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Section 18C:

INDIAN LINK PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra

Another nail in the coffin?

EDITOR Rajni Anand luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Kira Spucys-Tahar MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Aneela Menon, Raka Sarkhel, Ritam Mitra, Darshak Mehta, Khushaal Vyas, Mohan Dhall, Ananya Wakhare, Ashwini Saseedaran, Minal Khona, Sandip Hor ADVERTISING MANAGER Vivek Trivedi 0410 576146 ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Beheshta Wasseh Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to

Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 106, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 l=ax: 02 9279·2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

NEW ORAN PARK Webber Loop, Oran Park (off Carn den Valley Way)

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editorial

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

W

aleed Aly, Gold Logie winner and one of the few multiculrural commenramrs on Australian television, once said Lhat 1.here is a high level of low levels of racism in Australia.

The proposed changes co ScCLion I SC of the Racial Discrirninarion Act could now change this to a high level of high levels of racism. These proposed changes, announced on Harmony Day and iust days after t.he government released a report on the achievemencs of multiculturalism in Australia, do ha\·e the pocential co make it easier for people co be racist in public.

For those who don't know • and there arc many who don't • Section I SC sa)'S it is unlawful for a person ro offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people because of the race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the other person or of some or all of the people in rhe group. Under the proposal, the word "harass" will replace d1e words '·offend", "insult", and "humiliare". J\

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provision win also be inducled saying d1c test co be applied in deciding whether I SC has been breached, is the objcc□\'e standard of ''the reasonable member of d1e Australian commmury" or the pub rest.

It is imporram to note thar racism not only disadvantage..� people overdy, for example dcn)�ng promotion in the workplace conre:.xr or rejection as a potentinl tenam of n residential property, but can also manifest in od1er wa)"S and cause ocher sorts of harm. Racist commems can lead to hurt and anger. fear and panmoia. There can be.: a more direct impact on migrants as ir can expose them Lo ridicule nbout their cloches aod culture.

Section I SC in its current format has worked well for the 20-odd years it has been in place. Yes, there have been procedural issues around the edges where trivial complaints have come through or d1c time line between the offence and legal action has been long. Bur largely, it has been a shield provided b)' the Srncc for those most vulnerable. Those who may have less knowledge of rhc S)'Stem and understanding of their rights under the law, have been the mosr exposed. This verr protection for the lndigenous and migran t communities seems to be bei ng rnken awar by the white, male, middle­ aged sub-section of society who hold the reins of power in Canberra.

What a shame that a Primi: Minister,

who was well supported by 1.he multicultural communities ar the Inst election, ba.s allowed himself to be held hostage by fringe ckmencs in his parcy, advocating Trump-type policies. lf nny repeal of Section I SC is co allow for more speech • given i1 is becoming a cenct of the Liberal Parry to allow for more laisse faire policies • chcn would it be a matter of time d,at d1e right co bear arms becomes allowed in Australia like it is in the US? The /11tli1111 U11k survey in rhis issue indicates that d,ere needs to be a lot of talking by tbe Liberal side of policies to their multicukural electorates should they wish to minimise any backlash. The sLx scars most at risk for diem include Reid (Craig Laundy), Bcnnelong Qohn Alexander), Banks (David Coleman), Chisholm Qulia Banks), Deakin (ll•lichacJ f Sukkar) and Brisbane ( revor E1rans).

With a one-seat lead in the current Parliament, the odds are very much against rhe Coalition: how can they disregard the Aow-on effects of the new I SC within Lhe multiculmral vme bank? Changes to !SC may be an attempt by the Llberal-Narional parries ro close the gap with One Nation anc.l Lheir policies - bur at what cost?

The Coali Lion's track record on ilisues of same sex marriage and climate change has been condemned by n-ianr; changes to Section I SC might well rurn our to be another nail in tht: coffin for them.

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MARCH (2) 2017 5

• Indian Link

LINKING INDIA WITH AUSTRALIA

SPECIAL FEATURES COMMUNITY A memorial for domestic violence victim Harjit Kaur PARRAMAS.IILA The much-loved festival is losing its spice

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ART

Controversial artwork sparks discussion of modern Hindusim

NCO Inspiring stories at LBW Trust's 11th annual dinner

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TRAVEL

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MARCI-I (2) 2017 7

YOUR SAY

SUNNY SIDE UP!

In an Australian exclusive, RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA spoke with little Lion star SunnyPawar

Ann Sharon van Beemen-Prasad wrote: He is cute, isn't he?

Maryanne Fonceca wrote: This fills my heart with sooo much joy!

David Hersant wrote: He loves Australia, he'd probably stand for the

anthem

THEY KNOW A THING OR TWO!

FARZANA AHMAD profiled exceptional twins Neeranjali and Swaranjali Jain, setting a great example to other Indian Australian youth. We received a huge response to this article. Here are some of your comments

Dlllp Bhatt wrote: Amazing and inspirational young ladies... living, breathing examples of how open minds that are able to harness the best of diversity and cultures, can result in outstanding citizenry of any land.

Persis Shah wrote: What an amazing pair of intelligent and achieving twins. May you climb to higher goals and shine for yourselves as well as your parents and family, the world needs people like you. We are so honoured by your success, keep aspiring to reach your goals, and stay happy.

Vasudha Chandra wrote: Amazing role models! Indian Link: why write "over-achieving youth", when you could have written 'high achieving youth'?

Sunll Salunke wrote: Remarkable achievements gins, congratulations to you both! We wish you all the best!

Leena Korde wrote: Dear Swara, Neera. You girls are amazing! So proud of you. Keep up with your hard work and success is sure to follow.

Syloo Mehta wrote: Well done! How proud you make not only your family but also the whole Indian community! God bless and we wish you a lifetime of happiness.

Palllatlve Care Volunteerlng NSW wrote: Twice the musical talent in palliative care volunteering - See the original story in Indian Link. Twins in both life and study Neeranjali and Swaranjali Jain recently graduated with first class in honours from Bachelor of Medicine (UNSW) in 2016, with a swag of prizes each. The young women also have a heart for community causes and over the years they have been involved with the Cancer Council and Red Cross, as well as various fundraising events. Neera and Swara are also accomplished musicians, belonging to the NSW Doctors Orchestra and each holding an Associate Diploma in Piano. It is their musical skills that have taken them into palliative care volunteering where they volunteer to playing music for patients in Sydney.

Music and music therapy is topical in palliative care, and will feature on the program of the 2017 NSW Palliative Care Volunteer Conference to be held in Maitland in May when Hanna Tsoi presents a workshop on Music Therapy.

SALT OF THE EARTH

DHANYA SAMUEL wrote about the holistic approach to farming at Avani boutique winery

Australla In lndla shared Indian Link' s article: One of the best places to

enjoy a glass of Avani wine in Victoria is at Tulsi restaurant, owned by Shashi Singh and her husband Devendra. Originally from Haryana, they both moved to Australia in 1983 and today own the 15-acre Avani boutique winery in Red Hill South, Victoria.

Alan Davidson wrote: After reading the excellent story of Shashi and Devendra Singh from Avani Winery, on the Mornington Peninsula, I wrote to them asking if they would do a story for my new local online publication The Peninsula Star. Your story, just published, is terrific and I wondered if there would be a chance that I could reproduce it with credits?

It could make a cover story with the right illustration.

PROUD TO BE VICTORIAN

PREETI JABBAL reported on the new government campaign on multiculturalism in Victoria featuring Indian-Australian Satbir Singh Kah/on Robin Scott MP wrote: Great write-up by Indian Link's Preeti Jabbal on

our #vicproud campaign, profiling the inspiring Satbir.

Jasvlnder Sidhu wrote: Well done Preeti Jabbal and Indian Link Harlnder Sidhu @AusHClndia tweeted: Indian-Australian Satbir Singh

RISI NG STAR AN KITA SACHDEV

Former Indian Link Radio idol and now Co/orsTV Rising Star Ankita Sachdev spoke with Indian Link Radio's own KASHIF HARRISON

Srinivasan Ns wrote: Best wishes. Keep rising with your sweet voice and

talent!

Kahlon is a great example of #multicultural Australia @VicGovAu campaign

INDIANS MUST STOP FUNDING POOR GOVERNANCE

Indian citizens have to wake up to the fact that they funding the lifestyles of their politicians while themselves being made to lie in eternal wait for "achhe din" wrote SANAM SHARMA

Chandra Klshore wrote: The young people should speak out and be part of

the required change

8 MARC� (2) 2017

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NATIONAL EDITION

MARCI-I (2) 2017 9

community

■

n

The death of Harjit Kaur sparks further conversation on the steps we can take toward ending the national crisis of domestic and family violence

n't let violen rt your life

T

BY ANEETA MENON

orrential downpours didn't keep more tban 200 people away from gathering in Blacktown this week to commemorate the life of Glenwood resident Harjit Kaur. NSW Police have charged her husband, Jagdish Singh with her murder.

The vigil, organised Blacktown Women's and Girls Health Centre (BWGHC) and Blacktown Ciry Council, was attended by community leaders and politicians as well as Mrs Kaur's family, friends and members of the sub-continental community. The vigil commenced with a prayer by representatives from Park.lea Sikh Ten1ple, which Mrs Kaur frequented. l SW! State Member for Blacktown,John Robertson addressed those gathered, relaying that Harjit Kaur is the ninth won1an to die from domestic violence in Australia so far this year.

She was killed in the tenth week of the year.

Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali reaffirmed Blacktown Ciry Council's conmuonent to the cause, assuring the crowd that Blacktown will serve as leader in tackling domestic and family violence (DFV), despite the issue not being a problem unique to the area.

Domestic and family violence knows no geographic, ethno-religious, socioeconomic or culniral barriers. As a frontline service,

10 MARCI-I (2) 2017

Blacktown Women's and Girls Health Centre works around-the-clock to support women, many of subcont inental background, arming them with the knowledge and skills required to escape harmful relationships and create lives free of abuse.

In the face of weakening state government support, access to fewer resources, and pitted against deeply entrenched social and culniral ideologies which aim to nonnalise DF\� frontline services are figh t ing an uphill battle.

Federal Member for Greenwa)� and Shadow Minister for Communications. :Michelle Rowland, who has a history of legal advocacy for DFV victims, was deeply troubled by Mts Kan.r's death as it not only occurred in her electorate, but the family were also among her neighbours.

Speaking on the issue, Ms Rowland said, "Frontline services know what they're doing.

They know what they need to do, and need to be supported by government." i\foni Habib from B\X!GHC works throughout the week to ensure women are supported and advocated for. "Everything starts with education, and education begins in the home," she explained.

What can be done by way of education \Xfbilst as a society we are becoming increasingly aware of the statistics around the fatalities caused by D FV, the greater cost remains hidden. Many women - particularly those from sub-continental background - are unable to properly clifferentiate between healthy and normal relationships and those which may be more insidious. "Particularly when a woman is nor working, and is made to feel as though she is not contributing, she

may be more likely ro accept an unhealthy dynanuc;' Ms Habib continued.

It is the inability to recogn ise domestic abuse as being beyond physical violence which prevents early intervention. A key part in tackling DFV is for us, as communities, friends and families, to become a\vare of warning 1,igns such as controlling behaviour, persistent messaging, control over or limited access co finances, verbal abuse and pm­ downs and cyber abuse, such as demanding access to email and social media accmmts.

Threats of violence, whether to the individual, family members (including those overseas) or even pets, are .an extremely common way in which people who use violence exett control over their victims and leave tbem feeling trapped. This is not a precursor to domesti c abuse, this is domestic abuse.

Speak up Understanding that mainstream Australian services may not innately grasp the culniral intricacies of our community, Kittu Randha,va, Chair of the Indian Subcontinent Crisis and Support Agency (ICSA), an organisation specifically supporting subcontinental victims of DF\� wants to assure women that support is out there.

"People don't report. . . and often, as in the case of Harjit, it is too lace."

The most troubling issue facing the subcontinental comnmnity, she says, is the lack of protection offered to spouses and dependents residing in Australia as part of temporary visas.

"The law as we know ir does not e.xcend to these women. For them it is a case of put up or shut up," Ms Randhawa said regarding

· 1800 65 64

situations where women, legaUy residing in the country, risk depor tation for speaking Out. Whilst c ulmrally it can be quite naniral for us to avoid talking with our friends and community mernbers about their family lives, remaining silent may well be the difference between life and death, as was the case for Harjit Kaur.

Even when confronted, victims can be reluctant to disclose the realities of tl1ei.r siniation for a myriad of reasons, however it is vital to ensure that people know that they are supported, will be believed and will not be shunned. That they know there is a future and a life beyond violence, and that it is within reach.

For support visit: Bklcktown Wvmen's and Girls Heal:th Centre - womnl$andgirls. org.au, 9831 2070; /SCA - icsa.net.m,

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MARCM (2) 2017 11

cover story

Anger in communit at changes to Section SC Indian Link survey reveals ethnic minorities will change their votes based on 18C reform

J

BY KIRA SPUCYS•TAHAR

ust one dar afrer releasing a report tided '!\fuh.iculrural J\us1.rnlia: Un.ired, S1.rongand Successful', Prime J\linisrcr l\Lalcolm Turnbull and his Liberal Party coUea,gues announced their proposal 1.0 amend Section !SC of the Racial Discrimination Act. ,\f-ter momhs of debate and a Joint Parlfamentary Committee Report which failed co reach a conclusion ou I8C hu1. called for operacionnJ and p1:ocess reform of the Human Rights Commission, and in spire of several MPs speaking against the changes • likely due to their marginal scats, or d1ose wi1.h a high number of ethnic communities in their elccrorarcs • the proposed bill was agreed co by rhe parry room.

Hthnic community groups have said these proposed changes are disappointing and motivated by outdated ideologies or political expediency. The}' have advised that ,vnrering down the fuicial Discrimination t\cr will allow racism in the commUDity LO nourish and create legal confusion.

Indian U11k compiled a survey to determine if attitudes at the grassroots level in the community arc reAecred by Lhe tone of debate among leaders and poliLicians. 225 resp()nses were gathered in a period of 24 hours. The majority of respondents were of Asian origin (56%), followed by Aumali,m origin (25'¼,) and European origin (5%).

In many ways, the results of the survey were most.Ir w1surprising.

When asked, "The government has proposed changes to Section J SC of the Racial Discrimination .Act. Do you

understand what rhesc ch1111l'{Cs mean?" a majoricr 4 1% responded 'Yes, somewhat' followed b)· 36% with 'Yes, completely'. Of the respondents who were less clear about the cb,mges, l3% answered 'No, not really' and 10% 'r o, not at all'. l t seems the Coalition govcmrucm mar be in trouble if it continues its crusade with these reforms. Nationals leader Barnaby Joi•cc has previously said t8C is not a burningissue in d1e elecwrace and die govcrnmem would lose votes on ir. The results of our survey illdic:ue he is not wrong.

"Does the proposal to make these changes influence the way you Intend to vote In the next election?"

An overwhelming majorfry of 70% of respondents indicated the issue would have rnme influence over their decision (33%) or would completely change their vote (37%,) in the next clecLion. ·n,is should be particularly concerning for the Coaliciou government gh· en rhat it suffered a 2.8 per cem swing against it ar the last election and holds power with a single seat majority in the lm-ver house.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorren gave

an impassioned speech at the Australian Migration and Settlement J\wacds the day follo\l,ing the go\'crnmcnt's announcement.

He cold rhe audience, "I've never personally come face ro face with racial prejudice directed ar me. And - by an overwhelming majority - ncid1er have d1e people who are arguing that the Racial Disccimin.ation Act needs to drnnge. These are predominacelr powerful, \"Oatl, middle-aged men • who chink dus is all just a rh<>roughly intercsciug philosophical discussion."

"Bur racism isn't a d1cory for the Asian­ Ausi.ralian student, being heckled and

. · · · · · · · ··· · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · · � · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 6al eve over what the proposed chan 6es mean RITAM MITRA casts a le6' J· 6

Currently, it is unlawful for a person co do an act that is reasonably likely 10 offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate anmher person or group of people on the grounds of race. colour or nacioual or ethnic origin. If the new law passes as proposed (which is iu iL�elf UDcertain), ir will only become an offence to "harass and inrimida1e" a person on those grounds.

In ocher words, under rhc proposed amendment, it will be permissible m offend, humiliate or insult an 1ndiy1dual on the basis of rllce, ns long as the conduce does nm ''harass and intimidllte"

Lhe individual. At law, for conduct to be "harassment'', it must generaUy involve a sustained pattern of conduct, ratJ1cr th11n one-off incidents; AdclirionaJLy, d1e introduction of the ''intlmidarion" concept suggests a need for a fear of physical haan. Toged1er, these changes represent a sigpifica.□c watering down of the pcorections curcemly available ro victims of racial discrimination, as they impose a much higher rhceshold upon discriminatory conduct.

Section I SC of the Act c.urrent.ly considers whether conduct directed

·

towards a person would in "all the circlUnstances" be reasonably likely tO offend, insult or humiliare a person or group of people.

11alcolm Turnbull has confirmed that the government is prnposing the introducaon of a "reasonable pcri;on" test to determine whether conduct would (under t.l,e new laws) hnrnss or iutimidate a person on prohibited grounds.

The effect of a "reasonable persou'' test is that a person's individual circumsmnces would no longer be relevant in considering racial discrimination (as is currendr 1.he case). Tnis is coumcr-imuiLive; a racial slur directed towards a person of

subcontinental origin has an entirely differenr effect on th:u person than i f the same slur were ro be directed ar a person of :tn}' other ethnicitY. t\s a simple example, 3 racial epit.het such as "curry muncher'' or "white trash" is more like!) to offend the person m wbt)m II is directed if that person is of the race that acnially underpins rhe relevant slur.

