2019-12 Melbourne

Good habits for financial success

cards, Apple Pay and financial attractions, are easily ignored and forgotten.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

Over the next few months, a large number of university graduates will finish their degrees and find their first full time professional job. Likewise, those from TAFE and those entering the work force directly after their HSC will also find themselves in the ranks of the employed. Of course, there are others who may choose to undertake further education or travel or join the ranks of the self-employed, but at some point in their life, they will find themselves looking at that first pay cheque.

There is no better time than this, to set up those habits for financial success.

The 1926 book The Richest Man in Babylon is one of the best books on personal financial advice: the secrets of wealth accumulation are discussed here through a set of parables. That these examples are still applicable is the reason that even about a 100 years later, this book is still available in the stores. The stories and knowledge dispersed are practical and simple, but in today’s world of 24/7 online shopping, credit

Thanks to cheap international flights and the travel bug and those brunch places with the smashed avocados, money is always in short supply.

In fact with the availability of easy finance through home equity loans, redraw, line of credit, credit cards with bells and whistles and pay day lenders, most people find it difficult to not only live within their income but within their credit limits.

Two personal finance habits can mean the difference between financial success and financial failure, especially for the youngsters just starting out.

The first one is rather simple. To secure the long term future of its citizens, the Australian government has mandated an employer to contribute 9.5% of a worker’s salary to superannuation (provident fund, as you probably knew it in India). Great. This is the money which most do not receive directly during their working life but gets squirrelled away in a fund which should grow over time. A new worker, who has never received a pay cheque before, can easily add a small amount before tax to this superannuation fund. So, be it $20 per week or $50 or $100, the trick is to tell your pay roll to do this before tax so that part of this superannuation contribution

becomes your tax savings. The habit here is to add to your long term savings and then allowing the magic of compound interest on your investment to work. For those earning for the first time, having a few dollars less can be built into your lifestyle rather than getting into the habit of spending every last dollar. This habit can be particularly helpful to females, who may need to take time off later in life for family reasons: having passive investment work for you can be a valuable asset.

The second trick is to actually save before you spend. Most people are in the habit of spending and whatever is left over, goes into the savings account. Perhaps, those starting their working career and expecting their first regular pay cheque, can do a rough budget – rent/food/entertainment and other expenses. Then allow the pay to be credited to a high interest account such as UBank or ING and transfer monies budgeted to the everyday spending account. This way there is planned expenditure and yet, money is being saved before it is spent. Over time, monies can be used for travel, or buying your first car, or even as a deposit for your first home.

It’s your money and you are in control. Simple options to grow wealthy – and still have that smashed avo.

Second-time glory at APSA

Manoj Bajpayee wins Best Actor award at APSA 2019

Manoj Bajpayee has won the Best Performance by an Actor award at the 13th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) held in Brisbane, for his role in Devashish Makhija’s Bhonsle.

The thespian created history by becoming the only actor to have won the award twice, previously earning the recognition in 2016 for his underrated performance in the brilliant Aligarh.

India also created a record of sorts by winning in the same category for four years in a row. Rajkumar Rao and Nawazuddin Siddiqui won the award for their performances in Newton (2017) and Manto (2018) respectively.

Bhonsle is a film that sensitively explores the nuances of political and regional conflicts unravelling in India.

Bajpayee, 50, took the opportunity at the APSA awards night to shed light on the numerous financial obstacles the film had to endure before finally going into production; a sad fate many independent Indian films have had to endure consistently. “When Devashish, the director, came to me with the script five years ago, I loved it,” he said. “Since then, we had been looking for financers to produce the movie. Those who, because of me, initially showed interest in the project also ran away. Finally, we managed to get a group of people who were ready to invest.”

He added, “Winning this award is poetic justice for every team member, many of whom

worked on the sets for days without pay.”

Manoj is also one of the producers along with Piyush Singh, Abhayanand Singh, Saurabh Gupta and Sandiip Kapoor.

He also thanked his co-stars who also gained rave reviews – Santosh Juvekar and Ipshita Chakraborty Singh – and other nominees.

“I would like to congratulate Navid Mohammadzadeh (Iran) and others for giving such remarkable performances in their films. I have learnt a lot from all of you.”

Dedicating the win to his daughter, Manoj said, “I was praying that I win an award this evening, not for anyone but my little daughter.” She is at home hoping for my victory, he added.

In a post award interview, the actor reiterated the importance of the

recognition. “For me, being nominated at APSA itself is a great achievement and I can’t believe I have won it twice. The films nominated here are watched globally and are judged by a panel of accomplished jury members who don’t compromise on quality and excellence. Also, this award is a testament to the blood and sweat of my colleagues and the years of waiting the project had to undergo.”

In Bhonsle, Manoj plays the titular character, a retired Mumbai Police constable whose monotonous life goes awry when he finds himself shielding a young Bihari woman and her little brother against the vitriol of his Marathi neighbour. The film is a commentary on the ramifications that hate-filled politics and jingoism resorted to by politicians have

on the general public and is set against the background of the long-standing simmering tensions between Marathi residents and Bihari migrants.

The APSA award is another feather in the cap for Manoj who has had a stellar year, including winning the Padma Shri and gaining rave reviews for his first web series The Family Man, now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Another Indian, emerging filmmaker Ridham Janve won the APSA Young Cinema Award for The Gold-Laden Sheep and The Sacred Mountain (Sona Dhwandi Bhed Te Suchha Pahad) which was also nominated for Best Feature Film and Achievement in Cinematography. (The film tells the story of a remote mountainous culture under threat from modernity. When a jet fighter crashes in the region, an old shepherd leaves his flock to find and save survivors. However, the jet has crashed in an area considered to be sacred - the shepherd stops short, fearing that it might mean bad luck for his animals if he enters holy ground.)

The region’s highest accolade in film, the uniquely Australian initiative APSA ignites and celebrates the cinematic excellence of the 70 countries and areas of the region. Stories encompassing 13 countries and areas were awarded at the annual event, with the majority of the winners also being their country’s official submission for the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film Category.

Manoj Bajpayee receives his award from veteran Aussie actor Jack Thompson

Manoj Bajpayee and fellow-nominee Navid Mohammadzadeh of Iran

Manoj Bajpayee and Ridham Janve

Bhonsle Sona Dhwandi Te Sucha Pahad

YOUR SAY

INDIAN LINK TURNS 25

As we marked 25 years on 24 Oct 2019, many of our readers sent in congratulatory messages.

Thanks to Rosy Lalmalsawmi Khuma, Kalyani Wakhare, Sri Bhargavi Peesapati, Bhupinder Jabbal, Aroop Shukla, Karthik Arasu, Preeti Thadani, Krish Na, Matana Pachuau, Varun Rao, Sachin Wakhare, Hardeep Madan, Helen Kaur, Petra O'Neill, Manisha Belani, Sarita Menon, Chandra Kishore, Gopal Ganwani, Kusum Vera, Gurmeet Kalsi, Wicky Choudhary, Aashish Sharma, Swarnalatha Peesapati, Sandip Hor, Madhvi Pradeep Mohindra, Nimisha Vishal Shah, Sukhnandan Grewal, Ekta Chanana, Rishi Singh, Dolly Somaiya, Ashish Chawla and Mala Mehta.

CONFUSED OVERSEAS INDIAN

KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU wrote online about some OCI card holders left in the lurch following change of rules that were not clearly communicated.

Vasanth Kumar wrote: I wish to advise your newspaper that I have not received a response on this matter yet from the Indian Consulate or anyone else that I have emailed (regarding this issue).

In addition to the advice from the Bureau of Immigration website that the Government of India has decided to dispense with the "U" Visa sticker on the foreign passport of OCI card holders with immediate effect, I have also found various other advice for travellers to India which state that you can apply for e-Visa or Visa on arrival in India! Under those advisory circumstances, I am at a loss to understand why many elderly people were not allowed to board flights in Oct. 2019 as reported by Indian Link. It is also unclear to me what the Law / Rules are in this matter, whether the 'Schemes' that have been incorporated regarding transfer of Visa sticker to new passports, etc, by the Consulate are consistent with the Law / Rules that apply in this matter, and why there are contradictory information on various Indian Government websites. I would have thought these are simple issues but it doesn't appearing to be working in that way.

I am wondering whether I should raise this issue on PM Modi's twitter page/ mail. As an Indian born person, it is embarrassing to me that our bureaucracy can't seem to get simple things right.

Darshak Mehta wrote: Very good article on OCI. Good on you.

@NarendraModi, Indian-origin Australians and New Zealanders being turned back from airports by airlines and prevented from flying to India due to OCI card ambiguities. Unresolved by MEA for three weeks despite reminders. Considerable inconvenience. Please intervene immediately.

MY INSTA

Send us a photo (or Instagram one) of Indian Link in your daily life, and we’ll pick one to present here.

LP Ayer of Thorngate SA wrote: Such beautiful work from the young ones. In my view every one of them is first prize material. Thanks for the Diwali card.

SAY IT AGAIN

WHERE IN INDIA

We asked you to identify this ancient Hindu temple. A tough one, it only scored one correct answer. Reader Manisha Belani correctly identified it as Mahalasa Narayani Temple (Goa), in the small village of Mardol, just about a kilometre from the famous Mangueshi temple and about 22 km from #Panaji, the capital city.

Whether it is Priyanka Reddy in Hyderabad, Roja in Tamil Nadu or the law student in Ranchi, we seem to be losing it as a society. It has been 7 years to the gut-wrenching Nirbhaya case & our moral fabric continues to be in pieces. We need stricter laws. This needs to STOP!

Akshay Kumar, Bollywood actor

If you want to make a change, start with yourself. We are raising sons wrong in this country.

Richa Chadha, Bollywood actor, on the rape and murder of Priyanka Reddy

MORE STOLEN STATUES TO BE RETURNED

You liked our post on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that when he travels to India in January 2020, he will take back with him three statues currently in the National Gallery of Australia. These include a pair of door guardians (dvarapala) from 15th Century Tamil Nadu, and a serpent king (Nagaraja) statue from 6th to 8th Century Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh. Anita Sam Robert wrote: That’s great to know. It will be good to have them where they belong.

Kala Raghunath wrote: Theft is finally out of fashion, at least in some countries. Neelu Bhambi wrote: Beautiful, thank you!

WHERE IN OZ

We asked you to identify this spectacular cactus garden. Readers Sourav Biswas and M Sehmaann correctly identified it as Cactus Country, Australia’s largest cactus collection, in Strathmerton, Victoria.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

CAPTION CONTEST

What’s Kareena Kapoor Khan saying here?

Raj Saneja wrote: Mind you, I am not going to run in my sari. I will only hit 4s and 6s.

Deeksha Chopra wrote: I'm just married to a cricketer’s son... ask Saif to hit it out for a six!!

Rum Jum wrote: What’s your problem, ha? So, I married Saif...

Arix Bishnoi wrote: What! Unbranded bat??

Meenu Mehra wrote: Don’t underestimate the bahu of Pataudi Khan!

Pamela Mirza wrote: So what, I may not be able to play cricket, but I do belong to a cricketer's family.

Sudhir Juneja wrote: What do you want me to do with this thing?

Amit Patnia wrote: I’m a celebrity, get me outta here!

Krishna Sri wrote: Why are you bowling underarm to me, is this how you play cricket down under?

Kunal Anil Sharma wrote: What the hell do I know about cricket?

Mona Shekhar wrote: Hey I am Patuadi's daughter-in- law.... I can bat too!!

Surjeet Kitty Kaur wrote: Who has the balls??

Leigh Kostiainenwrote: Come on! Can’t you take a joke?

Sudha Nadig wrote: Should I hold the bat or sari ?

Saba Nabi wrote: Where is the ball - waiting to deliver my winning shot

Sa Ne wrote: I have no idea about cricket. I'm just posing!

Harsh Bhatt wrote: This was a trial ball! I am NOT OUT!

Anubhav Dhingra wrote: I’m sure that shot went for a 6. Umpire, what do you mean it’s out?!

Raghu Rules wrote: Why am I here? What am I doing??

Vinutha Reddy wrote: You call this bowling.... is this all you got for me?

Arora Vijay wrote: Come on, bring me a helmet, guys.

Rishi Singh and Jeannie Allen wrote: Howzat!?!

Rahul Sharma wrote: And where’s the goal post?

Ruchir Garg wrote: Ye wide ball thi!!! Dobara daal...

Vandana D'souza wrote: Sari mein cricket khelna mere dayein haath ka khel hai!

There needs to be continued visibility for the women's team. I think a lot of people in India don't know that they have a women's team.

Kristine Lilly, two-time World Cup winning former American footballer.

Something of a contrast: ‘Pakistan to restore, hand over 400 Hindu temples’ William Dalrymple, Author and historian

My advice to Rishabh Pant will be: learn everything you can from Dhoni. Don't try to be Dhoni. Just try to be the best Rishabh Pant you can.

