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EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra

Architects of the Asian century

ASSISTANT EDITOR Neha Malude

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

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W

hile the eyes of the world were on the historic meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his South Korean counterpart President Moon Jae-in, an equally important meeting was taking place a few thousand kilometres away between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

A meeting such as this would have been inconceivable only a year ago, as the two nuclear nations faced a flashpoint at the Sino Bhutanese border. Yet in the rapidly changing world order, equations between friends and enemies can alter overnight.

Whether this meeting was a ploy playing on the old adage of keep-your-friends-close-butyour-enemies-closer, only time will tell. But for the moment, it seems both leaders are content in resetting the gears to neutral.

Both have their reasons for doing so.

Prime Minister Modi has an election coming up in 2019 and while jingoism plays well to stir up nationalistic fervour,

an armed confrontation could raise questions about leadership. Economically, while India seems to be clicking away at a GDP growth of high 6 - low 7%, the country is still working through the hangover following demonetisation, and settling in the Goods and Services Tax introduced recently.

India needs time to consolidate its internal economy and move more rapidly towards industrialisation and infrastructure development. India has also been more reliant on its nonaligned policies, which historically have seen it balance its allegiances towards both the United States and Russia. But with Russia enjoying a good relationship with China, and with the US under President Trump becoming more unpredictable, India needs to forge its own way forward on its relationship with China.

It has also been widely reported that China was taken aback at the aggression and resolve that India showed in its 72-day standoff with the Chinese army at Dong Lang or Doklam. Experts have said that for the first time China shifted its focus from regarding Japan (after the US) to be its second most dangerous adversary.

Yin Guoming, a Chinese foreign affairs analyst wrote, “China needs to re-assess, re-examine, and reformulate its India strategy.”

Having an informal meeting with Prime Minister Modi was the Chinese President’s way of resetting the relationship dial back to baseline.

Besides, the matter of trade and commerce between the two countries is also strong, and it is in China’s interest to make it grow.

For example, bilateral trade between the two countries in 1988 was only $107.96 million; in 2017 the total trade reached $84.44 billion, rising 18.5% from $71.2 billion in 2016.

With major threats of a trade war coming from the US, China needs to keep its options for world markets open.

No doubt people of Indian origin watched the handshake between the two Korean leaders and wondered whether they would ever see such a thawing of relations with neighbouring Pakistan.

The two Koreas were born after World War II in 1945, just before the division of India took place. It has taken 73 years for the two Koreas to start reaching out. But perhaps the dynamics are different between India and Pakistan.

Religion, cross border terrorism and generations raised on a diet of hate-anddestroy propaganda - besides the deeply entrenched political opportunism - may make this a bridge too far.

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NATIONAL EDITION

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MAY (1) 2018 5

CONTENTS 12

SPECIAL FEATURES SPECIAL REPORT Australia for Asifa

10

MAINSTREAM ANZAC Day 2018

12

STAGE Lessons from a football goalie

16

ART Indian link at the Sydney Biennale

26

BOOKS Rahi Masoom Raza’s Scene 75

10

COVER STORY

29

16

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MAY (1) 2018 7

YOUR SAY

COMEDY FEST

PREETI JABBAL interviewed the comedians at the Indian All-Star Comedy Showcase at last month’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Rakesh Puri wrote: Sucks that this is not happening in Sydney. Melbourne mein Australian Open hota hai har saal, woh bas nahi hai kya? itself. So proud of everyone.

BODY WORN CAMERAS: BOON OR BANE?

Victoria Police recently started trialling body worn cameras (BWC) to see if they improve the Victorian policing environment. The cameras will record video and audio evidence and ultimately, increase transparency in interactions between the police and the public.

The flip side to the new development is the obvious question of privacy of citizens. PREETI JABBAL asked Melbournians what they thought about BWCs. Dipanjali Rao wrote: I think cameras are a good idea in terms of police accountability, especially in light of the recent incident with Melbourne police where they ill-treated a man with a disability. However, cameras and technology alone cannot be responsible for accountability. There has to be a structural support in place that independently investigates police behaviour.

Police investigating their own, as it currently stands, compromises justice.

Technology is a critical tool to ensure accountability, but it needs to be supported by cultural change and by independent bodies that investigate misdemeanour and abuse.

Amit Dutt wrote: Any new technology has its pros and cons. In this case, the advantages are that there would be complete transparency and a huge boost to public relations for Vic Police. But some doubts are bound to be raised, like loss of privacy and how the recorded information is subsequently used. The biggest advantage is the objectivity these cameras will ensure because they will take away any subjective interpretation. Still, one can’t be sure. The proof will be in the pudding and it all depends on how they implement these cameras.

Dr Ritesh Chugh wrote: It is a welcome move for collecting evidence.

These devices can also potentially enhance the safety of police officers and possibly deter potential offenders. In cases of police misconduct, the recordings from these devices can also be used to determine accountability.

It is important though that all the appropriate information is communicated, in its entirety, to stakeholders.

Naishadh Gadani wrote: I am in favour of BWCs. They will enhance transparency and accountability. They’ll also help the community to learn what really goes on during police operations.

Rakesh Raizada wrote: I think it’s a great idea. Given the number of road accidents that occur nowadays, these cameras are a great tool for the cops while they undertake an alcohol or drug test, or even conduct vehicle stops. BWCs can be as credible a source of evidence as dash-cam videos, particularly in cases of family violence.

I do hope, though, that they don’t lead to misuse of power. Like, what if police deliberately don’t turn on their camera?

Storage of data and dealing with privacy issues should be thought through, however. Overall, I think it is great initiative and should prove to be a success.

Sam Goraya wrote: A fantastic initiative. This will promote trust, honesty and integrity in the system. Storage should be done in a central database controlled by an independent body.

SAY IT AGAIN 8 MAY (1) 2018

INDIAN LINK ON INSTAGRAM

This time’s entry is from @ tell_you_a_story: What do you do when you’ve got a hankering for chips? Make healthy chips, of course!

Love this month’s baked sweet potato chips recipe in @indianlink. No guilt, thank you!

Post a picture on Instagram of Indian Link at home, work or anywhere else in your life, using the hashtag #indianlink. We’ll select the best one and publish it here.

INDIAN LINK POLL

#AustraliaforAsifa: Should child rapists get death penalty?

Yes, absolutely: 68% No, it won’t solve the issue: 32%

LEST WE FORGET

We paid a tribute to brave soldiers on the occasion of Anzac Day. Betty Jager wrote: We in Australia honour all Anzacs, they will always be in our hearts.

If koalas mainly eat eucalyptus leaf, does that mean their breath is really fresh?

Comedian Aditi Mittal at the Melb International Comedy Festival

Multiculturalism is your culture as your strength, your language as your lifeline, and other cultures & languages as ways to understand things Roanna Gonsalves, Winner of NSW Premier’s Literary Award 2018

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NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 9

SPECIAL REPORT

Australian support for Asifa

“India is our motherland and we are connected by blood.

It is our duty to speak up,” Roanna Gonsalves tells RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

T

he call for justice that has roared in India against the repeated rape and murder of eight-year-old child Asifa Banu in the country has been echoed here in Australia this week.

A group of 102 academics, writers, musicians and performing artists have voiced their protest against the terrible incident – and the Indian government’s slow response to it – in letters submitted to the Indian Consulates in Sydney and Melbourne.

Writer and academic Roanna Gonsalves, who was one of the signatories, told Indian Link, “You might think that it’s easy for us to live outside of India and make a casual comment now and then about affairs there.

But we are connected by blood. India is our motherland and it is our duty to speak up.”

In the letter that was hand-delivered to Consulate Generals of India in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday, April 23, 2018, they state, “As concerned citizens of Australia and India, we are deeply invested in the ongoing health of our democracies, the growing bilateral relationship between the two nations, and in drawing attention

10 MAY (1) 2018

to and addressing the damage being done to both under the current Indian government.”

Calling for ‘Zero Tolerance After Asifa’, they demanded “immediate action in providing justice to Asifa and all other victims of sexual violence, to provide support and compensation to their families, and to restore the faith of citizens and the international community in Indian democracy by bringing the perpetrators to justice immediately.”

The letter reads:

April 23, 2018 To, The High Commissioner of India in Australia Subject: Petition with respect to Asifa Banu’s torturous rape and murder and to protest against the current climate of ongoing political atrocities towards Muslims and other minority communities in India Sir, We are writing this letter, to express our deepest sorrow and shock at the abduction,

brutal and multiples rapes upon, and premeditated, cold-blooded murder of Asifa Banu, the eight-year old Indian girl from Kathua in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Our condolences, belated and ineffectual as they are, go out to her family: Words fail to even imagine their indescribable pain as their daughter was sexually tortured for seven days, killed and dumped in a forest, and then denied burial in the local graveyard in January 2018.

Through this letter we express our anger, distress, and mute hopelessness at the unjustifiable delay and coverups in the investigations to bring justice for a minor from the Muslim Bakerwal nomadic tribe, whose murder is not only reported to be a sexually-based crime, but also politicallymotivated by a campaign of deep hatred and ongoing discriminations against Muslims and other minorities in the current Hindu-majority government.

We are equally outraged at the protection being provided to the accused, who belong to the Hindu community in Jammu and Kashmir, and whose members conspired to commit this

horrific crime. This incident is one of the many heinous crimes being committed, reported and covered in domestic and international media, against members of the many minority communities of India on a regular basis ever since the current ruling government came to political power in 2014. The abuse of women and minors as fodder in these hate crimes, of using rape as a weapon of war against its own citizens, of engaging in overt and covert intimidation against those who dare to speak out, is the all-too-common face of the dastardly campaigns that seek to obliterate the existence of, and engage in a sustained drive against, Muslims and other minorities in India under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

We are a group of writers, artpractitioners, academics, and media professionals in Australia who are closely connected to India. As concerned citizens of Australia and India, we are deeply invested in the ongoing health of our democracies, the growing bilateral relationship between the two nations, and in drawing attention to and addressing

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Roanna Gonsalves

Death penalty will lead to more murders. Who’s going to let the child live to be able to speak up? the damage being done to both under the current Indian government.

We are appalled, outraged and ashamed at the way gender oppressions are appropriated, torture on minority groups are justified, and interventions into people’s daily lives, food habits and cultural practices are being committed with impunity in the name of Hinduism under the aegis of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi.

We are calling for ‘Zero Tolerance After Asifa’ and urging the Indian government, which you represent in Australia, to take immediate action in providing justice to Asifa and all other victims of sexual violence, to provide support and compensation to their families, and to restore the faith of citizens and the international community in Indian democracy by bringing the perpetrators to justice immediately.

Talking about how the idea came about, Gonsalves said, “It came from a place of sorrow and love for our motherland. We are shocked and saddened at the ongoing offences, particularly against minority communities.”

“It all started from general conversations. The topic kept coming up.

We didn’t want an online petition like Change.org but something more direct to register our protest, as well as our condolences, sorrow and outrage. The cover-up was shocking: the incident happened in January and came to light only in April.”

Gonsalves added, “It is because of other people who spoke up in the past that we have the freedom to do so ourselves today. We’ve benefitted from other people’s activism, and now, it’s our turn to contribute.”

That the letter might be misconstrued as a step “against Modi” has crossed

Gonsalves’ mind. “Of course, it’s a huge risk; anti-Modi views are not taken lightly and many journalists are being silenced for voicing their opinions. But we have no connection with party politics, we are part of a growing number of people who are becoming concerned about the disturbing trends in India.”

Perhaps it’s this growing concern and furore that has resulted in an ordinance passed by India’s cabinet last week, according to which offenders who rape girls under the age of 12 may now be subject to death penalty. But Gonsalves remains unconvinced of the efficacy of the move.

“Death penalty makes for a great headline, but it will lead to more murders.

Until now, women and children were being raped, now they’ll be raped and murdered.

Who’s going to let the child live to be able to speak up? The death penalty was a kneejerk populist reaction, and it will not

be a deterrent to crime. Education is the only solution,” she said.

Gonsalves is a well-known literary figure is Sydney, having arrived on the scene with her first book of short stories The Permanent Resident, that won the Multicultural NSW Award at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

This isn’t the first time the writer has taken up activisim. Back in 2015, she had gathered along with members of the creative fraternity in India under the auspices of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014 umbrella to also express their solidarity with persecuted Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan.

Gonsalves may be right about education being the only solution, but it’s one that will take years to implement. For now, it’s clear that the Indian diaspora has become more vocal about Indian issues and they are demanding that authorities sit up and take notice.

The Afternoon Adda Interesting conversations

by Australia India Institute Wednesdays 12 Noon on Indian Link Radio Download the Indian Link App today NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 11

ANZAC DAY

Indian Anzacs Marching in memory of their forebears at Gallipoli, Indian veterans bring up the idea of a commemoration in India BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

H

aving participated in the ANZAC Day Parade for a few years now, many of those who march as part of the Indian contingent are beginning to feel that perhaps India should organise its own memorial event.

