2017-08 Adelaide

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#GoBeyond

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AUGUST

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AUGUST

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editorial INDIAN LINK PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra

Birthday time

EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Harshad Pandharipande MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Meenakshi Seetharaman, Saroni Roy, Judy Williams, Grahak Cunningham, Chitra Sudarshan, LP Ayer, Vandana G, Niraj Pandya ADVERTISING MANAGER Vivek Trivedi 0410 578 146

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004 EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Beheshta Wasseh

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the wri en consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au Cover pic: Sam Goraya (Photo Zlatko Varenina)

I

ndia, as we know it now, is turning 70.

Before you pick up the phone to remind me that our country is actually a few thousand years old (yes, you’ve done this to me in the past!), let me assure you I am well aware that the Indus Valley civilization was dominant in the sub-continent as far back as the 3rd millennium BC. For fact-checkers out there, and those interested in trivia, Japan (660 BCE) and China (221 BCE) are the world’s oldest countries.

Along with India, some other notable birthdays this month are those of Singapore (9 August), Indonesia (17) and, of course, Pakistan (14). And then there are those who share the same date of 15 as their Independence Day, becoming birthday buddies with India.

These countries include the two Koreas,

We have Moved

Rafi KHAN

areas? US President Thomas Jefferson said way back in 1809, “The care of human life and happiness… is the only legitimate object of good government.”

India’s government probably still has a bit of distance to cover as far as this is concerned. It still has to work through some of its democratic processes.

(Democracy thrives on in India, but the leaders need to be vetted a bit more thoroughly to ensure honesty in leadership.) The punishment for corruption and crony capitalism needs to be harsher. Even in a country of 1.2 billion, life needs to be valued more.

Gender inequality needs to be reduced.

These markers will be reached no doubt, but it will take time. Seventy years is a short time in the history of any nation, and India will square the circle in many of the areas it is found wanting.

The foundations of honesty, integrity and honour are strong in its citizens, and over time, this will allow it to prosper and grow, not only economically but also morally and as a society. Just like it did so successfully, for over 5,000 years, before 1947.

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the Republic of Congo, Bahrain and Liechtenstein.

So, for these August-born countries, what does the report card look like?

Clearly, India is a student who has performed well in class, having built up its confidence, and showing a fair bit of maturity. It has largely kept its faith with its people, and has done well to create a country of highly skilled and entrepreneurial individuals.

On the world sTage, India has conducted itself with dignity and has succeeded in keeping a fine balance between opposing powers such as the United States and Russia, and recently between Israel and the Arab nations.

Economically, it has progressed well, though there is still a lot of disparity in the population, with some surviving below living standards while others having far in excess of what they need.

The population, most of it anyway, has an inherent belief in secularism, although lately this has been tested by a select group of so-called nationalists.

There is a high value on education, and family values are treasured.

On the other hand, what of the red

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AUGUST

community

Problems at work?

Now, migrant workers can report workplace issues in their own language, including Hindi and Nepali

T

he Fair Work Ombudsman in Australia has made it easier for migrant workers to report workplace concerns to the agency by launching its popular Anonymous Report function in 16 languages, including Hindi, other than English.

Fair Work Ombudsman Natali James said that the new tool was developed to overcome some of the barriers that migrant workers face when dealing with workplace issues.

“Factors such as limited English skills, cultural barriers and a lack of awareness of workplace rights mean that migrant workers can be particularly vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace,” James said.

“These same factors also make it difficult for migrant workers to know where or how to seek help.

“My agency is aiming to break down these barriers and make it as easy as possible for migrant workers to report their concerns to us.”

The Fair Work Ombudsman had originally launched the Anonymous Report function in May 2016 to allow the community to report potential workplace breaches, in recognition that some employees are reluctant to complain about workplace issues.

“Since the launch of the Anonymous Report function, the Fair Work Ombudsman has received more than 10,000 tipoffs with 15 per cent of these coming from visa

holders,” James said.

“To make it easier for people from a non-English speaking background we have now launched this tool in 16 languages other than English, including Chinese, Korean, Arabic and Spanish,” she said.

“Now migrant workers can tell us their concerns, in their own language, without being identified.”

These languages include Hindi, Nepali, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai among others.

High profile inquiries by the Fair Work Ombudsman into matters such as 7-11, Woolworths trolley collectors and 4 and 5 star hotel cleaners have highlighted the prevalence of often deliberate and systematic exploitation of migrant workers.

Intelligence gathered via the anonymous report tool enabled the agency to target its compliance and education activities.

“Improving the employment experience of migrant workers in Australia is a priority for my agency,” James asserted.

“We understand that it can be hard to speak up if you are facing issues at work, but we hope that our new translated Anonymous Report function will encourage more migrant workers to do so.”

The Fair Work Ombudsman also

understood that visa holders working in Australia may be reluctant to seek assistance if they thought that doing so will lead to adverse consequences, such as damaging future job prospects or cancellation of their visa.

“I would like to reassure visa holders that in line with an agreement between my agency and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, you can seek our assistance without fear of your visa being cancelled” reassured James.

Employers and employees seeking

assistance can visit www.fairwork.gov.au or contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94. An interpreter service is available on 13 14 50.

The Anonymous Report tool can be accessed at: www.fairwork.gov.au/ inlanguageanonymousreport.

The tool is available in the following languages: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Hindi, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Filipino, Portuguese, Thai and Nepali.

Venue: Brooklyn Park Church of Christ, Brooklyn Park 5032. All Welcome.

Ganesh Chaturthi Fri 25 Aug Adelaide Marathi Mandal celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi 4.30pm onwards at Ganesh Temple, 3A Dwyer Rd, Oaklands Park. Details AMM 08 8298 1278 Onam Sat 26 Aug AMMA (Adelaide Metropolitan Malayalee Association) celebrates “Ponnonam 2017” 12.00 noon onwards at the Croatian Club, Brompton. Details www. adelaidemalayalee.org Ganesh Festival 25 and 26 Aug United Indians of South Australia (UIOSA) presents Arts and Cultural Ganesh Festival on 25th and 26th August at Angkor Hall Parafiled Gardens. Open for all.

Garba Sun 28 Aug Atul Purohit Garba 6.00 pm onwards at Parks Recreation centre, Angle Park 5010. Details 0433 953 402

Harjit Singh, Surjit Buller and Mahi Mann, Dom Polski Centre Adelaide.

Tickets www.premiertickets.com.au

WHAT’S ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

COMMUNITY

Pre-Independence Day Extravaganza Jai Ho Sat 12 Aug Klemzig Community Centre, 6.00 pm onwards. Open for community but RSVP required.

Lots of children’s activities, games, tambola, prizes for best dressed, and DJ. Alcohol free family event.

Details 0430 292 277 IAASA event Sun 13 Aug Indian Australian Association of South Australia celebrates India’s Independence Day at Woodville Town Hall, 2.00pm onwards. Details www.iaasa.com.au AMMA event Tue 15 Aug Adelaide Metropolitan Malayalee Association celebrates India’s 71st Independence Day, at 84 Galway Avenue, Broadview.

BAPS event Tue 15 Aug BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir celebrates India’s Independence Day with flag hoisting at 7.30 am. Venue: BAPS temple, 54/64 George St, Green Fields.

Details 08 8281 2277.

FICSA Meet and Greet Fri 18 Aug Federation of Indian Communities of South Australia (FICSA) presents new migrant meetand-greet, a free networking event.

Speakers include representatives from South Australian Police on how to stay safe in the community and TAFE SA for career pathways. Details Kuppa 0403 582 253

AUGUST

National Hindu Conference 9 Sept Vishwa Hindu Parishad Inc announces 6th Australian National Hindu Conference 9.00am to 4.30pm at Adelaide Convention Centre, North Terrace, SA. Details 0416 650 525 FESTIVAL ISKCON Janmashtami Sun 6 Aug ISKCON Adelaide is celebrating “Balarama Purnima” with Bhajans at 6.00 pm followed

by Arti and Prasadam. Details www. iskonadelaide.com.au Janmashtami Sat 19 Aug Jai Durga Sankirtan Mandal organises Janamashtami celebrations with Pooja at 5.00 pm followed by Bhajans and Langar.

ENTERTAINMENT Rooh Punjaab Di Sun 6 Aug Rooh Punjaab Di, a musical night organised by Sardari Group Adelaide starring Punjabi stars

Beats: Rising Stars Sat 19 Aug A musical competition in north Adelaide. Details 0412 751 065 Debi Maksoosouri Sun 13 Aug Punjabi Singer Debi Maksoosouri live in concert at Dom Polski Centre. Details 0435 312 755 SPIRITUAL Nilkanth Chartitra Sun 6 Aug BAPS Adelaide is organising a fascinating tale of Lord Swaminarayan “Nilkanth Charitra” and a special segment “Bal Parayan” for kids at BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir, 54/64 George St, Green Fields.

Details 08 8281 2277.

Sundarkand Path 22 and 23 Aug Sundarkand Path by Shri Atul Purohit at Klemzig Primary School, Klemzig 5087. All welcome.

Compiled by NIRAJ PANDYA

To have your event listed on this page email: media@indianlink.com.au

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work Rupinder Sidhu, Gurpreet Sekhon, Vardhan Arora

‘‘

I don’t think the crime rate has increased as much as the stats imply. What has changed is the reporting of it and the visibility through social media

‘‘

Rupinder Sidhu

Keeping the community safe

Victoria Police’s diversity drive sees Indian-origin officers increase in numbers

BY PREETI JABBAL

T

hey are young, capable, and ready to serve the community. And now they have the knowledge and skill to back them up.

Meet Vardhan Arora, Rupinder Sidhu and Gurpreet Sekhon, new graduates of the Victorian Police Academy, Victoria’s oldest and most distinguished organisation.

The trio were among the 33 graduates from diverse backgrounds that received their graduation at a ceremony held recently, at the Main Chapel in the Victorian Police Academy, Glen Waverley.

“It’s good to see that the diversity of our community is reflected in the graduates today, with some born in Australia and some born overseas,” said Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton. “I am pleased to see that Victoria Police has recruits that are truly reflective of our multicultural society.”

According to Minister for Police Lisa Neville, “One of the things that really strikes you as you look at the graduates today is the diversity of their backgrounds, jobs and skills. Victoria Police continues to be as representative of our community as possible and those skills will also strengthen the capacity of the organisation to deal with the challenges ahead.”

She added, “We have a changing and

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dynamic community with concerns to counter terrorism and challenges of dealing with youth offending, ice and family violence.

These graduates have already confronted some of those issues during their training and placements and I know that they are very well prepared, through this training that is second to none, to deal with these challenges and keep Victoria safe.”

Assistant Commissioners Kevin Casey and Tess Walsh, and Victoria Police Association representative Ken Ashworth were among those present to support the graduates as they set out to professionally and confidently handle a range of duties and roles.

According to Gurpreet Sekhon from Punjab, who worked as a Protective Services officer for three and a half years prior to this, “It’s a long journey; there’s lots to take in and learn but I am looking forward to it.” According to him it’s a tough gig that requires a lot of hard work and one needs a lot of support from family to be able to continue. His goal is to join the Criminal Investigation Unit.

Vardhan Arora from Lucknow came to Australia when he was in Year 8. He initially started with Engineering but did not find it interesting, then decided to do a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University and finally went on to join the public sector. He likes the diversity aspect of Victoria Police and he feels he is a good fit. Vardhan will be doing general duties in Prahran for the next few years and may take up Prosecution later.

