmoreexpansivebenefitsthan thePIOcard,andisvalidfortheholder's lifetime.

SaroshZaiwaUa,founderand senior partneratLondon-basedlawfirm Zaiwalla&Co.Solicitors,saidina sL'ltementthatthe"Indiandiasporafrom variouscountrieshaveexpressedthatthe governmentshouldconsider fordeposits inIndianembassiesaround theworldas asolutionforeaseofimplementationof thecurrencyexchangeacrosstheglobe, asmajorityof NRisreactedpositivelyto thedemoneti-zationmove.Tbefactthat theNRisdidnotreceiveanyguidance aftertheshockannouncementof the demonetisationevenuntilDecember30felt somewhatmisplaced.However,justafter thedeadlineand fresh inro theNewYear, firstcommunicationfrom thegovernment towardsattheNRisemergedof the extensionuntil30thJune2017. If NRis are cotraveltoIndiawithin thewindowperiod toexchangetheiroldbanknotes,itma}'be trickyunderthecurrentFEi'v1Aguidelmes consideringthecapforbringinginIndian currencyfromabroadissetatINR25,000 perperson,andItwouldbeeconomicaUy unviabletospendnearlyINR50,000(UK airfare)onairticketsjusttoconvertit."

Hewenton,"Expectingnullionsof Indiannationalstoreturntothecountry justtodropbackdeadnotes isincom,enienc

andineffective.Therefore,alocalised solutionthroughanyoftheIndianbanks orembassiesabroadwouldbeaviable alternative."

Modi, Trump discuss South Asia security; will stand together tofightterror

PrimeMinisterNarend.raModiand US PresidentDonaldTrumpdiscussed the security simationin South andCentraJAsia duringtheirphoneconversationon24Jan andresolved thatIndiaandUSwill"stand shouldertoshouldd'tofightglobal terrorism, the White House said.

Strengtheningdefence partnershipwas among topics thatcame upduringtheir talksaboutfurtheringcooperationbetween the cwonations,accordingcothe\'.{/hire House.

"Trumpemphasised thattheUnited States considers Indiaatruefriendand partnerinaddressingchallengesaround theworld," theWhite Housesaid.

Thiswasreflectedinthefactthat conversationbetweentheleadersof the world'stwogreatestdemocraciescame beforeTmmphadtalkedcoleadersof importantallieslike Britain,Germany andJapanormajorpowerslikeChinaand Russiasmceformallycakingofficeon20 Jan.

Duringbiscampaign,Trumppraised Modiasa"greatleader"andsoughta kinshipofideaswithhimas a"pro-growth leader"when beattended araUyorganised byd1eRepublican HinduCoalition(RHC) inNewJerseyinOctober. Headded that afterhiselectionIndiawouldhavetrue friendin theWhiteHouse.

WhiteHousesaidchatTrumpinvited Modi tovisit hini laterthis }'ear.

President Pranab Jvfukherjee invitedTnm1ptovisitIndiawhenhe congratulatedhimonassumingthe presidency.Therealestateinvestor-mrnedpolitician basvisited India severaJ tmes for business.

AnothertopicTrumpandModi discussedwasstrengtheningthe parmershipintheeconomy,butthe statementdidnotgiveanydetails of what theymighthavediscussed.

},fodiandTrumphave parallelpriorities

TheIndiangovernmentthisweek withdrewa2016 notification against jallikattu,atraditional bull-taming sportfollowingamassprotestby adherents inTamilNadu.India's topcourthad itbannedin2014on groundsofanimal cruelty. Photo: AP ofjobcreation,especially through manufacturing,andincreasinginvestments whichmayappearheaded foracollision.

Earlierintheday,Trumpmetwid1 autoindustryleaderstopromotehis programmeof "MakeinAmerica"andon Monday,hemetunionandindustryleaders andemphasisedbiscampaignmantraof "BuyAmerican,HireAmerican".

ShalabhKumar,the founderandhead of theRepublicanHinduCoalitionwhois closetobothleaders,told IA Sthattrade need notbeazerosumgameand both nationscanmutuallybenefitfromtheir respective''MakeinIndia"and "tvfake inAmerica"domesticmanufacmring programmes.

Asanexample,he said thatwhile theUS increasesmanufacturedexportscoIndia in defence,technologyandenergysectors, Indiawillhaveanopportunityrotake advantage ofTrump's moveawayfrom China and increaseitsownmanufacmred exportsinabalancedmanner.This wouldhelpcreatejobsinbothcountries andenablebothleaders toachieved1eir priorities,he added.

Tnunphasalsospokenaboutlimiting theuse of temporaryprofessionalvisas knownas H1-B,whichhehasrepeatedJy saidisabused andisused throwAmericans outof jobs.

Thatisamatterofgreatconcernfor lndiaasthevisasarethel.ifebloodof technologysectorexportstotheUS. 24Janwasaspecialclaytohold their conversation.NikkiHaleybecame thefirst lndian Americancogetacabinet-level appointmentwhentheSenateapprovedon thatdayTrump'snomination of her to be the US ambassadortotheUnitedNations. BeforethecallwithModi,Trump had spoken onlywith theneighbours, CanadianPrin1eMinisterJustin Trudeau and MexicanPresidentPenaNieto, with premierall)' Israeli Prin1eMinister BenjaminNetanyahu,andEgyptian PresidentAbdel Fattahel-Sisi,whowill haveamajorrole in helpingTrump deal withthe'MiddleEastandwith terrorism.

All 5 Indian American lawmakers nominated to key Congressional panels AllfiveIndianAmericanlawmakers successful this election havebeen nominated tokey Congressionalpanels, themediahere reported.

Allfiveare Democrats, asare thebulk of Indian-Americans US CongresswomanPramilaJayapal, electedtotheHouseofRepresentatives fromSeattle,wtUserveontheHouse JudiciaryCommittee,helpingtooversee thefederal-court system andlawenforcernentagencies, said areportindie SeattfeTi111es.

Jayapalsaid shelooksforward to workingonin1.migrationreform,criminaljusticereform,reproductiverightsand votingrights.

"I'mproudcohaveledefforts forsome of the mostprogressiveimmigration

Freezing! Elephantsata rescueand conservationcentreinAgraaresnug in theirjumbojacketsasthe mercury dipsto10degreesCelsius.Rescued fromshockingcircumstancesofabuse, theyareweakand vulnerable, making themsusceptibletoailmentssuchas pneumonia. Photo: IANS

policiesinthenation,"Jayapalsaidin asratemenr. "Inthe l1Srh Congress,l pledgeto fightforourprogressivevalues, andblocktheTrumpadministration's planstodeportvulnerableundocumented immigrants,createaMuslimregistryand violate ourcivilrights and civilliberties."

CongressmanRoKhannawasappointed totwokeycomlilirtees- Budgetand ArmedServices,reporteddailyMercury News. Herepresents the 17th Districtof California,whichcoverstheSiliconValley communitiesofCupertino,Fremont, Newark,SantaClara,andSunnyvale.

RajaKrisbnamoorthi,whowassworn in asa Memberof theUS Houseof Representativesearlierthismonth,would be servingon twoinfluentialcommittees.

ln addition tobeingtbevoiceof Illinois'EighthCongressionalDistrict, theDemocratwillserveon rheHouse EducationandWorkforce Committee, aswellas dieHouseDemocraticPolicy andSteeringCommittee,indiawest.com reporred.

"Thesecommitteeassignmentswillgive myconstituents avoice romake surel can stand upforworkingfamilieseverydayby focusingonjob creationandaffordable highereducation," said Krishnamoorthi.

CongressmanAmi Berawas renolilinated rotheHouse Foreign Affairs Committeeand HouseScience,Space andTechnologyCommittee. Heisthe seniormostamongallIndianAmerican lawmakersinche HouseofRepresentatives andis alsoco-chairof theCongressional CaucusonIndiaandIndianAmericans, saidareport.

KamalaHarris, firstIndianAmerican toservein theUS Senate,will serve onfourinfluential committees - the HomelandSecurityandGovernmental AffairsCommittee;the SelectCommittee onIntelligence;theCommitteeon Enviroru11ent&PublicWorks;and the Commjtteeonthe Budget.

Harris saidthathercommittee assignmentsi11 theUSSenatewillbe "keybattlegroundsinthefutureofour country",theLosA11gelesTimesreported.

"Ata timewhensomanyCalifornians and Americansareuncertainaboutour future,1willaggressivelyfightforour familiesandtheidealsofournation," Harris said.

2016wasabumperyearforthe IndianAmericancommunity,wirbarecordhaul of fourin theHouseof Representatives, and theirfirst seatintheSenate.

Trump appointsAjit Pai to head communications agency PresidentDonaldTrumphasappointed AjirPairohead thepowerfulUS communicationsregulatoryagency, becomingthethird IndianAmerican picked fotkeypositionsinhis administration.

Pai,44,willbe theChairmanof the FederalCommunicationsCommission (FCC),thefederalauthorityregulating

cellphonespectrumand services,radio, television, phone,internetand satellite and cable.

Paiannmmced hisappointmenton Twitter, sayingit"is adeeplyhumblli1g honour". He addedthathewouldworkto bringthe benefits of thedigitalagetoall Americans.

The FCC alsohasamajorrolein controllingthecontentof televisionand radio,asensitiveissuegivenTrump's contentious relations with the media.

Theagencysetsandenforcescertain normsoncontentJjkeobscenityinTVand conditions likehavingacertainamount oflocalnewscontentforstationstokeep theirlicences.

Underscoringitsimportance, RepresentativeFrankPallone said: "Bysomemeasures,the FCCoversees approximatelyonesixthoftheUS economy."

ikkiHaley,Trump'snominee forthe cabinet-levelpostof USambassadorrothe UN,wasconfirmedbytheSenateForeign RelationsCommitteeforthejob.

AnotherTrumpnomineeisSeema Verma,whois coheadtheCentersfor JvfedicareandJv[edicaidServices, the agencyforgovernmenthealthinsurance programmes.

Alreadyamemberof the FCC,Paiwill succeedTom\'vheeler,aDemocrat,who quitrecently.

Afreeenterpriseadvocate,Pai hasbeen acriticofthefunctioningof theFCC andclashedwitl1itsDemocraticParry leadership.Recentlyberookissuewithan FCCreportrbatquestioned thelegalityof offeringsgivenfreeof chargeforpeople ro access onlinemusic,videosand other content.

Hehas said hewantsto endnet neuu·ality,whichpreventsinternetservice providersfromgivingspecialpreferences ro certain websites oracceptpaymentfrom aweb servicerogiveitpriorityorbetter access.