Instead, under tl1c pmpos.:cl model, t.he standard would likely be that of n '·rci\Sonable member of the Austcalian communi ty" • an abstract, nnd tn this case, ircdcvanc determinacion d1at wollld be up to a judge to consider. Bur, impon:aml); glven most complaints under the Racial Discrimination Act arc serried in mediation prior to reaching the couns there is a material risk that amending the provisions -as proposed will discourage complainants altogether.

Ritam Mitra is a lawyer sperialising ;,, commercial law

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www.indianlink.com.au

abused on her wav home on lhe train. It's not a hypothetical del;aring point for lhc man in a nirban drhTing a cab, or workit1g the rughl shift at a service stmion, being mocked b}' drunks. People who work hard, pay their i:axes - they shouldn't have m wonder why their parli,uncnt is arguing whether or not it should be easier to insull, offend or humiliate them. Or simplr be cold that if you ru:e harassed, well thar's differem. 171is debalc hurts people and it hurrs our country."

It is clear Labo.r intends to use this issue to draw polit.ical capital. Without d1e support of Labor or the Greens, the government needs rune of the l I Senate crossbenchers to support their changes d1e Act. The Nick Xenophon 'feam has confirmed ir will not support d1e changes co d1e wording of the Act meaning rhe proposed bill is unlikely to pass d1e Senate.

The damage to tl1c Coalition's reputation mar already have been done.

Free speech or hate speech?

After announcing the !SC reforms, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in Question Time in Parliament, "\Y./e are standing up for the freedom of speech that underpins our society, the greatesl multicultural society in the world . . . WJe know thar our precious freedoms, our freedom of speech, is the ver)' foundation of t.he nation."

But it seems many in the community vie\\' this reasoning with great cynicism. When asked "\'\'h)' do you chink the gmsernmcm is proposing these changes?" me majoricy of rcspondcms pointed to Pi\! Turnbull's desire to appease members of ilie right-wing of his party and more conservative crossbenchers.

One respondent wrote, ''It's a clear attempt t.O pander to the far-right factions of the party (factions in which lhe Prime 111Linister has b:..:r, �ia:ufestly unpopular) and, similarly, 10 rake the sting ouc of similar proposals by parties such as One ation." (See box for more comments.)

Many pointed to die compnsicion of the Coalit.ion ilSdf as the issue. "The Liberal Party is controlled by bigoted, whire old men who have no understanding of what racism really is for ethnic minorities," wrote one respondent.

Omers were concerned diar this issue ha.� clouded the debate about more important polidcal concerns. One respondent wrote, "The p�p�rs tell me Turnbull ca,·ed in from peer pressure. I am 1101 quite sure why chis needs co be reformed when there's a lot of other reforms d1at arc more necessary.'' On the orher side, several respondems seemed

to have absorbed some of the Coalit.ioo and government rhe10ric on the issue, writing that the changes were to "promote free speech to be fairer" and "eliminate needless lirigation". Others answered rhnt the reforms are necessary "m rake some action against racist activities around the country'' and "w narrow the mearung/interprerncions of the legislation to avoid future frivolous law suits".

Are the 18C reforms out of touch with the needs and wants of the majority of modem Australia?

One of d1e most worrying and significant responses was m the question "Do you think d1e changes will lead to more racism in the commurury?" A surprising 56°/i, of respondents answered 'Yes', followed by 30% with 'Can't say' and 14% with 'No'.

This result was made distressing by peoples' answer m die quest.ion, "Have you or anyone you know ever been the ,�ctim of a racisr slllr or nttack in Australia?'' where a staggering 73% of respondents aJ1$\Vered 'Yes'.

It was writer Benjamin L'lw who requested people share cheir own stories and experiences wid1 raci5m on social media using tbe hashrag #FreedomOfSpcech in an artempt to highlight the iact char me previous terms of 18C were necessary for the protecdon of minorities. The hashtag has gone viral with many conuibuciug their personal stories.

Pakistani comedian Sarni Shah, who is now an Australian citizen living .in Melbourne shared: "l can't acrually pick which rncist experience to list cause there've been so many." ainsinclahouse C\vccred: "Being so generic brown d1at dude couJdn't figure om which .racial slur to use so he tried mem all."

Support for process reform Julian Lccser, Member for Bcrowra in S\'17, had been vocal of me need to maimain Section ISC as a limited protection. He told Indian U11k in an interview just days before the PM's announcement, "l d1ink free speech is important, we need free speech to be able to challenge people's ideas about things, but the idt.'>1 of free speech is thac you can change your mind. While you can chru1ge your mind, you can't change }'()ur race. My preferred option was d1at we codify lhe law in the way in which judges have interpreted Section l8C, :ind that is, it doesn't mean mere offence or mere slights, ir has to be profound and substantial."

1'1r Leeser said bmh sides of polit.ics agreed rhe Human Rights Commission had

not bt'�<, ,.:oi.16 ics job properly in allowing cases sucl1 :is that of the QUT sruclcnrs and the laLe cartoonist Bill Leak to go ahead.

The bipartisan Rcporc of the ParliamentaryJoim Committee on Human Rights on die Racial Discrimination J\cr proposed a series of legislative reforms tbat many in Parliamem, and indeed tl1e community, do seem to support - making il harder to lodge a complaint, making ir easier for the commission ro cerminare matters it deems without chance of success and rcstrkcing access co d1e courts if the Commission has terminated a matter.

Mr Lecser told I,,dio11 LJ!lk, '·J've been me great champion of process reforms. This issue has been stuck in a polit.ical deadlock since 201 1. \'v'e need ro ger legislation through d1e padiamenr and mo,·c this issue off die front page of d1e papers."

Bm he conceded, "The committee heard from almost every imaginable edmic community in r\usrmlia, including variolL� indigenous representatives as wcl� and those communities were all unanimous in their view that Section 18C should remain. Almost all those communities also supported process reforms." He was among several MPs who expressed fears the overhaul will alienate echnic communities.

India// U11k conlacrcd d1e offices of se,•eral Liberal polit.icians who had pm·iously spoken against changing the wording of the Racial Discrimination Ace or hm·e an cd,oic majority in their eleccorate. We received no response from John Alexander or Craig Laund)', ,\ spokt:swomcn from the office of Senator Concetta Fierrnvanti-Wells rol<l lndia11 Li,d.s, "Her ,·icws on d1is issue are well known and have been widely re1x>rted. She is thrilled to have had the reasonable person rest included in the reforms." It scetm as d1ough a directive had gone out from the cop not m engage with the media; a concerning lack of free speech in a debate concerning free speech.

As Labor Senamr Sam Dastyari said, ·'Where the debate has been heacLing, is simply about greenlighting how offensive people can be. lt's not necessa.rjly about the laws itself, it's abour ilie signals we send as a sociery."

Community survey on proposed changes to the 1'8C The government has proposed changes to Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Do you understand what these changes mean?

Yes, completely 36% Yes. somewhat 41% 13% No, not really 10% No, not at all Do you think the changes will lead to more racism in the community?

Yes 56% No 14% Can't say 30% Does the proposal to make these changes Influence the way you Intend to vote In the next election?

Yes, this will change my vote 37% No, other issues will determine myvote 30% Wlll have some influence on my vote 33% Have you or anyone you know ever been the victim of a racist slur or attack in Australia?

Yes 73% 27% No Region of birth

AUS/NZ Asia Europe Sth America North America Africa

25% 56%

9%

2% 2% 6%

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What prompted the change

Some responses from our survey

"They think hate politics can win especially after Trump's victory. Anglo votes are over 60% and whites are still a majority. So If the government can give a hope to the majority to establish white supremacy, that mayget them unaligned votes."

"They're changing it because the once moderate Turnbull is a wholly owned subsidiary of the hard right of the Liberal Party and the IPA." "They're right-wing racists and bending to the populistextreme­ conservative vote. They are mostly white so have never been on the receiving end of racism and don't understand the depth of its prevalence and harms."

"If you believe 18C is something that needs to be addressed, then sorry but you're a racist. " "This Is pandering to the right wing and continuing the distraction from the struggling economy and their inabllity to enact meaningful legislation."

"I belleve that since Malcolm Turnbull has not come out with any other policies that have successfully gone through, he needed something to look strong and win his party's support. BIii Leak's death just served as a trigger for it. n

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MARCH (2) 2017 13

mainstream

AIMGA condemns dodgy doctor Indian-origin medical community comes out strongly against fake doctor

OG!J�

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T

he Australian Indian Medical Graduates Association (AIMGA) has condemned tbe actions of . an Indian-origin man ,vho was caught masquerading as a doctor

in NS\\7.

The association said in a release, "W/e at AllVfGA are disturbed and concerned about the recent news of a person who wirb an allegedly stolen identity managed to enter J\ustral.ia and with false documentation acquired medical. registration and went on to work fraudulently as a Junior Medical Doctor in the hospital system in 't SW over a period of 1 1 years."

AThfGA President Dr Sunil Vyas told Indian Link the actions of tbe man indirectly taints Indian doctors as well as rl1e Indian community.

"Posing as a doctor is one thing, but actively practising as one and performing invasive procedures could well be physical assault," h e said. "This person provided

opinion that patients relied upon, and thus put them at risk."

However Dr Vyas admitted the case was not common.

"What's reassuring is chat J\PHRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) is very stringent in assessing and granting of registration stanis both to locally and overseas trained medical practitioners." "\'(/e have no infor mation of whether this man bad medical background of any sort," Dr Vyas said. "le was only in the last three years apparently rbat his actions became suspicious."

The con artist Shyam Acharya, who stole the identity of UK-based rbeumatologist Dr Sarang Chi.tale, has since been located in lndia and faces a $30,000 hne upon his return. The l SW Health Minister Brad Hazz.ard has announced an inqui ry and said he wants to seize Acharya's $1.5 million North Ryde home.

Cardiologist Dr Yad u Singh, a commentator on Indian community affairs in his role as Presidenr of the Federar.ion of Indian Associations of NSW (FIAN), said the punishment should be more stringent.

"Nor just fines, a jail term should also be given to fake doctors," he declared in a media release.

"Ir is not for us to decide puoishmenr," D r Vyas said. "It is up to rhe legal system to do that. Bur we strongly support the Minister for Health and the regulatory authorities at both state and national levels in their efforts ro investigate rl1is matter so that such incidents do not occur in future and to maximise their efforts io bringing rl1e alleged miscreant to face justice."

He added., '1nd.ian origin medical

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practitioners have a long bisrory of honourable and ethical service not just i n Australia bur also w0rldwide."

Doctors must surely be one of India's largest exports, a doctor at a recent AIMGA event declared. ("No city is complete without a Chinatown and Indian doctors," h e joked.)

"It is in terestiog to nore rbe second case that ernerged recently of a fake doctor in Melbourne practising unregistered at a cosmetic clinic," Dr Vyas observed. "The clinic will be liable there, but this man faked his documents to get registration and so his crime is a lot more significant."

Rajni Anand Luthra

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NATIONAL EDITION

MARCI-I (2) 2017 15

parramasala

rra

The festival this year had ingredients galore, but lacked the right blend of spices

BY RAKA SARKHEL

A

fter laying low last year, Parramasala ,vas celebrated in the month of 'Multi cultural rvlarch' at Prince Alfred Square and the Parramarta River Foreshore on 10-12 March.

The fest ival, wbich aims to share a slice of the whole culmra1 melting pot tbat is Western Sydney, evokes a lot of interest amongst tbe region's communities and hyphenated identities. i\fany of these were visible in the Opening Night Parade that started off from Centenary Square and filled Church Street, the main artery of Parrarnatta, with a whole lot of colour and chutzpah.

The parade saw participation from over 30 communities in their traditional attire - Armenians in their arkhaluks, Chinese i11

16 MARCI-I (2) 2017

their beautiful silk dresses and exquisite hand fans, and Balinese children in intricate animal masks depicting their heritage and culture. The Iodians came with tbeir dholaks and kartalas (clash-cymbals), the Brazilians with thefr Samba and t§embes and various dance troupes bearing proudly the Hag of their traditions and culmres.

Cheering the parade loudly were passers­ by and pedestrians on kerbs and foot-paths, regulars our for a Friday night at their favourite pubs and cafes and raising a toast as d1eir c01nn1w1ities strutted d1rough in ail rl1e.ir traditional finery.

Prince Alfred Square, the main venue for the festival and a cornerstone for tbe suburb, was decked with festoon and fafry lighting; music and dance performan ces lit up rl1e stage, camel and Ferris wheel rides brought us back co our childhood, and rl1e whiff of many Aavours whetted our appetites.

Henna and face-pain ri.og stalls, and the A dorned Headdress workshops ser the pace in the motnu1g with Bobby Singh delivering the morning ragas. Pakistani truck artist Riaz Rafi painted eJ,otic motifs and patterns on

a van at rl1e middle of rbe square, a kathak­ flamen co fusion graced the dance stage, Vietnamese artist Mai Khoi filled the air with her melodious tunes.

Bengali choir Protitee sang from Tagore, Salil Chowdhury and Nazrul.

Leela San1son, internationally acclaimed Bharatnacyam dancer (and also ''Aunty" &om O Kadhai Ka11111a11i and its Bollywood remake OK]atl!111) brought her group Spanda to Australia for cbe 6rsr time.

The River Foreshore had a range of aboriginal workshops and performances, including ochre tree painting, weaving, puppetry and story-telling.

Such was the gamut and range of performances.

The most popular crowd-puller was Indo-Balinese version of Ramayana - the Lord of the Ring, feamring 50 local and international artists, 20 Gammelan and Sourl1 Indian classical musicians, 30 Kecak, Bharatnacyam and Indonesian dancers, depicting a story integral to both Bali and India.

The Pa.rramasala pantry at the Riverside courtyard sent delicate and fragrant whiffs

of spices in the air enricing us with all the magic rlrnt was being cooked in there. The live cooki ng demos saw Nilgiris chef Ajoy Joshi to a completely-packed Pakistani demo by Furqan LodJii. There were samples of Jamaican, Croatian and other cuisines on display as well.

Although the cuisines and cultures wei:e many, nor all the various and multifarious communi ties from the suburbs of Western Sydney were represented equally, wbich posed a problem for patrons who came looking for sometliing and got somerl1ing else in rerurn. This was received at times with a sense of new discovery and a '.let's see what's in store' artirude, and at times with mild dissatisfaction and disappointment.

People expect more from Parramasala as it i s Sydney's only festival wirh an ambition of such scale trying ro represent so many culrures, and it does have all ilie necessary ingredients in terms of venue, interest from patrons and artist collaborations. Yet what ic lacks is the right amount of spice, and a more focused approach.

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rr1 •• • NATIONAL EDITION

he brand of Parramasala is well known in the multicultural space in out city. It was afforded a new lease of life last year when the 1 SW government announced its support for 4 years with a funding of $1.6 million. This brought a sense of certainty to this celebration of all things multicultural, and was welcomed as an opportunity to set up a long-term platform for showcasing multicultural art.

So, did it fulfil its mission this time round? \XThile there were flashes of creativity, a central unifying theme seemed to be sorely missing yet again. What, indeed, /JJ(IS the leitmotif at the festival? Was i t h armony, enrichment, assimilation, integration, contribution to the mainstream, new identities . . . ? Or was it merely sufficient for the artistes to be of 'multicultural' background, nothing more?

A variety of performing arts were on offer - from music, dance, theatre, cinema, circus, sound and light shows, and even fashion and food. These came from many sections of our society - Indigenous, Chinese, African, Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Syrian, Cook Islander, Mongolian, Lebanese, Brazilian and Uyghur comnmnities, and gave us a sneak peek into each of these cultures.

The street parade, it was claimed, was bigger than ever before.

There was a steady flow of visitors both days at Prince Alfred Square, which was a hive of activity. Some of the attractions were unique - the Bioscope man, Pakistani truck arr, Chai-Shai, the food stalls and the bearded bakers Knafeh.

The technology district, a great new addition, provided hours of jor to young and old alike. The two stages though seemed a bit at odds, often clashing with their respective sounds as acts came on simultaneously. But they held the crowds in, perhaps to the disadvantage of the food trucks in Spice Alley who must have felt a bit left out as compared co the food stalls within the park.

There didn't seem to be much awareness amongst the visitors about the events inside the Riverside theatres, and oone at all of those on the foreshore (in fact a brief visit there gave the incorrect idea that perhaps the events were cancelled because no one was around).

Was there any signage at all, anywhere outside the precinct, such as at Parramarta station?

What the festival seems ro lack (and this paper has raised this in earlier repor ts) is a vision of what it stands for. Year after year, we are created to the same parade with participants cheered on by the cafe diners on Church Street, and then two days of market stalls and stage performances that are not promoted ·well enough to create a buzz in the community. In contrast, one has only to look at the Premier's Multicultural Dinner which managed to pnl.l together role models from the multicultural community in d1e fields of entert,'lllllllent, sport, fashion etc. Singer Paulini, rugby league legend Greg Inglis, fashion designer Aki.ra Isagawa were among those who came out to showcase their unique identity in - and contribution to the wider Australian society.

A major supporter of Parramasala with its live broadcasts, ABC Radio, was sadly missing this year.

Per.haps what was saddest of all, was chat the organisers completely missed that the event coincided with Holi.

The Indian festival of colours has been appreciated by the mainstream community overwhelmingly in recent years. It never fails to liven up participants, and with its core emphasis on "letting go", does truly help bring people together. A Holi element would have made for a more colourful - and enjoyable - Parramasala this year.

