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BAGESHRI SAVV�SArH1

Ah, what'sthat intheair?It'sawhiffoftheincoming festiveforwardsonWhatsApp.Thesuperbstylings of babygraphicdesignerswho incorporatecheesy text intoa Diwali backgroundareabouttodominate yourWhatsAppstorage,just likelastyear. Prepare yourselves, people.Turnoffauto-download, mute thetam groupchat, andget readytolookat blurred previewsof imagesandsay"Thankyou!Sametoyou!". Pleaseknow,WhatsAppforwarders, that mygeneration considersyourmessagesastheworst, simply because theyareimpersonal.

Butthenagain,fellowreceiversoftheseforwards, letus acknowledgethatthatthesendersareactuallythinking ofusduringthisbusytime.So, ultimately, ItIspersonal. Infact, it'sa kind actthatspreadsgood energyand vibesviaasimplemessage, even ifitmakesuscringe. Itmeansthatthis Oiwali, we'renotalone, orthatwe're a little lessalone.

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BY SHANIAO'BRIEN

t'sbeen anunexpectedyearof navigatinglhrough manyfirsts, and no\v, our first 'virtual' Diwali has arrived. In ahappycoincidence-albeit a rareoneforthe disaster that2020has been - Diwali fallson a Saturdaythisyear, 14 ovember. H'stimeto party, to bring outyoursarisand kurtasandpujathalis. andofcourse,yourelectronicdevicesbecause an unprecedentedyearrequires unprecedented methodsofcelebration!

\Viththesequirkyideasforafunand COVlD-safeDiwali,we'rehopingtogiveyou anotherreasontosmilethisfestiveseason.

Songbola: Musical bingo

What doyouget\vhenyou mixthe nostalgia ofTambolaor Housie with alJ the latest hit songs? lt'sSongbola - a 1nusicaJ game that replaces numberswith songs. ln \Vhat'ssuretobecome the latestcrazein desiculture, creatorSongbola by DJ Hitesh letspeoplebookprivatesessions and send i11 theirown playlists too. It's an excellent \Vay toshowoffyour musicknowledge anda funex.poseonho\Vmany SRKsongs live rent-freeinyourhead. (Guilty!)

Songbola hasgonedown like ahouseon fireat Diwaliparties,weddings, birthdays, andanniversa1·ies. ltcan beplayedentirely overZoom, making thispartyinvitation opentoyourganganywhere in theworld.

Masaledar mocktails

Ifyou takepride inyourdrink-making ski!Js,we'vegot a Utt.le challengeforyoucanyoucreateadrinkwithacheekydesi twist?This Diwali,we dareyou to peekinto themasafadabba inthepantry,pickthe oneingredientyoucould neverimaginein adrink,and heroit! Willilbecardamom? Saffron?Turmeric? It'suptoyou!

Thischallenge isdone best in tandem with apartner, sogogiveyourfamily a much-needed break from their laptops and start makingup your recipes no\v! Don'tforget touse the hashtag #MyMasaledarMocktail and tagus on social media. Will your special recipebe the starofthe Diwali partythisyear?

Techy taash

It'sthat timeofyearagain to hedgeyour betsandletyourcompetitivestreakfly. Onlinewebsiteslike Arkadiumofferevery cardgan1e imaginable and apps like Zynga Poker offermultipJayeroptions. (Yes,we know-noteven a pandemiccan keep usa\vay from ourtaash parties!) With a simple WhatsApp invitation and a little bit ofplanning,you'reallset loenjoy Diwali just like anyyear,from thecomfortofyour living roon1. Besides,wouldn'tit be so mucheasier to only put on akurta top and sit in front ofa laptop anyway?

Radiant rangolis

There'ssomethingundeniably homely about making rangolis as a family, whether it's designingoneyourself, usinghandy rangoli-1nakingtools and stencils,orlet's face it, peeking into Sharma aunty'sfront yard (or lnstagram post!) to 'borrow' her design.

Whyshould thisyearbe anydifferent? Bringyour laptopoutside, pullyourharem pantsup,andgetona Zoomcallwith yow·£amity,wherever theymay be.An interestinggamewould beto pickouta design togetherand let each individuaI choosetheirowncoloursandingredients - will your cousin pickthe same red petals asyou? Orwould she ratheruse rose petals? Ifyou Likea little competition, try tin1ingthe activity toseewhocan finish first. We'veevengotyourpresentsorted: acustomised, COVlD-themed Diwali giftpack! Readonformore

COVID Diwali gift packs

Giftsandgiftpacksare anevergreen Diwali tradHion,sowhynot blend tradition with necessity? Withoursuggested COVID-themedgiftpacks,you can show yourfamilyand friendshow muchyou valuethem,and how muchyou havedone tokeep them safe. Feel frectoexpand on this list,but our suggestions include: hand sanitiser, DiwaU-themed handmade facemasks,kadha (a traditional immunityboostingspice mix forchai),a mla berry po\vder, turmeric latte mix,minijars ofhoney, andgreen teasachetsan1ong classicelen1ents like,nithaiand nuts. Of course,we haven't mentioned organic candles, orbuyingthem fro1n charity-based operations,becauseyou'resowokeyou've already organised those

Virtual puja

Soyou're awayfrom homeandfeel like doinga traditional Diwalipuja thisyear. Getvirtual,baby! Get togetherwith family, orfriends, and seta tin1e whenyou'll all tune in. Get themostpuja-awareperson inthegroup toorganise,and follow their lead.Theycanbecome Head Pujari, and sendout listsofwhat to include inyour rnakesliift ten1ple, oryoucanalJ throwin yourideasbeforehand.

