2021-01 Sydney

MANJITS

For almost four decades, Manjits has ben an industry leader in event management, catering and hospitality of Indian and subcontinental Asian celebrations and corporate experiences.

With a passion for creative vision, we know exactly how the correct styling, themeing and entertainment can enhance the ambiance, evoke inspiration and result in the overall success of an event. From boardroom lunches, to Presidential dinners, to million-dollar weddings, the Manjits Catering team has seen it all and understand the importance of nailing the typical, delivering on the creative, paying attention to the details and serving with passion.

138-144 Majors Bay Road Concord NSW I (02) 9736 3366

WWW.MANJITS.COM.AU

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

RajniAnand

Luthra

MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

PreetiJabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

BageshriSavyasachi, RheaNath, Ritam Mitra,Manan Luthra, JyotiShankar, PetraO'Neill, MinaKhona, LPAyer

SALES

CharutaJoshi

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

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IS on an

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

venbeforetheSiraj-Bu1nrah scandalatSydney'sPinkTest hadbeenfullyinvestigatedby authorities,thenatureofthe discoursewasclearforthosewatching thelargerIndia-Ozequation.Howis thisgoingtobereportedintheIndian media,andwhatrepercussions\viiiit haveonthebroaderrelationship?

Itwasnotthatlongago,onlytenyears infact,whenthetwonationsstaredat astalen1atefollowingtheinternational studentfiasco.Headlinesofaracist Australiascreamedacrossthefront pagesofIndianmedia.

Australiathenspenttimeand moneyinreinforcingitsmulticultural acceptanceofIndiaandIndians.Some statesdiditwell.Victoriasuccessfully createdthisgoodwillandhasbenefitted withlargerinflowsofIndianstudents andtourists.NSWdidtakeupthe challengebutsadly,haslostinterestin thisarea.TheartsfestivalParran1asala whichwasinitiatedfortheIndian

communityafterthe2009studentriots, isnowasadmishmashofallthings multiculturalwithnostandoutfeatures towhatwasoriginallyintended. IndiaandAustraliaarebothaware thatasmoothrelationshipismutually beneficial.It'snowunderstoodata deeperlevel,givenstrategicdefenceand geopoliticalelementshavebeenthrown intothen1ix.Thenewlyappointed AustralianTradeMinisterDanTehanis desperatelylookingatnewmarketsafter ChinahasshutdownmajorAustralian exports.ThenatureofChina's aggressioninthispartoftheworldhas alsoforcedIndiaandAustraliaincloser defencecooperation.

Andyet,itislamented,asportingspat canputaspannerintheworksandstall yearsofsoftpowerdiplomacy.

Thejury'sstilloutonwhetherthe spectators'behaviourwasracistor justladsknockingbackafewbeers. Eitherway,itwasdisrespectful.And unpardonable.

Inwhatshouldbeconsidered'another dayintheoffice'fortheplayersas theystepontothefield,thiskindof behaviourfromthecrowdscanamplify personaldemons.ConsiderSiraj,who losthisfatherwhileontourhereand

couldnotmakeitbackforthefuneral duetoCOVIDrestrictions.Histearsat theIndiannationalanthempriortothe startoftheTesttooksocialmediaby storm.

Perhapsevenmorereprehensible wasthespatoutinthemiddle,as twoofAustralia'smostrespectedand admiration-worthystarsletatoughday getthebetterofthem,foralltohear (andsee)thankstostu1np-micsand stump-cams.BothAustraliancaptain TimPaineandseniorn1en1berSteve Smithshouldknowbetterthantoallow theirfrustrationstotakeoverinstinct. Asregardsthecrowdbehaviour, whatweneediseducationoncasual racism-meaningfuldiscussionson howwordscanhurt.Otherwise,Siraj's stancemidfield,pointingtothecrowds intheverysamemannerasAFL legendAdamGoodeswhenan audiencemen1bercalledhiman'ape', willbecomeamorecommonoccurrence -asitrightlyshould,becausesuch behaviourneedstobecalledoutloud andclear.

Asfarasrepercussionsgo,perhaps PaineandSmithwillfeelthebrunt moreseverelythanthebroaderbilateral relationship.

DVERTISEM

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Authorised bytheVictorianGovernment, Melbourne

#WHEREININDIA

Thisfamous temple coveredin snow last winter waspopularlyfeaturedin theHindifilm Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in2013.Perhaps it was an easy one - readers Meet Kaur, Ramneek Sharma, Aashna Mlttal, Jlljilmary Augustine, Charuta Vaze andAshhlma Verma got the correct answer: HidimbaTemplein Manali.

RAKSHITHA LIVES ON IN NINEOTHERS

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRAshared the moving story of internationalstudent

Rakshitha Mallepally, who saved nine Australianlives with organ donation after a tragic accident on New Year's Eve

Sukhpal Sangha wrote: Proudof her.

Naresh Sharma wrote: Hope itinspiresothersto becomeorgandonorstoo Ifwe can'thelp otherswhileweare alive, thisisthe veryleast wecando.A requesttoeveryone-pleaseconsider becomingadonor.

Rekha Kanth wrote:Very saddenedto readabout thefatality.At thesame time, feelextremelyproud aboutthesupportthathasbeen extended. Her devastated parents givingconsentfor organ donation. Herfriendscollecting $62,000 to pay off loans. Makesmebelievethat thereare stillmany thatare veryhuman.OmShanti.

Ramanl Dokka wrote:Sheliveson truetohername

Chltra Iyer wrote: Sosadtohearofher death, buthowmagnanimousofher friendandher parentsto overcomepersonal feelingsand donateherorgans.

Sadhana Khare wrote:Greatserviceformankind.

Shlvkumar Mahallngam wrote:Shestilt livesin theformof ninepersons. Hatsofftoallthehelp byfellowIndiansandfriends.Great work bySreenadh forthe timely responseand in convincingher family toagreetotheorgan donation. Ourheartfelt condolencesto Rakshita's familyandfriends.Om Shanti.

Deepa Somasundaram wrote: RIP Rakshitha. May allthe recipientslivea healthylifethrough you.

Thakor Patel wrote: MayAlmighty appreciate Rakshitha's invaluable donation and granther peace.

Jacob Modayil Oommen wrote: Forthe parents, thedecisionwasa very toughone. ForSreenadh, thedecisiontoget involvedwas atough one. The accident itself was abad and undesirable incident. But three people whohad visionbeyond themselvesturned thewhole thingaround. Skilled doctorsdid their bit, andninepeoplereceived afreshleaseoflife. Sreenadh, thanksfor the biglesson. Kudosto theparents. RIP, young one.

Shivkumar Mahalingam wrote: Shestill livesoninthe form on nine persons. Hatsoffto all thehelp, fellowIndians andfriends.Great work bySreenadh forthe timely responseand in convincingherfamilytoagreetotheorgan donation.Ourheartfelt condolencesto Rakshitha'sfamily andfriends.Om Shanti.

Sivashanmugam Natarajan wrote: Sreenadh, proudof yourservices as always. Nobledeed. May Rakshitha'sgreatsoul attainSadgathi. MayGodgive strengthtoher family(to bear this) inconsolableloss.

SAY IT AGAIN

Comeonspectators, wecan alldo better. The game of cricketis about celebrating EVERYONE andnot abusing.#Unacceptable.

PS:Getting towatchcricketlive fromthe stadiumisaprivilegeinthese difficulttimes, honourit.

Shikha Pandey, Indiancricketer

#WHEREINOZ

Thislargewhale sculpturecanbefoundinAustralia's whale-watching capital ontheeastcoast. Deepak Vincent andSeema Chauhan hadthe right answer: Hervey Bay,QLD.

Theother elementthathasn't beenmentioned isthatSiraj & Bumrah, who coppedracistabuse overMULTIPLEDAYS, arebothfrom minority groupswithin India. Ifyou're from aminority, you're hyperaware aboutprejudice& discrimination, knowing it ain'tsomethingyou raiselightly Oz, Twitteruser

Ah yes, summerinAustralia whereit'shailing butthe sunisstillout andshining, I wouldlike to beknocked out byhailstonesandget atan atthesametimeplease Emily, Twitteruser

TEMPLE MAKEOVER

After nearly 10 centuries, a Shiva temple in Maharashtra is all setto be revamped SachinWakhare wrote: Fantastic!#heritage#preserve#restoration AjayCV wrote: Please don't touch them Youhave noideahowhardour ancestorshave workedto create this.

Eric wrote: Pleasestay away from ourtemples. And don't even trytogive thema"makeover". Seriously. Stayaway

AnandaSJayant wrote: Whydoesatemple needa makeover?Who decides what'sto be doneornot?What structureswillchange, removed, inthe name ofmakeover?What willtheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiadointhe name of makeover?

Sal Priya wrote: Idon't trust theArchaeologicalSurveyof India'ssenseof aesthetics(orfrightfullackthereof) intheleast.Theystruggleevenwith simple preservation - I begofthemnottogive any ancient temples"makeovers". Dhanashree wrote:Ohno! Brace yourself for uglycement patchwork and gaudyoilpaints.

RACIAL ABUSE AT SCG

Readers weighed in after reports emergedthat Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj faced abuse from some spectators ondays two and three of the Vodafone Pink Test in Sydney.

Lynda Blair wrote: I amso sorry thishappened.Thosewho engagedinthis behaviour representthe dregsofAussiesociety. I've joinedsomeof the Indian pagesaswellasAussie this year because I've beensoimpressed with personalities and skilllevelonthe Indianside. I've decidedif Australia isplaying they'remy team. If AUS isn'tplaying butIndiais, I'mcheeringfor India.When we'replaying eachotherI'mjustin awe. IknowIcan'tmakeup forwhathashappened. Ijustwantyoutoknow that thisAussielovesyou.

Steve Roach wrote: Let's wait for theenquiry.

Renu Datta wrote: Strongly believe the culpritswill get the lessonfrom the authorities.

David Adcock wrote: Idon'tbelievethem.

Brad Smith wrote:This fromthe teamwho calledAndrewSymondsa monkey!

On the Sydney Test draw

James Peter Lalor wrote: Bestfifthdayinatest.Well done, India.

Ashim Sinha wrote: Absolutely!! Aheroic performance.

Sandip Hor wrote:This drawisbiggerthanawin

Priyanka Nijhawan wrote:WelldoneTeamIndia.What abrillianteffort to pull offa draw despitetheinjuries, the dramas, the restrictions. Thiswas a win for usin all aspects. Great captaincycoupledwithgreatresilience.A fitting responseto all thebullies outthere on andoff the field.

BATAO BATAO!

IndianLink Radio's RJ EKTA asked on her show Good Morning Australia: Baar baar poocha jaane wala kaunsa sawaal aapko most irritate karta hai?

Saurabh Saste wrote: Party kab doge?

Meenakshi Kalia wrote: Aaj shift hai?

Dheeraj Saxena wrote: The wife asking, Aaj khane mein kya banaoon??

Nishant Menon wrote: Kya hoga is desh ka?

ShubhangiBhaleraoKamble wrote: 2020 se ek hi sawaal ne sataya hai. Log puchhterehte hai bar baraurhumejawab nahi pata: Indiakab aarahe ho?

Manish Godbole wrote:Questionfrom wife: Meri maase tumhari kya dushmani hai?

Dheeraj Saxena wrote:When injured, Oard to nahin ho raha??

Dheeraj Saxena wrote again: On the phone: Aur batao?

