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FORTNIGHTLY

Vol. 26 No. 6 (1)

MARCH (1) 2019

SYDNEY

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Election Issue

W I N N E R O F 2 2 M U LT I C U LT U R A L M E D I A AWA R D S NATIONAL EDITION

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EDITORIAL

One more go PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra SOCIAL MEDIA Neha Malude MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Hamsa Venkat, Uttam Mukherjee, Emie Roy, Minal Khona ADVERTISING MANAGER Shriti Sinha 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:

INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

I

t took a number of days, lots of phone calls, and a few requests from different well-wishers of Indian Link to gain access to Premier Gladys Berejiklian for an interview.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley on the other hand, within 72 hours of the request being put through, was on the phone prosecuting his case to lead a new government in NSW. On the phone, he seemed relaxed and confident, while Premier Berejiklian was in full campaign mode at 5 pm in the South Coast when she spoke to us.

For a government which is presiding over record economic growth with low unemployment and is flush with cash, Berjklian should perhaps be more confident of romping home in the elections. But the polls are calling it a tight race, and some commentators are predicting a minority Coalition government post March 23rd.

It was always going to be a difficult time for the NSW Coalition going into this election with the stench from the Federal Coalition wafting across NSW. Their

only mode of survival was to innoculate themselves from the federal brand and state their own achievements. That can be hard to do when you have the same DNA, but with limited choices, this is what they set out to do accomplish.

Premier Berejiklian took over the leadership just over 2 years ago after the resignation of Mike Baird. She had to stem the bleeding from the greyhound racing ban controversy and the controversy of the forced amalgamation of councils. She did well to move on these decisively, but was logged into other projects which she had little control over. The wounds from these infrastructure projects are still festering and the public seems to be getting limited clarity on them.

For the Indian-Australian community, the battlecry of the Australian Labor Party of better education and hospitals is a rallying call. With the Berejiklian government’s inability or unwillingness to explain better the issues behind the problems with the light rail or WestConnex or the Powerhouse saga, they seem to be losing votes in the Indian community heartland. Some of the Liberal party members such as Geoff Lee, Ray Williams, Damian Tudehope, Victor Dominello and Matt Kean have forged close bonds with the Indian-Australian community and will see their support at this election. Yet, other Ministers who may have been better available to explain

some of the vexing issues, might miss out.

The Labor Party on the other hand suffered from a change in leadership not very far out from the elections. Their star performers in the Indian community, Jodi McKay and Julia Finn have their staunch supporters. But there was limited narrative from the top to make any meaningful indent. The community remembers well the days of the Labor Party ruled NSW when there was paralysis in the government with no new projects or infrastructure building schemes.

Australia is going through an unprecedented phase of economic growth, in fact the only country in the world to be experiencing such continuous growth.

This obviously filters down to the state level, and the Coalition has benefitted from the local housing boom also.

The challenge will be the next few years as the property market slows and the government seeks to fund the infrastructure projects committed and planned. NSW could do well with a steady hand on the driving wheel, and the Coalition seems to be better experienced and positioned to do that.

We’re calling one more go for the Coalition, but this time round, there’s going to be a watchful community asking to be treated with respect, and consulted in the decision-making process. Otherwise, there’s a good team in the Labor Party chaffing to move into government offices.

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MARCH (1) 2019 5

CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES ELECTIONS Friends in the Indian community

14

ELECTIONS Some Indian links in the 2019 state elections

20

MUSIC Mridangam arrangetram

28

FIRST PERSON When Sonu Sood came to Melb

36

SURROUNDS Bungendore on the NSW South Coast

14

20

COVER STORY

40

36

Celebrating history.

Creating history.

40

State elections 2019

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MARCH (1) 2019 7

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YOUR SAY

BREAKING FREE

Our breaking news post on IAF pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman’s release garnered many a praise for Pakistan’s gesture.

Cutting Kings wrote: Well done PM Imran Khan.

Satinder Randall wrote: Good job Pakistan!

Pankaj Dhingra wrote: So much of immature journalism being shown on Indian news channels. Instead of showing respect to Imran Khan's gesture, they are trying to create more tension. Shame on Indian media.

Singh Amrik wrote: BJP will play politics again. They will say (it was) because of them that they released him. Great job by Imran Khan.

Bilal Chaudry Singh wrote: Amrik Singh, it's not just BJP, Indian media is also very irresponsible and immature, they are warmongers and I think they don't have anything else to share on media, only negative things about Pakistan. They all need to grow up.

FOR PEACE, FOR PULWAMA PAWAN LUTHRA reported on the peace gatherings in Sydney to protest the Pulwama attack.

Aks Abbi wrote: Here's my 2 cents. How about we do #100day challenge or something to repost the news on social media to get the things rolling. Might result in nothing but at least it will not become just another news that dies the moment it starts getting less likes. All it will take is one or two well-known celebrities to come aboard. Just an opinion.

Federation of Indian Associations of NSW wrote: Thank you Indian Link and Pawan for the report.

Aran Mylvaganam wrote: It's really sad to see people losing lives over the Kashmir dispute.

WHERE IN INDIA

The interior of this structure is covered completely in glass and mirror work. #WhereinIndia is this?

Mythili Iyer wrote: Is it Shish Mahal in Agra? Or Kanch Mandir in Indore?

Sam Kay wrote: Vrindavan.

My_Rebel 1 wrote: Indore.

The correct answer is Kanch Mandir, Indore. Well done, Mythili.

WHERE IN OZ We shared a picture of this lovely, dusky pink lake somewhere in Victoria and asked our readers to guess where it could be.

Ashleigh Sandra wrote: Port Melbourne, Melbourne.

Kshama Agrawal wrote: Westgate park, Melbourne.

Chitra Iyer wrote: Melbourne.

Jillian Abery wrote: Melbourne.

Vinita Agarwal wrote: Pink Lake Western Australia.

Nisha Sharma wrote: Pink Lake.

Ash Arora wrote: Pink Lake WA. Ekta Sharma wrote: Westgate Park, Melbourne.

Akki Gaurav wrote: Melbourne.

The right answer is Westgate Lake, Melbourne.

SAY IT AGAIN 8 MARCH (1) 2019

Men’s violence and entitlement is a blight on our society. I’m sorry that this happened to you, Preethi. I’m sorry for your loved ones. I’m sorry for your patients and your colleagues.

I’m sorry.

Tarang Chawla, Violence Against Women campaigner

It’s International Women’s Day this week and another woman is dead. We need to do more than just f***ing talk or women will continue to die.RIP Preethi Reddy, you deserved so much better.

Emily Brouggy, Production Admin, Village Roadshow

www.indianlink.com.au

SONU SOOD IN MELBOURNE

CAPTION CONTEST

PREETI JABBAL wrote about her longtime friend, actor Sonu Sood, and their day out in Melbourne. Not only did it get a retweet from the actor himself, our readers loved getting a peek into his early life.

Rajni Luthra wrote: Seems like a real nice guy. Preeti Jabbal, you should have done this for a living - being a talent scout!

Ekta Sharma wrote: Such a lovely read.

Vandana Aneja wrote: Great to know that Sonu Sood is so down to earth and enjoyed his time in Melbourne.

Aparna Chawla wrote: Wahwah, dance number! Living the movie dream…

Priya Singh wrote: The hills are alive… with Preeti and gang.

Sunit Grover wrote: Beautifully written!

What’s Vicky Kaushal thinking here?

Arix Bishnoi wrote: After recent events, (he’s thinking) Kyun! Chok gaye na!

Shikha Chandra wrote: Make love not war.

Raghu Rules wrote: Uri wasn’t enough; bigger one coming soon, don’t go by my poker face.

Meenakshi Sharma Kalia wrote: My favourite mangoes… ek peti to le hi leta hun.

Yukti Arya wrote: You, the viewer, are just so gorgeous. I can't help but bite my chocolate covered lips and undress you with my eyes.

Prashant Brahmbhatt wrote: I don’t have the energy to pretend to like you today.

Megha Vaghela Parmar wrote: How’s the josh?

Taran Bedi wrote: Kyun? Ho gayena surprised? Kya sirf Khans hi 100 crores ki hit film de sakte hain?

Divya Palsodkar wrote: Uri ke bad ab Pulwama ki tayari karni padegi.

Agastya Bhardwaj wrote: Why does Kohli leave in the middle of every series?

Bhavana Bhatia Masand wrote: Bachna eh haseeno... lo main aa gaya.

Rachna Gupta wrote: Which way should I swing… engineering or acting?

Shefali Arora Suman wrote: Watch out folks, here I come!

Shikha Hemant Sedha wrote: Raman or Raghav?

Pearl Chaudhary wrote: What’s the one thing you can get in shape without exercising? Eyebrows!

Tushar Choudhary wrote: (Looking at himself in the mirror) Aaj mast lag rahoon main.

Geetika Sethi Arora wrote: Khan is old school; I’m the new King.

WHO WORE IT BETTER? CRUSHING IT NEHA MALUDE spoke to Leela Varghese about winning big at Tropfest 2019, the world’s biggest short film festival, with her film Crush.

Neil Monteith wrote: There’s no way you are 27 already! Congrats on the well-deserved acclaim. You’re a natural storyteller and entertainer with the rare gift of endless positivity.

Andrew Tresidder wrote: I really enjoyed this film from start to finish; fantastic direction and brilliant storyline.

Annamma Varghese wrote: Congrats Leela on your film, we are so proud.

Brendan Pinches wrote: Crushed it!

Mateuse Pingol wrote: What a great honest write-up, Leela! Love it and loved the film.

As a parent, the worst thing we can do is bury our kids. I ask you all to think about that, to think about the family right now and to give them space.

Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate, Sydney City Police Area Commander NATIONAL EDITION

Another Australian woman lost to #DomesticViolence. DFV is an epidemic - affecting all ages, education level and social status.

We’ve lost too many women. We need change. I’m sorry Dr Preethi Reddy.

Jacqui Marks, Emergency doctor

Another woman murdered by an entitled man. Where once was life and love, and now just a void. When and where will women be safe to go about their everyday lives? #PreethiReddy SerkanOzturk, writer

ALIA BHATT OR GIGI HADID IN RED MOSCHINO? Alia 78% Gigi Hadid 22%

Yet another woman brutally murdered in Australia. Vale, Preethi Reddy. You should have made it home safely.

Dr Bianca Fileborn, Lecturer, Melbourne uni

This is irresponsible reporting of Preethi Reddy’s murder by @ abcnews - there’s no reason why a “cultural” explainer on arranged marriages in India is relevant to the main story, a man allegedly killed his ex-partner.

Kamna Mudyagauni, Lawyer MARCH (1) 2019 9

COVER STORY

‘We turned our economy around and made NSW the strongest state’ Premier GLADYS BEREJIKLIAN on why the Indian community should vote for her: Excerpts from an interview with PAWAN LUTHRA many other things. I think that’s part of the migrant story of NSW - appreciating the opportunities that are here but also giving back and making NSW as strong as it can be.

Pawan Luthra (PL): Premier, you were born in Sydney to Armenian immigrant parents, Krikor and Arsha. Can you share with us some of the challenges and thrills of growing up in an immigrant family?

In your eyes, how do these experiences translate to the Indian migrant families now?

Gladys Berejiklian (GB): Pawan, that’s a beautiful question to ask. I feel very lucky that my parents chose to migrate to NSW, to Australia. I am very proud of my heritage. I am also extremely proud of my family being very good citizens to this country. I think one of the main challenges I faced is because my parents were newly arrived when I was born as the oldest, we didn’t speak English at home and so I didn’t speak any English when I started school. I learned English at school. I think that is a similar experience to many perhaps in the Indian community that speak perhaps another language at home, and then learn English subsequently. But I am very grateful for that experience because I think being bilingual is very positive. In fact, through marriage we have some Armenian relatives from Calcutta.

Calcutta used to have a very significant Armenian community and one of the largest churches of Armenian heritage is actually in Calcutta.

PL: Premier, with a surname like Berejiklian how difficult was it as a migrant attending mainstream events and functions?

GB: When I was first thinking about running for public office, people said to me,“You should change your name,” and as a joke I would say “I did change my name, it used to be Smith!”. People were worried for me - about what impact it would have, having such a long surname. But I felt confident in the people of NSW supporting people of different backgrounds, and I am grateful for that support. I have been a Member of Parliament since 2003 and I think most commentators don’t have too much challenge now in saying my surname.

I especially want to send a message to younger people – be proud of who you are. Be proud of your heritage. Be proud of your name. Be proud of the family you were born into, because we’re lucky in NSW in particular we have a very tolerant society made up of immigrants. But apart from the first Australians, the Indigenous Australians who have been here tens of thousands of years, we are all migrants, 10 MARCH (1) 2019

When I was first thinking about running for public office, people said to me,“You should change your name” and as a joke I would say, “I did change my name, it used to be Smith!” all of us have a story. I think the key is really appreciating what we have here. My parents fled from countries which did not have the freedom that we experience here.

They felt very strongly about education and making sure my sisters and I studied well and got a good education and worked

hard. Those values of respect and hard work were ingrained in us. And also the notion of giving back to the community.

And I see that in the Indian community all the time. Not just people like yourself, but many people voluntarily giving up their time to support community activity and so

PL: Turning now to the forthcoming elections, NSW economy is No 1 in the nation, with average surpluses of $1.3 billion expected over the next 4 years, and with low unemployment rates – yet the Labor opposition attributes this success to being at the right place at the right time, with the state benefitting from an unprecedented housing boom and asset sales and privatisation. Your response to that?

GB: Unfortunately that is completely incorrect. The best way I can demonstrate that is by saying when the Labor government was in office, NSW had the worst unemployment rate in the nation.

We were 8th in economic growth; in jobs growth, we were last. And we turned that around and now we are the strongest in the nation. That doesn’t happen by accident; that happens because of hard work. We inherited deficits from the Labor Party, we inherited debt. We’ve turned that around. We’ve managed the budget and managed the economy which is why we are in a position to invest more in schools, in education, in jobs for all ages, especially for young people starting out. I am incredibly proud of that. Our economic record is second to none and many other states come looking to us for examples of how we achieved this. We have made some difficult decisions but it has resulted in a positive outcome. Our economy in NSW is very diverse. We don’t need to rely on just one part of it, we don’t just need to rely on the property market at all; it’s quite the opposite. We’ve ensured we have a very diverse economy so that if one part of the economy isn’t doing as well as the others it doesn’t affect the overall performance.

