2018-08 Brisbane

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Neha Malude

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Gurmeet Kalsi, Chax Poduri, Nicola Bailey, Carl Buhariwala, Minal Khona, Nury Vittachi, Vinaya Rai, Ravinder Singh Jabbal

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Sukesh Thapliyal 0410 578 146

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Charuta Joshi 02 9279 2004

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to:

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Free to be free

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

The concept of freedom is one that continues to resonate in our modern lives. Many people, even in today’s world, are fighting repressive regimes in a quest for self-determination. Others in supposedly “free” societies are up against invasive new technologies and self-interested governments that they see as curtailing their personal freedoms.

On an individual level, we struggle against self-created obstructions in our own minds that keep us from living fully free lives. Identifying these internal and external shackles is the first step towards reclaiming freedom.

Freedom is about choice – in our political, economic, religious, social, cultural and personal lives. Freedom stands for equality in societies – such as when there is protection and welfare

as well as acceptance and respect regardless of your skin colour or ethnic background, instead of persecution and discrimination, and denial of access to health, education and housing.

Freedom means safety and security in societies - such as when people are free to follow their religious faith and don’t have to flee in leaky boats on long, dangerous journeys to lands that may or may not accept them.

Freedom is about personal safety and security – such as when every woman feels safe around her partner, when the honour of our communities does not depend on the virginity of our women, when a 13-year-old girl in Pakistan can go to school without being shot in the head, when a 20-something woman in Delhi can take a bus back home at 8pm without being attacked, when an entertainer seeking work in New York is not abused by those in power, when prime ministers in Australia or New Zealand are not reminded so often that they are women, when female workers earn just as much as their male counterparts.

Freedom means having control over

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our own bodies, and being able to love and marry who we want, regardless of religious, racial or gender bias.

Freedom is being able to speak and live without fear. It allows selfdevelopment and self-improvement.

Of course, freedom does not mean everything goes your way, rather that when they don’t, you have available to you the ways and means to redressal.

Yet freedom also means being able to express an opposing view or a dissenting ideology without fear of repercussion. Equally, it represents a willingness to allow a range of positions or multiple perspectives, and a readiness to dialogue respectfully. Free societies, it has been said, are built on disagreement, compromise, and tolerance.

Freedom negates an “Us vs Them” ideology. In the end, it comes down to that old adage, simple and yet so profound: live and let live.

It is a message we need to have another close look at, as we mark the 72nd anniversary of India’s Independence and celebrate its democracy.

Reaching out with food

BY CARL BUHARIWALA

Have you ever stopped to wonder how easily we consume three meals a day, with not a worry about whether there’s enough in the fridge or pantry?

For some people in the community though, the fear of a shortage of food is always on their mind.

Homelessness is a growing community concern in Victoria, with numbers estimated at approximately 22,000 today. For people experiencing this condition, it is a daily battle to survive, and to find appropriate and adequate shelter, food, water and other essential items is not always easy.

Craigieburn couple Vishal Vohra and Meetu Arora, together with their business partner Ranvir Singh, are doing their bit to help homeless people eat better and healthier on a daily basis. Since December 2016, they have been welcoming homeless people to eat an adequate meal at their outlet Craigieburn Fish and Chips.

The inspiration came to Vishal one day

at work as he observed a homeless person outside, obviously in need. “I approached the gentleman and asked if he would like some hot food. He was taken aback at first but then said yes,” Vohra explained.

“I knew that he was hungry. He thanked me for offering a meal.”

It was as if something changed for Vishal at that precise moment.

“I knew then that my business had to do something for my local community,” he told Indian Link.

Since then, Vishal has placed a sign outside his shop to alert homeless people that food is available.

“Many customers come into the shop ordering one dimsim or one potato cake, and we have learned that it is these people who are homeless and survive with one single item of food a day.”

Approximately 50 homeless people attend the Craigieburn Fish and Chips shop on a weekly basis. There are a couple of regulars. However, Vishal explained that there are many new faces which suggests that homelessness in Craigieburn and surrounding suburbs is a concern.