Adam Gilchrist, Australian cricket great

The Company you keep

PAWAN LUTHRA in conversation with author and historian WILLIAM DALRYMPLE

Pawan Luthra (PL): William Dalrymple, you have a very special ability to take us back into the India of the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. You transport us to the darbars of the great Mughal kings, and one can almost smell the horses of the British garrisons. Your latest book, The Anarchy has just hit the stores and is on the best sellers list everywhere. It sits at the middle of the end of the great period of the Mughal Empire and the start of the Raj. What compelled you to write about this period?

William Dalrymple (WD): Everyone in India knows about the great Mughals, about Shah Jahan and the Taj Mahal. Everyone knows about Lord Curzon and the Raj and Queen Victoria and all that stuff. But in between those periods, you have this extraordinary world which breaks all our expectations. It's a world where it isn't the British Empire which is running India, but one multinational corporation, the first multinational corporation, the East India Company. It was not initially in any way involved with the government for the first 170 years, from about sixteen hundred through to 1770. It was, you know, a completely libertarian, ruthless capitalist organisation which performed the hugely improbable feat of taking over the richest empire in the world. And when it started, in the year 1599, just to give you the

context of this, Britain was producing about 3 percent of world GDP. And at that period, the Mughal Empire was producing about 37.6% of world GDP. In other words, well over a third of world GDP. And for the first time in history, India, by which I mean most of modern India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and most of Afghanistan, which was what made up the Mughal Empire, had overtaken China as the world's leading industrial producer. I think today in India, there's a tendency to see the Mughals as these effete kings building ridiculously expensive tombs and prancing around in Bollywood outfits. In actual fact,

from the point of view of economic history, they were the most successful Indian dynasty of all. And in the early 18th century, just when politically the Mughal Empire was in a sense beginning to fracture, their economic power was at its peak, largely due to the textile industry in Bengal. By Bengal I mean Greater Bengal, which embraces modern Bangladesh, Orissa and Bihar. That area was the world's manufacturing hub of textiles in the 18th century, the same way that Manchester became a century later. A million weavers at work, producing not just incredibly high quality and cheap and competitive cotton, but

chintzes, kalamkaris, fine silks with weave so fine they were called bafthawa - woven air. This incredibly competitive and remarkable industrial produce conquered not just Europe - every Frenchman, every Dutchman wanted a kalamkari hanging around his bed - but also as further afield as Mexico. The East India Company initially rises up as basically the shippers of this material around the world. And they are parasitic or symbiotic with the rise of Mughal industrial power. So this was a period when India was unbelievably wealthy. Millions of pounds in weight of British and European gold and silver is pouring in not just from Britain, but from Portugal, Holland and Denmark. It seems right up until the middle 18th century that this is a loss of gold bullion to Europe and a gain to India that is irreversible.

This has been something which has been the case in Indian history since the time of Pliny in the first century, very austere Roman writer, contemporary with Jesus and Augustus, who complains that such is the decadence of Roman womanhood, that all they want to do is wrap themselves in gorgeous silks, rub their bodies with sandalwood paste from India and to hang from their ears Indian diamonds.

The idea that we are now seeing ahead of us of India as this big industrial growing power with an incredible future, is not

Photos: Rinto

something new and odd and surprising; it’s just a reversal to what has always been the case and only stopped being the case due to European firepower. And this very brief period between Vasco de Gama in the 1490s and 1947 - 500 years - is breaking what has otherwise been 3,000 years of economic dominance by China and India.

PL: William, tell us more about the East India Company in 1599. Paint us a picture about how it came into being, and how over a period of time the aims of this private company changed.

WD: In 1599, Shakespeare's writing Hamlet somewhere just downriver from the Globe Theatre. At the same time, we had a classic Tudor entrepreneur called Customer Smythe. Customer, because he'd been for the last ten years in charge of the London Customs and made a fortune out of that. He then made another fortune by founding something called the Levant Company, a group of 30 very rich merchants and ship-owners who pooled their capital and started buying spices from Aleppo, Cairo and Venice. And they did very well for about 10 - 15 years. And then in 1595-96, their whole business model was put to nothing by the fact that the Dutch realised that you can just sail round the cape and go to what we would now call Indonesia, particularly the Island of Run, and buy all the stuff at a fraction of the price, cutting out the Arab middlemen. And so Smythe appeals to the patriotic spirit of the businessmen of Elizabethan London, and calls upon them to try out a new business model that had only been tried out three times before. It’s something that's very obvious to us today and probably affects almost everyone in this room in one way or another, but which was a new invention at the time. This is the joint stock company, the corporation. The difference between the joint stock corporation and the guild system by which he had run the Levant Company, was that rather than a closed board of 35 investors, all of whom were involved in the running of the company, in a joint stock company, you have a small board, you keep the investment completely separate and anyone can invest. So as well as the big ship owners putting in a thousand pounds, five hundred pounds and so on, you have small London businessmen who contributed five pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds. And they didn't expect to be consulted about whether a voyage will take place or not. They just knew that they will get a share of the profits if it's successful. And this is a new invention. Today we take a corporation, the joint stock model, for granted, but this was a new invention of this period. They set sail to Indonesia. It doesn't initially look like it is going to be a great success because they've just got as far as Dover when the wind dies down and there's this strange summer calm and the expedition just sits bobbing off the White Cliffs for a month and everyone comes and laughs at them. They eventualy make it to the Island of Run, and there they see a Portuguese ship coming in the opposite direction. As they're all ex pirates, they just board the Portuguese ship, transfer the contents into their hold, and sail back to London, where they sell the contents for one million pounds. And that's enough to make all their fortunes. It does literally begin as an entirely piratical exercise, they make no bones about this. A lot of the seamen who had invested and who actually staffed these ships had been with Drake and Raleigh, Pirates of the Caribbean, think Jack Sparrow, it's this sort of world. Initially,

they are always one step behind the Dutch. The Dutch have already been there. They've got better financial instruments. They can raise more money, they've got bigger ships. And in 1630, they actually beat the English out of the East Indies, which means Java, Indonesia. There's this famous face-saving treaty whereby the English handover to the Dutch, the Island of Run, which is then considered to be the most valuable property in the world, where all the nutmeg comes from. And as a face-saving device, the British get given a muddy island in the Hudson River called Manhattan, which, of course, isn't a bad investment in the long run. But at the time, it's considered rather a humiliation and by default, the English fallback on the textile trade, the second best option.

And that turns out to be their lucky break, because this is just the moment when the Mughals are rising up, with the same eye for aesthetic beauty which informs the Taj Mahal and those incredible textiles that we see in the miniatures. Their work genuinely changes the nature of textile design, and makes these textiles incredibly beautiful objects that everyone in any culture, whether Mexican, Frenchman, Dutchman, Chinaman or in the East Indies, wants to buy. And the East India Company rises up, on the back of the Mughal Empire. It's only in the 1750s that the whole thing changes gear and turns from an empire

of business, into the business of empire.

PL: What did they do?

WD: The Company for its first 150 years is just a trading company. Because the Mughals are not particularly interested for some reason in exporting their goods, the Company steps in and acts as the shipping agent. It does very well. It beats local competition because it has better ships and it sells this stuff around the world. Then in the 1750s two things happen that change the nature of everything. The first is that the Mughal Empire has disintegrated. It reaches its peak under Aurangzeb, who dies in 1787. Shortly after that, the Persian emperor Nadir Shah, comes down from Persia. He defeats the Mughals at the Battle of Karnal, captures their Emperor Mohammed Shah Rangeela, marches him into Delhi, and six weeks later, leaves with 8,000 wagons filled with jewels, gold and silver, everything, in a single looting expedition back to modern Afghanistan. He takes the Peacock Throne in which is embedded the Koh-i-noor. He takes the Daria-i-noor, the other great Mughal diamond, which is now in the Kremlin in the sceptre of Catherine the Great. All this stuff just debauches off to the Hindu Kush. It's as if you just poured a fire extinguisher into the local boiler. For an art historian, this is one of the most wonderful periods of Indian culture. For literature, for painting, for music,

for Indian dance, this is one of the most dramatically prolific and culturally fascinating periods of Indian history. But politically, it means that the Mughal Empire, which was this unstoppable force of four million men under arms, has now fragmented into lots of little kingdoms. And not just the British or the English East India Company, but the French companies, between the two of them, begin hoovering up these little tiny states, which are culturally and economically very rich, but which are militarily and politically vulnerable. The French show the way in 1740: they are the first to train up seepoys, local Indian soldiers, in the latest military technology from Europe.

Europe has just fought two big wars - the war of the Austrian Succession and the war of the Spanish Succession - and Frederick the Great of Prussia who's a military genius, has transformed warfare with simple little changes to the nature of the cannon. He puts an elevating screw on the back of a cannon. He makes them portable so horses can move them around battlefields. He invents a form of musket that has a bayonet and which can be rapidly loaded and fired in file firing - one line kneel down and fire as the next lot load, than that lot fire, so that you get continual firing by infantry.

These techniques, none of which are rocket science, are quite easily copied, and are brought to India by the French and they train up local guys to do it. And it's incredibly effective. The first time it's tried out is in 1740, at the Battle of Adyar, which is now southern Chennai. 70 French company seepoys see off 3,000 Carnatic cavalry. From that point, for about 30 years, the English and the French realise they can more or less see off any army with this new military technology. The English company then tries this out in Bengal with Siraj-Ud-Daula at the Battle of Plassey, then again at the Battle of Buxar in 1764.

To everyone's amazement, most of all to the Company's amazement, they haven't planned this particularly. They found that using this new military technology, they are in a position to just take over north India. This incredibly rich, incredibly civilized, but now vulnerable, fractured and disunited kingdom is simply conquered in as little as 50 years. And how they do it is astonishingly audacious. They train up local Indian warriors to use this

new technology. The Company seepoys grow from 20,000 at the time of Clive to 50,000 by the time of the Battle of Buxar, and only forty years later in 1799, to 200,000 seepoys. Which is literally double the size of the British Army. The British Army, which is barely involved in India at this point, is only 100,000 men and is now engaged in the struggle with Napoleon. But the Company which only has thirty five people in its head office, and in Bengal never has, even as its peak, more than 2000 white guys sitting in Bengal, train up 200,000 Indians to fight other Indians.

To do this, they borrow money from Marwari and Hindu bankers.

If you wrote this as a novel or a film script, you'd be laughed off because it's the most improbable story.

Why would anyone fight their own brothers and sisters? Why would anyone lend money to a voracious corporation that was involved in something so violent? Well, the answer is, the soldiers got paid twice the salary of any other military unit in the country.

And why would the Marwari traders and the Hindu bankers of Benares, Allahabad and Patna lend money to the Company? The answer is in that case, that it may have been foreign as in it was Christian, meat eating, white skinned, from Europe, but as far as the Marwari money lenders were concerned, they were both financiers, they spoke the same financial language, they understood about repaying loans on time with interest, they had civil courts where business contracts could be defended and upheld.

Calcutta initially was like Dubai or Singapore today. It was a tax haven where you could escape tax you had to pay elsewhere. You could grow and cultivate fortunes, which is what the Marwaris were doing. The Marwaris, originally from Marwar in Jodhpur, went to Calcutta for the same reasons people go to Dubai and Singapore today. They didn't have to pay tax. Simple as that.

The Company is quite ingenious in realising that and playing on that. So the next thing it does in the 1790s, is it begins to break up the old Mughal estates, huge areas of land, and puts them up for auction. Who buys this stuff? The new rising Hindu middle class families like the Tagores, the Debs, the Mullicks. And by buying into this world, they become part of it. They get subsumed into this Company world and they make the decision, rightly or wrongly,

that the Company which may loot assets, strip, plunder and be incredibly violent to its enemies, is for them the least worst option financially, that their capital is safe with it, and that they prefer it to the Mughals or to the Marathas. The Marathas raided Bengal in the 1740, looted, raped and pillaged. So they're not going to go with those guys. So they make this decision. And Bengal, as this industrial hub, has the resources: it paid for the Mughal Empire first and then it paid for the Company. It generates enough revenue that when Indian armies catch up militarily with the Company by the 1780s, Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali and the Marathas have all trained up armies in the same techniques and can beat the Company on the battlefield. But it still prevails because it has more resources. It's a horrifying story from a variety of fronts. Think Avatar - the movie where, you know, the mining company goes and takes over another planet. It's the same sort of story. It's a very canny, ruthless corporation that manages by military force and by financial inducement.

PL: How did it exploit Bengal in the famine of 1770?

