2017-04 Brisbane

2 APRIL2017

www.indianlink.com.au

editorial

Pakistan revolution can be to India's gain

INDIAN LINK llUBL1_51-U:R, j>awan Luth'r a_ EDITOR f:"?ajni A_nar,d Luthi-a

ASSISTANT EDITOR::

,' · • ·Kira Spucys-Tah;�� _ - · - . --- --CONTRIBUTORS Jyoti Shankar, Usha Ran:.anu}am Arvi�d; Sandip Hor, Ritam Mitra, Krishna Neela_r:riraju; l='arzana Ahmad, Chitra Sudarshan, Gaurav Masand, Minal Khona: Dhariya Samuel.' _ _. .-_-_. _,.__

,.

ADVERTISll'IG,, _ l'l.i�_ior,�� 5,}11�? ___ Vivek,Trivedi 02 9262 1766 · ADVERTISING ASSISTANT. ,Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT' , ·: se-'i;�;ht� w;s,�a'i; . ..

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published. in English. No material, includi�g· _ad'.-'.E!r�i�ernen _ts_, designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the2 editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of .the writers and not necessarily endorsed by lndiait1 •Li!'lk.,.AU.ce>r�espon,?enc:e !iho1fld ?e a��re_s!i�cl to: '

Indian link

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2006. or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

•Ph: 02 9279-2004 l=ax: 02 9279:ioos' .1:rneH: iiifo@i11dienlin�-�<>�:�U . -. .

BY PAWAN LUTH RA

T

he Karachi Stock Exchange Index bad an astonishing retnrn in 2016. le is up more than 52 percent over d1e past year • and the World Bank has forecast a growth rate of 5.2 percent this year. There is no doubt about it: there is an economic revolution taking place in Pakistan. A cotllltr)' ravaged with issues of terrorism and suicide bombers is now making headlines for other reasons.

Pakistan's middle class, which dominates over half its total population, has begun to exert pres.sure on the government to stimulate economic growth.

This, coupled with relatively improved political stability in recent times, has encouraged multinational businesses such as Apple, Samsung, Unilever, Toyota and Coca Cola to invest more to capture the middle class economic strength tipped to reach ovet $ I trillion by 2030.

Mulcioationals are being increasingly attracted co Pakistan with returns of over 25 percent being expected in this marker.

,\'\'l'/ 11,

' --.

-

'�\ 120

,,

� 80

--.. 60

100

140

200

co stop if economic cooperation is to develop between the two COlllltries.

To date, all requests and threats from the Indian side have stalled and failed. Also adding to the tensions is the muJtibillion dollar China-Pakistan Econon1ic Corridor, part of China's "One Belt and One Road" or new Silk Road project • a serjes of roads, railways, pipelines, hydropower planes and other development projects, being built from the Xi□jiang province in Cl1ina to Gwadar in southwestern Pakistan. Passing through territory in Kashmir, which India claims as its own, this could create further tensions beLween the rwo cotllltries.

But now, with the changes emerging within the econo11-1ically ambitious middle class Pakistanis, chis can change. An option for the lndian government could be to work through a strategy to reach out to chis middle class. Soft diplomacy can work the charm offensive • whether through sporting interactions or arts and culture, inclucli□g films • to take advantage of the changing demographics and win the n1iddle class Pakistani population over co allow for more pressure on d1e political system.

There is a revolution on India's doorstep, and a fresh approach needs to be taken co perhaps .find solutions to problems which have festered for far coo Jong between neighbours.

°

1//

160 '/

180 /�

Post BRICS (Brazil, Russia, Lidia, China and South Africa) and �ITNT (Me.xico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey), we now have the new acronym VARP (Vietnam, Argentina, Romania and Pakistan). Pakistan is about to join the ,vell-res.pected "emerging market" index of the MSCI which includes the 24 countries th.a t represent 10 percent of world capitalisatio1L An economically strong Pakistan is well in India's interest Ir is a neighbour which, with a population of approximately 200 million people, is also me sixm most populous country in the world. A nuclear power in itself, a peaceful Pakistan allows for both nacions to focus on solving their own problems. Their problems, unsurprisingly, are not dissimilar, mese bei11g investments in infrastructure, reliance on agcicukure wid1 the interlocking problems of water, weather and drought, increasing education standards, and finding solutions co the energy issues for their rapidly growing populations.

However, the problems in cross-border terrorism have stalled any meaningful discussions between the two countries.

W'hile the Pakisca11i government has denied any links to these attacks, India has repeatedly proven the source of these terrorism attacks co be from Pakistan.

These cross-border terror attacks need

/ /

---

- Sydney dia In t k State Ban yd.com.au bis w.s w w

220 --240

"" ' '

26.Q

--..

..........

• Money Transfers to India • Competitive & Guaranteed Exchange Rates • Efficient & Secure online process • Convenient registration free of cost at all Australia Post Outlets

When the need is Speed � REMlffANCEs)

• Trust & Confidence of State Bank of India

State Bank of India - Sydney New Applicants registering in the month of April 2017 and citing the promo code" APRl 7" at the top of their application form will receive a Coles Gift Voucher worth AU$25 from SBI Sydney (*Conditions apply)

INDIANLINK

Level 31, 264 George Street (Australia Square), Sydney NSW 2000 Ph: 02 9241 5643 Email: remit@sbisyd.com.au Visit us@ www.sbisyd.com.au

APRIL 2017 3

YOUR SAY

jJ ATROCIOUS BEHAVIOUR MARS EXHILARATING SERIES

A thoughtful DARSHAK MEHTA worries for the way in which the noble game of cricket is now being played

John Greentree wrote: Great article! Loved the idea the visiting team can

SECTION 18C: COMMUNITY SPEAKS OUT

PA WAN LUTHRA asked how the Coalition can disregard the flow-on effects within the multicultural vote bank, while KIRA SPUCYS-TAHAR revealed that according to an Indian Link survey, ethnic minorities will change their votes based on 1BC reform

Jasvlnder Sidhu wrote: Well done Indian Link and Indian Link Radio for

running a community survey on proposed changes to Section 18c of Racial Discrimination Act. These changes simply mean racial discrimination becomes right of the offender under the argument of freedom of speech.

Changes make it ok to offend, insult and humiliate anyone in Australia due to their race, colour or national or ethnic origin.

Alex Bhathal shared the post and wrote: Indian Link I think you should amend question three of the survey to include a response for people who are voting for parties that do not support the 18C amendment. Something like: 'No. The issue is important to me, but I am already voting for politicians/ parties who do not support these amendments'.

Mlchelle Rowland MP wrote: "What a shame that a Prime Minister, who was well supported by the multicultural communities at the last election, has allowed himself to be held hostage by fringe elements in his party, advocating Trump-type policies." Well said Pawan Luthra at Indian Link.

Jett Kerrlng wrote: 18c is about people getting vexatious for stupid reasons; Like in Bill Leak's case, the hate part was in the eye of the beholder.

select whether to bowl or bat. Sledging should be penalised. The umpires hear what is going on.

Dr Ahad Khan wrote: Well said, Darshak. Competitiveness is admirable.

Not giving up the game, no matter how impossible the situation looks, is admirable. Fighting 'tooth and nail' is admirable.

Coming from behind against all odds (like Laxman and Dravid did with that memorable partnership), is admirable. Using one's skills with the bat and ball to turn a game inside out (like Ian Botham's single-handed effort to win) is admirable. The way the West Indies, with a 'never give up' attitude, created the first tied Test Match, is admirable.

But, SLEDGING and ABUSING an opponent is not admirable - it is despicable.

The phrase "It ain't cricket" is used to describe certain unpleasant behaviours. Such is this noble game of cricket.

I agree with Darshak - players who attempt to bring this noble game of cricket into disrepute must be removed from the game.

Dhanada Mishra wrote: We played sports to learn spor tsmanship! I s our cricket teaching our youngsters the values that we need so badly in the real world? asks Darshak Mehta. Brilliant as usual - a must read.

Peter Lalor wrote: Good article by my favourite NRI. Better behaviour and pitches needed.

Peter Lalor added: He's not really an NRI. He is a great man. Born in Mumbai lives in Sydney. Tireless charity worker. LBW Trust chief of many years.

Khushroo Dastur wrote: Good article, well said.

Shlshlr Hattangadl wrote: Valid issues, Darshak Mehta.

Ryan Carters wrote: Well said, Darshak. I agree.

David Peever wrote: Poignant article. Well done.

Clayton Murzello wrote: Splendid piece. Great perspective.

Pradeep Kasllwal wrote: Toss to be done away looks to me one of the best ways, but we have done it away by playing on neutral venues in domestic matches.

Geoff Armstrong@garmstrong61 tweeted: If cricket has reached the point where the toss must be 'dispensed with' to ensure a fair game, then cricket is done.

Vk22 @thirdaccountvk2 tweeted: Agree on the need for better pitches especially Australian test pitches which are flat as roads.

Angus Livingston @anguslivingston tweeted: Indian writer says Australia doesn't doctor pitches, visiting teams should choose whether to bat/bowl first. I think it would really be interesting and make Test series more exciting.

Mathew lnkson @imathew tweeted: I've long wondered if visitors getting the choice would be good, not just because even pitches would be rolled, but it provides balance against general home ground advantage.

INDIAN LINK CEO PAWAN LUTH RA ON Q&A EXTRA

WOMEN'S DAY, THE AIR INDIA WAY

ABC News Radio's TRACEY HOLMES continued the Q&A conversation on the 'Festival of the Arts' with studio guest Pawan Luthra, taking calls and answering questions.

Rajnl Luthra wrote: It's amazing, I've never heard a woman pilot on Aussie

Manjlt Ral Handa wrote: Arts thrive only if patronised by the rich, not when

Dhanya Samuel wrote: That's wonderful... Air India has finally got

Melanle Smith wrote: So many people don't seem to understand or

India's national carrier flew an all-female crew to Melbourne in celebration of International Women's Day. PREETI JABBAL reported.

flights, but they seem to be quite common when you fly domestically in India.

something right.

Harlnder Sidhu @AusHClndia retweeted: Touchdown! Congrats to the

@airindiain all women crew who arrived in Melbourne this morning Rajan Vayakkattll wrote: Congratulations for supercharging and motivating all Indians, especially women! lndla6AM tweeted: congrats. Women are the foundation for our Indian culture. Happy to see their progress.

Neelam Vasudevan wrote: Fantastic! What a proud moment.

Shabblr Bootwala wrote: Great honour to the nation for their performance.

Chandra Klshore wrote: Congratulations, ladies.

Rajdeep Sardesal tweeted: The day the Indian male becomes a practising feminist. India will be a better place! Happy women's day! #womensday

4 APRIL2017

Avl Chandlok wrote: Listening to the radio last night I heard Pawan Luthra.

Pretty impressive.

paid for by the taxpayer.

appreciate what the arts bring to society as a whole. If kids develop reading habits early enough, they will become lifelong readers and their lives and that of others will be immeasurably enhanced in many other ways as well.

Put away the iPads!

Douglas Mciver wrote: No public funding of the arts seems very much like the American model of the arts being supported by philanthropy etc. Let's not go down the American pathway!

Shauna Roche wrote: I was quite disappointed in the (admittedly few) India art galleries I was able to visit in Mumbai, Jaipur and Delhi recently. The work that was 'hung' was extremely interesting and vivid, but the galleries in such poor condition I was afraid for the culture. On the other hand, there seems to be a big 'art market' which is aimed at the hyper-wealthy.

www.indianlink.com.au

SUNN Y SIDE UP!

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

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

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

To Indian Link, My name is Li Max Joy from Hobart. I was assaulted and racially abused by 4 boys and a girl here in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

I am seeking help from associations registered under the Ministry of Indian Affairs. I am trying to contact the Minister for Foreign Affairs Sushma Swaraj to help me. I am attaching the details and forwarding the complaint given to Tasmanian police this morning.

To Tasmanian police, Respected Sir, I am an Australian Citizen of Indian descent holding an OCI card. I am a part time taxi driver in Hobart. Driving my taxi, between 4.30am and 5am on 25th March, 2017, three boys assaulted me in the McDonald's premises in Argyle Street, Hobart.

I went to the toilet of the McDonald's and was going back to my taxi vehicle to continue my shift. I saw four boys and a girl inside the Mc Donald's arguing with the staff. I did not order any food as they were harassing the staff. I heard the staff telling them they would be calling cops if they did not leave.

When they were coming out of the store they saw me. A boy wearing a black t-shirt called out, "Why you looking at us, you black Indian**** ." I said, "Sorry, I am not looking at you mate."

All of a sudden, with no provocation, a boy wearing a white t-shirt and the boy wearing a hat punched me continuously in the face. I tried to block them and tried to get in the store. They continuously hit me while wearing metal rings on their fingers. My face started bleeding from the right upper eye area and my jaw was hit continuously by them.

I took their photos before they left McDonald's. While I was taking a photo they again came at me and hit me again and again. I called the police for help as soon as possible and police officers attended.

I am attaching photos of my condition on attending the emergency department at Royal Hobart Hospital. A police officer asked me if I will stand against the men who assaulted me. I said I will stand till my last breath to make sure they will be punished under Australian law.

I hope the Tasmanian police will help me and make sure these men are charged under the law. I am ready to come to court if necessary. Kindly do the needful to investigatethe case.

Yours faithfully, LI Max Joy

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

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.

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

WHAT A RACIST ATTACK IN MOSCOW TAUGHT ME

Society's hidden racism that comes out when it's dark, is a real fear, but we can't allow fear to control us, wrote KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU Ken Dorge wrote: A beautiful story from a beautiful human being

INDIANLINK

APRIL 2017 5

cover story

eav1n ■

■ ■

Ruchir and Santana, who lived in Australia for 22 years, decided to return to Jaipur, India in 2016.