Democratsexpressedtheirconcern aboutPai'sroleinaletterrohim.

TheseniorDemocratontheHouse CommitteeonEnergyandCommerce that dealswitl1communicationswrote to him sayinghissuccess would dependonbeing

responsivetomembersofCongressfrom botl1partiesandworkingforconsensuson majordecisions.

Beforehisappoimmentto theFCC in2012,Paihadworked asalawyerfor thetelephone andcommunicationsgiant Verizon,tl1eSenatejudicial Committee andtheJusticeDepartment.

Pai'sparents,bothdoctors,immigrated fromIndia.

Trumphasalsoappointedanexperton strategiccommunicationsandpolitical research,Raj Shah, asdepucyassistantand researchdirectorontheWhiteHousestaff.

AnotherIndianAmerican,Balaji Srinivasan,isunderconsideration to head the Federal DrugAdministration (FDA),accordingroSeanSpicer,Trump's spokesperson. Srinivasanis abiotechnologyentrepreneur whohasbeencriticalof the connections betweenlargepharmaceuticalcompanies and FDA. Henowheadsastart-upthat dealswirhbircoin,theinternet-based currency.

Assam's rice wine qualifies forGI registration

The"Judima"traditionalricewine,a popularalcoholicbeverageofAssam's Dimasatribe-andanintegralpartof the community'ssocialandculturallife-isa fit candidateforgeographicalindication (GI) registration,a donat New Delhi's Indian Lawlnstirutesays

ln areportpublishedintheIndianJournal o IntellectualProper(} Rights,Assistant ProfessorJupiGogoihasurgedthe judimaproducers ro formanassociation andfileforGIregistrationtoprotectrbe traditionalknowledgeandpromotethe wine'stradeforrbecommunity'seconomic development.

Undertl1einternationalagreementon Trade-RelatedAspectsof Intellecmal PropertyRights (TRIPS),theGItagis assignedroaproductthathasaspecific geographicaloriginandpossessesqualities orareputationchatare1miqueto that place.The GIrecognitiongiveslocal producersexclusivebrandprotection.

Darjeelingteabecametl1e firstGI taggedproductinIndiain2004. Since then,272productshavebeenadded rothe

listtl1atincludesDharwadPedha,Tirupati Laddu,MugaSilk,KangraTea,Madhubani PaintingsandTelangana'sPochampally lkat.

Besidesprotectingtheculturalidentity ofacommunity, tl1eGIrecognition preventsunautl1oriseduseof thetagby othersandpromoteseconomicprosperity ofproducersbyenhancingthe demand for theirgoodsinnationalandinternational markets,Gogoi says.

1n India, therearemanycommunities (suchas1'ocba.rupally) rhatwere economicallybenefited byGI recognition ro rheirtraditional products,he says.

"IfJudimaisregistered asaGI,itcan go alongwayin maintainingthecultural identityof Din1asas aswellasbringing economicprosperity rotl1e rribe."

ToproduceJudima, the Din1asa tribe usesaglutinous ricecal.ledBora chatis indigenoustotl1eregionandthebarkof aplantcalledThembra (Acaciapem1clf{I) collected from forestssurroundingthe region.Thepowdered barkismixedwith riceflourand somewaterand madeinto adoughthat,onfermentation,yieldsthe beverage.Theuniquenessof thisproduct lies inthe use ofThembra.

"ThetasteofJudimaisaresultof theplantThembraandvariousocher ingredientsused inaparticularmannet knownexclusivelytorbeDimasa community,"saysGogoi. "So,withouta doubt,Judimaisa traditional knowledge of the Dimasa communityandis astrong case forgettingGl registration."

Juclima,accordingtoGogoi,canseekGI protectionin.similarlinestoGoa's Feni-a drinkmade fromcashewapplesorcoconut sap-whichgoctheGI ragin2009.Hesays existingdocumentaryevidence andthe rolethatJudimaplaysinthelivesof the people of the Dimasacommunityshould beregardedasadequateproof of irsorigin forgettingtheGl tag.

Accordingto Gogoi,stuclies have inclicated thatJuditnamay have tremendoushealthbenefits. "Therefore, morescienti.ficresearch maybeundertaken rohighlightthenutraceuticaland therapeuticpropertiesofJudimawhich cangiveahugeboostroits trade."

IANS

Scenes from the 2017Australian Open Tennis Championships byRAVINDERSINGHJABBAL

ISania Mirza (IND)

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Thecurseof the rnillennials

Gen Yaren'tlazy, they're disadvantagedbythe system

BYSARGUN BHATIA

Millennial-awordsynonymous withentitlement,laziness andfoolliardiness.The m.illennialsarepareofGen

Y (bornbetween 1981 and2000),tl1e "nextgeneration",andarenotoriously unemployable. Millennials constantlyfacetlie stereotypesof self-entitlement,umvillingness colearnandnarcissism-tlieepitomeof someoneyoudon'twanttoemplof

BeingapartofGenY,Iamawareof howwe'reconscantlybombardedwith thestereotypesofbeingspoiled,lazyand entitled.Wehavebeencoldthatwewantdie worldhandedtousonasilverplatter,thatwe areunwillingcowork,andlackambition.Bur d1etruthiswehavenowheretogowithour ambition.

In2016,althoughnationalu□employmenr levelsdropped,youthunemployment levelssoared.Atthebeginningof rhenew financialyear,youthunemployrnenrleveL5 roseto 13.24%,nearlydoubletheyouth unemploymentlevelof7.61%in2008.1n

anAustraliancitizenenrolledinaneligible wiirofstudy.TimeMagazinefound that between2008and2014,srudentdebtrose 84%internationally.Thesearealudicrous amountsforfulltime srudents topayoff. Acthemoment,milleruiials havetochoose betweenpayingofftheirloansorsavingfor ahouse.Thisisachoicethatnobodyshould havetomake.Forbabyboomers,thiswas nocaproblem,as dieywerethegeneration ofsocialwelfarebenefits,andheald1y pensionpayments.\Xle,ontheotherhand, havetochoosebetweenpayingoffourdebt orsavingforourfuture.

Toaddresstliissocialinequality,weshould beencouragingd1eyouthtobroadentheir careerhorizons.TheATARrequirementsfor universitycourses arenotbasedonacademic rigour,butarebasedondemandandsupply. Therefore the hardestcourse togainentry intodoesnothaveanATARof99+dueto itshighacademicmerit,burradierduetod1e highdemandforthecourse.

Australiacurrentlyhasauoversupplyof doctorsandL'lwyers,manyofwhichare currently1memployed.Nodungmakesan Indianparenthappierthanseeingtheirchild asalab-coatwearing,stedioscope-donning medicaldoctor.Unfortunately,noteveryone canbeadoctor,andnoteveryoneshoH!dbea doccor.Insteadweshouldencourageyoung peopletoseekjobsinareasthey'repassionate

PrimaryCourses

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justeightshortyears,thenumberofyoung peopleourofworkhasnearlydoubled.At themoment,universitygraduatesareas 1memployedashigh schooldropouts.

Blaminganentiregenerationfortheirlack ofemployabilityisnorthesolution.There aredearflawsind1ecmrentjob sector thatdiscriminateagainsttheyoungand inexperienced.Ratherdian pointingfingers, weneedtoworktowardspromotingaculture ofstrongambitionandworkethic,where millennialsaregivend1emeanstoexplore and growdieiraspirations.

Inthecurrentjobmarket,youneed experience,burtogainexperience,you musthaveajob.Apersondoes notgain experiencesincetl1eydonothaveajob,and rnereforecannotgetajobdueco d1eirlack ofexperience.Andso,thistiresomecycle continues.

Atthemoment,entr)r-level jobsrequire muversiryqualificationsandyearsof experience-tl1elatterofwhichisvery difficulrforyoungnewcomers toobtain. N[illennialsarenotlazyandunambitious; radierd1eyarenotgiventhechancetogrow.

Currently,arow1d70% of students graduatewidiastronomicalamountsof studentloans.InAustralia,universitysmdenrs getd1echancetoapplyforHECS-HELP loans.Smdentscanborrowupto$126,101 topayfordieirdegrees.Justaboutanyone iseligibleford1eseloans,aslongasd1eyare

about,orgrowingindustriessuchasteaching andaccounting.

Italsoshouldbenotedthatalthough [here isastigmawidiinmigrantconummities regardingtrades,"tradies"arehighly employableandalsoearnahealthy income.However,comingfrommigrant bad,grounds,ourparentsadopta"tiger parenting"approach coensure theirchild goesinrooneofd1reefields;law,medicine, orengineeringThisisduecotheniigranr ideaofgoingintoa"wellrespected"and "high earningjob".ContrarytowhatIndian parentsbelieve,therearemorejobsd1anJaw andmedicinemat 6tthesecharacteristics. Unfortunately,Indiansoftenassociatetrades andlabourjobswidibeing''lowclass",and believe d1attheircl1ildren should usetheir brainsforaliving,nottheirbodies.Some plumberschargeupto$500forahouse visit!Although"cradies"earnhighammmts ofmoney,d1esocialstigmaattachedco labourworkprohibitsmanymillennialsfrom enteringintothesejobs,whicharejustas goodasanyoilier.

Thequintessentialmillennialisnotlazy, apatheticandself-indulgem,butrather ambitiousyetdisadvantaged.Tochangedie alarmingstatisticsofyouch unemployment, itisimporranrtoaddresssocietalstereotypes andoverexpectationsratherthanpointing fingersatfresh-faceduniversitygraduates whoarenonethewiser.

,, Paying off HECS debt vs saving for a house is a choice that baby boomers did not have to make, as theirswas the generation of social welfare benefits and healthy pension payments ,,

BYMOHAN DHALL

Thereisnothin . gsovaluableas time.At the end of one yearand thebeginningofanewone,most adultswonderathowquickly timepasses. Unfortunately, noschoolcurriculum dealswithan understandingof thenature,andour perception,oftime.Asafactoflife,timeis themostimportantfacrorofall.

Timeiscentral cotbeeffective managementof schools and alleffective teachingandlearning.Timeis centralto themanagementof theworkplace,the household,andrelationships.

Inschools,wecreatetimetables, aUocatingminucescosubjects,distributing theworkloadandmanagingtime through structure. Schools organise time,burdonot teachtheconceptasasubject.

Itisimportanttobegintheyearfocused onthenatureandmanagementoftime. Time,afterall,is thedifferencebetween notknowing andknowing,perceptionsof failureandsuccess,sicknessandhealing, hereand the.re,movementand stillness.