WD: So the company screws up, as corporations often do, through greed. We've seen in our old days many examples of corporations which seem impregnably strong, impregnably dominant economically and whose share price seems immovable, suddenly collapse when circumstances change. And this happens to the company in 1770. 1764, it's finally conquered all of North

India with the Battle of Buxar: it takes them only six years to asset strip, loot and plunder Bengal so thoroughly that when the famine of 1770 comes, there are no surpluses. There are no granaries stocked with grain. The Company is not in the business of setting up soup kitchens; as a company it’s there unequivocally to make a profit in the same way that Goldman Sachs is there to make a profit today. So when the famine comes, the Nawab of Awadh at the same time builds imambaras and employs 100,000 people. And they live. In Bengal instead, one million Bengalis die, a fifth of the population of Bengal. The Company - by sending seepoys out into the villages and gathering tax revenue by force, and hanging anybody who doesn't pay - manages to maintain revenues at pre-famine levels. The shareholders in London vote themselves an increased dividend from 10 percent to 12.5 percent. This happens for two years. Then finally, in the third year, there's nothing left. As one Scots writer and whistleblower writes, ‘They have picked the Bengal bones to the marrow and it lies bleaching in the wind.’ The share price sinks, 30 banks collapse across Europe. It's like the subprime, but only worse. And this is the moment that for the first time in its history, the government begins to take an interest in the East India Company. Up to now, they've been a valuable source of customs revenue, and no one has asked too many questions about where this money is coming from. It provides a third of British customs and it pays its taxes and

the government's fine with it. Suddenly, whistleblowers are writing reports of a million bodies in the streets of Calcutta, the Ganges clogged with corpses, vultures and dogs barking at human remains, clouds of flies and vultures like some biblical plague. And suddenly everyone in Britain wakes up to the fact that all this stuff is going on and there is outrage. There are angry editorials in the newspapers. Parliament has to bail out the Company because it is literally too big to fail.

So the Company in 1774, through its own greed, puts itself in a position where it isbailed out by the government. So the government now has a regulating role over it. And from that point onwards, it changes from this buccaneer libertarian organisation, unregulated, unwatched over, just a source of money, towhat would today be called a public-private partnership. Eventually in 1857, it screws up a second time during the Great Indian Uprising, and three hundred thousand are killed in the reprisals. And as India is nearly lost to Great Britain, the government rolls up the Company completely and in our terms, is nationalised.

PL: Why did the British government support the East India Company?

WD: Up to 1774, Parliament has been very thrilled with the company because it's a very safe investment. A quarter of Parliamentarians have shares in the East India Company growing to, I think, 40 percent by 1770. The only resentment felt against the Company is not about the plunder and immorality of its actions in India, it's more to do with the fact that people are jealous of these Nabobs coming back. These men are coming back aged 35, buying up parliamentary seats, buying up big country houses around Britain. There is social resentment against these young men, swaggering, throwing money around, breaking social convention. They are often from fairly humble backgrounds, but now they're the new rich. So the initial opposition to the Company is more social and snobbery than outrage about human rights or anything else. By 1770, there is genuine outrage at everything. The Company is bankrupt and yet at the same time, the dividends have never been higher in terms of the amount of money being remitted from India to Britain. I think the same year that a million Bengalis die, 1772, 15 million pounds is remitted back, in that day's currency. So what had been seen to be a very good thing for Britain, had been the country's leading employer, had been the largest payer of tax and customs revenue, suddenly came to be seen as this monstrous, violent force that was somehow involving the country in war crimes and murdering. Horace Walpole (writer, historian and politician) writes in his diary, “This time, we have outdone the Spanish and the Portuguese in Mexico. They at least had the excuse of faith. We have done this for profit.” So suddenly the country wakes up to what's going on. And by 1857, the whole thing is nationalised and becomes the Raj.

There's two very different periods of history when you're dealing with the British in India. One, that has remained in the public eye: it is Kipling, Queen Victoria, Merchant Ivory films, smiling Maharajas, all that stuff. But that period is only 1858 to 1947, only 90 years.

A bit below the waterline, which we rarely see if ever in movies, is the Company period. In Indian popular culture, there's Satyajit Ray, The Chess Players (Shatranj Ke Khilari)

and Junoon about this period.

There are different pros and cons. The Company period is more exploitative, asset stripping, more plunder, more loot, and yet at the same time it's more collaborative. The Company intermarries - a third of British men in India marry Indian women. Most Indian most company businessmen will have Indian partners, whether it's in the indigo trade or the opium trade. (A lot of the opium trade is in the hands of Parsis out of Bombay, for example. I was actually in the headquarters of Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong giving this talk two nights ago, Jardine Matheson being the private company which in a sense replaced the Company in the eighteen sixties as the centre of the opium trade. At the top of the stairs in the penthouse where I was giving this talk, is this huge, massive portrait of Jamshedji Jeejibhoy, who is the JJ of the JJ School of Art and the JJ Hospitals, and this whole variety of philanthropic organisations. That money came from the opium trade.)

The Raj, which follows it, post 1857, is slightly different in that it has all this rhetoric about bringing Western civilisation to Asia, rescuing the poor benighted natives from Hinduism and all the things that Victorians disapprove of. And they are very racist. They have the all-White clubs, ‘No dogs and Indians allowed’ etc. That's the way of the Raj. And yet in order to back up their rhetoric of civilisational mission, they build hospitals, universities, communications. So in 1947, when Britain leaves India with only 7 percent of world GDP rather than 43 percent or whatever it was at the peak, it nonetheless leaves India with the best communications in Asia. The best education system in Asia. And the best health system in Asia. And for the first 20 years of Indian independence, if you're in Singapore, Malaysia, you will send your kids to Delhi to be educated. It's only with the rise of South-East Asia in the ‘60s and ‘70s that that ceases.

You know, I don't know which is worse or better. You don’t particularly want to be an Indian under either, but they are different in their iniquities. The collaborative plunder of the Company or the racist civilisation mission of the Raj. But what is certainly the case is that we remember the Raj. We've forgotten this period when India most improbably was conquered by a single London business.

PL: You mention the Marwaris - or the JagatSeths as the Mughals called them, the Rothschilds of India as you call them. You claim that they lent the Company money to take over India and exploit the Indians themselves. How has contemporary India reacted to this statement of yours?

WD: Well, I don't think the Marwaris would have seen it like that. They would not have seen themselves as funding the expansion. The first thing the Jagat Seths do is actually pay Clive to topple Siraj-Ud-Daula. It's a palace coup that they're paying them for and they don't calculate on the Company then being the puppet masters. But the Hindu bankers continue to fund the Company because they see it as the safest place for their capital. It's that simple. They're businessmen. They have to make a judgment on which is the most profitable. Who is going to repay their loans? The answer is the Company will appeal. Business is pure business. They see it as they do today. For the Company ultimately, its initial success is due to military superiority. Its final success is due to two things. One, it has Bengal with all its revenues, and two, the bankers back it rather than (other forces at

the time). It's that simple.

PL: The book ends when the Company ends. Of course there was murmur in the British Parliament since the early 1800s about the dangers of allowing a trading company - one that the British government had so little control over - to rule over 100 million people. It caused rampant corruption, seeing a small group of men make an obscene amount of money. In 1833 the British Parliament passed a Bill removing the Company’s power, but it was so strong that it wasn’t until the 1870s that it finally died a quiet death, Queen Victoria taking over as ruler of India. Yet, your last sentence is quite chilling. You write, “Four hundred and twenty years after its founding, the story of the East India Company has never been more current.” What are the contemporary ramifications of the East India Company?

WD: There are really two stories in this book. One is about Company’s conquest of India, which is a historical story. The other story, sort of a meta story in itself that runs all the way through the book, is the story of the power of corporations versus the power of the state. And that, of course, is a story with an unfinished conclusion. It's a contemporary story. I've just come back from a book tour in the States. Elizabeth Warren is bringing up these issues about the power of big pharma, big data, big money. The story of the Company is the story of the institution which first invented so many of

the things we associate with corporations today. Corporate lobbying is invented by the Company, which is also the first company to really be multinational and to straddle the globe. It's the first company which realises that a rich company can actually change foreign policy and that if you influence parliament, the interests of your shareholders consume and become the interests of the state. Every modern democratic nation of the world has some stories of this being the case in the 20th century. There were three famous moments when corporations brought down governments. 1953, Anglo Persian Oil Company gets rid of Prime Minister Mossadegh of Iran, the only freely, democratically elected Iranian premier. The first thing he wants to do when he comes to power is to nationalise the oil industry: the CIA and MI6 topple him and replace him with the Shah. 1955, Guatemala, the United Fruit Company owns 42 percent of the cultural land:asocialist government is elected which promises to redistribute land more evenly to the people of Guatemala. The government is toppled by the CIA, producing the phrase Banana Republic. 1973, Salvador Allende in Chile is brought down by the CIA. (Following this, we see) the most brutal human rights abuses in South American history. So you don't have to be a, you know, vegan, anti globalisation, bandana-wearing nutcase to recognise that corporations do do this sort of thing. It's part of history. Corporations can bring down governments. They can skew foreign policy. They can

change the way governments operate. And the Company not only is the first to invent corporate lobbying butto realise that the 40 percent of employees in parliament who own shares can be used to influence foreign policy in its favour. They also realise that you can bribe parliamentarians. So in 1697, for the first time in world history, the East India Company is caught bribing members of Parliament with share options if they vote to extend its monopoly. Now this obviously is something which continues in the shadows in every democracy in the world. Corporate donations in any country outbid private donations, and they come with some sort of quid pro quo which is never made public, whether it's Adani or Advani or Ambani. The most obvious question in modern history was, given the closeness of Dick Cheney to Exxon, was it an accident that it was Iraq that was invaded after 9/11, when Iraq clearly had nothing to do with 9/11? So the way that foreign policy can be changed by a big corporation has its roots in the history of this company. We're not just talking a story, a specific historical story of the conquest of India. This book is about the origins of corporate lobbying, corporate influence and the ongoing and unfinished story of how far corporations can change the world.

Darshak Mehta (questioner from the audience): What do you think the Indians should have done to resist, with the benefit of your hindsight? Were they too acquiescent? Were they too gentle? Were they too stupid? Were they too greedy to make money? What should they have done differently?

WD: Indians have never been stupid and they've never been gentle. The story of this period is full of incredibly violent, clever, ruthless people. The Company doesn't even begin to make a toehold in India until the Mughal Empire breaks up. So the answer to that question is disunity. The great problem with India at this period, several Indians realise this, is the disunity. I mean, there are brilliant Indians in the story. There are Indian military geniuses, financial geniuses, but they don't get their act together in a united front. And to say one last thing, which I haven't said, if you were to look for one positive thing from the Company, what it does do and what in a sense is its greatest legacy, ironically, is it unites India, and it creates a

united Indian army. While India has been a geographical, cultural, spiritual space for millennia, it is never until this period a united political space. Not with Ashoka, not with the Guptas, not with the Delhi Sultans, not with the Cholas, not with the Mughals. It's the Company that first unites this area. And the army it founds is still the basis of the modern Indian army. Regiments like Skinners Horse and Gardeners Horse still exist to this day; the officer's mess is filled with cups and trophies and pictures of this period. And so if you were to look for one bright outcome from this, far from an elevating story of loot and plunder, it is that, ironically, India becomes united politically for the first time through this horrible process.

Teddy Mehta (questioner from the audience): William, I'll drag you into the current age. You wrote once about the shrinking of the British Empire. Is Brexit the last chapter of the shrinkage? Do you think Empire is finished?

WD: Long finished, obviously. I mean, what's finished probably in the last three years, is the United Kingdom. I'm Scottish. I voted for the union when we had the last Scottish referendum.

If we have a Brexit England, which is antiEurope, insular, belligerent and ignorant, it's not just the Scots who are going to vote themselves out. It's the Irish and the Welsh, too. And people forget the Britain is very recent concept, 1707. I would imagine at the moment that we'll see the break-up of the United Kingdom within the next decade and that Scotland will probably remain in Europe. I certainly hope to have a European passport again before too long.

Rosemary Mula (questioner from the audience): William, you've obviously done a lot of research going back so far. Did you find a consistent record of what happened then? How did you sift through it to come to the conclusions that you have?

WD: There are two very different problems here. You have the Company which keeps every single chit for 300 years – it’s said there are 35 miles of Company records just in the British Library alone and an equivalent amount in Delhi in the National

Archives. And then, you know, to get the other side of the story, you need to get the Mughal records. These are far more complex and difficult to access because they’re in Persian, only very latterly in Urdu. And they are split up, some in the National Archives, some in British Library, but quite often in small provincial archives in places like Patna, Tonk in Rajasthan, Rumpur in Utter Pradesh. Getting hold of that stuff is the main challenge. That's where I devoted my primary research, to fill out that picture.

PL: What took you to India in the first place?

WD: Total accident. Actually, I wanted to be an archeologist in Iraq. I had a place in the British School of Archaeology in Baghdad, and it got closed down by Saddam Hussein, who claimed it was a nest of British spies, which it probably was for all I know, I never got there. So I ended up going with a friend to India in 1984. I'm still there.

PL: What fascinates you about India?

WD: You could have asked me that question at any point in my life. And I’d probably give completely different answers. It's allowed me to do a whole variety of different careers. I've been at different times a foreign correspondent, a historian, a travel writer, festival organiser, a photographer. It’s like I'm like a child in a sweet shop there. And it's such a rich place to write about, to photograph, to think about, to know about.

PL: What frustrates you about India?

