2017-04 Perth

Unique master suitelocatedto the front of the home offersdirectaccessto anursery/study space and also features a huge walk-in robe and a luxury ensuite with doublevanity, double shower and separate WC

Large scullery withpreparationbenchtop

- Dedicatedhomecinema

- Separateactivity area

- 900mmWestinghouseappliances

Caesarstonebenchtopsto kitchen, bathrooms and laundry

-

Softclosedrawers and cupboardsto allcabinets

Dualsemi-inset vanity basins to ensuite and doublesizedshower

Contact details:

SAURABH ANAND 0420-665-678

sanand@celebrationhomes.com.au

PUBLISHE:R, ,Pawan _ Lutlira·

E:DITOR\ Rajni Anand Luthra·

ASSISTANT E:DITOR: Kira Spucys-Taha�

CONTRIBUTORS

Jyoti Shankar, Usha Ramanu)am ;(rvi�d., Sandip �or, RitamMitra, Puneet Anand:· c;aurav.,Masand, Krishna Neelalllraju · Grahak Cunningham

ADVE:RTISING.

WA Sai;;M���g�r Ram Naidu 0435 581 571 ·· · • National Sales·

VivekT(i�;di.oi9262 1766

ADVE:RTISING ASSISTANT

Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

�rilTORIAL ASSISTANT' · Beheshta,Wasseh

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, includi�g- ad'.-'.E!r�i�ernents_, designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in partor in whole without the written consent ofthe2 editor.Opinions carried in IndianLink are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by lndiait1 •Li!'lk. AUce>r�espon,?enc:e!iho1fld ?e a��res!i�cl to: '

Indian link

Level 24/44Market St, Sydney 2006or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph:02 9279-2004l=ax:02 9279:ioos' 1:!n.eil=

Pakistan revolution can be to India's gain

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

The Karachi StockExchange Indexhad anastonishingretnrn in2016.leisupmore than52 percentoverd1epastyear-and theWorldBankhasforecasta growth rateof 5.2 percentthisyear.Thereis nodoubtaboutit:thereisaneconomic revolutiontakingplaceinPakistan. A cotll1tr)'ravagedwithissuesof terrorism andsuicide bombersisnowmaking headlinesforotherreasons.

Pakistan'smiddleclass,which dominatesoverhalf itstotalpopulation, hasbegun to exertpres.sureon the government to stimulateeconomic growth.

This,coupled withrelativelyimproved politicalstabilityinrecenttimes,has encouragedmulti.nationalbusinesses such asApple,Samsung,Unilever,Toyota and Coca Cola to invest more tocapture themiddleclasseconomicstrength tipped to reachovet$I trillionby2030. Mulcioacionalsarebeing increasingly attractedcoPakistanwithreturns of over 25percentbeing expectedin thismarket.

PostBRICS(Braz.ii,Russia,Lidia, ChinaandSouthAfrica) and�ITNT (Me.xico,Indonesia,NigeriaandTurkey), we now havethenew acronymVARP (Vietnam,Argentina,Romania and Pakistan).Pakistanisabout to join the ,vell-respected"emergingmarket"index of theMSCIwhichincludesthe 24 countriesthatrepresent 10percentof worldcapitalisatio1

Aneconomically strongPakistaniswell in India'sinterest Irisaneighbourwhich, withapopulationof approximately 200 million people,isalso thesixthmost populouscountryintheworld.Anuclear powerinitself,apeacefulPakistan allows forbothnacionstofocusonsolving theirownproblems.Theirproblems, unsurprisingly,arenotdissimilar,these bei11ginvestmentsininfrastructure, relianceonagricukurewid1the interlockingproblemsof water,weather anddrought increasingeducation standards,andfindingsolutions to the energy issuesfortheirrapidlygrowing populations.

However,theproblemsin cross-border terrorismhavestalledanymeaningful discussionsbetween the twocountries. \'.\'hi.lethePakista11igovernmenthas deniedanylinkstotheseattacks,India has.repeatedlyproventhe sourceof these terrorism attackscobefromPakistan. Thesecross-borderterrorattacksneed

coscopif economic cooperationisto develop between thetwoc0tU1tries

Todate,allrequests andthreats fromtheIndiansidehavestalledand failed.Alsoaddingtothetensionsis themulcibillion dollarChina-Pakistan Econon1icCorridor,pactof China's "OneBeltandOneRoad"or newSilk Roadproject-aseriesof roads,railways, pipelines,hydropowerplantsandother developmentprojects,beingbuiltfrom theXinjiangprovince inCl1ina to Gwadar in southwesternPakistan.Passingthrough territoryinKashmir,which1ndiaclaims asitsown,thiscouldcreatefurther tensionsbeLweentherwocotU1tries.

Butnow,with thechangesemerging withintheecooo11-1ically ambitiousmiddle classPakistanis,thiscanchange.An optionforthe lndiangovernmentcould be to workthroughastrategy to reach outtothismiddleclass.Softdiplomacy canworkthecharmoffensive- whether throughsportinginteractionsorarts and culture,includingfilms-totake advanrngeof thechanging demographics and winthemiddleclassPakistani populationover toallowformore pressureond1e politicalsystem. Thereisa revolutiononIndia's doorstep,and afresh approach needs to betakentoperhaps.findsolutionsto problemswhich havefesteredforfar coo .longbetween neighbours.

YOURSAY

SECTION 18C: COMMUNITYSPEAKS OUT

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

Jasvlnder Sidhu wrote: Welldone 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 saidPawanLuthra at Indian Link.

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

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

DrAhad 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 andDravid 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 sportsmanship! Is 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 favouriteNRI. 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. Welldone.

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.

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

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

Angus Livingston @anguslivingston tweeted: Indian writer says Australia doesn't doctor pitches, visiting teams should choosewhether to bat/bowl first. I think it would really be interesting andmakeTest 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.

INDIANLINKCEO PAWAN LUTHRA ON Q&A EXTRA

WOMEN'S DAY,THE AIRINDIA WAY

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

Rajnl Luthra wrote: It's amazing, I've never heard a woman pilot on Aussie f ights, but they seem to be qu te common when you fly domestically in India.

DhanyaSamuel wrote: That's wonderful... Air India has f nally got something right.

HarlnderSidhu @AusHClndia retweeted: Touchdown! Congrats to the @airindiain allwomencrew who arrived in Melbourne this morning

Rajan Vayakkattll wrote: Congratulations for supercharging and motivating all Indians, especially women!

lndla6AM tweeted: congrats. Women are thefoundation for our Indian culture. Happy to see their progress.

NeelamVasudevan wrote: Fantastic! What a proud moment.

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

Chandra Klshore wrote: Congratulations, ladies.

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

ABC News Radio's TRACEYHOLMES continued theQ&A conversation on the 'Festival of the Arts' with studio guest Pawan Luthra, taking calls and answeringquestions.

AvlChandlok wrote: Listening to the radio last night I heard Pawan Luthra. Pretty impressive.

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

Melanle Smith wrote: So many people don't seem to understand or 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 Americanmodel 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 andDelhi recently.The work thatwas 'hung' was extremely interesting and vivid, but thegalleries 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.

SUNNYSIDEUP!

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

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

Maryanne Fonceca wrote: This fills my heart with sooo muchjoy!

DavidHersantwrote:He lovesAustralia, he'd probably stand for the anthem

LETTER TO THEEDITOR

To Indian Link,

My name is Li Max Joy from Hobart. I was assaulted andracially 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 andwas 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 blackIndian**** ." 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 myjaw 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 Hosp tal. 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 theTasmanian 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 MaxJoy

INDIANS MUSTSTOPFUNDING POOR GOVERNANCE

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

ChandraKlshore wrote: The youngpeopleshould speak out and be part of the required change

WHAT A RACIST ATTACKINMOSCOW TAUGHTME

Societys hidden racism that comes out when it's dark, is a real fear, but we can't allowfear to control us, wrote KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU

Ken Dorge wrote: A beautiful story from a beautiful human being

SALTOFTHEEARTH

DHANYA SAMUEL wrote about the holistic approach to farming atAvani boutique winery

Australla Inlndlashared Indian Link's article: One of the best places to enjoy a glass of Avani wine in Victoria is at Tulsi restaurant, ownedby Shashi Singh and her husbandDevendra.Originally from Haryana, they both moved to Australia in 1983and today own the 15-acre Avani boutique winery in Red Hill South, Victoria.

Alan Davidsonwrote: 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.

eav1n

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

RUCHIR

lndecidingtomovefromAustraliatoIndia, wechosetoskipdoinganyderailedresearch orplanningaboucwhat wewoulddoco 'setcledown'. In fact,ciis'go-with-the-flow' spiritwasprobablywhatrnadethedecision possible.Theimpetuswassimplythechance athavingafewqualityyearswithmyparents andsupportingthemastheygrewolder.

While eventsincludingdisease,deathand discordrockedourfriendsandfamilies, omanchortoAustraliasuddenly feltnoras steadfastasbefore.LivinginIndiaseemed likeadefinitepossibility,buoyedbythe familiarityand thegeneral warmthand connection we experienced frompeople duringourfrequenttrips.

Webadconcernsaboutourabilitytoadapt tothechanges coourecosystemsandour dailyroutines(and howourdogs,Nlisryand Ellie wouldadapt).Thedarkerside of lndia usuallyremainscamouflagedduringholiday trips-asystemandculturein whichdayto-dayli£ecanbefullof hurdles,painfully strenuous,andunbearably'f-can't-believecliis'ridiculousattimes Anyway,armedwith myunfetteredoptiniisrn,(andSantana's morecautiousvariety),webid farewelltoour

AussiefriendsandheadedtoIndia.

AlthoughnostrangerstoIndia,wehave hadtogobacktoschool,re-learningand re-calibratingourlife'sroutinecodifferent rules,protocols,norms,beliefs,ecliics, e:,..'"Pecrations,choicesandboundaries.India hasdelivereditspromiseof servingupa tasteof theentiregamutof emotions.It hasbeeninteresting,refresliing,indifferent, loving,embracing,surprising,puzzling, playful,astonishing,frustratingand bewildering,sometimesallin oneday.1vlany timeswehavehadagoodlaughatthe way things are,andat ochertimeswe'velostour patience.

Wearelearningcorecognisethe magnitudeof disruption andtoacceptthe slowpateandmeanderingnatureof cl1e voyageof 'setcllngin'.The hardest part hasprobablybeenaboutwhatwealwa)'S knewhappened here,butwemisjudged our e:,..'"])ecrationsabouthowwe would reacttothesituationsathand.lnthepast few mouthswehave beenadjustingour e.xpecrations,'beingkindtoourselves'and regainingtheabilitytorespondingoodhumour.

Tbesnunblingblocks?Acclimatisation

Ruchir,Santana,MistyandEllie at homeinJaipur

They share their initial experiences and thoughts on this bigmove withJYOTI SHANKAR

-Mistywassic.kandEUieisstillscaredof thenightlyfireworks.Diwaliisoverbutthe weddingsgoon.\XietoohavefaUensic.k multiplerimes.Waiting forcradiesandtheir lackof skills,toolsandprofessionalism hasbeenadampener.Wearegettingused tosensoryoverload,tonoise,rnbbish, and mayhem.Dogsarenotallowedinparks and hazardsliketraffic,garbage,andstraysmean thatourdailyrelaxingwalksarelessso.

Actl1eriskof generalising,we Indians wearourhearts andbeliefsonoursleeves. Welo\Teexpressingouropinionsandgiving advice,witl1aJotof emphasisonwhatyou 'should'or'muse'do.TI1ereisaclear and sharpdividebetween'right' and'wrong'. Logicisoftenconfoundedbytraditions andbyspecialcasesanddispensations. Conversationsareloud,dramatic,andontop-of-each-otber,muchlikethetraffic.It certainlyt.'lkesgettingusedto!

