WHAT’S ON

SPIRITUAL

ATMA: Music and Movement

Sun 10 Sept (3:00 pm - 4:30 pm)

As part of this year’s Sydney Sacred Music Festival, ‘Ātma: Music and Movement’ takes a journey through the sounds of spiritual India. ‘Ātma’ will depict the pathway towards self-ful lment through the ancient Indian art forms of Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance at Friends of Mahratta, 25 Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga. Details info@culturalartscollective. com.au

Satsang

30 Sept – 1 Oct The Sydney Shree Ram Sharnam prayer group is organising its annual satsang at its 23 Sheba Crescent centre in South Penrith. Two days of invigorating upliftment, focusing on cleansing the mind via meditation and nourishing the soul through prayer, singing and silence is on the agenda.

Details Vimla Rao 0415 483 459, Raghav Nanda: 0423 718 784

COMMUNITY

Hindi Divas

Sat 16 Sept Indian Cultural Centre at the Consulate General of India (Sydney) is organising Hindi Divas at Level 2, 265 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, 2.30pm onwards RSVP: library.sydney@mea.gov.in

Sun 17 Sept The IABBV Hindi School celebrates Hindi Divas at Thornleigh West PS, Giblet Avenue, Thornleigh, 10.00am onwards. Program includes Hindi poetry competition for kids.

Details Mala Mehta T: 0412283677

Q and A on Visa and Immigration issues

Wed 20 Sept FIAN welcomes Alex Hawke MP, Member for Mitchell and Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for a Q and A with the community. 6.30pm at Madison Function Centre, 632 Old Northern Road, Dural. Details aninc1@gmail.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Cruise ‘N’ Booze Dance Party 2017

Sun 17 Sept (2:00pm – 6:00pm)

Panjtara Idols’s Cruise ‘n’ Booze dance party. Ladies-only event for girls 13 years and over. Wharf 9, King Street

Darling Harbour. Details Sucheta 0424 258 742

Magic show 23 and 24 Sept 15-year-old multiaward-winning illusionist Saksham Sharma presents his magic show Saksham Magical Madness as part of the Sydney Fringe Festival. 3.30 pm at Leichhardt Town Hall, 107 Norton St, Leichhardt.

Bookings www.sydneyfringe.com

A R Rahman Live in Concert

Sat 30 Sept (7:00pm start)

Double Academy award and golden globe winner A R Rahman is celebrating 25 years of this music journey. Along with the world’s best singers, musicians, lighting and visuals, this night will have everyone’s favourite Rahman songs, from his debut to the world famous ‘Jai Ho’. Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park. Details www.arrahmanlive.com.au

Stand-up Comedy

Fri 13 Oct India’s leading comedian

Johny Lever performs with his daughter Jamie Lever and his own orchestra at C3 Conference Venue, George St, Silverwater. Details 0412 779 418

FESTIVAL

Devang Patel Dandiya 2017

Sat 16 Sept (7:30 pm - 11:00pm)

Devang Patel is an Indian singer, actor, songwriter, dancer, lm producer, director and music performer. Whitlam Leisure Centre, 90A Memorial Ave, Liverpool.

Details Mukund Panchal 0450 636 287

Durga Puja

Sat 7 Oct Swagatam Group, an aspiring team of eight families from West Bengal, present the rst ever Durga Puja in Western Sydney. Thornton Community Centre, Penrith (5 minutes’ walk from Penrith Station). 10.00am to 3.00pm including Bengali style lunch.

Details 0423 520 454, 0451 969 380

KarvaChauth Mela

Sun 8 Oct Women’s festival at Bowman Hall Blacktown, 4.30pm –10.00pm. Details 1300338 368

EXHIBITION

Jaipuri miniature

1 - 16 Sept Master miniature

Ajay Sharma Ajay Sharma and partner Vinita Sharma of Jaipur will be presenting new works at AirSpace Projects, 10 Junction Street Marrickville.

Workshops: SquarePeg Studios and AirSpace Projects are hosting 2 weeklong workshops with Ajay Sharma. Spend a week learning miniature painting, engage with an ancient and beautiful painting technique, drink chai and create your own miniature painting.

