2019-03 Sydney (2)

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Vol. 26 No. 6 (2)

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MARCH (2) 2019

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EDITORIAL

The balance of duality PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra SOCIAL MEDIA Neha Malude

T

here is much truth to the notion that as human beings, we are all defined by many dualities. We can be good Australians, while still keeping our love for India. We can be good husbands and fathers at the same time. We can be good sportspeople and still enjoy music. In fact, the more dual we are, the more balanced we become. It has been said, “Life is created from a balanced interaction of opposite and competing forces. Yet these forces are not just opposites; they are complementary”.

It was this very balance that was disturbed in the recent barbaric act in Christchurch, an act that wasn't catalysed by our DNA or by geographical borders, but by man himself.

Politicians have been complicit in creating divisions and rifts amongst people and rather than celebrating duality, in actually exploiting it for their political gains.

President Trump is a master at this.

Immediately after the Christchurch

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Harshad Pandharipande, Bhuvi Rai, Yesha Joshi, Ritam Mitra, Jyoti Shankar, Subhashini Channa, Aparna Ananthuni, Mohan Dhall, Sandip Hor, Auntyji 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:

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shootings he offered his “warmest sympathy" to and “solidarity” with the victims and their families. He moved on soon after to the threats of the “immigrant invaders” in the US and to attacking Fox News (a network well known for its extreme views) for suspending a host for Islamophobic remarks. No offer of sympathy or love for Muslim communities, as NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern suggested to him in the aftermath of the white supremacist attack.

Closer home, our own politicians have not exactly covered themselves with glory in recent times either. (It now appears that the Christchurch terrorist attack is becoming a gamechanger in the upcoming elections in NSW and will probably effect the Federal elections later this year.)

The dog whistling by the Liberal/ Coalition party about the invasion of refugees, and the ‘us vs them’ ideology, have played out before. Remember “We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come”? Remember “stopping the boats”? At times, these have been referred to as ‘stealing sound bites from the One Nation party’. Even the Labor party is not immune to building on division to win a few votes, the recent example being the outing of NSW Labor leader Michael Daley’s

or W t Tha

Over

comments in the ‘Asians are taking our jobs’ saga. No cry denouncing this intelligence blackout from Federal Labor. And note that this editorial has not made one comment on a particular senator’s utterly despicable remarks following the Christchurch ambush.

Politicians do tend to build on the theme that migrants are “taking over” the country, especially during election times when national security seems to be higher on the agenda. So much so that people in Western countries overestimate their current Muslim population.

In a recent perception vs reality survey by The Guardian, respondents answered the question “Out of every 100 people in your country, about how many do you think are Muslim?” The Australians said 12, the Americans 16. The reality for Australia is 2, for America 1.

What is important to note is that most migrants will continue to retain the good from their country of migration and adapt it to the good in their new home. The values they bring with them will complement those that they take on, not replace them.

This duality is to be celebrated, not condemned. It makes for a greater diversity in world views, and creates a better balance in our social narrative.

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OC Placement Tests (289.28) High Schools Placement Tests (296.06) ng oSelective of Success ric R E m o r f e Stories er of Gratitud numerous Scholarship Winners to Prestigious Schools on, inati exam ar. And ye hools ve sc rlier this le North ti c ro ele ea the S offered mazing .06 in as ea f 296 mar I w alise th y m ore o I re of m d a sc dney Gra results, e years. e o e fire v ie ng th , and als n ach ip to Sy y of my hout th 2012 g indli ss h July have it for k y succe ave bee d to scholars d humil nts throu e u g e ro 0% ride an lishme Coll ing in m . You h process ry p 0 e g 1 v in e e lt h d ere ng th f, p ccomp I am ll as th Coac nt h ibute y resu relie a e hore directl a stude here duri contr cross as w njoy the d in my t, ly rth S a ye e k No ievemen time as atmosp certain ranches as I has pla ly than e e to n for ach ring my a friend nd hav erous b k Shore li um te uld du tio , a , I wo termina d me g to crea wledge ing the n They re o e of all d r mits.

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Dear North Shore Coaching College,

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I would like to thank North Shore Coaching College for their contribution to my achievement – the highest mark of 289.28 in the 2013 OC Placement Test.

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Sho I am re C oac me ever s hin o fi The courses provided by North Shore, particularly the Young Achiever course and g Co clas rst pla gratefu lleg s c OC Trial Test, were very engaging, beneficial and enjoyable for me. They helped me e, Nor . As I b e in N l and o S th S a to develop a sound knowledge basis, good study habits and useful exam skills for hore sk in t W as w verjoy he li e e the real test. North Shore also provides opportunities for students to enter various .

I wa ght ll as g d over my of m ettin challenging competitions. I took part in the ICAS and Problem Solving Competition w s ter O rifie g ith y su last year. It was a stimulating and rewarding experience that provided another cce an off C test re tha a lot o d, bec e ss, I t a f dimension of learning for me. rem r into B sult of suc “coach home use I h emb e 2 cess wor ing ad h er m ecroft 87.79, , wh coll k an eard e ic y firs Publi mak d g The teachers at North Shore are caring, understanding, and highly experienced. IN h is in c orth t ex , “N e” stere you co that all ot to per Schoo g would like to thank especially the teacher who taught me in preparation for theliOC uld coa oty ttle Shore ienc l n p c om ’t es w OC exam last year. In a warm, well managed, and competitive classroom environment, uch e. It is play a hing ce pro work. also h ith t all or n beca ntre the teachers teach us through wide – ranged programs, encourage us to thinksoandvide m So it le as an . u o s B s t to in bas e o lit e they ut Nor plagiar icall with aves m genio solve problems independently and reward us not only for our achievements but also th tle h iz k a y ca u e om now a Shore ed you our efforts. We also greatly benefit from the comprehensive3 feedback on our n liv lot of e with a s abilit I wo ewo crit is y e d u lo u to n ld a ical rk.” homework from the teachers. hap catio t of t me. like sec ot like ime put so py, ret but I hope to tha play n and mu to p for nk N ch youtheir all s ful li also la Overall, with their wonderful teachers, North Shore has helped me greatly for with fe, b prov y pian educa suc r own tudent orth S o, re ide tion ut s cess hore com sw programs and competitions. My learning experience with North Shore contributed m t a ill le in il d . mit arn e with book such Besat North Shore men l be ab Coach greatly to my OC result. I wish many students will benefit from learning . ente s - w t Wis t an le to ing C and achieve great success in the future. rtain hich hes d de a o , men term chieve llege fo t– r th inat their e ion Best Wishes, are goals t ir exce ll h the mo rough ent wo Gera st im rk fo Nor t ldin por r tan h Shore e Ya t fac ng J. Liu tors ,

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MARCH (2) 2019 5

CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES STUDENTS Strike for climate action

14

OPINION Christchurch: The role played by social media

17

LIFESTYLE The power of petals

20

WOMEN Sohaila Abdulali: US-based Indian writer visits

27

BOOKS Kersi Meher-Homji’s new book: From Bradman to Kohli

6 MARCH (2) 2019

14

17

COVER STORY

29

20

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Parents visiting from India: What you need to know

10

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17/1/18 12:23 pm

MARCH (2) 2019 7

YOUR SAY

ON ELECTIONS

Reader PADMINI SUNDERAJ sent us this poem about the election fever that rages not just in Australia but back in India too. We love it.

If you are an Indo Aussie And a Sydney vaasi Fancy some politics Their mix, pricks and tricks You sure will find The coming months combined Elect..rifying Hopefully not terrifyng!

With NSW polls in March General elections in April And Federal elections in May There will be a lot of fight in display People falling prey And causing dismay Let's vote in all three With care and integrity Gladys or Daley Rahul or Modi Morrison or Shorten How many will they hearten?

TOXIC ENTITLEMENT CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM ANEETA MENON wrote a strong opinion piece on Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy, who was reportedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend.

Literate Lipstick wrote: Men don’t own women. Women should be able to say goodbye to partners they no longer consider safe or loving enough to be around and be safe after they’ve left. Men don’t own women.

Sivee wrote: Thanks for once again pointing to the age-old issue of "no means no". As a community we need to stand up. Also, it is hard to believe how we don't want to leave the derogatory practices behind despite adapting to everything called "modern", which should be the priority. Unfortunately, often seen as part of our culture and tradition, this distinction between a boy and a girl was never a part of age-old Vedic teachings of our culture.

Nouman wrote: It’s so easy to blame third world countries that are not providing protection to women. But incidents like this have taken place (in all countries) and continue to take place.

Indian Link received a barrage of responses to Aneeta’s article on Facebook. However, in the interest of protecting the family’s privacy and out of respect, we have since deleted those comments, and have not included them on this forum.

WHERE IN OZ

Take a look at this a-maze-ing picture – can you guess where in Australia this is? Reader Dr. Saba Nabi guessed the right answer: Ashcombe Maze & Lavender Garden, Shoreham, Victoria.

HOLI $@#!

We shared an Indian ad (for washing detergent Surf Excel) that’s gone viral and has been offending some viewers in India for its ‘liberal’ content.

Khatuja Rashmee wrote: I did not find the ad offensive. It just shows innocent kids trying to smear colour on every passer-by on the occasion of Holi. The young girl who has helped the small boy reach the mosque has good intentions too. I feel we adults sometimes need to start thinking the way young kids do! Just pure good thinking without being judgemental.

SAY IT AGAIN 8 MARCH (2) 2019

New Zealand’s prime minister is emerging as the progressive antithesis to right-wing strongmen like Trump, Orban and Modi, whose careers thrive on liberal, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric.

William Dalrymple, writer and historian

I really want a leader who makes us feel comfortable. Who is very flexible and yet restrained where needed. Who gives us space. Who is popular with both men and women. Indian and yet adaptable to the modern. Who is wide at the top… and narrow at the bottom. #MainBhiCHURIDAR Vir Das, stand-up comic

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ELECTION HANDOUTS PAWAN LUTHRA wrote an opinion piece on how the Indian community has missed out on some much needed opportunities during election time.

Emie Roy wrote: A very interesting article by Pawan Luthra on how the Indian Australian community should have put the stockings up to receive substantial gifts such as cultural centres and ethnic aged care facilities rather than portraying ourselves as a bunch that wait for melas and festivities that crop up in every suburb every week. Of course, celebrations are a great way to stay together but as a community with a migration history of more than a century, it’s high time we paid heed to the necessities of ageing groups as well.

INDIAN LINKS AT NSW ELECTIONS We reported in our March-2 2019 issue on some Indian-origin candidates in the upcoming state election.

Sheba Nandkeolyar wrote: A great article to get to know the Indian links. Enjoyed the Gladys Berejiklian interview and also loved reading about you, Pallavi Sinha: your community contribution and professional initiatives. Looking forward to seeing you in the Legislative Council.

Arunesh Seth wrote: To believe her nicety, you have to meet Durga Owen. Seven Hills area will be lucky to have her as their state MP. Prabir Maitra wrote: Durga Owen will be a great member of Parliament for Seven Hills.

Shriska Pillai wrote: Go Durga go. You can and must win.

AIR INDIA MARKS INT’L WOMEN’S DAY India’s national carrier flew an all-women crew into Sydney for the third year in a row on 8 March.

Naresh Singh wrote: Proud of Indian airlines and our Indian women.

Poonam Mehra wrote: Congrats, well done. So proud of you wonderful, hardworking ladies.

Payel Ray wrote: Why did the men have to hold the knife or rather the women’s hands as the cake was cut? Aren’t our women expert enough to cut the celebratory women’s day cake? Domination at every level! I notice that the men were not initially keen to cut the cake but photographers and videographers wanted them to be part of the celebration so they followed suit. I guess in situations like this we as readers and viewers need to point out where we draw the line and what we are really celebrating here. I see patriarchy and domination writ large in this moment of celebration!

I love how the kids are striking and egging and making s**t happen. Keep going kids, you’re doing great.

Michelle Law, writer NATIONAL EDITION

THE RETURN OF MODI LINDSAY HUGHES asked in his article: Will Modi return to power just because Congress has nothing to offer?

Matana Pachuau wrote: I think Modi has overpromised and underdelivered. Having said that, I am not sure if Rahul Gandhi can compete with him. Narendra Modi might still have the steam to get through.

Prashant Brahmbhatt wrote: I wish he will stay on as PM for another ten years.

Chandra Kishore wrote: For certain, Modiji has put India on the world map.

A huge shout-out to all the women before me and are currently in this space. I could not have done this without them paving the path, it's awesome, an Indian Canadian woman gets her own NBC show!

Lilly Singh, YouTuber

Today 49 years ago, sitting in a posh Hotel in Mysore India. Had the whole dining room exclusively to ourselves celebrating my 16th birthday. Nearly died after eating a hidden HOT chilly, no amount of water helped the pain.