GottatellyaSydney, I Iwishfatgrlsweretaughtthattheydeserve commentators on TV & radio weighing in on whether livingthrough Trumptweets amlovingthismandatory kindness,decency,respectandaffectionjust Siraj's treatment wasindeed racismandhow@ ahistoric already?Ironicallyof masksituation.Whew. asmuchasnon-fatgirlsdo.We'retaughtthat CricketAus should respond. It's thekind ofnuance moment every course butstill, this

Reallylookingforward to the all -Anglo panels and Itis wildtobe Anyone elsemissing

Ifeelmuchmore we'rejustluckytohavesomeoneinterestedin and lived experiencewe've come to know and love in 6 minutes. placejustgot alittle comfortableonpublic usandweshouldbegratefulfortheattention.

Australia Kimeko M, moreboring. transportnow. We'retaughttoletsomuchslide.

Antoinette Latouf,journalistanddiversitychampion reporter Vir Das, comedian OmarSakr, poet HarnidhKaur, writerandpoet

Former Australian Test opener and ex-Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards on his ambitious project to reunite Australian cricket with a long-lost archive of historic Fairfax Media cricket photos

BY RITAM MITRA

henforn1erTestopenerand chairmanofCricketAustralia

Wally Edwardswasmade awareofalong-lostarchiveof 38,000 Fairfaxcricketphotographsreadyto berepatriatedtoAustraliafro1n the United States,heknewtheopportunitywastoo goodtopassup. With noothertakersfor thephotos, Edwards,a Board men1berof the Bradman Foundation, boughtthephotos hin1selffor$1 apiece,andpromptlydonated the1n tothe Brad1nan Museun1.

Famed forhisunwavering"all-ornothing"approach,Edwardsthen con1menced the publicationoffourbooks aimedatbringingthephotostolife,with theflagshipbook- India's71-YearTestbeinglaunchedbyRavi Shastri aheadof thethirdTestbetween IndiaandAustralia thissun1mer. Itmarkedtheend ofasaga thatthreatenedtorobfromAustralia a largechunkofitscricketinghistory, whileopeninganewchapterforthelongforgotten - and fleetinglyunwantedphotographs.The firsthalfofthissagawas a taleofcross-borderdeceit, indictmentand imprisonment,butthesecondisofrustory, culture and art. Attheheartofitall liesthe gentlen1an'sgame.

The photographs

In 2013, FairfaxMediaentrustedAmerican businessman John Rogerswith the digitisationofFairfax'spricelessphoto archive.Theprojectwould see Rogers' con1pany, RogersPhotoArchive, scanand tagthe1nillionsofphotosand negativesin the Fairfaxcricketarchive,inreturn for therighttoselltheoriginals. What Fairfax didn'tknowatthe timewas that Rogers PhotoArchivewasunderinvestigationby the FBI forfraud, andwasultimatelyplaced intoreceivership,withthe vast collection ofphotoslefttositidlyin awarehouse followingraidsbyauthorities.

Asthedustsettled,itemerged thatonlya quarterofthephotosappearedtohavebeen digitised,withn1anyoriginalsunaccounted for,includingafterite1nergedthatRogers' wifehadsold manyoriginalsoneBaybefore theyhad evenbeenscanned. Rogershiinself wassentenced to 12yearsinfederalprison and ordered topayUS $23 millionin restitutiontohisvictims,thoughttobethe mostsignificant sentenceeverforsportsmemorabiliarelated fraud.

Itwasnotuntil2017,when Duncan Miller, thedirectorofanartgalleryin

RKaushik(author, India's 71-Year Test), Harsha BhogleandPhilBonser (Managing Director, ChurchillPress) discussing an earlydraftconcept ofthe bookin Mumbai, August2019.

California,purchased thearchjvefrom court-appointedreceivers,thattherewas anyrenewedhopeofbringingthe archive ofFairfaxcricketphotosbacktoAustralia. Millershoppedaroundthecollection- now valuedat astaggeringUS $82million - but struggled tofindinterestfron1cash-strapped mediaorganisations,letalonethecharitable BradmanFoundationwhocould notjustify spendingthecashrequiredtoacquire thecricket-relatedphotosinthearchlve, especiallywithnoguaranteeofmakinga returnontheinvestment.

EnterWally Edwards

ThisiswhereEdwardsstepped in.A crickettragicbyanymeasureoftheterm, Edwards'loveaffairwiththesportstarted withaballtiedontheendofastringinhis hometownofMuchea,asmalltownsome

50km north-eastofPerth. Yetbythe timehe was 15, Edwardswasplayingjuniorcricket inthemorningandseniorA-gradecricket intheafternoon,withgoodformdriving hisselectionfortheembattledWestern Australiastateteam.Onthebackofan excellentstarttohlsSheffield Shieldcareer, EdwardswasselectedfortheAustralian nationalside.

Edwards'ti1nedonningthebaggygreen mayhavebeenbrief-heisthe firstto tellyou hewasperhapsa touchfortunate toplayTestcricket- buthlstimeasan administratorwasanythlngbut. Alongservingboard memberoftheWestern AustralianCricketAssociation,Edwards alsoserved 19yearsontheCricketAustralia board,includingfouryearsasAustralia's boardmemberon the ICC executive committee. Duringbistime,Edwardswas

instrumental indevelopingwomen'scricket, includingtheera-defining2015 launchof theWomen'sBigBash League.

PartofEdwards' legacyalsolies inthe controversialcentralisationofpowerin cricketamongst the"BigThree" nations ofAustralia, Englandand India, and unsurprisinglyhis relationshipwithhis Indiancounterpartsduringhis ti1neatthe heln1ofCricketAustraliawasastrongone. "J n1ade [dealingwiththe BCCI] ahigh focusofmine,"says Edwards.

"Assoon as Ibeca1nechairman, I went toIndiatomeet [forn1er BCCI President] N Srinivasanandothers. I thinkwegoton verywelland I thinkweachievedquitea lotin termsofreformingthe ICC. We broke theTestclubup, introduced theconcept of'meritocracy'andmadeitaloteasier forteamslikeAfghanistan and Irelandto becomeTestmatchplayingcountries. It used tobehighlypolitical - anditprobably still is - but nowthere'sprocessesinplace sothatifacountryisgoodenough, they canbecomeaTestmatchplaying nation. l enjoyedworkingwith Srinivasan, 1 found himaveryengagingandintelligent man. Hecertainlyhad Indiancricketatheart, no questionsaboutthat. He's helpedbring Indiancricket to the fore."

A new lifeforthe photographs

Withcricketallbutrunningthroughhis veins,itwasnaturalthatEdwardspounced attheopportunitytobuythe archiveof Fairfaxcricketphotos through hisco1npany, Holman Industries. "I thought thissort ofstuffiswhythe Bradman Foundation isaround: tocollectthese photos,protect them, and usethem,"saysEdwards."But runningamuseum,youdon't make any money,sol boughtthephotosanddonated themto theBradman Museun1. I alsogavea commitmenttoseewhatwecoulddotoget themoutofthearchiveand into some form ofbookorotherthings thatmightbe able togeneratesomerevenueforthe Brad1nan Foundationaswell,ratherthanleavethe photossittinginanair-conditionedclin1atecontrolledenvironment."

Thenaturalpathway toachieve thiswas throughthepublicationofbooks- again, aventure Edwardsneeded toself-fund. Edwards'firstportofcaUwasPhil Bonser, the ManagingDirectorofChurchillPress, withwhomEdwardsinspectedhundreds ofphotosfrom thevastFairfaxarchiveof cricketphotos.

Thepairinitiallydecided topublishtwo books - ClearingBoundaries, abookabout thehlstoryofwomen'scricketinAustralia, and,withanodtoIndia'sfirst-everaway TestserieswinoverAustralia,India's71-Year

Test. Asitturnedout, EdwardsandBonser alsopublishedtwosmallerbooks,tellingthe taleofShaneWarne'sbaggygreenwhich raised over$1 n1illionatauctionduring Australia'stragic2019/20bushfireseason andisnowhousedatthe BradmanMuseum, and a JustinLanger-authoredreinventionof SirDonald Bradman'sfamous 1958book TheArtofCricket.

"Whenwe started thewholeprocessof buyingthephotos,thatwasaroundwhen Indiawon[the2018/19Testseries],"says EdwardsonthedecisioninDecember2018 topublishIndia's 71-YearTest. "Itwasa huge achievementforIndia, and Idon't thinkitgotenoughairtin1e. Itneededto becelebrated, andthefactthatthephotos werethere,wewanted todosomethingabit

different. Wedidn'twanttojustdoanother bookonAustraliancricket-wedidn't wanttojusttracethe history.Wewanted topresentcricketinanenjoyable,easyto readway, sothat theaveragepersoncan turnthepagesandeveninhalfanhourget agoodhandle onthehistoryofwhatweare talkingabout. That'swhatphotosdo,when acco111paniedbysomenicecommentary, and that'swhatthestyleofthese booksis."

Edwards'commentsareechoedby Bonser,whoreferencesachancemeeting with HarshaBhogleduringthesecond Testofthe2018/19BorderGavaskar seriesinPerth. "(Bhogle] agreedwith myinklingthat,shouldIndiatakeout theseriesinAustraliaforthefirsttime, itwouldbeamomentousachievement

worthdocumentinginitsentirety,"says Bonser."Atthatpointheintroducedme toauthorRKaushik, andwestarted£rom there -with [designer] Matt Bonserand I diggingthroughthesametroveofhistorical imagesintheBradmanMuseum'sHolman Collectionthatunderpinned Clearing Boundaries.Twenty-fourmonthslater, COVlDnotwithstanding,India's71-Year Testwaslaunched byRavi Shastriat theSCG."

Preserving cricket history

Speakingabouttheongoingimportance ofpreservingcricket'shistory,Edwa1·ds reflectsonlessonshelearnedduringhis timeatthehelmofAustraliancricket. ''In away, the BradmanMuseumislookingfor

itsplaceincricket," he says. "I regretthat when1waschairmanofCricketAustralia, I didn'tshowmoreinterestin the Bradman Museumand the Foundation. It'sonlynow that I've beeninvolvedwiththeFoundation forhalfadozenyearsthatI appreciatethat it'sveryimportantforCricketAustraliato haveanarchivelike this.

"Weareveryluckytohaveamuseu111 to tellstoriesaboutourpastandcollecthistory asithappens. In England theyhaveLords, andwewouldlikethe BradmanMuseum recognisedineveryone'seyesaswhere cricket'sheritageishoused andlooked after,anditsstories told. Itisaboutmore thanjustAustraliancricket, andithasto beenhanced,notdiminished,"concludes Edwards.

'"SunllGavaskar(1977)

ChanduBorde(1966)

RaviShastri(1985)

GRVishwanath(1981)

RaviShastri(1985) .._ --

The recently lunched coffee table book India's 71-YearTest includes over 200 photos rescued from the USA

BY RITAM MITRA

orasportwithasstoriedahistory ascricket,booksonitspastare unsurprisinglyadhneadozen.

Givenitsorigins,thegamehas alwaysbeenblessedwithextensive,often romanticisedwritingsfromson1eofthemost eloquentdoyensoftheEnglishlanguage.

Butlong-establishedtraditionhas itsfoibles,andintheworldofcricket publishing,thebiggestoftheseis inaccessibility,withonlythe1nostardentof cricketsupporterslikelytocasuallypickup abooktraversingthegame'shistory.