Workshop 1: Mon 4 Sept – Fri 8 Sept, 10am to 4pm (Booked out)

Workshop 2: Mon 11 Sept to Fri 15 Sept, 10am to 4pm.

Details Brenda Factor 0411 370361 or classes@squarepegstudios.com.au

Misc

Race Discrimination

Commissioner’s Student Prize

2017

The Race Discrimination

Commissioner’s Student Prize is an annual competition for school students aimed to promote research and discussion of racism among young people.

Entries close 15 Sept, 2017. Students in Years 10 and 11 at a school in any Australian state or territory are eligible to enter. Entrants may write an essay (maximum 1,000 words) or record a speech (video or audio, maximum 5 minutes) and submit it to the Commission via the entry form.

Entrants must answer one of the following questions:

1. The best way of killing ugliness is with kindness. To what extent should this guide our society’s response to racism?

2. Fighting racism demands that we also defend liberal democracy. Discuss.

The winning student will be awarded a book voucher from Dymocks worth $150.00.

Vedanta classes with Arsha Vidya Australia

All classes except chanting classes are on Zoom. Details Shankar Arunachalam on 0403 059658 or arunachalam.shankar@gmail.com

Bhagavad Gita, Sundays 6pm Upanishads, Saturdays 8.45pm Beginners class, Sundays 2pm

Vishnu Sahasranama, Sundays 10am Vedic chanting classes, Saturdays 6.30pm

FUNDRAISER

## Swacch Bharat

Help provide nancial support for Swacch Bharat mission through the Sulabh Social Service Organisation. The ongoing campaign invites all persons of Indian origin to generously donate for Swacch Bharat. Donations can be made to Sulabh through Western Union. Bank details are below in favour of: Sulabh International Centre For Action Sociology (SICAS) Account no: 63012660749

IFSC Code: SBIN0030262

MICR: 110002347

Name of the Bank: State Bank of India, Branch Name: C 28 Community Centre, Janakpuri, New Delhi-58 Contact: bharatramvasudevan@gmail. com

YOGA

Free Yoga with Divine Life Society

Tuesdays 7pm Swami

Uditramanandaji of The Divine Life Society of Australia offers free Yoga classes every Tuesday from 7.00pm8.15pm at Strath eld Girls High School. All levels of tness welcomed. Entrance via Oxford Rd.

Details Karo 0413 535 157.

Yoga: The way of life

Saturdays 8am; Wednesdays

7pm A retreat for body, mind and soul, join weekly yoga sessions at Glenwood Public School (Saturdays) or Moorebank Community Centre (Wednesdays).

Details Meera 0433 125 708.

Spirit of India Yoga

Saturdays and Sundays

Yoga classes are held in Ryde, Wentworthville, Quakers Hill and Epping. All levels incl. beginners, senior citizens, children. To enrol in this 15 week course email spirito ndia2002@ yahoo.com, visit www.spirito ndia.org. au or contact Suresh 0412 202 182

LIST YOUR EVENT EMAIL: media@indianlink.com.au

Journalist Lankesh laid to rest; SIT formed as condemnation pours in Senior Kannada journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh was laid to rest with state honours in Bangalore on 6 Sept, a day after she was shot dead y three unidentified assailants, evoking widespread protests and condemnation across the country.

“A SIT has been formed, headed y an Inspector eneral le el o ficer, to investigate the journalist’s killing,” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

The Congress leader said that if the family members insist on a CBI investigation, the state could think about it. “I have an open mind,” he said.

CCTV footage from around the residence has been recovered by police.

The Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government on the killing of the senior Kannada journalist.

Media fraternity and activists gathered across the country in cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad among others condemning her murder.

Lankesh, 55, was buried at a cemetery in Chamarajpet in central Bengaluru. Her eyes were donated to be used for the needy, the family said.

She hailed from the Lingayat community that does not cremate its dead.

Her brother Indrajit Lankesh had earlier told reporters that the family would not be following any religious customs at the funeral.

“She was a rationalist and we do not want to go against her ideologies,” he had said.

Lankesh was shot dead by three unidentified men who fired se en ullets at her as she returned home rom her o fice in the city. Two bullets hit her in the chest and one in the forehead.

“She was shot dead from a close range at her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar (in the suburbs) around 8 p.m. as she was entering the house,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar revealed.