Things we never forget.

Gus Pegel, Australian writer MARCH (2) 2019 9

COVER STORY

Parents visiting from India?

20 things you need to know

So, you’re excited that mum and dad are planning a trip Down Under, but you have some doubts and queries. How long can they stay? Will they get assistance during travel? Can they bring home-made laddoos? We answer some frequently asked questions here. (We are grateful to Sydney-based registered migration agent Ramneek Madahar who helped us get a more thorough understanding on the visa-related queries.)

BY HARSHAD PANDHARIPANDE 1. My parents have been granted tourist visa and I’m about to book their tickets for Australia. Do I need to book their return tickets now itself?

Sure, you could if you’re getting a good deal, but there is no requirement of a return ticket for a person entering Australia on a tourist or visitor visa.

Ramneek Madahar: At the immigration counters, I have not seen any officers checking whether the traveller is holding a return ticket or not. As evidence for whether 10 MARCH (2) 2019

a person intends to depart at the end of their stay or not, I am not sure what value such a ticket will offer to the inspecting officer as despite holding a return ticket, the traveller may decide to not leave Australia.

In any case, immigration checks are also being gradually automated. Therefore, buying a return ticket to India at the point of buying a ticket to Australia is a cost-driven decision.

2. My parents had applied for a one-year stay visa but they have been granted only a three-month stay visa. Should they reapply?

They could reapply but there are some ifs and buts involved.

Ramneek: Reapplying may be possible if the ‘no further stay’ condition is not attached to

their visas. Generally, parents old enough to qualify to receive the age pension in Australia will receive the ‘no further stay’ condition. The condition can be removed in some situations. You may need to speak to a qualified MARA agent to study the case.

3. Can you explain the various tourist visa conditions?

There are many types of tourist visa. Each visa may have different conditions attached to it.

Ramneek: The tourist visa conditions are: 8101 - No work: The visa holder cannot work in Australia.

8201 - Maximum 3 Months Study: While in Australia, the holder must not engage, for more than three months, in any studies or

training.

8501 - Health cover: The visa holder must maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance during their stay in Australia.

8503 - No further stay: The visa holder will not, after entering Australia, be entitled to be granted a substantive visa, other than a protection visa, while they remain in Australia.

8531 - Must leave before visa expiry: The holder must not remain in Australia after the end of the period of stay permitted by the visa.

8558 - Non Resident: Cannot stay for more than 12 months in any 18 month period.

4. My parents are with me in Australia and want to extend their three-month stay visitor

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visa to a longer duration. What are the options and what is the procedure?

There may be times when your parents might need to extend their stay in Australia for health issues, to help you out with a new baby or any other reason. Fortunately, even though they may have entered Australia on a visa with no more than a three-month continuous stay, they can apply for an extension of their stay duration.

Ramneek: An online application can be submitted as long as conditions on the current visa are not precluded. Generally medical tests for tourist visas are not required. However, if one seeks to stay in Australia for more than six months, they may be asked to undergo a chest x-ray and/ or a medical examination. Additionally, visitor visa (subclass 600) applicants who are over the age of 75 are required to complete a medical examination.

5. My parents have been granted tourist visa but their passports have less than six months’ validity. Will they face any issues?

Many airlines do not allow passengers to travel internationally if their passports are due to expire in less than six months.

Most people advise that it’s safest to travel internationally with more than six months of validity left on your passport.

Ramneek: The six-month passport validity rule is enforced because nations do not want to risk having travellers and tourists overstaying their passport validity. Six months is now the standard validity requirement for many countries. As far as my knowledge goes, currently Australia does not mandate the six-month passport validity.

6. My parents do not speak fluent English.

What should they do at airports while changing flights or at the immigration counter after they land in Australia?

Lack of English proficiency may sometimes limit communication during international travel, but it certainly isn’t the end of the world. As long as the travellers know basic English, they should be fine.

Ramneek: Most Indians do have at least some knowledge of English, so they can travel without too much trouble. Besides, at airports there are plenty of signs to help those who can read and understand English but might not be able to speak it fluently. There are co-passengers from all backgrounds and more often than not, there would be some Indians on the flight. Nowadays, the airline staff is also multicultural or multilingual, so that might help too. However, if travellers have any serious concerns, they should share them with the airlines.

7. This is my parents’ first international travel and they are nervous about changing terminals at the airport. What can I do to make sure they don’t get lost?

International travel or long flights can be unnerving for some people. However, staff at the airport and in the airplane are usually helpful and friendly. Soothing words aside, there actually is something you can do to make the travel easy for your parents.

Ramneek: The parents can request assistance at the departing airport.

Assistance can also be requested at the time the tickets are booked. Depending on the type of assistance required, airlines are generally able to assist passengers free of charge. The instruction is forwarded to the transit airports as well.

NATIONAL EDITION

8. My parents have difficulty walking. What can I do to make their travel smoother?

Many senior citizens have mobility issues.

If the travel involves changing terminals, long walks may be involved. This can be physically demanding for many elderly people. But again, help is at hand.

Ramneek: Wheelchair access can be requested starting from the immigration

counter where the first boarding pass is picked up from all the way to the end of journey.

9. Is it safe to ask someone from a Facebook group to accompany my parents during their travel?

In the ever-widening desi communities of Facebook, this is one question that keeps recurring. No doubt concerned about their

parents’ wellbeing, many people ask on the group if anyone else is travelling to Australia on the same flight as their parents’ and give them company. The parents may face any number of issues - from limited mobility to lack of English/Hindi fluency or even nervousness because of flying. In such a scenario, many people are even okay with moving their parents’ travel dates around to suit anyone who agrees to escort or MARCH (2) 2019 11

COVER STORY

accompany them through their journey.

While most people - and their parents - are open and even eager to do this, it is not entirely risk-free.

Ramneek: Unless the person is known personally this should be avoided, even though airports are high security zones.

10. My parents can’t stay for more than three months at a stretch in Australia. Is it okay for them to travel to New Zealand, Fiji or any other nearby country and return a few days later so they can again stay in Australia for another three months?

This workaround is not uncommon for those who want to extend their parents’ stay. If visitors have a three-month maximum duration stay and a multiple entry visa, at the end of their three-month stay, they can simply fly to a nearby country and then return to Australia for another threemonth stay. There’s nothing illegal in doing this.

Ramneek: Yes, this can be done as long as it does not violate any other condition on the visa.

11. Can I apply for my parents’ tourist visa from Australia?

Many desis - the loving kids that they are - want to save their parents the hassle of applying for a visitor visa on their own. The good news is that they can apply online for their parents’ visa.

Ramneek: Yes, this is possible provided the ‘no further stay’ condition is not attached to the visa. Tourist visas are granted for stays of 3, 6 or 12 months. Eligible parents of Australian citizens could be granted a longer validity period.

12. My parents don’t have a good bank balance and their tourist visa may get 12 MARCH (2) 2019

rejected. What options do I have to enable them to visit me in Australia?

Bank statements are an important supporting document while applying for a visitor visa. They are used in proving that the applicant can support their expenses during their stay in Australia. However, due to some unfortunate reasons, some senior parents such as retirees may not have a large bank balance due to which their visa application could be weak. However, if the children of such parents are Australian residents or citizens with decent bank balance, the parents can still apply for the visa.

Ramneek: If a permanent resident or Australian citizen is sufficiently resourced, their parents can still apply for a visitor visa.

Even a normal non-sponsored category is fine. While there are no specific guidelines on this, the decision-maker for the visa grant will need to be satisfied that the traveller will be able to support themselves while in Australia. Another thing to remember is that the visitors have no work rights. An Australian citizen or PR child in a stable employment with some bank balance is good enough.

13. What food or other items can my parents bring with them? What precautions should they take?

Australia has very strict biosecurity laws and bringing in food and other items that is not permitted will almost always result in its confiscation and/or fine. The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website says, “Australia has strict laws relating to the importation of certain goods. This ensures that the biosecurity risk to Australia’s agricultural industries and unique environment is minimised. You must

declare certain food, plant material and animal products. When you declare these goods they will be checked by a Department of Agriculture and Water Resources biosecurity officer who will determine whether they are allowed into Australia.

Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Other goods may be restricted due to pest and disease risks.”

Some of the more unusual items not allowed include soil or mud on your shoes, fruits (including frozen fruits), vegetables (including frozen vegetables), meat (fresh, dried, frozen, cooked, smoked, salted and preserved), eggs (whole, dried or powdered), products that contain more than 10 percent egg (like mayonnaise), all dairy products, all mammals, birds' eggs, birds' nests, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, all plants, cuttings, roots and bulbs, cereals, popping corn, nuts, chestnuts, pine cones, bird seed, commercially packaged seeds and pet food.

There are also plenty of things that are technically allowed into Australia, but that you have to declare first and have them checked or even treated. These include noodles, rice, all snacks, biscuits, herbs, spices, feathers, bones, horns, tusks, skins, hides, furs, stuffed animals, shells, coral, used animal equipment, wooden things, anything made from plant material, like mats, bags and clothes, straw products, coconut shells, Christmas decorations, flowers, camping equipment or sporting equipment. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list and there may be more items in the restricted category. Therefore, a final piece of caution below.

Ramneek: If not sure of a food or any other item, travellers should declare them and walk through the red channel or simply

discard the items at the airport.

14. What medicines can my parents bring with them? Can they buy medication in Australia using prescriptions of their doctors in India?

Many visiting seniors are on some sort of regular medication but always worry if they can carry several months’ worth of pills with them. Short answer? Yes. Ramneek: Three months’ worth of medicines are permitted – with prescription.

Again travellers should check with customs for any exclusions or updates to rules before travelling. Equivalent brands are likely to be available in Australia. A better approach is to that people living here and who know their parents’ health conditions should discuss them with any GP here at least a month before the parents arrive and then arrange medicines accordingly.

15. I want to bring my parents to stay with me for an extended period of time. What are my options? How long is the wait? What are the expenses?

Parents are able to apply for a visitor visa (subclass 600) to visit Australia for a longer period. Multiple entry visas with a maximum stay of 12 months are considered on a case-by-case basis with maximum validity periods of up to: n Five years for parents outside Australia and in the Parent Visa (subclass 103) queue; n Three years for parents outside Australia who have: l had a previous Australian visa and complied with the conditions; and l have not applied for a Parent visa; or l have applied for a parent visa but are not yet in the Parent Visa (subclass103) queue;

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18 months for parents who have: not previously travelled to Australia; and l have not applied for a Parent visa; or l have applied for a Parent visa but are not yet in the Parent visa (subclass103) queue.

Longer visitor visas above are also considered for step-parents and eligible New Zealand citizens. Visitor visas are not intended for maintaining ongoing residence in Australia. Accordingly, longer visitor visas will not be considered for parents who are already in Australia or have already spent 12 months in Australia in the last 18 months.

If a parent has recently stayed in Australia for an extended period, they will generally not be considered for a longer tourist visa until they have spent a minimum of six months outside Australia in the last 18 months at the time their new visitor visa application is lodged. n l

16. My parents want to move to Australia to live with me. What are my options? How long is the wait? What are the expenses?

There is a new sponsored category visa for parents with a maximum stay of five years at a time. They cost between $5,000 and $10,000 depending on the length of stay. However, the parents do not receive Medicare. There are other kinds of residency visas for parents as well. These include non-contributory visas (which have a very long wait for more than 30 years) as well as contributory temporary residency and permanent residency visas. (For a detailed explanation by Ramneek of how this works, go to www.indianlink.com.au) 17. What kind of health insurance will my parents need when they’re in Australia?

Most people prefer to buy health insurance in Australia rather than get one from India.

This can make things hassle-free in case your parents need to visit the doctor or the hospital while they’re here. Insurance bought from India may not necessarily cover this or you may need to pay upfront.

Make sure you read all insurance-related documents carefully and consider your parents’ pre-existing health conditions before choosing the right insurance for them.

Bupa and Alliance seem to offer the most competitive options, but get the quotes and make sure you are aware of the exclusions and coverage of the selected insurance policy.

18. What are some good mobile plans for my parents while they’re here?

High international roaming rates can burn a hole in your pocket and you might want to consider buying a SIM card for your parents while they’re here. While most of us have wifi at home (which means the parents’ WhatsApp group chats are sorted), they might need to make calls back home. Many carriers offer unlimited free calling to India and a decent amount of data from about $30 a month.

dad, as she gets busy with household chores, especially cooking you your favourite meals from your childhood. She might also help more with the kids’ daily routines, while your dad might stick to transporting the kids to and from school.

Overall, though, the isolation will kick in at some stage – what are they to do when they are alone in the day? You might have Indian TV all sorted for them, or you might take the opportunity to introduce them to a whole new virtual world on their preferred devices.