Indian involvement at Gallipoli in 1915 is now a well-recognised fact, with documentation including photographs and letters unearthed after many years. Some

1.3 million Indian soldiers served in World War I, and over 74,000 of them lost their lives, 1,400 of these at Gallipoli alone.

Many were awarded the Victoria Cross honour.

Just the like the Aussies and New Zealanders, they fought a war in a strange land far from their own, and against an enemy they knew little about.

The Indian contingent at Gallipoli comprised the 7th Indian Mountain Artillery Brigade, 29th Indian Infantry Brigade, Indian Supply and Transport Corps, and the 108th Indian Field Ambulance, among others. They served there from late April 1915, through the August offensive, until the final evacuation in December.

“If Australia and New Zealand can go to Gallipoli every year to lay a wreath to the memory of their soldiers, why shouldn’t India?” asks Col Nilesh Bansal (Retd), who has been a proud ANZAC Day participant in Melbourne since 2013.

“I’ve spoken to Indian officials about this,” Bansal reveals, “and I am saddened to learn that apparently the Indian political system and bureaucracy do not recognise or honour conflicts that took place before 1947, considering the participants as ‘part of British forces’.”

Major General Ranjit Nadkarni (Retd), Vishisht Seva Medal, who led the 20-strong Indian contingent at Melbourne’s ANZAC Day parade again this year, feels that the annual ceremony

including the dawn service, parades and observances at RSL to honour our veterans, mean a lot to men in uniform.

“These ceremonies give respect to all armed forces personnel,” he tells Indian Link. “They are made to feel a valued section of the community. In India we don’t get such recognition, at least not to this extent.”

He adds, “I would like to see something of this nature in India, definitely. We do have the Republic Day ceremony but it is a mixed affair, with various other services and states taking part.”

In fact, taking a cue from the Australian observance of ANZAC Day, he goes a step further and says perhaps India should set aside an annual day to celebrate the

Reception at Indian Consulate (Melb)

Brisbane march

12 MAY (1) 2018

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Photos:

Anzac Day in Melbourne

Dashmesh Band at Sydney

nation’s military history.

“I think the Armed Forces must be given due recognition for their efforts, and their service remembered. The 1971 conflict, for example, in which I myself participated, created international history, giving rise to the birth of a new nation Bangladesh. And over and above their roles in conflict and border protection, the Forces take on many challenges as part of their humanitarian duties such as during natural calamities. The nation owes the Armed Forces. We should set aside a day for military personnel alone, besides Republic Day.” The Indian Consulate in Melbourne hosts a lunch every year to honour the Indian marchers, and both Bansal and Nadkarni have expressed the sense of pride they feel, as members of the community – both Indian and mainstream – come up and greet them as military

If Australia and New Zealand can go to Gallipoli every year to lay a wreath to the memory of their soldiers, why shouldn’t India?

Col Nilesh Bansal (Retd) officers who served their country with devotion.

“Of course there are people who recognise and value our service in India also,” Nadkarni reveals. “When I go to the bank in India for instance, I am amazed at the regard shown to me simply because I am a soldier. But there’s no public forum for such acknowledgment. I think it can be done: the retired community will happily work alongside the serving community to make this happen. Such a move will do the

country proud, I feel.”

Gen Nadkarni served in the Indian Army for 38 years. As an Infantry officer he saw action in the 1971 war as a young major, and later in Kashmir fighting terrorists.

As part of his long career he also served as Chief Instructor of the Army at the prestigious Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, Tamil Nadu.

“I taught military history and am fully aware of the battles that took place in

Gallipoli in 1914-15,” he offers. “My brigade the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment was particularly active there and this is a great source of pride for me.

The Gurkhas and others from India did their bit equally valiantly and we are proud of their service and sacrifice.”

Having marched in the ANZAC Day parade for the 11th year this year, he says, “I felt proud to be Indian and an ex army officer. I felt proud that there is some recognition for Indian soldiers.”

His words are echoed by Capt Johnny Joseph, who marched in Brisbane this year.

“There is no occasion in India to remember and honour the sacrifices our soldiers made in the two World Wars,” Joseph tells Indian Link. “And that is why the ANZAC Day parade is significant to me. The Australians and the New Zealanders were in the forefront at this

Marvin Bunting at Adelaide’s Dawn Service

NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 13

ANZAC DAY

Brisbane march

The authorities tell us they were part of ‘British’ forces, but they were our men Captain Johnny Joseph historic military operation no doubt, but our countrymen were there too, besides others of course like the South Africans. The annual parade today is our way of honouring, respecting and giving recognition to the Indian soldiers who fought and died there. The authorities tell us they were part of ‘British’ forces, but they were our men.”

Brisbane’s Indian contingent marched only for the second year this year, organised by Capt Joseph, formerly of the 8 Kumaon Regiment in India.

That the general public comes out in the thousands to cheer the marchers on, many holding the “thank you” placards, is a particularly warm take-away. “Our contingent is one of the last, and yet the crowds stay on,” Gen Nadkarni says with awe.

“The armed forces keep us secure and the citizens come out in large numbers to honour them,” says Capt Joseph. “Even the Dawn Service I went to, at 4am, was crowded.”

He speaks warmly about the contingent of descendants - some of them little children - who carry their family members’ portraits in memory.

“The character of the ANZAC Day parade is different from India’s Republic Day. It’s less structured, but the respect for the men and women in service comes through very strongly.”

Vickram Grewal marched for the first time as part of his RAAF unit in Canberra, where he serves as Director Of Strategic Communications Sustainment. But this was not his first ANZAC Day parade. He has been marching since 2007, when the first Sikh contingent was permitted in the Sydney parade. As part of the Sikh Council of Australia, Grewal was instrumental in liaising with the RSL to establish a case by putting forward accounts from history of

14 MAY (1) 2018

the Sikh participation in Gallipoli.

“That Sikh legacy must be remembered and honoured,” he says with conviction.

“Forget the political aspect of it, the history is there for all to see. The awareness must be raised in India as well.”

The Sydney contingent that he helped put together marched this year with nearly 50 participants.

The appearance of the Dashmesh Band, an all-Sikh bagpipes band from Malaysia, made it even more special.

The spotless white costumes, blended ingenuously with the red tartan and topped off with the majestic pagris, created much allure for spectators and went a long way in showcasing the new diverse and inclusive nature of this quintessential Australian event.

No other Indian contingent has been accompanied by a marching band.

“Marching behind a band makes it even more special for us,” Bawa Singh Jagdev, who has participated in the parade for the past 11 years, tells Indian Link. “For the centenary year, we put in a request with the Indian High Commission to allow a band from the Sikh Regiments in India to accompany us in the parade. It would have been a wonderful acknowledgement of the Sikh participation in Gallipoli and would perhaps have helped in the bilateral relationship as well, but it was not to be.”

The Dashmesh Band has made two previous appearances at Sydney.

In Adelaide, Marvin Bunting has been paying his respects at the Dawn Service for 30 years, showing up in his Regiment Cap from 161 Medium Regiment (Basantar River), and wearing his medals.

“I come in honour of the fallen, and to say thanks for the peace and harmony we live in today that came about as a result of their sacrifice,” he tells Indian Link.

“It also allows me to relive the memories

of my past, and in a way, fly the flag for my country.”

He served in the Indian Army (artillery) for 12 years, and was posted in the J&K sector during the 1971 war. He left the Army in 1979. The Delhi-born Bunting is a third generation army man: his grandfather Tom Bunting went to India from Britain in 1900 as a soldier of the British Raj, and his father Trevor served in the Air Force.

Returning to India only months ago on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his commission, he was reunited with his Army colleagues. “It struck me then

not only that the nation should perhaps be treating its veterans a bit better, but the sacrifice of the fallen better remembered.”

(An Indian contingent has participated from Adelaide before, after having won a hard-fought battle to be allowed to, but were strangely absent this year.)

Much like Marvin Bunting, Melbourne’s Nilesh Bansal describes in some detail putting on his regimental cap and tie and pinning on his medal accoutrements in preparation for the parade. “I was proud to be marching as a representative of our veterans who participated at Gallipoli,” he says.

Having served in the Indian Army for 22 years, he counts his 12 years in Kashmir (including Siachen) in counter insurgency operations as his highpoints.

He talks with pride about raising and commanding a Brahmos (surface to surface supersonic cruise missile) regiment, making it to the prestigious Defense Services Staff Course and serving as part of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

“Walking through the WWII cemetery in Ethiopia, I came across tombstones of many Indian soldiers,” he recalls. “They lie there forgotten. If we don’t honour our soldiers, who else will? It’s good to see our current prime minister Narendra Modi starting to make an effort now.”

Many Indian Army regiments do so at their own levels, he points out. “It is heartening to see that the old battles and sacrifices are still remembered at least at this level. I think that we as a nation should honour our soldiers; whichever banner they fought under, they were Indian at the end of the day.”

Vickram Grewal with his RAAF unit at Canberra

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NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 15

STAGE

Higuita: A goal keeper’s solitude A multilingual play tells the story of a priest who seeks inspiration from a legendary football goalie to fight evill BY EMIE ROY

F

r Geevarghese is a priest in a small parish in Southern Delhi, who unwittingly gets entangled in the tumultuous life of a tribal girl called Lucy Marandy, a devotee in his parish, who’s being hunted by an evil trafficker, Jabbar. In an unexpected turn of events, the priest becomes her saviour, rescuing her from his clutches. Quite a predictable storyline, one might remark.

But the priest in Sasidharan Naduvil’s play Higuita looks towards Rene Higuita, the Colombian goalkeeper of the 1980s for inspiration – and therein lies the difference.

Higuita was known for his unique style of playing; where he as a goalkeeper shouldered more responsibility and risks other than guarding the goalpost. Right a

16 MAY (1) 2018

what our protagonist is doing too,” explains Naduvil, the director who did a freestyle adaptation of the renowned Indian writer NS Madhavan’s short story by the same name.

Naduvil has been staying in Canberra for the past few weeks to train the local amateurs to do this play, as part of ‘Ochre Theatre’, formed by a group of Indian Australians. “Every man is a prisoner of the boxes of his own making. When he steps out of the boxes to do something, it will certainly make a difference. The goalkeepers are like caged birds under a burning sun but Higuita is a goalkeeper who steps out of this cage. It is this concept that makes this play relevant in today’s world,” he adds. “The world is disintegrating, and we need to curb this fire that is on us. It is high time every person steps out of their own shell, to bring about a change.”

Naduvil is a theatre activist with 35 years of experience, and has to his credit around 400 plays in India; he’s won the

best director award around 300 times in a variety of arenas and regularly stages his plays in Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards in Delhi, and in World Theatre Olympics.

Interestingly, the play is set in a football court, and the artificial turf of 20mX12m forms the centre stage. Only four spots on the turf are lit up with spot lights, depicting the various boxes that the humans are caged in – the two goal posts, the centre circle of the football ground, and the spot in the front, which is set as an altar.

“I must say here that my inspiration is the Austrian writer Peter Handke’s novel, The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick.

This whole play has been interspersed with the game of soccer, to emphasise the emotional connect the protagonist has with the game, and Higuita himself,” continues the director.

Reeve Abraham, who portrayed the young priest was a delight to watch for the life he added to the character. The phenomenon that left the audience

spellbound, however, was chorus work in the play. The game of soccer, the uprooting of the tribal houses and the celebrations while sending little Geevarghese for ordainment were marvellous.

Joy Paliakkara, a keen audience member agrees, “That perfect blend of light and darkness and the amazing stage choreography enhanced the visual impact of these scenes to compare it to an onscreen work that gets finalised after heaps of technical refinements. And here it was, right in front of our eyes, enacted live.

Unbelievable!”

Basking in true Australian multicultural spirit, it was done in multiple regional Indian languages, as well as in English.

“The power of the art form is not displayed when a lonely scriptwriter pens down some high punch situations, but when it is given life and blood by real people in the society. The idea transcends borders and triggers the thought process in everyone. Eventually, that is how a play becomes successful,” concludes Naduvil.

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NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 17

STAGE

Storytellers sans borders

Kevin Bathman, Roanna Gonsalves, Sonal Moore

Sonal Moore’s Ten Years to Home

A new playwriting project tells poignant, cross-cultural stories of love against the backdrop of migration, writes HAMIDA PARKAR

A

rainy evening at Riverside Theatre, Parramatta, provides the ideal backdrop and stage for three diaspora play readings, written by Kevin Bathman, Roanna Gonsalves, and Sonal Moore. Guided by John Suter Linton, it was the first public outcome of their effort as part of DramaSutra, a playwriting project, led by Neel Banerjee of Nautanki Theatre Company.

