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NATIONAL EDITION

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EDITORIAL

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Indian Link

Decoding the new language requirements for partner visas

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra ED ITOR Rajni Anand Luthra

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

SOCIAL MEDIA Suruchi Sehgal MEL BOURNE COORDINATOR Preeti Jabbal CONTRIBUTORS Ritam Mitra, Rhea Nath, Bageshri Savyasachi, Petra O'Neill, Mohan Dhall, Chitra Sudarshan, Sharda Sethi, Nisha Joseph, Jyoti Shankar, Minal Khona, Melissa Domingo Rawat SA LES Charuta Joshi Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No malerial, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to:

IN0IAN LI NK MEDIA GROUP Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

midst a fierce backlash from multicultural groups, the government seems to be back peddling from their Budget 2020 announcement that all those applying for partner visas, including their permanent resident sponsors, will need to undergo mandatory English language testing.

Many have called this move regressive, reflecting the abhorrent White Australia policy of the past. (The White Australia policy starting in 1901 effectively stopped all non-European immigration into the countty and contributed to the development of a racially insulated White society. This policy was progressively dismantled between 1949 and 1973.)

Announced in the budget on 6 Oct, new partner visa applicants and permanent resident sponsors will be required to have 'functional level English'. Applicants will need to be able to demonstrate this through the completion of 500 hours of free English language classes through the Adult

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conditions, mental health challenges arising from isolation are also a cause for concern . To have another pressure point thrust, albeit only in the future, will create additional frustration.

Clearly this is going to affect the lives of thousands. Currently there are 100,000 partner visa applications still to be processed, with a wait tin1e of 27 months. Adding English level testing for both applicants and their sponsors will only add to the bureaucratic red tape - the government has made mention of extra resources being allocated towards the adn1inistration of this sche,ne.

There is no clarity either about what exactly is meant by English language testing. If one can speak and understand English but writing is a challenge, is that a fail? Or if one can write but there are gaps in the verbal communication, will that be a problem?

English language testing to allow for a better migration experience may perhaps be a good thought, but it seems to be one that has not been thought through well. Community consultation with input fron1 n1ulticultural sectors can allow for a more practical rollout rather than one-dimensional decisionmaking in the Dept of Immigration office in Canberra, distanced from the realities of the situation.

Migrant English Program (AMEP). The changes will con1e into effect in late 2021.

But 24 hours after the announcement, amidst stinging conde111nation by multicultural groups and the Labor Opposition, the Acting Minister for Immigration Alan Tudge told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that nobody would be barred because of the new requirements.

If no one is to be barred, then what is the point of this policy? The government's rationale is that English language proficiency is imperative for the easy assimilation of New Australians, and enables them to maximise their opportunities here; that knowledge of English is a vital tool for social and economic inclusion, and that it's also important for people's safety, particularly for women, to be aware of their opportunities, rights, and protections in this country.

Agreed that there is a need for learning basic English, but to tie that into partner visa approval is a draconian way to implement this require,nent.

The current COVID times are creating enough pressures on new migrants. Struggling under the pressures of changed work and lifestyle

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RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA reported on the inspiring story of Kumar, a mechanical fitter from India who rose to a career in the RAAF. Tajinder Kumar wrote: People from all over Sydney and Melbourne are sending me pictures of Indian Link Newspaper. I can 't believe I am on the cover. Your news was also picked up by news outlets in India - The Tribune Punjab, Midday News Mumbai and few other Indian newspapers and TV channels like Zee News, PTC, Punjab Kesri. The Tribune actually put my story on the second page. After reading my story in all these newspapers, I feel proud. My family back home tear up while describing how people are calling and wishing them for my success. Thank you.

Amod D wrote: Truly inspirational!

Bhupen wrote: This is real progress. Congratulations to Tejinder, India, Australia. Wonder when do we see reverse happening? IAF should be open and welcoming such talent the way Australia is open.

Navlta Srlkant wrote: Way to go! Quad and India-Australia bilateral relations.

From cricket to armed forces - a multiplier force.

VIJay Sappanl wrote: Congrats and always nice to see when someone dons the uniform. In Canada, our defence minister is an lndo-Canadian and a former officer.

Gurupratap Dsor wrote: Great effort.

Australia's High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell tweeted this article with the comment: Indian Australian Tajinder Kumar will soon be inducted into the Australian Air Force as an officer - a long cherished dream he fulfilled thanks to his grit and determination. Tajinder's Australian journey began when he arrived from Punjab in 2009.

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JUNIOR MASTERCHEF Melbourne lad Dev Mishra did us afl proud with his early cook on Channel 10 show Junior MasterChef: Lamb Mughlai and Smoked Chicken Kababs with saffron rice and cucumber raita.

Akldat Gazali wrote: That looked good.

Atiya Gazali wrote: They polished everything off the plates.

Suruchi Bhavsar wrote: Every Indian mum's dream come true!

Karen B wrote: What a very talented young man. Great future ahead. I am super pleased my new Indian neighbours plan to start up cooking classes. Their speciality, Indian food. Of course! I will be their first pupil! Can't wait.

Vandana Suri Mehra wrote: Such a great example of good parenting, teaching life skills! Congratulations Dev and his proud parents and brother!

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'NEW AUSTRALIANS MUST KNOW ENGLISH' RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA 's report on the new language requirements for permanent partner visas elicited mixed responses.

Jeya Ramanathan wrote: Yes, New Australians must learn English. However, I find the standard that the Government is proposing is unacceptable. It is unfair especially to non-English speaking migrants. My main concern is that Morrison Government & Peter Dutton tend to support White Australia policy.

If these English tests were taken by the average Australian in the same socioeconomic category of many of these migrants and their partners, they will fail dismally. Even our Indigenous community will fail, does that mean they are not Australians. Representation must be made to the Government as to the level of testing. Conversational English and know the current affairs of Australia. Grammar and spelling should be reduced to a Grade 5 standard.

I hope Indian Link will make a representation to the government. If you do, I would welcome an opportunity to contribute. I have, at ground zero level, helped many migrants to prepare for the current testing process.

I see many migrants in a personal capacity as a tribunal member for Public Housing in Western Australia. I see women being disadvantaged. Would love to ensure their voice is heard. Migrants are not capable of mastering English; the type of testing does put a lot of stress upon them. Given these days they are tested online, there is no fairness in the process as it is very objective and doesn't have subjectivity in understanding the candidate sitting for the test. Failing by one mark can be disheartening. The cost of these tests is $370 per sitting. Migrants struggle to make that kind of income, let alone spend on the tests several times.

My Vietnamese friend sat for the test 7 times before passing. My Hindi teacher with a Masters in English Literature (who tutors English Literature at the University of Western Australia) sat for the test 9 times before passing.

The current record is there is an Indian lady who has sat for the test 60 times (although this is hearsay as I heard this third hand).

Anurishi Agarwal wrote: A great move by the Federal Government.

Renee Markita Chhlna wrote: How is that White Australia policy? How can you settle in a country if you don 't know the language. I understand if you have a partner who doesn 't speak English but like it said they ain't banning that. But to come here with no English at all, you wouldn't cope.

Zora Bhullar wrote: What about BJP imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speakers in India .

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"I will not sit here and be lectured by the Vice President." Okay Kamala has seen the Gillard speech.

Benjamin Law, columnist and journalist

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Honestly, just the thought of having private phone calls with a partner played in a public forum makes my insides crumble.

Calla Wahlquist, The Guardian journalist

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An Australian Government Initiative

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SAY IT AGAIN

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Gladys Berejiklian is not a target of ICAC's investigations & no one is alleging she's behaved corruptly. The smartest people with the best intentions in public life still end up having dumb and/or damaging relationships (in hindsight).

Suspect many are living in glass houses today.

Emma Alberici, journalist

My screen time report this week just said "no, it's cool we get it" Jess Dweck, writer

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GANDHI AND SHASTRI On 2 Oct, we celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birthday with much fanfare. But the day also marks the birth anniversary of a lesser known Indian leader, Lal Bahadur Shastri. We asked our readers for their favourite Gandhi and Shastri quotes.

Krish Na wrote: Here's my favourite Mahatma Gandhi quote: "You have to stand against the whole world although you may have to stand alone. You have to stare in the face of the whole world although the world may look at you with bloodshot eyes. Do not fear. Trust the little voice residing within your heart." My favourite Shastri quote comes from his speech titled 'The New India' broadcast to the nation on October 19, 1964: "The Chinese are trying to build up a mighty war machine and to create fear in the minds of all." (Sadly, some things haven't changed much).

Betty Jager wrote: I so love Gandhi for who he was, is and all he gave to the people of India .

Nlrupa Prasad wrote: One of the simplest and my favourite is "When someone throws you a stone, throw back a flower."

Nlshtha Patnl wrote: I love this Gandhi 'quote': "Be the change you wish to see in the world ". It is hugely inspiring and frequently quoted even day, but apparently, it is not something that Gandhi actually said. (Hence the single inverted comma on the word quote!) What he did say, was something similar, and these are his actual words: "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him .... We need not wait to see what others do."As regards Lal Bahadur Shastri, I love the simple yet profound "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisaan ".

Srlkumar AdlraJu wrote: Funny you should ask this. I just read a piece about current day leaders that quoted Lal Bahadur Shastri. Shastri, I thought to myself, blast from the past! We don't usually see reference to him these days. Anyway, the quote was: "The basic idea of governance, as I see it, is to hold the society together so that it can develop and march towards certain goals." How many of our leaders are doing said 'holding together'? And Gandhi - there's just too many quotes to choose from, right?

One that comes to mind right now is from his Salt March, delivered as he broke the Salt Law: "Even those as powerless as a grain of salt can make a difference." Something to that effect.

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COVID-19 VACCINE: MULTIFAITH PERSPECTIVE Following the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney's claim that he would boycott the COVID-19 vaccine when available, BAGESHRI SAWASACHI spoke to religious leaders to get their perspective.

Rosa Stathis wrote: Great article on the vaccine and the religious leaders' thoughts - really insightful for me .

Anurag Relan wrote: For most people, safety of their family will far supersede any religious concerns on the use of the vaccine, as and when it is available. Don't all religions talk about the importance of taking care of your loved ones?

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#DALITLIVESMATTER BAGESHRI SAWASACHI discussed the ways Dalits still face atrocities and persecution in India .

Melinda Parker wrote: I loved your article about casteism. I lived and worked in India as a social worker for 25 years and am back in Sydney now.

I feel India is my second home. I've seen casteism so often, including with friends and children we are educating. I honestly wasn't sure if Indian Link would publish something so outspoken. Well done.

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WHERE IN OZ

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Where will you find these remarkable rocks, we asked you.

Readers Moulik Bavisi, Akhil Jhingran and Vimisha Jani sent in the correct answer: Kangaroo Island, South Australia .

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My parents deliberately spoke no English to me as a toddler. I went to kindy with little English, but they knew I would catch up. I topped the state in English in the HSC. And I still speak Chinese. English should not be a barrier to entry. Helping kids learn foreign languages should be the focus.

Jason Yat-Sen Li, Twitter user

NATIONAL EDITION

Big trend this year of pointing out things that are literally happening right now under capitalism and saying "lol this is what life would be like under socialism."

Greg Larsen, writer and pod caster

The problem with current affairs podcasts in 2020 is if you wait half an hour to listen it's already six months out of date.

Byron Kaye, Reuters journalist

The fact that each school term has been trending this year shows how hard this year has been.

Tuan Vo, Twitter user

Can apps stop with the stories? People are making Linkedln look like their lnstagram now Mithali Soni, Twitter user

OCTOBER 2020 9

Over $2000 in prizes for lighting up your home!

It's the year to get those Diwali lights out big time!

WorldRemit and Indian Link invite families across Australia to decorate the exterior of their homes with lights to celebrate Diwali.

The competition is for everyone, including non-Indians - you can just keep the lights up until Christmas!

10 OCTOBER 2020

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NATIONAL EDITION

OCTOBER 2020 11

ADVOCACY

•

The 'Nobody Left Behind' campaign encourages local councils to provide support

BY RITAM MITRA OV ID-19 has sent governn1ents around the world scrambling to implen,ent stin1ulus packages to encourage spending and keep their teetering economies from collapsing. Australia's focus, including in the recently handed down Federal Budget, has been on incentivising businesses and facilitating welfare payn1ents for residents and citizens.

However, these measures overlook the broader com1nunity of international students, refugees, asylum seekers, working holiday makers and skilled te111porary 1nigrants that play a critical role in Australia's economy. That's why social justice organisations Democracy in Colour and Welcon1ing Australia, together with over a dozen participating local councils, have recently launched a new advocacy ca1npa ign pledging support for these workers to ensure no part of the community is left behind.

Speaking to Indian Link, De1nocracy in Colour national co-director Neha Madhok describes the joint "Nobody Left Behind" initiative as a necessary backstop to n1ake up for failures in federal government policy. The campaign, which has seen 14 local council s commit to providing funding or in-kind support for temporary visa holders, is also aimed at ramping up pressure on the Morrison government to extend wage subsidies to the 2 million people who are currently excluded from. the government's Job Keeper package. Critically, these workers are typically over-represented in industries that have been affected

by COVID-19, particularly in the hospitality and entertainn1ent sectors.

"U ltimately, ensuring people have access to social security is the federal govern111ent's responsibility," says Madhok. " Our elected officials who we voted for last year are responsible for ensuring that everyone who works here is okay. Even though te111porary 1nigrants can't vote, they are paying tax, working incredibly hard to support themselves and their families, and doing so in lockdown situations in which the rest of us have been kept very comfortable. State govern111ents have already had to fork out cash to try and keep people afloat, now it's co1ne to local councils to try do the same."

12 OCTOBER 2020

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NehaMadhok

The campaign, which has seen 14 local councils commit to providing funding or in-kind support for temporary visa holders, is also aimed at ramping up pressure on the Morrison government to extend wage subsidies to the 2 million people who are currently excluded from the government's Job Keeper package.