“The process of selection is fairly lengthy but there is a plenty of time to prepare,” said Vardhan. “There are several resources

that help you to reach the level of fitness and ability that is required in this role. It’s very doable as they are looking for normal people not Superman.”

Rupinder Sidhu came to Melbourne from Ludhiana and found the settling process a bit tough initially, however he persevered and found a job through an acquaintance. He even slept in tram stops for a couple of months before he found a place in a garage where he lived for a while.

He eventually found his own place and is now well settled with his wife and little daughter.

He originally qualified as a Mechanical Engineer from India, then did Automotive Engineering in Australia and is currently studying Criminology and Social Justice on a part-time basis. He wants to either join the Highway Patrol or specialise in counter terrorism.

Law enforcers in India often come with the tag of corruption and Rupinder wants to set an example and change that perspective by doing the right thing and encouraging people to do so too.

When asked for their comments on the increase in crime rates in Victoria and how the situation will improve, Vardhaan replied, “There is a massive recruitment drive coming up in Victoria that will lighten the load for all the constables out there. It is very busy at all times and police are always going from one job to another. Hopefully with the extra numbers we will have that presence in the community and it will deter crime.”

“Bear in mind that sometimes statistics may tell you the wrong story,” Vardhan

continued. “Stats go up because crime is reported more and people are encouraged to report incidents, which is a credit to the Police Force. Hopefully we will see a decline soon.”

Gurpreet chimed in, “Crime is definitely going up but I am more inclined towards community policing. We are trying to reduce crime by helping the community to improve, by making amendments, by changing their thinking. We are not there to punish criminals and put them in jail forever or kick them out. We are there to help them as they are part of the community.”

Rupinder, however, agreed with Vardhan.

“I don’t think the crime rate has increased as much as the stats imply. What has changed is the reporting of it and the visibility through social media. Media plays a massive role because as soon as anything happens there is a camera around to capture it and disseminate it through Twitter, Facebook, news etc. I think that the crime rate is still the same, however, we are more informed about it nowadays,” he said.

“It’s kind of like when the PSOs kicked in crime went up because we were catching more criminals and crooks at stations than before,” Vardhan explained further. Before that people wouldn’t go to the police stations and report every incident but when PSOs started there was a voice and person that represented the Police and people felt it was easier to report.”

Whether the crime rate has spiked or not is debatable, however, for now it is reassuring that these bright graduates are committed to providing a sense of security as a vital part of their roles.

AUGUST

YOUR SAY

OUR VIDEO: INDIAN FESTIVAL MELBOURNE

Watch: People shake a leg to Tamma Tamma by Naach Box Priyanka Vajpayee wrote: Told you it’s going to be fun Nomi Qureshi wrote: How did we miss this?

Meenakshi wrote: Oh no! If only this had taken place in Sydney! So cool.

PRECIOUS FLOWER

HARSHAD PANDHARIPANDE spoke to the grieving mum of Akanksha Kadam, who died in a car crash in Sydney last month. Condolences continued for the vivacious girl Rupa Kumar wrote: Heart wrenching Raghu Rules wrote: Sad a happy soul lost may her family get strength RIP Payel Ray Munni wrote: This is one of the saddest pieces of news that I have read. Rest in Peace, Akanksha. May I also inform all of you mainly youngsters who are coming to Australia as international students, please remember that you leave your loved ones behind. Please do not take any steps in Australia like swimming on a beach without professional lifeguards or give in to peer pressure of a long drive at night that will cause unimaginable heartache to the ones that you leave behind in India.

GENDER STEREOTYPES CONTINUE TO HOLD STRONG

SHAFEEN MUSTAQ had written on what’s wrong with traditional norms and how the youth can help advance equality.

Raka Mitra wrote: To be fair, this happens across most communities.

Across the world women are judged more harshly and men continue to have insecurities. It’s not Indians alone...Italians, Spanish, Mexicans, Orientals etc all single out women. Some cultures encourage their daughters to conform to a body image stereotype to ensure getting a man. However if I stick to the Sydney Indian community - I can hold my hand over my heart and say I’m quite lucky to be Bengali. I never appreciated this till several years ago....but Bengalis don’t push gender roles on their children. Don’t get me wrong, not trying to make a separatist or elitist comment...but it was an awakening of sorts for me...of exactly how open minded Bengalis are relative to others. I have never had an aunty/family tell me I need to be married to be happy or that my life is incomplete without marriage or pry into my personal life. On the contrary they have supported my decisions to travel alone, told me to never accept crap from a man and have always said that happiness is key, pursue that whatever it may be.

Betty Jager wrote: Never give up on your Indian culture, it is so very beautiful. I love India and her people

LINGUISTICALLY SPEAKING

MEENAKSHI SEETHARAMAN wrote on how language teachers from across the Indian community brainstormed ideas to seek larger mainstream presence.

Chandra Kishore wrote: The Institutions which are running Hindi/Sanskrit and other language schools are commended for their great contribution to the society.

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE COMMUNITY

JOURNEY INTO THE INTERIOR

On one of the world’s legendary train journeys, The Ghan, Australia’s interior inspires awe for its vastness and ever changing landscape. PETRA O’NEILL wrote about her interesting journey Khyati Raval wrote: On my bucket list!

SAY IT AGAIN AUGUST

PAWAN LUTHRA, an old-timer, wrote on the new codes among the latest batch of Indian migrants coming to Australia Krish Na @IndigoKKing tweeted: Good one! I’m terribly glad it didn’t say, ‘the new ones are low quality and low class’ like some senior immigrant said to me once.

Chandra Kishore wrote: Seen the change in last 30 years

So much love back home.

Overwhelmed! This journey has provided me with so many wondrous lifelong memories, Grateful.

Indian women’s cricket captain Mithali Raj, after the team’s performance in the World Cup

Warming temperature trends over the last three decades have already been responsible for over 59,000 suicides throughout India.

Scientist Tamma Carleton, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

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WOOLWORTHS TO PHASE OUT PLASTIC BAGS AROUND THE COUNTRY

A LIFE LOST, AND GAINED

A family were crushed when leukaemia took their 2-year-old daughter. But somehow, she found a way to come back, wrote NANDITHA SURESH Meenakshi Seetharaman wrote: This is such heartbreaking and tearful story, at the same time teaches us to have hope in life.

We shared an ABC story on Supermarket giant Woolworths’ plans to phase out single-use plastic bags over the next 12 months.

Dhanya Samuel wrote: A commendable move.

Chandra Kishore wrote: Great move.

Payal Gupta wrote: Wonderful Khyati Raval wrote: Good move!

Narayan Shankar wrote: It must be implemented strictly

VIDEO: SAREE SECRETS OF AUSSIE POLITICIANS

We shared our archival video on Aussie woman politicians and their love for the Indian saree.

Betty Jager commented: I love them, I bought some in India to wear in the temples and to attend bhajans, and still do here in Aust when I go to the temple, they are so beautiful.

THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE DO NOT NEED TO KNOW

Humanity should be able to live with mystery without feeling uneasy. It is important to ask, when is it okay not to know? MOHAN DHALL wrote.

Krish Na wrote: Interesting perspective. Seeking truth is the core of any religion, yet religions often dissuade followers from asking too many questions. ‘Have faith’ is the most common refrain. Is it okay to not ask questions? Yes. But is it okay to prevent others from asking questions though?

Curiosity is a basic human trait and is fundamental to progress.

However, progress has its victims too. Exploration led to isolated lands joining the rest of the world but destroyed native life.

Individuals may curb their curiosity due to inherent limitations, but societies cannot. A question there for asking will be asked, later if not now, by someone else if not us. Alien life exploration may doom us all one day, like Hawking says, but if we don’t go looking for them, they’ll come looking.

There’s an ancient saying in my first language Telugu- ‘truth is like fire. If you try to cover it up, it’ll burn through its cover and come forth’.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Indian village renamed after Donald Trump without authorisation. The Indian philanthropist who renamed the village in honour of America’s president had no permission to do so. (This article originally appeared on The Washington Post) Charishma Kaliyanda @Ckaliyanda retweeted: Why is this a thing?!

Krish Na @IndigokKing tweeted: I just don’t get this Indian fascination with Trump. Is Islamiphobia the common ground or is it just for entertainment value?

Meenakshi S @manju_gsr replied to Krish Na: Pure entertainment value!

And ignorance.

Rupa Kumar wrote: Seriously

+ JOIN THE CONVERSATION MALCOLM ROBERTS’ S44 CONUNDRUM: THE RAJIV GANDHI CONNECTION

Malcolm Roberts, in spite of his express denials, very likely continues to be a citizen of India, thanks partly to India’s former PM Rajiv Gandhi, wrote KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU Mike Westerman: Couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow!

Stoked to be at the first international footy match IndvAus. Fantastic way to share our culture with India. #sportsdiplomacy Aust High Commissioner in India Harinder Sidhu

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Filth - Quit India; Poverty - Quit India; Corruption Quit India; Terrorism - Quit India; Casteism - Quit India; Communalism - Quit India PM Modi, ahead of India’s Independence Day

It’s a massive headache but I guess a good one.

India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli on who to pick for Colombo match, given all top-order batsmen are in form

AUGUST

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AUGUST

cover story

#GoBeyond

Beyond guided tours and sanitised hotel rooms.

Beyond Taj Mahal and tigers. Beyond naan and butter chicken. Beyond the window of the taxi.

Beyond seeing from afar. Beyond comfort zones.

Beyond obvious. Beyond boring. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In this #IndependenceDay issue, Indian Link brings you an India that is off the usual tourist map, and away from the beaten track. An India that will take you by your hand, lead you to its valleys and mountains, caves and underwater treasures, that will feed you full with the stuff the locals like to devour. This India will make you leave the highway behind. This India will help you lose yourself. Or maybe, even find yourself.

Go on, dance with the tribals, trek across a frozen river, try your hand at a centuriesold art, spot a red panda, volunteer at a remote school. There is a whole new India out there. There is a whole new world out there. All you need to do is go beyond.

Words Harshad Pandharipande, Saroni Roy, Meenakshi Seetharaman and Rajni Anand Luthra

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cycling and Biking

TOUR OF NILGIRIS >

This much loved 1000-odd-km cycling tour of Nilgiris - covering parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu over eight days - is gaining fans especially in the corporate world. Now in its 10th year, this tour spans the wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka, Wayanad in Kerala and Mudumalai national park in Tamil Nadu.

Each day involves pedalling more than 100 km while traversing the high points of the Nilgiri Hills, testing the riders’ endurance, temperament, physical and mental limits.

BEST TIME OF THE YEAR: December STAY: The tour organisers take care of the accommodation GETTING THERE: The starting point of the tour is Bengaluru. The easiest and quickest way to reach there is by air.

AUGUST

MOTORCYCLING >

Bhalukpong > Dirang > Bomdilla > Tawang When it comes to Indian biking routes, the north-east is a goldmine to be explored. Arunachal Pradesh, the land of dawn-lit mountains, has a meagre road network and that is what makes motorcycling in this region ‘a crazy ride’.

The slush, rain, dirt tracks, rocky river beds and camping will test your riding skills to the max.