But pay attention to their social needs as well. This could be difficult if you and your spouse both work full-time, but luckily there are some wonderful weekend events that you could manage. These are organised by volunteer-run community associations, and some such as those listed below have become well regarded for their care of our seniors. They organise regular meetings at which elders mingle and engage in group activities such as yoga and mild exercises, entertainment activities such as bingo and cultural presentations, information-based activities such as health and financebased sessions, and have a light meal. Festivals and personal milestone dates such as birthday and anniversaries are marked, and lately, grandparents’ days have become a regular occurrence.

Events are held across Sydney, often at

multiple locations by each of these associations, so ring around and find one that suits you. l Australian Hindi Indians Association (AHIA) Seniors Group: Contact Tilak Kalra 0413 753 134 l RAIN: Contact Sudha Natarajan 0420 271 570 l SRI OM CARE: Contact Jay Raman 0410 759 906 l AASHA: Contact Bijinder Duggal 0412 786 569 20. My parents love watching TV serials back home. How can they watch them here?

Like it or not, the routines of many seniors

and retirees revolve around TV serials.

There's no need for them to miss out on the latest episodes of their favourite serials while they are in Australia. There are many set-top box services that offer regular Hindi channels as well as a good selection of regional channels. Most of the TV boxes work on monthly or yearly subscriptions while some come with a onetime payment. They also need a fast and reliable internet connection to work. Some of these services even have apps through which the programs can be watched on the phone or tablet. Services such as Yupp TV, Worldmax, Real TV and Jadoo TV are quite popular currently. Yupp TV has monthly subscription schemes, Worldmax has a one-time payment rather than an annual subscription, while Jadoo TV does not enjoy good reviews. Some people also buyGoogle Chromecast and download the app of one of the TV channel services mentioned above - there is a monthly fee - and stream it from their phone to the TV. Buying an Amazon Fire TV Stick is another option to stream content to the TV. Ramneek Madahar is a registered migration agent at The Great Learning Tree.

19. How do I look after my parents’ social needs while they are here? What are some good seniors’ groups where my parents can socialise?

At the outset your parents will be happy to be with the family, learning all about then life you have built for yourself and your family. You might find your mum will adjust to her new surroundings better than your NATIONAL EDITION

MARCH (2) 2019 13

STUDENTS

BY YESHA JOSHI

I

t was over ten years ago that I marched alongside other young people to demand action on climate change. It was a windy day, and I held a huge banner in one hand and a megaphone in the other whilst chanting the words “What do we want? Climate Action!

When do we want it? Now!” The sore arms at the end of the march seemed worth it.

There were many rallies organised by the environmental movement that I attended as a student studying Environmental Management at University. We were taught about the effects of increased greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the need to transition towards a greener more sustainable economy and the challenges of inaction.

We were calling for fifty per cent carbon emissions reduction in Australia by 2020; a date that, at the time, seemed far into the future. I had thought that there would be sufficient time to turn this ship around.

Sadly, it seems that a decade on, the next generation arestill having to pick up megaphones and strike for climate action.

But is there hope? Will their voices be heard?

March 15, 2019 saw thousands of young people send a clear message tothe Government that they won’t stand for inaction on climate change. They called on the Government to reject the proposed Adani coal mine in the Galilee Basin located in Central Queensland, reject any new fossil fuel projects and shift the economy towards 100% renewable energy by 2030.

Jagveer Singh, 17, organised the school strike for climate rally in Melbourne. He spoke to Indian Link about why students took to the streets.

“Students in all the major cities and towns walked out of their classrooms to send a clear message to our leaders that they must act on climate change,” he said.

“It was extraordinary to march through the CBD. People came out of their offices to back us, cars beeped in support and we chanted that students united will not be divided,” he

14 MARCH (2) 2019

Youth for climate

justice

Young leaders are rising to the challenge many of us have sought to address

Melbourne’s Jagveer Singh: “It’s about being on the right side of history.”

described.

He added, “The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report indicates that we have less than 11 years to curb the dangerous effects from fossil fuels. It’s about being on the right side of history, and students turning out in record numbers across the world are marching for their future. My parents have always taught me to do the right thing, and speaking out for our environment is the right thing to do.If politicians want us to remain in the classrooms then they must listen to the science and take action.”

“As migrants we must participate actively in our democracy and I encourage people to contact their local MP and make their voice heard,” he urged.

Ananya Dasgupta, 15, joined the student

strike in Adelaide and is hopeful that young people continuing to raise their voices collectively will bring about change.

“I have always cared about the environment.

Issues such as pollution, litter on our streets, plastic in our oceans, the damage to our marine life, and decline of coral reefs is of concern to young people just like me, so what we do now matters,” she told Indian Link.

She described, “When I heard about the student strike action on climate change, I was really excited about getting involved. We put posters up in our school to let other students know.”

And what did her parents think about skipping school? “My parents are really supportive of me, they have similar views and also care about climate change. I saw this one

poster at the rally which said ‘you didn’t care when we had Monday off for the horse race’, but our leaders seem to take an issue with usjoining a strike to fight for our future.”

“We didn’t create the problem, but we will be part of the solution,” she concluded.

The unprecedented world-wide youth effort garnered mixed reactions from the adults, but the passion did not go by unnoticed. Craig Wilkins, CEO of Conservation Council SA said, “Emergency action on climate change is required and no area of government, be that federal, state or local seems to grasp quite how much work is required. Some of the effects of climate change is locked in so we need to prepare our systems to cope with such pressures. It was fascinating to see the signs on placards focused on key issues such as protecting the Great Australian Bight and renewable energy. The rally was incredibly passionate and upbeat.”

So, I am hopeful. If there is a lesson we can take from students like Ananya, Jagveer or even Greta Thunberg who inspired hundreds of students in over 70 countries to strike for climate action, it is that young leaders are rising to the challenge many of us have sought to address.

Climate change is a global issue, but as one of the highest-ranking countries of carbon emissions per capita in the world, we all need to do our fair share to reduce our footprint.

As Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Adelaide’s Ananya Dasgupta: “We didn’t create the problem, but we will be part of the solution.”

www.indianlink.com.au

BY BHUVI RAI

O

n a seemingly unassuming Friday – a regular school day – the steps of the South Australian Parliament were flooded with a mass of school students.

We came from all over; primary school students, high school students, university students, as well as the youth, the elderly, and families.

Over 5,000 of us stood united for a common cause; the climate crisis.

Inspired by Swedish teenager and climate change activist, Greta Thunberg, who held the first school strike for climate, the rest of us took to the streets.

This movement had to happen, we didn’t have a choice.

Enough was enough, we decided. And so, Australia, and the world, witnessed the activist force of thousands of school students fighting for climateaction and justice.

It had been building up for over weeks.

Plans carefully made, parents convinced, and schools contacted. But still, it was a happy surprise to turn up to the strike and see the enormous turnout that occurred in Adelaide. It exceeded every expectation. People cared. It was not only the students who had come out to protest, but also the generations before us, who rocked up to show their support.

It was hot and sweaty. I could feel myself sweating through my uniform, my bag heavy on my back. Everybody could feel the heat, standing between throngs of people. As we marched, and shouted, and protested, as the speeches rivalled the scorching sun with their tremendous passion, the heat became a constant reminder why wewere here.

Because what good did it do to sit in air-conditioned classrooms learning for a future that we were being stripped of?

What good did it do to learn science in class when our own politicians ignored

NATIONAL EDITION

“We’d be in school if you did your job” Why one Adelaide student joined the school strike for climate action

Greta Thunberg; (above) Students gather at the steps of the SA Parliament

the facts? What good did it do to sit on chairs all day while our planet and our civilisation were being sacrificed for the greed of a very small number of people?

We wanted the Adani coal mine stopped. It was only a small stepping stone towards a better future, yet, it was

no trivial goal. The Adani coal mine would ravage our land, killing, polluting, destroying.

Carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas is changing our climate and warming our planet.It’s simple: the more carbon pollution in the air, the more the sun’s energy gets trapped as heat. Which means things keep getting hotter. In fact, the world has already gotten nearly 1°C warmer since 1880.

Warmer temperatures have real consequences for all of us - not just for polar bears. Sea levels around the world have risen nearly 20cm since 1901, swallowing entire islands and creeping closer to populated areas of great coastal cities like New York, Melbourne and Dakar. Plus, extreme weather events like hurricanes, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and intense.

So why then, was no action being taken to stop this? Why was this burden being placed on the shoulders of schoolchildren?

Because profit once again was being prioritised over people; being prioritised over the future of my generation.

Big polluters like oil and coal companies aren’t going down without a fight. After all, they’re making billions from dirty energy while the rest of us pay to clean up their mess. That’s why

they’ve spent decades running wellfunded campaigns to mislead and deceive the public about what’s really happening to the planet.

For years, as we grew up, we watched as the climate debate happen before our very eyes; on television, on the news, in the newspapers, and evenin our classrooms. We sat back and we watched, and we listened. We decided to trust the people in power to make the right decisions. After all, this was our future, our lives, that they were debating - but they were dismissing and ignoring and sweeping under the rug.

And today, there is no debate. Climate change is real and happening now and is most definitely a crisis.

The lapse in what climate experts are saying and in the actions that are being taken in society have such a drastic difference that we have decided to take matters into our own hands.

The only power we had over the Government was that they wanted us in schools. So, we took that away.We marched for not only stopping Adani, but for keeping the fossil fuels in the ground, for reducing carbon emissions as per the Paris Agreement, for necessary policies on global warming.

And we will continue to strike, protest, and act, until our objectives are achieved.

Because if we don’t take action now, there will be no future generations.

As Greta Thunberg so succinctly put it, “We have had thirty years of pep talking and selling positive ideas. But it doesn’t work.We do not need your hope, we need your action.”

Bhuvi, 17, is a Year 12 student at Glenunga International High School

This movement had to happen, we didn’t have a choice.

MARCH (2) 2019 15

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ConneCting Culture and language LABOR’S PLAN FOR COMMUNITY LANGUAGE SCHOOLS $8 million to help children retain the language and culture of their parents and grandparents.

LABOR’S PLAN MEANS: Up to $25,000 per school so more kids can learn another language Opening up classes to include more pre-schoolers, so kids can start learning earlier Helping children retain the language and culture of their parents and grandparents Preserving and celebrating cultures and traditions; and promote diversity, inclusion and respect Authorised by T. Plibersek, ALP, 267 Cleveland Street, Redfern.

16 MARCH (2) 2019

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OPINION

Far-right extremism and social media: A match made in hell RITAM MITRA explains why the rise of far-right extremism is the greatest ideological threat faced by society today

Mourners at the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch, New Zealand, pay tribute to the 50 people slain by a gunman at two mosques in the city. (Photo: AP)

T

he Christchurch terror attack – which at the time of writing, had claimed 50 innocent lives and ruined hundreds of others – was just the latest in a long series of massacres by far-right extremists. Many sections of the media would not have coined it an act of terrorism had the 28-year-old Australian perpetrator not himself described it as such in a rambling 87-page manifesto which revealed months, if not years, of planning. The role played by social media in the tragedy highlighted the fundamental challenges in limiting the spread of extreme ideologies: it is easier than ever for extremists to connect, everyone has a platform, and authorities and organisations alike are either unable or unwilling to intervene.

In the moments before he walked into two Christchurch mosques during Friday jumu’ah prayer, Brenton Tarrant posted his manifesto, along with a link to the horrific live stream of his shooting, on 8chan, an internet message board which, unlike the unaffiliated and more renowned 4chan, is not moderated by administrators. The responses were largely celebratory; some posted Nazi memes, others encouraged Tarrant and wished him well. In the immediate aftermath of the attack too, many supported the mass murder on social media, including in the comments sections of posts by mainstream media outlets.

NATIONAL EDITION

It is difficult to imagine that, in the absence of alt-right echo chambers like 8chan, attacks like these would be as prevalent as they are today. The anonymity of the internet allows those with traditionally unacceptable ideologies to connect, to validate each others’ dangerous views, and to convince themselves that they are anything but fringe-dwellers in a society which rejects their violent subcultures.

Facebook is no different, with its algorithms set up to show users the content they are most likely to engage and agree with. After all, as a listed company, Facebook’s primary motivation is to keep users on the site for as many hours a day as possible.

In the past, far-right extremists wore hooded cloaks to hide their identities;

today, they hide behind fake and, alarmingly, real Facebook profiles. One thing that has not changed is that they are, in the majority, disaffected white men. In open society, these men are, or perceive themselves to be, rejected outcasts. But on internet message boards, in private Facebook groups, and increasingly, on more mainstream, public forums, they are celebrated as heroes. As validation rolls in, even if in as subtle a form as a Facebook like, their ideologies grow more extreme, spurred on by the support and the sense of belonging no doubt missing from their real lives. The effect is even more profound when those with higher profiles, such as conservative commentator Andrew Bolt and Queensland Senator Fraser Anning, lend

71% of extremist-related fatalities in the US between 2008 and 2017 were committed by far-right and white supremacist movements. By comparison, Islamist extremism accounted for 26%, and left-wing extremism just 11%.

their names and voices to the cause.

