2020-12 Sydney

lndianlink

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

RajniAnandLuthra

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

PreetiJabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

BageshriSavyasachi,RheaLNath,

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

s2020 drawsto aclose, itlookslike thepande1nic isless of aconcern to the governmentin India as opposed to thefarmersgatheringonthe outskirtsofDelhi.

SALES

Charuta Joshi

Indian Link is a monthlynewspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in partorinwholewithoutthewrittenconsentofthe editor.Opinions carriedin Indian Link arethose of thewritersandnotnecessarilyendorsedby Indian Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

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Email: info@indianlink.com.au

Aswe go toprint,hundreds of thousandsareca1npedoutsideDelhi to protestagainstwhattheysayis thecorporatisationoffarmingby the Modigovernment. Thefarmers, largely from Punjab, are being joined by their fellowfarmersfromacross thenation. Theferocity ofthepassion behind theprotest-and some starkimagesof police brutality-mayhavegalvanised the Modigovernmentininitiatingtalks withthefarmers,butto datethereis littleprogresstowardsresolution.

Like allthingsthisdecade,social 1nediahaslitupwithvarious experts paradingaroundextolling-or criticising- thenewagriculturelaws.

Whathas beeninteresting tonoteis theinternationalisationofthefarmers' protest, assupportcomesinfromthe United Kingdom, Canada, and the

UnitedStates. Fromapoliticalleadershippointof view, thestrongestremarkshavecome fromCanadian PrimeMinisterJustin Trudeauwhohassupportedtherights of Indianfarmerstoprotestpeacefully. Thishasnot been takenkindly by the Indiangovern1nent, whichin a pressreleaseissuedbythe Ministry of External Affairs,said thatsuch com1nentshave"encouraged" extremist activities outsidethe Indianmissionsin Canada. Indiahaswarnedthatremarks of theCanadianleadershiponfarmer protests would lead toincreasingantiIndiaralliesin Canada.

Otherpoliticiansinthe United Kingdomand Australiahave also added theirvoices to the ongoingprotestsin Indiawith communitygroupsjoiningin globally.

Thenewbreed ofNonResident Indiancontinues to engage deeplywith theircountryof origin, andcomes forwardreadilyto showsupport- beit for theIndian cricketteamatthe SCG, orchangesto Article 370, or theIndian CitizenshipAmendment Act.

An earlydemonstrationofsuchdeep engagementwiththemothercountry cameduringthe Indianelections of 2014, whenpro Modisupporters congregatedaticonicspotssuchasthe

Sydney OperaHouse andMelbourne's Federation Squareasresultswere declaredin India. Perhapsthemost vocaloutpouringofpatrioticfervour was the Pulwamaprotestmarchin Sydney CBDagainstallegedPakistan led terrorism. WhenCAAlegislation wasannounced, wesawbothpro and antiralliesinParramatta andSydney's CBD.

Thisinternationalisationof domesticpoliticsisindeeda doubleedgedsword. Thejuryis still out whetherweshouldbebringing contentious topics'frombackhome' outinthemainstream.Thenagain, with social mediaplayingsucha pivotalroleinhighlighting ourissues, visionopportunities ofsupporters anddetractorsagainstinternational landmarks do addan additionalgravitas to thesituation.

Meanwhile, asweprepareto bid adieuto2020,wecan'thelp butlook back atayear thatwasfilled with unknowns, andonewhichforcedus tore-evaluate variousaspectsofour lives. If 'pivot' was thewordweused frequentlyin2020,perhapsthe word for 2021 will be 'agile' -as welearnto workthroughissuesinsmarterways. Wishingyouandyourloved ones a great2021.

Ritam Mitra,NikeetaBhatia, Melissa DomingoRawat,Sandip Hor, LPAyer,Minnal Khona

If you haveany symptoms, geta freetestand stay homeuntil youget your results. Youdon'thave to bean Australian citizen or permanent resident.

YOUR SAY

STEVE WAUGH'S INDIA

At the launch of the legendaryAussie cricketer's new book of photographs of India, PAWAN LUTHRA spoke with him about his love for all things Indian.

Darshak Mehta OAM wrote: Excellent interview. Youdrew out the essence of theman-averygood man.Hewasgenerouswithhistime anddidnotduck any question. Good on you, Pawan

Rahul Gupta wrote: Pawan, do you know howmuch of the $249isgoing to charity- eitherthe Steve WaughFoundation or acharityinIndia? (Because the advance publicity promotes the SWFand there are photographs ofdisabled anddisadvantagedpeoplein India -some philanthropicaspectisimplied.)

Santram Bajaj wrote: Thoroughly enjoyed thisinterview,and the ease with which you both chatted.Lovedthat Curtly Ambrose question: facinghim on a bouncy pitchversus checkingthe camerato see if he got theperfect shot, which ismore filled withtension!

WE'VE GOT A BRAND NEW LOOK

Indian Link's new look logo took followers by surprise - until we explained it. Deepak Vincent wrote:Howdoesthis signlink to India, Indian Link?

Dhlraj Arora wrote:I preferred the last logo.

Rakesh Hans wrote:Thislogo doesnotreflect Indiantri colour flag or Ashok chakraat all.You couldhave usedthe same colours at least.

Indian Link replied:TheicondepictsIndian Link'scommitmenttodigital integration. Itismade upof halfof the traditional AshokaChakraoftheIndian flag (representing ourtraditionalprint formof media),while theother halfisa globe

The starat thecentre of the Ashoka Chakraisthe seven-pointed Commonwealth/Federation starfrom the Australian flag;it represents our linksacrossthe country.

The globe is synonymous withthe worldwide web,representing Indian Link's pushtowardsmore modern methods ofconnecting with thecommunity. The essential elementsof our previouslogo, which you loved somuchfor 26 years,are still presentin ournew logo!

Vandana D'souza wrote:Loveit!!!

Paavan Gulati wrote:Looks great!

Krlsh Na wrote:Looksgood don't know whythe angryface uncles are gettingtheir knickersin a knot. Alsothe seven-point starisa nice touch

CELEBRATING NAIDOC WEEK

In her podcast series Don't Miss The Link, BAGESHRI SAWASACH/ spoke to Indigenous poet Ali Cobby Eckermann on the Indian links in her life and the importance of NA/DOC week.

Mridula Nath Chakraborty wrote: Congratulations on thegreat audiostory with Ali CobbyEckermann forNAIDOC Week. Thanks againfor continuing the work ofIndigenousstory-telling inyourpaper.

Savi Tumkur wrote:I hadtears in my eyes, you've made some bold statements. We needbetter understanding and action!

SAY IT AGAIN

Letmebe clear: wearinga mask isnot aboutmaking yourlife less comfortable ortakingsomething away.It's to givesomethingback to allof us- a normallife.

Joe Biden,US President elect

WHERE IN INDIA

We askedyou to identifythis engineering marvel where, whichever zodiac the sun is in, the first rays of sun fall on that pillar in this 12-pillared structure. Readers Sujay Kumar Sringeri and Balakrishna Narasimhamurthy correctlyidentifiedit as theVidyashankarTemple in Sringeri, Karnataka.

I'm terrible atwrappinggifts.The parcels enduplookingwartorn andprettyoffensive. IwonderifIshouldjustnot botherwrapping them.I've really thought thisthrough and it'sthe thoughtthatcountsright?

Antoinette Lattouf, Channel 10journo

As apriority,all children in Australian schoolsshouldbe taughthow tofact check andidentify misinformation. Thisproblemisn't goingaway.We haveto adapt.

Carrick Ryan, political commentator

HAPPY DIWALI, AUSTRALIA POST!

BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI reported on Oz Post's holiday discounts - which didn't include Diwali cards.

Mohan Ayyar wrote: IfAustraliais asecularnation,then thediscount for culturalcardsshouldbe availableallyearround.Whyare Christiansgetting specialtreatment?

Lorna Davidson wrote: Indiaclaimsto beasecular country as well, but I can'tsee Christiansgetting adiscount ontheirChristmasmailthere.There's areasonwhyyougetto enjoy the Christmasand Easterholidayshere. If Australiaissucha secular country, how comethere areno publicholidays for Eid, Diwali and otherreligions celebrated here?

Leyla Nubia wrote: Idon'thave aproblem with it. It'slike sending Eid cardsout, Greek Easter cards,Jewish NewYear cards, etc. If the pricing is exclusivelyforChristmascards, thenso be it.

Editor's note:A seriesof querieswithAustralia Postultimatelyturned out to be conciliatory. Our Diwalicardswere deemedokaytobe treatedas "seasonal greeting cardsduring the months of November andDecember as long asthey were "inasealed envelope and endorsed 'cardonly'in thetop RH corner." (They were)

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER'S RSS VISIT RAISES EYEBROWS

BAGESHRI SAWASACHI reported on the objections raised at Barry O'Farrell's meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Prasanna Kovalam wrote:Yes Isaw this. Definitelyraiseseyebrows!

Hindesh wrote:Shameful.

Yadu Singh wrote: Indian Link shouldalsohaveasked viewsof those, who see noissuewiththeAustralian HighCommissioner visiting the RSS HQ and meeting Dr. Mohan Bhagwat. This reportisdisappointing. Indian Link is giving fartoomuchimportancetoafringe groupof 15 agenda-drivenpeople

JayShah wrote: Two questionshere. 1. Whydid you misshundredsof Australian Indians whohave welcomedthismeeting?2.Whatisthereachof suchfake Humanism projectandtheircontributiontodiaspora?

The Humanism Project wrote:Thank you for publishingafairand balancedarticle.

WHERE IN OZ

Whose statue is this and where would you find it in Australia?

Reader Bhanu

Kothari repliedwith the correctanswer, Captain Cook at Cairns,Queensland.

WHEN INDIAN AYAHS TRAVELLED THE WORLD

RHEA L NATH reported on a Newcastle University project that will trace the history of Indian domestic help in Australia.

Veda Gottumukkala wrote: Reallyinteresting articlewrittenon the seldom discussed livesand far travels of Indianayahsand the links between Indians andtheircolonizers

Siddharth Aatreya wrote: I've been reading Naipaulandallabout Caribbean Indians, didn't realise they took IndianstoAustraliaalso!

Sharanya Vish wrote:Veryinterestingread!

Pheroza Daruwalla wrote: Fabulousarticle.Thank you, Rhea. Beautiful photostoo FLAME University (India) shared: Migrant labourfrom Indiahas served many needsin theWesternworldforgenerations. One suchfascinating aspectisthatof ayahsand their contributiontohouseholdsin countries that were their colonialmasters.

Natasha Jha Bhaskar wrote: Fascinating piece @indian_link on oldlinks between IndiaandAustraliathroughdomesticserviceandcolonisation.The historicalandhumanconnections between colonialism, carework andlabour mobility.

Robert Smith wrote: Excellent project.

Rishi Suri wrote: Trulyfascinating! Interesting read.

Yes, Fabulous Lives of The sad partis, the noise of mostTV debates Wouldbe helpful if Youcanbeone ofthetwopersons Lovethenonchalance BollywoodWiveswas hasmade mostthinking peopleandexperts governments ofallstripes inlife:theone whodragspeople ofthisgeneration. absolute trash and yes I refuse tocome onwitheach other.Theythink wouldnotmake scapegoats down,orthe onethatseeksto Havingtohitasixjust willwatchseason 2 the they willbe ledintoa cat fight. So they prefer of peopleandseek to lay pushthemonwardsandupwards. doesn'tfazethem moment it comesout doing solo interviews. Great loss for anysociety. blameduringa pandemic It'sasimple choice. Make it. Harsha Bhogle, Shruti Jani, Twitteruser Shoma Chaudhary, journo Casey Briggs, ABCjourno Siddharth Rath,Twitteruser cricketcommentator

Life can be a longjourney of lessons, but you never learn quite as much as you do in your youth! With the year that's gone by - bushfires, pandemic, lockdowns, elections and all - there's certainly a healthy dose of reflection to go around. So whether it's discovering a tenacity you never knew you had, overcoming your constant procrastination, or mastering your mum's best recipes, we wanted to look back at the year fondly - what has 2020 taught you about yourself?

AISHWARYA REDDY

I'musuallysomeonewholovestobesurroundedwithpeople.ldon'tenjoyspendingaminuteofmyweekendathomeCOVID, however,hadotherplans.Thelockdownandbanontravelfrustratedmeatfirst-Ifeltlikemywingswerecutoff.Overtime,it forcedmetogetbacktoroots.I'masinglechild,soIusedtospendalotoftimebymyselfandthisyear,Idiscoveredhowtoenjoy myowncompanyagain.Inowhavearenewedloveforreading,dancingandcooking.2020alsotaughtmehowunpredictable lifecanbe.Lookingaheadtothenewyear,I'mplanningtofulfilalltheplansthatwereputonhold,travelbeing#1onthelist. Eventually,2020willbenothingmorethanapunchline I'llusewhenthings aregoingwrong. I'lljusttellmyself:'Hey,it'sstill betterthan2020!'

SHRIYASHAH

Ashumans,Ithjnkwe'repredisposedtobelieveintheideaofcertainty,andthisyearhasobviouslychangedthat.Therehavebeen missedbirthdays,graduations,weddingsandothermilestonesinourJives.But I'veseenhowhumanstrengthliesincommunity. I havethisnewadmirationforhu1nanityasIseefrontlineworkersaroundtheworldtirelesslycareforpatientsandbowcommunities havecotnetogether(evenifitisdigitalJyorvirtuaJly)tobethereforoneanother.It'sbeenrefreshingtoseehowthjspandemicasked ustoconfrontourideasofequalityandwhythestatusquoneedstochange.Althoughtheworldandthefuturecanseembleak,this yearhastaughtmetostoptosmelltheroses.I'mreadytotakeon2021withthissenseofhopefuloptimism.Thankyou,next!

ABHRANILHAZRA

FromgettingmyfirstinternshiptocompletingFrenchin10weeks,2020hasactuallybeenarewardingyearforme.Thanksto technology,Imanagedtoconnectwiththeoutsideworldandmakenewfriendsfromtheconfinesofquarantine.Thisyeartaught me tobemoregrateful forlivinginthisworld, forbeingable to run, touch, sense and breathe allthat Earthhas tooffer. WhenI wasfacedwiththechallengeofuniversitystudiesmovingonline,Ihadtopersevere,overcomingadiscouragingenvironmentand allkindsofdistractions.Asti1newentby,mybodyandmindadjusted-andthiscouldbeseenwithmyimprovedgradestoo!

BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

Thisyearhasn1ademeanexpertins1nalltalk.Now,llovebeingaskedhowI'mgoingandwhatIthinkoftheweather!I never appreciated the company ofstrangers and acquaintances asmuch before.Thelockdown,therestrictionsandtheisolationalso taught1netobeself-reliantanddependonmyselffor1nyownwell-being.lbecameanexpertinchickencurriesandlearnedhow todoafullsplit!Ihavealsolearnedtobegrateful,mostlyforlivinginacountrythatwasrelativelysaferduringthepandemic. Lookingback,ithasdefinitelybeenayearofactivismallovertheworld(theBlackLivesMattermovementinUSandOz,andthe CAAandfarmers'protestsinIndia),itissocomfortingtoseethatpeopleeverywherewillnevergiveupfightingfordemocracy.P.S. Trumpbeingfiredfron1theWhiteHousewastheicingontopofthecake.

SUREEN HASAN

Assomeonewhostruggleswithanxiety,2020wasanightmareattimesandcompletelyoverwhelming.Somanyterriblethings happenedintheworldandthenewsandsocialmediacanseemsonegative.Thisyear,I learnedthat it'sokayto take breaks fromsocial media.There'sanoffswitchforareason! Mymindcan'thandletheconstantnegativityandI'velearnedtolimitmy consumptionofitall.I'vefoundmyselftobeinamuchhappiermoodwhenI'mnotcomparingmyselftoeverythingIseeonsocial media,andIhavemoretimetojustenjoylifeinsteadofworryingaboutwhateveryoneelsemightbedoing.

ANEETA MENON

It'sbeenayearthat'sreallychallengedusateverycollectivelevel:asfamilies,ascommunities,asbusinesses,ascountries,andas aworld.Throughthatlens,I'velearnedalotaboutboththeworldandmysmallplaceinit.It'smademefeelstrongerthanever abouttheimportanceoffightingauthoritarianregimes,aboutadvocatingforourownFi1·stNationspeople,andabouthoweventhe mostbasicofmychoices,likehowoftenandhowwelJlwashmyhands,canhavesuchalastingimpact.Anotherthingthatstood outtomethlsyearwastheprivilegeofmygeography,bothinproximitytomylovedonesandlivinginacountrythathasdone comparativelywellwithCOVID-19.Iempathisewiththosewhofoundthemselvessuddenlyandindefinitelydisconnectedfrom placesandpeopletheyholdmostdear. l hadtolearnthatsometimes,there'snothjngmuchyoucandotohelp.But mostsurprising ofall,I learned more science-ywords, terms and conceptsin 2020 thanI everthoughtIwouldknow!

KEIRATH SINGH

TheseeminglyinnocuousbutdangerouspandemichasforcedusaUtomakesacrifices.Whileatfirstwearingamaskandstaying indoorsseemedsimpleenough,astheweeksandmonthsspilledover,webegantounderstanditsrealimplications.Latewake-ups foronlineschool,alldayNetflixmarathonsand2AMZoomcallswithfriends(muchtomyparents'displeasure)wereinitially welcomed,buteventuallythebreakdownofourroutinesandstructuredlifestylesallowedforintrospectionnotpossibleinpreCOVIDtimes.BeingastudentinmyfinalyearofVCE,thesurplusoftimeallowedmetotapintowhatmyfuturegoalsreallyare, whatIneedbemoregraciousfor,andwhatIcouldbestdowithoutinmyJife. Practisinggratitudefortheseeminglyinsignificant thingsinourlivesisalessonIwillcarrywithme, asyouonlytrulyknowtheirsignificanceoncetheyaretakenaway.2020hasnot onlybeenofbenefittomaskmanufacturersandshareholdersinZoomInc,buthasbeenaformativeyearformetoo!

ANAVI CHANDOK

2020taughtmethatoursenseofnormalcycanbelostovernightandbereplacedbyrestrictionsandmorningpressconferences inablinkofaneye.Butsuchisthenatureofchange,itcanbedisruptiveandunnerving. Despite thenegatives,change can also be progressiveandenlightening.ThisyearIrealisedhowimportantitistonottakethingsforgrantedorunderestimatethetrivial thingsinourlifelikeafamilytriptoagrocerystoreoradinneratarestaurantwithfriendsOften,itisthosemenialtasksthat subconsciouslygroundusandallowourlivestoretainorder.Withthemayhemthathascomewiththisyear,1havealsolearned thatitisimportanttosurroundyourselfwithpeoplewhowillstaybyyoursideduringtroublingtimes.ThisisalessonthatIwill surelycontinuefollowintotheuncertainyeartofollow.

DHANANJAY KAPOOR

2020hasbeenarollercoasterofen1otions.lwasinmyfinalsemesterofuni thisyearandwasoverloadedwithclasses.Switching fromface-to-facelearningtoonlinestudywasanightmare,asI'mastudentwhoneedsin-classinteraction.lhadnootherchoice buttopullupmysocks,con1mittomyschedule,andusethistomyadvantage.1wascreativewithmyprojectsanddevelopedalotof newskillsthatwillbeadvantageousinmyfuturecareer.I couldn'tbelieveitbutthiswasactuallymyhighestscoringsemester!With im1nensestudypressureandlifeinlockdown,Ialsodecidedtopickuponanewhobbyandstartedlearninghowtoplaytheguitar. WhenIlookbackat2020,it'sbeenablessingthat'shelpedn1ebecomemoreskilledandpatient,andhelpedimprovemyrelationships withfa1nilyandfriends

KARTIKSINGH

2020hasarmed1newithsomeusefultools-knowingwhentomutemyselfonZoom,figuringouthowtopickthemostergonomic chairformyhomeof:fice,andbeingn1oreadventurousonmydailywalks("today...I'llgoleftinsteadofright!").Ittooksome work,butaftersomeinternalbattlesandmyfairshareofresistance,I'llassign2020asmybestyearyet.I'veexperiencedmore enjoymentlearninghowtomakeamargaritainmykitchenthanIwouldhavehadsippingoneatacocktailbarinthecity;more presencewalkingthroughmyneighbourhoodandgettingdeeplyacquaintedwithmystreetthanIdidwalkingthroughthe cobblestonestreetsofFlorence.Armouredwitha new-foundoutlookonhowtoenjoythe present, I have no problemsworkingfor the future-becauseIknowforsurethatI'llenjoyitwhenIgetthere.Andthat'saprettygreatachievementinmybooks!

MISHASETHI

Theyearmayhavebeenfilledwith"socialdistancing",butI'velearnedtheimportanceofmeaningfulsocialconnection.Being unabletoseefriendsformanymonthsprovidedaplatformforreflection,toreconsidertherolesdifferentpeopleplayinn1ylife.For somefriends,lfelt1nyselfreachingoutandtryingtofindnewwaystomaintainourconnectionremotely.Forothers,thenatural driftstartedtooccur.Therewasnolongeranysocialisingand gossiping,as the"outing"oreveryone'sdaysbecame thatsacredwalk around the block. lbegantotrulyappreciatethepeopleinmylifewhomakealastingdifference.Ithinkasasocietywecanlearn fro1n2020thatsocialisingmayhaveabigroleinourJives,butit'simportanttovaluethepeoplewhoaretheretocheckinonyou.I havelearnttoprioritisemystrongrelationshipsandvaluethefriendsandfamilywhoarearoundwhen l mostneedthem.

NEIL BHATIA

Theyearhastrulytestedourresolve,bringingusalltogethertofightacommonenemy.Thetragedyofcoronavirushasbound ustogetherandremindedustobegratefulforthefamilyandfriendsweexperienceourliveswith.Wemayhavelostourwayin 2020,but the flamewithineachorusburnsbrighterafterovercomingsuchchallengingodds. 2021willbeayeartobandtogether torepairthedamagecaused,andbuildstronger,moremeaningfulrelationshipswiththosewecarefor.Ibelievewemustlook towardsthefuturewithrecklessabandonandchaseourdreams-withoutforgettingtheimportantlessonsandchallengeswe haveovercome.

AMAN REKHY

Thispastyear,lhadtoquicklylearntomakepeacewithexternalfactorsbeyondmycontrolandtofocusonwhatwaswithinmy control.Themorecurveballswerethrownmyway,themoredetermined l becan1etostayupbeat,focusedandpositive.2020taught metheimportanceofself.Lifehasandwillcontinuetobebusy,todemandmorefrom us, tokeepuslookingtothefuturebut there'smoretolifethanthat.lhaddiscoveredtheconceptofmindfulnessyearsago,butitwasin2020,throughnecessity,thatI learnedhowtonurtureandgrowitasaskill.Byfocusingonmymentalhealth,IwasabletopursueandachievethegoalsIsetfor n1yselfatthebeginningoftheyear. I'memergingoutof2020a betterman in comparison to the one goingin.

SIMARCHEEMA

Startingacareerasaparamedicduringapandemichasbeenaneye-openingexperience.Iwaslearningtheropesforanewjob, but also navigatingtheuncertaintyoftheeffectsofCOVID-19onthecommunity. In2020,Ilearnttobegratefulformygood healthand supportsystems. Itrulyunderstandtheimportanceofbeingabletocomn1unicatewithmylovedonestomaintaina positivementaloutlook.Thisaspectwasvitalforme,soIcoulddebriefanddecompressthestressfulaspectsofmyjobandIcould continueprovidingcareforpatientsatworkwithempathyandcompassion.It'sbeenadifficultyearformost,butIfeelitwasayear oftogethernessalthoughmanyofuswerephysicallyapart.

FIRZADAHAMMED

Ispentmostoftheyearcompletingmydegreeonline,andit'scertainlyanoddyeartograduate.Asaninternationalstudent, it'salreadytoughtofindjobs,andthisyearhasmadeitevenmoreofachallenge.Betweenjobapplications,interviews,and rejections,andstayinggluedtothenewsonliftingrestrictionsgradually,2020hasreallytaughtmetobepatient!Witheveryone upskillingandkeepingthemselvesbusyduringlockdown,it'sbeentheyearofusingyourtimewisely.I'mnoexception.Butabove allelse,beinginSydney,wewereluckyenoughforlifetogetbacktosomesemblanceofnormalcyquickerthanotherplaces.Iwill remaingratefulforthatfactsothatInevermakethemistakeoftakingthingsforgranted.

INSIYAAH MESIWAALA

lthink2020REALLYtaughtmetheimportanceofbeingpatient.Ifoundoutthesignificanceofgoodfoodanddevelopingahobby, bothhaveturnedintotherapeuticexercisesforme.Irealisedhowimportantitactuallyistomakeanefforttokeepintouchwithyour closeones,andthat'swhyIamsogratefulfortechnology.Ilearntthebenefitsofself-care,itmajorlyupliftedmymoodduringallthe lockdowns.Mentalhealthisso1nethingI'velearntnottocompromiseonandhavedefinitelymadeitapriorityafterthisyear.1also learnttoshutoffthenews.Onceinawhile,it'sperfectlyokaytonotcareaboutwhat'shappeningintheworldandjustfocusonmy iLn1nediatesurroundings.Youknowthetakeawayfromthatexperience?Mycompostbinandherbgardenkeepmemoreengaged thanallthestoriesandpostsonFacebookorlnstagran1!

:JASKARAN SINGH

2020mouldedmetobecomemorepractical.It'salsotaughtmeanimportantlessonthatappliesmovingforwardwithmylife -learningnottojudgeanyone.Thisyearisatestamenttohoweveryoneisgoingthroughsomething,eveniftheydon'tshowit! ButIliketobelievethatdifficultyears,nomatteralltheobstacles,inevitablypass.2020hasmadememoreappreciativeofall theelementsinmylife.Itmademerealiseevenmore,thein1portanceofrelationships.It'slikemymumwouldsay•notrushing throughthingsandbeingpatientisthewaytogo!

EKAAGRAKESARWANI

ThisyearislikelythefirstI'vehadwhereI'mnotquitesurewhetherIthoroughlyenjoyeditorwouldn'twishituponmyworstenemy. Theangstcausedbybushfirestostarttheyear,andapresidentialtantrumtoendit,creatingasandwichwithapandemicsquished inbetween,wastrulybefuddling.Ontheflipside,theuttercalmwithinthefourwallsofmyroom,theconvenienceofstudyingfrom home,andtheflexibilitythatcan1ewithitwassomethingIneverexpected.Buthindsightis20/20(nopunintended),andahealthy doseofintrospectionneverhurtanybody.WhatIrealisedthisyearisthatwhileIdoenjoybeingalone,Ivaluethecompanyofothers more.Theconnectionfeltwithpeoplewhomaybestudyingthesamethingasyou-orplayingthesamesportasyou-issubtle,and somethingIonlyfeltwhenitwasnolongerthere.Iflgotthechancetowritetomyselfatthestartoftheyear,Iwouldaskmyselftobe 1noreopenandmakethen1ostofeveryopportunity1got.Oh,andIalsostartedbakingbread

NEHAMADAPPA

ThisyearmarksthelongestperiodoftimethatI'velivedawayfromhome.AndwhetherIlikeditornot,ittaughtmehowtobe self-reliantandindependent.Guys,Ilearnttokeepmyselfalive!Jokeaside,Ireallydidpickupsimplebutimportanttaskslike cookingmyown(healthy!)mealsforthefirsttime.Also,it'sbeenadifficultyearforeveryone,especiallyregardingtheirmental health.IfoundaresilienceinmyselfthatIdidn'tknowIhad.Therehavebeenafewdowndaysin2020,butinthosetoughtimes, IlookedtothepeopleIloveandrespect.Thebiggestlessonofall?Thatit'sperfectlyokaytoaskforhelp!

NAVEED BAGADIA

When2020began,Ineverthoughthebiggestflexduringameetingwouldbe"Igottojumponanothercall"andthemostrepeated sentenceoftheyearwouldbe"You'reonmute"!Onthebrightside,though,lockdownshavemeantthere'sprojectdrawdown (calculatedhowmuchtheearthhealedin2020)whereunknowinglyallofuscontributedespeciallywhenwewerebored.Thisyear hasbeenallabouttestingnegativeandstayingpositive.Ilearntthedifferencebetween'beingalone'and'beinglonely'.1alsolearnta greatwaytoexplainthenetworkeffect-justaskmyniece,she'sonly4yearsoldandnowshecanexplainexactlywhatitis!

RHEA L NATH

I'mabigfanoflookingatthebrightside,andunlikeSkype(sorry,Ihadto!),Iliketomakethemostofopportunities.2020isthe yearItookchances.Afterall,couldthingsreallygetanyworse?Imovedoutofstudentaccommodationandgotmyownapartment. 1submittedmypoetrytotheuniversityanthologyandgotpublished.Thefearofrejectionblocksourpathfartoooftenandwe've gottogetoutofourownway.Despiteallourcribbingaboutcircumstancesin2020,IdaresayI'mproudofallofusforfinding somesortofasilverLining!I'mgoingtoturn25inthemiddleofapandemic,andifI'mabletointrospectandlearnthismuchevery year,my20sdon'tlooktooshabby.

-Compiled by PreetiJabbal, Rhea L Nath and BageshriSavyasachi

BY RHEAL NATH

sprotestsagainst three controversialagriculture laws gain momentum in India, many questions havebeen raised about the in1pactofthese reforn1s.There's growingconcern thatthe new rules will allowcorporates toexploit fanners and will leave themworseoffthan before As a result, India'sfarmershave taken to the streets in one ofthe largest such protests in the last decade.Asof 7 Dece1nber,thousandsoffarmersare can1ped outon the outskirtson New Delhi after five rounds ofdiscussionwith the governn1ent re1nained inconclusive.