Narrated with warmth, candour and humour, these untold stories are an amalgamation of past and present. They depict the joys and challenges of migrants with love, even as they trace cultural, social and political barriers, giving voice to their struggles of accepting, redefining and/or establishing their dual originality, independent of kin or country.

The content is rich and poignant.

Fantastic voice performances from actors make the readings compelling. Yet the playwrights insist these are first versions.

Roanna quips, “You all are our guinea pigs.” Her story is fictional, while Sonal and Kevin draw inspiration from real life.

In Fish Out Of Water, Malaysian-born Kevin dishes out wonderful slices of diasporic lives from his own background.

“My Indian-born paternal grandfather moved to Malaysia in the 20s, where he

Kevin Bathman’s Fish Out of Water

18 MAY (1) 2018

met my Chinese grandmother,” he says.

Three mixed-race Australian couples share true Chindian (Chinese-Indian) stories. He uses verbatim theatre to convey feelings, “What you hear are actual words of these real couples”. The pairs talk about moving, reactions to their distinctive relationship, family, conflicts, and a better future for their children. “I have always been an advocate for such stories.

Chindians aren’t recognised in Southeast Asia and don’t fit in either category,” shares Kevin.

Indian-born Roanna’s contemporary The Queen’s English is a witty and sociopolitical commentary on immigration, she borrows from her 2016 book The Permanent Resident (which last week won the Multicultural NSW Award at the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards) and Masako Fukui’s Late Life Sex. Adding hilarious matriarchal character, Isabella, to the dinner party, Roanna touches on feminism, sex, religion, culture, racism, assimilation, plus migrant dilemmas on employment, housing, permanent residency, and student visas. She hopes to change the depiction of an Indian in Australia, moving it from the lens of cricket and Bollywood to being more realistic. “The current government, or even non-Hindus,

have a narrow view on Hinduism when it is diverse, beautiful and accepting. Millions of stories become one story, impoverishing all of us to tragic consequences as we are seeing in India as well. Our stories hope to show different ways of being Indian, and Australian. They are Australian stories, and also Indian. They can be both. We don’t have to choose.”

Ten Years To Home playwright Sonal feels wholly Aussie, being born and bred here. “I never thought I had an Indian story in me, despite my Indian parents,” she says. “They gave me my background and my friends gave me everything else.”

Yet her account of her folks’ journey from her (late) mother’s perspective – spanning 10 years – is stunning. It captures her thoughts from being an early migrant to making Australia home. One exquisite scene journals her mother looking out of the window, watching her son play as she reflects on her old life. Crucial periods

are captured of a changing India and Australia in the ’60s and ’70s.

Losing these legacy stories would be tragic. The hope is to find these plays a h ome on the Australian stage, with mainstream funding and production.

Neel’s passion is evident. “No text exists, or dominates the migration of South Asian diaspora. We hope to receive support from the government, council and community members,” he says.

“Writers or actors like us don’t have access to mainstage theatre companies,” says Roanna. “It is difficult for actors who are not white. They don’t find work.

So an opportunity like this is rare and precious.”

“This is special for me, and a chance to tell my parents’ story,” says Sonal.

“We all need to get our elders writing and sharing their lives, otherwise communities are going to lose their family stories, our traditional stories.”

The stories depict the joys and challenges of migrants with love, giving voice to their struggles of accepting, redefining and/ or establishing their dual originality

Roanna Gonsalves’ The Queen’s English

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NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 19

WHAT’S ON FUNDRAISER The Memory Walk and Jog Sun 6 May (7.00am onwards) Take part in a 2km walk, 7.5km walk or the 7.5km run to raise funds for those impacted by dementia. Leichhardt Oval #3, Maliyawul Street, Lilyfield, NSW, 2040. Details 02 8875 4673 Bollywood extravaganza Sat 19 May (5.00pm – 5.30pm) A charity event for the Hindu Benevolent fund used for those affected by cyclone in Fiji. Pacific Hills Christian School Performing Arts Centre, Dural, NSW. Details 0430 157 679/ 0419 573 328 Shaam-E-Mehfil Fri 25 May (6pm onwards) Sewa Australia presents Shaam-e-Mehfil, an evening of golden hits with live musicians and talented singers. All the proceeds will directly go to Family Support Services. At Madison Function Ctr, 632 Old Northern Rd, Dural NSW. Details 0412 705 796/ 0404 044 276.

Vision 2020 Charity Ball Sat 19 May (7.00pm onwards) Cherrybrook Community and Cultural Centre Funds raised for the Aiyaswamy Aiyer School in Chennai, India. Details 0468 947 761 STAGE MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL Thaaimai – A Celebration of Motherhood in Sydney Sat 5 May (6.30pm – 8.30pm) A Bharatnatyam performance to portray the unique bond between mother and child. The Bryan Brown Theatre and Function Centre 80 Rickard Road, Bankstown, NSW 2200. Details 0420 483 044/ 0431 897 473 Tamil Folk Art Tue 8 May (5.30pm – 7.00pm) Indian Cultural Centre, Consulate General of India, Sydney in association with Tamil Arts and Culture Association Inc. organising an evening of Tamil folk art at Level 2, Consulate General of India, 265 Castlereagh street, Sydney, 2000. Details 02 9223 2702 Stay Tuned Sat 5 May (7.00pm onwards) Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK), the youth wing of Chinmaya Mission

To have your event listed, email media@indianlink.com.au

presents comedy drama Stay Tuned at UNSW Science Theatre. All proceeds to social outreach projects in Sri Lanka and India. Details Niyati 0425 262 103 Ragaswarubam 2018 Sat 12 May (5.30pm – 9.30pm) Enjoy an evening of Carnatic classical Indian music by the Gogula Dharshan Music Academy and Ragamalika Music Academy. At Bowman Hall Blacktown. Campbell St, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia 2148.

Details 0434833128.

Richa Sharma live in concert Sat 19 May (7pm onwards) Richa Sharma live in concert at Whitlam Leisure Centre 90A Memorial Ave Liverpool NSW 2170.

Details 041 277 9418.

FESTIVAL Ramadan dinner Fri 18 May (4.45pm – 7pm) 25th Annual Ramadan Dinner hosted by the Islamic Charity Project Association.

Venue: Al Amanah College Assembly Hall, 56 Nagle St Liverpool, NSW. Details 9707 4842, 0413 914 189.

Istaqbal-e-Ramadan Sat 12 May (5.15pm – 7.15pm) An effort to educate children and adults about Ramadan. At The Hub at Mt Druitt, Ayres Gr, Mount Druitt, New South Wales. Details (02) 8886 2020 Ramadan Iftar Mon 21 May (4.30pm – 7.30pm) The Muslim Legal Network (NSW) is hosting its Annual Ramadan Iftar. At Doltone House Hyde Park Level 3, 181 Elizabeth Stt, Sydney, Australia 2000.

SENIORS Free Tech Savvy Seniors Workshop Learn basic computer skills at your local library Liverpool Library (10.00am - 12 noon) 8 May Introduction to Internet part 1 15 May Introduction to Internet part 2 22 May Introduction to Email Parramatta Library (10.00 am – 12 noon) 2 May Introduction to iPad 1 9 May Introduction to iPad 2 16 May Introduction to Social Media part 1 23 May Introduction to Social Media

part 2 Denis Johnson Blacktown Library (10.00am – 12 noon) 6 June Introduction to Internet 1 13 June Introduction to Internet 2 20 June Introduction to Email 27 June Introduction to Social Media AASHA at Hornsby Every second and fourth Friday of the month, 11.00am – 2.00pm. Venue Hornsby Youth and Community Centre, cnr Muriel and Burdett Sts, Hornsby, close to Hornsby Station. Programs feature yoga, music, dance, games, health and tech presentations, health checks and light lunch. Details 0412 786 569 Crows Nest Every third Wednesday of the month, 10.am – 11.30am. Venue 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest. Social event with free tea. Details 02 9439 5122 LANGUAGES BSK/SVP CLASSES A local initiative of VHP Australia, Bala Samskar Kendra (BSK) holds Sanskrit language lessons as well as a culture and heritage program on Saturdays at Oran Park School, 390 South Circuit, Oran Park. Details 0450 117 372 HINDI CLASSES Saturdays (2.30pm – 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. Details icc2. sydney@mea.gov.in MISC Hindi conversations over chai Every Thursday, a group of Hindi students and speakers who are enthusiastic to use language learning to build cross-cultural friendships. At CCH Ministry Centre, The Bridge Unit 4, 67-71 Jersey St, Hornsby (enter off Jersey St near corner with Bridge Rd).

Details 0432 920 259.

Community Recycling Centres are permanent drop-off facilities, open year round. Use them to safely dispose of selected common household problem wastes such as paint, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, motor

and cooking oils, car and household batteries, fluorescent tubes and globes, and smoke detectors. Details call the Environment Line 131555 Living in Australia without a valid visa?

Thurs 24 May (6.00pm onwards) The Department of Home Affairs will brief the community services and options for people living in Australia without a valid visa. Find out about free assistance for people whose visa is about to expire, or has expired, such as the Status Resolution Service and voluntary return program. Auburn Centre for Community 44a Macquarie St, Auburn.

Simran and Meditation Diwan Wed 30 May (6.30pm – 8.30pm) Come and enjoy the peaceful diwan at Gurudwara Turramurra Sikh Temple, Sydney at Kissing point road, Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia 2074. Details +61 2 9449 8253.

MAINSTREAM Biennale of Sydney 2018 Till 11 June: View the works of Indianorigin artists exhibiting as part of the ongoing Biennale Sydney 2018 this year – Simryn Gill, Tanya Goel, NS Harsha, Prabhavati Meppayil, Sosa Joseph and Khaled Sabsabi. Details 02 8484 8700 Tales from the East: India and NSW 27 April – 26 Aug Old Government House, Parramatta Park, Parramatta.

Details 02 9635 8149 Sydney Writers Festival 30 Apr – 6 May A literary extravaganza that celebrates writers all over the world. The festival will also include Indian-origin writers Michelle Cahill, Shastra Deo, Ronojoy Ghosh, Roanna Gonsalves, Jamila Rizvi, Jeremy Fernandez, Zoya Patel, and Angela Saini. Details www.swf.org.au ENTERTAINMENT Rashke QAMAR 2018 Sat 5 May (6.30pm – 11.30pm) Enjoy Bollywood performances by professional singers and tiny tots at Bowman Hall in Blacktown. Details 0414 682 364

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MAY (1) 2018 21

INDIAN NEWS The new look at railway station at Madhubani in Bihar now boasts many examples of the Madhubani style of folk art that lends the city its name Photo: AP

“We are doing nothing ... we are here just to spread love. Love will overpower everything. We have nothing more to say,” a demonstrator said.

“Be it love or anger or cruelty, it’s all about expression. We are trying to spread positive expression, to do away with all the negativities around,” a female protester quipped.

The Kolkata Metro issued a statement stating it is strictly against any form of moral policing.

Gandhi’s birth anniversary to mark India’s resolve for just society: Kovind

Modi always thinking how to criticise Rahul, abuse party: Congress

The Congress recently said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly thinking about how to criticise their chief Rahul Gandhi and abuse the party.

“I can see a big change has come in him (Modi). I do not know if anyone is noticing or not. From morning till evening, be it the Prime Minister or leaders of BJP, whole day day they are thinking about Rahul Gandhi and the Congress.

“Whether they are sleeping, waking up, eating, walking, reading..all the time, Rahul Gandhi and Congress party. Maybe in his dream too. He is always thinking how to criticise Rahul Gandhi and to abuse the Congress party,” said Congress spokesperson Rajeev Shukla.

Launching his election campaign in Karnataka, Modi accused the Congress of being obsessed with “politics of dynasty” and dared Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes on the achievements of the Siddaramaiah government without a piece of paper.

Delhi student’s death: School van was plying illegally, says report

A school van in which a seven-year-old girl was travelling when it met with an accident, leaving her dead and 16 other students injured, was plying “illegally” while the driver of the tanker that ploughed into it was drunk, a senior official said.

The accident took place in north Delhi last week when a tanker hit the van and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.

The official said that an interim report submitted two days back found out that the school van was over 15 years old and was thus plying illegally in the city.

The van had completed 15 years in 2017. “Also the report has recommended to register cases against the owner of the school van and its driver under Sections 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC (Indian Penal Code),” the

22 MAY (1) 2018

officer said.

“The report also said that the driver of the tanker was driving under the influence of alcohol,” he added.

Air quality has improved through serious efforts, says India

In wake of the WHO data that found 14 most polluted cities are from India with Kanpur at the top and Delhi at sixth position, the Indian Environment Ministry said that data is from 2016 while the government has done a lot to improve air quality since then.

