2018-01 Sydney (2)

FREE Vol. 25 No.4 (2) JANUARY (2) 2018 • www.indianlink.com.au FORTNIGHTLY

L A R T S AU

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S R U O N O H Y A IA D

Dr Mukesh Chandra Haikerwal AC

Anant Kaur Sandhu AM

Dr Vanita Rajul Parekh AM

Prof Sharad Kumar AM

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EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Harshad Pandharipande MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Sudarshan Arvind, Nanditha Suresh, Saroni Roy, Jyoti Shankar, Simren Samrai, Rajni Madan, Somitra Ghosh, Mohan Dhall, Mital Parekh, Saket Suman, Dhanya Samuel, Sandip Hor, Auntyji ADVERTISING MANAGER Vivek Trivedi 0410 578 146

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History is not set in stone BY PAWAN LUTHRA

A

t this time of the year every year, there is much debate in Australia about two events which divide the community.

The first relates to Australia Day. The sound cloud around the appropriateness of the date 26 January is currently dominating social media. Those calling for a rethink of the celebratory jingoism on this day actually refer to this date as Invasion Day, marking the start of the forcible decline of their culture.

Others believe that Australia Day on 26 January marks the foundation of the nation in its modern form, and there is no reason for change. That celebrations on this day hurt the feelings of the Indigenous population, is conveniently ignored by this group.

That history can be reinterpreted, may resonate more with the Indian-

Australian community, thanks to the well-publicised argument put forward by contemporary Indian writer and politician Shashi Tharoor. His demand for Britain to make reparations to India for the brutality it inflicted on India’s economy and society after it invaded the country in the 19th century has been heard, read and lauded many times over the past year. The ever-articulate Tharoor brought to world attention that only one side of the Imperial domination has been depicted in history books, while the exploitation of the people and the gradual denuding of the country’s resources has largely gone by unacknowledged, indeed even unnoticed. History needs to relook at this dark chapter rather than glorify the British empire, Tharoor argued to much acclaim.

Even the ongoing controversy in India about Bollywood’s newest historical Padmaavat is an illustration of how in that case, history can be distorted to fit modern-day interpretations.

History can indeed be reinterpreted over time. We look at history through

the prism of our own experiences and what we are aware of in the contemporary world around us. As well, we are connected in multiple ways these days: this not only allows us more avenues to learn about the world, it also helps us find like-minded people and use the collective wisdom to press for change. Whether that change is for the better or not, yes, only history will tell.

The other local event which divides the community at this time of year, is the idea of Australia moving away from the monarchy and becoming a republic.

Indian-origin readers are well-aware that 26 January also marks India’s Republic Day: on this day in 1950, India finally broke all the shackles of two centuries of British rule. Adopting its own Constitution, India also chose its own Head of State. That Australia, in the 21st century, continues to swear allegiance to a monarchy thousands of miles away, is somewhat astounding: it is definitely an issue worth a revisit.

If history is any guide, both these controversial issues will be resolved.

Which way, only history will tell.

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CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES INTERVIEW Deepika Padukone on Padmaavat

16

COMMUNITY Help cure little Alisha

21

SUSTAINABILITY Jyoti Shankar’s recycledupcycled garden

24

WORK 50 years as a GP: Sari-clad Indian doctor

27

BOOKS Shashi Tharoor looks beyond Hindutva

16

21

24

COVER STORY

35

35

12

Australia Day Honours

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YOUR SAY CLASS OF 2017

Our stories on Year 12 students prompted other school finishers to share their experiences and performance

SONALI YARDI Baulkham Hills High School ATAR 99.85 Achievements Ranked 1st in School (Legal Studies), School Academic Achievement awards for Legal Studies and Economics Sonali wrote: Having witnessed others go through the HSC, I had expected that the year would be filled with stress, piles of homework and an exam every week. However in reality, to my surprise, my HSC year, although plagued with these things at certain times, was much more fun than stress.

I was able to strengthen my friendships and make new ones whilst having new experiences and enjoy the last year of school! The most important thing I learned about myself is to have faith in my abilities. By picking a notoriously “low scaling subject,” I was told that I wouldn’t be able to do as well because I chose this subject. But I ignored such negativity and tried to have faith in my ability and love for Legal studies. Further, moving to a new school helped me to realise that I had the strength to adapt to a new environment and excel. I also learnt that strong self-motivation is the only way one can achieve success as only you can get the best out of yourself My advice to students would be to just relax and enjoy your last year of school. This is going to be a tough, long year but with hard work and perseverance you will get through it. Also, pick subjects you genuinely enjoy.

This will make Year 12 a lot more fun and heaps less stressful. And finally, English (unfortunately) is very important, so put as much time and effort into it as you can. You won’t regret it.

KIRAN KUMAR Normanhurst Boys High School ATAR 99.50 Achievements HSC Premier’s Award for All - Round Excellence, Year 12 High Achievers Award from school, HSC Distinguished Achiever Kiran wrote: Over the course of the HSC year, I learnt the importance of being able to strive beyond one’s comfort zone and reach success beyond my expectations. If I were given the opportunity, I would have extended myself to actively participate in more community events, allowing me to develop my interpersonal skills through communication and networking, all whilst having fun and helping others. Alongside pushing yourself to participate in a vast array of extracurricular activities, a boringly practical yet equally important piece of advice would be to purchase a comfortable pen for the year. Whilst a cheap pack of Biro pens maybe tempting, a couple higher quality pens will allow you to write clearer, faster and in higher quantity without as many painful hand cramps.

SAY IT AGAIN 8 JANUARY (2) 2018

TANMAY GUPTA Mazenod College ATAR 99.70 Achievements College DUX, Subject Awards in Specialist Maths and Chemistry, Science Scholarship, Long Tan Leadership and Teamwork Award

OUR COVERAGE OF THE CLASS OF 2017 STORIES GOT WIDE APPRECIATION.

Chandra Kishore wrote: Indian Link, your cover picture with our young ones’ HSC achievements is very much appreciated. We need to boost the image of our community and you have just done that. Much appreciated.

Keep it up.

Harshad Pandharipande wrote: Loving the jersey names of all the students. So clever and fun. Laughed out loud at some many of them and thinking what my daughter’s jersey name would be!

LEARNING TELUGU IN SYDNEY

NANDITHA SURESH wrote about the man behind Telugu schools in NSW. He expressed his gratitude Mallik Rachakonda wrote: Thank you for taking time out to writing about Telugu schools in Sydney. This article will provide much needed coverage about our schools and enable many parents to enrol their children in Telugu schools

ACCOLADES FOR IFFM DIRECTOR

Mittu Bhowmick Lange became the first Australian-Indian woman to receive the prestigious Jill Robb Award, reported PREETI JABBAL Sheba Nandkeolyar wrote: Mitu your professionalism, creativity and humility has set a new benchmark for the Australian Indian Diaspora. We are very proud of you.

A strong India is key to stability in the Indian Ocean Sen Penny Wong, at the Australia-India Leadership Dialogue in New Delhi

We haven’t taken care of our beaches as much as Australia has Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra

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50 YEARS AS A GP

Our Facebook post on Adelaide’s sari-clad Indian doctor by RAJNI MADAN saw an outpouring of congratulatory messages. Read the story on page 27 of this issue Nirmala Sekhar wrote: Congrats Jaya Pathi on this wonderful achievement.

Lakshmi Sreedhar wrote: Most humble and the bestest Ganesh Ananthakrishnan wrote: Congratulations Jaya Aunty! Wonderful recognition of a stellar career and for dedicated service to the health needs of the Northern suburbs communities Sukanya Ramachandran: Congrats Chitti. Ur eldest sister and all of us r feeling very proud of u. We pray to God for ur long healthy and happy life.

Take care

INDIAN LINK POLL RESULTS

Here’s what you, the readers, said about some recent issues Do you support same-sex marriage in Australia?

52% Yes 39% No 9% Don’t care After all the controversy, will you still watch Padmaavat?

63% Yes, I can’t wait 18% No, it portrays history wrongly 13% Wasn’t planning to, but now I’m curious 6% I’m not interested in Hindi movies

WHERE IN INDIA

Our quiz about Indian destinations got correct responses this time Vaishali Patel wrote: It’s in Meghalaya.

Mythili Iyer wrote: It is in Meghalaya.

WALLABY ON HARBOUR BRIDGE

GURUDWARA BAN

Certain developments in the Indian and Sikh diaspora are an unfortunate setback to India as it continues to develop its soft influence overseas, wrote PAWAN LUTHRA JK2020 wrote: The Indian government must stop interfering with Sikh institutions overseas. Bring the 1984 culprits to justice and stop abusing Punjab’s waters.

BBL IN HINDI

Our Hindi commentary was a hit among listeners NRIofTheYear wrote: #Hindi commentary during @BigBashLeague is so awesome to listen to. Thank you @CricketAus.

We must never stop learning from this man Vic Premier Daniel Andrews, visiting India, about Gandhi

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The video of the wayward wallaby expectedly got a lot of laughs Mark Pointer wrote: Think he was tryin to get the hell out of Sydney!!!

Raghwa Sharma wrote: Now u talkin, Straya!

+ JOIN THE CONVERSATION > LOG on to your own Facebook or Twitter account > TYPE “Indian Link” into the search box at the top of the screen and click on the link that comes up > CLICK ‘Like’ to join the Indian Link Facebook community or ‘Follow’ @Indian_Link on Twitter

… be expansive in your discussions. Consider bold ideas. I look forward to hearing the outcomes of this important gathering PM Malcolm Turnbull to the Australia India Youth Dialogue

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COVER STORY

Y A D A I L AU S T R A THE GOOD DOCTOR

Dr Mukesh Chandra Haikerwal, AC

For eminent service to medical governance, administration, and technology, and to medicine, through leadership roles with a range of organisations, to education and the not-for-profit sector, and to the community of western Melbourne

F

or Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, every day is a sense of celebration of what it means to be Australian.

Therefore, to get the highest civilian honour on Australia Day is ‘truly life changing’ and ‘extremely humbling.’

The accomplished GP has been appointed as a Companion in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to medical governance, administration, and technology, and to medicine, through leadership roles with a range of organisations, to education and the not-for-profit sector, and to the community of western Melbourne.

“For me, to be in a position in my life and career to receive such an honour has only been made possible due to the unflinching support and unremitting encouragement of my closest circle, the people who have been with me through every step of endeavour, adversity, achievement, and success” said Haikerwal.

The eminent doctor, who runs a practise in Altona North, has received a string of accolades during his career for his contributions to the medical profession.

His leadership roles include being the youngest Federal President of the Australian Medical Association (20052007) and Chairman of Council for the World Medical Association (2011-2015).

Haikerwal was awarded the Order of Australia in 2011 for distinguished service to medical administration, to the promotion of public health through leadership roles with professional organisations, to the reform of the Australian health system through the optimisation of information technology, and as a general practitioner.

Haikerwal is particularly proud of the work he did with the specially-convened National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission as part of a team, and with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

“Allowing me the opportunity to make a difference has been due to the great organisations and people within them, that on the whole were kind to me and listened and learnt,” said Haikerwal.

“These are organisations that dedicate themselves selflessly to bettering the

12 JANUARY (2) 2018

First and foremost, I am a GP – a local family doctor who serves his local community. This defines me lives of others. They are the collaborators and partners right across the nation and across the globe that have joined to help us all ‘do the right thing’ - to be brave and bold, and lead for the people,” he emphasised.

With increased focus on charity, he is currently on the board as director of Beyond Blue, providing guidance and contributing to its efforts to improve the mental health of health professionals.

He is working with Cancer Victoria with its aim to improve advocacy and knowledge of cancer, cancer care and facilities. He is also involved with Brain Injury Australia in response to his own recovery from a brutal attack in 2008.

In September 2008, Haikerwal survived a vicious gang attack and robbery near Dennis Reserve in Williamstown. The attackers inflicted serious injury with a baseball bat that left Haikerwal brain damaged and within inches of losing his life. He had to be put in a medically induced coma to survive and had to relearn how to walk and talk again.

Lucknow-born Haikerwal is the eldest

son of Dr Madhuri and Ishwar, both Indian-British citizens, who migrated to Australia in 1981. Haikerwal started his education in a London Boarding school at the age of 6 and went on to study Medicine in Leicester.

In 1990, he moved to Australia with his wife Dr Karyn Alexander and set up practice in Altona North. He has three sons Suresh, Ajaya and Jeevan.

“First and foremost, I am a GP – a local family doctor who serves his local community. This defines me,” said Haikerwal.

“It is a privilege to have as a basis, my foundation, the hard-working people, the salt of the earth, the everyday folk who have come from every corner of the globe to live and work in our proudly diverse and multicultural region. They give so much to this great country,” he continued.

“Our daily continuing challenge is to provide high-quality, patient-centred, holistic care in a region with pitifully low levels of investment. That daily challenge - those daily encounters with real people, real patients - has provided me with the

burning arrows of desire: to improve the lot of the common man,” said the soft spoken GP Whether he is confronting racism by condemning abuse of international medical graduates or promoting technology and eHealth initiatives to deliver better patient care or debating voluntary euthanasia, Haikerwal is leading the charge.

According to him, expending energy on multiple commitments is possible by ensuring a healthy body and a healthy mind.

“I am careful with my intake of salt, sugar and saturated fats. I eat sensibly, exercise, visit my GP regularly and look after my mental and physical health,” he said referring to the physicians pledge as part of the WMA Declaration in Geneva.

He wishes to dedicate the Australia Day Honour to all his colleagues.

“I would have achieved little without my chariots of fire - my professional colleagues from within medicine, and from disciplines aligned to health, healthcare, welfare, and service planning and delivery,” said Haikerwal.

“In particular, I salute those who have lost their lives in their pursuits, for whom I will continue to strive, as they would have, to improve the health of the nation and the happiness of those who pursue it,” he said.

Preeti Jabbal

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S R U O N HO OF HEALING AND HOPE Dr Vanita Rajul Parekh, AM

For significant service to medicine as a specialist in the fields of sexual health and forensic medicine, as an educator and clinician, and to professional associations

T

he girl was just 15 years old.

She had been raped, and was understandably in deep trauma.

She needed not just immediate medical help but also forensic attention to gather evidence of the ordeal she had gone through. Unfortunately, the Australian Capital Territory did not have a forensic medical service at the time, in year 2000.

That’s when the ACT government dialed Dr Vanita Rajul Parekh for help.

Dr Parekh, a practising gynaecologist, had done significant work, visiting brothels and interacting with the women working there to monitor their sexual health and awareness.

The government asked Dr Parekh to head a forensic medical service, and she took up the challenge. Since then, she has been working to help victims - women and men - of sexual violence. Till date, Dr Parekh has lent her expertise in 2,500 such cases.

Since 2006, Dr Parekh, who is 48 years old, has been the unit director of Clinical Forensic Medical Services (CFMS), which includes Forensic and Medical Sexual Assault Care and Clinical Forensics ACT. She provides a comprehensive range of medical care to individuals who have been sexually assaulted or are in police custody, and provides regular evidence to the courts in the ACT. For her work in the field of sexual health and forensic medicine, she was conferred with the Member of the Order of Australia in the 2018 Australia Day Honours, something she says she is humbled and honoured about.

Dr Parekh’s journey to Australia is quite interesting. Her grandparents migrated to East Africa from Rajkot in Gujarat.

Her parents then moved to Edinburgh in Scotland, where she was born and raised.

“It was very different growing up there,” she remembers. “I was the only brown kid in school.”

She studied medicine in Glasgow and moved to Australia in 1995 as there was a ‘massive shortage’ of doctors here at the time. “My first day, I walked in to work and the people there, surprised by my Indian features, said, ‘But we’re expecting a doctor from Scotland.’ I told them ‘Yes, that’s me!’” she remembers with a laugh.