Andthehighlights?Warmconnections withfamilyandfriends,old and new.Culture andfood-weloveallthehappenings and eventsinJaipur. Irisfascinatinghowhistory andtraditionareeverywhere.Thoughwe're notfullythereyer,asa song fromarecent BoUywoodfilmgoes .'Loveyou,zindagi!'

SANTANA

"So have you settled in nicely?"This is the question 1 havebeenaskedmostoftenin thepast fewmonths and Istill struggle todeliver acoherentresponse! I left Oz armedwith aJifetimeof memories and dozens of love-fiUedfareweUs.Weanived inJaipur and realised chatour aparanent renovationswerestillalong\vayaway from completion bmwent aheadwith a housewarming anyway.We had nodearth of peoplewillingco help ussettlein and giveus tipsonwherecogoforwhat,which was a greatsupport to have.

Indiaissurelyaland ofextremesand in the spaceof a dayitdrivesmecoboth ends of the happiness spectrum,multiple times! Itis so noisy,chaotic,dirty,dusty, hot, loving,caring,inventive, hilarious, maddeningandiospi_ringalJ atonce.

Ar themaddeningendof thespectrum, I donotadvise anyfaint-heartedindividual coundertakeanysortof renovations in India.TheconceptofstraightJines,spirit levels, smootl1 surfaces andtimeliness are aUconspicuouslyabsent here. Havingbeen advised that theonlywaytherenovations would finishwouldbefor us tomove

in and evict tl1e tradies,it tookweeks of cajoling,begging,dummy-spitting andhistrionics togettheworkto 95°/c, complete and geerid of thetradies.95% completeis ho-wI-suspect itwill stay.

Another quesdonI amoftenaskedis "Doyou miss Australia?"Andthe answer is yes I do, but mostof che time.icis not a conscious missingof this orthat. Itis moretherealisationthatyou takesomuch of your environment forgranted andwhen someof iliose things aremissing,you rend togetfrustratedor unpleasantlysurprised.

lndiahasneverbeenaneasyplaceto live, but Australia reallyspoiltme. I am slowlybutsteadilyseeking thewonder intl1e little things that havealways beenamazinghere-likethe sense of communityand tl1e time that everyone has foryou;likethetinycupsofteaand coffee youcan getanywhereandeverywhere;like thewayanythingispossiblewhennotli.i.ng should be; like theincredible tenacity of the dispossessedandthe horrifically poor;liketl1ereallyoldplaces and their magical histories,and last butnor theleast, rediscoveri.ngthefamiliarwaysof being and acceptingIndia inalJitsextremes,tl1e wayIwas ableto dowhenJ Jived hereover 22years ago.

Manywisepeopletel1me that it takes at .least ayearormorecotrulyfeel settledin anewplace,soaskmeagainin afewmore months and J may have amore coherem answer!

Anotefrom Misty and Ellie Thisplac.ehassomanywonderfulnew creatures-somanymore pigeonstohark atandshoo-off fromtl1ebalconies,and squirrelsi_osteadof possums,andratstoo!

,, India has never been an easy place to live, but Australia really spoilt me ,,

Indianpriest returns to his parish after racially-motivated attack

IndianLink.

BYUSHA RAMANUJAM ARVIND

earingnoillwill towards bis attacker,FatherTomyKalathoor Mathew,theMelbournepriest whowasrecentlyscabbedinan isolated butracially-motivated hatecrimeon 19_March, hasresumedduties at StMatthew's Catholic Churchin Fawkner North, celebratingSundaymasswith parishioners.

The48-year-old cleric,who hails from Kerala, was stabbed in theshoulder by a disgruntled parishioner whocookexception tohis Indian background.Hewas lucky to escapewitl1 non-lifethreateninginjuries.

"YouareIndian,so youmusebeHindu orMuslim and arenotqualified todeliver mass,"themanstated before attackingtl1e priestwitha lmife.

Theincidenttook place in tl1echurch foyer,asthepriestwas abouttobeginthe 11am Italianmass.Themanhassincebeen chargedwitl1intencionalJy and recklessly causinginjuryand will facecourtinJune.

Narratingtheincident,FrMathew told TnrlianLinkthattheparishioner,who was notaregularvisitor,had accostedand racially abusedhima weekprioraboutbis ethnicity.He alsolaterfoundomthattl1e attacker,whoisof Italiandescent,had enqLtiredabomtl1e"Indian"priestwhilehe wasawayforholidaysinJanuary.

"I was uneasyaboutbis anger towards me andmy Indian heritage and notified theParish Council, but I never expected th.ismove from hllll,"Fri'vfathew told

StMatthew's welcomesbelieversfrom manydifferentlinguistic and cultural backgroundsincluding thoseof Italian, Polish,lndian,SriLankan,Vietnamese,Iraqi aswellasAngloand lrishbackgrounds, and has celebrated th.is diversity byemplO)'it,g min.iste_rs fromdifferent nationalities.

"\Wehavea wonderfulco=uniry hereandnaturallytheywere all shockedparticularly the Italians, who wereashamed bytheircompatriot'signorance,"FrMathew said."Theattackwasnodoubtthework of amentallysickperson whoneeds our supportandsympathy.\Veshould prayfor such peoplesothattheymaynot cause harmco others,andtheymaybeablecoget melightof truth."

"Iam alsotrulygratefultoGod for havingmadeth.isincidentfor promotingme virtue of forgiveness andGod'severloving care,"hesaid.

Downplaying tl1eracial overcones,Fr Mathewemphasised thatit was pure ignorancethatfuelledtheunfortunate incident. Indeed,there arenearly20mill.ion Catholicsin India.

"Manypeoplechink thatIndiais aHindu country.Theydonotrealisethatmereis a substantial Christian following chat daces back many cenmrie.s, aswe.11as manyother religions.Wenrnstbelovers of humani.ry iJ1 allitsdiversity,whichisverysignificantina nationlikeAustraliawherewe are allfrom different origins."

FrMathew hasneverthelessbeen overwhelmed by the gestures of support hehasreceivedfrom workcolleagues, parishioners,police, healthcareprovidersas well astheIndianConsulate.

"Theconsularserviceofferedtomewas prompt personal and wellbeyondthecall of duty,"henoted.

"They createdmelikecheywould their ownfamilymember," he added with gratitude.

The priesc, who arrived in Australiafive years ago,also has nothing but praisefor d,e generosityof chisbeautifulcountry.

"Iamnot concerned aboutsuch happeningsin future," hesaid."I have alwaysbelieved Australiaisnot aracist country.Itis trulywelcomingand mulriculcural.Th.iswaswhatIusedto tel1my friendsandfamilyback in India whowereconcernedabouttheracismin Australia.I wouldlovecobe.lievethesame evennow."

FrMathew, whorelocated toMelbourne in2012,belongsto Kalathoorfamily of Karimbuin Anakkampoyil and became a priesc under dieTharnarassery diocese in 1994.He had previouslyservedat churchesin Adakkakundu,Vettilappara,

Kallurntci and Chundadrnmpoyil,and woi:ked asa teacher atAlphonsa Schoolin Thamarassery.

Expressing shockat theappalling incident,theCatholicJ\rchdiocese of Thamarasserywasrelieved to hear about miraculousescape.

"DuetoGod'sgraceand thespecial robesfor tl1e masstheknifedidn'tgo deepandjustinjuredtl1eneckmuscles," AbrahamKavi1purayidathi1,chancellor and spokespersonofThamarassery diocese stated, adding matFrMathew is determined tosmy on and continuehisgoodwork.

"Peopleshould neverbetreatedlike th.is," said ShaneHealy,a Catl10lic Archdiocese ofMelbournespokesman,condemningthe attack."Fr_Mathewisdoingwonderful work for hisparishionersand chisisreallya blight on tl1egreatworkthatmany,many Catholic priestsaredoing."

lHarmony Day celebrationsreturn to Belmont

diversity andfoscer a senseof belonging for everyone.

Aspoliticiansmindlessly debaced overl8C andwhichwayswe canlegall)ror illegally insulteach other,tbecommunitygotback todoingwhatmostpeopledolivingrogether, and livingin harmony.

Ourdiversity makes Australiaagreat placetolive.Morethan45per centof Australianswerebornoverseasor have at leastoneparentwhowas,andHarmony Day helpsrecognisethis.Itisheld nationallyon211vfarch (inconjunctionwith UnicedNationsInternacional Dayfor the Eliminationof RacialDiscrimination) and is acelebrationof our culruraldiversiry- a dayof culrural respect for everyonewho calls Austtaliahome.Themessageof HarrnonyDayis'everyonebelongs',and aimstoengagepeopletoparticipate in d1eir community,respect culcnral andreligious

Since1999,morethan70,000Harmony Dayevents havebeenheldinchildcare centres,schools, communitygroups, churches,businesses and federal,state and local governmentagencies across Australia. InWestern Australiawe notonly haveHarmonyDay,butalso Harmony Week!

Asoneof Perth'smostdiverse regionsBelmontalways hasawonderful HarmonyDay event atTomaroLake. The free familyoutdoor concertisa celebracion of thecity'sculmraldiversity. With facepainting,hennaarr,hair beading,balloon twistingandavisit fromof the peacetorch.fromthe Sri Chinmoy OnenessHomePeace Run, che evencwasblessedbygreacweailier and colourful families andindividuals fromrightaroundtheglobe.

Events like this remind us thatthere isfarmored1atunites usthan divides usand really encouragemoreoneness andpeacefotbecommunity.

l lookfot,vardconextyear's HarmonyWeek.

BYGRAHAK CUNNINGHAM

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urana

Despite the wet weather, ISWA Hali was celebrated with rangand bang

allon handprovidedbytheHindi SwayamsevakSangh (HSS) with allthe proceedings given to charity.

BY PUNEET ANAND

Thou . gh itwas anotso favourable daywead1erwise,thisyear's ISWA Holi celebrationswere delightful.You can'timagine me fun we hadherein Perm.

Thewonderfullychosen venue of Perry LakesReserveinFloreat,ensured the evem managed tostay bang on as peoplearcived, notin theirhundredsbutintheirthousands! Holimarksd1ewelcomeof springand is acelebrationof agoodharvestandthe fertility of mesoil. Thisfestivalisaspecial experience asrevellersareencouraged to let goof theirinhibitions;theintoxicating hh(langisnota taboo on this day and familiesenjoytbera11g,g1!}h[yt1andmithai.

ISWAensureda glorioustimewashad by all wid1thousands of multi-coloured faces,gigglingkids,vibrantyoumand blissfullysmiling,adultsand elderly.There wasan array of foodstallsservingthebest of me best appetisingsnacks,while upbeat Bollywoodsongsandfoot tappingremixes helpedinignoringthe tantrums thrown by rains!

Waterslides,waterguns,lighterpichkt11is, waterballoons,and bubblesoccerwere

TheDholi\(!alawas the powerhouse of the audience'sattentionaspeopledanced toitsbeatswithout apause!Inbetween, toboosttheenormouscrowd,waterwas sprayedtothe dance Aoor.

Thesmash hithighlightwas thedhi11chak Bollywoodsongs playedby theDJincluding RangBarse, BheegeChtmm·UPitli, Tom111a Ta111111aandBc1!amPichkari.

Peoplebad arrived inhugegroups of friendswimhomecookedfood;sitting ontheir picnic rugs,theywerehavinga blastwatchingeveryone playingHoli. The Aussiesweren't far behind,embracingthe festivalwim fun and frolic.

Suchfestivitiesarea greatway co rejuvenatethespirit,to.leeyourhair down and dowhatyoufeellike.Itwas hard torecognisefaces,friends andfolksfor companydue romecoloursandd1epiping hotchole-bhatureandsavourymasalachai weredelicious.Whatelseone canask for?