Thefarmersarebeingincreasinglyjoined by lndiansacrossthediaspora,iJ1cluding hereinAustralia. Nun1erousdemonstrations havealreadybeenheld inthepastweek, includingralJiesatQuakers Hillin Sydney, City Hallin Brisbane, Federation Square in Melbourne,andinfrontofthe Indian High Co1nmissionin Canberra.

Australianparliamentarians have also lent theirsupport. LaborMP Rob Mitchell addressed hisconcernson the treatmentof Indianfarmers inthe Victorianparliament, insisting"dialogue is alwaysbetterthan violence", while Labor's RussellWortley MLCjoined arally on thestepsofthe ParliamentHouse.

AnAustralia-basedspecialistinthe agriculturedomainProfessorNanjappa AshwathoftheCO University,explamedhow thelawschangetheexistingsystemiJ1India.

"With the currentniandi(government regulated market) systen1,farmerstake theirproduce tothe 1narket,wherethey displaygoods inan auction. It'san open systemwhereeveryonegetsa fairchance witha n1inin1un1 supportprice (MSP)they areguaranteed."

Withthenewrules,Indianfarmerswill be abletobypassmandisandproduce directlyforprivatebusinesses. The new ruleswillalso remove prohibitions against hoarding,allowingbuyerstostockpile produce.

The centralgovernmenthas said thiswill increasecompetition,opportunities, and

investment for lndia's farmersto helpthem achieve higher incomes. Prin1e Minister Narendra Modi has called thereforms"a watershed moment in the historyofIndian agriculture."

Butaccordingtotheprotesters, corporateswith high bargainingpower willbe able todrivedown prices,and these lawswillpavethewaytoabolishingthe mini1num support price.

Nowwell into itseleventh day, there'sa lot at stakewith the protests. Agriculture isthe primarylivelihood ofalmost 60per centofIndia'spopulation and the reforms affectmanystakeholders,including commissionagentsat the111andis, and state governmentrevenue.

"Fortheeducated farmer, thechanges canprovideagoodsystem. But\vhowill lookoutforfarmerswhoaren'tableto negotiatewithcorporatestogetagood deal?" Prof. Ashwath asked.

Understandably, thesituation is tense. Indian mediaoutletshave alreadyreported someviolencebetweenthe policeand protesters. CanadianPriine Minister Justin Trudeau comn1entedontheunfolding incidents, callingthesituation "very concerning."

In the UK, 36cross-party MPs led by the LabourParty'sTanmanjit Singh Dhesi have come out msupportoftheongoing farmers' agitation, asking British Foreign SecretaryDominic Raab to raise the matterwith NewDelhi.Aprotestatthe Indian High Commissionin Londonon 6 Decen1bersaw 13 arrestsforbreaching COVID regulations.

Aswegotoprint,thenextroundoftalks between40farmerunionleadersand the

government isscheduled for9 December, followinga'Bharat Bandh' call on8 December.The farmers' five-pointcharter ofdemandsincludeaspecificlawon MSP, writtenassurance on MSP, nopunishn1ent forstubble-burning, repealofthe three farm laws, andsettlementofobjectionsabout proposed Electricity(Amendment) Act.

Meanwhile,farmersfrom otherstates and national tradeunionshavepitched in. Theprotestsite atSinghu, nearthe Delhi border has now transformed intoa 'mini Punjab' asthe numberofpeoplegathering increasesdaily. Organisationssuch as KhalsaAid, United Sikh and DSGMC are onsite toensurecomfortandcare, and provide langars (free meals).

"Farmers are the backbone ofIndia. It's crucial to encourage farmingpractices forfuturegenerationsand ensure they are protectedagainst companies. It's also importanttoconsiderwhoisbehind the protests, andwhythis ishappening," Prof. Ashwath said.

With farmersmakingupa huge voting bloc,supportersofthereformhave said the protestersarebeingmisledwith incorrect information.

Amandeep Singh Sidhu,a community leaderinthe farmingcommunityof Woolgoolga NSWandafarmerhimself, pointsout that muchofthe proteststems fromill-feelingthat thegovernn1entisn't consultingtheverypeoplethe reform impacts.

"Inpushingthesebills through parliamentwithoutdiscussion, there's been noopportunity tostudythelaws,"he told Indian Link.

In September, the legislationwaspassed

in the RajyaSabhaamid chaos,with the telecastofthe proceedings being 111uted beforeeventually puttingthe Billstoa doubtfulvoicevote. Whilequick, thevoice vote raised questionson the true majority voting in favour.

"It's aproblem when the government turns a deafearto protests,puttingup barricades tostopcitizensfro1ngoinginto theirown capital city," Singh elaborated.

While he believes the Acts workin theory, the inabilityto properly implement existinglaws in India doesn't inspire confidence.

"Current ordinancessay thatpay1nents bythegovernment mustcome within 21 days. Butsome farmers in states like Uttar Pradeshand Punjab have payn1ents pendingfor 14 months orlonger," Singh observed.

"Attheendoftheday,companiesare drivenbyshareholdersandprofits. For example, afarmerreceives Rs 7forakilo ofatta that issoldbyacompanyforRs 150 a kiloinIndia. What doyou do about that difference toprotectthe farmer?"

These protests have raised much debate about supportingIndia's agricultural sector and protecting farmersfromcorporate behemoths, amid numerouspolitical elements atplay.

Ahead ofthe next roundofdiscussions, Singh musesonpossible solutionstothe impasse.

"SeeingtheAustralianmodel of corporatesworkingwithfarmers, the laws make sense ifcommunicated properly. I'dsuggestpausing the Acttorunan awarenesscampaignforfarmersforayear beforeimplementation," he said.

a.. <t:

CQU'sProf. NanjappaAshwath

t, AmandeepSinghSidhu, Coffs -&. Harbour-basedfarmer

Three new laws have stirred controversy among the diaspora on its impact on the livelihoods of Indian farmers.

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

wolightingdesignshighon history, culture, craft and sustainability havewonthe inauguralIndianLinkWorldRemit Diwali Light UpYourHome Contest.

Manjunath Hukkeriand hiswife SujathaHosamaniof SchofieldsNSW tookhomethefirstprizeof $1501for theirtraditionaldesign. Thesecondprize of $501wasclaimed by SaritaKadukar

andherhusbandApurvKasoorkar, also ofSchofieldsNSW,fortheirdesignwhich wassteepedin history.

JudgedviaZoom,the prizeswere announcedlive on lndian Link Radioby StationDirectorEktaSharma, on the night before Diwali.

"Weareso thrilledtowin thisprize," Manjunathtold Ektaonair."Ithasmade ourDiwali."

Manjunathand Sujathagavetheirhome extensivecoverage- notonlyon theirfront fac;adewhichwasfullyilluminated but alsoalongtheirdriveway,retainingwalls, letterbox,windowsandpillars. Laserlights projected colourfuldesignsonto thewalls.

DiyasandOmsymbols,halfadozenin number,adornedthewalls,fashionedout ofsteelwirebeforebeingwrappedinstring lights. Bronze Lakshmi-Ganeshastatues, DiwaJisymbolssuchaskalash,Swastikand peacocks,andjasmineflowersaddedto the traditionalfeel,aswellasastunning rangolitopped offwithashinybronze charanpaduka(goddess'feet) orna1nent.

"We'vebeenplanningthissincelastyear's Diwali,"Manjunathrevealed."Onourannual tripbackhomelatelastyeru·,wehadahuge shoppinglistforthis.Diwalihadpassedof coursebythen,butwesourcedoutstockists andwholesalersandfoundsomeauthentic, traditionalitemsforourdecorations."

• Forsecond prize winner Sarita Kadukar, this Diwali wasdedicated to a herofrom history, CbhatrapatiShivaji.Theelaborate lightdecorationsincludedno lessthan60 diyas, besidesfairylightsand stringlights. Floralgarlands, the traditionalgenda inparticular, con1plemented the lights throughout,injhoomars,latkans, thorans and tulsivrindavans.

Asignificanthighlightwasthezanjira, a tableaucommoninMaharashtrian/central Indianfolklore, depicting ascenefrom ShivajaiMaharaj'slifeandtimes. Modelled onareal-lifefortbuiltbytheMaratha ruler, theKadukarzanjirafeaturedmilitary andruralscenes.Itwaspainstakingly

• •

• handcraftedoutofrecycledmateriallike wastecardboardandupcycledmilkbottles.

Lotusflowersandfootprintsymbolsto welcometheGoddessLakshmiwereused abundantlythroughoutthemassiverangoli thatstretchedallacrossthedriveway,inthe centreandonthesides, andatthethreshold.

It wasawonderfulsurprisetolearnlater thatthe twoprize winners areinfactnext doorneighbours. Bothcouplestookaweek offworktoputtheirdesignsup.

"Thehardestpartfor1newastocook," SaritaKadukarrevealedtoEktaShru·maon IndianLinkRadio."Weworkedthroughout theday,andIfoundthatalongsidelooking aftermyone-year-old,therewasnotimeto

cook. Ourneighboursontheothersidecame intohelp,firstwithfood,andlaterwith everything.Wearetrulygratefultothem."

(HerdaughterwasbornonDiwalinight lastyear,andna1nedRamaaafterLakshmi, the Hindu Goddess whoisvenerated on thisnight.)

Thetwo neighbouringDiwalidesigns, based heavilyoncultureandhistory, includedmanytraditionalandfolk-based depictionsthatareunusualevenindisplays in today'sIndia.

Assuch,theirhomesplayedhostto hundredsofvisitorsdroppingbytohavea peak,manyofthemcompletestrangers.

Thenumberofteachablestationsinboth

It's history and heritage galore in the WorldRemit Light Up Your Home contest organised by Indian Link

designswerealso high,addingto their inspirationalvalue.

"Iheardmanykids sayto theirparents, 'Mum,Dad,lookat this- wecouldmake thisathome!'. To me, thatwasimmensely rewarding. Thisishowwemaintain aspects ofourculture,andinfact,seeit grow,"Saritasaid.

ScottEddington, ManagingDirector ofAsiaPacificforWorldRemit,said, "It's beenanabsolutepleasureto beconnected tothisyear'sDiwaliviathe VirtualFestival ofLightscompetition,andto shinea lightonsuchmagnificentdiversityin Australia. Toallthosewhoparticipatedin thiscontest, totheIndiancommunityand

indeedtoallAustralians, I'dlike tosayon behalfofWorldRemit,HappyDiwali, and n1ayyourlives befilledwiththelightof knowledge, good willandharmony."

Pawan Luthra, CEO ofIndianLink, said later, "Whilethesetwohomesmayhave won, othersin the competitionwerebyno meansless commendable. The effort that wentintoeachwas clearly evident to all.

In theend,allcontributed toIndianLink's ultimate aim: thatpeopleshoulddriveby or walkpast tosee ourDiwali decorations, justlikewe'vebeendoingforyearsat Christmas time. Byparticipatinginthis contest,youhavehelpedthatbecomea reality."

BY RHEAL NATH

espite a 'distanced Diwali', theirresistible festive spirit continued this year inNSWwith BlacktownCityCouncil's annual Diwali LightsCompetition.

Blacktown, the third largest localcouncil in thecountryand perhaps one ofthemost diverse, is theonlycouncil thatcelebrates theHindu festivaloflight onagrand scale.

Shamila and Vishal Sadhu from Bungarribee broughthome the top prize for the third yearrunning.

"Peoplecametoseeourhome inthedays leadinguptothecompetition, and they wouldwatchus putup ourdecorations," shared Shan1ila withIndianLink.

No doubttop contendersforthe prize, given theirpreviouswins, the Sadhus' homewas illu1ninated withfairylights,

creatingDiwali iconsLikediyasand peacocks, lotuses and Om sy1nbols,along the fa9ade.

Accordingto Shamila,ittook2-3 daysto complete the endeavour.

''Thisyear,myhusband reallytook chargewiththe designs. Honestly, COVlD didn'tdeterus, and we would'vedecorated ourhouseregardless," shesaid.

Blacktown CityMayorTonyBleasdale

OAM congratulated thewinners,pointing outthat Blacktownishome tomore than 83,000peopleofIndian descentwho activelyparticipate in thiscompetition.

"MywifeNina and I met the finalists during thejudgingand manyofthem said thatDiwali thisyearwastrulya celebration ofemergingfrom the darkness ofCOVID into the lightofbettertimes," Mayor Bleasdale said.

In secondplacefora secondyearina rowwere SaritaandApurv Kadukarof WardStreet, Schofields.

"We decided to bringadditional Indianflavourto ourdecorationswith

flowermaalas. We incorporateda lotof craftitemswhichwe n1ade byhandwith recycled materials,"Apurvexplained.

Theil·decorationslooked back totradition, usingoillan1ps,genda (marigold},andTulsivrindavans. Most notably, theycreated azanjira, a modelof a real-life fortbuilt byShivaji Maharaj, ina nod tocentral Indianfolklore.

"Lotsofkidscametoseeourfortandask howitwasmade.Then, theywenthomeand builtfortsoftheirown!" Saritasaid happily.

Sunaina andYogendraUpadhyayofThe Pondsbaggedthethirdprize.Theirhouse boastedofanundeniableDiwaliatmosphere -includjngthesoulful melodiesofaflute.

"Wedidn'twanttoputour Ganesha decorationonthefloor,sowebuiltaspecial platform.Thenwedecided, inkeepingwith thistheme,toincorporate somemusictoo."

Duringthe daysofjudging, passers-by were wowed bythelights, colour, and unique tunesofthe Upadhyayhouse.

For Sunaina,decoratingthehouse for Diwaliholds special significance.

"Coincidentally, mykids have neverbeen in IndiaduringDiwali. That'swhy Itry tobringthe festive spirithere forthen1 to see," she said witha smile.

Aspecialawardforbestrangoliwent out toSujata Hosamaniand Manjunath HukkeriofWard Street,Schofields. lncorporati11gaspecificDiwalitheme ofdiyas, kalashs, and even specialcharan paduka (goddess'feet) inherdesign,Sujata painstakinglycreated her rangolisstarting 5 am, before heryoungchildrenwokeup.

With rain andwind playingspoilsport, sheended up creating the rangolion three separateoccasions,usinghomemade glue mixturesto holdit inplace.

TheHukkeris(alongwiththeKadukars) also tookhomethetitleofBest Street, whichacknowledges familieswhocreate a festiveatn1osphere intheirneighbourhoods.

"Ourstreet, Ward Street in Schofields, is fulloftradition. Everyone enthusiastically joins thefestivitiesand showsoffthe Diwalispirittotherestofoursuburb," Manjunath said.