For many, homelessness is a state that is often unplanned. Vishal shared that on one occasion in December 2017, he was approached by a gentleman in his store

who explained that he recently suffered property damage due to a bushfire and had lost his job a week before that. With four kids to feed, he was finding it tough to survive. Vishal opened his door to the gentleman and offered his family food.

“I knew I had to help him and his family,” Vishal explained. “What was truly inspirational was that a few months after I had helped the gentleman, he came back to the shop and offered me $50 and his time if I needed any help.”

“I was amazed at the respect he showed me and I thanked him for his sincerity,” Vishal recalled.

As a business that supports the community, Craigieburn Fish and Chips manages to satisfy its operational requirements and offer food to the homeless community. “We have been in business for four years,” Ranvir explained. “We provide the community with a small offering, and the cost is manageable”.

Former local MP Ros Spence wrote to Vishal and his team congratulating them on their efforts to assist the homeless

community with hot and nutritional food. The team is getting used to receiving such notes of congratulations on their efforts in feeding those in need.

In a plaza surrounded by a café, a greengrocer and a butcher, Ranvir recommends other businesses to replicate their strategy to provide the homeless community with food.

For her part, Meetu encouraged other businesses to join in the community effort. “Instead of seeing food go to waste, there is always something that we can share with those struggling to eat,” she added.

Indeed, no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.

The Craigieburn Fish and Chips shop is no ordinary fish and chip shop. Together with original flavours, the business has definitely embraced the owners’ Indian heritage with an Indian style of cooking. From tandoori fried fish to Indian styled pizza, the restaurant has taken a modern twist on traditional fish and chips.

“The community love our spiced versions of fish and chips – it’s definitely a hit with our customers,” Vishal revealed.

Vishal Vohra’s random act of kindness set a whole pattern of events in motion at this Melbourne business

Instead of seeing food go to waste, we owe it to our community to share with those struggling to eat

Vishal Vohra with Ranvir Singh

Vishal with wife Meetu

Send

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.

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

Australia to ignore India economic boom at its peril

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

After what has been described by media as a surprising low key launch by PM Turnbull of a detailed 500-page report charting the path to Australia’s economic engagement with India, CEDA (Committee for Economic Development of Australia), hosted a lunch-time forum in Sydney to further promote the report.

The 200-odd attendees represented the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia India Business Council, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and Indian-Australian businesses.

Leading the discussion were former NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell, who is a special envoy for the NSW-India relationship; Peter Varghese, former Secretary, DFAT, who led the development of the India economic strategy; Shemara Wikramanayake, Macquarie Group CEO designate, and Ashok Jacob, Chair, Australia India Council.

Preaching largely to the converted, Varghese stressed in his keynote address the importance of Australian businesses engaging with India. “The message I have

is simple – the transformation of the Indian economy is underway,” he said. “India’s economic progress will be uneven but it is irreversible. Australia needs to drive forward a multidimensional strategy driven at the highest levels of government.”

He added, “The risk is that we’re not moving fast enough and Australia might fall behind as other countries accord India a much higher priority, and I believe this is already happening in some areas.”

In his report, An Indian Economic Strategy to 2035: Navigating from Potential to Delivery, he targets growth in Australian investment in India to more than $100 billion, up from $10.3 billion today. It calls for a strategic focus on India, and says priority sectors include education, tourism, resources, agribusiness, energy, health, finance and infrastructure.

Varghese also stressed on the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in facilitating better economic opportunities and participation at various levels of society. Compared to the professional Indian diaspora in the US, UK, Canada and Singapore though, the Indian diaspora in Australia is yet to achieve similar levels of influence in higher levels of state and federal politics, academia and business, he stressed in his report. He also urged the AIBC to work more closely with corporates rather than focussing more on the diaspora

and presenting a united front for business.

Two corporate gurus who contributed to the report also spoke about the opportunities and the pitfalls about doing business with India. Interestingly both Wikramanayake and Jacob, came to the topic of engagement with India from different sides.

Wikramanayake said that Macquarie had started slowly, with a stockbroking business in 2004, but now had 1300 staff and managed $3 billion in investments, including in infrastructure such as renewable energy. Macquarie as an investment group has a strong international presence and with the growing weight of money in its pool, India is but a natural home for some of its funds.