Rain actually added to the oomph of this gad1ering.Thedrizzle mademe crowdgo crazy!1\JJwecouldhearwered1e cheersof thousands of happy people. Initially many thought of runningbacktotheircars,but moststayedbacktoenjoy,eventho11ghthey weredrenched.Inspite of the weamer,Holi utsavwasceleb.rated withmuchrejoicing.

It wasd1ebestHoliDownUnder!

Dalai Lama in Arunachal: India tells China notto interfere in its matters India-China diplomatic tensionsrose afresh over theDalalLama'svisitto Aruuachal Pradesh, with[ew Delhiassertingthis month thatno politicalmotiveshould be attributedtothevisitand askedBeijingnot tointerfereinitsinternalaffairs.

Beijingin a freshsalvo slammed the DalaiLamaasan"anti-Chinaseparatist" andattackedNew Dell1iindirectlyfor its support cotheTibetanleader.

Union1Ylinisrer of StateforHomeKiren Rijiju,who isfrom ArunachaJPradesh,said that nopoliticalmotiveshould be am·ibuced toDalaiLama'strip."Indiahas always beennon-interferinginthe neighbours' internal affairsinourapproach,"Rijiju toldreportersinNewDelhi.''lnthesame manner, weexpectthesame fromour neighbours."

TheDalaiLama'stripwaspurely religious,he added.

RijijusaidIndiahas never questioned China'ssovereignty and"hasrespecrfuUy adhered cotheone-Chinapolicy".

"SoweexpectthatChinaalsoshouldnot interfereinourinternalmatters,"hestated.

TheDalaiLamahas visited thestatesix timesearlier andno"additionalcolour" should begiven to his visit starting from April5.

Reactingtothe visit, the Chinese Foreign MinistrytoldEfe news: "The 14thDalai Lamais an anti-Chinaseparatist whohas longlivedin exilefollowingafailed armed rebellion bythereactionarygroup of highrankingfeudal serf ownersinTibetin March1959."

"The Chinese government isresolutely opposedto anycountry's support and facilitation forthe 14thDalaigroup's anti-China separatist activities,"read the statement withoutalludingdirectlytoIndia.

Meanwhile,theDalaiLamaarrivedby roadinBomdila,ArUJ1acbalPradesh,after inclementweatherforced himto call off the scheduledvisitby helicopter.

InBomdila,theDalaiLamawasreceived by Arunachal PtadeshChiefiVlinisterPema Khandu, andmembers of theTibetan community. Khandu was accompaniedby BJP leaderSudhanshuMittal.

FromBomdilahe wouldvisitDi.rang, Lumla andTawangduringhisoversevenday tripco ArunachalPradesh.

ArunachalPradesh holds aspecial significancefortheTibetanleader, asit was thefust terrirory- tl1encalledtheNorth East Frontier Region -in Indiaheentered whlefleeingChinesetroopsin 1959before movingcoDharamsala, wherehenow resides.

Assertingthat Arunachal Pradesh isnot adisputedterrirory,Rijijusaid,"Wehave certainissues with regardtodellneationof theboundary on thespots,ontheground alongMcMahonLine because itisnot being demarcatedon thegrow1d.Thar iswl�ythere is atalkbetweenthespecial representativesof India and China andthe peopleof Arunacbal Pradeshhopethat anamicablesolutioncanbereachedinthe foreseeable futuretime."

ChinainMarch saidties with Indiawmtld be hitif New Delhi aJJowed theDalaiLama tovisit ArunachalPradesh,which isclaimed byBeijing aspart of SouthTibet.China's ForeignMinistryspokespersonGeng ShuangsaidChina was strictlyopposed co the visit.

GengsaidIndia knew thesensitivityof theborder issuebet\veenbothcountries and allowingtheDalaiLamatovisit Arunachal Pradesh would damageitstieswithChina.

Changed H-18 visa norms don't mean muchforIndia: Nasscom

The Indian IT industrylJodyNasscomhas said the clarifyingguidancebytheUSCTS on eligibilityfor computerprogrammers undertheH-1B visa normswillhavelittle impactonitsmembers,astheclarification hasbeen the adjudicatorypracticefor years.

"TheMarch31USCISmemorandum reinforces an existing practice by adjudicators andclarifiesrequirements for certain computer professionals,"saidthe National Associationof SoftwareServices andCompanies(Nasscom) in astatementin Bengaluru.

TheUSCitizenshipandImmigration Services(USCIS) OnMarch31issued a clarification thatcomputerprogrammers,to be eligible under the H-1B visa norms,must prove chattheirs isaspecialcyoccupation.

Merelyobtaining acompucerdegreemay notbe enough.

Comingjust ahead of startof thenew season forH-lBvisasforskilled workers,it waslargelyseen asthetighteningof norms bytheUS autl1oritiesfor hiringcomputer programmers,thus putting asqueezeon Indian ITcompanies.

USembassiestheworldoverstarted acceptingnext year's H-1Bvisapetitions fromApril3. Indian techies hm7e been the biggestbeneficiariesof theH-1Bvisasobtaining about70per centofsuch visas -wicb companies postingthousandsof employeestotheUS.

Thisvisa allowsworkin the particular areaforsixyears,extendableafterchat.Itis alsotheroutecoaUS permanent residency or aUSGreenCard.

Notingthat severalofitsmembers have applied forvisasfor higherlevel professionalsthis year,the apexbodysaid the evidence showed tl1atthejobswere complex and requiredprofessional degrees.

"Ourmember companiesprovideskilled talent andsolutionstoUSfirms.The H-lB visasystemexisrsspecifically because of thepersistentshortage of highly-skilled domesticITtalentin theUS,"thestatement pointed out.

Indian ITcompanieswouldcontinueco provideskilledtalentandsolutionstofill that gap and keep USfirms competitive globally,itadded.

Initspolicymemorandum,theUSCIS mentioned,"Based onthecurrent versionoftheHandbook,thefactthata personmay be employedasa computer programmer andmay useinformation technologyskillsand knowledgetohelp an enterprise achieve its goals in the course of his or herjob isnotsufficientto establish theposition as aspecialtyoccupation."

Thememorandumsaid,"Apetitioner may notrely solely on the Handbook co meet its burden when seeking cosponsor abeneficiary for a computer programmer position.Instead,apetitionermust provideother evidence toestablishthat theparticular positionisonein a specialty occupation "

TheUSCongress hasset acap of 65,000 H-1Bvisasper fiscal year.AdditionaJJy, 20,000suchvisasaregiventochose with

Amantakesaphotographata memorialformusicianKishoriAmonkar inMumbai,India,4April2017. Amonkar,renownedforherinnovative interpretationofclassical Indian music, died this monthaged84. Photo: AP

Master's or higher degrees from the US. At thesan1e time, the immigrarion services havemovedto detectH-1B visa frauds in theUSbytaking a"motetargeted approach" onsitevisitsacrossthecountry aimed atfindingourif employers were evading their obligations tomake agood faith efforttorecruitUS workers.

''Toomany American workers, whoare asqualified,willingand deservingtowork iathesefields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged,"says apressreleaseissued bytheUSCIS, adding that "protecting American workersbycombatingfraud inour employment-basedimmigration programsis apriorityof USCIS".

TheImmigrationServiceswarned employers chattheywouldnorbe allowed co "abuse theH-lBprogramme",whichitsaid affectsUSworkersnegatively,decreasing wages andjob opportunities- aposition thatUSPresidentDonaldTrump hasofren endorsed.

Combatingprejudiceagainst Africans: Indiahasa lotto lose India has agreatdeal tolosebymistreating andbeatingup Africans whocometostudy orlivein thecountry.Thelatestattackson March 27, 2017on Nigerian srudent.�living inGreaterI oidaborderingNewDelhi and partoftl1eNationalCapital Region havemade breakingnews on allTVnews channels and front-pageheadlinesinleading newspapers.

While playingup adnauseLunthe sensational newsstoryissupposedto increase the viewershipof TV channels andboostdwindlingnewspaper readership, itiaAictsmassiveharm toIndia-Africa bilateralrelations, Indianinvestmentin Africa, andIndiandiasporain Africa.The mediumand longtermrepercussions andmassivedamagetolndia's goodwill internationally is lost on tl1e angry,racist and violent Indian goonswho assault and injure Africans.

Thetragedyis that dtisisnot anisolated incidentresultingininjuriesto Africans LnA.ictedbyboorishlocals.Suchincidents havebeenhappeninginmajormetrosfor years,especially in and aroundDelhi.Sure, they arereportedinthemediabutnolasting remedial actionis devised or implemented. After somehue and cry,thepolicebold somemeetings increase patrollingandit thenfades away untild1e nextAare-up .African envoysmakestrongprotests tothe lndian government and the responseisworded in diplomaticjargon. Butnosustainedcampaignislaunched in the media,onthestreetsorin bigher educational institutions toinform,educate andsensitize localIndians aboutracial disc1:imination and lndia-Africacooperation onmany frontsand levels.Themedia hardlyeverreportson African affairs, leave alone Africansuccessstories.The newspapersreportonlywhen an Indian companysecuresamajorcontract,startsan investmentprojectorexpandsitsoperations LUAfrica.

Thewoesof Africansliving in India arecompoundedbyfrequent newsitems when they are apprehended at airports with

Indianworkerscultivatecalendula flowersinafieldontheoutskirtsof Amritsarcity,India,04April2017. Besidesuse in decorationsand in religiousoffering,thecalendula flowerisalsomarketedforitsmedicinal properties. Photo: AP

drugs Thus,a sustainedimageof almost allAfricansas drugcatriers hasfrozenin themindsof l.ndians.Ortheythinkthat African womenmakemoneybysellingtheir bodies.Africans-from54courn:ries -are viewedanddealt withonthebasisof these mediastereotypes.

It'shigh cirne thatchisstereotypedimage was smashed forall timeand thefact that tbousandsof Africansmdentsareobtaining highereducationin Indiaandhundreds of AfricanpatientsarecomingtoIndiafor specialised medical treatmentisboosted. If these smdentsaretreatedwithconcern andunderstandingwhentheyare away frorntheir homeina complicated society, tbeywill goback asthemost effective ambassadorsof India.Similarly,if the patientsand their relativesaretreatedwith careandsympathyinlndia,theywillgo backasthetop promotersforIndia.

But no!lntheir racistandbrutalreaction toanysimation withAfricans,allthis never comesto mind. No thought for tbe massive Indian investments inAfrica, hundreds ofjointventures,andespecially thethreemillionlndiandiasporainAfrica.

Morethan 1.2 million IndiansUvein South Africa;another200,000 live in EastAfrica andsmaller numbersin thousandsin many countries.TheseIndians canbeattacked andinjuredin revenge,theirshops and factoriescan bedamagedor destroyed and their goodwillwashedaway.

At thenational level,the Indian governmentismakingspecialeffortsto wooAfricaandobtainthecooperationof the54Africancountriesformumalbenefit andasablockforvotesin theinternational foraliketheUnited ations.Indiahas beenholdingIndia-AfricaSummitwithall Africancountriessince2008topromote bilateralrelationsinmanyspheres.The mostrecentsuchmeetinginDelhiin2015 wasattendedbyalmost allheadsof African statesand PrimeMinister arendraModi madespecialeffortsto,velcomeandmeet eachoneofthem.Cooperationinmany fieldswas proposedandagreedupon. lnvesanentand export creditsweretop fearmes.Betweensummit meetings,likerhe conclaveinNewDelhiearlier thismonth, carriestheeconomic agendafurther.Indian has mountedadiplomaticoutreach to Africawith visits byitspresident,vicepresident,the primeminister andministers toAfrican states.