Dr Parekh had planned to work in Australia for just a year but says she fell in love with the place and its kind people.

“I remember getting nine invitations for

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Christmas the first year I moved here,” she says. “Everyone made me feel as if I belonged. That’s when you feel a commitment to give something back to the society.”

And give back she did. Dr Parekh’s foray into sexual health came when she started meeting ‘working women’ in brothels - prostitution was decriminalised in the ACT in 1992. “I realised then everyone, irrespective of background, had a right to sexual wellbeing,” she says.

The turning point came in the year 2000 when, after the 15-year-old girl’s rape case, Dr Parekh was asked by the ACT government to head the medical forensic service to help victims of sexual violence and domestic violence. “The forensic aspects were not as developed then as they are now. But we had a team of committed doctors who wanted to make a difference,” she says.

The team got a lot of help from the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the government in terms of funding and know-how.

After building the CFMS from the ground up, Dr Parekh has been paying it forward. She provides specialised education and training programs something she has developed - in sexual assault medicine and clinical forensic medicine. She has trained medical students, medical practitioners, nursing

staff, police and community groups. “I also trained police personnel in Namibia and Uganda on how to handle sexual assault cases and look after the victims,” she says.

Of course, her task is tough. Dr Parekh says sexual violence and domestic violence are prevalent across the world.

“It’s important to acknowledge it, to destigmatise it. That’s why, movements such as #MeToo are a big positive step. It is the victim that feels shame after being sexually assaulted. And it is this shame that the perpetrators feed on. That is what needs to be taken away,” she explains.

Having worked with thousands of sexual assault victims, Dr Parekh has some sobering observations.

For one, in a large number of cases, there are no visible physical injuries because rather than fighting or fleeing, there’s a third ‘F’ – a hidden one – that’s involved: Freeze response. This is where the victim is virtually paralysed with fear, is threatened into submission or ‘negotiates’ with the perpetrator to be silent so the kids won’t hear them.

That’s why, a lot of victims have trouble reconciling to the fact that they were sexually assaulted. “They say, ‘I was not beaten up. So, was I raped?’” Dr Parekh explains. Even the jury members at times find sexual assault hard to believe when there is no overt sign of physical injury on the victim. And while the media

portrayal of a beaten and bruised woman to depict sexual assault may be convenient, Dr Parekh says it glosses over a more disturbing reality.

The media is also wrong is portraying the perpetrator as someone unknown, ‘who jumps out from behind the bushes’ to assault the victim. “In a large number of sexual assault cases, the perpetrator is someone the victim knows. In fact, marital rape is one of the least reported forms of sexual assault,” Dr Parekh says.

While Dr Parekh’s role is providing medical help to sexual assault victims, appearing as expert witness in court necessitates her gaining trust of the victim in a short span of time, something that is most challenging. “But the best prize is when, at the end of the consultation, the victim gives you a smile and says thank you.

That’s what makes it worth it,” she says.

However, even all that work doesn’t always translate into courtroom success as conviction rates in sexual assault cases continue to hover around the 16to 20% mark. “But we tell the victim that an acquittal doesn’t mean the assault didn’t take place,” Dr Parekh says.

Another way to deal with the problem is to work towards prevention. Dr Parekh says her aim is to make Australia the world leader in sexual violence prevention. “No rape,” she says. “That’s the goal.”

Harshad Pandharipande

JANUARY (2) 2018 13

COVER STORY

S R U O N O H Y A D A I L A R T S U A PAYING IT FORWARD WITH FOOD

Anant Kaur Sandhu, AM

For significant service to the restaurant and catering industry in South Australia, and to the community through support for charitable organisations

A

t 86, with a career spanning over half a century of cooking and feeding people, restaurateur Anant Kaur Sandhu felt ‘humbled’ to be appointed as Member of the Order of Australia 2018.

The sprightly octogenarian received the prestigious award for significant service to the restaurant and catering industry in South Australia, and to the community through support for charitable organisations.

Cooking and food have always been a big part of the Sandhu family’s lives and when it was time to give back to the community, they came together to feed the homeless.

For the past 17 years, the family through their restaurant The Jasmine - serve hearty meals to the homeless, socially disadvantaged and isolated.

Queues of homeless people line up outside their restaurant, every Thursday evenings to not only find a meal but also a sense of belonging and community.

It all started nearly 18 years ago when Anant saw Anglicare volunteers handing out food packages to the homeless in a park near her restaurant in Hindmarsh Square.

“I really felt for them as the bread and sausages they received may well have been the only meal they ate that day or for days. After a discussion with my family, we decided to provide a freshly cooked, nutritious proper meal to the homeless from our restaurant,” said Anant.

“Many of them suffer medical conditions or have dietary restrictions so we ensure that the meal is light and not spicy. There is always a meat dish, vegetables and rice,” said Anant, describing the menu for the homeless.

Every Christmas, The Jasmine also serves up a fully traditional Christmas meal with ham or turkey and Christmas staples for the disadvantaged.

“My children, grandchildren and staff - everyone pitches in to cook and serve the food and we all enjoy giving back something to the community,” said Anant.

Born and brought up in Kuala Lumpur, Anant and her family migrated to Australia 42 years ago with the help of a friend who sponsored them.

She felt there was a better future for her three sons and two daughters in Australia and never regretted the decision.

“Australians are very welcoming as long as you can hold your own. I have always received tremendous support from people and patrons and I am really grateful for it,” she said.

“I love cooking and used to run a small place called The Maharajah in Malaysia along with a small business training Telex Operators. It was difficult to run both together so we closed the restaurant and then moved to Australia,” said Anant.

The heat of the kitchen still holds charm for Anant who was one of the first to bring Indian food to South Australian tables

with her restaurant.

What started as a small takeaway place is now a 130-seater restaurant with private function rooms and a warm earthy décor.

Kevin Rudd, Gough Whitlam, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, Nawab of Pataudi, Billy Connelly and Elton John are among the celebrities who have gorged happily on The Jasmine’s curries and breads.

What started as a hobby developed into a culinary journey that brought many rewards for Anant, who is now semiretired but is always around to give advice.

According to her, the secret to her active 80s is good living, nothing in excess and an enormously supportive family.

The Australia Day Honour is something that she did not expect at all and she finds the experience very humbling.

“We did not get involved with charity to get anything back. I was very surprised when I received the news and am grateful to those who nominated me,” said Anant, a glowing example of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Preeti Jabbal

COMMUNITY AS FAMILY Armogam Murgan, OAM

For service to the Indian community of Sydney

“I

was giddy with excitement and asked my wife Siromani to read the letter to me. I could not believe that I was one of the recipients of the Australia Day Honours,” Armogam Murgan shares excitedly.

“I feel incredibly honoured to receive this recognition,” says the 75-year old OAM recipient. His excitement is palpable as his wife, Siromani Naidu, weighs in on how childlike he was upon receiving the letter.

Hailing from a small village in Fiji, Armogam arrived in Australia with a head full of dreams to make a better life for himself and his late first wife

14 JANUARY (2) 2018

Lakshmi. A holiday to New Zealand followed by a visit to Australia, inspired the then 32-year-old Armogam to move to Australia in search of building a life in the country. “It was 1975 and there weren’t as many people from Fiji or India as there are now. It was all too new for us but I was determined to make this life work for us,” he recalls.

In addition to his day job at Port Botany Terminal as a supervisor, Armogam made time to connect with the Indian community by teaching young students Hindi in Helensburgh temple each Sunday. “It gave me great pleasure in being part of the Indian diaspora in a

www.indianlink.com.au

A WARRIOR AGAINST CANCER Prof. Sharad Kumar, AM

For significant service to medical research in the field of cancer and cell biology, as a scientist and author, to medical education, and as a mentor

B

ehind every success, there will inevitably be many failures, says Professor Sharad Kumar.

Spanning several decades, his professional journey to the top end of Australian biomedical research has certainly not been without hurdles. It has been a bumpy road for sure, he admits.

The NHRMC Senior Principal Research Fellow and Centre for Cancer Biology codirector has been appointed to the Order of Australia. The prestigious Australia Day Honours recognises his outstanding work in key research interests such as programmed cell death pathways and mechanisms of protein modification in cells.

“It is the recognition of many years of teamwork that has culminated in this.

For us, it is an honour and a humbling experience - these awards recognise both individual achievement and the fundamental contributions of the team as a whole,” says Professor Kumar.

“It is humbling to receive an award such as this which represents a more public recognition of contribution to the wider community,” he added.

Featured in over 190 publications, Professor Kumar has won many professional accolades including the 2003 ASBMB Amersham Bioscience Award and the Ranbaxy Research Award. He also holds Affiliate Professorships in the Faculty of Medicine and School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Adelaide, and an Adjunct Professorship in the Division of Health Sciences, University of South Australia.

Professor Kumar studied Biochemistry

in India before moving to Australia to complete a PhD at the University of Adelaide. He then undertook postdoctoral work in Queensland and spent time as a Research Scientist in Geelong’s CSIRO Animal Health Laboratory.

As the recipient of a Japanese Government Science and Technology Fellowship, Professor Kumar subsequently spent five years at the renowned RIKEN Tsukuba Life Science Centre and Cancer Institute in Tokyo, inspiring his current research interests in apoptosis and ubiquitination.

Returning to South Australia, he started his own lab in 1994.

“We wanted to bring like-minded people under one umbrella - with the focus on cancer biology. Since 2009, we have expanded to 160 people, the largest concentration of this type in our state,” he says.

“Science is a global field and the same issues afflict humans around the world,” Professor Kumar points out, regarding his

extensive experience both in Australia and around the world.

Nevertheless, Professor Kumar admits that his path had not been devoid of challenges, one that scientists across the country have faced and continue to contend with.

“Funding at large is tight everywhere. As a nation, we spend a comparatively smaller proportion of our GDP on scientific research.

“At the moment, we rely primarily on public funding. The public is generous and there is great support in the community, especially for medical science.

“The excitement, passion and commitment of working as a scientist greatly outweigh negatives like funding and insecurity,” he says.

“It’s never easy but you do it because you strive to learn new things and have the opportunity to contribute to society on so many levels.”

Indeed, Professor Kumar’s research on genes controlling cell survival and protein

new country,” he muses.

His passion for community service - something he had done in Fiji as well and his urge to connect with the Indian community sparked an idea to form the Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha of New South Wales in 1975. He founded the Sabha to enable the Indian community in Australia to meet, socialise and gather for religious ceremonies. Every Friday, the 20-odd members would gather in one of the members’ home for a satsang and often would get together for celebrating community events, he tells Indian Link.

This small initiative has grown manifold in scale. The Sabha is now 2000+ members strong. As the founder of the Sabha, Armogam has always nurtured a dream to build a temple in NSW for the Indian community. Thus came about the Shree Ram Krishna Temple about five years ago situated in a sprawling 3-acre land in Austral.

The never-ending desire to give back to

the community has resulted in Armogam founding several community groups like the Satyam Shivam Sundaram Society of NSW, Sangam Society and the Indian Senior Citizens of NSW. The Satyam Shivam Sundaram Society of NSW, according to Armogam, has especially played a vital role in many community changes. Besides being a platform to preserve the Indian culture, the group has helped raised funds for those in need. “We have been able to assist the Blind Society, providing doctors to patients in need, especially those with heart conditions,” he says.

They have even extended their services to poor and disaster-stricken communities in Fiji.

Another noteworthy contribution of Armogam is being actively involved in forming Satyam Ghat. At a picnic with the Satyam Sivam Sundaram members, he witnessed the Moorebank Lake strewn with flowers and waste from last

rites of people being performed there.

He wanted to do something about it and helped plan the Satyam Ghat in 2006, which is now a site to conduct religious ceremonies and pay respect to the departed. He and the members meet often to clean up the lake after the rites.

This retired government official has his hands busy as a marriage celebrant and Justice of Peace. He officiates many Hindu civil weddings in the country.

His wife, Siromani Naidu, he says is his greatest support in all he does. “He never had kids but now he has several 100 kids he has lent a hand to over the decades,” she proudly shares. “Even at this age he is ready to give anyone the support they need - morning, noon or night,” she adds.

Quizzing him on whether he has any time for himself amidst all the activities he is otherwise busy with, he says, “Not really. I have this incredible hunger to help people. I will do so till my very end.”

Nanditha Suresh

NATIONAL EDITION

modification has implications for an array of medical outcomes, illuminating exciting developments in personalised treatment.

“Cancer is definitely a key focus area.

When you know the exact genes that are defective in a particular lesion, we can design individualised chemotherapy.

This helps us avoid the ‘sledgehammer’ approach, preventing side effects by sparing normal cells.”

The discoveries made by his laboratory have also opened up new avenues in other areas such as inflammation, kidney disease and blood pressure homeostasis.

As a member of the Indian-Australian community, Professor Kumar is delighted at the opportunity to give back to his new home.

“We make a conscious decision to relocate to a different country - we thus have a responsibility to contribute to the community which has taken us in while also maintaining our old links,” he says.

Sudarshan Arvind

CONGRATULATIONS ALSO TO...

Dr Peshotan Homi Katrak, AM NSW For significant service to rehabilitation medicine as a practitioner, to medical education and professional organisations, and to the Zoroastrian community.

Mr Robert Kumar, OAM VIC For service to the law, particularly through the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.

Mr James Mohan Savundra WA For service to medicine in the fields of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

JANUARY (2) 2018 15

INTERVIEW

Being Padmavati Deepika Padukone on her most talked-about film project yet

BY PREETI JABBAL

W

ith five edits and a slight name change to Padmaavat, the most expensive movie made in the history of Indian cinema finally hit cinemas around the globe on 25 January.

By the time you are reading this, Indian cinema fans will have got the chance to judge whether the controversy that shook the entire nation was worth the kerfuffle.

The film had been facing protests by the Karni Sena and other fringe groups over allegations that historical facts were distorted.

Embroiled in many controversies, the movie’s release was postponed only to be cleared by the Indian Supreme Court for a launch on 25 January.

The five modifications include a digitalised cover-up of Deepika’s midriff in the famous Ghoomar song so her stomach is not visible.

The one person, besides the maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has high stakes in this magnum opus is the lead actor Deepika Padukone.

The talented actress braved threats of death and physical harm including brazen warnings to behead her and chop her nose amidst demands to ban the film.

16 JANUARY (2) 2018

Inspite of the controversies - or may be because of them - this may be the most pivotal project for the leading actor to further stamp her authority. Deepika commands a presence and prospects that have made her the highest paid actress in Indian film industry.

With a net worth estimated to be over USD $11 million, she has enjoyed three years on Forbes India’s highest-ranking Indian female actor list.

The stunningly svelte actor won many awards and a decent role in Vin Diesel’s Hollywood project, XXX: Return Of Xander Cage, last year.

As the decks were cleared for a nationwide and worldwide release of Padmaavat, Deepika sought prayers and blessings from God and love from her fans.

Preeti Jabbal: You have claimed that Padmaavat will be a game changer? In what way?

Deepika Padukone: It will definitely be a game changer. It’s not like we haven’t seen female-centric or female protagonists in Indian cinema before but what we haven’t seen is a film that is primarily driven by a woman, of this scale, grandeur and cost.

The way the film has been mounted, it will be a first for Indian cinema.

PJ: What was the most exciting, remarkable thing about Rani Padmavati in your knowledge? What did you relate to most in her character?

DP: Her story was so exciting that I was highly motivated to enact that role. All the

values that she stood for - her strength, courage, intelligence, vulnerability and innocence - were inspiring and very relatable. These traits are common to many women and should be celebrated.

PJ: The Ghoomar song broke many records. Share the experience of creating magic with the song.