There are many operators that carry out this 10-day expedition covering approximately 1200 km.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to March STAY: Usually, motorcycling touring operators arrange for accommodation GETTING THERE: Tezpur airport in Assam is the nearest airport (260 km)

Guwahati > Shillong > Cherrapunji > East Khasi Hills This route is a must-do if you wish to visit the northeast and are a bikey at heart. You start at Guwahati, the gateway to the north-east, and make your way to hilly Shillong, the picturesque capital of Meghalaya, on to one of the rainiest places on earth, Cherrapunji, and then to the East Khasi Hills. Along the route, you will pass through the cleanest village in India, Mawlynnong.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to March STAY: There are many tour operators who arrange food and accommodation along the route GETTING THERE: The easiest way to reach Guwahati is by air

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Adventure

CAVING >

‘Meghalaya’ means ‘The land of the clouds’. But, for thrill seekers travelling to this state in north-eastern India, the real fun is not in the sky, but underground.

With more than 1,200 caves, Meghalaya has the largest network of caves on the Indian sub-continent, stretching over 300km.

Negotiating slippery inclines, wading through waist-deep water and marvelling at gigantic limestone formations are some activities that you will do while caving.

Many operators offer caving tours, complete with gear and a professional guide.

BEST TIME TO VISIT November to March STAY Many medium-range and budget accommodations in state capital Shillong GETTING THERE The closest airport from Shillong is Guwahati, 128 km away. From here, buses and taxis ply regularly

SCUBA DIVING >

Beaches are for relaxation, but if you want adventure, you must take the plunge. Literally.

India has some of the best scuba diving destinations in the world, with the Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands offering pristine waters that have corals, stingrays,

dugongs and even whale sharks.

In the Andamans, the most popular spots are Lighthouse, Mac Point, Neil Island and Cinque Island, while Lakshadweep’s top picks are Kavaratti, Bangaram and Minicoy.

The other places in India where you can go scuba diving are Puducherry, Goa, Netrani Island (Karnataka), Tarkarli (Maharashtra) and Dwarka (Gujarat).

BEST TIME TO VISIT October to June STAY Private hotels and resorts as well as governmentrun hotels GETTING THERE Both sets of islands are connected to the Indian mainland by air. Port Blair is the gateway to Andaman and Nicobar, and Agatti for Lakshdweep.

FROZEN RIVER TREK >

Walking on water is possible for mere mortals, too, if you can brave subzero temperatures.

The Chadar trek in Ladakh is challenging but has been attracting trekkers for some time now. The trek gets its name from the sheet, or chadar, of ice that the Zanskar river turns into during winter. For eight to ten days, trekkers must walk on the frozen river and stay in caves Caption or tents.

BEST TIME TO VISIT Mid-January to February-end

STAY Mostly tents, homestays on some days GETTING THERE The only way to get to Leh in January is a flight from New Delhi. Drive from Leh to Sumdo, the starting point of the trek.

TRY THESE OUT, TOO >

Punjab’s rural Olympics Held near Ludhiana, these feature horse racing, acrobatics, athletics, martial arts and feats of strength.

River rafting While Rishikesh in Uttarakhand is known for its rapids, other places where you can do it are Ladakh (J and K), Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) and Kolad (Maharashtra).

Bungee jumping Rishikesh has the highest bungee jumping spot in India, but you can also experience the extreme thrill at Goa, Bangalore, Delhi and even Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh state.

Air show at Bengaluru Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition and the second largest air show in the world after the Paris Air Show. The next edition is in 2019.

Mahalaxmi race course Built in 1883 and modelled on the Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, take in the Indian Derby on the first Sunday of February.

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Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

Forests & Wildlife

TSOMORIRI WETLAND CONSERVATION RESERVE >

Comprising Ladakh’s Lake Moriri and its surrounding environment that includes the Changthang plateau region, this is a paradise for eco-tourists. The district is home to some endemic alpine animals and bird species including the Tibetan Wolf, the Himalayan Blue Sheep and the Snow Leopard. You can also catch the Korzok Gustor festival, which takes place in the 6th month of the Tibetan lunar calendar and attracts many Changpa nomads and tourists.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: June to September STAY: There are some hotels and several homestays at Korzok village, close to the lake GETTING THERE: Leh has direct flights from Delhi.

Leh to Lake Moriri by road is about 220 km.

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KHANGCHENDZONGA BIOSPHERE RESERVE >

Trek, hike and camp to explore the rich biodiversity in this park in Sikkim. The Green Lake Trek and Dzongri Goechala Trek are some of the best alpine treks in Sikkim that pass through here. Also in north-east India are other wildlife parks such as Manas National Park and Kaziranga National Park, both in Assam.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April-May STAY: There are some private hotels in close range and a government rest house as well GETTING THERE: Nearest airport is Bagdogra (222 km away), nearest railhead is New Jalpaiguri (221 km away). Well connected by road.

THENMALA >

This is India’s first planned ecotourism destination.

Literally meaning ‘honey hill,’ it shares its resources with the renowned Shenduruney Wildlife Sanctuary at the foothills of the Western Ghats. Indulge in Kerala’s local food, see the open air musical dancing fountain and the beautiful sculpture garden. Feeling adventurous? Stay at tree top huts, go for mountain biking, rock climbing and riverside treks. A visit to the Deer Rehabilitation Centre is a must.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Through the year STAY: Basic rooms and tents GETTING THERE: 72 km away from state capital Thiruvananthapuram that is well connected to all major cities

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Artist Villages

BISHNUPUR >

The terra-cotta Bankura horse is often used as shorthand for Indian handicraft, and the credit for this goes to Bishnupur. This village’s craft developed as much as it did because of the lack of stone in the area. The village is equally well-known for its handwoven Baluchari silk sarees with intricate designs.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to April STAY: There are a few guest houses and hotels in the village GETTING THERE: The nearest airport is Kolkata, 155km away. Buses and trains run from Kolkata to Bishnupur.

ANDRETTA >

Founded by Irish woman Norah Richards in 1935, Andretta has remained a haven for theatre artists, potters and other creative types. Richards invited master potter Gurucharan Singh from Delhi to move to Andretta.

Today, his son Mansimran ‘Mini’ Singh and his wife Mary run 3-week-long residential programs here for serious students. Its theatre scene has had a revival too.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Throughout the year

STAY: The Andretta pottery centre offers homestays GETTING THERE: Take an overnight Deluxe bus from ISBT Delhi to Palampur, 13 km from Andretta.

SAPUTARA >

Apart from being one of the very few hill stations in the state of Gujarat, Saputara is committed to tribal art and all residents living there are taught how to draw, paint and craft. Visitors are encouraged to try their hand at some art or craft.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to February STAY: There are many hotels and guest houses in the village GETTING THERE: Railway is the best mode. The Waghai railway station at Billimora - well-connected to Mumbai and Ahmedabad - is the nearest railhead, about 50 km away. From here, hire a taxi or hop on to a bus

RAGHURAJPUR >

Even in today’s times, this Orissa village has kept the art of writing on scrolls, known as Patachitra, alive. But the villagers are experts in other art forms such as stone craft,

cow dung toys, filigree, bell metal work, and terra cotta.

They also write poetry and have their own dance troupe.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: October to February STAY: Many hotels in Puri, 12 km away GETTING THERE: Nearest airport is Bhubaneswar (50 km away). Nearest railway station and major town is Puri.

CHOLAMANDAL >

This is touted to be India’s largest self-supporting artist village and has been around for over four decades. It has over 20 resident painters and sculptors, who live as a community and pool their skills. Every single thing in the village - right from the kitchen walls to their art galleries - was built by the artists inhabiting it. It has a permanent exhibition which includes paintings, sketches, terra-cotta, stone, metal sculptures, batiks and handicraft.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: December to February STAY: There is a guest house in the village, but a place is not guaranteed. A day trip from Chennai is recommended.

GETTING THERE: Chennai is the nearest airport, about 15 km away.

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Photo: www.podvolunteer.org

Photo: Nicky O’Neill

Voluntourism

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So you’ve done it all before - the Taj Mahal, the beaches in Goa, the temples in the south, the palaces in the north, the game reserves in the centre. Now, how about travel with a cause? Make your vacation count with voluntourism, where you do your bit to improve life for someone else, while still enjoying the sights.

You could teach English, work with street kids, in orphanages, or in women’s empowerment. Most likely, you would be travelling in groups of like-minded people, staying with “volunteer families” and seeing the sights after or in between your volunteering.

It won’t cost you an arm and a leg: the packages are affordable as many of the NGOs that organise these are not-for-profit.

Some wonderful programs are in operation, ranging in duration from a week to a year. They combine fun and adventure with learning and volunteering.

Rewarding for gap students as well as older adults, these grass roots initiatives allow you to immerse yourself in another culture, and to see life from the perspective of the citizens themselves. In India, you could choose to work in the mountains, rural regions, cities, even in monasteries.

Alongside working in education, vocational training, primary care or health care, you could be involved in renovations like painting and building (such as structures on school grounds or libraries).

Constructing greenhouses and solar passive structures, working with clean-water technology, planting trees and running workshops on conservation have been other fulfilling activities voluntourists in India have been involved with. Other areas include organic farming, promotion of ecological revival and sustainable living.

For health professionals and students, there is no limit to the opportunities - NGOs are constantly seeking doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists and nurses, but call-outs have been made for physiotherapists, speech pathologists, even dance therapists!

Volunteering with animals is also popular. There’s a great program about tiger conservation in Ranthambore for volun-tourists, elephant clinics in Assam, and marine turtle projects in Maharashtra. At other spots you could help study breeding biology of some bird species, amphibian population dynamics and herpetology, or help build photographic inventories of flora and fauna. If you’re a film-maker, you’ll be welcomed with open arms and probably treated like a VIP - at any of these places.

You could also choose to do office work, data entry, or base maintenance kind of jobs, especially if your partner wants to do something more professional.

One NGO recently asked for ‘spiritual volunteers’ to help run meditation courses.

Want to experience the beauty of Ladakh? Why not take the opportunity to volunteer at the Druk Padma Karpo Institute – the remote school where the last scenes of the iconic film Three Idiots were filmed?

Prefer Mumbai? Work at a street school that takes in kids as the parents go out to work on construction sites.

Soccer fan? There’s a Slum Soccer club in Nagpur that is in need of a coach.

Check out these websites for opportunities > volunteerindiaispiice.com > podvolunteer.org > meaningfuljourneys.in > 40kglobe.com.au > volunteersindia.org > i-indiaonline.com > enchantedindia.com > pollinateenergy.org

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Festivals

HORNBILL FESTIVAL >

The state of Nagaland is home to several tribes who have their separate festivals revolving around agriculture.

However, since the year 2000, the government began organising Hornbill Festival, named after the bird that is important in tribal culture, to foster inter-tribal interaction. The result is a spectacular display of arts and crafts, dance, music, food and culture and traditional games of the tribes. The festival takes place in state capital Kohima from 1 to 10 December every year.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: First week of December STAY: There are hotels and camps in and around Kohima but they are booked full during the festival. Plan in advance.

GETTING THERE: The state’s biggest city Dimapur has flights from Kolkata. From Dimapur, Kohima is 2.5 hours by road.

SULAFEST >

The vineyards of Nashik in Maharashtra play host to a three-day music, food and wine extravaganza in February each year. With a line-up of international artists, a host

of wine and spirit brands, gourmet food and fashion labels, the festival is a hit among youngsters. Glamping is particularly popular.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: First weekend of February STAY: Camping at festival venue, hotels of all budgets in Nashik GETTING THERE: The nearest airport is Mumbai, about 180km away. Nashik is also a prominent railway station.