�­ .

•.

.

�. ..

,.,- . -,

-...

RUCHIR

ln deciding to move from Australia to India, we chose to skip doing any derailed research or planning abouc what we would do co 'setcle down'. In fact, cliis 'go-with-the-flow' spirit was probably what rnade the decision possible. The impetus was simply the chance at having a few quality years with my parents and supporting them as they grew older.

While events including disease, death and discord rocked our friends and families, om anchor to Australia suddenly felt nor as steadfast as before. Living in India seemed like a definite possibility, buoyed by the familiarity and the general warmth and connection we experienced from people during our frequent trips.

We bad concerns about our ability to adapt to the changes co our ecosystems and our daily routines (and how our dogs, Nlisry and Ellie would adapt). The darker side of lndia usually remains camouflaged during holiday trips - a system and culture in which day­ to-day li£e can be full of hurdles, painfully strenuous, and unbearably 'f-can't-believe­ cliis' ridiculous at times. Anyway, armed with my unfettered optiniisrn, (and Santana's more cautious variety), we bid farewell to our

6 APRIL2017

Aussie friends and headed to India.

Although no strangers to India, we have had to go back to school, re-learning and re-calibrating our life's routine co different rules, protocols, norms, beliefs, ecliics, e:,..'"Pecrations, choices and boundaries. India has delivered its promise of serving up a taste of the entire gamut of emotions. It has been interesting, refresliing, indifferent, loving, embracing, surprising, puzzling, playful, astonishing, frustrating and bewildering, sometimes all in one day. 1vlany times we have had a good laugh at the way things are, and at ocher times we'velost our patience.

We are learning co recognise the magnitude of disruption and to accept the slow pate and meandering nature of cl1e voyage of 'setcllng in'. The hardest part has probably been about what we alwa)'S knew happened here, but we misjudged our e:,..'"])ecrations about how we would react to the situations at hand. ln the past few mouths we have been adjusting our e.xpecrations, 'being kind to ourselves' and regaining the ability to respond in good­ humour.

Tbe snunbling blocks? Acclimatisation

Ruchir, Santana, Misty and Ellie at home in Jaipur

www.indianlink.com.au

They share their initial experiences and thoughts on this big move with JYOTI SHANKAR

- Misty was sic.k and EUie is still scared of the nightly fireworks. Diwali is over but the weddings go on. \Xie too have faUen sic.k multiple rimes. Waiting for cradies and their lack of skills, tools and professionalism has been a dampener. We are getting used to sensory overload, to noise, rnbbish, and mayhem. Dogs are not allowed in parks and hazards like traffic, garbage, and strays mean that our daily relaxing walks are less so.

Ac tl1e risk of generalising, we Indians wear our hearts and beliefs on our sleeves.

We lo\Te expressing our opinions and giving advice, witl1 a Jot of emphasis on what you 'should' or 'muse' do. TI1ere is a clear and sharp divide between 'right' and 'wrong'.

Logic is often confounded by traditions and by special cases and dispensations.

Conversations are loud, dramatic, and on­ top-of-each-otber, much like the traffic. It certainly t.'lkes getting used to!

And the highlights? Warm connections with family and friends, old and new. Culture and food - we love all the happenings and events in Jaipur. Ir is fascinating how history and tradition are everywhere. Though we're not fully there yer, as a song from a recent BoUywood film goes...'Love you, zindagi!'

INDlANLINK

SANTANA

"So have you settled in nicely?" This is the question 1 have been asked most often in the past few months and I still struggle to deliver a coherent response! I left Oz armed with a Jifetime of memories and dozens of love-fiUed fareweUs. We anived in Jaipur and realised chat our aparanent renovations were still a long \vay away from completion bm went ahead with a housewarming anyway. We had no dearth of people willing co help us settle in and give us tips on where co go for what, which was a great support to have.

India is surely a land of extremes and in the space of a day it drives me co both ends of the happiness spectrum, multiple times! It is so noisy, chaotic, dirty, dusty, hot, loving, caring, inventive, hilarious, maddening and iospi_ring alJ at once.

Ar the maddening end of the spectrum, I do not advise any faint-hearted individual co undertake any sort of renovations in India. The concept of straight Jines, spirit levels, smootl1 surfaces and timeliness are aU conspicuously absent here. Having been advised that the only way the renovations would finish would be for us to move

, , India has never been an easy place to live, but Australia really spoilt me , , in and evict tl1e tradies, it took weeks of cajoling, begging, dummy-spitting and histrionics to get the work to 95°/c, complete and gee rid of the tradies. 95% complete is ho-w I -suspect it will stay.

Another quesdon I am often asked is "Do you miss Australia?" And the answer is yes I do, but most of che time .ic is not a conscious missing of this or that. It is more the realisation that you take so much of your environment for granted and when some of iliose things are missing, you rend to get frustrated or unpleasantly surprised.

lndia has never been an easy place to live, but Australia really spoilt me. I am slowly but steadily seeking the wonder in tl1e little things that have always been amazing here - like the sense of community and tl1e time that everyone has for you; like the tiny cups of tea and coffee you can get anywhere and everywhere; like the way anything is possible when notli.i.ng should be; like the incredible tenacity of the dispossessed and the horrifically poor; like tl1e really old places and their magical histories, and last but nor the least, rediscoveri.ng the familiar ways of being and accepting India in alJ its extremes, tl1e way I was able to do when J Jived here over 22 years ago.

Many wise people tel1 me that it takes at .least a year or more co truly feel settled i n a new place, s o ask m e again in a few more months and J may have a more coherem answer!

A note from Misty and Ellie This plac.e has so many wonderful new creatures - so many more pigeons to hark at and shoo-off from tl1e balconies, and squirrels i_ostead of possums, and rats too!

APRIL 2017 7

mainstream

Indian priest returns to his parish after racially-motivated attack Indian Link.

BY USHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

earing no ill will towards bis attacker, Father Tomy Kalathoor Mathew, the Melbourne priest who was recently scabbed in an isolated but racially-motivated hate crime on 19 _March, has resumed duties at St Matthew's Catholic Church in Fawkner North, celebrating Sunday mass with parishioners.

The 48-year-old cleric, who hails from Kerala, was stabbed in the shoulder by a disgruntled parishioner who cook exception to his Indian background. He was lucky to escape witl1 non-life threatening injuries.

"You are Indian, so you muse be Hindu or Muslim and are not qualified to deliver mass," the man stated before attacking tl1e priest with a lmife.

The incident took place in tl1e church foyer, as the priest was about to begin the 11am Italian mass. The man has since been charged witl1 intencionalJy and recklessly causing injury and will face court in June.

Narrating the incident, Fr Mathew told Tnrlian Link that the parishioner, who was not a regular visitor, had accosted and racially abused him a week prior about bis ethnicity. He also later found om that tl1e attacker, who is of Italian descent, had enqLtired abom tl1e "Indian" priest while he was away for holidays in January.

"I was uneasy about bis anger towards me and my Indian heritage and notified the Parish Council, but I never expected th.is move from hllll," Fr i'vfathew told

8 APRIL2017

St Matthew's welcomes believers from many different linguistic and cultural backgrounds including those of Italian, Polish, lndian, Sri Lankan, V ietnamese, Iraqi as well as Anglo and lrish backgrounds, and has celebrated th.is diversity by emplO)'it,g min.iste_rs from different nationalities. "\We have a wonderful co=uniry here and naturally they were all shocked particularly the Italians, who were ashamed by their compatriot's ignorance," Fr Mathew said. "The attack was no doubt the work of a mentally sick person who needs our support and sympathy. \Ve should pray for such people so that they may not cause harm co others, and they may be able co get me light of truth."

"I am also truly grateful to God for having made th.is incident for promoting me virtue of forgiveness and God's ever loving care," he said.

Downplaying tl1e racial overcones, Fr Mathew emphasised that it was pure ignorance that fuelled the unfortunate incident. Indeed, there are nearly 20 mill.ion Catholics in India.

"Many people chink that India is a Hindu country. They do not realise that mere is a substantial Christian following chat daces back many cenmrie.s, as we.11 as many other religions. We nrnst be lovers of humani.ry iJ1 all its diversity, which is very significant in a nation like Australia where we are all from different origins."

Fr Mathew has nevertheless been overwhelmed by the gestures of support he has received from work colleagues, parishioners, police, health care providers as well as the Indian Consulate.

"The consular service offered to me was prompt, personal and well beyond the call of duty," he noted.

"They created me like chey would their own family member," he added with gratitude.

The priesc, who arrived in Australia five years ago, also has nothing but praise for d,e generosity of chis beautiful country.

"I am not concerned about such happenings in future," he said. "I have always believed Australia is not a racist country. It is truly welcoming and mulriculcural. Th.is was what I used to tel1 my friends and family back in India who ·were concerned about the racism i n Australia. I would love c o be.lieve the same even now."

Fr Mathew, who relocated to Melbourne in 2012, belongs to Kalathoor family of Kar.imbu in Anakkampoyil and became a priesc under die Tharnarassery diocese in 1994. He had previously served at churches in Adakkakundu, Vettilappara,

Kallurntci and Chundadrnmpoyil, and woi:ked as a teacher at Alphonsa School in Thamarassery.

Expressing shock at the appalling incident, the Catholic J\rchdiocese of Thamarassery was relieved to hear about miraculous escape.

"Due to God's grace and the special robes for tl1e mass the knife didn't go deep and just injured tl1e neck muscles," Abraham Kavi1purayidathi1, chancellor and spokesperson of Thamarassery diocese stated, adding mat Fr Mathew is determined to smy on and continue his good work.

"People should never be treated like th.is," said Shane Healy, a Catl10lic Archdiocese of Melbourne spokesman, condemning the attack. "Fr _Mathew is doing wonderful work for his parishioners and chis is really a blight on tl1e great work that many, many Catholic priests are doing."

www.indianlink.com.au

You can now make instant money transfers to I ndia for FREE !

It's true .

With Remit2 1 n d ia, you get instant# fee-free money transfers at g reat locked-in exchange rates.

Limited Period Offers

0

b

Min imum 40 paise Extra

Savings of up to $4o**

compared to bank wires

on every dollar you send

Assu red $35 Coles Voucher on your first transfer

To make sure you don't miss out, send money NOW. Use the code LINKSO if it's your first transaction with us.

S www.remit2india.com

I

info@remit2india.com

I \. 1 -800-859-876

• This offer is availabl e for a limited period arid to eligible cusLOrners only. Th is offer cannot be combined with any other offe,. Also, customers havi ng multiple accounts shall be subject LO disquali fication. The offer may be discontinued at any point in time, with or without prior notice to the customers. In case of any disputes, the final deci sion shall be that of Remit2India at Itssole d i scretion. For detailed T&C, please refer to Remit2India websi te, i � The Instant monev transfer se,vIce is currentl y available lor direct credits from any bank account in Austral ia Into any account within the 28 listed banks in India up to a transact on limtt of INR 1,00,000 per transfer. The Instant transfer is available subject tocertain limits on the amount sent and also clearing mandatory compliance verification processes. " Estimated international wire-transfer fee for bank translers from Australl;i to India Remit2I ndia - Money Remittance to 1!1dia at an affordabl e pri ce. Remlt2India is a secure online money transfer service for NRIS Lo send money to India from United States, United Ki ngdom, Australi a,Singapore.Canada, U.A.E., Hong Kong. Germany,Spain & othe, Euro Countri es. The servi ce allows NRls to send money safel y using wire transfer and ACH/Direct Debil The money can be recei ved in India through direct account credits.

INDIANLINK

APRIL2017 9

entrepreneur

When two childhood friends struggled to find shoes that would fit them correctly, their entrepreneurial venture with a social conscience, Soleful Shoes was born. FARZANA AHMAD reports

_f

P

radhirna Shyamsunder and Kuppal Palaniappan are women aftet your souls.

"Give us your souls," demanded Pradhima during our recent chat. Relax! She meant 'soles' and was referring to their shoe store and donation drive, Soleful Shoes. Nice play on words!

Together, Sri Lankan-born Pradhima and South Indian origin Kuppal own Soleful Shoes, an online store catering to women with large and small feet. Their passion for helping others has seen them link their product to charity by giving their customers an opportmtity to donate their old sho.es when they buy a new pair from their score.

Soleful Shoes is a product of the Sydney pair's personal frustration at not being able to fu1d lice shoes in their sizes. "'iX/e are exactly om brand," Pradhima explained, referring to her own short stan1re at 4ft l 1inch with petite size 5 feet, and Kuppal's towering height at 5ft 10inch with size 11 feet.

After tinkering with the idea of a business for several years, Pradhillla, a Finance Manager at Social Ventures Australia, and Kuppal, a consultant with Deloitte, approached Divya J Sechmarn of Plumtree Shoes. The Sydney shoe designer produces quality handmade shoes from her workshop in Bengaluru, India. ln collaboration with Sethuram, Soleful Shoes was launched in 2016. ''\Xlhen I started working 1 wore high heels all the time. It would take me ages to find shops chat stocked my size. Mostly,

10 APRIL 2017

they ordered only a few in small sizes which were sold out by the time I got there. So, I ended up buying shoes that were too big and uncomfortable. I started binging on shoes during my trips overseas," Pradhima shared. "Kuppal, on the otl1er hand, could only fu1d shoes in her size in chain store.5 and sometimes resorted to shopping in the men's section. \'Q'e were spending too much money on footwear that didn't fit."

Both women yearned for a solution.

From the age of 18, Kuppal dreamed of starting a business selling shoes for women with larger feet, bm sat on the idea.

Meanwhile, Pradhima got her feet wet with Online shoe retailer Teacup Shoes at age 27.