Antakshari antics

H's an age-oldgameofsinging BoUywood songs,competingtoseewho has thebest kno\vledge ofmusic, and itdoesn't haveto stopthisyear! Grabsome mates, formyour teams,andget theball rollingwith Virtual Antakshari. You'd need agood host to keep trackofscoresand mute/unmute teamswhen it'stheirturn and ifthey're generous, the host couldsharescreenand puton the lyrics too! ThisAntakshari mightbevirtual, buttheexcitementand con1petitivenesswill beas real as itgets.

Fashion show

Don'tyoujusthate it\Vbenyou dressup and there's no onearound to seeit? Well, thisyear's Diwali fashion sho\vwill make sure that's notgoing tobea problem. Put on your bestfestive attire,create agreat playlist,and let the party begin! Strut along the runway(livingroom orbedroon1, yourpick!) and showoffyourkurtasand leliengastoyourfriendsand familyon videocall, andget themtojoinin too. lt'U getus all outofourlazysweatpantsatlast andyou neverknow,yourauntiesmight have movesyou'd have neverseencoming!

Attheendoftheday, there is nothing betterthan thejoyand togethernesspuja season brings. There's no reasonyou should put offcelebratingthisyear - who's to sayavirtual Diwalipartywon't be the best oneyou'veeverthrown?

We at lndiauLinkhopeyouhave adha111aakedaarDiivafiandsend best wishes fromourhon1esto yours.

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

aybackinthe 1960s, three Australians inWoolgoolga NSWgottogetherto helpthe growingSikhcommunityfind asafespaceforthemselves tobeable to practice theirculture.

Theydid notknowthathalfa century later, theirgrassrootseffortswouldbecome a heritagesite.

Australia'sfirstGurdwara(Sikh temple) atWoolgoolga nearCoffsHarbourwasthis monthlistedonthe SWgovernn1ent's StateHeritage Register.

"TheTempleisofgreat significance tothe culturalhistoryofNSW asit demonstratesthe migration andpermanent settlementofthe Sikhcomn1unityinour stale," the NSW MinisterforHeritage Don Harwin saidwhile making the announcen1ent.

"Itisawonderful achievementbythe Sikhcommunityinourstateand country," tbeTemple committee's PublicOfficer Amandeep Singh Sidhu told lndia11 Link. Theheritagelistingwas soughtforthe original buildingthatwasbuiltin 1968, calledThe FirstSikhTemple.The new gurdwaracurrentlyin useca1ne up adjacent toit in 2019. In afirsthowever,heritage statuswasgranted tothe entire block, includingthenewconstruction.

"Thisisquitesignificant,asithighlights tbe site'simportanceinthestate'scultural history," Sidhu observed.

Itwas in2013 thatthe processfor heritagelistingcommenced. ''Weputthe application in,and fromthenonitwasa meticulousprocessforthe authoritiesas theystudied the history, the relevanceto community, relationship to the n1ainstrean1, andmade physical siteassessments. Jtwas a staged process,with thelocalcouncil involvedfirst."

Ultimatelytheassessingauthorities\Vere convinced thesite has"strongorspecial association with aparticularcommunityor culturalgroupin SWforsocial,cultural orspiritual reasons,"and"is important in the courseorpatternofthecultural or natural historyofNSW."

MemberforCoifsHarbourGurmesh Singh,Australia'sfirstSikh men1berof Parliament,said hiselectorate isadiverse and thrivingregion.

"Receiving heritage Iistingfor the temple isverysignificant forour region, and a proud 1noment forAustralia's Sikh community," he said.

Thestrikingwhite structurewithornate oniondomesand scallopedarchesstands outfrom adistance. Upclose,itimpresses with itsfabric-coveredflagpolewhich holds aloft the triangular Nishan Sahib(Sikh flag),andthesculpturesofhorse-back protectors.

ReaderAndreaStewartsentus this pie ofthe firsttemple committeein 1968, which includedherfatherBert, thepublican mentionedin this story.