However, repeatedboorishbehaviour andviolentassaults wipeoutallthese goodwillgesn1reswhileseriouslydamaging India reputationandthefateof the Indian diasporacontributingtothedevelopment of Africa. So whatcanbe done to retrieve this pathetic sirnation?

First,the police must crackdown onall accusedof racialinsultsandviolenceto Africans Athoroughinvestigation,afoolproof prosecution and toughpunishment istheprimaryresponsebytheauthorities. Andthat's nor enough; thepunishment mustbereportedbythemediaasa deterrenttoallothers.

Second,inadditiontopacifying diplomatic statementsbytheExternal AffairsMinistry,other ministries and

organisations mustbe ropedi.ntolauncha ,5trongandaggressivepubliccampaign to promote racialharmony.

Third,thePublic Diplomacydivision ofd1eMBAshouldlauncha campaign to informand educateIndiansn1dents in high schools,universitiesandhigherinstitutesof learningaboutAfricaanditsimportanceto India.Africa isstillundiscoveredbyalmost allIndians. AlltheyknowaboutA£ricaare thecricketteamsfromSouthAfricaand Zimbabwe!

Fom,in addition to offering higher education andmedicaltreatmentfor Africans,Indiashouldurgentlyestablish branches of itsuniversitiesandspecialist hospitals,atJeastin ease,west,central and SouthAfrica.Theseprojects have languishedfor longinthepreliminarystages andnow d1etime has cometoimplement them urgentlytoreduce theflow of African studentsandpatientstoIndia.

Theprejudiceandviolenceagainst Africansin Indiaisnotgoing awaysome time soon. Strong,drasticandsustained action is overdue.

Indiasnubs US offerto de-escalatetensions with Pakistan IndiahassnubbedtheUS'offerto help de-escalate tensionswithPakistan,saying thatits position onbilateralredressalof all issuesbetweenthe two neighbonrshas nor changed.

lt alsosaid tl1artheinternational communityneedstoaddress tl1eissueof terrorismemanatingfromPakistan.

"Government'sposition forbilateral redtessalof all India-Pal<lsranissuesin an environmentfreeof terror andviolence hasn'tchanged,"Ministryof External AffairsspokespersonGopalBaglaysaid.

"\Ve ofcourse,expecttheinternational communityandorganisationstoenforce international mechanismsand mandates concerningterrorismemanatingfrom Pakistan,which continuestobe thesingle biggestthreattopeaceandstabilityinom region and beyond," he said.

ThereactioncameafterNikki Haley, theUS PermanentRepresentativetodie UN,saidthattheUS was concerned about thestateof India-Pakistanrelationsand

Presidenc DonaldTrump himself mightget involvedinapeaceprocessbetweend1etwo SouthAsianantagonists.

"This administration is concerned abouc dierelationshipbetweenIndia andPakist.'ln and verymuch wantsto see bow wedeescalateanysort ofconflictgoingforward," Indian-AmericanHaley,who holdsacabinet rankin theTrump administration,said.

"Iwould expectthattheadministration isgoingtobein talksandtryandfind itsplacetobepartofchat process,"the fonnerGovernor of SouthCarolinasaid, adding,"And alsowouldn'tbesurprised if thePresidentparticipatesaswell."

New liberalised visa regime being implemented: Minister Commerceand IndustryMinister irmala Sicharaman hasseatedthat d1egovernment hasstartedtoimplementthenew liberalised visaregimefrom April 1,2017.

TheUnionCabinetheadedbyPrime MinisterNarendraModihadonNovember 30,2016,approved various measnres for liberalisationof the visaregime.

"Multipleentrytouristandbusiness visasforaperiodoffiveyearswillnow beavailableto nationals of mostof d1e countries," Sitharan1an saidinaseriesof tweets.

Thenew regime had sub-divided e-Visa intothreecategories-e-touristvisa, e-businessvisaande-medicalvisa-for nationalsof 161countriestoenterIndia through24airports.

"E-visafacilityextended toCochin,Goa andMangalore sea-ports(tobenefitcruise tourism) soonalsoatMumbaiandChennai sea-ports,"Sitharaman tweeted.

"Upon urgentrequests,business visaand medicalvisawillbegrantedwithin48 hours ofapplication."

The ministerpointedom,"Separate immigrationcountersand facilitation desks to assist medicaltouristat Delhi,Mumbai, Kolkata,Chennai,BengluruandHyderbad."

Thegovernmenthasalsointroduceda new categoryof visa forfilm production in India-(F)Visa-whichhasa maximrnn dmation of oneyearwith multiple entry facility.

"Another newVisatitledIntern (I) Visa rolled ourw.e.f 1stMarch,2017,to

foreigners for imernshipin companies, educational Institutions and nongovernment organisations (NGOs),"d1e minister added.

Tatato launch SUV byyear­

end

TataMotorswillbelaunchingtheNexon compactSUV bytheyear-end aspartof its strategytoimproveitssharein passenger vehiclessegment,acoinpanyofficialsaid.

Withfivepercentmarketshare,Tata Motorsis currentlyat fourthplacein the domesticmarketandhassetthegoal of reaching tl1ird positionby2019.

PrarapBose,Head of Design,Tata Motors,saidthey didn't haveapresencein 60percent ofthemarket.

"\Vedon't have presencein some segn1entsand compactSUV isoneof them,"Bose told reporters onthe sidelines of tlielaunchofTataTigor,itslatest product,in Hyderabadmarket.

The scarring ex-showroom priceof Tigor inHyderabadisRs4.85lakbforRevotton 1.2L (petrol) variantand Rs5.77lal<h for Revocorq l.5L(diesel).

He claimedtl1at manycarswerein design and engineeringphases.Hesaid these were partof the company'sstrategyfor asustainedgrowthinpassengervehicles segment.

TataMotor's marketshareinpassenger vehiclessegmentgrewby0.64percentlase year The companysold1.53lalcb unitsin 2016-17against125lakhin theprevious fiscal.

lnl\.forch2017,the companyrecorded sales of 15,433vehicles, agrowthof84per centoverMarch 2016.

Tigor isTataMotor'sthirdproductin oneyear, havinglaunchedTiagoandHexa earlier

Bose said tl1atinTigor tl1eybrought togetherthebestofthefeatures of large hatchbacks and.small sedan. He said tl1ey cried to fillthe gap in boththe categoriesin terms of spaceandstyle.

Tigoristhethird product fromTata i\ifototsbased on impact design technology. Heclaimed d1atTiago received ahuge response with 80,000bookings. Over 50,000Tiago werealreadyon roads. IANS

BYSANDIP HOR

IassumeMessilovesBarcelonawhile Ronaldopuncheshisweightbehind Madrid,theirfondnessobvious!)' arisi11gfromtheirrespective associationwiththetwocelebrated Spanishfootballclubs,BarcelonaFCand Reali\fadrid.

However,wheninSpainit'snot difficulttospototherpointsofrivalry betweenthenation'stwomostvisited destinations.Foremostisperhapsthecry fromBarcelonansforseparationoftheir state,Catalonia,fromSpain.Thecapital Madridhatesthisideaandasaresult someideologicaldifferentiationhasbeen explodingbetweenthetwocities.For example,there'snomorebullfightingin Barcelonabecauseit'snowthoughttobe brutal,butinMadriditcontinuesinfi.tlJ

swingasapartofage-oldSpanishtradition Eachofthetwocitiesclaimtobethe 'bestdestination'inSpain.However,asa firsttimevisitor,Istayneutrala11dstamp bothasequallyappealing,eachhaving theirownurbancharacterandhistorical, architecturalandcontemporarycharmsto dutchvisitorsintheirgrips.

TuckedbetweentheCollserolaHillsand ?vfediterraneanSea,Barcelonarepresents apatchworkofcharacteristicdistricts, narratingthestoryofitsevolutionfrom amedievalmaritimehubtothe19'h centuryextensionsandtoday'shighenecgy

boroughsetup.

Beingahistoryenthusiast,Istartmy BarcelonaodysseyatBarriGotic,orthe GothicQuarter,whichisthemedieval nucleusofBarcelona.Thisareainsidethe OldTownisalabyrinthofpavedsquares andtwistedstreetslinedwithseveral pivotalbuildings,themostsignificant beingthemightyBarcelonaCathedral, ablendofGothicandRomanesque designItsconstructionbeganin1298 onthefoundationsofaRomantemple andl'Yfoorishmosqueremindingmodern generationsthattheRomansandthe Muslimsearliermarkedtheirfootstepsin Barcelona.

SotoodidtheJews,whowerealso occupyingpartsoftheOldTown,Antiga Sinagogabeingtheirmostnotableliving landmark.EdgingtheGothkQuarter isLaRa.mbla,thecity'srnostillustrious tl1oroughfare.Denselypackedwith restaurants,cafesandbars,thiskilometrelong,tree-linedavenueisadawn-to-dusk frenzyofhwnanactivity.

BarcelonaclaimstohaveEurope's greatestcollectionofArtNouveau buildingsdatingfromtheearlyI9'hcentury. Manyofthemweredesignedbyprodigious Cat.'lia.narchitectAntoniGaudiwhose distinctivestyleisbrandedbyfreedomof shape,riotofcolourandtexture.Acluster ofhiscreationsinBarcelonaareWorld Heritagelisted,mostvisitedamongthem beingPalauGi.ie.11,CasaMila,CasaBatU6 andLaSagradaFamilia,amonumental dmrchwhoseconstructioncontinuesto thisdaysinceitwascommencedin1883.

Ifthereistimetoseejustonething inBarcelona,ithastobetl1istowering building,deemedGaudi'smostfabled

concept,based on the traditionsof GothicandByzantinecarbedrals.His design callsfor atotal of 18 spires,some of which are stillunderconstruction. Theyaresupposed corepresentJesus, theVirgin Mary,Four Evangelists and the Twelve Aposrles.Whencomplete in 2026, thisbandof spires will represent auniqueadditiontotbe skylinevistaof Barcelona. The cathedral's interior,whjch is almostcomplete, reAects innovativeuse of light tobequeaththe architecture with eloquenceand grandeur.Gandidiedof atragic accidentin1926and hisbodyis buried inside thecrypt,sothathe remains fortime eternal withhisdistinguished formation.

If LaSagradaFamiliaranksatthetop of anyBarcelonaitinerary, then Museo Nacionalde!Pradoaptlyqualifiesfor a similar rankinginMadrid. Accordingto artgums,itfits inthesamebracketas the Louvrein Paris and theUffiziGalleryin Florence,allof chembeinga treasure trove of extraordinaryart andsculpture. Housed in avastneoclassicaledifice,thePrado embraces artfromthe12'1,co2Q•hcenturies andexhibits theworld's largestcollection of Spanishworks.Itsdistinctfeatureis thedisplayof thecollectionsof former Spanishmonarchswhichreflectthe taste

and politicalalliancesof theroyaltyduring 15,1 to17'"century.i\fanyvisitheretosee theworksof FranciscodeGoya,themost eminentSpanishcourtpainter,whosebest creationswerecompleted as apartof his officialduties.Severalof hismasterpieces, liketheNakedMaja andtheClothed Maja,arehousedinthismuseum.\X-'hi.le thePrado presents Spanish art,thereare museumsinBarcelona,suchastheMuseu Nacionald'ArtdeCatalunya,thatshowcase mosrlyCatalan arr.

The Sparushcapitalsince1619,Madrid is engraved withmanyimperialemhlems, withrl1e18•hcenturyRoyal Palacebeing thebiggestcrowdpuller .Manyof its3000 roomsareopen to thepublic towitness rl1eopulentlifestyleof monarchslil,eKing CharlesII&IV andKingAlfonsoXIV.