Madhok draws on her family's experience of 111igrating to Australia in the early 1990s in h ighlighting the iinportance of social security in allowing migrant workers to ultimately flourish. " We were really lucky because we were on a pathway to pern1anent residency, and had the protections of social safety net including Medicare and welfare, which meant n1y parents could do what they needed to do to survive.

Dad getting a permanent job was what changed our lives," recalls Madhok. " But the lives of temporary visa holders stay [difficult] - the father will keep working cash-in-band jobs, while the mother's qualifications aren't recognised, meaning they will have to beco1ne Uber drivers or take up other jobs," says Madhok. "But because

my parents were on a permanent pathway, which has been eroded over the last 20 years, that's the reason I can be a 1niddle class person, go to university, and have the privileges of a comparatively very comfortable life.

What would happen if my parents came to Australia just 20 years later?"

And for those temporary nligrants who did migrate 20 years later and are living in Australia during COVID -19 today, the challenges can be overbearing. "You hear stories of migrants living with 16 to a bedroom, eating once a day, lining up outside Melbourne City Council and other places to access food, and people going without so that their kids can eat. It's a really terrible situation," says Madhok.

But the challenges span beyond

Austt·alia's borders. Madhok recounts the story of an individual involved with Democracy in Colour: "Their family overseas lost inco11Je during COVID, and just like many people of colour across the country, they're now working extra time to make sure their family back home is okay. It's a really common story we've heard all across Australia where there are people who have to change their own lives even if they themselves haven't been impacted by COVID in that way, but their friends or family overseas are absolutely suffering," says Madhok.

With local councils such as City of Sydney, City of Hobart and City of Hume having already signed the pledge, Madhok and her team continue to pressure other councils with large South Asian populations who have yet to do so, such as the City of Parramatta. It's a role that will prove even 1nore critical given the deficiencies identified by Madhok in the recent Federal Budget, including as to social housing and wage subsidies for temporary migrant workers.

Madhok concludes with a call to action: "Unless we stand up and do what we can in our communities to call for a better world, then so1neone else will n1ake that decision for us. If they do, they won't make it with our best interests in mind, and people of colour will get left behind."

You can sign Democracy in Colour and Welcoming Australia's pledge at nobodyleftbehind.org.au or visit democracyincolour.org to see how you can get involved.

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NATIONAL EDITION

OCTOBER 2020 13

SENIORS

Down Under

•

s an 1 resource one era use Senior care group AASHA Foundation helps produce two film s in Hindi 1

BY

Helplines for the elderly

RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

✓NSW Elder Abuse Helpline & Resource Unit: 1800 628 221

ijinder Duga l picked up the phone one day. An elderly woman was on the other end, calling, she said, f roin the park. She was seeking Bijinder's counsel, after months of strain at home during which her daughter-in-law refused to even speak with her.

Bijinde r is accusto1ned to receiving such ca ll s.

As founder of AAS HA Australia, a volunteer-based organisation that facilitates culturally appropriate aged care and advocacy services, she is aware that elder abuse is increasing in our con1mu11ity, and particularly so since the sta rt of COVID. Working closely with Seniors Rights Service, AASHA has delivered progran1s to seniors in the Indian co1nmunity for ma11y years now.

In their latest effort, they have jointly produced two short fi lms in Hindi to educate seniors as well as younger people about seniors' rights.

In the filin Down Under, an elderly mum arrives to live with her son and his fa1nily in their palatial home. Very soon, she finds her life restricted to household and childcare tasks with little con1n1unication with her adult children. When she asks for outside interaction, her son loses his patience.

In the film Granny Flat, an elderly mu111 lends money to her daughter to build a granny flat, with no written agreement.

Once construction is co1nplete, the daughter wants her to move to an aged care hon1e.

The two films are a stark re1ninder of the rights of ow· seniors to live the life they choose to live - with self-respect and dignity.

The films were released in early

14 OCTOBER 2020

✓Seniors Rights Service: (02) 9281 3600, 1800 424 079 or

info@seniorsrightsservice.org.au ✓Victims Access Line: 1800 633 063 ✓LawAccess NSW: 1300 888 52 ✓ NSW Trustee and Guardian: 1300 364 103

✓Financial Information Service: 131 021, 132 300 ✓Private Solicitors: (02) 9926 0300 ✓Domestic Violence Hotlin e: 1800 656 463 & 1800 737 732 ✓AASHA Australia Foundation limited: info@aashaaustralia.org.au ✓Interpreter services may be availed by dialling 131 450

Bijinder Dugal

Septe1nber at an event attended by AAS HA men1bers, executives from Seniors Rights Service and special guests including MP Mark Taylor, and Leader of the NSW Opposition Jodi MacKay. Members of the co1nmunity tuned in via a virtual link.

"I an1 very happy to have helped created these resource films,"Bijinder told Indian Link. "They will go a long way in getting the n1essage out to our seniors that your safety a nd well-being are both important.

If you feel you are being physically abused, bullied or pressured to do things by someone you know, or if someone you rely on is neglecting you, threatening you, or failing to look after you as they promised, then be bold and sp eak up."

The filu1s were funded by the Seniors Rights Service, with talent coming from within the community.

"They were inspired by si1nilar film s created by the Victorian Multicultural Co1nmission in various languages," Bijinder revealed.

The content was tweaked to cater to Indian sensibilities.

"Elder abuse is a sensitive issue, but it is a conversation that needs to be had," Bijinder observed. "It takes many different forms - emotional, financial, even physical.

Often it goes unreported because of the stigma involved. We must en1power our seniors with the knowledge that services such as legal protections are available.

But they need to know about wills and transferring 111oney and other family money matters. They mustn't let the kids remotecontrol their life."

Having presented before the Parliament of NSW inquiry into elder abuse in 2015, and having run seminars on the issue alongside Seniors Rights Service, Bijinder has become passionate about elder care overall as a community service.

At the most basic level, con1munity measures can help ward off social isolation.

AASHA , like other seniors groups, has been organising social interaction hubs at various centres across Sydney, with activities such as health talks, legal seminars, mental health information, information on services available to

seniors, free health checks, weekly yoga lessons, exercise sessions, communal meals, and song and dance.

In COVl D times, they've taken to virtual sessions on Zoom and gone live on Facebook with a reach of thousands. A YouTube channel has just been launched as well. " But we want to do n1ore than that," Bijinder stressed. "We want to produce more resources like the short fi ltns this year and our DVD on dementia earlier.

We also want to lobby the govern1nent for more culturally appropriate services, and to do that we've shown the1n how strong we can be with our own limited resources."

She finished with a plea: "We know that the system has capacity to support. But I do wish the community at la rge would step up and do its bit too - sections of our own com1nunity are very well-established!

We do get kudos for our work and we are thankful for that, but I hope 1nore direct support will be forthcoming."

For more details on the activities at AASHA, visit www.aashaaustralia.org.au

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OPINION

• New directions for the anti - caste movement BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI D light of the events that led to a 19-yearold Dalit won1an succumbing to a brutal rape at the hands of four upper-caste 1nen, the hashtag #DalitLivesMatter bas been trending to bring the issue to the forefront of mainstrean, discussion.

H is clear that the Indian caste system is not a thing of the past 01· something that only exists in remote and rural India.

Even in this day and age, Dalit comn_ , unities across the nation continue to be the target of various forD1s of atrocities and persecution.

Anyone who identifies as Indian k nows that the caste systen1 is a system of oppression. Despite being abolished by the Co11stitution of India in 1950, the system still exists because it is still perpetuated.

Why does casteism still endure?

Dr Mridula Nath Chakraborty, a Senior Lecturer at Monash University and an expert in literatures of the Indian subcontinent, says, "Historically, castebased violence as a whole in India, exists because of a Hindu dominant majority and its psychology of control. This funda1nental ideology exists in politics and the public sphere with i1npunity."

She adds, "What is now called Hinduism was once a set of philosophies and practices full of n1ultiplicity, and now it has

NATIONAL EDITION

becotne a variant of son,ething that sti ll cannot be seen as a unitary religion."

"Atrocities committed in the name of Hindu fundamentalis1n are as dangerous as other forms of religious fundamentalis1n," warns Dr Chakraborty.

In 20 12, a horrific rape of a woman in Delhi shook the entire country, con1pelling people to take to the streets in protest and rage online zealously.

Jn contrast, in 2020, a similar injustice inflicted upon a Dal it woman in Hathras seems to be received with nonchalant indifference; no 'India's daughter', no nationwide outrage.

In the same vein, the lack of data depicts the turning of a blind eye towards Dalit suffering in the countless migrant labourers and daily-wage workers who died during the abrupt COV ID Iockdown in India.

The migrants, many of whom identified as Dalits even said they would die of hunger before the virus could kill them.

Wilful ignorance sanctioned by many dominant political, cultural and social parties is the prin,ary proof of this undisguised perpetuation of the caste system.

Philosopher, literary theorist, feminist critic and recipient of the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award given by the Republic of I ndia, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak of Colun1bia University, says it best.Highlighting the reasoning behind

"sanctioned ignora nce" iD her book titled A Critique of Postcolonial Reason, she describes it as "a n institutionalised way of thinking" where the aim is to exclude certain opinions and scrutinies from entering the public debate, in this case the exclusion of Dalit discour se.

Role of the diaspora There is much to say about people in the Indian diaspora who complain about White hegemony but perpetuate similar power structures in their own communities.

22-year-old artist and Dalit activist Priyanka Paul for example, has called out non-resident Indians and upper-caste Hindus who have been hush-hush over the caste-based sexual violence carried out in Hathras. lf we do not question our families or people in our community when they exhibit casteist attitudes or oppressive ideology, we are complicit. O ur silence speaks volumes of the issues we don't consider worthy of addressing. Our silence is violence.

"Indians must critique the idea of 'only one kind of Hindu','' Dr Chakraborty explained. "In Australia, the idea that all Hindus are lovely or spiritual or vegetarian, has to go."

It is time Hindus, whether in India or in Australia, acknowledge this oppression in order to stop practising it.

It's time to become active and vocal allies to eradicate our own privilege.

How you can help There are parallels in the relationship between non-Indigenous Austra lians a nd First Nations people, and that between Dalits and non-Da lits. " What can we do?" is something that is repeatedly asked by non-Indigenous Australians as well as non-Dalits who wish to participate in the obliteration of this prolonged oppression. it's not as much 'what' as about 'how'.

Take that first step, look at the rept·ession of Dalit knowledge systen,s square in the eye, and test your privilege.

An in1portant resource can be 'Steps to be an Anti-Caste Ally' as outlined by Ferninism in India's Astha Ban,ba . .1-lere a re her suggestions:

• Read and promote writings by Dalits • Check your language for casteist slurs against Dalits • Have that uncomfortable conversation about privilege • Understand the history and reality of caste-based reservations • Mind casteism around you - in your houses, schools, universities a nd workplaces O ne of India's great founding fathers D r B R Ambedkar often said, "Educate, agitate, organise". We must bring Dalit philosophies and perspectives to the front of our minds to be able to fight oppressive ideologies like the caste system.

It's time to become active and vocal allies to eradicate our own privilege .

OCTOBER 20 20 15

INNOVATION •

es1

ace mas an wearers

or

A student start-up that won an innovation contest for its ·inclusive' face mask, has taken off BY PREETI JABBAL ike it or not, masks are here to stay. If you wear a turban or a hijab though, that poses a proble111: how do you loop them around your ears?

Three 1nedical students fron1 Melbourne have now got that covered.

Their innovative face n1ask design for people wearing religious or other headgear won fi rst place in the M.onash SEED [ncubator Progratn.

It saw the launch of their social enterprise Ekta. melbourne that has now taken off in the co1nmunity.

When n1asks beca1ne n1andatory to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus, healthcare students Ayesha Bannare, Monish P uri and Anika Yesn1in realised that conventional masks were not designed to be all inclusive.

"We believe that everyone has the right to feel safe during the pandemic," Monish Puri told Indian Link. "There was, however, a large gap in the 1narket when it came to reusable 1nasks for people who wear religious headgear, like turbaned Sikhs and J1ijab wearing women."

To fulfil this overlooked need of culturally diverse coin1nunities/Ekta n1asks' were innovated.

The n1asks have longer ties that allow them to be secured on the back of the head and away fro1n the ears The design works wonderfully also for those wearing earrings and headphones.

"The inner and middle layer of our 1nasks are made from organic cotton and the outer Layer is recycled polyester. This ensures that they are environmentally friendly, sustainable and we can n1inunise our carbon footprint on planet earth," described Anika Yesmin.

"By securing an iJ1itial amount of $1000 in p re-orders within the first week, we were able

16 OCTOBER 20 20

to pitch and win first place in the Monash SEED [ncubator program," said Monish.

The progra1n is designed to en1power students with initiative, drive and ideas to lead positive change. It aims to provide guidance to strengthen social entrepreneurship both as a skill set and a state of n1ind.

While on the SEED journey, the students realised that regular tnasks posed problems also for people wearing glasses or using hearing aids. They added seal flaps that trap the air within the n1ask itself reducing fog in glasses.

Social 111edia, lnstagra1n and word of mouth propelled Ekta's cause.

"Reaching out to our target market has helped," said Anika. "Winning the SEED program helped in pro1notion and we also won third place in the Monash Validator Program where we were pitched against 92 other start-ups. That provided great traction as well."

Ekta is looking to team up with Caringbush Adult Education, an organisation that teaches English to asylum seekers, to make the masks. "lt will make a positive impact in the lives of these asylu1n seekers as they get to learn

English as well as acquire job skills and make an inco1ne," claimed Monish. "Many of our buyers appreciate that."

One of their first clients, Gurmeet Singh agrees it makes a world of difference to have masks that do not need to be looped around the ears.