Threefamilies - the Sadhus, the Kadukars, and the Upadhyays - continue theirwinning streaks this year.

TheKadukars'Schofieldshome:Secondplace

TheUpadhyays'homeatThePonds:Thirdplace

Bestrangoli:Sujatha Hosamani, Schofields

DharamSinghSandhu, 67,andhis wifeNirmaljeetSinghKaur, 66, are spendingnightsparkednearthesite ofthefarmersprotestattheDelhiHaryanastateborder, India.

36 cross-party UK MPs support Indianfarmers' agitation

A factionof36 cross-party UK MPs, led by the Labour Party's Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi, have come outinsupport ofthe ongoing fanners' agitation in India, asking British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raabto raise the n1atterwith New Delhi.

The MPs, ina missive to Raab,asked to pressurise India against therecentlyenacted agriculture lawswhich"exploit" thefanners and those whodepend onfarming.

Theyfurtherurged the Foreign Secretary tohold talkswith the Indian government throughthe supportofSikh farmersin Punjab and abroad.

Inhisletter, Dhesi, the Laboul'MPfor Slough, said that last 1nonth several MPs wrote tothe Indian High Co1nmission in London aboutthe impactsofthethreenew fannlaws.

"Thisisanissueofparticularconcernto Sikhsinthe UKand thoselinkedto Punjab, althoughitalso heavilyimpactson other Indian states.

"The Punjabicommunityiswidely recognized asthe backboneofthe state's economic structureand thefanners' concernsal'eapowerfulfactionin national and state politics," thelettersaid.

Jtcalledforanurgentwith Raabtodiscuss the"deteriorating" situationin Punjab andits relationshipwiththe Uniongoverrunent. Also,representations to be111adeto India about the impacton British Sikhs and Punjabis,with longstandinglinksto land and fanningin India.

Dhesitweeted, "Many constituents, especiallythose e1nanatingfrom the Pw1jab, have contacted MPs toexpress solidal'ity with the fannersopposingfarmersBill 2020 in India.

"Dozens ofMPs dulydeliberated and signed across-partyletter,seekingjustice for the peacefullyprotestingfar111ers.11

Thedevelopmentco111es asfarn1ershave continuedtheirprotestsatthe Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-UttarPradeshborders.

The agitatedfarmersaredemanding

therepeal oftheth1·ee farn,lawspassed byParlian1entearlierthisyearand have expressed apprehension thattheywould pave thewayforthe dismantlingofthe minimumsupportprice system, leaving them at the mercyofbigcorporatehouses.

Thegovernmenthas maintained that the newlawswilJ provide farmerswith betteropportunities. It has alsoaccused the opposition partiesofmisleadingfarmers.

USSenate passes bill to clear epic Green Card backlog

Aftermore than ayearofintensepolitical tangling,the US Senate haspassed abill thatliftsthe existing per-country capon the numberofe1nployrnent based permanentresidencypermits or'GreenCards'issued to legal in1migrants, potentiallypavingtheway for Indianswaitingin decades-longlinesto breatheeasier.

But there'sa catch. Several, actually. lt's the SenatevsHouse lawmakersversioning problen1.

Apa1·na Bhatnagar, an Indian livingin Stamford,Connecticut who's been in the "queue forever" places the developments in context.

"Thisversionhas toreconcilewith the previousversion that the Housepassed. It's still alongway togo andby that time the new rulingpartywilltake over. Let'swait andwatch," shetold!ANS.

The "previousversion"that Bhatnagar referstoisthe 'Fairnessfor High-Skilled ImmigrantsAct'whichpassed the Houseof Representativesin2019in a 365 to 65 vote.

Whatpassed the Senatewasasimilar pieceoflegislation sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (Republican, Utah),nottheexact one passed bytheHouse.

SenatorLee's state Utah,incidentally,is the newmagnetforthe nearshoringbusiness modelinthe US.

The Senateand theHouse billswill now have to be layeredontoeachotherand a comboversionwillhavetopassboththe Houseand Senatebeforebeingsentoverto theWhite House.

Current USruleslimitanyonecountryto7

percentofallemployment-basedgreencards.

Indiansmakeup morethan 600,000 of those whose paperworkisapproved but are waiting.

The State Department awards about 140,000Green Cardsayear butdoes not have capsonhowmanyapplicationsget approved each year-creatingademand supplyasymmetrythat puts millionsoflegal immigrantsona perpetual waitlist.

"ItisindeedagreatdecisionbytheSenate. FingerscrossedbecausetheHousehastopass thebillwiththeaddedamendments," Rashi Bhatnagar,anAtlantaresidenttoldIANS.

Theswirlinganxietycentresaroundthe carveoutsintheSenateversionofthebill, comingfromvarious RepublicanSenators opposedtothelegislationinitscul'rentavatar

SenatorRandPaul(Republican, Kentucky) hasinserted provisions for nurses from thePhilippinesandisdemandingnew restrictionson firn1sthatemploy 50 percent workerson HlBvisas.

SenatorRickScott(Republican, Florida) added twomoreintothemix: a newlimitfor the next 10years on the overallnumberof immigrantson Hl-B visaswho can receive GreenCardsand anotherwhichcouldslash immigrationfromChina.

"While I recognizethesincerityofall membersandsenators struggling tofind solutions, unfortunatelytheprovisionssent totheHousebytheSenateyesterdaymost likelymakemattersworse, not better," said RepresentativeZoe Lofgren,chairwoman ofthe House Judiciarysubcommittee on immigration,who sponsored the House bill.

"S.386 passedtheSenatewithunanimous consent,whichmeansall 100Senatorsagreed tothisbill.Thisshowsthatthisinlmigration billhashugebipartisansupport," said AnirbanDas,wholeadsSkilledImmigrantsin America(SHA),anon-profit.

"Thebillisalmostatthefinish line. I sincerelyhope RepresentativeZoeLofgren canworkoutacompromiseand finallypass thisbill."

Das,whohasbeenthroughthe Green Cardgrindhinlself,leaned onSenator Lee'sremarksthatbirthcountrycapsin

Employn1ent based immigration are "racist andun-American".

Biden-Harris name IndianAmerican as executive directorforinauguration

USPresident-electJoe Bidenand Vice President-electKan,alaHarrishave appointed lndian-A1nericanMajuVarghese,whosteered theircampaign, to betheexecutivedirectorof theirinauguration - theswearing-inceremony and thefestivitiesaround it.

TheannouncementmakesVarghese the fifthIndian-American to be appointed to an important position byBidenand Harris.

Earlier, Bidenhadformallyannounced the appointn,entofNeeraTandenasthe Director ofthe OfficeofManagementand Budget.

Vargheseplayed an importantpart in the successfulBiden-Harrisca1npaign asitschief operatingofficerand asasenioradviser to theformerVice President.

He ran thelogisticsfor the nationwide, n1ulti-million-dollareffortto elect Biden, mobilisingtensofthousandsofstaffand volunteers.

Hehad worked forformer President Barack Obama as his special assistant and deputydirectorofadvance, a position in whichheworked onorganisinghis travel in the US and abroad.

Oneofthose assignments was organising Obama's2015 historic trip to India for the Republic Daycelebrations.

Vargheselaterbecameassistanttothe Presidentforadministrationandmanagement andoversawtheWhiteHousecomplex.

His parentsimmigrated fromThiruvalla, Kerala, tothe US, wherehewasborn, and is a lawyerby training.

The inauguration ofBiden as President and Harris asVice President isslated take placeon fanuary 20, 2021, as mandatedby the constitution when theywill forn1ally take overtheoffices.

Thiswill be the 59th inauguration and itwilltakeplace under the shadowofthe Covid-19pandemicand the festivities would have to balance the exuberant outpouring ofjoy by Biden supporters with the need to prevent the spreadofthedisease.

TonyAllen,whowasnamed the CEO oftheinaugurationcommittee, said, "This year's inaugurationwilllookdifferentamid the pandemic, butwewillhonourthe American inaugural traditions andengage Americansacross thecountrywhile keeping everybodyhealthyandsafe."

HeisthepresidentofDelaware State UniversityinBiden'shomestateandhadbeen hisspeech-writerwhenhewasaSenator.

More than a million have come tosome previous inaugurations.

The socialhighlightofinaugurations has been the inaugural ball, aformaldance by the President and the Vice President and their spouses, and the invitees, with the womendressedglamorously in designer outfitsthatgetwidelydiscussed.

Severalentertainmentsarealso organised fortherestofthecrowds attending the inaugurations.

Congressisofficiallyincharge of

Photo:AP

Farmers arriveatthe Delhi-UttarPradesh state border toparticipateintheprotestagainst newagriculturelaws.

theformalswearing-inportion of the inauguration and has the bi-partisan Joint CongressionalCommitteeonInaugural Ceremonies toholdthe ceren1onyatthe Capitol, theCongress con1plex. Thecurrentco1nmitteeisheadedby Republican Senator RoyBluntandincludes DemocratSpeakerNancy Pelosi.

Butthe winningpresidentialcandidates setuptheirowncomJnittees toworkwithit and toorganiseothercelebrationsandraise fundsfortheevents.

The otherIndian-Americansnamed to in1portantpositionsby Biden includeforn1er Surgeon GeneralVivekMurthy,whowas appointed co-chairofhisCovid-19taskforce lastn1onthin oneofhisfirstactsafterthe media proclaimedhimthewinnerofthe presidentiaJ election.

Two lndian-Americanswere namedtohead theco1nmitteesinchargeoftransitiontothe newadn1inistration ArunMajumdarforthe DepartmentofEnergyand Kiran Ahujafor theOfficeofPersonnelManagen1ent.

In addition, 19 Indian-Americanswere appointedtothevarioustransitionteams andtwo oth.ers, Atul GawandeandCeline Gounder,totheCovid-19 taskforce

Transfering Infothrough

humantouch: Purdue University's Indian-origin engineers

Atea1nofIndian-origin researchersin the UShas madeitpossibletoessentiallylet theiJ:bodiesactasthelinkbetweenthecard ors1nartphone and the readeror scanner, makingitpossible totransmitinformation justby touchingasurface.

The prototype,developedbyPurdue Universityengineers, doesn'ttransfermoney yet butit's the firsttechnology thatcan send any information through the directtouch of afingertip.

WhileweariJ1gthe prototype asawatch, a user'sbodycanbeused tosendinformation such as aphoto orpassword when touching a sensorona laptop.

"We'reusedtounlockiJ1gdevicesusingour fingerprints,butthistechnologywouldn'trely onbiometrics-itwouJd relyondigitalsignals. Imagineloggingintoanapponson1eone else'sphonejustbytouch,"saidShreyasSen, aPurdueassociateprofessorofelectricaland con1puterengineering.Shovan Maityledthe studyasaPhDstudentinSen'slab.

ThestudywaspublishediJ1Transactions onComputer-HumanInteraction,ajournal bythe AssociationforComputingMachinery.

The technologyworksbyestablishingan "iJ1ternet"withiJ1 thebodythatsmartphones, sn1artwatches,pacen1akers,insulinpun1ps and otherwearable oriJnplantable devices canuse tosendinformation.

"These devicestypicallycommunicate usingBluetoothsignalsthattendto radiate outfromthe body. AhackercouldiJ1tercept thosesignalsfron130feet away," Sen said.

Sen'stechnologyinsteadkeepssignals confined withinthebodybycouplingthemin a so-called "Electro-Quasistaticrange" thatis muchlowerontheelectromagneticspectrum thantypical Bluetoothcommunication.

This mechanisn1iswhatenables information transferbyonlytouchinga surface.

Evenifyourfingerhoveredjustone centimetreabove asurface,information wouldn'ttransferthrough this technology withoutadirect touch.

US post officeto be named afterslain Sikh police officer

Apost officein the UScityHoustonwill be na111ed afterSandeepSinghDhaliwal, the firstSikhDeputyinTexas's Harris Countywhowasshotdead whileondutyin September2019.

Deckswereclearedforrenamingthe postofficeat315 Addicks Howell Road in Houstonas"DeputySandeepSingh DhaliwalPostOffice Building"with the US Congresspassingthe necessarylegislation.

TheSenatehasjustpassedabillto rename thepostoffice afterthe Houseof Representativesdidsoin September.

Thebillisnowheaded totheWhite House forPresidentDonaldTrumptosignintolaw.

The post office named afterDhaliwalin Houstonis onlythe secondone named after an lndian-An1erican.

Thefirstonewasnamedafterthe first Indian-AmericanCongressmanDalipSingh Saundin SouthernCaliforniain2006.

On September27, 2019,Dhaliwal,42, was shotdead bya suspectduringa traffic stopinthe county'sCypress a1·ea.

He wasthe county'sfirstSikhDeputy whenhejoined theforce 10yearsago,and becamea nationalfigureafterconvincing the HarrisCounty SherrifsDepartment to allowhimtoweara turbanandgrowa beardwhileonpatrol.

Respondingtothe development,theslain policeofficer'sfatherPyaraSinghDhaliwal said thatthe"gesturewill1nemorialisehis legacyofservicetohisbeloved Houston, whilealsoremindingusall toupholdhis example and celebrate thediversitythat makesourandsomanyothercommunities strong", AmericanBazaarreported.

Inastatement,RepublicansenatorTed Cruzsaid, "The USPostalOfficeonAddicks

HowellRoadin Houstonwillnowserve asa lastingtribute toDeputyDhaliwal's trailblazinglegacyforSikhAmericans and religious minoritiesinlawenforcement."

Indian racing star Daruvala

earns Maiden F2 Podium Indian racingstarJehanDaruvalaearned hismaiden FLA Formula2 podiumatthe Bahrain Grand Prix SupportRace on 5Dec.

The Red BullRacing JunioristhefirstIndian tostandonthepodiun1man FLA Fonnula2 Race,inthe presenteraofthechampionship.

The F2 season movedtoSakhir, Bahrain,forthe lasttwo roundsofthe F2 championship, andDaruvaJaiJnmediately sho\ved his paceintheonlypracticesession. ln thelast 15 minutes,Daruvalaposteda laptimeof 1:42.782 secondstogofastest.

Withjustfive minutes left, Nikita Mazepin of Russiawentfasterbya mere0.122 secs. Qualifyingthreatenedtocompletelyundo alloIDaruvala'sefforts. Hefaced trafficon hisquicklapsthatallowed himtoposta tiJne thatwas quickenoughforeighth on thegrid, twoplacesaheadofChampionshipleader MickSchumacher.CallumllottofGreat Britainea1·nedanotherpole position.

Daruvalamadeanexcellentstartforthe Feature Race(Race 1)fromeighth. Hegained twoplacesandstayedinasixthforafewlaps. DaruvalaandotherracersontheMedium compoundoftyre,thenseemedtostruggle againstthoseonthe Hard Compound. Lap 5 sawDaruvalalose twoplacesandwasforced offthecircuit.Theresultinglossofspeedlost hiJnmorepositions.Daruvalastayedintenth forafewlapsbeforepittingtochangetyres.