DP: To begin with, you never set out with the intention to create magic but somewhere along the way, you enjoy what you do and you are honest to the moment that you are in. That’s when magic is created. The look and feel of Ghoomar had that extra special element.

PJ: How were the dynamics of working with Ranveer Singh as the anti-hero as opposed to the lead romantic role?

DP: It was very hard when you have been pitted against each other as die-hard romantics and then to be cast as someone who cannot bear the sight of the other, almost like a hate story. It was emotionally very difficult for me.

PJ: You have now filmed three magnum opus movies with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

How would you describe your experience with each of them?

DP: I think we have evolved to a point today we don’t need to communicate much. We look at each other and understand each other. There is a tremendous amount of honesty, transparency and trust that we share and that’s probably why he has given me this responsibility to shoulder.

PJ: Bhansali is a legendary director. Did

you get an opportunity to implement your own sensibilities into the part of Rani Padmavati or was it entirely his making?

DP: It’s a collaborative process. Of course it is his vision but he also liberates his actors to bring in their set of skills and to make it their own. This is why our collaboration of three films has worked so beautifully. He enables you and gives you that feeling of freedom to create and do it in a way that you want to do it.

PJ: Where are you in your mind space prior to the release of this much talked about film?

DP: So excited for its release. I can’t wait to share this experience with everyone. It takes me back to the fact that it is going to be game changing and truly spectacular.

PJ: Future projects to look forward to?

DP: Shooting is expected to commence soon for my next film that is directed by Honey Trehan and produced by Vishal Bharadwaj. I am cast opposite Irfan Khan and the film is based on a true story.

PJ: What’s the future of women and women’s empowerment in Indian cinema now that you have managed to trigger the process to some extent?

DP: I see it opening a lot of doors. It was simmering anyway. For me, it’s sort of a statement for producers to know what is possible. I think we have placed the responsibilities on the men for a while and we are ready for the same with female protagonists now. > See film review on P 40

www.indianlink.com.au

Photos: Vani Kandula, PhotobyVani

INDIA-OZ

Chhattisgarh seeks Aust investments CM of resource-rich Indian state Dr Raman Singh leads delegation

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

I

t may be one of India’s youngest states, having only been established in 2000, but Chhattisgarh, by all accounts, is punching above its weight. The widespread poverty notwithstanding, it boasts of a net state domestic product of 8.2% as compared to 7.1% nationwide.

With double digit GDP growth, Chhattisgarh’s strengths lie in its agriculture and industrial production sectors. Raipur, its capital, is considered to be one of the fastest developing cities in India and it is expected to be further boosted in the next 8-10 years as the Government focusses on making this their showcase city to attract future investments.

To woo Australian investment in the state, a high-level delegation from Chhattisgarh, led by its Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, made a 10-day official visit down under. Accompanied by high-ranking officials from Chhattisgarh, Dr Singh visited Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney and met with senior corporate leaders, government officials and business leaders from the Indian and Australian communities.

In a lunch-time presentation to over 150

NATIONAL EDITION

guests at the Shangri La hotel, Dr Singh expressed his desire that his state connect with Australia’s fastest growing state, NSW and bolster closer ties.

“NSW has to be congratulated for the leading role it plays in Australia’s economic growth,” Dr Singh said.

Speaking in chaste Hindi but with translation headsets for the non-Hindi speakers present, Dr Singh reminded all of the wonderful opportunities available in India and the work done by PM Narendra Modi in starting initiatives such as Startup India, Digital India, Make in India etc. “Both the demonetisation process and implementing the new goods and services tax system in India have ensured that systems have become simpler to do

business in India, and Chhattisgarh has even gone a step further by ensuring greater transparency in its processes.”

This had been discussed earlier when Dr Kamal Preet Singh, Secretary from the Department of Commerce and Industry, had emphasised that all state mining licenses are now dealt with online, in a transparent manner. “For all our coal production and other similar sectors, we have end-to-end processing systems, so there is total accountability,” he said.

The state has risen to become one of the most preferred investment destinations in the country. The Reserve Bank of India recently declared it one of the best fiscally managed states: it ranks as 4th on the nation’s ease-of-doing-business index.

The Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Aman Kumar Singh, also emphasised in his address that infrastructure and institution building was high priority for the ministry of Dr Raman Singh, who had just marked his 5,000th day as chief minister.

Earlier, local ministers Jonathan O’Dea, representing the Premier of NSW, and Barry O’Farrell, special NSW envoy to India, welcomed the delegation and spoke about the importance of stateto-state partnerships. With a slight hint of frustration in his voice, envoy Barry O’Farrell urged all that rather than just talk about the potential between NSW and India, the time now is to grab the opportunities which exist.

CHHATTISGARH FACTFILE Capital Raipur Geographical area 137,898 sq km State languages Chhattisgarhi, Hindi and English Literacy rate 70.3 per cent Key industries Mining, iron and steel, tin, cement, power, IT and ITeS and biotechnology Population 25.5 million Major cities Raipur, Bhilai, Bilaspur, Raigarh Economy and GSDP US $45 billion Tourism hotspots Gol Gumbaz, Chitrakot waterfalls (IBEF and other sources)

JANUARY (2) 2018 17

INDIA-OZ

A new chapter in Victoria-India ties The newly launched Vic-India Strategy and Premier Daniel Andrews’ maiden visit to India aim at boosting business, educational and cultural partnerships

BY PREETI JABBAL

V

ictoria Premier Daniel Andrews’ maiden visit to India leveraged on emerging trends to reinvigorate the India-Australia relationship and strategic partnership by forging stronger ties and shared ambitions for the future.

Prior to his departure, the Premier launched the Victoria-India Strategy, a decade-long plan aimed to further strengthen Victoria’s engagement with India.

The ambitious strategy, drawn by the state of Victoria, identified important areas of collaboration to create synergies that will mutually benefit the two nations economically, socially and culturally.

The blueprint aims to double the value of Victoria’s annual goods exports to India from a five-year annual average of $500 million to almost $1 billion by 2027.

The focus is also on increasing the number of Indian postgraduate research

18 JANUARY (2) 2018

students in Victoria by 25 per cent, doubling the number of Victorian businesses engaged in India from 150 to 300 and nearly tripling the expenditure by Indian visitors to Victoria to $885 million.

Articulating the vision of the strategy, the Premier hailed the contribution of Indian Australians and highlighted the recent census results, declaring Indians as the largest migrant group to Victoria.

“Victoria is proudly home to the

contributions,” said the Premier.

According to Andrews, this strategy was developed in collaboration with Indian partners, organisations and individuals and the implementation will establish a closer and more cohesive partnership between the two countries.

“Relationships are about a lot more than just trade and transactions. They’re about trust, mutual understanding and respect,” said the Premier during the official launch

Relationships are about a lot more than just trade and transactions. They’re about trust, mutual understanding and respect Daniel Andrews, Vic Premier largest Indian population in our nation.

Every year we welcome more students, more visitors and more businesses from India to our state. To have the biggest and I think the most impressive Indian community in our nation, does us credit as the multicultural capital of our nation.

Ours is not just a story of numbers, it’s a story of personal connections and shared

of the Victoria-India Strategy held at the University of Melbourne.

The launch saw the Premier remove his shoes respectfully to join Indian community religious representatives in prayers, smile happily for photographs with Indian cultural groups and address the select audience in socks, sans shoes.

He took the opportunity to commend the

work done by the University of Melbourne and the Australia India Institute that were co-hosts of the official launch. He also announced that funding would be provided to allow the Institute to continue its work.

“There are about 209,000 Victorian Indians - and there’s a lot of diversity in that number,” Andrews said.

During his visit to India, the Premier announced initiatives that include a community festival during the Australia Vs India Magellan Boxing Day Test match at the MCG. The Premier joined Cricket Victoria CEO Tony Dodemaide and cricketing legends Bishan Bedi and Dean Jones in Delhi, recently to announce the festival.

“The Boxing Day Test is always one of the biggest dates on our sporting calendar.

This year, we’ll use the occasion to celebrate the close bond we share with our Indian friends.”

“This free festival outside the MCG will offer the very best culinary delights India has to offer, as well as a range of activities that everyone can enjoy.”

“Our close ties with India are great for our tourism industry. It creates opportunities for businesses all over the state and provides jobs for Victorians,”

www.indianlink.com.au

Photos: Ravinder Singh Jabbal & supplied

said the Premier.

He also announced that a digital interactive exhibition celebrating the life and achievements of Mahatma Gandhi would be shown in Victoria.

The Andrews Government will support Victoria’s Immigration Museum to show the unique exhibition - which will run from April to July 2018.

“Mahatma Gandhi was an inspirational leader and I’m thrilled that Victorians will be able to enjoy this incredible exhibition at the Immigration Museum.

“Victoria is home to Australia’s largest Indian population and this exhibition is an important way to acknowledge their cultural heritage and build the cultural understanding of India among the wider Victorian community,” he said.

In another initiative to broaden the trajectory of ties with India, Victorian school students will have the opportunity to travel to India on a new cultural exchange program.

Andrews recently visited Bluebells School International in Delhi and participated in a school lesson conducted via Skype with Bluebells’ Victorian sister school, Rangebank Primary School in Cranbourne.

NATIONAL EDITION

Education is a key focus of the VictoriaIndia Strategy and three new initiatives were announced engaging with the next generation of young people. These include: * A new two-year Victorian Young Leaders to India pilot which will see up to 200 Victorian Year 7-9 students and 25 teachers travel to India and complete twoto four-week immersion programs * A two-year Women in School Leadership Program that helps female

school leaders, including principals and senior teachers, from Victoria and India to share knowledge related to school leadership, change management and Education State priorities * A two-year Victorian Schools and Indian Diaspora Partnerships Program to deepen Victorian schools’ engagement with India by harnessing the knowledge of the Indian diaspora to develop and support partnerships between schools in

India and Victoria.

The Premier said he also planned to discuss the extradition of Puneet Puneet, an Indian student, who in 2008, knocked dead Dean Hofstee and seriously injured Clancey Coker in a road accident. Puneet Puneet then fled Australia to India. “We’ll petition the Indian government for the return of Puneet Puneet to Australia,” Andrews said. The case is expected to return to court in February.

THE BLUEPRINT > Double the value of Victoria’s annual goods exports to India from to almost $1 billion by 2027 > Increase the number of Indian postgraduate research students in Victoria by 25 per cent > Double the number of Victorian businesses engaged in India from 150 to 300 > Triple the expenditure by Indian visitors to Victoria to $885 million > Digital interactive exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi would be shown in Victoria > Three new initiatives for engaging with the next generation of young people from Victoria and India

JANUARY (2) 2018 19

WHAT’S ON REPUBLIC DAY Flag hoisting at Consulate Fri 26 Jan (9:30am-11:00am) On the occasion of the 69th Republic Day of India, a flag hoisting ceremony would be held on Friday, 26th January, 2018 at Consulate General of India, Sydney. The programme includes flag hoisting ceremony, singing of the national anthem, reading of the speech of the Hon’ble President of India by Consul General and cultural programmes. Members of Indian community and friends of India are invited to take part in the flag hoisting ceremony. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony. Consulate General of India, Level 2, 265, Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Details 02 9223 2702 Holifest (Festival of Colours) Sun 25 Feb (11am-4pm) Apart from colours, this multicultural festival will also feature live on stage performances, food stalls, children’s fun rides and entertainment activities, non-stop music and heaps of entertainment. Castle Hill Showground, Doran Dr, Castle Hill.

Details 1300 338 368 Holi Mahotsav Sat 14 April 10:00am to Sun 15 April 7:00pm Tumbalong Park, Pier St, Sydney, Australia 2000. Details: www.holimahotsav.com.au Rockdale colour festival Sat 3 March 11:00am to Sun 4

March 9:00pm Rockdale Bicentennial Park, West Botany St, Rockdale.

Details kameroevents.com.au

developing the right mindset towards cultivating resilience and dealing with stressful situations and about mindfulness meditation.

Sun 18 Feb Eco Art Fest - ‘Climate Change’ (Competitions for children from kindy-Year 12 to showcase their understanding about the environment Dundas Community Centre, 21 Sturt Street Telopea.

Details Jayashree 0420 522 629

Holi Mela Parramatta Sun 4 March (11:00am-5:00pm) Between Wilde Avenue and Queen Street, Parramatta. Details Anuj Kulshretra 0426 155 227 POETRY Guftagu with Gulzar Sahab Sat 27 Jan (5:30pm to 9:30pm) An unforgettable evening with the celebrated poet, lyricist and director Gulzar. Sir John Clancy Auditorium, UNSW, 9 High Street, Kensington.

Details Arun Nanda 0401 230 046

Life enrichment program (Fortnightly) G.O.D. Australia Sydney Chapter invites school children to Gopakuteeram, A life enrichment program imparting universal values through stories from Indian scriptures, slokas, bhajans, choir, games, drama, art festivals and more. These twohour, fortnightly classes start from 4 February at 4 p.m. Namadwaar 44 Oakes Road Winston Hills. Details Jayashree 0420 522 629

ENTERTAINMENT Bappi Lahiri show Sat 10 March (7:30pm) Whitlam Centre, 90A Memorial Avenue, NSW. Details Rakesh 0411 621 371

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 Strathfield Girls High School. All levels of fitness welcomed.

Entrance via Oxford Rd. Details Karo 0413 535 157.

SPIRITUAL Bhajan Kirtan Sun 28 Jan (4:00pm-6:30pm) An event by Shri Shiva Mandir in association with ISKCON Hare Krishna South West Sydney. Krishna Bhajans by Sripati Prabhuji. Discourse on Bhagvat Geeta by Achal Krsna Prabhuji. Details 0421 376 384 G.O.D. Events Sat 17 Feb (4:00pm-6:00pm) Workshop on Building Resilience and Mindfulness (For students in Year 5-12). Children will learn about

LANGUAGE Hindi Classes Saturdays 2.30pm to 4.30pm Located at the Indian Cultural Centre, Level 1, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney. Hindi classes are $5 per one hour class or $40 for ten classes.

Registration is essential as there is a maximum of 20 people per class.

Paid parking is available in the vicinity.

Details email icc2.sydney@mea.gov.in BSK/SVP classes, Saturdays A local initiative of VHP Australia, Bala Samskar Kendra (BSK) holds weekly Sanskrit language lessons as well as a culture and heritage program at Oran Park School, 390 South Circuit, Oran Park. Details Akila 0450 117 372.

To list your event email: media@indianlink.com.au

60 Campuses in

! rks NSW / VIC / QLD / WA / ACT / SA & NZ o at W h T tion

BUSINESS ACHIEVERS AWARD Winner Tuition, Training & Children’s Services Hall of Fame

Tui

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 spiritofindia2002@yahoo.com, visit www.spiritofindia.org.au or contact Suresh 0412 202 182

Yoga: The way of life (Saturdays 8am; Wednesdays 7pm) A retreat for body, mind and soul, join weekly yoga sessions at Glenwood Public School

Over

Coaching College

(Saturdays) or Moorebank Community Centre (Wednesdays). Details Meera 0433 125 708.

There must be one near you!

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COMMUNITY

Waiting to exhale Suffering from a rare disease, four-year-old Alisha Kapoor awaits a heart-lung transplant

BY SARONI ROY

A

lisha Kapoor is like a regular 4-year-old - chatty, active and full of imagination. She likes to laugh and is learning how to play the violin. But there’s one way in which she is different from a regular 4-year-old girl - she cannot breathe without ventilator support.