Timeismoments, chosenorincidental, given to(orspenton)theocherthingswe

do.Thebestbeginning-of-the-yeargiftwe cangivecoourselvesand thechildrenover whomwehaveresponsibilityandcare,isa deeperunderstandingofthenatureof time. Apurposefullife,anacademiclife, requiresanLmderstandingofhowtimeis cobeutilisedthroughouttheyear,sothat intentionisrealised,oratleasttoprovidea directionforeffortandasenseofpersonal fulfillment.

TimeisintcinsicaUyrelatedcodiscipline. Inthecontextofeducation,disciplineis concentratedeffortovertime.Discipline appliestimetobeginandalso finishthings cothe best possiblestandard.Disciplineis timewith focus.

Timecannotbestopped.Excitement aboutanupcomingbirthdaydoesnotmake timepassmorequickly,andfearaboutan assessmentdoesnotbuymoretime.Future thingswillcometopass.

Indlisregard, time compels wise decision-making; actions undertaken now have future effect. Thisisvery importantwhen settinga coursefora successfulyear.Timewastednowcannot beredeemedorcrammedintothree-hours ofcompressedunderstandinglater.Time wastednowwillmanifestasstressand an.xietyorweaknesslater. Confidence comesfrom timeinvestedinpreparation, planningandworkingwithalertness.

Whenplanningayeararoundthe importanceofLmderstanclingtime,there arecruciald1ingsroconsider.Thinking,

processing,understanding,knowing these raketime.

What is read today is understood more deeply tomorrow. Theexercisesdone todaybuildadaptivestrength,thebenefits ofwhichareseentomorrow;People readingtoday,haveimprovedunderstanding immediately,butif theyreadwithfocusand criticalnlind,what!:heyreadwillinAuence cognitivegrowth tomorrowandnextweek andnextyear.Similarly,peopletrainingfora longracerequiringmuchstaminaknowthat alongtrainingrundoneonSm1day,leads to significanteaseandpaceonThursday'srun, laterin theweek.

Understanding time, means knowing that effort and reward are related, although sometimes, the link is not immediately apparent. Wisdom arises fromthepatiencetoknowthateffort madeis neverwasted,evenwhenresults aredelayed.Thefocusd1enbecomeson enjoyingrheeffortforitsownintrinsic reward.\�hilstirisusualtowantreward foreffort,maturityandresponsibilityarise whenpeopleactinwaysd1ararebeneficial tothemselvesbecausehavingpersonal standardsmatters,evenwhenthereisno external acknowledgement.

Adeepunderstandingof time means thatgoalsshould besettohelp to concentrate effort. However,goals maynotbemetintheperiod allocated ordesignated. Oftengoalscakelonger toachieve thanintended,becausereal

lifegetsinthewayof agreatideaora noblepursuit.Thisisimportant,because ithelpsuscounderstand thatintention guides actionandalsochargoalsaremost fulfillingwhenearned,despitesetbacks andchallenges.

Understandingtimealsomeansthatwe understand each child has their own strengths, their own journey to uncover what 'works' for them, whotheyare,and coknowhowtodealwithandappreciate theproblemsandchallengesbroughtby everydaylife.Patiencew1derstands rhartime does notrequireimmediateresponsestoall issues,problems orchallenges.Immediacy mayberequiredinanemergency,butmost oflifeisnotaseriesofemergencies.This meansthatanapproachrotimecanbe broughtthatintegratesstillness,reasonand deep thinkingintodecision-maki11g.

Ifresponsibleadultsalwaysreactwith impulsiveness,anger,ordisappointment atperceptionsof'failure'orwhere expectationsareunmet,rhenyoungpeople canlearn tofearrisktaking.Addressing 'failure'withangerisafailurerole-modelled byd1eadult.Thisplacescontrolaheadof anundersrnndingoftime.Yertimereaches thattimeitselfcannotbecontroUed. Knowingwhattocontrol,whatcan effectivelybecontrolledandunderstanding self-controlareaUimportant.

Timebringschange,challenges,andan opporrunitytounderstand.Timebeckons tobeknownnow:itistime.

Itis importantto teach children about time management andgoal settingfora smooth yearahead

,, Time, after all, is the difference between not knowing and knowing, perceptions of failure and success, sickness and healing, here and there, movement and stillness ,,

Sunday, 5th February 2017

I The 20th ASATCompetition Schedule

> EligibleStudents

Year6students who will sittheSelective High School PlacementTest in 2017

>Test Date &Time

Sunday,5thFebruary2017 (9:30am - 1:30pm)

> TestSubjects

Reading, Mathematics, Writing andGeneral Ability

>TestCentre Location

Buring Pavilion (Exhibition Hall3&4)atSydneyOlympic Park (RiverinaAvenue,Homebush Bay)

> Registration Fee $6S perapplicant(notrefundable)

NOT MANY PLACES REMAIN. REGISTER NOW!

RegisteratyournearestPre-UniNewCollegeBranch, orRegister&paynowfor ASATatmuffftk3'.:l•iS�tb

Pre-Uni New College will be holding its annual scholarshiptestson Sunday,5thFebruary2017. Please find thedetailed information on testing schedule and scholarship conditions below.

Who can apply?

Years3,4and 5students in 2017

TestDates&Time Sunday,5th February2017(3:00pm - 5:30pm)

TestSubjects English,MathematicsandGeneralAbility

TestVenue Exhibition Hall3,SydneyShowground,SydneyOlympicPark

Registration Fee $25 perapplicant (non - refundable)

Howtoregister RegisteratyournearestPre-Uni NewCollege Branch,oratwww.newcollege.com.auLbooking

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NSW Strathfield Homebush Ashfield Bankstown BaulkhamHills Blacktown Cabramatta Campsie CastleHill Chatswood City(Chinatown) Eastwood Epping Fairfield Gordon Hornsby Hurstville Liverpool Parramatta PennantHills Penrith Randwick VIC Burwood SA Adelaide

BYJYOTI SHANKAR

Astheyear2016neareditsclose, mymotherandIdecidedto head totheBlueMountains foraten-dayrea:eatatthe VipassanaMeditationCentre atBlackheath.Havingundertakenacomse twicebefore,1waswellawareofthe rigours of this form ofmedication-the 4amwakeupgong,twelvehoursofsitting onthefloor,twomealsaday (thelastat 11am),nophone,booksorT'v,andno coffee. Itwouldbeachallengeformy 74-year-oklmother,whowas doingitfor

and learnings

thefirsttime,butanyonedrawntothis pathfeelsthisdeepinexplicableurgeto doitan)C\vay.AsVidhi,afirsttimestudent said,"Onedoes notfindVipassana, Vipassanafindsyou."

Aseachdaymeldedintoanother,wid1 anunflaggingroutineofseatedmeditation anddeepsilence,dierestlessnessofour mindsandstillnessofourbodies,made bothrevolt.Thismademostofuswaneco runawaybyDayTwo.However,wesoon realised thatitis d1issilencethatprovidesa shieldandmakesmejourneyintoominner self possible.Inourdaytodaylives,where oursensesareassaultedbysights, sounds, tastes,smellsandtouch,chisbecomes difficult.Slowly,weareintroducedcodie Vipassanatechniqueof meditation;thevery techniquethroughwhichGautam!lBuddha discoveredhiswayto11irva11aorliberation.

Forover2500years,Vipassanaremained

taughtinitspristineformonlybyafew inBurma,anditwas fromtherethatSN GoenkabroughtthemeiliodcoIndiaagain. TheBlack.heathCentte,started n 1983,is theoldestVipassanacentteinAustralia. Everyyear,thousands of studentslearn thetechniqueinitsbeautifulbushsettings, conducive fordeepintrospection.

Vipassanameansseeingthings 'asitis' (J1athabhootha).Thetechniqueisapractical meanstosharpenyourawareness,maintain equanimityandrealise thateverythingis impermanent(anid:tya).Thisislearntby observingourbreailiandthesensations wiiliintheframeworkof ourbody.A completeexplanationofthetechnique failsaswordsarewoefullyinadequate todescribeone'sexperienceandeach experienceisunique. Ispokecoafew students,somefirst-timersandsomemore experienced,attheend of thecoarseto capturesomeoftheseexperiences.

ForRamanawhowasdoingVipassana forthetl1-ird time,thiscoursewasspecial as wid1himwashiswife,Revathi,doingthe courseforthefirsttime.Thecentrerules imposestrictsegregationbetween thesexes andanyphysical,visualoraudirorycontact betweensrnclents,butjustkno\1;,ingthat

An exploration of Vipassana experiences

,, It is the silence that provides a shield and makes thejourney into the inner self possible ,,

RamanawastheremadeRevathifeelless intimidatedbytheexperience.

"Irecallfeelingmuchlighterandmore peacefulaftertheearliercourses,butIdid notmaintainthepracticeandsoonrelapsed intooldthoughtpatterns,"saidRamana.

Thestruggleof sittingonthe floorfor extended periods of timeisachallenge for mostmeditators.Controllingthe'monkey mind'isanod1er.lejwnpsfromone tree of thoughttoanocher,andreiningitin toobservebreathsand sensationsisa toughask.With persistence,andwid1the progressof eachday,mostmeclitators realisethatdtisisn'timpossible.

"Eventhoughtherewascliscomfort insittingontheAoorwithlegscrossed, 1somehowmanagedtodistancemyself fromitandacqui.rethepositionofasilent observer,"Revathisaid.

ThisisexactlytbeaimofVipassana-to

learntocalmlyobservetheupsanddowns oflife,withoutreacting.

FirsttimerVanitadescribedher experienceas"i.ncredible".Shesaysthat shefeelsamuchcalmerandcontrolled personnowandhascome to termswith somedeepemotionalissues.

Renukahaddonethecourseoncebefore inIndia,butthis timear0tmdshetookthe oppormnicyroserveond1e course.There isnochargeforVipassanacourses,which runptttelyondonationsbypastsn1dents. Onecanalsodonatetimebyservingon courses.Shetookthefirstcoursetolearn todealwithsomestressful situationsinher worklife.

"Itwasdtebestdecisionmade," Renukarecollected."DuringmycourseI realisedthattheonlyhindrancetobeing thegrandestvisionof myselfwasme. Weoftenblameexternalsituationsand

people."

Fromherexperience sheaffirmed,"To observethereality asicisandnottweak ittoseeitthewayIwanttoisagame changer.Ireckoneveryone should attend this courseatleaseonce."