This multicultural festival desperately needs an overarching theme, better management of resources, better-known acts, a more imaginative use of the Parramarta precinct, and better promotion of the various satellite activities.

TI1e Board of Directors at Parramasala needs to be more acco1rncable for tl1eir submission to the funding authorities as co their contribution to d1e arts and culture vision for Parramasala.

It i s up to them both now, to clarify a better vision for the festival over the next three years.

Ar a time when some of die basic tenet�. of our multicu. l mralism are under threat, such as the proposed changes to Section 18 C of the Racial Discrimination Act, it i s even more significant to have a perfor ming arts festival which is robust and showcases d1e values and successes of our diversity.

Rajni Anand Luthra

MARCI-I (2) 2017 17

india-oz

Changing of the...,.uard at Air ndia

B

eing involved with the launch of Air India Aights to Australia was indeed an honour," outgoing Air India Regional Manager Australasia, Madhu l\fathen told Indian Link. "It certainly was a challenge and a steep learning curve," he recounted co a group of well- wishers and travel agent s at his farewell party in Sydney recently.

Madhu has been promoted to General Manager Marketing at Air India's corporate headquarters in Delbi with the responsibility of driving global sales.

Air India launched cl1eir triangular services between Dellii, Sydney and Melbourne in 2013 and operate four weekly Aights to Sydney and mree weekly co Melbourne. Flying the Drearnliner planes, tbis territory bas proved so popular that on his recent visit to Australia, Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani announ ced that in 2017 there will be 10 weekly flights to Australia.

A large part of the credit for the success of Air India in tbis par e of the wotld goes to Mathen who, along wicl1 colleague Rav i Bodade, was instrumental iu establishing the network of ground operations, travel agents and oilier support for cl1e airline in Sydney

and 1\-(elbourne. Now, Air India tendS to be a sentimental fa,Toutite for Indians in Australia ttavelling back to the cotmtry of rhe.ir bitcl1 and for lnd.i,'ll1s wanting a direct connection to Australia.

"I had ro unlearn and relearn the more intricate concepts of marketing pretty quickly when I arrived here," 11:athen said.

"To position Air India as an airline of choice was nor easy, but I am extremely proud of the achievements I have had. My dream ream here contributed to making Air India such as strong presence in Australia."

Sujoy f<ishore is now the new Manager for Air India in Sydney and is looking forward to carrying cl1e legacy forward.

Having spent rime in Nepal, France and Korea, and at the head office i n India, Sujoy told lnd.i,'ll1 Link ,"The foundation of Air India is very strong i n Australia and soon with our increased flights between cl1e two countries, ic will certainly be easier for people in both countries to interact with ead1 other. \Vich cricket and sud1, Australians already know much about India, and Air India makes it easier for them co traveJ cl1 ere also."

Pawan Luthra

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PHYSICIAN SPEAKS AT U N ITED NATIONS ABOUT M EDITATION

When you can go to the United Nations to hear a talk about meditation, you know something has changed in the world.

0

n Friday, March 10, 2017, Dr. Kunwarjit Singh Duggal, guest of the United Nations SaluS Well-being Network, spoke to a pad{ed audience in tbe Secretariat Con.f. Room 8. on "Cultivating Irmer Peace for Outer Peace." He began: ''Nly main message here is to talk about peace. How do we achieve peace? . . . In order to take peace ro me next le\7el, we have co find peace within ourselves first before we can go on helping me .rest of society."By bis own admission, Dr. Duggal is quite passionate abouc medication as an intervention for many of life's challenges, whemer worldly or personal - a universal paradi gm.

His topic on Friday, particularly timely today, detailed che latest scientilic researd1 on the proven benefits of medication. l oting the many different types of meditation, he talked about several significant studies, mosr focused on peace, stress and anxiety. He quoted one randomized controlled study in which people were.asked ro meditate each moroing for 21 days straight for a shott duration of time. The resear chers measured cortisol (me stress hormone)

18 MARCI-I (2) 2017

levels before and after 21 days and found a significant decrease in every participant. Notable smdies also found that for patients undergoing orthopedi c rehabilitation those wbo meditated benefirted twice as much as those who were treated only wicl1 cl1erapeutic exer cise.

One telling example was an experiment done in a troubled San Francisco school district in which cwo 15-minute periods of quiet time were instimted for srndems. The results were improved test scores, attendance, psychological state and enhanced concentration. These srndencs al.so reported increased calmness and decreased anger. By increasing the calmness in cl1ese srndenrs, their corresponding troubled geographical regions noted decreased crime rates and improved safety.

Dr. Duggal then presented the medication technique practiced in Science of Spirin1ality,Jyoti meditation, after which everyone had a chance ro meditate for a short period.

The afternoon concluded with a lively question and answer session.

Dr. Duggal was at che United Nations

Dr. Kunwarjit Singh Duggal speaking atthe United Nations, March 10, 2017, On 'Cultivating Inner Peace for Outer Peace,' as a guest of United Nations SaluS Well-being Network representing the Science of Spirituality, (NGO), a worldwide, spiritual organization dedi cated to transforming lives mrough medication. His famer, Sam Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, head of Science of Spirituality, spoke at the UN last May on ffMeditation as Medication for me Soul."

Dr. Duggal is a Board-Cer tified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist and Assistant Profossor at Rush University

Medication Center in Chi cago. He lectures extensively on meditation as an effective intervention for physical and emotional medical disorders.

For more information about Science of Spirituality: www.sos.org www.sos.org/aus/australia Science of Spirituality, 4S 175 Naperville Road Naperville, IL 60563

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fundraiser

Bald and beautiful!

Deepa Hariharan shaves her luscious locks to raise funds for cancer sufferers

D

BY KIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR

eepa Hariharan's friend Natalie Keevil passed away recently. A much-loved member of Deepa's mothers' group in Sydney's Ropes Crossing, Natalie lost her courageous battle with an aggressi\7e form of brain cancer. Another mum in the group, just days before giving birch to her second child, a baby boy, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"It showed me how unprecUcrable cancer can be," Deepa, 32, cold Indian Link. "I was really down about the whole situation and wanted to do sometl1ing for chem, something to help."

The Leukaemia Foundation began

NATIONAL EDITION

advertising their World's Greatest Shave campaign, one of Australia's biggest fi.mdraising events, and Deepa had a lighrbulb moment.

"My original goal was to raise $3000 and I crossed that," she said. "I've so far raised $3800. Now I want to cross the $4000 mark!"

As part of the World's Greatest Shave, people sign up co get sponsored to shave, colour or wax their hair. Committed to the cause, Deepa chose to cornpletely shave her hair.

The day of me shaving wasn't easy, though.

"I cried and cried," Deepa said. "I had tissues in my hand, it was just really difficult and there were a lot of emotions."

Mum to two-year-old Tia and a devoted wife to husband Ajoy, several people told her she could back out and she didn't have m shave her hair, but she persisted.

"Ir was about showing my daughter that once you've committed co something, you

go through with it," Deepa said.

With her mother here from Indi a, standing by for support, Deepa and Ajoy ended up shaving their heads toged1er.

"My husband joined me and I was so worried because I thought our daughter wouldn't recognise either of us! Bm when we went home, she just looked at me with no reaction and said, "Ob, mummy cm her hair.' So it was fine."

B m the freshly shaved head rook some getting used t o for Deepa herself.

"Ac first I refused to look in the minor. I couldn't look at myself," she said. "Bm now, l reaUy like the way I look! When I finally looked in tbe mirror, I mought, 'l can pull chat off !' l'm mi.nking of keeping my hair this way."

Originally from Mrnnbai, Deepa moved co Australia seven years ago. She works as a contract coordinator in the CBD. "I'm reaUy happy chat I did it," Deepa said. ''I've been getting lots of complimems and praise for taking part in a noble cause. ] just wanted to do something to give back."

Blood cancers inclucUng leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood disorders cannot be prevented and claim the life of one Australian every two hours. The World's Greatest Shave is the Leukaemia Fou ndation's most significant fundrai ser and helps give families tbe emotional and practical support they need, and fund urgent research to save more lives.

To sttppo1t Deepa'sftmdrai.ring ef.foits visit 111oddsgreatcstshavc.m111

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Krishna's in Erskineville but does he belong there?

A controversial new artwork has some Hindus incensed, but the piece by Indian-Australian artist Leon Fernandes is a great talking point

,, Hindu gods have the same feelings that we all have - love, lust, rage, despair, pain, joy. These images are a way of exploring that whole spectrum for me ,,

H

BY ANEETA MENON

i11d�1s worldwide have expressed their concern over a recent art exhibition by Sydney artist Leon Fernandes who has depicted Hindu Gods and Goddesses ill modernised contexts. Urging for the immediate withdrawal of the controversial piece, 'Krishna i n Erskineville', some commentators from the community have felt that the artworks "trivialise" highly revered deities such as Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesha and Goddess Durga.

NATIONAL EDITION

A gay Indian-Australian anist, Leon Fernandes (above right) has a unique creative mind and a radical sense of humour, which be incorporates into his mb,ed media pieces, made up of embroidery, paints, canvas and even parts of his own father's lndian fabrics. Although, not everyone sees the "cheeky" side to his work, he is proud of it.

"This series bas been a labour of love for me," says Fernandes. "Hindu gods have the same fee.lings that we all have - love, lust, rage, despair, pain, joy - but they often take them to the extreme. These images are a way of exploring that whole spectrum for me. They have become a vital pare of my emotional landscape."

'Krishna in Ersk.ineville' is the third incarnation of a series of Hindu gods i n Sydney. In 'Durga', the powerful creation

goddess sirs astride a tiger, incandescent wjth rage against the iconic suburbia of Howar. d J\rkley.

'Ganesh', the merciful survivor, stands in the Australian bush with a banksia, offering a gifr of sweet bees in place of rl1e traditional laddoo. 'Krishna ill Erskineville', die clllmi nation of this sacred and sacrilegious trilogy, stands flirtatiously brandishiJ1g his pipe, his body adorned with peacock colours echoed in the pride Aag flying from the iconic Erskineville pub.

Fer nandes defends his controversial choice to depict Krishna smoking ice.

"Dtug consumption has a ritual significance in many world religions and communities," he says. "It can be harmful, bur it's also part of who we are."

Modern Hindllism often finds itself in a struggle reconciling the old with the new .as traditional conservatism often finds itself at odds witb ancient Hindll traditions, which are indeed i:ife with mind-altering substances, as well as gender and sexual Auidiry. Just this week, Hindus worldwide celebrated Holi, a festival which has hisrorically associated with use of bbang, a narnral intoxicant made from marijuana leaves and flowers.

Nevertheless, it is easy to underst,'rnd and respect the scepticism, and outright opposition to, such ris9ue works. Despite d1e colourful history evident in Hindu texts, the deep influences of conservative Judeo­ Christian notio.ns leftover from colonialism reverberate deep within modern Hinduism.

As a result, such woi:ks are bound to bring to the surface Llncomfortable conversations about fiercely empowered, weapon-wielding Goddesses or Gods \vho routinely practice gender flu idity and, of course, the role of drugs and other mind-altering sllbstances in Hindu lore.

For local Hindu conmmnities grappling with how to better engage dfasporic, rnillennial youth, struggling to reinvigorate the sense of childhood excitement from tales of heroes and villains, gods and monsters long since outgrown, Fernandes' artwork ought to be a great talking point. Growing up in the information age, above all, our young people want a better understanding of what it i s they're participating in, why and how it relates to d1eir experience not only as lndians or Hindus but also as Australians participating in a Western society. Shifting ancient Hfodu concepts into a 2017 Allstralian context provides a fantastic platform for the comrnw1ity co have discussions about those otherwise uncomfortable grey areas of Hinduism which are avoided in favour of traditional ri tual -based practice. Even if Fernandes' artwork is a platform where the community is bound to disagree, it is inarguably engaging.

MARCI-I (2) 2017 21

WHAT'S ON FUNDRAISER Chris Vlnmlnl Charity: Fundralslng for a purpose, Sat 25 March 6pm-

9.30pm Come along to this fundraising event for needy children at Hills Sports High School, 56 Best Rd, Seven Hills.

Donate $10 for entry. Kids under 10 free. Contact: Rajesh 0403 509 455 or Christian Herft 0407 890 223.

Swachh Bharat

Help provide financial support for Swachh Bharat mission through the Sulabh Social Service Organisation.

The ongoing campaign invites all persons of Indian origin to generously donate for Swachh Bharat. Donations can be made to Sulabh through Western Union. Bank details are below In favour of: Sulabh lntemational Centre For Action Sociology (SICAS) Account No: 63012660749, IFSC Code: SBIN0030262 MICR: 110002347 Name of the Bank: State Bank of India, Branch Name: C 28 Community Centre, Janakpuri, New Delhi-58 Contact: bharatramvasudevan@gmail. com National Blood Donation Drive

by Sathya Sal International Organisation

Sathya Sai International Organisation of Australia & PNG is again having a blood donation dnve and is encouragmg all of its members who are able to contribute in this wonderful and much needed service. Giving blood is giving life. What better way to 'Love all; Serve all' and honour Sathya Sai Baba. Contact: Mayavan 0404 059 093 COMMUNITY Blacktown Women's and Girls' Health Centre Multicultural Food and Health Festival, Mon 27 March, 10am-3pm

All are welcome to join this celebration of cultural diversity. As well as delicious food, there will be speakers talking about health, information stalls, free activities for children and much more. Held at Seven Hills Community Hall, 5 Artillery Crescent, Seven Hills. Bookings essential.

Contact Karen 9831 2070 or info@ womensa ndgi rls.org.a u Haathl In The Room launch, Sat 1 Aprll, 2.30pm-4.30pm

Listen to guest speakers, startthe conversation and eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness in the South Asian community. Cost is $15 per person and proceeds will be donated to Beyond Blue. Guest speakers include Natasha Herbert, Clinical Psychologist, and Monica Das. Beyond Blue speaker. Held at Curry Lovers Restaurant, Unit 40-74, Rawson Street, Epping. Contact: Sue: 0417 210 268 or Megha 0449 805 344 ARTS An Odlssl Dance Workshop, Mon 3 April, 3pm-4pm

Indian Culture Centre, Consulate General of India, Sydney and Madhuram Academy of Performing Arts presents this free workshop

by Pravata Kumar Swain. Held at Indian Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265 22 MARCI-I (2) 2017

Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Limited Seats. RSVP at icc2.sydney.mea.gov.in MISC Free HSC Workshops with Achievers Academy, 25 March; 1, 8, 15, 22 April

Achievers Academy are holding free workshops every Saturday in the hopes of aiding students in maximising their ATAR ranking. Held at Skycity, 20A Lexington Dr, Bella Vista, topics of the workshops will vary every week. On 25 March, HSC Markers and teachers are going to conduct the workshop with UThe Secret of HSC Writing Essays" as the main topic. They will also discuss AOS Discovery and other modules.

Seats are limited so parents and students are encouraged to reach out via www.achieversacademy.com. au/hscworkshops or phone 02 8882 9327 for booking Shaktl Management Committee Member Volunteers

Shakti Migrant and Refugee Women's Support Group NSW is seeking people experienced in finance, fundraising and leadership to join their management committee. As a Committee Member you will have the capacity to set aside 6-15 hours a month to attend meetings and committees, and support various activities. Visit: shaktiaustralia. org.au. To apply, email: sydney@ shaktiaustralia.org.au.

Hindi Classes Saturdays 2.30pm-

4.30pm 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 register email hindi@ indianconsulatesydney.org or contact 9223 2702.

SPIRITUAL Devi Jagran, Sat 1Aprll 7pm-

10.45pm Devotees who wish to participate in Navratri Devi Bhajans should join the community at Shri Shiva Mandir, 201 Eagleview Road, Minto. There will be Devi Bhoj, Sankalp/Pooja by the sponsors, Devi Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad. Contact: Jagdish Chawla, 0421 376 384 or Sneh Gupta, 0418 415 739 Chlnmaya Mission Free Public Talks: "Yogas of the Geeta" Mon 3 April - Fri 7 Aprll, 7.30pm -

9pm "Yogas of the Geeta" with H.H. Swami Swaroopanandajl (Global Head of Chinmaya Mission) held at 38 Carrington Rd, Castle Hill. A children's program will complement the main talks, conducted by Swami Shrikaranandaji (Resident Acharya of Chinmaya Mission Australia). Contact: Chinmaya Sannidhi 02 8850 7400, 0416 482 149 Amma Satsang, 6.30pm-9.30pm, 3"' Saturday each month Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, or Amma, also known as the hugging saint. is cherished as a humanitarian and spiritual teacher. Mata Amritanandamayi Centre Sydney

hosts a monthly program to engage in spiritual practices such as meditation, as well as to conduct community­ oriented service projects. Held at Uniting Church Hall. 11 Carrington Ave, Strathfield. Suggested donation is $20 for ashram fundraising.

Contact: Mohan 0418 462 687 or visit ammaaustralia.org.au Yoga: The way of llfe. Saturdays

8am; Wednesdays 7pm A retreat for body, mind and soul, join weekly yoga sessions at Glenwood Public School (Saturdays) or Moorebank Community Centre (Wednesdays). To secure a spot, contact: Meera 0433 125 708. or Ankita 0431 750 991 Shanti Mission Satsang, Sundays

9.30am Held at the Shanti Mission Abode of Peace Ashram (1 hour north of Sydney), 45 Kings Road, Cooranbong and also in Sydney at the Henley Community Centre, 2 Crown Street, Henley. Visit: www.shantimission.org.