And why is it that NSW was last under Labor, and is now the strongest in the nation?

PL: Premier, in spite of these economic achievements, polling is indicating that this election is going to be very, very tight.

GB: Well I think there’s obviously different sentiments across the globe in terms of how we respond to governments and institutions, and NSW isn’t immune from that. I think the public has expectations of what they would like to see happen, but I believe the people of NSW have a clear

www.indianlink.com.au

choice on March 23. They can support a government such as mine, a Liberal National government that has turned the economy around, is providing jobs and security for the future and investing in those things that are going to give the next generation and the generation after, all these opportunities. When the Labor Party were in government for 15 years they didn’t build any infrastructure.

They didn’t build the roads and the rails and the schools and the hospitals, we’ve turned that around. Because we know, that if we want our citizens to have good opportunities in the future and a good quality of life, we need to invest in these things that matter to the population.

PL: Let’s turn our attention to the Indian Australian community, which is now approximately 250,000 in NSW and growing. What strikes you about our community, Premier?

GB: I think what strikes me the most is your notion of respecting good citizenship.

What really strikes me is how the Indian community is so generous in its support of NSW. What strikes me is that people feel very grateful to have a democracy where you can exercise your freedom, be proud of who you are, yet have all of these opportunities ahead of you. I think what really inspires me about the Indian community is its generosity of spirit, but also the giving. The community always contributes to making NSW stronger. I think work ethic and respect for family and education are things that really stand out to me in relation to the community.

I felt that when I went to India. When I made my first official visit to India, what I felt with the community here, I felt when I met with proud Indians in India. I think the Indian community here has much to be proud of, and we have much to be grateful for. I’m grateful that the community makes such a strong contribution to our state, especially through not just your community organisation, but the professional organisations that Indian Australians represent. They are contributing to us having the edge in the future because we appreciate India isn’t just an important trade partner, it’s an important friend to Australia and I think the Indian community in NSW has played a very important role in providing that bridge.

PL: Recently in Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews delivered on an election promise to the Indian community there, when he got the ball rolling on an ethno-specific aged-care facility. His government will invest up to $14.5 million to purchase land for two new Indian aged-care facilities. There is a need for such government intervention to assist the migrant Indian community in NSW too. Is this something that you can progress for the Indian community post March 23, as NSW Premier?

GB: Definitely. We are definitely looking at all those opportunities. I know that we have supported a lot of the Indian community language schools, which the community is very grateful for. I learned to read and write in my parents’ language Armenian on Saturdays and I know many Indian children attend community schools outside of mainstream schools. So the government provided $11 million in funding to support all of our community NATIONAL EDITION

much like what the Liberal Party provides to the migrant community?

GB: I could not have said it better myself!

PL: You have attended many functions in the Indian community here – any which stand out?

GB: Oh, I love all of them. I love them because everybody feels so welcomed, whether you’ve been there once before or a hundred times before, that respect is there.

I feel enormously grateful to experience that energy, to feel that vitality, to feel that deep culture. I especially love the ones that involve young people because the future is so bright for NSW when you look at the next generation of Indian-Australians making their mark in the world.

PL: You’ve got used to the many requests for selfies?

GB: Oh yeah I love it! It’s very good. language schools. We’ve also provided $1 million to support Indian organisations host major events which support the community and of course we’ve looked at all those options in terms of aged care and also other welfare opportunities for Indian community members. Of course we’re open to all of those things and I hope to have more detailed discussions with relevant organisations about that.

PL: Trade of goods and services between NSW and India is worth about $1.8 billion annually but the needle has barely moved

Western Sydney is that you may very well find direct flights to cities which currently don’t have direct flights, and that’s a great opportunity for us to increase those trade opportunities. We have done a lot of work in the last 12 months in particular to really move the dial along as you well put, because the opportunities are endless. People to people, we did very well. Business to business, it has to be twoway. The main feedback I got from Indian business people in India was please make sure that it’s not just one way.

Our economic record is second to none and many other states come looking to us for examples of how we achieved this. We have made some difficult decisions but it has resulted in a positive outcome in the last few years. Barry O’Farrell, when he was the Premier, committed to regular visits to India, but more recent visits to India have been rather sporadic.

What is your strategy for igniting the trade relationship between NSW and India?

GB: I’ve been Premier for two years, and I was very pleased to go to India last year. The result of that delegation was extremely fruitful. We now have a system, for example, in IT in Mumbai, which is arguably the global leader in that field. We have an exchange program where Australian students and Indian students are studying in each other’s nations specifically to progress IT and to learn from each other and start-ups.

After the feedback from many officials in India we actually sent a delegation over of primary producers because the hospitality industry is crying out for fresh produce from Australia. So we actually initiated many opportunities there. And I think there is increasing opportunities for those markets to grow. Especially with the Western Sydney airport, which can deliver freight produce straight from our farmers flown into emerging markets in India.

What excites me about the new airport in

PL: Premier, a great segue into your Indian links. When you visited India last year as Premier, what struck you the most?

GB: What struck me the most is how focused all your officials were in really progressing the standard of living. And how committed you were to establishing greater progress in areas like education and tourism, to support the government in increasing the quality of life in many of your citizens. What struck me is the infrastructure spend. India is the largest democracy on the planet, compared to NSW, which is a fantastic democracy, but not of the scale! What struck me was how the country was moving forward, albeit the challenges are enormous of having a billion people all trying to move in the one direction. It’s very different to having 25 million people moving in the one direction.

I was very impressed that irrespective of people’s backgrounds, there was a common aspiration to making India stronger and also improve your quality of life. Encouraging women to work and participate more in the community - that really struck me as something everyone was pursuing.

PL: So a country of opportunity, very

PL: Favourite Indian food?

GB: The vegetarian dishes are my favourite, probably vegetable dahl.

PL: Any Indian personality who has inspired you?

GB: I got to meet Sachin Tendulkar when I was in India. I thought this was a myth, but he said to me outside of India, his favourite place to play cricket is the Sydney Cricket Ground and that made me feel very proud.

PL: A couple of final questions before we conclude. Premier, you have said that in your spare time you enjoy playing golf, watching movies and reading books. How is your golf handicap these days?

GB: Oh, terrible! I don’t know how Donald Trump does it, playing 18 times since he’s been president, I’ve only played once! Hopefully that’s something that I can take up again in the future.

PL: Premier, looking back at the last couple of years, what would you conclude to be your personal triumphs?

GB: I would say making our economy the strongest in the nation and contributing to the future of young people through education, through our hospitals, and our roads and rail. We want to create a society that has the opportunity to work hard and be their best. I feel that having created a stronger community we’re now in a position to continue this massive investment and that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.

PL: And finally, why should the Indian Australian community vote for you and your party?

GB: Because we firstly appreciate the aspirations of the community and we are grateful for the contribution that the community makes. But also, I feel we reflect the values of the community. The work ethic, the contribution and support to education, the support of vulnerable people in our society is something my government feels passionately about. But you can’t achieve these things unless you run a strong budget and have a strong economy, because then you have the resources to put the money where you need it most. And I feel that my government has the capacity to do that. We’ve already demonstrated our ability to do that and I think the future is incredibly bright if we’re allowed to get this job done.

MARCH (1) 2019 11

COVER STORY

‘People want a government that will listen to them’ NSW Labor leader MICHAEL DALEY in a wide ranging interview with PAWAN LUTHRA Pawan Luthra (PL): With just a few days to go before pre-polling starts and then the big day on 23 March, how do you think your campaign is going?

Michael Daley (MD): I think we’re going as well as we can go. I took over as leader of the Opposition on 10 November, and I haven’t had a moment to waste. In all the time I’ve been Opposition Leader, I’ve had maybe two days off, so I certainly can’t work any harder but I’m very encouraged by the reception I’m getting. We’ve been up and down the coast, we’ve been out the West to see the fish kills out in the Menindee River, I’ve been spending a bit of time in Coffs Harbour and places like that, and I’ve been very encouraged by the people’s reception of our simple message, which is that I just want to be a Premier who respects people. Who puts ordinary citizens first. I just want all those families to have the services that they pay for in health and education and things that citizens deserve.

PL: Michael, the NSW economy is number one in the nation - with average predicted surpluses of $1.3 billion over the next 4 years and low unemployment rates. Should we not the Coalition government for managing the economy well?

MD: We managed the economy well when we were last in government – we ran 15 surpluses in the 16 years we were in government. We went through the global financial crisis and we were back in surplus within one year out of that very difficult time.

But unlike this government that has sacked 30,000 mums and dads and ordinary people who work for the government, we didn’t need to sack a single worker to keep our budget strong. I respect people’s right to a job – a good, full-time job. The numbers that they won’t talk to you about, especially in the context of sacking 30,000 people at least, is that they ended up sending $1 billion a year on consultants. $1 billion a year. So instead of hiring people in good, solid, secure, fulltime jobs, they give the work to consultants and contractors at the top end of town and pay three times more. One of the other things about the economy in NSW, particularly in Sydney, is that it’s not based around the activity of the government. It’s about the finance and services sectors – aged care, finances and services in Sydney - and I don’t think the government can take too much credit for that. Nor can they take credit for the fact there’s a construction boom coming out of building operating, coming off very low interest rates, on investment coming in to Australia from a lot of overseas jurisdictions 12 MARCH (1) 2019

including India. I’m not sure they’re as smart as they think they are. Let me tell you, Pawan, one of the things they’ve done is, sell $70 billion worth of assets – they didn’t just sell electricity, they’ve sold ports, 22,000 buildings and blocks of land, even the Land Titles Office, that owns the title deed to your house and everyone’s house in NSW. PL: So should you become Premier, would you put a halt to these asset sales?

MD: If I become Premier I give you an ironclad guarantee - no further privatisation. Not in health, not in education, not in electricity, not Sydney Water, not trains, not buses – I’ll be a Premier in the old style, that provides good oldfashioned services to the people of NSW. PL: Let me ask you a related question. You’ve just come off a very fiery interview that’s being talked about quite a bit. Yousaid on another radio station after a discussion on the SCG Board, ‘Labor wants to bring the board from the 19th century to the 21st century, and ensure it acts in the interest of all of the people in NSW’. What else in NSW do you think needs bringing in to the 21st century?

MD: Well, honesty and integrity. That’s two of the things that need modernising in this state. People have a right to know what governments are doing with their money.

Your tax doesn’t belong to the government, it belongs to the people of NSW, and every time the government does a project like WestConnex, burrowing under people’s homes in the Western suburbs of Sydney, vibrating and cracking them, they don’t tell you the truth. They don’t tell you how the project’s going, they don’t tell you that it’s blown out of proportion, about the waste.

The Light Rail in my area, from Kingsford to the CBD, has doubled in cost – from $1.6 to god knows how much – well over $3 billion, sending business broke. Everything is a secret with this government. I just believe in inherent dignity of people as individuals, that they deserve respect.

(On NSW’s strong economy) One of the things about the economy in NSW, particularly in Sydney, is that it’s not based around the PL: Michael, let’s talk about population.

Infrastructure Australia’s own projections activity of the government. It’s are for a worsening congestion, as Sydney’s population to 7.4 million people about the services sector - aged by 2046. Theballoons current government is looking to slash immigration numbers, care, finances and services in but your plan is for the states to sit down with the Commonwealth and Productivity Sydney - and I don’t think the Commission to decide on an immigration policy with the states able to have their government can take too much say.

Now is that not a cop out from taking difficult decisions - to stay with the current credit for that. levels, slash them or increase them?

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a strong Indian community. One of my strongest supporters and best friends is Bawa Singh Jagdev, who’s one of the pioneers in the Sikh community and tells a story of how there was no support for people of subcontinental background in the 1970s and how he set up some institutions that still survive to this day. But I also do remember when there were difficulties with Indian students about 9 or 10 years ago, when some of those students were feeling unsafe. I was the Minister for Police, and I worked very closely with your Consul General at the time Amit Dasgupta, who is a friend of mine and a lovely fellow. We appointed a very senior police officer Robert Redfern to preside over that problem and we fixed it smartly. So that’s one of the things I’m really proud of.

PL: Any Indian personality who has inspired you?

MD: Kapil Dev. I love Kapil Dev.

MD: If this state government wants to say it has a plan to slash immigration, that’s a lie. Let’s call that for what it is. The Commonwealth government thankfully, on a bipartisan basis, for the last 20 years has set immigration numbers. The reason I say thankfully Pawan is because if immigration becomes a hot-button issue, racism will raise its head in Australia. Australia is a country that is, as far as possible, a pretty harmonious one. We do have our problems from time to time, but I think it’s a very harmonious society. Immigration should not become a divisive issue; if it does, we all lose. State governments do not set immigration policy. They have no power whatsoever to control the people that come to live in their jurisdiction. The NSW Liberals are saying they have a plan to cut immigration – that is a lie. They have no power to do that. I’ve been honest with the people in NSW; I’m not going to promise to cut immigration because I can’t. It’s set by the Commonwealth. But what we have said is that the states are the ones that bear the brunt of population growth and movement – and it’s not all immigrants, sometimes it’s people coming back from other states after a mining boom and things like that. So we should have a seat at the table, sit down with the Commonwealth, and work this out on a bipartisan cooperative basis. But too often, people use that dog whistle of ‘immigration’ to cover up their own mistakes. And for 8 long years now in NSW there hasn’t been a single ribbon cut on a major project. So we’ve got the worst of both worlds – we’ve got overdevelopment in Western Sydney going mad, the planning system out of control, and a government that’s bungling its way through the billing of infrastructure projects and hasn’t opened one in 8 years.

Their response is a cowardly one, and it’s to say ‘we’re going to cut immigration’. I think that just demonises people from overseas and I won’t have a part of it.

PL: Let’s turn our attention to Indian-origin Australians, who now number approximately a quarter of a million, and growing. What strikes you most about our community?

MD: They’re fun-loving people who work NATIONAL EDITION

If I become Premier I give you an iron-clad guarantee - no further privatisation. Not in health, not in education, not in electricity, not Sydney Water, not trains, not buses – I’ll be a Premier in the old style, that provides good old-fashioned services to the people of NSW. hard, with a good education ethic. Their young people are significantly underrepresented in social unrest. So when you want to look at how our communities represent and carry themselves, I’ve always found that the Indian people carry themselves with dignity and respect and the young people are very respectful and well-behaved and I like being in their midst. They know how to work hard, but at the end of the day when you’re down-field, they also imbue those values that I do too. With four children, I’m a family man, and Indian people are great family people.