WD: Oh, so much. Whatever love I have for the country is equally matched by the daily frustrations, like when the bijli goes or the Internet disappears for five days in a row, or you're stuck in a traffic jam for seven hours… The frustrations drive me up the wall, but I’m enjoying everything else enough to put up with the frustrations

PL: With all your research from the 15th to the 19th centuries and beyond, which character, living or dead, do you identify with the most?

WD: I think I would very much enjoy being one of those White Mughals…Sir David Ochterlony with 25 wives would be quite a

good start (laughs). Each of his wives had an elephant and they would do this wonderful march around the Red Fort every evening. Then they’d return to his library, with Ochterlony in his Fab India sort of kurta pyjama, turban on his head, dancing girls in front and a eunuch behind. And best of all, the outraged Scottish ancestors staring down from the picture rail above, wondering what's happened to Davy after a few years in the Indian salon… And well they might ask!

PL: There are deep links between your family - and that of your wife Olivia Fraser - and India.

WD: Both of us are from the same sort of class of Scotsmen who always had social aspirations greater than our wallets, shall we say. And so both families intertwined with India. Throughout this period, there are three Dalrymples in The Anarchy, one of whom is linked to this continent very closely.

Alexander Dalrymple was an East India cartographer, who mapped the whole west coast of India and then planned a settlement which ultimately became Singapore and then wrote a book called The Great Southern Continent. He became convinced that what Tasman had seen on one side and various other French sailors and Spanish sailors, must be a continent in the southern ocean –Australis as they called it. He came back from the East India Company in 1767, went to the Royal Society, and managed to get money to go and find this continent that he was sure existed in the South Seas. But he was East India Company, not Royal Navy. At the very last minute he discovered that he wasn't going to have complete command of this expedition because it was a Navy ship. So he resigned, and some character called James Cook went and led the charge, for which you would all be learning to spell Dalrymple!

PL: Last question: do you have a comment to make on contemporary India?

WD: I'm a great optimist in terms of economics. It seems to me that everything has to go wrong in order to stop India becoming the next great economy. Wherever they go in the world, Indians succeed there. As soon as they’re let out of India, they will rise to the top. We now currently have Sajjid Javid and

Preeti Patel as our home minister and foreign minister in Britain. And this has happened in a generation. In Canada a Sikh is now the deputy prime minister under Trudeau. The people of India are hardworking. They have incredible resources. And India will be the second economic power in the world, I'm quite sure, by the time I die.

I'm not a fan of this government, though. What's happening in Kashmir will undermine India, is my personal view. I think there are some very dangerous things going on with the Indian press and the silencing of the opposition and the absence, frankly, of an opposition. That's not Modi's fault, the fact that the Congress Party has disintegrated. Currently, I think it's very worrying. I hope that out of this, a new opposition will emerge, giving India the two-party system it needs. But despite all that, I cannot see a future where India cannot succeed. I think its success is assured unless something terrible happens. My big fear is that by focussing so much belligerence on Pakistan, by all this action in Assam, disenfranchising a million Assamese Muslims, the whole action in Kashmir and so on, India will forget the far greater threat that China poses. China at the moment is much richer, much more economically and militarily advanced than India. My fear is that we'll see another 1962 and that Modi could suffer, ironically, the fate of his least favourite politician Nehru. Yet India remains amazingly blind to the threat that China poses to it, by focussing all its anger on Pakistan, which is a very minor player in the world stage. There were points in the first decade of the century when the Indian economy was growing every year by the size of the Pakistani economy. It's that level of disproportion. I think India needs to refocus its anxieties much more on China and the String of Pearls, the deep water ports and Trincomalee and Gwadar and elsewhere, because I think China is the force that India will ultimately have to reckon with in the next 20 or 30 years. It's the relationship of these two powers that will determine the future of this planet.

PL: And that's a historian speaking, who can draw on his research and experience. Thank you for your time with us, William.

BY PREETI JABBAL

It took Pakistani workers only a few months to build the Kartarpur Corridor, creating a pivotal moment in the history of India-Pakistan relations. On the other side of the world, a Melbourne artist painted a likeness of it, within 48 hours, to be presented to the Chief Minister of Punjab during his visit to Birmingham UK. Both were managed in record time.

Haneet Grover Ahuja (Nitu) of Melbourne Art Academy was commissioned by Indian Government officials in UK to create a special piece of art to be gifted as a token of appreciation to Captain Amarinder Singh. The 3ft x 4ft acrylic on canvas now adorns

Gateway to her DREAMS

Melbourne-based Delhi-trained artist paints the iconic Kartarpur Corridor

as part of her real estate business, Nitu worked through nights to bring to fruition her friend’s vision. The completed work was then couriered from Melbourne to China, via Germany, Paris and Birmingham to finally find pride of place in India.

“It was an emotional time for me as I am very proud of India, my country of origin,” said Nitu. “To create the Indian tricolour and the Pakistan flag was a great honour and I lived through the journey of those who visited the religious site.”

The Kartarpur Corridor connects Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Gurdaspur of Indian Punjab with Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab. It is the last resting place of Guru Nanak Devji, founder of Sikhism.

Despite winning many awards and seeing her paintings picked up by art collectors in India, she struggled to find her niche in Australia. “Initially, I had no contacts, no avenues, no galleries and no artist friends and it was hard to adjust here after coming from the hub of arts in Delhi,” she recalled. She decided to support her husband KD Ahuja with his real estate business and eventually opened her own Melbourne Arts Academy.

“I felt that the community in Melbourne were ready for a change,” Nitu observed. “Indian parents who were inclined to underestimating arts in general were suddenly keen on sending their children to learn from institutes like mine.”

the wall of the Minister’s office in Punjab along with a special plaque acknowledging the Australian-Indian artist.

A friend of Nitu, who works in the Indian consulate in UK, initiated this global collaboration by calling her from Amritsar to invite her to create the work. He wanted both India and Pakistan to be seen in the same frame.

Explaining to Indian Link how it all came about, Nitu said, “I knew about the Kartarpur Corridor and its huge significance, but it took me an entire day of looking through hundreds of photographs and videos to research the subject matter.”

She added, “It was challenging as time was short and the illustrative context had to be politically correct. At the same time, I was excited because painting is a natural gift to me and I do not feel pressure when I paint.”

Juggling her appointments with clients,

Despite the labyrinthine politics of India and Pakistan, the Kartarpur Corridor is considered to be a positive step in making peace between the two neighbouring countries. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan opened it on 9 Nov this year, allowing visa free access to Sikh pilgrims from India.

The Kartapur Gurudwara covers 42 acres, making it one of the largest in the world.

“This painting was totally in my comfort zone as the requirement was monochromatic and realistic,” said Nitu when asked about her artistic expression. As a style she tends to gravitate towards naturalism as she does not like distorting any likeness, and prefers natural, accurate and detailed representation of her subject.

Nitu has been teaching art for the past 20 years and her work has been displayed in many exhibitions including the top 100 artists’ exhibition in India and the prestigious Lalit Kala Academy. After acquiring her degree in Bachelor of Fine Arts from Delhi she took a Masters’degree in Fine Art from RMIT in Melbourne.

She teaches both adult and kids in a relaxed, positive environment through her newly launched Arts Academy.

According to Nitu the emotional release of drawing and painting can have a therapeutic effect on adults and children. It can help relieve stress and positively impact someone’s behaviour, development and psychological well-being.

“The kids who come to my classes are happy kids because they are motivated to learn and discover and can visually express their emotions,” claimed the talented artist. “Incorporating arts into your child’s life is very important for their development, and I am delighted that I can contribute towards their progress.”

Her own parents encouraged her from childhood and for as long as she can remember, she has been painting. Nitu feels her artistic genes are inherited from her mother who was a brilliant artist but sadly never got to further her dreams after marriage. Nitu, on the other hand, plans to transition full time into pursuing her artistic passion. The Kartarpur Corridor painting couldn’t have come at a better time for her.

A Melbourne tribute to Guru Nanak Dev

The city was lit up in honour of the founder of the Sikh faith, on the occasion of his 550th birth anniversary

In a bid to observe 'the biggest celebration outside India' for Guru Nanak Devji’s 550th anniversary, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews supported the Sikh communities of Victoria with a grant of $200,000 to hold special events.

Victoria is home to Australia’s largest Sikh community with over 52,000 Sikhs recorded in 2016 census. Guru Nanak Dev is the first guru and founder of the Sikhism, and the community marked the celebration of his birth with great pomp and devotion.

In honour of the occasion, buildings and landmarks around Melbourne were lit in saffron on 12 November this year. This included the iconic Bolte Bridge, Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Arts Centre, Flinders Street station, National Gallery of Victoria and AAMI stadium.

The lights recognised the spiritual light of Guru Nanak and the path shown by him to unite the community and serve humanity.

Sikh community groups from various parts of Victoria pitched in to commemorate this scared occasion with a series of activities. These included a humanity walk organised by Victorian Sikh Gurudwara Council in

the Melbourne CBD with thousands of people participating.

Premier Andrews attended the event sporting a saffron turban and offered his heartiest congratulations to the Sikh community on the auspicious occasion. He also commended the community for

their contribution to the multicultural fabric of Victoria and thanked them for the ‘multitude of ways in which they make Victoria better, fairer and more generous.’ The Premier also addressed a select group of Sikh representatives at the Victorian Parliament.

The Nagar Kirtan (holy procession) saw people in the most beautiful colours walking down the main CBD area singing hymns and chanting prayers. It was an unusual sight for many who may not have known the significance of the sacred day or are unfamiliar with the religion and its philosophy.

A similar humanity walk also took place in Geelong where people walked from Rippleside Park to Steampacket Gardens in a similar fashion. A multicultural parade in Bendigo along with the display of a special commemorative plaque built for the occasion and special celebrations by Guru Nanak Sikh Society in Shepparton formed part of the regional celebrations.

An organ donation and blood donation drive on a massive scale, an art exhibition based on the teachings of the Guru at RMIT and a literary function by Punjabi Sath Melbourne were among the events held in and around the city. The local Gurudwaras (places of worship) at Blackburn, Keysborough, Craigieburn, Tarneit, Campbellfield, Lynbrook and Hoppers Crossing marked the occasion with special prayer sessions and langar (devotional food served free to all).

Simmi Singh

#FashionAndHealth

How a fashion show spotlighted women’s

BY PREETI JABBAL

It was a marriage of talent with textiles at Alka Chopra’s fashion-with-purpose event, held recently at the Grand Ballroom of Manningham Hotel. Re-energising her brand the Melbourne designer invited Australia-based German-Canadian artist Claudia Rubinstein to join her in presenting a covetable collection.

The focus was not just on what covers the female shape, the high tea and fashion show afternoon dwelt considerably into breast cancer awareness and its impact on those affected.

Professional medical experts specialising in women imaging, presented information on breast cancer, signs and symptoms, early detection, risk factors, inherited genes and cure.

Dr. Monica Pahuja, Principal Radiologist at Direct Radiology and head of women’s imaging (Breast and Gynaecology) at Monash Health, and Dr Kirti Mehta Radiologist and doctor at St. Vincent’s Hospital presented the session, encouraging those present to talk to their doctors about breast health.

10% of all sales at the event were pledged to the Think Pink Foundation, the living centre that provides professional care and support to people affected by this invasive disease.

The overall message was uplifting, thanks to Alka and Claudia’s passion for art and colours, and together they were able to combine the many vivid strands into a coherent and striking collection.

Going back to the fabric mills in India for inspiration, Alka’s eye for textiles reflected in the choice of material used for the rounds that

showcased her ethnic, bridal and Indo-west fusion wear.

A diverse group of women from various cultural backgrounds and ages took to the catwalk in a conscious move implemented to celebrate the multicultural inclusivity in the fashion scene.

“As a fashion brand I feel I have a responsibility to promote the diversity that represents the faces of contemporary Melbourne and ensure that women’s health is a major focus along with the latest trends,” said Alka who lost a close friend that succumbed to this disease recently.

Basking in the applause from the packed audience, the models got to strut their stuff with style. The sold-out event had audience engaged pre and post show with photographs, high tea and the opportunity to purchase clothes and jewellery. MC Poonam Aggarwal, radiating confidence and charm, ensured that the agenda flew as smoothly as possible.

Among the gorgeous models was Sangeetha

#FashionAndHealth women’s

health

Singh international model and Mrs Earth Oceania ‘19 who has just returned from modelling assignments in Paris and Miami. “Same same but different,” she commented on her social media in reference to the four wonderfully different looks put together for her by Alka.

Sangeetha also commented on the sensory explosion created by artist Claudia Rubinstein who launched her debut wearable fashion range at the show. A registered nurse by profession and painter by hobby, Claudia specialises in polymer clay creations, handmade jewellery and paintings.

Claudia’s creative space is infused with emotions, colours and unexpected delights. Alka painstakingly created all the garments transforming the images and paintings from Claudia’s collection into a joyful, fantastical statement. Vibrant Kaftans with rhinestones and sequins dominated the catwalk followed by a stunning bridal collection handpicked by Alka. spanning decades, Alka recently closed her retail store in Bourke Street to go online and claims to be enjoying the challenges it entails. Her refined taste complemented by Claudia’s artistic flair made for a visual feast that could have been better visible with more stage lighting. Applying their craft the two designers used their individual aesthetics to create some very wearable art.