India's 71-YearTest, recentlylaunched byformerIndianall-rounderandcurrent nationalteamcoach RaviShastriat theSydneyCricketGround,subverts thegenre;ittellsthehistoryofIndian cricketinAustraliaprimarilythroughan expansivecollectionofover200photos, manyofwhichwererescuedfromthe USA aspartoftheHolmanCollection. Takingthereaderthrougha chronological,tour-by-tourjourneyof thehistoryoftheIndiancrickettea1nin

Australia,India's 71-YearTestisperhapsone ofthemostvisuallystunningbookseverin itscategory.Contrarytotheusualmodus operandi ofcrickethistorybooks,where photostypicallyoccupyasmallsectionof dedicatedglossypagesinthecentreofthe book,lndia's 71-YearTestisscatteredwith photosoneachofitsbeautifullydesigned andlargedouble-pagespreads.

Thisaccessibilityisoneofthemain reasonsauthorRKaushikexpectsthe booktobe successful in India."Inthelast fewyears,thereadingcultureinIndia hasmushroomedexponentially,andthere isfargreaterliteratureonIndiancricket than usedtobe,say,evenadecadeback," hesays."Iamsurepeoplewillespecially lovethefabulousblackandwhjtepictures oflegendsfro1nthepast,thoughonlytime willactuallytellhowitisreceivedhereat home."

Thejourneybeginswithaforeword byShastri,whoopensbysaying,"Ofall countriesI'vetoured,Australiahaseasily beenthebest."Shastricitesthequality ofcricket,thefacilities,theweather,the cultureand theloveofthegameamongst thereasonshefoundtoursofAustralia bothenjoyableandchallenging.He commentsalsoontherarityofsuccessin Australia:"Asaprofessionalsportsperson,

youknowthatwhenyouwinthe hardway, youcommand respect,"hewrites. It'snowonderthatShastrihas committedtoprovidecopiesofthebook toeverymemberofthe Indiansquad currentlytouringAustralia.

Shastri'sforewordechoesboththe themeandconclusionofthebook,and indeeditsgenesis:thatIndia'sachievement ofwinningitsfirst-everTestserieson Australiansoilonits2018/19tourwas asbiganachievementasanyotherinthe nation'ssportinghistory,anddeservedto bechronicled.

Then1ainbodyofthebookbreaksinto foursections: Initiation,coveringIndia's 1947/48and 1967/68 tours,Progress, spanning 1977/78to 1991/92,Confluence, covering 1996/97 to2014/15,and Glory, describingthe successful2018/19tour. Itisin theearliertourshowever, thatthe HolmanCollectionofphotostrulyshines.

Describinghisfavouritephotoswithin theHolmanCollectionphotoarchive, formerCricketAustraliachairmanand TestplayerWallyEdwards(whofundedthe collection)says,"Ienjoyedallthephotos oftheoldplayers,likeLalaAmarnath.1 canrememberalltheseoldplayersasakid listeningtotheradiobroadcasts,through totheearly 1970s. [Thephotos]makeyou

recaponyourearlylife,seeingphotosof peopleyouknewonlythroughradio".

Someofthephotohighlightsin the book- andthereare many - include the Australianand Indianteamswiththeir headsbowedinrespectduringatwominutesilenceforthepassingofMahatma Gandhiin 1948; BSChandrasekharbeing chairedoffthefieldbyteammatesafter his 12-wickethaul in 1977/78,handing IndiaitsfirsteverwinonAustraliansoil; andayoungAustralianfanpattinganicecoldBisban BedionthebackafterIndia defeatedAustraliabyaninningsforthe first time onAustraliansoil,in thevery nextmatchafterChandrasekhar'sheroics.

SirDonaldBradmanoncemused, "The gameofcricketexistedlongbeforel was born. Itwillbeplayedcenturiesafter myden1ise". Ifthatistoprovecorrect, authorsandpublishersalikemustcontinue targetingnewer,wideraudiencesanddo awaywiththe "tooniche"categoryinto whlchmanycricketbooksinevitablyfall.

India's 71-YearTestdoesexactlythat.

India's 71-YearTestisavailablethrough variousonline retailers,includingthe BradmanMuseum's online store, andwill be availableinbookstoresthroughout AustraliaFrommid-January.

Chandrashe

Gavaskar(1981)

Gavaskar(1985)

International student, 20, helps save nine Australian lives with organ donation

erveryna1nespeaksvolumes forherlastactinthisworld.

Followingahorrific accidentonthenightof31 Dec2020,RakshithaMallepally's donationofherorganshasnowsaved nineAustralianlives.

'Rakshitha'isSanskritfor 'protected,guarded,savedand preserved'.

Thetwenty-year-oldinternational studenthadsteppedouttobuyherself son1edinneratWentworthvilleNSW whenshewasinvolvedinatraffic incident.

SreenadhBrahmpuram,aco1nmunity workerwhoassistedinthecase,told Indian Link, "ShefinishedworkatHello Freshat1amandhadatelephonechat withhern1other.Shehoppedontoher scooterwithafriendtogobuyasnack atthelocal7-11.Caughtintheheadlight flashofanoncomingcar,shelostcontrol, throwingherpillionrideroffandshortly thereafterfallingtotheroadherself.She hitherheadonthepavement."

Labor

Herheln1etwasn'tstrappedon. Herfriendrangforhelp,butpolice andambulancecouldnotreviveher. ShewastransferredtoWestmead Hospital.

Asshelayininducedcoma,the doctorssuggestedorgandonation. Rakshitha'sparentsinTelangana, devastated,rejectedtheidea.

'Thatwasthestorywhen[arrived atthehospitalat3pm,"Sreenadh recounted.

Hegotontothephonewithher familyinTelangana,andwithamutual friend,begantocounselthefamily. "Rakshitawilllivebeyonddeath,Isaid tothem."

Asthehospitalfinallybeganits procedures,thesunhadrisenonanew year.

SreenadhBrahmpuram,anIT professionalfromTelanganahin1self, iswell-knowninSydney'sIndian con1munityforhiswelfareactivities.

HewascontactedbytheIndian Consulatetoassistinthen1atter.

Heispleasedtoreportthatmany otherslikehimhavesteppeduptohelp Rakshithaintheirownways.

Rakshithawasastudentatthe Sydney-based IIBIT (International InstituteofBusiness&lnforination Technology).TheInstituteputin$8000 towardsrepatriationfees.

Meanwhile,Rakshitha'sfriendshave collected$62,000tosendtoherfamily backinIndia,tohelpthen1repaythe loanstheytookoutforherAustralian education.

Rakshitha'smortalremainsreached herhomeinMeerpetHyderabadIndia on9JanonaQatarAirwaysflight,and thefuneralwasheldsoonafter.

"Intheend,lthinkitwasatimely decisiontodonateRakshitha'sorgans," Sreenadh1nused."Iwouldliketo thankherparentsVenkatandAnitha forgivingtheirconsent,andtosave thelivesofnineothers.Morepeople shouldcomeforwardtodonatetheir organs."

Rakshitha

Rajnl Anand Luthra

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

ankeert Kapatkarhas received aperfectscore inVCE Music, playingthetraditional Indian instrun1enttabla.

"l wasnotexpectingtogetaperfect store - onlyone otherstudent hasgotit, I believe,"theMelbourneHighSchool studenttold IndianLink.

Sankeert tookto the tabla at 8years ofage, inspired bya friendwhoplayed, learningunder Melbourne-based musician Pt. Ajit Nimbkar.

Twoyearsago, musicologist DrSam Evansbeganguidinghim forthe VCE.

Sankeert tookhisTablaVCEas aYear 11 student, and wiII co1npletethe restof hisVCE subjectsin 2021.

VCETabla hasaninvestigativeaswell as aperforn1ance element, Sankeert described. Fortheinvestigative, hewrote a paperco1nparingtabla representations in classicalstyleand in the moderncontext (injazzorworld tnusic).

"Formyfinal perforinance, requiredto be 20-25 minutes, I picked fourpieces-a table solo in teentaal, ajugalbandiwith sitar, Five TrainsbySan1 Evans, and Farha by DhaferYoussef."

Forthat lastpiece, aconte1nporaryjazz piece typicallyplayed onthepear-shaped stringinstrument oud, Sankeert composed a tabla component, addinga tisrajati.

Itwas nothoweverhis favouritepiece in the perfonnance. Thatposition isreserved forthejugalbandiwith sitarist Denis Phelan. He confessed, "I dopreferthe traditional approach-itis n1ore structured. ItisonlyrecentlyI've been introduced to modern music."

Theyoungstudent,whocountsPtZakir HussainandPtAnindoChatterjeeashis greatinfluences,willsoonpresentatTop Class,theVCEshowcasewherethe state's topperfor1ningartsstudentsstruttheirstuff.

Nodoubthe willwearhisbrightest kurta, like he did forhis finalexan1.

HisteacherSam Evanswill probably be there to see hitn. "It isa prestigious event, and amidstthepianoplayersand the operasingersand the stringquartets,it willbe beautiful tosee a traditional Indian

Melbourne High School student ends one VCE subject on a high note - in Year 11

instrument," DrEvans told IndianLink. "I thinkit speaksvolumes forthediversity inVictoria that Indianmusicisaccepted andvalued."

Guru is quite pleasedwithhisshishya. "Sankeertdid areallygreatjob. He worked veryhard,especiallyin the lastsixmonths. Inthelast fewweeks I wasactuallygoing, wow!"

Dr Evans,whoreceivedAustralia'sfirst doctoratein tabla studiesin2018 from Monash University, sawthree students throughthe VCEthisyear.

VCETabla is aprogramforwhich he can take creditentirely. Theonlyoneofits kind in thecountry, DrEvans launchedit in2009.

"I workedwiththeboardofeducation tohaveit recognised-theywereveryopen tohavinga non-Westerninstrun1ent in the curriculum. It's definitelypossibletodo this inotherstates. It'lljust take someone todothejob I did - contactyoureducation board."

TheVCEhasseenatleastonetabla student througheveryyearsinceit began tobe offered asa courseofstudy - there are three kids thisyear,and twothenext.

DrEvans' onlybeefis that tabla is still called an 'alternate instrun1ent'. "Atwhat stagedowestopcallingitthat? It'sjustan instrument!"

Howwould headvisestudentswishing totakeupthe tabla inYear 12?

"J'd sayto them,this is an opportunity touse the skillsyou'vegainedsince yourchildhood, towardsyouruniversity entrance score. Mainstream kidswho mayhave learnedawestern instrument forlong, can makeaVCEsubjectoutofit, but Indian-origin kidswhohavelearned an Indian instrument\verenotable todo sountil now. I'd alsosuggest,doit like Sankeert - hefinished itinYear 11, and thattoowith aperfectscore, soitshould sethimupwell forhis finalresult."

We cannotletDrEvansgo without askinghim this:howimportantisthe tabla inworld 1nusic?

"Veryimportant: thiswas the subjectof myPhD. ltisreadilyaccepted, andeasily collaborateswithotherinstruments. In pitch, tonalityand rhythm, it translates well. lt can takeonharmonicand melodic roles. It isatthe forefrontofeastern instrumentsaccepted inworld music today."

BY MANAN LUTHRA

With your HSC/VCE/SACE now done and dusted, you've probably had much opportunity to look back at it all with some wisdom. What did you learn about yourselfin the academic year and 2020 overall?