Revealingly, data from the US ADL Center on Extremism shows that, since September 11, 2001, white supremacists and other far-right extremists have killed far more people on American soil than any other categories of domestic extremist.

In fact, 71% of extremist-related fatalities in the US between 2008 and 2017 were committed by far-right and white supremacist movements. By comparison, Islamist extremism accounted for 26%, and left-wing extremism just 11%.

Authorities often trawl through underground message boards, including on the dark web, but even controlling and prosecuting rampant paedophilia and blatant drug trafficking is an impossible task. Identifying the perpetrators of possible lone wolf terrorist attacks amidst a sea of right-wing trolls is even more impossible; the internet, and the movement, is simply too vast.

The most concerning aspect of the staggering rise of far-right extremism is that it creates a vicious cycle of revenge attacks, xenophobia, fear and suffering, and there is no circuit breaker in sight.

In the past, conflicting ideologies on this scale have led to war. Without intervention and condemnation from those that matter, we may well be doomed to repeat history, despite all the lessons it has taught us.

MARCH (2) 2019 17

INDIAN NEWS Kashmiri youth show solidarity with victims of terror in Christchurch Photo: AP

Christchurch attack: 5 Indian victims The Indian High Commission in New Zealand has confirmed that five Indians were killed in the Christchurch terror attack that claimed 50 lives.

"With a very heavy heart we share the news of loss of precious lives of our five nationals - Maheboob Khokhar, Ramiz Vora, Asif Vora, Ansi Alibava and Ozair Kadir - in the ghastly terror attack," the Indian Mission tweeted.

"Our helpline numbers (021803899 and 021850033) will remain available round the clock to assist families as we together cope with our shared grief," it said.

It also stated a dedicated page to expedite visa for family members of the victims has been set up by the New Zealand immigration office. Fifty people were killed in shootings at Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Avenue Masjid in the city on Friday 15 March after 28-year-old Australian national Brenton Tarrant opened indiscriminate firing.

US to begin accepting new H1-B visa petitions The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would start accepting new H1-B visa petitions for the fiscal year 2020 starting April 1, according to media reports.

The employment start date for these visas would be October 1, the American Bazaar daily has said. Like previous years, the regular visa cap limit for H-1B this year remains at 65,000.

Additionally, another 20,000 petitioners, who possess a Master's, or a higher degree from a US university, will also get the visas.

But, according to many lawyers, this year may be extraordinary, mostly because of the continued scrutiny as well as some subtle rule changes announced earlier this year.

In January, the USCIS introduced a change in the order in which allocations would be counted. The agency will now put all the petitions including the ones with advanced degree in the regular cap. In the second round, it will select the remaining petitions. The new order is expected to increase chances of petitioners with a US Master's degree.

According to the USCIS, the new change would result in an estimated 16 per cent rise, or an increase of 5,340 workers, in the selected H1-B petitioners with an advanced 18 MARCH (2) 2019

US degree.

Florida-based paralegal Vishal Ghadia, told the American Bazaar: "In the last six years, USCIS has received enough H1-B applications to fill the 85,000 cap within the first five working days of the month of April. This time, too, we can expect the cap to reach within five days and the number of H1-B applications similar to last few years."

However, some lawyers have said that that an apparent crackdown on H-1B and the overall negative sentiment around immigration would reflect on the filings.

Prominent immigration attorney Sheela Murthy told the American Bazaar: "We expect fewer H-1B filings since many employers are frustrated with the system and the administration that has its head in the sand regarding the shortage of highskilled workers to keep up the momentum of our economy."

Meanwhile, Kansas City-based attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford said that due to "the administration working overtime to limit all immigration, there is an uncertainty to the H-1B season this year".

US Senate confirms Neomi Rao as judge The US Senate has confirmed the appointment of a controversial Indian American jurist, Neomi Rao, to an important judgeship that was vacated by an appointee to the Supreme Court.

Her confirmation last week came after days of opposition from both liberals and the hard right over her writings as an undergraduate and her perceived lukewarm stand on legal abortion.

The Senate voted 53 to 46, to approve her appointment to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals by President Donald Trump to replace Brett Kavanaugh, who was elevated to the Supreme Court. Federal judicial appointments need Senate approval.

Situated in the nation's capital, that court is considered the most influential after the Supreme Court as many important federal cases are heard by it and four of the current nine Supreme Court Judges had previously served on it.

Another Indian-American, Sri Srinivasan, who was on then President Barack Obama's shortlist for the Supreme Court, is also on the DC court of appeals. With Rao's appointment, there would be Indian American candidates that either party

could consider for future vacancies to the Supreme Court.

In an op-ed she wrote for the college newspaper decades ago, she had said about date rape that if a woman "drinks to the point where she can no longer choose, well, getting to that point was part of her choice".

This provoked opposition from liberals and centrists who saw it as blaming the victim rather than the perpetrator.

She wrote a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee apologising for "the insensitivity demonstrated in my remarks on rape and sexual assault".

Trump announced his intention to nominate her for the judgeship at the White House Deepavali celebrations last year calling her a "great person" who "is going to be fantastic".

Rao comes from a Parsi family and her parents, both doctors, immigrated from India. A graduate of Yale University, she received her law degree from Chicago University and went on to be a clerk for the conservative African American Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. She has also worked as a lawyer in President George W. Bush's White House and with the Senate judicial committee.

Hyundai, Kia invest around Rs 2,000 crore in Ola In their single biggest investment ever, Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp announced an investment of Rs 2,068 crore ($300 million) in India's leading ride-hailing cab aggregator Ola. The agreement will see the three companies collaborate on building Indiaspecific electric vehicles and infrastructure and developing unique fleet and mobility solutions, Hyundai said.

"This partnership will also significantly benefit driver-partners on our platform, as we collaborate with Hyundai to build vehicles and solutions that enable sustainable earnings for millions of them, in the time to come," said Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO of Ola. Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors will invest $240 million and $60 million respectively in Ola. As part of the strategic collaboration, the companies have agreed to co-create solutions to operate and manage fleet vehicles, marking the Hyundai Motor Group's first foray into the industry, as

they expand operations from automobile manufacturing and sales to total fleet solutions.

The partnership will offer Ola drivers various financial services, including lease and instalment payments, while vehicle maintenance and repair services are expected to enhance customer satisfaction, Hyundai said.

Hyundai, Kia and Ola also agreed to coordinate efforts to develop cars and specifications that reflect the needs of the ride hailing market.

Ola earlier this month raised Rs 400 crore from its early investors, including Tiger Global and Matrix India, to fund its electric mobility business.

The nine-year-old firm had set up in 2018 Ola Electric Mobility Ltd to use batteryrun cabs as a pilot project at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

In tech-era, Himachal official pens postcards to voters In social media times, a Deputy Commissioner in Himachal Pradesh believes in sending self-signed postcards to voters to make them aware about the power of their voting rights and motivate them to exercise that right to strengthen democracy.

The administration of Sirmaur, one of the state's backward districts, has plans to send postcards to all 100,000 household, largely rural, to come and vote for the general election on May 19. It also carries an appeal to the new voters, who attained the age of 18 years in January, to get his or her name registered at the nearest polling station, or with the District Election Office.

As part of the Jagruk Matdata, Loktantra Ka Bhagya Vidhata initiative, a postcard would be sent to each household.

"It's a tradition in the district that locals used to send postcards or invitation cards to family members and friends to invite them for a social function. So, we have decided to post a card to each family," Deputy Commissioner Lalit Jain said.

He said in most of the rural areas in Shillai, Sangrah and Pachhad areas, mobile connectivity is poor and the post offices are the only mode of communication."A postman while delivering a postcard at each household will say that the Deputy Commissioner has sent a message for you through this letter," he said.

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Bangalore school students participate in the School Strike for Climate Action on 15 March 2019 Photo: AP

Jain hopes to reach out to most of the 3,59,000 voters through written messages before polling day. His office has been mailing thousands of postcards to the electorate in the district. Till date, the district administration has sent 25,000 postcards.

Transgender named Maharashtra Election Icon For a second time since 2014, a transgender activist - Gauri Sawant - has been appointed one of Maharashtra's 12 'Election Icons' for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In the previous Lok Sabha, another LGBT activist Lakshmi Narayan Tripathi had been appointed in a similar position to create awareness among the voters, goad them to go and cast their votes to increase the voter turnout, said an official, declining to be identified. Maharashtra has a little more than 2,000 transgenders as registered voters, more than double since the 2014 elections, though there were none before 2012.

Sawant and the women Election Icons shall specially reach out to the female voters to go out along with their families and exercise their franchise.

Azamgarh boy selected for Lindau Nobel laureate meet Azamgarh-born Mohammad Adnan, a PhD student at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D), has been selected to take part in the prestigious Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in Germany. He will get an opportunity to interact with over 30 laureates from the field of science for a week. The Lindau meeting will be held from June 30 to July 5.

Adnan was selected for his research on the emission properties of organic and inorganic materials. The Lindau meeting will be held from June 30 to July 5.

The researcher from the Department of Physics at IIT-D is working on high intensity ultra-fast light matter interaction of special kind of metal organic framework, which is useful for advance optoelectronic device.

According to the Lindau Nobel website, "Once every year, more than 30 Nobel laureates convene in Lindau to meet the next generation of scientists: 500-600 undergraduates, PhD students and postdoctorate researchers from all over the world."

NATIONAL EDITION

Adnan said he had sent his application to the Department of Science and Technology of the government, which vetted his credentials and research work and then forwarded the application to the Lindau committee."I am excited to attend this meeting. I will get a chance to interact with so many Nobel laureates at one place," he said, adding that he also won a NewtonBhabha Fellowship in February under which he will be visiting the Cambridge University from July to November this year.

Adnan, who completed his schooling from Azamgarh, finished B.Sc from Aligarh Muslim University and topped the M.Sc. examination in 2015. Every year since 1951, Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, physics, physiology and medicine meet at Lindau to discuss the issues of importance in their respective fields with students from around the world.

Deakin University felicitates Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw India's biotech queen and Biocon Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been conferred with an honorary doctorate from Deakin University in Australia's Victoria state for her contribution to biotechnology, the company said recently.

"Kiran has been recognised for her entrepreneurial role in the field of biotechnology and for her sustained contribution to industry-academia collaboration between Australia and India," the Bengaluru based Biocon said.

Mazumdar-Shaw was appointed as the Australian Global Alumni Ambassador by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2016 and is also the Victorian Business Ambassador for the government of the southeast Australian state of Victoria.

"I am proud to receive this coveted recognition from Deakin University and inspired to be presented with the honour in the year when Deakin is celebrating 25 years of association with India," the Biocon chief said on the occasion.

Anny Divya youngest woman to command Boeing 777 In a celebration of the power of women, Microsoft-owned professional networking platform LinkedIn brought Anny Divya, the world's youngest female pilot to fly the Boeing 777, to its league of global influencers.

"Anny Divya has a strong voice that will inspire our members to go after their dream job," said Mahesh Narayanan, Country Head-India, LinkedIn. LinkedIn's invitation-only influencer programme hosts over 500 global leaders, thinkers and innovators like media mogul Oprah Winfrey, actor Priyanka Chopra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a LinkedIn influencer, Divya shared her story with over 610 million global and over 55 million Indian members on how she fought societal conventions, language barriers and family pressure to succeed in a maledominant profession.

Born to a lower middle-class family in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, becoming a pilot was Divya's dream job as a school girl. She started learning flying at the age of 17 and in two years at 19 she received her licence and was employed with Air India.

"When I became the youngest woman to command a Boeing 777, I didn't realise that I had unknowingly become an inspiration to young women around the world, who want to pursue a profession in flying. I am excited to share my learnings as a LinkedIn Influencer and I look forward to inspiring others through my personal story," Divya said.

Divya, 32, now flies ultra-long-haul international flights and is an inspiration to girls across the country.

Mary Kom aims for gold at 2020 Olympics It is said that champions are made and not born. The struggle, effort and the determination to keep trying till you succeed is what makes a champion stand out and no one would know this better than champion boxer MC Mary Kom. The only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the seven world championships, there is no stopping her.

Even though the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is more than 15 months away, Mary Kom is already planning for the biggest event in sporting history.

Speaking on the sidelines of a shoot with a sports brand, Mary Kom said that 2019 held special significance for her as this was the qualification year for the Tokyo Olympics and she must ensure that she plans the road ahead with precision.