“From the risk return of GDP growth of 6-7%, India does justify a place in our portfolio,” she said at the CEDA event. “Baby steps is how we started – we were focussed on finding value for our local partners in India and how we could add to India’s economic development.”

Jacob’s frustration with the slow

uptake of business opportunities by Australian business was evident. “An ignition switch has to be pressed and someone has to do it. The government needs to do it. No one is expecting a deluge of investment from Australia heading to India,” Jacob said. “But at the moment there’s not even a trickle.”

“There isn’t a more explosive structural growth story than India and that’s the reason why the market has to be looked at very closely,” he said, frustrated with the lack of urgency being displayed by Australian corporates. “Any CEO, any board, that does not take a good hard look at India will be asked in 10 years’ time, did you at least look at it, did you visit the place, do you know what your competitors’ markets in India look like?”

He went on, “There will be some looking back in a decade’s time. An organisation here may look at it and not invest in it, which is fine, but not looking at it in my view would be a crime.”

He could not have brought the point home more strongly.

A discussion of the recently released economic strategy for India concludes that Australia will miss out if it does not engage India now

Any CEO who does not take a good hard look at India will be asked ‘Do you know what your competitors’ markets in India look like?’

Peter Var ghese, Ashok Jacob, Shemara Wikramanayake, Barry O’ Farrell

THE FREEDOM ISSUE

Living far from the homeland, Independence Day is a special occasion for us all to mark our Indian identities.

We celebrate our democracy and look at how far India has come since 1947. We sing our national anthem, salute the Tricolour and pay tribute to the personalities who fought for the freedom of our future generations.

Freedom. When we talk of this on Independence Day, it brings to mind the British Raj and its atrocities, the long-fought campaign for political independence, and the sacrifices of our freedom fighters.

This issue, however, we ask our readers to think beyond the usual and tell us what the word ‘freedom’ means to them in a more personal sense, and how it reflects the way they live their own lives in contemporary times. Responses come from a cross-section of the Indian community in Sydney and Melbourne. Opinions range from escaping societal expectations, being able to worship the god they want, to freedom of sexual choice, and having the liberty to make mistakes and learn from them.

Some of these thoughts might mirror your own life, others might be food for thought. Read through, and tell us what freedom might mean to you.

Rajni Anand Luthra

Liberty at Box Head

It was high tide and I knew I’d find them, spines suturing the sea, dolphins duck-diving then surfing the waves in a parallel formation.

How is it we become so snared in our lives?

Time swallows the insults, the barbs we digest, retract and scar. Yet the same scarp enters me with its eroded beauty, its headland fingering the Pacific, noisy today as a cheerful road.

I cannot match the rapid eye of swallows.

Mannequin finches spy me from their perch and know my game. I’m brushed by banksias, their waxy leaves sobering my thoughts.

Down by the rocks, the foam’s calligraphy sparkles in the sun. Spirited waves grant me tolerance. I cross the green pools, the cunjevoi that fishermen waste. I think of those seagulls in salmon rich waters. One may lose a leg through sheer play—the price of liberty.

MICHELLE CAHILL

Poet and writer

Freedom for me is about my mind being empty of excessive desires, worries, thoughts, even memories. It can happen through writing or meditating; it is dreaming like the wind.

Photo: Nicola Bailey

There is a lot of garbled noise in our society –of gender stereotypes, cultural diktats, and our own conditioning and expectations. For me, freedom means that I’ve managed to distil that noise and find a voice that’s mine alone, unique and clear.

Photo: Chax Poduri

CHARU MENON Film producer-director

To have the right to make my decisions is my idea of freedom. It’s what makes me independent and self-sufficient. But on a lighter note, freedom means my right to annoy my siblings… and nap whenever I want!

NAEHA LAL Tax lawyer

SARNEET KALSI

Year 8 student

Freedom is when wings are free to discover the limitless sky.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

SHASHI KOCHHAR Social advocate

To me, freedom is to break through our emotional barriers and elevate ourselves to a place where we practise love for all and feel the pain of others more than our own.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

Freedom is achieving that unique state of mindfulness where we can truly accept and celebrate diverse people and their perspectives. It’s the panacea for all thought maladies. Are we there yet?