ArnavKatra:Thisyearwas,withouta doubt,extremelydifficulttoconfront, butwith anydifficultyinlifecomes anopportunitytogrow. Ireallylearnt ofn1ypotential tore1nainresilientin de1nandingconditions. I wasconstantly underpressureinboththeonlineand on-campusenvironmentsthroughout 2020, and I think111yabilitytocomeout ofitwell atteststo1nycapacitytoretain adete1·n1ined andconcentratedmindset, whichissomethingI'msurewillbeofuse infuturestudies.

BhawanDillon:Throughoutthe HSC, 1 learnthowimportantitistobeadaptable andthatJ havethecapacitytobeflexible dependingonthecircuinstances.Weoften viewchangeasnegativeandaburden, butthisisnotthecaseifwecondition ourselvestoconstantlyevolveandplan

ADARSH PAREKH (SACE)

ATAR: 97.75

Subjects: Mathematical Methods, Research Project,Tourism, English LiteraryStudies, Psychology, Micro-Business Operations(VET). School: AberfoylePark HighSchool

fortheworst,likegoingonlineduring COVID.

KeirathSingh:Thisyearhasshown me theimportanceofmaintainingabalanced lifestyle andn1akingsureyou haveoutlets outsideofschooltokeepyouoccupied. Sittingbehindalaptopscreenallyear madethisespeciallychallenging,however itforcedmetofocusonbeingorganised andstayingaheadofschedule.

Aryan Bhatia: I'velearntthatIamcapable ofachievingthingsI'veneverbeenable todobefore I amverypleasedwith my perfectstudyscorein SpecialistMathsand high scoresin1nyMethodsandPhysics andChe1nistrysubjects. I haveachieved thisthrough sheerdedication, hard work,self-studyand withoutanyexternal tutoring.IwasabitchallengedbyEnglish, tosaytheleastbut Jwasabletowrite3 con1pleteessaysduringtheexamwhich l a1nveryproud of.

AdarshParekh:With2020throwingthe livesofYear 12studentsintochaos,l learntthat SACEstudentsthisyearhave been abletoeffectivelyadaptthrough thechallengesfaced. Personally, Ihave becomen1oredisciplined,self-sufficient andindependent,takingmylearningmore intomyownhands.

SharanyaKarnath: Ilearntthatalthough thereweren1omentsofdifficultywhich

BRINDA MURLIKRISHNA (SACE)

ATAR: 99.4 raw(99.95adjusted)

Subjects: Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics,Chemistry, French, Korean, RP, Integrated Learning Awards/State Ranks: SchoolAwardsin Methods, SpecialistMaths, Frenchand RPStateAwardforKorean Beginners School:St Mary'sCollege

demandedn1ore time andhardwork, it wasthesechallengingexperiencesthat werethen1ostrewarding. Everyeffort matters- youcan'texpectresultsifyou don'tputin theeffort.Thisencouragedn1e torefine myassignmentsandstrengthen thequalityofmywork.

Brinda Murlikrishna:ThebiggestthingI learntwouldbetolowermyexpectations ofmyself,especiallyduringtoughtimes. AssoonasIloweredmyexpectations andacceptedthatitwasjustanextremely hardyear,1feltbetteraboutmyselfand myresultsandultimatelyendedupdoing better. It'simportanttoknowthateveryone isin thesameboatasyou,andeveryone hastheirownchallengestoovercome.

AkulSaigal:Tohavesuchanunpredictable yearcoupledwiththealreadychallenging Year 12 meantthatIwascertainlypushed andgiventhatthestakesseemsohigh, theonlyoptionwastocope.Andl did. l alsobegantounderstandthementaland physiologicalsignsofburnoutandstress. Evenwhenl did notfeelstressedortired, mybodywouldexhibitsignsthattoldme I hadtoresttoregaintheenergyanddrive tocontinue.

What were your expectations going into the year? How did COVID reality compare?

ArnavKalra: Honestly, I wasn'ttoo sure whattoexpectgoingintoYear 12. I knew therewouldbea heavyworkload, and Ithinkonline learningactuallyhelped alleviatesomeofthatpressure. Ihad more timetodedicatetowards mystudies athome,whilstalsobeingabletorelax moreas 1wasableto pursue Year 12 study fromthecon1fortof1nybedroon1. ltwas disappointingtoloseouton n1anyschool eventsandactivitiesdue toCOVID,butl wasfortunateenough toend theyearwith aformalwhichwas thoroughlyenjoyable. BhawanDillon: 1expectedquitealinear yearcomprisedofgoingtoschool, assessments,and thefinal HSCexams. However, theseexpectationswere undercutbythesocialparametersin1posed byCOVIDasclasseswentonlineand assessmentwerealteredand111odified tofitthecurrentparadigms. ltjustwent toshowthatyou canneverknowwhat's ahead and havingabroadfocusonall aspectsoflifeisthemostreliablewayto adapt.

KeirathSingh:Therewasalotofhearsay aboutthechallengesoftheyear. In retrospect, Jdobelievethattheyearis muchlessstressful thanpaststudents makeitouttobe.OnebenefitofCOVID (dare 1say) was theamountofextra time thatl had. Itdecreasedmystudyloadand

Learning in lockdown: The Class of 2020 picked up some additional - and valuable - life lessons

made theyearconsiderablylessstressful than expected.

AryanBhatia: Ihadexpectedanormal schoolyear,filledwith regularinteraction withfellowstudents, includingsocial eventsandphysicalactivities. COYID wasadisruption,butithadpositive consequences. IdidnotexpectthatI wouldbeusingmyco1nputern1orethan 8hourseverydayfornearlytwofull termsornearlygivinguponall outdoor activities,but Itriedto makethebest ofthesituation.Everycloudhasasilver lining-COVIDended up beingablessing in disguiseas Iendeduphavingmoretime onmyhandstostudy.

AdarshParekh: Iwasexpectingittobea memorableyear.Anditwas,inadifferent way. Insteadofbeingayearofcelebration filledwithfocusedstudy,schoolevents, practicalclasses/assessn1entsandother Year 12 'ritesofpassage',COVIDresulted inthecancellationofalmosteverythingexceptthe 'studying'bit.

Sharanya Karnath:Althoughthere werestressfultimes,especiallywhen multiple assignmentdeadlinescoincided, itwasovercon1ethroughprioritising and time1nanagen1ent. In ayear whereCOYIDcreatedastressfuland alarmingatmosphere, resiliencewas acrucialqualitythathelped me adjust

BHAWAN DHILLON (HSC)

ATAR: 93

Subjects:PunjabiContinuers, EnglishAdvanced, Mathematics, Physics,Chemistry

BandGs/State Ranks: Band 6 in EnglishAdvanced and Band 6and 1stin State in PunjabiContinuers

School:StMarys Senior HighSchool

SHARANYA KAMATH (SACE)

ATAR:99.35

Subjects: English, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematical Methods, Information Processingand Publishing

Awards/State Ranks: English Merit, Information Processingand PublishingMerit

School:WildernessSchool

tothesituation.Severalschool and extracurriculareventswerecancelled; howeverthiswasviewedwithapositive attitude and allowed 1noreti1nefor personal life.

BrindaMurlikrishna:Tobehonest, Iwas initiallyworriedaboutyear 12because Ibelievedwewereatadisadvantage becauseofthepanden1icand thatwe wouldstrugglemorethanpreviousyears. I thoughtonline classeswouldderail the year 12experiencebuttheyearwent quitewell. EventhoughCOYIDhad some negative impactssuchastestspushed forward. ultimatelyitwasafairyear.

AkulSaigal:Con1ingintoYear 12, I felt anxious. Evenhavingdonea¾subject inYear 11, Iwasstillunsureaboutwhat theyearwouldentail. Settingsuchahigh standardfor1nyselfdidn'thelp. Butonce I openedthebookletandmypenhitpaper, allofthatuneasinessmeltedaway.Asthe yearwenton,I begantorealise thatin the end,itreallyisjustanumber. Anumber thatinnowaydefinesyou.

Whatwasyourinitialresponseto onlineclasses,andbowdidyoumake themworkforyourlearningstyle?

ArnavKatra: I actuallyenjoyedonline learning,asitmeantI couldsleepin longerandnothavetochangeintoschool

uniformeveryday! Itwasannoyingnot beingabletointeractwithfriendsand teachersphysicallywhichissomething I reallyenjoyedabouthighschool,but witheveryone'swebcamsswitchedon onZoom,onlineclassesgotalittle less strange. I'maveryvisuallearner,so I appreciatedtheuseofYouTubevideos andwhiteboardstomakethe lessonsmore engaging.

BhawanDillon: Initially,everything becameverydistortedbecause myinternet connectionwasn'tthebest. Butthanks to thestaffatStMarysSeniorHighSchool, especiallyMrAnil Sharma and Ms DanielleErvine, I neverfellbehindwith myschoolwork.Tbeywould helpmeout throughemailand200111,and upload the classworkandvideotutorialsontoGoogle Classroom toensure that Icouldcontinue learningthecontent. ln theend, 1adapted myscheduletosleepduringthedayand studylaterintothenightwhenallthe contentwouldbeuploadedandavailable. Itensured! wastedverylittle timeand increased1nyoverallproductivity.

KeirathSingh:Initially I founditvery difficulttoadjusttothisnewwayof learning. I wasforced tobemore independentwhichcontrasted thepast 12yearsofschooling. MakingsurethatJ spentenoughtin1eawayfrommyscreen

eachdayconsiderablyhelpedmetoadapt toonline learning.

AryanBhatia:Theconceptofonline classeswasbothsearyandexciting. I believeonlineclasses areeffectiveaslong asstudentsremainsmotivated tostudy forthen1selves. Computershaveahostof temptingvideogames,soit'sadmittedly easiersaidthandone. Butaftera n1onth, Imanaged togetintoaroutineandfocus moreonmystudies. Havingusedmy time moreefficiently, Iwasable tobe productive.

Adarsh Parekh: Iwasneutralto the conceptofonlineclasses.Althougha learningenvironn1entsuchasaschoolis obviously1nuchpreferred, I madeonline classesworkwithmylearningstyleby takingdownnotes, highlightingthe key pointsfromthe lessonandaskingthe teacherwhen Ihadquestions.

SharanyaKarnath:Atfirst,Iwasexcited foronlineclassesasthisapproachwas moreflexibleandrelaxed,yetIwasquick torecognisethechallenges,especiallyfor subjectslikebiologyandchemistrywhere wehadtoundertakepracticals.These limitationswereovercomebyapplyingthe flexibilityofthecoursetofocusmoreon theoryandknowledgeduringonlinelessons, allowingthepracticalstobeconducted whenface-to-faceclassesresu111ed.

Brinda Murlikrishna: r didnotlikeor supporttheideaofonlineclassesas r tendtogetdistractedwhen I'm online. T was, however, luckyenoughtoonlydo oneweekofschoolonline. Duringthese onlineclasses,l madesuretowritedown notessoIcould betterrememberwhatwas beingtaught, aspersonally,typingthings on,nylaptopdidnotseen,tohelp.

AkulSaigal: Iwascertainlynotchuffed, butmyschool did handleitverywell. Idid forcemyselftoleaven1ydeskasoftenas I could andexercisemostmornings-in fact, Ifeltmorefitand regin1entalduring isothan l hadbeenbefore,whichwas somethingJ wasnotexpecting.