"2020 is very close. This is one of the most important year for me as I look to qualify

for the Tokyo Olympics. We have already figured out the plan ahead. Without a plan or strategy you cannot move forward. The most important thing is to stay injury-free as that will help me give it my all as I prepare for 2020," she said.

Having recently competed in Germany and won all her fights, one would expect her to be happy with the start to the season.

But Mary Kom is already looking at areas she needs to improve on just like a true champion athlete. "I have already tested my body as the fight in Germany was my first in the 51 kg category and that was a great experience. I think I have to improve a bit in certain areas like strength, power and stamina and I noted that and will figure these things out with my trainer," she explained.

At the training trip in Germany, Mary Kom defeated Ukraine's Daria Sierhieieva, Germany's Ursula Gottlob and Norway's Veronica Losvik. Even though her victories were unanimous 5-0 verdicts, Mary Kom wants to keep working hard and plan for different situations that may challenge her as she dreams of a gold in the 2020 Games.

"I have already been planning on ways to tackle opponents in the 51 kg category and I have had a bit of an experience on competing in this category in the past year.

I now have some idea of the opponents and that helps me to plan the moves to get better," she said.

Asked about the next tournament she would be competing in, Mary Kom said: "I think the India Open will be the next competition that I will be competing in. The rest I have to see the calendar and only then I can tell you."

Even as experts keep asking if age is catching up with the superstar boxer, Mary Kom is happy about her fitness level and her association with big brands means she is right up there with the best.

Coming back to the Olympics, while one hopes that India can come back with a rich haul, Mary Kom doesn't wish to put a number on how many medals India will win. "I am not god and I don't think I should comment on whether justice will be done or not. But in my opinion, every athlete who will be a part of the Olympic will be looking to give it their best and make the country proud. I do not think there is any doubt in that," she explained.

IANS MARCH (2) 2019 19

LIFESTYLE

The power of

petals How the restorative effects of gardening helped Preeti Sawrikar bounce back after a bout of ill health

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

F

or someone who worked with NSW Lotteries for 24 years, Preeti Vijaya Sawrikar is well aware about chance and probabilities. She decided to play the biggest gamble when she laid her life in the hands of a young doctor who promised his best to try to make her life worth living again. And it paid.

In a way these accompanying pictures of her thriving garden tell the story of Preeti’s spirit to survive. The problem was her degenerated neck. In spite of being on morphine on a daily basis, the pain never subsided and sleep eluded her. Less than six months ago, Preeti thought that life was not worth living anymore. Three major surgeries later, 23 hours in all, these thoughts are well and truly a thing of the past.

She credits the skilful hands of neurosurgeon Dr Rajesh Reddy. The operation could have left Preeti in a coma, a quadriplegic, blind, without speech or dead, but she managed to dodge all these risks by trusting her doctor. He explained the risks but was willing to take the chance that more senior doctors had declined. “The irony is that when Dr Reddy was born, I had just arrived in Australia as a new bride,

20 MARCH (2) 2019

and went to the hospital to visit his mother, who was a friend. I had no idea that one day my life would be in his hands,” says Preeti wondrously.

Bouncing back to tend her garden after almost a month in hospital, Preeti’s silent wards smile back at her, and at all those who visit the jam-packed garden, in her Concord home. She has lived here since the 1970s with her husband Dr Purushottam Sawrikar. No nook or cranny is spared.

Walls, fences, rafters and windows – a plant hangs everywhere.

“It wasn’t like this always,” says Preeti.

The spaces were bare while the young couple were busy with their work and raising two children. A bad accident which caused burns to a third of Preeti’s body, left her depressed and it was a wise doctor who advised her to take up gardening.

A neighbour was passionate about bromeliads and so she started with this plant. “One became many and my hobby slowly became a passion, then an obsession,” she laughs, adding “Each mother plant gave babies and my family expanded. They are about a thousand now!”

When asked about how she managed to create such a beautiful garden, Preeti says, “I watched every

garden show, went to exhibitions, read books and scoured the internet for tips from other gardeners.”

After retiring from full-time work in 2010, this has been her main occupation, often spending three to five hours daily tending her plants.

Here you can see epiphytic plants, tied to fences, a variety of bromeliads, including the massive bromeliad Alcantarea, orchids and succulents. Like a parent

HORTICUL THERAPY

The therapeutic qual have been known to In the last forty-odd y conducted by psycho provided scientific ev In a classic study tha interest in this area, post-surgery patients recovered faster, and pain medication, if th opened out to the na as opposed to built s Gardens influence cognitive, and psycho being of individuals. stress and anxiety by competing stimuli in Working with plants causes us to live in th moment. It allow us as in controlling bed weeds, giving us sati But there are other qualities as well. To p it is said, is to believe Gardeners will tell yo garden inculcates qu and careful watchful thrift, and very signifi And even those of gardeners take from qualities of serenity, tolerance, and the no coexistence.

Gardens also bring connect with the end an acceptance of the cycle, and the solace in rebirth or new birt gardening” could be with trauma and loss (Check out the work Whiteley in Wendy's Lavender Bay, Sydne

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proudly extolling the virtues of their child, Preeti speaks about her Alcanterea whose impressive size is matched by its humungously erect flower bloom. “It can take up to 20 years for this bromeliad to bloom and then the mother plant slowly dies,” says Preeti.

Another impressive plant in Preeti’s garden is the Brahma Kamal, a plant sacred to Hindus and revered as the flower of Lord Brahma. This night blooming flower has a delicate fragrance. You are considered very lucky if you see it bloom and Preeti and Purushottam have certainly seen a lot of these flowers.

Preeti loves to share her plants with one and all. There is only one condition imposed - you must love and care for her gift. Preeti says, “When you have brought a plant into your family and they give babies, you don’t have the heart to throw them away when space gets limited. So I am always happy for them to find a new loving home.”

There is no doubt that besides the support of her family, Preeti’s garden has played a big role in her recovery.

“My garden has been my pain management and my therapy,” she says.

She has only the highest praise for Dr Reddy and all the

‘angels’, the nurses and staff at the hospital.

The treatment was so good that Preeti’s life is almost normal. Now with the skull, neck and fore bones of her back fused with plates, bridges and screws, Preeti is full of amazing plant ideas.

As I follow Preeti around in her magical garden, I can’t help admiring the feat of modern medicine, the hands of a skilled doctor and the faith of this patient.

“Lots of people have helped me but these plants are such a major part of my recovery,” acknowledges Preeti.

LTURE

lities of nature man for ages. years, research ologists has vidence as well. at perhaps ignited it was found that s in a hospital ward d required less heir ward windows atural environment, structures. the physical, osocial wellNature reduces y screening out n our busy lives. and flowers he present to feel in control, ds and borders and isfaction. r recuperative plant a garden, e in tomorrow. ou that to tend a ualities of patience lness; industry and ficantly, trust. us that are not m gardens the endurance, otion of peaceful

g us in close d of existence; e life and death e and upliftment th. Indeed “grief a way of coping s. of artist Wendy Secret Garden at ey).

NATIONAL EDITION

MARCH (2) 2019 21

WHAT’S ON HOLI

Holi Fri 22 Mar (9.00pm -3.00pm) Holi Bhangra night at Zeta Bar, Level 4, 488 George St. Details 0412 739 020.

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.

Holi at Coogee Sat 23 Mar (11.00am – 3.00pm) Dilwale MQ & Ekansh USYD have joined forces to bring you the best Holi event of the year. At Coogee Beach. Details ekansh.sydneyuni@ gmail.com.

Holi with Music and Comedy Sun 24 Mar (6.30pm – 9.30pm) Team India organises Holi with live band, songs, dances and comedy. 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.

Yuva Holi Sun 24 Mar (11.00am – 3.00pm) With great games, killer beats and of course all the colour in the world, prepare yourselves for the best Holi event of the year.

At Wyatt Park (49 Church Street) Lidcombe. Details 02 9735 1222.

Hola Mohalla Sun 24 Mar (9.00am – 7.00pm) In conjunction with Shaheedi Faujan Gatka Akhara and the Australian Sikh Association, Akaal Fauj will be hosting their very first Hola Mohalla event. At Gurdwara Sahib Glenwood, 4/18 Meurants Ln, Glenwood. Details 0433 580 539.

HARMONY DAY

Music from Many Cultures Sat 23 March (10.00am – 2.00pm)Hear from musicians of Indian, Greek, Chinese, Indonesian, Russian and Latin American backgrounds in a Multicultural March event. Learn about their instruments and the cultural messages they entail.

Lionel Bowen Library, 669-673 Anzac Parade, Maroubra. Details 9093 6400.

STAGE

Vir Das in Sydney Sat 23 Mar (7.00pm – 9.30pm) India's top comic, Vir Das comes 22 MARCH (2) 2019

back to Sydney. At Sir John Clancy Auditorium, 9 High St, Kensington.

Details 02 9385 1515.

Arangetram Sat 23 Mar (4.00pm – 8.00pm) Nritya Niketan Arangetram of Janvi Ellora Sanika Ravina. At UNSW Science Theatre, F13, UNSW, Union Rd, Kensington. Details 02 9385 1515.

COMMUNITY

Welcome Party 2019 Thu 21 Mar (6.00pm – 11.00pm) UTS Indian Society presents Welcome Party 2019 for those away from home looking to make new friends. At The Underground UTS, 15 Broadway, Ultimo. Details 02 9514 1149.

Mela Melna Da Sun 7 Apr (12.00pm – 5.00pm) A ladies only event celebrating the Punjabi festive season of sisterhood with stalls, food, shopping and entertainment. At Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell St, Blacktown. Details 0451 786 205.

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

Bollywood dance class is for people ages 5 to 12 years old that live in the Cumberland Local Government Area. At Westmead Progress Hall, 43 Hassall St. Details 02 8897 2218.

SPIRITUAL

Lunch time meditation Thu 21 Mar (12.15pm – 1.00pm) Sit back, relax and be guided through a mind-body relaxation led

by Brahma Kumaris Association.

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

Details 02 9223 2702.

Kirtan with Madhava Sat 23 Mar (6.30pm – 9.30pm) Divine and powerful chants and kirtan with Sri Madhava Naidoo. Qi Yoga Freshwater studio, 2 Moore Road, Freshwater. Details 9976 6880.

Total Dhamaal Sat 23 Mar (6.00pm) Avijeet Roy and VIP come together for Bollywood’s Total Dhamaal night.

At Diamond showroom, Blacktown Workers Club, 55 Campbell St, Blacktown. Details 0404 463 699.

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.

Ranjit Bawa live Sat 23 Mar (6.00pm) Ranjit Bawa performs live in Sydney. At C3 Church Silverwater, Silverwater.

Details 02 9748 5700.

Mata ki Chowki Fri 29 Mar (6.30pm – 11.00pm) Mata ki Chowki at The Ponds Community Hub, 45 Riverbank Dr, The Ponds. Details 0433 424 861.

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.

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.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bollywood hip-hop masterclass Mon 1 Apr (6.30pm – 7.30pm) Looking for a fun way to work out?

Experience this exciting blend of hip-hop and Bollywood dance.

Mango City at Seymour Theatre, City Rd & Cleveland Street, Chippendale.

Details 02 9690 2115.

Rhythms of Bollywood Sat 13 Apr (6.30pm – 1.30pm) Ekal Youth Australia is back with the most anticipated Bollywood dance event of the year. At Hurstville Entertainment Centre, 16 Mac Mahon St, Hurstville.

Details 0429 041 997.

Bollywood dance class Wed 24 Apr (1.00pm – 3.00pm) Cumberland Council - School Holiday Program and Swastik Institute of Dance present

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. Details Karo 0413 535 157.

Chinmaya Mission youth camp 5-7 April Inviting youth in the age group 18-35 for the annual national youth weekend, titled ‘Be fearless’, with Swami Swaroopananda.

Venue: St. Joseph’s Convention Centre, Bringelly. Details www. auschykcamp or call Naman 0425 262 103.

Guru Nanak anniversary Sat 13 Apr (4.30pm – 9.00pm)

National Sikh Council of Australia invites you to celebrate 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji.

At Don Moore Community Centre, Corner North Rocks Rd and Farnell Avenue, Carlingford. Details 0401 211 111.

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.

MISC

IQ2 Debate: Immigration Tue 26 Mar (6.30pm – 8.00pm) A debate on whether or not Australia should curb immigration, given the extensive pressure on its resources and its capabilities to cope with it. At Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street. Details 02 9265 9333.

Slow and yet slower fashion Thu 28 Mar (6.30pm – 7.30pm) Lokesh Ghai, artist and designer based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India will give a presentation on his research into traditional garment construction in the Kutch region of Gujarat in western India, a true example of slow fashion.

At UNSW Art & Design, Cnr Oxford St and Greens Rd, EG02 Lecture Theatre, Paddington. Details 02 8936 0684.