The22-year-old lndianemergedfromthe pitdownin18thplace. Hethenreeledofa seriesofquicklapstoclimbuptheorder. He gainedmorepositionsasotherspittedand wasrunningsixthbylap19ofthe32-laprace. Daruvalasoonovertookmultipleracewinner Robe11Shwartzmantomoveup tofifth.

RaceleaderMickSchumacherthentook hismandatorypitstop.Daruvala'sblistering paceafterhisownpitstop meant that Schumacheremergedfromthepitsbehind Daruvala,whowasnowrunningthird.

The main riskwas that Schumacher had tyresthatwere many lapsfresherthan Daruvala. The twowereevenlyn1atchedfor atleastanothersixlaps,before Schumacher, nowin his second season,startedclosing thegap toDaruvala. Schumachersoon broughtthegapdownfromtwoseconds to around 1.5 seconds. Besides muchfresher tyres, Schumacherwas alsonowonthe fasterMediumcompoundandchargedto reduce thegapdown to 0.7 secondswith five laps remaining.

UnfortunatelyforDaruvala,thisn1eantthat Schumacherwasnowalsoabletouse his DRS(Drag ReductionSystem) whichgave hiJnextraspeedon threestraightsaround the Fl circuit. Jtseemedonlyamatterofcorners beforeSchumacherwouldovertakeDaruvala.

However,ma nail-bitingfewlaps,Daruvala withouttheoptionofDRSandatyre disadvantagedroveoneofhisbestracesof theseason.Withthreelapstogo,he hadto defendaggressivelyintothefirstcorner, both driversweresidebysideforafewcorners butDaruvalawasnotgivingupinspiteofhis disadvantage. Heheldhisnerveandplaced hisCarlin carinexactlytherightplaces, preventingSchumacherfromgettiJ1gahead.

Twolapsbeforetheendoftherace, Schumachermomentarilygotaheadof Daruvala,buttheIndianwasnotgomgto allowthatandhebrakedlate, togetthe positionback.Daruvala'sexcellentracing causedSchu1nachertomakeacoupleof mistakes.ThisallowedDaruvalaroomto breathe. Hecontinuedhisintelligentdriveto increasethegapandcrossedtheline0.894 secondsaheadofSchumacher,toearnareally welldeservedthirdplace. BrazilianFelipe DrugovichwontheraceaheadofCallumIlott.

Daruvalawas the second runner-upin the FLA Formula 3Chan1pionshiplastyear. He earns hismaiden FIAFormula2 podium, inhisfirst seasonin theultra-competitive championship, whichhas seen 15 other racersstand on the podium.Daruvala's achievementisalsothefirstpodium,byan IndianinthecurrentiterationoftheFIA Formula2 Championship.

IANS

Photo:AP

Ahead

BY RITAM MITRA

oronce,IndiareturntoAustralia

astheholdersofaBorder­

GavaskarTrophycontestedin

Australia,butcuriously,India arefarfron1beingfavourites.Squad changeswithinbothtean1sheavilyfavour Australiathisseries,whileIndiahashad zeroexposuretolong-formcricketsince COYID-19emerged.Yetwiththelimited oversseriesnowdoneanddusted,India areintheunusualpositionofenteringthe Testserieswithcompetitiveinternational cricketundertheirbeltalreadyonthis tour.Theju1npfro1nlimitedoverscricket toTestcricketisalargeone,butnotso largethatsomelessonscannotbelearned.

Smith and Warnerare (seriously) back

IftheIndianplayerswereinanydoubt regardingtheforn1ofMessrsSn1ithand Warnerfollowingtheirlongbreaks,those werequashedintheOD1series,where eachofWarnerandSmithplundered thegenerallylacklustreIndianbowlers. Warnersmashedtwoblisteringfifties (thoughisindoubtforthefirstTest havingpickedupagroininjuryduringthe second001),whileS111ithnotchedup,in consecutiveinnings,bistwofastest-ever ODItons.

Jfthatwerenotdauntingenoughforthe Indians,theywillalsoneedtoconquer MarnusLabuschagne,Australia'sbest findofthelasttwoyears.Afterabreakout Ashesseriesin2019whereLabuschagne wasthefirst-everconcussionsubstitutein aTestmatch,Labuschagneisnowoneof thefirstnan1esontheteamsheet,suchhas beenhisn1eteoricrise.Thethird-ranked batsmaninTestcricket-behindonlySmith andKohli-Labuschagnecouldwellbe Australia'sanswertoPujarathissummer.

India's bowling lacks bite

Inthe2018-19Testseries,Bumrahlooked nighunplayable;thepolitefastbowler pickedupaseries-topping21wickets,and bowledn1oreoversthananyotherquick acrossbothteams.Sincethenthough, Bun1rahpickedupastressfractureinhis lowerbackthathasthreatenedtoderailhis stunningcareertodate.

InhisonlytwoTestssincereturning fromthatinjury,Bun1rahpickedup6 wicketsat31apiece,11higherthanhis careeraverageof20.Thenumberiseven moreconcerninginODis,wherehehas taken5wicketsatnearly100runsawicket (ODIs).Thatincludeshis4wicketsinthe recent001seriesagainstAustralia,which

0..--==========--....;;;;:____________________

cameatanaverageof50.

WithBumrahoutofsortsand\vitbout thecontroloflshantSharma,India'sattack suddenlylooksashadowofits2019self.

UmesbYadav,whoaverages46withthe ballinAustralia,isthelikelythirdseamer behindBumrahandShami,whileNavdeep SainiandMohammadSiraj,eachofwhom havesofarstruggledattheinternational level,arethereserves.

A long summerof drops mayawait

Ifthere'sonethingpost-COYIDcrickethas taughtus,itisthatfieldingandcatching arethefirstskillstohavedeparted internationalcricketersduringtheirtime awayfromthegame.AustraliaandIndia bothunderwhelmedinthefieldinthe

recentOD1andT20series,butifanything symbolisedIndia'sefforts,itwascaptain Kohlihimself.

Normallyoneofthemorereliableand electricfieldersinworldcricket,Kobli's white-ballserieswerescatteredwith errors;lettingballsgothroughhislegs, regularlymissinghisshiesatthestumps, andevendroppingtworegulationcatches thatanycompetentunder-14cricketer wouldhavetakenintheirsleep.

Itwouldbeunfairthough,tosingleout Kohli:catchingandfieldingstandards havefallenininternationalmatches acrosstheworld,perhapsasymptomof COYIO-wearycricketersbeing,foronce, unaccustomedtotheperiodsoflong concentrationrequiredwhenfieldingat thehighestlevelsofthegame.Inthefirst

Rediscoveringitsfieldingand catchingformwillbeakeypartof India'schallengeofAustralia.

SteveSmithisasgoodashehasever been,andstillloomsasthebiggest threatforthe Test series.

TestbetweenNewZealandandtheWest Indiesforinstance,NewZealanddropped perhapstencatches.

Fieldingisnotaskillthatreturns overnight,andforthoseintheTest squadwhodidnotplayinthelin1ited oversseries(beingthen1ajorityofthe team),evenlongerbasthebreakbeen betweeninternationalmatches.Dropsand misfields111aybelargelyfleetingandeven inconsequentialintheshortestformsofthe game,butinaTestseries-nolessafourTestseries-theycanbephysicallyand mentallydebilitating.

Howwelleachteamsupportsits bowlersinthefieldcouldgoalongway todeterminingtheoutcomeoftheseries -andthebloodpressureoftherespective captains.

of the Testseries, India may want to look seriously at its bowling, fielding and facing a resurgent opposition

MelbCup2020: Indian trainer Julius Sandhu breaks through with his horse Do You Reckon

020willgo down asa1nemorable yearfor Cranbournehorsetrainer

Julius Sandhu, andnotonly because ofCOVID.

Thisyear,hescoredhisfirstmajorwin in the Melbourne Cup Carnivalwithhis horseDo You Reckon.

[t tookoutthe $500,000Melbourne Cup CarnivalCountry FinalonOaksDay.

"Itwas averyrewardingeffort,"Julius toldIndianLink. "Notn,anypeople gave myhorsea chanceforthatdistance, 1600111 - butheran agreatrace. Itwas a bigdealfor us tosee himwin."

"My life'spassionis for horses," Julius mused. "They're magnificentanin1als. I'mhappyto spend1nostofmy dayaround them."

lulius Sandhu hasbeendrawntohorses since histeenageyearsin India,introduced tothembyhisbrotherwho was ahorse trainer. Laterhecuthisteeth as atrainer under ArisDavid,oneofIndia'sbestknown trainers.

Itwasin Dubai thoughthat hedecided thatracingwouldbe hislife'scalling, after workingunder legendaryna1nessuch as Sheikh Mohammedandhisson Sheikh Hamdan, andAmerican thoroughbred trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

In Australiaheworkedbrieflyinthe industryin 1996, then lefttoestablish hi1nselffinancially. He'sbeen acertified trainernowfor threeyears.

Juliusdescribes hisfour andahalfyears inDubai as themostin1portantpathinbis careerinracing.

"There'snobettinginracingoverthere, itistheprizen1oney thatisa!J-in1portant. So,fundamentally,thehorses are there for theracing.The trainer'sjobisthetefore to keep the horsesin thebestpossibleshape andcondition forracing. They trulycare for then,, anddotherightthingbythem."

Inlndia, on theotherhand, the situation isreversed. "Firstly, the 1ndianindustryis a closedindustry -it'shardto breakintoit

unlessyouhaveconnections.Secondly, the gamblingis averylargepartofit; thevast majorityofpeopleinracingarethere for thatpurpose,forgetaboutthewell-beingof thehorse. Formethatwas achallenge."

Luckily for him, Melbourneprovided the perfectmiddleground. "Both aspects blendintheindustryhere. Prize moneyis good, thebettingpartisjust abitoffun. It makesita differentexperiencealtogether."

He added,"The Australianracing industryisveryblessed. Melbournealone has 35 racecourses,sowe have theability toraceeverydayindifferentconditions. Inbetween, thehorses restin lushgreen

paddocks.There's an expanseoffarmland sohorsescan behorses. Myhorse DoYou Reckon forexample,who has beenracing for 7 continuousmonths,isrestingnow."

Juliusisalso agreatsupporterof womeninracing: in hisown stable, the mostsuccessfulriderbasbeen awoman, Alexandra Bryan. "There'sagreatinflux ofgirls takingupridingas aprofession. At Cranbourne 30%oftheridersare women."

Whatis hisview though,on the increasingnumberofaccidentsinracing?

"Unfortunate accidents can happeninall kindsofracing - boat,car,motorbike,even bicycles.Withracingandspeedthere's

alwaysrisk. It'snotidealthatinternational horseshave to beput down. Behindthe scenes,there'splentyofworkongoing togetto the bottomofthese accidents. Horses come conditionedto different kindsoftracks-tracksin UKand Ireland are softerthan ours duetoclimate. We're tryingtofind waystobringtheseincidents down - shouldthe horses arrive here earlier toacclimatise to our conditions, for instance? We're tryingtofocus on the best possiblesolutionsforhorsesandfor all otherparticipants-trainers,jockeys, and fans, because everybodyisin1pacted. Don't forget,racingis avibrantindustrythat heldupwellevenwithCOVID. lte111ploys 300,000people andcontributesgreatlyto the economy."

Regardinghisown plans, Julius sees Do You Reckon-a careerhighlightsofar-as thestartofmanythings. "I'mnowlooking togrowmystables. We have23 horses so far,and I'dliketotakethatnumber to 30-35. Ifthere's anyone out there keen to getinvolved,in an ownershipperspective perhaps,getin touch!"

naselectgroupofren1arkableleaders, RMlT's Professor Madbu Bhaskaran has stoodouttowinthe Science & Medicine category ofthe 40Under 40MostInfluential Asian-Australians thisyear.

The awards, aninitiative ofAsialink, PwC, andAustralianNationalUniversity, recognise thecontributionsofAustralian leaders fron1Asianbackgrounds. Nowin its secondyear,itincludesaccomplished leadersinvarioussectorslikecommunity andadvocacy,education, artsandculture, sports,corporate,entrepreneurship, scienceandmedicine, andpublicsector andgovern1nent.

Madhuisno strangerto awardsforher researchendeavours, butsheconsidersthis a specialone.

"lt'sparticularly special becauseit recognizesmylndian background,and myworkinthecommunityforenhancing diversity,"she toldIndianLink.

Thetesearcher, originallyfromChennai, firstcametoAustraliain 2004.Withthe completion ofher PhDin2009,accolades have pouredinforherdevelopment of unbreakable, flexible electronicsthatwork "like electronicskin."

"Thishasbeeneightyearsin themaking andwe'renowworkingwitheightindustry partners. We see itspracticalusein healthcareandagedcare. It'sapatch,like a bandaid,whichcanbeusedtomonitor UV exposure onyourskin and helpin the fight against skincancer.Itcan also help detect, andmonitor, early onset diseases andchronicillnesseswithinthe body,"

Madbu explained.

IfaU thissoundslikean inventionfroma sci-fi1novie toyou,you'renotalone.

"Thegoalinour teamistomakescience fiction areality,"shechuckled.

Theawardalsohighlightsherwork towardsgenderdiversity, such ascofoundingtheWomen Researchers'network atRMIT Universityin2013andsittingon the NationalBoa1·dofDirectorsforWomen in STEMM Australia.

"Often, 'diversity'isonlyconsideredin termsofgender, butitgoesbeyondthat. It'saboutaspiringfordiversityin thoughts, age,cultural background,andperspective - becausethese are trulyrepresentativeof ourexperiences,"sheelaborated.

Citingthe Womenin STEMDecadal Planfrom2019,shepointsoutthatsocietal

Rajnl Anand Luthra

:JuliuswithDoYouReckon, who wasriddenbyjockeyKerrinMcEvoy onOaksDay

e ourne

New award for19-year-old follows recenthonour in the 40 Under40 Most lnffuential Australian Asians

aysuhiKhillan,19,haswonthe YouthChan1pionAwardinthe prestigious2020Melbourne Awa1·ds.

Shewasfelicitatedforherworkinthe healthandeducationfieldstosupportthe MelbournecommunityduringCOVID-19. Ascholarship-win11ingbiomedstudentat theUniversityofMelbourne,Aayushiwas alsooneoftheyoungestawardeesrecently inthe40Under40MostInfluential AustralianAsians2020.Shewas recognisedforherworkintheeducation sector.

Beforethis,shebecametheyoungest everAustralianselectedforagovern1nental boardwhenshewasappointedtothe VictorianCurriculu1nandAssessment Authority(VCAA)attheageof18.

Clearly,theyoungladyhasmanyfirsts tohernan1e.Andyet,likeanotherSouth Asianwhohasrecentlybeeninthenews, sheisdeterminedtoensurethatsheisnot thelast.