PL: Recently in Victoria, Daniel Andrews delivered on an election promise to the Indian community there, when he got the ball rolling on an ethno-specific aged care facility, an Indian-based aged care facility.

Now there’s a need [for that] here in NSW too – is this something which you can look into or promise to the Indian community in NSW should you be the Premier after this election?

MD: How about we do this, Pawan. How about if I become the Premier on the 23rd of March, you get a delegation of Indian people to come in and see me. I’ll make sure you’re one of the first people I meet. You bring the delegation in, I’m happy to meet with them and discuss that.

PL: Fantastic. Moving on, trade of goods and services between NSW and India is worth about $1.8 billion annually, but the needle has barely moved in the last few years. While Barry O’Farrell committed to frequent visits to India as Premier, his successor Mike Baird and the current Premier have not been that regular. What is your strategy for igniting the trade relationship between NSW and India?

MD: I take your point, that they paid lip services and didn’t get over to India, and I think that would be one of the things I would love to do – one of the first orders of business as Premier, go and travel with a delegation to India. You’d be mad not to want to return and just strengthen our relationship. I don’t understand why they dropped that ball but it’s pretty clear to me that they did, and I won’t do the same.

PL: So should you be the Premier, do we expect you to be going to India maybe on a yearly basis as Barry O’Farrell was planning?

MD: Yeah, I think you could expect to see that.

PL: Brilliant. Now, Michael, I’d like to learn a little bit more about your Indian links.

You’ve attended many Indian community functions. Any which stand out?

MD: Well, in the seat of Maroubra, there’s

PL: Why? MD: I just love his competitive spirit. He was fair, and he could knock your head off if you weren’t concentrating. It was entertaining cricket – good days they were.

You guys are going okay now in cricket now as well. There used to be a time where we could guarantee we could tick that one off – we beat the Indians – no more. It’s very frustrating sometimes. I have to say.

We should just consider ourselves lucky you guys haven’t caught on to playing rugby yet.

PL: (laughing) I think they’re sending out a few AFL delegations to India. I do know there’s a community action group which is trying to encourage AFL not only within the Indian-Australian community, but in India as well. So maybe another 20 odd years before we have some challenges for the Sydney Swans and other teams?

MD: Well I’d like to join them over there.

I’d like to join Daniel Mookhey and Jodi McKay and a few of our other members…

One of the things I’m proud about in this election campaign is that we have a field of diverse candidates from project communities. We’ve got Charishma Kaliyanda, Durga Owen, Alan Mascarenhas, of course you all know Daniel Mookhey and Aruna Chandrala for the Upper House.

We’re really proud of the candidates that we’re running.

PL: Finally, on a serious note, why should the Indian community vote for you and your party?

MD: I don’t think it matters what community you’re from. You want inherent respect and dignity from your government, and people of all backgrounds are not getting that from this government. People want to know that their government will look after them, will listen to them, will not take them for granted, will give them the services that they want and the services they deserve. One of the things I don’t like about this present government is that they think they’re better than the other people. They think they know more than the community, and I’m not like that. I was raised in social housing estates in South Maroubra, amongst people who didn’t have very much, and I’ve always been taught to not think you’re better than other people, and that’s the sort of humility I think people will be looking for in a Premier. Humble and driven, that’s what I will be.

MARCH (1) 2019 13

COVER STORY

Friends in the Indian community Three sitting NSW MPs talk about their work with their Indian-origin constituents ahead of the 23 March state elections

JODI MCKAY

GEOFF LEE (Liberal Party),

recontesting the seat of Parramatta Why do you feel that your side of politics is more appropriate for Indian-Australians?

Jodi McKay: It’s really about what we stand for as a Labor Party. Labor is a party for the many, not just the few. I joined Labor because I believe in the responsibility we all have to support those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. I think those beliefs are worth everyone aspiring to, no matter your background.

Geoff Lee: I always say, “Indian-Australians have three priorities – education, jobs and family.”

Our Government has made NSW the best performing state in the nation. This has enabled us to spend record amounts schools and education infrastructure. We will deliver $4.5 billion in school infrastructure upgrades over the next four years across NSW – fully funded.

This strong economic position is reflected in the lowest unemployment rates in Western Sydney for 30 years. Australian Indians are very entrepreneurial, and a strong economy helps them start and grow their businesses.

One only has to look at our own ‘Little India’ in Harris Park to see the diversity of businesses that are thriving.

Having a job or business means you can look after your family, buy a house, pay the mortgage and put food on the table. Having a job means that you can take responsibility for you and your family and make the most of opportunities in life.

Julia Finn: The Australian Labor Party has opened up the opportunities created by our great education system and always does more to support every child receiving an excellent education. It was Labor that expanded university education and it is Labor that will 14 MARCH (1) 2019

(Australian Labor Party), recontesting the seat of Strathfield

restore vocational education. Labor will do more to support our hospitals, including health care workers. My community, which includes over 8000 people born in India, want a fully staffed, first class Westmead Hospital.

Labor will also do more to help keep the Indian community keep their culture alive in Australia, we are providing more funding to community languages schools, increasing funding per child from $130 to $200. We will also expand languages education in our public schools by 100 teachers, which hasn’t been increased in NSW in over a decade.

Only Labor is preselecting candidates from the sub-continent in winnable seats.

Daniel Mookhey MLC was elected in 2015 and we have endorsed Charishma Kaliyanda in Holsworthy and Durga Owen in Seven Hills, two key seats Labor must win to form government. But more than this, it is the Labor MPs predominantly who are always with the Indian community, not just at election time.

You have been a sitting member now for a number of years; what do you feel you have delivered specifically for the Indian-Australian community in your electorate?

Jodi McKay: My interactions with the Indian Australia community have been one of the most rewarding aspects of my role. I think I have been able to highlight the diversity and strength of the Indian Australian community.

One of my warmest memories is wearing a saree into NSW parliament to recognise Indian Independence Day. That speech was a way of showing my great respect for the community.

Geoff Lee: I am proud of my achievements in delivering for the Indian Australian community, from standing up for our

JULIA FINN (Australian Labor Party), recontesting the seat of Granville

community to securing funding for things like community language schools, events and festivals, and vital infrastructure.

We have invested $11 million in community language schools, to help children continue to learn and understand more about their heritage language and culture. We have committed a massive $2.2 million over 4 years to the Parramasala Festival and I have been proud to support grants to the CIA, UIA and FIAN for local events. Harris Park Station also received a $17 million upgrade making it so much more accessible for the many commuters.

Education is important to many Indian Australian families and we are making record investment in new and upgraded schools. The O’Connell Street Public School opened in 2018 for 1,000 students and is very popular with the Indian Australian community. Rosehill Public School and our two flagship vertical school in Parramatta CBD will also give our local Indian Australian families access to fantastic state of the art schools by the end 2019.

In the NSW Parliament, I was proud to have spoken out against the proposed changes to Section 18C of the Racial-Discrimination Act – changes that were unfair, unjust and unwarranted. I have also supported the Sikh petition calling for an exemption to wearing bike helmets and was responsible for bringing this petition directly to the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight. On many occasions I have spoken on record about the great achievements of Indian Australian organisations and highlighted their service to our community.

Julia Finn: It has been an honour to represent the Indian community and the entire Granville

community in the NSW Parliament. I’ve been privileged to be invited to share your most joyous and most sacred events and call so many of you my friend.

The Indian community in my electorate is very much part of the broader community.

I fought with our local community to save Wentworthville pool and many Indian Australians joined this fight – they swim at this pool and many of them have learned to swim at this pool. I have raised concerns about overcrowding at Westmead Public School in the Parliament and with both sides of politics – it is the biggest public primary school in the State. The academic results are outstanding but the children are suffering from lack of space to play at lunch and there are over 20 demountable classrooms. I helped them secure $70,000 towards their new outdoor learning area for Years 1 and 2 and I want to do more. I also fought against the M4 toll and only Labor will reinstate the cashback scheme for the M4.

I also lobbied the new Cumberland Council to be more inclusive of the Indian community, to invite Hindu representatives along with the Christian and Muslim leaders to citizenship ceremonies and lobbied them to celebrate Holi and Diwali, a cause that has been taken up successfully by Councillor Suman Saha. The Diwali event in Wentworthville was a fantastic success and bought the entire community together to celebrate the festival of lights.

If Labor is elected at the State and Federal level, we will together deliver a new, 250 carspace multi-storey commuter carpark at Wentworthville station. The current carpark is full well before 7am and the community is growing, so we need more parking at the station.

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COVER STORY

What, according to you, are the community’s pressing needs going forward? How can you help with these?

Jodi McKay: There are many in our community that are struggling with balancing the family budget. Sydney is an expensive place to live - and I just don’t think enough has been done to help families.

Labor is the only party that will tackle these cost of living pressures - by re-regulating electricity prices, providing rebates to install solar power, making public transport free for children, and providing a cash back for those paying a toll on the M4.

Geoff Lee: I have been privileged to work closely with the Indian-Australian community over the last eight years. Many people speak to me about their concerns about job opportunities, having the best education and childcare, providing affordable housing and improving security in the area.

Strong economic management and record spending on infrastructure by our government has set-up NSW in an enviable position. Our strong economy has delivered record job growth in NSW with 500,000 jobs created since 2011.

Parramatta is receiving record investment in local school upgrades and new schools.

These include: O’Connell Street Public School opened in 2018, a major upgrade of Rosehill Public School due for completion this year, two flagship vertical schools in Parramatta CBD to open later this year, planning for a new K-12 school in Rydalmere and for Carlingford West Primary School and Cumberland High School.

In addition, I see Parramatta becoming an education city with Sydney University’s commitment to build a $500 million campus in our city, and Western Sydney University and UNSW to jointly build an engineering innovation centre.

Childcare is also important for families and I am proud to say that NSW is the first State to subsidise all three and four year olds attending community preschool, on average saving families more than $1,600 NATIONAL EDITION

over two years.

Affordable housing is important. The Liberal Government has introduced a raft of measures to help improve housing affordability which include boosting supply of new dwellings and first home buyer concessions.

Also important is to feel safe and secure.

We’ve already seen the positive impact installing CCTV cameras has had on behaviour on our transport network and the Liberal Government has announced $5 million over the next four years to help community groups and small businesses install cameras to help make our streets even safer. We will also see more high visibility policing as we increase our police force by an extra 1,500 extra police over the next four year.

Julia Finn: The Indian-Australian community is one of our greatest multicultural success stories, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any challenges. I want to see another primary school in Westmead, just as good as Westmead Public School. I want more and faster train services for our area, the timetable introduced by the Liberals in 2017 has really disadvantaged our area. There are fewer trains, many aren’t air-conditioned and there aren’t enough car spaces at the train stations. The M4 toll is an unfair tax on western Sydney, where most of the IndianAustralian community lives. It is hurting families.

It is also a challenge to keep culture and faith alive in Australia, to make sure kids growing up here can talk to their grandparents back in India and immerse themselves in their culture. That’s why community language schools and languages education in our schools is so important.

It also helps Australia economically, to take advantage of our great multicultural society and the diversity of languages spoken here. Festivals and houses of worship are important too – that’s why I have always helped faith communities to build their houses of worship, including the BAPS

Mandir in Rosehill and the Shakti Temple in Old Toongabbie.

Labor will bring back the cashback scheme for the M4 toll. We will build a commuter carpark for 250 cars at Wentworthville. We fought to save Wentworthville pool alongside the community and I am lobbying for Westmead Public School almost every day.

Ever been to India? If yes, your standout memory?

Jodi McKay: I’ve been to India twice in the last three years. My standout memory is visiting schools in Chennai, Jaipur and Agra and seeing the real India, not just what tourists or many other politicians experience.

Geoff Lee: I have had the privilege of visiting India on many occasions and to play a role in building closer personal, cultural and economic ties between our two nations.

Last year, I joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on a trade mission to India that focused on strengthening two way investment and cultural ties. The standout experience on the mission was seeing first-hand the hundreds of thousands of passionate cricket supporters lining Mumbai’s streets. We were privileged to meet with and chat to Sachin Tendulkar – a legend in India and around the world.

In 2015 I represented the NSW Premier at the Australia India Institute’s first Australia India Leadership Dialogue in Delhi aimed at strengthening ties between Australian and Indian leaders in government and industry.

The stand out experience was providing a small grant for women in a remote village to enable their independence though processing their crop to add-value– this small grant changed the lives of a whole town in Gujarat.

My most memorable experience was when I first visited India in 2013. I attended Vibrant Gujarat where a met with the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions. It was during this visit I spoke at the opening session, with 7,000 people in the audience and over 1 million watching on TV.

Other stand-out moment were: visiting BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Akshardham in Gandhinagar and seeing the golden stature of BhagwanSwaminaryan illuminate the last rays of the setting sun; the peace, tranquillity and openness of the Golden Temple in Amritsar; and last year joining the NSW Premier in laying a wreath at a memorial at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai in memory of those who lost their lives in the 2008 terrorist attack.

Julia Finn: I have been to India four times and cannot wait to visit again. There are too many great memories. The highlight of my most recent trip to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was attending the beautiful, huge traditional wedding of Pavan and Rachana Chandrala. I’ve also been honoured to be a guest of BAPS many times at their Akshardhams in Delhi and Gandhinagar and their Mandir in Bangalore. The Golden Temple is incredible, as is the Taj Mahal of course, and the Himalayas. I’ve seen the Asiatic lions in Gir National Park but my greatest disappointment is I’ve never seen a tiger in all my visits to India.

We have seen you at many Indian functions in your splendid Indian attire.

Do you owntraditional outfits from other communities as well?

Jodi McKay: I was given a Hanbok when I was in Korea and I have worn that a couple of times to significant Korean events, but basically my wardrobe is overflowing with sarees and only sarees.

Geoff Lee: The only other traditional suit that I own is a traditional Chinese suit from Zhongshan – representing my Chinese ancestry. It’s very similar to the Indian suits –sometimes people think it’s Indian.

Julia Finn: I have some Dutch wax cloth African outfits, I briefly lived in Ghana and have spent a lot of time in Africa.

Other than that, not really. I really like to wear sarees or salwar kameez, they are really beautiful and the community always appreciates the gesture.

MARCH (1) 2019 15

COVER STORY

Within the Indian community we have many different organisations, and therefore many different celebrations of the same event. Does that make it hard for you with speeches etc?