Writing Contemporary Australia Tue 28 Mar (6.30pm – 8.00pm) Michelle de Kretser and Roanna Gonsalves in conversation with Suneeta Peres da Costa on how fiction enables us to understand the world we live in, and what forms of belonging does it explore.

At Io Myers Studio, UNSW Sydney, Gate 2, High Street, Kensington.

Details 02 9385 5684.

Business in India with James Bradley Thu 4 Apr (5.30pm – 6.30pm) James Bradley, co-founder of Diffuse Energy, and participant in an immersion program aimed at promoting entrepreneurship between NSW and India’s technology markets, will will share his insights into the investor and manufacturing epicentre of India.

At I2N Hub Hunter Street, 376 Hunter Street, Newcastle. Details 02 4913 8600.

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MARCH (2) 2019 23

FESTIVAL

Rang barse…

Rang-vang, naach-gaana, khaana-peena: AHIA Holi has it all

H

oli. The very word conjures up images of colours, joy and fun-filled abandon – of spraying coloured powder gulal and coloured water, through pitchkaris, balloons, buckets and what not on friends and strangers alike.

This centuries-old Indian tradition of a ‘muck-up day’ has found favour in modern times all across the globe.

Hindu mythology has it that the festival symbolises victory of good over evil: the demoness Holika was burned to death and her evil brother Hiranyskashipu destroyed by good forces, even though both had the powers of invincibility. Holi also marks the coming of the spring season.

The Sydney-based Australia Hindi-Indians Association (AHIA) celebrated this festival in a big way in early March. A huge crowd of members, their families and friends, around 450, gathered at Harvey Lowe Pavillion, Castle Hill. The venue was apt for such an event.

The turnout was massive indeed but it was very well managed by the AHIA executive members and the volunteers. Everyone was in the spirit of playing Holi, enthusiastic, laughing, smearing gulal - red, yellow, green - on one another. What a charged atmosphere it was, the DJ playing favourite Holi dance numbers such as Rang Barse. Everyone danced with abandon, forgetting the mundane, oblivious of their tensions and extending a hand of friendship to strangers.

For many children, it was their first exposure to Holi and they had

24 MARCH (2) 2019

a blast. Among the predominantly Indian crowd, one could spot Australians and Asians who had joined us to celebrate the Festival of Colour, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere, thrilled to be there.

This showed what Australia is rightly proud of, a colourful and vibrant multiculturalism!

The food stalls of favourite Indian snacks golgappas, chaatpapri, tiki chhole, were enjoyed by all. People were amazed and delighted that thandai, a traditional milk drink prepared on Holi, was also served.

Later, delicious lunch was served with freshly made bhaturas. One could see Ajayji, of the famed Maya da Dhaba, himself at the wok on this occasion, and enjoying it thoroughly!

This is what par excellence service is all about and this kind of personal attention makes him the best in town.

Thanks to Maya da Dhaba staff. Once more the DJ music and rhythmic dhol reverberated in the hall and then began the dandiya dance.

The time and effort in making this celebration a huge success by the AHIA Executive Committee is commendable. Each one of them contributed more than hundred percent. A special mention must be made about the exceptionally energetic Sushma Ahluwalia, AHIA executive member, whose untiring efforts took this event to another level.

Of course, the success of any function depends on the public support, which was found in plenty.

There were pleas to make these celebrations a permanent annual feature of AHIA events.

Subhashini Channa

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MARCH (2) 2019 25

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WOMEN

Talking about rape US-based Indian-origin writer Sohaila Abdulali talks about personal experience, her research and her professional experience at a rape crisis centre BY APARNA ANANTHUNI

W

e need to talk about rape.

Or rather, what rape is, and what it is not. This is what struck me most, listening to Sohaila Abdulali speak at Melbourne’s Wheeler Centre about her new book, What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape – what she called her “manifesto for living”. Abdulali was confident, humorous, and strident as she spoke about rape, as a survivor, as someone who has gone on to have a “great life”, and as someone who also decided she still had more to say, some thirty years later.

I walked away from her with the most unexpected feeling: lightness.

Because what we normally do is circle rape, warily. We treat it like a rare, poisonous flower. We treat it like a spectre.

We treat it like shame so intense it should kill you. We treat it like Lord Voldemort: He Who Must Not Be Named.

Abdulali, instead, got right up in rape’s face, and said ‘I know you, I know what you are.’

So, ladies and gentleman – well, mostly gentleman, let’s be honest – let me tell you a few things about rape…

crime is unique,” Abdulali mused. “Rape is not more unique than other unique crimes.”

The difference is that rape is forcibly entangled with so many other things: “It’s so tied up in our minds with honour and shame and blah and sex and being spoilt,” Abdulali said. It’s also, as she pointed out, “the one crime that we judge according to how the victim reacts.”

Rape shouldn’t be put in a separate box to other traumatic physical crimes. “By bringing it into the realm of terrible traumas like other terrible traumas you’re not diminishing it or say it’s less; you’re just saying, it’s as manageable or not as other things.”

Rape is not sex, but we have to talk about sex when we talk about rape

really encouraging rape.”

Why do those who have been raped so often feel shame at being raped, something that can’t really be said of any other crime?

“I think it’s partly…the confusion of rape and sex,” Abdulali said. “As people and society we have a lot of shame about sex.” As a sexual act, then, rape makes us “ashamed and weirded out and uncomfortable.”

So, sex education is absolutely key. “If we’re teaching sex education or sex ethics to boys and girls in such a way that they come to regard sex as something men can take, and men can enjoy, and women, it’s really for them to just put up with …then we’re

Rape is a choice, not a character trait There’s a short, clear answer to the question of ‘what causes rape’ and Abdulali gave it unapologetically: “Men!” And it’s completely, undeniably true – it’s almost always men who are the perpetrators of rape.

But no, it’s not a ‘certain type’ of man, as so many of us would like to believe.

Because the terrifying, sobering fact is that men who rape aren’t the ogres from fairytales, or the monsters under the bed.

They are as human as you or I. They make

a choice. As Abdulali quipped in response to those who worry about the demonisation of ‘poor innocent men’ through movements like #MeToo: “I don’t know where these innocent men are!”

“Who are these men? They’re regular guys, they’re regular husbands and fathers,” she said. “I wish I could say, ‘these men are different’. I think it’s a potential in everyone, a choice everyone could make.

And many don’t.”

Rape is like any other crime and yet it’s not Rape is complicated. “It’s a crime like any other crime, and yet it’s not; it’s unique - every

To stop rape, you need to dismantle patriarchy Rape is entrenched in behaviours and attitudes: it’s not outside society, it’s right in the thick of it.

“What are we talking about, with rape?”

Abdulali asked. “We’re talking about an entire culture of a way that men treat women, and then we all treat each other.”

Rape will continue as long as we are, as she so nicely put it, “mesmerised by patriarchy.”

“You could go out and be marching in the streets and demonstrating against rape, but if you come in and you give your son the first helping, it’s cancelling everything you’ve done.”

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MARCH (2) 2019 27

SCHOOL

Learning to learn In the hurry to complete tasks, nothing is truly finished BY MOHAN DHALL

F

amilies feel time poor, driven from one thing to another, back to back. Forever on the go, much gets done, but not much is actually accomplished. The hurry from here to there, the distraction of messages, the backto-back nature of the self against stillness and reflection - the hum gives no room for silence.

Simply, there is too little time to spend with one another other than in the transitions between things.

At school, the hurry to finish assessments and the focus on getting things done lead to a huge compromise in the lives of our students.

The students, in this busy distracted world, are not being given a chance to learn how to learn.

A crowded curriculum is anathema to learning. As one leading educator told me recently, “There is too much breadth and

not enough depth”.

The distance between learning and simply perfunctory doing can be seen in this: I was working alongside some students who were required to do research on an area of business. The research required students to answer a wide range of questions. Each question or aspect of business touched on was of itself, deeply interesting.

However, most of the students were in a hurry to finish. They simply wanted to do what was necessary to complete the task.

In their hurry to completion they compromised their learning. They did not question deeply, did not reflect, did not critique or even evaluate the accuracy of the data they were researching.

However, in terms of educational structures – they were doomed to fail in real learning. They were given little lead time to do the work, no class time to discuss the work and the task was given in conjunction with five other tasks from other subject areas. Each subject area was demanding, articulating a selfish priority.

The students were overwhelmed.

They had no time to learn how to learn to successfully complete the task I saw, nor any task to any standard that would constitute real learning.

It was simply a case of poor school-wide planning, outsourcing the idea of deep learning to students and then “managing” the obvious and predictable resulting stress by telling the students they needed to “focus” and be better organised.

To learn to learn takes time. In cognition, and in the development of thinking, educators talk about a growth mindset.

They discuss the development of neural pathways that create deeper ways of thinking and knowing.

Learning to learn does not easily come from drowning in too much work.

“TIME TAKES TIME” Experience comes with the passing of time. It cannot authentically be gleaned from books or movies and it cannot be “created or manufactured” through memorised template answers. Learning to learn requires that schools and families create structures that allow time for real, deep learning. Not move at a pace so fast that nothing is learned except how to do what is necessary to get by.

INDIAN LINK SOCIAL MEDIA 28 MARCH (2) 2019

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BOOKS

The history of Ind V Aus

Sydney-based historian Kersi Meher-Homji on the highlights, as well as the less documented moments, of a 70-year relationship BY RITAM MITRA

A

s India and Australia conclude yet another bilateral series – just a mere two months after the end of India’s historic tour Down Under – it’s easy to forget that the countries have not always been such familiar foes.

From Bradman to Kohli, the latest book penned by renowned cricket historian Kersi Meher-Homji, explores the vagaries of the relationship between perhaps the two most dominant forces in world cricket over the last 20 years, recounting in detail the most memorable (and some forgotten) moments in what has recently become, but has by no means always been, cricket’s premier rivalry.

India and Australia did not play their first Test match against each other until 1947, with India’s 1932 emergence as a Test nation halted throughout World War II. It was an enormous mismatch; India, in every respect a juvenile in world cricket, was roundly thrashed by an innings and 226 runs in Brisbane as Bradman’s Australians, who would later that year be anointed as the Invincibles in a legendary tour of England, ran rampant. Much like Warne’s unremarkable figures of 1-150 in his debut Test against India in 1992, so too was India’s introduction to Australia less than promising.

From Bradman to Kohli is perhaps the most complete record of the Test matches played between the two nations since that 1947-48 tour, a contest which has since 1996 been known as, and has been played for, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Most cricket fans today - age permitting - will remember the more recent contests chronicled in the book, particularly those played in the digital information age. But it is those less documented moments recounted

by Meher-Homji, which unfolded before the advent of not only television, but well before transistor radios, which particularly capture the imagination and evoke nostalgic intrigue.

The majority of cricket followers are familiar with one of cricket’s most debated rules, officially known in the MCC laws as “Non-striker leaving the crease early”, but in every other context, referred to as the ‘Mankad rule’, after Indian bowler Vinoo Mankad infamously ran out Australia’s Bill Brown in this manner at the SCG during India’s debut tour of Australia. What is not as widely recalled about that incident was it was the fourth time on the tour that Brown had either been warned or actually run out

by Mankad in this manner. In a previous tour game at the SCG, Mankad had warned and subsequently run Brown out at the non29 NATIONAL MARCH EDITION (2) 2019

From Bradman to Kohli is perhaps the most complete record of the Test matches played between the two nations since the first tour in 1947-48 striker’s end, while in the next tour match against Queensland, Mankad had once again warned Brown when he strayed too far from the crease.

Mankading is still seen as an unsportsmanlike act today, despite being encoded in the laws of the game. Yet as Meher-Homji notes, at the time, many, including Bradman, suggested that Brown should have learned from his earlier mistakes. Meher-Homji quotes Bradman’s comments in his 1950 autobiography Farewell to Cricket: “Mankad was an ideal type, and he was so scrupulously fair that he first of all warned Brown before taking any action. There was absolutely no feeling in the matter as far as we were concerned, for we considered it quite a legitimate part of the game”.

Often lost too, to the annals of history, are the intricacies of touring life that are no longer part of today’s game, whether for better or for worse. In 1935-36 and 1945, for instance, Australia sent a number of “unofficial” Australian representative sides to India, including a mixture of retired ex-players well into their 40s as well as emerging talents. Forgotten too, given the current trends of entering Test series

with barely a warm-up match in sight, is that in the pre-Packer days, touring teams would play all states before their first Test, as did India in its maiden tour of 1947-48.

On the other side of the coin, it’s only in the second half of India’s relationship with Australia that Australian players stopped dreading tours of the subcontinent. Until the 1970s, touring India meant the very real risk of gastroenteritis, sub-standard accommodation and inhospitable conditions. In fact, some Australian players even came close to dying from their afflictions – just ask Gordon Rorke, who fell so ill in 1959-60, he never played another Test, but would have felt lucky just to survive.