That early venntre catering to tiny feet was short lived, as she got married and took up full-time employment. Still, Pradhima insists, it was an invaluable experience. ''l learned so much that I can now share with Kuppal."

The pair insist their business is about mote tban profits; it's about addressing rhe needs of people who .find themselves outside mainstream footwear options.

"We don't want Soulful Shoes to be for petite and large shoes only," Pradhima said.

"Our ultimate vision is to cater to anyone who is not a normal shoe size, like women with one foot smaller than me other, or those with disabilities affecting shoe choices. Our brand is all about inclusion.

We want to be known as spokespeople for inclusive footwear in Australia."

As part of tl1eir socia.l mission, Soleful Shoes bas partnered with non-profit organisation Dress for Success, encouraging

,, Our ultimate vision is to cater to anyone who is not a normal shoe size.

We want to be known as spokespeople for inclusive footwear in Australia ,, ,vomen co purchase a pair of shoes and donate a pair of lightly worn shoes to the charity partner.

"Dress for Success provides exceptional services to women looking for work," Pradhima said. "lt gives women professional clothes and shoes and prepares tbem with trailing and support to achieve economic independence. \Ve're proud to be associated with ic."

Just six months into operation, the public response to tl1e ventme encouraging.

"Customers love the styles and materials in our first coliection of handmade shoes," Pradhima said. "Divya's expertise is guiding us to explore creative sides we didn't even think existed! " With full time jobs and family commitments, the women agree it is challenging to run a business.

"But what's important is to keep it sustainable," admitted Pradhima. "Instead of putting in too much and bmning ourselves out, we're taking it slow and supporting each other. We realise chat as me business grows we must make a call, but for nmv we are managing it with everything else."

Under the banner of Soleful Shoes, the women are organising a clothes and

shoe drive on 9 April. The 'Donate Your Soles' event is Aagged as a fun affair at Bicentenrtial Park, Sydney Olympic Park. The event wiU featme speeches, entertainment and food. Donations for all men's and women's clotl1es and shoes are welcomed.

The proceeds from tbe drive will go to Dress for Success and associated non­ profit orgartisation Dress for Work, which provides similar services to men looking for work. The organisation imparts job readiness training and support to job seekers, in addition to good quality suits, shoes and accessories, for interviews and formal occasions.

"This is such a tangi ble way for people co make a difference. In this lucky country, we all have stuff that we can spare," said Pradhima· . "So come along, donate some stuff, grab a bite and chat with us!"

Pradhima and Knppal would Like to see all women embrace tbeir tmiqneness and own who they are. ''If we didn't have our differences, we would all look the same and life would be so boring. Instead of feeling insecure and hiding om differences, we must celebrate them because chat is what makes us special. That's what Soleful Shoes stands for!"

www.indianlink.com.au

mainstream

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

OG!J�

�� ��

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 A l Vf l GA 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 11 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," he 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 information of whether this man bad medical background of any sort," Dr Vyas said. "le was only in the last three years apparently rbar his actions became suspicious."

The con artist Shyam Acharya, who stole the identity of UK-based rbeumatologist Dr Sarang Ch.itale, 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 inquiry and said he wants to seize Acharya's $1.5 million North Ryde home.

Cardiologist Dr Yadu 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," Dr 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

practitioners have a long bisrory of honourable and ethical service not just in 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," he joked.)

"It is interestiog 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

LOTUS FOREIGN EXCHANGE Send Money Overseas most reliably and securely within 1 O minutes through moneygram Send Money to any bank account at the best rate and flat fee of $ 1 5 (No Limits applicable on amounts) Exchange your currency with us, we give the best rates and do not charge any commission Send money to our own branches in all major towns and cities in Fiji and New Zealand Ask us about our commercial business, we do import payments and all international business related remittance at best rate and a flat fee of $1 5.00 only NEW ZEALAND BRANCHES 649 369 1 723

AUSTRALIAN BRANCHES

INDIANLINK

St.Lukes

649 846 6637

Manukau

649 262 2931

Brown Bay

649 476 2086

Mt.Roskill

649 620 4757

Sylvia Park

649 525 41 1 1

Papatoetoe

649 277 4000

Mid Queen

649 377 5478

Lower Queen

649 365 2280

New Lynn

649 825 0121

Pakuranga

649 577 3223

Hamilton

647 834 3293

Rotorua

647 350 2425

Wellington

644 589 9582

Christchurch

643 343 3357

Parramatta

02 9806 0977

Parramatta

02 9806 0955

Blacktown

02 9831 8033

FIJI BRANCHES

Liverpool

02 9877 2201

Suva

679 331 7755

Namaka

679 666 1 242

Hurstville

02 9585 2881

Suva

679 310 0512

Labasa

679 881 1 1 06

Sydney CBD

02 9235 2553

Nadi

679 670 2257

Nasinu

02 9211 3021

Lautoka

679 666 7855

Ba

07 3220 2881

Nausori

679 347_

$ money1Tansfer Mone-yGram www.lotusfx.com APRIL2017 11

community report

S

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

hubba Vilas Das cook on a monumemal cask of writing a book on the Ramayana in 2013 a book that would bring the epic out of the doset and reveal to the world the depth of learning hidden io jc. He embarked oo an ambitious project of writing a 6-volnme series titled Ra111qyana The Gm11e of Life. The first three volumes, Rise of the Sul/ Prince (Book 1) and Sbt1ttcred Dreams (Book 2) and Stole11 Hope (Book 3) from his book series have become national best sellers, and he has now completed the fourth volume in the series. He was a guest at the 2017 Jaipur Literary Festival, and he is now a much sought after motivational speaker and counsellor.

I caught up with tl1e autl1or recently when he spoke at ISKCON l'v[elbourne and the Vedic Society of V ictoria.

Shnbha Vilas Das' tl1.ree volumes in the Ramayana serie.s vividly bring alive the epic which, tl1e autl10r felt, had been largely ignored as philosophical literature.

"I decided to wi:ite tl1e Ramayana from a new, modern perspective, yet remaining true co irs universal and perennial messages, because I saw that either there were versions that were written from a traditional perspective, or those tl1at were being reinterpreted and rehashed for modern

12 APRIL 2017

cin1es by ignoring the spirit in wbich it was originally composed," he told me.

He embarked on an excensive research of original liceratures like Vt1!111iki R£1mt1y,mr1 in Sanskrit, Kt1111ba Ramqyana, the oldest Ramayana version in a vernacular language; and Tulsidas' immortal R,u11chmita111atl(JS in Avadhi "For me this epic was full of life lessons which can be profitably used to inform our lives in the C\venry first cenrury."

The result is a wonderful retelling of this popular epic which provides deep insights on contemporary subjects sud, as how human relationships work or why they fail, how leaders can maximize their potential, and how the ancient epic can provide a moral compass in a rapidly changing world. These books interpret scories from the Ramayana and distil lessons from them to help us better understand aocl live meaningful lives.

Shubha Vilas Das' fourth book titled Opcn-E:Jcdl\lleditations was launched in Mumbai in September 2016. It is a beautiful compilation of thoughts where each meditation takes on a journey to the past to heal a problem in che presem. He helps people practise and master the arr of meditation with eyes wide open as be believes the keen observation of the world around us (rather than shutting it out), is an equally legitimate way co enlightenment.

He offers valuable nuggets of wisdom and action point resources to deal with every modern dilemma.

Given his love for books, Shublia Vilas Das set up Tulsi Books Publications, a publishing house diat promotes books

that encourage spicimal thinking and reasoning. He was not always an autl10r: he began his career as an engineer with the Tata Group and later moved to an international law firm in Bangalore. After tlus stint in che corporate world, be joined the International Society for Kr.ish.na Consciousness (ISKCOl'\1) and then decided to serve society in as many ways as he could. He became a monk and chose co be a spirimal seeker and preacher. His keen interest in finding a goal for life led him co channel his energies into deep studies and interpretations of Vedic Scripmres.

He is now Presidem of ISKCON Goa, and spends a great deal of time addressing people from all walks of life through d1ought-provoking seminars. He has become a much sought-after motivational speaker. (For a sample, the reader would be able m find several wonderful talks on YouTube).

Shubha Vilas Das gave a talk at the Vedic Society of V ictoria on "Ancient wisdom for modern life" and at ISKCON he spoke about how to "Stop worrying and start living". As me topics suggest, Vilas Das's forte is to find answers to problems in 21" cenrnry life, by looking at our ancient - yet universal and perennial - wisdoms from our traditions, especiall)' the Ramayana and tbe Mahabharata.

Shubha V ilas Das' Ramayana Volume 4 is wich the publishers. He is now working on some unusual and unheard of stories from che Ptm11u1s, in a book he is going to call Nfystical Talesfar a Magical Ufa. He is also working on a book for the yomb on how [O address and handle cenain emotions

in our lives like envy, insecurity, etc. He is simultaneously working on Ramayana Part 5, and a book on me Bhagawad Gira - which will succinctly summarise the message of the Gita.

All his books are available on Amazon or through ISKCON.

SOME NUGGETS FROM SHUBHA VILAS' TALKS "The Mahabharata demonstrates how a person's true greatness can be seen in the way they handle provocation. It is always easy to be great when things are going well. However, when provoked, we should become like the tortoise, that is, withdraw and think. In the Mahabharata, Kama's life teaches us this, that happiness comes from within us, and that waiting for others' approval and validation makes us deeply unhappy."

"One of the ways in which we can improve our self-image is by contributing to the world; being consumeristic is being like Ashwattama, who tried getting gratification from possessions and owning things. Arjuna, on the other hand, tried to get the most from what he had."

www.indianlink.com.au

•• •• ••• •• •• • • •• • •• • •

•

INDIAN LINK RADIO

Download the free App Now

INDIANLINK

APRIL2017 13

indian news A man takes a photograph at a memorial for musician Kishori Amonkar in Mumbai, India, 4 April 2017.

Amonkar, renowned for her innovative interpretation of classical Indian music, died this month aged 84. Photo: AP

Dalai Lama in Arunachal: India tells China not to interfere in its matters

India-China diplomatic tensions rose afresh over the Dalal Lama's visit to Aruuachal Pradesh, with [ ew Delhi asserting this month that no political motive should be attributed to the visit and asked Beijing not to interfere in its internal affairs.

Beijing in a fresh salvo slammed the Dalai Lama .a s an "anti-China separatist" and attacked New Dell1i indirectly for its support co the Tibetan leader.

Union 1Ylinisrer of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, who is from ArunachaJ Pradesh, said that no political motive should be am·ibuced to Dalai Lama's trip. "India has always been n o n i-nterfering in the neighbours' internal affairs in our approach," Rijiju told reporters in New Delhi. ''ln the same manner, we expect the same from our neighbours."

The Dalai Lama's trip was purely religious, he added.

Rijiju said India has never questioned China's sovereignty and "has respecrfuUy adhered co the one-China policy".

"So we expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matters," he stated.

The Dalai Lama has visited the state six times earlier and no "additional colour" should be given to his visit starting from April 5.

Reacting to the visit, the Chinese Foreign Ministry told Efe news: "The 14th Dalai Lama is an anti-China separatist who has long lived in exile following a failed armed rebellion by the reactionary group of high­ ranking feudal serf owners in Tibet in March 1959."

"The Chinese government is resolutely opposed to any country's support and facilitation for the 14th Dalai group's anti-China separatist activities," read the statement without alluding directly to India.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama arrived by road in Bomdila, ArUJ1acbal Pradesh, after inclement weather forced him to call off the scheduled visit by helicopter.

In Bomdila, the Dalai Lama was received

by Arunachal Ptadesh Chief iVlinister Pema Khandu, and members of the Tibetan community. Khandu was accompanied by BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal.

14 APRIL 2017

From Bomdila he would visit Di.rang, Lumla and Tawang during his over seven­ day trip co Arunachal Pradesh.

Arunachal Pradesh holds a special significance for the Tibetan leader, as it was the fust terri rory - tl1en called the North East Frontier Region - in India he entered whi le fleeing Chinese troops in 1959 before moving co Dharamsala, where he now resides.

Asserting that Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed terrirory, Rijiju said, "We have certain issues with regard to dellneation of the boundary on the spots, on the ground along McMahon Line because it is not being demarcated on the grow1d. Thar is wl�y there is a talk between the special representatives of India and China and the people of Arunacbal Pradesh hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the foreseeable future time."

China in March said ties with India wmtld be hit if New Delhi aJJowed the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which is claimed

by Beijing as part of South Tibet. China's Foreign ·Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China was strictly opposed co the visit.

Geng said India knew the sensitivity of the border issue bet\veen both countries and allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh would damage its ties with China.

Changed H-18 visa norms don't mean much for India: Nasscom

The Indian IT industry lJody Nasscom has said the clarifying guidance by the USCTS on eligibility for computer programmers under the H-1B visa norms will have littl e impact on its members, as the clarification has been the adjudicatory practice for years.

"The March 31 USCIS memorandum reinforces an existing practice by adjudicators and clarifies requirements for certain computer professionals," said the National Association of Software Services and Companies (Nasscom) in a statement in Bengaluru.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) On March 31 issued a clarification that computer programmers, to be eligible under the H-1B visa norms, must prove chat theirs is a specialcy occupation.

Merely obtaining a compucer degree may not be enough.

Coming just ahead of start of the new season for H-l B visas for skilled workers, it was largely seen as the tightening of norms by the US autl1orities for hiring computer programmers, thus putting a squeeze on Indian IT companies.

US embassies the world over started accepting next year's H-1B visa petitions from April 3. Indian techies hm7e been the biggest beneficiaries of the H-1B visas obtaining about 70 per cent of such visas - wicb companies posting thousands of employees to the US. This visa allows work in the particular area for six years, extendable after chat. It is also the route co a US permanent residency or a US Green Card.