LikeLaRan1blainBarcelona,the medievalquarterof Puertade] Sol is rl1ewhere the heartof Madridhasbeen racingfor centuries.Theareaisfilledwith churches, monasteries and government buildings,recentadrutionsbeinghordesof restaurants,cafes,bars, boutique shops and othetoutletsvisirorslookfor,likemoney changers andmobilephone suppliers. It'sclosetotheexpansivePlazai\fayor,a paved squarewhichbegan lifein rl1e 15" centuryas amacketplaceand then a venue

for bullfights,carruvals and important ceremoniesof imperial Madrid. Astatueof 17'1 centurymonarchPhillip lII standsat itscentre.Thesquaretodayis animportant hubof social garl1erings andis surrounded bysomeof Madrid's bestrestaurants;Los Galayos,servingauthenticSparushcuisine since 1894,beingoneof them.

ThebiggestsimilarityberweenBarcelona andMadrid is rl1eir passionfor football. Thoughtapas,paellaandflamencoare othercontributorstoharmony,noneare possiblyasstrongas rbe worldgame. Both Can1pNouand SantiagoBernabeu Stadiums,thehomesof BarcelonaFC

Clockwisefromtopleft:Barcelona square; Gaudi building,Barcelona; Madrid bullfightarena;Gaudi's ParkGuell,Barcelona;Sacred BlackMadonnainsideMontserrat Monastery;RegalentrytoMadrid; RoyalPalace,Madrid

andRealMadrid, are pilgrimage sites for footballfansirrespectiveof theircityof origin. If their clubs arenotplaying,these fans have nohesitation in unitingtostand behind rl1e Spanish nationalteam during anyinternationalgame.

QatarAirways (www.qatarairways.com) have regularflights fromSydney, Melbourne, Adelaideand Perthtoboth Barcelona and Madrid,with a highspeedtrain connectionbetweenthetwocities.

Hotel GataloniaBarcelonaPlaza(en.cataloniabcnplaza. com) andHotelNH Madrid Eurobuilding(www.nh-hotels.com)areconveniently located and wellserviced.

•

Tuckedatamountainous location40km awayfrom Barcelona, Montserratisabasilicaand monasterywherepilgrims stormtoseetheBlackVirgin.

•

Dotted72kmfromMadridistheformer imperial cityofToledo.still deemedthe nation·sregaland cultural epicentre.

TablaoVilla Rosa(www.tablaoflamencovillarosa.com)in Madrid presentsanexcellent dinnerandflamencoshowpackqge.

SpanishTourism Board (www.spain.info)

,, Like La Rambla in Barcelona, the medieval quarter of Puerta del Sol is the where the heart of Madrid has been racing for centuries ,,

Clickbaitdominates cricketmedia

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

BY RITAM MITRA

0n the eve of the conclusion of one of the most enduringly captivatingsportingcontests inthepastdecade-a seriesof Testcricketwhichcaptured the attention of cricketfansaroundtheworld - theonline edition of oneof Australia's leadingnewspapersfeatured asitstop swry apiecewiththe headline: 'Thril/ingfinaltest marredfo1allegationso chet1ti11g".

''Allegations of cheating"isinitself a misnomer, arisingonlyfroma lip-readof an inadvertent and, originally,privatetwo-word outburstbyAustralian captainSteve Smith. Soirrelevamwastheincidentinthe context of the series,thatthebeadJinewas changed after less than an hour,and theincident sinceforgotten.Bur itwasarevealinglapse; theseries thatTestcricket hadbeen crying Out for,alikelyseminal battle between theworld's rop-two ranked nations,was asits root,merelyanopportunityforthe Australian sports mediatoscratch out another cringe-worthychapter in itslongrunningwaragainst positivity.

It basJongbeenacknowledgedthatthe Australiancricket medialovestocreate monsters-inrecent times,thinkStuart Broad,F'af duPlessis,Vi.ratKohli.The commonelementundedyingthethree istheir combative nature;theyarenot afraidtogivebackaswellastheytake,and againstAustralia,theycertainlytake.Yet theAustralianmedia- and the journalists, producersandcriticsof whichitis comprised-knowshowtoappealtod1e base instinctsof sportsfansbycreating controversyandincitinghatred.Recently, rniscolumnist hadarevealingconversation withd1e individuals behind a popular Australiancricketwebsiteandsocialmedia hub.Lamentingthe clickbaitnatureof the articlesandtheincentionaJlyincendiary narnreof the posts,theadministratorsof dle siregrinned sbeepish.ly. "\V/ehateittoo," rneysaid.''Butitworks".

And herein liesthecruxof dleissue: mediais amulti-billion dollarbusiness,and if postsonsocialmediagarnerattention, advertiserswillflock.Unformnately,social mediaisalsothehomeof sensationalism: "traction"is critical, andina fast-paced onlineworld,thereis norimerovet real-time information. Instead, content producersrelyon yeUowjournalism:

eye-catchingheadlineswithlittleor no legitimate,well-researchednews.Irisa bid to pit fans againsteach other-a.nd one suspects, dleplayers,too.Some popularinternational cricketsocialmedia pageshavebecomea cesspoolof tacisin, vilificationandonlinebullying-propagated byfansfrombothsidesof the fence.Itis farbeyond traditional sports banter, and difficultto imagine that such adescent wouldhaveoccurredif reportingwas not so unabatinglyinflammatory.Evidencelies indlerelativelysanguinecommentsbyfans onpostsbyESPNCricinfo, forinstance, which has maintaineditsjournalistic integrityand steeredclearof posting attention-grabbingheadlineswithlittleto nosubstance underpinningthem. Ornermediaoutletswerenotso measured.Onthewebsiteof aleading Australian sportsbroadcaster,oneparticular journalistdealt exclusivelyinvitriol,singling outtheIndiancaptainKohliand theBCCI for criticismwirnnorefrain.Thewriter's lackof awarenessof theintricaciesof Test cricket-thestorieswhichdeservecobetold in theuniquemilieuof thefivedayswhich make upaTestmarch-wasmatchedonly byhis aversion tofactualinformation. Instead,hismodusoperandiwasthe regurgitation of over-usedandunfounded conspiracytheories-forinstance, suggestingthatrneICCisunableco sanctionIndiancricketersduecorneBCCI's influenceon the gaine.Ahead of thethird

Testin Ranchi,thejournalistwenton to stated1at"thereputationandintegrityof Indian cricketis on thebrinkof complete embarrassment"basedon hisill-informed assessmentof theRanchipitcb.Hindsight willshowthatd1epitchprovedtobe fine. Therewasnoretraction.

Atonepoint,thisjournalistevenwentas farastocompareVicat KohliwithDonald Trump,notingwithnosenseof ironythat "JustlikePresidentTrump,Kohli decided toblamethemediaasa means of tryingro bidetheeggsmearedright acrosshis face." Ironic, because bythe endof it, hismedia outlet hadgiven up onreportingfacts altogerner,itsFacebookpagedeclaringthat

SteveSmithwastheManof theSeries (he \vasn't).Again,d1erewasnoretraction.

Biasin sportsmediaisalmost universal. TheIndian mediacontingentisjustas guiltyof inherentbias asitsAusu·alian and English counterparts.Sensationalism, too,isa conceptwithwhichIndia'sraving 24/7newschannelsa.re-allcoofamiliar. Burperpet1alb: negativesensationalismisa craftinwhich rneAustralian sports media is unparalleled.Whether againstirsown playersortheopposition, me preferenceis todivertrnegazefromachievements, act as aflamefortheignorant motl1,andwave a red flaginfrontof ragingonlinebulls.It wouldbe aninconsequential approach,if rnemediadid notplay a tangiblerolein the relationshipbetween i\ustraLianandIndian nationals.Buritdoes.

The etaof greatAustraliancricket columnistsis allbutatanend-since the sad demiseof the erudite Peter Roebuck and d1ewinding-down of dleeloquentMike Coward,therehasbeenanoticeabledearth inreasonedscribes.

Thisisnottosayrnetalentisnotthered1eanalysesof GregBaum,Malcolm Knox and PeterLalora.re thoughtful,measured, andweU-resea.rched-and importantly,they areaboutdieg(l111e.Buttheya.refewandfar between.

In theageof clickbait,sensationalism and instant gratification-Australian spores media'sintegrityis certainlyatitslowest ebb.

,, The eraof great Australian cricket columnists is allbut at an end - since the sad demise ofthe erudite Peter Roebuck and the windingdown ofthe eloquent Mike Coward, there has been a noticeable dearth inreasoned scribes ,,

esweetest victories

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

operandiforthesurrm1er:\\�norlosethe toss,butbesuretopileontherunsinthe firstinnings.

far,cameroaringbackwid16-41,leaving Australiatolickitswoundsafterbeingwithin agonisinglyclosesightofafamousfinish line.

accuratebowling.Pujara's202off525balls wasthelongest-everirmingsbyanIndian intermsofballsfaced,and,despitehis dismissal,abrutalhalf-centurybymanofthe seriesRavindraJadejasawIndiatakeafirst inningsleadof152runs.

At4-63onthefinalday,andwid1 talismaniccaptainSteveSmithbackin thedressingroom,itseemedasthough anIndianvictorywasallbutaformality, butShaunMarshandPeterHandscomb allayedAustralianfears,keepingthetourists intheserieswithadiligem,matd1-saving partnershiplastingmorethan60overs.

Dharamsala decider

Themostpicmresquegroundinworld cricket,Dharamsala'sTestdebutwas magnificent.Foreachofthefourdaysit wasabread1takingsight:d1eplayersintheir off-whites,rmrningalongthelushgreen grasswithsnow-cappedpeaksrisingabove therusticredTibetangrandstandbehind them.Tbecricketwasexcellent,andthe matchwasplayedinthebestofspirits. Arguablymough,d1epitchmaded1ebiggest contributiontothedecider;wid1paceand bouncetosurpassanyoficsAustralian counterparts,andenoughturnandconsistent bouncetosatisfytbefussiestofspinnersand batsmen.Indeed,theevennessofd1edeckis evidentinthefacttbatIndiawonthematch despitelosingthetoss.

AsABCRadiocommentatorPrakash W1akankarnoted,theHimalayanpeakswere nottheonlyimmovableforcedeckedourin whiteind1edecider,asanothercenturyby captainSteveSmithinAustralia'sfirstinnings sawhimbecomeonlythesecondcaptain (afterAlastairCookin2012)copeeloff3 centuriesinaTestseriesinIndia.Having been1-144,however,Australiawasshotout for300,leavingmedooropenforanIndia fightback.

AtG-221inreplyondaythree,Indiawere yetagainlookinglikeconcedingafirstinningsdeficit.Bueacrucialpartnership betweenRaviJadejaandWriddhimanSaha broughtIndiabackfromthebrink,sealinga vit.'1132-runleadwd1anattimesexplosive 96runpartnership.

BY RITAM MITRA

Afteramonth-longarmwrestle involvingamyriadofon-field theatrics,severalcombativepress conferences,andconsistently heart-stoppingcricket,leading intochefinalTestinDharamsala,there remainednothingtoseparateAustraliaand Indiainthe2017editionoftheBorder­

C',avaskarTrophy.Aseriessokeenly contesteddeservedathrillingfinale-and againstthestunningbackdropofmajestic Himalayanpeal<s,thetwosidesdelivered afittingcrescendo.Ultimately,itwasIndia whoprevailedby8wickets,sealinga2-1 seriesvictorythatwillgodownasoneofits sweetestever.

Poor in Pune

TbefirstofthethreenewTestvenuesind1e series,Punewillconsideritselfluckytohost anotherTestmarch.Labelled'poor'bythe ICC,thePunepitchproveddiabolicalfor bothsides,bucstunningly,itwasIndiawho blinkedfirst.