Born with a very rare lung disease called Surfactant protein C deficiency, Alisha is

admitted to the hospital and becoming entirely dependent on a ventilator 24 hours a day to keep her lungs working and ultimately, to keep her alive. While Alisha is on the ventilator, her condition can be managed. However, due to her complex medical needs, it also means that she cannot go home. The only real cure for her is a heart-lung transplant, a gift that her parents are desperately hoping will come soon.

“Alisha was 6 months old when she fell very sick. We were based in China then.

The doctors there could not diagnose the issue and therefore there was no treatment. We flew back to Sydney and went to the Children’s Hospital at

Alisha is so young and small, it’s too risky to separate the lungs from the heart and do the procedure. “The diameter, length and breadth of the trachea and the bronchi is very small so it’s very difficult to connect to new lungs to it. If Alisha had been older, we could’ve just replaced her lungs. So for her, it has to be a block transplant and she will also be the youngest heart-lung transplant recipient in Australia,” Dr Pandit says.

Alisha’s daily cost of bed, tertiary ICU care for 24x7 ventilation, nursing, as well as kindergarten is about $4000$5000 per day. But because it’s a public hospital, it is borne by the government of Australia under the Medicare system.

Alisha cannot survive more than a few seconds if the ventilator is disconnected.

It is indeed a massive support system for Alisha’s parents, who are able to keep their daughter alive because the Australian government and medical facilities are

interactive, intelligent and imaginative she is. She has directed the nurses to decorate her room. She has a wonderful sense of humour and is learning to play the violin. The occupational therapists and physiotherapists train her every day to keep her muscle strength intact. She keeps a tab on all the patients around her and all the nurses and doctors are her friends!”

Alisha has been on the transplant list since March last year and is now waiting until her family receives that phone call that she has received a heart and lung donor. When this happens, Alisha will be flown to The Alfred in Melbourne, where the life-saving surgery will take place.

What makes Alisha particularly special though, is the fact that if she receives her transplant and her heart stays healthy, she will be able to gift her heart to save another child.

“In Alisha’s case, the donor has to be essentially of her height with the same

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead has been Alisha’s home for the last 4 years, where she is on ventilator 24 hours a day

missing the vital protein needed to inflate her lungs. Without this protein, her lungs collapse immediately like a deflating balloon whenever she tries to breathe.

This little girl is hoping for a heart-lung transplant so that she can breathe without ventilator support, like any other child.

Alisha has spent almost all of her life living at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney. She spent just six months at home after birth before being

NATIONAL EDITION

Westmead straight from the airport,” recounts Alisha’s father Raj. Dr Chetan Pandit, who took charge of Alisha’s case since she landed in the hospital, says, “We have had at least five similar patients of different age groups at our hospital and some of them died in the neo-natal phase. The only curative treatment for Alisha is that she needs new lungs.”

But even here, there’s a hitch. Because

supporting them to this extraordinary length. Without this support, they would have lost Alisha years ago.

“I had approached a few other hospitals in USA and UK where transplant facilities are available for such young children, but it was too expensive and risky for her to travel. It would have cost me roughly $4 million plus we would have had to move there for at least a year with no job while also dealing with visa issues,” says Raj. Children’s Hospital at Westmead has been Alisha’s home for the last four years but that hasn’t suppressed her zest for life. Alisha is chatty and smart that can give you a complete account of her medical condition. Dr Pandit talks about Alisha’s daily life endearingly. “You have to see her to believe how active,

blood group so that her/his heart and lungs can be harvested. Most common donor case is if someone dies in an accident. If all the organs are in good condition, they can be harvested,” Dr Pandit says.

He adds that anyone can be a donor.

You can just go to the website (www. donatelife.gov.au) and sign up anytime.

“There is no monetary transaction involved, it’s just that your family needs to know that you’re a donor and would like to donate your organs after your death,” says Dr Pandit.

Alisha’s family also has a fundraising page for Alisha (www.gofundme.com/ helping-alisha), to support her financial costs as well as the two hospitals caring for her.

JANUARY (2) 2018 21

INDIAN NEWS Security men guard Hindus carrying children dressed as deities Rama and Sita at Sangam, confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna, on Basant Panchami at the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Allahabad on 22 Jan. Photo: AP where she succumbed to the bullet injuries.

The armed student was overpowered by school staff and beaten up. He was later handed over to the police.

Police said the boy’s father is a financier and the licensed pistol used in the incident belonged to the father.

“School staff, students and teachers caught the accused while he was trying to escape and handed him over to police,” said a senior police officer.

There was panic in the school as five gunshots were fired by the assailant.

Police officials investigating the case said the assailant came to the school along with a friend on a motorcycle and headed straight for the Principal’s office.

School staff told the police that the student was angered over recent developments in the school which led to his expulsion.

The student had been rusticated as he had low attendance and used to pick fights with other students.

India to become $5 trillion economy: Modi at Davos

Hardselling the country to global investors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on 23 January that India’s reforms have touched almost all sectors and the country is set to become a $5 trillion economy by 2025, riding on its vast market and strong and stable fundamentals.

“Our present development agenda is based on five pillars. First and foremost, we do understand that our systems need to change.

Hence, we are persisting with far reaching structural reforms. Thus, our first pillar is our mantra of reform, perform and transform,” Modi said while addressing the plenary session of the World Economic Forum at Davos.

He said, “India is an investment in future,” also adding that, “Indians accepted in one voice and moved towards a cashless society and a unified tax system in the form of GST.” Saying reforms have touched almost all sectors, Modi said, “This specially includes formalising the informal economy through demonetisation and digital transactions, direct tax reforms and expansion of the tax base, banking reforms, DBT (direct benefit transfer) through UID (Unique Identification) and bank accounts, minimising discretion, combating corruption and controlling inflation. Also, we have consistently reduced fiscal deficit and current account deficit.”

He pointed out that over the last three years, the Indian government has resolved a number of regulatory and policy issues facing businesses, investors and companies.

“In this direction, we have also undertaken bold FDI reforms. More than 90 per cent of the FDI approvals have been put on the automatic approval route. As a result of these changes, there has been a sharp rise in FDI in the past three years - from $36 billion in 2013-14 to $60 billion in 2016-17.”

Modi said the country is using technology to transform governance and deliver public entitlements and services. “I have been saying that e-governance is easy and effective governance,” he said.

“Our government agencies are finding innovative ways to create a business-friendly 22 JANUARY (2) 2018

environment. We have now developed the digestive capacity for various technologies.

Our young people have already distinguished themselves in the realm of technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

About infrastructure development in the country, he said, “Our objective is to reduce the logistics cost transaction time for various activities. Also, improvement in infrastructure have already enthused people as they are beginning to see a qualitative change in their lives.”

Regarding inclusive economic development, he added, “As I said, the biggest reason for fracture within the countries is inequality and disparity leading to divide and distrust. Personally, I have always said that development process should be inclusive and encompassing. We have tried in our own way to bridge the income and opportunity divide.”

President okays 20 AAP MLAs’ disqualification

In a big blow to Delhi’s ruling AAP, President Ram Nath Kovind on 21 Jan approved the Election Commission’s recommendation to disqualify 20 of its MLAs in the office of profit case.

The 20 MLAs are Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gehlot, Vijendra Garg, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Madan Lal Khufiya, Shiv Charan Goyal, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar, Som Dutt, Avtar Singh, Sukhvir Singh Dala, Manoj Kumar, Nitin Tyagi and Jarnail Singh.

The Election Commission on Friday recommended disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs for holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries, giving its opinion to the President on a complaint by advocate Prashant Patel, a member of the Hindu Legal Cell, in June 2015, who petitioned then President Pranab Mukherjee against the appointments.

The application by Patel said 21 AAP MLAs, including Jarnail Singh (Rajouri Garden) who resigned to contest the Punjab Assembly polls last year, were appointed

Parliamentary Secretaries to Ministers in the Delhi government in violation of the law and Constitution.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit welcomed the approval, saying the decision had contributed to the protection of democratic values.

“If required we will go to the Supreme Court. The Constitution is supreme and is the law of the land and has been protected by our judiciary time and again,” said party supremo Arvind Kejriwal.

All 11,000 trains, 8,500 stations to have CCTV surveillance

In its endeavour to provide a safe and secure travel experience to passengers, India Railways is pitching for the procurement of about 12 lakh CCTV cameras to ensure stateof-the-art surveillance systems in all trains and stations across the country.

The Railways will make a provision of around Rs 3,000 crore in its budget for 201819 to install CCTV systems in all 11,000 trains - including premier and suburban services - and all the 8,500 stations in the Indian rail network, to provide safety and security at rail premises.

As per the plan, while each coach will have eight CCTV cameras covering the entry gates, aisle and vestibules, all crucial points at stations will have the systems.

Currently, there are about 395 stations and about 50 trains that are equipped with CCTV systems.

School principal shot dead

by Class 12 student

In a shocking incident, a woman principal of a private school in Haryana’s Yamunanagar town was shot dead on 20 January by an agitated Class 12 student who had been rusticated.

Principal Ritu Chhabra was shot at thrice allegedly by the student in her office at the Swami Vivekanand Public School in Thapar Colony of Yamunanagar town, around 110 km from Chandigarh.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital

Indian Navy’s all-women sailing boat reaches Falkland Islands

The Indian Navy’s sailing boat INSV Tarini, with an all-women crew, on 22 January entered Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, after crossing the Cape of Horn on January 18.

The boat is on its maiden voyage to circumnavigate the world. It is likely to depart Port Stanley on February 4.

The vessel and the crew experienced rough weather and stormy winds during the passage across the Pacific ocean that spanned 41 days, an official statement said.

This coupled with the extremely cold climatic conditions prevailing in the region, proved to be a daunting task for the Indian Navy crew. Winds in excess of 60 knots and waves upto 7 meters were experienced on this leg.

The indigenously-built INSV Tarini is a 56foot sailing vessel, which was inducted in the Indian Navy earlier this year, and showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The vessel is scheduled to return to Goa in April 2018, on completion of the voyage.

The expedition is being covered in five legs, with stopovers at four ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).

Jaipur is perfect for the world’s most egalitarian book festival

BY WILLIAM DALRYMPLE The Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, from 25 to 29 Jan, is a unique celebration of writing that has grown into something far bigger and more wonderful than anything we could ever have hoped when we first conceived of this Festival 11 years ago.

Jaipur remains one of the world’s most beautiful cities with remarkable literary and artistic traditions. It is the perfect setting for what we pride ourselves for, is the most democratic and egalitarian book festival in the world. And when we ask an author to come to Jaipur, he or she rarely says no, and this year we are proud to present a galaxy of the world’s greatest writers and thinkers, including constellations of Harvard, Yale, Oxbridge

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Relatives of a firecracker factory fire victim wail at a hospital on the outskirts of New Delhi on 21 Jan. The fire killed at least 17 workers.

Photo: AP

and St Stephen’s faculty as well as glittering cohorts of Booker, Pulitzer, Sahitya Akademi and Samuel Johnson winners. It’s like a superuniversity pitching its tents in Jaipur for five days and opening its doors to all comers.

Anyone who wishes to see the draw should visit Jaipur Railway Station one evening and see all the book-loving students camping on the platforms. They may not be able to afford a hostel bed but they’ve found ways of getting to Jaipur from Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kashmir to supercharge their minds. Our audiences are the youngest, brightest and most enthusiastic of any festival I know.

This year, we have so much to offer that it is difficult to know where to begin. My co-director Namita Gokhale has written eloquently on the extraordinary list she has put together in all its multi-linguistic glory.

I am equally proud of my international list which this year is, I believe, one of the most cerebral and intellectually-stimulating we’ve ever fielded.

We have gathered talent from across the globe - from Afghanistan to Patagonia and Tasmania to Turkey - to present writers of genius as diverse as the great literary critic Homi K Bhabha, travel writer Redmond O’Hanlon, terror expert Peter Bergen and the theoretical particle physicist Lisa Randall.

We import some of the world’s most admired playwrights and novelists, including Tom Stoppard, Michael Ondaatje and Amy Tan. We delve deeply into areas of world literature we have so far failed to explore, notably the novelists and poets of Scandinavia, Syria and West Africa while returning to examine eternal classics such as the works of Conrad, Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf.

We will also explore a vast range of subjects from the history of headhunters to nature writing and the decline of pollinating insects; from the Russian Revolution to the perils of celebrity; study biographies from Lenin to Cleopatra, Bin Laden to Bruce Chatwin; we hear tales of book smuggling in Timbuktu and river journeys up the Congo; we look at the art of film and screenwriting and ask whether the page is mightier than the screen; we probe the reason for the Reformation, ask how to save the Ganges and uncover the secrets of al-Qaeda; we share the agonies of Syria and Palestine and the pleasures of Chinese philosophy and Sufism, as well as learning about dinosaurs and dark matter.

It’s going to be an incredible few days!

In first year, Trump firms up ties with India

As an upstart candidate aiming for the highest office in the United States, Donald Trump promised an election rally of Indians that they “will have a true friend in the White House” and “we are going to be best friends” with India.

In his first year as President, Trump has stuck to the promise, appointing for the first time an Indian-American, Nikki Haley, to the cabinet and giving India a “leadership role” in Washington’s global strategy across a broad geographic swath.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a man of humble origins, and Trump, a billionaire and a flamboyant reality TV personality, have struck an unlikely friendship.

NATIONAL EDITION

During a White House visit in June, their hitherto phone friendship was sealed with hugs. “The relationship between India and the US has never been stronger, never been better,” Trump declared. “I am thrilled to salute you, Prime Minister Modi, and the Indian people for all you are accomplishing together.”

The ties have been growing strong under the previous three administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and Trump has moved it to a higher trajectory given its preoccupations with China and Afghanistan.

Global security has emerged as the centrepiece of Trump’s approach to India.

“We welcome India’s emergence as a leading global power and stronger strategic and defence partner,” said his national strategy unveiled last month, with a view to making New Delhi a counter-balance to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific region.

And Modi had said in October that IndiaUS ties were growing with a “great deal of speed”.

While Indian-Americans are overwhelmingly Democrat - a Pew Research Center survey said 65 percent support that party - Trump has given members of the community some top administration jobs.

But there have also been areas of friction with India, with immigration as the most contentious. The Trump administration - and his campaign - have signalled plans to fundamentally change the H-1B visa programme for professionals that overwhelmingly benefits Indians. But so far it hasn’t, although it has tightened the scrutiny of the visas.

It also backed off a threat to make H1-B visa holders in line for Green Cards return home while they wait out the years for their permanent residencies.

On the economic front, Trump’s “America First” and Modi’s “Make in India” are likely to come into conflict as each seek manufacturing, jobs and investments in their own economies, and Trump threatening nations with which the US has a trade deficit.

The five Indian Americans in the Congress

opposed Trump on most issues. The first Senator of Indian-American ancestry, Democrat Kamala Harris, has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of Trump. She is pushing the Senator Judiciary Committee enquiry into Trump campaign’s alleged links to Russia and has called for his resignation over charges of sexual harassment.

But Trump’s India policy “transcends partisanship” and the party supports his initiatives to strengthen it further, according to Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

An important area of convergence for the two countries is the fight against terrorism.

“Both our nations have been struck by the evils of terrorism and we are both determined to destroy terrorist organisations and the radical ideology that drives them,” Trump said during Modi’s visit to the White House in June.

Adopted Indian child now a Swiss parliamentarian

His biological mother Anasuiya could never have imagined that Niklaus-Samuel Gugger, whom she abandoned in a hospital 48 years ago just after his birth, would be the first Indian to be elected to the Swiss parliament.

Born in CSI Lombard Memorial Hospital, run by Basel Mission, in Karnataka’s Udupi town, on May 1, 1970, Niklaus was adopted by a Swiss couple within a week of his abandonment.