Tracingthehistoryofthe temple, Sidhu outlined,"Thecommunitybeganto build upherein the 1940sand '50s. Just like backhomein Punjab,manyofthe settlers werefarmers.Theywouldgettogetheronce a monthforprayers,and afe\Vtimesayear theywoulddriveup in buses to Bangalao\V 250 kms from here, to Baba Ran1 Singh's farm. Hehad brought the Guru Granth Sahiboutfrom Indiaandwouldhost communal prayers around it.Thiswenton for25years. Bythetimehepassedon, the communityhadgrownlarger, weddings werebeginningto take place,and the need wasfelt foraplaceofworshipwitha larger hall forspiritual andsocialactivities.The WoolgoolgaGurdwara thustookshape."

He added,"Thefirstcommitteewas made upoflhreeWhiteAustralians - the principalofa localprin1aryschool, alin1ber millowner, andapublican.Thatcommittee stayedforalongtime. Quitecharitably, Lbeywereconcernedabouttheemotional wellbeingofthe Sikhs that livedaround them andworkedforthemon the farms and mills.You needaplacewhereyoucan gatherandshareyourexperiencesandyour culture, theysaid." www.rnlegal.org

Today, some2000-3000visitorspass through thegatesoftheg-urdwara annually. Sidhu revealedthat thereare about80-100 regulars butotherscome from alloverthe country.

"Manyvisitfrom themainstream con1munitylocallybecausewearelistedas aheritage site. Groupsofstudentscomefor excursions Crom schoolsin theareawithin a radiusof200kms.Aged carefacilities alsobringtheirresidentsoutto usforday trips."

The Sikh communityin Australia have madea markforthemselveswith their seva (service) to theirfellowcitizensinthe mainstream, particularlyin recent limes ofbushfires,floodsand COVJD-caused isolation.

ThegurdwaraatWoolgoolga has been givingbackwith itsowninitiativessuch asAustralia's Biggest J\llorningTea(the CancerCouncil'sannual fundraiser),music lessonsforinterested musicians, andother social-cultural programs.

"Weareproud Sikhs,proud Indians, and proudAustralians," Sidhuconcluded. ThegurdwaraisthesecondSikhsite inAustraliatobegranted heritagestatus. TheotheristheAustralian Sikh Heritage Trail in Riverton WA,a monument commemoratingthe historyofSikhs inthis country.

HelppreventCOVID-19 outbreaks. Ifyou haveJust one symptom, no matterhowmlld,gettested Immediatelyeven Ifyou'vebeentested before.TestingIssafe,easyand freeat public clinics.Most peoplewlll receivetheirresults backwithin24 hours.

SoIfyou haveanyofthefollowing gettestedtoday.

Fever

Sore/scratchythroat

Coughing

ShottrBJUofbreath

Louofsmellortaste

Runnynose

> HELPUS STOP THE SPREAD

BY RHEAL NATH

n tracingthe relationships between Indiansand theircolonisers,there's often one interestingfigure that stands out- the Indian ayah. She caredfor Lhe children, workedasa lady's maid, and helped in the runningofthe household. The bestayahseventravelledwith the families, findingthemselvesin England, Australia,andothercolonies.

Anewproject now aio1sto collect the historiesandexperiencesofthese travelling Indianayahs.

Newcastle University's Prof. Victoria Haskins,whoisleadingthe project, told IndianLink, "HistoryisfuIIofhuman experiences that have shaped us. Most countries' histories, includingAustralia, tendstobebland,focusingon boring outlinesofprominent British menor facelessmasses. l'n1 more interested in the marginalised, and theirlesserknown stories."

JoinedbyDrClaireLowrie from the UniversityofWollongongand Prof. Swapna Banerjee ofthe CityUniversityof ew York, Prof. Haskins·project istitledAyahs andAmahs:TranscolonialServantsin AustraliaandBritain1780-1945. Itlooksat domesticityandchildcare,thingsweoften takeforgranted.

"It's notwellvalued,even though it's fundamental to anycivilization. Childcare and rajsingchildren maintainsthesocial fabric. Evenprominentwomeninhistory often hadothers tohelpraisetheirkids," Prof. Haskinssaid.

Thefascination forherstems fron1 the ideathat thechildren "grew uplovingthe verypeople theywereoppressing."

"I'mconstantlyamazed at the ideaof lookmgatthe peopleyou havecolorused and saying, 'right,nowtakecare ofour children'," shelaughed.

Herinterestinthisfieldofresearch began fomanecdotesabouthergreatgrand1nother'sgrandmother, Maggie Hobbs. Maggiewasborn in India, orphaned,andsent to Scotland tolivewith familybeforerunningawaytoAustralia. Overtheyears,shehadshared manytalesof thefearsomeayah fromherchildhood.

Ofcourse, Maggieisbutoneofmanyold linksbetween lndiaandAustralia. Victoria pointsout anotherlinkin JessieStreet,one ofAustralia'searliestfeministsandadvocate forwomen'sandAboriginal rights,who camefrom West Bengalwith anayah.

"Weoftenseetwoimages oftheayah," Prof. HaskinsreveaJed. "Onone hand, they'rea threatbecause they're an outside presencein the house. Butthey'realso partofthe fan1ily,even though they're not kin. In Australia,people really aren'tvery comfortablewith the historyofdomestic servants."