Jodi McKay: For me, the speech is not the important part of an event. The real connections occur when you’re walking around a room and meeting people. If there is one thing I could change about Indian events, it would be the focus on every politician speaking. The organisations put too much emphasis on keeping the politicians happy. I don’t attend the events because I want to give a speech, I’m there because I genuinely want to support them.

Geoff Lee: From day one I have been warmly welcomed at many Indian celebrations from Parramasala, Deepavali, Holi Mela, Vaisakhi Mela, Republic Day to Independence Day. Celebrations are what makes this a great place live and raise a family. They help create a strong sense of community with a shared understanding of our heritage and diversity.

For me it is always a great honour to be able to speak at these events and I can assure you when I do, I always ‘speak from the heart’. Although for anyone who has ever heard me speak they know that I always finish by saying “it is an honour and privilege to join you. I am Geoff Lee Member for Parramatta.”

Julia Finn: Each speech is different, although there will be some key elements about the festival that remain the same.

A standout memory from your dealings with the Indian community?

Jodi McKay: I love Holi! Every year I host 16 MARCH (1) 2019

Holi in the Park at Homebush West for children in my area. Most of the children live in high rise apartments, so they don’t have the opportunity to experience the Festival of Colours. In the spirit of Holi, parents bring a shared plate of food and I buy loads of colour for the kids. It’s a really happy time.

Geoff Lee: The most outstanding event that that I have experienced is being part of Bhoomi Pooja with His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj for the new temple at Kemps Creek. I was privileged to meet with His Holiness, partake in the ceremony and was given a rose which I still keep today.

Julia Finn: I spent a long time negotiating with the City of Parramatta Council on

behalf of both BAPS and the Shakti Temple to help them build the Mandir and the new temple that is under construction.

Too often religious communities struggle with the approvals process which should be simpler, as houses of worship are only used a few hours a week for prayer and are almost always a beautiful addition to the community. Finally attending the reopening of BAPS was a great highlight, it’s a wonderful building that will serve the community for decades, even as they expand and need to open additional centres. Similarly I can’t wait for the Shakti Temple to open later this year, they are a wonderful community.

There is much disillusionment with politics

and politicians at the moment:how can that public perception be changed?

Jodi McKay: Politicians need to treat people as people, rather than as numbers in an election game. This requires a genuineness and a real interest in reaching out to everyone in society, regardless of religion, race or background.

Geoff Lee: World-wide there is increasing disillusionment with politics and Australia is no different. Rapid adoption of social media and shorter news cycles has added a sense of frustration for the community.

I have seen first-hand the importance of democracy and how it eventually works out for the good of our community. Democracy may be messy and cumbersome but it is the best system in the world. What is good about democracy is its innate ability to evolve over time to reflect the changing needs of society.

We need politicians who work for the best interests of the community that they serve.

We need them to fight for what is right and just not just what is popular. They need to be genuine and approachable and be able to get things done for the community.

Julia Finn: Some politicians need to do much more to respect the honour and privilege bestowed on them in representing their communities. However much of the good work that politicians do goes unnoticed as it is not controversial and newsworthy, which is a real challenge. But if the community knows you and sees the work that you do, if you listen to people, not just talk at them at election time, you can get past those negative perceptions and deliver for the community.

Pawan Luthra

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MARCH (1) 2019 17

ELECTIONS

Twas the night before Xmas Sydney’s Indian community miss out on aged-care opportunity

A

popular Christmas poem Twas the night before Christmas was written about the excitement in the house before Santa’s sleigh lands on the roof. Santa, carrying a sack of toys with him, fills up the children’s Christmas stockings.

Folklore has it that this 19th century poem started the concept of Christmas gift giving.

Just like at Christmas time, at election time, the politicians reenergise as Santas and come visiting with their sack of goodies. Good constituents find their stockings full.

And if anyone deserves to be showered with largesse, the Indian community in NSW certainly does – they’ve all been good boys and girls. Over the years, they have multiplied their activities and dutifully invited all politicians to these gatherings and given them a platform to be recognised by the community. Speeches are made, shawls are dutifully presented, and photos are shared in print and social media.

Yet, the stockings are not filled – and not because they community is undeserving, but simply because they have not bothered to put up the stocking and ask.

18 MARCH (1) 2019

Melbourne’s Indian community at the recent launch of their seniors’ facility

For the growing Indian-Australian community in NSW, that indeed is a matter of concern: we are so busy promoting our own fairs and melas and dinners that we fail to challenge the powers that be or want to be, for better benefits for the community.

One demand that could have been brought up, is help in establishing an Indian

ethno-centric aged care facility in NSW. Imagine a facility where culturespecific care is on offer, with special care given towards food, cultural-religious endeavours and entertainment. Where the care staff are fluent in English as well as other South Asian languages. Places like this do exist in the UK. Down in Victoria, the Indian community

is starting to work through a $10.4 million grant by Premier Daniel Andrews. Two blocks of land are currently sought around the areas where the Indian population lives, so an aged care option can move forward. The NSW government has allocated a similar $7 million fund to the Maronite community to help with an aged care project over the next 2-4 years.

And as we get closer to the election date, more such substantial community grants are expected to be announced.

Preparing for such substantial allocation of funding can take upto two years with proper research, case studies and analysis before they can be lodged.

The Indian Australian community in NSW seems to have missed the ball on this one prior to the 2019 elections.

Shame, as this seems to be a close election and there has been ample opportunity to present a strong case for the funding of a community project.

Santa may not leave much in the stocking this time.

Christmas does come round every year, but State elections are on regular threeyear cycles.

2022 then.

Pawan Luthra

www.indianlink.com.au

ELECTIONS

A $900,000 grant for Indian festivals

W

hile a sum of a million dollars does have that special ring to it, $900,000 allocated to the Indian community for melas and events, is certainly a welcome gift from the NSW Liberal and National government.

As the State elections sprint towards the finishing line, the political parties are working hard to woo community votes and it seems with this announcement of a $900,000 grant over four years, the Berejiklian government has certainly raised the stakes for the community.

Announcing the grant, the Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams said he was delighted to be supporting significant Indian festivals and events across NSW including Diwali, Holi and Vaisakhi.

“With more than 250,000 people of Indian ancestry calling NSW home, this funding will support Indian Australians to share their culture with the broader NSW community and pass on traditions to younger generations,” he said.

Community groups are expected to be thrilled at the announcement as this gives them an opportunity to build on what they have created over the last few years.

In 2018, there were over 6 major Diwali melas in October and November, and these do not include the celebrations by smaller community organisations and religious groups. Even this month, in March, most

weekends have Holi festivities for those willing to indulge in coloured powder and water.

With different religions celebrating their own festivals, there are over 20-30 grand festivals and with the community organisations’ passions for celebrations, there may well be a third of the year spent in enjoying the festivities.

Asked if he is ready for that, Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Willams said, “My team has checked this and it appears that over the last two years, I have attended 234 multicultural community gatherings.

I’ve enjoyed them all. For the new Indian

festival celebrations being planned, I say, bring it on! There is so much fun and exuberance in attending these gatherings that I look forward to being a part of these. I also want to thank the vibrant and wonderful Indian community in NSW for their contribution to multiculturalism.”

Over the years, the Indian community has lost out on Parramasala which was established for our community in the wake of the student riots in 2009-2010.

Parramasala is now a broader-based multicultural festival with a strange amalgamation of Spanish, Chilean, Chinese, Indian and contributions from

over 40 communities.

However Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said, “This new funding will ensure there is a strong future for Indian festivals and events in NSW. We recognise the valuable contributions of IndianAustralians to all facets of our culture in NSW, including business, health, food and the arts.”

Minister Williams also has announced a funding of $450,000 to support cricket at grassroots levels in Western Sydney.

With cricket and festivals covered, the Indian community is certainly smiling.

Pawan Luthra

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MARCH (1) 2019 19

ELECTIONS

Indian links in the 2019 NSW election Getting to know some of the Indian-origin candidates in the upcoming state elections What convinced you to join the party of your choice?

Pallavi Sinha: I’ve spent a lot of my life in roles that allowed me to serve the community, such as Vice-President Australia-India Business Council NSW, the NSW Council for Women’s Economic Opportunity, and as an Appointed Supporter of the Joint Federal & State Campaign to stop Domestic & Family Violence (DV).

Through my work in a range of areas, including small business, education, social cohesion and DV, my interest in influencing legislation and policy really developed as did my interest in entering politics.

I really connected with the Liberal Party values, such as a focus on rewarding hard work and enterprise, the importance of family and equal opportunity – making the Liberal Party a natural choice for me. A good example of the great work done by the NSW Liberal Government that particularly attract people like myself are: n The hard work that has been done to balance the state’s budget, leaving NSW without debt – and thus allowing the NSW Liberal government to take the pressure off families. n The NSW Liberal Government has done so much to reduce the cost of living for families, such as the Active and Creative Kids vouchers. n The NSW Liberal Government has also been fixing our transport system, with new infrastructure, roads, and rail – meaning people spend less time commuting and more time doing things that matter. n More than ever has been invested in health, with record funding and health workforce boost – such as recruiting an extra 8,300 doctors, nurses and health professionals, to make sure there is help at hand when it’s needed most. n Ensuring that our schools and teachers are supported, by building new schools, hiring an extra 4,600 teachers, and clearing the maintenance backlog. As a result of all this hard work children all across the state will be getting a great start in life Daniel Mookhey: I’m the son of Indian immigrants. I attended excellent public schools in Sydney’s Western Suburbs.

Whenever I was sick, I could see a doctor for free. I could visit a world class public hospital if I needed to. When I realised that my good fortune 20 MARCH (1) 2019

Pallavi Sinha with NSW Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams at the launch of the ‘Try League’ program encouraging migrant kids to participate in Rugby League

wasn’t accidental, that people struggled for generations to build what some take for granted, I knew which Party was for me: Labor, the Party that dismantled White Australia, built Medicare and fights hard for public education.

We’re the Party for the strivers. We back small business. We fight for excellent public services like schools and hospitals.

We abhor racism. We take seriously our responsibility to make sure the Parliament resembles the people it’s there to serve.

We’re proud to have so many IndianAustralians running under the Labor banner, with excellent chances of winning election to the Lower House and Upper House.

We look forward to an election when the NSW Liberal Party can say the same.

Charishma Kaliyanda: One of the things that my parents always reinforced for me and my brother as we were growing up is the value and importance of education.

I believe that access to highquality

Pallavi Sinha: I believe that some of the pressing needs of the Indian Australian community include a better utilisation of our community members’ skills – particularly that of recent Indian migrants; culturally appropriate aged care, particularly in relation to language and dietary needs; and the broad community issue of domestic and family violence. education and training is fundamental to having opportunities to progress and pursue what is meaningful to you in life, regardless of your circumstances. Furthermore, when I was 19 I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and have therefore experienced the need to have a well-resourced, accessible and proactive public health care system.

The only political party that has consistently pursued and delivered on these areas is the Labor Party, which has only reinforced why I joined so many years ago.

Durga Owen: The Labor Party is the only

PALLAVI SINHA (Liberal Party) Candidate for Legislative Council

party dedicated to protecting our local communities, committed to a universal health system and improving our local schools and guaranteeing TAFE funding into the future. We have already announced policies to address the urgent need for more affordable housing, such as ending no-fault evictions and mandating a minimum amount of affordable housing in any new housing development, as well as fairer working conditions including for casual and gig economy workers.

Aruna Chandrala: Ever since I migrated to Australia over 30 years ago, I always voluntarily worked and chaired several community, cultural, immigrant, women,

www.indianlink.com.au

ELECTIONS Daniel Mookhey holds the Bhagavad Gita in his hand as he takes office as a NSW Parliamentarian in 2015

Daniel Mookhey: When I grew up, I learnt Hindi by listening to our parents, and watching Amitabh Bachchan movies (Coolie remains the best movie for any Labor politician to watch!). We’re past that stage our community deserves better.

I’m proud of Labor’s policy on community language education.

temple and subcontinent associations. As a result, I am fortunate enough to liaise with politicians and policy makers of all parties.

I soon realised the policies of the Australian Labor Party towards multiculturalism and protecting the vulnerable communities are well aligned with my own values and beliefs.

That’s why I joined Australian Labor Party, to represent our community and groups.

What strategy did you use to campaign for votes in the election?

Charishma Kaliyanda: My key strategy is pretty simple - to speak to, meet with and interact with as many people within Holsworthy as possible. This has involved knocking on doors, meeting people at railway stations and street stalls, directly phoning residents and more doorknocking.

The only way to defeat an incumbent is to work harder than the incumbent and that is what I have done since I was preselected over 18 months ago. I have also been listening to my community, something the incumbent has not done.

Durga Owen: I want to take every opportunity to listen to the concerns of the electorate and give people the opportunity speak to me. For nearly a year now, I have been at train stations, shopping centres and community events, doorknocking thousands of homes and listening to the concerns, and pledging to fight for the needs of the electorate. I have made myself available via a direct phone, email and social media also.

Aruna Chandrala: My strategy to get elected is based on party back up and word of mouth campaign. I am hoping many community members, who know my work and encouraged me to go into politics, will help me in promoting among community groups, friends and relatives. My campaign emphasis is that this is an opportunity for the community to show our strength and have our own representation in the upper house. While serving in the community, I have a large network of volunteers and we all are making every effort to win the votes.

What are the three main changes you wish to make if you are to be elected?

Pallavi Sinha: I will be a strong voice for our diverse communities, the small business sector and survivors of DV. I believe that some of the pressing needs of the Indian Australian community include: NATIONAL EDITION

A better utilisation of our community members’ skills – particularly that of recent Indian migrants. This issue was raised at a Small Business Forum that I organised at the NSW Parliament House last year ; n Culturally appropriate aged care, particularly in relation to language and dietary needs of the Indian community; n The broad community issue of violence in the community, particularly as it is experienced by some CALD communities. Violence against women is unacceptable. (I know family and friends of the late Dr Preethi Reddy, and have been shocked and devastated to hear about her horrific murder.)

I will continue to advocate for the community in these and other areas, including through the Liberal Friends of India, for which I am a Founder Member.

Daniel Mookhey: I’d like the people of NSW to learn in the world's best schools. I never want anyone in NSW to worry about whether about whether they can pay for health care when they’re sick. I want n

them to have good full time jobs, which pay well, and are secure enough for them to support their families.

Charishma Kaliyanda: The number one focus for me is to be a more effective local member and representative for my community. A lot of residents talk to me about not feeling like the challenges they face on a daily basis are being addressed, and that's why I'd like to be more proactive in engaging with the people of Holsworthy and being an effective advocate for them.