Phong,a )'OungmanfromaVietnamese Buddhistbackground,wasabir disillusionedbythe ritualisticpracticesof variousformsofBuddhism.Whensome friendssuggestedtryingthesecular,nonsectarianpracticeofVipassana,hedecided toattendthiscourse.

"Iwillcomebackagain,probablyas aserveronacourseorvolunteeratthe centre,"hesaidafterhisw1forgettable experience.

Mabelhadcomewithherdaughter, Priscilla,bod1 forthe first time. Hermain httdlesduringthe10-daycoursewerethe ph)'sicaJpain,doubtsaboutthetechnique

andherability,homesicknessandlosing weight.

"Itwasmuchmore challengingthanI expected,"shesaid. However,theevening discourses,groupsirri.ngs,surrotmdi.ngs and theenvironmentof thecentre,and aonosphereof compassionandgenerosity, impressedl'vfabelandsheintendstokeep upchepractice.

VidbilearntaboutVipassanadttoughher friendwhotookthecourseafteramajor personaltragedy."Shecameouramuch calmer,positivepersonandcouldn'twait togoback,"Vidhisaid.Describingher own experienceas"gruelling",shesaid,"It breaksallmythsyouhaveabout)'Ourbody a.ndmind.Itchallengesyourmindtosrop mnning. lechallengesyourbodyto stop resisting. Themomentthemindis still and matterisexperienced inmotionwithin, d1e essenceof 'impermanence'emerges,and therebytheanswers coallquestions."

LeamingVipassanaisdescribedas 'experiential'wisdomorbhavana-mqyapa,!),a, chatis,somedtinglearntfromone'sown experience,asopposedtowisdomacquired b)' hearingorreadingd1ewordsof others (s11fa-111q;•apa11ya)orthatacquired fromby thinking(cbintt1-111q;rapm!Yt1)

Ifyouwishtotaketbispathor111antto learnmore,headtowww.blmmi.dhamma.

,, The aim of Vipassana is to learn to calmly observe the ups and downs of life, without reacting ,,

A shortstoryabout understanding what God means in everydaylife

BYSONDARYA KRISHNAN

BhagavadGita, Chapter7, Verse 17 Cr1t11r-vidbahht1jatemr1111 Janahs11k1tino'tj1111a

Artoj!Jnr1surmtbmtbi

J11a11icabharatarst1bba

''Accordingto the Gira,therearefourtypes ofdevotees.Thefirstwillpraywhen they areindistress. This devoteeremembers theLordwhentherearehardships in their lifeand whenthereisnooneelse tocall upon.Tbeseconddevoteepraysforwhat theydesire,thismayincludewealth,a wifeorhusband,influenceorsuccessin business.Ofcourse,therearetimeswhen itisappropriatetoprayfortheseends, andintimesofhardshipsweallcallupon theLord.However,therearemorenoble pursuits. Thethird typeofdevoteepraysto understandtheLord.Theywanttoknow thetruthof God. Finally,thefourthtype istheonewhounderstandstheLord. He identifieswith himrocally."

"So,whichtypeofdevoteedoyouwant tobe?" asked the Guru,ashetookoffhis glasses.Heheldtheminhishandashe smiledknowinglyattheclass."Thechoice isyours." ***

Thechoiceisyours thechoiceisyours thechoiceisyours.Thewordscircled arow1dinShanti'shead asshedrove home fromclass.Thegirlwasaperfectionist;she expectedthebestfromherselfandalways triedtodo therightthing. Shechallenged herselftodowhatwas toughbutright. She decided thatshewouldbethethird Lypeofdevotee.Shewas justseventeen

yearsold.Shewasthirtyyearsymmger thanherclassmatesin theGitalesson,and manywonderedwhatsuchayounggirlwas doinginaclasslikethis.Afterall,most seventeen-year-oldsaren'tinterestedin Hindutheology.Ifyouaskedherwhyshe attended,shewouldsay,"Becauseitmakes meless confused."Shedidn'tliketalking toomuch.Shewasanormalgirliaevery respect,exceptforonething. Shewasvery quietlydetermined.

Yes,she decided, shewouldbethethird typeofdevotee.Shewantedtoseewhat wouldhappenif shefollowedthe'right' path. ***

Sheplaced thepalmsof herhandstogether, closed hereyesandemptied her mindofall thoughts.

0111bhurbh11vabswab

Tr1ts,wit111·vare1!)1a111 Bhargodcvasya Dhi111t1hidbfyoyot1r1bprachodtl)'at Shantichanted tl1eGayath.irimantrainher head.

Sheopenedhereyesandstaredatthe deityofGaneshasittingresplendentlyinthe sancnm1. Shesmiledtoherself.Shewas the typeofdevoteethatshe wanted tobe. In hermind,tbiswastherightattitude, asking forwhatshewanted,butnotexpecting anything.

"I'monlyyoung,Godwillhelpmecome tounderstandhimintime,thereisn'tany rush,"Shantithoughttoherself.

Shedidn'texpectanythingspecial,after all, shewasjustanotherdevoteeatthe temple.

*""'

Ayurniplacedtl1epalmsofherhauds together,closedhereyesand emptied her mindofallthoughts.

"God, please sendmetotheright country, rohelpme fulfilyourmission."

Itwasawarmsummer'sdayinTokyo. Aymniwasareligiousvolunteerworker.As

auniversitysrudentat18,shewantedto vokmteeroverseasforsi.xmontl1s,before returningtoTokyo tocompletehersn1dies. Shewasreadyand prepared togo,where to\Vasthequestion. Herorganisationhad decidedonalotterysystem.Whatever cotmtryshepulled outof thehat,wouldbe hernewhome forthenextsixmonths.

Ayumiheldherbreathasshe feltaround thehat.Herlingersf0tmdaslipof paper and shepromptlypulled outherhand.

"Well?"chimedherfriends,eagerco knowwhere shewouldgo.

"Sydney,Australia," shereadout expressionlessly.Shehadn'texpected that.

***

Threemonthslater,at 18,Shantifotmd herselfatuniversity,doing adegreeshe loved.Foronesubject,wheregroupwork wasnecessary,hercean1matesweren't exactlywhatyouwouldcall interested. Shantilookedaroundatherteammates. Theywerealltextingontheirphones.She sighedquietly.But,intrueShantispirit,she thoughttoherself,'I'mgoingrowhipthese guysintoshape.'Forthemomentthough, shewasfeelingquitedeflated.

'I'llgohavelunchinthepark,'she tl1oughctoherself,'Sittingin thesunwill cheermeup.'

***

Ayumiwaswallungaround,clipboardin hand,blank surveysprintedoutandpensat theready.ShewasinSydneynow,carrying outduties.Todayshewasundertaking surveys.Itwassomethingsheenjoyed doing.ShefeltchatpeopleinSydneywere moreapproachablethanpeopleinTokyo. Lookingforsomeonecoapproach,Ayumi sawaunistudenteatinglunchalone,staring offintospace, deepinthought.TheYOlLng woman agreed tocompletethesurvey.

***

Shantireadthequestionsinfrontofher.

DoyoubelieveinGod?

WhatdoesGodmeantoyou?

DoyoulooktoGodcodealingwith hardships?

\Xlhatisyourpurposeoflife?

Shewassurprised.

"Iwasjustthinkingaboutchis,"said Shanti.Tearswelledinhereyes. Itwasa littleextreme,butherreammemberswere startingrogetcoher.Shewasd.inking aboutwhyithad upsethersomuch, and beratedherselfforgettingemotional.She shouldn'thaveletherteammatesbotl1er herthewaytheydid.Still, shewashuman afterall.Shesniffled.

Shantifilledoutthesurveyand handed it backroAyumi.

***

Whatisyourpurposeoflife?

Tobethe bestIcanbe.

Thatwasprettyimpressive.Thisgirl lookedabouteighteen,butsheseemed prettymanLreforherage.

"AreyouaHindu?Ilikeyourscar."

"Thankyou,"saidShanti.''Ir'scalleda hindi."

"That'sinteresting.Tellmemoreabout yourself."

***

Theyendedup sittinginthepark, talking forhours. Forthefirstrime,Shanti expressedtheideasshe'dbeenhavingabout herreligion.Shefelttiredofbeingconfused by,and afraid of,ocherpeople. She spoke aboutwhatwasonherni.indandeverytl1ing she had beenfeelinglately.Itwasstrange, she hadjustmerthisgirl,butitfeltlike theywerebest friends. Shefeltcomfortable talkingtoherandfeltrelievedcharherideas weresharedbyAyumi.Shefeltlessalone. ***

Shantifoundhetselfinclassagainwith herGuru.TheywerestudyingIshavasya Upanishad.

"Therearetwocharacteristicsof enlightenedpeople,"GLLruexplained, calmly. "Theenlightenedpersondoesn't hateanyone.Theymightnotwanecospend timewithsomeone,buttheydon'thate anyone.Secondly,theonewho sees the trutl1doesn'tfeel afraid ofanyone."

Shantisacupstraightinherseat,shewas scarringtounderstandwhatthatfeltlike. Shelistenedcarefully.

"Theonewhoreallytmderstandsthe truth doesnotfeelafraidof sharingtheiropinions witl1otl1ersandbeingjudgedforthem;tl1ey don't feelafraidof ocherpeople."

Shantiwasconfused. Did chismeanshe wasenlightened?Coulditbethatallthose prayersshemadewerecomingtofruition? Wasshecon.ingclosertounderstandingthe Lord?

"\XThenLifepresents uswithoppornmities whichhelpusinourpursuits,andweha,,e thepresenceof mindto cake tl1em,wecan countourselvesasblessed,"seatedtheGuru knowingly.

Shantismiledcoherself. Sheundersrood no,v.Therewasnoocherexplanationfor howshemet Aymni.Therewasnoother explanationforallthelittle thingsthat happenedwhichallowedtl1ern tomeet. Herprayerhadbeenanswered. Shewasblessed.

,, In Shanti's mind, this was the right attitude, asking for what she wanted, but not expecting anything ,,

ImagesmaydepictitemsnotsuppliedbyMastertonwhichinclude, butarenotlimrtedto,landscaping, pathways,driveways,decks,pergolas,fencing,letterboxes, pool,waterfeaturesandBBQ. Images maydepictupgradeditemswhichinclude,butarenotlimitedto,fireplaces,windowfurnishings,lightfittings,floorcoverings,alarmsystems,airconditioning,doorsandfeaturetiling. Alternativefacade upgradesavailable. No appliedfinishesare includedsuch asrender,moroka, bag andpaint,stackstoneor tiles. These areoptionalupgrades.PleasecontactaSales Consultantfor more information.

esivoution

A photographic tribute to Melbourne's Indian food culture

Phocographyhasalwaysbeenasilent passionforSonia,butanimportantone beinginthefieldof designandard1itecture.

explains."Iwoulddescribetl1isnewwave asyoung,healtb-focused, experimencal and passionateaboutwhat cheydo."