Contact 4977 3300 Fire Pooja

Devotees are invited to attend Vedic fire pooja held at the Shanti Mission Abode of Peace Ashram (1 hour north of Sydney), 45 Kings Road, Cooranbong.

Durga Fire Pooja: Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat & Sun evenings, 6.30pm (time changes to 5.30pm when daylight savings ends).

Dhanvantre Healing Fire Pooja: Mondays & Wednesdays, 9am Sri Maha Narayani Yagam: Every New and Full moon.

Shanti Mission also holds special poojas for feast days. Devotees may sponsor poojas. Visit: www. shantimission.org. Contact: 4977 3300 Sri Hanuman Pooja, Tuesdays

7.30pm-8pm Devotees who wish to seek the blessings of Shri Hanuman should join the community at Shri Shiva Mandir, 201 Eagleview Road, Minto, on Tuesday evenings for the reciting of Hanuman Chalisa, reciting Hanuman Kasht Nivaran. Hanuman Aarti and Prasad. Contact: Jagdish Chawla, 0421 376 384 or Priest Arul Muthulkumar. 9820 1094 Spirit of lndla Yoga, Saturdays and Sundays

Yoga classes are held in Ryde, Wentworthville, Quakers Hill and Epping. All levels incl. beginners, senior citizens, children's. To enrol in this 15 week course e-mail spiritofindia2002@yahoo.com, visit www.spiritofi ndia.org or contact Suresh 0412 202 182

Volunteers needed to teach Vedic/Hindu Dhanna In schools

Indian children living in Australia need to study their heritage in an

instructive and deliberate way. Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia has taken up the task of teaching Vedic/ Hindu Dharma heritage teaching in mainstream schools as part of Special Religious Education. We are looking for more youths, seniors, young parents, grandparents to come forward to volunteer. Contact: Akila, 0450 117 372 or visit: vhp.org.au Sant Nlrankarl Mission Sydney, 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 Heartfullness Relaxation and Meditation

Saturdays 4.30pm-5.30 pm; Sundays 11.30am-12.30pm All are welcome to experience Heartful lness. There are no fees to join the group at Seva Yoga Studio, 3c/8, Cowper St. Parramatta. Contact: 02 8004 6547 or sydney@heartfulness.org Srlmad Bhagavad Gita classes, every second Saturday

Learn the proper chanting of each shloka and its meaning in English.

Students also leam Sanskrit as they progress and no prior knowledge of Sanskrit is required. Participate either through physical attendance at 20 Station St, Pymble or online attendance through ZOOM: zoom. us/j/6140211522. Contact: Babu 0402 115 223 or devbab@gmail.com SVT Classes - Vedic Chanting, Sundays 10am

The classes take place in Sri Venkateswara Temple, Temple Rd, Helensburgh. This course will cover pronunciation and then practise with Sanskrit before moving to Vedic chanting. To register and attend, email enquiry@svtsydney.org Hindi Dada Bhagwan Satsang, Every second Sunday 5pm - 8pm

Held at Wentworth Community Centre.

Hindi Satsang Time: 5.00pm-6.30pm Aarti Time: 6.30pm-7.00pm Preeti Bhojan Time: 7.00pm-8.00pm Kids Gujarati Language Classes: 5.00pm6.00pm The venue is Kurajong Room underneath Redgum Function Centre.

Contact 0421 127 947 for further information VHP Australia classes, Sundays

A local Initiative of VH P Australia, Sydney Veda 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

For full calendar of WHAT'S ON listings (nation-wide) check out: www.indianlink.com.au You can also submit your listing on line

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MARCI-I (2) 2017 23

indian news The Ganges and the Yamuna (seen here at Allahabad), two of India's most iconic rivers, considered sacred by nearly a billion Hindus in the country, have been given the status of living entities to save them from further harm caused by widespread pollution.

Photo: AP

Hoping to implement GST from July 1: Jaitley

Finance Minister Anm Jaitler bas said tliar che government is hoping to implement d1e Goods and Services Tax (GST) by July I after the enabling Bills get Parliament's nod in che current budget �ession.

"GST is the biggest reform in India.

Hopefullr, GST will be implemented by July I. GST Bills will hopefully be cleared in Parliament," Jaitley said in I ew Delhi at the 23rd C<)nfcrcnce of AuJicors General of Commonwealth 1 acions hosted b)' rhc Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

Jaicley said mat 1ndia's indirect taxation regime, which is currently the most complex in cl1c world, will tran�form inro a simplified one with the implementation of GST. "We have the most complicated indirect tax srtems. Once implemented, whac is currently the most complic:ttcd system in the world will become the simplest in 1hc world. The enabling laws are before the Parliament. By middle of me year (2017), we hope ro sec the implementation of CST," he said. '·Eva!iion of taxes will be difficult tmder GST. Size of Indian economy will increase," he added.

Jaicley also noted cl1at India is an open economy with 90 per cent of me invesanent happening through the automatic route.

"Opposirion ro reforms is minimal.

Opposirion co protectionism is minimal.

Reforms in the foreign direct in\'estmenr (FDl) in India have been signilicam nnd we nrc among the most open economics in che world," he said.

The Finance Minister, however, lamented thar while public u1VC$tmenc and FDI were high, prirntc sector invesmwnr still lagged behind.

Kansas declares 'Indian American Appreciation Day'

The Governor of US cit)' of Kansas declnrcd 16 J\Jarch as "Indian American Appreciation Day"' ro honour lnclian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was killed in an apparem hate crime.

Kuchibhoda, 32, was killed and his friend Alok Madasaoi was injured when Adam WI. 24 MARCH (2) 2017

Purinron, a white man who earlier served in the US Navy, shot d1em a1 the Austins Bar & Grill in Olarhe on 22 February.

Purincon reponedly got inro a row with the victims and hurled racial slurs. He yelled "Get out of my country" and ''terrorist" before shooting them. An American, Ian Grillo1, was injured in 1he attack.

"Kansas will remain commitred to standing wid1 rhe Indian commwiity;' Kansas Governor Sam Brownback said at an evear to commemorate the life of Kuchibhotla.

Brownback issued a proclamation at the event to recognise 16 i\Larch as the "lndian American Appreciation Day'', reported Tbe Km1sus City Slrtr. "\V/e will always reject acts of violence and harm. W/e re.jeer hatred in all in; forms," he said in Topeka, the state capital. ·This is a deplorable act that happened," Ilrownback said. "\Xie will not let ir define us as a people."

Both i\!adasani and Grillot attended the event to honour J..:uchibhmla. During a brief speech, Madasaoi thanked people for their support.

"11 means a lot to aU of us and we really appreciate it," he said.

Kuchibhotla of Hyderabad and his colleague l\fadasani from \X'araogal district in Telangana were working as aviation programme managers at Garmin, an 1''1NC. Purinton has been charged with first­ degree murder and rwo counts of attempted lirsr-degree murder. The PB! is investigaring tl1e shooting as a hate crime.

Trump nominating Indian­ American judge for elevation to appeals court

US Presidem Donald Trump announced this montl1 diac he is nominating Indian­ American federal judge J\mul Thapar for elevation LO an appeals court, the second higbesr level of the US judiciary.

Appeals courts are just below d1e Supreme Courr. Thapar was on the shortlist of Trump's picks for the Supreme Court mat was announced during lasr yenr's election campaign.

Describing him as "the son of Indian­ American immignmcs", and Lhe first federal district judge of South Asian descent,

1he White House said that if confirmed

by the Senate, Thapar will join the bench

of the Sixth Circuit Coun of 1\ppeals, which covers 1hc rwo imporra111 stares of i\lichigan and Ohio, in addition to J..:cntllckr and Tennessee.

Thapar, 47, will be me second person from the community at the appellate coun level, joining Judge Sri Srinivasan, who was appoinred by the men President Barack Obama to d1e powerful bench that covers Washington.

Thapar is currently a federal judge in Kenmcky, appointed by the men President George \Y/. Bush in 2007.

The likelihood of Thapar's confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate is very strong and he has the stmng backing of Lhc Senate Majority Leader Mircl1 McConnell, who has described him as "a friend."

His fuU name is Amul Roger Tbapar.

He has a law degree from rhe Univcrsi1:y of C11ifornia at Berkeley and was a federal prosecutor in Kenmcky before he was made a judge. ;\(cConneU, who disclosed Trump's plan to nominacc Thapar, said in a starcmenr, ·'I applau<l the President for announcing his intenr to nominate my friend.Judge Amul Thapar, to serve on the Sixtl1 Circuit Court of Appeals. Throughout his already impressive career of public service, t\mul has shown an incredible: intellect and an unshakable dcdicmion m Lhe law."

McConnell said he looked forward to Thapar's confirmation by the Senate, saying: ''He has earned the respect of hi� colleagues, and I know that he will bring ro the Sixth Circuit Lhe same wisdom, fairness, and abiliry chat he has shown on the District Court.'"

South Asian Bar Associnrion President Vicl1al Kumar welcomed the nomination and called him a "rcspccrccl and thoughtful jurist who has long served as role model for cl1c South Asiao and greater legal community".

India ranks 122nd in happiness index

India ranked 122nd, behind terror- riven Pakisrnn and poorest-of-poor I epal in the global list of d1e happiest countries, according 10 a United Narions reporc released chis month in Oslo, Norway.

India came down br iliree sloes, as last year it was placed at 118m spOl. It was behind the majoricy of South i\sian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAJ\RC) nations, apart from war-ravaged Afghanistan, that stood a1 141.

Among the eight SJ\ARC nations.

Pakistan was ar 80th position, ! epal stood a1 99, Bhutan at 97, Bangladesh at I 10 while Sri Lanka was ac 120. HowC\'cr, i\!aldivcs did not figu re in the World Happiness Report.

Norwar took the top spot from Denmark as me happicsc country in rhe world.

The Scandinil\'ian nation, which was ranked fourcl1 in last year's report, jumped to the top this year on the basis of several key calculations, including levels of caring, freedom to ma.kc life decisions, generosity, good governance, honeSLT, health and income.

Other fac1ors by which I55 countries were measured in the annual World Happiness Report arc: inequality, life expectancy, GDP per capita, public trust (i.e. a lack of corruption in government and business). and social support.

Denmark, lccfand, Swi12crland and Finland round our the t0p five, while the Cenrral African Republic came last in the \\forld Happiness Report. \X'estern Europe and Norrh America dominated the mp of t.hc table, with the US and Brirain al 14th and I9tl1 positions, rcspccd\'cly.

Syria placed 152 of 155 countries • Yemen and Soud1 Sudan, which arc facing impending famine, came in at 146 and 147.

The World Happiness Report was released co coincide with die Unircd Nations' lntcmational Day of Happiness on ,\larch 20.

Digital transactions recede, threaten 'Digital India'

The value of digital transactions nationwide declined marginally ( 1.5 per cent) to Rs 92.6 lakh crorc (Sl.4 trillion) in Felm1a.rr 2017 from Rs 94 l:tkh crore in I ovember 2016 ($ 1.42 trillion), according to representath-e darn (provisional) oa electronic payments released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The data do nor cover aU transacrions across all banks. Bue, card payments darn for four major banks. mobile banking figures for five banks and prepaid payment instruments (PPT, meaning mobile papnent gateways such as PayTM and FreeCharge) data for eight non-bank issuers have been considered as rcprescnrntivc for analysing trends in payments.

Digica.l rmnsactioos (volwne) had increased 42 per cenc from 672 million in November 2016 to 958 million in December 2016 but have since declined 20 per cent over two months ro 763 million in Februaq 2017.

This puts in peril d1e government's target ro achieve 25 billion digital transactions in 2017-18, which translates 10 ac least t\vo billion transactions per mood,. The Fcbruarr 2017 figure of 763 million transactions falls 60 per cent short of the momhly requirement. ·'The continuance of chat high growth with a furd1er pick-up in some componems (nf digiral papne1m) (sic) from November to januarr 20 I7 was a positive faUout of www.indianlink.com.au

demonetisation. However, Lhc pace of growth moderated somewhat in February 2017," che RBJ noted ln its hrst assessment of demonetisation, tided "Macroeconomic impact of Demonetisation - A Preliminary Assessment".

Prime .Minister Naremlra Modi - whose n,lrrntivc of development earned Bharatiya Janata Parry (BJ P) a landslide mandate in rhe reccnr Urrar Pradesh assembly polls changed tack on dcmonecisation from black money and fake currency initi:tll)' co digirnl/ cashless economy later.

Only rwo paymeor platforms, Unified Payments lmcrface (UP]) and Aadhaar Enabled Parmencs System (AEPS), show a consistent cise in value (in Rupees) and volume (number) of cransacLions posc­ demonecisacion. All otlier form.5 have shown a decline - either consistently or in one or rwo months in the four-montl1 period.

While l.lP'J links mobile applicacions co a person's bank account directly, AEPS is an Aadhaar-linked biometric idcncification system used for direct ca.sh 1.ransfers w1dcr go,,crnmenr schemes.

"Digital cannot substitute cash. The share of digital among transactions might increase in the long run buc cash is affordable," said Rajeswari Sengupta, economics professor, lndirn Gandhi Institute of Development Research.

"Digital uansactions demand a person m buy a smartphonc and spend on data, which incur higher cost per transaction.

People nmurally prefer cash, where the cost is borne by the government."

Use of onlinc banking using the lacional Electronic Punds Transfer EF'"f) plarform reduced consecucivcly in January and February 2017, while chat of lmmccliatc Payment Syscern (IMPS) increased in December 2016 and January 2017 but declined in Fcbmary.

"The cacalrtic push &om de.monetisation hastened migration towards digital parmcncs in November and December 2016. However, ease in availability of cash by progressive remonecisation impacted the pace of growth of digitalisacion in Februarr 2017," die RBI assessment said.

Dcbir and credit card transactions for four major banks sh,,w little difference between November 2016 and February 2017 • · 205 million swipes transacting Rs 35,200 crocc in November 2016 w 212 million swipes uansaccing Rs 39,200 crorc in February 2017.

"As the cash in circulation will settle m a lower normal than the pre-demonetisation lcvc.ls, digiml payments will settle at a higher normal and conLinue its upward rrend as before," Sangram Singh, head of cards and pnymems, Axis Bank, said.

Card transactions improved to 3 1 1 million swipes transacting Rs 52,000 crore in December 2016, showing n 50 per ccm rise in transactions and 48 per cent rise in value u-ansacted over :i month.

Bm che pace of addition in debit and credit cards has not been mntchecl by ,in equal focus on point of sale (PoS) terminals. "..in comparison ro t!ie 800 million cnrds that have been issued as of now, the nun1her of PoS terminals has not been really adequate," R.81 Deputy Governor R. Gandhi said in a speech last month.

High capital and operational expenses have deterred chc expansion of PoS infrastructure, Gandhi added.

Cash available wi1h people, which reduced Erom Rs 17 lakh crorc just before demoncLisacion co the lowest post­ demonetisation level of Rs 7.81 l:tkh crorc ($1 I 8 billion) on December 9, 2016, increased to Rs 1 1 .74 lakh crore ($178 billion) on March 3, 2017, according to ROI data.

Modi h:id announced the world's biggest NATIONAL EDITION

India Fashion Week Autumn-Winter 2017, organised by the Fashion Design Council of India (FOCI) in New Delhi, presents a new take on sarees

Photo: AP

currency swap programme tha1 scrapped 86 per cent of high dcnominacion I..ndian currency on November 8, 2016.

The current level of currency ,virh people mate.hes the November 2013 level of Rs 12 lakh crorc ($200 billion at the then prevailing e..xchange rare of Rs 60 per USS).

200 mn 4G feature phones to be sold in India in next 5 years

Nearly 200 million 4G-enabled feature phones will be sold in India in the ncxr five years, triggering a slow-down for chc domcscic smanphonc market, a new repon claimed d1is month.

"We estimate close to 60 million units of 4G-capable feature phones could ship this yCftr globally from almost a mill.ion unirs lnsr year, wit!1 lndia pocentinlly contributing to almost half of that this year," said the analysLS from market research firm Counterpoint Researcl,. ln terms of hardware revenues, it is a $6 billi<m opportunity cwnulativc.ly over die next five years in India. ''Key plarers co watch out in d1is seb,mem arc ?vficromax, itel, Lava, Jio, Nokia and so ford1," the report added.

Chipset brands such as Qualcomm with its latest Qualcomm 205 platform specially designed for 4G LTE Feature Phones is poised co drive growd1 starting with end of Q2 2017.

"More than 400 m.illion feature phones were sold globally in 2016 and we saw smartphone market growd1 slow down to 3 per cent (year-on-year), portraying that die easy days of smartphone growth arc over," die report stated.

The smartphonc growth slowing do\\'n and the fra1ure phone dee.line slowing down is the polarisation of market in terms of technolom• as well as user base.

"This is making a case for cl1e rise of 4G capable feaiure phones wi1h the core value proposition being VoLTE calls and move rhe users co rhe cost cfficicm 4G networks. W/e estimate more than half a billion 4G capable fcanire phones will be sold over the next five rca.rs, a 'big short­ term opponunity' for players in the mobile industry," the analysts predicted.

Mukesh Ambani toP.S Forbes list of 101 Indian billionaires

India has the fourrh largest number of billionaires globa.Uy, with Reliance lndustcies (R.IL) Chairman 11ukesh J\mbani heading rhe list of more than I 00 high net worth individual Indians, as per the latest liscing by American magaidne Forbe.r.

The US. with 565. has more billionaires than :my ocher nation. China comes ncx1 with 319, while Germany is at number dirce with 1 14.

Microsoft co-founder Bill C' nites heads cbe list for the fourth year in n row with a fortune of $86 billion, up from $75 billion last year.