"1doreallyIivebyVice-president-elect KamalHarris'words,"Aayushitold Indian Link. "Imaybethefirsttodoalotof things,butIcertainlydonotwishtobe thelast.1wanttoempowermoreyoung peopletodoevenbetterthanIamsothey cancreateanevenbetterworldand 1 plan tocontinuemyworkbysupportingand en1poweringothers."

AayushiKhillan'sinnategumptionand willingnesstopushforchangehasalways heldheringoodstead,whethersheis outtowinvalidationinaboardroomor shininglightonissuesthataffectherfellow millennials.

Aayushiconsidersherappointment totheVCAABoardasoneofher bestlearningopportunitiesthatbas significantlybroadenedherhorizons,

developingherskillstoapointwhereher inputwasbothrecognisedandvalued.

"InHighSchoolwelearnhowto beleadersa,nongstourpeers.VCAA, however,helpedn1etogrowasaperson andbeastrongleaderamongleaders," revealedAayushi.

TheVCAAisastatutoryauthority primarilyaccountabletotheMinisterfor EducationandtheMinisterforTraining andSkills,servingbothgovernmentand non-governmentschools.ltdevelopsand implementsthecurriculumandassessment fromEarlyLearningtoVCE.

Aayushi'sexperiencethereprovideda morenua11cedunderstandingofresources availabletoVictorianschools.

"Myroleistoactasaconduitbetween nonnsandstereotypesaffectgirlsfrom ayoungage.In2016,IndiaandChina reportedthehighestuptakeofSTEM subjectsbygirls,whileAustraliahadthe lowestpercentageamongAsiaPacific countriesatjust27percent.

"Itco1nesdowntothethoughtprocess andthewaypeoplechoosetheircareers. InAustralia,weseethatonly16percent ofAustraliansinSTEMprofessionsru·e womenalthoughthepopulationintermsof genderisfairlyeven,"Madhuexplained.

Butshealsoaccountsforthefactors motivatingwomentojointhefield.

"There'sapopularsayingthatgoes'you cannotbewhatyoucannotsee'.Well,we nowhaveagenerationofwomenwhohave hadtobewhattheycouldn'tsee.They've hadtobreakceilingsandjustgoforit!"

thestudentsandtheBoard,"she explained."Icanspeakdirectlytostudents toestablishwhatchallengesandstruggles theyarefacing,whatchangesarerequired andtoseeifthechangesmadeare sufficientandeffective."

lnthisCOVID-dominatedyear,the VCAAimplementedmeasureslikereduced contentforYear12students,delayed exams,ongoingsupport,onlinemodules forteachersandmoreconsiderationsfor students.

BesidesherworkwithVCAA,Aayusni contributedtohealthandeducationas theexecutiveofficerforBodyWorks,a not-for-profitorganisation.Shevisited primaryschoolstoengageandmotivate childrenandteachthemabouthealth.She

iscurrentlyalsoinvolvedinacommittee thatwillintroduceapandemicmodulein alignmentwiththeschoolcurriculum.

"Iampassionateforschoolcurriculun1s tofocusonlifeskillstopreparestudents fortherealworld,byprovidingthe1nwith strategiestosurviveapandemicaswell asdealwithmentalhealthissuesthatn1ay follow."

Aayushiliststechnologyoverload, isolationfromfriendsandinactivityasthe biggestchallengesyoungpeoplehavefaced duringthepandemic.

"Healthhasbeensounpredictable duringthistimethatitiscrucialthatthe nextgenerationispreparedandequipped topreventfuturepandemics,"she explained.

Sheherselfhastakenpainstobe organised,planninginadvanceandtaking tirneout,atleastonceaweek,torelaxand pursueherinterestinphotography.

"2020hasbeenatoughyearforallofus andJalsohadalottobalance.Istruggled withuniversitywork,meetings,tutoring anditwasnoteasy.However,Iamso passionateandhappywithwhatJdothat itneverfeltlikeaburden,"shesaidwith characteristicenthusiasm.

AayushicreditsherfatherDrRajKhillan forprovidinghertheinspirationtoachieve andhermotherDrPreetiKhillanfor providingherstability.Shewasgratefulto bothfortheirongoingencouragen1ent,and toheryoungersisterforbeingasourceof inspirationandinnovation.

"Butreally,participationhasalways beenthekey,"shemused."Iwouldhighly recommendthatyoungpeopleworkin teamsettings,volunteer,joinuniversity clubsandshareinsightsiftheyaspiretobe leadersorchangemakers."

Preeti Jabbal

Winningtheawardhasanother importantpurpose.AlthoughAustralia's growingAsian-Australiancommunity accountsforaround12percentofthetotal population,researchindicatesthatless than5percentmakeittoseniorleadership levels.

WhatisMadhu'sadviceforyoungAsian Australians?

"AppreciatethefactthatAustralia's multiculturalsocietyembracesdifferences. Overcon1eanyshynessandlearntoask questions-no,it'snotoffensive!Intime, webuildconfidenceinseeingAsian Australiansaroundusdoingwellintheir fieldsandultimately,ithelpspavetheway forafuturegeneration."

Rhea L Nath

''Only16percent ofAustralians in STEM professionsarewomen, although the population in terms ofgender is fairlyeven''

BY NIKEETABHATIA

orseven-year-oldVishwaSolanki, whohasspentn1oreofherlifein hospital than anywhereelse, the Diwalijustpassedhas been avery specialone.

Herwishfora'princessroon1'wasgranted, andshewasthriUedwhenshesawituponher returnfromanotherboutinhospital.

"Now Ihaveso1newherethatisbeautiful tosleep-it'snothinglikethehospital," Vishwasaidhapply.

Herwishwasrealisedthanks to the StarlightChildren's Foundation,which workswithseriouslyiU kidsbringing themfun and happiness that hasalasting positiveimpactontheirlives.

Throughthestress ofhospital life, Vishwaand herfamilyfoundjoyinthe StarlightChildren's Foundation.

Vishwa's mumMital said, "Starlighthas changedourlives;ithasbroughthappiness outof asituation ofsadness."

Atjusttwoweeks old, andafterthree harddaysinthe ICU,Vishwawassadly diagnosedwiththe kidneydisease CongenitalNephroticSyndron1e.She spent thefirstfewmonthsofherlifeinThe Children's Hospitalat Westinead.

"Wewere devastated," Mitalrecalled. "Insteadofbeingho1newithus,Vishwa livedinhospitalforthefirst coupleof monthsofherlife"

Afterbeingdischarged,Vishwareturned tothehospitalfourtimesaweek. Doctors told thefamily thatVishwawouldneeda

Vishwawithfamily

kidney transplant. Vishwa'sgrandn1other, 'Nanima',travelledfromIndia to Australia tobe thedonorforherfour-year-old granddaughter.

"Nanin1aandVishwanowshareavery specialbond," Mitalrevealed.

Thoughpositivefromtheaftermathofthe surgery,Vishwawassadlydiagnosedwith anotherlife-threateningconditionearlierthis year.Increasedtimeinhospitalresultedin Vishwanotbeingabletoattendschool. She missedherbabysisterRishwa,andcooking anddancingwithhermumathome.Vishwa alsolostherhairduetotreatment,but bravelydecidedtodonateittosomeoneelse.

Thefamilydiscovered Stai-lightduring thelongdaysinhospital Itsvolunteers, named 'Captain Starlight' helpedVishwa tosimplyenjoy beinga kidintimesof worryanduncertainty.

"CaptainStai-lightissobeneficialforkids' e1notions,"Mitalsaid. "AssoonasVishwa seestheCaptains,she'sheroldselfagain."

HappinessalsoarrivedwhenVishwawas grantedherStarlightWish AsVishwaloves

playingprincessesshewishedforaprincess roomforherandhersister.The anticipation andexcitementhelpedVishwa throughthe toughdaysat the hospital.

"Shelovedplanningeveryelementofher dreamroom,fromtheprincessdressing tabletothepinkcushions,"Mitaldivulged. "Itgavehersomethingfuntodoinhospital."

Vishwa was veryexcitedwhen she saw thefinishedroomjustdaysbeforeDiwali. Shenowloves toplayprincesseswithher littlesisterandfriends andsharephotosof hernewroom.

Herparentsarethankfulthat thedouble celebration willgiveVishwamany happy memories.TheWishcoincidingwith Diwalihasaddedlotsofcolourandlight inherlife.Mitalisverythankfultothe Starlightcommunity:

"Averybigthankyou. Vishwa'sStarlight WishislikeabigDiwalipresentforour familyatsuchaspecialtimeofyear. We couldneverhavedonethisonourown. Starlighthaschangedourlife;bringingus outofthesadnessfeelslikeanewlifeforus."

Inhospital

StarlightChildren's Foundation workcloselywith theirhospitaland healthcarepartnerstodeliverhappinessto hospitalisedchildrenin Australia. Starlight CEO Louise Baxtersays, "Beingseriously ill shouldn't mean missingout onthe funof childhood,especiallywhen evidence shows happiness helps kidsbounce backafter goingthroughtoughtimes".

ByChristmas2020,Starlightwillhave grantedmore than 350 life-changing StarlightWishes, providedover113,000 positive Captain Starlightexperiences,and broadcastedover 16,000 hoursof Starlight TV to hospitalwards.

Vishwa's PrincessRoomis partofthe StarlightChildren's Foundation2020 Christmas Appeal. Theappealiscurrently attemptingtoraise$1.31nillion to help bringhappinessto morethan 30,000 sick childrenin hospitalandthe community thisChristmas.

Youcandonatebyvisitingstarlight.org. au/Christmastogive thegiftofhappiness to sickchildrenthisChristmas

• How the Starlight Foundation brightened up little Vishwa's life

New Foundation to push lndoAustrade

SIC has saidthere is an opportunitytolaunch334 Indianorganisationsin Australia, claimed RahulJethi, founding1nemberofthenewlylaunched Australia India BusinessTrade Foundation (AIBTF) inhiswelcome address at the inauguraldinner.

"Well,ifwe cannotgettoSirDonald Brad1nan'shighestTestrunsincricket, we canatleastaspireforn1ore Indian organisations," Jethisaid.

[tdidnottakelongforthetrinityof Lndia, Australiaandcrickettooccuratthisdinner.

Some 150leadersfron1 Sydney's business con11nunityjoined Rahul Jethiand otherfoundingme1nbersof AIBTF - Jas Khera, An1itVyas, Vinay Arora,Gurudatt Shenoy, MansiBhatia, Shipra Bhatia,and PreetiD'Silva attheMadison Function Centrefornetworkingat thelaunch.

Alsoinvited were specialguestsAlex Hawke (Federal MinisterforInternational Developmentand the Pacificand Assistant MinisterforDefence),andDavid Elliot (NSWMinisterforPoliceand En,ergency Services),ConsulGeneralof India Manish Gupta and Consul General of Malta Lawrence Buhagir.

Welcomingtheguests, Rahul Jethispoke aboutthe hugeopportunities toaddress the growingdemandsofcrossbordertrade.

"AIBTFwilldoitsbesttoadd value to

itsn1e1nbers'ambitionsofgrowingtheir businesshere and alsooverseas,"hesaid.

Andso,thequestionwasraised to Jethi regardingtheneedfornotonly another Indianorganisationbutalsoanother businessorganisation to pro1note trade andinvestn,entswhen theAustralia India Business Council (AIBC) hasbeenin operationfordecades.

Jethireplied, "Therehasbeen1nuch workdone bymanyorganisationsover theyears.Thereisstillalot tobedone andprobably moreorganisationsmay joinintoo.There is a huge opportunity in areaslikepremiumwinesand food,

grains management,logisticstoreduce post-harvestlosses,watermanagement, to nameafew. Theregulationminefield, fearof theunknown,legalsystemsin India etchavebeen a roadblock thusfar.Things areimprovingthough, and therewill begreat openingsin these areas. There are somegreatorganisationsworking in NSWaswell asotherstates.Weare happytocollaboratewithone andall. Our effortsareprimarilyforthebenefitofour men1berstohaven,ore exposure."

Lendingtheirsupportto thecause, both Ministers Alex HawkeandDavid Elliotspoke about the warmrelationship

CHANGING TRAVEL

betweenPrimeMinisterScottMorrison and Narendra Modi.

"Both ourcountries believeinfree and open trade and human values," Hawke said whilenot addressingthe elephantin the roon1,ie the breakdownin the AustraliaChina relationshipand theneed todevelop newmarkets.

ConsulGeneralManishGuptaalsospoke aboutthespecialbondbetweenthetwo countriesandthesharedG20bond. He alsohighlightedthestrengthofthe Indian pharmasectorand theabilityofthissectorto manufactureover1billionvaccinestotake careofonesixthoftheworld'spopulation.

The highlightof the eveningwasan auction, with proceedsgoingto the NSW PolicyCharity Fund.

Over $24,000wasraised,with thehigh point beinglunchfor4with NSWPolice MinisterDavid Elliot beingsold twice, oncefor$3,500andagainfor$3,200.

ItappearsNSWTreasurerDominic Perrottetwasacrowdfavouriteaswine bottlessigned byhin1 were auctioned for $550, while thosesignedby NSW PremierGladysBerejeklianwentforthe considerably lowerpriceof $400.

Theguestscertainly had deeppockets and if thatisanyindicationofsuccessfor an upcomingorganisation, then AlBTF has gathered a stronggroupofsupporters.

Pawan Luthra

ConsulGeneralManishGupta,AIBTFPresidentRahul::Jethi,MinisterAlex HawkeandAusTrade'sAmitMisra.

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Who says you can't 1ind a great gift for $20 and below?

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

nthequest to findthatperfectpresent thistimeofyear,eventhen1ost thoughtful effortscan so111etimes burna holein yourwallet. lsitevenpossibleto findadecentpresentforlessthan $20 ? Well,challengeaccepted! Whetheryou haveaplanned Christmas budgetoryou're flat broke, theseideasforpresentswill makeeveryonewishyouweretheirSecret Santatoo.

1. Personal care bundles

Whenindoubt, giftbundles areagreat waytogo. Without endorsingthemtoo much,I'dsayBodyShopgiftbundlesare aguaranteedwinner. Allyouhaveto do is walkin,pickyourfavourite onewhich comeswithacon1binationofsoaps, gels, bars orperfu111es, and they'll wrapitupfor you. Unbelievably,you can getoneunder $10attheirsales.

2. Mugs

Theonethingthateveryoneneeds!

Regardlessofyourrelationshipwiththe giftreceiver, thisis somethingthatthey woulduseandappreciate. A mugwitha cute cartoonornoveltydesignwouldleave themsmiling. lfyou wanttogo one step

further,youcouldalsoincludea smallpack ofteabagsorcinnamonandclovesinside themugasa bonusgift.

3. Thrift stores

Some peoplemaynot optforthis option becausetheylike togivenewlybought presents. However, ifyou aresomeone who'slookingto reduce theircarbon footprint and stop morewastefrom endingup in garbagemines, thisis a goodway togo. Any Red Cross, Salvos orVinnies inyour suburb wouldhave enough unique clothes andotherantique knick-knacks to producethe perfect present.