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

SoniaSarangiisanarchitectby profession,butsbeisalsoan avidfoodieandphotographer. Herrecentlyconcluded phocogrnphye.xhibition, Desivolution,presentedin associationwitb MulticulturalArtsVictoria,istestimonyto this, capturing tbeheanandsoulof the lndianfood culrure inMelbourne.

"Restaurantshavebecomepowerful billboards forcultureanddiversityin Melbourne,"Sarangi says. "Itisinthis spacethatmaoyof usarewillingtoshare differentaspects of desiculturethatochers areunawareof."

She continues,"Theexhibition focuses onthedesignandfoodof tl1ese'newwave' Indianestablishments,I hesitatetocall tliemrestaurantsasmanydonotfittliat description,fromfoodtruckstospecialist marketstalls;fromhealthystreetfoodto contemporaryfinedining,tuckedawayin tlielaneways ofMelbourne.Ultimately,I belie,,etlrntfoodisafantasticwindowinto ourculture."

"Itbeganwitl1me'borrowing'mydad's film camerabefore 1headedtouniversity andtl1enforgettingtoeverreturnit," Sarangisays."Idon'thaveformaltraining, butI thinkchatbeingself-taughtis aroute chatmanycreativepeopletake.It's taken mequitealongtimetofindmyvoice inphotographyandtofindtheperfect platform coshareit."

MichaelSilver(whorunsl'vfagnet Gallerieswheretbeexhibitionwas held) showedSoniasomebeautifularchival papersonwhichherphotographscouldbe printed.Theminute Khadiwasmentioned, sheknewtl1iswouldbethemostbefitting surfaceforherphotographs.Thepaper comesfromahandmadepapermill outsidetl1evillageofTarihalnearHubli, inKarnataka. K.hadipapersaremadefrom 100percenccottonrag,whichisknownfor itsexceptionalstrengthanddurability,and havelongerfibresthanli.nterswbichare generallyusedinpapermaking.

Alioftl,efoodoutletsinvolvedin the project"instantlygrasped theconceptand embraced it".Sarangiis fullofpraisesfor therestaurants, cafesand pop-upswho agreedtObeapartoftl1eproject."They weregenerouswitbtheirtimeandletus incotheirverybusyworkingroutines,"she

FeaturedinDesh7olutionareBabuji (4-6GreySt,ScKilda),DelhiStreets(22 KatherinePlace),Dilli6 (290 Old Geelong Rd, HoppersCrossing),OriginalChai Co(QueenSt,Opp.ShedH,QueenVic l\farket),Overdosa(popupstallsacross 1klbonrne),TadkaBoom(22Goldsbrough Lane) andTonka(20Duckboard Pl).

"EveninacitylikeMelbourne,which marchesonitsstomach,itisavery competitive andbrutal scenewitl1i11tl,e hospitalityindustry,"Sarangisays. "They each rookariskinpresentinga facetof Indianfoodorculturethatmanyofthe localsdonotunderstand.Ai1dindoingso tl1eyeachinadvertentlytookontl1eroleof beingconstantculturalambassadors."

J\nativeofOrissa,bornandbroughtup inDubai,completingherhighersrudiesin SingaporeandtlieomovingtoAustraliain 2006,Soniacallsherselfaglobalcitizen. Thisnomadicjourneyhasalsobroadened herhorizonsaboutwhatIndianculrurereally meansandhowfoodalwa)'Splaysanintricate part,especiallywhenyouliveoutsideIndia.

Soniasaysthattheextensivesupport ofMu.lticulcuralAnsVictoriaandMagnet Gallerieshasenabledhertobringthese storiestolifethroughherphotographsthat arequitedifferenttowhatisoftenseenin

,, The exhibition focuses onthe design and food of Melbourne's 'new wave' Indian establishments as powerful billboards for culture and diversity ,, mainstreammedia.

"Instagram,I fear,hasdesensitised everyonetopicture-postcardphotos," Sarangisays. "Myadvicewouldbeto tal-::eyourtimetodiscoveranautl1entic storyorcopic tliatyouarepassionate about.Photographsdon'tsimplycapture amoment,tbeyarealsoapowerful story tellingmedium.And tbe beststoriesare tl1osechatcomefromwithin."

Packinga healthy school lunchbox will help your children to learn and grow

Every parent knows the challenge of finding fun, healthy recipes to cure kids' lunchbox boredom. A good diet is essential for growth and development in children, but also for simply giving them theenergyto be kids!

A key change at the start of the school year is the transition from holiday play to sitting and concentrating back at school. Fuelling your kids with the right balance of nutrients will play a part in keeping them energised andfocused throughout

the day.

So how do you get the right balance of nutrients?"Keep it simple by remembering to include something from each of thefive core foods groups: plenty of veggies, fruit, meat or meat alternatives, dairy and wholegrains,"

saysAmanda Menegazzo from The Dairy

Kichen.

If you're after some inspiration

for fabulous back to school, healthy lunchbox combinations, try these recipes

from The Dairy Kitchen.

Cauliflower and .

Cheddar Fritters with

Kiwi Salsa

Serves 4 Preparation Time: 20 min

CookingTime: 30 min

Ingredients caulif ower until it resemblescous cous

Fritters:

1 cup tri-colour quinoa

Cheesy Broccoli Gems

Mai<es30 Preparation Time: 20 min

Ingredients

1 medium head broccoli, cut into florets

2 spring onions, f nely chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

½ cup dried breadcrumbs

2 tbspschoppedfreshbasil or parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 egg lightly beaten

Method

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for

CookingTime: 20 min

1 minute then refresh in iced water. Drain well. Place all the ingredients except for the egg in a food processor and 'pulse' until finely chopped and combined. Add the egg and pulse to combine.

Shape approximately 2-3 teaspoons of the mixture, into nugget shapes and place on a baking paper lined tray. Spray the gems with oil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutesor until golden brown. Serve with sour cream or thick

Cheese & Egg Muffins

Makes 6 Preparation Time: 20 min Cooking Time: 20 min

Ingredients

6small (50g) eggs

1 cup self-raising flour

1spring onion,finely sliced

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

½cup milk

¼ cup (50g) melted butter

1 large(59g) egg, lightly beaten, extra

1tsp English-style mustard

good pinch of salt

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese, extra

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C (180

°Cfan

forced). Line the bases of 6 x 1/3 cup muffin pans with muffinpaper casesor baking paper that overhangatthe top at least 2cm. Place eggsin asmall saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes. Run under cold water until almost cold. Peel, discard shells and reserve boiled eggs. Combine flour, spring onion and cheese in a medium mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Combine milk, butter, extra egg, mustard andsalt in

You will need 2 cups cauliflower crumbs

Remove from the processor

½ medium cauliflower, cut into f orets Process rolled oats in the food

½ cup rolled oats processor until fine. Add quinoa, 4 eggs, lightly beaten cauliflower crumbs, eggs, onions, 6 spring onions, sliced cheese and lemon to the food processor 1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese and pulse untiljust combined. Season Finely grated rind of one lemon to taste and set mixtureaside Oil, for shallow frying Make salsa by tossing together all KiwiSalsa: 250g punnet red and yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and diced

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Rinse the quinoaand place in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water

Bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to a simmer, add a pinch of salt and cover and cook for 15 minutes

Turn off the heat, f uff with a fork and setthe lid ajar to rest.

In a food processor, pulse the raw

ingredients. Set aside Thinly cover the base of a large frying pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Drop ¼ cups of mixture into the pan and fry, in batches, for 3-5 minutes on each side, turning carefully with an egg f ip. Cool slightly beforeserving with salsa.

Tip:

Tri-colourquinoa is a blendof white, red and black quinoa. Substitute any coloured quinoa if unavailable. If you don't have a food processor try grating the caulif ower, use quick oats and toss everything together in a bowl.

a separatejug and pour into the well. Gently stir mixture with a large metal spoon until just combined. Do not over mix. Place 1tablespoon of muffn mixture into thebaseof each muffin case. Top with a boiled egg. Top with remaining mixture to cover. Sprinkle with extra cheddar cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and cheeseisgolden brown. Cool on a wire rack andserve warm or cool.Thesemuffinsare best eaten on the day they're made.

Sandip Hor,IndianLink's Travelwriter,presentedat the Apeejay KolkataLiterary Fescival(AKLF)held inIndia from15to 18Januarychis year.AlongwithRimMenon,Prajwal ParajulyandSundeepBhutoria, he parcicipated inanhour-longsession citied 'TakingOff:Travel Tales'.

"Itwasagreathonourformeto attend this literaryaffairin mybirthcity asaformallyinviteddelegate,"Sanclip recountedtolndia11Link.

AnitaNair, ahighlyacclaimed contemporarynovelisemoderatedche session,presentedinassociacionwith domescicair.lineVistara.

Kolkata,theCityofJoy,isranked asIndia'sunquestionableintellectual epicentre,soitwasnotunusualtosense tl1egustoamonglocalKolkacansfor theAKLF,consideredoneof thecity's signatureevents. Sponsored bytheelite ApeejaySurrendraGroupandtheOxford Bookstore,onParkStreet,Kolkata, establishedio 1919,AKLFblossomedseven yearsagoin2010ourof thebookstore's continual associacionwithbooks,writers andpublishers.Thoughmanyliterary fescivalscurrentlymushroom across the country,AKLPremainsdistinccivebecause it's theonlyonethathasanearlycenturyoldbookstoreasitsspearhead.

Thisyear,theeighthedicionofthe festival,withcheoverarchi11gtl1emeof "TowardsInclusiveness",washeldwiiliin tl1epremises of StPaul'sCathedral, aniconicsiteofmagnificentheritage. Severalliterarypersonalitiesof naciooal andinternationalreputetookpartin tl1e carnival,includingShashiTharoor,Shobha De, Kuna!Basu,Anita Nair,Devdutt Pattanaik,AmitChaudhuri,Urvashi Bucalia,AnanyaVajpayeeandRimMenon.