Photos: Lenin Antony

Delhi boy wins first Sydney scholarship of $60,000

Growing up in the slums of Peera Garhi, Northern Delhi, India, pursuing Master’s from an internationally renowned academic institution located in a land far away was never on Abhishek Handa’s to-do list. But fate had surprises up its sleeve for this youngster. Abhishek’s ingenuity, talent and dogged determination saw him become the first recipient of the Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship, formed by the University of Sydney in collaboration with Asha Society in India. The scholarship, one of the most generous postgraduate coursework scholarships ever offered by an Australian university, will see Abhishek start a degree in Master of Management (CEMS) from 2020 at the University.

Worth $60,000 (IND 2,930,000) a year, the scholarship covers the cost of postgraduate tuition fees, a place in one of the University’s residential colleges, flights, textbooks and health cover. It is only available to current residents of communities in Delhi, India where the Asha Society operates.

Speaking about the scholarship, an elated Abhishek said, “Never in my wildest dream did I imagine getting an admission to such a prestigious university! I consider myself lucky to not only be the first recipient of this scholarship but also be the first student from the slums of Delhi to go to Sydney for a Master’s program.”

“Growing up, going to a university was

the farthest thing from my mind because no one in my family had gone to one. Meeting the Asha team in my slum motivated, encouraged, and inspired me to go to the University of Delhi for further studies.”

Abhishek completed his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce earlier this year.

He added, “I began to study at the Asha centre instead of my home because they offered a quiet and safe environment for me

to concentrate. They mentored and provided me with study materials which helped me excel in my exams.”

The young student acutely understands the destabilising impact of crippling poverty on education and wants to use his story to inspire and empower others in similar circumstances. “It is my goal to help other youngsters living in disadvantaged communities, and I sincerely hope to inspire

hundreds of kids to pursue higher education and build strong careers,” Abhishek said.

Abhishek was greeted by the University of Sydney’s Vice- Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence who was in Delhi to launch the scholarship and meet its inaugural recipient.

“We created the India specific scholarships because we recognise the vital importance of Australia’s relationship with India – an importance that will only increase in the coming years. Creating an opportunity for the future leaders of India and Australia to study together at our University is one small way of supporting this relationship,” Dr Spence said.

“We also recognise that talent is not restricted to any particular social or economic background and that for many, the dream of studying internationally is just that, a dream. We hope that this scholarship will mean that financial need does not prevent a young person of outstanding talent from realising their potential.”

Dr Kiran Martin, founder and director of Asha Society, started the organisation in 1988 to empower disadvantaged communities in Delhi and provide families a pathway out of poverty. “Education is the only way to break the cycle of poverty forever and transform not only the individual but also their families and community. Proper education will lead to good employment prospects and they will be able to access and enjoy a different world,” Dr Martin said.

AISRF Fellowships for 2020 announced

Food and water security, disaster management, premature cancer mortality, neurodegenerative disorders: these are but some of the areas that the Australia India Strategic Research Fund will help fund fellowships in the year 2020.

Nineteen early to mid-career researchers in Australian universities have received Fellowships under the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund Early- and MidCareer Researcher 2020.

They will receive up to $16,500 in funding to conduct research at some of India’s leading research institutions.

The Australia-Indian Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) supports scientists in India and Australia to collaborate on leading-edge research and is supported by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government.

Associate Professor Ravinesh Deo of the University of Southern Queensland, one of the recipients of the Fellowship, will evaluate how latest artificial intelligence technologies can be employed to tackle drought and water resources management issues.

Dr Alison Pearce of the University of Sydney will study the loss of productivity resulting from cancer in Indian population.

Dr Sergey Kruk, researcher at the

Australian National University is heading to India next year to work on developing new technologies in photonics to create miniaturised optical systems for use in the telecommunications industry.

Other successful recipients of the Fellowships are:

• Dr Sumeet Walia, RMIT University: Harness atomically thin materials for pollution sensors and efficient industrial lubricants

• Dr Nagendrakumar Singanallur Balasubramanian, CSIRO: Systems-

immunology based approach to study early immune responses to foot-and-mouth disease vaccination in Asian buffalos

• Dr Morteza Saberi, University of Technology Sydney: Scholarly solution support system

• Dr Fiona Mckay, Deakin University: Documenting the food insecurity experiences and nutritional status of women in India

• Dr Suvash Saha, University of Technology Sydney: Respiratory particle transport: ageing effect and targeted drug delivery

• Dr Jegadesan Subbiah, University of Melbourne: In-situ vibrational spectroscopic studies on the electrode interfacial process for renewable energy storage devices

• Dr Shuaifei Zhao, Deakin University: Closing the CO 2 loop in biogas production by innovative membrane technology

• Dr Siva Krishna Karuturi, Australian National University: New-generation materials for low-cost and high efficiency solar hydrogen generation

• Dr Thanh Thi Nguyen, Deakin University: A human–machine teaming framework based on deep reinforcement learning for disaster management

• Dr Sonika Tyagi, Monash University: Using

machine learning to develop robust and reproducible miRNA biomarkers to detect preterm labour

• Dr Sanjay Nimbalkar, University of Technology Sydney: Sustainable performance of future high-speed rail and heavy haul freight corridors: effect of climate change and mitigation measures

• Dr Christina Aggar, Southern Cross University: A mobile digital learning program to support nurses’ leadership and communication skills in chronic disease management: a primary healthcare initiative

• Dr Rebecca Zwart, University of Southern Queensland: A genomics approach to understanding root-lesion nematode resistance in chickpea

• Dr Jency Thomas, La Trobe University: Metabolic syndrome influencing neurodegenerative disorder (MIND project)

• Dr Ashmita Sengupta, CSIRO: Developing functional environmental flows framework to enhance resilience and improve water security under climate change and urbanisation scenarios

• Dr Kaya Klop Toker, University of Newcastle: Identification of frog and disease diversity in a remote part of India (Nagaland).

Abhishek Handa (back row, R) with the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney Dr Michael Spence (front L), Founder and Director of the Asha Society Dr Kiran Martin (centre) and representatives from the University of Sydney.

Assoc Prof Ravinesh Deo of the University of Southern Queensland (USQ)

Ria Bhagat, 8, singing sensation

Ria K Bhagat’s Aladdin song gets her the gong at the Melbourne Singing Grand Final Trophy

Ria K Bhagat may not be a household name yet, but her magical voice is sure to bring her much popularity. The eightyear-old won hearts - and the title - at the Fast Track 2019 Melbourne Singing Grand Final Trophy in the junior division.

With singing prowess and maturity far beyond her age, the young singer chose Naomi Scott’s famous song Speechless from the movie Aladdin. The song and Ria’s rendering of it along with her on-stage confidence and cute Princess Jasmine attire secured her the first place, thus fulfilling her dream of winning a mainstream singing competition. Under the guidance of her vocal coach Caitlin Min Fa and encouraging parents, Ria is now gearing up to participate in singing auditions at the state level. However, the talented singer refuses to let her newfound fame go to her head, despite having to ward off autograph seekers in her school.

Her advice to aspiring singers is simple: be humble. “Don’t try to impress anyone with your voice. Be yourself and do what is within your range and enjoy it,” she says.

Ria’s budding musical journey is inspirational not only due to her singing talents – competent emulation, melodic voice, strong acoustic sense – but also for her battle against persistent health issues.

Ria was diagnosed with Insulin-dependent Diabetes when she was only five. But, the Melbourne resident doesn’t let her health concerns get in the way of her aspirations. Taking regular monitoring of blood sugar levels, insulin pumps and health issues in her stride, Ria continues to dominate centre stage with her talent.

Ria’s tryst with singing started in 2017 when she had gone to Amritsar, India, to meet her extended family. There, while signing with her cousins, she was discovered by renowned Punjabi singer, Manpreet Sandhu. He encouraged Ria’s parents, Lieutenant Jatinder Bhagat and mother Gurbinder, to enrol her in professional singing lessons.

Soon, Ria joined Jaanz International Singing Academy and, motivated by her parents and vocal coaches, started performing at school and community

events. She broadened her repertoire by practising different genres like choir singing, Chinese solo songs, open mic, pop and musical theatre.

An ambitious child Ria balances her time between studies, play time, music lessons and health issues. Though she is unclear of her future career prospects at the moment, Ria wishes to add acting and gymnastics to her extensive list of creative pursuits. Her favourite singers include Ariana Grande, Neha Kakkar and Guru Randhawa.

“Our entire life revolves around Ria’s singing at the moment,” says her mother, Gurbinder. “Driving her to lessons, rehearsals and performances can get quite demanding, but we are extremely proud of her achievements and will always support her in whatever she does."

“I feel music and singing improves mindfulness and has increased Ria’s level of happiness, focus and overall wellbeing,” she adds.

Simmi Singh

Ria was diagnosed with Insulin-dependent Diabetes when she was only five. But, the little star doesn’t let her health concerns get in the way of her aspirations.

The JLF-Adelaide 2019 experience

Like the best literature festivals, Adelaide’s JLF is as much a festival of ideas as it is about words

Scottish writer William Dalrymple traces his family back to Mughal princess Noorjehan, but also has some Brahmin blood in his veins.

Maori healers once told Indian actress Manisha Koirala she must direct ‘loving energy’ to her ovaries. This was way before doctors found she had advanced ovarian cancer.

As James Crabtree, British journalist, took a quick break while interviewing nowdisgraced Indian businessman Vijay Mallya, he found a toilet made of pure gold.

BY SUNILA VIG

My takeaways from this year’s JLF Adelaide were so much more than these interesting nuggets of information presented above. Over an illuminating three days, I heard some fascinating writers read from or talk about their work, and got my books signed from them (amazing how Dalrymple for instance, spends a few moments talking to you and then writes a personal note).

I admit I went to learn more about the latest in Indian literature, but I came away having heard some enlightening discussions about Indian history going back to the earliest Indians, about the migration experience, about death and dying, and many other topics.

TONY JOSEPH

(EarlyIndians:Thestoryofourancestors andwherewecamefrom)

Journalist Tony Joseph taught us that India is a very ancient land. A fraction of a skull of an unknown homo-species has been found there by archaeologists from 265,000 years ago, and stone tools from as far back as 1.5 million years. When migrants from Africa began to come in 65,000 years ago, India

was already robustly populated. India’s Indigenous communities, Joseph observed, probably carry a history in their genes dating back to Mohenjodaro4,500 years ago.

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE

(Koh-i-Noor:HistoryoftheWorld'sMost InfamousDiamond)

Fast forward a few millennia, and Indiabased Scottish writer William Dalrymple regaled us with stories of Koh-i-noor. One

of the largest cut diamonds in the world, the stone is believed to come from the Kollur mines and today is part of the British crown jewels.

Dalrymple spoke of the legendary curse of Kohinoor, tracing its history from about 2,500 years ago right up to the present day. There are at least 8 countries that lay claim to the rock, he said.

He ended with a funny sketch of Indian tourists who yell out “Chor chor” as they

moonwalk across the museum room where the Kohinoor is displayed.

That Dalrymple loves India is palpable in many a chance comment. He loves India as she should be loved - with all the beauty, noise, frenzy, dirt, traffic, history, food, colour which co-exist.

SHASHI THAROOR

(IngloriousEmpire;WhyIamaHindu) Tharoor, one of the stars of the festivals,

James Crabtree, Shashi Tharoor, Frank Dikötter and Peter Varghese

Tony Joseph Arundhati Subramaniam Ranjana Srivastava

examined the colonial project in its larger scope and the remnants (‘ghosts’) of Empire.

Will India ever be rid of the colonial mindset?

“Colonising of the mind was what the British aimed at, but that is changing,” Tharoor said. “Of late (with) music, dance and arts, India has found its voice. There were just two or three writers in English in the ‘50s but they were influenced by the British. In the ‘80s our literature came in to its own, same as cinema and IT. Independent India built on its own strengths and skills. Yet education needs to be shaken up a bit and we need to absorb more from our ancient texts like Mahabharata and Ramayana.”

The British caused no dent in Hinduism, though, which continues to thrive. “The strength of Hinduism is its multi-theism,” Tharoor observed. “It says, ‘this is what I follow, and you are welcome to follow what you want to,’ which works so well in this day and age.”

He also had wonderful things to say to Vinaya Rai and me about NRIs like us, expressing admiration that diasporic Indians everywhere work hard, and are successful, happy and prosperous.

Ever the wordsmith, he joked that he used to call NRIs either Not Really Indian or Never Relinquished India, but now he calls

them the National Reserve of India!

JAMES CRABTREE (BillionaireRaj)

Moving on to contemporary times, and to a ‘raj’ of a different kind, journalist James Crabtree spoke of India’s nouveau riche. He compared the billionaires of India to the New York-Boston liberal elite, in his words, ‘corrupt and unscrupulous in cahoots with politicians’.