BHAGORIA >

In Madhya Pradesh’s remote Alirajpur and Jhabua districts, around the festival of Holi, a festival takes place in which elopement of young couples is not only tolerated, but celebrated. While most couples have known each other in the past, it is here that they ‘go public’ with their relationship. The men generally make the first move, applying gulal, a bright pink colour, to the girl’s cheeks.

If she responds likewise, the two elope and, by tradition, their match is later approved by their respective families.

Caption The festival also doubles up as a fair, with trinkets, jewellery, toys and other knick-knacks for sale. The women in chunky silver jewellery and matching saris make for a

photographer’s delight.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Around the festival of Holi that generally falls during late February and mid-March.

STAY: The MP government sets up a camping village with Swiss tents near the festival venue.

GETTING THERE: About 250km by road from Indore.

CAMEL FESTIVAL >

While the camel fair at Pushkar in Rajasthan is quite wellknown, the one at Bikaner is equally exciting. One of the most interesting activities during the two-day festival is the camel fur cutting competition. The desert animal’s hair is artistically trimmed so that it appears to have intricate designs and patterns on its body. Other activities include tug-of-war competitions between Indians and ‘foreigners’, a turban-tying contest and cultural dances by folk artists.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: January to February STAY: Several private hotels, heritage properties and government-run hotels available.

GETTING THERE: Jodhpur airport is about 250 km away. Bikaner is also well-connected to many major cities by rail.

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Heritage Stays

SURYAUDAY HAVELI >

Set on the Shivala ghats in Varanasi, this was built in the early 20th century by the royal family of Nepal as a retreat for the aged. You can start your day with yoga on the roof terrace by trained instructors or take a walk through the narrow alleys. The haveli is also connected by small alleys leading to the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: November to February GETTING THERE: The nearest airport Babatpur is 30 km away, then an hour’s drive + 15 min boat ride. Via Bus or Train, Varanasi junction is 7 km.

SAMODE HAVELI >

This is another property with loads of history and character. Built 175 years ago, it is still the family’s residence while a part of it has been converted into a heritage hotel.

It doesn’t accept tour groups, which offers a peaceful and

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relaxed cocoon for independent travellers and honeymooners. The rooms are adorned in classic Rajasthani style block prints and hand-woven damasks. For a real treat, reserve the haveli’s Sheesh Mahal Suite, which is embellished with 18th-century frescoes and mirrorwork. A special feature of the haveli is the elephant ramp; it offers an outdoor swimming pool and a spa and wellness centre.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: November to January GETTING THERE: Located in Jaipur city. Train station is 1.5 km away while the airport is 13 km away

KHATU HAVELI >

Just half a km off the main East-West artery of Jaipur is the exquisite and luxurious Khatu Haveli. The word ‘haveli’ means mansion.

Comprising three spectacular courtyards and terraces, it offers views of the Nahargarh Fort and the City Palace.

The haveli was built in mid-19th century, and six generations of the Khatu family have lived here ever since.

The mansion offers lavish heritage rooms and a Maharaja suite where guests can enjoy the renowned Rajput hospitality.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: November to January GETTING THERE: Located in Jaipur city. Train station is 1.5 km away while the airport is 13 km away.

BONUS EXPERIENCES >

Explore the 200-year-old haveli Braj Bhushanjee in Rajasthan’s Bundi city (kiplingsbundi.com). Another gem is the Amet Haveli (amethaveliudaipur.com) built during the rule of Maharana Jagat Singh. You could also opt for the DeraMandawa (deramandawa.com), a boutique hotel adorned with Rajasthani jharokhas and regal arches mixed with British inspired door-frames.

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coverstory

FOOD WALKS IN VARIOUS CITIES >

Apart from having several tourist sites and being gateways to other travel destinations, metros such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have a rich and distinctive culinary character. Old Delhi’s chaat, parathas and tandoori delights; Mumbai’s toast sandwiches and ‘desi’ iteration of the burger, vada pav; and Kolkata’s rolls, street-style Chinese and the spicy snack of jhal-muri are but starting points for someone who wants to explore each city’s yummiest dishes. In each of these cities, and a few others as well, food walks are slowing becoming popular.

Typically, they have a handful of participants being taken to a curated list of eating places by a professional guide.

The tours can last anywhere from three to five hours.

Just like the food in India, the variety in these food walks is amazing. In Delhi, for instance, the most popular one is the one through the narrow lanes of Old Delhi to sample some lip-smacking dishes such as gol-gappe (fried pastry filled with potatoes and dunked in tangy mint-and-tamarind water), chhole bhature (spicy chickpeas with fried bread), parathas (stuffed breads baked in a clay tandoor or shallow fried in a skillet), aloo chaat (fried potatoes garnished with chutneys and dry spices) and dahi bhalla (lentil dumplings in curd). Then, there’s a tour that only covers Indian sweet dishes such as the sticky-saccharine jalebi, the cool and creamy kulfi or the sumptuous falooda. There are culinary classes in which a professional chef teaches participants some dishes and shares a few recipes. Looking for something simpler? Some travel operators even arrange visits to a typical family where one can learn how to prepare homestyle snacks or meals.

Mumbai is a city on the move and street food is very popular here. Many food walks take you around South Mumbai - full of colonial-era buildings and beaches. So, it’s a feast for the eyes as well. Apart from the celebrated Bombay sandwich (sliced veggies, couple of chutneys, plenty of cheese), pav bhaji (spiced mixed veggie mash with fluffy bread) and vada pav (spicy potato patty and

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chutneys stuffed inside a bun) are two of Mumbai’s yummiest contributions to street food. During the month of Ramadan, night tours of the Mohammad Ali Road, which has snack shops and restaurants operating until dawn, are available.

Culturally rich Kolkata is gastronomically rich too.

Food walks here give you a taste of jhal muri (puffed rice snack), kathi rolls (wrap with a filling of mutton, chicken or vegetables), fish fry, tele bhaja (fritters), and, of course, Bengal’s fabled sweets.

COOKING HOLIDAYS >

If one evening of sampling a selection of foods doesn’t satisfy your culinary cravings, there are several culinary tours that span various regions across a week or even more. While some are confined to just one part of India (northern India is very popular), some take you across states. On one tour, for instance, you can start in Delhi, and eat your way across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Mumbai and end in Goa. Culinary tours of Kerala are also catching up, because of the southern state’s centuries-old history of spice cultivation.

On these holidays, travellers typically get an insight into a region’s culinary character along with its tourist attractions. For example, you may stay in a restored palace in Rajasthan and get cooking lessons in its kitchen from the chef there. The beauty of such tours is that the ingredients are locally sourced, and in some cases, you may even get to do the sourcing!

One unusual stop on the tour could even be cooking in a temple community kitchen. The food here is, of course, pure vegetarian; sometimes even onion and garlic would be out of bounds. To create tasty dishes even with these limitations is a delicious challenge.

Many tours will also take you to popular restaurants in select destinations. Others will give you access to a family’s home where you can get a hands-on training of a home-cooked meal and may be even score a recipe that has been passed down through generations.

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Culinary Tours

INDIA: FOOD EXPERIENCES > > Learn about the intricacies involved in the serving of a banana leaf meal - it’s not really as random as it looks. > Ask about the fascinating story behind the invention of the galauti kabab. > Make a trip to Udupi Temple to see how cuisine can be associated with worship and purity. > Discover the Tamil origins of the English Mulligatawny soup. > Find out where the southern dish Chicken 65 got its unusual name. > Get through an entire meal with your ten-piece cutlery - your fingers. > Tick off as many varieties of naan as you can. > Go for langar, or free hot meals, at the Golden Temple in Amritsar - it is the largest free kitchen in the world: you might understand that the Sikh taxi driver in Darwin, who regularly feeds the hungry, does so out of a sense of ‘seva’, ie, service to society. > Try some kehva if you can find it: this is Kashmiri herbal tea, served with Kashmiri bread. > Tick off as many varieties of kulfi as you can. > Bheja Fry is the name of a popular Bollywood movie as well as a Mumbai street food item. Find out what the main ingredient is. > Discover the intriguing story behind the invention of the veggie burger vada pav. > Find out if Bibinca is the name of a Bollywood starlet, a Goan dessert, a suburb in Gujarat, or a Maharashtrian river. > Watch the amazing dabbawalas of Mumbai doing their lunch deliveries. > Learn to make a fish curry, Bengali style. > Find out how the tandoor oven was invented. > Learn to roll out a roti – in a neat circle!

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first person

Our India adventure

Four weeks in India, and JUDY WILLIAMS and her friends can’t wait to be back

I

ndia, its people, history, colour, serenity, food and culture have long held a fascination for me and two other likeminded mature age Australian women.

In November 2016, we decided to make a trip and discover India for ourselves.

Planning began in December and we headed out on 25 February 2017 for nearly four weeks.

At first, we wanted to do the whole of India but suggestions and advice from a friend who has travelled there six times and an Indian work colleague changed our thoughts. After all, India is such a big country and you can’t cram everything in four weeks.

We booked our driver Gaurav Gahlot online, and were able to speak to him via the internet. We had some clear ideas of what we wanted to experience and Gaurav had clear ideas of what we should see.

Wherever possible, we wanted to stay in heritage properties and they were all booked

by Gaurav.

Our first stop was Delhi where we enjoyed high tea at Imperial Hotel, some belly dancing, and tours to beautiful gardens and temples, the most impressive being the Sikh temple.

We had been told that Delhi was oppressive with its traffic and pollution. We loved it. Yes, there was heavy traffic, but what big city doesn’t have traffic issues? The abundance of peaceful temples and gardens were a haven from the chaos. The colours, sounds, smiling people and the food were

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exciting and we were looking forward to the next three-and-a-half weeks.

From Delhi, we drove to Agra, where the majestic Taj Mahal left us spellbound.

Gaurav suggested that we visit just as the sun was about to set and take it all in, and then visit the inside early the next morning.

This was great advice. We were leaving the Taj as the hoards were arriving and it was getting warmer.

Gaurav had then suggested a safari for Ranthambore, which we did, and were fortunate to capture photos of a tiger and cub.

The drive from Agra and then onto Jaipur gave us a wonderful look at rural life in these areas. From overloaded trucks carrying feed and grass, to local market stalls, and beautiful sari-clad women, each sight was beautiful.

Accommodation in Jaipur was our first heritage experience. We loved it; it was just what we wanted to experience. Jaipur was exciting for shopping, the Amber fort, wind palace (Hawa Mahal) and water palace (Jal Mahal). On reflection, we could have spent more than two nights there.

Two single nights followed at Mandawa and Bikaner where we visited heritage havelis and the famed rat temple. A few deep breaths and we entered the temple barefoot, as is the custom, and got a great photo shoot to prove we were brave. On exiting, we noticed a tour group putting on feet covers or leaving socks on. Hey, come on!

When in India...!

From Bikaner, a long drive to Jaisalmer again gave us an amazing insight into rural and desert life. We came across what is best described as a pilgrimage to a temple.

Groups of people could walk four to five days to reach their destination, carrying a bag on their heads. Along the journey, local communities had marquees erected with free food, drinks, music and rest areas.

It was the most amazing insight into the strong culture and beliefs of the Indian people.