Noting that several of its members have applied for visas for higher level professionals this year, the apex body said the evidence showed tl1at the jobs were complex and required professional d egrees.

"Our member companies provide skilled talent and solutions to US firms. The H-lB visa system exisrs specifically because of the persistent shortage of highly-skilled domestic IT talent in the US," the statement pointed out.

Indian IT companies would continue co provide skilled talent and solutions to fill that gap and keep US firms competitive globally, it added.

In its policy memorandum, the USCIS mentioned, "Based on the current version of the Handbook, the fact that a person may be employed as a computer programmer and may use information technology skills and knowledge to help an enterprise achieve its goals in the course of his or her job is not sufficient to establish the position as a specialty occupation."

The memorandum said, "A petitioner may not rely solely on the Handbook co meet its burden when seeking co sponsor a beneficiary for a computer programmer position. Instead, a petitioner must provide other evidence to establish that the particular position is one in a specialty occupation ..."

The US Congress has set a cap of 65,000 H-1 B visas per fiscal year. AdditionaJJy, 20,000 such visas are given to chose with

Master's or higher degrees from the US. At the san1e time, the immigrarion services have moved to detect H-1B visa frauds in the US by taking a "mote targeted approach" on site visits across the country aimed at finding our if employers were evading their obligations to make a good faith effort to recruit US workers. ''Too many American workers, who are as qualified, willing and deserving to work ia these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged," says a press release issued by the USCIS, adding that "protecting American workers by combating fraud in our employment-based immigration programs is a priority of USCIS".

The Immigration Services warned employers chat they would nor be allowed co "abuse the H-lB programme", which it said affects US workers negatively, decreasing wages and job opportunities - a position that US President Donald Trump has ofren endorsed.

Combating prejudice against Africans: India has a lot to lose

India has a great deal to lose by mistreating and beating up Africans who come to study or live in the country. The latest attacks on March 27, 2017 on Nigerian srudent.� living in Greater I oida bordering New Delhi and part of tl1e N a tional Capital Region have made breaking news on all TV news channels and front-page headlines in leading newspapers.

While playing up ad nauseLun the sensational news story is supposed to increase the viewership of TV channels and boost dwindling newspaper readership, it iaAicts massive harm to India-Africa bilateral relations, Indian investment in Africa, and Indian diaspora in Africa. The medium and long term repercussions and massive damage to lndia's goodwill internationally is lost on tl1e angry, racist and violent Indian goons who assault and injure Afric ans.

The tragedy is that dtis is not an isolated incident resulting in injuries to Africans LnA.icted by boorish locals. Such incidents have been happening in major metros for years, especially in and around Delhi. Sure, they are reported in the media but no lasting remedial action is devised or implemented.

After some hue and cry, the police bold some meetings, increase patrolling and it then fades away until d1e next Aare-up . .African envoys make strong protests to the lndian government and the response is worded in diplomatic jargon.

But no sustained campaign is launched in the media, on the streets or in bigher educational institutions to inform, educate and sensitize. local Indians about racial disc1:imination and l ndia-Africa cooperation on many fronts and levels. The media hardly ever reports on African affairs, leave alone African success stories. The newspapers report only when an Indian company secures a major contract, starts an investment project or expands its operations LU Africa.

The woes of Africans living in India are compounded by frequent news items when they are apprehended at airports with

www.indianlink.com.au

Indian workers cultivate calendula flowers in a field on the outskirts of Amritsar city, India, 04 April 2017.

Besides use in decorations and in religious offering, the calendula flower is also marketed for its medicinal properties. Photo: AP

drugs. Thus, a sustained image of almost all Africans as drug catriers has frozen i n the minds o f l.ndians. O r they think that African women make money by selling their bodies. Africans - from 54 courn:ries - are viewed and dealt with on the basis of these media stereotypes.

It's high cirne that chis stereotyped image was smashed for all time and the fact that tbousands of African smdents are obtaining higher education in India and hundreds of African patients are coming to India for specialised medical treatment is boosted.

If these smdents are treated with concern and understanding when they are away frorn their home in a complicated society, tbey will go back as the most effective ambassadors of India. Similarly, if the patients and their relatives are treated with care and sympathy in lndia, they will go back as the top promoters for India.

But no! ln their racist and brutal reaction to any simation with Africans, all this never comes to mind. No thought for tbe massive Indian investments in Africa, hundreds of joint ventures, and especially the three million lndian diaspora in Africa.

More than 1.2 million Indians Uve in South Africa; another 200,000 live in East Africa and smaller numbers in thousands in many countries. These Indians can be attacked and injured in revenge, their shops and factories can be damaged or destroyed and their goodwill washed away.

At the national level, the Indian government is making special efforts to woo Africa and obtain the cooperation of the 54 African countries for mumal benefit and as a block for votes in the international fora like the United ations. India has been holding India-Africa Summit with all African countries since 2008 to promote bilateral relations in many spheres. The most recent such meeting in Delhi in 2015 was attended by almost all heads of African states and Prime Minister arendra Modi made special efforts to ,velcome and meet each one of them. Cooperation in many fields was proposed and agreed upon. lnvesanent and export credits were top fearmes. Between summit meetings, like rhe conclave in New Delhi earlier this month, carries the economic agenda further. Indian has mounted a diplomatic outreach to Africa with visits by its president, vice­ president, the prime minister and ministers to African states.

However, repeated boorish behaviour and violent assaults wipe out all these goodwill gesn1res while seriously damaging India reputation and the fate of the Indian diaspora contributing to the development of Africa. So what can be done to retrieve this pathetic sirnation?

First, the police must crack down on all accused of racial insults and violence to Africans. A thorough investigation, a fool­ proof prosecution and tough punishment is the primary response by the authorities.

And that's nor enough; the punishment must be reported by the media as a deterrent to all others.

Second, in addition to pacifying diplomatic statements by the External Affairs Ministry, other ministries and

INDIANLINK

organisations must be roped i.n to launch a ,5trong and aggressive public campaign to promote racial harmony.

Third, the Public Diplomacy division of d1e MBA should launch a campaign to inform and educate Indian sn1dents in high schools, universities and higher institutes of learning about Africa and its importance to India. Africa is still undiscovered by almost all Indians. All they know about A£rica are the cricket teams from South Africa and Zimbabwe!

Fom, in addition to offering higher education and medical treatment for Africans, India should urgently establish branches of its universities and specialist hospitals, at Jeast in ease, west, central and South Africa. These projects have languished for long in the preliminary stages and now d1e time has come to implement them urgently to reduce the flow of African students and patients to India.

The prejudice and violence against Africans in India is not going away some time soon. Strong, drastic and sustained action .is overdue.

India snubs US offer to de-escalate tensions with Pakistan

India has snubbed the US' offer to help de-escalate tensions with Pakistan, saying that its position on bilateral redressal of all issues between the two neighbonrs has nor changed. lt also said tl1ar the international community needs to address tl1e issue of terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

"Government's position for bilateral redtessal of all India-Pal<lsran issues in an environment free of terror and violence hasn't changed," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay said. "\Ve, of course, expect the international community and organisations to enforce international mechanisms and mandates concerning terrorism emanating from Pakistan, which continues to be the single biggest threat to peace and stability in om region and beyond," he said.

The reaction came after Nikki Haley, the US Permanent Representative to die UN, said that the US was concerned about the state of India-Pakistan relations and

Presidenc Donald Trump himself might get involved in a peace process between d1e two South Asian antagonists.

"This administration is concerned abouc die relationship between India and Pakist.'ln and very much wants to see bow we de­ escalate any sort of conflict going forward," Indian-Ameri can Haley, who holds a cabinet rank in the Trump administration, said.

"I would expect that the administration is going to be in talks and try and find its place to be part of chat process," the fonner Governor of South Carolina said, adding, "And also wouldn't be surprised if the President participates as well."

New liberalised visa regime being implemented: Minister

Commerce and Industry Minister irmala Sicharaman has seated that d1e government has started to implement the new liberalised visa regime from April 1, 2017.

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 30, 2016, approved various measnres for liberalisation of the visa regime.

"Multiple entry tourist and business visas for a period of five years will now be available to nationals of most of d1e countries," Sitharan1an said i n a series of tweets.

The new regime had sub-divided e-Visa into three categories - e-tourist visa, e-business visa and e-medical visa - for nationals of 161 countries to enter India through 24 airports.

"E-visa facility extended to Cochin, Goa and Mangalore sea-ports (to benefit cruise tourism) soon also at Mumbai and Chennai sea-ports," Sitharaman tweeted.

"Upon urgent requests, business visa and medical visa will be granted within 48 hours of application."

The minister pointed om, "Separate immigration counters and facilitation desks to assist medical tourist at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengluru and Hyderbad."

The government has also introduced a new category of visa for film production in India - (F) Visa - which has a maximrnn dmation of one year with multiple entry facility.

"Another new Visa titled Intern (I) Visa rolled our w.e.f 1st March, 2017, to

foreigners for imernship in companies, educational Institutions and non­ government organisations (NGOs)," d1e minister added.

Tata to launch SUV by year­ end

Tata Motors will be launching the Nexon compact SUV by the year-end as part of its strategy to improve its share in passenger vehicles segment, a coinpany official said.

With five per cent market share, Tata Motors is currently at fourth place in the domestic market and has set the goal of reaching tl1ird position by 2019.

Prarap Bose, Head of Design, Tata Motors, said they didn't have a presence in 60 per cent of the market. "\Ve don't have presence in some segn1ents and compact SUV is one of them," Bose told reporters on the sidelines of tlie launch of Tata Tigor, its latest product, in Hyderabad market.

The scarring ex-showroom price of Tigor in Hyderabad is Rs 4.85 lakb for Revotton 1.2L (petrol) variant and Rs 5.77 lal<h for Revocorq l .5L (diesel).

He claimed tl1at many cars were in design and engineering phases. He said these were part of the company's strategy for a sustained growth in passenger vehicles segment.

Tata Motor's market share in passenger vehicles segment grew by 0.64 per cent lase year. The company sold 1.53 lalcb units in 2016-17 against 1.25 lakh in the previous fiscal. ln l\.forch 2017, the company recorded sales of 15,433 vehicles, a growth of 84 per cent over March 2016.

Tigor is Tata Motor's third product in one year, having launched Tiago and Hexa earlier.

Bose said tl1at in Tigor tl1ey brought together the best of the features of large hatchbacks and .small sedan. He said tl1ey cried to fill the gap in both the categories in terms of space and style.

Tigor is the third product from Tata i\ifotots based on impact design technology.

He claimed d1at Tiago received a huge response with 80,000 bookings. Over 50,000 Tiago were already on roads.

IANS

APRIL2017 15

travel

BY SAN DIP 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

16 APRIL2017

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

www.indianlink.com.au

,, 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 time 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

INDIANLINK

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 in 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 15' " 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 passion 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 irrespective 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)

APRIL 2017 17

viewpoint

Clickbait dominates cricket media

The Australian sports media revelled in negative sensationaIism throughout the India Australia Test series

0

BY RITAM MITRA

n the eve of the conclusion of one of the most enduringly captivating sporting contests in the past decade - a series of Test cricket which captured the attention of cricket fans around the world - the online edition of one of Australia's leading newspapers featured as its top swry a piece with the headline: 'Thril/ingfinal test f marred fo1 allegations chet1ti11g ". ''Allegations of cheating" is in itself a misnomer, arising only from a lip-read of an inadvertent and, originally, private two-word outburst by Australian captain Steve Smith.

So irrelevam was the incident in the context of the series, that the beadJine was changed after less than an hour, and the incident since forgotten. Bur it was a revealing lapse; the series that Test cricket had been crying Out for, a likely seminal battle between the world's rop-two ranked nations, was as its root, merely an opportunity for the Australian sports media to scratch out another cringe-worthy chapter in its long­ running war against positivity.

It bas Jong been acknowledged that the Australian cricket media loves to create monsters - in recent times, think Stuart Broad, F'af du Plessis, Vi.rat Kohli. The common element undedying the three is their combative nature; they are not afraid to give back as well as they take, and against Australia, they certainly take. Yet the Australian media - and the journalists, producers and critics of which it is comprised - knows how to appeal to d1e base instincts of sports fans by creating controversy and inciting hatred. Recently, rnis columnist had a revealing conversation with d1e individuals behind a popular Australian cricket website and social media hub. Lamenting the clickbait nature of the articles and the incentionaJly incendiary narnre of the posts, the administrators of dle sire grinned sbeepish.ly. "\V/e hate it too," rney said. ''But it works".

And herein lies the crux of dle issue: media is a multi-billion dollar business, and if posts on social media garner attention, advertisers will flock. Unformnately, social media is also the home of sensationalism: "traction" is critical, and in a fast-paced online world, there is no rime ro vet real-time information. Instead, content producers rely on yeUow journalism:

o

18 APRIL2017

eye-catching headlines with little or no legitimate, well-researched news. Ir is a bid to pit fans against each other - a.nd one suspects, dle players, too. Some popular international cricket social media pages have become a cesspool of tacisin, vilification and online bullying - propagated by fans from both sides of the fence. It is far beyond traditional sports banter, and difficult to imagine that such a descent would have occurred if reporting was not so unabatingly inflammatory. Evidence lies in dle relatively sanguine comments by fans on posts by ESPNCricinfo, for instance, which has maintained its journalistic integrity and steered clear of posting attention-grabbing headlines with little to no substance underpinning them.

Orner media outlets were not so measured. On the website of a leading Australian sports broadcaster, one particular journalist dealt exclusively i n vitr.iol, singling out the Indian captain Kohli and the BCCI for criticism wirn no refrain. The writer's lack of awareness of the intricacies of Test cricket - the stories which deserve co be told in the unique milieu of the five days which make up a Test march - was matched only by his aversion to factual information.