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

JAYANT SHARMA

Business strategy consultant

PREETI THADANI Senior advocate

Freedom, simply put, is our birthright. For me, freedom means being able to choose my life’s paths and make my decisions without societal, government or institutional pressures. But it also means accepting others for who they are and what they say. You have true freedom when you are totally secure within yourself and your surroundings.

ANEETA MENON Learning and development specialist

To me, freedom is the right for all people (and ideally animals!) to live free of the systemic disadvantages that oppress them. And, yes, it’s in progress still but I would say humankind’s greatest achievement to date is the ability to have developed, prioritised and, in many social structures, institutionalised, compassion. From there, freedom will flow naturally.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

VIKRAM (TEDDY)

MEHTA

Entrepreneur

Freedom means more than just living in an independent country.

Am I living life on my own terms? Can I say and do what I want?

If the answer to these questions is yes, only then can I call it freedom.

Freedom to me means being able to learn from the past. It isn’t necessarily about being independent. Since I was 10, my parents have given me the liberty to learn for myself, even if it means failing now and then.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

GUNIN KHANNA Year 11 student

My favourite words on freedom come from Chloe Frayne. I want to be a field of wildflowers; constantly claiming new ground. And what is this of freedom, How does this taste like clean air?

I’ve learnt that fear can mar freedom. But belief in yourself and your abilities can transform fear into freedom – how great is that?

DEEPTI DABRAL Media & advertising professional

Can you really be free if you’re not allowed to choose who you love?

Some societies still label same-sex relationships as a crime. Unless this cruel label is done away with, I won’t be able to celebrate my so-called freedom.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

KUNAL MIRCHANDANI Digital analyst

Freedom to me is to think, speak, write, dress, learn, sleep, dream, dance, laugh, sing, play, move or love without fear or anxiety. Being free is being able to choose without being afraid.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

RASHI KAPOOR Entrepreneur

MAINA GORDON Solicitor

We may be living in a “developed” and “modern” society, but there are many of us who still lack freedom in its most basic sense –the choice to go where they want, to marry who they want, or even express themselves without fear. If we have the liberty to make these choices without fear, we are truly free.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

CHANNA Clinical coder

Although the term “freedom” is laced with traumatic memories of India’s Partition for me, it also signifies the strength to follow your dreams. It’s freedom that empowers you to be fearless in speech, thought and action.

SUBHASHINI

ANIL BHATIA

Shipping magnate

Freedom to me means the ability to live my life to its full potential, to reach my potential and be the architect of a life without barriers. To live with dignity and in harmony with the environment, the community and foster mutual love and respect for all those I interact with.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

Being truly free means not being forced into anything. It means that I can be my true self and do what I want, no matter which stage of life I’m in. And to never forget that those around me deserve the same.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

AJ GILL Defence services member

SMITA SHAH

Doctor and academic

Being able to think, speak, wear, eat what I want, for example. Or work, which helps me make a difference in equity. That’s what freedom means to me.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

SANJIV DUBEY Teacher and sports coach

We’ll never understand the meaning of freedom unless we can comprehend the struggle or sacrifices our ancestors made for us to be free. To me, being free, first and foremost means to appreciate that.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

Being free, to me, is to be able to love anyone and worship any god or being you choose. You can’t have freedom in a world that restricts love and religion or imposes biases based on caste, gender and economical differences.

Photo: Gurmeet Kalsi

ABBAS RAZA ALVI Marketing consultant

To me, freedom means having autonomy over my own choices, my actions and my future, irrespective of my ethnicity or gender.

KARISHAMA SINGH Uni student

In a world where speaking your mind can have terrible consequences, to me, freedom means just being able to think and speak freely. We’re born to be free spirits, not to be chained. Mind you, speaking your mind doesn’t mean that you’re free to hurt others.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

MANISHA CHAUBAL-MENON Senior business executive

Freedom to me is living life unrestricted and fearlessly, even if it involves breaking rules now and then. Anything less is tantamount to slavery.