From Jaisalmer, we ventured into the Thar desert for stargazing and a camel safari. Because of a hailstorm, the first in six years, we spent the night back at the camp in tents, but were able to experience the camel ride both in the evening and morning. There was plenty of entertainment with locals encouraging us to join in dancing. Knew the Bollywood dancing lessons would come in handy! A colourful photo shoot for us was the local women carrying their water pots to the local well in their beautiful saris.

Next day from Jaisalmer, a young man took us to his village. We were able to experience pottery being made in a very labour-intensive way. We were invited into a grass hut where an elderly lady shared bread with us and we took photos with the local children. We enjoyed lunch with our guide’s family, where they displayed their dhurries, hand-made by the local women’s cooperative. In Jaisalmer itself, the fort and the mausoleum on the lake were wonderful

sights, and a foot massage at the end of our stay was most enjoyable.

From here, it was another long drive to Jodhpur, which is a pretty city sitting at the base of the stunning Mehrangarh Fort, especially at night. It towers over what is called the blue city, with architecture which could be described as half solid fortress and half delicate palace. There are lovely views of the blue city from the fort.

Udaipur was our next stop. Just one word: Wow. The accommodation was stunning.

On the lake, heritage, just gorgeous. They were gearing up for the colour festival (Holi), so we indulged and purchased white clothing, ready to get smashed with colour.

Locally, a pre-event was underway with a local talent quest and foreigners being invited to dance on stage. We didn’t get to show our style again, but were given fire crackers when let off sent streamers over the crowds. What a lot of fun. Great shopping and time for a henna tattoo each.

Sunset over the lake left us wanting more of this city.

We then flew south to Kerala where Gaurav had arranged another driver for three days. We stayed overnight in Kochi in a home stay, watching the local fishermen with their unique nets. Then it was a drive up to the tea plantations of Munnar. We had chosen to stay in a tree house one night and tent on the other. Both nights we shared with mice and rats, but hey, when you have the views from the mountain tops like that, we were happy to share.

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‘‘

We entered the (rat temple) barefoot, as is the custom, and got a great photo shoot to prove we were brave

‘‘

Elephant riding and a tour of a tea company was most interesting, and the sari colours against the green tea plantations were gorgeous. Again, so many photo opportunities!

Coming down from the hills, we stopped overnight in Thekkady for a backwater cruise, hot oil massage and two cultural shows.

Last three days we spent in Varkala by the beach for some R&R before we got home.

We did walks on the beach, shopping, pedicures, swimming and joined the local holy men on the beach for blessings.

All three of us are well travelled, but India for us, has left a lasting impression not experienced before. We loved every minute of every day. We fell in love with the handsome men, stunning women, their values, their food, just everything really.

Can’t wait to return and visit another area of India.

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AUGUST

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MATRIMONIALS SEEKING GROOMS Well-settled, professional match invited for Sydney-based Punjabi girl, never married 43 years old/5’6”. Masters in IT from Sydney, jolly nature, good mix of Indian and modern values. Working in an MNC. Australian citizen. Educated family. Parents in Delhi. Respond with photo and profile to sydgirl09@gmail.com

Brother based in Sydney seeks suitable match for 39-year-old Mumbai-born, never married Gujarati girl. 5’4”, cultured medium built, BCom and working for international shipping company in Dubai. Hindu grooms please contact on 0416475948 or komaldxb@gmail.com

Seeking an alliance for my daughter brought up in Australia from Kayastha family living in Sydney for past 24 years. She is 25 years old, 5’2”. Bachelors of Commerce with Bachelors of Law from UNSW working in a reputed firm in Sydney.

She is smart and caring and has great regard for family values. Looking for a qualified smart boy, preferably settled in Australia. Caste no bar. Send details at akhilsns@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified match for attractive and multitalented 31-yearold, 5’1” Hindu Saraswat Brahmin girl. Raised and currently living in Sydney, she is passionate about her work as a doctor, and enjoys both Australian and traditional Indian cultures. The family are well settled in Sydney and prefer boy having Australian citizenship or PR status. Please email sydneygsb@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based, never married Australian citizen. Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 44 years old, 5’3” slim, fair, attractive girl. The girl is postgraduate and is working on a good position in a government organisation. Please send details with photo indsyd2016@gmail.com Seeking match for Hindu girl 31, 156cms, sports minded, helpful and reserved type. Settled in Australia for 27 years, working in IT for over seven years. Please send details with photo to matrimonialaustralia2017@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES Seeking Punjabi professional girl (Manglik preferably) with good family values, for our son, 27-year-old, 6’3”, well-built, non-smoker, Australian citizen, works in a multinational company as a manager. Please email with details at sarthak. kaush30@gmail.com

Looking for a suitable match for our 40-year-old daughter. Well-educated, holding an MBA and Masters in Accounting. Divorcee with no children. 5’3”, Punjabi.

Coming from a respected and cultured family. Contact on mobile 0466 973 282 or email varun_mendiratta@hotmail.com

Match required for a well-established actuarist, handsome, Hindu Punjabi boy.

6’3”, 35 years old, slim, fair. Citizen of Australia and UK. Looking for beautiful, tall, fair, educated girl from a cultured family. Respond with photo and profile to puran@prasand.com.au or call +0412563757. Caste no bar.

Well-settled doctor, Australian citizen, Hindu Brahmin, 43-year-old divorcee, 5’ 10’’, looking for suitable lady for marriage. Caste/religion no bar. Please contact with details on mraus2020@gmail.com

Seeking a match for a Hindu Khatri, 25-year-old, 5’ 5’’ professional, fair, beautiful, vegetarian girl. Australian citizen, high status family seeks good alliance from a well-to-do family. Email: indian.bride2017@gmail.com with details and photo of the boy or call +61 429300961. Australian citizen preferred.

Match required for a handsome, Hindu Brahmin boy. 6’, 27-year-old, slim, fair, software engineer working with HCL. Looking for a beautiful, tall, fair, educated girl from a cultured family. Respond with photo and profile to priyanka@ astragalaxy.com or WhatsApp +61 410-803-291. Caste no bar

Seeking life partner for a good looking, intelligent, Australian-born Punjabi vegetarian girl. Twenty-six-years-old, 5’1”, good job in financial sector. Has type 1 diabetes, well controlled. Email nat00239@gmail.com

Looking suitable match for 33-year-old Hindu Brahmin boy. Australian citizen, good looking, well settled, 6’. Seeking an educated and good looking girl in Australia, caste no bar. Please contact on 0422091170; 0431176440

AUGUST

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reflections

Queen of hearts An Indian spiritual leader reached out to Diana, Princess of Wales

BY GRAHAK CUNNINGHAM

‘‘

If Princess Diana had lived longer, her life would have become calm and quiet. Her life would have been one of dedicated service to humanity, and personal fulfilment on Sri Chinmoy every level

I

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‘‘

t has been twenty years since the tragic passing of Princess Diana. It was a loss of one of those rare humanitarian souls that perhaps the world is lacking at this particular moment, someone that the world truly loved.

Princess Diana had a very giving heart and a connection with India. Sri Chinmoy visited her in Kensington Palace in 1997 on 21 May just months before her passing. In his book on Princess Diana, Sri Chinmoy explains, “When we meditated together at the start of our meeting, I immediately felt this is the real Diana. She had so many spiritual qualities that were just beginning to bud and bloom in her life, the way her service life had already blossomed…”

During their meeting, Diana proudly showed Sri Chinmoy her beautiful crystal Ganesh statue which she had bought herself and kindly posed for a photograph next to it. Sri Chinmoy also presented her with a song he had composed about Princes William and Harry in Bengali and one of his beautiful abstract bird drawings of her two sons labelled with W and H. “She immediately recognised what the two letters stood for and said, ‘My boys! My boys! William and Harry!’ How much love she had for her sons.”

They corresponded regularly afterwards, Sri Chinmoy often collecting and sending her positive media articles from the international press to help encourage her in her charitable service, with Diana writing back regularly. “It is always interesting to read articles that are printed overseas,”

she wrote. And again, “Your letters are so enormously encouraging. It is through this encouragement I find the strength to continue with the fight against landmines, which is so vitally important for me.”

It was through this regular correspondence with Sri Chinmoy that Diana’s other immortal Indian connection happened, her meeting with Mother Teresa. When Sri Chinmoy came to learn from Princess Diana that she longed to meet Mother Teresa, he immediately phoned Mother Teresa who was travelling in Europe at the time. Mother Teresa was also extremely happy to meet with Princess Diana, whom she regarded as her daughter. Sri Chinmoy passed on Mother’s direct number at her request and acted as a devoted bridge between the two.

Their meeting took place just four weeks later on 18 June at Mother Teresa’s Sisters

Of their meetings, Mother Teresa said, “She helped me to help the poor and that is the most beautiful thing. She was very concerned about the poor… she was a very great friend in love with the poor, that is why she came close to me.”

Sri Chinmoy said recalling the meeting, “For many years I wanted to meet Princess Diana because I had the deepest admiration for her philanthropic and charitable works and I was deeply moved by her spontaneous compassion for the sick and the suffering humanity. Unfortunately this meeting of ours was to be our last. Just over three months later the world lost her, a most precious diamond. If Princess Diana had lived longer like Mother Teresa, her life would have become calm and quiet. Her life would have been one of dedicated service to humanity, and personal fulfilment on every level.” of Charity House in the Bronx.

“These two women,” said Sri Chinmoy, “Princess Diana and Mother Teresa, have given us one message: we have to think more about the rest of the world than of ourselves.”

Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, who became known as Sri Chinmoy, was an Indian spiritual leader who taught meditation in the West after moving to New York City in 1964.

AUGUST

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AUGUST

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film

The world’s oldest sacred songs

Indian-origin film-maker Naina Sen is drawn to the work of an Aboriginal women’s choir

BY PREETI JABBAL

A

n Indian origin filmmaker, an Indigenous story, a German influence and an Australian film. Together, these take cross-cultural relationships to another level in Naina Sen’s documentary The Song Keepers.

The Melbourne International Film Festival Premiere Fund, which offers minority co-financing to new Australian feature films, brings to MIFF 2017 this 84-minute feature-film-length documentary.

Naina Sen

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The Song Keepers will be among the six Australian films that will have their world premiere season at Melbourne International Film Festival during 4-20 August 2017.

It relates the story of an Aboriginal women’s choir and their efforts in preserving some of the world’s oldest sacred songs.

This choral practice in remote Central Australian communities is a union of Baroque music and centuries-old sacred poetry (hymns) held within the Western Arrarnta and Pitjantjatjara languages.

In mid-2015 the choir embarked on a tour of Germany to take back the 14th century Lutheran hymns given by German missionaries, now sung in Aboriginal languages.

Naina documented the historic tour and captured the strength, camaraderie and joy

of the participants. A powerful narrative was created combining a rich cultural resource, a legacy of music and a realist aesthetic.

“It is an extraordinary story of some extraordinary women,” said Naina as she shared her experience behind the lens. It took three and a half years for the film to be created from concept to screen, she revealed.

Naina came to Australia in 2001 to do her Masters in Media Studies (Film and Television). Originally from Bengal, she grew up partly in Saudi Arabia and mostly in New Delhi.

Her initial plan was to start a career in making ad films, however, six months into her studies she realised she wanted to make documentaries instead. After what she terms as a lot of ‘grunt work’ she slowly realised her dream.