Mukesh Ambani cops the list of Indian billionaires, and is placed 33rd with a net worth of $23.2 billion.

Forlm said the RI L chairman sparked a price war in the Lndian telccom market with the launch of the Jio4G phone service last September. His younger broclier Anil is ranked 745th with a net worth of $2.7 billion.

The US magazine said An.ii Ambani "orchestrated the merger of his Reliance Communication's re.le.com bllsiness with

that of rival Airccl, controlled by i\falaysian billionaire J\nanda Krishnan. The combine, which awairs regulatory approvals, will be Lhe country's fourth-largest mobile phone operator".

ArcelorJ\fornl Chairman Lakshmi l\litt:tl follows next at the 56th spot with a net worth of S 16.4 billion. ,\bout Mirra!, Forbes said: "The world's biggest steclma.ker also got a reprieve from import taciffs on steel imposed by cl1e US and Europe and a one-time S832 million saving from a new labour contracr signed last year with its US workers." i\lobile wallet Paytm founder Vijay Shckhar. harma is ranked 1,567 with his net worrh of S 1.3 billion and i� ·'one of the biggest benehciarics of the government's decision to demonetise 86 per ccnr nf 1ndia's rupees and move to a cashless economy", Forbes said.

Other Indians in the list include Wipro Chairman J\.7..im Prcmji (72), Adani Group founder Gauram J\dani (250), Bajaj Group Chairman Rahu.l Bajaj (544), investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala (939), Infosys co­ founder NR Narayana l\lunhy (1,161), Dabur Chairman Emeritus Vivek Chand Burman (1 ,290), lnfosys co-founder Nandau lilekaui (1,290), \Xlockbardt chair H:1bil Khorakiwa.la (1,567), M:ihindra group chief Anand i\Lahindra (1,567) and Yes Bank head Rana Kapoor (1,795).

Only four women billionaires from India feature in Lhe list, led by Savitci Jindal at 303rd with a net worth o f $5.2 billion. ''A fcer declining lasr year, the fornme

of steel and power clan, whose matriarch Savitri Jindal chairs die OP Jindal Group, rose as steel p[ices recovered," Pod1�s said.

Smica Crishna-Godrej from the Godrcj group is ranked 814th, followed by Biocon founder Kjran l\lazumdar-Shaw (973) and Leena Tc'l.vari (1 ,030).

Airbnb launches 'Trips' platform in India

Community-driven hospitality company J\irbnb has launched its 'Trips' platform in lndia, giving a cha.nee to customers to book specially CLIUted local experiences.

After being announced in Los Angeles last year, the service was law,cbed in 1 2 cities, including Detroit, London, Pacis, Nairobi, Tok1o, Seoul and San Pmncisco.

In India, it begins with 15 bookable local experiences. One such is a guided trip wirh fashion designers Shancanu and ! ikhil.

Brian Chesky, co-founder and CHO of the online platform, said ar die launch in New Delhi, 'Tm C.'-cited to launch lndia Trips as we've handpicked unique experiences, designed ancl led br locals, to rcllect the diversit}' and variety of the city."

The designers arc crip ho�rs and will cake participants through a creative jtmrney of style, where they will �ee an innovative blend of architecture ancl design expressed dirough coucure.

Guests will have a cl1nnce for a candid tccc-il-rece wid1 them, seeing its cvolucion fmm ideation and design co a firui.l showcase on die runway ar the duo's I oida workshop.

IANS MARCH (2) 2017 25

ngo Guests enjoying a drink on the SCG lawn

It's an inspiring evening at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the LBW Trust annual dinner

4'¥4 BY RITAM MITRA

A

c the age of 12, a young Maasai girl made a life-changing bargain with her father: agreeing co undergo female genital mutilation in remm for his promise co let her finish her education.

Now 38, that girl bas since been awarded a PhD in Education from the University of Pittsburgh, and is the founder and president of the Kakenya Centre for Excellence, a Maasai boarding school for girls, attendance at which requires agreement from parents nor to subject their daughters to female genital mutilation or forced child marriage.

More recently, that girl, Dr Kakenya l ra.iya, visited Australia to deliver a series of stirring speeches, .including a passionate address co a group of privileged guests ar tl1e LBW Trust's annual dinner at ilie Sydney Cricket Ground - with none otl1er tl1an tl1e cricketing great Wasim Akram also in tl1eir company. The LBW Trust provides support co economically disadvant.'lged students in developing, cricket playing countries to help them complete their tertiary or vocational education.

For Dr Nta.iya, although the dinner was perhaps a less formal affair than the earlier engagements on her Australian tour -

26 MARCI-I (2) 2017

which included delivering tl1e International Women's Day Address at ilie National Press Club and meeting wicl1 Prime :Minister Malcolm Turnbull - her message was no Jess powerful.

Kakenya's story

As a young gicl, Dr Ntaiya's day would begin at 5 .in the morning. By the time she had embarked on her 3-mile long walk to school, she would have finished sweeping the house, making breakfast , collecting water from the r.iv1;:r, and caking care of her mother and her siblings. Engaged co be married at the age of 6ve, Dr Nta.iya was acutely aware that at some stage, she would have to undergo female gen.ital mutilation, a customary procedure prior to marriage.

At 12, ir was crunch ti.me.

"I was supposed to get married, and to be married I bad to undergo the rite of passage, whim is female genital cutting, co become a woman. Ar iliat time, 1 knew that if 1 go through th.is cut, I'm going to become a wife. And I didn't want cl1ac. I had to figure out, at the age of 12, how to negotiate myself out of a deal chat was made many years ago by my parents," recalled Dr Ntaiya.

Yet, even after convincing her fatl1er co allow her to complete her education in exchange for undergoing the procedure, Dr Ntaiya had no idea as to the gravity of her ordeal.

Iroo.icall}; and cruelly, it was only much later, in the course of completing a university research task on female gen.ital mutilation, that Dr Nca.iya realised the

illegality of the procedure, and its hordfie consequences: by reading about it online.

It was at th.is moment that Dr Nta.iya resolved to ensure chat no more girls in her village would have to go through similar suffering. Since 2008, the Kakenya Centre for Excellence has transfor med cbe lives of 230 young women in Kenya.

The lighter side of life

On the ocher side of dinner, a Q&A session between \v'asirn Akram and the in.imitable cricket commenracor Mike Coward Mf, revealed a fascinating insight into Akram's snmo.ing rise from playing tennis baU cricket in alleyways and on rooftops in Lahore, to tormenting ilie besr batsmen around the world and changing the cricket ,vorld forever.

Akrnm did not play wiili a cricket ball tmtil the age of 16, and even then only after being forced .into it by a neighbour.

As Coward himself put it, Akram's was a chapter from Pakistani cricket's romantic storybook of serendipitous discoveries.

Given how easy Akram made the game look - he cook 10 wicl,ets in just his second test march - it was comforting to know that he coo, had to put in more than his fair share of hard work, no less evident than .in his having played with Type 1 diabetes f or a substantial portion of his career. '"\X-'hen I got picked up for the Pakistan team, I told myself, 'I don't want co be a one tour wonder or a one Test wonder.

Because this is fun. This is a party, and I want th.is party to go on for 20 years.' And it did," joked Akram.

Easily tl1e most entertaining recollection of J\.kram's was bowling co Sir Vivian Richards during the third test between Pakistan and the West Indies in Barbados in 1998. Ac one point, a skinny, 19-year­ old Akram swore and sledged Richards after beating him with a bouncer or two.

Richards recorred, "Don't abuse me, I'll see you outside", to which Akram responded in kind, "I'll see you outside". After reassurance from his six-pack sporting skipper, ln1ran Khan, Akram continued bowling bOLmcers and dishing out abuse, e,,enmally bowling Richards and giving him a huge send off.

Unforttmately, later that evening, Richards showed up at the Pakistani dressing room - dressed in nothing but a cowel, with his bulging muscles on full display and bat in hand - and asked for Akram. Gaining no support from Khan this time, Akram instead fell at Richards' feet, and promised, "Viv - tl1is will never happen again. I'm so sorry."

The event '-Vas described as a huge success, and during rhe course of the dinner, LBW Trust Chairman David Vaux confu:med diat the charity had raised enough money to provide full tertiary education schob.rsh.ips f ot each of the 26 high school graduates from ilie Kakenya Centre for Excellence. le was a gentle, but firm reminder of ilie tangible difference being made by an .inspirational few.

For 111ore infimi1atio11 about the Lll W Tmst, visit lbwtmst.co!ll.t/11

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Atrocious behaviour mars ex}:lilarating ser1es There are concerns for the manner in which the noble game of cricket is being played

BY DARSHAK MEHTA

T

he highlr contcncious and mclcx:lrarnatic 2nd Test match in Bangalore may have led some to think that d1is was exactly the tonic tbat Test cricket needed, for its re,ival.

Really?

Of wursc, all the ingrcdiencs were there: skill, spectacle, luck, drama, passion, pressure and unfortunately, most of all, bad blood. The cricket bas been 1frcting.

Bur, is chis the way we want co portray our game to hundreds of millions of imprcs$ionablc youngsters? Can you imagine chc t1nacccptablc behaviour of succes.�ivc generations of Indian and Australian teams - club, domestic or international - innucnced as they would be by watching the nppalling actions and words of their heroes?

Don't adults need co behave Like adults, in a ci,;,il and rcscrnincd manner? Do adtJts not have to respect ocher adults, iJ1 daily life?

Can adttlts mock other adults with impunity, make sly or blamnr remarks and const·an tly insult, hector a.ad distract t:!1cm?

Or, is it the new rule that once you ace on a field of play, all norms of ci,1iliscd behaviour arc inapplicable and co be jertisoned?

Have we aU forgotten that firsc and foremost cricket i.� a g:ime? Nationalism, patriotism etc. surely come in ro plav, hm nor before sportsmanship, one would have hoped!

13ad sportsmanship is not merely looking up co the dressing room to get a signal on whether to iniciarc a DRS Rcvie,v. le is atrocious spon-smanship to mock and ridicule opponents, to initiate insolent conversations wid1 a ,�cw to gaining unfair advantage and/or putting rirnls off their games.

J\lw, do cricketers have tu take tunbragc and immediately give offense to retired crickcrers doing their jobs or expressiJ1g their professional opinions, when such dread fol conduct is criticised? ''Atitbi drvo bbom." Guest is God. Isn't India the land where hospitality to ,,isitors is mandated by our sho.,lros?

Then, why arc such horrible wickets being dcliberntcly ordered and prepared, for .. ,,s1tors.:, Please don't claim t:!iat cYcryonc ·'cooks" ,,kkccs at home, co suit chcmsclvcs.

Auscrnlia ccrtai.nly DON'T. Every wicket has ics intrinsic characteristic whcd1cr il i� n Test i\latcl1 or a Sheffield Shield game.

Brisbane is a seaming crack which favours quicks. Sydney fa\"ours spinners, lace in die game. Perth was a bouncy crack, d1ough it is more placid, d1esc days. Adelaide i s tbe best barri ng crack in Ausccalia.

A frcr a visiting rerun lands Ul 1\uscralfa, tl1esc wickers don't become diamcccicalJy opposite their usual character! ln l.odia wickets arc blam.ocly doctored to instructions from the home team. Cricket becomes a game of chance, not skill, when you ha,·e balls keeping low from Day I. The Bangalore wicket looked Like sc>mc pieces (md) of jigsaw puzzb had been poorly smck together.

Pw1e was a worn and dusty crack from Day I wilh rurf dislodged from d1c very 1-icsc over of the game.

Ranchi was a low, slow wicket. A bowler's gca,•cyard.

Prescription? The toss needs to be dispensed ,,�t:11. Visidng reams should have tl1c prcrogati�·c ro decide what co do. Only then will home t eams bchm·e responsibly and prepare sporting tracks. The toss should noc have che sole bearing in deciding the rcsuh of the match. l also chink it is rime chat the destructive and discourteous bch:n-iour we ha\"e witnessed ii1 Pune, Bangalore and Ranchi is stopped by bod1 teams. le has gotten rocally our of hand. Remember, violence begins when rational nrgun,ent bccorncs impossible.

The media needs co he more constructive and not write provocatively as flag-bearers of their countries' teams. flans cake d1cir cue from these and social media has become a viper's nest of incredible hate, racism and abuse. Virac Kohli was likc11cd m Donald Trnmp by Sydn ey's Tbr D(lib, Trlegmph and Stc\·e Smid1 lampooned as a chC',\t and worse, by the dregs of the lnclian media.

111csc arc eirtra(,rdinary cricketers a11d iimaccly decent blokes who ii1 die heat of tl1e battle, cross the line, sometimes, but arc redoubcablc leaders of their counccics No. I spore and deserve far more respect from d1cic opponents <>n the field, in ncwspnpers, TV and on social media. Respect from the public will follow.

Doth teams have brought our noble game into disrepute. Umpires need to report ccickccers, no matter how "reputed" and J\fatch Referees should suspend any cricketer reported for hcha\"ing disgracefully. lntcmarionally, apart from "cw Zealand, few teams arc playing wid1 graciousness or deference foe their opponents. Our neighbours are a highly competitive outl-ir and yet they have never bcha,·cd in tl1e gratuitously offensive way that some J\uscralian cricketers do and some lnclian cricketers arc happily, but ill-ad,�iscdly, mimicking.

The day a ftcr the Bangalore Test ended, a friend who bas perhaps d1c greatest surname in lndian cricket asked me, in a very pained cone, "If these two reams bate each other so much, why for God's sake arc tl1ey playing each ocher? Call off chc tour." ] had no answer.

Tbr alflhoris (I Cofo1111der ef le11di11g cridul­ ¥ i cmtff'd ed11wlio1111/ rh11r{J' The LBlf Tm.rt, b,md i11 SJrlllOJ'.

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sport

Ambassadors for a game for all KHUSHAAL WAS in conversation with AFL stars Stephen Coniglio and Aliir Aliir

n the lead up to Round One, we've gone d1rough me game and its basic rules, and exchanged our vows in the sacred ceremony of picking your team. lmportantly, 1 hope that you have identilied AFL is a unique game for one and all. l n this issue we bring you someming incredibly exciting as we speak with two scars of the game, AFL Multiculmral Ambassadors Stephen Coniglio (G\\\'S GIANTS) and Alifr Aliir (Sydney Swans).

Stephen Coniglio

IV'hat va/11e does 11111/tic11ltura/is111 bting to the APL?

SC: AFL i n Australia has so many supporters and a massive audience it can reach our to. By celebrating and educating this audience on tbe importance of rnul ticulturalism, cogether we can grow this game and bridge gaps in our society witb issues around disrespect towards different cultures, whilst also celebrating the culmres mat make up mis great game and country.

You were also quite a talmted c,icketer befo,·e joining tbe AFL What are)'Otlr tipJ 011 engaging those of h1dian heritage 1Phere cricket has alwqys been " religion?

SC: I loved my cricket and still do. My advice would be to embrace and try many sports and give it a shot at understanding its rules, wbat it brings and means to a lot of people. Do what you love and that doesn't have to be just one. spore. It can be many!

Favo111ite Indianfood, movie, song, c11/t11ral

celebmtion?

SC: Tougb choice. I've been to India when l was 16 on a cricket tour and was fortunate. enougb co spend some extra time off over there. The culture and people are like no otl1er, their friendly and peaceful nan1re is amazing.

I r's hard to go past a dassic naan bread wim bmter chkken, ald10ugh tbat may seem a little mainstream. My favourite movie was S!ttt1tdog 1VIillio11ait·e, but after recently seeing Lion, that takes the lead as my favourite.

Allir Allir

You came to Australia as a refugee at age seven. Did AFL play a role in such a big transition between two countries?

AA: Yeah, definitely. l t helped me to connect with omer kids and I allowed me co enjoy a new environment, new culn1re and new country.

Being thefirs/ A.PLplqyer of Sudtmese heritage in thegav1e's history htJS t1m1edyo11 i11tf! a beaco11jf!r c11/t11ral diversi()' in ,port. Doyou feellike)'011 ht1ve a hig role toplt91 inpro111oting 11mlticultt1rali1111 i11 the Arl?

AA: To be honest I haven't really looked back and thought about being the first person of Sudanese heritage to come through the draft and mings like mat, but 1

know that being from a different country I have a role co play in terms of helping and getting od1et multicultural kids into AFL and d1at's part of what I love doing.

Whr,t do)'Ott hope to hring to.J'Oflr role as ti M11/tic11/t11ralAmbassadorfor the APL?

ru\: I guess to connect other kids, wherever they might be from, and try co help them feel like they're welcome. I'd like to share my experience of how I got here and teach them that they can do whatever

d1ey want to do whether it be AFL, soccer, whatever sport, so they can feel comfortable and feel Australian.

F,JV0111itc Indianfood, 111ovie, 1011g, ctt!t1tml celebration?

AA: Is Butter Chicken in tl1ere? Yeah, definitely Butter Chicken! \1(/ell then, you've had it all. The rules, the teams, the brilliant players. ow get ready for Rorn1d One. Welcome to die AFL!

AFL NSW/ACT is committed to growing the game within our diverse comm u n ities.

e

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school

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new wo

What will our children need to learn to negotiate an unpredictable global future?

BY MOHAN DHALL

itb the pace of change accelerating, it may he time to reimagine the curriculum. lo a world of instability and unpreructability, questions must be asked about wbat i s taught and learnt, and what would be required if everything we knew was broken down or lost. The starting point must be what kind of chinking and skills would be requ ired co negotiate or manage in a world when problems are new or even unimagined, where disruption and discontinuity is the new norm.