According to WHO, based on PM2.5 or particles with diameter smaller than 2.5 microns, in 2016 the top 14 polluted cities include Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur.

However, WHO officials said that many cities in the world, including some expected to be among the most polluted, do not collect information or report on its outdoor air quality.

The report also said that nine out of ten people in the world breath toxic air. The ministry said that annual average Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 concentration of Delhi has improved from 2016 to 2017. It said that while PM 2.5 concentration in the year 2016 was 134 units, it was 125 micrograms per cubic metre in the year 2017.

“The Government has made serious efforts to deal with air pollution. Data for the year 2017 for PM 2.5 shows an improvement over 2016 and so far in 2018, it shows a further improvement, as compared to 2017,” the Ministry said in a statement.

“CPCB data based on Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) indicates that the annual average PM 2.5 concentration in the year 2016 as 134 micrograms per cubic metre and as 125 micrograms per cubic metre in the year 2017.

“Similarly, for PM 10 the figures were 289 micrograms per cubic metre in the year 2016 and 268 micrograms per cubic metre in the year 2017. Therefore, even PM 10 levels have come down in the year 2017 against 2016,” Ministry said.

The Ministry said that significant action has been taken in Delhi and NCR, including the formulation of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Meanwhile, the WHO, in a mail, said that it “cannot compare cities based on their levels of outdoor air pollution”.

“Cities that collect and disseminate information on outdoor air quality need to be praised for their action. The cities which have invested in the capacity to regularly monitor and report the local air quality measurements have already demonstrated a commitment to starting to address air quality issues and public health,” it said.

No clear evidence of assault on couple in Kolkata Metro found: GM

The Kolkata Metro authority has said that “no clear evidence” of an alleged assault on a couple in a station premises was found after examining the CCTV footage but appealed the passengers to act responsibly to avoid any untoward incidents in future.

A young couple was allegedly thrashed by co-passengers at Dumdum metro station last week for hugging inside the metro compartment.

“All the CCTV footage at the station premises were thoroughly examined but no clear evidence of assault was found. No FIR was lodged by the couple either. So no actions could be taken,” Metro Railway General Manager Ajay Vijayvargiya told reporters.

He said no information or complaints were received from the couple or any other passengers following the incident and it came to their knowledge after an article was published in a Bengali daily on.

The metro authority also said additional security measures like installing more CCTV cameras at the station premises would be underway shortly.

As the pictures of the alleged incident went viral on social media over the last couple of days, youths held a demonstration on outside Dumdum and Tollygunj metro stations in Kolkata against moral policing in a train last week and offered “free hugs” to people to lodge their protest.

President Ram Nath Kovind said last week the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi should become a moment of making a fresh commitment to his goals of a just, honest and fair society at home and abroad.

Kovind said the focus of the commemoration -- which will run for two years from October 2, 2018 to October 2, 2020 -- should not just be on events, but on tangible, actionable legacies that will make a difference to the lives of ordinary people.

“The Mahatma is our past, our present and also our future... So many of the themes and ideas he spoke and wrote of - some of them far ahead of their time - are even more relevant today,” the President said after he chaired the first meeting of the national committee for the commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

During the meeting, it was decided to set up a smaller executive committee, headed

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to take forward the commemoration, since it would not be feasible for the entire national committee to be convened frequently, an official statement said.

The national committee has 125 members, including the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Union Ministers, former Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers, senior MPs and political leaders from across party lines, and eminent Gandhians, social thinkers and activists.

The committee also has nine international members, including two former Secretaries General of the United Nations - Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon - and Nobel laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and US former Vice President Al Gore.

Modi said it was important that this occasion be celebrated in a manner that ensures Mahatma Gandhi continues to be an inspiration for future generations, adding that with his timeless teachings, Gandhi can become a mechanism for people around the world to understand India.

He emphasised the need to use technology in the celebrations so that the whole world can take note and participate and called for the celebrations to move beyond government events and take the shape of a mass movement - or ‘jan bhagidaari’.

He also urged all state governments to have similar consultations and draw plans.

In his speech, Kovind stressed that Mahatma Gandhi does not belong to India alone but remains one of India’s greatest gifts to

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A composite image of India’s iconic Taj Mahal (top) taken on 02 May 2018 and (bottom) taken on 31 October 2011, in Agra, India. India’s top court has asked the Indian government to seek foreign help to fix the changing colour of the ivory-white marble mausoleum. Photo: AP

humankind and his name finds resonance across the continents.

The President said when one works for an India free of caste and religious prejudice, one invokes Gandhi. “When we strive towards ‘Swachh Bharat’, and a cleaner and more hygienic India... When we speak of the rights of women and children and of civil liberties of small and disadvantaged groups, we invoke Gandhiji.

“When we talk of the health and well-being of the Indian farmer and the Indian village...

When we strive for energy access for the last village and the last home... When we build capacities in solar and renewable energy...

When we battle climate change and promote green, eco-friendly living, we invoke Gandhiji,” the President said.

He added that sustainable development was just an expansion of Gandhi’s simple mantra: “The earth has enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.”

Centre reverses cap on education concession to defence personnel’s children

The Central government has acceded to Punjab CM Amarinder Singh’s request not to cap the educational concession provided to children of armed forces’ personnel, a state government official said last week.

“Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has written to the CM to convey the Union Government’s decision to continue the said concession without capping it at Rs 10,000 per month,” a spokesman of the CM said.

Welcoming the decision, the Chief Minister said it would go a long way towards boosting the morale of the armed forces and their families, particularly the children of martyrs and disabled soldiers.

“The Defence Minister’s communication is in response to Captain Amarinder’s letter dated December 1, 2017, urging her to revoke the decision to put a cap of Rs 10,000 per month on the combined amount of tuition fee and hostel charges under the scheme of educational concession to such children.

“Expressing serious concern about the proposed move of the Defence Ministry, the Chief Minister had then said it would make a mockery of the objective behind the scheme which was announced in the Lok Sabha in 1971,” the spokesman said.

Amarinder Singh felt that the move would “undermine the sacrifice of the defence personnel, and amounted to a shameful disregard for the contribution of the armed personnel to the country and its citizens”.

He was of the opinion that the “fee being paid to the children of martyrs and disabled soldiers was a small price in exchange for what they had given, and continued to give, to the nation”.

The educational concession was initially being given to the children of armed forces personnel killed/missing or permanently disabled in 1962, 1965, 1971 wars, Operation Pawan and Operation Meghdoot.

In August 2003, the Defence Ministry extended the concession to the children of armed forces personnel who were killed/ declared missing or permanently disabled during all post Meghdoot operations in India

NATIONAL EDITION

and abroad, including counter insurgency operations.

High tariff makes India less attractive to US investors: Envoy

Expressing disappointment at the Indian government’s decision to increase tariffs on 50 import items, US Consul General in Kolkata Craig Hall said last week that the high tariff baseline made India a “less attractive” destination for American investors.

“The US was disappointed to see India unilaterally increase the tariff rates of 50 line items in this year’s Budget raising a high tariff baseline already higher. This makes India a less attractive destination for US investors,” Hall said in a session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“The US maintains one of the lowest average applied tariff rates in the world at 3.4 per cent while India’s average applied tariff rate is 13.4 per cent. Almost one half of all tariffed items imported in the US are duty free whereas less than three per cent of goods coming into India qualify for duty free status.”

The envoy expressed concern over market access restrictions of US-based diary and poultry items in India while mentioning that America’s trade deficit of $28 billion with India last year is neither acceptable nor sustainable from the US perspective.

He also said that India has closed its legal system to foreign law firms and the educational sector -- US universities are not allowed to establish campuses in India or invest in a meaningful way in joint ventures.

Hall said the US government is also concerned about weak copyrights in India and challenges to patents, particularly in agro-technology and pharma.

“In pharma, the Indian government is setting price ceiling on drugs and medical equipment, which the US sees a violation of IPR.” He claimed that India also contributes to the overcapacity and subsidy on steel items to an extent along with China and said the overcapacity and subsidy on steel by other countries diminishes America’s steel production base, thereby causing a threat to America’s national security.

Naveen wants inclusion of ‘non-violence’ in Preamble

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said last week that the Constitution should be amended to include non-violence in the Preamble as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

“I believe the greatest tribute India could pay Gandhiji on his 150th Anniversary is to include the ‘uniquely’ Indian idea of Ahimsa, of non-violence in the Preamble of India’s Constitution,” he said at the first meeting of the national committee for commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, according to a statement.

He said this will ensure that the future generations, not just of Indians but also people around the world, will be reminded of the profound truth of this principle.

The Chief Minister said that the most

important aspect of Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of non-violence is that poverty and social injustice are the greatest violence.

“As Gandhiji said, as long as poverty exists, freedom is a wooden loaf. To remove poverty is the greatest task faced by any government. This cannot be achieved without non-violence.

“Progress requires peace. Progress requires the defeat of those who divide society on the basis of class, caste or religion,” he said.

Research, innovation bedrock of advancing knowledge: President

President Ram Nath Kovind last week highlighted the importance of research and innovation in improving the socio-economic status of a nation, terming it the bedrock of advancing knowledge.

“Knowledge alone holds the key to finding solutions to the problems we face in our world, nation and society. Research and innovation can play an important role in lifting our people out of poverty, ensuring their health and well-being or attaining food and energy security,” he said at oneday meet of Vice Chancellors of Central Universities at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

During the meeting which was also attended by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, he also presented the Visitor’s Awards for Research in the field of Basic and Applied Science and in the field of Humanities, Arts and Social Science.

“Researchers and innovators can help develop solutions to the problems we experience on a daily basis. Universities can also develop mechanisms to support innovation by ordinary people and help such grassroots innovators to further refine their work,” he added.

The President also said that universities should incorporate community-oriented initiatives in their academic programmes and engage with the communities near their campuses.

“Those universities which are located

in backward regions have a special responsibility of working with communities around them. Such community initiatives will further expand the horizon of their students and prepare them well for life ahead,” he noted.

Kovind also called for universities to take up the lead in addressing the specific challenges faced by the nation.

“Many of these challenges require creative and innovative solutions. It is their duty to ensure that their campuses emerge as spaces that nurture free expression and ideas, where experimentation is encouraged and failure is not ridiculed,” he said.

Dey murder: Chhota Rajan, 8 others guilty, journalist Vora acquitted

A Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) Court last week found mafia don Rajendra S Nikhalje alias Chhota Rajan and eight others guilty in the murder of journalist J. Dey in June 2011.

But a co-accused journalist, Jigna Vora, who was charged among other offences with conspiracy was acquitted by Special Judge Sameer Adkar, Special Public Prosecutor Pradip Gharat said.

Also acquitted was Joseph Paulson, who was charged with providing mobile SIM cards for executing the planned murder, he added.

The prime accused found guilty was Chhota Rajan, who had ordered the “hit” on Dey, a veteran crime reporter of Mumbai.

The mafia don was deported from Bali in Indonesia in November 2015 and subsequently made an accused in the case The 56-year old Dey, who was the Editor (Investigations) of Midday eveninger, was shot dead on June 11, 2011 near his Powai residence in Mumbai, shocking the media community.

Of the 11 accused, eight, including some sharps-hooters, have been found guilty, almost seven years after the killing of Dey in a public place.

IANS

MAY (1) 2018 23

MOTHER’S DAY

DIALLING 1800-MUM

Whether it’s recipe rescue or fashion faux pas, mums are just a speed dial away.

Here’s a toast to those super-women in our lives

< APPURVA RAAJ on her mum KAYALVIZHI RAJASEKARAN Amma, In your eyes you cradle the world, the world you have made me brave enough to face, and audacious enough to change.

In your lips you hold pearls, pearls of wisdom and of strength, for when I cast doubt upon my own.

In your heart, Amma, that’s made of, gold, steel and stardust, you espouse empathy to the many truths of our fellow humans, and the tenacity to challenge our own ignorance, to surpass the meekness of the mundane to set forth and seek my own fate.

And, through it all, in your hand you hold mine, guiding me through the unknown, from my first steps to my last, my Amma.

ALICIA on her mum JYOTI VRAJLAL > My mum has received some interesting phone calls from me over the years, and as usual, she always knows what to say, no matter what the situation is. A memorable phone call happened very recently when I asked my mum to send my laptop to my office via an Uber after I’d accidentally left it at home. Bless her! She put the laptop in two bags with multiple padlocks, and wouldn’t let the Uber driver leave till she sussed him out. If that’s not top level security, I don’t know what is. Thanks, Mum!

< MANAN on his mum RAJNI LUTHRA I’ve rung my mum in panic many times. Like when I left my sports gear at home.

When I left my music instrument at home. When I left my homework at home.

When I left my hat at home. When I left my lunch at home. When I left my blazer at home. When I left my English novel at home. Once, when I left my bag at home.