In the last decade Naina has created a number of award winning film clips, installations and documentaries. Most of her work has been in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

“I experienced a real connect with the Indigenous culture and people,” Naina recounted. “I felt a strange sense of familiarity that down the track made me leave lovely Melbourne and move to Darwin in 2007.”

Since 2012 she has moved back and forth between Darwin and Melbourne.

“Unlike many people from Melbourne and Sydney who move up north looking for something outside of their culture, I was looking for something closer to my upbringing and cultural references,” claimed Naina.

According to her the Aboriginal people have diverse communities, rituals and languages that is quite similar to the regional

diversity in India.

She was intrigued when she heard about an Aboriginal women’s choir from a woman named Miranda Daniel who she met on a flight to Alice Springs. She did a Google search but did not find much on them besides some amateur clips.

She was drawn to the tonality of their voices and the extraordinary sound that seemed to come from a very old place. She offered to assist Morris the conductor with the projection and installation. He loved the idea of the narrative and visual projection and contacted her.

When she found out about their plans to go to Germany, taking the 140-year-old music back to the place of its origin, she felt this historic tour should be documented.

That became the start of her journey with The Song Keepers.

The niche audience for the movie would be anyone who is willing to go on an enjoyable, layered journey with some incredibly powerful, strong, funny and cheeky women who come together unexpectedly and against the odds to do something extraordinary.

The film is deeply rooted in the heart of Australian identity. “MIFF has tagged it as Australia’s answer to the Bueno Vista Social Club. It is in a sense a personal storytelling, which is the type of storytelling that I gravitate to most,” said Naina.

Naina Sen and the entire Aboriginal Women’s Choir will be at the Melbourne International Film Festival in early August.

Naina is currently working on a couple of different projects with a focus on links between Indian and Indigenous cultures.

The world premiere of The Song Keepers is on Sun 6 August 3.30pm at The Forum Theatre.

You can also see the film on Tue 8 August 6.45pm at Hoyts Melbourne Central Cinema 10

AUGUST

mainstream

Migrants are stopping regional areas from shrinking For many regional areas, the overseas-born are the only source of population growth, writes EMILY LONGSTAFF

R

ather than being an unsettling force, international migrants are helping to provide stability to the regional Australian communities they settle in. A considerable number of new arrivals are also younger and have the potential to build families and work in these communities.

Research with the Regional Australia Institute, examining the latest 2016 Census data, found 151 regional local government areas were helping to offset declining population in regional areas by attracting international migrants.

We can see that, for many small towns, the overseas-born are the only source of population growth. A majority of these places rely on primary industry for economic viability. Although predominantly rural, these places are not in the most remote parts of Australia.

Of the 550 local government areas we reviewed, 175 regional areas increased their population, while 246 did not; 151 increased their overseas-born and decreased their Australian-born population. Only 20 areas increased in Australian-born population and decreased in overseas-born population.

We also found that 128 regional areas increased both Australian-born and overseas-born population. Another 116 regional areas decreased in both Australianborn and overseas-born population.

Darwin is one example of where international migration has helped counter population decline. At the 2011 Census, Darwin had 45,442 people recorded as born in Australia and 19,455 born elsewhere. By

2016, the number of Australian-born locals had reduced to 44,953 and the number of overseas-born had increased to 24,961.

Without this increase in overseas-born residents, the Darwin population would have decreased. The local economy would likely have suffered as a result.

The problem of shrinking regional towns

Ever since the influx of immigrants following the second world war, the settlement of international migrants has been overwhelmingly focused on large metropolitan centres. This has been especially evident for recently arrived immigrants and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Migrants perceive metropolitan areas as presenting a higher likelihood of finding compatriots and better access to employment, as well as education and health services. Large cities have therefore been considered the most appealing settlement locations, with Sydney and Melbourne the most popular.

If settlement of international migrants had been proportional to the overall population distribution in Australia, an additional 125,000 migrants would have settled in regional Australia between 2006 and 2011.

In a concerted effort to promote the social and economic viability of regional communities, in 2004 the federal government started a campaign to increase migrant settlement throughout different areas of the country.

Census data reliable, says ABS The 2016 Census was conducted with a new ‘digital first’ approach, that centred on the use of a recently established Address Register.

However, on census night, there was a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack from another country, shutting down the online forms for more than a day.

Then, an independent panel of eminent Australian and international statisticians, academics, and state government representatives was established to

AUGUST

independently review and assure the quality of statistical outputs from the 2016 Census.

Overall, the panel found 2016 census data to be fit and having comparable quality to previous Australian Censuses and International Censuses. The panel concluded that 2016 census data can be used with confidence.

Australian Statistician David W Kalisch said, “The 2016 Census had a response rate of 95.1 per cent and a net undercount

Regional settlement of migrants has since been encouraged across levels of government as a “win-win scenario” for new arrivals and host communities alike.

What international migrants bring

In the past decade, there has been a particular focus on secondary migration to regional areas. That is, relocating international arrivals from metropolitan areas to regional ones.

Proactive community-business partnerships and local government initiatives have propelled this process.

For example, in the Victorian town of Nhill, the local arm of the poultry production company Luv-a-Duck worked with settlement service provider AMES Australia to help more than 160 Karen refugees find work in the area between 2010 and 2015.

In another town, Dalwallinu in Western Australia, the population was in decline and local infrastructure was deemed underused.

In response, the local council has worked closely with residents since 2010 to attract skilled migrants.

Notwithstanding the challenges involved in attraction and retention, international migrants remain a vital asset for building regional economies and communities. They help stem skilled labour shortages in these areas – for example, by filling much-needed doctor and nursing positions.

International migrants are also key contributors to the unskilled workforce, often filling positions that domestic

of 1.0 per cent, meaning the quality is comparable to both previous Australian Censuses and Censuses in other countries, such as New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.”

“Sixty-three per cent of people completed the Census online, embracing the digital-first approach and contributing to faster data processing and data quality improvements.

Kalisch said the Australian Bureau of Statistics undertook quality checks, including a thorough Post Enumeration Survey, to ensure the data can be trusted.

“These quality assurance measures, and

workers are unwilling to take on. For example, abattoirs and poultry plants are important businesses in regional Australia.

Many would be unable to operate without international migrants, as many local residents do not consider this kind of work “acceptable employment”.

As a consequence of the various efforts to spread the settlement of overseas arrivals, the number of international migrants living and working in non-metropolitan Australia has increased. Between 2006 and 2011, 187,000 international migrants settled outside the major capital cities.

Still, regional areas have remained underrepresented as a settlement location.

Despite regional Australia being home to about one-third of the population, less than one-fifth of all new arrivals between 2006 and 2011 settled in a regional area.

For regional areas to make the most of the many advantages migrants have to offer, there needs to be more focused policy that encourages and assists regional settlement across the country. This policy needs to be informed by the work in a growing number of regional communities (like Nhill and Dalwallinu) that already draw on international migration to combat population loss and persistent labour shortages. By encouraging more international migrants to call regional Australia “home”, we can start focusing on ensuring regional prosperity for the long term.

(This article originally appeared on The Conversation, Australia)

a range of other factors, were considered and verified by the Panel,” he said.

Speaking to members of multicultural media, Census General Manager Duncan Young and Census Director of Data Sue Taylor said that the ABS had compiled a huge amount of data over the course of the census. “Only a census can provide the information for the entire country, including small geographic areas and small population groups,” they said, and urged members of the public to find out interesting and easy-to-understand details about their suburb, city community on the website www.abs.com.au.

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AUGUST

books

Untold stories from the Raj

Three books reveal hidden facets about personalities from India’s independence movement

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

A Life in Shadow: The Secret Story of ACN Nambiar, A Forgotten Anti-Colonial Hero by Vappala Balachandran. 2017, Roli Books Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India, by Sheela Reddy. 2017, Penguin/Viking Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, by Vera Hildebrand. 2016, Harper Collins

Unsung hero

So many stories about India’s independence movement and partition still remain hidden, unsung and untold. So, it is with delight that I came upon three new books on that era that add so much to our rather limited and skewed understanding of what happened during those crucial decades before Independence.

ACN Nambiar’s story is one of them.

Haven’t heard of him? Neither had I until I read this remarkable biography of this unassuming man who was a journalist and freedom fighter, and a close associate of both Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose.

For most of his life, Kerala-born Nambiar lived in Europe. In the early and mid-1920s, he wrote columns for The Hindu - for which he had earlier apprenticed from Berlin. He helped raise awareness in India and Europe on colonial exploitation through his columns.

This quiet, unassuming journalist rubbed shoulders with Indian communists, Bose and the Indian National Army as well as Nehru and his daughter Indira: yet he led

AUGUST

a life away from the public gaze, as a trusted but discreet friend of them all.

To British intelligence agencies he was, ironically, a ‘notorious communist’ or a Nazi collaborator, ‘a tool in the hands of the Nazis’, ‘Indian Renegade’, and turncoat.

Nambiar was imprisoned after the war for collaboration with the enemy.

He escaped to Switzerland and, against the wishes of Britain, was given an Indian passport by Nehru’s interim government. He then worked as a counsellor at the Indian Legation in Berne. After Independence, in 1951, Nambiar was appointed the first Indian ambassador to Germany.

Vappala Balanchandran, a former Indian intelligence officer and special secretary, met Nambiar in 1980. Balachandran was appointed to help an ageing Nambiar, on the orders of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was concerned about the wellbeing of her father’s close friend.

Over the next few years, until Nambiar’s death in 1986, Balachandran spent time with him, caring for him and listening to the account of his life as a freedom fighter.

In A Life in Shadow, Balachandran recounts Nambiar’s life through the latter’s accounts as well as letters and interviews with those who knew him.

In 2014, when the British government declassified several documents under its 30year rule, it was discovered that they alleged that Nambiar was a Soviet spy during his time in Europe. Balachandran, who spent 13 years scouring through books and records, found no evidence anywhere that Nambiar was an active asset for any agency.

Nambiar was awarded the Padma

Bhushan in 1958 and finished his career as European correspondent of the Hindustan Times.

Two interesting conclusions jump out as significant in Balachandran’s biography of Nambiar: First, that contrary to popular conceptions, Nehru and Bose seem to have been on cordial and friendly terms.

Nehru never doubted Bose’s patriotism, nor did he harbour any hatred for him.

Bose, for his part, acknowledged Nehru’s standing in the freedom struggle.

Second, all the leaders who came in contact with Nambiar trusted him implicitly, because he never misused his proximity to people in power. He never once took advantage of his closeness to the towering figures of the Indian Independence struggle, nor did he drop their names in his newspaper columns.

Indira Gandhi remained in touch with him throughout her life; she felt very comfortable with him, as he had been the “uncle” who had taken care of her and her education, as well as Kamala Nehru’s health, in Switzerland. When Indira came back to power in 1980, she inducted Kao, the founder of RAW, as the Senior Intelligence Advisor on Nambiar’s advice (Balachandran has reproduced the letter in his book).

Did politics ruin Jinnah’s marriage?

Could Jinnah’s personal life - and his rather tumultuous marriage to a Parsi socialite Ruttie - impacted his political beliefs?

Could it have been partly responsible for Jinnah’s changing course during the freedom struggle? Senior journalist Sheela Reddy tries to answer this question in her book Mr and Mrs Jinnah: The Marriage That Shook India, (Delhi, 2017, Penguin/Viking).