Whatwasyour study technique?

ArnavKalra: I arrangedmydesktopsuch thateachfolderrepresentedasubject, whichcontainedsubjectnotesfrom the year,aswellasn1arkedhon1eworktasks andprojects.Thismadestudyingmuch easier,as allmyrevisionmaterialwas well organised,and Iwasundernoadded pressuretowardsthelatterpartoftheyear.

BhawanDillon: Mystudytechniquewas verysimple. Iwouldlearn thecontent andthen makesureIkneweverything aboutthesubjectmatterathandbydoing myownresearchlike readingpapers, watchingvideos, and listeningtopodcasts. Then Iwould takeabreakbefore returningtodopastpaperquestionson the topic.Afterthisl wouldpreparefor futurecontenttostudy,aspermyschool's scopeandsequence. Thiswasn'tanything toohectic,itwasjustreadingso1nepages fron1thetextbookandpreparingquestions thatI mayneedtoaskmyteacherwhenwe coveredthecontentduringclass.

KeirathSingh:I wouldn'tsaythatI had astudyingtechniquepersebecause onlinelearningwassonewtome. I would recomn1endfuturestudents createa study timetableandtrytosticktoitasmuchas theycan.

AryanBhatia:Imanagedtoremain motivatedbysettingreasonablegoalsthat Iwouldfinishbytheend oftheday,such asanessayperday.Formaths, l mostly didquestionsfromthetextbook. Often studentscontactedn1ewithmathproblems

AKUL SAIGAL {VCE)

ATAR: 99.7

Subjects: English Language, Further mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Specialistmathematics, Physics,German Awards/State Ranks: DuxofMentone GrammarSchool

School: Mentone GrammarSchool

KEIRATH SINGH {VCE)

ATAR: 98.45

Subjects: English, MathsMethods, Chemistry, Economics, Biology, French School: HaileyburyCollege

theyfoundchallenging,thatIcould solve. Itwasabitofawin-winsituation: Igottosolvethemostchallenging problemswhiletheygothelpwiththe solution. Bytheendoftheyear, Iwould dopracticeexamson aregularbasis, correctmyexamresponses,andlookfor con1111onmistakes.Thisalsoallowedme togetfamiliarwith theexamcontentand structure.

Adarsb Parekh: Isetpersonaldeadlines forassignn,ents,completingthembefore theiractualduedatestodootherthings, keeporganised and maintainawork-life balance. l alsoused the flashcardsapp 'Quizlet'duringexamperiodswhich effectivelyhelpedwithcontent-heavy subjects.

SbaranyaKarnath:Organisationiscrucial forsuccess. Followingascheduleensured thatJwaskeepingupwithmyassignn1ents andwasespeciallyimportantinplanning myexamrevision.Aftereachlesson, I reviewedmynotestoconsolidate the information.Leadinguptotestsand exams,1 aimedtoattemptasmanypractice questionsandpastexamsasI could. BrindaMurlikrishna: J'm an avidnotewri.ter. Ilovetakingnicenotesonpaper as I tendtorecollectmoreinfor1nation. I wasalsotutoredquitealotafterschool whichforcedmetoputinextratimeinto eachofmysubjects. Ilikedplayingsome calmbackground musicwhileIstudied. Whathelpedmethebestwasteachingand helpingotherpeoplelearnthecontent.

Akul Saigal: Mystudytimetablesavedmy life.Okay,1n1ightbeexaggeratingalittle, butwithoutitI wouldhavebeensolost. Inthelasttwomonthsbefore theexan1s, I had aplanthatshowedexactlywhat subjects I wantedtodoand forhowlong. This1neantI wasabletogiveequaltime toeverysubject. Ofcourse,Iwasnotable tofollowittoaT. Butitstillgavemeson1e much-neededstructureandmeantI did notfeeloverwhelmedwiththeprospectof exa1nsbeingrightaroundthecorner.

What extra-curricular activities, hobbies, orTV shows helpedyou through thisyear?

ArnavKalra: Stayingfitwasreally

importanttome,notonlyforphysical means,butbecauseitreallyhelpedme concentrateandalsorelax. Playing basketballandgoingtothegym(COVfD allowing)were mymainwaystodothis. I definitelybingedafewshowsonNetflix andAmazonPrimeaswell!

BbawanDillon: f participatedinalotof volunteeractivitiesincludingserviceat Langar(freecongregationkitchen)atmy localGurdwaraandsomecharities. It helped medevelopadeeperconnection tomySikh faithandallowedme to helppeopleduringtimesofhardship anddespair. lfeltthesatisfactionand internalprideassociatedwithproviding forothers. Apartfron1this, l usedto listen toSantJarnailSinghJi'sand Dr APJ AbdulKalam'sspeechesthatfurther instilleddeterminationwithinmetodo mypersonal bestandstretchboundaries imposedbysocietyandchallenge political norms.

KeiratbSingh: J madesuretocall my friendsandorganiseZoomcallsevery nowand thentokeepintouchandtalk aboutourlives. I followedtheAFL quiteintenselyandalwaysmadesureto blockouttimetowatchmyteam,the Saints,playeveryweek.

AryanBhatia:1joined moreclubsin Year 11 thananyotheryearinschool. I hadjoinedArn1yCadets, Robotics, and evenChoralesasextracurriculars. 1alsousedtoruneverySaturdayinan activitycalledParkRun. 1used todetest it,butIhavetoadmit1feltrefreshedand invigoratedafterwardsandithelped me tofocusbetter.Atonestagel evengot ParkRunnerofthen1onth. I wouldhighly recommendthesekindsofactivitiesin

Year 12.AsforTVshows,Iusedtowatch alotofspace and sciencedocumentaries, worldhistoryandWorldWarII related videos,NationalGeographicand thelike Theyreallyhelped to relaxwhenI gota bittiredofstudyingbutfedmybrain's appetitefortrivialinformation.

AdarshParekh:Asaviolinist,Iwasthe concertmasteroftheSecondarySchools StringSymphony(orchestra)andfound that1nultipleactivitiessuchaskarate,gym exercise,tennisandbadmintonhelpedme

todestress.

SharanyaKarnath:Inordertokeep n,yself motivatedandfocused, I tookbreaks betweenstudyingto re-energisemyself. Thiswouldallowmeto returnwitha relaxed mindandinturn, maximise my productivity. Ienjoyedplayingbadminton orwatchingmovies. Ialso foundthat spendingtimewithfamilyand friendswas importantformywellbeingandhelped relievestress.

BrindaMurlikrishna:Idanced three timesaweek,learntalanguageoutside ofschool,and Iwould take longwalksat nighttodestress.Athome, Ioftenplayed Minecraftwhilstlisteningtogamingmusic forhoursata time, butitwasagood breakfromallthestudying. Myfavourite TVshowstogetmethroughallthestress probablywouldhavebeen Luciferand Gossip Girl. I also spentalotofweekends withfriendsandwentout. Itwasgoodfor meas Iwasable tobalanceoutmysocial lifewith myschoolworkload.

AkulSaigal: l stayed involvedwith activities frompreviousyears. 1was still leadingaplatoonincadets,playing saxophonemostdaysaweek,playing soccer,volleyballand tennis,debatingand - mostimportantly- spendinglotsoftime withfamily. Sadly, asweallnowknowtoo well,MsRonawasn'ttookind,soalotof myactivitiesgotcancelled. Debatingand banddidmoveonlineandtheybecame necessaryto maintainbalanceandbreak fromstudy. 1 also madeanefforttoplay withmylittlebrotherasoftenasI could. Onlynowhavel begunto realise how importantitwasformeandmysanity.

Whatmoments fromthe pastyeardo you remembermost?

ArnavKalra: Definitelythelastfew weeksofYear 12,asI thinkthatitwasan opportunityforallofusatschooltoreflect onthepastsixyearstogether.Itwasreally enjoyabletobeable tospend thattime together,engagingindifferentactivities andeventsorganisedbymyschool.

BhawanDillon: Irememberstressingout alotbutlifegoeson,soIdon'treallygive muchthoughttoindividualmoments. IfI hadtorecall,itwouldprobablybefighting

afakeplagiarismcasesomeonetried to in1poseonmeformyEnglishassignment, butintheend, Igotaband 6in English and theydidn't. It'sbeenan interesting year filledwithchallengeswhichallow you togrowand becomea betterversion ofyourself,soitisso1nethingI definitely en1brace.

KeirathSingh:The lastdayofschoolwas quite 111en1orableforme. J thoroughly enjoyedcelebratingitwithmyfriends andteachers. Additionally, throughout lockdown,wehadorganisedafewonline 'Year 12gamesnights'aspartofthe leadershipcommitteewhichwerevery enjoyable.

Aryan Bhatia: J re1nen1bergettingA+ in1nostofn1ysubjects.Thatwasreally heartening. ButJ alsorememberonepoor scoreinEnglish,Iwasabitheartbrokenat firstbutI.tookitasalessonand1novedon. Sometimesonemightgetlowgrades,but weshouldjustlearnfrom itandnotlose sightofthedestination,which istheYCE exam.

AdarshParekh:The6-daystate-wide 'circuitbreaker'lockdownwhichresulted inthecancellationofbothformaland graduationforourschool'sYear 12 students.

SharanyaKarnath:Thechallengesof learningonlinemademerealisethevalue oflearningface-to-face and increasedmy gratitudeforn1yfriendsand teachers. Finishingmylastexa1nwasanother memorablemomentasthiscreatedasense ofachievementandrelief.Graduationday wasanotherhighlightwhichallowedusto reflectonourachievementsthroughout ourschoolyears.

BrindaMurlikrishna:Thememorable momentfor1newouldhavebeenYear 12graduation, asitwastheonedaywe didnothaveto holdbackwiththesize oftheevent. I saidgoodbyetomypeers, son1eofwhomI hadspentthelast 13 yearswith. Sayinggoodbyetosomeofmy a1nazingteacherswashard,butalsoreally touching. Itmademereflectonallthe yearsspentlearningfro1nthemandbeside them.

AkulSaigal:Alockdown 18thbirthday made specialbymyfa1nilythatmy9-year-

ARYAN BHATIA {VCE)

ATAR: 99.25

Subjects:SpecialistMaths, Maths Methods,Physics,Chemistry, Accounting, English School: MelbourneHighSchool

ARNAV KALRA (HSC)

ATAR:99.70

Subjects:EnglishAdvanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension2,Chemistry, Biology, Italian Continuers, Italian Extension School: SydneyGrammarSchool

oldbrotherlikestotakecreditfor.

Whatwouldyouradvicetofuturefinal yearstudentsbe?

ArnavKalra: Stayorganised. ltisveryeasy togetcaughtupwithstressand panicin yourfinalyear. Keepyournotestogether, seekhelpifyouneedit, and lookoutfor yourfriends.

BhawanDillon: Don'tworryaboutit,just doyourbestandeverythingelsewillsort itselfout.Aslongasyoudoyourbest,it doesn'tmatter.Therearemanypathways touniversity. I personallyknowqualified doctorsandsurgeonswhoreceivedATARs below75andstillgotintomedicine. Alwaysremembertotakecareofyourself firstbeforeyourgrades.

KeirathSingh:Mymainadvicewouldbe nottostresstoomuchabouttheyear. Even ifyoudon'tachieveyourdesiredATAR, there aredifferentpathwaystoreach the endgoal. Iwouldmaintaintheimportance ofkeepingabalancedlifestyleand making surethatyoukeepotherinterestsoutside ofstudy.