"They are easier to wear and remove around my turban and save time when I need to leave home to work, exercise or shop," he told Indian Link. "The fact that they are ecofriendly - and provide gainful employment to disadvantaged communities - adds to the appeal."

The Ekta mask project has utilised the disruption of mai-ket created by COY ID-19 to create meaningful change. It aligns with Ekta's overall vision to provide eco-friendly healthcare products and services while creating employment opportunities and skills to diverse co1nmunities of refugees and asylum seekers.

Its three like-minded student founders, all from South Asian backgrounds, belong to a generation comn1itted to using entrepreneurship as a means to put purpose into socially dr iven projects.

"Growing up our parents would always

emphasise the phrase Anekta rnein ekta (unity in diversity) and this became our mission," explained Monish.

Moving forward, the enterprising trio wish to make healthcare accessible to overlooked communities by designing a curriculum specifically for them.

"O ften there is mistrust towards western 1nedicine amongst certain communities that have been secluded or isolated and we want to bridge that gap and make health information easily and safely accessible to them. ~rhls is Ekta's Long term goal," concluded Ayesha.

rom arriving in Melbourne as an international student at the age of 17 to now being recognised by Australia's leading science awards, Su1neet WaJia has had a whirlwind career in the sciences.

Now, he has been short listed as an emerging leader in science at the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes 2020, considered the ' Oscars' of Australian science.

"Congratulations and well wishes have been pouring in," be told Indian Link. "This nomination has been in the works for a couple of years. It's not just about research, but also the ways we enable other scientists and lead the field forward."

With a background in electronic engineering and interest innanomaterials, his research looks at light-matter interaction, materials manipulation and scalable materials synthesis, among other aspects.

Most recently, Sumeet Walla and his team have developed the world's first, and thinnest, photodetector that can see the full spectrum of light.

"Photodetectors convert information carried by light into an electrical signal and are found in many technologies today, including medical imaging, 1notion detectors and gaming consoles," he explained.

"Electronics have evolved a lot in the last few years. Processors are decreasing in size

www.indianlink.com.au

e ac on

0

•

•

er 1vers1 oar

A UniSA study finds that the attitudes of female directors are more aligned with corporate social responsibility BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

''

t's an old boys' club," one female director said to Dr Kathy Rao, an expert in the sustainability of businesses and corporate socia l responsibility (CSR).

Lecturer in Accounting at University of South Australia, Dr Rao is the lead researcher of a recent study which found that the absence of fen1ale directors on Australian boards is affecting CSR. Research has conclusively shown that a diverse perspective at the top improves the susta inability of businesses. Yet, businesses continue to "shoot themselves in the foot" with their declining gender diversity, Or Rao told Indian Link.

Gender diversity is good for business

compared to male and female directors," Dr Kathy Rao elucidated.

She concluded that gender diversity on boards encourages discussion and better analyses of issues at hand which ultimately results in better decision making.

Dr Rao interviewed a total of 13 Australian board directors, 5 1nen and 8 won1en. Her qualitative study found overwheln,ing evidence depicting that the attitudes of female directors were more ''aligned with CSR". Male directors' beliefs were inclined towards profitability and econotnic benefits while fe111ale directors expressed that it was "the right thing to do".

"When we asked male directors what they thought of CSR and if it is important, they said they agreed, and it was necessary because it would improve their 'bottom line' and their 'reputation'. When I asked the same question to female directors, we received co1npletely different answers.

They wete saying 'we need to do this because it's the right thing to do, we need to think about the community, stakeholders, and the environment'. You can see that the perceptions are different

How much influence do won1en at the top really have on the decision-making process? " We found that there are several challenges for women directors to effectively contribute to CSR decisions.

So, even though they bring these different perspectives and values to the table, their influence is very lin1ited and that is an important finding," Dr Rao admitted.

Dr Rao's fen1ale interviewees indicated that they do not feel "comfortable" or "confident" putting forth their views due to a lack of support from their male colleagues.

while increasing in power, but we haven't seen that evolution in photodetectors ... till now."

When listed out, the Dehradun native's credentials are certainly more than a handful. They include being nan1ed one of Australia's 111ost innovative engineers in 2018 and being listed among Asia's top 10 innovators under the age of 35 in 2017.

When the winners are announced on 24 November, he could potentially add a Eureka Prize to the list.

As one of 51 finalists shortlisted across four categories, Sumeet's being noticed for his impact at a national level, especially as an advocate of diversity and inclusion in STEM.

Bring up the topic of diversity, and you can immediately hear the passion inhls voice. " Lack of diversity is a systemic issue, and it's not just an issue in Australia or India but in the worldwide STEM community," Sumeet explained emphatically.

At a university level, he prides himself on enhancing opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds. In fact, he is a PhD advisor to numerous women from India pursuing science here in Australia.

"People often believe gender diversity is a proble1n in India, but in my experience, there are a lot more women in STEM in India than in Australia. Seeing wo1nen in a lab here is not as com1non a sight," he admitted.

NATIONAL EDITION

Challenges faced bywomen

"One female director openly said that having a voice is potentially the biggest challenge for them," she mentioned. "When they are the only \voman on the board, they really struggle to put opinions forward because they know that others will ignore it, or their contribution will be ineffective."

Boards with 1nore than one female director make it easier for won1en to contribute.

"When there are 2 or 3 more women on the board, they see the other female dfrectors nodding their head and that then bl'ings a culture where male directors would accept their contribution," she added.

Female directo.rs also felt the need to lead with "hard" topics like financial issues instead of "soft" issues like environmental concerns saying their opinions would be ''shut down" otherwise.

Other challenges for women include the ''old boys' club" n1entality that deeply affects recruitment processes which involve recruiters "favouring their own" and where "like attracts like".

"Top management is a male-dominated environment and has been for several years. These older and influential men will only recruit people that are like them with sin1ilar experiences. They don't feel con,fortable having diversity on the board," Dr Rao explained. ''It's this homogenous thinking that needs to change," she added.

that there were not enough "competent and skilled women" to appoint to the board.

"With fe1nale directors, it was a completely opposite view. They said that there are .many competent and skilled women out there, similar to men, but they are not being recruited. This is a n1assive issue for all Australian boards, that there is a lack of awareness a,nong male directors of their own bias. This is the n1ost dan1aging factor for effective leadership and that's been our major finding during this study regarding gender diversity," Or Kathy Rao disclosed.

She also mentioned that some female interviewees also commented on the "quality" and "maturity" of tnale colleagues.

"There a re men who have worked with women in several organisations and they know what women can bring to the table.

These 1nen easily accept diversity," Dr Rao reported.

Whatneedstobedone

Male directors often fail to see the subtle elements of discrimination. Not aware of the challenges faced by their female counterparts, they do not acknowledge the prevalent discrimination.

When male dfrectors were asked what they thought were the challenges faced by women, they said, "They (women) don't face any problem". Another interviewee also stated

The main obstacle is the minority status of wo1nen and the discrimination faced by them that renders their contributions ineffective and their voices unheard.

While the popular solution seems to be increasing training and incentives for the women involved, Dr Rao also thinks "appointing 3 female directors to tick the box as a token appointment will change nothing". " We need some kind of guidance to deal with unconscious bias," she said.

Dr Rao expla ined that for gender diversity to be possible on Australian boards, policymakers must step in to provide more guidance and resources for companies.

"Policymakers must tighten these board appointment and renev1al processes. If everyone plays their role, only then will we be able to reduce and overcome these barriers for women," she said.

When asked why that's the case, Su1neet doesn't skip a beat. " I think this all boils down to role models.

We need to show children that girls can be anything they want to be and remove the image of a man in a lab coat as the only idea of a scientist," he said. " We need to nurture interests in the sciences from a young age and admittedly, it's a long-term process. 1n that aspect, I think Australia can actually learn a thing or two from India!"

The associate professor at RMIT is also on the executive committee member of Science & Technology Australia, an advocacy group which brings scientists, government and the broader con1munity together.

Now more than ever, Sumeet e1nphasises the importance of investing in science. "ln today's scenario, everyone is looking to the sciences for solutions but when it comes to funding, there are ifs and buts:' he lamented. "Around the world, we see that money and resource investment in technology has made a difference. Research shows that $1 investment in innovation translates to $5 in the economy in longtern1 benefits. It's not something that can develop overnight, so it's really no surprise that vaccines are taking time. One-off investments won't suddenly enhance science.

It needs sustained support."

Rhea Nath

Unconscious bias of men

OCTOBER 2020 17

INDIAN NEWS Members of the Aravani art project work on graffiti they call 'The story of corona virus COV/D19 pandemic' in Bangalore, India, 10 Oct 2020.

The art collective Aravani is a group of unseen women and transwomen creating public art to raise awareness of social issues. India has the second highest total of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world.

Photo: AP

calls the "verbati.m" description.

In paraJlel, OHS will narrow the definition of "specialty occupation", require con1panies to n1ake "real" offers to "real employees," and turbocharge its own ability to ensure con1pliance "before, during, and after an Hl -B petition is approved''.

"Data shows that the more than a half million H-1 B non-i1nmigrants in the United States have been used to displace US workers," read a staten1ent from the Department of Homeland Security.

Back-to-back Indian-origin deans at Harvard Business School: Srikant Datar succeeds Nitin Nohria Srikant Datar, the Indian-An1erican senior associate dean for University affairs at the Harvard Business School (HBS) and Arthur Lowes Dickinson Professor of Business Adn1inistration, has been named as the new dean of the School.

D atar will begin his tenure on 1 January, 2021.

According to H arvard University President Larry Bacow, Srikant Datar is "an innovative educator, a distinguished schola r, and a deeply experienced academic leader."

"He is a leading thinker about the future of business education, and he has recently played a11 essential role i11 J-IBS's creative response to the chaJlenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He has served with distinction in a range of leadership positions over his nearly 25 years at HBS, while also forging novel collaborations with other Harvard Schools;" The flarvard Gazette quoted him as saying.

"Srikant will come to the deanship with a broad intel'national perspective, decades of close engagen1ent with business ptactice, and a strong commitment to building an increasingly diverse and inclusive HBS con1munity."

Smee joining the fIBS faculty in 1996, Datar has held a series of key positions, as the School's senior associate dean responsible for faculty recruiting, for faculty development, for executive education, for research, and currently for University affairs.

Since 2015, he has served since 2015 as faculty cha fr of the Harvard Innovation Labs, or i-lab.

Reacting to the a1u1ouncement, Datar said he was "equal measures humbled and honoured to take on this role."

"H arvard Business School is an institution with a re1narkable legacy of hnpact in research, education, and practice. I look forward to working with colleagues and friends of the School-including tru·oughout Harvard, in our Boston conununity, and around the world-to realize our 1nission in what undoubtedly will be an excitmg new era," he said.

Datar will become the 11th dean in the Business School's 112-year history.

He will succeed Nitin Nohria, who

18 OCTOBER 2020

had announced his pla ns to conclude his deanship at the end of June 2020 after 10 years, but agreed to continue through this Decen1ber in view of the pandemic.

Datar graduated with distinction in mathematics and econo n1ics from St. Xavier's CoUege, University of Mun1bai m 1973.

A chartered accountant, he went on to receive a post-graduate diplon1a in business management fron1 the Indian Institute of Managen1ent, Ahmedabad, before con1pleting master's degrees in statistics and econon1ics and a Ph.D. in business, all fron1 Stanford University.

Fron1 1984 to 1989, he was an assistant professor and then associate professor at the Carnegie Mellon Graduate School of Industrial Administratio n, where he was honout·ed with the George Leland Bach Teaching Award.

He joms Rakesh Khurana, dean of ·Harva1'd College, and Madhav Rajan, dean of Chicago University's Boo th School of Business, as an Indian-Alnerican leader at an Ivy League university. O thers in the list mclude Soumitra Dutta, who has been the dean at Cornell University's management school.

Dipak Jam, who served as the dean of INSEAD, the leading European business school, is now Europe President at China Europe International Business SchooJ.

Trump administration tightens strings around H1B visas The Donald Trump administration has moved to cut back H 1 B visas for foreign skilled workers and tightened wage-based entry barriers. They've cited "data" that more ilian 500,000 An1ericans have lost their jobs because of "H l B non-immigrants".

India and Chma account for ilie lion's share of HlB visas. As p er US government data, India accounts for upwards of 70 per cent, 1nost years.

In a call with reporters, Acti11g Deputy OHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said about one-third of the people who have applied for H l B visas would be denied under the new rules.

With Trump laid up with COVID-19, his poll numbers tanking and less ilian 30 days to go before the US election, the timing of the H 1B visa hanlfilering is business as usual for foreign workers.

"It would have been a surprise if this hadn't happened," an H 1B worker at JP Morgan, who asked not to be named, said. The salary requirement will be a "gamechanger" in favour of the Trump administration, they added.

Many HI B workers expressed a version of the same sentiment. They've seen this move before. It's T run1p's all-base, all-time anthem to fh·e up his n1ost vocal supporters, they said.

The latest blow comes as the ducks line up across multiple departtnents that coordinate and monitor the criss-crossing elements of foreign worker visas: US Department of Labor (DoL), US Citizenship and l n1migration Services (USCIS) and ilie Department of Hon1eland Security (D HS). ''When seeking to employ an H-1 B, H-1 B1, or E-3 visa, US employers must attest that they will pay non-hnmigrant workers, during the period of authorized en1ployment, the higher of the prevailing wage or the actual wage paid to other employees with similar experience and qualifications," US Departm ent of Labor announced.

The gaslighting of ilie low cost H 1B pay cheque is a well-worn anthem and has become louder in ilie T1·ump years. The word "undercut" was used multiple times in a round robin of smoothly co-ordinated press-releases and telephonic briefings across DoL and DHS. The DOL rule will raise ilie fou r salary tiers for employees on H lBs and other professional visas, which currently begm at the 17 th percentiles for each industry, to the 45th p ercentile.