The purpose of engaging in this type of thinking is to inquire deeply into whether we are educating student.5 for the sort of world that they wil.l face sooner than later.

As an exercise in imagination, it i s interesting t o ask what i s most valued.

There would be rufferent things that people may value given the scenario, but consider the fol.lowing as possible inclusions.

Human rights As a basic premise of education, al.I diildren at all levels should be explicitly educated i n their human rights. They must b e able t o articulate their rights. Such rights include rbe right to be free of arbitrary abuse by the state, tl1e right to freedom of speech, the right to take pare in government and the right to freedom of religion. Of course, educat ion in such rights would also require an understanding of age-

30 MARCI-I (2) 2017

appropriate responsibilities. In this way, an understanding of rights would be tempered by an understanding that others have rights, and living in communities and societies carries certain responsibilities. This balance must be found as the unfettered expression of individual rights does not display care, gentleness or tl1at the greatest personal freedom i s found when behaving with.in certain limits.

Critical thinking and scepticism, cause and effect thinking The capacity co understand me implications of ideas and ideologies is essential to understanding the contemporary world.

Deep thinking requ ires appreciation of cause and effect. le means that students should be caught how to extrapolate tl1e particular to the general. Taken further, suc.h thinking will also question whether an exception should become a rule. This would be consistent with Gandhi's notion that, "In every situation tl1ere is always a right tbing co do, even if no-one does it."

Scepticism and critique should inform understanrung, and repeated 'whys' may be needed i f 'wise' is sought. However, balance again must feature here as evidence­ informed datasets should not be labelled 'fake news' or 'alternative facts' simply because such evidence may be rusconcerting or mean that solutions to problems are complicated.

Research skills and fact­ finding abilities Clo.sely embedded in critical dunking is tl1e ability to research beyond a single source of 'newsfeed' so that differing versions or interpretations of one issue are sourced when informing and forming opinions.

This is a critical skill given d1at aggregating technologies provide people with information that they wane co hear rad1er man information iliac could improve ilieir thinking, inform their ideas and opinions, and shape enlightened public opinion.

Perspectives Building maturity in a world of disruption means taking perspectives with a view co understanding rufferent stakeholders' interests, different value sets and vulnerabilities. All students should be able co argue against their own beliefs in order co better understand conflicting perspectives, respect for o.thers and d1e factors chat inform another's agenda.

Creative thinking and problem solving Faced with disruption and ruscontinuic:y, creativity and tbe capacity m solve problems are essential. Creat ive thinking can be tricky and scary for those who want to be mid what to do, like d1e idea of defined answers and are afraid to take risks for fear of failure. Nevertheless, the capacity co al.low far-fetched alternatives to be considered, and tl1e ability co clunk, free from constraint, so that possibilities are not disnussed too early are necessary in times of rapid change. Embracing creativity brings forth the possibility to solve problems i n a way that is novel and adaptive.

A study of character Interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills ate valued iu all cnrricula. The understanrung of humans and motive can be gleaned from a close study of character.

Impulse, motivation, desires, tendencies, competing pressures and trade-offs, and how these manifest in the use of power,

,, Scepticism and critique should inform understanding, and repeated 'whys' may be needed if 'wise' is sought ,, position and influence are very important to navigating a changing world. Ostensibly me place for tl1is may be in a srudy of history or English, but i t also informs the social sciences, politics, business, economic decision-making and a host of other influences that directly affect students and their lives.

A smdy of character has been a feature of human society for millennia and was often taught through story, legend, myth, fables, songs and poems.

Strength in the face of adversity Adapting in times of change requires strength when circumstances coUude to make people feel uneasy or uncertain. As such, strength builds fortitude and comes from physical ability and ruscipline, as wel.l as the ability co concentrate, test the mind and focus. These attributes have been lost i n the technological age and students are more flighty and impulsive, more c1istractible and anxious than in prior times.

To this list, other thi ngs could be added, such as scrong literacy and numeracy skills as a means of enabling higher order thinking and expression. This is assumed - as i s an es.sential belief that education can truly empower, regard.less of the circumstances.

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year 7 diary

Both inside and outside the classroom, Term 1 of Year 7 is full of 'firsts '

J

BY ANANYA WAKHARE

erm 1 is nearly over already! I feel like school is finally finding a place for me. \'(that were the highlights of this term? Oh yes, camp! Unfortunately for me, I was sick two days before the start of camp and had to rake time off school. I was considering staying home and missing our, but on second thoughts, why would 1 wam to miss om on my fust higb school camp? 1 got out of bed and decided, yes I am going!

Before I knew it T was boarding the bus to u·avel all the way to the Illawatra. When we finally reached our destination (which seemed like it took forever), my feet walked on the camp

grotmds and I knew I'd made the right choice. We were challenged in many ways such as pitching tents and cooking our dinner bur_ we did it and actually enjoyed working cogether in teams. I also made it through the activities - surfing, kayaking and bush walking, which I'm glad now were not optional. When I returned home, after what felt like eternity, I cannot explain how happy I was to see my Mum and Dad. The swimming carnival was the next big event. A lot surely- has happened! I think you may remember that om house's dress up theme was The Wiggles? I enjoyed dressing up and cheering loudly for my house . . . and the swimming of cottrse. I think

we had the best synchronised swimming dance. The Year 12's were in charge of the activities for each house. 1 enjoyed watching each house perform according to their themes and there was even a Bollywood!

A few days later they announced the winners. Out house didn't win but we won the synchronised swimming!

Friendships haven't been so hard but were slower than I in1agined. Since I play sport, I made friends through d1at and l'm lucky that most of my friends have the same classes too. I am quite happy

with my friendship circle. My impressions from when I first met them compared to now are really different now that I know them better. Perceptions change. I feel like �port is taken mud1 more seriously than in primary school. The games tal,e up my weekend time but 1 enjoy playing sport as it helps you build strong friendships, sporting spirit and you get to 'lmow yom teammates.

Did I ever men!Jon that my alarm buzzes at 5.30am? Yep, 5.30! Tt cakes a really long time to get used to the routine. All the homework and the train journeys and especially O(gani.sing your time cocrectly.

Organising and prioritising is an important skill for high school. I am getting used to it though. You realise that sleep and relaxation is so much more valuable tl1ao it was in primary school. Whenever I get the chance to sleep jn I feel like it's the best thing ever!!!

MARCI-I (2) 2017 31

books

Taking the easy road New anthology of short stories presents nuances of behaviour within Australia 's Indian community

T

he most striking aspect m Avijit Sarkar's collection of short f Eumts, is the stories, A Tum fundamentally flawed nature of the characters that inhibit the shore stories.

A T11m Eve11ts is Avijit's first collection of short stories tbat reinforce migrant ethnography. But beneath the veneer of the migrant experience is the w1derlying namre of tbe characters - and at its core, the base elements which make us human.

So each of the shore stories, even with a rnrist at the end, highlights the lack of the higher road that the characters could have chosen to rake, and in doing so, each of the characters become each of us. Real, deeply flawed ,and convincing.

For example, in 'A Doctor in The Making', we read of a dutiful daughter, who despite her own ambitions, takes the easy road and gives in to her parents' expectations and emotional blackmail to srudy medicine, only at the end, to mrn around and advise them that sbe was not going to practise medicine and instead will study mathematics. Had she taken the initial, more difficult road of trying to convince her parents why their expectations did not align with hers, she could have saved herself years of effort, the financial resources spent, and the place she would

e

ef

have raken from someone else to study something she had no intention of using.

While this is a fan.1.iliar story among Indian households, it does not reveal the far rarer experience of loftier ideals of parents understanding their children better, or children accepting the chal.lenge of being more forthcoming about their dreams.

Similarly, in 'The Healthy Man' we read of a woman and her parents wbo keep her di'lbetes from her potential husband, a health-obsessed suitor, who does not see beyond the here and no,1, Gi.rda.r (the groom) demonstrates incredible self­ centredness in self-righ teously sending bis diabetic and pregnant wife back tO Lidia only tO get his comeuppance when be dies of a heart attack. Girdar chooses to be a kh11dgarz1 S11Jarthee zaaii111, when the higher road would have been to live and let live, and accept the fact that his parents allowed the dowry to guide their actions. Everyone in this story is egua.l.ly culpable, with the true innocent victim being the baby who is yet to be born.

The characters in each of the stories demonstrate the range of human namre - jealousy, envy, resentment, judgemem, abuse, pettiness, spite, betrayal, manipulation. At the end of each scory there is a twist that rakes place whid1 shapes the characters' lives. Bur even then,

there is no indication that the character has evolved or learnt from their e.,:perience.

One just imagines that each character conti.nues to live their life, i.n the same incmious, unevolved skin they inhabited at the beginning of the story.

The stories would have been more compelling - by being less predictable - had the author chosen to portray characters through actions of a loft ier nature. Characters that took the higher .road, and transcended their base natures in the process would have added complexity, interest and intrigue to the stories. Additionally, it would have given the reader food for thought, and more importantly, provided a canvas on which to fran1e their own behaviour and character.

Then the thought occurs to the reader that the characters arc no different from tl1e people we know. \Y/e all continually fail to take the road less travel.led. We don't always allow onr higher

selves to shape our actions. And in failing to do so, the characters in A Turn Of BtJenfs are simply a reAection in a mirror we hold to our faces.

Salma Shah

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art

T

BYASHWINI SASEEDARAN

he calnung crash of waves against shores of speckled sand guietly engulfs the hum of local traffic and beachgoers as laughter drifts with the cool breeze, and conversations pause at an impressive sculpture.

Overlooking the never-ending beauty of the Indian Ocean and stretches of sand at iconic Cottesloe Beach, Perth, an intriguing sculpLUre h as been delicately and thoughtfully installed.

Feamred among 78 other wocks ar the annual Sculpnu:e by the Sea exhibicion, Column of Sound is a thought provoking and conversation starting sculpmre.

Announced winner of tl1e $50,000 Rio Tinto Sculpture Award, multidisciplinary artist Har sha Vardhan Dur ugadda has rigbtfully earned his place as a r ising virmoso in d1e artistic community.

Column of Sound stands as a unigue for m, sculpted specifically using audio from the site's location. After a painstaking process of recording audio from the planes of land surrounding the sculpture's site, the artist conceives a physical representation of the sounds. He constructs his art and adjusts the sculpture based on the rhythms and movements heard. The final product stands as a profound transformation between audio and visual realms.

Having received the Andrea Streeton Memorial Invitation at Sculpnu:e by the Sea, Bondi 2016, Dmugadda's explorations in tl1e perceptions of audio and visual certainly question the normative approach by imploring critical and imaginative tl1inking.

NATIONAL EDITION

Sensory concepts are commonly imerpreted singulacly, as smell i s correlated co the nose, sound is parallel to ears and touch is mutually exclusive to feel.

Durugadda has instead achieved the almost unthinkable in h is feat by purposely disrupting common perceptions and inviting onlookers to be a part of this sensory breakthrough as be forges binaries between otherwise opposing senses and notions. "\Xie are used to whatever is already in Physi cs books. People are not ready to touch or feel sound. I'm working to change perceptions and disturb people's dunking of life. When d1ey touch die sculpnu:e, they touch the sound of die site," explains Durugadda.

"It is never the same sculpn1re in visual, the slices of marble pieces are different each tin1e. The sculpcure changes according co space."

Appropriately situated at die forefront of an oceanic landscape where the worlds of natme and artificial const ruction collide, Col umn of Sound is a deep expression of nature inspired art coupled wirn anthropomorphic ideologies.

Born in Andhra Pradesh , India and now based in New Delhi, Durugadda completed ]us Masters in Visual Arts and began practising with a number of different mediums. Experimenting with performance art, video, prints and sculptures, he then ventured om of the nation successfully holding exhibitions and publishing work in London and here in A ustralia.

In i ts 13'h year, Sculpture by the Sea has become a household name as perhaps the world's largest annual omdoor sculpcure exlubition. Each year the beautifully captivating shores of popular Cortesloe beach become home co a temporary sculpnire park with local, national and international artists showcasing their ,,jsionary art.

Attracting h undreds of tl1ousands co

,, I'm working to change perceptions and disturb people's thinking of life. When they touch the sculpture, they touch the sound of the site , , its shores, tl1e free outdoor exhibition has people pouring in all times of day and 1-ught, from residents i n Perth to tourists and even local APL football stars.

The event invites the public to appreciate and participate in contemporary art in a physical and interactive manner as all are welcomed to view tl1e pieces at their own pace and create their own imaginative perspectives. "(Sculpnire by the Sea] i s a great oppornmity and a great way to judge different works. It is a great benchmark for ot l1er organisations and especially for yorn1ger artists working alongside more experienced, senior artists," say s Durugadda. "[T11e win] is such an overwhelming welcome, l was so surprised.

This is a great step for my career and such a confidence booster. I have received the highest reception for my work here in A ustralia."

Apart from being the majot prize winner, Column of Sound will soon be installed in

tl1e town of B usselton through the efforts of Rio Tinto.

"As an emerging artist , I was hiring most things before. Now 1 want co buil d u p my studio and invest in tools tbac will allow me to continue doing my work," reveals Durugadda. "I will be applying co be exhibited in Bondi next year, as well as applying for exhibitions elsewhere in the world."

Following his success in Au stralia, D urugadda encourages aspiring artists of Indian ocigin to venmre ftu:tber man pursuing d1e pattern of being doctors or engineers.

'1 was more welcome d here d1an at home in India," says Durugadda. ''Usu ally in Asian com1tcies the)' go for senior artists and only they end up receiving awards.

[Australia] i s open for everybody to engage with."

Sctt/pture by the Sea, Cottesloe w.:4, will be open to thepubfie until 20 March 2017

MARCI-I (2) 2017 33

women's day

■

n's r aw ■

India's national carrier flies its all-female crew in to Melbourne

T

world. All the female passengers were given roses before boarding - I was given two!"

Air India is seeking a Guinness World record for its all-female flights around the world. Other airfu1es have also recently laLmched similar flights in their guest to join the bandwagon, however Air India claims it is the first one to script history by flying an all- woman crew flight around the world.

BY PREETI JABBAL

he conversation in the cockpit sure was differenc this time, as the all-female crew from Air India flew into Melbourne airport, as part of an initiati,7e

by Air India co commemorate International \Xfomen's Day. Led by Captain Laxmi Nagrath, the DreamJinet left Delhi at 1.15pm on 8 March and landed in :tv[elbourne just before 7am on 9 l'vfarch, covering around 10,215 kilometers, with 237 passengers and nine infants on board.

As the weary travellers made their way out to Arrivals, there was a sti.r of excitement, and the four Air India cockpit crewmembers emerged .in their crisp unifor ms, all of them women. They chatted easily about their experiences and were very proud co be part of this initiative to mark Internacional Women's Day. This wasn't the first time an all-female crew flew into Melbourne, according to Captain Sangeeta Nirmal, who claimed that Air India had consciously encouraged and promoted several such flights in the past. lncerestingly, both her daughters are also pilots and she strongly believes that aviation

34 MARCI-I (2) 2017

Al's all-women crew operates 'around the world' flight �3U�#f:-'ll � ;,Rlltlll11IA OCI

is a great career for women.

Captain Nagrath said she had come across no gender disparity i n terms of pay or oppor tunities during her 30-year flying career. "In fact, I was looked after better than the men and my batch mates took extra care in looking out for me when I was training," she shared with a smile.

This was not their first visit to Melbourne and judging by their conversation, plans seemed to be in place to check out Melbourne's sights with Melbourne Zoo and St Kilda beach on cop of their to do list. The popular Thousand Seeps walking trail and bike rides co the beach were also high on the agenda

The cabin crew displayed no sign of weariness, despite the long haul, as they happily posed for photos, smart and smiling in their unifor m . Their mood seemed co match the colour of Indian spring (mustard) that was dominant i n their saris.

The passengers were equally upbeat ·and delighted to find om chat they were part of a special event.

"It was perfect! The plane couldn't differentiate between a male and female pilot!" Sunila Forsyth laughingly cold Tndian Link. "Jokes aside, I felt very good knowing chat Air India deployed au all women flight.

It's very empowering and encouraging, especially for Indian women around the

National passenger carrier A . .ir Jndia recently operated an 'aroLmd the world' flight with an all-female crew, on its New Delhi-San Francisco-New Delhi route.

Flight AI 173 took off from Indira Gandhi Internacional Airport in Delhi on 27 Februar y to San Francisco, covered a distance of around 15,300 km in 15 and a half hours over the Pacific route, and on the return journey from San Francisco over the Atlantic.

"The entire flight was operated by the women -staff of eight deparm1ents," an airline release said. "These departments induded cockpit crew, cabin crew, checkin staff, doctor, customer care staff, ATC (air traffic controQ and the entire ground handling from operator to technician, engineer and flight dispatcher and trimmer. " The line operation safety audit was done

by Harpreet A De Singh, ED (executive director) Flight Safety, Air lndia. This i s the first time chat chis -audit was clone by a female officer for an around-the-world trip.

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food

Champion chestnuts!

The 'old chestnut' is new again, writes KIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR

C

hestnms really are a superfood - super versatile and super heal thy. \-X1ith a delicate, unique Aavour, chestnuts can be used i n a variety o f savoury and sweet dishes. Available from mid-March through to July, they contain high levels of ,Titmnins C and E, fibre and folace, and, unlil<e many other nut varieties, are low i n fat and oiJ content.

Chestnuts are actually more like a fruit than a nut. Grown on trees, th e nuts are sheathed in a spikey husk with around three nuts in each burr. When ripe, the frui t falls to the ground and the husk splits open to reveal the smooth-shelled mus.