AryanBhatia:Year 12 isastressfulyear anditpaysofftopracticetechniquesto coolyourmind. I'venoticedthatwhenmy mindiscool,I an1able toperformbetter. Pleasedon'tstudyonesubjectformore than2hoursaday-itgetstiring! Break themonotonywithothersubjectsorsome funactivities.

AdarshParekh: Forfuturefinalyear students,I wouldadvisetomanage yourtimeand 111aintainawork-life balance,enjoythelittlethings,minimise procrastination,appreciateyourhigh schoolfriendsandteachers,takebreaks andhavefun.Also,startpreparingfor finalexamsearlyintheyearratherthan leavingittothelastminute.

SharanyaKarnath:Thingsstarttopile upifyoufallbehind,sostayorganised. Createaschedulethatcanhelpyou dedicateenoughtimeforeachofyour subjects. It'salsoimportanttomaintain abalancebetweenstudyingandyour personallife. Don'tforgettotakeson1e timeofftorelax.

BrindaMurlikrishna:I wouldrecommend futureYear12stohaveahealthyroutine.

Studyingall thetimejustwillnotdoit,so learntohavefunand make newfriends. Learntohavealifeoutsideofschooland distractyourselfsometimes.Andfinally, developagoodsleep routineofatleast 7-10hourseach night. When Isleptwell, I didwell. It'sabouthowwellrestedyou are, nothowmanyhoursyoustudiedthe nightbefore. Evenonthe nightbefore exams, Iwasreallystressedbut Idecided tosleepearlyandendeduprecallingmore content. Sogoodluck!

Akul Saigal:Takeadeep breath. Jtissuch apowerfultool.Takeonenowandyou'll seewhatl n1ean.Whenever J feltstressed oroverwhelmed,Iwould takeafewdeep breaths. Ithelpedputeverythinginto perspective. lt'ssuchsimple,quickand powerfultooland lwouldrecommendit foreverybody!

Whatareyoumostlooking forwardtoin202l?

ArnavKalra: Startinguniversitywill bealotoffun. I'mexcitedtomeetnew peopleandexperienceanewlearning environment.I'malsolookingforwardto travel,hopefully.

BhawanDillon: I amlookingforwardto exploringnewthings,meetingnewpeople, and expandingmynetworkatuniversity. lamalsoexcitedtopursuemore volunteeringopportunities. I'dliketo partnerwithmorecharitiestoundertake moresocialjusticeandcontribute to improvingsociety.

KeirathSingh:1 ammostlooking forwardtothe additionalfreedomand independencethatuniwillprovide. Onlineuniversitywillbeanother challenge,butI amlookingforwardto hopefullybeingoncampussoon.

AryanBhatia:I amveryexcitedtosee whatthefutureholdsforme,especially theopportunityofgettingintothe universityandthecourseofmychoice.I'm hopingitwillbeenjoyableandwillopen upmanyvenuesforme. I'malsoexcitedto takeonaparttimejobandgetintomore outdooractivitiespostCOVID.

AdarshParekh: Forittobeevenjust slightlybetterthan2020.

SharanyaKarnath: In2021,I'mlooking

forward tostudyingatuniversity, tneeting newpeople,theflexibilityofthelearning schedule,andthe rangeofopportunities thatareofferedatuniversity.

BrindaMurlikrishna:As Iammoving interstatesoon, Ilookforwardto startinganewlifeinCanberrawhere [willbeundertakingmydegreeatthe ANU. lamlookingforwardparticularly tomakingnewfriendsandgoingon lotsofadventuresaroundtheworld (if restrictionspermit) andinAustralia. Iwill bestudyingcomputingand languages, two subjects that J thoroughlyenjoy,so Iam superexcitedtobegin mydegree.

Akul Saigal:Theunusual freedomand challengesofuniversity. Ltwillbeatotally differentexperience and I'mexcited for thisnewchaptertobegin.

Favouritequotefromateacher'?

BhawanDillon: Bhawan,putyoursafety goggleson.(Ms Lidijaand Ms Rosemary)

Aryan Bhatia: Itiswhatitis.

AdarshParekh: Practiceiseverything.

SharanyaKarnath:Year 12 islikeatennis match-eachtermisaset,and thefinal examsarethetiebreaker.Attimesyou maybe fallingbehind,butbyovercoming thesechallengesyouwillwinthe match. Andjustlike tennisoranyothersport, it's importanttohavefunalongtheway.

BrindaMurlikrishna: Lifethrowsyou manychallenges. Butwhatmattersishow youdealwiththen1.

AkulSaigal:VCEisamarathon,nota sprint.

Describeyouracademicyear inthreewords.

ArnavKalra: Unusual. Challenging. Rewarding.

BhawanDillon:Aninterestingjourney.

KeirathSingh:Challengingbutenjoyable.

AryanBhatia: Unprecedented. Perplexing. Enjoyable.

AdarshParekh: Onewildride.

SharanyaKarnath:Challenging. Rewarding. Memorable.

BrindaMurlikrishna:Challenging, Encouraging,Successful.

Akul Saigal: Challenging, rewarding rollercoaster.

89 Delhi hospitals chosen for COVID vaccination drive's first phase

Withtheworld'sbiggestvaccinationdrive slatedtorolloutacross Indiafron1 January 16,the Delhigovernmenthasannounced thatithasmadeallpreparationsand finalised 89hospitalsforthefirstphaseof COVlD-19vaccination.

Ofthe89 Delhi hospitals,40are government-runand49areprivate, Delhi Health MinisterSatyendarJaintoldapress conference.

TheCentralGovernmenthasfinalised around 5,000vaccinationsitesacrossIndia.

JainsaidthattheDelhigovernn1entwill focusonhealthcareworkers,frontline workersandthenpeopleagedabove 50in thefirstphaseofthevaccination.

Asmanyas2,25,000healthcareworkers willgetthevaccinationinthefirstphaseof the1nammothexercise.TheDelhigovernment willalsoincludeteachersintheexerciseas theyworkedasfrontlineworkersinthetime ofCOVlD-19pande1nic,the1ninistersaid.

Jainsaid thatthevaccinesforthe COVlD-19willstartarrivingbetween January 12to 14andtheDelhigovern1nent hasprepareda"verystrongandrobust storagesyste1ntokeepthevaccine".

'Proud moment': India begins 2-year stintat UN

Security Council

Indiakickedoffitstwo-yeartenureasa non-permanentme1nberoftheUNSecurity Council(UNSC)withthecountry'stricolour beinginstalledattheindoorstakeoutarea duringaspecialceren1onyonawintry afternoonatthe UnitedNationsheadquarters inNewYorkCityearlyinthenewyeru·.

"Thisisaproudmomentformycountry and fortnydelegation,"A1nbassador T.S.Tiru1nurti,India'sPern1anent Representativetothe UnitedNations,said, inpreparedremarks.

"IndiacomesintotheSecurityCouncilas thelargestdemocracyrepresentingonesixth ofhumanityandwithastrongcommitment toreformedmultilateralis111,ruleoflaw,a fairandequitableinternationalsystemand topeace,securityanddevelopment.From KashmirtoKanyakumari,westandunited asone,boundbyourethosofdemocracy,

pluralismandcornn1itmenttofundamental rights,"hesaidatIndia'sOaginstallation cere1nonyattheUNSecurityCouncil.

Tiru1nurtiframedIndia'sroleasonethat brings"human-centricandinclusivesolutions tomattersofinternationalpeaceandsecu1;ty".

"Indiawillbeavoiceforthedeveloping world,"headded, echoingIndian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi'sremarksatlast year'sUNGA.

IndiawillpresideoverthecouncilasUNSC PresidentinAugust2021 andagainin2022. ThepresidencyoftheUNSCisheldbyeach me1nberinturnforamonth. Lreland,Kenya, MexicoandNorwayjoinedIndiainthelatest cohortofnon-pern1anentUNSCmembers.

OutliningNewDelhi's"veryambitious agenda"foritstwo-yearterm,Tirumurtitold lANS,"WewilJberaisingourvoiceagainstthe enemiesofhumanity,particularlyterrorism."

InapolarisedCouncil,Indiawillbe bridge-builder,especiallywhentheworld emergesfron1 the ravagesoftheCovid-19 pandemic,hesaid.

"WearealsoenteringtheSecurity CouncilwhentheCOVIDpandemicison. Therefore,wearehopingthatwewillplaya rolenotonlyduringthepandenlic,butalso inthepost-pandemicworld,where I think thereisalotofhealingtodo.Thereare fissures,(and) I'mconfidentIndiawillbea bridgetoovercomethesefissures."

Atagloballevel,Indiaisalreadyhelping countrieswithfightingthecoronavirus,he saidcitingPrimeMinisterNarendraModi's pledgeatlastyear'sGeneralA5semblysession to"beanilnportantplayerinthecontextofthe COYlDpande1uic"andtoshare"thevaccines forthesakeofhu1nanityandmankind".

"Wehave alreadyassistedmore than 150 countries,bywayofmedicalaid.AndI'm confidentthatduringthepandemicwewill playanextremelyimportantrole,"hesaid.

AnIndianForeignServiceofficerofthe 1985batch,Tirwnurtitookoverasthe PermanentRepresentativelastyearjustas IndiawasgettingreadyfortheCouncilelection ru1dguidedtheca111paigntoanin1pressive victory,polling 184ofthe 192votescast.

Indiaishistoricallythebiggestconh·ibutor tothe UN peacekeepingoperationsand heindicatedthatthetopicwillbehighon India'sagenda.

Peacekeepingis"anextremelyimportant

componentofourengagementwiththeUnited Nations,aswellaspeace-building,whichhas comeintopron1inenceinrecentyears",hesaid.

Thepeacekeepingmandatesareissuedby theCouncilmostlydrivenbythepermanent memberswhoareobliviousofground realitiesand Indiahascomplained thatthe troop-contributorswerenotconsulted. Now India,which hassentmorethan200,000 peacekeepersin49missions,willbeableto contributetotheframingofmissions.

"Wewillalsobeadvocatingreformed multilateralism,theruleoflaw,womenand youthinthecontextofconflictsituations," hesaid.

Ontheterrorismfront, Indiawillbeable asaCouncilmembertoparticipateinthe discussionsaboutterrorismandterrorists, whereChinahasgivenPakistancoverinthe past.

Forexample,Beijingforseveralyears protectedMasoodAzhar,thePakistan-based terroristleaderoftheJaish-e-Mohammed, whowasbehindseveralterroristattacks•the mostrecentoneinPulwamain2019that killed40Indiansecuritypersonnel.

At least 20 IndianAmericans now appointed to Biden-Harris administration FollowingJoeBiden'selectionvictorylast November,theUSPresident-electhas proceededtofillhisgovernmentstructurein awaythatwill"looklikethecountry" With thesupportofVicePresident-electKamala Harris, atleast25 IndianAmericansareset tohold rolesinthenewadministration,with atleast 15inkeypolicypositions.

Themostimportantappointmentinthe healthsectorcan1ewhenBidenpickedVivek MurthytobetheUnitedStatesSurgeon General. Murthyhadalreadyservedas SurgeonGeneralduringtheObama-Biden Administration,makinghimuniquely qualifiedtoleadasAmerica'sDoctor.