"Under the existing wage levels, artificially low prevailmg wages provide an opportunity for en1ployers to hire and retam foreign workers at wages well below what their US counterparts - meaning US workers in the same labour market, performing similar jobs, and possessmg similar levels of education, experience, and responsibility - make, creating au incentive - entii'ely at odds with ilie statutory scheme - to prefer foreign workers to US workers, and causing downward pressure on the wages of the domestic workforce," reads an excerpt from the D oL interim final rule.

The Department is also tightenmg the screws on ilie definition of "specialty occupation" to make it align with what it

HDFC's Ravi Santhanam among Forbes' most influential CMOs Ravi Santhanam, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of HDFC Bank, has made it to Forbes' list of 'World's Most Influential CMOs' . He ranks 39 in the list of 50 most influential CMOs. "Santhanam is a marketing leader who prioritises personalised and relevant customer experience and believes that machine learning and data science are critical tools for marketers; he expressed so in a recent Netcore Solutions blog," ro rbes said.

It also noted that he led the Indian bank's response to the coronavirus outbreak, launching the "# HOFCBankSafetyGrid" campaign to help people keep safe dista nce in public.

Santhanam is the only CMO of an Indian con1pany to feature in the list. He has been with H DFC as the Chief Marketing O fficer for over 3 years, having previously worked m major corporations like ICICI Bank, Vodafone, and Reliance.

The top spot was grabbed by Phil SchiJler, Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing of Apple.

The rest of the top five in the Forbes list were Stephanie McMahon, Chief Brand O ffice r of WWE; Fernando Machado, Global CMO of Restaurant Brands International; Jens Thien1er, Senior Vice President of Customer and Brand of BMW; and Olivier Francois, Global President of Fiat Brand and Chief Marketmg Officer of FCA Group, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, respectively.

Indian teens in UAE create app, comic on market trends A 17-year-old Indian expat student has teamed up with his younger brother to launch a savings calculator and a comic series based on economic and 1narket trends for the benefit of pupils and blue collar workers in the United Arab Emirates.

The savings calculator app, called Cash Cash, helps an i11dividuaJ keep track of his or her fund s, aiding one to not only account for ilie expenses but also help understand how much can be saved, Gulf News reported.

The con1ic series, 'eCOnoMICs', is an economics-based concept developed to provide a better understanding through a simplistic and illustrative format.

The bilingual comic series m Hindi and English is already bemg distributed to

www.indianlink.com.au

An Indian Air Force fighter aircraft Sukhoi Su-30 fires flares during Air Force Day parade at Hindon Air Force Station on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, 8 Oct 2020.

Photo: AP

workers across Labour camps in UAE. Varun Mittal and his younger brother An1an, both students at the Ju1neirah College, have created the app and the co1nic series.

They have launched the two under a social enterprise platfonn called SOCRlSE. "1 an1 passionate about economics and also recognise my privileged position in society. l used the two concepts to drive a message to young students and workers in UAE to help them learn how to save so it will leave then1 financially independent," Varun said.

Talking about the savings calculator, he said the intention behind launching the app was to build financial and economic literacy through this platform.

"It is prin1c:1rily mea nt for the labour community and aims to help improve their financial knowledge. The app takes inflation and wage growth into account to give a more accurate timeframe for how long it would take. Allowing blue-collared worke rs to better n1anage their finances," Gulf News quoted the 17-year-old student as saying.

"The idea for the app came about when J overheard a conversation between two school support staff members about how they were struggling to calculate their savings when taking every expense into account.

"I then developed an algorithJn and presented this to the sa1ne en1ployee, and he found it to be a useful tool. Following this, we hired a group of developers and began developing the app."

For the record, the app has been developed in multiple languages for easy use and understanding.

A co1nic series, eCOnoMICs was developed to provide a better understanding of finances through a simplistic and illustrative fonnat.

Atnan, who is the content designer for the conlic series, said he helped bring the comic series to life by adding fun ele1nents and humour to the story, putting together the story board and designing the illustrations.

Indian sweets to feature 'best before' date as per new norm As per a new industry nor1n, all Indian sweets 1nust now have a ' best before' date mentioned with the product. Coming into force on 1 October, it n1eans the shopkeeper has to infonn the customer the last date by which the dessert will remain edible.

However, it will not be mandatory to write the date of manufacture of the product, as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has left it to the will of the 1nanufacturers.

According to Federation of Sweets and Na1nkeen Manufactures (FSNM) director Feroze Naqvi, this has brought great relief to the confectioners, but wiJl also face difficulties in writing 'Best before date' as it is not practical.

In a 25 September order, the FSSAI has made it mandatory from 1 October to write

NATIONAL EDITION

'Best before date' on sweets plates in shops for the open sale of sweets, but there will be no restriction on the date for 1naking sweets. The FSSAI has stated in the order that it would be optional to write the date of making.

"FSSAI. has accepted half of our point that it is no longer mandatory for us to write a 1nanufacturing date. However, the best before date will be effective from October l. However, we are also in talks on this.

We have put our problems in front of the FSSAI.," Naqvi explained.

He said that printing the best before date for sweets is not practical as there is a large range of sweets on which it would be difficult to change the date repeatedly.

The order regarding the open sale of sweets ca1ne in February, which was extended twice in the coronavirus period, but now fro1n 1 October, it has been made mandatory to write the best before date on sweets packs.

This order of FSSAl is only for the open sale of sweets. Naqvi said that this order will be applicable for unpacked sweets whei-eas for food items like packaged sweets and namkeen, it is mandatory to write the period of 1nanufacture and the date till it is best for the consumption.

India competes with Pak for exclusive GI tag to Basmati rice India has applied for an exclusive Geographical Indications (GI) tag to Basmati rice in the European Union (EU), saying it is an Indian-origin product in the application. Pakistan is yet to implement the GI law protnulgated in March, and now faces a potential threat to its rice exports.

A geographical indication (GI) tag gives certified information about the distinct identity of a product based on its native region of production. This is key to promote India's agri-exports.

As per the Indian application, Basmati is special, long grain, aromatic rice grown and produced in a particular geographical region of the Indian sub-continent.

"The special characteristic of Bas111ati is grown and produced in all districts of the state of Punjab, Haryana, D elhi, HitnanchaI Pradesh, Uttarkhand as well as in specific districts of western Uttar Pradesh and Jamn1u and Kashmir", the Indian application maintained.

Leading Pakistani rice exporters Like Taufiq Ahmed, a leading exporter and bearer of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP}, have called on the government to immediately oppose the Indian application.

"Despite repeated requests and reminders, concerned authorities in Pakistan have been ignoring this serious issue for years and now if the problem is not handled swiftly then we would be left with no option but to sell Basmati rice with an Indian name/ brand," he said.

As per the application, India is also regarding Himalayan salt and Multani Mitti with Indian names in the international market. At present, most of India's unique products have domestic G ls. Of 366 registered products, India has only one international GI for ' Darjeeling tea'.

"We need to focus on international GI tags for our brands. To merit a premium branding and price, we need global branding of these products at international platforms, no one gives a premium price without adequate branding," said Mohit Singla, chairman of the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI).

According to hin1, the heritage brew of Rajasthan like 'Chandra Haas' and the unique ' Bhut Jolokia' spice from Assam are unique products that should be put forth for international Gls.

New Al model processes text in 11 Indian languages Faculty from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (UT-M) and Al4Bharat have developed artificial intelligence (Al) models and datasets to process texts in 11 Indian languages.

Al4Bharat is a platform for building AI solutions for problems of relevance to India.

According to UT-M, its researchers and A14Bharat released Al models and datasets for the following languages: Tainil, Hindi, Malayalan1, Telugu, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, Gujarati, and Marathi.

The multilingual AI n1odels and datasets developed through this initiative will provide the essential building blocks to students, faculty, start-ups and industry to work on the Indian language tools and push the frontiers of technology.

The faculty have made these cutting-edge

resources open-source and completely free of cost, which can be accessed by anyone.

These models are freely available and can be downloaded from a Github repository.

"We have a very rich diversity of languages in our country. As we move towards a digital economy, it is important that our languages find a space online.

This requires a lot of innovation in creating input tools, datasets, and AI models for lndian languages," said Mitesh M. Khapra , Assistant Professor, .Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

For example, imagine a learner who posts a question on an e-learning platform in Tamil or Hindi or any other numerous [ndian regional languages.

There is a need for tools that can automatically process such questions written in the Indian languages and classify then1 into specific topics.

"While such tools are available for English and other foreign languages, there are hardly any tools for Indian languages and this is the critical gap that we are trying to address through this ini tiative. These models are available free of cost as we want the entire country to benefit fro111 them," added Khapra.

A14Bharat is an initiative co-founded

by Khapra and Pratyush Ku1nar fro n1 IIT Madras and works to solve India specific problems in a community-driven, opensourced manner.

"We have an urgent responsibility to take the rapid advances of AI and 111ake them accessible to the common n1an. One way of achieving this is to improve interactions between humans and machines. That is where the fie ld of Natural Language Processing (NLP) comes in. NLP is a branch of Al that deals with the interaction between con1puters and hu1nans using natural language," said Anoop Kunchukuttan, a volunteer at AI4Bharat and the lead researcher on this project.

For the past one year, a teain of researchers comprising students, faculty and volunteers from IIT Madras and Al4Bharat worked on collecting data and training powerful models for processing text written in Indian languages.

The models take advantage of the sinlilarities between Indian languages to make efficient use of data.

IANS

OCTOBER 2020 19

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' ' Artist Claus Stangl picks a community favourite for his Archibald debut BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA he arresting quality of artist Claus Stangl's portrait of L-FRESI-l The LION at th is year's Archibald Prize cannot be doubted. Jt exudes a sense of tranquillity. Of stillness.

Peacefulness. Equanimity. Perhaps even wisdon,.

And yet, quite paradoxically, look closer and you'll detect a hint of datnpness on the headgear, as if the subject has been working out. Wait ... is that sweat trickling down his face and neck? " Yes, it is," L-FRESl-l reveals to lndian Link. "The painting highlights the mentality of in1migrant cu lture - the constant work non-stop nundset."

Sweat and determination pave the path from dreams to reality, and the migrant experience teaches us that the best way to face new situations - and obstacles - is with equanin1ity.

Artist Claus Stangl claims however that it was not L-FRESH 's heritage that initially attracted him. Indeed, it 1night have been his nan1e FRESH standing for Forever Rising Exceeding Sudden Hardships.

"Although 1 find his dual identity interesting, my first thought about him was not that he is of Indian or Sikh heritage, but that he is an interesting Australian," Claus muses. "l think that is what the Archibald Prize is about - interesting Australians brought to life by interesting artists."

Claus did an "amazing job", says L-FRESH. "When I saw the finished product, I was blown away! He's a great artist."

"It is pretty special to be a finalist at the Archibald," Claus says of his 1naiden attempt at Australia's most prestigious art prize.

20 OCTOBER 2020

''Side profiles can be iconic - figures from monarchy face east on stamps and coins, but L-FRESH looks in the opposite direction, in what is a different perspective.''

The pair 1net in 2019 when L-FRESH was working on his anthem for the Sydney Kings basketball tea1n We Are Kings. They were introduced by Claus' fiance, n1usic supervisor on the project. Claus was then looking for a n Archibald subject.

"We bonded over a long coffee, chatting for two hours," L-FRESH renunisces.

Claus chimes in, "It was a starting point for me to understand what he's about, bis n1usic, his Jife. I found him to be a motivated, focussed person, and wanted to bring that out."

He learned also about L-FRESH's faith and the five Ks, but decided to keep the symbolism out as it would be "too expected".

When L-FRESH revealed he keeps fit by boxing, Claus decided to use that to depict the essence of hard work.

"J wanted my portrait of him to be striking, strong and simple."

For their date at the studio, L-FRESH rocked up with his skipping ropes and strap and worked up a sweat. Claus did son1e "super-quick sketches" while photographer Nick Lawrence clicked away.

"Showing L-FRESH without his turban made the image n1ore intimate," Claus notes.

L-FRESH, otherwise known as Sukhdeep Singh Bhogal, spells it out: "At boxing, l can't wear protective headgear over 111y full dastar so I take it off, and train in my patka."

(As it turned out, the navy blue of the background and the orange of his patka did become symbolic - they are traditional Sikh colours, blue being the colour of the warrior and of protection and orange representing wisdom.)

Typically for Claus, it was the only sitting they had.

H e explains, "I like to work large-scale; l feel it generates more of a reaction.

Because 1 take time w ith my portraits, it would not be fair to my sitters, so I end up taking the help of photography. L-FRESH's portrait is 2111 tall and l. Sm wide; it took 127 hours to create!"

The unusual side-on pose, Claus admits, "revealed itself" and became quite powerful.

"Side profiles can be iconic - figures fron1 monarchy face east on stamps and coins, but L-FRESH looks in the opposite direction, in what is a different perspective."

It also allowed hin1 to capture the light from behind, giving the portrait a regal, powerful finish.

"I see it as a comment against colonisation," L-FRESH offers, his bumble patka a proud rebuff to the crown featuring 'our' Koh-i-noor.

Claus, who moved to Australia from London in 2008, bas been painting most of his life. Last year, he decided to give up a 16-year career in advertising as art director (his last job was with Facebook as creative

strategist), and comm it to art full -time.

"Th e Archibald has been the best news I've had in two years," he laughs. " It validates my mission and goal."

Portraits have been a favourite part of his work. " I'm fascinated by people prin1arily. With each portrait I have opportunity to enter another human being's world. For instance I found L-F RESl-1 to be positive, war1n, filled with humility and incredibly intelligent. H e's many things, not just a musician; he's a thought leader. fie has a law degree, he has performed at the UN, he's inspira tiona l, a role model for different types of people.

H e's quite a special guy. I'm lucky."

Painting people in the n1usic industry including executives and managers - bas been a particular passion, even before COVID made it a challenging time for them.