This happened all the way through school, from Kindergarten to Year 12 (sorry, Mum!) Towards the end of school, when you thought I would be more independent, I still had to seek mum out when I had trouble with the corsage for my formal date: she wanted one with a real string tie, not an elastic, and I didn’t know how to tie it! Mum became my practice test. And yes, only recently, when I had too many beers at a party, I rang her to come pick me up. You know what they say… you can always count on mum!

24 MAY (1) 2018

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< AZAARA on her mum PREETHI PERAKATH At times, it has felt like my life has been peppered by a series of little panics, but my mum has always come to the rescue. I had a slight wardrobe malfunction involving my saree while dancing at my cousin’s wedding. I was mortified and needed emergency fashion services. As it so happened, it was nothing that my mum, armed with safety pins and needle and thread, couldn’t fix! Mum is also a fantastic cook, which as a result has meant that I didn’t cook much at home. Over the summer, I moved to Melbourne to pursue a summer job at a law firm and decided one night that I wanted to make some Mexican food. I bought the ingredients but realised halfway through sautéing the chicken that I really wasn’t sure what to do next. I was even more apprehensive about ruining someone else’s kitchen with my culinary quest, so I immediately called Mum for help. She calmly talked me through what to do step-by-step and the dish was actually edible, thanks to her! Being able to dial “1800-MUM” is a much-needed lifeline, and one that I’m sure, even years from now, I’ll never stop needing.

RISHABH on his mum PARUL MALHOTRA > I had my HSC exam on 28 October and my mate messaged me “Are you all set for tomorrow?” at 12:15am on 27 October. I thought he must be kidding and I told him the exam is day after and not tomorrow. He told me to check the date and without realising that it’s 12am, I just saw the date and freaked out and screamed “MUM!!”

A few seconds later, I saw the time and realised he was factually correct but also got to know that when in trouble, the first person you think about is your mother.

< RONIT on his mum PREETI JABBAL I have called my mum so many times I have lost count. But the one that I remember recently was the first day of school when I left my laptop at home. It was an emergency (aren’t they all?) because my class was about to start so she didn’t have time to dress and instead had to come in her PJs. Now if you don’t know my mum, she is incredibly fussy about wearing the right thing to the right place, so she was not in the least bit impressed. On top of that I missed her call when she arrived and she had to step out in her pajamas to hand the laptop to my classmate. And yes, I copped it that evening when I got home – not so much for forgetting my laptop but for making her commit a ‘wardrobe sin’. That’s so my mum! But I love her heaps.

BHUVI on her mum VINAYA RAI > When my sister and I were in Year 7 we started taking the bus back home from school. Because the bus only came every 30 minutes, we decided in our infinite wisdom to take a bus from the opposite side because there were more buses with the same number. We thought it’d drop us near home but on the opposite side, you see. After half an hour of checking google maps, my sister and I began panicking because the bus was going in the opposite direction of where we needed to be.

We called mum who calmly asked us to explain the situation to the bus driver. I could sense the panic in her voice as she instructed us not to get into another bus.

Unbeknownst to us, mum had to leave work early and eventually she picked us up.

Thank god for her! My sister and I were dreading explaining everything to her, but when she saw the two of us, scared and tired, all she did was laugh. Phew!

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MAY (1) 2018 25

ART

Index: pages (builders drawing)

Carbon

Artist Tanya Goel

Perfection in the rubble Delhi artist Tanya Goel’s works at the Sydney Biennale are a psychosocial comment on the nature and effect of urban landscapes BY HAMIDA PARKAR

T

here is a fine, meditative quality to Tanya Goel’s creations being displayed at Artspace in Sydney.

They convey precision even when exploring the rubble and roughness of urban cityscapes. Index: pages (builders drawing), 2018, a reconstructed wall drawing, is a measure of the water level which took three weeks to create.

Constructed using the archaic method of dipping a thread in builders’ blue chalk and drafting snap lines across a surface to establish a level. The process is

26 MAY (1) 2018

performative and repetitive and what is we see is the residue of the process.

“Three people need to orchestrate their movements and coordinate so each line is formed at sea level,” the artist explains.

Tanya’s method lies in her quest for going beyond the visible to find connection between colour and substance. “I’m interested in understanding the different layers that form a city: the surface, material, properties and the chemistry of all things. I’d call my practice alchemical.”

She gathers materials like charcoal, aluminium, concrete, glass, soil, mica, graphite and foils from architectural ruins of structures, some built between the ‘50s and the ‘70s, to convert them into pigments for use in her own works.

Canvases Carbon, (extension lines), 2018, and Carbon, (frequencies on x, y

axis), 2018, inhabit her pigments made from coal, aluminium, concrete and mica in combination with oil paint. Ditto Fresco on cement and stone, 2017, plaster and graphite on found debris from houses. “The paintings are archives of dust and directly refer to a period of modern architecture in India.

These forms of government architecture reflected socialist agendas and futuristic visions of a newly independent nation.

In demolition of these sites, I see failure of modernity,” says Tanya.

As a child, she was obsessed with discarded colours from textiles manufactured by her parents. The inability to hold colour and the failure to categorise it, is what draws Tanya to it.

“I’m very interested in how colour creates moments of fiction, distraction in our

everyday lives. The effect of colour on how we perceive the world around us has always fascinated me.”

Study stints in various cities like Baroda, Chicago and Brooklyn, before returning home to Delhi, also helped shape and impact her work. “Chicago is the epitome of modern architecture and bears heavily on how our bodies and movements are shaped by the grid. I felt it restrictive and the movement of wandering, constrained. Baroda at the time was still quite organic in parts, awaiting full-swing capitalisation to take hold,” she recalls.

She continues to create and critically comment on unequal social matters.

“The change and influx are associated with an increase in unfamiliarity. It leads to the phenomenon of post-modern homelessness.”

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New meaning in tradition Goldsmith tools get a new lease of life in Bangalore-based artist Prabhavati Meppayil’s installation at the Sydney Biennale

P

rabhavati Meppayil’s majestic installation ‘sb/eighteen’ (2018) occupies a huge rectangular wall at the entrance court of Art Gallery of New South Wales.

Intricately placed traditional artisan tools, geometric in form, are the focal point of this creative. Despite the limelight, her signature minimalism and roots are evident in the work.

Prabhavati is known to draw practice from her rich lineage of goldsmiths from

Artist Prabhavati Meppayil

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Bangalore. “If it contributes to keeping alive a record or testimony of traditional craft, so much the better,” she said in an interview to The Brooklyn Rail. “I think for an artisan, the practice, the process, is a way of life. It is the memory of the hand, the gesture, the making,” The thought very much reflects in the simplicity and purity of the objects and materials used: 875 found objects of iron, copper and brass moldss delicately float on an immaculate white surface, created

with gesso. A preparatory medium, gesso includes binder mixed with chalk or gypsum and utilises it to prepare canvases for painting, as a primary material. Arranged in a pattern signifying a low-relief grid, they are reminiscent of post-war abstraction and minimalist art.

Back then, geometric structures were used often to facilitate non-hierarchical methods of organisation.

Based in Bangalore, Prabhavati often finds new denotations in the traditional

techniques, tools and resources for her work, rearranging them with post-war minimalism. The idea is to explore how modernist notions of abstraction compare with artistry, craft and tradition. She concludes, “My practice is defined by material and process. The material has its own life and it dictates the process. I think the repetitive process of making has no ending or beginning.”

Hamida Parkar

sb eighteen (detail top left)

MAY (1) 2018 27

Get ready for the new Child Care Subsidy COMPLETE YOUR ONLINE FORM NOW THROUGH MYGOV Starts 2 July 2018

Care Package The New Child with children will help parents k, train, study aged 0-13 to wor or volunteer.

One new Child Care Subsidy replaces the two current child care payments.

There’s also a Child Care Safety Net to help disadvantaged families and children with additional needs.

Changes to the annual cap will make child care more affordable for most families.

You need to provide some ne w information and confirm yo ur current details NOW through myGo v.

Find out more at education.gov.au/childcare. More support for more families.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Capital Hill, Canberra.

28 MAY (1) 2018

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BOOKS

Not lost in translation Poonam Saxena manages to capture the essence of the original Hindi-Urdu novel in her rendition

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

T

here is a vast ocean of literature in the vernacular languages of India, and each language has its own rich history and traditions.

Alas, most of us have little or no idea of what they are. Unless these works are translated into another language or English, we don’t really get to enjoy or experience those fantastic literary works.

Often, when reading books by authors of Indian languages, I am struck by the sad fact that apart from their own language, they are likely to be more familiar with English language literature than towering writers in other Indian languages such as Valalthol in Malayalam, Kshetragya in Telugu and Bharati in Tamil, to name a few.

So we must thank Poonam Saxena for translating the late Rahi Masoom Raza’s searing Hindi-Urdu novella, Scene 75, written in 1977 (Harper Perennial, 2018) because for the first time, non-Hindi/ Urdu readers can finally get a taste of that author’s literary tour de force.

Raza skyrocketed to fame as the scriptwriter of B R Chopra’s TV serial Mahabharata in the 1980s, although he had worked on a range of ‘serious’ and ‘masala’ movies in Bollywood earlier.

His considerable writing skills had been

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recognised when he was awarded ‘Best Screenplay’ twice.

Lurking underneath the Bollywood banter, though, was a more serious author and social critic who had already written acclaimed books such as Aadha Gaon and Topi Shukla that pilloried hypocrisy and greed in modern India. When Abdul Hamid, an Indian soldier from Ghazipur, who won the highest honour for bravery, the Param Vir Chakra, for single-handedly destroying seven enemy tanks in the 1965 war, the then Defence Minister YB Chavan called upon Raza to write his biography.

Here was an author capable of digging deep into society and laying it bare in incisive prose while simultaneously making his way in the world of commercial Hindi cinema.

Although he had written screenplay for some memorable Bollywood movies, he often found himself quite repulsed

by Bombay movie industry of the 1970s in many ways. This conflict between the commercial writer and social critic is what dominates the hero of this 1977 novel, Ali Amjad.

Amjad comes to Bombay from Benaras to write for films, but is stymied by the industry’s rank hypocrisy. In his description of it, Raza brings to the novel

an insider’s understanding of Bombay and the Bollywood movie industry: ‘fixed’ film awards, manipulative heroes, promiscuous heroines and social climbers and scores of hangers on, who wait desperately for that first break in the movie industry.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Scene 75 is largely autobiographical. Raza was born in Ghazipur in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, and studied at Aligarh Muslim University, but developed a distaste for religion quite early on. His novella does not skirt the issue of ‘Muslim as the Other’ though. Indeed, this theme — the question of identity and Hindu-Muslim relationship — haunts most of Raza’s novels. He evokes the experience of being a Muslim in India better than most other writers.

Although written in the 1970s, Scene 75 retains its freshness and relevance, and does not feet one bit dated. The writer’s literary style is reminiscent of the famous Urdu writer, Saadat Hassan Manto in its candour and minimalism.

Saxena, who has earlier translated another Hindi classic, Gunahon ka Devta

by Dharamvir Bharati, does a commendable job of retaining Raza’s voice, and avoids the temptation of superimposing hers on the original.

The conflict between the commercial writer and social critic is what dominates the hero of the novel

A 2,500-YEAR-OLD CLASSIC LIVES ON We now turn our attention to another recently translated work – this time considerably older than 1977! The famous play – Mricchakatikam: The Clay Toy-Cart, was written in Sanskrit 2500 years ago purportedly by Shudraka – and is of a slightly different genre than Kalidasa’s. Ever since it was first translated into English in 1905 by Ryder, it has been adapted and performed on stage in the West many times.

The theme of the play has a certain universal appeal: the plot of two starcrossed lovers caught in a larger political intrigue that is being played out lends itself to adaptation into any culture or time. It has all the hallmarks of a thriller: Vasantasena, a nagarvadhu or rich courtesan, is pursued by a poor Brahman Charudatta, but their romance becomes intertwined with palace intrigues when the King’s brother-in-law covets Vasantasena as well.

That a play two and half millennia old can resonate among so may audiences worldwide is a testament to the genius of the author. The new translation is

by Padmini Rajappa and although it is not quite as brilliant as Ryder’s, it is definitely worth a read, especially if you have not read it at all in any of its translations.

MAY (1) 2018 29

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

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

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

TS0465P - Dee_360x250_v1.indd 1

30 MAY (1) 2018

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

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

6/2/18 4:46 pm

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RECOUNT

Desi encounters in the Orient Glimpses of India hidden across China are a tourist’s delight BY JYOTI SHANKAR

W

e often travel to take a break and escape from our usual lives, meet new people, bask in beautiful surroundings and experience exotic adventures. Our recent trip to China provided all these elements.