The Ambanis’ Shakespearean kind of family feud; Mukesh Ambani and his billiondollar home; Vijay Mallya’s six homes in the UK and a castle in Scotland, and the Tatas - all got a mention.

Regardless, the current scenario, it was concluded, was one of hope and positive vibes.

MANISHA KOIRALA (TheHealing)

Interesting that many prominent members of the community, notably male, emerged just for this one event.

The spell the Ilu Ilu lass had first cast in Saudagar in 1991, aged 21, had people in its thrall even now.

Although we did get to see generous splashes of that Bollywood glamour, Koirala was here this time to talk about her journey through a debilitating cancer, and

coming out the other side a stronger human being.

We were glad to hear she is back at work in films, and even aced Everest base camp recently.

Shine on, Manisha.

THE MIGRANT EXPERIENCE (RoannaGonsalves,ShameemBlack, MridulaNathChakraborty)

It’s taken Roanna Gonsalves (The Permanent Resident) 21 years to shed the Australia story she knew before migrating, and to understand and accept the truth of cities built on the backs of dispossessed Indigenous people. She spoke with conviction and from a deep personal truth, her eyes reflecting honesty.

Shameem Black of ANU spoke about her recent work on yoga in an increasingly global world.

The migrant experience, the initial shakiness, the finding of one’s ground and one’s own power in a new land and cultural milieu and the subsequent unfurling of a complex new life rich with diversity, is what came through. Loud and clear was the message to the migrant - that one has to be true to one’s experience and stay strong at the core.

So was the message to the new home - that the much thrown about term ‘assimilation’

smells of the patronising thought that one culture is better than the other.

Acceptance on the other hand is what is required from both parties. I agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly.

RANJANA SRIVASTAVA (ABetterDeath)

Most people, Ranjana Srivastava said, think of two things when they think of death: dignity, and what legacy they are going to leave behind.

She should know, after more than two decades as an oncologist caring for people in their final stages of life.

She shared her observations and advice on leading a meaningful life and finding dignity and composure when it is time to go.

In order to die well, we must be prepared to contemplate our mortality and to broach it with our loved ones, who are often called upon to make important decisions on our behalf. These are some of the most important conversations we can have with each other – to find peace, kindness and gratitude for what has gone before, and acceptance of what is to come.

Equanimity, Dr Srivastava said, is important. The unshakeable core has to stay active, making choices and decisions for oneself till possible.

The empathy and subtle understanding of the human condition was heartening: may her tribe increase.

ARUNDHATI SUBRAMANIAM (LoveWithoutaStory)

Writer Arundhati Subramaniam’s stolid earthy voice as she recited poetry will stay with me for a long time - especially in her work on ‘mitti’ (mud).

When a leading Indian daily asked her to write a poem on ‘mitti’, she thought they wanted a piece on ‘chest-thumping patriotism’. When she understood that wasn’t the case, she wrote this:

I figured that the moon was a likely mud-gazer, just as we are moon-gazers! and so I uncovered the old role of poets –to be messengers between moon and mud and the great longing of life to hold and be held.

Goosebumps.

Festival Co-director William Dalrymple with others

Photos: Daniel Purvis

Manisha Koirala

Roanna Gonsalves

Grown in Australia, Made in India

Indian designer Aneeth Arora creates a Merino wool collection with Himachal’s Bhuttico weavers

In its most recent foray into India, the Woolmark Company has taken Australian Merino wool to the handlooms of Kullu.

The company has collaborated with the Indian designer label Pero and the Bhuttico weavers of Himachal Pradesh in its ‘Grown in Australia, Made in India’ initiative, for which designer Aneeth Arora has created a collection in time for the Indian winter.

Arora’s artisanal collection, described as “grunge-chic”, is made up of blues, khakis and off-whites, and is 100 per cent natural, renewable and biodegradable.

Dilip Gianchandani, Country Manager (India) of the Woolmark Company, said, “This collaboration beautifully showcases Indian craftsmanship using Australian Merino wool through the looms of Bhuttico.”

The initiative offers the perfect product for mindful consumers concerned about sustainability as well as about highlighting India's hand-weaving traditions.

Aneeth Arora is perfectly suited to a project of this nature. For starters, she is well acquainted with the Woolmark label – she was a regional finalist for the annual International Woolmark Prize a few years ago and has worked with them since. As well, her brand ‘pero’ (Rajasthani for ‘apparel’) is becoming quite the flagbearer for the slow fashion movement in India, with its penchant for hand-made, hand-embroidered, traditional

artisanal work.

Arora’s deep involvement with the traditional weavers of Himachal Pradesh is just as much about reviving the old crafts as it is about sustaining communities.

For the Woolmark project Arora chose the unique geometric patterns traditionally created on the borders of the pattu shawl.

These patterns were created by the weavers on their handlooms to be used on woollen jackets. “(Our) philosophy has been to use traditional Indian textiles and crafts to create a global product that fits easily, wherever in the world, without shouting about its origins. We try to create the textiles with a global design language,” the 36-year-old designer said in an interview recently.

Pero’s hand-woven convention has previously gelled well with other traditions, including, in one instance, Scottish tartan designs.

The label also hit the headlines recently with its upcycled jackets – denim jacket and trenches from a warehouse that was scheduled to shut down were acquired and upcycled with embroidery to create a line of limited edition pieces.

Arora’s brand marks its tenth anniversary this year, and is stocked in 350 stores around the world, although it has yet to arrive in Australia.

From IANS reports

Duck for Xmas lunch

This classic dish from Kerala was adapted to suit the taste buds of the Portuguese

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

Lamb or seafood is often the protein of choice when it comes to Christmas feasts. But, this festive season, why not try a different protein - duck!

Most people think duck is a difficult meat to prepare and cook; that’s a misconception. It’s just the unfamiliarity that stops most people from trying it out. We are lucky to get excellent quality duck grown right here in Australia, so there’s nothing really stopping you from trying it out.

Here’s a delicious recipe to get you started. Today’s dish is inspired by a traditional and famous seafood preparation from Kerala known as Fish or Meen Molee/Moilee (pronounced ‘Molly’), more popular in the central regions of the state.

The Molee is essentially a coconut milkbased curry spiced with green chillies and black peppercorns in which fish pieces are cooked. The medley of coconut with chillies and peppercorns is a classic in Kerala’s cuisine, and several dishes, both vegetarian and nonvegetarian, are made using this flavour profile. Surprisingly, each dish, if cooked this way, would taste completely different from the other despite having similar core ingredients.

There are quite a few stories about the history of this dish, the most popular being that Fish Molee was invented during the Portuguese reign in Kerala. Legend has it that the curries made by local cooks were too spicy for the Portuguese officials, so coconut milk was added to tone down the heat. This version was first made by a woman called Molly, hence the name.

The veracity of this story can be contested, but since then, the Molee has become a favourite with locals and tourists alike.

I have tasted or read about all kinds of seafood Molees; the traditional choices being karimeen (pearl spot), and pomfret, among others. But you can find variations with kingfish, prawns and lobsters too.

The first time I heard of a Duck Molee was when I came across a recipe by Ajeeth Janardhanan (I have no clue who he is!). I am glad I decided to give it a try. Oh boy, it was a totally delicious affair. Now even though the base is same, you really can’t compare this to a Meen Molee as the flavours imparted by the duck makes it different. But it’s enjoyable nonetheless especially if you love duck meat.

What I found most interesting was the contrast of the flavours; the robust meatiness of the duck accentuated by the creamy sweetness of the coconut. The quantity of the chillies and pepper has to be amped up as the duck meat would absorb more than seafood. I used Duck Maryland for this recipe, but you can use any cut that you prefer. Do leave the bones in as they add more flavour to the final dish.

You can also use the recipe to make a Fish Molee instead, adjust the spices accordingly. Also, tomatoes are a must; another signature ingredient added for that mild sourness.

So let’s get this lip-smacking Duck Molee cooking. It is best paired with steamed rice or appams (Kerala style fermented rice pancakes).

DUCK MOLEE

INGREDIENTS

l 4 Duck Maryland; skin on, but excess fat and skin trimmed

l 3 tbsp coconut oil

l 1 tsp mustard seeds

l ½ tsp fenugreek seeds

l 3 sprigs curry leaves (reserve some for garnish)

l 2 medium onion; finely sliced

l 3 medium garlic cloves; finely chopped

l 1 inch ginger; finely chopped

l 6-7 green chillies, slit in half (medium heat); adjust according to heat preferences

l 1 tsp turmeric powder

l 1 – 1.5 tsp freshly milled black pepper (adjust to heat preferences)

l Salt, to season

l 400ml coconut milk (if using fresh, 2nd extract)

l ½ cup coconut cream (or thick 1st extract)

l 1 large tomato; cut into quarters

METHOD

l In a heavy bottom pan, heat half of the coconut oil and sear the duck pieces on both sides in batches. Keep aside.

l In the same pan, add the remaining coconut oil and add the mustard seeds. Allow the seeds to splutter and then add the fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic.

l Cook on medium heat for a minute and then add the onions. Mix and sauté till the onions are light brown and then add the turmeric powder and black pepper powder. Mix well and add the duck pieces. Season with salt and add 400ml coconut milk.

l Mix well to combine, cover partially and cook on low heat till the duck pieces are tender. Check occasionally and if the gravy feels thick, add some water (not too much though).

l Add the coconut cream and the tomato pieces; check and adjust the seasoning. Simmer for another 2 minutes and remove.

l Garnish with curry leaves.

Gorillas in the Mist

Studying one of the world’s most endangered species up close, in Rwanda

BY SANDIP HOR

As the rising sun begins to colour the savannah grasslands of the Akagera National Park in Rwanda, we spot a herd of antelopes grazing under acacia trees, perhaps thinking how to survive another day without being the prey for a lion or a leopard.

This expansive sanctuary - often referred as Rwanda’s Serengeti - is another home to Africa’s Big Five, which besides the two carnivores includes rhinos, elephants and buffaloes.

We later locate several buffalos and elephants plus zebras, giraffes, hyenas and hippos, unfortunately not lucky enough to trace the rhinos and the predators. This doesn’t disappoint me too much, because I am in Rwanda chiefly to see the mountain gorillas - one of the world’s most endangered species - in their own wild habitat, chasing other wildlife coming in as a bonus.

Gorillas are Rwanda’s key attraction.

One third of the planet’s last lot of mountain gorilla population, currently just over 1000, hide in their Volcanoes National Park, located at the foothills of a chain of volcanic mountains in the northeastern part of the country. The rest lives in neighbouring Uganda and Congo. A few decades back, they were nearing extinction due to illness and poaching. The species has survived thanks to the great efforts of animal lovers like American Dian Fossey, who spent most of her life in Rwanda working with these mysterious animals. She was sadly murdered in Rwanda in

1985 but her good work still keeps going through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. (To know more about her life and work,check out the well-known Hollywood film Gorillas in the Mist.)

Slogging through the mist-engulfed thick jungle to spot the gorillas, who tend to live in big groups comprising of males (called silverbacks because of the silver lining in their backside), females as well as juveniles, can be described as a life changing experience; particularly when watching their daily routine from close proximity. They are pretty harmless and used to seeing humans, but still the rangers insist on a 7m distance from them.

Currently there are 12 groups which are habituated to humans and can be visited.

Each group is made up of some 15 to 20 members. At the park's headquarters in Kinigi, a small town near the volcanic mountains, trekking permits for only eight visitors per group are issued each day.

Time allowed with the gorillas is limited

to just one hour, to minimise human interaction, the spreading of infections and undue stress on this endangered species.

The permits are nor cheap, costing US$ 1500 per person but anyone who has embarked on this will possibly say every dollar spent is worth this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The physically demanding trek can vary from at least one to up to eight hours depending on the group’s location within the vast sanctuary. Luck favours us as we find ours - the Sabyinyo group, one of the park’s oldest - after labouring for an hour and a half.

I am enthralled from the very first sight: the world’s largest primates, around 15 of them, in an open area doing all sorts of humanly things in front of usrolling, jumping, somersaulting, eating bamboo stems, making faces, scratching, even fighting. Nothing unusual for such behaviour as they share 98% of their DNA with us. Resembling the fabled King Kong,

a large 6-foot male sits atop a rock, keeping an eye on everything around. Our guide tells us he is 47-year-old Guhonda, the head of the group and possibly the oldest gorilla in Rwanda.

Besides gorillas, the other thing that people associate with Rwanda is the brutal genocide of 1994 in which some million people were killed in just 100 days.

However for 12 million Rwandans today it’s the past from which they have moved on to make their nation one of the most progressive in the continent. Today they don’t talk about their individual ethnicity, all proudly proclaiming themselves as Rwandans. There are other things that are capturing the nation’s interest domestically, such as the government’s unique initiatives like banning plastic bags, using drones for essential medical supply and hosting a major conservation-focussed festival, the KwitaIzina, to name baby gorillas born during the year.