Niklaus’s new parents - Fritz and Elizbeth - took him to Kerala when he was just 15 days old and they lived there for around four years before moving to their native place in Switzerland. There, Niklaus had to drive trucks and work as a gardener as his adoptive parents were not rich enough to finance his higher studies.

From the sidelines of the first PIOParliamentarian Conference here last week, Niklaus said, “My mother, Anasuiya, handed me over to Dr ED Pflugfelder - now deceased - just after my birth, requesting him to give me to a couple who could rear me in a better way and help me make a good career.”

Pflugfelder, in turn, contacted the Gugger

couple and the rest, as they say, is history.

Niklaus, better known as Nik, was among 143 People of Indian Origin (PIO) parliamentarians from 24 countries who took part in the conference organised by the Ministry of External Affairs to engage the diaspora as part of its diplomatic outreach.

For Niklaus, coming to India was an emotional moment.

Narrating his journey from the Karnataka hospital to the Swiss parliament, Niklaus said he spent initial four years of his life in Thalassery in Kerala where his new mother Elizabeth worked as a teacher of German and English and father Fritz was a tool maker in Nattur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF).

“Later, my new parents moved to Switzerland where I worked as a truck driver, gardener and mechanic to pay for my higher studies. I had to go through this because my parents were not so rich as to bear the burden of my studies. They gave me food and clothes.

“They trained me in other things,” Niklaus added.

Having finished my studies, I indulged in social work simultaneously with my other work to earn my livelihood.

In 2002, he was elected town councillor from Winterthur city northeast of Zurich near the German border.

“And subsequently, in November 2017, I was elected as a member of Switzerland parliament on the ticket of the Evangelical People’s Party - a minority party. I am the first Indian to be elected as an MP in Switzerland’s parliament.”

Niklaus added he would be the only Indian in the Swiss parliament for at least the next decade as there was no other active Indianorigin politician in the country.

He has also had a long association with Kerala’s NTTF institute, which lends a helping hand to students pursuing their technical education in India and Switzerland.

Niklaus thanked his biological mother for his success and said he named his daughter Anasuia to keep alive her memory because he has not been able to track her down.

IANS

JANUARY (2) 2018 23

SUSTAINABILITY Bath-tub & wash basin become fish pond and planter

Recycled garden Jugaad in action

Repurposing, swapping, bargain hunting can help you create a garden on the cheap

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

R

ecycling is a new concept but a very old idea. Our parents and grandparents always did it but there was no separate word to describe this. You can call it thrift, resourcefulness or jugaad (frugal

innovation, or making do with what is around). It all means the same - you make the best use of available materials and repurpose it instead of sending it to a landfill.

Sources of materials are op shops such as Salvos and Vinnies, free stuff picked up from friends, kerbside clean-ups and listed on websites such as Gumtree, Freecycle and Zilch. As they say, one man’s trash is another’s treasure. You can also get unique pieces for your garden at bargain prices on ebay.

Scarecrow with old clothes and crutches found on the street

24 JANUARY (2) 2018

As for plants, don’t be shy to ask for cuttings from neighbours and friends.

Swap plants with friends. You will find that most gardeners are generous with seeds and cuttings. I often get plants from listings on Freecycle from people who are clearing overgrown yards. Join your local Permaculture group. You can learn from other members at meetings, listen to interesting invited speakers and you can swap or buy organic seeds from members for much cheaper prices than stores.

Here are some examples of this from

our garden. Space is not a limitation, you are only limited by your imagination!

Let’s inspire each other. Send us pictures and ideas of what you have done in your own homes, yards and balconies.

(Jyoti Shankar is a freelance writer and sustainability professional, who is passionate about nature. Her home garden is the laboratory for all things sustainable - recycled furniture, a worm farm, compost bin, veggie beds, a bird bath, native beehive, worm towers and more)

Old wheelbarrow makes a great flowering plant holder

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Old kitchen utensil holder now holds a cascading ‘Dichondra silver falls’

Old terracotta pipes, sandpit timbers and clay snails create a cactus display

Native beehive sits well on found iron table and discarded letter box atop

The broken part of plastic bucket cleverly hidden with a tilted display

Vinyl record shaped into a planter

Broken strawberry planter reborn as cascading plant holder

NATIONAL EDITION

A coat of paint makes this found wooden box as good as new

JANUARY (2) 2018 25

COMMUNITY

Punjab beyond borders A new book takes an unprecedented look at how Sikh legacy has been preserved in Pakistan. SIMREN SAMRAI reports

(From left) Sikh Youth Association’s Arvinder Singh, Indian High Commissioner Dr AM Gondane, Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Dr Muhammad Khalid Ejaz, Sikh Youth Association’s Satwant Calais and author Amandeep Singh

T

he Partition of India which saw the state of Punjab ripped at the seams, has long stirred passions and elicited strong emotions in the hearts of Indians and Pakistanis alike.

However, on a warm Saturday afternoon at Sikh Youth Australia’s 20th Annual Summer Camp, author Amandeep Singh unveiled a project that challenged his audience to look beyond their pain and differences on the matter.

In the presence of esteemed guests, including India’s High Commissioner to Australia Dr AM Gondane and the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia Dr Muhammad Khalid Ejaz, Singh launched his book The Lost Heritage: The Quest Continues.

The book takes readers on a journey across Pakistan, uncovering the multifaceted Sikh and wider Punjabi legacy lost with the partition of Punjab in 1947, that spans beyond just religious sites to architectural masterpieces, artistic relics and historical forts to name but a few.

The comprehensive volume that consists of over 500 pages, was born out of Singh’s visits to a combined 126 cities and villages across Pakistan. However, instead of proving overwhelming, the interspersion of photographs and anecdotes throughout,

26 JANUARY (2) 2018

serves to add a sense of intimacy that resonates with members of all communities. For instance, Singh relates powerful encounters he had with locals such as the Nanakpanthis of Balochistan and Sindh, who are 4 million in number and who, despite not following all forms of Sikhism, live by and preach the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder and first Guru of Sikhism.

Singh challenged that these individuals constitute a thriving Sikh community in the depths of Pakistan beyond just the wellknown enclaves of prominent gurdwaras such as Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib, whose entry is reserved solely for Sikhs in the traditional sense.

Greater inspection of the book evokes the sense that an intrinsically shared legacy is being unveiled that derives from a time when differences where not viewed as so stark. On several occasions, Singh discovers the very tales and figures once venerated by Sikhs are still today celebrated in Pakistan, albeit on different terms. For instance, the Sikh figure Baba Than Singh heralded from Fateh Khan in the Attock district of Pakistan and before 1947, a namesake gurdwara stood in Fateh Khan fostered by the local Sikh community. After their

exodus during partition, Pakistani locals, despite converting the Gurdwara for alternative uses, maintained the building and continued to revere Baba Than Singh by reforming him as the more culturally acceptable Sultan Than Singh. On his 2017 visit to the once Gurdwara, Singh discovered that despite the decay of the physical building, locals still lit a candle each Friday out of respect for their Sultan Than Singh.

The making of the book itself is a testament to the growing integration between India and Pakistan that must be fostered to reclaim such lost shared legacies. When the preceding volume of The Lost Heritage was launched at the 2016 Sikh Youth Australia Family Camp, it was in the presence of Defence Attaché to the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia, Brigadier Muhamad Ashgar.

Moved by Singh’s unpolitical quest to uncover the combined heritage lost during partition, Brigadier Ashgar arranged for Singh’s 2017 trip through 90 cities and villages in Pakistan, accompanied by an army escort that afforded him unprecedented access to historical sights and enabled the composition of the second book. At Sikh Youth Australia’s January 2017 launch of this second volume the

Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia Dr Muhammad Khalid Ejaz cited Guru Nanak as one of the best examples of religious tolerance and reflected on the commonalities in the experiences of Punjabis across India and Pakistan who, regardless of religion, have a fundamentally intertwined history of living and working side by side.

At the conclusion of the launch, Singh remarked on the human emotion that underscored all of his encounters and experiences throughout Pakistan. He noted that there was an overwhelming feeling of hope in the sentiments of those he met, hope for a future that sees an integration where the Sikh Punjabi heritage and legacies elucidated in his book and beyond need not be ‘lost’ forever.

The launch and reception of the distinguished guests was facilitated thanks to Sikh Youth Australia, an organisation that has been dedicated to promoting a greater understanding and awareness of Sikh culture, identity and heritage since its 1999 establishment. Sikh Youth Australia has been involved in numerous collaborations and projects over its lifetime and this January successfully ran its 20th Annual Summer Camp with over 400 participants.

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WORK

Below: Soon after graduation

50 years as a GP: Sari-clad Indian doctor Adelaide’s Dr Jayalakshmi Gopalakrishna shows no sign of slowing down

BY RAJNI MADAN

C

ommunity service comes in many shapes and forms. For Dr Jayalakshmi Gopalakrishna, it is exemplified by dedication and unwavering commitment to her work for fifty continuous years.

“I cannot believe that I am still working,” says Dr Jaya Pathi who recently marked her 50th year of service as a medical practitioner.

Dr Jaya is the longest serving GP in the northern half of Adelaide. Proudly, she has been the only woman solo practitioner in the area for over forty years and that too in the same practice at Elizabeth North, setting another milestone. Now having transferred her surgery to another doctor, she continues to work there four days a week, cutting down from her six-day schedule for over four decades.

Dr Jaya Pathi obtained her MBBS from Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1967 and started working in a public hospital, while pursuing specialist training in Paediatrics simultaneously. As a married woman she moved to Jamshedpur and worked as a specialist Paediatrician at Telco hospital before migrating to Australia in the early ‘70s.

NATIONAL EDITION

Jaya arrived in Whyalla on a Friday in 1972 and was offered a locum position on the following Monday in a small group practice.

“That is the only free weekend I ever had,” she says in a matter-of-fact way. After a year she moved to Adelaide where her husband was working and bought a practice that has been her work place ever since.

In the ‘70s the local Lyell McEwin Hospital’s after-hours emergency section was served by private practitioners working in the surrounding suburbs. Besides working in her own practice during the week, Jaya worked at the hospital on Sundays, thus toiling seven days a week in the first three years of her working life in Australia. She also used to assist surgeons at operating theatres and deliver babies for her patients until more staff doctors were appointed at the hospital.

Ironically, in view of her working for such a long time, some of the babies she helped to deliver are now her middle-aged patients, and a few families are thirdgeneration patients.

Jaya was honoured by the Adelaide Northern Division of General Practice (ANDGP) when she completed 30 years of service and a decade later by the Northern Area Health Network for providing continuous medical service for over 40 years to the local community. She also served as a director on the Governing Board of ANDGP. What motivated Jaya to take up medicine?

“As a young girl in primary school, a gynaecologist who attended my sisterin-law in an emergency received much admiration and gratitude from the family,” Jaya reminisces. “This inspired me immensely. That is the kind of work I want to do, I resolved then.”

But being the youngest member of a large family, it was a dream beyond her capacity. Fortunately, one of her aunts came to the rescue and helped her out.

Later, due to her excellent commitment and hard work, she received much-coveted scholarship which was crucial in finishing her studies.

Recalling her venturing into starting her own practice in a new country, Jaya notes, “It was a bold move. With only a part-time doctor working there, the practice was run down. I had to work hard to build it up. The absence of a woman doctor in the region helped in a way. A sari-clad Indian woman doctor – yes, I went to work in sari from day one – was somewhat of a novelty. Presently, it is a talking point for some of my patients who comment whenever I wear a new one.”

Talking about the pleasures and pains of a solo practitioner, an extinct species, Jaya says, “It gives me total clinical freedom without commercial pressure from practice owners. On the flip side, there are too many hassles. There is no colleague around to talk to when a complex case comes up, putting a greater onus on you.

If it is hard for a male to work as a solo,

it is doubly hard for women with child bearing and rearing responsibilities. I resumed work six weeks after the delivery of my two children, both caesareans. I seldom took part in their school social and sporting activities, missing a large part of their growing up. I make it up now by baby-sitting my grandchildren two days a week when I am not at work.”

Counting the perils of practising as a solo doctor, Jaya adds, “Another problem is when I am sick for a day or two, I still have to turn up for work, as no locum will be available at short notice. I used to take a week-long break between Christmas and New Year travel around Australia. Now I take three weeks break and visit the countries on my bucket list.”

“Food was a major problem during the early years as we are vegetarians. Neither my husband nor I knew any cooking and there was no Indian grocery store here.

We made a 36-hour return coach trip to Sydney to buy grocery from Easy Moses in Bondi. On the social front there were only a handful of Indians, and no videos or movies were available for entertainment.

Now Indian migrants are better off in this regard but face issues in getting jobs in their professional areas.”

About her future-plans, she reveals that her family tells her to call it a day.

But do you reckon she’ll listen?

“As long as my brain is ticking, I will go on,” she concludes with a smile. “Like Duracell battery!”

JANUARY (2) 2018 27

INDIA DIARY

Ushering reforms through education Only well-to-do students would attend Kolkata’s Loreto Convent once. Then came Sister Cyril, writes SOMRITA GHOSH

Photos: globalsistersreport.org

It will be very difficult to change this system unless we bring all children from all backgrounds and mix them together

S

he believes that education, not charity, is the only way to bring a change in India’s existing educational and social system. And to turn this thinking into reality, she battled the inequality in the classroom through pioneering school reforms.

This is the story of Sister Cyril, an Irish nun, who has been living in Kolkata for the past six decades. Her first impression was that the erstwhile Calcutta was a hot, humid and crowded city, but what moved her emotionally was the poverty and hopelessness of children dwelling in Kolkata’s numerous slums. And she had a different approach towards uplifting these slum dwellers.

“It struck me that we live in a layered society whose upper levels have little to do with the lower levels unless the latter come into the former’s houses as domestic help. It will be very difficult to change this system unless we bring all children from all backgrounds and mix them together on an equal footing. Only then will it be possible for us to have a fully integrated nation,” Sister Cyril said.

She remembered that when she began her experiment in 1979, there was hardly

28 JANUARY (2) 2018

any support from the local residents. In the same year, she took charge as the principal of Loreto Convent, Sealdah, an institute where mostly students from wellto-do families studied.

Questions were raised when she decided to open the doors of the school to slum children, but she was determined to bring about change in society through educational reforms. She fiercely battled the inequality in the classrooms and now Loreto has 50 per cent of its seats reserved for children from economically backward families.

“People said it couldn’t be done, I have proved that it can - by creating a school where all children are friends even though they belong to radically different backgrounds,” she maintained.

Not just this, but Sister Cyril, who recently co-authored a book titled Girls

Are Our Future - Thoughts of a Practical Radical Nun, has been the brain behind many social initiatives like Rainbow Homes, the Brickfields Project and Barefoot which helped tremendously in educating children belonging to the poorest sections of the community.

These 60 years have been quite a challenging journey for her. From landing in the then Calcutta in 1956 till now, Sister Cyril has seen many facets of the city - indeed, she has seen it changing. Not just infrastructural development, Sister Cyril believes that there have been many vital educational reforms brought in by the West Bengal government over the years.

Now, she finds even the slum children carrying a school bag and walking towards a school. For her, this is a satisfactory improvement.

But there are still a few black spots that exist. One of these, she pointed out, was the marginal socio-economic development in the city’s slums.

“Very little improvement can be seen in the slum areas and in many cases the people are dislodged for high-rise buildings (to come up). The slum dwellers have been simply pushed to the outskirts,” the nun noted.

Kolkata has been a city that has been home to many missionaries and charitable institutions and with Mother Teresa, the city also learned compassion and empathy, but unlike her who believed in charity, Sister Cyril has always strongly believed in helping such children through education.

“We (Sister Cyril and Mother Teresa) had a good working relationship, she gave help to destitute people while I believed strongly in educating children so that they can get employment and support themselves to be independent,” she explained.