Therewerequiteafewfromoverseas, Alessandro Lutman (poec fromItaly), eal Hall (poetfromUSA),Benoitde Vilmorin (photographerfromFrance),Michael Dwyer(publisher fromUK) and Rachel Dwyer(Professorof Indian Culturesand Cinema,SOAS,UniversityofLondon) amongothers.

Likepreviousyears,theliteraryfiesta presentedmanymeaningfulconversacions andillLuninaringdiscussions,deep

interaccionwiththinkersandwritersin thecompanyof like-minded booklovers, discovery of new talentedwritersand deepengagementwicbbestincellecmal andcreativemindsofKolkata. Every session,froma booklaunchtoatalk orpaneldiscussion,reAecred thecity's intimacywith thegloballiteraryforum at large.

Among thehighlights of the festival was atributetoone of thegreatest Indianwritersoftl1e20thcentury, Kolkata-residentMahashwetaDevi,who passedawaylastyearattl1eageof90. Thissessionwasheldattl1ePresidency Collegeandincluded a filmscreeningon thewriter.

Australiaholdsaspecialrelationship with thisevent.Amongstothers, theAustralianGovernmentand the Ausu·alia Council fortheArtsaretwo majorpartners of thisprestigiousaffair. Socialadvocateand writerYassmin AbdelMagied (2015 Queensla11d Young Australianof theYear) engaged tl1e audiencewith herinspiringtalks,while Wendy\�ere,ExecutiveDireccorfrom AustralianSchoolofArts,ledadelegation ofAustralianpublishers. HemaSingh Rance,l\1[anagerCultureandPublic DiplomacyfromtheAustralianHigh Commissionwas presentacthe fescival, representingthe AustralianGovernment.

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Youcanmixsinglemaltwhisky withonlytwothings:adropof water,ormorewhisky.Soweare informedbyourguide Katieas wetourtheGlengoynedistillery locatedjustoutsidethecitylimitsof Glasgow.Hercommentnotonlyproclaims themostauthenticwayof enjoyingthe alcoholicbeverage,butalsoreflectsthe humoroussideofScottishcbaracteL

Agood sense of humouris among thefewthingswhichareacceptedas uniquelyScottish,ochersbeingwhisky, bagpipes,kiltsandtartans. Whileexploring Glasgow,Scotland'slargestcity,Ipleasingly encounterallof cl1eseinhighproportions CushionedonthebanksoftheRi,1er Clyde, thegrid-patternedGlasgow landscapearchitecturallypresentsa wonderfulmixofoldandnew.Though thecityis saidcohavebeenbornalmost amillenniumandahalfago,itrocketed into prosperityinthe 18thcenmcy withtheIndustrialRevolution.Wealth startedpouringin fromthrivingcotton manufacturing, ship buildingandheavy engineeringworks.Glasgowsoonbecame anindustrialgiantandanepicentreof engineeringskills.

Theeconomicsuccesspowdered thecity centreandsuburbswithgrandneoclassical buildingsthatdemonstratedarchitecmral ingenuity.Manyof themstill existand fascinatethemoderngeneration,with die

most outstandingbeingtheCityChambers. DominatingGeorgeSquare,theheartof Glasgow,thisedificeofItalianRenaissance sty.lewasopenedbyQueenViccoriain 1888.Guidedcoursareavailable totake visitorsthroughtheinteriorswherethe entrancehaU'svaultedceilings,Venetian mosaicsandthemuralsinthebanqueting haU,command appreciation.Theother nearbybuildingsthatdrawattentionare dieformerPostOffice,MerchantHouse andRoyalExchangeBuildingwhichnow housestheGalleryof ModernAn.

However,mostworth admiringfor architecturalbuffsarecl1eworksof local boyCharles RennieMackintosh.An innovativearchitect,attheturnofthe 20th cenmcyl\1ackintosh.introducedanew sty.leinbuildingdesign,internationally acclaimedas'GlasgowStyleArcNom1eau'. Hislegaciescanbespottedalloverthe cityandmanytravel toGlasgowjustto seethemindetailandtmderstandhisstyle. TheGlasgowSchool of Artis themost celebratedworkof hisillustriouscareer. Thisinstimtionwasbuiltbetween 1897 and 1909toadesign thathesubmitted coacompetition. Someof hisother distinguishedworksarethebuildingsfor theGlasgowHeraldnewspaper,whichwas hisfirstmajordesign in 1893,d1eWillow Tea RoomsandtheQueens Cross, the only clrnrchdesignedbythe.legendaryarchitect.

Withthedeclineof theshipbuilding industryandocl1erengineeringworks, Glasgowwasimmersedintodarknessfora period,buthasagainblossomedwithanew .leaseoflifeshowingboldnessineverything fromarchitecmreand fashion shoppingto .luxuryaccommodationandfinedining.

Theoldshipyardsanddocklandshave beenreclaimedandarenowdottedwith

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Culturalaficionadoslovethiscity,which ishomecomorethan20world-class museumsandgaUerjesshowcasingaruverse rangeof exhibitsfromEuropeanclassicsat theKelvingroveArtGalleryandMuseunl cocutting-agecontemporaryworksarthe GalleryofModernArt.RiversideMusellln

istl1eidealvenuerolearnmoreabourrhe city'sindustrialheritage,whileGlasgow ScienceCentreintroducesvisicorsofaU agescosimplescienceandengineering fundRrnentals.

Buskersplayingbagpipeswillthrill musiclovers.TheNationalPipingCentre istl1eobviouschoice forthosekeen to gainaninsightinro the historyandstatus ofbagpipemusic.AweU-experienced bagpipertakesyoutl1rough therichhistory ofScotland'snationalmusicalinstrument. TheMuseumofPipingholdsthree hundred)'earsofpipingheritage. Among severalexhibits themostoutstandingisa 250-year-oldHighlandbagpipechanter, saidcobethe oldestofits kindinthe world.Thebestpartof theguided tour comeswhenthebagpiperplays some

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Glasgowisoftenreferredcoasthe 'City ofMusic',hosci.ngoverahundred musical eventseveryweek;themusicbusiness addsaround75millionpoundsperyear totheGlasgoweconomy. However,the overallmusicscene stretchesacrossa muchwiderspectrumfromclassicaland contemporarytoCelticandcountryto caterforeverytasteandfascination.

'PeoplemakeGlasgow'isthesloganof theGlasgowCityMarkeci.ngBureau.Most visitorswillagree.Glaswegiansare the friendliestbunch of people,alwaysready cowarmlywelcomeanyonesteppinginto theircity.Theyusetheirsharpwitto

Clockwisefromtopleft:Enjoyinga localwhiskyexperience;;Atraditional bagpipes performance; Galleryof ModernArt atdusk; KelvingroveArt Gallery& Museum;Wanderingalong BuchananStreet;CityChambers at GeorgeSq; Finedining connectwithpeople.Whentheirwitci.ness iscomparedwiththatofEdinburgh,they respondbysaying,''PeopleofGlasgow haveabettertimeatafuneralthanpeople of Edinburghhaveduringawedding". Unquestionably chat's thespiritofGlasgow -tohavefunwhenever,wherever.

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FILM: XXX: THE RETURN OF XANDER CAGE

STARRING:Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone

DIRECTOR: D.J. Caruso �'c;,,

D.J. Caruso, let's call him DJ for fun, is a man with a mission. Mission 'Impassable'.Treading a trickly trippy tactile territory where the slow-drip creativity of the writing team rapidly seeps into thefilm's aggressive action rendering it ineffectual and finally redundant,XXX is strictly for fans of Diesel.

They get their money's worth in his introductory sequence where playing the do-gooder in a Spanish town he steals electrical equipment from on top of a transformer, surf-boards his way through the roads at full speed giving high-fives to the passers-by in cars and trucks, and reaches in time to plug-in the community television for a football game for thekids.

Awwwwwwww!

Life is all about the simple pleasures. XXX: The Return OfXanderCage could

I well be one of them, provided how I simple you like your pleasure. Diesel's opening antics tells us what weknew all along. Diesel playingXander Cage is in this for fun. Director DJ ups the masti quotient to a point where the terror attacks that Cage and his motley team counters appear to be little more than video-games pumped up to be I accommodated on the large screen with mammoth garnish that includes a relentlessly orgasmic background score which reminds us to not take thef lm's derring-do seriously. Not really.

There is an impressively staged shootout d.uring a global summit against terrorism when a super-skilled marauder I crashes through the glass to disrupt the goings-on. DJ knows how turn up I the volume. But he doesn't know how to control the pitch so that the shindigs often get shrill in tone.

Vin Diesel saving the world is a kind of doped-out take on what Tom Cruise and James Bond do on one of their less meaningful days of countering I catastrophe. The arch-villains trying to destroy the world inXXX are a bit of ajoke. At one point a CIA agent is uncovered as a nuke-planting terrorist.

Within minutes, he is swiftly disposed of by Diesel and his team. Momentum be damned. That brings me to Deepika Padukone. Is she or is she not well represented in her first global appearance? The answer to that is not easy. While shemakes an impressive entry into the plot, slipping stealthily through an automatic door beforeit closes on her (somesymbolism in that?) the rest of her role does not allow her thesamefelinegrace. Two others of her female co-stars - Ruby Rose playing a hard-nosed sharp shooter and Nina Dobrev as fast-talking computer nerd - bring far morezing to the table. Andzing, let me tell you, is the thing inXXX.This is a film that beseeches you to set aside all your lofty notions on epic heroism. Saving the world would have never looked more fun had this franchise film only managed to preserve a kindof tongue-in-cheek goofiness that made Deadpoo/ so deadly in its impact.

InXXX: The ReturnOfXander Cage I got the feeling that everyoneis trying to be sassy and cool, and not quitegetting there. The opening in a restaurant has the routinely reliableSamuel L Jackson trying to convince a young sportsman to join theXXX team. Now, this is supposed to be an outrageously funny sequence meant to lull our senses into a state of heightened submissionfor the big bang that follows. However, there are many a slip between the corpse and theirleaps. The poorly written dialogues and the

build-up of sequence from bathos to bang is tragically shaky and uncertain. Throughout thefilm the actors are thrown to their owndeviceswhilethe writers and the director think of bigger better ways to fill up the screen with a voluptuousmayhem. While some of the actors come off pretty well considering the anorexia nervosa that grips the plot, Deepika Padukone sadly doesn't make it. And Toni Collette playing what looks a send-off on Judi Dench's "M" is risibly androgynous in her attitude, dress and speech.Shetypifies thefilm's neitherhere-nor-there attitude.