Claus also agrees that we may finally be seeing the Archibald embrace diversity.

"I think it is becoming honest in its representation of Australian society. And it is important for bodies like it to do so.

I'm so grateful to live in this growing, emerging, evolving culture."

Did L-FRESH ever think he would be in the Archibald?

"It is not a goal for me as a 1nusician, but this was the third t ime I was asked to sit including this year by another artist."

Claus gushes, "And there will no doubt be many more opportunities. H e's an interesting guy. He deserves it."

''L-FRESH's portrait is 2m tall and 1.Sm wide; it took 127 hours to create!'' www.indianlink.com.au

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Child-like sentiment endears in Ramesh Nithiyendran's Archibald self portrait BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI he Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) announced Ramesh Nithiyendran's selfportrait called "Self-portrait with outstretched anns" as a finalist for thjs year's Archibald Prize. The portrait is quite unique, to say the least.

Altnost iinmediately, the painting forces a s,ni le to creep up on the beholder's visage and prolongs that first glance into a gleeful gawk.

"It's a self-portrait that I wanted to be this kind of joyous, vibrant thing that was mediated and translated from some quick drawings in my diary," Ramesh revealed to

Indian. Link.

It is the cheerful child-like sentiment that grabs you at once, in what is clearly a skilled work of art.

"I think the style harks back to drawing and scribbling in younger years, on the other hand, it's also upscale and uses materials children probably would not use! " Ramesh chuckled.

"So I think I try to have a playful, democratic style in that respect," he added.

He painted the self-portrait in his Rydalmere studio in Western Sydney. The large-scale portrait is almost 2 1netres in

22 OCTOBER 20 20

height and 153 c1n wide.

This is not the first time a self-portrait by Ran1esh has made it to the Archibald. Last year, another one of his self-portraits was also shortlisted [or the prestigious prize.

Ramesh also confesses that he is "more expressive or liberal or creative" when working with imagery of hin1self as opposed to the worries that accompany the process of capturing someone else's likeness.

"When you're working with yourself as an itnage you kind of get to bypass a lot of the ethical considerations. In some way, l'm only held accountable to myself."

The artist's alluring artworks reference multiple subjects. Whether it is the physical body, gender, culture, reiigions, ancient history or modern life, Ramesh says all these references "co-,ningle" in his work.

"So1ne references are cultural or historical, but some are also pop-cultural and fro1n daily life. Within my work, I try and reflect contemporary life whlch is about the layering of different experiences, meanings, sy1nbols and history."

Ramesh's medium of choice is primarily clay and ceramics which he says is central to his vernacular now. His reason for it is a glorious link to the people that have been "working with clay for thousands and thousands of years to represent figures" and being able to "connect with all those different histories through time".

Ramesh Nithiyendran is also

concerned with plurality and multiplicity.

Traditionally, religious idols and deities are sculpted to embody divinity and perfection; he explains how his cultural interpretations are influenced by depictions of Hindu gods and goddesses.

"In lots of mythologies and depictions in Hinduism, there's a sense of 'the multiple'.

It's often multiple forms, mdividuals and deities co-mingling. Even though, for example, the Hindu representations are incredibly smooth and clean they're also generally poly-chron1atic. The colour schemes are intriguing. The design element, there's a lot of symmetry and consideration in there, a lot of complexity as well, which is what I find interesting as an artist. ''I think in our world right now, the favouring of multiplicity is very important," he added.

When it comes to interpretations of his work, Ramesh has experienced Eurocentric analyses of his work. This is where he says art education might have failed m some way. Nevertheless, he also suggests that times a re a-changing and people are increasingly acknowledging the concept of global cultures.

"Sadly, Australia sometimes is seen by people as some kind of colonial outpost, as this kind of western nation. Art education has failed in decentering Eurocentric narratives. The favouring of modernism as a core in art history teaching could be decentred and globalised for example and that

would actually create a bit tnore literacy. " But m the last few years especially, I've noticed people and the industry becoming a lot more literate with the very idea of global cultures rather than the East and West binary," he favourably mentioned to Indian

Link.

While Ramesh Nithiyendran is not concerned with dictating how audiences perceive his work, he does want it to deeply engage them. " I think there are multiple ways to read art and respond to art and they're all valid, however, I do want it to feel imn1ersive, colourful, textural and tactile."

In an envi ronment where public discourse is becoming critical of monocultural depictions of Australia and Australian life, Ramesh identifies himself as a Tamil-Australian and acknowledges the recognition he has received as a contribution to the broadening of the perceptions and narratives of Australia.

"When I think of being of Tamil heritage and being well-known in Australia as an artist, it is somewhat political. There aren't many Tamil-Australian artists showing in these kinds of exhibitions. Even though it's not my decision, I'm inadvertently representing my community in that way," he mentioned.

The Sydney-based artist also has an upcoming major project opening soon at the AGNSW in November which is also about portraiture and figuration.

www.indianlink.com.au

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Consun1er research shows that financial insecurity is at a n all-tin1e high.

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NATIONAL EDITION

OCTOBER 2020 23

LOCAL COUNCIL

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BY PREETI JABBAL ictoria's 2020 local council elections, during the state's strict coronavirus restrictions, will be conducted by postal vote and will be the largest ever undertaken in Victoria with n1ore than 4.5 million voters enrolled.

Ballot packs containing a ballot

paper, staten1ents and photographs supplied by candidates, voting instructions and a reply-paid envelope have been posted to voters. All votes n1ust be in by 6:00 pn1 on Friday, 23 Oct. This year marks the first electio.n where all candidates have taken a n1andatory Local Govern1nent Candidate Training Course through Local Government Victoria. The online course about councillor roles and responsibilities introduced through the new Local Govern1nent Act was completed by n1ore than 3,000

people.

Given the current restrictions in Victoria there is limited opportunjty for aspir ing candidates for the upcoming Council elections to visit homes, door knock or shift attention to what matters most in their council rjght now.

A considerably large number of people from Indian background are contesting the elections this year. Indian link spoke to some to find out why we should consider them for our vote.

(Full details at www.indianlink.com.au)

I am standing for Council because I ain passionate about multiculturalism, supporting people's ,nental health and achieving gender equality. I believe Whitehorse Council plays an important role in ensuring good outcomes for the community. I have resided in Whitehorse for more than 20 years with n1y multicultural fa mily comprising my Australian born husband and three young adult children. l am a progressive community advocate and a member of Mental Health Foundation Australia, Indonesian Community Association Victoria, and Australia India Society of Victoria. My vision for Whitehorse is for people fron1 all cultures to be able to live, work and play in a secu re, familyfriendly environn1ent. I will suppott initiatives that ensure Whitehorse is well known for its employ111ent, education, health, and open space offerings and that it becomes the Eastern Suburbs capital of arts and culture. l f elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Introduce robust health initiatives to ensure control of the spread of infection to manageable levels; Create jobs; Focus on small business recovery.

AMANDEEP KAUR lramoo Ward, Wyndham City Council

l stood for council election in 2016 as well which was a great learning expedence. I an1 running this year because 1 believe the voices of migrants, especially women migrants, are under-represented and there is much work to be done to 1nake our coinmunity even more beautiful, safe, and prosperous. I have extensive experience across a range of community activities, as a com1nittee n1ember of Vermont South Community Centre and Whitehorse Interfaith Network; founder of Australia India Wo1nen Entrepreneurs Forum; and Lions Club of Verntont South (Festivals and Fundraising Assistance). I was previously a con1mittee member of the Whitehorse Business Group for several years and recently worked with the Department of Health and Human Services, as part of their COVI D-19 Community Engagement Team. If elected, my postpandemic key goals will be to: Drive economic revival; Engage with kids and young people in the comn1unity; Create employment opportunities for the residents.

24 OCTOBER 2020

I have been working in social services for a long time and I have enough experience to call myself a go-getter who can resolve issues. [ am here to listen to my community so I can advocate at the council level. I have assisted many women who suffered fron1 do1nestic violence, who were sexuaJly abused, and connected them to relevant services and organisations. I have helped many international students and citizens with groceries and other essentials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I played a role in a charity event for bushfire survivors and have volunteered for many other community causes. If elected, n1y post-pandemic key goals will be to: Advocate for council relief packages for people, small and medium business so they can restart their businesses after lockdown; Establish a mechanism for smoother communication to engage community 1nembers for mental support, and counselling; Establish effective and active communication especially for multicultural communities which I think is critically important because effective communication could have curbed COVID19 cases in the western suburbs.

I am a local resident who migrated to Australia 22 years ago. I am married with two Loving kids and 1 have a strong desire to serve our community. 1 hold a Bachelor of Business in Sustainability and currently work in the IT industry. D uring my time in Australia, 1 participated in various volunteering p rograms that range from feeding homeless people, assisting senior citizens, organizing not-fo r-profit events, planting trees and collecting waste. I have been a Monash Council Con1munity Ambassador since October 2019 assisting in programs related to diversity, multictilturalism, and inclusiveness. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Build a strong loca l economy by suppor ting local business and promote events that bring in more business; Improve the quality of life of the residents by focusing on education, health, and social welfare equal opportunity to all; Revisit past strategies to ensure they are strong and sustainable for the postpandemic world.

www.indianlink.com.au

RISHI PRABHAKAR

SHASHIKOCHHAR

Chaffey Ward.

Wyndham City Council

Mulgrave Ward.

Monash City Council

lam connected at grassroot level with many con1n1unities. I'm the only candidate fro1n 1ny ward from a diverse background; given Melton Council is a growing 1nulticu ltural hub, it is in1perative we have diverse representation. l have worked in the areas of fan1ily violence, senior care, youth outreach, COVID care, and fundraised for Cancer Council, Beyond Blue, Donation Drives for Bushfire Victims. J have served on numerous boards including the lnle rcultural Advisory Board of Melton City Council, and have placed on various award lists for Won1en, Leadership and Community Service. I worked with a top-four bank for n1any years and then started 1ny own financial planning concern. A M.u111bai girl, I 1nigrated to Australia a decade ago and now live in Taylot·s HilJ with my young family. lf elected, 1ny post-panden1ic key goa ls will be to: Build a safe comn1unity; Focus on environment and susta inability initiatives in our community; Deliver projects with comn1unity focus.

I an, an accountant and a fa1nily n1an with two school going kids. I have been a local resident for over a decade and as a selfless comn1unity volunteer and an activist, l have a great understanding of the issues affecting our community in daily life. I am blessed to be able to give back to the Wyndhan1 community in diverse roles with some great co1nmunity organisations like Tarneit Neighbourhood Watch, Werribee Hospital Foundation, Sri Durga Temple, International Students Support HeJpline, FlA, NO to YDC, WYNBUS (Patron) to nan1e a few. [f elected, n1y post-pandemic key goals will be to: Prioritise support for local jobs and small businesses; I nclusive sporting, open spaces and recreational facilities because they play a major role in peoples n1ental & physical wellbeing; Upskilling programs for youth en1powerment by partnering with local social enterprises.

I believe my biggest strength is my sense of gratitude to the community - I have a strong desire to give back. As a first-generation migrant, l know the value of hard work, in fact, my passion for service sees me working harder in retirement than when I was in paid employment. r have been awarded recognition as the Sir John Monash Comn1unity Leader in 2007, the Monash Multicultural cha1npion in 2018, and my greatest honour to date - an Order of Australia in 2019. I am Justice of Peace and donated Blood/ Plasma 180 times. I am the founder/president of Charitable Community organisation "Friends of the childre11 Foundation Inc" fou nded in 1998. I am also the Chair of Monash Interfaith Gathering and an active men1ber of the local Rotary and Lions Club. If elected, my postpandemic key goals will be to: Look after seniors and the vulnerable in our community; Create more jobs in the recycling and manufactutiog Industry; Make Council more transparent, accountable, and efficient, so they can demonstrate that they are using ratepayer n1oney in an effective mannet·.

Two decades ago, l migrated to Australia as an international student and have been proud to caU Moreland home ever since. Moreland has been a gteat place to live and raise my children -but 1 run confident that it can be better. Moteland needs counciUors who are involved in out local community and who understand the needs of the local residents. I've been fortunate to be involved in a number of community and sporting groups: including the Glenroy Neighbourhood Learning Centre, Pascoe Vale United Cricket Club, Hope Centre and Glenroy West Kindergarten. I have also been a proud Multicultural Ambassador fot a variety of events and organisations, including the M festival, Gold Coast Commonwealth Gaines and Melbourne Stars Twenty20 tean1. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Promote local economic recovery; Advocate for services that families rely on (we need n1ore funding fot local childcare, maternal health services, and quality aged care); Support safety and security through unproved lighting and CCTV where required, and implement localised progran1s to curb family violence.

I'm sta nding for council elections as there is still a lack of representation of people of Indian origin.

In 2012, 1 was among the first few from Indian background to contest as a Councillor from City of Melbourne. I acti\Yely encourage youngsters to get involved in Australian politics rather than Indian politics if they are citizens of Australia as 1 believe that migrants should provide equal input to this country. To serve the community is my passion. I was one of the pioneers of organising multicultural festivals in Melbourne like Diwali and Holi and have been involved with various Indian Associations as President, Vice President and Secretary. I am currently the Director of GHARS (Global Hindu Associations for Reform and Sustainable Societies) and have served as a Justice of Peace fo r over a decade. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Bdng businesses back; Oppose the Injection roon1 proposed by State Government near Victoria Market (even if it means taking legal action); Make sure that the rates are cut by 10 per cent.

I migrated to Melbourne with my family in 2004.

I used to run a succes.sful restaurant in New Delhi and now I am a Business Development Manager with a construction company in Dandenong South.

I was motivated to stand for the elections with a vision of bringing otlr community to the forefront.