Four bullets hit the wall of the house.

“Similar weapons were used in M.M. Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar’s killings, but we can’t link anything yet,” Siddaramaiah said. period of rising communal tensions.

Tributes poured in for the popular editor of Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike from across the country.

People had gathered at the Town Hall in Bengaluru for a silent protest, holding placards. “You can kill a person but not their ideas,” read one placard. A silent demonstration was also staged by journalist groups at the Victoria Hospital grounds, where the autopsy was being conducted.

Journalists gathered at the Press Club in Bengaluru were seen holding placards that said “I am Gauri”, implying that the attack could have been possible on anyone of them.

Journalists in Mysuru, wearing black ribbons around their shoulders, also held a protest in front of the Deputy ommissioner’s fice.

Kannada film actors, writers, acti ists, state leaders, general public, friends and family of Lankesh were seen at Ravindra Kalakshetra in the city, paying their homage to the popular Kannada journalist.

The killing also gave way to political parties in the country blaming one another for it.

While the Congress said “muzzling the voices of ordinary citizens and silencing dissent” was the slogan of “new India” under the Modi government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied any links between BJP and its allied organisations in Lankesh’s killing.

A prominent Left thinker and a staunch critic of Hindutva politics, Lankesh was convicted in November 2016 in a de amation case filed y lawmaker Pralhad Joshi. She was out on bail pending appeal.

She was the daughter of renowned Kannada journalist P. Lankesh, who had started the publication Lankesh Patrike Her siblings Indrajit and Kavitha are both filmmakers in the Kannada film industry.

The National Sikh Campaign (NSC), which launched the We Are Sikhs campaign on Baisakhi Day in April, said that a survey conducted in mid-July in Fresno, California, showed that 78 per cent of those who had seen the TV commercials said they know something a out ikhism, against only per cent of those had no exposure to the community.

Overall now, “59 per cent of Fresno residents - a clear majority - say they know at least something about Sikhs who live in America”, the survey said, adding “68 per cent saw ikhs as good neigh ours and per cent saw Sikhs as generous and kind”.

Fresno has the highest concentration of Sikhs in the US.

According to American stereotypes, people with beards and turbans are associated with terrorism or involving in hostile against the US, and as a result Sikhs, who wear these as religious symbols, have been subjected to attacks and harassment. It started with the Iran crisis in 1979 and intensified a ter the eptem er terror attacks and continued through the presidency of Barack Obama when six Sikhs were massacred inside a temple in Wisconsin state in 2012.

NSC co-founder Rajwant Singh said, “We have seen an unprecedented polarisation in American politics and societal division and this story is positive.”

“What it says is a wonderful thing about America: that once you create a platform through which you create understanding for each other, no matter what your felling is, how you feel about certain issues, there is a core of America that is positive, that is good.”

The ads showed Sikhs as American neighbours going about their daily lives, professing patriotism and national valuesbut also a sharing a love for the TV series Game of Thrones and the children’s show Sponge Bob Square Pants

Geoff Garin, the president of Hart Research Associates, which conducted the poll, said: “This effort is a testament to the Sikh community’s commitment to reaching out to people of all faiths to help them recognise that we all have shared values, and that is a ray of hope that proves that understanding can bring people of all walks of life together.”

Hart Research had worked in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign last year and was hired by the NSC to conduct focus groups that shaped its publicity programme.

To make the effort bi-partisan, NSC hired more conservative and Republican-leaning strategies and marketing company that had worked in former President George W. Bush’s campaigns to market the ads.

The campaign took an original approach with a positive spin presenting Sikhs as integral members of the American society and their contributions towards it, whether in politics or popular culture, rather than focusing on discrimination and hate crimes.

India offers

Development

aid to Myanmar’s Rakhine state India has committed development assistance to Rakhine state in Myanmar where large-scale violence blamed on the minority Rohingya Muslim community has claimed the lives of security personnel and innocent people and triggered a mass exodus, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar has said.

The announcement came at the end of a three-day state visit to Myanmar by Prime Minister Modi in early September.

“I would particularly draw attention to the fact that we have discussed committing Indian assistance to the Rakhine state development programme because we really believe that the medium term way of addressing problems in the Rakhine area is really to look at developmental aspect,” aishankar said while riefing media persons following delegation-level talks led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw earlier in the day.