Shanghai, with its skyscrapers and magnetic levitational trains, seemed way more modern than Sydney.

The sceneries around Yangshuo’s mountains and those at Zhangjiajie, depicted in the movie Avatar, were picture perfect. Coming face to face with the rows of terracotta warriors in Xi’an transported us centuries back in time. I realised, though, that unconsciously I was longing for familiarity, when random Indian ‘encounters’ and links during our journeys became our trip highlights.

For starters, a group of 12-year-olds

accosted us on the streets of Yangshuo, asking us if we knew Aamir Khan. These young girls were looking to polish their English-speaking skills. They had seen Dangal, 3 Idiots and loved Secret Superstar.

Few people spoke or understood English in China, so it was wonderful to see their enthusiasm in communicating in English and their familiarity with Indian movies.

Of course, that’s not the last of Bollywood we encountered. Walking around the leafy, chic French Concession in Shanghai, we stopped in our tracks when the face of Salman Khan as Bajrangi Bhaijaan stared from a poster in Mandarin. Our Madarin was limited to Ni hao and xie xie (thank you) but we soon learnt that Induren meant Indian when we heard the word referring to us, many a time.

Visiting the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum was interesting to see how the city had evolved from the early 20th century to the present day modern metropolis. A street scene drawing of the early 1900s with the caption explaining how Sikh policemen once patrolled the streets of Shanghai, startled me. These

statuesque men in red turbans were brought into the Shanghai Municipal Police by the British. Unfortunately, none of their traces now remain except in museums and archives. Most were repatriated back to India in the 1930s, while others returned after the 1962 IndoChinese war.

We spotted Modi’s picture on the city wall of Xi’an, which was the city where he began his visit to China in 2015. Like us, Modi also visited the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an. It was originally built in 652AD to preserve the Buddhist sutras and relics brought to China from India along the Silk Route by the monk Xuanzang. Most of us know him as Hiuen Tsang from our history books at school.

This temple had an important role in the transmission of Buddhism.

Xuanzang travelled the length and breadth of India, keenly observing the social, religious and political conditions of the 7th century. His travel memoirs are valued for their truthful depiction of life in India during that time. The statue of Xuanzang now towers over the city of Xi’an, which was gaily decorated by

buntings and lanterns from the recent Chinese New Year. Strangely, Xuanzang’s temple and its murals took me back to India of the yesteryears.

A plaque with a message from exPresident Pratibha Patil welcomed us at a Buddhist temple built in the Indian Sanchi Stupa style at Luoyang. We were in this city eager to visit the Shaolin temple, fascinated by movies such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Enter the Dragon.

Students from all over the world come here to train in Shaolin kung fu which combines Zen Buddhism with martial arts.

Another Indian link we learnt of here took us by surprise. It is believed that a monk called Bodhidharma founded Shaolin kung fu and Zen Buddhism. He is believed to be the third son of a Pallava king from South India. Some believe that kung fu originated from kalaripayattu, a martial art form still practised in Kerala today. Whatever its origins, the Shaolin Temple is still revered for its teachings and will no doubt continue to spur many more movies about its legends. China, too, with its fascinating history and surprising Indian links, will beckon us again for sure.

In Shanghai, we were surprised to see Salman Khan on a Bajrangi Bhaijaan poster in Mandarin NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 31

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FIRST PERSON

Music as spirituality Alan Posselt’s path of transformation from classical guitarist to sitarist

A

s a composer and teacher of classical guitar many years ago in Sydney, I once came upon a strange instrument at Ricordi’s music studios where I taught. It intrigued me. It was, I later found out, a sitar. There was not a lot known about the music of other cultures then.

At that time I was looking to introduce an element of improvisation into classical western music from Middle Eastern and Indian systems. As luck would have it, sarod player Ali Akbar Khan chose to tour Australia at the time. He was closely followed by Nikhil Banerjee, sitarist from Kolkata, whom I met and asked “How does Indian music work?” I was told that the only way to learn the principles is to learn by playing the music. I was encouraged to travel to India to learn it from the maestro himself, Allauddin Khan of the Maihar gharana – Guru of both Ali Akbar Khan and Nikhil Banerjee.

I still had Middle Eastern Oud and Baghdad on my mind, but since India was closer to Australia, I decided to try out sitar or sarod first and thought if I didn’t like that then I’ll explore further. Iraq never got a chance!

I arrived in Maihar in Madhya Pradesh in the late 1960s with a recently bought sitar in tow, with no thought-out plan.

I enrolled in Allauddin’s music school where older students would teach younger students. Allauddin was in his 90s at the time, known for his moody outbursts, and no longer in active teaching.

Somehow he perceived the passion in me and magnanimously agreed to teach

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me on condition that we keep our lessons private. I visited his home discreetly by rickshaw, arriving at odd hours when not many people were around. My riaz (practice) would start at four in the morning and often continue until late in the night.

I did not feel I was a stranger in a new country.

On the contrary, I became fanatical about the music and got addicted to it! It was no less than any drug…I could never cease to be surprised and wanted to go to the next level and the next. I got motivated with my own success at learning. The more I played, the more I learnt and became adept. I had simple khana peena, chillies fried in batter, in between the practice sessions but no rest. People in India are used to siesta after a big lunch but I would not sleep. Instead I would practise.

My environment, different from that of my upbringing, held so much fascination for me. I enjoyed the novelty. Being involved in such music of course was a kind of spirituality, a ‘Naad’ Yoga to me.

I had little desire to travel further. I was living my dream in that small town… which had the odd dacoit around!

In fact, the leader of the dacoits - a tall, fierce man with a big moustache and a music lover, was a regular at the mehfils where I played sitar. I didn’t know much about his pursuits and cared even less.

In 1970 I went to Calcutta to attend Nikhil Banerjee’s concert and there I met another influential musician Pundit

Radhika Mohan Maitra, who had a great impact on me. His English was good and I enjoyed his company and his direct teaching style.

Music was addictive but by the same token I had to make my living to sustain myself. Eventually I decided to go to Europe to teach and make some money but returned to India not long after I moved to Kolkata in the final years of Allauddin Khan’s life where I learned under Pundit Radhika Mohan Maitra, the eminent sarod maestro of the Shajahanpur Rampur gharana. I liked Pundit Maitra’s refreshing, logical and generous approach to teaching. It had an incisive influence on me and my style of music. After Maitra’s death many years later, I received musical guidance from many eminent Indian musicians of different gharanas, including Kashinath Mukerjee, Bimal Mukerjee, Prabud Chatterjee, VG Jog and Pandit Arvind Parikh of the Etwar gharana of Ustads Imdad Khan, Enayat Khan and Vilayat Khan. Each of these influences have given me a rich foundation on which to build my own evolving style. Imdad Khan and Vilayat Khan use a vocal style to play instrumental music. As far as music is concerned, I’m still learning; you never stop learning.

In Kolkata I met my current wife who was from Adelaide. She probably didn’t know what she was taking on or getting into when we got together! A few years after meeting her we returned to Australia and I taught ethnic music at a tertiary level in

Armidale, NSW first and then came to settle in Adelaide in the early ‘90s. I set up a school ‘The Music Room’ where I taught sitar and Indian music.

I do feel that if I had been in Sydney, London or even Europe, where Indian music is widely accepted, I would have had greater success at teaching and serving music for a longer time. These cosmopolitan cities have a larger audience, who respect the nuances of classical music and are consequently helping the classical Indian musical tradition to survive.

In addition, while audiences and arts organisations generally accept Indian people playing Indian music, they are often unsure about how proficient an Australian can be! I was once asked to play for a radio program and when the journalist contacted me and realised that I was not Indian…that was the last I heard of him.

Without any explanation, my program was cancelled.

Sadly, very few, if any, Indian-heritage people in Adelaide are interested in classical music. I would like to express my regret at the indifference to this beautiful art, partly due to changes in people’s musical taste and partly due to our hectic lifestyles. Such music thrives well in other countries like the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the US. It might be easier to live in Europe or London but Adelaide is my home - it’s just disappointing that the audience for this classical form is so restricted.

As told to RAJNI MADAN

MAY (1) 2018 33

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WOMEN

Men aren’t told not to harass women, but women are told to be ready for it.

It’s ridiculous

Pay parity a distant dream Neha Madhok on why gender equality is unfinished business

W

hen 31-year-old Marilyn Loden was asked to speak at the 1978 Women’s Exposition in New York, she spoke about a glass ceiling; an invisible barrier preventing women from being treated equally.

Sadly, 40 years on this metaphor is still of relevance today as women’s work continues to be undervalued, gender pay gap remains and violence against women and children is prevalent.

Indian Link recently spoke to activist Neha Madhok about her work in raising awareness about some of the barriers to gender parity. Neha, who grew up in Sydney, has worked for the union movement to address gender pay gap that exists because of the value society chooses to place in female-dominated industries such as health care, aged care, disability support sector, education and training.

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In these industries, women comprise 78.3% of the workforce and are some of the lowest paid workers compared to male-dominated industries such as mining, manufacturing and construction sector.

According to The Australia Greens, Australia’s gender pay gap remains at 15.3% which means women take home $253.70 less per week than men simply because the industries they work in are not highly valued. “I don’t believe that I should take on a certain role in society simply because of my gender identity. We live in a patriarchal society that privileges the voices and opinions of men. These men – generally straight white men – are the ones making decisions about women, their access to abortion, contraception and female specific healthcare. They hold the purse strings to funding for domestic violence and rape crisis organisations and it’s clear that their priorities are not in

ensuring women have the access we need to essential services,” says Neha.

Would having women in positions of power pose a solution then? “No,” replies Neha. “Women on boards, women as CEOs won’t change many things unless these women are also feminists who are fighting for inclusion of women of colour, working class women, women with disabilities, and LGBTI women.

And if they aren’t, then they’re simply perpetuating the current problems.”

But gender pay gap is only one part of the problem. Apart from both paid and unpaid work being undervalued, women experience physical and sexual violence – one in three women in Australia, to be precise. To this, Neha responds, “It makes me angry when I’m talked down to, when I’m expected to put up with regressive expectations, when I am told I have to be careful when I’m walking down the street

in case a man targets me.”

“Men aren’t told not to attack or harass women, but we are expected to be ready for it and ready to protect ourselves. I’m tired of double standards,” she adds.

There is no doubt that we have made steady progress over the years. The challenges facing women today differ from those that women faced, say, in the early 1950s. But it’s not enough, not yet. Janelle Weissman, Executive Director of the United Nations Women’s National Committee Australia explains: “We’ve made significant gains, there’s no question about that. But overall, the gains are uneven, and insufficient. Still today, women are locked out of decision-making tables all around the world: less than a quarter of parliamentarians are women.”

“Fundamentally, gender discrimination is still real. Sexist jokes reinforce gender stereotypes and disrespect of women.

Men are urged to conform to singularly minded constructs of ‘what it means to be a man’, diminishing their appetite to participate fully in caring for littlies or the elderly – meaning the burden of care still largely rests with women, and this is most everywhere in the world. Being men also in many settings also gives men licence to exert power and control over women,” Weissman concluded.

We may not be able to achieve equal pay overnight but we can start to pay attention to some of the attitudes held about women in our own household. Are women respected and treated equally? Is parental responsibility shared?

It will take all of society to shift its thinking and challenge the discriminatory attitudes to bring about change. Until then, we can expect to find sizeable cracks in the glass ceiling, but hopefully the day isn’t too far before it shatters completely.

Yesha Joshi

MAY (1) 2018 35

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FOOD

A spoonful of warmth With winter round the corner, khichdi makes for a warm and nourishing meal

KHICHDI WITH CARROT GREENS

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

K

hichdi, a quintessential winter dish from the Indian subcontinent that ironically, isn’t considered the perfect meal just for the cold season but every season. The reason is simple: it’s a comfort dish, and comfort is never season-dependent, is it?

A savoury, creamy, mish-mash of lentils and rice, tempered with spices and aromatics and a final drizzle of pure ghee.

While khichdi is a very popular dish in many parts of northern and north-eastern India, it is not so common down south where there are other rice and lentil dishes that are much sought after. It’s a fine example of ‘one man’s ordinary is another man’s exotic!’

At its heart, khichdi is an unassuming dish of rice and lentils cooked together, but it’s the tempering that makes all the difference. It can be as simple or as complex as you want and in my opinion, the flavour profile of the khichdi depends on it.

This version of the khichdi is not the most traditional but neither a fusion. It

NATIONAL EDITION

is perhaps an amalgamation of various styles based on flavours and spices that I like best.

Khichdi is an extremely healthy dish because of its powerful combination of carbs and proteins. Although usually prepared with just one type of lentils, this version has a mixture of lentils and pulses along with some sort of greens like spinach, fenugreek or even carrot greens.

You can either make a mix of the lentils from what you have at home or pick up a packet of the soup mix that is easily available in all supermarkets.