Instead, his modus operandi was the regurgitation of over-used and unfounded conspiracy theories - for instance, suggesting that rne ICC is unable co sanction Indian cricketers due co rne BCCI's influence on the gaine. Ahead of the third

,, The era of great Australian cricket columnists is all but at an end - since the sad demise of the erudite Peter Roebuck and the winding­ down of the eloquent Mike Coward, there has been a noticeable dearth in reasoned scribes ,, Test in Ranchi, the journalist went on to state d1at "the reputation and integrity of Indian cricket is on the brink of complete embarrassment" based on his ill-informed assessment of the Ranchi pitcb. Hindsight will show that d1e pitch proved to be fine.

There was no retraction.

At one point, this journalist even went as far as to compare V icat Kohli with Donald Trump, noting with no sense of irony that "Just like President Trump, Kohli decided to blame the media as a means of trying ro bide the egg smeared right across his face."

Ironic, because by the end of it, his media outlet had given up on reporting facts altogerner, its Facebook page declaring that

Steve Smith was the :Man of the Series (he \vasn't). Again, d1ere was no retraction.

Bias in sports media is almost universal.

The Indian media contingent is just as guilty of inherent bias as its Ausu·alian and English counterparts. Sensationalism, too, is a concept with which India's raving 24/7 news channels a.re -all coo familiar.

Bur perpet11alb: negative sensationalism is a craft in which rne Australian sports media is unparalleled. W hether against irs own players or the opposition, me preference is to divert rne gaze from achievements, act as a flame for the ignorant motl1, and wave a red flag in front of raging online bulls. It would be an inconsequential approach, if rne media did not play a tangible role in the relationship between i\ustraLian and Indian nationals. Bur it does.

The eta of great Australian cricket columnists is all but at an end - since the sad demise of the erudite Peter Roebuck and d1e winding-down of dle eloquent Mike Coward, there has been a noticeable dearth in reasoned scribes.

This is not to say rne talent is not there d1e analyses of Greg Baum, Malcolm Knox and Peter Lalor a.re thoughtful, measured, and weU-resea.rched - and importantly, they are about die g(l111e. But they a.re few and far between.

In the age of clickbait, sensationalism and instant gratification - Australian spores media's integrity is certainly at its lowest ebb.

www.indianlink.com.au

-

sport

-

-

,. a i •I

- ,..�,

�

UCtlJV

· •

,..,

PM

o f

@8CCI NV

�

O?

@BCCI NII

@BCCI IMil!'II

Mililiill NV I Pal'

�

@P'

accurate bowling. Pujara's 202 off 525 balls was the longest-ever irmings by an Indian in terms of balls faced, and, despite his dismissal, a brutal half-century by man of the series Ravindra Jadeja saw India take a first innings lead of 152 runs.

At 4-63 on the final day, and wid1 talismanic captain Steve Smith back in the dressing room, it seemed as though an Indian victory was all but a formality, but Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb allayed Australian fears, keeping the tourists in the series with a diligem, matd1-saving partnership lasting more than 60 overs.

Dharamsala decider

e sweetest victories

A look back on India's come-from-behind 2-1 series victory over Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy

A

BY RITAM MITRA

fter a month-long arm wrestle involving a myriad of on-field theatrics, several combative press conferences, and consistently heart-stopping cricket, leading into che final Test in Dharamsala, there remained nothing to separate Australia and India in the 2017 edition of the Border­ C',avaskar Trophy. A series so keenly contested deserved a thrilling finale - and against the stunning backdrop of majestic Himalayan peal<s, the two sides delivered a fitting crescendo. Ultimately, it was India who prevailed by 8 wickets, sealing a 2-1 series victory that will go down as one of its sweetest ever.

Poor in Pune

Tbe first of the three new Test venues in d1e series, Pune will consider itself lucky to host another Test march. Labelled 'poor' by the ICC, the Pune pitch proved diabolical for both sides, buc stunningly, i t was India who blinked first.

Reducing Australia to 9-205 in ics first innings, India was in the ascendancy; but a smnni.ng riposte by Mice.hell Scare led Australia co 261. In reply, despite suffering early setbacks, at 3-94 and with two set batsmen at the crease, India appeared to be in prime position to continue its modus

INDIANLINK

operandi for the surrm1er: \\�n or lose the toss, but be sure to pile on the runs in the first innings.

Bue on Day Two of the Pune Test, the most stunning hour of Test cricket saw L1clia on its knees, �th Steve O'Keefe, d1e steady left-arm spinner, caking 6-5 in one of the greatest spells by a foreign spinner on Indian soil. India capintlated for just 105, handing Australia a 155-rnn advantage. Not to be outdone by O'Keefe's heroics, in Australia's second innings, Steve Smitb plundered a calm century in near-impossible conditions, scoring 109 ouc of Ausa·alia's 285. Another 6 wickets to Steve O'Keefe in India's second innings saw Australia win by 333 runs, taking a 1-0 series lead in a series in which ic was predicted to lose 0-4.

far, came roaring back wid1 6-41, leaving Australia to lick its wounds after being within agonisingly close sight of a famous finish line.

Stalemate in Ranchi

For the second consecutive Test match, Australia seemed to have one hand on the trophy courtesy of its huge first innings of 451, ,vbich featured an unbeaten 178*

by Steve Smith and a rnaiden test century for Glenn Ma}.'Well. But as it had done all summer, Jnclia found a way to cancel out the first innings after losing the toss. Coming toged1er at 6-328, Wriddhiman Saha and Chetesbwar Pujara put on a record 199 runs in 63.2 overs, gruelling against in1pressively

The most picmresque ground in world cricket, Dharamsala's Test debut was magnificent. For each of the four days it was a bread1taking sight: d1e players in their off-whites, rmrning along the lush green grass with snow-capped peaks rising above the rustic red Tibetan grandstand behind them. Tbe cricket was excellent, and the match was played in the best of spirits.

Arguably mough, d1e pitch made d1e biggest contribution to the decider; wid1 pace and bounce to surpass any of ics Australian counterparts, and enough turn and consistent bounce to satisfy tbe fussiest of spinners and batsmen. Indeed, the evenness of d1e deck is evident in the fact tbat India won the match despite losing the toss.

As ABC Radio commentator Prakash W1akankar noted, the Himalayan peaks were not the only immovable force decked our in white in d1e decider, as another century by captain Steve Smith in Australia's first innings saw him become only the second captain (after Alastair Cook in 2012) co peel off 3 centuries in a Test series in India. Having been 1-144, however, Australia was shot out for 300, leaving me door open for an India fightback.

At G-221 in reply on day three, India were yet again looking like conceding a first­ innings deficit. Bue a crucial partnership between Ravi Jadeja and Wriddhiman Saha brought India back from the brink, sealing a vit.'11 32-run lead wi d1 an at times explosive 96 run partnership.

Then came the actual fireworl,s, in the most hostile spell of fast bowling ever produced by an Indian attack, as Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar ran rampant with d1e ne,v ball, picking up 3 \\�cket.� • and one suspects, inflicting many more bruises • before Australia had erased the deficit.

From there, it was smooth sailing for the hosts, who wrecked the Australian middle order and chased down the eventual target of 106 wid1 cin1e and wickets to spare.

The next chapter: India in Austmlia, 2018-19.

Biting back in Bengaluru

Tn Bengaluru, India once again found itself in deficit to Australia in the first innings, giving up an advantage of 87 rnns. At 4-120 in the second innings, India were staring down the battel of a scarcely believable sicuation: if Australia won the match, Australia would retain the Border Gavaskar trophy.

Enter Ajinkya Rahane, and India's answer to Steve Smith, Cheteshwar Pujara.

A 118 run partnership • ilie first century partnership of ilie series • seemed co have put the march beyond doubt, until India lost its lasr 6 Mckets for 36 runs, setting Australia a target of 188 on a deteriorating wicket.

With Australia 4-98, d1e march was scill in d1e balance. The then-world mm1ber one bowler, Ravi Ash�n, who had been conspicuously missing from the series so

APRIL2017 19

ZEE lV

BIG BANG MOVIE DOUBLE PREMI E RE

20 APRIL 2017

www.indianlink.com.au

r1 1na s as o iticians ■

■

Analysing the nexus between crime and politics in India

M

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

ilan Vaislmav's new book When C1ime Pc!Js: Mon�)' andlvi.mcfe i11 T11dian Politics (Yale University Press and Harper Collins India, January 2017) is a superb analysis of the nexus berween crime and politics in lndia. Vaishnav has studied che symbiotic relationship betv,een money and muscle on the one band, and political power on the ocher; he set out to delve and explain how widespread crime and impropriety co-exist in India alongside free and fair democratic elections; and to understand why vorers readily forgive politicians and look away from che crimes they perpetrare, and indeed, elecr and re-elecr them.

Using a dat,'lbase of candidates' self-disclosures, whicb rhe Election Commission bas maintained since 2003, Vaishnav crunches data from nearly 60,000 candidates spread across 35 state elections and two national elections. He supplements his desk research wich fieldwork in India spanning over seven years where be conduces hundreds of interviews with various stakeholders in the system. The final result of all this academic diligence is a superlJ, candid and devastatingly bonest book on politics in India - not as it is taught in universities or academia.

Vaishnav, Carnegie Endowment scholar, tracks che disturbing and distressing rise of criminal-politicians in India: Indian politicians who have been charged with or convicted of serious crimes are three times more likely to win parliamentary elections than diose who have noel What makes chese murderers, rapists, blackmailers, tbieves and kidnappers tick? Vaishnav tries to explain this puzzling phenomenon in die book.

To understand the motivation of criminal candidates in standing for elections and of voters in electing them, Vaishnav uses the framework of an electoral marketplace.

Writing about the .supply .side of the criminal politicians' market, the author contends that it was the weakening of che Congress party and a growing assertiveness in the previously marginalised groups that initially led to strong linkages between criminals and politicians.

In recent tin1es, however, we have the phenomenon of criminals themselves turning into politicians and running for elections. Why and how did this happen?

Vaishnav uses the concept of 'vertical integration' to explain it: it is a system whereby criminals substitute market exchange wich politicians by internal organisation (becoming politicians themselves). "By directly contesting elections, criminals could reduce tl1e

INDIANLINK

,, Voters consciously elect such candidates for their ability to "get things done" they rely on criminal politicians to protect their interests and to act like the crutch that helps them ''navigate a system that gives them so little access in the first place , ,

uncertainty associated wich negotiating (and renegotiating) contracts," says the auchor. Criminals chus join politics for self­ preservacion, protection, and the potential financial benefits they stand to gain by holding office.

The supply of criminal politicians cannot, however, be explained wichout w1derstanding che demand side of tl1e equation. The demand for criminal politicians by political parties can be Lmderstood on the basis of che soaring costs of election campaigns, which parties are unable to afford. Therefore, parties increasingly look for candidates who not only self-finance their campaigns, but also add to the party coffers and line tbe pockets of party elites. Why do voters elect these criminal politicians? Voter ignorance, he found, was not a compelling explanation of voter behaviour. For starrers, candidates who have outlaw reputations often make a great show of highlighting their criminal reputations. Far from biding them, d1ey are

often worn as a badge of honour. Voters consciously elect such candidates for their ability co "get things done". In the face of a weak rule of law and salient social divisions, che criminality of candidates gains credibility among voters, who rely on criminal politicians to protect tlieir interests and co act like die crmch that helps chem "navigate a system that gives chem so little access in the first place".

Clearly, die amalgamation of criminality and policies has serious impli cations for society. Constituencies represented by crooks suffer economically. So what should be done to break d1is equilibrium that the market for criminal politicians has reached? For sustainable solutions, it is impetacive that both che demand and supply of criminal politicians be diwarred. As Vaishnav points out, of utmost importance is clearing rhe morass around election campaign linances and improving transparency and tnclusion in political parties. Fmther, che state capacity

in delivering public services should be improved and institutions <lea.ling widi rule of law strengthened. Of course, none of these .solutions, as che auchor points out, .is a silver bullet by itself. \\Thar is fascinating is che extraordinary deftness wid1 wbich Vaishnav interweaves different disciplines of political science, sociology, economics and history to create a nuanced narrative. He takes the readers behind che scenes and regales tl1em wich a plethora of anecdotes about the foul and fiendish men (while conspicuously leaving out tlie women) wbo win in Indian policies.

He writes in a prose accessible to lay readers witl1out losing academic deptb. lt is his thorough analysis and great srorytelling chat make ff/hm Cti111e Pqys an engaging read.

The book is often grimly amusing. ln 2008, government wbips got six l'vfPs released temporarily from jai.l for a few days so that they could vote, and avoid a parliamentary defeat - never mind tl1e 100odd cases of kidnapping, arson, murder and so on chat the l'vfPs faced between them!

Some of che gangster-statesmen appear co be straight om of Bollywood films.

One local fan of a politician at one point explained to Vaishnav diat bis ]\,f p was not a murderer, "He merely managed murder!"

Modi bas pledged to clean up the system - and his recenc scrapping of large-denomination bank notes was meant to clean up corruption. However, he has appointed 13 alleged lawbreaking l'vfPs co his first cabinet - eight of whom face serious criminal charges! One wonders i f they supported Modi's recent demonetisation at all?

T/aish11av is co-editoi· (,vith Devesh Kapur and Pmtap Bham1 Mehta) of Rethinking Public Institutions in India (Oxfard U11iversity1 Press) to be published soon.