Tru·unChhabra,afirst-generationAmerican andagraduateofStanfordUniversity,Oxford University,andHarvardLawSchool,wilJ serveasSeniorDirectorforTechnology811d NationalSecurity.SumonaGuba,agraduate ofJohnsHopkinsandGeorgetownUniversity, hasbeenappointedasSeniorDirectorfor SouthAsiaandformerjournalistShanthi KalathilwilJbeCoordinatorforDemocracy

Ahealthofficialconductsroutine checksoftheElectronicVaccine IntelligenceNetwork(EVIN)iceline coldstoragerefrigeratoratastate vaccinestoragecentreinBangalore, India, 10January2021.

andHumanRights.

Additionally,MalaAdiga,Directorfor HigherEducationandMilitaryFamiliesat theBidenFoundationwasnamedasPolicy DirectorforthenextFirstLady,DrJillBiden. Aweeklater,NeeraTanden,acontroversial closeconfidanteoftheClintons,was appointedtoheadthepowerfulWhiteHouse OfficeofManagementandBudget(0MB) andAliZaidicurrentlyservingasNewYork's DeputySecretaryforEnergyandEnvironment willbetheDeputyNationalClimateAdvisor.

Amongotherappointments,DrArun Majumdar,formerGoogleexecutive,Obama official,andUT-Bombaygraduate,willleadthe transitionteamfortheEnergyDepart1nent; DrRahulGuptawillleadthetransitionwith theOfficeofNationalDrugControlPolicy; KiranAhujahasbeennominatedforTean1 LeadforOfficeofPersonnelManagement; BharatRamamurthiwasnamedasDeputy DirectoroftheNationalEconomicCouncil (NEC)forfinancialreformandconsun1er protection;VedantPatelwillbeassistantpress secretaryoftheWhiteHouse;Bhavya Lalwill leadthetransitionatNASA;PunnetTalwar willbeontheagencyreviewteamforthe USDepartn1entofState;PavSinghwillhelp transitiontheNationalSecurityCouncil;and SeemaNandawillbewiththe USDepart1nent ofLabor;andCivilrightsactivistVanitaGupta willserveasassociateattorneygeneral.

Latestintheseriesofappointmentsis SabrinaSingh,alongtimeaidetoUSVice PresidentelectKamalaHarris,whohasbeen namedWhiteHouseDeputyPressSecretary.

21-year-old Arya Rajendran elected mayorof Thiruvananthapuram

Arya Rajendran,a21-year-oldComn1unist PartyofIndia-Marxist(CPM)councillor from Mudavanmugal,hasbeensworninas the newMayorofThiruvananthapuran1city corporation.

Arya,aB.ScMathematicssecondyear studentattheAllSaintsCollege,will continuewithherstudiesalongwith handlingtheresponsibilitiesasMayor.

ShehadadefinitiveleadoverherCongress rivalcandidateintheelections,withher nominationforthepostbeingseenasasignal ofencouragementtowardsyouthinvolvement inpolitics,especiallyinherstateofKerala.

NowtheyoungestcitymayorinIndia,she hasbeatentherecordpreviouslyheldby Devendra FadJ1aviswhohadbeenelected mayoroftheNagpurMunicipalCorporation attheageof27.

Apartfro111hernewestaccolade,Arya Rajendranisalsostatepresidentof Balasangam,thechildren'swingoftheLeft party,andisastatecoffilnitteen1emberof Students'FederationofIndia.

AlongwithRajendran,twootherwomen wereelectedmayorsoftheirrespectivecity corporationsintherecentelections.

InKollam,PrassannaEarnestofthe CPMwassworninas theMayor. Thisisher secondstintastheMayorofKollam. InKozhikode,retiredteacherBeena Philipofthe CPMwassworninasMayor. IANS

Photo:AP

NAVJOTPAL KAUR and SUMEETSEKHON

stemperaturesplummet, hundredsofthousandsof1nen, won1enandchildrencontinue tospendbone-chilHngdaysand nightsinmakeshiftsheltersacrossmultiple protestsitesencirclingNewDelhi.

Thesewidespreadfan11ers'protestshave enteredtheirsecondmonthtorageagainst newcontentiousfarmlawspassedbythe IndiangovernmentinSeptember.

Fannersarede1nandingtheIndian governmentretractthelaws,introduced duringCOVID-19lockdownswithout consultingstakeholders.Accordingtoexperts thelaws,ai1nedat"liberalizing"Indian agricultu1·e,willgraduallydriveoutsmall andmai-ginalfarmersbycreatingprivate monopoliesinthe1narket.

Giventhat86percentoffarmersinIndia aresmalllandholders(owninglessthantwo hectares),strongoppositiontothelawsis hardlysurprisingatall.

Theprotesthasgarneredhugecommunity supportfromIndiaandabroad.Ithasalso managedtoincludeandmobilizewomen. Inthisway,thefarmers'protestsshow how1nodernprotestsitescanbespacesof resistanceandpowerbutalsoofgender equityande1npowerment.

Democraticalienationandanincreasing distancebetweencitizensanddecision makersseemstobethehallmarkoftheModiledIndiangovernment.Anexampleofthis wasseenduringtheShaheenBaghprotestto

discuss the empowering nature of women's activism and protest in India

theCitizenshipAmend1nentAct.

ShaheenBaghandtheongoingfarmers' protestarea1nongthebiggestproteststo rockIndiainrecenttilnes.Anoteworthy featureofboththeseprotestsisthattheyhave challengedthestereotypesofIndianwomen thathavebeendo1ninatedbytheirsupposed passivityinthefaceofvictilnhood.

Thefarmers'protest,however,isdistinct fromtheShaheenBaghprotestinthe sensethatithasgarneredunprecedented coLnmunitysupport.MostlyledbySikh fannersfromPunjab,theprotestspace reflectstheSikhethosoflangar(freemeals), sewa(service),andcharhdikala(highspirits).

Theseismicwavesoftheprotestare notonlybeingfeltinIndiabutindifferent countriesacrosstheworldwheretheIndian, andparticularlyPunjabi,diasporaareholding massiveralliesagainstthefarmlaws.

Women lead protests PunjabandHaryana,thetwostatesleading thefarmers'protest,arecharacterized bydeeplyentrenchedfeudal,patriarchal structuresthatplacesignificant,deliberate andinadvertentconstraintsonwomen. Furthermore,bothPunjabandHaryana continuetobecounteda1nongthecountry's worst-performingstatesintermsoffemale-tomalesexratios.

Usually,intypicalagrarianpatriarchal societies,womenandn1endonothave equalaccesstohouseholdresources.This

inequalityisworsenedduringtin1esof economichardshipsasintra-household bargainingformeagreresourcesintensifies. Inotherwords,decisionsaremorelikelyto beskewedinfavourofmen'sinterestswhen householdresourcesareinadequatetomeet theneedsofallmen1bers.

Adecreasemfarmingincomesislikelyto haveadisproportionatelyadverseilnpacton thelivesofwomen.Fu1thermore,adecrease infarmincomesislikelytoleadtomore peoplegoingintodebt-oneoftheprimary causesoffarmersuicidesinIndia.Women belongingtosuicide-affectedfamiliesare particularlyvulnerabletopoverty.They arelefttofendforthemselvesduetodeeprootedideasofpatrilinealinheritance,which precludewomenfromowningland.

Againstthisbackd1·op,itisremarkable thatthousandsofwomenareexercisingtheil· agency,bravingthebitingcoldandnotonly participatinginbutleadmgtheprotests.

Whenaskedabouttheirmotivationto participatemtheprotests,won1entold journalistsabouttheiractiveinvolvementin thefarmingprocess.Indeed,womenofrural Indiacontributedirectlytowardsagricultural productionintheformoflabow·onfamilyownedfarms,aswellasindirectlythrough cooking,cleaningandcaringforchildrenand theelderlywithinthehousehold.

Thelongworkinghoursandgruelling dailylivesofwomeninruralIndiaarewell documented.Monumentalcontributionsto

farmingnotwithstanding,wo1nenareyet tobeacknowledgedasfarmersbysociety. Thewomenattheprotestsites,however, arecomfortablewiththefrfarmeridentity. Perhapstheprotestisanopportunityforthem topubliclyclait11thisidentity.

Inadditiontoprotestil1g,womenhave takenontheentireresponsibilityofmanaging theirfarmsandhouseholdsbackinPunjab. Thesewomenarealsoensuringthereisa continuoussupplyofrations,blanketsand otheressentialsneededattheprotestsites. Withoutthislogisticalsupportfromthe womenmtheirfamilies,andtheknowledge thattheirfarmsarebemgtendedto,themen could nothavecampedonthebordersof Delhiformorethanamonth.

Moreover,intheabsenceofmen,wo1nen aremanagingabout 100protestsitesin Punjabtokeepupthemomentu1ninthe homestate.

Thededicatedparticipationofwomenin theseprotestsshowsthatwo1nen'sactivism andprotesthasbecomeanempoweringspace inandofitself.

NavjotpalKaurisaPh.D. Candidate, Sociology,MemorialUniversityof Newfoundland, Canada. SumeetSekhonisa PostdoctoralResearchFellow,Development andGenderStudies, UniversityofBritish Columbia, Canada.

Thisarticlefirstappearedin The Conversation.

JAN UARY

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SEPTE MBER

OCT OBER

MARCH

NOVE MBER

AP RIL

Acontemporary videoartwork reinterpretsa2000-year-old Tamiltaleto resonate with life today

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

annagibeginsasanordinary woman;wellnotthatordinary, andthentransforn1sintoa goddess ofjustice!"

SosaysSydney-basedartistfilmmaker ZannyBegg,whosevideoStoriesof Kan.nagihasbeenno1ninatedforthe Blake Prize, anartprizethatengagesartists creatingworksaboutspirituality,religion, andjustice (ortheirlackthereof).

"It'saboutthecentralfemalecharacter Kannagi,whoisknowntobeachasteand docilewomanforalongtime,butwhenshe is confronted withinjustice,shetransforms intoafierycharacterwhodeliversastrong speechtotheking,"ZannytoldIndian Link. "Herspeechissopowerfulthatthe kinggivesuphispowerandthecityis consu111edinflames."

ShewasintroducedtoKannagiwhenJiva Parthipan,culturaldevelopn1entofficerata non-profitcalledSTARTTS(Serviceforthe TreatmentandRehabilitationofTortureand TraumaSurvivors)approachedherwiththe ideafortheproject. Jivahasbeenworking withtheTamilco1nmunity(includingTamil refugees)forthelast3yearsteachingthem aboutfilmmaking.

TheideaitnmediatelyappealedtoZanny, allofwhoseworksaredefinedbystrong femaleleads.

ThestoryofKannagi

Kannagiistheprotagonistina2000-year-old

TamilepiccalledSilappathikaram111eaning

'thetaleofananklet'inTamil.Aclassic,itis taughtinlocallanguageschoolsaspartofthe Tan1ilcurriculuminAustralia.

ThereareKannagitemplesallover southernIndiaandSriLankatothisday. Devoteesvisitthesetemplestoaskfordivine interventionwhenfacedwithproblems.

"InSriLanka,ittookonanotherangle. In 2009,attheendofthewar,theUN baddepartedandtherewerenoexternal witnesses.So,peoplebelievedthatKannagi wasthesolewitnesstothewarandwillgive themjusticeandtothepeoplewhoarestill missing,"JivaParthipanexplained.