Asked if she ever thought of going back to Ireland, Sister Cyril firmly said no.

“Though some of my ideas would have been good for Ireland, there was no moment when I seriously considered going back,” she said, “except maybe in the very hot summer months of April and May.”

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SCHOOL

Leave a place better… …for having been there. You can do this by being focused, aware and thoroughly present

BY MOHAN DHALL

W

herever we are, wherever we go and wherever we have been - we leave an impression.

Be it a school, a relationship, a workplace or home, a shopping centre, park, beach or other place, people make an impact, subtle or otherwise.

Generally, most people are focused on what they need to do, or believe they should do. Situations in life are managed through a sense of duty and responsibility.

In so doing, their impact, though important, does not push boundaries, redefine or improve. Of course, all systems and societies need solidity, predictability, and stability. Duty and responsibility are the stuff of nation-maintaining. Doing what needs to be done, or is believed should be done, comes from a sense of compulsion, without being informed by vision. However, with a little attention, the unusual can become the norm. In this case, the unusual means a focus or attention on how to leave a ‘place’ better, rather than the same, for having been there.

A disposably-orientated society, hell bent on the immediacy of self-affirmation through a download or electronic connection, will not have the time to consider how we can leave a place better for having been there. Most of the time, we are hardly present in the situation we find

30 JANUARY (2) 2018

ourselves in. Distractibility is the new focus.

Seeing something, but not considering it, is the new knowledge. Digital memory the new authentic experience. Hurrying for the next affirmation the new self-esteem.

We should ask ourselves - educators, business people, parents and others whether we are able to meaningfully make a place better for having been there. This requires more than the predictability of doing time. It requires attention to detail in each situational aspect we find ourselves in: a school classroom, a boardroom, a household, a food court, a traffic jam. It extends more subtly to each and every relationship we have, fleetingly at a shop, or sustained through family ties, work relationships and communities. It also extends to cyberspace where hasty comments can leave an imprint that spreads to, and affects, people anywhere.

To make a place better requires knowing the place well. Complete attention is a premise of ‘knowing’.

Distractibility acts counter to reflection.

To leave a positive impact requires an understanding of limitation and the courage to envision something wiser, cleaner, more alert, safer and happier.

It may mean being brave enough to do something others would not do.

So, to leave a place or situation better than it was prior to our arrival, we need to be thoroughly present. It requires the capacity to see and also notice. To inquire and to sit in discomfort while asking whether everything is being done to make a situation or place better. It also means allowing wonder and curiosity… the ‘what

if’ and ‘how would’ type of thinking that shapes positive change, and is restless for improvement.

In simple ways, children and students can be taught to leave a room tidy - be it a classroom or homespace. In deeper ways, they can be taught to be aware of their impact on others in public spaces. Responsibility in this way means knowing that each impacts on others and consequently an awareness of others is an overriding concern.

quieter, than a slammed door. It is a focus on longer-term connections rather than shorter-term proof of rightness.

Leaving a place better does not mean living in the pseudo-grandeur of selfrighteousness and judgment. Telling others what to do is never likely to effect lasting change. Rather, to leave a situation or place better means an inner resolve is made to behave in ways that improve all situations and places, as far as possible.

This resolve then translates to actions.

To leave a situation or place better means an inner resolve is made to behave in ways that improve all situations and places For adults, of course physical spaces such as homes and the workplace fridge are obvious and easy places where people can, and usually do, respect one another.

However, less obvious is the way people separate from homes, relationships and workplaces. Conflict and pain, fuelled by anger, can characterise changes without anyone spending the time to ask, “What could be done better?”

A premise for leaving a place of conflict better for having been in dispute is a focus on feelings rather than blame. “I feel disappointed,” is far more likely to effect change than, “You are stupid.” A genuine apology is more palpable, though

A focus on ‘better’ inevitably means subsuming the short-term for a better long-term. Alas, in the case of executive bonuses, political periods, a twenty-four hour news cycle (conflated to 8-hours), metrics and KPIs, views and ‘likes’, there is an overwhelming pressure on immediacy or sooner. Thus, decisions are made without an understanding of the broader scope.

Wisdom is premised on insight; a capacity to see more deeply. Within the realm of all of us is the freedom to be wise - to better ourselves. If only we grant ourselves time and the strength to be vulnerable.

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The team at Indian Link JANUARY (2) 2018 31

SPORT

Game, set,match!

Some scintillating moments from the Australian Open: the Indian challenge, top players in action - and Federer himself!

Photos: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

32 JANUARY (2) 2018

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JANUARY (2) 2018 33

NEWSMAKER

Muay thai fighter A teenage passion becomes a way of life for Rav Sidhu

BY MITAL PAREKH

W

atching Bruce Lee and Van Damme movies while sitting on your couch is one thing, but to play the role in real life is something else.

A two-time Muay Thai world title holder, Rav Sidhu is preparing to compete in the upcoming World Cup in March.

Muay Thai or Thai Boxing is Thailand’s martial art and a cherished cultural heritage that has seen a resurgence in recent times.

Developed hundreds of years ago as a form of close-combat, it uses various parts of the body as weapons. The hands are used like a sword, the shins and forearms as armour against blows, the elbow like a mace or hammer, the legs and knees like axe and staff. It is no wonder that it is sometimes referred to as “The Art of Eight Limbs”.

Rav’s love for this ancient Thai sport started at the very young age of 14 in 1992. 26 years of training and 32 fights in Thailand later, Rav is not planning to slow down in any manner.

So far, he has claimed a Lightweight World title in Bangkok, the Super Fight title and in October last year, the Lightweight Super League belt.

stadium promoters who saw me fight at a previous event, and he said he liked the way I fought, especially my aggressive walkup. I fought a very tough Thai opponent, Sorachart. He had a similar fighting style to mine. The first two rounds were fairly even, with both of us giving and taking some shots. The third round, the pace picked up and it was non-stop action; he got some strong knees to my body as he had longer reach than me. I just had to keep the right distance and work kicks to his body.

In the fourth round, my trainer told me to change strategy and start to clinch. It was in the clinch I managed to cut him with an elbow just above his eye. The fight was put on hold as the doctor had a look at the cut. At this time I was hoping they would stop the fight as I was getting gassed due to the intensity of that round. Doctor said it was ok and the fight continued. I started to chase the cut and try and make it bigger and towards the end of the fourth round I managed to then knock him out with another elbow. I was thrilled to have won in the old Lumpinee stadium.”

Training for the fights comes with a strict diet and exercise regime for Rav. He usually likes to prepare six weeks before a fight with a high protein diet, clean eating and cutting down on carbohydrate intake.

For exercise he does a lot of cardio from running to doing a lot of pad work. Back in Thailand he trains twice a day for two and half hours per session.

I like to use all my weapons for fighting - kick, elbow, knees and punching. My favourite though is the left head kick with which I have knocked out a few opponents

To add to his list of achievements, he has also been made the Australian representative of World Muay Thai Council. This puts him in charge of preparing an Australian team for the World Cup in Bangkok every year.

Having received his initial training here in Adelaide, Rav travels at least twice a year to Thailand to learn from trainers there as well. One of the major highlights of his career was a victory at the old Lumpinee stadium which has now been demolished.

“I was happy to be given the opportunity to fight at Lumpinee as it is the most famous Muay Thai fight arena in the world,” Rav told Indian Link. “I was approached by one of the Lumpinee

34 JANUARY (2) 2018

Muay Thai fighters usually have a nick name and Rav has been nicknamed ‘Soul Train’ by one of his trainers.

One of his strategies for winning fights is to go in as early as possible to knock out his opponent. This in turn saves him from five rounds of battering and come out with fewer injuries.

“I like to use all my weapons for fighting - kick, elbow, knees and punching. My favourite though is the left head kick with which I have knocked out a few opponents.”

A full time Muay Thai trainer now, Rav and his team at the club have helped train a few world champions and are currently training a few upcomers.

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BOOKS

Beyond the Hindutva debate Shashi Tharoor’s new book is a self-discovery of a ‘believing Hindu,’ writes SAKET SUMAN

Why I Am A Hindu by Shashi Tharoor.

Aleph Book Company, 2018

S

hashi Tharoor’s new book on Hinduism - the religion followed by a majority of Indians - comes at a crucial juncture when there is an upsurge in fringe elements that practise and propagate the ideology of Hindutva. The book, therefore, was being thought of as Tharoor’s response to Hindutva. However, limiting Why I Am A Hindu to the debate between Hinduism and Hindutva will be a grave injustice to this riveting offering as the book is much more than the sum total of this debate.

At the onset, it is a layman’s account of his journey of discovering the “extraordinary wisdom and virtues of the faith” that he has practised for over six decades. Tharoor himself makes it clear in the Author’s Note that he is neither a Sanskritist nor a scholar of Hinduism and, thus, did not set out to write a “scholarly exposition of the religion.” The book comes across as the author’s attempt to understand the religion that he follows; calling it a self-discovery of sorts will be accurate. Tharoor’s exposition travels between personal accounts and his understanding of the religious scriptures as well as the values propagated by the likes of Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Pramahamsa and others in the league whom he refers to as the “Great Souls of Hinduism.”

It is thus imperative for the reader to have a clear state of consciousness before setting on to read the book because more

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than anything else, it is about Hinduism, a religion, and religions are, after all, the reason behind most conflicts.

The book is divided into three sections, the first of which is titled “My Hinduism”.

This answers the question raised by the title of the book: Why I Am A Hindu?

Admitting as sincerely as is expected of a liberal intellectual as Tharoor, he sets the record straight and confides that he is Hindu “because I was born one,” and goes on to elaborate that religion is selected for most people at birth, “by the accident of geography and their parents’ cultural moorings.” But this analogy is not to suggest that he is not a proud Hindu. “I was never anything else: I was born a Hindu, grew up as one, and have considered myself one all my life.” The section talks at length about Tharoor’s early days, highlighting how his personal understanding of the religion developed with time. “My Hinduism was a lived faith; it was a Hinduism of experience and upbringing, a Hinduism of observation and conversation, not one anchored in deep religious study,” he points out. The section also explains at length what he calls “My Truth,” where he describes the reasons why he is “happy to describe” himself as a “believing Hindu”, before going on to present a fair perspective on the values propagated by the “Great Souls of Hinduism.”

The second section is titled “Political Hinduism” and this is where Hindutva comes into play. It is interesting to note that the author takes 140 pages (about half of the book) to reach to the burning

debate of our times and in doing so, he succeeds in providing a background on his belief of the religion, supplemented by the values propagated by the likes of Swami Vivekananda before explaining Hindutva.

He begins this section by providing a clear distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. For Hinduism, he presents an imagery of a banyan tree, in whose shade, “a great variety of flora and fauna, thought and action, flourishes.” From here, he moves to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak

It is from page 183 of the 302-page book, that he unleashes a storm of arguments on “the politics of division” that has led to “a travesty of Hinduism.” Next, the author eloquently elaborates on the uses and abuses of Hindu culture and history in the contemporary scenario, resulting from “the politics of division” that he earlier mentions.

The 28-page-long last section of the book is all that he spends on addressing what most would have expected from the

For Hinduism, (Tharoor) presents an imagery of a banyan tree, in whose shade, a great variety of flora and fauna, thought and action, flourishes Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its ideologues - Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and MS Golwalkar, explaining their perspectives on Hindutva.

Using original quotes, he mentions Savarkar’s assertion, “Hinduism is only a derivative, a fraction, a part of Hindutva.”

The book then moves, at an incredible pace, to the advent of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and then to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Tharoor then devotes 40 pages decoding the philosophies of Hindutva not as he perceives it but exactly how its ideologues propagated it. Contrary to all expectations, he does not criticise them or counter their views, at least at this stage.

entire book, “Taking Back Hinduism.”

Beginning with a reference to former US President Barack Obama’s speech where he mentioned that “India will succeed so long as it is not split along the lines of religious faiths,” he elaborates on the “travesty of Hinduism” in the contemporary times.

Tharoor is brutal in his criticism of the saffron brigade but equally accommodating when it comes to presenting their views.

Why I Am A Hindu is a well-researched exposition and is yet a charming personal account - and it floats seamlessly in rich prose and diction synonymous with one of the most widely-read and revered authors of our times.

JANUARY (2) 2018 35

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FOOD

Grilled to perfection An Indian twist to the Australia Day barbecue tradition BY DHANYA SAMUEL

S

ummer has been pretty intense this year, hasn’t it?

But that hasn’t stopped our love for backyard barbecues. After all,

what can be more fun than chilling out with family and friends, a couple of beers and some delicious food.

When you talk about grilling, tandoori chicken cannot be far behind - a dish that needs no introduction at all. It has become a global favourite and has staunchly become the face of Indian cuisine in most countries, apart from the curry of course.

Even though most of us might not

have a traditional tandoor at home, it’s quite easy to prepare tandoori fare on a barbecue grill, oven or even on a stove top grill depending on the kind of protein or vegetable that is being cooked.

I always make the tandoori marinade from scratch. Not a big fan of store bought masalas and moreover, the marinade is super easy to make. Many versions call for the addition of gram flour but using only yoghurt imparts more flavour without that

doughy taste to the coating.

For this dish, I have used the tandoori marinade for both the chicken thighs as well as the vegetables. While I cooked the thighs on a barbecue grill, I used a regular stove top grill for the veggies.

Couscous pairs beautifully with a dish like this; its light and fluffy texture is a perfect accompaniment to the chicken and veggies.

And a drizzle of the tangy mint coriander chutney completes the dish perfectly.

TANDOORI CHICKEN WITH GRILLED VEG AND COUSCOUS TANDOORI MARINADE

Ingredients 1 ½ cup thick yogurt ¼ tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to heat preference) 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder ½ tsp coriander powder ¼ tsp garam masala 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder ¼ tsp black salt/kala namak ½ tsp chaat masala ¼ tsp dry ginger powder Salt, to season 2 garlic cloves; grated 1 inch ginger; grated 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves; finely chopped Method In a bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk well to get a smooth consistency.

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CHICKEN

Ingredients 5 chicken Maryland/thighs; score lengthwise 1 cup tandoori marinade Salt to season Vegetable oil, for barbecue

1 red bell pepper, cut into cubes 1 medium zucchini, cut into cubes 1 punnet baby corn 1 small broccoli, florets separated 1 small fennel bulb, cut into cubes ½ cup tandoori marinade Salt, to season Vegetable oil, for grilling

Method In a bowl, add the required tandoori marinade to the chicken thighs. Season with salt (remember, the marinade has salt) and rub the marinade well into the chicken. Keep refrigerated for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Bring to room temperature before grilling.

Fire up the barbecue and grill the chicken pieces till done.

Method Place all the vegetables in a bowl, add the marinade and season with salt if necessary. Mix well and keep for at least 1-2 hours.

Heat a stove grill to high, brush with oil and grill the veggies in batches.

Remember to grill on high to get the char but still keep the crunchy texture.

GRILLED VEGETABLES Ingredients 1 red onion, cut into cubes

COUSCOUS

Ingredients 2 ½ cups couscous 2 ½ cups water Salt to season

Method Add 2 ½ cups boiling water to 2 ½ cups couscous (1:1 ratio), season with salt, cover and keep aside. After 10 minutes, use a fork to lightly fluff up the couscous.

Note: Do check packet instructions as the ratio of water to couscous can sometimes vary.

FOR GARNISH

Lemon wedges ¼ cup coriander leaves; finely chopped To assemble Place the couscous in the middle of a large platter and arrange the grilled veggies around it. Garnish with half of the coriander leaves.

Place the chicken thighs on another platter, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with lemon wedges and mint coriander chutney.