APRIL 2017 21

MATRIMONIALS

INDIAN LINK SOCIAL MEDIA

SEEKING G ROOMS

Seeking Gujarati unmarried match for Aug '78 born girl, 5'2", B.E (Instr umentation), Vaishnav Vanik, working in Sydney (PR). From Mumbai. Ready to settle in Jvfumbai or Australia. E-mail: raksba2602@gmail.com or call: +61 0469 875 159 / +61 0470 253 729 Seeking match for a 33-year-old Hindu Punjabi Brahmin, 5'6'', attractive girl with charming personality. Professionally qualified with corporate job. Melbourne-based, never married, Aus Citizen. Caste no bar. Please send derails with photo co madhumarch05@gmail.com Well settled family in J\uscralia seeks professional match for 29 year old, 5'7", beautiful, Punjabi Hindu girl ,vith traditional Indian values, working in a senior government position.

Prefer boy having Australian Citizenship or P R status. Send biodaca and photographs to aus.i.ngh60@gmail.com Seeking professional match for Hindu Saraswat Brahmin girl in Sydney. Doctor, 31 years old, 5'1", wich traditional lndian values. Famil)' well settled in Sydney, Australia. Prefer boy having Australian Citizenship or PR status. Please email: sydneygsb@gmail.com Suitable match for Australian citizen, Sydney-based, Sikh girl, 1991 born, 170cm, qualified chartered acconntanc, working for Australia's leadLng bank. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to hs522l6a@gmail.com Seeking professionally qualified, settled match for Sydney-based, never married, Aus citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Kl1acri, 44, 5'3", slim, fair, attractive girl. Girl is postgradu ate and is working in a good position in government organisation. Please send details witl1 photo indsyd2016@ gmail.com Seeking well educated, Australian Citizen/PR for a very fair, slin1, Khatri girl, 31 years old, 5'3". W illing to move to Australia. Coming to Melbourne in April on visit9r visa. Brother settled in Melbomne. W hatsapp: +91-9915154747 or email biodata and pictures co khanak3171 S@gmail. com

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking a beautiful, educated, family-oriented girl for a Punjabi Khatri, handsome boy, 34 years old, 5'7", NRI, Australian Citizen, Accountant, own house, well settled family.

Divorced. Caste no bar. Contact: matrimonialsydney@outlook.com; +61 411 342 849

D

Seeking suitable bride for Jat Sikh, 41, divorced, well settled i n Australia. Caste/ religion/ age no bar. Please email with photo and biodata to mailpoint247@gmail.com

rl

ADV ERTi SEM ENT

PHYSICIAN SPEAKS AT U N ITED NATIONS ABOUT MEDITATION

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 che United Nations SaluS Well-being Network, spoke to a packed audience in the Secretariat Conf. Room 8 on "Cultivating Inner Peace for Outer Peace." He began: ":My main message here is to talk about peace. How do we achieve peace? . . . In order to take peace to the next level, we have co find peace wichin ourselves first before we can go on helping tl1e rest of society."By bis own admission, Dr. Duggal is quite passionate abottt meditation as an intecvention for many of life's challenges, whether worldly or personal - a universal paradigm.

His topic on Friday, particularly timely today, derailed the latest scientific research on the proven benefits of meditation. Noting the many different types of meditation, he talked about several significant studies, most focused on peace, stress and anxiety. He quoted one randomized controlled smdy in which people were asked co medicate each morning for 21 days straight for a short duration of time. The researchers measured cortisol (tile stress hormone)

22 APRIL2017

levels before and after 21 days and found a significant decrease in every participant. Notable smdies also found that for patients undergoing ortl1opedic rehabilitation those who meditated beneficted twice as much as those who were treated only witb therapeutic exercise.

One telling example was an experiment done in a troubled San Francisco school district in which two 15-minute periods of quiet time were instituted for students. The results were improved test scores, attendance, psychological state and enhanced concentration. These students also reported increased calmness and decreased anger. By increasing the calmness in these students, cheir corresponding troubled geographical regions noted decreased crime rates and improved safety.

Dr. Duggal tllen presented the meditation technique practiced in Science of Spirituality, Jyoti meditation, after which everyone had a chance to meditate for a short period.

The afternoon concluded with a l ively question and answer session.

Dr. Duggal was at tl1e United Nations

Dr. Kunwarjit Singh Ouggal 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 Spitiruality, (NGO), a worldwide, spiritual organization dedicated co transfotming lives tl1rough meditation. His father, Sane Rajinder Singh Ji j\faharaj, head of Science of Spirituality, spoke at tile UN last May on "Meditation as Medication for che Soul."

Dr. Duggal is a Board-Certified Physical T\'1edicine and Rehabilitation Specialist and Assist.'U1t Professor at Rush University

Medication Center i n Chicago. He lectures extensively on medit.'ltion as an effective intervention for physical and emotional medical disorders.

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

www.indianlink.com.au

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 in summer than in 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, i t 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.

INDlANLINK

This versatile kitchen ingrectient is 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 is 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 W hile we eat ctifferent frnit 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 in 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. Warm 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.

APRIL2017 23

special feature

ew-wor w1nes ■

It's avant-garde wines with an ar tisan approach at Tasmania's Domaine Simha

.....

i I

SIMHA

T

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

asmania, the island state of breathtaking landscapes, unigue wilderness and exquisite produce is also home to Domaine Simha, where artisanal fine wines are crafted based on ancient knowledge and intuition.

Fotu1ded by husband and wife duo, Nav Singh and Lousie Radman, Dornaine Simba has transformed the fine wine landscape and fostered a new outlook on what Tasmania has to offer. Just a few years after their first vintage, the exceptional wines of Domaine Simha are highly sought by collectors, sommeliers and connoisseurs across Australasia.

Speaking co Judian U11k, NaY Singh says tliat at Domaine Simha, tlie philosophy of wine making centres on terroir (how a particular region's climate, soils and terrain affect the taste of tlie wine). The wines are shaped 'au nature!' co reflect epic single vineyards. Living wines are produced here relying on ancient wisdom as mucl1 as science.

"Our wine comes straight from the

24 APRIL2017

earth," says Singh. ''\Ve strive for subtlety and detail tliat can only be achieved naturally in very few places. \.'i(/e pare things back to reveal the purest essence of terroir and tlie character of the season."

At Domaine Simha, tl1eir devotion co quality is evident in every stage from the vine to the glass. Crafted by hand in micro batches, just 2-3 barrels of each wine are made. An avant-garde approach embraces natural methods; harvesting by lunar cycle on fmit and Aower days, whole bunch wild fermentation witli traditional foot pigeage, maturation in custom large format oak barrels and clay amphorae, basket pressing, and bottliog unE.ned and unfiltered wines with perfect natural balance.

According to Singh, Tasmania is me ttlcimate fine wine terroit!

"Tasmania is Australia's final frontier and the natural advantages we have ar. e unparalleled. Making wine here is like standing on tlie brink of a new world where everytliing is possible," he says.

Born and bought up in Dell1i, Nav Singh moved to Australia to pursue higher education ii1 1996. W hile completing studies in economics, Singh found he had a palate for different flavours and developed an interest in wine. A stim working at Sydney's Park Hyatt fuelled bis passion and he decided to undergo formal winemaking training at Adelaide University. :rvfastering his crafr, Singh honed his skills

at some of tlie world's most prestigious wine estares, inclL1ding Domaine de L'Arlor in Burgundy and Cbateau Le Pin . i n Bordeaux, France as well as working in Australia witli Chandon and Mountadam and heading up operations in Margaret River and Clare Valley.

1n 2012, Singh along with his wife Louise Radn1an (who bas a host of impressive wine credentials of her own), relocated to Tasmania to establish Doma.ine S.imha.

A very unique and interesting name, Domaine Simha pays homage to ! av's rich Indian heritage. The name Singh originates from the Sanskrit word Sim ha, whicli means lion. The logo features the India Gate flanked by C\VO lions, and many of the wines take their names from historic royal titles like Rani, Rana and Raja.

Some of the collections under the Domaine label include Amphorae and Sanskrit. Making wine in the traditional amphora is an age-old memod dating back tliousands of years. Crafted in white clay vessels, Domaine Sin1ha Amphorae wines are energetic wim expressive character. The clay allows the wine to breathe and evolve, while circulation of natural convection currents energises tl1e wine and maintains a stable cemperanu:e. The beautifully patterned, golden Amphorae labels reference the exquisite architectural beauty of jali screens found throughout India.

The Sanskrit range is a reflection of

RAJ A

'11 _...

SIMHA

the poetic language o f love and beauty; me wines shine a light on lesser known grape varieties and styles such as gamay and cabernet franc. The Sanskrit pinot gris and schonburger are skin fermented white wines. Essentially, this involves making an oxidative-style wine matured by leaving on the grape skins as you would normally do for red wines. Tbe result is a textured, 'orange' style of wine witl1 characterful ginger spice and eartliy flavours.

Domaine Simba wines can be found online and in specialist wine retailers. Their products have also been embraced by some of Australia's top rescaurams like Aria, Quay, Rockpool, The Fat DL1ck/Dinner by Heston, Aloft, Smolc and more.

W hen asked if he has ever had to face any challenges due to his country of origin, Nav Singh replies tl1at his cttltural heritage is one to be embraced as it gives him a unique advantage. "l believe my Indian background gives us an interesting story to complement our wine. A good measure of self-belief has always helped."

And to all chose who are taking steps into me wine making business, Singh has this advice, "Find a mentor and gain as much practical experience as possible around the world. Always keep an open mind and positive attitude while tasting wines. Build good networks wid1in the wine community and be ready co work hard and long hours."

www.indianlink.com.au

Easy Easter bak1ng From traditional European treats to an Aussie classic, celebrate Easter in style, writes GAURAV MASAND

F. ..................................................... .

.

or Christians, Good Friday marks the end of 40 days of Lent, whi.le Easter Sunday, marking the resurrection, is the rime to

celebrate! But no matter if you celebrate Easter or not, here are some lip-smacking recipes perfect for parties and family reumoas.

•• •• •

.

.

•• •• •

.•• •• ••

. .

Black Forest Cake . . ..................................................... . . .

Ingredients ... .. .•.

• ••.

Impressive and rich, Black Forest cake is always a crowd favourite; this family recipe will never let you down.

For cake (Double layer)

1 ½ cup condensed milk 1 cup self-raising plain flour 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour ½ cup cocoa powder ¼ tsp baking soda ½ cup/ 100g butter 2 tsp vanilla essence ¼ cup brown sugar ½ cup milk For filling

2 cups heavy cream 2 tbsp caster sugar ½ cup morello cherries, chopped 10-12 maraschino cherries for garnish Dark chocolate Bowl for whipping cream and electric mixer attachments, kept for 1 hour in freezer

Method

Melt the butter and beat it with sugar until mixed.

Add condensed milk, vanilla essence.

Beat together until you get a smooth mixture. Add the dry ingredients with milk and mix with electric mixer.

Grease two pans evenly with butter.

Divide and pour the mixture equally in two pans and bake in a pre-heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Using an electric mixer set on high speed, whip the cream with sugar, until medium to stiff peaks form, for about 1 minute. Do not overbeat.

Spread 1/3 cream mix on one cake and top with chopped cherries.

Add the second layer of cake and spread 1/3 of whipped cream evenly on the cake.

Grate a dark chocolate block with mandolin slicer.

Spread the chocolate on the sides and top of the cake.

Add the remaining whipped cream to a piping bag and decorate the cake.

Refrigerate for 4-5 hours.

Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve.

food

• • : L- JL-B..---1.:�1.-�.iill...�::&:lll��������Ja. ...:.:..:: • the mix frothy and yeast will activate • "Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, within 15 minutes.

•• one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns." This old English nursery rhyme, Add this yeast, water and milk mixture, associated with the end of Lent, is a along with currants, to the flour.

•• favourite childhood memory. These Knead the dough, this will be sticky •• buns are a crowd favourite and usually at the start. Add melted butter and eaten on Good Friday. remaining ingredients. Keep dough • aside for 30 minutes to rise.

• Ingredients Once it has doubled in size, punch it •• 2 cups plain flour down and knead it again.

Divide the flour into 9 equal portions, 1 cup wholemeal flour • ¼ cup currants give them a round shape and arrange

•• •

.

•• •••

.

.•

3 ½ tsp dry yeast 30g melted butter ½ cup water for dry yeast 1 ½ cup lukewarm water and milk mixture 2 tsp spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg) Ginger, small piece 2 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp salt ¼ cup self-raising flour (for the cross)

Method

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

Add sugar to lukewarm water, mix until it dissolves. To activate the yeast, add to sugar water mixture. This will make

them on a baking tray with some space in between the buns.

Let them rest for 30 minutes. You will see the dough rise and the sides might touch each other.

Mix self-raising flour with 1 tablespoon of water to form a paste, and add it to a piping bag. Mark a cross on the buns with the paste.

Bake the buns for 10 minutes at 225 degrees and a further 6-7 minutes at 200 degrees.

Check the readiness by inserting a toothpick. If it doesn't stick to the dough, the buns are ready.

Serve fresh with butter or fruit preserve.

.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• •• • • ••

.. Upside Down Plum Cake .. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

.

•

.

•• •• • • •• •• • •

. . .

.

Australia is blessed to have a bounty of sweet plums at this time of year.

Enjoythe seasonal produce with this delicious cake recipe .

Ingredients

¾ cup condensed milk

1 cup self-raising plain flour ¼ cup wholemeal self-raising flour (can replace with 1/3 cup plain self-raising flour) ¼ cup/ 50 grams butter 2 tsp vanilla essence 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp milk ¼ cup brown sugar (for glaze) 350gm Satsuma plums (or any variety of plums with red flesh)

. ..• •. Method • Cut 4-5 plums in thin slices, and the •

INDIANLINK

rest into small pieces.

Heat the sugar with an equal quantity of water. Let it cook until it forms a thick and brown glaze.

Line a spring form cake tin with baking sheet, including the sides.

Spread plum slices in concentric circles, glazing them with sugar.