I believe we should have representatives in various tiers of the society to help the society bring about positive changes. Blackburn Gurudwara is my place to be on Sunday mornings, and I try my level best to be part of my ethnicity and provide comfort to all around to the best of my ability. I also partake in meaningful efforts on any front like working with seniors, organising cultural events or working with groups supporting mental health. If elected, my post-pandemic key goals will be to: Evaluate the flow of funds towards immediate and life-changing projects; Focus on challenges with climate change and how to project achievable targets within meaningful timeframes; Interact with residents and focus on the concerns of my Ward.

NATIONAL EDITION

OCTOBER 20 20 25

SCHOOL (/)

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• Lessons from the Shore School muck-up day saga: We need a shift in what we are teaching our boys BY MOHAN DHALL uch has been discussed recently about the leaking of the MuckUp day Jist writte n by son1e boys at Sydney's Shore School. The comn1entary has included condemnation about son,e of the cha llenges, which ranged from distasteful to n1isogynistic, illegal a nd cruel. Other challenges were within the range of what would be expected from young n1en celebrating a rite of passage.

Whilst there n1ay be legiti1nate questions to ask about the socialisation of boys in some financia lly elite private schools, the central questions for me are, what pressures are young n1en faci ng, and what is it that shapes them to become men?

I do not think 1nost boys in elite private schools are socialised to hate or abuse women. I also do not think they are socialised to laugh or spit on homeless people. In my experience, n1ost young 1nen are r espectful, responsible, and mostly aware of their com1nunity. In every cohort however there a re son1e people who are reckless, careless, and im1nature - but that is the sa1ne in all communities regard less of wealth.

Despite the hardships faced by previous generations such as war, the present generation has grown up in a time when the overriding social anthem is a focus on the self. Immediacy is the new long-term goal and external 1ueasures, likes, laughs,

26 OCTOBER 2020

shares are the shiny badges that denote self-worth.

To survive and compete in such a world, something needs to be done to push li1nits, create dissonance, shock, gain attention, stand out. That this is so is entirely predictable. Adolescence is exuberance, and oftenti1nes it is iinpulsive.

W hen a youth's impression of kudos, affirmation or fatne can be claimed th rough risk-taking, repugnant or crimina l behaviours, then Muck-Up day lists will reflect that. Muck-Up days in aU schools across the nation historically would lay testituony to this.

Scientific understanding reveals that it takes longer for young men to 1nature than was previously thought. So, how ca n we help boys to become 1nen and to unde rstand cause and effect 1nore fully and at a younger age? This is in1portant because the central tenet to rehabilitation of the worst behaviours, and in1provement of the best behaviours, con1mences with a deep understanding of cause and consequence.

Empathy and the understanding of cause and coi1sequence can be hastened

by experiences. Perhaps the education of adolescent boys should include units of study on each of the followi ng: • The nature of power and violence, including guest speakers from survivors of domestic violence, the police and even remorseful self-reflecting people who have been jailed fo r such offences • The impact of impulsivity on a person's Life, including guest speakers fro1n among hospital Accident and Emergency Specialists and physically or brain-impaired survivors of car accidents occurring due to speeding or drunkenness • The nature of unbridJed ambition on friendships, family life, and mental and physicaJ health including guest speakers who are rich but whose childt·en are estranged • The nature of vulnerability, understanding emotion and its importance to being in touch with self, community, and those less fortunate including guest speakers who once thought manliness meant stoic silence, bravado, risk-taking, comparison and aggression.

In hindsight, the contents of the leaked Muck-Up day list was not entirely unpredictable, given that external measures such as social media likes and shares denote self-worth to current-day youth

• The nature of luck and the wafer-thin difference between rich and poor with guest speakers from those who advocate for those who have noth ing • Why all institutional structures, educational, political, legal, business should have an equal representation of wo men and men at all levels, con1mencing with the structures shaping the education of the stude nt's subject to these units of study • Extended joint community-building projects where boys in financially elite private schools work with students from suburbs where youth unemployment and social/public housing is highest, n1ay also connect young people with a common cause a nd raise awareness about how indistinct we all are but for the clothes we wear. Such common projects can include creating green spaces, assisting in building improved educational facilities - through being trained and supervised in son1e manual labour - and competing in scientific competitions based on the develop1nent of renewables, or oth er significant areas of science.

Such experiences would be rewarding, eye-opening, possibly con£ronting, and truly Life changing. But what is an education for if not to assist in helping our students to understand how to think critically?

When young people make tnistakes, those who create structures can take opportunities to re-shape the experiences those young people have. It n1ay take imagination but, in an age of discontinuity, imagination energises action.

www.indianlink.com.au

Margaret Hepworth at Universal School in Tardeo, Mumbai

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• Melbourne educator

argaret Hepworth' experiments with Gandhi

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA s a teacher of history, Margaret 1-Jepworth would often ask her middle school students in Melbourne if they had heard of Gandhi. About a third of the students would raise their hand s.

She would then ask if they had heard of Hitler. Every single child would raise their hand.

Margaret is probably aware that since hun1ans are hardwired for negativity, we know and recall more about 'bad' than 'good'.

But an offbeat remark by a student in the hallway struck a deep chord: " Why can't we study some happy things? Why does history have to be all about doom and gloom and horror?"

"It pressed upon me deeply that education needed change," Margaret told Indian Link. "I started questioning what we teach. We say we teach caring and sharing and empathy and kindness, but when we look at the world, we don't see these things. We don't see the1n in business, in the big corporations, in banking, in politics. Where does it all go? Why is there war and conflict?"

The unravelling that began then saw Margaret give up her role as Head of Ca1npus at Melbourne's Preshil School, and go down what she describes now as a

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"Gandhian rabbit hole".

She has since reinvented herself as a peace educator, designing and conducting workshops in Melbourne using Gandhi's techniques to create change at the individual and societal levels. She calls her intervention program The Gandhi Experiinent.

It involves solution-focussed activities based on the Gandhian principles of nonviolence and tolerance, and an attitude of looking within.

"The progra1n encapsulates global citizenship, conflict resolution, and 'almost iinpossible' thoughts where the students open up to their own selves and identify one thing they would like to change, and list action steps to achieve that goal,"

Margaret described. "The workshop design has high academic rigour, with a touch of spirituality."

Personal responsibility is a core element of the intervention, given Gandhi's emphasis on change coming from within.

(Indeed, late adolescents and young adults are highly inspired by that quote often attributed to Gandhi: Be the change that you wish to see in the world.)

The results have been encou raging. " Measuring before and after, we see a shift up the scale to fee ling better about the world and a readiness to make a change.

It's rewarding to see bow the students travel towards 'positive reality' - a term I've coined myself - and change mindset towards positive action. They go away imbued with hope, and empowered to step up and become part of the solution. lt's quite extraordinary; I wish adults, parents, and politicians were in the room to see it."

Margaret was first drawn to Gandhi as a middle school student herself. " His n1essage to the world resonated with me," she recalled. "As a teenager passionate about social justice, it made sense deeply to use nonviolence as a tool for change."

She beca n1e better acquainted with his ideology when she travelled to l ndia as an adult.

"Visiting Gandhi Smriti and n1editating at Sabarmati Ashram, I became better entrenched in his methodology. I found ways to bring them into teaching in a very different way, using them to counter the negativity to

help bring peace into the world."

Today Ma rgaret invokes Gandbi in anothe r successful progratn, Collaborative Debating. " In respectful debating we listen to sorneone with a different viewpoint, an oppositional viewpoint even, and hear their perspective."

It is a life skilJ that is much needed today, and Maragret's technique to teach it takes a slightly revolutionary approach, again reminiscent of Gandhian practice. " In the middle of the debate, we have a moment of silence," she described.

"Imagine a group of high-energy Year 9s, suddenly stop and go silent! They emerge with new angles, new wisdon1 - 'I never thought about it this way' is a corn1non reaction."

The collaborative debate, nonadversarial in nature, moves beyond the argument and towards solutions.

It is clear that it is more productive to teach Gandhi's techniques and skills, rather than what Gandhi said.

"We are no longer talking peace, we are teaching peace," the Melbourne-based Gandhi expert stressed.

Having taken her progratn successfully to school students in India, Pakistan, China and Indonesia, Margaret is now expanding it beyond adolescents, with successful interventions in Victoria's Afghan and African communities.

Across the board, Margaret Hepworth's overarching technique is unmistakable: a pivot to positivity.

OCTOBER 2020 27

BOOKS

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Arundhati Roy's catcall for freedom amidst growing authoritarianism and fascism in India hen Arundhati Roy's first novel God Of S,nall Things was published in 1997, it won the Booker Prize and 1nade her an overnight celebrity. Not long afterwards, Roy turned to political and environmental activism, and her non-fiction and fiction since the n - including h er second novel Ministry of Utn1ost Unhappiness published in 2017 - have been deeply coloured by it.

Her latest book Azadi: Fascism: Freedo,n: Fiction is a medley of her articles, talks and essays produced over the last couple of years, collected under the title 'Azadi' - she clai1ns it is a catcall for freedon1 amidst growing authoritaria nism and fa scism in India. The re are no surpt·ises here as n1ost of the chapters have been published previously or are available on YouTube. She addresses a raft of subjects in this anthology, although they all converge ultirnately on the subject closest to her heart at the mo1nent: the Kashn1iri call for freedom, Azadi, that began roughly around 1989.

Howeve r n1uch one sympathises with her critique o f growing into lera nce in lndia, violen ce unleashed in Kashn1fr or the tragic predica111e nt of the refu gees in the North Eas t - to na 111e a few - r a1n not quite sure who he !" audie nce is here. The articles are, to put i.t politely, polemical, sh1·ill and peddle fea r. J' m not

0 Arund 01 Roy

for a moment defending the awful vig ilante ly nching of individua l Muslims that is occurring across northern India in the nan1e of cow p rotection or whatever, but her singling o ut of the Modi governn1ent for all the ills of the country p ast a nd p resent just d oesn' t cut it.

There is no context and she makes sweeping statements with no atte mpts to substantiate them. She fla ils a ny which way and purports to speak w ith authority about everything fro1n wo rld histo ry, capita lis1n, combat aircraft and the Rafale dea l to Hindu nationa lism - withou t proffering much evidence - by using data selectively to suit her argu n1ents. As a n academic and a trained social scientist, I despa ir when novelists and o ther writers suddenly decide to dabble in p olitics and morph overnjgbt into political con1n1entators! They

plunge h eadlong into so cial corrunentary and pontificate no end without a proper understanding of context, history, social forces, international economic currents et al.

Everything flows in Roy's case, frorn h er political activism. I do laud he r pounding at tbe injustices in India n society - for God know s they are sta rk and unconscionable.

Societies need gadflies like her to remind us of the abuses of power that go o n a ll the time; the collusion between the powerful at the expense o f the vulnerable. We can feel her indignation as she riles against capita lism. Yet, her writing, however powerful, rema ins a polemic, and the indiscri 1ninate thrashing at everything aro und her leaves on e fru strated.

By fa r the chapter on the very con tentio us CAA and the NRC - esp ecially as they were meant to address the problem o f citizenship in India's North East was the most e ngaging a nd po ign ant.

However, even here, some good a na lysis is undern1ined by rather simplistic and sweeping statements such as ' people converted to Jslam to escap e caste'. Serious scholars know that it was not that simple.

Why did p eople in Ira n conver t from Zoroastrianism to Isla m whe n there was no caste? So obsessed is she with p ainting Modi a nd th e BJ P government as fascist, that she keeps equating it with the Third

Reich - which can be quite grating, to say tbe least.

Using words to tarnish everything associated with Modi as 'anti Muslin1' - for instance, her characterisation of the Howdy Modi event in Houston as '60,000 p eople of Indian origin cheering Modi governtnent's ' wickedness' and the treatment meted out to Muslims', is hitting below the belt and extre1nely dishonest.

There a re reasons why the lndian diaspora organised su ch a n extravaganza [including the one in Sydney by the Indian community here] - and that it has n1ore to do with hera lding t hemselves as having arrived from a successful nation - than anything to do with Modi or BJP per se.

One can begin to understa nd he r powerful argument in favour of the Kashmiri call to sha ke off the Indian yoke - but to a rgue that successive governme nts in India have deliberately kept the Kashmiri pandits in terrible conditions in ca mps in Ja mmu in ord er to 'stir the ir anger a nd unde rsta ndable bitterness into a mephitic brew with which to stir India's na t·rative o n Kashmir' is crue l in the extreme. By the time she eulog ises Imra n Kha n's 'statesma nship' and sings China's praise fo r its handling of the COVID crisis (while sla mming India), she had lost me .

Chltra Sudarshan

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FOOD

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Vegan desserts that pack a flavoursome punch BY SHARDA SETHI

ith 1nore and n1ore people moving towards healthier lifestyles and eating habits, dairy items have slowly moved to the backburner. But someti1nes, the

healthier changes we wish to make can be hard to sustain ... Especially when they involve giving up on our favourite foods o r dishes that we grew up eating.

A great way to find that balance is

changing, adapting, and evolving recipes and the cooking 1nethods - without compromising on flavour. To get you going, here are three vegan recipes that are reimaginations of the desserts we know and love.

VEGAN BESAN LADOOS 1 cup of organic besan (gramflour) 5 tbsp melted organic coconut oil 5 tbsp rapadura sugar/ powdered jaggery 1/4 tsp cardamom powder or 1 drop of cardamom essential oil Handful of nuts/sultanas (optional) Roast the besan in coconut oil on a medium flame until it changes colour to a light brown and emits a

beautiful aroma. Keep stirring so it does not burn.

Add the cardamom powder. then take it off the flame.

Add the sultanas/ nuts (if you're adding them) and the sugar. If using cardamom essential oil, put it in the mixture now. Mix well.

When not too hot to handle, roll into small round balls/ ladoos and serve.