More than anything though, MeherHomji’s book is a reminder of the rich and storied history of India-Australia Test cricket, and how far both countries have come since they first faced off some 70 years ago. Although it is India’s identity in particular that has changed most markedly, it is not too far a stretch to say that the valiant efforts of the likes of Hazare, Tiger Pataudi, Bedi and Gavaskar, played no small role in paving the way to India’s historic triumph in Australia this summer.

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MARCH (2) 2019 29

TRAVEL

FIVE SMALL GEMS

The tiniest nations in the world make for some wonderful travel destinations

A noble house in Liechtenstein

St. Johns Co-Cathedral in Malta

Monaco-Ville in Monaco

30 MARCH (2) 2019

The Pieta in the Vatican

The blue waters of the Maldives

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MALDIVES (300 SQUARE KM) Around 400 miles southwest of India in the Indian Ocean, Maldives is an archipelago comprising of almost 1200 islands, though only around 200 of them are inhabited. Half of these are home to exotic resorts, each occupying an island on their own. People from around the globe crowd these exotic sanctuaries to get married, celebrate special moments of life or just to chill and enjoy the spectacular underwater scenery.

Male, dotted on an island, is the capital while the international airport rests on another, so it’s not a taxi but a boat or a seaplane that transfers visitors to their resorts in different islands.

BY SANDIP HOR

T

he United Nations lists 193 countries as members. Some of them are so small that many cities are giants compared to them. The top 10 smallest countries cover a total area of 1491 square km, which is almost the size of Delhi alone. With their own government and culture, some of these countries are in the bucket list of every avid traveller. I list here five such destinations.

MONACO (2 SQUARE KM) Dotted on the French Riviera region with France bordering on three sides and the Mediterranean in the front, Little Monaco for decades has been the playground for the riches and hedonists. With a population of around 39000, it’s the planets most densely populated city, well known for its luxurious lifestyle. Home to the annual Formula One Grand Prix, capital Monte Carlo is renowned for its yacht-lined harbour and top end casinos, most glamourous is the Casino Monte Carlo. Other major things to see are the Royal Palace, Marine Museum and the St Nicholas Cathedral.

MALTA (316 SQUARE KM) Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta is an archipelago of three main inhabited islands, Gojo, Comino and Malta, which is the largest of the three. Capital Valletta and other tourist throbbed quarters like historic Mdina, Rabat, the Three Cities (Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua) and the fishing town of Marsaxlokk are all located in Malta Island. The much smaller islands of Gozo and Comino are a short ferry ride from its shores.

Other than ruins of some prehistoric temples, largely what can be seen today were built by the Knights of St John in the 16th century during their 268year rule. This includes magnificent forts, palaces, cathedrals, gates and mansions, some expressing the best of baroque design in the world – key example is the St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Wonderful art inside makes it no less invigorating than any worldclass museum.

LIECHTENSTEIN (160 SQUARE KM) While exploring Switzerland, a visit to tiny Liechtenstein, the sixth smallest country in the world, can be highly rewarding. Well-known for its stunning natural beauty, the nation is governed by a friendly Prince whose home in capital Vaduz, a magnificent castle, is a major attraction while a visit to his winery is stimulating. Most surprising is the presence of an Indian restaurant, which no doubt spices up the local taste buds, but more importantly feeds busloads of Indian tourists that arrive from Switzerland.

VATICAN CITY (0.44 SQUARE KM)

TOP TIPS

The seat of Roman Catholicism and home of the Holy Pope, Vatican City, is the smallest country in the world. Stuck inside Rome, the state mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports and license plates, operates media outlets and has its own flag and anthem. All security matters are managed by Swiss Guards.

The iconic site here is the 16th century built St. Peter’s Basilica, which treasures some of the most significant artworks of the Renaissance period, Michelangelo’s the ‘Pieta’ and his frescos including the ‘Creation of Adam’ inside the Sistine Chapel being the crowd pullers.

• Last Sunday of every month, the entry inside St Peter’s Basilica is free. Other days, book tickets online to beat the long queues • Monaco can be explored as a

NATIONAL EDITION

day-trip from Nice in France.

• Liechtenstein is a short train and bus journey from Zurich.

• Visit Maldives sooner rather than later as it survives today standing

just two meters above sea level.

Environmentalists forecast that due to drastic climate changes, its remaining land by end of the century will be swallowed by the

ocean and Maldives will be wiped off the world map.

• Malta is easy to explore though traffic jams can cause major delays.

MARCH (2) 2019 31

ENTERTAINMENT

cineTALK IRRESISTIBLE PIECE ON PEACE

HAMID STARRING: Talha Alshad Reshi, Vikas Kumar, Rasika Duggal DIRECTOR: Aijaz Khan

HHHH

Business

Political turmoil and separatist violence have now become synonymous with Kashmir. It wasn't always that way.

Once known as heaven on earth, the paradisiacal importance of the violent valley is celebrated in muted shades of innocence and redemption in this gentle saga of love, trust and belief during times of acute strife.

This is a film that Majid Majidi could have made. The blend of blood and innocence is the hallmark of the Iranian auteur's filmmaking style.

Director Aijaz Khan has adapted Majidi's style wholesale and then given it his own striking yet unostentatious twist.

This is a Kashmir shrouded in militancy and yet salvaged by redemptive twists of fate which perhaps would stump even God. Standing tall in this slender parable of strife and humanism is little Hamid, played with an instinctive gravity and artless wisdom by Talha Alshad Reshi.

Casting him is half the battle won. As little Hamid converses on his missing father's cell phone with 'God' (who turns out to be a troubled CRPF trooper with a Bihari accent) the plot puts forward a sturdy yet subtle argument for dialogue, albeit on an artless "poetic" level, which for all practical purposes serves no purpose in the real world of stone pelters and human bombs.

And yet in spite of the film blissfully burying its head in the clouds, there is a burning yearning for peace underlining the treacherous tranquility of the film's surface.

In fact, the director doesn't seem to be very comfortable with the bursts of violence that punctuate little Hamid's dialogues with 'God'.

The film's only unconvincing moments are those that show the characters losing their equilibrium.

Hamid's desperate desire for the

return of his missing father, his unlikely phone-friendship with the trooper Abhay, and his eventual realisation that the father he so anxiously awaits will never return, are mapped in a labyrinth displaying the pathway of pain and suffering into the human heart.

Adapting this poetic political parable to the large screen, director Aijaz Khan forfeits none of Kashmir's scenic outdoor beauty, nor at the same time, does the film's frames look like touristic brochure.

As the story of little Hamid unfolds in a tapestry of pain and self-realisation, we are taken on a subtle tender yet revealing voyage into the valley of violence.

While the little boy Talha Alshad Reshi with his big questioning eyes is a natural-born scene stealer, Rasika Duggal as an impoverished single parent struggling to come to terms with the immensity of her loss, is the portrait of supreme conviction and credibility.

Curiously the film daintily steers away from getting into the murkier aspects of the mother's singlehood in a state ridden with predatory aggression.

For better or for worse, this gem of a film wants to steer its boat away from the violence that stares little Hamid and his mother in the face.

Rounding out this resonant raga of hope, the narrative concludes with little Hamid receiving some expensive paint to colour the boat the boy builds by embracing his father's craft of carpentry.

Red is the colour of blood and bloodshed. But in this film it is also the colour of hope and positivity. It's time to paint the Green Valley into postcardperfect shades again. Hamid brings hope. It's an irresistible piece on peace, and one that every Indian must see.

Subhash K. Jha

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ENTERTAINMENT

SMALL TOWN KIDS WITH BIG AMBITIONS

MILAN TALKIES STARRING: Ali Faizal, Shraddha Srinath, Ashutosh Rana, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Sanjai Mishra DIRECTOR: Tigmanshu Dhulia

HHH "I've heard," says the inexperienced loverboy, "that in the beginning of a romance

22 YARDS STARRING: Barun Sobti, Amartya Ray, Chaiti Ghoshal, Rajit Kapoor, Panchi Bora, Geetika Tyagi, Rajeev Sharma DIRECTOR: Mitali Ghoshal

romance with the juices trickling down its frames. It conveys just the right ingredients of smothered passion and unabashed swagger to make the proceedings pungent and real.

All through the playing time of this tightly-wound but loosely-structured love story, I was sure of one thing. That this is Tigmanshu's most accomplished work since Paan Singh Tomar - smartly written, wisely punctuated and sharply cut, it does everything right even when the characters go horribly wrong in their judgement. Watch the magnificent Ashutosh Rana bellow against destiny when he curses the day he married off his daughter to an impotent goonda. It's a moment of reckoning in a film that revels in revelations, none surprising, but all delightful.

There is no doubt in our minds that the small-town lovers would be finally united in true blue filmy fashion in this film filled with filmy characters, none more filmy than wannabe filmmaker hero's father played with sassy self-mockery by director Tigmanshu Dhulia. The director plays the hero's father as a man lost in the movies of the 1970s not quite connected with the real world outside and hence frozen in a childlike state of existence.

It's a fascinating study of how Hindi cinema impacts and influences small-town lives, done with dollops of brusque humour and tongue-in-cheek drama. Till midpoint Dhulia builds the budding romance between Ali Fazal and debutant Shraddha Srinath (both charming, together and apart, though neither is as exceptional as the supporting cast) like scenes borrowed from the collective consciousness of a

film-obsessed society.

But beneath the vigorous filminess there is the underbelly of societal maladies represented in the clash between the heroine's conservative father and loutish husband. The two roles are brilliantly manoeuvred by Ashutosh Rana and Sikandar Kher into areas of darkness and then steered expertly back into the orbit of light.

But do not confuse the light for lightness. For even as the romance grows in the second-half into a Devdas-remix, that core of buoyant rumination courses through the film's veins, imbuing the central romance with energy and grace.

Milan Talkies is a delightful watch, much of its joy derived from packing in tropes and cliches from Hindi films and re-packaging them with renewed vivacity.

No assessment of this tender tale told in loops of hectic reconnaissance can be complete without a mention of Sanjai Mishra's role as Usman the film projectionist at the eponymous Milan Talkies, where a very crucial part of the romantic reunion unfolds.

Mishra plays a kind of reluctant sutradhaar, who becomes a pivotal character in a romance played out with spectacular ebullience in Allahabad where goons masquerade as moral police, castrating Romeos to protect the Juliets, and provincial film-makers dream of making it big in Bollywood.

Just like Tigmanshu Dhulia, himself the boy from Allahabad who made it big in Bollywood. Milan Talkies tells us it is okay to dream of creating your own Mughal-eAzam in real and real life. Because you never know who is watching.

Subhash K Jha

CRICKET BEHIND THE SCENES

On the performance front, while Barun Sobti is a good actor, as the shy and introvert Ronajit, he is a bit of a disappointment. Probably his character was not well-defined. Also, with a weak, hoarse voice he tries to emulate Farhan Akthar, which does not say much about the character he portrays. Also there is an issue with the consistency of his accent.

Nevertheless, he is charming and rooted.

Panchi Bora in her maiden performance as Sonali is competent.

She is natural and aptly supports Barun as his love interest. Their onscreen chemistry is palpable.

The others in the cast include Geetika Tyagi as Rica, Amartya Ray as Shome the down and out cricketer who Ronajit resurrects, Chaiti Ghosal as Shomea’s sister Krishna and Rajit Kapoor as the psychologist Zahid Khan. They all have their moments of on screen glory.

With moderate production values, the film is skilfully mounted except for the initial stage where the camera work is a bit disconcerting. The visuals and sound are astutely layered by editor Ajay Sharma.

Overall, 22 Yards is an average film that gives a simplistic insight in to the crafty world of cricket.

Troy Ribeiro

there is a lot of sex. And then it wears down to just once in a while on Karwa Chauth or whatever."

Hearing Ali Fazal drawl these words of artless candour in the projection room of a single-theatre in Allahabad, is a pleasure beyond measure.

Milan Talkies a spiffily written, expertly enacted, small-town hormonal

HH 22 Yards is a cricket film that's not actually about cricket. The actual game takes up less than 15 minutes in the film's 124-minute run time.

This sports drama is more of behindthe-scenes events, an exploration of power and the personal struggle of a sports management agent.

The film begins on a tacky note with sweeping stock shots and shifty camera shots giving you insights intothe euphoria as well as the hysteria that surrounds cricket in the country.

The tensions are apparent from the very first scene in the washroom where a successful sports management agent Ronajit Sen (Barun Sobti) subtly chastises his opponent Ravi Khanna (Rajeev Sharma) and his lackey and later on in the stadium when a senior sports journalist Rica (Geetika Tyagi) snubs green horn Sonali (Panchi Bora).