The action is first-rate, though. Thefight-stunt on thef yover and the highway is so commanding that we almost wish the rest of the film would remain the same. Alas, it is downhill all the way, so much so that when the hijinks suddenly end wefind ourselves asking, "Is this it?"

In the climactic finale, a pivotal character watches a prayer-meet for hisown death. I somehow felt the other characters doing the same all through. This franchise is actually dead. It is neither funny nor portentous. It'sjust a whole lot of skilfully executed spectacle looking for a reason to be loved by an audience that doesn't want to go away disappointed.

Even cinematographer Russell Carpenter, who did such a brilliantjob recently in Parched, cannot seem to make senseof the skimpy resources at his disposal. It'slike trying to fit Deepika Padukone's never-ending legs into AbRam Khan's new treehouse.

Nonetheless, if you are willing to go with the furious f ow of mindless mojo, you won't find it hard to enjoy thefilm.

Subhash KJha

OK JAANU

STARRING: Aditya Roy Kapur, Shraddha Kapoor,LeelaSamson, Naseeruddin Shah

DIRECTOR: Shaad Ali tt-..;:� · :

A Gen-Y girl and boy meet, are physically attracted, becomefriends, live together,

COFFEE WITH D

STARRING: John Abraham, Sonakshi Sinha, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Adil Husain, Narendra Jha

DIRECTOR: Abhinay Deo *,,,.·:;(' > \(

Coffee with D is a satire designed on the popularity of a primetime news anchor famed for his loud tirade with the appendix, "Thenation wants to know".

In a battlefor TRPs (Television Rating Points) and in order to keep his "news" show af oat and thereby hisjob, news anchor Amab Ghosh (Sunil Grover) devises an idea to invite the Pakistanbased dreaded underworld don 'D' to his show. How he goes about organising this shenanigan, forms the crux of the tale.

Director Vishal Mishra's story has an interesting premise. On the face of it, it sounds great, but the wafer-thin plot and the languid pace of the film, along with its one-dimensional and poorly etched characters who aremoulded as caricatures, is its undoing.The writing, barring a few dialogues, is replete with mediocrity. The forced attempt at humour is stereotypical and trite. While the entire first half is focussed

sans any commitment, then eventually fall in love and get married. Familiar? Extremely. Trite, oft-seen and offering nothing new. That in a nutshell, isShaad Ali's OKJaanu.

Adi (Aditya Roy Kapur), a fun-loving, small town guy who creates video games, aspires to make it big and settle down in the US but does not believe

in marriage. Tara (Shraddha Kapoor), a girl from a broken home who abhors the institution of marriage, is studying architecture and hopes to pursue further studies in Paris.They meet by chance and are attracted instantly and become friends. Living together where neither of them can haqjutao on the other, is theirconvenient arrangement. They are happy together, partying, going on long drives and yes, even sleeping together.

Sadly, the f lm is predictable from word go and drags at an even keel, offering no twists or drama, making the viewing extremely tedious. The treatment too is not novel and offers nothing that has not been portrayed earlier. Thefilm is a mish-mash of several such films with the same theme. Garbed in artifice, the story credited to Mani Ratnam adds no magic to the film.

Aditya Roy Kapur is competent and essays his happy-go-lucky character with ease but is bound by the limited script which does not allow him to go beyond a certain level. His chemistry with Shraddha Kapoor is palpable, but that's all there is to it.

Shraddha Kapoor too is her usual confident and charming self, but is not able to add any nuance to her f at character.

Naseeruddin Shah as theJudge, in

whose houseAdi lives,is a treat to watch. He is effortless in his portrayal of the loving and caring husband to his wife Charu (Leela Samson) who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

Leela Samson is endearing and natural, but Kitu Gidwani, in a miniscule role as Tara's high-profile mother, offers nothing by way of performance.

The climax is stretched unnecessarily if only to make the young couple realise and declare their lovefor each other with the devotion of the older couple towards each other as the backdrop. A deliberate attempt that appears very contrived.

Thescenes appear disconnected and the actions of the characters often defy logic. Shaad Ali merely goes on with the narrative, as if with a set intention of telling a story, no matter how cliched. There is no element of freshness to the plot.

A.R. Rahman's music is the only solace the film offers and thenew rendition of 'Humma Humma' is a good attempt and well-picturised, albeit in its modern avatar. Unfortunately, Gulzar's dialogues too fail to leavean impact, as in keeping with thef avour of the film, thelines lack depth.

Overall, OKJaanu is a strictly ok film, devoid of anything new or interesting.

TroyRibeiro

on building the aura of Arnab and his predicament, the second half concentrates on his interview with D. Overall, the screenplay lacks drama and excitement. Also, the performances by the lead characters seem staged and theatrical.

Sunil Grover, the stand-up comedian reputed for his popular comic characters in several avatars, is a competent actor, but is miscast in the roleof a suave news anchor. Nevertheless, minus the persona of the character he delivers as an actor.

AnjanaSukhani as his pregnant wife Parul, is effortlessly natural. Dipannita Sharma as Neha,Amab's colleague who accompanies him to Pakistan for the interview, is painfully cliched.

Pankaj Tripathi as Girdhari, D's Man-Friday, shines in a nuanced performance.

COFF

Zakir Hussain's portrayal of D lacks lustre. The character is crafted in a perfunctory manner and the actor does not offer anything new to his role. The comic lines he mouths undoubtedly elicit a few chuckles.

The rest of the cast members that propel the humour in the narrative are stereotypical and insufferable.

With moderate production values and tacky sets,cinematographer Anshul Chobey's static and boring frames capture the drama befitting a television broadcast.

The 2D graphics in the film in the song sequence, and as a scene, are equally amateurish and insipid.

With a run-time of over two hours, the film drags unnecessarily. A few minutes into thefilm and the novelty factor wears offwith the narrative fatigue setting in.

In his directorial debut,Vishal Mishra disappoints as hefails to wield the baton effectively.The film is mediocre fare and you can safely avoid this coffee, unless you are a Sunil Groverfan.

TroyRibeiroo

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

A TRAIN RIDE WITH SRK

Shah Rukh Khan had one mission in mind when he got onto a train to promote his film Raees -to get closer to his fans. But he didn't anticipatethat his stardom would spell troublefor his admirers, inside as well as outsidethe train.

For many, it would have been a dream-come-true to know that theirfavourite star wasjust a couple of carriages awayfromthem. But it soon turned into a nightmare, with bulky bodyguards cordoning off an entirecarriagefor the star, thefrenzy around his presence in the train, and the inability of passengers to get on oroff.

Trainshave been an intrinsic part of Shah Rukh's movies (Chaiyya chaiyya, Di/wale Dulhania LeJayenge, ChennaiExpress). Perhapsthat was the reason he decided to takea trainfrom Mumbaito Delhi to promote his new film. After starting off on theright note, thetrain ridegot engulfedinto controversy due to the death of a fan onVadodarastation, and injuries suffered by others.

As the fans went berserk and got out of control, actorSunny Leonewho was on board, rightly described the train as 'a tightly packed sardine can'. That it truly was.

Forme, thejourneybegan much before the5:40 pm start.To many, the ideaof taking a Delhi-Mumbaiflight, only to take a train back, may seem senseless, but it made total sensewithShah Rukh forcompany.

I channelled Kajol from Di/wale DulhaniaLeJayenge, runningagainst time to make it on the train. Only,Shah Rukh was not waiting at the gate and I was instead wading through a maddening crowd.

Theeuphoric tunes of Udiudijaye, thegarbatrack from Raees, added to the jubilant mood. Luckily, the actor, who is infamous for being late at events, was on time this time.

His plan involved waving to the crowd at nine stops, Vapi,Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Ratlam, Kota and Mathura.

Everywhere it was the same fan frenzy - peoplejumping on to tracks, climbing on the top of the train, banging on windows - without thinking of theirown safety. Other people huddled togetheron stairs, and up some poles as well. The craze was there for all to see, with people's shoes loitered all around the platform as they ran amok lookingforSRK.

It left us pondering on theextentto whichfans can goforthe screen idol.

Inside thetrain, wehopedand prayed that no onewould be hurt.Sunny, peeping out of the window with curiosity, was heard muttering: "I don't want anybody to get hurt. Oh, there's a guy with a stick Please don't hit anybody. I will start to cry."

Alas, everyone's fear came true with the news of one fan - a relative off afemale journalist travelling in the train - dying at thestation.There are conf icting theories about the death: some claim he had a cardiac arrest, others that he was suffocated to death due to the stampede-like situation.

Thefun of thetrainridesoonfaded away, casting a pall of gloom.

SRK has been blamed forthe mayhem, but we saw him on his toes trying to pacify his team. He appearedshaken as he stepped in for a chat with scribesvery late at night. There was no stardom to beseen as he spoke to usstraight from theheart.

Consoling thejournalist who hadjust lost a loved one,Shah Rukh organisedfor members of his security team to accompany herandhermotherback to Vadodara. Could this major publicity event have been planned better? Probably.

Is SRK to blame? Probably not.

SugandhaRawal

DEV PATEL HEADS TO THE OSCARS

Dev Patel said hefelt an "overwhelming sense of gratitude" for receiving an Oscar nomination (Best Actor in a Supporting Role) for his film Lion.

The Indian-origin British actor is up against actors like Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) and Jeff Bridges (He// or High Water) for the trophy, which will be given away at the 89th Academy Awardsceremony in LosAngeles on February 26.

What makes the moment so much more "poignant" is that he hasjust wrapped up shooting another film in India.

"This enthralling country holds such a deep place in my heart, and it is where Saroo Brierley'sjourney was born," Dev said in a release.

"(The film) reaffirms the message that love is not dictated by the colour of your skin, not by race, gender, sexuality, social status or origin. It is a message I am proud to be spreading during these uncertain times," he said.

"This will forever be one of the most memorable experiences of my life," he added.

Meanwhile musician AR Rahman has missed out on a nomination in the Original Score category. He was longlisted in an initial list of 145 scores, with two nominations for his work in Pele: Birth of aLegend, a biographical film about the early life of Brazilian footballer Pele.

BATTLE OFTHE BLOCKBUSTERS: KAABIL VERSUS RAEES

It's a box officeclash that has been widely spoken about - but there are high chances that Kaabil and Raees will both do exceedingly well as they are both eminently watchable f lms.

Both films are releasing this week.

Both are love stories. Intense love stories.

In Kaabil, Hrithik Roshan loves his wife to death, and he is ready to go to any lengths to avenge the wrong done to her. The last 20 minutes of the film are so 'heart-in-the-mouth', you would be advised to hold your bursting bladders until the last drop of blood is shed and avenged on screen.