Jinnah was 42 and Ruttie 18 when they married. The union of the reclusive and enigmatic Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the free-spirited Ruttie Petit, was not a match made in heaven. The unlikely relationship took 1918 Bombay by storm for Ruttie was the only daughter of Sir Dinshaw Petit, a wealthy Parsi friend of Jinnah, who married him against her father’s wishes. The marriage was much talked about, and took place in the heart of Bombay and became a scandal all over the country. Ruttie was taken to court and the marriage caused so much fury and agitation among the Parsis (she converted to Islam before marrying Jinnah) who declared a Parsi version of a fatwa against the couple.

This was followed by a Muslim vs Parsi newspaper controversy. What followed this was Ruttie’s social isolation from her community and family, and at the same time, increasing alienation from her much older husband Jinnah, who was becoming preoccupied with politics and the law.

Ruttie tried hard to make her marriage a success, but it was a struggle. Their marriage

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was a tragic love story. She was a high spirited, wealthy young girl falling in love with a public hero; her break with everyone and everything from her past; her crushing disappointments; her descent into darkness - their marriage turned sour as Ruttie was unhappy that her husband’s devotion to work left him little time for her.

By mid-1922, Jinnah was becoming involved in Indian politics, which made him even busier. She walked out of the marriage, and died a lonely death at the age of 29.

There’s speculation she may have died from an overdose of a drug she had been taking to combat a painful intestinal ailment.

Interestingly, the author quotes Indian diplomat MC Chagla’s belief that when Jinnah’s unmarried sister Fatima re-entered Jinnah’s life the day Ruttie died - never to leave his side again – it was the beginning of Jinnah’s transformation from a secular leader of Hindu-Muslim unity to an advocate of the two-nation theory. Reddy suggests that one reason could be found in his personal life.

What tempted Sheela Reddy to write the book was the dearth of information regarding Jinnah’s personal life and marriage.

The work draws from several letters written

by Ruttie and Sarojini Naidu that Reddy discovered during her research in Delhi (Nehru Library), Mumbai and Karachi.

There was a whole sheaf of letters from Ruttie, around a hundred pages, which dated back to when she was 15 and ended abruptly a year before her death in 1929. Reddy said she had Padmaja and Leilamani Naidu (Sarojini Naidu’s daughters) to thank for as they had preserved those letters for posterity.

There are some interesting that tell us a lot about Jinnah: such as Ruttie’s rousing

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speech in the Ghatkopar Town Hall in Mumbai, which didn’t go down well with Jinnah. Reddy claims that after that speech, Ruttie took care to never make herself conspicuous in the political sphere. Later, when his daughter Dina wanted to marry Neville Wadia, Jinnah did not want to have his only child marry a Parsi Christian - it would have been a serious political embarrassment. “He tried to dissuade her but finding her adamant, Jinnah threatened to disown her.

Instead of relenting, she moved into her grandmother’s home, determined to go ahead with the marriage,” writes Reddy.

The author quotes Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto to show that Jinnah took Dina’s defiance very badly: “For two weeks, he would not receive visitors. He would just go on smoking his cigars and pacing up and down in his room.

He must have walked hundreds of miles in those two weeks,” Manto wrote.

Bose’s warrior women

In 1943, Subhas Chandra Bose created the all-women’s Rani of Jhansi Regiment (RJR).

The RJR fought under the 50,000 strong Indian National Army (INA) formed with the help of the Japanese forces, to free India from colonial rule. The women of RJR called the Ranis - belonged to the Indian diaspora, mainly from Malaya, Singapore and Burma. Historians put the number of women in the regiment as high as 5,000.

Vera Hildebrand (Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment ) interviewed scores of women who served in the RJR while writing the book, including Captain Lakshmi, a leader and caretaker

of the RJR recruits, to gauge what motivated the women to join, and what their experiences were.

Her conclusion? That the motivations of the women who joined RJR were varied. Some were inspired by Bose’s nationalistic rhetoric; however, for most others from the Malay Peninsula, the reasons were somewhat different. They were swept by complicated emotions: ‘We worked together to do good’ said one; for most Ranis from Malaya and Singapore, the connections with India were much more tenuous. One said she joined the Ranis in order to become a nurse; others joined the RJR just in order to survive or earn a living or in order to get regular meals at a time when starvation was rife; or to escape forced marriages.

Many of the women who joined the Regiment from the large rubber estates in Malaya lived and worked under conditions that approached slavery. Sexual abuse by the mainly white estate managers was common.

The Rani of Jhansi Regiment offered an environment where for the first time, the young women found themselves respected and free of the social stigma of “coolie” status. Now with their heads held high, they experienced a level of egalitarianism in the company of their Rani comrades that they had not known before. As one Rasammah explained, “We became soldiers for India’s freedom as well as for our own liberty.”

AUGUST

entertainment

cineTALK BOLD BUT NOT BEAUTIFUL

LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA

STARRING: Ratna Pathak Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aahana Kumra, Plabita Borthakur DIRECTOR: Alankrita Shrivastava

HHHHH

Here is a film that deserves a rousing ovation for bringing out the sexual fantasies and other unspoken yearnings of four middleclass women in a nonmetropolitan milieu, each eking out an exciting existence from the hard brutal raw material of her inert life. But the film falls short of being genre-defining.

Shrivastava whose earlier and only film Turning 30 only hinted at the postfeminist explosion of Lipstick Under The Burkha, takes charge with an all-knowing confidence of four women from different walks of life, belonging to separate generations.

Perhaps to offset the mess that they make of their lives, the line-up of women is a little too tidy and symmetrical. Usha (Ratna Pathak Shah) is 50-plus, Shireen (Konkona Sen Sharma) is 30-plus,

Leela (Ahana Kumra) is in her 20s and Rehana (Plabita Borthakur), the baby of the empowering harem, is in her teens.

It all adds up with a tantalizing cohesiveness, leaving nothing to chance. Maths in place, I had seen the same galactic configuration of representational women in Leena Yadav’s fabulous Parched last year, except for the fact that Parched, though a celebration of feminism at the grassroots level, was a visually beautiful film thanks to its desertscape panorama which caught the women’s sexual candour in vivid colours.

Lipstick… revels in its deliriously designed dimensions of dinginess. This is Bhopal at its most basic strata. The film resolutely refuses to capture the city’s beauty, focusing instead on the crowded stifling lanes and gullies where furtive sex is undertaken in community toilets and where women have to toil over sewing machines and microwaves while fathers, husbands, boyfriends and lovers sow their wild oats and come home in time for the cornflakes.

The four women lead dual lives and

hide dark dirty secrets from the men in their lives.

The men of course are blinded by the floodlights of patriarchy. They are not allowed to show sensitivity.

To their credit, the vast cast has a blast, breaking one kind of gender stereotyping that such films break, and also dodging the trap that a film of this nature lays down for actors who have to talk about condoms casually.

Ratna Pathak Shah is expectedly outstanding as the repressed Bua who has phone-sex with her swimming instructor (Jagal Singh Solanki, excellent).

She manages to make the character’s inviolable coyness a cute cocoon awaiting metamorphosis. But the explicitness of her conversations with her sex-object (interesting reversal of traditional roles here) elicits more giggles than shock from us.

Konkona Sen Sharma has the most sympathetic and therefore most difficult role as an oppressed Muslim wife who gets raped every night before sleep. Yawn! While the actress is habitually competent here, I find Konkona relying excessively on stock expressions of wistful yearning.

Sushant Singh as her insensitive husband shines in a thankless role even when he has to utter banal lines like, “Biwi ho, shauhar ban-ne ki koshish mat karo.”

And I thought this line of spousal thought went out of fashion with Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.

The youngest rebel of the quartet Rehana throws off her burkha, steals

Britney boots from malls and parties wildly with girls from homes far more privileged than hers and romances a drugged drummer (Shashank Arora, dutifully dazed). And when her mortifying secret life is discovered by her shamed father we are supposed to feel protective towards Rehana.

Sorry, not happening.

The most unsympathetic protagonist is Leela, played with persuasive gumption by Kriti Kumra. Leela has a perfect (read: boring) fiancé (Vaibhav Tatwawdi, excellent), a mother who leads a life of shame to bring up her daughter (the mom has been posing for nude paintings for years, she tells us and we are meant to sob), and yet all Leela wants to do is get intimate with her scummy photographer boyfriend (Vikrant Massey doing an incredible volte face from his virgin angel act in A Death In The Gunj).

What does Leela want? I can’t say. Neither can she. Kumra playing beautician, shares some excellent erotic screen-time with Konkona in a sequence where the former removes the latter’s hair in private places. Again this sequence has a direct echo in Parched where Tannishtha Chatterjee sponges the abused wife Radhika Apte’s breasts.

A pity Lipstick… couldn’t do to the post-feminist genre what Dunkirk has done to the war epic. It moves with seductive stealth through the lives of the four women but does not eventually evoke the memorable images from the great feminist and post-feminist films of Indian cinema including Parched.

Nonetheless this is a vital and in many ways, great film more remarkable for what it doesn’t say about women who long for sexual salvation than what it does say, so explicitly.

Subhash K. Jha

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AUGUST

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name) does not know what that words means. It is this innocence regarding her destiny and her determination to do the right thing in life that makes Kirti so memorable as Indu Sarkar - a woman, a wife, a rebel and an underground activist who does what she does because, well, someone has to stand up and speak against injustice during the time of political gagging so massive that India became Indira.

That Indu stammers serves as a

desperately need to see her in more such epoch-defining parts.

Most of the way, Bhandarkar retains a tight hold over the proceedings. He goes easy on the periodicity using Lata Mangeshkar songs like Jhooth bole kauva kaate, Yeh samaa saama hai yeh pyar ka and Jaa re jaa ho harjayee to define the time-line. That apart, the telltale Dalda dabba on Indu’s kitchen shelf does the rest.

The film is shot by Japanese

MUST SEE, NOT JUST FOR KULHARI’S OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

INDU SARKAR

STARRING: Kirti Kulhari, Tota Roy Choudhary, Neil Nitin MukeshGulshan Devaiah and Promila Pradhan DIRECTOR: Madhur Bhandarkar

HHHHH

Maybe it’s too early here to mention Kirti Kulhari’s indomitable brilliance in this grossly mis-reviewed film. But this

is as good a time as any to bring up her climactic court scene where she tells the spellbound judge how her life changed one day when she took the wrong turn and ended up watching the ravages caused by the Congress regime at Turkman Gate.

When Kirti speaks of serendipity, her character Indu (I will ignore the cheap thrills of ambiguity afforded by her full

befitting metaphor for a nation gone dumb with servility.

Happily Bhandarkar, who has so far made a career out of exposing the peccadilloes of the glamorous elite, moves into political territory with reasonable confidence. The way he builds up the dread and sometimes unintended humour of the Emergency, is remarkable.

The film’s politics, though at times simplistic and half-baked, and in spite of Neil Nitin Mukesh’s atrocious hamming as a Sanjay Gandhi doppelganger, works very well for the protagonist’s journey from the dutiful housewife to the beautiful rebel without a pause.

Kirti lives every moment of Indu’s journey. She breathes life even into potentially dead scenes like the one where she must tell her husband that it is her home as well, not just his. We

cinematographer Keiko Nakahara (of Mary Kom fame) in sharp sepia tones that suggest both nostalgia and decadence.

What stays with you are Kriti’s melancholic eyes taking in all the barbarism of a regime that lost control over its better judgment. Tota Roy Choudhury is also very effective as her husband except when he must act the MCP just because the script demands it. The film is dotted with memorable cameos by Sheeba Chadha, Ankur Vikal, Manav Vij (as a Skh cop with a conscience) and many others.