These two scenes sets the ball rolling.

Conversations and associations NATIONAL EDITION

provide neat little bits of expositions till Ronajit Sen falls from grace after being seen in the company of a bookie.

Overnight he is reduced to a pariah.

Beating all odds, how he once again rises like a phoenix, forms the crux of

the tale.

The narrative punctuated with Ronajit's intriguing back story is a huge distraction as well as disappointment.

It lets your mind wander and does not help you return to equilibrium.

MARCH (2) 2019 33

ENTERTAINMENT

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

PATRIOTIC FILM Twenty one Sikh soldiers stood guard as some 10,000 Afghans waited outside to storm in.

That was the Battle of Saragarhi in 1897. The Sikh soldiers were soldiers of the British East India Company.

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar brings to the screen the story of the brave Sikh soldiers in his latest film Kesari, who fought to their deaths against the Pashtun tribesmen.

He has urged the youth to watch the film as he feels the heroic tale has got lost in the pages of history books.

“Indians don’t know much about the Battle of Saragarhi,” he said. “I’m hoping to put this (piece of history) in the school syllabus.”

He himself plays the role of Havildar Ishar Singh, who led the valiant Sikh soldiers.

So are patriotic films his thing, now?

“I don’t like to be typecast,” Akshay replied. “It all depends on the story. I am currently doing Housefull 4 and as well as a horror comedy…”

Action hero, comedy king, social activist, and now Bollywood's poster boy of patriotism, Akshay Kumar says he has still many more areas to explore.

“I have a long way to go. I want to do a lot and I will keep on working hard. I don't want to stop at one point or have only one kind of image. There are many images of mine which I still have to discover.”

Keep on keeping on, AK!

GOOD ON YA, LILLY SINGH!

W

e thought it would never happen. A person of colour, an Indian woman, hosting a late night chat show on American TV. Well, here we are. The winner is Lilly Singh aka Superwoman, who has just landed a big-time gig on a major broadcast network.

The Canadian-born YouTube sensation will replace Carson Daly as the host of NBC's late night talk show. The show will be re-titled A Little Late with Lilly Singh and will launch in September, making her the only woman to host a late night talk show on one of the big networks.

A Little Late will feature Singh, who first became famous as a YouTube star, conducting in-studio interviews, as well as feature pre-taped comedy sketches and other “signature elements”.

Lilly made the announcement on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and was joined by the other late night show host of the network, Seth Myers, who walked in wielding three glasses of champagne.

"An Indian-Canadian woman with her own late night show? Now that is a

34 MARCH (2) 2019

dream come true. I'm thrilled to bring it to life on NBC, and I hope my parents consider this to be as exciting as a grandchild," Lilly said.

It’s clear the Parent LOLs will continue on A Little Late!

Meanwhile, the congratulatory notes have been pouring in, of course from her besties Dwayne, Selina and Priyanka (er, that’s Johnson, Gomes and Chopra respectively), even Canadian PM Justin Trudeau.

Singh will be farewelling the show Last Call with Carson Daly, which ran for 17 years.

Some 20 million people follow her on social media – but the question that has been raised is whether her time slot is relevant to her demographic, the 18-34 age bracket.

The clever Ms Singh will no doubt have a super-smart reply to that one, poor questioners.

All we can say is, the honour is well deserved, even if –‘a little late’.

Drumroll, ha ha!

(Any chance you’re looking for new writers, Lilly?)

THE GRAHAM STAINES STORY Another upcoming film based on a real life incident is The Least of These: The Graham Staines Story, a horrific tale about an Australian missionary who was burned to death along with his two young sons in 1999 by the Hindu fundamentalist Bajrang Dal. Actor Stephen Baldwin plays Graham Staines, and the story is told through the eyes of journalist Manish Kaul, played by Sherman Joshi. Aneesh Daniel directs.

“The film is essentially about love, peace, tolerance and harmony,” Joshi said. “The incident on which the film is based happened in Odisha but it could just as well have happened in the US, Europe, Middle East or in any other part of the world.”

In the end, the film illustrates the power of love, hope and forgiveness to overcome hate.

It releases on 29 March. Coming so close to the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Avenue Masjid shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sherman said, "I feel all of us have a responsibility, and should help stop (divisive ideologies) in our own individual

AKSHAY

ways.”

After the India release, the film will be released in South Africa, East Africa and Europe.

AND NOW, 'INTIMACY SUPERVISORS' ON SETS Actress Celina Jaitly has explained why an ‘intimacy supervisor’ was appointed for her short film directed by journalistauthor Ram Kamal Mukherjee.

"In my humble opinion, this is just a first step towards implementation of (safeguards against) sexual harassment,” she said.

"Neutral communication and vigilance, and strict monitoring of the workplace are the most important duties of an intimacy supervisor."

Celina agrees that under normal circumstances, it is the director's job to ensure no limits of decency are crossed on the sets, but adds, “I have seen and experienced personally that the impact of a powerful position on an individual has a profound effect from a psychological viewpoint. People in power are more likely to wrongly perceive that subordinates are sexually interested in them or available to harass.”

“Intimate scenes can be a breeding ground of sexual misconduct, to draw a fine line between misconduct and acting is treading on thin ice. This is a beginning towards the laying of foundations to fight sexual misconduct at work. Manisha Basu, our intimacy supervisor, was very effective on the sets of Seasons Greetings and she played the role of an impartial and yet sensible bridge between the actors and the director. For the first-time for me since the age of 16, I worked with an intimacy supervisor and it worked like a charm."

Celina's advice to improve the work environment is to champion a zerotolerance policy on acts of discrimination and harassment in the workplace.

"Cine guilds should enlist professionals to train staff at all levels about the risk of harassment and warn them about the consequences should standards not be adhered to. Sexual harassment has been a complicated

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and deep-rooted issue... an anti-sexual harassment policy alone will not be able to stop it from occurring nor will it bring transformation in the sexist attitudes.

However, it will lay the foundation for regular awareness generation, accountable and transparent tackling processes."

Celina feels preventive measures on the sets could have averted the Tanushree Dutta incident.

"In the event of what happened with Tanushree, had there been an intimacy supervisor appointed by a body of power above and outside the production, the outcome of what truly occurred would have been completely different."

the film industry Kalki told IANS. "Of course, there is a change. I would say, consciousness has been created."

Citing an example, she said: "Right after the #MeToo movement took off, I was doing a play where my director was a male, and he sent two pages writeup on how we all should behave at the rehearsal space."

She had an "intimacy rehearsal" where she interacted with her co-actors and asked for permission on "how we will touch each other in an intimate scene".

Things are finally changing in tinseltown…

‘WORKSHOPPING’ INTIMATE SCENES

The quintessential 'Mummyji' of Bollywood movies is donning her motherly avatar as she has begun her over two-month long electoral campaign to retain the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.

Having been elected from there in the 2014 general election by a margin of nearly 70,000 votes and defeating fourtime Member of Parliament (MP) and former Union Railways minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, actor-turned-politician Kirron Kher did well for her first political outing as the BJP candidate.

Hailing from Chandigarh, the 63-year-old Kirron not only faces a tough challenge from the Congress but

National award-winning actress Kalki Koechlin, who has observed a behavioural change among men after the upsurge of the #MeToo movement in India, says workshops ahead of performing any intimate scenes arebecoming important.

"Intimacy workshops are important because like every dance and action sequence is previously choreographed and each actor knows every movement of the performance, an intimate scene is also choreographed. It is not improvised on the spot," she said.

The #MeToo movement has changed

KIRRON KHER TO REPRISE OLD ROLE?

WHO WORE IT BETTER? SHRADDHA KAPOOR OR GIGI HADID IN PRABAL GURUNG?

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NATIONAL EDITION

also from within the local unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chandigarh BJP President Sanjay Tandon and former MP from the Union Territory, Satya Pal Jain, are breathing down her neck as claimants for the BJP ticket. Both were ticket aspirants last time also but Kirron managed to beat them down.

Taking a cue from the popular TV chat show Kofee with Karan (with celebrity host Karan Johar), Kirron has launched her own localised version in Chandigarh with '#CofeeWithKirron'.

None of the local top leaders, it is being claimed, have so far been seen campaigning with her. Till the ticket is decided, she can’t be projected as the candidate even though she is the sitting MP. Kher is campaigning at her own level - meeting advocates, industrialists, housewives, youth, children, businessmen and several others.

We wish her all the best, come 18 May.

What’s the chitchat here between Kirron Kher and Narendra Modi?

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ON TWITTER THIS WEEK Match the following stars to the tweets below: Kirron Kher, Priyanka Chopra, Anupam Kher, Ranveer Singh, Priyanka Chopra again, Alia Bhatt DP 2.0! Original toh... mere paas hai.

Two much to handle.

Main #Maahu, #Behenhu, #Pyarhu. Par #rakshashonkeliye, #sherpesavaarhu. #MainBhiChowkidarhu.

So proud of @iisuperwomanii. First woman of colour to be late night show host. Break them barriers baby! So proud I was nine when I first walked into Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s office, all nervous and hoping and praying that I would be in his next film. It’s been a long wait.

When the hubby goes number one... the wifey gets a #Maybach !! #HotelMumbai union. Happy to be with my friends and co actors @ nazaninboniadi and @armiehammer. @ hotelmumbaifilm

What’s Vicky Kaushal thinking here?

Make love not war Shikha Chandra Congratulations Shikha, you win a movie ticket

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BACKCHAT

ASK AUNTYJI It’s Movember, in March DEAR AUNTYJI My wonderful, happy husband decided recently after he watched IAF pilot Abhinandan on TV, that he too wanted to grow a moustache. Now Auntyji, I have no problems with this type of idol worship, but the problem is ki despite his Rajput background, Raj can't grow a proper luxurious moustache. It's like this is payback from an old curse that my husband will never grow a moustache and will have to do with a thin, scraggly bahaana of a mooch. Raj's moustache took three weeks to sprout 6 or 7 strands, despite daily oiling with a combination of caster, macadamia and almond oils. How do I tell him that he should give up this quest - that the one thing nature has denied him, a Rajput, is facial hair. How do I tell him the kadwa such?

AUNTYJI SAYS Oh, I am proper flummoxed by this situation. What to tell? I suppose I could be kind and tell you that you are only thinking of what's best for

your husband and you want to spare him the humiliation of his friends making a tamasha of his facial forest, or rather, facial weeds, going by how you describe it. But why would I be kind to you when you, a harsh, critical churail is showing no such courtesy to her patiparmeshwar. So listen up for some kadwa such.

Don't be such a dayan. Your husband has decided that like his warrior ancestors before him, he too will grow his mooche. Why rain on his mela?

I think you should completely get behind this endeavour, and help him achieve his goals. Make his lakshya your lakshya and you will live happily ever after. So what if there are only reeds whether there should be thicket.

So what if all you see is saplings when there should be a jungle there? Get behind this cause, nah - I suggest daily grooming with argan oil and eucalyptus oil. Feed your Rajput lionheart lots of nuts and try to limit stress. There will be other benefits too from all this, you sly nagin - if you catch my drift.

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

36 MARCH (2) 2019

position in government organisation.

Please send details with photo: Indsyd2016@gmail.com.

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 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.

Bol baby bol DEAR AUNTYJI I have recently gotten married to a girl from Chennai. She is a really nice person, smart, kind and hardworking.

I think she loves me very much. She is always nice to me, and I do my best to be nice to her. She is very educated and friendly and has many interests, yet I find that she says very little sometimes I wish she would say more.

If I start a topic, she will have much to say on it - but most of the time, she remains quiet. I know she thinks deeply on particular topics, but sometimes I catch her looking into space and I wonder what she is thinking about.

When I ask her - what are you thinking my janoo Sneha - she smiles and says, kuch bhi nahin. Now this has me wondering, how can she be thinking nothing? Sneha kya sochti rahti hai Auntyji - do you think she thinks I am a nikamma or something?

tumhari baat se lagta hai. You have a wonderful, sweet, intelligent wife - and instead of being happy about this, you want to know what's going on inside her mind? What for you want to take on this panga? Clearly she is intelligent and can hold a conversation. Jab she wants to talk, to baat karengi, nah? What is your interest with what's going on in Sneha's mind? She is entitled to her privacy, you know. Why do you want to take control of what she thinks and does?

People's thoughts are revealed by their words and actions so if Sneha is being a wonderful wife, then be grateful for that. And especially don't request that she speaks more. What kind of a jaahil wants a partner who speaks more?

Isn't the TV enough for you? There is so much chatter in the world, and you have your own thoughtful, intelligent person and you want to reduce her to a guppee? Dusht…

AUNTYJI SAYS Ek pal keliye let’s not worry about what Sneha is thinking - let me tell you hum kya soch rahe hai. Bilkul pagaal ho -

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