I'm also very passionate about ensuring we have a more effective mental health system as, currently, my day job is in the youth mental health space. The other issue that people keep raising with me that is very important to address, is making sure we are properly planning and delivering infrastructure and services in our growing areas, like Holsworthy.

Durga Owen: At the heart of success for a member

of parliament is putting the community's interests first. This means protecting our public health system from cuts, building world class schools for our children, and making our community more liveable by protecting open spaces and heritage. This includes making sure our most vulnerable are not left behind, including the homeless, mentally ill, and those doing it tough with the increased cost of living, such as pensioners and young families.

These should be any Government’s priorities, but the NSW Liberal Government has instead prioritised expensive stadium vanity projects, overseen the large-scale sale of publicly owned revenue-generating assets, while schools are an afterthought and trains and roads are increasingly clogged and unable to cope with the rapid pace of overdevelopment. To top it off, we get to now pay for the M4 toll again – a toll on a road that has already been paid for by the public. Obviously Labor opposes this and if elected has pledged to bring back the M4 toll cashback.

Aruna Chandrala: My policies will be central to enabling the first generation migrants to be inclusive and participating with the mainstream policies and multicultural NSW; a“Fair Go” for socially disadvantaged groups and immigrants including parents of immigrants, and better public education, free healthcare and socially responsible environmental protection for the benefit of all future generations.

Tell us a bit about your background?

Pallavi Sinha: I’m an Australian of Indian origin. My parents are from Uttar Pradesh and migrated to Australia over 40 years ago.Like many migrants and hardworking Australians, they came here with a few dollars in their pocket. A few years after they arrived, I was born in Auburn Hospital.

My mum and dad worked very hard, working day and night to build a thriving medical practice, while also volunteering in the community.I completed Economics (Social Sciences) & Law degrees with honours from the University of Sydney, and I’m a Former Lifeline Counsellor & Mediator.

I have worked as a lawyer for more than 15 years and I am currently the principal of Lawyers with Solutions. Previously, I’ve worked: n in the private sector as a Solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons’ Corporate Advisory section; n in the community sector as a Legal Mediator at CatholicCare; n in the public sector in the legal aand executive section of the former Migration Review Tribunal & Refugee Review Tribunal; n as the Convenor of Advanced Administrative Law and Advanced Topics in Public Law at Macquarie University Law School – focusing on the way in which the rule of law, the sovereignty of parliament, and the separation of powers doctrines are applied in the Australian jurisdiction; I’ve also done a lot of work representing survivors of DV, and speaking on unique issues faced by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. I've also

DANIEL MOOKHEY

(Australian Labor Party) Candidate for Legislative Council MARCH (1) 2019 21

ELECTIONS contributed to policy reform in the area of DV. For example, last year I made a representation to the NSW Attorney General about addressing issues specifically experienced by some CALD communities, and ways to improve training provided to government officers. Following our discussions the Office of the NSW Attorney General have undertaken a survey of community groups, to help inform their policy formulation.

This kind of work on behalf of the community drives me to continue advocating for the NSW Liberal Government, as only the Liberals can deliver a balanced budget that allows more investment in our community.

Daniel Mookhey: I’m a Punjabi puttar. My family hail from modern day Haryana. My parents were amongst the first Indians to benefit from the end of the White Australia policy - they came to Sydney in the very early 1970s, and helped establish the very first newspaper for Indian-Australians, as well as the first Mandir.

I was born in Blacktown and raised in Parramatta. I've earned a law degree, an economics degree, and a Masters in Defence Studies.

After University, I proudly represented transport workers at a trade union. I then worked at a think tank, ran many political campaigns, and then I set up my own small business.

For the past four years I’ve been a Member of the NSW Legislative Council.

I’m humbled that I had the honour of being the first member of the Indian-Australian community to serve as an elected Member of Parliament inNSW. I’m humbled to have taken my oath of office on the Gita - I’m proud to have been the first Australian to do so. The lesson I take from the Bhagavad Gita is about selfless action: this is what is expected of those with power (in politics and business).

It’s an ideal we are all wise to remember.

Sitting unread on my iPad is the Kautilya's Arthashastra - the Indian treatise on statecraft, translated from Ancient Sanskrit.

It’s hard going. I haven't given up.

Charishma Kaliyanda: I was born in Bangalore and migrated to Sydney with my parents and younger brother when I was 4, in the early ‘90s. I have always lived in south-west Sydney - I went to school here and I work here. I'm a registered occupational therapist and have worked with a wide range of different people. As I mentioned, I currently work for a youth mental health organisation called headspace in the Campbelltown centre. I'm also currently a councillor on Liverpool City Council.

Durga Owen: My family is from Jaffna Sri Lanka. We speak Tamil at home. My mother's grandparents originate from India. My father's family are Tamils from the North of Sri Lanka going back hundreds of years. I have lived in Western Sydney for 25 years and was fortunate to attend Arthur Phillip High School, become the School Captain and go on to earn several degrees in Law and Social Science and Politics at University. I have practiced as a Solicitor and now I lecture in law at Western Sydney University. My husband Michael and I live in the electorate and raise our 22 MARCH (1) 2019

always been my passion. I believed from a young age that “only a life living for others is a life worthwhile”. Keeping that motto in mind, I became an elected student leader at university in India.

Community and migrant issues are always at my heart and I am fortunate enough to devote my life for these actives without the need for monitory earning. I worked as Vice Present and President of Telugu Association, and later became President of United India Association (UIA). During this period, I conducted several activities to promote the community relationship between India and Australia in social, cultural and business areas. In my current roles as president of Global Women’s Network Inc and Vice President of Subcontinent Friends of Labor, multicultural advisor for State and Federal MPs, I am working for women’s empowerment and participation in politics for better policies.

Charishma Kaliyanda on the campaign trail

Charishma Kaliyanda: I really admire the vision of Aneurin Bevan, the post-WW2 British Health Minister who was the architect and champion of the National Health Service (NHS). I also admire the ability of people like Barack Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to communicate complex information in an engaging way. three sons who attend public schools. A strong education system is the great leveller; a chance for every child to succeed, no matter what school they go to. Our public education system has opened many doors for me, and I am passionate about making sure everyone gets this opportunity. That is what makes our community a

better place.

I have been community advocate since my school days and have continued to work to preserve our green spaces, heritage sites, youth and disability access and community services. Being awarded Parramatta Young Citizen of the Year in 2002 and the Australian Centenary medal for Services to the Parramatta community have further allowed me to work with our local organisations to ensure our community interests are prioritised.

Aruna Chandrala: I migrated to Australia over 30 years ago from Andhra Pradesh.

Like any other woman, I helped my husband build a successful family business and raised two happy children, both becoming useful members of society, a Cardiologist and a Chartered Accountant. Community service has

CHARISHMA KALIYANDA (Australian Labor Party) Candidate for Holsworthy

What do you think are the pressing needs of the Indian Australian community?

Daniel Mookhey: My two sons are both under three; I’d like them to speak Hindi and Punjabi better than me. When I grew up, I learnt Hindi from listening to our parents, and watching Amitabh Bachchan movies (Coolie remains the best movie for any Labor politician to watch!). We’re past that stage - our community deserves better.

I’m proud of Labor’s policy on community language education.

I’m watching the pioneers of our community, our senior-citizens, age. Our community deserves culturally appropriate aged care.

And like all parents from all communities, I’m worried about my children’s education.

I don’t want them learning in demountable buildings, many which are over forty years old. I’m glad I see many other IndianAustralian children at my son’s early learning centre: when they all start school in a few years’ time, their schools will matter to me. They matter to everyone.

Charishma Kaliyanda: I think that despite the fact that the Indian community is much larger and more visible than, for example, when my family first migrated here, we still have a long way to go when it comes to being part of the mainstream. Although Indian festivals, events, food and culture are more recognised, we need to see more Indian faces represented when it comes to media, sport and, of course, politics.

Durga Owen: The next state election represents a chance to decide what type of community we want to live in. We need better health services; a world class education, both at our local schools and through TAFE and University; a fair go for small businesses to thrive and grow, a public transport system that delivers, hospitals with nurse-to-patient ratios offering the highest standard of care, and open spaces for our children to grow.

Aruna Chandrala: The Indian-Australian community is extremely diverse made up of many people who have only recently arrived, right through to those that are well established and have been here for many decades. Indians are the fastest growing community in Australia and we have reached beyond the 500,000 mark. Even though the community is now more proactive, dynamic and skilled, there are several issues being faced by the community. I think collectively as a group, we yearn for a voice on the political stage that fosters the needs of our community.

www.indianlink.com.au

ELECTIONS

Durga Owen at a Pongal event

Durga Owen: Representation in parliament should mirror our society with more women and people of diverse cultures represented and I am proud that the Labor Party is leading the way in this aspect.

Who are you inspired by?

Pallavi Sinha: I have been really inspired by my parents, and the way that they applied their heart, mind and soul to all of their hard work.I also think that we have an amazing Premier in Gladys Berejiklian, whose tireless work on behalf of our community has been simply incredible.

Daniel Mookhey: I’ve spent the past year immersed in the history of the US Civil Rights Movement. Hard to go past people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Medger Evans and John Lewis. Everyone

should read Dr King’s Letter From a Birmingham Jail. In my inaugural speech, I spoke about all of them - as well as the galvanising movement that inspired them all: the Indian Independence Movement.

Charishma Kaliyanda: Different people inspire me for different reasons. For example, I really admire the vision of Aneurin Bevan, the post-WW2 British Health Minister who was the architect and champion of the National Health Service (NHS). I also admire the ability of people like Barack Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to communicate complex information in an engaging way. Having grown up in a cricket mad family, I must also mention really looking up to Rahul Dravid's patience and humility.

Durga Owen: Parents in our community, just like my own, who work tirelessly for the future for their children through better education and opportunities inspire me to work harder towards policies to make their lives easier, as it is through them that we have built a strong Australia.In the heart of it all, I want my work to be led by the values of fairness, equality and social justice.

Aruna Chandrala: There is no specific individual or group, but I really get inspired by and admire those countless

DURGA OWEN

(Australian Labor Party) Candidate for Seven Hills NATIONAL EDITION

individuals who work voluntarily - day in and day out, without the need for name and fame - for community activities, whether related to social, cultural or religious ends.

to invest in the things that will make a meaningful difference to the lives of you and your family: more nurses and health professionals to reduce hospital waiting times, air conditioning all school classrooms so that children can learn and fulfil their potential, returning the community to the heart of the planning system and having a plan to tackle energy prices and climate change. Politicians need to do and be better at ensuring that people feel, and are, heard properly.

Durga Owen: Representation in parliament should also mirror our society with more women and people of diverse cultures represented and I am proud that the Labor Party is leading the way in this aspect. As the decisions made in Parliament have a huge impact on our daily lives, we need more consultation of the community by members of parliament to truly be in touch with the community's needs. Building trust through collaborative and communitycentered policy making is what will rebuild trust in our politicians and guarantee accountability.

Aruna Chandrala: It is no surprise that the public is disillusioned with the current state of affairs in politics. Like a turnstile we see leaders come and go, constantly pandering to the polls or self-interests rather than the interests of their constituents. We need courage and we need stability - the courage to stand up, be ourselves and let the voices of our community be heard, with the stability to ensure that we can see projects through to fruition.

There is a lot of disillusionment with politics and politicians in current times – what needs to be done to change that public perception?

Pallavi Sinha: It’s important for politicians to focus on interests of the community, rather than talk about politics. I have put myself forward as an Australian Liberal candidate from a diverse background, who has done a lot of work with the grassroots of our community.

I’m pleased to be a member of a Party and a team, which is led by the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian MP – who comes from a culturally diverse background herself. NSW Liberal Party’s focus on local families, community organisations and small business helps people to see that we are focused on what politicians should always focus on – the people of this state.

Daniel Mookhey: Politics needs to be practiced by citizens again. Right now, it’s like a small club that makes all the decisions.

This election we need to change that. If we don’t, people’s disillusionment will only get worse.

Charishma Kaliyanda: I think we need to acknowledge that democracy is a twoway street. I sometimes hear people say that "both parties are the same" or "all politicians are the same", and I have to say that, with all due respect, that's just not the case. At the upcoming state election, there is a fundamental choice being presented to the people of NSW: do you want your government to spend $2.2 bil on demolishing and rebuilding two ARUNA CHANDRALA stadiums, or do you (Australian Labor Party) want your government

Aruna Chandrala: I stand for inclusion; a “Fair Go” for the socially disadvantaged; better public education; free healthcare and environmental protection

Candidate for Legislative Council MARCH (1) 2019 23

“Everyone needs someone to speak up for them”

Jodi McKay MP

Labor’s Positive Policies u

u

u

Reduce hospital waiting times by employing thousands more nurses

Invest in schools through better classrooms, funding for language education and free public transport for children Reinstate the M4 Cashback

VOTE 1

JODI McKAY Labor for Strathfield

0457 440 737 jodi.mckay@nswlabor.org.au PO Box 2344 Burwood North NSW 2134 Authorised by Kaila Murnain, Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch), 9/337 Sussex St, Sydney 2000

24 MARCH (1) 2019

www.indianlink.com.au

A better deal for Granville

Julia Finn and Labor’s plan for Granville u

u

u

Invest in our children’s future by airconditioning every public school and free public transport for schoolkids Bring back the M4 cashback Improve hospitals by employing enough nurses per patient

u

Review the train timetable

u

Increase funding for language education

VOTE 1 JULIA FINN LABOR FOR GRANVILLE

Authorised by Kaila Murnain, Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch), 9/337 Sussex St, Sydney NSW 2000.

NATIONAL EDITION

MARCH (1) 2019 25

MUSIC

Rhythm and

harmony Sydney’s Sumukha Jagadeesh presents his mridangam arrangetram BY HAMSA VENKAT

M

atha, Pitha, Guru, Deivam, (mother, father, teacher and God) is the order in which artists venerate their elders.

It was clear at Sumukha Jagadeesh’s recent mridangam arrange tram, that it was indeed a beautiful amalgamation of efforts from parents, teachers and the divine.

Sumukha was blessed to share the stage in mid-February at UNSW’s Science Theatre with stalwarts in the field of Carnatic music, Sri Kunnakudi M.Balamuralikrishna on vocals, Sri H.N Bhaskar on the violin and Sri Papanasam S.Sethuraman on the kanjira. Sumukha’s sibling Skanda Jagadeesh provided support on the tambura.