“So, we made an in-principle commitment,” he said, adding that the modalities in that regard will be worked out.

Thousands of Rohingyas are crossing over into Bangladesh - where they are sparingly given refugee status - to escape the violence in Rakhine state. Media reports quoted the UNHCR spokesperson in Bangladesh as saying that at least 123,000 Rohingyas have crossed over in the past few days.

The latest exodus began on August 25, after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Rakhine, leading to a violent offensive by the Myanmar Army.

WE

ARE SIKHS:

TV campaign in US increases positive view of community Sikh campaigners who ran a $1.5 million TV campaign have said that it helped in increasing Americans’ understanding of the community even though the US is in a

The survey showed that Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Evangelical Christians, non-college educated whites, college graduates, all shifted 20 to 25 points towards “positive feelings, towards the Sikh community” as a result of the campaign, Singh said.

India also faces the problem of ohingyas fleeing into the states ordering Myanmar. The government has said it would deport all Rohingyas living in India illegally but the Supreme Court has said that it will hear on 11 September a plea seeking a direction to the central government not to deport a out , such re ugees ack to Myanmar. India and Myanmar share the view that the situation in Rakhine state has a developmental as well as a security dimension.

“In this context, they agreed to bring about overall socio-economic development in the State by undertaking both infrastructure and socio-economic projects, particularly in the spheres of education, health, agriculture and allied activities, agro-processing, community development, construction of small bridges, upgradation of roads, small power projects, livelihood activity, setting up of training centres, promotion of household crafts, conservation of environment and cultural heritage,” the statement said.

“Myanmar welcomes India’s offer of assistance under the Rakhine State Development Programme and the two sides agreed to finalise the implementation modalities within the next few months.”

Indian origin man jailed in US mayoral election funding scandal

An Indian origin political consultant in the US has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in funnelling illegal campaign contributions to candidates in San Diego’s 2012 mayoral race.

Ravneet Singh, former ElectionMall Technologies CEO, was sentenced in ali ornia and ordered to pay a , fine on charges that he helped launder money from a wealthy Mexican citizen trying to gain political influence in an iego, according to federal prosecutors. ingh, , o aper ille, Illinois, was ordered to report to prison on 12 October. By law, foreign citizens are not allowed to contribute to US political campaigns.

“American elections are not for sale,” Executive US Attorney Blair Perez said in a statement. ”We will not allow our sacred electoral process to be compromised. This prison sentence underscores an important message: Anyone who tries to manipulate the American electorate will pay a high price.”

Last year, a jury convicted Singh, Mexican citizen Jose Susumo Azano Matsura and Matsura’s son Edward Susumo on felony counts involving illegal contributions to the mayoral campaigns of then-District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and Bob Filner. Matsura was seeking to buy political influence, including support or a an iego waterfront development that would have included a yacht marina, hotel and luxury condominiums, authorities said.

Filner, eventually was elected mayor, but later resigned under a cloud of sexual harassment claims.

Neither candidate was charged in connection with the illegal contributions. ElectionMall, Singh’s consulting company, had also done work for former US Representative Aaron Schock, a Republican who resigned his Peoria-area seat in Congress before he was indicted last year on charges that he misused campaign funds to support a lavish lifestyle.

According to records, Schock paid Singh’s company a out , o er a fi e year period, and ElectionMall contributed $5,000 to chock’s campaign in .

Before he was sentenced, Singh told the judge, “I’m a very different person than I was fi e years ago. I’ e always wanted to serve my country, now I can’t even vote.”

He said the case has taught him to be “more careful” in his business, to “slow things down and think things through” and to take advice from mentors.

Tamil diaspora’s biggest festival draws 200,000, Trudeau attends

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined over 200,000 people in Toronto at the biggest Tamil diaspora festival that showcased Tamil culture, heritage and cuisine.

Toronto’s Markham Road turned into a little Tamil nation on the occasion as hundreds of vends came up to treat visitors to rare tropical Tamil cuisine, displaying cultural items and offering rare glimpses into Tamil way of life.

A big attraction at the festival was one the two li e oats in which first amil re ugees num ering fleeing the ri ankan ethnic conflict had reached anadian shores in August 1986.