Chestnuts are quite distinct from other nuts io chat their natural goodness is obtained th.rough cooking. They shou.ld nor be eaten raw, owing to their high tannic acid content which can cause digestive issues.

Chestnuts have two skins. One is the hard, omer, shiny brown shell. and the other is the thin inner sk in lmown as the pelli cle.

To prepare chestnurs, you can bake, microwave, roast or boil th e nut before in corporating into your recipe. The most important step is to cut into the shell co

prevent th e nut from overbearing and e1,.1Jloding while cooking. You can make a shallow cut i oto th e flar side of the shell across the face of the nut, ot cut a cross into th e flat-end. Peel chestnuts while they are still war m as they can be tricky to peel when cooled. You can choose to remove both the iru1er and outer shell, or keep the pellicle intact.

"Historically th e chestnut is popular for roasting and once the outer shell is roasted, the pellicle comes away pretty easily," says Chestnuts Ausi;ralia member and grower Jane Casey. "However, in the early season varieties, this is not the case, yet people try to discard the pelli cle. With what we know now, th e pellicle's health benefits are so siguificam chat we are eating it too."

"Chestnuts go really well with chocolate, orange, mushroom, cabbage, pork and chicken, just to name a few," says Jane Casey.

Having been grown in Australia for over 100 years, chestnuts are ,vell worth the patience and time needed for their preparation.

For more visit chestnutsaustralia. com.au

Preparing Chestnuts : To roast

° ° : Preheat oven to 200 C (180 C fanforced).

Place prepared chestnuts onto a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until : the shells split open. :

••

: To grill or barbecue : : :

••

Place prepared chestnuts on a tray under a moderate to hot grill, or place chestnuts directly onto the barbecue grill, turning a couple of times, for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the shells blacken and split open.

: To boil : :

Place prepared chestnuts into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the flesh is tender and easily separates from the shell.

.••• To microwave

: Place 6 to 8 prepared chestnuts in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate. Cook, : uncovered, on full power (850 watts or High) for 2 to 3 minutes or until the fl esh is • tender. Timing can vary depending on chestnut size and microwave power.

• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Chestnut, Spinach & Green Pea Soup Preparation 15 mins + chestnut prep time Cooking 25 mins Serves 4 Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil 1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthways, washed and sliced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 400g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped 4 cups chicken stock 100g baby spinach leaves 1½ cups frozen green peas Sour cream, to serve

Method

Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Add chestnuts and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add stock, cover and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and peas.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes until peas are tender.

Remove from heat and puree with a

stick blender until smooth. Season to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with chestnut crisps* if liked and serve.

NOTE: This soup thickens on standing - add extra stock if necessary. *To make chestnut crisps; slice 50g of cooked and peeled chestnuts in a little olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, tossing often, until golden. Drain on paper towel

. . .................................................................................................................. .

Chestnut And Golden Syrup Pudding Preparation time 20 mins + chestnut prep time Cooking time 25 mins Serves 4-6 Ingredients

220g fresh chestnuts ½ cup milk 1 egg 80g butter, melted 2 tbsp golden syrup 1/3 cup firmly-packed brown sugar 1 ¼ cups self-raising fl our, sifted Icing sugar, for dusting Cream or ice-cream, to serve Sauce: ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp cornflour 1 ¼ cups boiling water ¼ cup golden syrup

NATIONAL EDITION

Method

Cut chestnuts in half across the width of the chestnut.

Place prepared chestnuts into a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 15 to 20 min. Remove the chestnuts one at a time from the water.

Wrap in a clean tea towel for 5 to 10 minutes. While chestnuts are still warm, quickly peel off the outer brown shell and remove the papery thin skin underneath.

Preheat oven to 180 ° C. Lightly grease an 8-cup deep ovenproof dish.

Finely grate chestnuts in a food processor. In a large bowl, combine

milk, egg, butter and golden syrup. Stir in chestnuts, sugar and sifted fl our.

Using a large metal spoon, mix until just combined. Spoon into the prepared dish.

To make the sauce, combine sugar and cornfl our in a small bowl. Sprinkle over pudding. Combine water and golden syrup in a jug. Pour mixture over the back of large metal spoon over the pudding batter. Place dish on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden and pudding bounces back when gently pressed in the centre. Stand for 5 minutes. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with cream or ice-cream.

MARCI-I (2) 2017 37

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travel accredited

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As the seasons change, so must your beauty routine Honey

BY MINAL KHONA

t is autumn already and, before you know it, the \Veather is going to get colder. Even people with normal skin will find it going dry and itchy. Instead of slathering on the creams after the temperatures drop, why not start taking care. of your skin weJl in advance. with these basic at-home products you can use to keep your skin moisturised during winter.

Sunscreen We usualJy take better care of our skin i n summer than i n winter. W/e are extra careful with the stmscreen, moisturisers and lip balms. But, do you know that we need sunscreen in winter roo? Just because the sun is not blazing down, it doesn't mean the UV rays are gone too. The first thing ro remember is that a sunscreen or moisturiser with a minimum of SPF 15 should be something you use al1 through the year.

NATIONAL EDITION

This versatile kitchen ingrectient i s a great moisturiser. Take a spoon each of yoghurt and honey and apply it al1 over your face and neck. Rinse off once it is dry. Do this regularly for soft and supple skin.

Extra virgin coconut oil These days the organic or extra virgin varieties of this wonderful oil are avai!Jible everywhere. Just applying it all over your face and neck i s enough to give your skin the moismre it needs. That's because coconut oil has fatty acids that can nourish the skin and it is easily absorbed. You can also apply this oil to your hair and leave on for an hour before you shampoo. It will prevent hair from becoming extra dry and frizzy dmi.ng winter.

A tip to gauge if the product is genuine: Pure coconut oil will always freeze in colder weather. It becomes almost like a solid white mass inside the bottle and you have to place the bottle in hot water till it melts.

Fruit While we eat ctifferent fr nit fo.r their multiple benefits, applying tl1e111 to the skin is also helpful. Take a bit of papaya, banana

or orange pulp and mix it with honey. Apply it all over the face and neck and you will have moisnire rich skin i n ten minutes. This works for all skin types and not only dry skin.

Cream and milk If you have dry lips, a dab of ghee or clarified butter, honey or even cre, an1 will work wonders. Try boiling a little full cream milk, the cream will float to the top and you can use that as a base for face masks (cream mixed with crushed almonds or walnuts is an excellent mask for very dry skin); a face scrub (mix cream and gram Aour and scrub your face with it to remove dry skin); or even as a heavy duty moisruciser (mix cream and a little milk and rub it into the skin gently).

Extra virgin olive oil Winter can lead to dreaded dandruff. This oil works very weJl to eliminate dandruff due to its anti-microbial qualities. War m it up and apply to your scalp. If your hair is on the drier side, blend the oil with a raw egg and apply - the oil will take care of the dandruff and the egg will nourish the so·ands and roots with e.xtra protein.

Antioxidant-rich diet Make sure you include one or more 'superfoods' in your diet. Tbese are foods that are high in nutrients even when eaten in small quantities. Walnuts, pomegranates, salmon, quinoa, sprouts, lean meats and seeds Like chia, sunflower and flax, give you energy, and the antioxidants and nutrients the body needs to stay healtl1y on all fronts.

Water

During winter we don't feel so tbirsty, but it is important to drink enough water through the day so the cells of the skin stay moismrised. You can even scare your day witl1 a glass of warm water mixed with honey - it is a great detox for tl1e system, especially if you have a lifestyle where you are indoors at work or party over weekends.

This will help counter the side effects of air conditioning and alcohol.

Talk to your grandmothers, read about seasonal foods and try ro incorporate tl1ern into your diet and beauty routines. Your skin and hair will show the results of tl1e extra care and winter winds won't hurt tl1em anymore.

MARCI-I (2) 2017 39

travel

BY SANDIP HOR

I

assume Messi loves Barcelona while Ronaldo punches his weight behind Madrid, their fondness obvious!)' arisi11g from their respective association with the two celebrated Spanish football clubs, Barcelona FC and Real i\fadrid.

However, when in Spain it's not difficult to spot other points of rivalry between the nation's two most visited destinations. Foremost is perhaps the cry from Barcelonans for separation of their state, Catalonia, from Spain. The capital Madrid hates this idea and as a result some ideological differentiation has been exploding between the two cities. For example, there's no more bull fighting in Barcelona because it's now thought to be brutal, but in Madrid it continues in fi.tlJ swing as a part of age-old Spanish tradition Each of the two cities claim to be the 'best destination' in Spain. However, as a first time visitor, I stay neutral a11d stamp both as equally appealing, each having their own urban character and historical, architectural and contemporary charms to dutch visitors in their grips.

Tucked between the Collserola Hills and ?vfediterranean Sea, Barcelona represents a patchwork of characteristic districts, narrating the story of its evolution from a medieval maritime hub to the 19'h century extensions and today's high enecgy

40 MARCM (2) 2017

borough set up.

Being a history enthusiast, I start my Barcelona odyssey at Barri Gotic, or the Gothic Quarter, which is the medieval nucleus of Barcelona. This area inside the Old Town is a labyrinth of paved squares and twisted streets lined with sever.al pivotal buildings, the most significant being the mighty Barcelona Cathedral, a blend of Gothic and Romanesque design. Its construction began in 1298 on the foundations of a Roman temple and l'Yfoorish mosque reminding modern generations that the Romans and the Muslims earlier marked their footsteps in Barcelona.

So too did the Jews, who were also occupying parts of the Old Town, Antiga Sinagoga being their most notable living landmark. Edging the Gothk Quarter is La Ra.mbla, the city's rnost illustrious tl1oroughfare. Densely packed with restaurants, cafes and bars, this kilometre­ long, tree-lined avenue is a dawn-to-dusk frenzy of hwnan activity.

Barcelona claims to have Europe's greatest collection of Art Nouveau buildings dating from the early I 9'h century.

Many of them were designed by prodigious Cat.'lia.n architect Antoni Gaudi whose distinctive style is branded by freedom of shape, riot of colour and texture. A cluster of his creations in Barcelona are World Heritage listed, most visited among them being Palau Gi.ie.11, Casa Mila, Casa BatU6 and La Sagrada Familia, a monumental dmrch whose construction continues to this day since it was commenced in 1883.

If there is time to see just one thing in Barcelona, it has to be tl1is towering building, deemed Gaudi's most fabled

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,, Like La Rambla in Barcelona, the medieval quarter of Puerta del Sol is the where the heart of Madrid has been racing for centuries , , concept, based on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine carbedrals. His design calls for a total of 18 spires, some of which are still under construction.

They are supposed co represent Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Four Evangelists and the Twelve Aposrles. When complete in 2026, this band of spires will represent a unique addition to tbe skyline vista of Barcelona. The cathedral's interior, whjch is almost complete, reAects innovative use of light to bequeath the architecture with eloquence and grandeur. Gandi died of a tragic accident in 1926 and his body is buried inside the crypt, so that he remains for t ime eternal with his distinguished formation.

If La Sagrada Familia ranks at the top of any Barcelona itinerary, then Museo Nacional de! Prado aptly qualifies for a similar ranking in Madrid. According to art gums, it fits in the same bracket as the Louvre in Paris and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, all of chem being a treasure trove of extraordinary art and sculpture. Housed in a vast neoclassical edifice, the Prado embraces art from the 12'1, co 2Q•h centuries and exhibits the world's largest collection of Spanish works. Its distinct feature is the display of the collections of former Spanish monarchs which reflect the taste

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and political alliances of the royalty during 15,1, to 17'" century. i\fany visit here to see the works of Francisco de Goya, the most eminent Spanish court painter, whose best creations were completed as a part of his official duties. Several of his masterpieces, like the Naked Maja and the Clothed Maja, are housed i n this museum. \X-'hi.le the Prado presents Spanish art, there are museums in Barcelona, such as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, that showcase mosrly Catalan arr.

The Sparush capital since 1619, Madrid is engraved with many imperial emhlems, with rl1e 18•h century Royal Palace being the biggest crowd puller . .Many of its 3000 rooms are open to the public to witness rl1e opulent lifestyle of monarchs lil,e King Charles II & IV and King Alfonso XIV. Like La Ran1bla in Barcelona, the medieval quarter of Puerta de] Sol is rl1e where the heart of Madrid has been racing for centuries. The area is filled with churches, monasteries and government buildings, recent adrutions being hordes of restaurants, cafes, bars, boutique shops and othet outlets visirors look for, like money changers and mobile phone suppliers.

It's close to the expansive Plaza i\fayor, a paved square which began life in rl1e 1 5' " century as a macket place and then a venue

for bullfights, carruvals and important ceremonies of imperial Madrid. A statue of 17'1, century monarch Phillip lII stands at its centre. The square today is an important hub of social garl1erings and is surrounded by some of :Madrid's best restaurants; Los Galayos, serving authentic Sparush cuisine since 1894, being one of them.

The biggest similarity berween Barcelona and Madrid is rl1eir pas sion for football.

Though tapas, paella and flamenco are other contributors to harmony, none are possibly as strong as rbe world game.

Both Can1p Nou and Santiago Bernabeu Stadiums, the homes of Barcelona FC

Clockwise from top left: Barcelona square; Gaudi building, Barcelona; Madrid bullfight arena; Gaudi's Park Guell, Barcelona; Sacred Black Madonna inside Montserrat Monastery; Regal entry to Madrid; Royal Palace, Madrid and Real Madrid, are pilgrimage sites for football fans irre spective of their city of origin. If their clubs are not playing, these fans have no hesitation in uniting to stand behind rl1e Spanish national team during any international game.

Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) have regular flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to both Barcelona and Madrid, with a high speed train connection between the two cities.

Hotel Gatalonia Barcelona Plaza (en.cataloniabcnplaza. com) and Hotel NH Madrid Eurobuilding (www.nh-hotels. com) are conveniently located and well serviced.

• Tucked at a mountainous location 40km away from Barcelona, Montserrat is a basilica and monastery where pilgrims storm to see the Black Virgin.

• Dotted 72km from Madrid is the former imperial city ofToledo. still deemed the nation·s regal and cultural epicentre.

Tablao Villa Rosa (www.tablaoflamencovillarosa.com) in Madrid presents an excellent dinner and flamenco show packqge.

Spanish Tourism Board (www.spain.info)

MARCI-I (2) 2017 41

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SEEKING BRIDES Suitable match (vegetarian or non-vegetarian) for Australian-born, vegetarian, Punjabi doctor boy, 31 years old, 5'7" rail, fair complexion. Family settled in Australia. Please email desiny3239@gmail.com.

Looking for a suitable match for 33-year-old Brahmin boy, well setded fo Australia. Involved in family business. Fair complexion, height 5'8". Email kumar.sham@bigpond.com.

Seeking a groom for my daughter, brought up in Australia, from Kayastha family, living in Sydney for past 24 years. She is 25 years old, 5'2", Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Law from UNS\X,; a qualified lawyer working witl1 reputed international firm in Sydney. She is smart, caring, has great regard for family values. Looking for a qualified, smart boy, preferably settled in Australia. Caste no bar. Send details to pbab93@gmail. com or call +61 412 487 801.

Seeking a groom for well-qualified, Tank-Khatri Sikh girl. Age 24, height 163cm, slim, hotel management, currently working, business family, based in Calcutta, India. Looking for handsome Sikh boy, well-educated and working, from cultured family based anywhere in Australia, permanent reside.nt or citizen. Uncles living in Sydney for past 30 years.

Respond with photo and profile co saggu.aman@yaboo.com or call +61 404 187 115 for further information.

Seeking suitable match for ]ate-Sikh girl, Australian citizen, 33, S'S", slim, fair, responsible, compassionate yonng bdy witl1 a charming personality. Professionally qualified, working in government organisation. Boy should be professionally qualified, settled in Australia. Caste no bar. P lease send derails wid1 photo to kaur.nonie@gmail.com or call +61 422 409 881.

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MARCI-I (2) 2017 43

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TRAPPED

judiciously assembled plot with such radiant authenticity that after a while we cease to watch the skill that underlines the outstanding performance. All we see i s the suffering of the trapped soul, his desperation to get out of that apartment What would you do if you were trapped where Shourya is locked away far from in a high rise for days without food, civilisation, though not even a road away water or company? Eat a bird although from the bustle. you are vegetarian? Check. Drink your Unlike other great survival dramas own urine to quench your thirst? Check. like Robert Zemeckis' Castaway or Talk to a rat for company's sake? Check.

Ang Lee's The Life Of Pi (the latter The incredibly gifted Rajkummar I exceedingly overpraised), Trapped is Rao, no stranger to internalised performances, immerses himself in the I set right in the heart of a swarming city STARRING: Rajkummar Rao DIRECTOR: Vikramaditya Motwaney

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get the

for your

Austra lia n Visa 44 MARCI-I (2) 2017

filled with people who - how do we put this politely? - don't give a damn about the next person.

Motwane, who last helmed the underwhelming Lootera, brings out the apathy in the large city in a sequence where Rao announces his departure to his fl at mates. They barely muster a response and one of them indifferently asks where he is going.

Answer not relevant.

The preamble, which includes a sudden eruption of romance with a woman Noorie (Geetanjali Thapa) ends just as suddenly once Rao's character is trapped in an apartment so far removed from human contact that no scream of help reaches anyone's ear. It is a terrifying premise, executed effectively by a script that relentlessly explores the theme of isolation and survival.

Cinematographer Siddharth Diwan is as fearless behind the camera as Rao is in front. Together, they shoot Shourya's growing decline and fading hope of rescue with minimalist magnificence.

The shots are cut with no room for lingering woundedness. If Shourya bleeds we can't look away.