Photo: Gurmeet KalsI

INDER DUA

Restaurateur

Freedom is the right to lead my life as I choose without hurting others and with responsibility for my actions. To live by my value system, beliefs, intellect and emotions. To live a life that shows empathy and compassion. To speak up against evils such as inequality, prejudice and discrimination.

CS SRINIVASAN (SRINI)

Board Member, Multicultural Arts Victoria

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

LAMBA Entrepreneur

Freedom is being able to live in a truly multicultural society where we have the liberty to be ourselves. But it’s a freedom that we must earn, and remember that it comes with great responsibility.

NISHAA

Photo: Gurmeet KalsI

Freedom is a blessing that allows us to respect and be respected for our civilised thoughts and collective human values without being judged on the basis of colour, gender, religion and political affiliation.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

DR. SANDEEP BHAGAT Palliative medicine specialist

A life without inhibitions or fear is free. If I can live for happiness, fulfilment and growth without fear, I am truly liberated. At the same time, I’m conscious of the fact that being free comes with a responsibility to respect others around me.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

TANVI MOR Talent acquisition professional

ANAND (ANDY)

CHAUHAN

Property sales consultant

Freedom to me, is to be myself, live the way I like to, without the fear of prejudice or being judged.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

Freedom to me is the right for individuals to live life on their own terms as long as their actions don’t negatively impact others.

Photo: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

GURMIT SAHNI Businessman

PREETI JABBAL Journalist

Freedom to me is to try things, make mistakes, stumble, rise again, keep learning and keep growing. Freedom is the choice to make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today. It is to grow through what we go through.

Getting involved in your child’s school

Navratri, Eid, Easter, Baisakhi or Navroz if parents from other cultures bring in their traditions and information.

in my own child’s face.

BY VINAYA RAI

Half the school year has gone by and your children must be settled in. Have you settled in, though?

Have you sometimes wished you could be like those other parents who seem friendly and are able to communicate better with teachers? Those who participate in school activities and are on the school councils?

Sounds daunting? Don’t worry, it’s not a problem of language or communication, but one of participation.

There are many other ways you can get involved in your child’s school life. It could just be a morning a week listening to kids reading, or it may be one day now and then helping out at a Working Bee or a Fundraiser or on Sports Day. You may be creative and share a story, an art or a craft on Harmony Day or Multicultural celebrations. Schools are more than happy to celebrate events like Diwali,

Parent participation, especially in primary school, helps a child fit in better. It increases your child’s confidence because they feel their peers and teachers understand them and their culture better, and also accept and respect it.

With a boost in confidence comes a boost in their social skills. Hopefully, this will translate to better and faster learning.

If you feel like doing more, take the lead from other parents. If they are talking of baking scones for a staff morning tea, offer to cook something too. Even mathris out of a packet are a huge hit! Be a parent helper on an excursion or stay back while your kids are training for soccer or cricket after school. Share the story of Diwali and you will see how much the kids enjoy it. Once when I said “Go ahead, ask me something about India”, one child said, “Do you get chocolate in India?” There’s so much they want to know! The look on their faces when I described kite fights from rooftops or riding pillion on a motor bike was priceless.

When other kids stopped me in the playground to say, “Can you come to my class and tell a story too”, I saw the pride

One of the things I observed was that most migrant parents didn’t sit around. They came to collect their children after training (often late) and rushed off.

At least on some days, try and put off that shopping and stay, and spend some time with parents of your child’s peers. It helps!

School mums and dads are a great resource and have taught me a great deal. Not only about schools, kids and parenting, but also about myself.

Other parents may also look out for your child. If there is bullying or racism in the playground, they will let you know. Or deal with the issue immediately by talking to the other child or informing the teacher on duty.

Participating at school can help you, the parent, a great deal too. If you are a

new migrant, you will get used to the accent much quicker, learn the colloquial vocabulary, make new friends, and probably even get your own support group who will make suggestions about settling in and may even take care of your child after school or during holidays. You’ll learn about the school and the teachers, how funding works, why the school offers certain programs and not others. It will improve your own understanding of the education system and Australian society in general, which you may be grappling with. Your own communication skills and selfconfidence will also increase.