Indu Sarkar is not to be missed for Kirti’s performance. And also because it serves as ravishing reminder of the mistakes from the past that threaten to impinge on the present.

Subhash K Jha

STRONG PERFORMANCES UPLIFT THIS COMEDY MUBARAKAN

STARRING: Anil Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Ileana D’Cruz, Athiya Shetty, Neha Sharma, Ratna Pathak Shah and Pavan Raj Malhotra DIRECTOR: Anees Bazmee

HHHHH

Nothing is implausible if it works in cinema. After all, it is a part of getting the job done, and hence one does not complain when it comes to Mubarakan as it entertains you wholeheartedly.

As the film opens, we are informed that twins Karan and Charan, both played by Arjun Kapoor, are separated at birth - not simply destined, but absolutely required to, by the bylaws of the Bollywood ‘Code of Cliches’.

With a predictable plot, this Anees Bazmee oeuvre with all tropes of comedy like his previous films, is based on personalities and dialogues. The audience is the target of the joke. When something funny happens, the actors don’t react; the film itself reacts by what it shows next.

Set in a Sikh family; the drama is obviously high strung. The characters are supposed to be intelligent, loud, familyoriented and yet they have the maturity of gnats.

Again by the Bollywood Code of Cliches, the twins both fall in love: Karan with Sweety (Ileana D’Cruz) and Charan

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with Nafisa (Neha Sharma). But they are expected to marry as per their foster parents’ wishes.

So, when a proposal comes from a close family friend, Mr. Sandhu’s daughter Binkle (Athiya Shetty), the duo are tongue tied. They simply cannot muster the courage to tell their respective foster parents about their love life.

Complications arise when the twin’s uncle Kartar Singh (Anil Kapoor) comes up with an “idea” to rescue his nephews, which leads to a big family fight. How they resolve the issues, forms the crux of the tale.

Though over the top, the actors are natural and very engaging. Real life uncle and nephew - Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor shine in their respective roles.

Arjun shuttles between the shrewish Karan and the shy goody-goody Charan with aplomb. Anil Kapoor on the other hand offers nothing extraordinary that we have not seen him do in his earlier films.

Together, their camaraderie is palpable on screen.

The three heroines, Ileana D’Cruz as Sweety, Neha Sharma as Nafisa and Athiya Shetty as Binkle are outright perfunctory in their approach.

While the rest of the cast laudably essay their roles effectively, it is those in the side-lines who actually take centrestage.

What contributes to their performance,

is undoubtedly the well-etched characters. Prominent among them are Ratna Pathak Shah as Jeetu Bua and Karan’s foster mother and Pavan Raj Malhotra as Charan’s foster father Baljeet Singh, who create an impact.

While the story by Balwinder Singh Janjua and Rupinder Chahal is cliched, the dialogues with comic timings, crossreferences and community-jibes are noteworthy and entertaining.

The songs are an aberration to the narrative. It simply breaks the impact, especially the songs with the lyrics, Hawa hawaa and Tu Google pa ke nacha.

While the first half of the film is a breezy laugh-a-minute riot, the second half tends to be a bit melodramatic and preachy.

With ace production values, the film is a glossy and well-packaged entertainer.

Troy Ribeiro

AUGUST

backchat

Unlikely brotherhood Sworn enemies, but these two may have a lot in common

“D

oes this guy have anything better to do with his life?”

Even a casual reader of newspaper or viewer of TV news couldn’t have missed this gem of a line. It was part of US President Donald Trump’s tweet soon after the test of an inter-continental ballistic missile by North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, who claimed that it had the capacity to hit the US. Trump’s tweets are a daily feed not only to his American citizens but to the worldwide audience as well. One US commentator recently said that Donald’s digits are short. Too much tweeting may have worn out those stubby fingertips.

For the benefit of those who missed that tweet, I repeat it here. “North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life? Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer.

AUGUST

‘‘

Both are lampooned as clowns, matching each other in their buffoonery, bombast, bluff, bluster and bravado

‘‘

BY LP AYER

Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!”

Short and stubby, Kim is no slouch in giving back. He could have fired a missive, not a missile, in a tit-for-tat text: “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life other than tweeting? Hard to believe that the ‘fake news’ folks from CNN, NY Times, Washington Post and TV female presenter Mika Brezinski will put up with this much longer.”

Every time the jovial looking Kim fires a missile, it sends jitters around the world.

Political pundits predict the start of the next world war. However, Pyongyang’s fireworks need not panic anyone. I see the world is well-balanced at this point in time; in fact, better balanced than during the cold war days when the US and Russia were facing toe to toe.

And that’s because Trump and Jong-un have so much in common.

Both are lampooned as clowns, matching each other in their buffoonery, bombast, bluff, bluster and bravado. During his campaign and soon after swearingin, Trump trumpeted his three major strategies - scrapping Obamacare, building a wall along the Mexican border and stopping arrivals from six Middle-eastern

countries. Six months later, the report card is still near blank.

Similarly, chubby-cheeked Kim is ratcheting up his threat a notch higher with the launch of each missile to teach US a lesson. But no one expects him to press the nuclear button. All these acrobatics are to stabilise his position, get more aid from the West and drive the US forces from South Korea.

There are a few more similarities between the two. They both dispense with people close to them with the snap of a finger.

Trump fired FBI chief James Comey from his post and has threatened to remove a few more who dare question his dealings with

Russia and/or his personal finances.

Kim does one better. He removes his ‘rivals’ from the face of the earth. He sent one of his senior military chiefs to permanent sleep for a minor misdemeanour of dozing off at one of his many rallies boasting his country’s military might. Short statured he may be, but his hands are alleged to have reached far off KL airport to get rid of his stepbrother.

Here’s another easily noticeable matching habit. You couldn’t miss their style of clapping their hands as they make an entry before any assembled audience. Thank God for their sort fingers; they can’t reach the red buttons on their nuclear control panels.

But the most visible and striking common feature between them is their unique hair style. Jong-un’s side-swiped mop top - now aped around the world - may look different from Trump’s forward-flowing awning-like coiffure. But they have the same origin.

If you google the Brazilian black capuchin, you will notice that some members of this primate species have on their crown a centrally-parted mop top while a few others have it combed forward.

It goes to prove that all of us humans, including this writer, have a common ancestor from whom we are said to have evolved.

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TAROT

foretell AUG 2017 BY VANDANA The full kangaroo moon invites you to release your dreams and desires to the magical lunar rhythms of August. With two eclipses dotting the celestial path this month, the luminaries alternate in strength making significant change a certainty for us. Those that emerge from their self-designed comfort zones are the ones who will turn mystic moonshine into a path towards the beckoning stars.

ARIES March 21 - April 19

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

CANCER June 21 - July 20

Your work plans this month are ambitious but your Mars-ruled nature is not daunted by that. As decision-maker you will be quick, efficient and motivating - letting those around you know who’s in charge! The Emperor with the Ace of Cups allows you to reveal a softer side to your special someone. Towards the last week of August a happy event sees you adding a new dimension to your relationship. You turn fulfillment and fun into the perfect tango, Aries!

Quiet time by yourself is what you seek early this month. To be alone on a beach or in an isolated grove or an urge to travel may appeal to you - anything to find your calm and claim it! The card of the Hermit helps you go within and gain perspective. The end of the month has you out in a completely different social avatar. You discover new ways to treat your Venus-ruled self with a good round of pampering!

The card of Justice conjures for you thoughts of equality, fair-mindedness and redressal this month. Your sharp mercurial mind weaves innovative thoughts into pragmatic schemes. Is it a cause that moves you? You will attract helpful people who share your beliefs.

Likely you will win against someone in the courts. The flow is in your favour!

Now is the time to build your team. The Queen of Swords exhorts you to analyze and act. Go after what you want, Gemini!

Listen to your heart, Cancer… then add to your routine bit by bit the little things that give you joy. Save these changes and you have a happy crab at the end of August! You’re so giving but often, you forget to give to yourself. With the card of the Magician appearing with the Four of Wands, you are blessed to have the magic of moonshine as well as the gift of the magic wand. It’s over to you now!

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

Life is wonderful for you, Sun-ruled Leo, for the card of The Sun is livening up things for you! The Two of Cups brings you romance and love of a special kind.

A kindred spirit seeks you out and you share memorable moments. Work looks good, too, as you persevere in a muchloved area of creativity. An art project or a dream scoop - you rock! This is your time of the year and you blaze a trail all your own.

A new purpose is brought to you by the card of Judgment, Virgo, and you thrive in the opportunity to do something you haven’t tried before - something amazing is happening around you and you’re at its centre! The Ace of Swords sharpens you for the task and you set forth with all your best organisational skills. You’ve learnt from the past and that’s behind you. You make the journey as important and worthwhile, as the destination for precision-tasking is your forte!

Success and change! The card of The Wheel moves you forward and things cannot be the same anymore. It is a happy and busy time with family and friends and you meet some loved ones after a considerable length of time. The Queen of Cups takes you into a more compassionate, loving environment as the month progresses. Remember to accept change with humility and be alert to opportunity. The happiness you have always brought others returns to warm your heart!

Your intuition is heightened with the card of The Moon herself guiding you to perceive all that unfolds around you. You will be able to instinctively gather that which lies below the surface - friends that may be faithful to fair weather, or those that may have secretly rooted for you from the sidelines. You have a chance to visit an art exhibit or a select performance at the end of the month which will provide the sustenance you need!

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

You love a challenge, Sagittarius, and August brings it to your doorstep! This is your chance to right things and shape a project with your own inimitable dash of panache. Workplace changes may do you the good deed of freeing you from corporate rigour. Your vision and capacity are legendary - you inspire others. Then the card of the Nine of Discs brings in the dough and you are able to move closer to a personal target you’d set yourself.

Charming and vivacious as you are, this month will see you scale a notch higher as the card of The Star shines benevolently on you. You will go out of your way to bring your light of kindness and hope to someone in need. And as you do, people realise your genuine worth and acknowledge you for it. The Six of Swords highlights your talent and makes your prowess visible and ‘out there’! The Star definitely brings you a wish fulfillment!

Accolades and awards! The Empress, radiant in her regalia, appears in your reading for August. It is a happy time with perhaps occasion for the family to gather in celebration. You are appreciated at work and at home but what pleases you most is when your significant other raises a toast to your sterling qualities. This is a moment worth capturing! The Five of Pentacles shows that as you receive, so you give and you are loved for your generosity.

The ability to empathise with all creatures great and small is your gift, Pisces, and you want to be able to reach out with this. You will find avenues to do this spectacularly well and inspire others to follow your lead. The strengthening of the will leads to accomplishment and banishes doubt. The Eight of Cups asks that you focus on garnering resources and preserve your inner resources for something special that you may be called to do for others.

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AUGUST

My sister has a promising future Aditi’s family wanted to know the Navy was a smart career choice.

Now Aditi’s joined they’ve discovered her Navy engineering education and training is also recognised by many industries outside of the Australian Defence Force.

But that wasn’t the only thing they found out. In fact, the Navy is supportive of all backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.

AUGUST

Aditi works in one of many diverse roles, with great career advancement opportunities, offering her a rewarding career as a Marine Engineer Officer that makes her family proud.

Find out for yourself. Watch Aditi and Priya’s full story. defencejobs.gov.au/family

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