Rao's projection of his character's waning strength is as authentic as Tom Hanks in Castaway. Rao's Shourya is no islanded recluse. The little apartment perched smugly and stoically in the sky is all the world that Motwane's plot inhabits. There are no frills and no digressions. The background score

by Aloknanda Dasgupta is used with rationed effect, quite like time, food, water and hope running out on the protagonist.

The one time that the background score lights up the sound.scape is when Shourya collects rainwater in every vessel he can find in his high rise prison.

It is an interlude that reminds us of what we have and what we take for granted

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can be snatched away within moments.

Even the fl ashbacks are severely restricted Uust one, actually, when we see Shourya arguing passionately in favour of vegetarianism before being forced to eat a bird in the present crisis). What we get isthe core element of survival. The very epicentre of self­ preservation where no action or reaction is prohibited. It is very difficult for one actor to hold our attention for two hours.

Rajkummar Rao gets our undivided attention unconditionally. His character's awful predicament is so tangibly tactile as to leave us shaken for good.

Among the many remarkable hurdles that Motwane's storytelling crosses with its beleaguered protagonist is the whole idea of getting the geographical periphery of the crisis right. The apartment building,the isolated fl at and its distance from any human contact are all measured out by the storytellers, so that we never feel we are being tricked into believing in Shourya's crisis.

At one point during the actor's journey from self-assertion to self-abnegation, and beyond, we see Rajkummar Rao's trousers fall off from his waist to the ground. This is probably a random unscheduled crisis that was allowed to remain on the editing table. I t helps serve two purposes. It shows the character's complete repudiation of vanity in the face of death. It also shows how much weight the actor has lost in the course of his journey.

It's hard to imagine Trapped working so effectively without Rajkummar Rao. He lives every second of Shourya's struggle for self-preservation. His journey is so illustrative of a migrant's metropolitan melancholy as to make any attempt to add signboards to the storytelling akin to shining torchlight to supplement sunlight.

Subhash K Jha

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BADRINATH Kl DULHANIA

STARRING: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Shweta Basu Prasad, Rituraj Singh, Sahil Vaid, Yash Sinha, Aakanksha Singh, Gauhar Khan DIRECTOR: Shashank Khaitan

�. �, :

A quick-fix, from the stables of Dharma Productions, director Shashank Khaitan's Badrinath Ki Dulhania is a

AA GAYA HERO

STARRING: Govinda, Ashutosh Rana, Murali Sharma, Makarand Deshpande, Chandrachur Singh, Richa Sharma and Poonam Pandey DIR E�TOR:, Dipankar Senapati , ... ( � ,( Dear Govinda, I went through the singular experience of watching your latest film touted as your comeback, but severely savaged by critics as being "too 1990s" to be taken seriously now. In case you didn't notice, it is 2017. But when critics say Aa Gaya Hero is too 1990s, I don't know what they mean, because even in the 1990s, your films made by your friends like Pahlaj Nihalani and David Dhawan, looked like they came 30 years too late.

But anyway, those films back then like Shola Aur Shabnam and Hero No 1 were fun, if you liked that sort of a thing - thrusting pelvis, double meaning comebacks... Now the pelvis doesn't thrust. It thirsts.

There was the inimitable and remarkably witty Kader Khan for company back then. Alas, Kader Khan is no more part of yourjourney... The wit is gone.

In a scene in Aa Gaya Hero (Here NATIONAL EDITION

typically cliched, frothy rom-com, which exploits the sheer charm of its stars.

A lot happens and it happens charmingly with such quick spirit and wit, that it's enough to put you off rom­ coms for a while. The film is not bad, but with no novelty factor. This is just a case of the law of diminishing marginal utility.

The story involves Badrinath Bansal (Varun Dhawan), a typical small town dude from Jhansi, who itches to get married soon. It is during his friend's

wedding in Kata that he spots Vaidehi Trivedi (Alia Bhatt), a bright, spirited and ambitious girl and sets his heart on her.

How he woos her forms the crux of the tale.

What keeps you hooked is Varun's buffoonish yet lovable character and with his charismatic and endearing performance, he portrays it with panache. He is aptly supported by Alia, who is effortless and convincing.

Together, they have the sort of

Comes The Hero???!!!), I was aghast to see the theatre stalwart Makarand Deshpande saying something as sleazy as - and I translate loosely - "When you grow older, what goes up in your younger days, stays down."

I am pretty sure that was Makarand, though I could be hallucinating. I also think I saw Poonam Pandey in one shot. I have no idea what she was doing with you, or why she was doing what she was doing/not doing. This film had that effect on me. It is like a lengthy, disjointed, incoherent, tawdry and tacky homage to the honest-cops sagas of the 1970s, executed by someone high on dope and low on hope.

Aa Gaya Hero could pass off as a spoof on Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer and Govind Nihalani's Ardh Satya, if only the director (where did you find him???) had the sense of humour to carry off a

satirical look at the khakhi genre.

You know, how Deadpoo/ spoofs the superhero films? The only entity Aa Gaya Hero ends up ridiculing is you, Govinda - once a star now reduced to a pale shadow of what you once used to be.

The swagger of Sarkaye lo khatiya is replaced by a grotesque parody of the funny-entertaining hero who once was King. Who is this impersonator on screen? And what is he doing in this pathetic patchwork quilt of a product. parody that parodies the parodic

chemistry that might make any dialogue work, and it certainly works in this story about a typical Indian guy who is bogged down by his overbearing father and an ambitious girl, till the boy finds courage to finally come right out and oppose his father. This sort of chemistry is not always inevitable, but it works well here.

Rituraj is a powerful actor but as Amarnath Bansal, Badrinath's father, he is a misfit. Swanand Kirkire as Vaidehi's father, Shweta Basu Prasad and Yash Sinha as Badrinath's sister­ in-law and brother have their moments of on screen glory.

Sahil Vaid as Badrinath's friend Somdev is delightfully impressive.

Gauahar Khan as Police Sargeant Laxmi Shankar is wasted in a miniscule role.

One of the film's problems is that the plot never gathers enough momentum, emotional or narrative, to involve the audience. With several amusing and compelling episodes the film seems forced, predictable and yet entertaining.

Mounted on a grand scale, the songs are peppy and even soulful. They complement the narrative, but not organically.

Overall, the film is visually appealing, glossy and vibrant.

Troy Ribeiro

Govinda film of the 1990s, with gaping holes and ongoing continuity lapses.

Clearly, the editor has used a butcher's knife on the footage, not knowing what to cut because it was all so messy.

Where is the real Govinda? Why has he allowed this charlatan to take over?

If I was you, Govinda, I would slap a defamation suit against the people responsible for this hideous travesty.

Nobody must do this to Govinda. Not even Govinda.

Subhash K Jha

MARCI-I (2) 2017 45

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

ANUSHKA SHARMA

GHOSTLY ANTICS OF ANUSHKA SHARMA

0 0

STARS BEHAVI NG BADLY

W

e regularly hear of celebrities misbehaving in public. Now comedian-actor Kapil Sharma, the simple guy who started small, has recently joined this club.

Returning to India from a tour of Oz, Kapil had a mid-air bust-up with Sunil Grover, his loyal lieutenant.

Of course he took to social mediato first denythe whole thing and then to say it was but a little matter ("itna to cha/ta han, and then to openly grovel and profess undying love.

Really, Kapil?

Of course Grover would have none of it and gave the star a piece of his own mind.

Seems like he has no intention to support Kapil's desperate attempt to cover up his brat-like behaviour.

Sources say Kapil's change of heart came from the intervention of his channel Sony TV's top brass, who would not like to see ratings drop if Grover quits. Others say fans turned on Kapil for his bad behaviour.

Perhaps both are true. But one thing's for sure - yup, Kapil Sharma is the industry's newest brat.

46 MARCI-I (2) 2017

So we've seen Anushka Sharma's ghost, called Shashi, in the most unlikely places by now.

If you don't know what we are talking about, we mean the promotions of Anushka Sharma's new film Phillauri, in which she plays a ghost named Shashi.

In the lead up to the release on 24 March, Anushka has starred in a series of memes where Shashi turns up at various places to stir things up, with the hashtag #ShashiWasThere.

So we saw her at the Oscars goof-up with the Best Picture announcement, at Trump's swearing in ceremony, on Kapil Sharma's top-rating comedy show, and in many of Bollywood's iconic moments from the recent past (Sheila ki jawaani, Ranbir Kapoor's famous bath-towel scene, Aamir Khan's transistor shot...), and most recently inside Shah Rukh Khan's palatial home Mannat. Yup, Shashi was there everywhere.

Pity she missed the real Shashi (Kapoor's) 79th birthday only a few days ago, eh?

And oh, of course #ShashiWasThere as cricketer boyfriend Virat Kohli terrorised the Aussies on and off the cricket field ....

WEIG HTY ISSUES: RANBIR KAPOOR

Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, who is reprising Sanjay Dutt in a Hindi biopic on the controversial actor's life, looks heavier than usual these days.

The as yet untitled film, being directed by Rajkumar Hirani, is said to portray seven different phases of troubled actor Sanjay Dutt's life, starting from when he was all of 22.

The proverbial silver spoon, a stellar launch to a film career.then family tragedy, drugs, broken relationships galore, and ultimately jail - there must be some of these aspects from Sanjay's life that poor little rich boy Ranbir can himself identify with?

"It has been an inspiring journey for me to be playing Sanjay Dutt for the silver screen. I have never put on so much weight before and now plan to reduce some weight for the next phase of shooting," Ranbir said at a recent press conference.

Weight is a congenital problem in your family, Ranbir, so we know where you're headed in your middle age... but the real weighty issue we want clarification on, is what the hell where you doing in that distressing video conversation with Mahira Khan?!

SU PERHERO OF A DIFFERENT KIND

Superman, Batman... Pad Man. Yup, sanitary pad man.

Akshay Kumar's new film, called Pad Man, is produced by his glamorous writer wife Twinkle Khanna, It is based on the real life story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, an entrepreneur who found a way to make cheap, affordable sanitary napkins for women in his village. He scored much media attention the world over for turning women ' s lives around in rural India.

His story is one of the many real-life stories that forms Twinkle's acclaimed second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad.

Twinkle says she is proud of being associated with a movie that brings the spotlight on a "shamed" subject like menstruation.

The shoot of the film got underway this month in Indore. The movie stars Akshay Kumar in the lead role, with Radhika Apte featuring as his wife. It is being directed by R. Balakrishnan, better known as R. Balki.

Mr Muruganantham was himself present to see the film kick off.

STILL LOVE TV: SAKSHI TANWAR

She has delivered powerful performances in shows like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kil and Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, and after bagging the role of Aamir Khan's wife in, many believed it could mark her shift from the small to the big screen.

"Why should I," Sakshi told IANS when asked if she has quit TV for Bollywood. "I have given 16 years of my life to TV. I have really worked hard to be where I am, so why should I just give it up? In fact, I would love to experiment with more and more media. It's not about TV, films or web - you know an artiste tries to do as many possible mediums as he or she can."

Born and brought up in Alwar, Rajasthan, Sakshi grew up with two siblings - a brother and a sister - and pursued her graduation from Lady Shri Ram College here. She earned fame for her character Parvati Agarwal of www.indianlink.com.au

the popular Balaji telefilms TV series Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii and later as Priya Ram Kapoor on Bade Achhe Lagte Hain.

In Dangal, the actor played Daya

Kaur, wife of Mahavir Phogat, essayed

by Aamir. The film did roaring business at the box office, but Sakshi always kept a low profile.

"I kept a low profile earlier also, and nothing has changed after Dangal. The way I am and the way my life is, it has been same for a number of years and I don't think it's ever going to change because it has to do with the kind of person I am. I am grateful that I got an opportunity to do lovely work, and beyond that, I am the person that I am," said the 44-year-old.

It definitely has been a long journey for Sakshi from Parvati to where she is now. Kudos to her!

ALIA BHATT: STUPID, OR SMART?

Alia Bhatt says she would rather be stupid than pretend to be smart and intelligent.

Social media had a field day when Alia famously drew a blank when asked to name the President of India on a TV show not so long ago.

"A lot of energy is consumed in pretending to the world that you know it all," the 24-year-old said recently.

"If you preserve this energy, you can use it to learn. True knowledge in acquired by being on the threshold of ignorance."

The Udta Punjab actor says it would bother her if there are no jokes at her expense.

"When the jokes on me stop coming, I'll be upset. If I am crossing your mind at any point of the day, I am relevant.

So why I should be upset? My father says one day, the flowers will stop coming and you'll be upset. I say one day, the jokes will stop coming, and then I'll be upset," she said.

Hmm. Smart.

ON HAPPY MARRIAGES: KJO

Filmmaker Karan Johar says he would be shocked and surprised if he comes across a "happy marriage" in the film industry.

"A happy marriage in the industry would really jolt me. I'd be like, 'You're a dinosaur, get out of here'," he says.

Besides being a successful director, producer and writer, the 44-year-old is the son of acclaimed late producer Yash Johar. He is known to be the ultimate insider to the industry.

For him to make a comment like this, it really makes you wonder about all those seemingly happily married couples in Bollywood.

WHO WORE IT � BETTER? MALAIKA ARORA KHAN or GI ULIANA RANCIC in AZZO AND OSTA

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WORTH WAITING FOR: VIDYA BALAN'S BEGUM JAAN

The more we hear about forthcoming period drama Begum Jaan, the more we want to see it.

Costumes are bound to be interesting, one would guess. Designer Rick Roy has revealed that National Award winning actor Vidya Balan donned un-ironed outfits, to bring authenticity to her role as brother owner.

"Vidya had 40 changes (outfi ts) for the film. None of the clothes she wore were ironed. It was her idea to dip wash the clothes and skip the ironing part. This ensured her clothes looked worn and added to the authenticity.

Nobody's clothes were ironed in the film," Roy said recently.

"They were dyed in vegetable dyes, so that gives that muted, earthy shade," he added The film is a story of survival set against the backdrop of the country's Partition in 1947. It is a Hindi adaptation of National Award winner Srijit Mukherji's critically-acclaimed Bengali outing Rajkahini.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK Match the following stars to the tweets below: Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma Shoot hoon! Apni superpowers use karke Mannat mein ghus toh gayi! Pata hai wahan kya hua? #ShashiWasThere Thank you for all the crazy love we have got this season for our stimulating cups of koffee!!!

Actors go for roles with possibility.

Instead an actor should choose the impossible & give it his/her best even if it means to fail trying it Embarking on a new journey, this time with the Mrs. First day of @ mrsfunnybones' #Pad.man directed by R. Saiki, need ur love & luck as always

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MARC� (2) 2017 47

backchat

----------------------------Green-eyed monster DEAR AUNTYJI

I am a fairly hardworking person in IT and always go the extra mile. Recently, I was given a new project to manage and I took it on board. However, I have noticed that one of my colleagues has been making snide comments about me, even to my face. When I reported this to my manager, I found out that Pradeep wanted to do the project that I got, and was somewhat jealous of the fact that I had been given it. despite my so-called lack of technical skills.

My manager and I get along really well, and he tends to support me in situations like this. Auntyji, when I found out about Pradeep's jealousy, I was gob smacked. He is always so nice to my face and making jokes and all, but behind my back, he tried to knife me. I mean, what kind of a person is he, and this just brings to light that Indian people are always jealous of other Indian people. I never believed this till now. What should I do? I

have been a little reserved towards Pradeep, but I wonder when he intends to stick the knife in my peeth again.

What to do, Auntyji?

AUNTYJ I SAYS

Hmm. There are jealous people everywhere, so this Pradeep is no different. The only thing different about Pradeep is that he was foolish enough to try to cast aspersions about you to your manager. Everyone knows not to take on a likeable character in the workplace. People will always defend people they like. So, what should you do? Continue to focus on your work and do such a stellar job at the project that there should not be any doubt in anyone's mind that you were perfect for the role. Be polite, friendly and professional to Pradeep, and let him dig his own grave with his jealousies.

Stupid man should have realised that you are going places. and he should have you on side. So, work super hard, be pleasant and professional, and treat Pradeep like any other colleague. Sooner or later he will get what he deserves. And so will you - a promotion!

Sydney's property market increases are unsustainable. There is likely to be a correction. What your hubby and neighbours are selfi shly not seeing is now their actions and motivations are creating a divided society. You are DEAR AUNTYJI absolutely right in feeling sad about We bought a beautiful terrace in your daughters not being able to afford Sydney for less than a million dollars homes in the current climate. So, here 3 years ago, and last month, our is what you should do. Start planning neighbours' terrace, which is the same on getting a second property, so as ours sold for $1.6 million dollars! that both of your daughters will have Can you believe it? Everyone was so something that they will own one day. happy and the neighbours even had a This is the only sensible advice I can celebration afterwards, they were giddy give you - because Sydney,s housing with excitement. Now, Auntyji, I am a market is out of control. So speak to strategic thinker, and seeing that 67% your financial planner about how you growth filled me with despair. I have can get an investment property in due two daughters and I am concerned course, and this will be a long term that they will never be able to own a investment. I suppose I could also tell home in Sydney. Since the sale, while you that you don,t need to worry about my husband and other neighbours are this because laws will change and running around crowing about their there will be considerations made for good fortune, I have been tilled with first home buyers in the future - but you despair on the inside. Why do I feel this should not depend on the government way? for this. Start planning for how you can help your kids - because we all know AUNTYJI SAYS that that,s what good Indian parents do Oh my dear chu/buli, my dear gu/abo. anyway. Congratulations on the 67% How nice it is to see a home owner capital gain. Where exactly do you live with some sense for a change. Yes, in Sydney again?

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