Or use just one type of lentil, it’s up to you. When using a soup mix, it’s best to soak it overnight so that it cooks a lot faster. Carrot greens, which have recently garnered a lot of attention with the raw food movement, are often found as an ingredient in salads, pesto, etc. But I also love using it in my dal (lentil) preparations just the way I would use spinach. Beetroot leaves can also be used this way but need to be cooked more than the carrot greens.

Even though I pressure cook the lentils and rice for time constraints, I always slow cook for a good 15-20 minutes after adding the tempering. A bit of extra time only helps intensify the flavours which I really want from my plate of khichdi. And a final drizzle of hot ghee is an absolute must!

Ingredients

1 cup mixed lentils; washed and soaked overnight ½ cup medium grain white rice Carrot greens (I used the greens from 4 small carrots); chopped Salt, to season Ghee/clarified butter; for serving 2 tbsp coriander leaves; finely chopped For tempering 2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp mustard seeds ½ tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp caraway/shahi jeera seeds 2 dry red chilli 3 large shallots/small onion; finely chopped 1 tbsp grated garlic 1 tbsp grated ginger 2 large ripe red tomatoes; finely chopped ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder ½ tsp red chilli powder A pinch of asafoetida ½ inch piece of jaggery or ½ tsp raw sugar

Method

Wash the soaked lentils and rice together. Add to a pressure cooker or deep bottom pan and cook well with

enough water (remember to season with a pinch of salt). The lentils and rice must be cooked enough to be able to mash well.

In another pan, heat ghee and oil; add the mustard seeds and allow to splutter.

Then add the cumin and caraway seeds; as they begin to crackle, add the dry chillies and shallots and sauté till softened._ Then add the garlic and ginger; sauté till the onions have turned light brown.

Next, add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes have softened and turned mushy.

Add all the spices and jaggery; sauté till the whole masala comes together and oil starts appearing at the sides.

Meanwhile, mash the lentils and rice using the back end of a ladle or a potato masher.

Add the chopped greens along with the masala to the lentils and mix well; season with salt if necessary.

Add more water if necessary and cook on the low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Finish off with the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve warm with a drizzle of ghee on top.

Tuck in!

MAY (1) 2018 37

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FORETELL

MAY 2018

BY MINAL KHONA Minal Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

TAROT

ARIES March 21 - April 19

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

CANCER June 21 - July 20

A fresh start, a new thought process and ideas are predicted. Some tension prevails at work, adding to your stress.

Despite that, you might look for personal gratification at work, to cover for lonely moments. Singles could find a new love, while married ones could hit a rocky patch. But, frustrations can be overcome with determination and mental strength. A new direction in your career, or a creative pursuit is predicted. An Aquarian type of personality could influence you.

Material prosperity is predicted, but it comes with spiritual poverty in the form of depression, disappointments and seeking depth in relationships. Don’t settle for less. You could travel for work reasons, and finances are a matter of concern. Health issues in the form of constipation and fatigue could plague you. Your emotional attachment to a non-productive situation ends and if you apply spiritual principles to daily life, you will move into a happier place.

Success comes with ingenuity.

Not an easy month for Geminis as they have to clear the clutter in their head and come to terms with a difficult situation. Though the worst of what was wrong in a relationship is over, the pain continues and you have to face unpalatable facts. Unexpected good luck could come your way though and your financial problems could end. A relative could be in hospital. If you are in a one-sided relationship, it will end and you will have new perspective.

Impromptu trips, rest and recreation, and an unusual love affair are in the offing for Cancerians. An old flame could return. A new idea will make work easier. Erratic eating and sleeping habits and mood swings can make you ill. The money situation is comfortable and support from all quarters is provided. A relaxing trip is on the horizon for some. A plan shelved causes disappointment. Reflect on your relationship with yourself and improve on your flaws. Trust the universe.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

Despite frustrations tension and anxiety, you get on with things. Make adjustments in your thought processes and you will find you get support – professionally and personally. Success through your own efforts is predicted.

You could be edgy due to a bothersome situation as it is restrictive. Good news is on the way though as a financial settlement is in the offing. A hitherto lost cause works out in your favour and you benefit from helping others.

Destiny wills that you change – a habit or a pattern. A relationship could end, or you might release some counterproductive habits and reconstruct your lifestyle for the better. Forget the past, implement new ideas and your changed attitude will lead to inner growth. The divine order ends a negative situation forcing you to change – for which you have the gumption and what is needed.

Let this higher power guide you and let go of people and situations that no longer suit your purpose.

Time to introspect, and focus on your efforts, self-protection and taking a break from responsibilities. Socialising with friends gives you pleasure but, between work and outings, don’t take on more than you can handle. Watch out for office politics, and you could have headaches as a result. You are at an advantage in your love life or your finances. People may not be what they appear to be, so be wary of whom you trust. Overcome hurdles with mental strength.

A busy time for Scorpios with parties, charity galas mergers, weddings and social events occupying their time this month. You might indulge in home improvement. Take time out for simple pleasures and indulge in a makeover without feeling guilty. Do not over do anything – whether it is professing love for someone or taking on more than you can chew – going too close to the sun can burn, you know. For those planning a family, the stork could be paying you a visit.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

Moderation is the key word this month. Challenging situations cause fluctuation. Material prosperity comes your way though your spiritual balance could be off. An ex could return to your life if only to bring closure. You can turn a negative situation into a positive one by redirecting your energies to what matters. A feeling of being taken for granted at work will intensify, and a previous health problem will make a comeback. Success is yours if you practice self-control in all situations. .

A situation is nearing completion but do not overdo it at work. Wait for the right moment before you take any action. In a romance, you might have to make a choice between two people. A perceived enemy becomes a friend. Travel for work is successful. You might go to a spa or a meditation camp. Seek a second opinion for a medical condition as there are chances of a misdiagnosis. Good news in business, love and finance is predicted.

Manifestation of an idea and foundation of a space for growth is predicted for Aquarians. Focus on maintaining the status quo and opportunities coming your way. You could make plans to get together with loved ones. Good luck follows you in financial matters.

Discussions, contractual agreements and work keeps you motivated. You might be tense about the future, find peace in nature, short trips and creative pursuits. For women having relationship issues, get in touch with your feelings.

Revitalising business partnerships, or a corporate enterprise will keep you busy. You could make a new friend or start a new romance through someone you meet at work, at a clinic or even at a restaurant. Work from home gives you new ideas and creative satisfaction makes up for any emotional void.

Avoid alcohol to stay healthy. Financial matters are successful and luck favours you. A change in consciousness leads to a happier you and you will get praised for your efforts.

NATIONAL EDITION

MAY (1) 2018 39

ENTERTAINMENT

cine TALK known better days.

Mr. Bachchan has great fun playing the 102-year-old fun father. He doesn’t hold back the emotional outpourings of a heart bursting with a paternal pride which won’t allow the son to snivel grovel plead and whine before his own son who has migrated to a foreign land leaving his father to pine for that one phone call every 3 months.

Rishi Kapoor plays the old emotional fool with a restrain that wouldn’t be a problem on stage. He makes his character’s transparent emotions swell

BUDDHA HOGA TERA BAAP

102 NOT OUT

STARRING Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor DIRECTOR Umesh Shukla

HHHHH

If you overlook the deliberate staginess of the presentation, with just two characters aided by a third catalyst who is invited into the flamboyant filial fold only to allow both the protagonists to have their say out loud, 102 Not Out is a deeply satisfying father-son story set in the heart of Mumbai.

No, make that in the heart, period.

The emotions that glide in and out of the extensively chatty plot initially offer some exasperating theatrics from

40 MAY (1) 2018

the two principal actors. But then you realise director Umesh Shukla favours the stagy flavour with a ferocious fervour. There is no attempt to conceal the film’s theatrical antecedents.

For its 102-minute running time, 102 Not Out accesses that rare theatreon-celluloid mood which I thought had gone out of style with B.R. Chopra’s Kanoon. More recently Umesh Shukla had mined the theatrical tone most successfully in Oh My God and disastrously in All Iz Well.

Here in this heartwarming tale of a never-say-die (and never-say-dye either) father and stuffy-grumpy-sullen son, Shukla brings to the table the undying spirit of an able fable. Credibly Arjun

lets father Bachchan and son Kapoor work out their own karmic graph, barely interfering with their ongoing domestic skirmishes witnessed by a bewildered/amused/disturbed/moved chemist’s assistant, played with reinedin hamminess by Jimit Trivedi that is at once inviting and annoying.

Cleverly Saumya Joshi’s story adapted to the screen by Vishal Patil builds the baap-beta bonding organically, relying on the two actors’ considerable emotional resources to bring to the screen a sense of imminent eruption.

Together Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor explore the father-son relationship with a gurgling gusto best described as a landmine that has

up to crescendo and then pulls back just in time before it all gets excessively maudlin. As the masti-khor father Amitabh Bachchan is so clued to his character’s effervescence, it felt like he was floating on a substance that man has yet to produce.

The two super-accomplished actors ensure the interest level never drops.

On the contrary, the dynamics of the drama-on-screen are supremely controlled, allowing the characters to expand their emotional spectrum without losing the core of humanism that grips the morality tale. With resounding melodramatisation, this film questions a son’s claim to his father’s affections and wealth, no matter how emotionally and geographically distanced the son may be from his familial home.

Don’t grovel before your child for that one tri-monthly phone call. It is meaningless. 102 Not Out teaches us to find that one rare moment of truth that binds two people together even if they are not meant to be together for keeps.

Subhash K Jha

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NEW TWIST ON OLD CLASSIC DAAS DEV

STARRING Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Rahul Bhat, Saurabh Shukla, Vipin Sharma, Anurag Kashyap; DIRECTOR Sudhir Mishra

HHHHH

Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the author of Devdas, must be cringing every time an adaptation of his simple romance novel hits the big screen.

This time, Sudhir Mishra, in his retelling of the classic novel, literally spins the title to offer us Daas Dev - a romantic triangle set in power dynamics in a small incongruous town of Jahana UP. And going by the original text, we expect a revolutionary story of a brooding, self-destructive Dev who pines for Paro while being in the arms of Chandramukhi.

Here, Dev Pratap Chauhan (Rahul Bhat), the scion of a politically strong family is perennially knocked off his senses, either on drinks or drugs. But he is emotionally and utterly dependent on his childhood girlfriend Paro (Richa Chadda). So after a bad night out in Delhi, she coaxes him to return to their native Jahana, which he reluctantly agrees to.

In Jahana, he immerses in politics and she in social service. But fate tears them apart, when they fall prey to the political motives of Dev’s uncle Avdesh (Saurabh Shukla).

On the other hand, Chandni aka Chandramukhi is an unscrupulous political strategist who helps Dev build a strong political image. She inadvertently

falls in love with Dev, but Dev’s heart is all Paro’s.

Needless to say, the actual film comes as a shock, for the off-kilter romance though meticulously constructed, is set in a convoluted plot where the centre-stage is retrograde politics. The romance is lost in the political maze. Also, the story seems to be set in some bygone era, for today’s rural India is not like how it is portrayed here. The characterisation too, seems forced and fabricated.

Also, the direction in some scenes appears amateurishly mounted. Case in point is witnessed when, Paro after being shot, lands in the driveway of the hospital wounded. There is no reaction from her co-actors.

On the performance front, Rahul Bhat offers a fairly decent portrayal of Dev but you fail to empathise with him, simply because of his poorly chalked out character graph and his equally weak onscreen chemistry with both the leading ladies. His performance fluctuates from forceful to hamming, at regular intervals.

Richa Chadda as Paro, is equally lacklustre. Adding no nuances to her character, she walks through her role unenthusiastically. As Chandni, Aditi Rao Hydari does offer a bit of intrigue to her character, but her poorly etched role does not help her make the part memorable.

While the film boasts of decent production values, overall it fails to engross you.

Troy Ribeiro

MADNESS TAKEN TOO FAR ISHQ TERA

STARRING Hrishitaa Bhatt, Mohit Madaan, Mozhgan Taraneh, Shahbaaz Khan, Aman Verma, Ganesh Yadav and Manoj Pahwa DIRECTOR Jojo D’Souza

HHHHH

Ishq Tera is a film that approaches its subject so blatantly that it almost screams deafeningly. The story wants to be about love, but is also about madness, and somehow it does not weave the two together with a charm that would otherwise be heart-warming in real life.

Apparently based on real life events, it is the story of a schizophrenic and her devoted husband. Their tale lacks chemistry, history and geography.

The narrative begins with establishing that Kalpana (Hrishitaa Bhatt) had an abused childhood.

Traumatised after the death of her sibling and mother, she suffers from schizophrenia and her personality alternates with her alter ego. During her good periods, she is docile and demure as Kalpana and she is outrageously flirty and abusive with mankind as Laila, during her bad times.