It was also heart warming to see Sumukha’s guru Sri R. Suthanthiraraj and his mentor Sri Melakaveri K. Balaji in the front row, supporting him with their presence and blessings.

“I clearly remember the first day Sumukha came to class,” reminisces Suthanthiraraj, Sumukha’s teacher in Sydney. “He was so tiny and small made that I could barely see his face when I put the mridangamin front of him.”

The concert began with the evergreen atathalavarnam in Kanada followed by a lively piece on Lord Ganesha, where Sumukha warmed up to the melody and effortlessly manoeuvred the intricacies of the chittaswaramswara patterns and karvais.

‘Hariharaputhram’ was next in Ragam Vasantha where the vocalist challenged Sumukha with complex kalpanaswarams. A fast paced Venkata ramana followed by a soulful slowpaced Janani ninnu vina enthralled the audience. There was no doubt among those present that day that Sumukha was ready for it all - complex, slow or fast, his

26 MARCH (1) 2019

accompaniment reflecting intimate knowledge of the songs presented.

Experts and patrons of music present in the audience were unanimous in their opinion that the accompanying style had the trademark of the Melakaveri style of playing. This shows the focus and preparation in absorbing the unique style of the Guru and a proud moment for the teacher for having passed on his lineage to a deserving student.

The centrepiece for the evening was Sri Krishnam Bhaje in Ragam Thodi, adithalam.

Sumukha played with flair and confidence and his thaniavarthanam (solo segment) embodied the philosophy of the Melakaveri bani in all permutations and combinations.

The ‘Arai Idam Eduppu’ starting with a couple of abiprayams, typical of the Melakkaveri style, finishing to ‘Idam’ was beautifully done.

“The effortless transition from

chathusram to tiram and kandam were well balanced, which exemplified a level of maturity,” opined Pallavarajan Nagendran, a sought after mridangist in Sydney. “The misrakuraippu and the use of karvais required a lot of layagnanam, which Sumukha executed well.”

Post interval session brought Sumukha’s aptitude and skill to the forefront with a complex 12 ½ beats per cycle Panchamukhi, Ragam Tanam Pallavi. The beauty of the lyrics, the melody and the rhythm presented by the musicians on stage, Kunnakudi Balamuralikrishna, H.N. Bhaskar, Papanasam Sethuraman and Sumukha Jagadeesh, carved a niche in the hearts of the audience.

‘Namaste sharadhe veena pusthaka dharini’ composed on the Goddess of learning, was a true testament to the learning journey that Sumukha had travelled with his gurus. “A four-and halfhour concert and there was no evidence of tiredness in Sumukha,” aptly surmised Sivakumar Sethupathi, another popular mridangist in Sydney. “Hands and body language were in intense focus and confident accompaniment at the same time from beginning to end. This comes only with dedicated practice from the student and teaching from the gurus.”

Sumukha’s mentor Sri Melakaveri Balaji pointed out that Sumukha’s strength was his hard work and kelvignanam (constant listening and exposure to music). Having taught students for more than 35 years and Sumukha for the past 10 years, Sri Balaji feels that he gauges the

ability of the student and tailors his teaching to bring out the best in each student. Appreciating the role Sumukha’s parents Meera and Jagadeesh played in facilitating his learning, Sri Balaji stood proud as he blessed Sumukha to evolve into a good vidwan (performing artist) with continued hard work and learning.

The journey has been an arduous one and as Sri Suthanthiraraj, Sumukha’s teacher remarked in his speech, “Sumukha’s parents had to drag him to class in the initial years and as the years passed, it was difficult to drag him away from the mridangam”. So deep was his passion for the art form.

Sumukha says it was a rewarding journey. “Each day was a learning curve and improvements had to be made through constant and consistent practice. The day of the arangetram to me was treated like any other day when practising.”

The arangetram, though many remarked that it seemed more like a professional performance than a debut, transported the audience to a state of bliss.

Sumukha played with flair and confidence, embodying the philosophy of the Mela kaveri bani in all permutations and combinations

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STAGE

Armenian girl meets Calcutta boy Sydney-based theatre group Bollywood Central presents debut show BY UTTAM MUKHERJEE

N

ot often do I get to see an Indian musical stage performance that is inspired by a true love story from days gone by. Bollywood Central's first solo production, Foreign Star of Bengal tells the love story of an Armenian girl and a Bengali boy in Calcutta.

A young Bengali architect, Samir, who is restoring old buildings, gets worried when the old music teacher Tai Maa, living in Apartment 6 has not opened her door to her young students for the past few days. After much reasoning, coaxing and bribing of the security guard, he manages to enter the house.

After the initial misunderstanding between the old music teacher and Samir is resolved, it is flashback to another era when Tai Maa was a young Tatevik. It’s the 1960s. We are introduced to the Fantastic 4 who are four friends. Among them is Tatevik, a young girl of Armenian background, living in Calcutta.

Entwined in this are the Don of Calcutta and his sweetheart cum dancer Anwari Begum, who befriends the Fantastic 4. This is also a

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time of unrest and the rise of Communism in Calcutta. Amidst the love, friendship, kinship and turmoil, the Armenians in Calcutta hold on to their traditions and this becomes the main point of conflict as the Armenian girl falls in love with a local Bengali boy. The story unfolds as the audience is taken on a journey of Calcutta in the 1960s and the present. This back-and-forth drama is depicted with deftness and artistry.

This is a rare story that has not been explored before. The production is a dazzle and vibrant display of song, dance, cultural diversity, human insensitivity and friction, and of love and pain. Lovers of Bollywood music were entertained with songs from old and new blockbusters with great enthusiasm.

In the words of the director of Foreign Star of Bengal, Shabnam Tavalok, the casting process including not having all the cast at the same time was the biggest challenge. For example, finding the young lead Tatavik was

a struggle. But then, out of the blue dropped the angelic voice of Piper Escot for her first audition. Shabnam admitted to taking on more than what she should have by directing, acting and dancing.

Shabnam was drawn to the production as soon as she heard Gagandeep Singh sing the theme song Mera Dil when they met at a cafe.

What is interesting about this production that Arvind Baswan brought to stage, is that the cast and crew members are from diverse backgrounds and the performers do not necessarily play their own ethnicity. Of the actors, I would like to make special mention of Piper Escot and Gunjeet Singh who played the Don. On a personal note, I learnt much about the Armenians in India and that there are about 150 Armenians who still live in Calcutta. Not only that, I was surprised to know that the first Indian settlement in Armenia was around 149 BC!

What is interesting about this production, is that the cast and crew are from diverse backgrounds, and the performers do not necessarily play their own ethnicity.

MARCH (1) 2019 27

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WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A BRIGHT AND COLOURFUL HOLI

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MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

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WHAT’S ON HOLI

Blacktown Holi Sun 10 Mar (11.00am-4.00pm) Fraser Property Australia in association with Indian Link and Gujarati Samaj NSW organises Holi at Fairwater Park (off Richmond Rd) Blacktown. Free entry.

Faag Sammelan Sat 16 March (7.00pm) Shree Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Australia invites you to Faag Sammelan 2019 to celebrate Holi.

At Natraj Art and Music Centre, 10/71 Kurragong Ave, Mount Druitt 2770. Details 0433 242 077.

Holi with Musical Sun 24 Mar (6.30pm – 9.30pm) Enjoy Holi with live band, songs and dances. At Young St, Parramatta. Details 0470 130 891.

Holi Festival Sun 24 Mar (10.00am – 5.00pm) Hindu Council of Australia invites you to celebrate Holi this year with cultural programs, kids’ activities, DJs, dancing and more. At Civic Park, Targo Rd, Pendle Hill. Details 0408 625 176.

Holi Dhamal 2019 Sat 23 Mar (12.00pm – 9.00pm) For the first time in Sydney Holi will be celebrated Fiji style. Enjoy colour runs, food, music and a variety of stalls, with free entry.

At Shree Sanatan Dharm Sabha of NSW Inc, 275 Fifteenth Ave, Austral. Details 0424 955 982.

Havan And Holi Chautaal Sun 17 Mar (9.00am – 12.00pm) Join us to celebrate Holi with your loved ones. At Green Valley Languages and Art School, Sydney. Details 0434 353 098.

BJSM Holi Sun 17 Mar (11.00am – 3.00pm) Celebrate Holi with family and friends at Parramatta Park, Gawi Shed, Near George St. Details 0405431965.

Grand Faag Sammellan Sat 16 Mar (6.00pm – 11.00pm) Hindu Cultural and Welfare Association of Australia Inc invite you to the Grand Faag Sammellan.

At Doonside Community Centre, Doonside. Details 0405431965.

Holi 2019 Sun 10 Mar (11.00am – 5.00pm) FIAN invites you to celebrate Holi at The Prince Alfred Square, Cnr Church St & Victoria Rd. Details 0413 375 669.

STAGE

Short + Sweet 7 Feb - 27 April Short and Sweet is a festival of ten-minute plays 32 MARCH (1) 2019

and theatre pieces. Upcoming Indian links include: Red Jacket by Hemalatha Swaminathan of Chennai theatre company 4swithin. Directed

by G Krishnamurthy and starring Tejaswini Vijay and Dvij Krishnamurthy The Eye of the Storm by Sonal Moore. Directed by Taufeeq Sheikh and starring Conchita Desouza, Suman Mathur & Dinesh Karuthedath #MeToo by Liz Crawshaw. Starring Avantika Tomar and Abhiskek Mehotra with choreography by Zarmar Pandya Joshi of Iksham Dance School.

Venue: Surry Hills’ Tom Mann Auditorium. Details www. shortandsweet.org/sydney Qissebaazi Sat 9 Mar (7.00pm – 9.00pm) Qissebaazi is a playful telling of stories, derived from dastangoi.

Nautanki Theatre Company and Macquarie University will also run an interactive masterclass followed by a Q & A session with Danish Hussain. At T1 Theatre, Building Y3A, Macquarie University, 10 Hadenfeld Ave, Macquarie Park.

Details 0432 832 311.

Bolly Aus Nationals 2019 Fri 15 Mar (6.00pm – 9.30pm) The Bolly Aus Network presents Filmy-Fusion dance competition, Bolly Aus Nationals 2019. Over 130 competitors, from Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra battle it out to be crowned Australia's best Filmy- Fusion dance team.

At UNSW Science Theatre, F13, UNSW, Union Rd, Kensington.

Details 02 9385 1515.

Carnatic vocal concert Sun 17 March (6.30pm) Dr Pantula Rama, one of the foremost Carnatic vocalists of our times, joins MSN Murthy and Sai Girdhar for a concert. At Pioneer Theatre, Cnr Castle St and Pennant St, Castle Hill. Details 0407 398 267.

Vir Das in Sydney Sat 23 Mar (7.00pm – 9.30pm) India's top comic, Vir Das comes back to Sydney. At Sir John Clancy Auditorium, 9 High St, Kensington.

Details 02 9385 1515.

COMMUNITY

Parramasala 15-17 March A multicultural arts festival featuring music, dance, theatre, parade, food and film.

Details www.parramasala.com Harmony Day 2019 Wed 20 Mar (11.00am-3.00pm) An event that celebrates Australia's cultural diversity – free event. At Bowman Hall, Blacktown.

Details 02 9621 6633.

Multicultural March Sat 23 Mar (10.00am – 2.00pm) A celebration of Harmony Day that includes a musical program by musicians from different backgrounds, including Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Russian and Latin American. At Lionel Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra. Details 9093 6400.

MISC

Job Seeker Support Workshop Sun 10 Mar (10.00am – 2.00pm) A free workshop that will help you build a great resume, develop interview skills, offer confidence and alternate job options. At Redgum Function Centre, 8 – 14 Lane Street, or Cnr Lane and Veron Street, Wentworthville.

Details 02 9863 5077.

Empowering migrant women: Settlement pathways Sat 16 March (10.00am - 3.00pm) Free workshops organised by Lean In, featuring resume writing and resume review, interview skills, professional guidance, dress for success, business set up skills, and migrant women’s success stories. Venue: Hornsby RSL, 4 High St, Hornsby.

Details Sue Advani 0417 210 268.

SPIRITUAL

Lunch time meditation Thu 7 Mar (12.15pm – 1.00pm) Sit back, relax and be guided through a mind-body relaxation.

At Indian Cultural Centre, Level 2, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney.

Details 02 9223 2702.

Yogi Amandeep Sun 24 Mar (3.00pm – 5.00pm) Learn some great truths about the 3rd eye with practical techniques from the ancient tradition of the Himalayan sages.Yogi Amandeep offers in-depth trainings in the practice of chanting mantras and Shabads in their intended Naad, teachings that were passed to him through an Oral Tradition.

At Kundalini Yoga Collective Newtown, 199-201 King Street, Newtown. Details 0418 884 624.

Sant Nirankari Mission Sydney weekly congregations Sundays 5:30pm to 7:30pm followed by community meals.

Venue: Sant Nirankari Bhawan, 166 Glendenning Road, Glendenning. Details Devinder 0403 216 084.

Free Yoga with Divine Life Society Tuesdays 7pm Swami Uditramanandaji of The Divine Life Society of Australia offers free Yoga classes every Tuesday from 7.00pm-8.15pm at Strathfield Girls High School. All levels of fitness welcomed. Entrance via

Oxford Rd. Details Karo 0413 535 157.

Sri Ramakrishna’s Birthday Public Celebration Sun 10 Mar (10.30am to 1.00pm)Silent meditation, vedic chants, panel session exploring experiences on generating spiritual joy in our lives. At Vedanta Hall, 15 Liverpool Road, Croydon. Details 0408 029 336.

FUNDRAISER

International Women’s Day Sun 10 Mar (11.00am - 3.00pm) UIA presents a fundraiser for Opportunity International Australia. Venue: Haveli Function Centre, 1/57 Main St, Blacktown.

Details Sue Advani 0417 210 268.

Yaadon ki baraat Sat 16 Mar (5.30pm) A fundraising event for AASHA that will regale you with a team of singers and a retro Bollywood night. At Redgum Function Centre, Cnr Lane and Dunmore Street, Wentworthville. Details 0430 026 484.

SENIORS

AASHA 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, 10.00am -11.30am. Venue 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest. Social event with free tea. Details 02 9439 5122.

ENTERTAINMENT

Sapna Chaudhary Live Sun 10 Mar (7.00pm onwards) Sapna Chaudhary performs live in Sydney. At Whitlam Leisure Centre, 90A Memorial Ave, Liverpool, Sydney. Details 02 9600 9333.