Among all the initiatives, what strikes me as most impressive is Umuganda, a community event held every last Saturday of the month when all Rwandans above the age of 15 are voluntarily encouraged to get involved with some social welfare and public works. According to a local, this program brings the community together, increases social cohesion, saves some government funding and inspires all to work towards a common agenda. I wish this inspirational initiative can be adopted in other countries too.

The results from the good work of the government and the people are noticeable throughout Rwanda, which is a very welcoming and safe destination for travellers. The urban quarters are clean and green, in particular capital Kigali which with its enchanting mix of new and old, captivates visitors.

Rwandan capital Kigali

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

Getting there: Star Alliance member Ethiopian Airlines (www. ethiopianairlines.com) have flights from Singapore to Kigali via Addis Abba.

Accommodation: There are several hotels of international standard throughout Rwanda; in Kigali the plush Serena Hotel (www. serenahotels.com) is a good choice.

Visa: For all nationalities, 30-day visa on arrival in Kigali is available upon payment of US$ 30.

Currency: Rwandan Franc US$1U = 900 RWF.

Language: English and French are widely spoken in addition to local dialects.

Time allowed with the gorillas is limited to just one hour, to minimise human interaction, the spreading of infections and undue stress on this endangered species.

The BUZZ

U P-TO-DATE NEWS ON WHAT’S HOT AND HAPPENING IN BOLLYWOOD

HOW KBC REDEFINED THE BACHCHAN AURA

Interesting how the tagline of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) season

11 has virtually defined Amitabh Bachchan’s career. “Adey raho” (broadly translates to ‘be persistent') goes the slogan and, come to think of it, its iconic host has literally symbolised the trait through a career of 50 years.

KBC 11 ended recently and, given the recent health scare that the 77-year-old Bollywood icon has had, fans are keeping their fingers crossed in the hope that Big B will overcome all impediments and return to the hot seat next year.

For, even as KBC 11 ended, speculations took over, mainly triggered by a cryptic blog entry the veteran actor made a few days ago. "I must retire… the head is thinking something else and the fingers another… it's a message…," he wrote in the early hours of November 28, sparking off a deluge of concern.

Was Big B indeed hinting at retirement from cinema and TV? Sources close to the actor soon dismissed such notions, saying he simply meant that he was too tired to type - that it had been a long day and the word ‘retire’ alluded to - going to bed.

Still, guesswork has continued. Most fans feel Big B, given his incredible energy, will continue shooting for films. Film assignments, after all, would let him work at his own pace. The hectic schedule of a five-day quiz show, however, could be more demanding.

The point to note here is those hectic years mark a significant phase in Big B's career graph. KBC marked his resurrection as an icon and a brand, at a time when he was struggling to reinvent himself as a Bollywood star.

The year was 2000. The year before, Amitabh Bachchan had four releases - Lal Badshah, Sooryavansham, Hindustan Ki Kasam and Kohraam. Each of these

tried rehashing Bachchan's angry young man image to suit his advancing age, and each fared way below expectation. Coming after a 1998 roster that comprised of Major Saab (lukewarm at the box-office) and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (where he was clearly outstripped by Govinda in the slapstick stakes), and the dud Mrityudaata in 1997, Big B was suddenly looking for a script to reinvent himself in the public eye. His last spate of solo superhits had happened in the early nineties, and his sojourn as an entrepreneur with ABCL has soured.

KBC Season One happened around the time. Over a matter of weeks, Big B's stardom suddenly witnessed rebirth. The angry young man of yore, who had redefined action and drama through the seventies and the eighties, was suddenly redefining home entertainment. The quizmaster par excellence was a charming gentleman with wisdom to share - far removed from the intense avatar he exuded in his heydays. From the larger-than-life action hero, KBC let Big B become the affable guy who would drop by in your living rooms every evening to serve an engaging spell of wisdom.

If the metamorphosis let Bachchan survive where every other actor of his era faded away long before him, the actor too gave KBC - as well as Indian reality television - a defining course. Not only is KBC regarded a cut above most other shows on television, Bachchan's style of conducting it set the gold standard of show hosting in India.

It is a reason why, when the muchyounger Shah Rukh Khan tried hosting season three of the show, he could not quite match up to the Bachchan aura.

For the sake of Indian reality TV, we will hope all rumours of Bachchan retiring from television are indeed unfounded.

HOW HOLLYWOOD ADDS SHEEN TO BOLLYWOOD BIGGIES

Did the trailers of Panipat and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior remind you of Game Of Thrones? Or the action of War and Saaho bring memories of Mission Impossible? Well, that's because the canvas of Bollywood is getting glossier, with the creative geniuses of Hollywood increasingly working on Bollywood projects.

From action gurus, stunt directors, VFX experts, cinematographers, musicians, make-up experts, technicians to physical trainers, talent from the west is being roped in to deliver world-standard content in Hindi films.

This trend is all thanks to filmmakers acquiring global sensibilities, and the Indian audience becoming increasingly receptive towards foreign content.

"Now that we are used to watching global content, from films to content on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, people have higher expectations. The production value, the look and lighting has to be on par with the Hollywood standard. It works well for all as it improves the whole get up of the project," trade expert Rajesh Thadani told IANS.

Some notables projects with foreign twist include Kesari with Mad Max: Fury Road stunt coordinator Lawrence Woodward, Bang Bang with Thor stunt coordinator Andy Armstrong, Sunny Deol's Ghayal Once Again with Hollywood stunt coordinator Dan Bradley, Krrish franchise, Prabhas' Saaho with Hollywood stunt master Kenny Bates, Taapsee Pannu's Naam Shabana with Hollywood stuntman Cyril Raffaelli and Rishi Kapoor's Kapoor & Sons with makeup artist Greg Cannom.

When not hiring talent from the west, filmmakers are looking for ways to add Hollywood appeal to their project.

"Our technicians are better trained, our facilities have become better, production values as well as budgets have gone up, and then in many cases we are hiring Hollywood talent. In this case, peer competition goes up and everyone wants to learn new techniques and what eventually happens is that everyone is updated. It benefits the film," trade expert Girish Johar told IANS.

Hollywood action director Paul Jennings, who has worked in movies such as The Dark Knight and San Andreas among many others, says the action spectacle in War is on par with films like Mission Impossible and Fast and Furious.

"What I love about Bollywood is I believe you can push the action a little bit further, and this means you can end up with more spectacular sequences," Jennings said, who designed jaw-dropping action sequences for War, his first Bollywood film.

action director Tom Struthers of The Dark Night and Dunkirk fame, whose first tryst with Bollywood was with Nikkhil Advani's 2013 film D-Day. The trend will only grow in times to come.

'ATTACK' FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY 2020

Patriotism has become John Abraham’s thing.

He has ensured that he will keep his date with Independence Day again next year. His upcoming thriller Attack has been confirmed for August 14, 2020.

This will be the third year in a row that John will release a film on Independence Day. In 2018, his Satyameva Jayate opened on August 15, and this year he released Batla House on that day.

Attack is a race-against-time action thriller that also stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Rakul Preet Singh. The film is written and directed by debutant Lakshya Raj Anand.

"Attack is a taut, interesting thriller with a strong storyline and a genre I love! That it is releasing on Independence Day makes it even more exciting. At (John's production house) JA Entertainment, it is our endeavour to push the envelope and produce films that entertain and have something significant to show to the increasingly discerning audience," said John.

Riding high on the patriotism formula that has clicked for him lately, John once again plays a saviour of the nation in the film, which narrates the drama woven around a daring rescue operation. It is a fictional story inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of a hostage crisis situation.

LIFE LESSONS WITH ANIL KAPOOR

Actor Anil Kapoor doesn't want to get comfortable with his position in the industry, and says he has a simple plan, which is to be better than yesterday.

"I don't think I ever want to be completely comfortable for fear of complacency.

"I think Bollywood is in a great place right now. They are experimenting with culturally different professionals in the camera, stunts, action-directing departments," said JOHN

PARINEETI CHOPRA

It's only when you put yourself in uncomfortable situations that you grow and learn," Anil told IANS.

"So when you find yourself getting too comfortable and too much at ease, kick yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new," he added.

Anil entered the industry with a small role in 1979 with Umesh Mehra's Hamare Tumhare, and then went on to carve his niche by balancing his stature as a respectable actor and his popularity as a saleable star, with performances including Woh 7 Din, 1942: A Love Story, Mr. India, Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Lamhe, Beta, Taal, Nayak: The Real Hero and Pukar.

His versatility is proved by the fact that he was equally at home in these international projects as he was in outand-out Bollywood outings as No Entry, Welcome, Race, Dil Dhadakne Do, Mubarakan, Fanney Khan, Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga and Total Dhamaal. Have his goals changed with time? He replied, "Strangely enough, my goals haven't changed much at all! I'm a simple man with a simple plan - to be better than I was yesterday. So that's what I continue to strive towards," said the actor.

We can all learn something from that.

WORTH WAITING FOR? YOU DECIDE!

The Golmaal looks set to continue… Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn have just announced Golmaal FIVE.

"The franchise is not only the longestrunning one in Hindi cinema, it also happens to be one of my favourites

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

KATRINA KAIF OR CANDICE SWANEPOEL IN NAEEM KHAN?

+ Share your views with us on our Facebook page /IndianLinkAustralia

because like we said in one of our earliest films in this series, it's fun unlimited," Ajay Devgn said recently.

Rohit Shetty set the ball rolling in 2006 with Golmaal: Fun Unlimited, starring Ajay, Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi, Tusshar Kapoor and Paresh Rawal. It revolved around the lives of a group of friends, and was full of comedy, action, drama and fun.

The universe of Golmaal expanded with Golmaal Returns, Golmaal 3 and Golmaal Again. Names like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Amrita Arora, Kunal Kemmu, Shreyas Talpade, Tabu and Parineeti Chopra have been associated with it.

Also coming up mid next year is psychological thriller The Girl On The Train, starring Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kirti Kulhari and Avinash Tiwary. Directed by Ribhu Dasgupta, the film is an official Hindi remake of the Hollywood movie The Girl On The Train, which is based on Paula Hawkins' 2015 bestseller of the same name.

BACHCHAN IN YOUR PLATE

The Mumbai restaurant Hitchki is at it again – creating inventive dish names based on Bollywood stars. This time round, it is honouring Amitabh Bachchan on his 50th anniversary in films, by naming several dishes on its menu after his songs and dialogues.

So you can order Yeh Dosti, or Jumma Chumma De De, or our favourite Aaj mere paas Paneer hai Chilli hai.

Pinkvilla, Stylish Starlets

What’s the chitchat between Narendra Modi and Sunny Deol here?

On its regular menu, you have a thali named Gogo Tussi Great Ho. If you don’t feel like a thali and prefer something simple, you can order a Shahrukh Naan, some Alia Bhaat, Kat Rahi Hai Na Salad, Koffee With Garam, Anupam Kheer and Salman Paan.

The first week of Dec though, is your special Amitabh week, just in case you happen to be in Mumbai this week.

ON TWITTER THIS WEEK

Match the following stars to the tweet that appear below.

Karan Johar, Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar

Last day, last shot, last stunt of 'Sooryavanshi'. It's been an incredible experience to be a part of Rohit Shetty's Cop Universe...

Thank You! What an amazing journey it has been with #TEDTalksIndiaNayiBaat. I've learned and grown so much from these amazing change makers.

I've voiced some strong, amazing characters for Disney. Voicing Elsa was a joy, & working with my baby sister @ ParineetiChopra was an added bonus.

A love of a lifetime within a heartbeat! A film very close to my heart completes 16 years!! #16YearsOfKalHoNaaHo

Excited to announce my next film!! Bob Biswas. Can’t wait to get started. Working with many favourites.

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

LAST ISSUE CAPTION CONTEST WINNER

What’s Kareena Kapoor Khan saying here?

Why are you bowling underarm to me, is this how you play cricket down under?

Krishna Sri Congratulations Krishna. You win a movie ticket.

For more caption entries, see YOUR SAY Page 07

JOHN ABRAHAM

AJAY DEVGN

ANIL KAPOOR

Swim safe this summer

The beaches are calling, and learning a few swimming and lifesaving skills will prove beneficial

the shallow area or on the sand.

BY VINAYA RAI

Summer’s here and the beach is where we’ll head to as much as possible over the next few months. Sea shore, river banks or lakes – lovely cool water, and possibly water sports, make them the best place to be.

However, these idyllic thoughts about summer came to a halt when I read a line in an article that made me sit up and think, ‘One in four drowning deaths involved people born outside of Australia.’ The highest number of drowning deaths were of people born in China, New Zealand, England, South Korea and India.

Many of those drowned were long-term residents too. According to statistics, 29 per cent of drowning deaths (not just people of Indian origin) were those who had been residing in Australia for more than ten years. Similarly, 19 per cent had been living here for at least five years, while eight per cent were international students. Irrespective of the gruesome statistics, even one death by drowning is too much! And, these deaths are considered preventable.