Theterm 'ayah'datesback tothe 1850s anddraws itsrootsfromthePortuguese language.Asynonymousterm 'amah' was used fordomestichelpfron1HongKong and SingaporeofChineseorigin.

Theprojectaimstocombthroughcolonial immigrationrecordsinAustralia, England's Indiaofficerecords,archivesofnewspapers, courtcases,andsomepersonalrecordsto findthestoriesofayahs,butasProf. Haskins putsit,it'soften"aneedleinahaystack."

"TheayahsspokeEnglish,buttheywere oftenilliterateand didn'tleaverecords. How can,veheartheirstoriesthen?" sheasked.

Therearehintsthat the ayahshadasemiorganised net,vork,includingboarding houseswhen theywerebet,veenjobs. Althoughtheydidn'thave special legal rights, there's afeelingtheylooked out foreachother. Someeventooktheirlegal actionagainst theiremployers.

"Therewasthepracticeofa'lossofcaste payment'whenanayah moveda,vayand left thecountry. Oneearlyaccounttalksabout anayahwhotookheremployertocourt whenshedidn'treceiveapayment, andthe employerargued thatthe ayahwasMuslin1 sotherewasn'tanyargumentofcaste," Prof. Haskinsshared.

Anothercommonpractice wasgetting referencelettersfrompreviousemployers fortheirservices.

Still, there isn'tagreat dealof information available, which makes this projectevenmore important.

"Notalotisknown about manyIndian familieswhocametoAustralia beforethe WhiteAustralia Policy, although there's somescattered n,entionsin history," Prof. Haskins admitted.

She highlights anold reference ofIndian women workinginclothingfactoriesin Redfern,SydDeyinthe 19thcentury, and figures like Henry Princep, known as WesternAustralia'sfirstChiefProtectorof Aborigines, whowasraised in India and EnglandbeforecomjngtoAustralia.

"Everyonehasastory. J often tellmy students'everythinghappened in history", sowhatisit thatwechoose to remember?"

Prof. Haskinswondered aloud.

Forthoseinterestedinsharingtheirfamily storiesabouttheirancestorsinAustralia, especiallyaboutayahs,amahs,anddomestic service,youcan reachouttotheprojectat victoria.haskins@ncwscastle.edu.au.

Indian women diagnosed with breast cancer at younger age

In a n1ajor US study, researchers bave found that Indian and Pakistani won1en are diagnosed with breast cancer, including n1ore aggressive forms of the disease, at a younger age.

The study, published in the l11ternatio11al JournalofCancer, examined the characteristics of breast cancer in Indianand Pakistani-An1erican and non-Hispanic white women in the US.

"Our resuJts provide an insight into breast cancer in Indian and Pakistani women, suggestingseveraJ hypotheses to guide future scientific studies to better understand the risk factors," said study author Jaya M Satagopan from Rutgers University in the US.

The researchers revie\ved incidence data among Indian and Pakistani won1en bet,veen 1990 and 2014. They also reviewed disease characteristics, treatment and survival data between 2000 and 2016 for 4,900 Indian and Pakistani \VOmen and 482,250 non-Hispanicwhite women wilh breast cancer.

They found that the occurrence in Indian and Pakistani women was lower than in non-Hispanic while women; however, the number of Indian and Pakistani won1en diagnosed with this form ofcancer increased over the years.

Indian and Pakistani women wHh breast cancer ,vere more likely Lo be diagnosed at a younger age and at more advanced stages of tbe disease.

In addition, they received more subcutaneous or total mastectomies than non-Hispanic white women.

While the researchers found that Indian and Pakistani women were less likely to die ofbreast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts, their health was tracked for a shorter time.

Priorcancer research has shown that fewer Indian and Pakistani women participate in scientific studies and that several socio-cultural factors maydelay their seeking health care.

Research also has shown poor n1amrnogram screening rates in Indian and Pakistani women, which is linked to a lack of family support, beliefs that cancer is divine punishment for past deeds, having lived in the US for less than 10 years, low English proficiency and a lack offaith in the health system.

The study indicated that there are important differences in this population thatjustify further studies to better understand biological, sociocuJtural, and systeni-level factors such as interactions with the heaJth system, affecting breast cancer screening patterns.

•As the South Asian population grows, it is imperative that we work to promote health equity in cancer prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment through community engage1uent and a team science approach," said study author Anita Kinney.

Women's names on house plaques in North Indian districts

As a n1arkofrespect to the girl child, several bon1es in the Indian district of Muzaffarnagar which is known for its strong patriarchal system, have put up nameplates with their daughters' names written on them.

"More than 200 nameplates with names ofdaughters were put up on the doors of the houses in various villages in the last fe,v days. The campaign is still on,• said district probation officer Mohd Mustaqeen1.

The initiative is a result ofa #BetiBachaoBetiPadhao can1paign launched by the Department ofWomen and Child Developn1ent.