ReducingAustraliato9-205inicsfirst innings,Indiawasintheascendancy;but asmnni.ngripostebyMice.hellScareled Australiaco261.Inreply,despitesuffering earlysetbacks,at3-94andwithtwoset batsmenatthecrease,Indiaappearedto beinprimepositiontocontinueitsmodus

BueonDayTwoofthePuneTest,the moststunninghourofTestcricketsawL1clia onitsknees,�thSteveO'Keefe,d1esteady left-armspinner,caking6-5inoneofthe greatestspellsbyaforeignspinneronIndian soil.Indiacapintlatedforjust105,handing Australiaa155-rnnadvantage.Nottobe outdonebyO'Keefe'sheroics,inAustralia's secondinnings,SteveSmitbplundereda calmcenturyinnear-impossibleconditions, scoring109oucofAusa·alia's285.Another 6wicketstoSteveO'KeefeinIndia'ssecond inningssawAustraliawinby333runs,taking a1-0seriesleadinaseriesinwhichicwas predictedtolose0-4.

Biting back in Bengaluru

TnBengaluru,Indiaonceagainfounditself indeficittoAustraliainthefirstinnings, givingupanadvantageof87rnns.At4-120 inthesecondinnings,Indiawerestaring downthebattelofascarcelybelievable sicuation:ifAustraliawonthematch, AustraliawouldretaintheBorderGavaskar trophy.

EnterAjinkyaRahane,andIndia's answertoSteveSmith,CheteshwarPujara. A118runpartnership•iliefirstcentury partnershipofilieseries•seemedcohave putthemarchbeyonddoubt,untilIndialost itslasr6Mcketsfor36runs,settingAustralia atargetof188onadeterioratingwicket.

WithAustralia4-98,d1emarchwasscill ind1ebalance.Thethen-worldmm1ber onebowler,RaviAsh�n,whohadbeen conspicuouslymissingfromtheseriesso

Stalemate in Ranchi

ForthesecondconsecutiveTestmatch, Australiaseemedtohaveonehandonthe trophycourtesyofitshugefirstinnings of451,,vbichfeaturedanunbeaten178* bySteveSmithandarnaidentestcentury forGlennMa}.'Well.Butasithaddoneall summer,Jncliafoundawaytocanceloutthe firstinningsafterlosingthetoss.Coming toged1erat6-328,WriddhimanSahaand ChetesbwarPujaraputonarecord199runs in63.2overs,gruellingagainstin1pressively

Thencametheactualfireworl,s,inthe mosthostilespelloffastbowlingever producedbyanIndianattack,asUmesh YadavandBhuvneshwarKumarranrampant withd1ene,vball,pickingup3\\�cket.�•and onesuspects,inflictingmanymorebruises• beforeAustraliahaderasedthedeficit.

Fromthere,itwassmoothsailingforthe hosts,whowreckedtheAustralianmiddle orderandchaseddowntheeventualtarget of106wid1cin1eandwicketstospare.

Thenextchapter: IndiainAustmlia,2018-19.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

SeekingGujaratiunmarriedmatchforAug'78borngirl,5'2",B.E(Instrumentation), VaishnavVanik,workinginSydney(PR).FromMumbai.ReadytosettleinJvfumbaior Australia.E-mail: raksba2602@gmail.comor call: +610469875159/+610470253729

Seekingmatchfora33-year-oldHinduPunjabiBrahmin,5'6'',attractivegirlwithcharming personality.Professionallyqualifiedwithcorporatejob.Melbourne-based,nevermarried, AusCitizen.Caste nobar.Pleasesend derails with photo comadhumarch05@gmail.com

WellsettledfamilyinJ\uscralia seeks professionalmatch for29 year old,5'7",beautiful, PunjabiHindugirl,vith traditionalIndian values,working in aseniorgovernmentposition. Prefer boyhavingAustralian CitizenshiporPRstatus.Sendbiodaca and photographs to aus.i.ngh60@gmail.com

Seeking professional matchforHindu Saraswat Brahmingirlin Sydney.Doctor,31 years old,5'1", wich traditional lndianvalues.Famil)'well settled in Sydney,Australia.Preferboy havingAustralianCitizenship orPR status. Pleaseemail: sydneygsb@gmail.com

SuitablematchforAustraliancitizen,Sydney-based,Sikhgirl,1991born,170cm,qualified chartered acconntanc,workingforAustralia'sleadLngbank.Parentshighlyeducated andwell settledin Sydney.Pleaserespondtohs522l6a@gmail.com

Seeking professionallyqualified,settledmatch forSydney-based,nevermarried,Auscitizen, Hindu, PunjabiKl1acri,44,5'3",slim,fair,attractivegirl.Girlispostgraduateand is working in agoodpositioningovernmentorganisation.Pleasesenddetailswitl1photoindsyd2016@ gmail.com

Seeking welleducated, Australian Citizen/PR for averyfair,slin1,Khatrigirl,31 yearsold, 5'3".WillingtomovetoAustralia.ComingtoMelbourneinAprilonvisit9rvisa.Brother settledinMelbomne.Whatsapp: +91-9915154747oremailbiodata and picturesco khanak3171S@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking abeautiful,educated,family-orientedgirlforaPunjabiKhatri,handsomeboy, 34 yearsold,5'7",NRI,AustralianCitizen,Accountant,ownhouse, well settled family Divorced.Castenobar.Contact:matrimonialsydney@outlook.com; +61 411342849

Seeking suitablebrideforJatSikh,41,divorced,wellsettledinAustralia.Caste/religion/age nobar.Pleaseemailwithphoto andbiodata tomailpoint247@gmail.com

PHYSICIAN SPEAKSAT UNITED NATIONSABOUT MEDITATION

When you can gotothe United Nationsto hear atalk about meditation, you knowsomething haschanged in the world.

0nFriday,March10,2017,Dr.

KunwarjitSingh Duggal,guest of cheUnitedNations SaluS Well-beingNetwork,spoketoapacked audienceintheSecretariatConf.Room 8on"CultivatingInnerPeaceforOuter Peace."He began: "Mymainmessagehere is totalkaboutpeace.How doweachieve peace? Inordertotakepeacetothe nextlevel,wehavecofindpeacewichin ourselvesfirstbeforewecangoonhelping tl1erestof society."Bybisownadmission, Dr.Duggal isquitepassionate abottt meditation as anintecventionformany of life'schallenges,whetherworldlyor personal-auniversalparadigm.

HistopiconFriday,particularly timelytoday,derailedthelatestscientific researchontheprovenbenefitsof meditation.Notingthemanydifferent typesof meditation,hetalked about severalsignificantstudies,mostfocused onpeace,stressandanxiety.Hequoted onerandomizedcontrolledsmdyin whichpeoplewereaskedcomedicate eachmorningfor21 daysstraightfora shortdurationof time.Theresearchers measuredcortisol (tilestresshormone)

levelsbeforeand after21daysand foundasignificantdecreaseinevery participant.Notablesmdies alsofound thatforpatients undergoingortl1opedic rehabilitationthosewhomeditated benefictedtwice asmuchasthosewho weretreatedonlywitbtherapeuticexercise

Onetellingexamplewas anexperiment donein atroubled San Francisco schooldistrictinwhichtwo15-minute periodsof quiettimewereinstituted forstudents.Theresultswereimproved testscores,attendance,psychological stateandenhancedconcentration.These studentsalsoreportedincreasedcalmness anddecreasedanger.Byincreasing thecalmnessinthesestudents,cheir correspondingtroubled geographical regions noteddecreasedcrimeratesand improvedsafety.

Dr.Duggaltllenpresented the meditationtechniquepracticedinScience of Spirituality,Jyotimeditation,afterwhich everyonehad achancetomeditatefora shortperiod.

Theafternoonconcludedwith alively question andanswersession.

Dr.Duggal wasattl1eUnitedNations

Dr. KunwarjitSingh OuggalspeakingattheUnited Nations,March 10, 2017, On 'Cultivating InnerPeaceforOuter Peace,' asaguestofUnited Nations SaluS Well-being Network representingthe Scienceof Spitiruality, (NGO), a worldwide, spiritual organization dedicated cotransfotming livestl1rough meditation.Hisfather, SaneRajinderSingh Jij\faharaj,headof Scienceof Spirituality, spokeattileUNlastMayon"Meditation asMedicationforcheSoul."

Dr.Duggalis aBoard-CertifiedPhysical T\'1edicineandRehabilitation Specialistand Assist.'U1tProfessoratRushUniversity

MedicationCenterinChicago. Helectures extensivelyonmedit.'ltion as aneffective interventionforphysicalandemotional medicaldisorders.

FormoreinformationaboutScienceof Spirituality: www.sos.org www.sos.orgt'aus/australia ScienceofSpirituality,4S 175Naperville RoadNaperville, IL60563

MoneyGram Launches Vaisakhi Campaign to Celebrate the Harvest

Receivers stand a chance to win over 60 excitingprizes including motorbikes

MoneyGram, aglobalprovider of innovativemone)'transfer services,announced its 'Vaisakb.i201T campaign in tbepresence of famousIndian cricketer HarbhajanSinghrecently.With the campaign,MoneyGramaimscocreate excitementamongitscustomersinPunjab andbringjoytotheirVaisakhi celebrations.

"Punjabhasalways beenoneof our key markets and wecomebad,eachyear tobe apartof chiscelebrationandwishallour consumersa wonderfulVaisakhi.This year wehaveprepared somethingspecialand nothingismore excitingthan the chanceto win adreambike", said Sheshagiri MaWah (Sukesh),bead of India andSub-continent atMoneyGran1."We understand thebond betweenfamiliesthat work sohard to bringasmile on the faces of their loved onesbackhome.Thisyear,apart from tli.is specialcampaign,we havealso prepared anew commercial whichwillbeonairas of today. AtMoneyGran1wetrulybelieve thatbeingabletomovemoneyacross boundariesbringspeoplecloseL"

Thecampaign willlastforamont!Jand isdesignedforcustomersreceivingmoney inPunjab who willhavea chancetowin 10 LEDTVs,50smartphonesand thegrand bumperprize-threeRoyalEnfieldbikes

signedbythespinner himself Topromotetl:tis campaign, MoneyGtamwillalsoruna'Spot &Win Contest'.Customerswho spotiliesignedbikeinPunjab andsendanSMSwiththecodeto

56677willparticipateinthedraw cowinasmartphoneeveryday.

'1amthrilledrolaunch the 'Vaisakbi 2017'campaign today. MoneyGramprovides notonly areliableplatformformoving money seamlessly acrossthe worldbutalsoto connect people through ajoyfulcelebration.I'm sure thatdi.iscampaign willmake thisoccasion aspecial memory. Itgivesme anopportunityto comebackhomeandbeapart oftl1ecelebrationsalmgetl1er wiilimy fans," said Harbhajan Singh.

?:,foneyGram isaglobal provider of innovativemoney transfer and paymentservices andisrecognisedworldwideas a financial connectiontofriends andfamily.Whether online, or throughamobiledevice, at akiosk or in alocalstore,JvfoneyGram connects consumersanyway thatisconveii.ient

forthem.They also providebill payment services,issuemoney ordersand process official checks in selectmarkets.

Tofind outmoreaboutthe MoneyGram 'Vaisakhi2017' campaign, pleasevisit www.moneygram.com

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EasyEaster bak1ng

From traditional European treats to an Aussieclassic, celebrate Easter in style, writes GAURAV

MASAND

ForChristians,Good Friday marks the end of 40daysof Lent, whi.leEasterSunday,marking theresurrection,isthe rimeto

celebrate!Butno matter if youcelebrate Easter or not,herearesomelip-smacking recipesperfectforpartiesandfamily reumoas.