It was the first time a ter that Canada accepted boat refugees who happened to be Tamils, Poopalapillai said.

“These refugees had reached Germany from Sri Lanka. From Germany, they took a ship, but were dumped in the ocean in two lifeboats to fend for themselves. Luckily, they drifted into Canadian waters off Newfoundland and were saved by Canadian fishermen, said anadian amil ongress spokesperson David Poopalapillai.

The Canadian Prime Minister posed with some of those who were on the two lifeboats.

Trudeau said Canada consistently raised its voice in support of Tamils during the ethnic war in ri anka. hough the conflict has ended, he said, the long-term solution to Tamil grievances is yet to be reached.

He said the Tamil community has enriched Canadian multicultural society in a short period since its first arri al in large numbers in the 1980s.

In recognition of this contribution, Trudeau said amid applause, his government has declared January as Tamil

Heritage Month in Canada.

Numbering about 350,000, Tamils are one of the youngest and fastest growing communities in Canada, with their major concentration centred around the Greater Toronto Area.

LGBT rights were accepted in ancient India, Section 377 must be repealed: Amish Tripathi

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises sexual acts “against the order of the nature” - which affects the rights of LGBTs (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) - is an “egregious and illiberal section” and it “must be repealed”, says writer Amish Tripathi, whose mythological fiction titles ha e sold more than our million copies.

There is widespread support for the scrapping of Section 377 among writers and intellectuals in India and the likes of noted poet Vikram Seth and writer-politician Shashi Tharoor have openly advocated repealing of this Victorian-era statute. Banker-turned-writer Amish Tripathi is the latest pu lic figure to oin the chorus ut his arguments are slightly different.

In his first non fiction ook Immortal India, Tripathi lays out the vast landscape of ancient Indian culture and argues that it had a fascinatingly modern outlook.

“I believe it’s time we debated Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises sexual activity of LGBTs. It is an egregious and illiberal Section that must be repealed. There are some who have reservations based on cultural and religious grounds. Well, let’s discuss them,” Tripathi writes in his essay on LGBT rights before presenting his arguments, validated by his research and knowledge of Hindu mythology.

“I am not an expert on religious mythologies of other religions, but as far as Hindu scriptures are concerned, I think there are ample examples to substantiate that LGBT rights were accepted in ancient India,” Tripathi told IANS when asked what made him reach this conclusion.

His essay in the book is written from a Hindu perspective and draws immensely from ancient scriptures. He cites several examples and anecdotes from Hindu religious texts to make his point - that LGBT rights were accepted in ancient India.

“Purush napunsak nari va jiv charachar koi / Sarv bhav bhaj kapat taji mohi param priy soi (Any man, any transgender, any woman, any living being, as long as they give up deceit and come to me with love for all, they are dearest to me.) These lines were said by Lord Ram in the Ramcharitmanas. He did not differentiate between man, woman or transgender. What does this mean?

According to me, this shows our liberal ancient attitude towards LGBTs. And there are other examples in the Mahabharata too. Such stories were celebrated in ancient India and this, to my mind, reflects the liberal attitude we had towards LGBT communities,” he elaborated.

Tripathi also argues in the book that ection does not reflect the traditional Indian attitude towards sex. It is, instead, he argues, a reflection o the ritish colonial mindset, influenced y medie al interpretations of Christianity.

“I think there is a great deal to learn from such examples. If we had such a society, which accepted LGBT communities with openness in ancient India, I surely think we can think on similar lines today as well. Also, on the principle of individual liberty, if heterosexuals can lead their lives in the way that they see fit, then communities should also have the same rights and freedoms to decide how they want to lead their lives,” he maintained.

The best-selling author with gross retail sales of over Rs 100 crore further asserted that religion is an integral part of most societies but, in his opinion, modern laws should be based on individual liberty rather than on religion.

“I am a very proud Hindu and I am a very religious person, but I do not think that religious beliefs should lay the foundation of laws in the modern world. Modern laws should be based on the concept of individual rights and liberty. Everybody should enjoy equal freedom and rights in all aspects. Religion has a very important place in society. But laws should be based on secular principles and individual liberty, and they should not be influenced y any religion, he contended.

IANS