Melt the butter; beat together with sugar until mixed.

Combine with condensed milk and vanilla essence.

Beat till you get a smooth mixture. Add the dry ingredients and the milk. Mix with an electric mixer.

Pour the mixture evenly into the cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let it cool for 15 minutes.

Place cake on a plate upside down.

Garnish with fresh plum slices.

Best served with ice-cream.

APRIL 2017 25

entertainment

■

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .- - - - - - - - - - '

I

t'.j/1

ue,-io1:-1s At-11>

,Q

. I,

!tt_ G; �r H' A S N O L I . ;.-

7-

� • .,,

"

POORNA

�'

STARRING: Rahul Bose, Aditi lnaamdar, Dhritiman Chatte1ee and Heeba Shah DIRECTOR: Rahul Bose

***

.

0

I

I

Ir-'---

At one crucial point in the telling of this I simple and heart-warming tale of a tribal girl's climb from the pits of poverty I to Himalayan heights, Rahul Bose, I playing an upright bureaucrat, asks the little Andhra girl what is her purpose for I climbing Everest.

I

,

"I have no purpose_ I just want to do it," she tells her mentor honestly.

The simple confessional articulation exemplifies this film's mood. So rich in its message, so far-flung in its intentions and purpose and yet so intimate in treatment and execution, Rahul Bose wins you over with his honesty of purpose_ There are no duplicitous bones in the structure of this film.

Sure, there are passages in this motivational tale that follow the rags-

to-riches trajectory with textbook-ish precision. But the heart is in the right place, bringing to the narrative a kind of non-negotiable integrity that is at once compelling and winsome.

Authenticity is the key to the cogency of Bose's vision. He chooses actors and locations as true to the original milieu as cinematically possible. The rest just follows.

The narrative sweeps us into an emotional realism that is at once sparse and dramatic, pumping up the saga of resilience and humanism with vignettes and frames that form a panoramic arc over the film's rugged landscape.

Poorna's saga begins in an impoverished village of Andhra Pradesh and ends on the world's highest summit - Everest. It is an ambitious arc, navigated and tempered with a lavish affection for the downtrodden and an absence of patronising pride in depicting the rise of a young underprivileged girl to heights of glory.

Little lshaan in Taare Zameen Par had his Ram Shankar Nikumbh to steer him into the light Poorna has Praveen Kumar, a bureaucrat who belongs to that rare breed of civil servants who still believes he took on the job with the purpose of improving lives of the underprivileged. I've read some very strange comments on how Rahul Bose has cast himself in a self-glorifying role.

Wait... is that against the law? To play noble characters? Has that been declared a cognisable offence by a social order that thinks cynicism is cool?

It is easy to get cynical about a character whose heart bleeds for those who are not given one square meal a day. There is an emotionally surcharged moment in the narrative where the conscientious bureaucrat eats a mid­ day meal with schoolgirls to get a feel of the awful food that is served up by

government-funded canteens. Rahul's Praveen Kumar doesn't flinch as he swallows morsels of the garbage Uunk food at its purest?)

But we do.

Throughout the telling of this inspiring tale of a girl who won't buckle under the pressure of poverty and cynicism, Rahul gives us the portrait of a bleak landscape lit up by a distant hope. He is the artiste who won't judge a value system that condemns the downtrodden to doom. But he won't condone it either.

He can laugh with Poorna at her poverty - don't miss the sequence where the girls at the boarding school giggle and compare each other' s poverty - but he won't laugh at her condition.

Poorna is a little gem with a big heart.

It has many virtues. Aditi lnaamdar who plays Poorna is a prized find. So is young S. Mariya as Poorna's spunky but tragically vanquished cousin_ The scenes showing the two girls bonding are so heart-warming as to make us overlook the film's obvious flaws of over­ statement.

However, some of the other actors in incidental roles seem to have come on board just to feel good about themselves for helping a noble cause.

The film is shot with minimum fuss and optimum feelings. When little Poorna stood at the peak of Everest, I felt I was standing up there with her. Gloriously triumphant and hoping that what Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote 45 years ago for a just social order would come true soon: Kitne din aankhen tarsengV Kitne din yun di/ tarsenge/ Ek din toh baadal barsenge/ Ae mere pyaase diV aaj nahin toh ka/ mehkegi khwabon ki mehfil.

Take a bow, Rahul Bose. Poorna is not

just a tale of the triumph of the human spirit. We all have a Pooma inside us waiting to conquer our own Everest.

Subhash K Jha

I N D IAN LI N K

RADIO APP

26 APRIL2017

www.indianlink.com.au

to be an action thriller where Shabana Khan (Taapsee Pannu) is a middle-class girl who lives with her mother and has a devoted boyfriend, college mate Jai (Taher Shabbir).

An incident one night convinces her to put her martial arts training to use and she chooses to follow an uncharted path thereon. How she joins an intelligence group to save her countr y

from unwanted elements beginning with a global arms kingpin, forms the crux of this two-hour plus film.

This is a film which exudes an aura of intrigue and being much-anticipated, one goes in with a lot of expectations.

But alas, the first half which starts with a fair amount of promise and an emotional quotient, degenerates into a mindless action film which fails to grip you and drags. The weak and far-fetched plot meanders aimlessly, hinged on a weak motive both of the protagonist, Shabana as well as the intelligence group she works for.

The action scenes are expectedly well-choreographed and executed, but lack freshness as these offer nothing new. The foreign locales too don't help in elevating the film. The characters, perhaps with the exception of Shabana, whose back story is shared to make her look complete, are all one-dimensional and appear out of nowhere. The dialogues are trite and lack punch.

The film is Taapsee's canvas all the way and one must laud her martial arts prowess and hard work which shines in the action sequences. Her feisty persona and agility are praiseworthy.

But that is where it ends. She fails to make an impact when she emotes and the scene during her childhood, when she witnesses her parents fight, is particularly tacky and unconvincing.

Prithviraj Sukumaran as the arms dealer Mikhail aka Tony, has a strong screen presence and portrays his character with conviction.

A melee of good actors appear for no real reason at all and naturally fail to impress owing to the poor script and characterisation. Anupam Kher and Danny Denzongpa in a miniscule role, are wasted.

Even Akshay Kumar's presence as fellow agent. Ajay seems forced and uncalled for. Manoj Bajpayee, as the mysterious 'Sir' with no name, who tracks and appoints Shabana has nothing much to offer by way of histrionics and neither does he appear comfortable in the skin of his character, merely mouthing patriotic lines.

Taher Shabbir as Jai, Shabana's boyfriend, is earnest and endearing.

The actor playing her mother too is competent.

The music too is nothing to boast about and in fact the background score creates an unnecessary din, drowning everything else. "Rozana" by Shreya Ghoshal, is however, pleasant.

Overall, Naam Shabana tries hard to be an action-packed woman-centric film and while it lets Shabana deliver the last punch in the predominantly male bastion in which she supposedly shines, it fails to convince.

Troy Ribeiro

dancer, as her performing partner (played with poignant panache by Pankaj Tripathi) watches in muted horror. All hell breaks loose thereafter. While the lechers of Aarah seethe in anti-climactic rage, Anaarkali gives them a long rope to hang themselves with.

In one sequence, Swara strides, looking crushed, into the vice-ridden Chancellor's den only to make him look ridiculous at the end of it. And at the end her dance of defiance and exposure she is so volatile and so deliciously over-the­ top I found myself jumping out of my seat to congratulate Swara.

No walkover, our Anaarkali takes on the academic lout with such vigour and strength that you will find yourself cheering and clapping for this female hero of these times of sexual ambivalence when men in positions of power misuse their strength to subjugate women in workplaces.

This is a sublime film about the dignity of labour narrated with a raunchy rigour that is often appealing at times exasperating.

Swara Bhaskar hits all the right notes in the shrillest of scenes, bringing out the feisty Bihari woman's inner strength and an extremely appealing moral grounding even when confronted by the demons of her disreputable profession. There are scenes where Swara is required to push aside all her inhibitions, even her innate feminine grace, to appear predatory in her aggression. To her credit Swara sidesteps sleaziness even when she is required to sing and shake her booty to

lyrics that would make Yo Yo Honey Singh blush.

But there is a certain grace and dignity to the double meaning thrown out of the erotic dancer 's pelvis thrusts, like fire leaping into the sky. Swara dances to these ribald lyrics with such familiarity and trust, you won't notice the sexuality in her thrust. You will see the thirst and dare I say, the innocence, the determination to remain an artiste even when pushed so much against the wall that her body is stiffened and stymied by social order where men have the right to 'own' women' s physicality.

In this nimbly-written ode to feminine grace, a cheesy dancer who probably moonlights as prostitute tells the predatory man where to get off. It kicks where it hurts the most and its does so without the flourish of schisms. It is a terrific premise for a post-feminist film.

Writer-Director Avinash Das doesn't focus on remaining fashionable about women's empowerment.

The smell, the feel, the flavour and the emotions of the stiflingly patriarchal small-town is so palpable, you are swept into the vortex of the film's vibrant vista.

Full marks to the film's cinematographer Arvind Kannabiran for making Aarah and Anarkali seem wedded to one another, and of course Rohit Kumar's authentic folk songs... they add so much

value to the proceedings! A dizzying, combative explosive expose of small­ town hooliganism and a spunky girl's determination to survive all odds, Anaarkali OfAarah has a memorable gallery of actors giving the goings-on a sterling push and a bracing vigour with their performances.

But above all there is Swara Bhaskar giving what history wiII record as one of the bravest and most important performances by a female actor in post­ modernist Bollywood.

Don't even think about seeing any other film. With this towering achievement around the others don't stand a 'ghost' of a chance.

Gimme the spunk queen of Aarah any day rather than the bhoot of Phillauri.

Subhash K Jha

-

NAAM SHABANA

STARRING: Manoj Bajpayee, Taapsee Pannu, Akshay Kumar, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Danny Denzongpa, Anupam Kher, Taher Shabbir DIRECTOR: AShivam Nair

1rlc-\ - · -\

Naam Shabana, a spin-off from the 2015 popular film Baby, is purported

ANAARKALI OF AARAH STARRING: Swara Bhaskar, Sanjai Mishra, Pankaj Tripathi, lshteyak Khan DIRECTOR: Avinash Das

*

Nothing in this unexpected storm-trooper of a film has prepared you for its hig� velocity energy and fervent statement on female sexuality. Without exaggeration, Anaarkali OfAarah (AOA) is the surprise of the season.

It is stunning in thought, spellbinding in plot and utterly gripping in the way the story of a small-town dancer-singer's adventures in lecher-land unfolds.

AOA is many things at the same time.

It is a shimmering sun-soaked mirror of small-town values wherein ever y sneeze or fart is noted and evaluated across the communities. And yetthe story of Anaarkali (Swara Bhaskar, spectacular) is also the stor y of every woman, urban or rural.

Lady, you may belong to Aarah or Arizona, there will always be men who feel they've the birthright to own your body as and when they wish.

So, here's the simmering provocative scenario. Anaarkali, the small-town hottie who makes every guy in town horny, is on stage giving robust voice and body to her raunchy songs - yes, she does dirty dancing for a living and enjoys her job as much as Swara enjoys acting and I enjoy writing - whenthetown's prime educational institution's Vice Chancellor (Sanjai Mishra) decides to take the 'Vice' too seriously.

He jumps on stage to molest the INDIANLINK

APRIL2017 27

entertainment

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

BHAGYASHREE'S SON TO MAKE BOLLYWOOD DEBUT

Bhagyashree's son? She has a grown up son?

We all remember her as the Pretty Young Thing that Salman Khan - and the whole of India - fell in love with, in that super-duper hit Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). She left the industry soon after, never having done another Hindi film, to wed the love of her life, aged only 19.

Today, 28 years on, her son Abhimanyu Dassani is all set to make his Bollywood debut.

He has just been announced as the lead in a quirky action comedy called Mard Ko Oard Nahi Hota. The film, which will also launch Radhika Madan, is directed by Vasan Bala, who wrote and directed the 2012 crime-thriller Peddlers.

The film is to be produced by Anurag Kashyap, whose long-time assistant Vasan has been since the heady days of DevD.

"Vasan has written a superbly funny and kickass martial arts film, the likes of which I have neither read nor seen. It's so local and so new that you can't help but marvel at it," Anurag Kashyap said.

The film also features Tamil star Vijay Sethupati in a key role.

SHABANA AZMI: NO SLOWING DOWN

ALI FAZAL GOI N G PLACES

Y

India's very own Meryl Streep, Shabana Azmi feels the film industry has definitely been age-centric, but that this is grad.ually changing.

"If you look in my own career graph in the last 10 years, I have probably had the most challenging roles of my life," she remarked recently. "I have five films lined up for release. Two of them are American productions - one is called Signature Move and the other is The Black Prince."

"Then I have Premchand's ldgah, Sonata and The Wishing Tree. All these

ou probably know of him from his small roles in 3 Idiots, Fukrey and Happy Bhag Jayegi. But our Ali Fazal is now going places.

He got a small role in Furious 7 and found himself thrust in a new world of great opportunities. The Lucknow lad acquitted himself well enough there to get noticed, and before long, had bagged the title role in the Judi Dench starrer

roles are as different as you can possibly imagine."

Shabana says it's a rich variety of roles that is coming her way at 66, and it makes her happy.

The Stephen Frears-directed film should open new doors for young Ali, and has probably already done so, now that talent management firm Julian Belfrage Associates has signed him on. This company looks into the work of the big names such as Dench as well as Jude Law and Daniel Day Lewis.

Victoria and Abdul tells the story of Queen Victoria's close relationship with a tall and handsome Indian Muslim called Abdul Karim. It is based on a book by the same name by London writer Sharbani Basu.