JANUARY (2) 2018 37

TRAVEL

Cruise, Caribbean and Cuba Experiencing the three Cs can be described as another C-word: Charming

BY SANDIP HOR

I

ticked off three items from my bucket list, all starting with ‘C’- Cruise, Caribbean and Cuba - when I recently voyaged the Caribbean Sea aboard luxury vessel MSC Opera.

MSC Cruises offers this 8-day schedule, which starts and ends at the Cuban capital Havana, providing ample opportunity to explore Cuba and its life, fall in love with the beauty of the Caribbean and get indulged by the on-board life on the sea.

Cruise odyssey

This was my maiden venture on a luxury ship, and so stepping inside the 65,591 ton and 274.9m long MSC Opera was like a happy exploratory mission for me. Despite its advanced years, the liner strikes as pretty appealing and modern, reflecting Italian and Mediterranean touches in décor. While the lobby and the reception create the first impression of a luxury abode, the rest of the features and facilities assure guests a grand experience.

The medium-size ship has 13 deck levels, each named after a celebrated opera like La Traviata, Rigoletto and Otello, accommodating 2,679 guests in their 1,075 cabins. Amenities include minibar, a safe, wardrobe and satellite television.

There are over 700 crew members to look after guests and make their odyssey as comfortable as possible.

Life on the ship is different to that on land, but MSC Opera has almost everything contained within its hull, so that nobody misses anything. The on-

38 JANUARY (2) 2018

board facilities include shopping outlets, duty free goods, library, several bars and lounges for socialising to even a disco, casino and a cigar room where connoisseurs gather to sample the best Cuban and Dominican cigars with cognac.

The ship also has dedicated play areas for the children to make this cruise suitable for a perfect family vacation.

Fine dining is always a highlight of any cruise and this ship is no exception.

There are four restaurants which serve gastronomical delights of all kinds, though Italian cuisine gets a bit of upper hand, considering the Italian roots of the cruise line. While La Caravella and L’Approdo offer elegant fine dining, a huge international buffet is offered at the Le Vele venue for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The last one, Il Patio, is open for pizzas and burgers for almost 24 hours.

And to shed off the extra kilos gained from various culinary indulgences, the ship is well equipped with a modern gym, swimming pools, jogging track, spa, massage and sauna facilities.

There is no shortage of things to do on board, thanks to the wide variety of state-of-the-art leisure and recreational facilities, the main drawcard being Broadway-style shows, such as Romeo and Juliet and Lipstick at the plush theatre Teatro dell’Opera which can seat over 700 guests.

One of the great appeals of a cruise holiday is that without a lot of unpacking or changing rooms and bed, it’s possible to explore a new destination every day, generating a great interaction between land and water.

After leaving Havana and one full day at sea to enjoy endless blue of the Caribbean Sea, the ship touches shores of Belize, Honduras and Mexico for some exiting

excursions that showcase the culture, history and natural wonders of the region.

Caribbean splendour

The moment the word Caribbean is uttered, images of turquoise blue sea surrounding sun-kissed islands come to mind. That’s exactly what I encountered while cruising the Caribbean Sea, quite similar to the panoramas seen on TV. The first stop - Isla de Roatan - is the largest of the three Bay Islands of Honduras. Once ruled by Spanish conquistadors and British pirates, this small island, 50km long and barely 4 km wide, is surrounded by stunning coral ridge, said to be second best to the Great Barrier Reef. It’s the ideal place for those looking for a perfect tropical vacation with plenty of aqua-oriented things to do

such as diving, snorkelling, swimming and kayaking and even rainforest walking and zip lining. Or you could simply relax at a beach with a book to read and rum-fueled cocktail to sip.

Next comes Belize City, where every day several cruise ships bring in over 15,000 visitors to give them a taste of Belize, the only country in Central America with a British colonial legacy and the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.

The Calypso Train Tour is the best way to explore within a short time the colourful sights, sounds and history of this settlement, once packed with white colonisers and their slaves. The landscape displays a delightful blend of old and new. The most touristy site is the St John’s Cathedral and the Swing Bridge, which is said to be the only manually operated bridge of its kind in the

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Cuba’s most appealing feature is its cultural eclecticism which integrates colonial history, grandeur of the American influence and elements of the revolution world still in operation. Many of the city’s businesses are owned by people of Indian origin who were brought by the British during colonial times.

Ruins of Maya Empire, which enjoyed its heyday between third and tenth centuries, are a great lure for any western Caribbean journey and this cruise schedule allows to sample some of them when stopping at the ports of Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, before returning to Havana. Built in a stepped pyramid shape, the temples and palaces in Chacchoben and Kohunlich in Costa Maya and Tulum in Cozumel testify the extraordinary artistic talents of the Mayans.

Cuba calling

Cuba for years has been like a forbidden fruit. So craving for the destination has always been enormous among savvy travellers. As a result, with doors now open for visitors, it has emerged as one the most sought-after destinations on the tourism circuit. Though famous for cigars, rum, Castro and the big and colourful American cars, the socialist nation has lot more to offer beyond these stereotyped Cuban images. Perhaps the most appealing feature is its cultural eclecticism which integrates centuries of colonial history, darkness of slavery, pomp and grandeur of the American influence and elements of the revolution. Capital Havana provides an amazing insight into all of these.

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The 500-year-old city at present appears time worn and dilapidated, but the imposing buildings, hilltop citadels, grandiose squares and cobbled streets harken back to the glory days of old.

Most of these historic buildings, estimated to be around 900, are located around plazas in the old part of the city, called Habana Vieja. While the Cathedral de San Cristobal de la Habana is unquestionably the architectural showstopper, there are old palaces, mansions and churches in every corner.

The ambiance is electrifying, filled with the aroma of cigars and beats of pulsating music that combine Spanish guitar and African drums.

No visit to Cuba is complete without an insight into its revolutionary chapter dominated by legacies of Jose Marti, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Havana is filled with statues and billboards of them, but the best place to know more about the revolution and the lives of these three revolutionaries is the Museo de la Revolution. This historical repository resides inside the earlier Presidential Palace, not far from the Capitolio Nacional, former seat of Cuban Congress, built during post WWI sugar boom, replicating Washington DC Capitol Building. Many ride an American Cadillac to go between the two iconic sites, just to tick off the ride in one of those cars which perhaps can now be found only in automobile museums.

Clockwise from top left: MSC Opera; on-board entertainment; Belize city; Cadillac cars in Havana; island of Raotan; Havana skyline; Havana streetscape

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK CARIBBEAN / CUBA GETTING THERE Fly Qantas (www.qantas.com) to Lima in Peru with change of aircraft at Santiago in Chile and then TACA Airlines (taca.alternativeairlines.com) to Havana.

HAVANA STAY At the centrally located, 178 room, Mercure Sevilla La Habana (www. mercure.com), where many famous people have stayed since 1908.

CUBA VISA Australian passport holders need a 30 day, single entry ‘tourist card’ which can be obtained from the tour operator or the airline flying to Cuba; alternatively from Cuban Embassy in Canberra

MONEY The currency for outsiders in Cuba is Cuban Convertible Peso (CUP).

Rate is 1 Euro = 1.13CUP

JANUARY (2) 2018 39

entertainment

cineTALK A BREATHTAKING HOMAGE TO VALOUR OF RAJPUTS

PADMAAVAT

CAST: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Aditi Rao, Jim Sarbh DIRECTOR: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

HHHHH

For my money there is no contemporary filmmaker with the vision and velocity of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The man makes every frame in his cinema seem like a wondrous timeless work of art.

As in all his films there are visuals in Padmaavat that will be remembered for all times to come. And this is as opportune a time as any to salute Bhansali’s cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee who is a magician, visionary par excellence who can put on screen images that poets and painters put into

their creations when at the acme of inspiration.

Almost every moment in the story that Bhansali tells of the royal Queen Padmavati and the Islamic invader who lusts after her, is pure magic.

The mesmerizing mise en scene hooks you from the word go when in a spellbinding introduction, the Queen on a hunting trip manages to wound Raja Ratan Singh, in more than one way.

Love-struck and besotted, Shahid Kapoor’s Ratan Singh makes it very clear that he would do anything in his power to protect the beauty and sanctity of the woman he falls in love with and marries.

Palace intrigue is always a highpoint in Bhansali’s operatic dramas.

In Bajirao Mastani we saw Deepika

Padukone as the royal queen who ends up being the second wife of a neighbouring empire. A similar fate awaits Deepika in Padmaavat.

While the conflict between the two wives in Bajirao Mastani was conspicuously contoured, in Padmaavat Deepika’s Padmaavati barely manages to interact with her husband’s first wife (played by Anupriya Goenka).

It is Padmavati’s conflict with her invader and intended violator Allauddin Khilji which occupies centerstage in this rigorous drama of resonant historicity.

On many occasions the historical facts are tampered with for the sake of edifying the essential conflict between the Queen and her invader.

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh bring an exquisite operatic duet-like

feeling to their parts. Though they sing the same song from different scales, they are like the earth and sky never destined to meet.

Bhansali imparts a portentous potency to their conflict. Without coming face-to-face, the two actors convey an almost-unbearable dramatic tension.

The climax with all of the Rani’s female entourage fighting off the advances of Khilji by hurling hot coal bricks on him, is a reverberant homage to Ketan Mehta’s Mirch Masala.

Remember Naseruddin Shah’s moustache-twirling subedaar in Mehta’s film lusting after the feisty Sonbai (Smita Patil)? Bhansali’s Padmavati echoes Sonbai with heartening whoops of joy. The sequences at the end of the film featuring Deepika Padukone and a bevy of women all wearing flaming-red, will stay with you for a very long time.

I am afraid Shahid Kapoor as Padmavati’s husband seems a little shaky in his attempts to counter Ranveer’s psychotic Khilji with regal restraint. He internalizes his character’s struggles to an extent where he looks bored at times.

But there is no dearth of bravura in Padmaavat. While Ranveer and Deepika as antagonists rip the screen part, two other actors Jim Serbh and Aditi Rao shine in smaller roles bringing to their part as Khilji’s manipulative toy-boy and idealistc wife, a strong sense of a backhistory that belies the length of their roles.

Padmaavat is a work of illimitable splendour. The 3D format seems quite an unnecessary grandeur-enhancement device. When we already have so much to savour and imbibe, why hanker for more?

Subhash K. Jha

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40 JANUARY (2) 2018

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TRIPPY, ENJOYABLE AND REVEALING

KAALAKAANDI

CAST: Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Oberoi, Isha Talwar, Sobhita Dhulipala, Kunal Roy Kapoor, Vijay Raaz, Deepak Dobriyal, Shivam Patil, Shenaz Treasurywala, Nary Singh DIRECTOR: Akshat Varma.

HHHHH

And as the title suggests, right from the first frame, we are reminded that nothing can go right for its characters.

What makes Kaalakaandi interesting, though, is its dark comedy, easy to relate situations and characters. It is one of the easiest films to love and one of the hardest to think of as a work of art. It approaches the notion of pure filmmaking as entertainment.

It lacks, a lesson or message and is

content to show three sets of people facing a series of interlocking challenges they face one night.

Set in Mumbai, with a variety of quirky characters awake after midnight, it reflects the unpredictable life in the city. But they seldom find themselves intertwined in a bizarre series of coincidences.

Boldly told, what happens to the characters apart from the nightmarish and bizarre nature of their experiences can only be described as screwball logic.

While the plot unravels like the pages of a thriller, the humour seems laboured. You witness this in the first scene and in the climax.

In the opening scene, Saif Ali Khan is in his doctor’s clinic where his doctor

sugar coats his diagnosis with, “You do not suffer from ulcers, hence you don’t have perforating ulcers. Instead you suffer from stomach cancer.”

For a person who never experienced the excesses of life, this unpleasant bit of news hits like a ton of bricks.

So when he returns home, where the wedding preparation of his younger brother Angad (Akshay Oberoi) is underway, he sips alcohol and tries a narcotic substance. This sets the ball rolling for a roller-coaster cinematic experience.

In the second situation, Zubin (Kunal Roy Kapur) is in low spirits because his girlfriend is migrating to America. Just before her flight, as a farewell gesture and to celebrate the birthday of their friend Ann (Shenaz Treasurywala), they land up at a pub which predictably gets

raided. How they escape from the clutches of the police and what fate has in store for them then unfolds into this thread’s narrative.

In the third narrative, Vijay Raaz and Deepak Dobriyal, work as flunkies for the local gangster. After collecting the protection money from a film producer, how greed overcomes them, forms the crux of their fate.

What keeps the quirky characters afloat are the spunky, rustic dialogues that are gags by themselves. On the performance front all actors have put their heart and soul into their characters and they shine on screen. Unfortunately the characters are two-dimensional and cardboard thin. Of the supporting cast, Sobhita Dhulipala as Zubin’s girlfriend, Amyra Dastur as Angad’s fiancée Neha, Isha Talwar as the wedding photographer and Saif’s love interest, Treasurywala as Ann along with Shivam Patil as her boyfriend Jason who calls himself “Jehangir Jehangir” have their moments of on-screen glory.

Overall with good production quality, debutant director Akshat Verma’s attempt at this noir comedy is engaging but the script material tries to sell itself a little too hard.

Troy Ribeiro

A THRILLER UNLIKE ANY OTHER VODKA DIARIES

CAST: KK Menon, Mandira Bedi, Raima Sen, Sharib Hashmi DIRECTOR: Kushal Shrivastava

HHHHH

It isn’t often that we get to see a suspense thriller that dares to go that extra mile in pursuit of some novelty in a genre that invariably relies on cliché for effect.

Vodka Diaries is high on pegs of pungent potshots taken at the suspense genre. It defies the ground rules laid down by the architects of the suspense genre (whoever they might be) and deconstructs the entire edifice of intrigue into a cat-and-mouse chase which culminates in a frightening psychological disorder.

The film opens with an impressive severe topshot of a distraught KK Menon running through the snow of what we soon come to know is Manali.

It’s a breathtaking shot and kudos to cinematographer Manish Chandra Bhatt. You suspect debutant director Kushal Shrivastava constructed the entire plot of suspicion and murder from this visually surcharged startingpoint.

Luckily for the debutant director,

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and for us, the narrative suffers from no serious starter’s hiccups. It gets involved in its own complexities without losing track of the myriad characters’ motivations. The very talented KK Menon takes a bit of time to settle into the wheels-within-wheels that run through the narrative in scampering motions. But he soon settles down to a distraught destiny set aside for his character.

Mandira Bedi, an asset to any project, has a limited screen occupancy. And she makes the best of it. But after Menon, the actor with the best lines and moments is Sharib Hashmi. Last seen in Phullu, Hashmi chews eagerly on every scene provided to him as Menon’s sidekick.

Raima Sen, another beautiful and neglected actress, walks in and out of the proceedings as though shooting in bouts when on vacation. There are several such cameos in the plot.

And I held my breath to see how the director Kushal Shrivastava and his writer Vaibhav Bajpai balance out the ostensible out-of-control plot about a cop who seem be losing control over the goings-on.

Luckily, the director never loses the plot as he manoeuvres the tricky

suspense through a maze of deception and delusion, on to a bumpy but safe landing.

Vodka Diaries is not a great suspense drama when compared with the Hitchcockian tradition. God knows, the genre has not been much explored in Bollywood. Still in its infancy the

whodunit gets a rather likable shake-up on this occasion.

Do stay for the end credits to hear Rekha Bhardwaj and Ustad Rashid Khan crooning Sakhi ri. It’s a sobering send-off to a suspenseful and original journey.

Subhash K Jha JANUARY (2) 2018 41

entertainment

the BUZZ UP-TO-DATE NEWS ON WHAT’S HOT AND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

DEEPIKA PADUKONE

LONG LIVE PADMAVATI?