VEGAN. CARROT HALWA (GAJRELA) ■

1 cup of cashews soaked for at least 5- 6 hours or overnight ■ 1 cup water ■ 2 cups (approximately) of custard apple (pips removed) ■ 1 SPA-free can of organic coconut cream ■ 1 tbsp tapioca flour or arrowroot flour ■ 1 tsp Himalayan salt ■ 1/2 tsp vanilla powder ■ 1/3 cup honey Drain the cashews and rinse them.

Then. blend well with a cup of water.

Take about 1/4 cup of the coconut cream and mix the tapioca flour in it.

Heat the rest of the coconut cream in a pan on the cooktop. Add the salt. vanilla powder. honey and the tapioca flour mixture. Stir well for 3-4 mins on low heat. (You can always substitute honey for a sweetener of your choice like maple syrup. rice malt syrup. or stevia).

Mix together the cashew blend. coconut milk mixture and the

custard apple well.

Churn in an ice cream maker until done. If you don't have an ice cream maker. you could try the freezing/mixing method 2-3 times.

Tip: Since summer is coming. you can try this recipe with lychees as well.

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1 kg of carrots (grated) ■ 1 litre of organic coconut milk (or a non-dairy milk of your choice) ■ 1 tsp cardamom powder or 3-4 pods of cardamom ■ 100 gmscoconut sugar or rapadurasugar (can be substituted for a sweetener of your choice) ■ Handful of nuts and sultanas each ■ 2 drops of cardamom essential oil (optional) ■ 1 tbsp coconut oil or macadamia oil In a big pan, add the grated carrots along with the non-dairy milk. Also add 3-4 cardamom pods or 1 tsp cardamom powder.

Cook everything together until most of the liquid has evaporated and

NATIONAL EDITION

the carrots look well cooked. This process takes quite a while. so you can leave the pan simmering away and do other things in the kitchen, stirring once in a while.

Add a sweetener of your choice. Stir and cook till the liquid from the sweetener has evaporated. This will take 15-20 minutes on low flame.

Add the coconut oil or macadamia oil and stir for a few minutes.

For a good crunch. toss in the dry fruits and sultanas.

For a little bit of added flavours, add a couple of drops of cardamom oil (optional).

Serve warm.

This dessert will easily keep for a week in the fridge.

OCTOBER 2020 29

SPORT

races, sus • • era a, come a 1ve 1n . . . .'er

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When Perth's Champion Lakes became Kerala's backwaters BY NISHA JOSEPH undreds of spectators on the lake front erupted with joy as the boats sliced through the waters, the oarstnen throwing their oars in unison to the fast-paced rhythm of the KeraJan dru1ns.

Kera la 1s famous snake boat races?

No, Perth's newest cultural experience.

The snake-boat (chundan) races in Ker ala, a centuries-old tradition of water regatta called Vallam Kali, were suspended this year due to COVID. However, for the first time ever in Australia, the spirit of Vallam Kali was celebrated with great fervour right here, in the scenic waters of Perth. Cha1npion Lakes becan1e Vembanad Kaayal and dragon boats becan1e our beloved chun.dans for a day.

1-leld in late Septe1nber with necessary safety and hygiene precautions in place, the event was organised by the Perth United Malayalee Association Inc with Champion Lakes Boating Club.

They called it Jalvolsavam (Water Festival).

Thirteen teams competed in four qualifying races. Eight teams progressed to the semi-finals, and four fought the finals.

The boat Piara Chundan of the Piara Spartans team claimed the first Jalolsava ,n Vallamkali Trophy. Karichal Chundan and Maylands Chundan finished second and third respectively.

"It took a lot of effort and weeks of practice to get to this stage," a thrilled Binish Varghese, captain of Piara Spartans

30 OCTOBER 2020

PIARA SPARTANS told Indian Link.

Anish Varughese, the team's energetic drummer-cun1-coach con1es fro1n a 1nusic background, which served him well in encouraging his team to the finish line.

Most of their team members work in emergency services like Health services and Policing, with all of them nurturing a passion for native country sports like

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Vadcunvalli (Tug of War) and football, and that made this event even more special.

Pa rticipant Thon1as Joseph brought special experience - having actually contested at the iconic races in Kerala. " I was a regular oarsman of the Jawahar Thayangari chundan in the Kuttanad boat race for several years," he told Indian Link. "Rowing this year after a gap of

twenty years, in the Perth waters, was a wonderfully nostalgic experience."

His boat this time, I(arichal Chundan is in fact named in honour of a glorious black snake boat in Kerala with the same name.

Water regatta has been a part of Kerala's cultural heritage for centuries, the unusual boats themselves a great symbol of the state. The vigour of the rowers is n1atched equally by the enthusiasm of the drummerhelmsmen, as well as by the cheering appreciation of the crowds. The helmsmen's singing of the boat song (Vanchipattu) to urge on the rhythm of the rowers is just as iconic.

Its Australian avatar cou ld well become an annual affair.

Raveesh Karanil John, PUMA coordinator, observed, "We did not expect such a good turnout of teams, and such support from the public. The event which was originally scheduled for March had to be postponed owing to COVID 19 and now, organising this in September amidst the mild showers, added that monsoonic feel of an authentic Onam." [n his inaugural speech, Paul Papalia, (WA Minister for Tourism, Racing and Gaming, Small Business, Defence Issues, Citizenship and Multicultural Interests) said, "It is wonderful to be witnessing the snake boat festival at Champion Lakes. I congratulate the participants and the organisers at PUMA." He was joined by dignitaries Kevin Michel (MLA Pilbara), Yaz Mubarakai (MLA Jandakot), Ruth Butterfield (Mayor Armadale) and John Bleinke (President, Cha1npion Lakes Boating Club).

The Jalolsavam experience gave them a slice of the best of Kerala, from its food to its backwaters, right here in Perth for the first time.

www.indianlink.com.au

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• STREAMING RUK NATIONAL EDITION

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GAYE! OCTOBER 2020 31

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Peter Drew at work

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Adelaide artist Peter Drew celebrates migrants and multiculturalism in his poster campaign BY JYOTI SHANKAR hen waiting outside a popular street-food restaurant in Harris Park for a takeaway recently, l noticed a striking poster on the blank wall of the carpark. It was a picture, now frayed at the edges, of a turbaned man with the word 'AUSSIE' beneath.

A quick liiternet search told n1e that the poster was the cteation of Peter Drew, an artist fron1 Adelaide. And so, my quest began.

The turbaned, moustached 1nan in the poster was Pu njab-born Monga Khan, who arrived in Australia in 1895 and was a hawker in rural Victoria until his death in 1930. His image came to Peter fron1 the National Archives of people who lived h ere during the time of the White Australia Policy - 1901 to 1958. " Did Australia inherit its identity from the people who created the White Australia policy, or does 'Aussie' have 01ore to do with people who survived it?" Peter said, explaining the inspiration behind the poster.

It dates back to early 2016 when the refugee cdsis was at its peak. While Europe welcomed thousands of refugees arriving from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan, Australia was smug about its effective border control policies. With the ai1n of reforming the 1neaning of 'Aussie' with his poster campaign, Peter hit back.

Few posters fro1n his original street art campaign have survived, and the posters you see today are because Peter continues putting them, and new creations, all over Australia during two trips each year.

It's a hard haul, cooking glue f ro1n flour

32 OCTOBER 2020

and screen-printing bundteds of posters in his studio, before he walks the streets to find suitable spots to put them up. The glue bucket, a mop and a fluorescent jacket are his usual gear, as he travels by public transport and sticks his posters up until his blistered feet can stand no more.

"It is ironic that the high-vis clothing makes you invisible! l very rarely get stopped by anyone who knows who I am," he told Indian Link. " Many people have seen my posters, but most still don't know who I am. Who I am is not important, what matters is that the audience sees Monga Khan and wonder who he is!"

The artist's unintentional anonymity has even meant that Peter's Indian neighbours did not realise he was the person behind

the 'Aussie' posters until his work came up in a conversation one day. " It was very funny to see the look on the face when he connected the dots and realised that it was me who was putting up the posters that he had been seeing for a while now," chuckled Peter.

The pandemic has affected the artist's travel plans this year, but he used the time off to ponder over adapting his street art to a gallery format.

In his exhibition Flags 1, currently on at Adelaide's Peter Walker Gallery, he uses the Australian flag blended with images of people from the National Archives to continue to explore the "implicit ethnic bias within the core of the nation state."

The response to his posters around the country over the years has been

overwhelmingly positive, but Peter does not seem himself as an activist. He says that there are endless problems in the world and he does not go looking for the next big problem to solve.

"It is n1ore about me trying to discover what my own identity is by engaging with the idea of Australia. I would like to think that my place is not to fix problems, but to open a door where people can think about their identity in a different way," he sa id .

"What makes Australia a great place to live is its multiculturism."

The next time I saw the 'Aussie' poster again, in another unexpected corner of the city, it brought a smile to my face. I thought about Monga Khan and the journeys of all the migrants before me - thanks to Peter Drew.

www.indianlink.com.au

ENTERTAINMENT

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I on these business magnates. But : BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES it works as a good refresher on the (Netflix) I scams - and the environment that 1 STARRING: Siddharth Mallya, James

I Crabtree, Mick Brown, Shobhaa De

1 DIRECTOR: Dylan Mohan Gray, 1

Johanna Hamilton, Nick Read

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I That Bad Boy Billionaires: India was I created should hardly come as a

I surprise. If Latin America has an I I I I I 1

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infamous history with narcotics (and the successful Narcos on Netflix), then India has had quite the troubled past with financial scams. The real, pleasant surprise is that Bad Boy Billionaires, after a month of legal tussles with various Indian courts, was finally allowed to stream at all.

For months, Netflix teased audiences, promising to explore ''the greed, fraud, and corruption" that surrounded some of India's most famous tycoons - jeweller Nirav Modi, liquor baron Vijay Mallya, industrialist Subrata Roy, and entrepreneur Ramalinga Raju.

Full disclosure: Bad Boy Billionaires doesn't offer particularly new insights

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allowed them to come to be.

In the first episode, we revisit 'The King of Good Times' Vijay Mallya and the rise and fall of his kingdom. It's a good, strategic move to start with him, the person who put the 'bad boy' in 'bad boy billionaire'. And with his reputation, Mallya also brings along prominent interviewees like childhood friend Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (quite the surprise), journalist Vir Sanghvi, author Shobhaa De, and even his party boy son, Siddharth Mallya.

Unfortunately, 'The King of Good Times' episode and Bad Boy Billionaires on a whole doesn 't pack the necessary punches to truly grip its audience. With a subject like this, there are two treatments that would be satisfying - a full-on throw down of the tycoons and their awful, manipulative scheming; or a strong, unwavering defence of their practices as part of a profit maximising, capitalist mentality.

In trying to toe the line of objectivity,

Bad Boy Billionaires simply becomes a re-hash of existing media reports (with I the addition of glamorous footage and I intriguing infographics).

On its own, each episode - 'The I King of Good Times', Nirav Modi's I " Diamonds aren 't forever', and I Subrata Roy's 'The world's biggest family' - can feel like 60-minute 1 montages of the tycoons.

I When watched together, though, I there's something to be said. Each episode highlights the role of India's 1 public banks, and how the scams I boil down to the contrivance of bank I officials. Why weren 't Mallya's finances I properly ascertained before the damning Veritas report? How was Nirav I Modi able to bribe officials for six years I before it came to light? As much as 1 we can loathe the bad boy billionaires, it's hard to deny that they are part of a I larger, corrupt system in India.

I Interviewees like James Crabtree I (the author of The Billionaire Raj: A Journey Through India 's New Gilded I Age) are welcomingly insightful in this I regard. As Modi's diamond chapter

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comes to a close, Crabtree's voiceover reminds us of the double standard in the way corruption is viewed. After all, corruption in "developing" countries like India can only be possible with the help of international financial systems (think shell companies and tax havens) of "developed" countries.

To its credit, Bad Boy Billionaires also takes into account political and economic factors. When the 2008 recession struck, Kingfisher's 'good times' evolved from bad to worse.

When Prime Minister Modi was elected to power in 2014, his anti-corruption stance meant that Nirav Modi had nowhere to hide. In this house of cards, if even one of these elements hadn 't taken place, who's to say how the tycoons might've fared?

For those outside India and unaware of these scandals, they're a shocking case study of what happens when the system fails. Would an Australian company ever get away with not paying its employees for over 6 months? Would Sahara's pyramid-scheme ever work in Canada's business environment? The odds are slim. Also, considering two of the three directors aren't of Indian heritage, it's likely the series is, indeed, meant for that global audience.

Despite all these criticisms, though, the series is worth at least one watch.

It may not bring new facts to light, but Bad Boy Billionaires is available for streaming precisely because of that fact - it used information already in the public domain. The fourth episode on Satyam's Ramalinga Raju remains stuck in legal limbo, but fingers crossed it'll see the light of day too.

Rhea Nath

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www.indianlink.com.au

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I I I I I I GINNY WEDS SUNNY

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Ginny Weds Sunny a not-so-funny misadventure of love, sets you I wondering within 10 minutes of the I start: why was this Netflix film made in I the first place? The question plays in your mind on the loop all through the I runtime that follows. By the end of it, I you realise this was a couple of hours I ill-spent. It's all very formula-bound and, like the tired remix of a past-expiry-

date Mika song in the film, absolutely I unnecessary.

Billed as rom-com with very little I 'rom ' and almost no 'com ', Puneet I Khanna's debut directorial effort runs I low on entertainment quotient right from the start, doing gross disservice 1 to a cast that impressively manages to I rise above the unimaginative writing.

I You feel bad for Yami Gautam and I Vikrant Massey, as well as the half dozen-odd prop actors who eagerly I try living out their roles as papas and I mammas, exes and siblings.