"Families with no daughters were told to put the nan1es of their women members,' he said.

Officials have toured scores of villages to encourage people to adopt this practice and a majority of Lhem have happily accepted the proposal.

Asimilar drive regarding women's names on house plaques bad evoked an encouraging response in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, which have dismal gender ratios.

ow Uttar Pradesh has adopted the campaign to stem rising cases ofcrin1e agai11st women.

14-yr-old scientist Anika Chebrolu wins $25K prize

lndian-American teenager Anika Chebrolu has \VOn a $25,000 prize for her wo.rk on a potential Covid-I9 treatment.

14-year-old Anika has also been conferred the title of "America's Top Young Scientist" for winning this year's 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a middle school science competition in the US.

Herinvention uses in-silica methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an atten1pt to find a cure for Covid-19.

Anika, who comes from Frisco, Texas, said lhat she entered the competition as she has "always been amazedbyscience experiments."

She said she was originally drawn towards finding effective cures for influe112a after a severe bout oftbe infection last year.

But because of the widespread in1pact of the Covid-19 panden1ic, she changed directions to target SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, sbe told C Anika Chebrolu said she \Vould like to learn more from 3M scientists to pursue her drug development and that she wouJd like to conduct in-vitro and i11-vivo testing ofher lead drug candidate.

Theyoungscientist who finds internet to be the most exciting invention ofthe past 100 years, hopes to become a medical researcher and professorin the next 15 years.

Indian studentwins Pioneer Alumni oftheYearaward in UK Indian student leader Riddi Viswanathan, a graduate from the University ofManchester, hasbeen awarded GlobaJ international Education Award 2020 for her contributions towards diverse student communities. She's beingparticularly recognised for her vital role in addressing hate crime in UK universities. Riddi hasheld leadership positions in the UK as the former diversity officerand the First fuU-time International Students Officer at lhe University ofManchester Students' Union.

She has also been elected as the Overseas Representative 2019-20 for the ational Union ofStudents (NUS) UK, \Vbere she

Amanrepairs thegroveofhismother in Hyderabad, Indio, aheadofAll Souls'Doyon 2Nov2020. Theday honoursthedeportedas friendsand familiesgathertoprayattheresting places oflovedones hasbeenthefirst Lndianto representover 400,000 overseas studentsfromover 192 countriesinthe UK.

Riddi,a nativeofPuducherry, shared the 'PioneerAlumnioftheYear' award with ThomsonCh'ngfromCurtin University, AustraJja_

ThePioneerawardsaretheonlyglobal awards that celebrateinnovationand achievementacrosstheinternational educationworld. Thisyear'stheawardshad a totalof 18categories.

•1 am trulygrateful to the Universityof Manchester, my students' u.nion, myfamily and friendsforalwaysencouragingme. This isdefinitelyagreat n101nentformeaswe celebrate international education but the challengesfacedby the n:ugrantstudents acrosstheglobeduetothepandemicspread bassomehowfadedthecelebration.Wecan truly celebrate internationaleducationwhen all students, regardlessofthecolouroftheir passportscan accesseducationequatly, globally,"Riddisaid.

Over65% MNCsview India astop choiceforfuture investments

lndia will emergeasoneofthe top three choicesforoverseasinvestmentsin the next2-3 years, accordingtoasurveyby Chartered Insurance Institute (Cll) and EY. Morethan two-thirdsofthe MNC respondents indicated lndia isthefirst choiceforfuture investments.

Thesurveyalsoshowedthat25 percent oftherespondents,whorepresent nonIndian HQ M Cs,view India asthefirst choiceforfuture investments.

"More than 80percentofall the respondentsand 71 percentofthe nonIndian headquartered respondentsplan to makeinvestmentsglobaUyinthenext 2-3 years,"the reportsaid.

•About30percentofcompaniesare planningto investn1ore than $500million. About 50percentofthe respondentssee Indiaamongthe top threeeconomiesor leadingmanufacturingdestinationsofthe worldby2025," it added.

The respondentshavepickedma1·ket potential,skilled workforceand political stabilityas the topthreereasonsto make India theirfavoureddestination.

Other keyfactorswhich contribute to the attractivenessofIndia as aninvestment destinationinclude cheapLabouravailability, policyreforms, and availabilityofraw materials.

"Recentreformsin thecountrysuchas corporatetaxcuts,easeofdoingbusiness measures,simplificationoflabourlaws, FDl reforms, andfocusonhumancapitaJ haveemergedasthetopdrivers forfresh investn1ents,• thereportsaid.

on-Indian HQ MNCshavealsoopined thatmajorinvestmentininfrastructure and 100 Smartcitiesaswellasfinancialsector reformswill also helpestablishing lndiaasa favourabledestinationfor FOi."

In addition,the surveybroughtout some key recommendationssoughtbythe respondents.

Asperthe report "Infrastructure development, fasterclearances,and proper implementation ofthe improved labour lawsand labouravailabilityasthetop three issues that the companies,vant the governmentto focuson, followed byR&D and innovation,and tax reforn1s.