It is by farSanjay Gupta's best work, more emotional and dramatic than any of the violent sagas he has narrated in the past. Hrithik gives his finest, most searing and passionate performance since Kaho Naa Pyaar Haiand Guzaarish. His intensity is disturbing, even haunting.

Raees is also a love story. And it's got nothing to do with Mahira Khan. Shah Rukh Khan's characterof a man of illgotten power and wealth from Gujarat in the 1980s, is in love. With himself.

Since I believeShah Rukh in real life truly loves himself, the merger of the actor and the characteris so brutally complete, it's like watching mirror images of two identical souls - one off camera, the other on it - dressed in very different clothes.

Raees is also about how two heterosexual men can be bonded spiritually even while being on separate sides of the firing line. This is perhaps the first time in his entire career as a leading man that Shah Rukh has found a co-star who is compelling in his own right.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui, when pitched against Shah Rukh, truly defines what 'The Clash Of The Titans' means. He does with Shah Rukh what a Rishi Kapoor orVinod Khanna could neverdo with Amitabh Bachchan.

The two actors keep us ruthlessly rivetedto the screen. The movement of the plot is almost maniacal, to match the energyand mutinous passion of the two men at each other's throats.

More than anything else, the two films this week provewhat Hindi cinema has known all along. Nothing can replace the cult of superstardom. The mysticism, magic and magnetism that Khan and Roshan bring to the screen, have to beseen to be believed. Don't pick one between Raees and Kaabil. Go see both.

B-TOWN QUESTIONS WORTH OF POPULAR FILM AWARDS

After veteran Rishi Kapoor's revelation about "buying" a Best ActorAward for Rs 30,000 once upon a time, Bollywood celebrities like Raakhee, Subhash Ghai, Taapsee Pannu and Prasoon Joshi have raised questions on the credibility of popular film awards. Here's what they had to say:

Raakhee: When I was told I was getting the award for Best Actress in an awful film called Be-lmaan, I said I wouldn't accept it. Not whenjust a few years earlierthey refusedto give me the award for what I thought was a commendable performance in Sharmeelee. They chose to giveAsha Parekh the Best Actress award that year forKati Patang. Shockingly, they didn't even giveSachin Dev Burman the Best Music award forhis soulful

HRITHIK ROSHAN

music in Sharmee/ee. In fact, Sachin and his son Rahul Dev Burman hardly evergot awards.

Tapsee Pannu:Awards, for me, are wonderful television shows. The trophies look good on your living room shelves. That's about it.

TillotamaShome: I wouldn't know about popular awardsbecauseI've neverbeen nominated forany, let alone won. If I did win ever, I'd feel accepted as part of this wonderful fraternity. Never mind. We unsung artistesare like wild f owers. We will grow even through the cracks.

Paresh Rawal: Popular awards are worthless and useless. They are big marketing events with no substance. A glaring omission was my film OMG - Oh My God! which didn't get any nominations in the popular awards. There are innumerable such sins of omission. Awards are as useless as a tail on a teddy bear.

Subhash Ghal: Popularawards lost their credibility long ago when they were turned into star-studded stage shows and commercial events for television channels. Filmfare was thefirst awards function to turn commercial when they tied up with a gutkabrand.The rest followed. Earlier, all the awards were for excellence and not for commercial branding. Unlike the Oscars, which we still respect for maintaining authenticity, I attend our popular awards in thespirit of a festive gathering. I only feel excited when I see

the awardsforbestdebutants.That means we have new talent coming in. SaurabhShukla:There are too many awards.And an excess of anything leads to boredom. If you eat too much chocolate, the craving isreplaced by nausea. You can't get excited about Holi if you had to play it seven times a year.Awardsare a celebration of talent. If you have too many choices they are no longer exciting.

Satlsh Kaushlk:Too many playersspoil the game.These aremorelike reality shows than awards functions. I miss the days when therewas oneawards function, the Filmfareawards, and the whole industry used to wait for it.

Prasoon Joshi: They are a kind of reality television. They are designed to entertain viewers. Award functions are like consumerproducts. If we come to terms with this, it is easy to comprehend the presence of so many brandsfunctioning within the awardsspace.As long as we recognize today's average awards function as a consumer item, we arefine. India to that extent, is unique.However, I feel National awards are a little different as they are not marketing tools.

Shallendra Singh (head honcho of Percept Ltd): It's a buffet out there.You eat everything. But you don't respect or enjoy anything.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

PRIYANKA CHOPRA or KENDALL JENNER in OLCAY GULSEN?

+ Shareyourviews with us on our Facebook page /lndianLinkAustralia

ASHLEYJUDD IN KOLKATA

Hollywood actorand acclaimed humanitarianAshley Judd went straight from the Women's March in Washington held to coincide with US President DonaldTrump'sinauguration, to Kolkata to mingle with children from red light areas.

The Divergent and DoubleJeopardy star was in the city to attend the Kolkata Literary Meet.

Supporting the NGO Apne Aap in combating sex trafficking, Judd was seen tying shoe lacesfor the children and playing with them. She also visited Sonagachi, one of Asia's biggest red light areas, during her stay in the eastern metropolis.

The United Nations Population Fund's Goodwill Ambassador reinforced her message to end human trafficking by posting picturesfrom an outing with the children.

One of hermany tweets from the visit read:"From Kolkata with love.

#CoolMenDontBuySex @RightsforGirls @apneaap #EndSexTrafficking."

At the Women's March Judd had performed a poem written by poet Nina Donovan, "Nasty Woman", to thundering applause.

WHATTWEETY

US THIS WEEK

BIRD

TOLD

Can you match the tweetsto the stars who tweeted them? Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan, Amitabh Bachchan, Proud moment for all of us. PINK now available on @TheFilmPink #Pink #PinkOnNetf ix

Just a little shout of love for all the praise for my#KaabilETareef team! Thank you !!!

Beyond thrilled & overwhelmed with the amazing response & reactions to #Se renaUnger!#xXx:ReturnOfXanderCage Thank Youfor all the LOVE!

Be warned, Summer bringsVictoria Leeds. #BeBaywatch @baywatchmovie

On train & listening to the new song from Raees. Dhandhe Ka #Dhingana

What's the chitchat between DEEPIKA PADUKONE and ELLEN?

Send in your responsesto win@indianlink.com.au and win asurprise prize

What's the chitchat between LION stars DEV PATEL and SONNY PAWAR here?

Dev: Slumdogstreet stars are a lucky omen for me. Bringthe Oscars on, 2017!!

SUMANA RAO Ashfield NSW

Sumana wins a ticket to new Hindi release Raees

To (F)B or not to (F)B

DEAR AUNTYJI

I was hoping for your advice A few days ago, my husband and I were coming homefrom work at dusk Wesaw a very old lady crossing thestreet and she was nearly hit by a car - asshe was crossing while it was a green light for traffic

When we walked past her, she looked confused, and because she looked 80 years old, Istopped to ask if she was ok She did notspeak much English, and seemeddisoriented In any case we live close to a policestation, and while the lady told us the name of thestreet she lived on, she kept on walking in the opposite direction. Fearing for her safety asshe had no awareness of traffic, we walked with her until we reached the police station. We told the police officers about the lady and it turns out the lady was amissing person She was reunited with herfamily and I was very pleased for her When I came homelater that night, I posted about this event on Facebook and explainedhow we hadhelped an old lady. My brother's new wife told me that I should not havepostedthis on social media, andsaid that when good deeds are done, they should not be boasted about on Facebook I was very surprised by this comment. Everyoneelsetold me that we had done a good deedand god knows what would have happened to the poor lady had we not helpedher I am still troubled by Rayna'scomment. I don't like whatshesaid and I want to bring this up at theAustralia Day BBQ at

my brother's place Can you pleasetell me Auntyji how 1 can counter Rayna's argument?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Well, aren't youjust a sanctimonious little do-gooder, who after doing a good deed, had to let the world know how wonderful a person you are? Why was it so important for you to put on FB that you had helped someone?Why did you have to broadcast your GoodSamaritan act for others to comment on in order for you to get double thegood feeling? Are you really that starved for attention that you need the comments of others to prolong thefeel-good sentiments inspired by your good act? In this instance, I completely, 100%agreewith Rayna. She is right. When one does a good deed,there is no reason to let everyoneknow about it. In fact, this makesme wonder what your motivation wasfor helping the poor lady. Clearly, you musthavebeen desperateto get home to post on social media what you had achieved.You really should have more class - if you helpsomeone in the future, shut up about it. No oneneedsto know.

Anddon't you eventhink about going to the BBQ and bringing this up.Rayna did you a favour by calling out your hypocrisy. Only afool would now try to argue with her. Hang out more with Rayna,shesoundslikeasmart woman. You could learn from her.

DoyouhaveaquestionforAuntyji?

How do I get him to quit?

DEAR AUNTYJI

I am so angry! Every single day I am getting angrier and angrier. My stupid, stupid husband, who has been promising me that he would give up smoking when he started his new job, is six weeks into his newjob and shows no signs of giving up those cigarettes He has not even tried He has been promising forseven years to give up, and I feel that he isselfish for not considering our future together by compromising his health. Every cigarette compromises his health, and I know that life will become very difficult if he gets sick In fact, when he has a minor cold, he takesto the bed and wants me to wait on him hand and foot He always uses one excuse after another about giving up smoking and I am at the end of my patience My uncle, grandfather and father-in-law all died from smokingrelated illnesses and I am terrified this will happen to my husband as well. Auntyji, my husband is now over 40 and has been smoking for 20 years Can you please give me guidance?

AUNTYJI SAYS

You know, even Barack Obama gave up cigarettes because Michelle did not condone this behaviour. Yes, your husband is incredibly self sh and seems to have prioritised his addiction over a healthy future with you. So, what do you do?You can accept your husband with hisfailings, and know that we will all

die someday, except in your husband's case, this will probably happen sooner, and will be a painful horrible death. If you accept this then move on - because there are no guarantees in life and your husband could just as easily die crossing the road while texting. On the other hand, it appears that your husband is on a particular death wish, and is taking advantage of your good nature. So thesolution issimple. If you do not wish to be an enabler, pack your bagsand go. Rather than waiting for the inevitable visit to the doctor when your husband starts coughing up his tar-tilled lungs, you may as well escape while you can from this selfish man. You deserve better. Leave now and let your husband hang out with his best buddies PeterStuyvesant and Peter Jackson. No doubt, they will be there to give him comfort when he has to speak through a tube after his tracheotomy.

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