4. :Jewellery

Tinyjewellerystoreslike Lovisaand

Accessorizehaveextremelybudget-friendly options. Aroundthistime,I'vespotted someextremelyadorablefestivedesigns likecandycanes,Christmastrees,or snowflakes asearrings. Alongthe linesof 4pairsofearringsfor$10,thedealsonly getbetterasyouincreaseyourbudget. Astudorringfortheirpiercing would be aniceadditiontotheircollection.(Some folksevencollectfingerandtoerings!)

5. USB drive, SD/Memory cards

Thisis possiblythemostpracticalpresent youcangiveanyone. Peopleneedto

backup theirdata! Asmall64GBstick costs about $15. Asmaller USBwith 16 GBstorageis also availablefor$7 at Harvey Norman. Mostofus couldusea portablestoragedevicebandyin casesof unforeseenprinting!

6. Postcards

ls itjustmeordoestheStateGallery (and most other galleries) havethecoolest collectionofpostcardsandpaintingprints forsale? Even aquickbrowsein thegallery giftshopwouldbeenoughforyoutopick outa fewbeautiesthatyoucan wrap a ribbon around,andit'sreadyto begifted! Betteryet,purchaseoneandpostit to themwitha thoughtfulgreetingifyou share that sortofrelationship.

7. Plant accessories

Neighbou1·hoodnurseriestendto have smallpotsoffloweringplants and succulentsfor3-4dolJars,or3potsfor $10.Besides,gardeningandtendingto plants isagoodbobbythissummer;the rightseasontoplant abunchofmarigolds oragorgeoustomato sapling. (It'sreally nosurprise that moreandmoreofus developedagreenthun1b to beco111e'plant parents' duringlockdown!)

8. Postersat Officeworks Officeworkshas agreatdealonprinting posters. Alarge-scaleprintofyoursecret

Santa receiver'srolemodel (youcould find outthatinfo Cromyourcolleagues/friends) orastiJLfron1 theirfavouritemovieorTV showwould defin_itelyget themexcited abouttheposter. Al sizeposterscan be printedfor $20anywhere!

9. Magazine subscription

Acuratedprintordigitalsubscriptionto a hobbymagazineisn'tson1etliing1nanyof uswouldthink to doforourselves, making it theidealChristmaspresent! A3-month subscriptiontoTasteMagazineis about $13and thesa1nefora Voguesubscription isabout $20.

10. Origami sets

Giftthen1asimpleorigamisetwith instructions! It'sgoodfun and a greatexercisein mindfulness. As one becomesengrossedin thefoldingactivity, onefeelspresent in the 1noment, almost findingoneselfin ameditativestate. A setcosts around$20atDymocks,you canalso buythemonlineon Amazonor Booktopia.

Afterallthis,ifyoucan'tbebotheredto spendthe $20 ona present,here'satip: justgrab asheet ofpaperandsomecolour pencilsto makethemapersonalised card. (IfyourartistskiJJs areonpoint,youcould evenmakesmallcaricaturesofthem,just foralaugh!)

Afavourite familyactivity in the lead upto Christmas

BY MELISSA DOMINGO RAWAT

hristn1aston1e,besidesitsreligious significance,isafeeling,anaroma, aconnectionwith1nyhappiest self. Asachild,tin1estoodstillas wenearedChrist1nas. Ma1n1naandIwould driftoffintoan1agicalworldofourown. ChristmasCarolsbyBoneyMwouldbeon repeatandthesn,ellofcaramel,vanillaand butterwouldgentlywaftthroughourlittle apartmentasMa1nmaturnedoutgoodyafter goodywith1neasherlittlehelper."Lifeisnot measuredinbankbalancesbutratherin men1ories," Ma1nmawouldsay.

.I'mnowamum111yselfand Itakeher wisdon1verymuchtoheartas1nykidsandl gatheraroundourkitchenbenchtopton1ake men1orieseachyear. I1narvelatboththeir abilitytobickerandtheirabilitytowolfdown treatsassoonastheyleavetheoven! Butter Cookiesarebyfarmychildren'sfavourite Christmastreat-allowingthemtoget creativebycuttingoutshapesoftheirchoice. Contrarytomyson'sbelief,dirtyhandsdon't enhancetheflavour.

TheidealButterCookieisonethatholds itsshapeduringthebakingprocessto emergeasagoldenpieceofflaky,buttery, vanillagoodness. I'dliketogetallfancy andreco111n1endexclusiveingredientsbut really,thisisjustahun1bletreatthattastes wonderfulwithanybrandofingredients.The magicisintheha11dsandinthemoment.

Butter Cookies

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

INGREDIENTS

■ 170gm butter(softenedjustenough to holdafingerprint)

■ 150gm powderedsugar

■ 1largeegg

■ 2tspvanilla extract

■ ¼tspalmond extract

■ 280gmflour

■ 1/2ntsp baking powder

METHOD

■ Usinganelectrichand mixer, beat butteruntilcreamy.

■ Addsugarand continue beatinguntil fluffy.

■ Addegg,vanillaandalmond extract and beattillwellcombined.

■ Combine baking powderandflourin

a bowl.

■ Siftthedryingredientsintothewet ingredients little bylittleand keep beatingata lowspeed until the dough isjustcombined. DO NOT overbeat.

■ Add 1or2tbspextraflourifneeded toadjustthedoughto rollable consistency.

■ Dividedough intotwoequal parts. Roll into¼inchthickdiscs,cling wrapand refrigerateforan hour.

■ Oncechilled, rolloutandcutshapes with cookiecuttersofchoice.

■ Bake in preheated ovenat175deg Cforaround 8-10 minutesoruntil theedgesofthecookiesjuststartto becomegolden.

BY SANDIPHOR

cenes fromthe 1985 film Out ofAfrica kept flashingin my n1indwhen 1 toured Kenya and Tanzania afewyearsago.

MerylStreepand Robert Redford,the starsfrotnthatclassicfilm,strikemeagain whenbackinawildlifeenvironmentrecently.

As dawn breaksout, Istand in the veranda of1nylodge and watch antelopes, elandsand zebrasgrazing, giraffes stretchingout tograb theirbreakfasthigh in thetrees, andtworhinoscrowding around a waterhole. Whilebirds chirp freely, a lionroarsnottoofaraway. The morningsun startscolouringthe dry

savannah that stretchesoutbefore me. l feellike l'm at oneofthose tented acco1nmodation outletsinside the wildlife parks inAfrica, but in reality, I am not too farfrom myborne in Sydney.

I am at the Zoofari Animal View Lodge insideTaronga Western PlainsZoo in Dubbo, locatedinthe Great Western Plains regionofNSW, about 400k1n northwestofSydney.

This 300-hectareoasisofwoodlandand irrigatedgrasslandishometo4,000animals fromover 350species,someofthem endangered.Theyfreelywanderin their self-containedhideoutswithoutmetalbars, cagesandconcreteslabs;cleveruseoflakes, moatsandunobtrusivefencingseparate themfromvisitors.Thisinvariablycreatesa pseudojunglescenal'ioand theilnpression ofbeingalinostfacetofacewiththeanimal world,likeinarealwildlife reserve.

With,nanyCOVID-19travel restrictions in placecurrently,thenot-too-farandeasily connectedDubbohasemerged asanideal destinationforafewdaysescapefromurban life.Thekeyattractionhereisthe natural sanctuarywhichbestowsatasteofAfrica rightin ourownbackyard.

TheAfrican1ood escalateswhenstaying overnightattheuniqueZoofariretreat. EverythingisAfrica-inspired,fron1thestyle ofthecottagesandthemealsprovided,to booksonAfricanwildlifeand abinocular intheroomforacloserviewoftheanimals. Eachofthetenindividualair-conditioned, tent-likecottagesfeaturesaprivateensuite andashadeddeckforanimalviewing,and containsaking-size andadoublesofabed tosleepafamilyoffour.The2-day, 1-night stayingpackageadditionallycoverszoo ad1nission,twoexclusiveguidedtourson anAfricainspiredsafaritruck- onein thenightfollowedbyanotherearlyinthe morning-bikehire,anddinnerandan a-lacartebreakfastserved attheadjacent

guesthouse,where thewell-stockedbarwill quenchyourthirstwheneverneeded. There are otherstayingoptionsinside thezoo.Tucked inside native bushes neartheAnimalViewingLodgesare five Bushland Lodges,whichoffersimilar accommodationfacilitiesbutnoanimal viewingfromtheroom. Foradventureminded and budget-conscious travellers, self-contained SavanahCabinsand BillabongCampsare ideal. Both are located not farfromthemainzooarena.

Duringmytwo-daystay, 1 come across almosteveryspecies that I have encounteredin n1ytravels toAfrica. While meanderinga 6kmcircuitthrough the naturalbushland ofvarioustypes of treesfromeucalyptusandgumtoAfrican acacia, I spotgiraffes, zebras,elands, antelopesandrhinosgrazinginsprawling savannah,Africanwilddogsrestingunder a tree,l1ipposslumpingin the muddy pools and elephantsplayfullyshruggingoff the dustfrom their bodies. However, the

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

e GETTING THEREDubboiswell connected byroadandair. However, a relaxing wayto reachthere isbyrail (wwwnswtrainlink.info) The6.5-hour journeyfrom SydneyCentralstation offers passengersagreatvistaof rural Australia.

• GETTING AROUND THE ZOO Whilethe energetic prefertowalk orridebikes, it is possibletodriveyourowncarorride onan electriccarttobebooked prior.

adrenalinepumpingthrillscome from the bigcats - lions,cheetahsandtigers.The longpause tosee themappearonthe scene remindssimilarwaitingspellsinside the sanctuaries in Africaand in lndia tospot thefamousRoyal BengalTigers.

Thiszooprovidesmuchmore than animal displays. ltisalsoaneducation base,aresearchhub,and aworld-renowned wildlifeconservationcentre forspecies from throughout theworld. Sinceopening in 1977, thezoobassuccessfullybreda numberofanimals, includingblackrhinos, Asianelephants,lions, hipposand more.

Amotivatingpartofthejourney hereisthe learningexperience.The omniscientzookeepers provideinteresting information aboutthe animals - their habits,behaviours,diet,mating,gestation periods and manymorefactsand figures, like thedifference between blackand white rhinosandwhyAfricanelephants have muchbiggerearscomparedto theirAsian counterparts.

FirstofitskindinAustralia, this zoois alsoan idealvenue forthefamilyto relax andenjoy. Inside thesprawlingcomplex thereare twocafesandplentyofplaces to restorenjoyapicnicin the sunorunder shadytrees.

Foranyonewhohasn'tbeenonawildlife safaritourtoAfricaorIndia, thiszoooffers thesights,soundsandsmellsofanatural setting,adequatetoignite thoughtsof travellingthereinthefuturetoseeanimals intheirownnaturalenvironment.

• ACCOMMODATION INSIDE THE ZOO Check www.taronga.org.au/ accommodationforZoofari Lodge bookings.

e DUBBO CITY ACCOMMODATION There are plentyof motels inDubbocityfrom wherethezoois onlyashortdriveaway CleanandtidyShearing Shed MotorInn (www.shearingshedmotel.com.au)isa goodchoice.

• EATING OUTTherearemanygoodcafes and restaurantsinthecity Popular among localsandvisitorsforgoodfood andserviceisRoyal IndianRestobar (www.royalindiarestobar.com.au).

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

horeographerRaghav Handa's latestproduction CultofThe Titansco1neswithacontent warn1ng.

Theworkcontainsi1nagesoftheswastika Patrons(have)theopportunitytoleavethe theatreiftheywish.

Thepiece is included intheshowNew Breed2020,theSydneyDance Con1pany's annualcelebrationofthebesten1erging Australianchoreography. Handaisone offourchoreographersfeaturedinthe con1pany'srecentreturntothestageaftera yearofcancelledshows.

Ste1runingfro1ndeepwithin the choreographer'sHindu roots,thepiece is intendedtoreclaimthereligioussymbol swastika,itsimagetarnished afteritwas stolenbyNazis.

Synony1noustodaywithfascisn1,the swastikahasforcenturiesstoodfor"wellbeing",itsliteral 1neaningin theancient Sanskritlanguage.

"Peoplelookattheswastikapurelyas asyn1bolofhatred," Handalamentedto IndianLink. "Instead,wecouldactually startaconversationandaskhowwecanresanctifywhatwasoriginallyn1eantforpeace, happinessandgoodfortune."

Hindureaders1nayhavehad thisvery conversationonmorethanoneoccasion withtheirmainstreamfriends,perhapsas recentlyasDiwalionlydaysago,whenthe swastikawastobefound alloverIndian homes,paintedondoorstepsandincludedin floordecorations.

ButRaghavwelcomed thatcontent warning,givenhe didencountersomeminor hiccupsintheprocess.

"Oneoftheperformersfeltreally uncomfortableaboutrehearsingthepiece and carryingonwiththeperformance, whichI reallyrespectaseverybodyisgoing tohavedifferentreactionstothis, sowehad tohaveachangeofcastatthelastminute," herevealed.

Theintentofthepieceisloudandclear fron1theveryoutset,withtheimageofthe swastikaappearingin thedark,son1ewhat menacinginitslookandfeel. Dancers attempttostand infrontofitandmoveinits imagery.

Soon,amidstmoresootningmusic,apair ofcharactersrepresentingtheswastika's Hinduoriginsareintroduced,embodying, as Raghavnotes,the"macrocosm"andthe "microcosm".

Theirgracefulsynchronousmovements, gentlefacialexpressionsandcomfortable multicolouredclothingexudeacalming effect.Theydemonstratetheoriginalunity andharmonythattheswastika symbol representsinHinducultui-e.

Contrastingly,lurkingintheshadows, agroupofantagonistsstanddressedin dullmonochromaticrobesthatcanbe interpretedasuniforms.

Suddenlyand dramatically, one of theminfiltratesthepair'selegantduetby aggressivelyinterruptingtheirflow.This interruption resultsintheradicalseparation ofthetwoentitieswhere oneofthemis hijacked bythefascistgroup andforced to danceintheircircle.

Afteraperiodofvisibleconflict,theevildoers'dancecomestoanendrepresenting thefalloftheNaziregime;the two entitiesstruggletore-unite,portrayingthe swastika'sattemptatfindingitsrootsinan atmosphereofstigma.

Handasaidlaterhedidn'twanttocreate

justapieceof"sensationalised art"but intendedittobeavalidconversationtobe hadbecause"itcomeswithanintentionto uniteratherthandivide".

Hewasgladtoreportthatoverall,the workgarneredsupport.

"LeadersoftheJewishcon1munity attendedtheperformancetolend their supporttothisconversation, and l thinkthat wasremarkable,"hestated.