Indian Rhythms Zumba Sun 10 Mar (5:00pm - 6:30pm) Venue: Polish Club 73-75 Norton St, Ashfield. Details 02 9798 7469.

Kool Jodis Sat 30 March (2.00pm - 9.00pm) Kool Jodis - Game Show with live music concert with Anand Aravindakshan and Pragathi Guruprasad. At Sydney Sri Durga Devi Devasthanam, 21 Rose Crescent, Regents Park. Details 02 9644 6682.

To add your event email media@indianlink.com.au

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FIRST PERSON

Sonu did in Melbourne

What

PREETI JABBAL catches up with an old friend from uni

I

t was quite a special Valentine’s Day this time round, catching up with my college time friend Sonu Sood who was in town.

Nearly a quarter century later the Bollywood star seemed fit as a fiddle and looked younger than ever.

His elegant wife Sonali accompanied him and we did what we do for all our overseas visitors: shopping, and then a tour of our local wineries and fresh Yarra Valley produce.

Sonu is a teetotaller but was happy to come along to spend time with us. On the way we spoke non-stop, covering his life, my life, how we'd changed, what we wanted for ourselves and our children, and of course, his acting career.

I first met Sonu in my hometown in Nagpur, India. We had advertised for an audition for models for a fashion show that I was putting together as choreographer.

Sonu, who hails from Moga in Punjab, was studying Engineering in Nagpur at that time and he accompanied a friend who was auditioning.

Tall and very handsome, I spotted him straight away and was rather disappointed that he did not audition. After the event I asked him if he would like to be part of my show.

36 MARCH (1) 2019

He agreed, albeit reluctantly, as he had not done any modelling before. I said to him, “Trust me, you will rock.” He did, taking to the stage like duck to water.

The lead up to the show is always more fun than the event itself, and we have some wonderful memories of early morning rehearsals, selecting the music, coordinating our routines and choosing the outfits.

During student days we have very little financially, but the experiences are so rich we treasure them forever. I remember Sonu and his friends would visit my home to enjoy homemade cooking - my mum was always happy to oblige.

He taught me how to ride a bike, I taught him how to catwalk. Ever the gentleman, he brought us flowers and made us laugh till our sides ached.

He continued to work with me on two more shows, gaining in confidence and chutzpah with each show. He was chosen to be the best model out of 24 in the second show.

Sonu, however, went on to win better than the best when he met Sonali in one of the shows. She was, and still is, absolutely gorgeous, and for him it was love at first sight.

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confessed he loves shopping, particularly shoes – revealing he easily owns hundreds of pairs. He wanted to explore every shoe shop in Melbourne’s Bourke Street and Chadstone from Rubi Shoes to Armani.

He may have turned into a celebrity (with no less than 2.5 million followers on Insta), but he was as easy going as he was in our youth. The two days spent with him were most fun as he made us pose ‘Shahrukh style’, hugged us spontaneously, did side squats on streets and swung down escalators.

He was not fazed when we did not get a table at a local restaurant that was very busy.

He happily sat with us sipping non-alcoholic drinks on the bar waiting for a table. To put it in context, this would be near impossible in India, where his fame precedes him and he gets VVIP treatment wherever he goes.

Sonali was delighted to spend quality time together without being hassled by mobs of fans or paparazzi. Both seemed to enjoy the ‘normality’ while we enjoyed their being normal.

Having said that he was equally at ease posing for selfies with people who recognised him. It was quite amusing to see how peoples’ faces lit up when they recognised him;some approached us to confirm it was ‘Sonu Sood’, and then got into a flurry to grab their phones to record their brush with celebrity. One couple even ignored their wailing newborn in a pram to get a photo with the popular actor.

No starry hang-ups, no diva-like tantrums, Sonu Sood was a cool celebrity, down to earth and full of fun.

Photos: Ravinder Singh Jabbal

Sonali was studying Mass Communications in the same University as my bestie Niti and I. Sonu would be there everyday rain or shine, wanting to meet his ladylove, and we happily got to play chaperone to the couple.

Life moved on, and so did we in different directions, with our careers and marriages.

We lost touch in between and then reconnected years later on Facebook and Whatsapp.

In that time I had migrated to Australia and Sonu was pursuing his acting career, going from strength to strength. I followed the trajectory of his career with great pride, watching every movie and TV appearance possible.

Sonu may not be in leading roles in every film, however his choice of roles ensures he has good screen space with his co-stars.

Chedi in Dabangg, Durva Ranade Bhau in Simbaa, king in Singh is King, Kung Fu Yoga with Jackie Chan saw him in impactful roles.

A dedicated fitness freak, he endorses multiple renowned fashion and sports brands and is currently making a mark in South Indian films even learning to speak Tamil.

When I found out he was coming to Melbourne we reconnected and it was like old times again. We drove around Melbourne, shopped till we dropped, ate at nondescript food courts and had a blast.

When prompted he shared anecdotes on his filmi friends, attending Deepika and Ranveer Singh’s reception, Shahrukh and Salman Khan’s playful banter about his impressive physique, turning up at an event wearing the same designer jacket as Karan Johar, and his worldwide travels. He

Tall and very handsome, I spotted him straight away and was rather disappointed that he did not audition.

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MARCH MARCH(1) (1)2019 2019 37

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Wishing everyone a colourful and prosperous

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SURROUNDS

ART AND MUSIC Heritage buildings and specialty shops make up the attractions at the historic town of Bungendore

BY EMIE ROY

I

magine a village that holds art exhibits in every other building, even in its cafés. How about strolling through the art hub of a town centre, while musician-buskers strut their stuff all around you?

Sounds like a dream? Certainly not, and this is precisely what we signed up for, as we stopped by at the village of Bungendore NSW recently.

Located just 30 minutes by road from Canberra, the artistic village Bungendore (population 4178) is renowned for its woodworks gallery that has been amusing its visitors for the last 35 years.

However, this is just one of the many artistic attractions of the place.

To start with, the ‘Bungendore Country Muster’, the annual music festival was on, and there was an amazing line up of local country musicians on the cards. The nearby camp site had been open for the two days, and the number of campervans that arrived to soak in two days of music heaven, was amazing! However, it was not just the 30-dollar fee in the contained grounds that would fetch you some great music. Buskers were everywhere - in the

40 MARCH (1) 2019

shop fronts in the town centre - singing their hearts out to the admiring shoppers.

You could spare some money for their talent, or vote for their singing talent, from which the best talent would be judged at the muster.

Well, how did a small, isolated village become an artisan haven?

The interesting story was shared by Sharon Rasker who has been part of the Bungendore Wood Works Gallery for the last 15 years. David Mac Laren, the artistic director and founder of the gallery migrated from Long Island in the United States and founded the humble gallery in the 1960s. It slowly grew to become an artistic hub that attracts around 120,000 visitors every year. During its growth, it transformed the little village called Bungendore fostering the finesse and artistic culture it is now known for. Sharon recollects with enthusiasm that 60-70% of their visitors return to take another look, another year.

David’s woodworks gallery is a space where artistic and commercial interests balance perfectly. In spite of the business winning several awards nationally and internationally, it still welcomes the eyeswide-open-visitor that is mesmerised by the finery of the woodworks and the potential buyer alike. One can spend any number of hours looking at the fine wood crafts by Australian artists free of

cost, or decide to buy some of the unique pieces that range from jewellery for $20 to amazing sculptures to designer wooden furniture to the value of $100,000.

The shop Village Antiques, unlike its humble name, spreads across a remarkable area constituting of a reasonable big single storied house, a vestibule, patio a massive shed and an outdoor garden; adorned with sizeable succulent gardens along the way.

Even if antiques are not your thing, this place is well worth a visit, as it shelters collectibles, ornaments, and even replicas all very tastefully displayed. The outdoor section is not to be missed, inclusive of the giant kewpie doll mounted on a steel base trolley, which was used in the ‘Lets Party’ segment in the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Truly interesting to observe some of our present slowly slipping through the sands of time, to become vintage pieces.

Bungendore Village Leather is yet another interesting attraction in this little town. Boasting an eclectic mix of leather crafts and products, the enterprise has over 40 years’ experience in art and craft shows, markets and festivals. The shop itself dates back to 1994, and is said to house the best variety of leather craft products unequalled by any other Australian leather shops.

“The best part is that I get to travel and experience the world,” the shop-

keeper cum owner who liked to remain incognito said to us. “What you see here has been sourced from many parts of the world – European countries, India, Indonesia, China. The sad part is that not many tanneries exist in Australia anymore, hence we don’t get a lot of authentic Aussie leather. But the good part is that the leather we get here now integrates the craftsmanship of people from around the world.”

It was a pleasure to see that the expensive leather crafts were not wrapped up in plastic for the buyers, but in the old-style brown paper packages – a little consideration to the world, by these travellers who have seen enough of the world to realise its impact.

Stories of little towns are never complete without talking about their eateries. Bungendore has an array of places to ignite any foodie’s imagination – outlets like Pie Place that sells country style pie and bagels, Bungendore Wood Works café that brings in a lot of the nearby artistic community together, Café ‘Gathering’, and so forth. Such a lovely feel to end the day warming up to country hospitality with a steaming cup of coffee, in the company of trailing vines of ivies and hanging pots of petunia adding adash of colour. We were not surprised at all to see so many smiling faces who are at peace with themselves.

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At Village Antiques, check out the giant kewpie doll mounted on a steel base trolley, last used in the ‘Lets Party’ segment in the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

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ENTERTAINMENT

cineTALK WHY, PRIYANKA CHOPRA, WHY?

ISN'T IT ROMANTIC STARRING: Rebel Wilson, Liam Hemsworth, Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra DIRECTOR: Tod-Strauss Schulson

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First things first. What is Priyanka Chopra doing playing a frisky floozie in this bird-turd of a film? Second question: why are we expected to invest 90 minutes in what looks like a rejected episode of Inside Amy Schumer?

Isn't It Romantic is just plainly and simply awful. A bird-brained plot, it casts the overweight Rebel Wilson as Natalie, who is shown as incurably romantic in her childhood (she watches Pretty Woman like a Delhi housewife

46 MARCH (1) 2019

eyeing the lead singer at a mata jagran).

Mom lectures little Natalie on the impossibility of romantic love in this cynical world. And voila! The daughter is transformed into a diehard cynic.

Or, is she just running away from the fact that when you are size XL, the chances of finding an eligible match are proportionally slim?

So, the film has a solution. It turns all romantic notions on their head when

Natalie hits her head on a steel pillar at a metro station during a mugging episode (this is as exciting as the script gets) and waltzes into woozie-land.

Alas, the purportedly wonderful walk into wonderland is more bland than grand.

The flimsy anorexic film ends up celebrating rather than spoofing the conventions of the romantic comedy genre.

Natalie's gay neighbour (Brandon Scott Jones) goes all flabby-wristed and hip-twisted, only to tell us at the end that gay men don't behave that way in real life.

I would happily relegate this non-

descript trivia of a movie to the trash can were it not for our Priyanka Chopra, who plays a femme fatale all set to steal away our heroine Natalie's best friend-and-potential boyfriend Josh (Adam Devine), who doesn't really seem worth stealing.

In what could be described as the most air-headed role of her career, Priyanka plays Isabelle. Her job profile is self-described as "yoga ambassador" (whatever that means). Although she seems to spend all her time posing, preening, pouting and seducing Josh, who, as mentioned earlier, is no Don Juan.

With a role that is briefer than the clothes she is given to wear (because femme fatales must dress skimpily), Priyanka must have a good reason for doing this film. We don't know what it is. A fat pay cheque, with a leading lady billing to match?

Clueless as we are about her reasons for being in a film where her role is what Aruna Irani played in Hindi films of the 1970s, there is the comfort of company for Priyanka in Liam Hemsworth, whose presence here is even more baffling.

He plays a jerk in a towel who has to pretend he finds the hefty heroine attractive.

Perhaps, both Priyanka and Liam got bitten by the same romantic comedy bug that bites Rebel Wilson - with a plot that could be written on a single grain of rice (basmati), characters who think it's cool to pretend they love to hate on-screen romance, and performances which may strongly qualify for the Golden Raspberry Awards.

Isn't It Romantic is right up there with Priyanka Chopra's desi classics Suneel Darshan's Andaz, Dharmesh Darshan's Aap Ki Khatir and of course her Hollywood debut Baywatch.

Subhash K. Jha

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ENTERTAINMENT

GOOD PERFORMANCES IN LIGHT-HEARTED ENTERTAINER LUKA CHUPPI STARRING: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Vinay Pathak, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana DIRECTOR: Laxman Utekar

HHH Set in Mathura, Director Laxman Utekar's Luka Chuppi is a straightlaced, frothy rom-com that panders to the concept of a "live-inrelationship".

You never know where the heart is going to lead, and often, it is to the most inappropriate places.

This is what happens when Guddu Shukla (Kartik) the anchor of a local cable channel, professes his love to Rashmi (Kriti), the daughter of a local politician Trivediji (Vinay), who is not commitment-phobic but a cautious young lady of today's generation.

She unabashedly tells him that she would want to try a "live-in-relationship" to test their compatibility, before committing to get married.

Left with no choice and on the suggestion of their mutual friend, Abbas (Aparshakti), the two go to Gwalior and start "living together" claiming to be married.

How their relationship unspools to their respective families, forms the crux of the tale.

The writing by Rohan Shankar, rarely misses the rom-com beat despite its predictable and meandering plot that drags. It is not a wickedly humorous narrative, but yes the film has its moments of fun and thrill, with situational and slapstick comedy.

The dialogues are colloquial, witty

GOOPY GYNE BAGHA BYNE GENRE: Animation DIRECTOR: Shilpa Ranade

HHH A bright, bouncy, cheerful, effervescent tribute to Satyajit Ray's 1969 children's classic Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is a step forward for animation films, a genre still in its infancy in Indian cinema, groping around in the dark trying to find a competitive ground with the likes of Frozen, Moana, Lego and Inside Out in Hollywood.

Animation is big business in the West. In Indian cinema it hasn't even started to make an impact given the bleak and bland scenario and the fact that it must compete with feature films like Luka Chuppi and Sonchiriya this week.

NATIONAL EDITION

Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya does well for itself, at least as far as telling an engaging story in a credible colourful animation format goes.

For those who came in late (and please don't do that, this is just a brief film barely more than an hour long), this is the story of two bumbling, goofy but endearing musicians and their escapades in an imaginary kingdom of fools.