PARINEETI: SELLING AUSTRALIA TO INDIANS

W

hat’s the capital of Australia, we asked Bollywood star Parneeti Chopra on Indian Link Radio when she visited here last.

“Sydney,” she said bubbling over with characteristic enthusiasm.

The loud silence that greeted her answer gave her an inkling that something was amiss.

“Oh NO it’s Canberra, isn’t it! Can you please erase that answer!”

But that was over a year ago, and now Parineeti is a lot more confident in her role as “Friend of Australia”.

Snippets of her videos filmed then have now been released as an ad for Tourism Australia, as both India and Australia celebrate an important national day on 26 Jan. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Australia and the videos reflect every bit of fun I had there,” the muchmore self-assured Parineeti said at

42 JANUARY (2) 2018

the launch in India.

“From immersing in the aboriginal culture at Uluru to the fun and frolic in Queensland, I was fortunate to have an enriching experience of two completely different sides of the country. It is undoubtedly a must-visit holiday destination,” she added.

In the films, Parineeti can be seen cuddling a koala, learning to surf at the Gold Coast, getting a taste of Australia’s freshest produce, enjoying a birds’ eye view of Surfers Paradise on the Skypoint climb, spotting whales, watching the sunset over the Red Centre in Uluru amongst others.

As an added bonus to Parineeti fans, the ad also features the bubbly star singing the background vocals.

But if you want to listen to Parineeti do an Aussie accent, or show off her knowledge about all things Australia, check out Indian Link’s interview with her on our YouTube channel.

The Padmaavat saga is finally coming to an end as we go to press, now that it has at last been allowed to hit the screens.

The Indian courts have finally come out in support of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s beleaguered historical film, albeit with a name change and some cuts, dismissing last ditch efforts

by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments to block its January 25 release.

The film industry for its part is making the episode a watershed moment for freedom of expression to be allowed to thrive, and many parallel releases (Pad Man, Aiyyaary, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety) have all graciously changed their own release dates to allow Padmaavat to fly free.

The devout Deepika Padukone, who plays the lead role in the film, did her customary obeisance at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple (just like she does prior to all her movies releasing).

So, is all finally well?

Well, not for the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, it seems - the original protestors, who claimed their culture was being tarnished by the wrongful depiction in the film. After their earlier calls for beheadings, they are now threatening self-immolation by 1908 women (hmm, wonder why the men don’t do this, since they are the louder protestors…).

Meanwhile, you’ve all probably seen the clever social media quip that seems perfect to end all the brouhaha: Khilji commenting from the here-after that even he didn’t torment poor Padmavati as much as she has been tormented in recent months!

Stop press: the early reviews of the film are in. They are what you might expect, really, from a Bhansali magnum opus: Deepika is beyond fabulous; the film is way too long; there’s technical finesse; some great production values; Deepika is beyond fabulous; Ranveer is fantastic; Ranveer is OTT; DeepikaShahid chemistry is wonderful; no, the film doesn’t hurt anyone’s sense of honour. Oh, we forgot to mention, Deepika is beyond fabulous, especially in Ghoomar.

HRITHIK ROSHAN: MATHS GURU

No thanks to the lessons learnt from Padmaavat, we’re suggesting caution to the unit of Hrithik Roshan’s latest project Super 30. Who knows, the academic world might follow in the footsteps of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena and protest against Hrithik’s role as a mathematician.

Apparently the hunky star plays Indian maths whiz Anand Kumar in the film.

Mathematicians all over India, unite in protest… how can such a handsome hunk be good at maths??? Does Hrithik know any maths?? Let’s get the best

experts in the country to test him!

Meanwhile, the devout Hrithik thwarted any such attempts by seeking divine intervention, just like Deepika. He tweeted to the gods recently: “On the auspicious day of Saraswati Puja and Basant Panchami, I am beginning my journey of Super 30 where I am playing a teacher for the first time. May the Goddess of Learning bless this effort.”

Super 30 is a biopic on Anand Kumar, who teaches 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections for the entrance examination to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology. The film is slated to release in November this year.

Stay cool, Hrithik, we’ll support you against fundamental mathematicians come what may – beheadings, selfimmolation…

3D COMEDY

Karan Johar, Diljit Dosanjh, Sonakshi Sinha, Rana Daggubati, Riteish Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Sushant Singh Rajput.

That’s the cast of a new comedy film coming up on 23 Feb, a 3D comedy no less, called Welcome To New York.

Produced by Vishu Bhagnani, the movie tells the story of two unlikely youngsters living in India in search of a better life for themselves. An unexpected trip to New York City sets them off on a comedic adventure that changes their lives forever.

Worth waiting for? You decide!

DUTT’S THE WAY…

The Rajkumar Hirani-directed biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt has been wrapped up.

The makers shared a special video on Twitter to announce the wrap-up.

Hirani, along with actors Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor and other cast and crew members are a part of the video, in which they say in unison: “Dutt’s the way, aha aha, I like it, aha aha.”

Ranbir, who plays Sanjay Dutt’s character, is also seen popping the champagne, whereas Sonam takes to her social media page, sharing the happy moments while marking the last day of the shoot.

Ranbir will be seen playing the title role in the biopic. The film also features Anushka Sharma, Dia Mirza, Manisha Koirala, Paresh Rawal and Vicky

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HRITHIK ROSHAN

Kaushal.

Presented by Fox Star Studios, the yet untitled Dutt biopic is co-produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Hirani and is slated to release on 29 June.

Worth waiting for? You decide!

Hungary have made it to the final list.

The 90th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be held on 4 March at the Dolby Theatre in LA.

OSCARS 2018: DESI LINKS

Little Singham, an animation series inspired by Bollywood film Singham, is in the works.

Reliance Animation has been commissioned to produce the new disruptive Indian original content series, targeted at children in the age group of 4-8 years.

Little Singham will go live in April this year on Discovery Kids channel. It will be aired in four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

The series will set a completely new benchmark for animation in India. As many as 250 animation artists have been engaged on the project.

Indian actor Ali Fazal-starrer Victoria & Abdul has two nominations and Anupam Kher starrer The Big Sick stands a chance to win in one category at the 90th Academy Awards this year.

Victoria & Abdul, a movie about a unique bond between Queen Victoria and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim, has won a nomination in the Best Costume Design and Make-up and Hairstyling categories. In the film, Ali plays Abdul, with Hollywood veteran Judi Dench as Queen Victoria.

As for Anupam’s The Big Sick, it is nominated for the Writing (Original Screenplay) honour for Pakistan-origin Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President John Bailey, announced the nominations this week via a global live stream. Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra was one of the celebrities who participated in pre-taped category introductions.

Newton, India’s official entry for the Foreign Language Film category, had failed to make the cut to the shortlist early in the selection process. Films from Sweden, Chile, Lebanon, Russia and

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ART SHOULD NOT HAVE BOUNDARIES: KARAN JOHAR

Meanwhile, Karan Johar showed his serious side to the world fairly impressively this week. The filmmaker was attending the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at DavosKlosters, Switzerland. Participating in a panel discussion, he said that art should not have boundaries and one cannot enforce culture to the people.

The filmmaker shared the stage along with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Alice

WHO WORE IT BETTER? KENDALL JENNER or PRIYANKA CHOPRA in RALPH AND RUSSO? Share your views with us on our Facebook page /IndianLinkAustralia

NATIONAL EDITION

Bah Kuhnke, Minister for Culture and Democracy of Sweden and Arlie Russell Hochschild, Professor of Sociology at the University of California.

The panel was discussing the topic “Can we avoid the spread of so-called ‘culture wars’?”

Talking on the matter Karan said, “You cannot enforce culture or imbibe it.

There are immense economic and social problems, but sometimes the main papers and politicians don’t talk about them because they are focused on a film. It’s empowering to the film industry, but it’s ridiculous.”

Recounting a time he was accused of being ‘non-Indian’ for casting a Pakistani actor in one of his films, Karan said, “Art should not have boundaries but then culture and patriotism is thrown at the artists.”

The panel discussed the virtues of tolerance.

While Alice Bah Kunke said that in politics, one needs to be very, very tolerant, Karan said “there is a risk that tolerating intolerance in others can be misconstrued as validation.”

The annual meeting was graced by some of the iconic Indian personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan who received the Crystal Award that celebrates the achievements of leading artists.

WHAT TWEETY BIRD TOLD US THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the tweets that appear below: Parineeti Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher Honoured to receive the WEF’s 24th Crystal Award, together with Elton John and Cate Blanchett. My fan moment!!

So excited to finally show you all my videos from Australia! Guess who sang the song?

Congratulations to Emily Gordon and Kumail N for the Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay for the The Big Sick. So proud to be a part of this gem of a film.

Jai Ho. Our tribute to the valour, legacy and courage of the Rajputs, Padmaavat releasing now on 25 January.

What are DEEPIKA and RANVEER saying to SANJAY LEELA BHANSALI here?

Send your response to: media@indianlink.com.au TO WIN A MOVIE TICKET!!

LAST ISSUE CAPTION CONTEST WINNING ENTRY

What’s the chitchat here between SAIF ALI KHAN and his son TAIMUR? Leyla Singh: Don’t look at me like it’s bedtime.

Congratulations, Leyla.

You win a movie ticket!

OTHER GOOD ONES: Taimur to Saif: Dad, I heard you are a Nawab and still have to work for a living?

Vishal Degaonkar Saif: I’m expecting a lot from you, Taimur: your lineage includes the country’s greatest poet, greatest actor and greatest cricketer.

Taimur: Typical Indian dad. Rajni Luthra

JANUARY (2) 2018 43

BACKCHAT

ASK AUNTYJI

Good golly Miss Bolly DEAR AUNTYJI

I am 40 years old and married to an Australian lady for the last twenty years. While I try to follow some aspects of my Indian culture, I have generally become Australianised. Of course, I still support the Indian cricket team! Now Auntyji, my wife - while she is a lovely lady - has mostly been ignorant of the Indian culture. We don’t have any friends of Indian descent, and all my relatives are in the US. So Auntyji, here is what happened a few years ago.

One day, while I was watching cricket, my wife got angry and switched the channel to SBS where a Bollywood movie was playing. I don’t recall what it was - because I have not seen one Bollywood film, even when I was in India because my parents didn’t consider it high culture. But Auntyji, my wife was hooked. She and I had a massive argument. Since that day, Jennifer became hooked on Bollywood. She watches these films all the time, listens to Bollywood music and even when she is on the iPad, I can see her reading up on film stars. I don’t know what’s wrong with her, but she says she is imbibing Indian culture from watching these films. And slowly she is changing. She has made herself some new friends who are Indians who arrived here recently. She goes to every new Bollywood film that opens. And just the other day, she insisted that this year, she was going to keep Karva Chauth. Auntyji, when I heard this, I went on an automatic fast myself for the entire day.

I could not eat or drink. What has overcome of my poor ignorant wife? When do you think she will return to her old, ignorant, uncultured ways instead of trying to do an adaab whenever she sees an appa in a burka because that’s what happened in Mere Mehboob, or so I’ve been informed. Please advise, I am at my wits’ end.

not be mocked. I suggest that you leave your wife alone, and instead go and watch a few Bollywood films yourself. You should start with Raj Kapoor films, because as everyone knows, this was the hey day of cinema. And then evolve to Amitabh Bachchan films. Jug jug jiyo.

AUNTYJI SAYS

(Desi) Men behaving badly

Oh, you crazy, crazy man! You are such a philistine! Don’t you know that Bollywood is a key tool that the Indian diaspora utilise to understand who they are and where they came from? Today, if you go to Mauritius, South Africa, Fiji, Maldives or Malaysia, you will find people of Indian descent whose ancestors left India over a hundred years ago, and these folks watched Bollywood to learn about India and the traditions of its people.

Bollywood has its place in society. It allows people all over the world to be entertained, amused, perplexed, flabbergasted and occasionally outraged by what they see and hear on the screen. They then try to emulate this in their lives - why else would brides insist on doing the saat phere when everyone knows it’s a Marathi custom, and why else are Fiji Indians now having a sangeet night at weddings - when this was never part of their culture.

As for Ms Jen, she has seen the beauty of Bollywood. You should be happy that she is learning more about your people there is nothing wrong with educating oneself. In fact, if I may be so blunt, it is you who is uncultured by looking down on an important educational tool. Something that has given people so much joy, happiness and understanding should

DEAR AUNTYJI

I am an Australian girl and have started going out with an Indian man who is wonderful to me. I have had a strange experience I was hoping you can shed light on. A month ago, I met Neel’s sister and her husband and we decided to have dinner together. Afterwards, we went back to their place, and for some reason, Neel’s sister’s husband had done something to upset her. She was cranky with him, but the way he was trying to placate her left me gob-smacked. He started speaking to her like a little boy - and tried to get her attention and favour. He kept on walking to her and saying “suno nah” or something like that, but in a little boy’s voice. At one stage, he even grabbed her hand and tried to get her to look at him, shaking it as though he was six years old and had done something to upset his mother. Alisha, meanwhile, was hell-bent on ignoring him and was trying the silent treatment. I was so baffled by this perplexing drama going on in front of me, but not as much as I was all shook up when last week, Neel did something to

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irritate me, and then tried the same behaviour with me! He kept on talking in a little boy’s voice, like a petulant little brat.

And then, he started accusing me of not loving him and not caring for him because I wasn’t giving in to what he wanted.

Auntyji, I am still in trauma from this ridiculous event. I don’t know many Indian people, but I need to know immediately if this is how Indian men are.

When they are in trouble with their wives and girlfriends, do they carry on like little boys?

And more important, how do I deal with this? My natural inclination is to tell him off, or walk out the door temporarily to avoid the horror of a fully-grown man regressing to an infant during moments of stress. But what do you suggest I do? I am all ears.

AUNTYJI SAYS

Oh, there are so many options available to you, my dear girl, that I do not know where to begin. You do not have to tolerate this rubbish for a second. But allow me to digress a little and tell you what I did when Uncleji tried this on me when we got married 55 years ago. Now Uncleji was the youngest of seven brothers, and as you can imagine, he was an absolute laadla. Family lore has it that he did not walk until he was five years old, because everyone carried him everywhere because he was cho chweet, cho precious. And would you believe, his mother, Rani Ma made him kheer every single day with her own two hands for the first seven years of his life, and fed it to him? Further, one day, in his youth, he came home from a shikar and fainted because he did not have anyone to

pour him a pitcher of water and he didn’t know how to do it himself? So you can see he was as cosseted as they come. Apparently this is normal nawabi behaviour. So one day, after we had gotten married, he did something to irritate me and then when I glared at him with my hirni jaisi aankhen, he threw himself on the ground and literally pounded the earth in a full fit of fury. My reaction was immediate. I was so surprised and incensed by this child-like behaviour that I drew myself up to my full five feet one inch glory, puffed out my chest, and hissed at him that if he ever behaved like a child again, I would talaq him on the spot! My face was red, I was quivering with rage and breathing like a witch on roids. That got his immediate attention. I then declared that I was going to take my favourite horse Sheru out for a ride and needed to be left alone, because I had never seen such despicable behaviour in a grown man. He never behaved like that again. So what do I recommend for you, my dear?

Two options. Secretly record the event and then play it back and laugh uproariously at your poor paramour, and he will be humiliated enough never to try this again. Or, you could be mature about this, and do what I did. Give him a withering look, stare at him for 60 seconds, and with a dismissive and contemptuous tone, declare that if he behaves like a child ever again, the relationship is over. Tell him that you don’t find this attractive in any way, and if anything, it makes him repellant to you. It is just as annoying as women talking like little girls.

It’s not cute. It’s disturbed.

Good luck my dear Anarkali, let me know how you fare.

ow!

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