.

.

Black Forest Cake

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

Ingredients

For cake (Double layer)

1 ½ cup condensed milk

1 cup self-raising plain f our

1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour

½ cup cocoa powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½cup/ 100g butter

2 tsp vanilla essence

¼ cup brown sugar

½cup milk

For filling

2 cups heavy cream

2 tbsp caster sugar

½cup morello cherries, chopped

10-12 maraschino cherries for garnish

Dark chocolate

Bowl for whippingcream and electric mixer attachments, kept for 1 hour in freezer

Method

Melt the butterand beat it with sugar until mixed.

Add condensed milk, vanilla essence. Beat togetheruntil 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 1/3cream mix on one cake and top with chopped cherries.

Add the second layer of cake and spread 1/3of 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.

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

Refrigerate for4-5 hours.

Garnish with maraschino cherries and serve.

"Hot cross buns, Hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns." This old English nursery rhyme, associated with the end of Lent, is a favourite childhood memory. These buns are a crowd favourite and usually eaten on Good Friday

Ingredients

2 cups plain f our

1 cup wholemeal flour

¼ cup currants

3½ tsp dry yeast

30g melted butter

½ cup water fordry yeast

1 ½ cup lukewarm waterand milk mixture

2 tsp spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg)

Ginger, small piece

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp salt

¼ cup self-raising f our (for the cross)

Method

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Add sugar to lukewarm water, mix until it dissolves.Toactivate the yeast, add to sugar water mixture. This will make

the mix frothy and yeast willactivate within 15 minutes.

Add this yeast, water and milk mixture, along with currants, to the four. Knead the dough, this willbe sticky at the start. Addmelted butterand remaining ingredients. Keep dough aside for 30 minutes to rise

Once it has doubled in size, punch it down and knead it again.

Divide the f our into 9 equal portions, give them a roundshape and arrange them on a baking tray with some space in between the buns.

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

Mix self-raising flourwith 1 tablespoon of waterto 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 areready. 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 producewith this delicious cake recipe

Ingredients

¾ cup condensed milk

1 cup self-raising plain f our

¼ cup wholemeal self-raising f our(can replace with 1/3cup 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 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 sugaruntilmixed.

Combine with condensed milk and vanilla essence.

Beat tillyou get a smooth mixture. Add thedry ingredients and themilk. 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.

POORNA

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

DIRECTOR: Rahul Bose

At one crucial point in thetelling of this I simple and heart-warmingtale of a tribal girl's climb from the pits of poverty I to Himalayanheights, Rahul Bose, I playing an uprightbureaucrat, asks the little Andhra girl what is her purpose for I climbingEverest. I

I "I have no purpose_ Ijust wantto do

it," shetells her mentor honestly. I

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 youover with his honesty of purpose_

There are no duplicitous bones in the structure of this film.

Sure, there are passages in this motivationaltalethat follow the rags-

to-richestrajectory with textbook-ish precision. Butthe heart is inthe right place, bringing to the narrative a kind of non-negotiable integritythatis at once compelling and winsome.

Authenticity is thekey tothe cogency of Bose's vision. He chooses actors and locations as trueto the original milieu as cinematically possible. The restjust follows.

Thenarrativesweeps us into an emotional realism that is at once sparse and dramatic, pumpingupthe saga of resilience andhumanism with vignettes and frames that form a panoramic arc overthe film's rugged landscape.

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

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

Wait is that againstthe law? To play noble characters? Has that been declared a cognisable offence by a social order thatthinks cynicism is cool?

Itis easyto getcynicalabouta character whose heart bleeds for those who are notgiven one square meal a day.There is an emotionally surcharged moment in the narrative wherethe conscientious bureaucrateats a midday meal with schoolgirls to get a feel of the awful food thatis served up by

government-funded canteens. Rahul's Praveen Kumar doesn't flinch as he swallows morsels ofthe garbage Uunk food atits purest?)

But we do.

Throughoutthetelling ofthis inspiring tale of a girl who won't buckle under the pressure of poverty and cynicism, Rahul gives usthe portrait of a bleak landscape litup by a distant hope. He is theartiste who won'tjudge a value system that condemnsthe 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 atthe 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. Mariyaas Poorna's spunky buttragically vanquished cousin_ The scenes showing the two girls bonding are so heart-warming as to make us overlook thefilm's obvious faws of overstatement.

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

Thefilm is shot with minimum fuss and optimum feelings. Whenlittle Poorna stoodatthe peak ofEverest,I feltI was standing uptherewith her. Gloriously triumphant and hoping that what Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote 45 years ago for ajustsocialorder would cometrue soon:Kitne din aankhen tarsengVKitne din yundi/tarsenge/Ekdin tohbaadal barsenge/Ae mere pyaase diVaaj 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 waitingto conquer our own Everest.

Subhash KJha

INDIAN LINK RADIO APP

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

M shra, Pankaj Tripathi, lshteyak Khan

DIRECTOR: Avinash Das

Nothing inthis unexpected storm-trooper of a film has prepared you for its hig� velocity energy and ferventstatement on female sexuality. Without exaggeration, AnaarkaliOfAarah (AOA) isthe surprise ofthe season.

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

AOA is manythingsatthe sametime. It is a shimmering sun-soaked mirror of small-town values wherein every sneeze or fart is notedand evaluated across the communities. And yetthestory of Anaarkali (Swara Bhaskar, spectacular) is alsothe story of every woman, urban or rural.

Lady, you maybelongto Aarah or Arizona, therewillalways bemen who feelthey'vethe birthrightto own your body as and whenthey wish.

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

Hejumps on stageto molestthe

to be an actionthriller 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 nightconvinces herto put her martial artstraining to use and she chooses tofollow an uncharted path thereon. How shejoins an intelligence groupto save her country dancer, as her performing partner (played with poignant panache by Pankaj Tripathi) watches in mutedhorror.All hell breaks loosethereafter.Whilethe lechers of Aarah seethein 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 atthe end of it.And atthe end her dance of defiance and exposure she is so volatile and so deliciously over-thetop I found myselfjumping out of my seat to congratulate Swara.

No walkover, ourAnaarkalitakes ontheacademic loutwith such vigour and strength that you willfind yourself cheering and clapping forthis female hero ofthese times of sexual ambivalence when men in positions of power misusetheir strengthto subjugate women in workplaces.

This is a sublime flm aboutthe dignity of labour narrated witha raunchy rigourthat is often appealingattimes exasperating.

Swara Bhaskar hits all the right notes in the shrillest of scenes, bringing outthefeisty 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 requiredto sing and shakeher booty to

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

This is a film which exudes an aura of intrigue and being much-anticipated, one goes in with a lot of expectations. Butalas,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 motiveboth 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 elevatingthe film. The characters, perhaps with the exception of Shabana, whose back story is sharedto make her look complete, are all one-dimensional and appear out of nowhere.The dialogues aretrite and lack punch.

Thefilm is Taapsee's canvas all the way and one must laud her martial arts prowess and hard work which shines inthe action sequences.Her feisty persona and agility are praiseworthy. Butthat is where it ends. She fails to make an impactwhen she emotes and thescene duringher childhood, when she witnesses her parents f ght, 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 andappoints 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, itfailsto convince.

TroyRibeiro

lyrics that would makeYoYo Honey Singh blush.

Butthereis a certain grace and dignitytothe double meaning thrown out ofthe erotic dancer's pelvis thrusts, likefire leaping into the sky. Swara dances to these ribald lyrics withsuch familiarity and trust, you won't notice the sexuality in her thrust. You will seethethirstand dare I say,theinnocence,the determinationto remain an artiste even when pushed so much againstthe wall thather body is stiffened and stymied by socialorder where men havethe rightto 'own'women s physicality.

In this nimbly-written ode to feminine grace, a cheesy dancer who probably moonlights as prostitutetells the predatory man whereto get off. It kicks where ithurtsthemost andits does so withoutthe flourish of schisms. It is a terrific premise for a post-feministfilm. Writer-Director Avinash Das doesn't focus on remaining fashionable about women's empowerment.

The smell,the feel,the favour and theemotions of the stif ingly patriarchal small-town is so palpable, you are swept into the vortex of the film's vibrant vista. Full marks tothefilm's cinematographer Arvind Kannabiran for making Aarah and Anarkali seem weddedto one another, and of course Rohit Kumar's authentic folk songs they add so much

valueto the proceedings! A dizzying, combativeexplosiveexpose of smalltown hooliganism and a spunky girl's determinationto survive all odds, AnaarkaliOfAarah has a memorable gallery of actors givingthe goings-on a sterling push and a bracing vigour with their performances.

But above allthereis Swara Bhaskar givingwhathistory wiII record as one ofthebravest and most important performances by a female actor in postmodernistBollywood.

Don'teventhink aboutseeing any otherfilm. Withthis towering achievementaroundthe others don't stand a 'ghost' of a chance.

Gimmethe spunk queen of Aarah any day ratherthanthe bhoot of Phillauri.

Subhash KJha

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

ALI FAZAL GOING PLACES

You probably know ofhim from his small roles in 3 Idiots, Fukrey and Happy BhagJayegi. 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 greatopportunities.The Lucknow lad acquitted himself well enoughthereto getnoticed, and before long, had bagged the title role in the Judi Dench starrer Victoria and Abdul.

The Stephen Frears-directed film should open new doors for young Ali, and has probably already done so, nowthattalent management firm Julian Belfrage Associates has signed him on.This company looks intothe 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 wasjust 24 when he was sentto England from Agra to waitat tables during Queen Victoria's goldenjubilee in 1887. He was given to her as a "gift from India".The queen took such a liking to himthatshe 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 andevenlearntto read and write Hindi and Urdu.

The film releases on 22 September.

Meanwhile, news isthat Ali Fazal has bagged a role in an upcoming Hollywood production opposite Paris Jackson, Michael Jackson's daughter. Richa Chadda is also saidto bepartofthisfilm, amusicalcomedy along Bollywood lines.

As well,there's a projectwithEddie Izard in the off ng, who Ali worked alongside in Victoria and Abdul.

BHAGYASHREE'S SON TO MAKE BOLLYWOOD DEBUT

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

Weall remember her asthe Pretty Young Thingthat Salman Khan - and the whole of India- fell in love with, in thatsuper-duperhitMaine PyarKiya (1989). She leftthe industry soon after, never having done another Hindifilm, to wedthe love of herlife, aged only 19. Today, 28 years on, her son Abhimanyu Dassani is allsetto make his Bollywood debut.

He hasjust been announced asthe lead in a quirky action comedy called MardKo Oard Nahi Hota. Thefilm, which willalso launch Radhika Madan, is directed by Vasan Bala, who wrote and directedthe 2012 crime-thriller Peddlers.

Thefilm isto 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 newthatyou can'thelp butmarvel atit," Anurag Kashyap said.

Thefilm also features Tamil starVijay Sethupati in a key role.

SHABANA AZMI: NO SLOWING DOWN

India's very own Meryl Streep, Shabana Azmi feelsthe film industry has definitely been age-centric, butthatthis is grad.ually changing.

"If you look in my owncareer graph in thelast10 years, I haveprobablyhad themostchallenging roles of my life," she remarked recently."I havefive films lined up for release.Two ofthem are American productions - one is called Signature Move andthe other is The Black Prince."

"Then I have Premchand's ldgah, Sonata andThe Wishing Tree. Allthese roles are as differentas 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.

HINDU SUPPORTERS PROTEST AGAINST SCENE IN UPCOMING FILM

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) supporters protestedoutsidefilm producerT.P. Aggarwal's office claimingthat his forthcoming releaseLaaIiKi Shaadi MeinLaaddoo Deewana includes a scene which can hurtthe Hindu community's sentiments.