The plot, based on Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury's classic story, is zany to the utmost.

The animation characters are reasonably well-handled. But the real backbone of the film is the music by Three Brothers & a Violin. It adds a layer of prankish lustre to the goings-on.

Take your young ones for a joyful ride into the kingdom of magic.

This could be their introduction to the world of Satyajit Ray. Subhash K. Jha

and laced with the right amount of humour to be relatable. What keeps you glued to the screen, are the unfaltering performances by the abled cast in well-etched characters.

While Kartik as Guddu is charismatic and Kriti as Rashmi is charming, their on-screen chemistry is perfunctory, nevertheless they bring the right amount of energy and realism to their characters, playing their roles with convivial ease and flourish.

The pair is ably supported by a plethora of actors, who are impressive and true to the characters they portray.

Leading the pack is Pankaj Tripathi as Guddu's sister-inlaw's brother Babulal. Dressed in outlandish outfits and with superb comic timing, he is a laugh riot on screen. Accompanying him in sparkling the light moments is the actor playing Guddu's older brother Vikas.

On the directorial front, some scenes were not astutely crafted, especially the prologue, the denouement and the scenes with the nosy neighbour in Gwalior.

They made the film appear amateurish and lazily mounted. The sermonising at the end too, appears forced.

The mater-of-fact lensing by Milind Jog too, does not elevate the cinematic experience. His frames capture the decent production values that highlight its moderate mise-enscene in a very televisual manner.

Overall, despite its shortcomings, Luka Chuppi is a feel-good entertainer.

Troy Ribeiro

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MATRIMONIALS SEEKING GROOMS Parents of 33-year-old highly qualified Vegetarian Hindu girl working and well settled in good locality in Sydney seeking an educated, teetotaller and good family background boy. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Please contact ausshubham123@ gmail.com Seeking a suitable match for a 33-yearold girl, 5’6,Melbourne based CPA working as a consultant. The boy should be well qualified professional settled in Australia with a minimum height of 5’9.

Contact n.bhandari085@gmail.com or + 61433391881 Seeking a well settled, professional match for 28-year-old Vegetarian Punjabi girl. She is an Australian citizen. Her complexion is wheatish. She has completed a BA and Bed in Primary Education. She is soft spoken and gentle. Currently working as a Purchasing Officer in a private company.

PR or Citizen only. Email: meena.khepar@ hotmail.com or contact 0401 680 297 after 6pm.

Seeking a suitable match for a 29-yearold, height 5’10” girl from a well settled family. She has done B.Com., Masters in SocialWork and is working in Emirates Airways as cabin crew, Dubai UAE. Only elder sister settled in Luxembourg, parents leading retired life in Vadodara. Please contact on +91 9826836130, mehta. hemant2@gmail.com Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Aus Citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 45, 5'3" slim, fair, attractive girl. Girl is postgraduate and is working on a good

48 MARCH (1) 2019

position in government organisation.

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SEEKING BRIDES Seeking 25-30-year-old Hindu/Punjabi girl from Australia for our 32-yearold Specialist Doctor son, 5’9", born and brought up in Sydney. Please respond: gupta_rsr@hotmail.com or ph 0414282510 Alliance invited for well educated, divorced, 5' 9", 1975 born Sikh Khatri boy.

Working and self employed earning 100k per year. Looking for compatible Sikh girl from Australia. Early marriage. Phone: 0422102242 or Email: ghai07@yahoo. com Indian Christian Protestant parents, seeking a suitable match for their 38 year old son, a Software Engineer, born and brought up in Australia. Seeking Protestant girl between 28-34 years.

Email: sammy5073@gmail.com, Mob: 0403836360

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Seeking well educated girl, 26-33 years, Australian citizen or PR for Hindu boy, Australian citizen, 34years, Senior Manager in a leading bank. Family is well educated and well settled in Australia. Please respond to matrimozind@gmail.com.

Seeking professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based, never married Aus 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.

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FORETELL

March 2019

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

You want to push ahead and make it big; and inner and outer conflicts and seeking clarity occupy your mind. But you maintain a balance and even let go of past wounds. New friends, mending fragmented relationships and setting things straight all around keep you busy. Drive with caution. Apprehension and frustration at work causes anxiety.

A low grade infection needs medical attention. You will see things as they really and then pick a course of action at work or in love.

A slightly turbulent time for Taureans, especially those in touch with their inner selves, is on the anvil. A relationship you had hoped would work out, will fizzle out. A trip could be fraught with stress. Conflicts at work require control over your emotions.

A huge disappointment from someone you counted on will devastate you. Health woes in the form of sleeping disorders, cysts or lumps could besiege you. You successfully shrug off old grudges. Accept things the way they are right now.

A Pisces kind of person or traits of Pisceans could influence Geminis this month making them more artistically inclined or indulge in creative activities.

Health and business affairs keep you busy; you could even find romance at your place of work. An expensive trip brings about a new discovery. Self-assertion is a challenge but happier times ahead are foretold. Issues with your legs could affect your health. Any work in the self-discovery area is successful; don’t take on more than you can chew.

Cancerians will focus on manifesting their desires, property matters and finance. A new love affair or a rekindled relationship is imminent. You could revive your existing one and start again.

Expect a raise at work; you will be able to assert yourself at work. Control stress level and don’t let it affect your health. Setbacks in romance are temporary. Try and maintain a consistent attitude. The universe will give you more than you expect; you have to only imagine it.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

Anxiety due to restrictive conditions and things not going as per plan can add to your frustration. Someone younger will try to win your heart. Good news that you have been waiting for will come. Take some much needed rest - you might be nurturing a loved one back to recovery.

Things will work out in your favour and success will follow. Friends and professional contacts are supportive.

Everything comes together as renewal in your present condition is predicted.

A Leo kind of personality could influence you this month. Challenges at work, in family matters and finance are predicted.

A past emotional attachment will prevent you from committing to a new one. But you could be moving on and looking at marriage again. You could confront someone over money matters and it might become a legal issue. Self-help books keep you busy.

Money owed to you will come through.

Spiritual forces help you succeed as you display inner strength and fortitude.

A Virgo kind of personality could influence Librans and make them extra finicky. The passing away of someone you know or love could upset you greatly.

You might consider a new line of work.

A health problem affects your work plans but you’re able to forge ahead regardless. Payments are delayed and you will act on the matter. A change in attitude is predicted for some. Relinquish your ego and let the divine guide you through a tough time.

March is a very busy month for Scorpios as they take on more than they can handle at the moment. Planning, executing and plodding through difficulties to move towards progress. A shift of residence is indicated for some.

You might look for a different line of work.

A relationship is dead in the water and you know it. Fatigue is because of being overburdened at work. Finances cause anxiety. Persevere till things are resolved or completed to your satisfaction.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

PISCES Feb 19 - March 20

Healing and a sense of peace are on the anvil as you concentrate on self-love and spiritual awakening. A personal dilemma will work out better than you expect. If you feel misunderstood, share your feelings with close friends. A new beginning will bring happiness. A family member or pet causes you many anxious moments. Avoid bingeing or drinking too much. You can expect payments to come your way. Success comes through friends and professional acquaintances.

Improvements in many areas are foretold.

You behave with the intense secrecy usually displayed by Scorpios this month.

The occult attracts, or you could get attracted to someone who is November born. Adverse conditions and discord take you by surprise but avoid playing martyr. You seek work that is more meaningful. Singles could be considering getting married. If losing weight suddenly, seek medical assistance.

Money and financial assistance is abundant.

Believe in destiny and wait for the universe to reveal what’s in store for you. A short trip for work is predicted. If in a relationship that is currently rocky, you might wonder whether to stay or break-up; don’t be impulsive. Time will reveal what needs to be done.

Gynaecological issues could plague female Aquarians. Business that has been slow will pick up. Changes are happening at a deeper level and help will come if you need it. Intuition levels are high.

Pisceans display an unusual practicality due to a Capricorn influence. A confident approach towards a hurdle in a relationship helps you out. A friend wants to connect you with someone for work or romance – it is a positive experience. You struggle to get out of a slump but something or someone will brighten your mood. If you are having throat or ear problems, it probably means that you are suppressing what you want to say or not willing to hear what you need to.

NATIONAL EDITION

MARCH (1) 2019 49

BACKCHAT

Indians in Oz

The FAQs that make us love our Facebook community groups

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eed to know where to get the best dosa batter in Sydney? Or want to buy/sell furniture? Diagnose those strange looking rashes on your baby’s tummy? Or maybe need a job?

From food and moving houses to job leads and dadi ma ke nuskhe, Indian community Facebook groups have you covered.

Here are some FAQs that have us in splits and some that just have us go “Huh?”

INDIANS IN PERTH Can I do my own cleaning at end-of-lease?

Know any good cleaning service? n Looking for cleaner for end-of-lease cleaning. n Anybody travelling from Ahmedabad? I need some medication. n Anyone travelling from Chandigarh – let me know so I can book my parents’ tickets on the same day. n My folks are visiting – what do I do for health insurance? (Buy one?) n Looking for any kind of job – cooking, cleaning, ironing babysitting – no job since I arrived here five months ago. n n

INDIANS IN MELBOURNE Looking for accommodation – I’m a single girl arriving in Melbourne on Friday (Most common query after job hunt) n Anyone have a cheap car for sale? n

Furniture removal service, please recommend? n Seeking room for rent n Have an apartment for rent (25 pics attached) n How do I apply for post study work visa? n Looking for landscaping company. n Looking for Indian style jet toilet n Looking for job: Oracle database professional, SQL, AWS and Qlik view BI. n We are hiring: seeking Oracle database professionals, SQL, AWS and Qlikview BI. n Toyota Camry for sale. Only 15 years old.

(And it was second-hand when we bought it too) n Which solar system is good? (Er, the one we live in?) n Studying XX course. Want to change to YY. Pls advise. (Lucky if you get one legit response) n Anybody install curtains? n Any good dosa caterers? n Any online sites to watch live cricket?(Cue a flood of posts/ads promoting local operators who provide live feed of Indian TV channels) n

INDIAN MUMS IN MELBOURNE/SYDNEY/ BRISBANE n

I want to buy this product (XYZ shapewear),

any recommendations? (170 replies) I want to buy this product (ABC kitchenware), any recommendations?

(200 replies) n I want to buy Rotimatic – reasonable price – any suggestions? (‘reasonable’ is Indian-speak for cheapest possible)(150 replies) n Where can I buy kurtis/velvet sari blouse/ lehenga/Indian outfits for my kids (50 replies – all spruiking their own homebased business that they run after hours or on weekends) n Does anyone else feel good when you get home and unhook your bra? (800 replies, plenty of emojis) n Anonymous post: I’m having such-and-such problem with my husband. (200 replies: 100 saying ‘He’s an ass**le you need to get out of the marriage call me I’m a counsellor’, 100 saying ‘Don’t be so ungrateful learn to support him think of your kids’) n Look, I made this paneer dish for dinner.

(500 likes, some asking for recipe) n My lovelies, I wrote this poem today.

(Attach senseless drivel) (900 likes, a lot of GIFs, some replies that are also poems) n My baby has a skin rash (attach sickening pic), someone tell me what to do. (Er, maybe take him to doctor?) 50 replies (apply cucumber juice; wash with chandan; put multanimitti; say this mantra 25 times) n

In-laws are visiting: which Indian TV should I subscribe to? (so they won’t pester me) n Looking for caterers for dinner party – reasonable price (Translation: I want cheap food that tastes like Michelin star level food) n Good lady doctor in Westmead/ Blacktown/Harris Park/Quakers Hill/ Altona/Point Cook/Truganina/Wyndham n Want to start kitty group in Westmead/ Blacktown/Harris Park/Quakers Hill/ Altona/Point Cook/Truganina/Wyndham n Does anyone else miss Hindi TV soaps?

(200 replies, many discussing plots) n Birthday party ideas for 5-year-old? n Eggless cake/halal cake?? n Please help with this problem in today’s maths homework, Year 5. n

BUT SERIOUSLY, Facebook communities, thank you for doing such a great job. Please don’t block us because we wrote this. How else will we know how to make home-made dahi like back home in India, see your pics of autumn leaves (which you like to call “fall”), discuss options for our kids’ schooling, and hear your opinion on why Abhinandan’s moustache is such a big hit?

With contributions from Indian Linkers in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide

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nsw.liberal.org.au Authorised by Chris Stone, Level 12, 100 William Street, East Sydney NSW 2011.

50 MARCH (1) 2019

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THE TEA M Carl Buhariwala

Grahak Cunningham

Saroja Srinivasan

Shafeen Mustaq

Sandeep Hor

Radhika Bhatia

Devna Luthra

Beheshta Wasseh

Neelam Vasudevan

Dhanya Samuel

Puneet Anand

Niraj Pandya

Sukesh Thapliyal

Raweena Raval

Royston Rebello

Neha Malude

Tarini Puri

Aparna Ananthuni

Sai Narayan

Mohan Thite

Deepa Gopinath

Sunila Vig

Nanditha Suresh

Dilip Jadeja

Avi Chandiok

Virat Nehru

Farzana Ahmad

Uttam Mukherjee

Dipanjali Rao

Anup Kumar

Emie Roy

Darshak Mehta

Sukrit Sabhlok

Sagar Mehtrotra

Saroni Roy

Priyanka Tater

Petra O’Neill

Mital Parekh

s e ri

Jyoti Shankar

Mohan Dhall

Yesha Joshi

Sydney Srinivas

Rajni Anand Luthra

t

n i l el

o y g

r u

o t s

Frankey Gerard Fernandes

Astha Singh

Rani Jahla

NATIONAL EDITION

e m

en

p s e W

LP Ayer

Sahibnoor Singh

i t r

u o d

Usha Ramanujam Arvind

Ritam Mitra

Kashif Harrison

Pawan Luthra

Charuta Joshi

Gaurav Masand

Simren Samrai

Vish Chilumkurti

Kalyani Wakhare

Raka Sarkhel

Nikita Kulkarni

Vinaya Rai

Komal Utsav Jagad

Preeti Jabbal

Dinesh

Kira SpucysTahar

Anubhuti Madan Singh

Auntyji

Minnal Khona

Hamida Parkar

Nisha Joseph

Aneeta Menon

Sudarshan Arvind

MARCH (1) 2019 51

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NATIONAL EDITION

MARCH (1) 2019 53

DEICORP 54 MARCH (1) 2019

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