"Intermsoftrade policy reforn1s, investorswould liketo seea faster turnaround time forexports and imports, improved cargo handling,and trade facilitation n1easuresto bein place."

Indians biggestbeneficiaries asCanadatoadmit401,000 newimmigrants

Canada will admit a record 401,000 new immigrants in 2021,against the usual annualintakeof350,000.

The figureswiJI riseto 411,000 in2022 and 421,000 in 2023 to makeupforthe shortfall of2020due totheCovid-induced restrictions.

Itischeeringnewsfor Indiansas they account forthebulkofimmigrationsinto Canada.

In fact, Indian immigrationintoCanada hasjumped exponentiatJyinthelastthree to fouryea1·s. While 39,340 Indian inunigrants weread1nittedin 2016, the figuresjumped to 85,000 in 2019-a riseof 105percent.

Restrictive US policiesandshortage ofIT and healthcare professionalsaretwoofthe manyfactorsbehind the rapidriseofIndian immigration intoCanada.

Si1nilarly, the nu1nberofIndianstudents goingto Canada hasjumpedfron1 76,075 in 2016 to219,855 in 2019, shov,iinga riseof almost300percent.

Thanks to lherecord numberofstudents and newco1ners, Indians havebecome oneofthefastestgrowingcommunities in Canada,withtheirnumberscrossing 1.6 million ina countryofover37 million.

AsCanada'sbirthratedeclines, new immigrantsaccountfor82 percentofits populationgrowth.Moreover, newcomersalso b1ingbillionsofdollarsintoCanadaeachyear.

Sectorssuchas healthcare, ITand farming cannotsurvivewithoutnewimmigrants.

Sincenearly60percentimmigrantscome undertheeconon:uccategory, theysupport theeconomybystartingnewbusinesses.

Government statisticssaythatmore than 33 percentofbusinessesareowned bynewcomersbecause theCanadian ecosystemencouragespeopleto becon1e entrepreneurs, notjobseekers.

Immigration Minfater Marco Mendjcino said while announcingthenewimmigration targets,"NewconJers are playinganoutsized roleinourhospitaJsandcarehomes,and helpingusto keep food onthetable. Aswe look torecovery, newcomerscreatejobs notjustbygivingourbusinesses theskills theyneedtothrive,butalsobystarting businesses themselves."

'Highermarriageage provideswomenwith socioeconomic benefits'

Highermarriageage isexpectedtoprovide enorn1oussocio-economicbenefitsfor women,a State BankofIndiaeconomics report (SBI Ecowrap)said thismonth.

The reportcomesafterPrime Minister arendra Modiannouncedthatinhis Independence Dayaddressthatthe govern1nentwill soon takea decision to raise the minimumagewhen awomancan be married.Theminimum age iscurrently set at 18years.

"Still, 35percentoffemales in India aremarried beforetheageof21 years. Thesituation isgrave insome states. Surprisingly, the situation in West Bengal is theworstacrossallstateswith themean marriage age only20.9yearsandalmost 47 percentoffemalesgetting married before theageof21 years,evenworse than Bihar and Rajasthan,"thereport said.

Thereportsaidthatthiswillleadalso to social benefitslike loweringthe Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) aswellasan improvementin nutrition levelswhileon the financialfront,opportunitieswill beopened upforwomentopursuehighereducation andcareers andbecomefinancially empowered, "thus resultingina more egalitarian societyin thinking".

Increasinglhe legal agebasthepotential to reduce India's MMRsignificantlyfrom 113 (2018). Itwill also lead to increased education levels thus improvingtheabysmal femalelabourforceparticipation ratio.

8lndo-Canadianselected MLAsin BritishColumbia polls

Eight lndo-Canadianshave been elected to the87-mcmberAssemblyofCanada's British Columbia province.

Therewere27 lndian-origin candidates in thefray in theelectionsheld inlateOctober. AUeightwinnersbelongto theruling New Democratic Partywhich secured anabsolute1najoritywith 55 seats in the 87-menJber House.

Threeofthe winnersarewomen.

Notedhuman rightslawyerAman Singh became thefirst turbanedSikh MLA in BritishColumbiaeventhoughthe province was the first toelect a Punjabi (MoeSihota) asan MLA in 1986anda Sikh (Ujjal Dosanjh) as Premierin 2001.

Singh caused amajorupset bybeating formerjournalist }as Johal oftheopposition LiberalPartyin Richmond-Queensborough. Mostoflndo-Canadian victoriescame in theIndian-dominatedcityofSurreyon the outskirts ofVancouver.

ProminentwinnersincludeLabourMinister HanyBains,DeputySpeakerRajChouhan, formerministerJinnySimsandparliamentary secretariesJagrupBrarandRaviKahlon.

Bains retained bisseatofSurrey- ewton bybeating fellow Punjabi Paul Boparai of the Liberal Party.