Therecitalforcedonetositupandwatch intently.The 1novementsstunnedwiththeir starkmilitaristicchoreographyaswellas subtleglimpsesofIndianKathakmudras, revealingRaghav'scharacteristicstyleina self-described"contemporarylanguage".

Themusiccomposedby Jan1esBrown withtablaandvocalstylingsofMaharshi Ravaland Raghavhimselfcarriedone seamlesslythroughtheabstractstorytelling. Intheend,the"seductivepull"ofthe swastika'stragicmainstreamrepresentations stoodsuitablyde-weaponised.

Translatingthepainfullossofthe swastika'soriginalsignificance,manywould leave theperformancewitha refreshed opinion,oratleastallowittochipaway atthesymbol'sprolongedandgross misappropriation.

On the cultural appropriation of a treasured Hindu symbol: Dancer RaghavHonda at the Sydney Dance Company

DARBAAN (ZEES)

STARRING: Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Rasika Dugal, FloraSaini, Harsh Chhaya

DIRECTOR: Bipin Nadkarni

Itiseasyto makeafilm ifyour material athand isTagore.Then again, itisjustashard,thinkofthe purists. NationalAward-winningMarathi filmmakerBipin Nadkarni makes his Hindi debutstraddlingthoseprosand cons.

Nadkarni'sfilm ridesasecond asset besidesthe hallmark emotive nuances thatcomewith a RabindranathTagore classic. Sharib Hashmi maystill notdraw immediate recallformany Bollywood buffs, butchancesare-if you recognise him from Filmistaan or thewebseries The FamilyMan -you know him as an actorwhodoesn't need much ofan effortto light upa scene. With atitle role in Darbaan,

A COMMENT ON CLASS DIVIDE

I Nadkarnigives Hashmi an entirefilm

I toflaunt hisskills.

I Nadkarniand co-writerRakesh JadhavdrawfromTagore's 1918

I shortstory KhokababurProttaborton, I and reimaginethe plotintheearly 1 seventies.Thiswasanerathat marked the end ofprivatecoal mines

I in India. Raicharan (SharibHashmi)

I isa loyal darbaan in thehousehold

I ofone such mineowner(Harsh Chhaya),and hisjobisto lookafter

I the miner's infantson, Anukul.The I yearspass, and Anukul is nowa fine youngman (Sharad Kelkar). Raicharan I is presentlyentrusted withthejob of I lookingafterAnukul's littleboySiddhu.

I However,a twistoffateawaits

I Raicharan,onethatwill changelifefor allcharactersofthestoryforever.

I Nadkarni andteamworkwiththe

I basicoutlineofTagore'swork, but I havealtered a lotofthestoryline, obviouslytosuitmodern-daytastes I andfita simplistic, mainstream I cinema narrative.Credibly,thefilm I remainsa visuallyappealingperiod 1 piece.Thecinematography(Amalendu Chaudhary) vividlycapturesa sleepy I EastIndian coalminetownand 1 adjoiningscenic landscape.

Thestoryunfoldsata relaxed I pace.It isalmostas if Nadkarni I wastryingto underlinetheold-world I charmaboutthefilm'ssetting,as

wellasthe virtueofselflessnessit professesthrough Raicharan'sfinal actofsacrifice. Itisanactthatis, I idealisticallyspeaking, momentous. Butitcouldseem hardto relateto I formanyinthis dayandage.Without I givingawayspoilers, Raicharan'sfinal

sacrifice, romanticised as it is, gives thestorya heart-warmingclosure. ForSharib Hashmi,this ishis biggestrolesincethe2014 release Filmistaan, andalsomoreintricate thanthatfilm inthe playofemotions itdemands.The actordoesbrilliantly and Raicharan resonates inyour mind longafterthefilm.Almostall ofthe castfittheirroles perfectly, notably Sharad Kelkarasthegrown-upAnukul and Rasika Dugal as Raicharan'swife Bhuri.

Nadkarni'sfilmavoidsthedeeper psychological contextsofTagore's story. It remainspoignantdrama, nonetheless, weavinga commenton classdivide into itsstoryofan affluent scion and hiscaretakerwithout gettingtoo in-your-face about it.

Vinayak Chakravorty

Have changes been proposed to your electoral district?

Theelectoraldistricts in NewSouthWales are being reviewed.This is a legal process called redistribution and ensureswehave approximately the same numberofvoters ineach ofthe State's 93 electoral districts.

A redistribution isaconsultative process. Feedbackfromthefirst round of publicconsultation has beentaken intoaccountto produce a setof proposed electoral district namesand boundaries.This is called the draftdetermination.

Thedraftdetermination and reasonsforany proposed changes are available onthe NSW Electoral Commission website,at elections.nsw.gov.au/redistribution

The Electoral Districts Redistribution Panel nowinviteswritten submissions relatingtothe draftdetermination.Anysubmissionslodged duringthesubmission period will bepublished onthe NSW Electoral Commissionwebsitefor publicinspection and comment.

Following closureofthe submissions period on Wednesday, 9 December 2020, a further 14-dayperiod ofpublicconsultation willcommence, with comments onthosesubmissions beinginvited.Anycomments received during this period willalso be published onthe NSW Electoral Commissionwebsitefor publicinspection.

To see if yourelectoraldistrict is affected bythe proposedchanges, and to have your say,visitthe NSW Electoral Commissionwebsite,at elections.nsw.gov.au/redistribution

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December

2020

BY MINAL KHONA

MinaI Khonahas been readingtarot cardsfor thelast twodecades.Sheusesher intuition and connectwiththecardsmostlytohelppeople.

I

TheusuallyfieryAriescould beeven morecharged upthis month as theypickthecardthat standsfor Leos.Indulgeyour passions, strengthen your spiritualfoundation, andlet go ofthepast. Expect challenges inyour personal and professionallife. Keep at it ontheworkfront; duecredit and rewardswill come. Ifin a relationship, you could beconsidering marriage. Patienceand empathyin atroublesome situationcan improveyourlovelife. Debts get cleared.

TheAceofPentacles card standsfor a new beginning; mostlyinthework and practical realmoflife.Thismonth, youthinkwithyour headand arenot willingtoputupwithunsupportive friendsorfamily. Pastproblems endand aproject at workwill be successfullycompleted. Business will improveifithas beenslow.Youmay resortto alternativeremediesfor a health issue.Aromancecouldgive youstress asyoucan't makeupyour mind.

Youpickthecard for Capricornthis I month so Geminis will be slightlymore I practicalregardingtheir ideas.Youwill experience ambitiousmoments where I youwishtosucceedno matter what. I Skirmishesin relationships aredealt withmaturely.Anevent or person will I makethings betterat workthatwill I improveyour mood.IfyouhavethroatI relatedhealthissues, it couldmeanyou arenot saying whatyoureally wantto. I You should beopentonewideasthis I month.

I Youdecidetomoveahead inyour I lifewith supportivefriends onyour sidedespitethechallenges.Anew I romanceor loveaffair is ontheanvil, I somethingyou didn'tthinkwaspossible. I Asurprising event couldleadto a suddentrip.Ifinvolved, it could leadto I aproposalofmarriage. Workbringsnew I opportunities.Afamilyreconciliation 1 could beonthecards. Takecareofyour health. Therecould be somestress but I youcanovercome everythingthatcomes I your way.

Acycleisnearingcompletion and anotheroneisdueto begin.Watchout forsomeonewho may deceiveyou. This could beina relationshipor withwork andmoney.Aclandestineloveaffair could also beonthecards.Conflictsat workmakeyoutensebutyour self-control keepsthingsincheck.Afeelingofdread needsto beexaminedasyoucould be misled.Someoneclosecouldletyou down.Youmayexperienceinsomniaor suspiciouslumps.Followyourgutinstinct.

I Amonthofactivities,childhoodmemories and leaving behindsomethingfor a I newpath.Ifsingle,youwillbeopento I new romance.Anewcareeropportunity could comeyourwaywhichmakesyou I happy.Spiritualguidancechangesyour I perspective. Yourfinancesarebetterthan youexpected.Fatiguebogsyoudown I butyouwillplodon.Writersmeetwith

I successandcouldgetpublished.Analyse I I allyourideas;youwillknowwhichoneis I rightfor you.Thingswillworkoutwell.

Youmay befaced withadditional I responsibilitiesduetotheactionsof I someoneelse.Inthemoodtofinish I projectsandtieuplooseends,you mayend uptakingon morethanyou I should. Makesureyoutakerestoryou I will beexhausted withhomeand work

chores.At work,youmaywanttolook for somethingdifferenttodo.Arocky relationshipmaynotrevivedespiteyour best efforts.Yououtgrow someoneon theemotionalfront.

I Themagiciancard alwaysindicates a I newbeginningandalsopastefforts I comingtogether magically.Youmight get I I involvedinanew relationshipwhichwill I beveryintense.Apayhikeisindicated I for some.Travelplansgetpostponed.A I I healthissuemayneeda secondopinion I I todiagnosetheproblem.Self-employed I peoplewillmakemoney but bewareof I someonedupingyou.Arelationshipgoing I I nowherecouldgeta newleaseoflife.Be I opentothegiftsfromtheuniverse.

Youfindyourselfatacrossroadsthis monthinwork,love,life,homeand all that matters.Things may bestressful

I Thesun card standsforthenumber 1

I whichimpliesanew beginningisathand.

I TheDecember-Januaryborn can expect afew changes. Thesingleswillfind

I manyeligiblepotentialpartners.Work

I isslow;a spiritualoverhaul isneeded

butthesituationistemporary.Anew acquaintancemaywellturnoutto be your soulmateor BFF.Workmayhave someunpleasantsituationsthatyouhave to dealwith buttensionswilleaseoff I tofeelmotivated again.Therecould be an announcement ofa pregnancyinthe eventually.Stressmakesyoudetermined tosolveproblemsandyouwill.Visitthe dentistifyou can.Financesimprovethis monthand luckiswithyou.

I family. Ifthingsarerocky, anengagement could break.Feelings offatigue could bog

I youdown.Aprojectmayneedto beputin

I cold storage.

I Youfocusonself-improvement I andrewardingworkthismonth.A I reconciliationwithsomeoneestrangedis suggested.Anunexpected meetingcould I leadtonewopportunities.Successat I workseesyoupositiveandhopeful.Past fearsandinsecuritiesfadeawaywiththe I remnantsofthisverybadyear.Eatheathy I forimprovedimmunity.Proftsinbusiness I increase.Youdon'thavetoacceptthefirst offerofworkthat comesalong;something I betterisroundthecorner.

I Acertainsituation maybecausing I I yousomestress; butthisisatimeto I reevaluateyour goalsand whereyouare I headed.Noromanceonthehorizonthis I I monthfor singles.Ifmoneyisstuckat I I oneplace,youwill receivesomefrom I another source.Anxietyand stresscan I tireyououtandyoushouldavoidtaking I I on anythingtoo challengingphysicallyor I I mentally.Don'tworryaboutyourfinances; I theywillimprove.Youwill receivehelp I whenyouneeditthemost. I

I I I I I I I I

BY LPAYER

tisearly Decen1ber. Atthistimeofyear, acertainworkshopatthe northernmost point ofthe earthisusuallybuzzing withactivity,111akingtoysandgift iten1s. Unfortunately, like everythingelse aroundtheglobe, thisyearitissomewhat less active, eventhoughitisnotlocked down (way toofarfromWuhanforthat).

ItsownerSanta Claus-akindlysoul witha potbelly,snow-white beardand largeheart-haschampionedthe tradition ofdistributinghisfactorywaresto children around theworldin awhirlwindtripof lessthan a day.To dothis, heplans his flight pathmeticulously. In recentyears hehasfoundthisbecomingincreasingly complicated,withwar cloudslooming inn,anyparts. Thisyearitisevenmore difficult. Althoughthe airspace itselfis veryclearwithnoplanesinflight, the new challengecon,esfromnations choosing toclose theirborders.

SantaClausspendslong hoursin hisstudyporingover a large world map withgreen, orange andredmarkers. His custon,aryfirstspot, America, isevenlydividedbetween redandblue zonesshowing howdisuniteditis. Its(ex?) co1nn1ander-in-chiefis fightingforhisjob although heeasilywon hisbriefbattle with COVID, presumably takinga largedose ofself-prescribed disinfectant.Doubts arisein Santa's mindwhethertogo or skip. Finally, a red tick, andhe moveson toBritain.

JtsheadhonchoBoJo, afterastintinthe ICU, recoveredhismojobutonly

briefly, asa secondwave ofcoronais creepingthere. Maybe nextyear.

France,Spain, and Italy, thespiritual home ofFatherChristmas, are all swept upbyasecondwave too; hereluctantly scratchesthemoffhisitinerary.

Middle Easthasbeen the'missingeast' forseveralyears,withactualwarsand civilwarsscarringthelandfromSyriato Afghanistan.

Whenitcomestothe

countryjusteastofAfghanistan, Santa alwaysrecalls'Beefy' Botham'sfamous line,"Jtisthe sortofplace every man shouldsendhis mother-in-lawto,fora month,all expensespaid."

India ofcoursehasbeenoneofSanta's favouriteplacestovisit,whereChristmas is celebratedin manypartswiththe samegustoasDiwali. Forthepastfew years,he has an addedaffinitysince that country'sheadman NaMo

lookssomewhat like him. But thistiine, withitslarge corona count, Santa thinks twicebefore givingit asaffron mark, tobe reviewedclosertothedate.

GoingovertheHimalayasisalwaysa delight,withsnow-cladpeaksandcrystalclearwaterflowingfromthe meltingsnow formingn,ightyriverslikethe Ganges, Sind, Yamuna and Brahmaputra. But picturesofopposingarmiescampedthere causesomeconcern. Whenviewedfrom the air, thatpartoftheglobe looks so gloriousthat Santawonderswhyanyone wantstopingthatpristine landandruin the peace. Aparadise (Xi)jinxed? Maybe the PRC, withaneye on all thosewaters forthefuture, want theirsouthern 'bhais' showntheirplace.

Forthepast two decadesMr.Claus has shown keeninterestin visitingChina, hisbiggestcompetitorin makingtoysof allsorts-elementaryto electronic-so he couldpickupa fewclues. He's had noluck,though. Bamboocurtainsare noteasytobreakthrough. Isitsafe togo there? Althoughthisiswherethevirus originated,thereisn'tawhisper ofanother wave. Whilethereispandemonium everywhereelse,thereare no pandemicsin thelandofpandas.

Santa, abitwary, placesabig red tickfor RedChina. With notmanycountries lefttogo to, Santa lowershiseyesand spots Australia. Its supermarketshelves brimmingwithtoilet rolls, andbeerand spiritswalkingout thedoorofbottle shops,Santa feels thiscountrylooks likeitisbackto normal.Coronais conquered. Heponders forafewsecondsthough -whatifasecondwavehits?

"Stopmakingtoys," Santa issuesan order to hiselves. "Starton toiletrolls.That'swhat theyvalueDownUnder."

How Santa is working out his new route this year

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