Between the periods of her insanity,

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Kalpana meets Rahul (Mohit Madaan) who gets besotted with her. They get married. But their romance is not made in heaven for there is no chemistry between them and one fine day, Kalpana announces that she is pregnant.

Six years later, Kalpana still suffering from her mental illness, leads an independent life along with her daughter (Kavya). She works in an advertising agency facing sexual harassment from her boss (Manoj Pahwa) and falls in love with her colleague. Rahul lurks in the background of her life, hoping that his love and patience can help Kalpana overcome her problem.

The script is convoluted. The plot and the dialogues are mediocre. The narrative has no consistency and it meanders at points. On the directorial front, there are scenes that are shoddily mounted. Also the characters have no depth or motive.

The film is Hrishitaa’s canvas. She usually plays sane characters. She is able to build an essentially wordless performance out of expressions and gesture. She aptly swings in an instant, from calm to rage, picking on little things that set her off. Mohit Madaan

seems like a Hrithik Roshan clone, despite having a pleasing screen personality. It is sad that the script does not back him to let us see that

his love for his wife underlies all his decisions. Overall, the film is a poor sell.

Troy Ribeiro

MAY (1) 2018 41

ENTERTAINMENT

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

ANUSHKA SHARMA

ANUSHKA’S WORTHY BIRTHDAY RESOLUTION

Anushka Sharma, who turned 30 recently, wants to start the new decade of her life by building an animal shelter for homeless animals. The actress, who married cricketer Virat Kohli last year, penned a note to announce the project on her special day.

“On my birthday, in my own little way, I’m starting something that will give our fellow living beings equal rights, equal care and equal love. I’m building an animal shelter just outside Mumbai - a home for those animals that are stranded, left to fend for themselves, have to brave harsh surroundings.

A home where they will be cared for, loved, protected and nurtured,” Anushka wrote on Twitter.

“This has been my calling for years now and my dream is finally coming true. I will seek your time, support and advice to make this home a place that looks after fellow living beings with utmost care and compassion - all in due course of time. Until then, I seek your blessings and your prayers,” she added.

I HAVE NO BACKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY: ADITI RAO HYDARI

SICK OF BEING FAT-SHAMED, SAYS SONAKSHI

S

he’s curvy and proud of it! And Sonakshi Sinha, who has often been body-shamed, says it is important for the audience to rise above looks and delve deeper into an artiste’s work.

Sonakshi is all for the fact that one’s work speaks for itself.

The actor, who walked the ramp recently at a recent fashion event, in an orange floor-sweepimg gown, says, “We should tell the audience and honestly that is something I have advocated since the starting of my career.”

“I have always been projecting a very strong body image. Being true to yourself... I have been bodyshamed quite a bit but moving ahead of that because that is what I have always believed in...That it’s not how you look but how you do and about how many people you reach out to,” she added.

While the media waited for a conversation with the Sonakshi, who had flown in from Kuala Lumpur to be a part of the event, there was chatter about her weight loss and “sculpted body”.

Don’t such comments and questions on weight annoy her?

“I have been answering questions on my weight loss for so long that I have become indifferent to them. There are certain things that seem odd at the moment, but I am kind of used to it,” said Sonakshi.

“And it’s okay, it’s part of my profession. These are very basic things that people are interested in, which is why they ask. They are I guess, the most obvious questions,” she added.

42 MAY (1) 2018

Actor Aditi Rao Hydari says she feels thrilled to get support from the folks in Bollywood as she has no backing in the film industry.

Aditi, who has got rave reviews for her role in hit film Padmaavat, said, “I have no backing in the film industry. It is thrilling to be supported by people you love and respect. I just choose to keep doing my own thing, as long as I am not hurting anyone,” Aditi said. “If anyone wants to screw me over, it’s their problem,” she added.

The actor, who was born in Hyderabad and grew up in Delhi, says her maternal grandmother has been her greatest inspiration. “I dressed girly in kurtas, bindis and braids because I loved Bharatanatyam. But my nani would give me junk food, put me in shorts, let my ringlets free, and send me out in the mud to play.”

AUCTION OF UNIFORM NOT WRONG, SAYS AKSHAY KUMAR

Amid the controversy over the auction of the naval uniform that has been used in his film Rustom, actor Akshay Kumar said the auction intends to support a good cause and he has not done “anything wrong”.

The National Award winning actor said: “I support my wife on that matter. My

wife and I are doing some work with good intention for a good cause. That was a costume that I used in the film. It is going for (for auction) a good cause. I do not think we have done anything wrong.”

“If anyone finds it wrong then it is okay. I cannot do anything about that,” he added.

Akshay replied to the question raised by the media in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

On April 26, Akshay tweeted “Hi all, I’m thrilled to announce that you can bid to win the actual naval officer uniform I wore in Rustom! Auction’s proceeds will support the cause of animal rescue and welfare.”

The controversy started when a person took to Facebook to express his opinion on why the ‘auction of a naval officer’s uniform’ is wrong. That was further tweeted to Akshay’s wife Twinkle Khanna.

Responding to that, Twinkle said: “As a society, do we really think it’s all right to threaten a woman with bodily harm for trying to raise funds for a charity by auctioning a uniform used in a movie, a piece of film memorabilia? I will not retaliate with violent threats but by taking legal action!”

The troller had said: “You touch our honour and we will give you a bloody nose.”

I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR: SUSHMITA SEN

Former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen says that being born as a woman is a huge award in itself.

At the I Am Woman Award 2018 ceremony in Mumbai, Sushmita said: “I think the fact that I am born as a woman itself is a huge award in my life. And then to have an organisation like Karan Gupta Education Foundation which holds prestigious and inspiring awards for women and recognising them from different fields... is really amazing.

“For them to give me an award, it just feels lovely because they have named it ‘I Am Woman’ and I am a big believer of the concept of ‘I Am’ so, it’s a lovely connect. I am very privileged and honoured that they thought of me.”

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SUSHMITA SEN

On rising rape cases in India, Sushmita said: “I have stopped giving my opinions on these issues because what happens is that we talk and protest a lot for a certain period but we don’t come up with a concrete outcome on these issues.”

I’M PROUD OF MY EXOTIC BROWN COLOUR: DIANA HAYDEN

A day after Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb questioned the beauty of Diana Hayden, the former Miss World has slammed the thought that ‘light skin is better’, and said she is proud of her exotic brown skin colour.

Deb reportedly said that he doesn’t understand the beauty of Diana and why she was ever crowned Miss World, to which Diana responded, “That’s some strong disapproval of me winning the Miss World title.”

“With regards to me winning Miss World, it’s a pity and shame, that when you win the biggest and most respected beauty pageant in the world, you get criticised and put down as opposed to being appreciated and respected for bringing more accolades back home and further appreciation of our Indian brown exotic beauty.”

Pointing out at the bigger issue, Diana said: “I’ve had to fight the ‘light skin is better’ issue in India. I felt so

strongly about it that I turned down a fairness cream ad because it went against my belief. We are Indians and predominantly our skin colour is brown and we should be really proud of it and learn to appreciate it like it’s appreciated around the world.

“It’s obvious that our skin colour difference is on his mind as he is comparing me to Ash (Aishwarya) and not Priyanka (Priyanka Chopra) or Manushi (Manushi Chhillar) who currently holds the Miss World title, and very deservedly so.

“Shame on him as our beautiful, exotic brown colouring is to be proud of.

I sure am!”

Celebrities from the film industry took a dig at Deb’s comment.

“Is Lara Dutta (Miss Universe 2000) an Indian beauty? (Just trying to confuse him),” tweeted film editordirector Shirish Kunder.

MY NEXT SONG WILL MAKE YOU CRY: BADSHAH

Say ‘Badshah’ and what comes to mind is offbeat dance numbers that any party is incomplete without. But the rapper, who’s known for groovy tracks like Abhi toh party shuru hui hai, Mercy and Proper patola, says his next song will make people cry.

“My next song is going to be out next month. It features Aastha Gill and

WHO WORE IT BETTER? DEEPIKA PADUKONE OR NINA ZILLI IN BURBERRY? Share your views with us on our Facebook page /IndianLinkAustralia

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the video has been directed by Gurickk G. Maan. We don’t know what’s it called but it’s so beautiful, you will cry. God bless us all,” Badshah, whose real name is Aditya Singh, tweeted recently.

This is not his first collaboration with Aastha. The two had previously joined hands for songs like DJ waley babu, Kareja kareja and Dhup chik.

Although we can’t say we will like a sad song from Badshah, it’s good to see that he’s branching out!

HIRANI IS THE BEST DIRECTOR FOR SANJU: ARJUN KAPOOR

Actor Arjun Kapoor praised filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani for his movie Sanju and said that no one could have done a better job.

The actor said, “When someone makes a film on Sanjay Dutt’s life, he is under tremendous pressure. There could not have been a better director than Rajkumar Hirani who could have shouldered such a huge responsibility.”

“Looking at the teaser I can say that the film will make you laugh and cry.

The film will tell everything that we have either read or heard about his life,” the actor said.

What’s the chit-chat here between VARUN DHAWAN and ANUSHKA SHARMA Send your response to: media@indianlink.com.au TO WIN A MOVIE TICKET!!

LAST ISSUE CAPTION CONTEST WINNER

ON TWITTER THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the right tweets: Abhishek Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, Salman Khan, Arjun Kapoor So I was at my grandmothers house for dinner today and the photographer s landed up when we were all exiting...I requested them to not click pictures out of just being impulsive and they even at the cost of their livelihood actually obliged...just wanted to say thank u to them..

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by Rashmi Malhotra Parineeti: Chal hatt!

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by PREETI JABBAL Parineeti: I am having a ball in Melbourne, you please go to Brisbane and tell me if it’s as good.

MAY (1) 2018 43

BACKCHAT

Congrats?

Pregnant. But not feeling pregnant, like, at all.

BY NEHA MALUDE

“A

nd there it is,” said the doctor, adding a pregnant pause (pun intended), “your baby’s heartbeat.”

The pulsating sound filled the silent room as all three of us – the doctor, my husband Chinmay and I – stared at the monitor.

“Wow.” That was Chinmay, his voice visibly quivering. “That was amazing.”

Meanwhile, I waited for the flood of emotions that, according to the gazillion English movies I’ve watched, should be rushing through my body. But there was nothing there. Zilch.

I could feel their eyes on me so out of sheer pressure, I let out a “whoosh”, hoping it sounded like I was too overwhelmed to respond like a normal woman who would otherwise be crying and clutching the hand of her also-crying partner.

We were quiet in the car on the way

back. I turned to him and asked, “You cried, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t cry, ok?” he snapped right back. “I just teared up.”

“Pff.” “But let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you.”

“What about me?” I asked guardedly.

“You know…” he said, “I didn’t even hear a sniffle from you.”

I blew up. “Fine! I didn’t feel a thing, okay? I know I’m supposed to bawl when I hear my baby’s heart beating. I’m going to be a terrible mother.”

Truth was, I had been feeling that way for a long time. After all, I never wanted to be a mum. My son Vivaan is what I call a “Oh my god, how did this happen” baby.

I remember taking about five pregnancy tests before accepting that I was going to be a baby oven for the next nine months.

I never cried for joy when I saw the two purple lines (10, in fact). I didn’t tear up when the sonogram showed the peanutsized person growing inside me. I didn’t even smile when the baby kicked for the first time. In fact, it felt like something I had eaten had become alive and wanted to find a way out.

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I finally admitted to myself: I had no maternal instincts, aside from stuffing my face like there was no tomorrow, over the next few months. Chinmay told me what countless others already had. “Relax, you’re going to be a great mum.”

Doubtful, I thought. What I didn’t know then was that the first few months after Vivaan’s birth would be equally “feeling-less”. I would be an automaton, perpetually sleepless, roused at godforsaken hours for the Milk-on-demand episodes, eating during waking hours and going back to sleep whenever I got a chance. Where did I have the time to be a mum who bonds with her baby?

When Vivaan turned five months old, though, things changed. I can still recall the day. I had just finished feeding him

or W hat T n tio

Over

and as I put him down, he grabbed my finger and smiled, for the very first time.

Something inside me stirred right then, and I felt like a mother for the first time. It was surreal.

But! Back to present day, for a moment.

Chinmay and I were back home, watching a documentary about dogs on TV. He was smiling as dozens of puppies showed up, running helter skelter, falling over each other when he heard a sniffle. He saw me crying like a child.

“Puppies,” I sobbed, wiping my eyes.

To this day, I don’t know if it was anger or disgust (perhaps both) on my husband’s face as he said to me, “THIS? You cry for this? For god’s sake, it’s dogs! And you can’t spare a tear for your own baby?”

Yep, like I said. Bad mum.

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