Bains,whocomesfrom Hardaspurvillage near jalandhar, haswon thisseatsince2005. DeputySpeakerRaj Chouhanalsoretained bisseatofBurnaby-EdmondsbybeatingTript Atwalofthe Liberal Partyand Iqbal Parekh oftheGreenParty.Chouhancame toCanada from Punjabasastudentin 1973.

Jagrup Braroftherulingpartyalso retained hlsseat ofSurrey-Fleetwood by trouncing feUow Punjabi GarryThind of the Liberal Party.

Aformer Indian basketball player, Brar hasnowwon thisseatfive timessince2004.

Thefifth lndo-CanadianmantowinisRavi Kablonoftheruling DPwhobeatAlmoraborn NeernaManraloftheGreen Partyand JetSunner(Jatinder) ofthe Liberal Party.

Amongthe\Vomenwinners, JinnySims (Joginder Kaur)beatfellowPunjabi DrGulzar Cbeemainthe Surrey-Panoramaconstituency. BornatPabwanvillagenearJalandhar,Sims cametoCanadaattheageofnine.

Rachna Singh ofthe rulingpartyretained herSurrey-GreenTimbersseatbybeating DilrajAtwaloftheLiberalParty.

Nikki Sharma ofthe ruling DPwonin Vancouver-Hastings.

Indian-originsmake upabout 10percent ofthe British Columbiapopulationoffive million. IANS

BY SURUCHI SEHGAL

henyouforceyourkidstoditch thePlaystation/Xboxandplay asimplegameorSnakesand LaddersorLudo,areyouaware tbatyouarecarryingona 5000-year-old Indianlegacy?

InthesetiJnesofvideogamesandgadgets, theverycreativeandwiseancientIndian gamesareslowlybeingforgotten.Several familiarna111eslikeCbess,Snakes& Ladders, Cards,Ludo,Polo, Judo& Karate,Hopscotch andCarromowetheirgenesistoIndia.

BeitLordShivaandhisconsortParvati playingPachisi,thePandavaslosingDraupadi overagan,eofdice,ortheMughalsenjoying anafternoonorchess -boardgameshave alwaysplayedanimportantroleinthehistory andmythologyoflndia.

Beroresomeofthesevanishintothesands oftime,let'sstrivetorevivethen,,intheir authenticIndianform,andwhatbettertime Lhannow,amidstCOVIDlockdo\vn?

Chess(Chaturanga)

Findingamentioninthefamousepic Mahabharata,Chaturangaistheoriginofthe moderngameofchess.

Chessinitsoriginal Indianformwas calledAshtapada-Sanskritforspider('eightlegged'}.Itwasplayedwithdiceonan8x8 checkeredboardsanswhiteorblackcolou1·s. OtherIndianboards includedthe 10,.10 Dasapadaandthe9x9Saturankain.

Later,thisgameevolvedinto\vhatisknown asChaturanga,meaning'quadripartite' (dividedintofou1·parts).Thetwo-handed chaturangawastheearliestknownformof chess,dividedinto4brancheslikethearmy.

LikeancientIndianarmies,thepieces\Vere calledelephants,chariots,horses,andfoot soldiers,andplayedtodevisewarstrategies. Thegamewasplayedonaclothsurface by2,3,or4players.Unlikemodernchess, Chaturangacombinedthestrategyofchess \Viththerandomnessofadiceroll. Itwas abattlesimulationgamethat renderedthe lndianmilitru·ystrategyofthetime.

TheaccountofPersiansberngintroduced tothisgameisaninterestingone.Persian poetFirdousiwritesinhishistoricalpoem, theShahnarna,aboutambassadorsfrom Hindwhoapproached KingChosroesl Anushirwan,vithachessboardaskedhim tosolvethesecretsofthegameandpay tribute.Thekingaskedforsevendaysof grace,duringwhichwisemenvainlytriedto discoverthesecrel.Finally,theking'sminister tookthepieceshomeandunravelJedthe secretinadayandanight.

TheynameditShatranj:thetem1 'checkmate'comesfro1nthePersian'shahmat'meanrng'thekingisdead.'

Cards(Krida Patram) thelordofdivinities;Asrapati,lordofgenii; Vanapati,thekingoftheforest,andAhipati, lordofsnakes,etc.

TheMughalGanjifasetshad representationsofdiversetradesLike akkashparnter,Mujallidbookbinder, Rangrezdyer,etc.,Inaddition,therewere alsothePadishah-i-Qimash,kingofthe manufacturersandPadishah-izar-i-Safid,king ofsilver,etc.

Later,cardscarnetobeplayedbyalllevels ofsociety. Differentshapesofcardswerein play,mostcommonbeingcircularones.The artofhandmade,hand-paintedcardssurvived forhundredsofyearsbeforeitwastakenover byprintedpapercardsbythe Europeansin the 17-18thcenturies.