They demanded the deletion of a scenewherein a pregnantwomen is seen being married.

However, Aggarwal stood firm against the protestand said he won't make any edits inthefilm as ithas been passed bytheCentral Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

"It is not a crime for a pregnant

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

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

Directed by Manish Harishankar,the film, slatedto release on XXXX, features Naseeruddin Shah's son Vivaan and Kamal Haasan's daughterAkshara. It is based onthetheme of teenage pregnancy, a rising concern in India's metropolitan cities.

WEB SERIES FOR SHAMITA SHETTY, APARSHAKTI

It's goodto learnthatthefilm industry is growing by looking at various modes of consumption.Theterm 'web series' is now being bandiedaboutwith increasing frequency.

Shilpa Shetty's baby sister Shamita Shetty will soon bejoining 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 storylineoftheseries and allthe other related information is being kept under wraps.

Shamita had recently teased her social media familywitha postthat read: "Doing what I love best! Work mode, shoot life, new beginnings,happy me."

According to an official statement from VOOT,the series willalso feature Gaurav Pandey - last seen in Badrinath Ki Dulhania - and Ridhima Pandit. Thetitle of the series will be revealed soon.

RANI MUKERJI IN COMEBACK MODE

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

The announcement was made via a video posted onthesocialmedia 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 Adirawithhusband and film producerAdityaChopra.

Then she wantedto returnto do what

she loves doingthemost.

Coming out undertheYash Raj Films banner, Hlchki is being directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra andproduced by Maneesh Sharma.

Thefilm will feature Rani in a positive and inspiring story about a woman who turns her biggest weakness into her biggeststrength.

In an earlier statement, Rani had said she was onthe lookout for a scriptthat would challenge and excte her.

The factthatHichki camewith a positive premise, urgedtheactressto takeit up.

KAJOL: SOUTHERN SOJOURN

Meanwhile, Rani's first cousin and equally loved actor Kajol, hasjust finished work on her comebacktoTamil cinema.The Soundarya-directed VIP2 hasjust wrapped up.

Lastseenin 1997 Tamilfilm Mlnsara Kanavu, Kajol has returnedto Tamil filmdom after nearly two decades.

VIP2, a sequelto the 2014Tamil blockbuster Ve/aIlla 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'treveal much aboutthe film, as I have got strict orders from my director nottotalkaboutthe film," the Dilwale actor said. Apart fromtheTamilf lm, Kajol is also working withher husbandAjayDevgn for

their home production.

"It is too early to talk about my home productionfilm. We willmost probably startshooting in the coming two or three months," she said.

AND SOME OTHER COMEBACK FEATURES

Speaking of comebacks, Sridevi is all setto bewitch yet again, this time as Mom.Directed by Ravi Udyawar, Mom, a woman-centric film, is produced by Sri's husband Boney Kapoor.Itwillreleasein Hindi,Tamil andTelugu onJuly 14.

Andwhathas RaveenaTandon been doing, while her contemporaries have been working away ontheir comebacks? She's beenjudging a children'stalent show on TV called Sabse BadaKalakar.

"Judging a kids' reality show is very easy," ravishingRaveena 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 wonderfuljourney filmingthis show withthem."

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

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A MUSIC REALITY TV SHOW

Thereareawe inspiring stories of unknowntalentdiscovered onTV reality shows who go onto strike it big inthe world of entertainment. But what about

the equally good talentthat does not make itto thetop? How are they left to pick up the pieces after they have 'failed'?

This is the unusualthemeof upcoming flick Blue Mountains, directed by Suman Ganguli and produced by Rajesh Jain. Itstars youngtalent 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) playshis mum, failed classical singer who urges him on in a bidto realise her own dreams vicariously through him.

Thefilm has already taken out various awards inthe international film festival circuit.

MADHUR BHANDARKAR IS AT IT AGAIN

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

The movie is reportedly basedon the infamous Emergency era, a 21-month period from 1975to 1977, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across the country. It features Anupam Kher, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kirti Kulhari and Bengali actor Tota Roy Chowdhury.

A recipient ofthe Padma Shri, Bhandarkar is known for his socially relevantfilms likeTrafficSignal, Chandni Bar, Fashion and Page3. He feels youth will be eagerto watch lnduSarkar.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Matchthe stars to the followingtweets: Karan Johar, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Madhur Bhandarkar

Thank u forthe lovethe passion andjust sticking by ur team. KKR fans u make us!

It's anEmergency! Your date with an important chapter from post independence history of India, 'lndu Sarkar' releases on July 212017

My baby nursery designedby @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 DEEPIKA PADUKONE and NEETU KAPOOR?

Send in your responsesto win@indianlink.com.au and win a movie pass

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

How to survive immigration

Inside secrets are revealed by One Who IntegratedSuccessfully

BYKRISHNA NEELAMRAJU

Migratingtoanewcountry is probably che hardest thing you'll everdo. If your life were-amobilephone,this islike pressingthe'factory reset'button.AUtheappsyougotused to? Yeah,they'regone. I'm afraidyou have to installthem again.

Iwrote oncebefore:.Migmntsp,,ckalo!of worriesintheirsligbt/y011en1Jeightcabinbaggage.

Understandingthelocal accentis probably the leastof yourworries Bigger battleswillbefoughtwhenyou'rejob huntingandconvincingrealestateagents thatyourcurrydoesn'tsmell chatstrong. Having spem almost twoyearsin Australiaandnotrun awayyet,I'vedecided tocomp.ile someinsidesecretsthatwillhelp newdesiimmigrams survive.Readyforit?

Heregoes:

Fire Alarms

The very firsc crisisyou w.illface in theWest is chebleepingfirealarm.Everytimethe littlebuggersgooff,thestressw.illmake you willlose twodays of yourbalance life.Theyseemmintuitivelyknow hmvto harassyou.Just whenyouthinkyou'vegot the hangof makingthatbmcer roti,chefire alarmdisagreesand putsyouinyourplace.

Oneofmydeepescfears,Iconfessed tomywifeonce,istl1atour son's precious childhoodmemorieswillbe filied wichhis immigramfacherfanningthefumesaway fromthefire alarm. He'll probablywrite ascand-uproutine aroundit, a laRussell Peters.DidI hearyousaysomethingabout removingbatteries?Yonsly dog!

Tip:IfJOflwanttohingeongbeesmeared cbapathis,h11msome{[[loriesbeforehand.

Standdi,·ect(yhelo}/JtheJirnalarm,holdalarge super111"rketcatalogue111ithboth,117maho11eyom· headandja11an1qyJi1rio11.r61,It'salsogoodexercise for'o!lrlatissivmsdrmimuscles

Shopping centres

There'ssometl1ing misleading aboutthese big,air-conditionedboxesthatlookthe same everywhere.1fyouwalkinlace,after

all the shiny lightsare tmned off, you'd think thatdesisare half the Australianpopulation.It'saType 1samplingerror. While the restof thecounty iseither at anall-nightbeach-parcy or already inbed,thedesifamily strapsitssnonykidtoche backof ametal trolleyand hatrntsthe aislesof adiscount megastoreor asupermarketinthelocal shoppingcentre.Smdy:ingtheprices of unsaltedbutterbrandsat9pm onweekends hasnever beensopopularinthe hiscory of hmnanicy.

Myfam.ily's weekends have beenmore productiveeversinceIshiftedtogrocery shoppingaloneonweekdays,onmy way homefromwork.

Tip:Ihawaone-111ordtipjoT]OIII'fVRT111"/lsi11 general:AvoirL

Indian TV Box

It is anessentialaccessory to everydesi household.Like the tintedfilmforyour car windows,itprocectsyonfromthe harmfuleffectsof overexposuretolocal emercainmenr. Ac leastforfirstgeneration immigrants,theTV boxisthe only connection to d1emothership when noton aSkypecall.That,andthepiratedDVDs you get forfreewitha $100 grocerybillac the Indianstore. Getoneif yonmust, buc don'tbecome tooattached toit.The TV box, Imean.

Tip:Reshictthelndia!ITVhoxto50%ofJ'om· idiothoxtime.Patroniselocaltalenttoo.If)'OIi mn't,111/;(lt'sthepointofevtigroting,really?

'These People'

Righcfrom day one,I have been getting genetousadvice abouthowtodealwid1 'thesepeople'. leis d1eproduceof decades of collectiveimmigrant wisdom,crunched imobite-sizedstereotypesaboutthehost country.

'Thesepeople' don'tworkatall.All theytalkaboutislawn mowing andhome renovations.

·r ever trust'tl1esepeople'.They willturn againstyouany rime.

'Thesepeople' earn tillThursday and spenditallon boozein d1enextthreedays.

Iconfess,I've alsobeen guilryof generalisingabout'thesepeople' -thoughin my defence,mystereotypesonly increased myadmirationfor'thesepeople'.

'Thesepeople,no?Theyarelike this only!'

Tip:Tfrokaytoindttlgein abito'thesepeople'once in,11JJhile.'Thesepeople' doittoo.]11.rtdontoverdo

Pressure Cookers

Sowepressuredonrlandlady aboutche leakingtapsuntilshesentahai1dyman tofix them.There he was,inthe shower, grapplingwiththe complexproblems of water drips when heheard anearthshatteringsoundof somedlingblowing upoutside.Suspectingmortalclanger,he rushedouttosavehimself andalertlaw enforcement.

it.

New Immigrants

Nodoubc hewasembarrassed torun intomytoddJercoollybuildingwooden traincracks,obliviousmthehullabaloo.My brave son,unlikecheburly handyman,grew up cothesoundsofchepressurecooker blowing whistlesfour times everymealI amsuredesikidscould eve□handle anoil rigblowing up inthe ne.xtroomandnot 8inchamuscle.

Adesifriend's Aussie auntonceplayfully mockedthesuburb welivein.'Every cwo seeps, yo1.1hear apressure cooker go off.Ir's almostlike India!' Saysic all,doesn'tit?

Tip:The111orldh(lsmovedontofnsta11tPots, b11lifyo11w,mttos11rvi11etheftrstfa111)'Cars ofit11migrotio11,makesure)'Ol/1'40kgbaggage allowancebasa10kgsublimitforiHductionfrimd!y press11recookers

Afavouritepastime of older people is to complainaboutho\v things were 'sogood' before and 'notat all good' now.Keeping upwith thetradition,a desiformercolleague oncetoldme thattl1equalityofnewdesi immigrantsis reallyfalling.She should knO\V. She emigracedtoAustralia at the samerimeascbeDandekars. Iwas about three months oldin thecouna-y when she gave herquality assessment,soI assumed shewasmikingabomcheones whocame after me.

Tip:Thei'eis110/hing111oredesithanbeing discti111i11atedagainstbyafallowdesi.Tflkein lihemldosesofgoodolddesimohhe1y1J1heneve/')'Ot1 ca11.1t's"IJ)01ide,j11/mreforhomesickness.

Adjusting to thenew environmemcakes time.'iXfhacmakesiteasyiswhenyouknow inside secrecs likethese.Withmeonyour side, you'renever short of excellentinside info.

Fin"/Tip:Takeit(l/1111ithapinchosalt.Ifitis stillunp(lf(lf{l/;/e,sp1i11k/esomechat11uuala011the top.Th(lt011ghtadoit!

Remil21ndia-MoneyRemittancetoIndraatanaffordableprice.Remrt2lndlaisasecureonlinemoneytransferserviceforNRlstosendmoneytoIndiafromUnitedStates,UnitedKingdom.Australia,Singapore,Canada,UAE., HongKongGermany,Spain&otherEuroCountries.TheserviceallowsNRstosendmoneysafeyusingwiretransferandACH/DirectDebtThemoneycanbereceivedinIndiathroughdirectaccountcredits