It's taken two writers (Navjot Gulati I and Sum it Arora) to spin out a yarn that I is not half worth the runtime. Ginny I Weds Sunny is the story of Sunny,

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I (Netflix) I STARRING: Yami Gautam, Vikrant 1 Massey, Suhail Nayyar, Rajiv Gupta, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Mazel Vyas I DIRECTOR: Puneet Khanna

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: SCAM 1992: THE HARSHAD MEHTA 1 STORY (SonyLIV) 1

STARRING: Pratik Gandhi, Rajat

I Kapoor, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Nikhil I Dwivedi, Sharib Hashmi, KK Raina, Satish Kaushik, Anant Mahadevan I DIRECTOR: Hansal Mehta

***"1

I I There is a basic challenge that Hansal I Mehta throws, while narrating the story of Big Bull Harshad Mehta.

I Instead of letting his story unfold I through the mind games of his I protagonist, which would have made I the series lucid and enjoyable for all, he often tends to immerse the I narrative in a mire of heavy stock I market lingo and logistics.

Perhaps Hansal Mehta was I deliberately being uncompromising, I to underline the fact that his 10I part web series is a rare Bollywood I effort that truly ticks all criteria of the genre that Hollywood defines as the I financial thriller. Yet, from Wall Street I to Margin Call to Equity to The Wolf I Of Wall Street - we have seen enough instances where crime drama woven I around money does not necessarily let I money matters overwhelm the human factor of the story.

I This aspect of Hansal Mehta's latest I effort is pertinent because if you

NATIONAL EDITION

I

or Satnam Sethi (Vikrant Massey), 1 a West Delhi guy whose skills as a chef seems inversely proportional to I his ability to impress girls. Which is a I big problem, for Sunny's father (Rajiv I Gupta) refuses to fund his restaurant dreams till he gets married.

1 And then there is Ginny, or Simran I Juneja (Yami Gautam), hopelessly I confused about love and still continuing with her ex Nishant (Su hail I Nayyar) as best friends. She clearly I has no idea of what's going on in her I life, despite the attitude with which 1 she goes about dealing with the world.

Ginny and Sunny are neighbourhood I chums, and he confesses she is "out I of my league". But here lies the twist.

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I I gloss over that glitch, Scam 1992: I The Harshad Mehta Story is nothing

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short of brilliant as a biopic. The show tackles one of the most enigmatic stock market stories of Independent India, and it brings alive an era bygone with impressive detail.

Stockbroker Harshad Mehta's life story on screen is based on Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu's book The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away.

Harshad rose from lower-middle class obscurity to become a Bombay stock market trader whose heady success would fetch him titles ranging from Big Bull to Raging Bull to Amitabh Bachchan of Dalal Street.

I He died at 47, after a meteoric rise I and an equally dramatic ruin. At the

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time of death there were 70 criminal and 600 civil cases filed against him and family, according to this story. In between rise and fall, he was charged with financial crimes that underlined the Rs 5 ,000-crore securities scam of 1992. It was a scam that saw the Indian market collapse and stocks crash.

The script (Saurav Dey, Karan Vyas, Sumit Purohit and Vaibhav Vishal) captures Harshad's life well, as he breathes life into Mumbai's Dalal Street with his unorthodox but morally pliable gameplan. Hansal Mehta's cinematic efforts are admirable for the

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If Sunny needs to get married for the sake of his restaurant, Ginny's mom (Ayesha Raza Mishra) wouldn't mind Sunny as a son-in-law. So, she decides to assist the boy from the wings, as he sets out to woo her daughter. Sunny's dad pitches in too, because he loves the idea of Ginny as his son's wife.

Having established the above premise within the first act, the dramedy that unfolds is mostly all about Sunny chasing Ginny, Ginny trying to fathom what or who she wants to chase or be chased by, and a sort of three-way confusion involving Nishant that is meant to create humour, except that it doesn't.

The film's title could seem like a dead giveaway of what will happen, and the least you would expect is some sort of an original twist somewhere. Instead, the narrative uses every stereotype of the Bollywood 'shaadiwaala' film to force the story into a space where the climax can only be about one of the two protagonist on the verge of getting married, so that the other arrives to set up unconvincing comic drama.

By the time the film is finished letting you down with a narrative that adamantly refuses to set up any sort of originality for the rom-com genre, you are too bored to care about who ended up wedding whom.

Ginny Weds Sunny is a film that would seem cool a decade ago. In 2020, it passes off as a Bollywood blunder.

Vlnayak Chakravorty

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life beneath a deceptively simplistic 1 milieu, we have seen in films such I as Aligarh, Shaheed and City Lights.

I Scam 1992 brings alive Mumbai of the eighties and the nineties, and I mixes the laidback lifestyle of a preI digital era with the manic frenzy that I Harshad Mehta triggers off.

I The series does not paint Harshad either as a rogue or a messiah.

I Rather, the screenplay lets us sit back I and watch the protagonist and decide for ourselves. Gujarati stage and I screen actor Pratik Gandhi's Harshad I Mehta is a dapper charmer, perhaps I far more charming and definitely more photogenic than the real Harshad ever I was. Accord some cinematic liberty to I that fact, for Pratik pulls off his role I with assuredness.

The series would seem just I perfect if it was as meticulous in I revealing Harshad Mehta's inner life I as it spends time trying to explain financial scams.

I Vinayak Chakravorty

OCTOBER 2020 35

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LINKING l'-IDIA WITH AUSTRALIA

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Indian Link

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•

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• • WIN book vouchers: valued at $75 and $50 in both categories.

Colour in or paint the pattern presented here. (Colour in the ring only, leaving the centre untouched). Photocopy the pattern if you need to.

Send in your work, along with your name, age, address and phone number, to:

II For more details, rjng the Indian Link office on 02 9290 1855, or email media@indianlink.com.au 36 OCTOBER 2020

www.indianlink.com.au

FORETELL

October 2020

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

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A busy month full of meetings, expansion plans, new beginnings and possibilities of romance. Quick and sudden progress at work is predicted, and any glitches or delays will soon be resolved. With new opportunities and ideas, past unhappiness will soon end. If you have been stagnating in any area of your life, you can expect some upheava l with positive outcomes. The universe is slowly leading you to achieve your goals. Don't be afraid to take on more work or responsibility.

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A change in fortune will make you re-evaluate your thoughts and belief systems. A seemingly unsurmountable problem bogs you down; seek guidance and spiritual assistance. Life is trying to teach you a lesson based on repeating a pattern. You have the strength to handle a tough situation, though avoid those who drain your energy and take some much-needed rest. Problems of the past will now start receding and life will get better soon. A new financial opportunity comes your way.

I I I Office politics or deceitful partners I could wear you down this month, so I I I I I I

I I

keep your guard up at all times. Be careful who you trust as not everyone is your friend. You are in the mood to socialise. Travel plans could have some goof-ups; be sure to doublecheck everything. Muscles may cause problems due to stress; women may need to get their breasts checked.

Financial gains are on the anvil. Any conflict at work will get resolved to your satisfaction.

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I You have a desire to move on, from a I job or a relationship. Both have outlived

I their purpose. An experience will alter your perspective for the better.

I Travelling is still a risk and I work-related travel could get postponed due to an illness in the family.

I Work progress happens at the cost I of a personal loss. An eye infection needs attention. Money is tight and I expenses are high. The future worries I you as things are not going according I to plan.

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The spirited Leo pick the card that represents their sign. Expect challenges in business, love and family; and rewards for past efforts. A past attachment prevents commitment in a present relationship.

Spiritual assistance helps you. No health issues to bog you down as you are on a roll this month. Positive developments at work could signal a promotion. Let go of self-imposed limitations to follow your passion. You have the spirit and the determination to go after your goals.

I I I I I I I I

Not a good month for Virgos, as setbacks, heartbreaks and fatigue bog you down.

Family obligations keep you busy, though you would prefer to be alone. Work burns you out, but you don't have the luxury to quit. Besides exhaustion, you could also suffer from stomach or bowel issues.

Be careful with money and watch your expenses. Someone close will disappoint, but it will free you from that attachment.

A more fulfilling purpose or goal will uplift your mood.

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I I I I I I I I I I Expect major life changes this month.

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You may feel out of control, and your emotions will be all over the place. Work is the only thing that will keep you going as you may even have to make some difficult choices. If a relationship doesn 't work out, worry not; something better is in store. Anxiety and muscle issues could besiege you; a little rest will save you from doctor bills. Timely insight into a difficult situation will make things easier.

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The normally secretive Scorpio might find himself or herself in an unusually generous frame of mind this month. A recent meet-up or date could lead to something serious. An unexpected surge in work is a welcome respite after months of a lull.

Spiritual pursuits could intrigue you. A positive change will put you in a happy frame of mind. A confrontation with a family member or close friend can end the relationship. You attract all that you need this month.

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I I I I I I I I I A new phase in your life is about to

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Partial success with some action towards self-improvement make up your month. If you meet someone new, make sure they aren't already married. Success at work puts you in a positive frame of mind.

Change your diet to ensure you have more energy. Finances are stable this month. A new part nership could come your way if you are self-employed. Say no to an offer if you don't feel it is right for you. Somet hing better will be coming along soon.

NATIONAL EDITION

J commence. You now look for gratification

I and creative satisfaction at work. A new love affair is about to begin. A I marriage could be on the rocks and tense I situations may bog you down, but they won 't last long. If you feel ill, get I checked for some deficiencies. Money J matters keep you tense as payments I are delayed. Focus on new ideas to take you forward. A new career path brings I positive change.

I I I I I I I

I I I A difficult month for Pisceans as there I A paradigm shift gives rise to new I opportunities. Your focus is on removing I is agitation in personal and professional I blocks within that are holding you back. I life. But swords signify the final efforts I I I I I I

Work and its mundane aspects are challenging but you stick with it despite wanting to quit. Take care of your lungs as you could have respiratory issues.

Communication is key if you wish to avoid conflicts with close friends and family. A new line of work could come your way. Let go of the past and look to the future.

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before big change, so stick to your goals no matter the setback. Change is inevitable; the grace with which you accept it will ease things. Don't give up on a relationship just yet. A fami ly member could be ill or the source of your problem.

Money held up will come through.

Any delays that happen will be to your advantage.

OCTOBER 2020 37

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BACKCHAT

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Everyone has a fascination with monsters - except, of course, the imaginary ones that live under our beds >-

ro .D ro

BY

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MELISSA DOMINGO RAWAT

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~ really don't care for skeletons. Even as a ro 0.. self-respecting Rock 111usician, I keep far 0 fro1n skeleton-glorifying artwork, clothing 0 and accessories. In fact, I dislike the sight -&_ of bones so 111uch, l don't even keep figurative skeletons in 1ny closet. Well, maybe son1e s1nall bones (white lies with n1y kids' best interests at heart) but definitely no skeletons.

For exan1ple, halfway through an innocent movie, one of the actors randomly yelled "Mother f*/\%#r". My 6-year-old son immediately turned to 1ne and asked, "Maaaaa1n, what does Muthafuga mean?"

Without n1issing a beat, the intuitive n1other in me answered, "Oh that's just the name of some Russian guy." l knew that a reply like that would solicit no desit-e to ren1en1ber the word. "Oh," he said disinterestedly while l swiftly moved on to expressing n1y disgust at his leaning over to wipe his eyes with the socks on his feet.

Coining back to actual skeletons, there was one that had managed to court 1ny interest and lull 1ne into a space of safety. ft was the friendly skeleton displayed in otu- school biology lab. I visited this skeleton everyday during my school years and spent n1uch time counting the ribs - a missing rib, as per the Bible, could indicate it was male a11d had possibly endured a nagging wife. That was the only tiine in 1ny life when I cared about a skeleton other than the one holding 111e together. However, things changed recently.

Sometin1e n,id-2019, l pulled over at designed to fit his fran1e. The skeleton the traffic lights on the morning school glared out at us through hollow eyes. run. My kids spotted a skeleton sneakily "Creepy," was my first reaction. and strategically positioned in the window The days that followed entailed many of the house right next to the lights. The discussions as we waited at the lights, window was long, narrow and perfectly watching the skeleton on our way to

My kids spotted a skeleton sneakily and strategically positioned near the window - glaring out at us through hollow eyes. ''Creepy," was my first reaction. school. It would take a certain type of people to feel comfortable sharing a home with a full skeleton. Were the residents witches? Maybe they were spooky devil worshippers? It was an old house which lent itself well to this idea. Maybe the residents

were doctors? Doctors love their bones. Or more simply, were they just regular people with a great sense of humour?

Mr Skeleton and us, we continued to watch each other every morning. Soon enough, ffalloween arrived. Can you imagine 1ny children's delight when we discovered that Mr Skeleton was decorated with lights and a witch's hat?! There was giggling, a fresh round of theories and desperate atten1pts to capture a photograph withoutactually wandering onto the property.

We barely recovered from the excitement of Halloween when Christmas rolled around.

Mr Skeleton, still lit up, was duly dressed in a Santa hat and some Christmas trinkets.

Then ca1ne the corona virus and the winter cold. Mr Skeleton had changed into a fluffy dressing gown - open at the front because if you have 'it' flaunt 'it'! Light blue with stars, the dressing gown showed an appreciation for bling. My kids concluded he was working fron1 home - wondering if we might find him with a laptop if we drive by during office hours.

Needless to say, Mr Skeleton grew into just another friendly face. He and his owners afforded us many laughs and many silly conversations - what a quirky way to spread joy!

Alas, a couple of days after I wrote this story, I drove past Mr Skeleton's to find the window empty. Many weeks have passed and he still hasn't returned. To say l am worried and sad is not an exaggeration.

He had steadily joined the very exclusive league of skeletons that l share a bond with - friend ly, with a sense of humour and an appreciation for special days/carefully selected outfits. But what if he was a monster who decided to move residence before I shat·ed his whereabouts with everyone? 1'11 take my chances. Afte r all, everyone has a fascination for DJonsters except, of course, the imaginary ones that live under our beds!

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38 OCTOBER 2020

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STREAMING YOUR LIFE • YOUR MUSIC NATIONAL EDITION

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OCTOBER 2020 39

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40 OCTOBER 2020

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