Pallanguli (Pallankuzhi)

Abul Fazal, EmperorAkbar'scourtier, wrote in hisbookAin-e-Akbari, whichisa mirrorofthelifeofthat tin1e,aboutagame playedwithcards.

AncientIndianplayingcardswerecalled KridaPatram.Theyweremadeofcloth piecesandshowcasedancientthemesfrom the RamayanaandMahabharata.

Thelargestnumberofsuchcardsaretobe foundinOrrisa. FabricpaintersfromOrissa haverepresentedvasiousillustrationslike theNavagunjara,amythicalbird-humananimal,theformassumedbySri Krishnato testArjuna'sfidelity. Ulustrationsfro1nthe DashavataraofVishnuarealsoportrayed.

Thecardswere made ofcloth,and to obtain the required thicknessa nu1nberof sheetsofclothweregluedtogether.The outlinesofthe rimwerepainted inblack and then thefigureswerefilled inwith colour.

Inn1edieval India,theywerecalledGanifa/ ganjifacardsandwereplayedintheroyal courtsofRajputana,Kash1nir(then Kashyapa Meru),Odisha(thenUtkal), the Deccanarea aswellasNepal. obilityandroyaltyhad theircardsmadefromivory,tortoiseshell, motherofpearl,inlaid,orenamelledwith preciousn,ctals.

Thepackusuallyconsistedof4setsof 12cardseach.Onesethadasitshighest ratingcardtheAshvapati-lordofthehorses. ThesecondhighestwasSenapati(general) followedbytenothercards.Anotherset ofcardshadGajapati(lordofelephants), Senapatiandtenothers.Anotherpackhad arpati(kingwithpoweroverinfantry) andothercardslikeDhanpati,thelordof treasures;Dalpatithelordofthesquadron; avapati,thelordofthenavy;Surapati,

HaveyoueverplayedBrainvita? Itholdsa vaguesimilaritytoanancientgamefrom South India.Variationsofthegan1earecalled KuzhiparainMalayalam,AliGuliManein KannadaandYamanaGuntaluinTelugu.

Pallankulidevelopedskillandquick thinking.Twoplayerscompetedonaboard with 14cupssetoutwithsixseedsineach cup.Theplayersdistributedtheseseedsinto theothercupsuntiltherewerenoseedsleft. Thepersonwhoreachedtwoconsecutive cups,vithoutseedshadtobowoutofthe game.Theplayerwiththe1naximumnumber ofseedsintheendbecamethewinner.

Itwasverypopularamongwomenand requiredgoodmemoryandalertness,asthey hadtocountandrememberthenumberof seedsaccumulatedbytheopponent.

Ludo (Pachisi)

thegamefindsitsmentioninthe.Mahabharat.

TheinfamousbetinMahabharatthat wasplayedbetweencousinsPandavasand Kauravas,wasagameofChaupad.Thisepic wasdatedaround800to 1000BC.

Historianspointoutthatthereisa depictionofthisgameinthecavesofAjanta EllorainMaharashtra,showingthatthegame wasquitepopularintheMedievalera.Itwas alsoenjoyedbyMughalemperorslikeAkbar. TheBritishlatermodifiedthegametousea cubicdicewithadicecupandpatenteditas 'Ludo'in 1896inEngland.

ChausarorPachisiinvolvestwoto fourplayerswhousecowryshellsand woodenpawnstostrategiseandplantheir manoeuvresandwinthegame.

Eachplayer'sobjectiveistomoveallfour oftheirpiecescompletelyaroundtheboard, counter-.clockwise,beforetheiropponentsdo. ThepiecesstartandfinishontheCharkoni.

Snakes & Ladders (Moksha Patam)

ThecliildboodfavottriteSnakesandLadders, hasitsorigininlndiaandwascalledGyan Chaupar,Mokshapat,Moksha Patamu,or Para1naPadam. ItwasusedtoteachHindu valuestochildren.

Thegamewascreatedbythe 13th-century poetsaintGyandev.Theladdersinthegame representedvirtuesandthesnakesindicated vices.Thegan1ewasplayedwithcowrieshells anddices.TheillustratedsquareshadaGod oroneoftheheavens(kailasa,vaikuntha, brahmaloka)depictedonthetopofaladder andthebottomdescribedagoodquality. Conversely,eachsnake'sheadwasanegative qualityoranasura (demon).Asthegame progressed,thevariouskarmaandsamskara, gooddeedsandbadtookyouupanddo,vn theboard. Interspersedwereplants,people, andanin1als.

TheethicsofthisconceptwasaLifelesson itself.Thegooddeeds/Lraitsactedlikeladders toachieveheaven,whereasthe1netaphosical evilsnakeofsinsandvicespushedyouback intoacycleofre-births.

BeforeLudowentonline,itusedtobea boardgame.AndbeforeitwascalledLudo, itwasa4th-centuryIndiangamecalled Chaupar/Chausar.Madeoutofclothorjute,

TheBritishtookthegametoEnglandin 1892andnameditSnakesandLadders,and changedittoreflectVictorianvalues.