So go for it. Get involved, and you will benefit hugely. The best way to take an interest in your child’s schooling here is not limited to help with homework or sending them to tuitions, but to participate in their school life.

You’ll learn about the school and the teachers, how funding works, why the school offers certain programs and not others

One of the best ways to support your child’s education is to build and maintain a good parent-school relationship

Photo: Lance Cpl Jenifer Pirante

Freedom from crime

were willing to cooperate. You could imagine the discussion:

BY NURY VITTACHI

Five years ago I lived in a housing estate that was so safe that I didn’t even own a front door key. Our only line of defence against evil was a deeply confused dog that barked at family members and gave strangers a friendly licking.

(My wife tells me to be kind, since dogs have brains the size of walnuts, but I argue that a walnut would be cheaper and more effective, since you can throw it at people and it never needs its poop picked up. But whatever.)

Safe places to live were on my mind after a reader sent in a news report about what is being called “the safest place in the world”. Eibenthal is a village with a little church in the mountains of Romania. Inhabitants hang money in bags on lampposts. The baker passes by, takes the money and leaves food behind.

But there are super-safe places everywhere, if you know where to look. India has Shani Shingnapur, a famously low-crime town of 3,000 people in Maharashtra where most houses don’t even have doors, let alone locks.

This columnist wrote about it a few years ago when a bank was built there. Townsfolk ordered executives at UCO Bank to follow tradition and have no locks on its doors. The bankers thought this was a bit unusual for a bank, but

Townsfolk: “You must follow our tradition and not lock the doors of your bank.”

Bankers: “Well, okay. It’s your money.”

Townsfolk: “Wait. Maybe we need to talk about this a bit more.”

The only grumble came from local police, but they could have taken inspiration from Sark, an island near England which maintained a tiny security presence.

In the 1970s it was invaded by France. The invasion fleet consisted of one Frenchman. The defending army consisted of a part-time policeman, who arrested the Frenchman without harming him. As wars go, it was rather sweet. (You can’t say that about a lot of wars.)

Even the United States, which the media paints as a land of guns, has super-safe places. Wikipedia says top of the list is Irvine, California, which had 0.8 of a murder in the most recent year counted. How can you have 0.8 of a murder? Did the guy’s hair survive or something?

Now here’s the thing: you can create individual safe spots. Over the years, this column has received dozens of news reports about armed robbers who failed because their would-be crimes didn’t fit the ambience.

Example: in 2012, a masked man entered a bar in the Netherlands and levelled a gun at people inside. Lost in the usual fog of drink and chatter you find in European bars, they ignored him. The whole thing is on YouTube, including the deflated robber’s sad exit.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Sister based in Sydney seeks suitable match for 39-year-old/5’5’’ Never married Punjabi Khatri girl. Doctor by profession, vegetarian. Settled in India, but willing to move overseas. Currently in Sydney (on holidays). Caste no bar. Email: guruji2111@gmail.com, Mobile: +61 424 386 04

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Australian citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 45-year-old, 5’3” slim, fair, attractive girl. She is a postgraduate and is working on a good position in a government organisation. Please send details with photo to Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Seeking a match for Australian citizen, Sydney-based Sikh girl born in 1991, 170cm, qualified chartered accountant, working for Australia’s leading bank. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to hs52216a@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

A 43-year-old, issueless divorcee, 5’5”, PR holder, non-smoker, nondrinker, spiritual, Bihari, Hindu, Srivastava Kayastha working in one of the biggest IT companies of world, seeks an Indian girl willing to relocate to Sydney. Caste, language, state no bar. Ph 0415 063 532

At a bank in Kowloon, Hong Kong, staff told a raider than they were far too busy to be robbed. He nodded and left the counter. The whole thing was marvellously civil. Now I am not saying that our generation

is creating a crime-free world. Given the propensity of snacks to disappear in this columnist’s house, I can’t even create a crime-free apartment. Who took my walnut?

Seeking 25-30-yr-old Hindu/Punjabi  girl from Australia for our 31 year old Specialist Doctor son 5’9”, born and brought up in Sydney. Please respond gupta_rsr@hotmail.com or call 0414 282 510.