Given the frequency of drowning deaths, it is imperative to be careful around water bodies. Most of us don’t know

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

28-year-old girl seeking genuine marriage. Currently in Sydney until January 2020. Tall (5'8”), pretty, fair and medium built. Works as a manager in the finance industry. Potential partner must be above 5'11” in height and have permanent residency of Australia. Call 0416 812 117.

Beautiful, highly educated 33-year-old vegetarian Brahmin girl with excellent family background, soft-spoken, career-oriented, working, well-settled in Sydney, seeks an educated, teetotaller with good family background. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Please contact rajsyd83@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified, settled match for 46-year-old Sydney based, never married Australian citizen, Hindu Punjabi (Khatri) lady, 5'3" slim, fair and attractive. She is a postgraduate, working in a good position in a government organisation. Please email details with photo Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified, wellsettled match from Sydney for a 5’3’’ Hindu Punjabi girl born in 1988. She is divorced (concluded) with a brief marriage of 1.5 years, and is working full time with one of the leading universities in Sydney. Teetotaller preferred. Aus PR or citizen only.

swimming and those who do, become quite overconfident. We must remember even strong swimmers need help if caught in a rip – a strong, localised, and narrow current of water which moves directly away from the shore. Therefore, it is crucial to follow certain practices before visiting beaches, including learning to identify a rip

Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com

Seeking a suitable match for a dynamic, highly-educated, career-oriented 23-year-old teaching professional who is 5’4" slim, fair, and attractive. She is from a well reputed and established business family in Delhi. Caste no bar. Prefer Australian citizen or PR. Contact 0452 225 341 or mverma2001@gmail.com

Telugu girl from a traditional Hindu family, late 30s, working in a reputed company as an accountant, well-mannered and good looking, divorced, seeks caring life partner settled in Sydney. Currently in India, willing to relocate. Interested call 0433 420 918 or email Sampath_sarega2000@yahoo.co.in

Seeking suitable match for a never married Hindu Khatri girl, beautiful, slim, 5'3", very fair, vegetarian, post-graduate, 1985 born and currently in Melbourne. Seeks businessman or professional match based in Australia. Brother settled in Melbourne. Contact +61 456 604 747 or email kapr.matrimonial@gmail.com

Seeking a professional match for a 29-yearold Indian – Hindu (Ravidasia) – girl with excellent family background. She is a doctor doing MD (Pharmacology) in India, with relatives professionally settled in Sydney and Brisbane. Caste no bar. Please contact with details and photo at aeracus29@gmail.com

and swimming between the flags, so if you or someone else is in trouble, help will be readily available.

One of the habits we have adopted as a family – all good swimmers, except me – is not to swim too far out after the lifeguards have packed up. We love spending time at the beach till dark but ensure we stay in

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking match for educated, divorced, 5’9", 1975-born Sikh Boy, self-employed, on bridging visa with full work rights. Looking for PR/citizen match from Australia. Phone: 0422 812 939 or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

25-year-old boy seeking genuine marriage. Plans to visit Sydney soon in 2020. Tall 6’, handsome, well-built, wheatish complexion. Works as a Police Officer. Potential partner must be above 5’7”, pretty, fair, slim, trendy and have permanent residency of Australia. Call 0416 812 117.

A beautiful, slim, trim, tall, well-educated girl from Kumaon, Uttarakhand required for a smart, fair 5’10” tall boy, 36 years, born in Australia, running his own business. Caste no bar. Please send biodata with photos to email: ram@ramworldtravel.com.au

Indian Christian (Protestant) parents of 39-year-old software engineer, born and raised in Australia, seek a Protestant girl between 31-36 years. Email: sammy5073@gmail.com or call 0403 836 360

Seeking match for well-educated, wellsettled Australian citizen Gujarati boy, born in 1980s, 5’9’’. Has his own home in Sydney, earns 180K per annum, and

In a study conducted by Royal Life Saving, Australia titled, ‘A 10 Year National Study of Overseas Born Drowning Deaths’, the main reasons attributed to drowning include poor swimming skills and being under the influence of alcohol. The author of the report, Stacey Pidgeon says, “Regardless if someone has migrated to Australia recently or lived here for 20 years, we urge people of all ages and backgrounds to learn essential swimming and lifesaving skills, to be aware of basic water safety rules, and know what to do in an emergency.”

Try and take responsibility for your safety, consider your ability, observe the warning signs and never swim alone, whether in the sea or a river. Also, steer clear of taking intoxicating substances before going for a swim like alcohol and / or drugs, for they will severely impact your judgement.

Get your children to participate in a water safety program and even if they know how to swim, keep a close eye on them, including in pools and ponds. Always wear a life jacket while out boating. As summer comes knocking, do consider enrolling in swimming or water safety lessons if possible. I can’t think of anything worse than calling the family of a young person to inform them of a tragedy that occurred on a fun day at the beach. Have fun, enjoy the sun, sand and water, but at the same time, do take care and stay safe.

is divorced. Looking for a suitable match from Sydney who wants to settle down forever and enjoys an easy life (no need to work full time but should have a good work-life balance). Interested invites accepted from students/PR/citizens/divorcees/singles. Phone: 0490 970 281 (SMS if busy) or email patelbrij1980@gmail.com.

Seeking match for educated, divorced, 5’9", 1975-born Sikh boy, self-employed on bridging visa with full work rights. Looking for PR/citizen girl from Australia. Phone: 0422 812 939 or email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Seeking qualified match for a handsome never-married 36-year-old Indian Brahmin boy, Australian citizen, living in Sydney since 2005. He works in a leading bank, Parramatta CBD. Parents are retd govt engineer/ lecturer from Delhi. WhatsApp details with photos to 0422 361 702, +9198717 35858 or email sharma.brijmohan07@gmail.com

Seeking professionally qualified, settled match for 45-year-old Sydney based, never married Aus citizen, Hindu Punjabi (Khatri), 6’, athletic built man. Project manager with an engineering background working in a private organisation. Please send details with photo to Indsyd2016@gmail.com

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

December

2019

BY MINAL KHONA

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

ARIES March 21 - April 19

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

It might be a tough month with blocked progress, stress and discord. A reunion with a romantic partner is on the cards. Some temporary losses and changes might occur, but things will work out. Work is good and success expected. A marriage could end due to infidelity on one partner’s part. Depression and emotional problems could bog you down. Stomach or prostrate problems could occur; don’t take health issues lightly. Things look difficult but will get resolved on their own.

An exciting month is in store for you, as number 8 represents a positive change of mind. You will find your life’s purpose and meet someone special. An unexpected shopping spree, a financial break and medical tests are on the cards. You will make money in the long run, and your future prospects look even better. You will no longer waste energy on non-productive matters. Spiritual guidance will give you new insights. Follow your heart and your desires will be fulfilled.

VIRGO

Aug 23 - Sep 22

Leos might feel anxious or depressed as your progress hits a small pause, but an unexpected source will come to aid. Disappointment in love is on the cards. Money may be blocked, but it will arrive from another source. Despite losses, you will continue with business, but don’t take on more than you can handle. Your indifferent attitude towards people might stem from a deeper state of sadness and hopelessness. Seek medical help if you keep feeling this way.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov 22 - Dec 21

TAROT

GEMINI

May 21 - June 20

The future worries you, but you will settle inner conflicts by changing your perspective. Be careful while driving and avoid speeding. Work frustrations may make everything seem like an uphill task but you will complete a project successfully. You or a family member could have an infection or virus. Money matters will keep you worried. Introspection will give you clarity on the issues relating to you and others. Stay detached to be able to see the reality in any situation.

LIBRA

Sep 23 - Oct 22

The card of Pisces has been drawn for you this month, so creative pursuits could interest the pragmatic Virgo. While you prepare for an expensive trip, a romantic situation will progress slowly. This month could see you feeling touchy about being assertive about your feelings. Lots of communication is on the cards, especially in business, social and personal life. You could have problems with your knees and feel emotionally drained. The right answers will come to you for any issues.

CAPRICORN

Dec 22 - Jan 19

The strength card has been drawn for you which stands for following one’s passion and winning with love. Use compassion to succeed in persistent issues; even if it is an internal dilemma. Persistence for past efforts will pay off. A financial conflict with someone might occur, but money held will be released soon. You might undertake short trips and will see positive changes in business. Love life and health show improvement, and setbacks will be a thing of the past.

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

CANCER June 21 - July 20

You will try to understand the whys and hows of destiny and correct an area that has given you problems in the past. In matters of the heart, you will want a meaningful relationship rather than several frivolous dalliances. You will have unexpected financial gains. A new cycle relieves some tension that has been annoying you for a while. Pay special attention to health especially dental hygiene. Problems will get resolved and turbulent times will end on their own.

SCORPIO

Oct 23 - Nov 21

It is all about good health and fresh starts for you. There will be good news in form of an engagement or pregnancy in the family. Those in the arts will have a burst of creativity, and success will come from innovative ideas. An event or person will cheer you up. You might face pressure to perform better at work or go beyond the call of duty. You might meet some financial constraints, but health will be good overall.

PISCES

Feb 19 - March 20

The Virgo card has been drawn for you, leaving the outgoing and gregarious Sagittarian practical and finicky this month. A breakup will leave you despondent and depressed, and a short and sudden trip with lots of changes is predicted. Your work might be hampered, but going with the flow is the best solution. You might face health issues but will forge ahead with your plans. Resolving conflict by cutting ties with someone who is hurting you is on the cards.

The Scorpion card has been drawn for you making the January born uncharacteristically intense and secretive. You might find love, closer to home, in a new partner. Some things might rattle you; disputes and discord at work and travel plans might need to be postponed. However, new areas of work could open up. For single Capricorns, marriage might be on the cards. Seek medical advice before trying to lose weight. Money and other forms of help will come to you.

It will be a busy month for you as you will focus on expansions, meetings, and new opportunities. If a significant and warm love affair doesn’t start, an admirer or an unexpected romantic proposition will surprise you. You will remain upbeat thanks to work and home commitments and a positive and confident state of mind. You will also notice a sudden improvement in finances. Overall conditions will change for the better, and the universe will give what you desire.

An important situation is brewing this month either in your career or personal life; give it time. Single Pisceans will attract romance into their lives. Past efforts at work will bear rewards, and new projects will come your way. Family members or travel plans – both can cause problems this month. There could be a loss of appetite or chances of a sunstroke. However, your inner and outer conflicts are coming to an end; expect a change for the better.

Goldfish medicine and exploding eggs

Let the juggling of bickering kids and flying objects begin. Happy holidays, Mums!

BY MELISSA DOMINGO

Both my kids are having meltdowns. I solved their bickering over the television by simply unplugging the cables.

Phase one over, phase two uickly ensued. My three-year-old dipped a handful of Play Doh into my nine-year-old daughter’s hot chocolate. One of them is crying on the couch, while the other is throwing a tantrum on the floor.

I watch them resignedly and simultaneously worry about our pet goldfish George.

Before I became a mum, regular things occupied my thoughts - career, loved ones and the future. I worried about my hair, wardrobe, music and lipstick. I once asked my mum to purchase my favourite lipstick – ‘Nearly Nude’– while she was at the store. She kept asking for ‘AlmostNaked’. Needless to say, it was unavailable - an unnecessary aside, but I do remember feeling deeply concerned for my mum.

However, after becoming a mum, my mind is overrun with more diverse and pressing issues. Take this morning, for example. I have been feeling anxious about our godfish George, who lingers at the botton of his tank. In spite of our multiple efforts, he refuses to return to his normal self. My kids consider him to be a legitimate, treasured family member. My daughter even threatened to sell the other two fish living with George, as she believes they are mean to him. I was supposed to test the pH level of the tank this morning but ran into some delays…

My son only eats ‘exploding eggs’

(sunnysideup). I unintentionally left his egg in the pan longer than needed resulting in him becoming quite explosive when the yolk didn’t ‘explode’. I quickly cooked him another ‘explosive’ egg. The

BAAZAAR DIRECTOR: Gauravv K. Chawla

STARRING: Saif Ali Khan, Rohan Mehra, Radhika Apte, Chitrangda Singh HHHHH

I can’t recall a single notable (or even non-notable) Indian film based on the plunging dips and giddying highs of the stock market. Do you remember Harshad Mehta? How could you forget the podgy stockbroker who made thousands of Indians rich overnight and then it all ended in a financial mess in no time at all?

Saif Ali Khan’s Shakun Kothari’s destiny run on the same lines. Except that Saif as the wily ruthless

Machiavellian stockbroker is everything that Harshad Mehta would have wanted to be. This is Saif’s most gloriously written and performed part, meaty witty and wicked. He chews into it exposing a sacred hunger that I didn’t notice in his last over-hyped outing.

Saif as Shakun is a true-blue Gujju who won’t let neo-affluence corrupt his cultural integrity. He slips into Gujjufications with the unrehearsed cuteness of tycoon, who has long ceased to be cute to everyone, including his own wife and children.

him have. Rizwan’s a bristling her finale. He down moment in of the come ‘When (Nikhil Arora)

My son’s talent for falling off things has made me a pro at diving across rooms, running, and catching things even in my sleep.

RAWAT