Abdul Karim was just 24 when he was sent to England from Agra to wait at tables during Queen Victoria's golden jubilee in 1887. He was given to her as a "gift from India". The queen took such a liking to him that she soon elevated him in rank and he became a close confidante. He introduced her to the food and culture of India - she soon took to eating curry regularly and even learnt to read and write Hindi and Urdu.

The film releases on 22 September.

Meanwhile, news is that Ali Fazal has bagged a role in an upcoming Hollywood production opposite Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson's daughter. Richa Chadda is also said to be part of this film, a musical comedy along Bollywood lines.

As well, there's a project with Eddie Izard in the offing, who Ali worked alongside in Victoria and Abdul.

HINDU SUPPORTERS PROTEST AGAINST SCENE IN UPCOMING FILM

Victoria and Abdul.

28 APRIL 2017

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) supporters protested outside film producer T.P. Aggarwal's office claiming that his forthcoming release LaaIi Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana includes a scene which can hurt the Hindu community's sentiments.

They demanded the deletion of a scene wherein a pregnant women is seen being married.

However, Aggarwal stood firm against the protest and said he won't make any edits in the film as it has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

"It is not a crime for a pregnant

woman to marry," the film producer, who is also President of the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association, told the protesters.

He also asked them to show where in the scriptures it is mentioned that this is taboo.

Directed by Manish Harishankar, the film, slated to release on XXXX, features Naseeruddin Shah's son Vivaan and Kamal Haasan's daughter Akshara.

It is based on the theme of teenage pregnancy, a rising concern in India's metropolitan cities.

WEB SERIES FOR SHAMITA SH ETTY, APARSHAKTI

It's good to learn thatthe film industry is growing by looking at various modes of consumption. The term 'web series' is now being bandied about with increasing frequency.

Shilpa Shetty's baby sister Shamita Shetty will soon be joining actor Aparshakti Khurrana for a web series.

The series, in works for Viacom18's Over-The-Top (OTT) platform - VOOT, will mark Shamita's digital debut. The storyline of the series and all the other related information is being kept under wraps.

Shamita had recently teased her social media family with a post that read: "Doing what I love best! Work mode, shoot life, new beginnings, happy me."

According to an official statement from VOOT, the series will also feature Gaurav Pandey - last seen in Badrinath Ki Dulhania - and Ridhima Pandit.

The title of the series will be revealed soon.

RANI MUKERJI IN COMEBACK MODE

Bollywood star Rani Mukerji returned to face the camera this month for her comeback film Hichki.

The announcement was made via a video posted on the social media platforms of production banner Yash Raj Films.

After her power-packed performance as a policewoman in Mardaani, the actor took time off for motherhood when she had daughter Adira with husband and film producer Aditya Chopra.

Then she wanted to return to do what www.indianlink.com.au

\ she loves doing the most.

Coming out under the Yash Raj Films banner, Hlchki is being directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and produced by Maneesh Sharma.

The film will feature Rani in a positive and inspiring story about a woman who turns her biggest weakness into her biggest strength.

In an earlier statement, Rani had said she was on the lookout for a script that would challenge and excite her.

The fact that Hichki came with a positive premise, urged the actress to take it up.

KAJOL: SOUTHERN SOJOURN

Meanwhile, Rani's first cousin and equally loved actor Kajol, has just finished work on her comeback to Tamil cinema. The Soundarya-directed VIP 2 has just wrapped up.

Last seen in 1997 Tamil film Mlnsara Kanavu, Kajol has returned to Tamil filmdom after nearly two decades.

VIP 2, a sequel to the 2014 Tamil blockbuster Ve/a Illa Pattathari stars Dhanush in the lead role while Kajol plays a suave businesswoman in a pivotal role.

"The role is something I am really very happy about. I really can't reveal much about the film, as I have got strict orders from my director not to talk about the film," the Dilwale actor said.

Apart from the Tamil film, Kajol is also working with her husband Ajay Devgn for

their home production.

"It is too early to talk about my home production film. We will most probably start shooting in the coming two or three months," she said.

AND SOME OTHER COMEBACK FEATURES

Speaking of comebacks, Sridevi is all set to bewitch yet again, this time as Mom. Directed by Ravi Udyawar, Mom, a woman-centric film, is produced by Sri's husband Boney Kapoor. It will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu on July 14.

And what has Raveena Tandon been doing, while her contemporaries have been working away on their comebacks?

She's been judging a children's talent show on TV called Sabse Bada Kalakar.

"Judging a kids' reality show is very easy," ravishing Raveena said recently.

"Kids are very uncomplicated. For them, life is very simple - either it is black or it is white, with no hidden agenda. It has been a great and wonderful journey filming this show with them."

Really Raveena? Simple?? Well then, this next story below, is aimed at you.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A MUSIC REALITY TV SHOW

There are awe inspiring stories of unknown talent discovered on TV reality shows who go on to strike it big in the world of entertainment. But what about

WHO WORE IT , BETTER?

DEEPIKA > I PADUKONE or KARLIE KLOSS IN PRABAL GURUNG

+

Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianLinkAustralia

INDIANLINK

the equally good talent that does not make it to the top? How are they left to pick up the pieces after they have 'failed'?

This is the unusual theme of upcoming flick Blue Mountains, directed

by Suman Ganguli and produced

by Rajesh Jain. It stars young talent Yatharth Rutnam, real life winner of a children's talent show on Indian TV, even though he takes on the role of someone who did not win. Gracy Singh (of Lagaan fame) plays his mum, failed classical singer who urges him on in a bid to realise her own dreams vicariously through him.

The film has already taken out various awards in the international film festival circuit.

What's the chitchat between DEEPIKA PADUKONE and NEETU KAPOOR? Send in your responses to win@indianlink.com.au and win a movie pass

MADHUR BHANDARKAR IS AT IT AGAIN

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar's upcoming project lndu Sarkar will release on July 21.

The movie is reportedly based on the infamous Emergency era, a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the countr y.

It features Anupam Kher, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kirti Kulhari and Bengali actor Tota Roy Chowdhury.

A recipient of the Padma Shri, Bhandarkar is known for his socially relevant films like Traffic Signal, Chandni Bar, Fashion and Page 3. He feels youth will be eager to watch lndu Sarkar.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Match the stars to the following tweets: Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar Thank u for the love the passion and just sticking by ur team. KKR fans u make us!

It's an Emergency! Your date with an important chapter from post independence history of India, 'lndu Sarkar' releases on July 21 2017 My baby nursery designed by @gaurikhan with so much love and care... it's my paradise! Love you gauri...

Nice. @SohailKhan inaugurates @bebeinghuman 53rd store at Seawoods Mall, Navi Mumbai

What's the chitchat between PRIYANKA CHOPRA and JIMMY FALLON? SMEAR CAMPAIGN!!!

SUNEETA ROSARIO St. Agnes, SA Suneeta wins a ticket to Hindi film Phillauri

APRIL 2017 29

backchat

How to survive immigration Inside secrets are revealed by One Who Integrated Successfully

M

BY KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU

igrating to a new country is probably che hardest thing you'll ever do. If your life were -a mobile phone, this is like pressing the 'factory reset' button. AU the apps you got used to?

Yeah, they're gone. I'm afraid you have to install them again.

I wrote once before: .Migmntsp,,ck a lo! worries in their sligbt/y 011en1Jeight cabin baggage.

Understanding the local accent is probably the least of your worries. Bigger battles will be fought when you're job hunting and convincing real estate agents that your curry doesn't smell chat strong.

Having spem almost two years in Australia and not run away yet, I've decided to comp.ile some inside secrets that will help new desi immigrams survive. Ready for it?

Here goes:

of

Fire Alarms The very firsc crisis you w.ill face in the West is che bleeping fire alarm. Every time the little buggers go off, the stress w.ill make you will lose two days of your balance life. They seem m intuitively know hmv to harass you. Just when you think you've got the hang of making that bmcer roti, che fire alarm disagrees and puts you in your place.

One of my deepesc fears, I confessed to my wife once, is tl1at our son's precious childhood memories will be filied wich his immigram facher fanning the fumes away from the fire alarm. He'll probably write a scand-up routine around it, a la Russell Peters. Did I hear you say something about removing batteries? Yon sly dog!

Tip: J'Ofl want to hinge ongbee smeared cbapathis, h11m some {[[lories beforehand.

Stand di,·ect(y helo}/J theJirn alarm, hold a large super111"rket catalogue 111ith both ,117m aho11eyom· head andja11 an1qyJi1rio11.r61, It's also good exercise for) 'o!lr latissivms drmi muscles

If

Shopping centres There's sometl1ing misleading about these big, air-conditioned boxes that look the same everywhere. 1f you walk in lace, after

30 APRIL 2017

all the shiny lights are tmned off, you'd think that desis are half the Australian population. It's a Type 1 sampling error. While the rest of the county is either at an all-night­ beach-parcy or already in bed, the desi family straps its snony kid to che back of a metal trolley and hatrnts the aisles of a discount mega store or a supermarket in the local shopping centre. Smdy:ing the prices of unsalted butter brands at 9pm on weekends has never been so popular in the hiscory of hmnanicy.

My fam.ily's weekends have been more productive ever since I shifted to grocery shopping alone on weekdays, on my way home from work.

Tip: I haw a one-111ord tipjoT]OIII' fVRT 111"/ls i11 general: AvoirL

Indian TV Box It is an essential accessory to every desi household. Like the tinted film for your car windows, it procects yon from the ha.r mful effects of overexposure to local emercainmenr. Ac least for first generation immigrants, the TV box is the only connection to d1e mother ship when not on a Skype call. That, and the pirated DVDs you get for free with a $100 grocery bill ac the Indian store. Get one if yon must, buc don't become too attached to it. The TV box, I mean.

Tip: Reshict the lndia!I TV hox to 50% J'om· idiot hox time. Patronise local talent too. If)'OIi mn't, 111/;(lt's the point evtigroting, really?

of

of

'These People' Righc from day one, I have been getting genetous advice about how to deal wid1 'these people'. le is d1e produce of decades of collective immigrant wisdom, crunched imo bite-sized stereotypes about the host country.

'These people' don't work at all. All they talk about is lawn mowing and home renovations. ·r ever trust 'tl1ese people'. They will turn against you any rime.

'These people' earn till Thursday and spend it all on booze in d1e next three days.

I confess, I've also been guilry of generalising about 'these people' - though in my defence, my stereotypes only increased my admiration for 'these people'.

'These people, no? They are like this only!'

o

Tip: Tfrokay to indttlge in f 'thesepeople' once a bit in ,1 1JJhile. 'Thesepeople' do it too. ]11.rt don t overdo

it.

Pressure Cookers So we pressured onr landlady about che leaking taps until she sent a hai1dyman to fix them. There he was, in the shower, grappling with the complex problems of water drips when he heard an earth­ shattering sound of somedling blowing up outside. Suspecting mortal clanger, he rushed out to save himself and alert law enforcement.

No doubc he was embarrassed to run into my toddJer coolly building wooden train cracks, oblivious m the hullabaloo. My brave son, unlike che burly handyman, grew up co the sounds of che pressure cooker blowing whistles four times every meal I am sure desi kids could eve□ handle an oil rig blowing up in the ne.xt room and not 8inch a muscle.

A desi friend's Aussie aunt once playfully mocked the suburb we live i n . 'Every cwo seeps, yo1.1 hear a pressure cooker go off. Ir's almost like India!' Says ic all, doesn't it?

Tip: The 111orld h(ls moved on to fnsta11t Pots, b11l ifyo11 w,mt to s11rvi11e theftrstfa111)'Cars of it11migrotio11, make sure)'Ol/1' 40kg baggage allowance bas a 10kg sublimitfor iHductionfrimd!y press11re cookers

New Immigrants A favourite pastime of older people is to complain about ho\v things were 'so good' before and 'not at all good' now. Keeping up with the tradition, a. desi former colleague once told me that tl1e quality of new desi immigrants is really falling. She should knO\V. She emigraced to Australia at the same rime as cbe Dandekars. I was about three months old in the couna-y when she gave her quality assessment, so I assumed she was miking abom che ones who came after me.

Tip: Thei'e is 110/hing 111ore desi than being discti111i11ated against by afallow desi. Tflke in liheml doses of good old desi mohhe1y 1J1heneve/')'Ot1 ca11. 1t's " IJ)01ide,j11/ mrefor homesickness.

Adjusting to the new environmem cakes time. 'iXfhac makes it easy is when you know inside secrecs like these. W ith me on your side, you're never short of excellent inside info. f Fin"/ Tip: Take it (l/1 111ith apinch salt. If it is still unp(lf(lf{l/;/e, sp1i11k/e some chat 11uuala 011 the top. Th(lt 011ghta do it!

o

www.indianlink.com.au

Shop 4, 186 Church Street Parramatta NSW 2 1 50 Ph: 02 9407 2300

1 6 Flushcombe Road Blacktown NSW 2148 Ph: 02 98301600

Shop 3, 237-239 Flinders Lane,Scott Alley Melbourne VIC 3000 Ph: 03 9981 1400

Best & LessTravel

1 300 GO BEST

1 300 46 2378

GkCUAp��.-1- Ail"fA"'� 0MA"'""+w �I:.,.

2/98 Burwood Road Burwood NSW 2134 Ph: 02 8583 0 1 00

www.bestandlesstravel.com.au •Cheapest Airfare Guarantee terms and conditions can be found on bestandlesstravel.com.au/guarantee.

I

I

I

IATA Best & LessTravel Pty Ltd © 201 1 All Rights Reserved License No: 2TA4244 IATA No: 02-360186 ABN: 33 070 559 456.

INDIANLINK

APRIL2017 31

Send money for Mother's Day and we' II send you an eCard for Mum.

32 APRIL 2017

www.india nlink.com.au