Australian citizen, university educated Indian man, early 50s, working in a government organisation. Contact 0406 688 262, email tamavu@hotmail.com.au

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Australian Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 44, 6’, athletic built boy. He is project manager with engineering background and is working in a private organisation. Please send details with photo: Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Professional match for North Indian boy, 33, 5’11”, Chartered Accountant, Australian citizen & working as a Manager with an MNC bank in Sydney. Family settled in Sydney for 25 years. Girl should be Hindu, 25 to 31, Australian citizen, and Sydney based. Please send photos & details to: sanjdeep6@gmail.com

Match for boy aged 26, Telugu Brahmin family. Master’s degree IT, 5’10”. Working in Sydney, parents well educated and settled in Sydney. Seeking Indian girl brought up in Australia aged 22-25 degree, qualified, fair, slim and at least 5’3”, working, able to drive. Call 0425 224 614 or email umarajaj.matrimony@gmail.com

There are safe places everywhere –if you know where to look.

AUGUST 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.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19

Increased social and business activities and new avenues of fulfilment are on the agenda for you this month. You look for deeper meanings in relationships and might even move home. You might be considering marriage or a live-in arrangement. Creative pursuits interest you but you have to make time for them. A breakthrough at work keeps you busy. If stuck in a rut, do things differently and act on alternatives. A trip proves to be financially rewarding.

LEO

July 21 - Aug 22

There are delays, but with the promise of success, so relax. Focus on passive rather than active pursuits – feelings, emotion and self-expression. You will feel like something is lacking but don’t know what. You might consider moving in with someone but you won’t do it because it doesn’t feel right. Upper back causes health issues. If there has been a delay in finances, the money will come in shortly. Success comes through a positive change in attitude. Trust your gut instinct.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

TAROT

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20

A Capricorn type of person might help you out as you focus on employment. It could also mean that you are indecisive like the sign of the goat. Expect good news from someone who cares, or a friend will help you in a sticky situation. If romantically involved, you will feel good about yourself even if the relationship has no future. Good news brightens your spirits; you might even have a little extra money to spend on some retail therapy.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sep 22

You are drawn towards values, a way of life and deeper thoughts this month caused by a complete reversal of affairs. Release your problems to a higher power and let God handle everything. An unexpected financial opportunity will come your way, along with repeat clients and increased profits. A new business proposal too could come along. Avoid feelings of martyrdom. A fresh direction will emerge gradually. Take rest when you have to and emotional problems come to an end as well.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

Home, friends, money matters. You could be caught off-guard by a confrontation or a petty argument. New elements enter your life to make your outlook hopeful. You or a loved one –perhaps a pet - could need medical attention. An argument or falling out with a friend or a boss is indicated as you feel underappreciated. You have divine protection when it comes to money. Positive reinforcement leads to success. Stick to those who are supportive of you this month.

It is only through a manifestation of ideas that things can grow. Your thoughts veer towards mortality and spiritual matters. If you have recently broken up, you might get back together. In a strained relationship, keep a distance so the other person respects and values you. Watch out for substance abuse and take care of your heart’s health. A new job is in the offing but you may say no due to an existing health condition. Nurture yourself though the emotional vacuum remains for now.

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

A long term existing condition will change. The focus is partnerships, crossroads in life, and love affairs. A heartfelt desire will be accomplished through someone you meet: you will have a great rapport with and affinity for this person, and they could help change things for the better. There could be unpleasant people and situations at work but they are temporary so don’t burn your bridges just yet. Luck is on your side - let the universe step in to help.

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 22

Introspection and solitude is what you seek as a pause in progress causes anxiety. You could be facing disappointment in love. Money comes in from another source. Watch out for plagiarism of your ideas. You could be experiencing anxiety. Re-evaluate your position and a new understanding improves a romantic situation. You have what it takes to succeed, you just need someone to help you put it together. That help is coming and new ideas will succeed.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

Negative conditions are temporary and will clear up. Delays, strife, adversity, separations add to your disappointment as you want to see results and are not willing to expend more energy. The unexpected appearance of someone will make things better. Take a break from tensions and work as tears, sadness and physical pain are indicated. Let go and have faith, as any delays are in your favour. Money held up will also come in and a fresh start is indicated.

CANCER

June 21 - July 20

Love life is static and additional responsibilities make you overworked and tired. A plan you come up with is worth executing. Take a short trip to relax and wind down. Apprehensions about finance are unnecessary. More work could be dumped on you. Success is the result of patient and thorough research and a career opportunity comes your way. Go for your goals and don’t accept mediocrity. A new venture will ease tensions and don’t waste time on an impossible relationship.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 21

You seek more in your relationship as the romance has no fireworks. The existing pent up pressures and negativity change your perspective and you might want to move on. Change for the better is on the anvil through a friend, lover or business associate. A sudden windfall cheers you up. Expenses are high and though the situation bothering you currently seems bleak, it will resolve itself. Success through litigations and keeping emotions on an even keel is foretold.

PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

Assert yourself as you are in an ambitious mode this month. Loosen up a bit if romantically involved. Start a new exercise regime. Personally you may be weighed down with responsibilities; learn to delegate. Home construction or renovation projects keep you busy or you could be moving into a new home. If you get invited to a trip, take it up. A new course of action will change your life. Health issues could be tension headaches or lower back ache.

cineTALK

WHOSE LAND IS IT ANYWAY?

MULK

DIRECTOR Anubhav Sinha

HHHHH

Whose land is it anyway? At a time when the Indian Muslim finds himself isolated like never before, Anubhav Sinha’s Mulk serves as a jolting reminder of how far into the darkest recesses of distrust and animosity, terrorism has taken the blame game.

First of all, it is very hard to believe that Sinha whose earlier credits include fluff stuff like Tum Bin and Ra.One, has actually created this modern political masterpiece which attempts very successfully to humanise a community that has been demonised by some negative elements. And yet Mulk doesn’t take sides, doesn’t make the Indian Muslim community a portrait of

injured innocence.

What it does do – and full-marks to Sinha for writing a script that doesn’t bend backwards to humanise the community under siege – is to lay bare the layers of deception that mars a truly fruitful dialogue between sane rational elements in both the Hindu and Muslim community.

When the son (Prateik Babbar) from a Muslim family in the dense bylanes of Varanasi decides to became a so-called jihadi, the ramifications on his family are deep and wounding.

It is in portraying the family’s anguish that Sinha emerges with cinema that’s masterly and timely. There comes a time in the taut narrative when the patriarch of the family is asked to choose between home and safety. Rishi Kapoor making that resolute choice reminded me of Balraj Sahni in Garam Hawa Kapoor has shaped up into that rare actor who can do anything effortlessly.

His portrayal of Murad Ali Mohammad is clenched and compelling. He brings to the character an empathy that never serenades self-pity. But my favourite performances in the film are by Manoj Pahwa as Kapoor’s hounded brother and Rajat Kapoor as a Muslim antiterror police officer who has turned against his own community to cleanse its reputation.

Pahwa as the terror-accused father of a jihadi, makes your heart melt with compassion. In the best-written sequence of the film he tells his brother why he always tried to be a good sibling, and never failed to fall short.

Also brilliant is the ever-capable Kumud Mishra as the judge presiding over a case that in many ways, changes the way we look at terroraccused families, not to mention court proceedings in our films. Ashutosh Rana and Tapsee Pannu are absolutely brilliant as the prosecutor and defence lawyer.

And when Taapsee takes over the climactic courtroom finale questioning why our society has polarised into “them” and “us”, she proves herself one of the strongest contemporary female actors today.

Some moments in this thoughtprocess reforming drama practically gave me goosebumps. When the terrorist-son (Prateik Babbar)’s body is brought home, we hear sounds of his mother’s anguish and panic, as the camera moves through the family home prowling in pursuit of answers to questions that lie too deep for tears.

I am not surprised that Evan Mulligan’s camera has captured the splintered cultural conundrum of Varanasi like never before. Mulk is a work that won’t settle for the status quo. It forces us to think and reconsider our value system at a time when cows are valued more than human lives.

Subhash K. Jha

STARRING Rishi Kapoor, Tapsee Pannu, Manoj Pahwa, Prateik Babbar, Ashutosh Rana, Rajat Kapoor