Storiesthatstandthetestoftime, especiallystoriesofsuTvivalandresilience, deeplyinterestZanny.Additionally,Kannagi isnotperfect,andflawedcharacters,Zanny muses,are"themostinteresting".

"Hersisanancientstorywhich resonateswithlifetoday,particularlyin theAustraliancontext,wherewehavetotal injusticetowardsrefugeesandmigrants," Zannystated."So,havingthispowerful figurewhobasicallytellstherulerof thelandthatbedoesn'tdeservetorule

anymorebecausehehasn'tbeenajust ruler,resonatedwithme. Jfeltapowerful attractionto the story."

The power of language

ThevideoalsofeaturesSriLankan TamilwritersNiromideSoyza,Shankari ChandaTanandSrishaSritharan,to interprettheideaofloveinSilappathikaram incurrenttin1es.Allthreewritersarebased inAustraliaandprominentlyuselanguage asaformofdissent.

"lwasinterestedinthepoweroflanguage andJivawascreatinganexhibitioncalled OlderThanLanguagewhichwasaboutthe roleoflanguageinexiledcommunities," ZannyBeggsaid."So,Ichosetofocuson threewriterswhowereusinglanguageto challengeinjusticeswhetheritwasthrough books,memoirsorslampoetry.Ithought itwasanicebouncepointbetweenthis 2,000-yearstoryofKannagiandthewayin whichthesewomenwereusinglanguageas aformofresistancetoday."

Begginitiallycreatedafilmcalled/ am Kannagi aboutayoungTamilwon1an

seekingasyluminSydneywhichmade theroundsatfilmfestivals,and later collaboratedwithlinguiststocreateStories ofKannagi,avideoartworkforexhibitions. Asidefrom1nakingafewcallstocasting agents,itwasdifficulttofindbilingual -o actorsandactressesfortheproject.

[ "Ithadtobepeople fron1within the projectwewereworkingonand nearly t allofthemwereuntrainedactors," Jiva a. ro Parthipanadded.

u Eventhevisuallanguageinthevideolends g itselftoabeautifulandvibrantlandscape.

3

Q) StoriesofKannagishowsanincredible weddingsequencewhichwasfilmedata weddingreceptionvenueinPendleHill.

"ldidallthedrawingwhichformedall thedrapesforthemandapofthewedding. Wekeptthatbackgroundevenwiththe contemporaryinterviewswiththewritersto maintainavisuallinkbetweentheoldstory andthecontemporarycontext,"Zannysajd.

Themusicinthefilmwascreatedbylocal composerJamesBrownincollaboration withSrishaSritharan,aSydney-basedpoet wholenthervoicetotheco1nposition.

BeingnamedasafinalistfortheBlakeArt PrizewasmomentofgreatprideforZanny.

"I'mjustproudofthewholeteam. Ifeel like thestoryhasthisincrediblespiritual dimensionandlooksatjustice,exile,and colonialismthroughtheprismofstories, culture,andspirituality.Feelslovelythat there'sthatkindofrecognitionforthis project. Ifeellike IgottoknowtheSri LankanTamilcommunityinSydneymore andI'msogratefultoJivaforaskingtome tocomeonboard."

SeeStoriesofKannagiattheBlakePrize ExhibitionatSydney'sCasulaPowerhouse ArtCentre, 13 Feb - 11 April2021.

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

reetiVijaya Sawrikarisnostranger topain. So1neofourreadersmight rememberreadingherstoryin 20l9, ThePowerofPetals.Thestory ofbowtherestorativeeffectsofgarde11i11g helped Preeti fighta painful conditioncaused byadegenerativeneck,wasinspiring.Many operationslatel',thepainstillLingersand isoftenquiteunbeal'able. 1-fowever,Preeti hasfoundanewwaytocontinuetohelp herself,aswelJasspread theloveforplants whilesupportinganoblecauseinherhome country.

The seed ofthe idea ca1ne to Preeti when shevisited her hometown Hyderabad to meetfriends she had been to schoolwith. She wasn1eetingthemafter49yearsand therewasn1uchcatchinguptodo. One ofthechildhoodfriends she metwas DrAnant Reddy,nowa reconstructive surgeonforaleprosy hospital.

"Ananthadthiscaln1andradiantaura abouthim," Preeti recountedtoIndianLink. "Speakingtohim,itwasdeal'thatitcame fromhisyearsofdedicationtoanoblecause, theleprosyhospitalheworkedatsincebe becameadoctor. Iwantedtoknowmore."

Onherreturn to Sydney, Preetisaw videosofthe Sivananda Rehabilitation

Hon1ethat Dr Reddysenther.Theheartbreakingand touchingstories111oved Preeti somuch thatshedecided thiswasa cause she had to support.

Alreadyan accon1plished hobby gardener, Preetidecided tocombine her creativeskillsin arrangingsucculentsto contribute as best asshe could to thecause.

The Sivananda RehabHomefund-raiser projectwasbo1·n.

Thelogistics ofcollectingplantsandpots and haulingbagsofpottingmixeswasn'tan easyone. Succulentsarehardyplantseasy tolook afterbutatinyplantcansometimes costupto $10. Herpersonalcollectionof hundredsofplantshelpedtosomeextent, but sheoften droveforhourstopickup bargainsfrom onlinesellers. Explainingthe processofcreatingunique arrangementsof theseplants, Preetisays, "Succulentscome in avarietyofshapes,coloursand sizes. Itwasn'tjustamatterofthrowingthem together. 1 had toconsiderthewaterand lightrequirementstomatch similarplants togetherinanarrangementwhichwasalso aestheticallypleasing".

Shethencontactedherfriendsandput aword outtothecommunityabouther project. Manyweresurprisedtoknov,that leprosywasstillaprevalentdiseaseinIndia.

"UntilI met DrReddy, Imyselfdidnot know1nuchaboutleprosy,"confessedPreeti.

Herprojecthelped inraisingthis awareness. Leprosy, a bacterialdisease, affectsthebody's nervoussystem.Affected

areas are skin,eyesand musclesofthe handsandfeet. Asthe disease progresses, sensations are lost, 1nakingthepatient vulnerabletocutsand infections. Stiffened musclescauseclawed hands and the lossof the blinkingreflexcouldeven lead tototal blindness. Amputationoffingers, anarm orlegbecomesnecessaryattimes.

However, it isnotjustthephysical impacts ofthe disease thatare significant; leprosycarrieswith ita socialstigma which impacts thesocial and economic well-beingofpatientsand families.

Sivananda RehabilitationHome,inthe outskirtsofHyderabad,wasfoundedin

1958by Rani Kumudini Devi, toprovide a refugetosuchpatients.Todayithousesover 500patientsand treatsthousandseachyear. Italsoprovidespatientswithrehabilitation andoccupationaltherapynecessaryto integratebackintotheircommunity. Dr Reddy'sworkinreconstructivesurgerynot onlyreturnsthe functionofsloughed body parts butalso restoresnormalitytotheir appearance,increasingsocial acceptance ofleprosypatientsinthecommunity. Italso helps themtoperform daily tasksand live independently.

Preeti wasoverwhelmed bythesupport ofherfriendsand community to this cause. With in a matterofweeks,over300 to 400 ofherplantartpieceswere snapped up, raisingover $8000 todate. As Preeti putsit, "The satisfactionofhaving1nade a difference bas helpedn1eforget tnyown pain. That ispriceless. Atherapy session costs $200perhourbut thebenefitthis projecthasgiven me is invaluable."

Mostofus live a privileged Ufe in Australia, and a little supportcango a longway. Asetofspecialisedfootwearfor people affected by leprosy costs less than $10. With $200, reconstructive surgery of deformed hands and feetis made possible, and $100 cancoverthe annual 1nedicine cost forone patient.

Andwhileprovidingthisinvaluable supportifyou wantto takehomea lovely plantarrangementtoo,pleasegetin touch withPreeti onvijay.sawrikar@gmail.com.

Sydney's Preeti Sawrikar has converted her love for succulents into a fundraising effort

VICGOVTANNOUNCES

$50,000 FOR HINDU CELEBRATIONS

he Victorian Govern1nent has announced $200,000 multicultural festivals and celebrations.

$50,000ofthis amount is set aside for Hindu celebrations, events and festivals.

Early in the newyear,ActingMinister for Multicultural Affairs Shaun Leane opened the Multicultural Festivals and Events Progra1n, invitingorganisations toapply forfundingforeventstobe held between March and June this year.

The fundingwill supporteventsheld either in person orin adigital fonnat. 1n-person events must adhere to the COVIDSafe Public Events Framework.

With the entertainn1ent and events industryoneofthe hardest hit becauseofthe panden1ic, thisfunding

announcement comes as awelcome move.

The initiative is part ofthe Andrews' LaborGovernment'selection co1nmitn1enttoinvest $200,000 to support multiculturalcelebrations.

In March,Victoria'sGreek cornmunitywill celebratethe 200th anniversaryofGreek independence - a significantoccasionon theircultural calendar. MinisterShaun Leane said, "The $200,000 fundingwill helpit be COVIDSafebutin1portantly, a rnilestone to ren1en1ber."

Applicationsclose 3pm on Wednesday, 3 February. For n1oreinformation orto apply, visit vie.gov.au/multicultura1-festivalsand-events-program.

eunsun

1oneers

Roderick MacKay's film The Furnace offers a peak into the toils and travails of our forebears who came to this country 150 or more years ago

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

anyIndigenouspeopletoday continuetohaveSikh orAfghan names.Thismessageattheend ofthefihnTheFurnacebrings homethedeephistoricalconnectionsthat peopleofSouthAsianoriginhavehadwith theoriginalinhabitantsofAustralia.

Knownasthe'Ghans' -shortfor 'Afghans'eventhoughtheydid notallhail fromAfghanistan-theyworkedthecan1el trainsin theoutbackinthelate 1800s, transportinggoodsandn1aterialsasa youngnationcameintobeing.

Laterthehistoryofthecameleer'Ghans' becan1elosttomodernAustralia,their workandcontribution-indeedtheirvery existence -onlycomingtotheforeina substantialwayearlythiscentury.

Now,acriticallyacclaimedAussiefilmis helpingtomakethemmainstream.

RoderickMacKay,directorofTheFurnace toldIndianLink,"Icertainlywasn'ttaught aboutthecameleersinhighschoolor university. Itwassixyearsagothatlfirst stumbleduponsomeblackandwhiteimages ofthecameleersintheoutbackinabook byEmeritusProfessorofHistory,Geoffrey Bolton. Withwhatlittleinformationwas available, Ibegantoresearchintowhothese extraordinarymenwereandwhytheywere heresolongago.That'swhenIbeganto fullyappreciatethatthecameleersarethe unsungpioneersofAustralia'sinland."

Headded,"Australianhistoryhastypically beenwrittenfrontaverynarrowAnglo-Celtic perspectiveandsosadly,itdoesn'tsurprise methatourMuslim,Sikhand1-Iindupioneers havebeensweptundertherug."

Inhisfilm-theloneAustralianfilmat lastyear'sVeniceFilmFestival-agroup ofcameleers intheGoldRusherabecotne involvedwithwhitesettlersandthe localAboriginalcom111unity.Admittedly theirrelationshipwiththelatterismuch smoother,giventheirsimilarspiritual andpsychosocialperspectivesandtheir

KaushikDas,AhmadMalekandBaykaliGanambarr

readinesstosharecultureandlanguage. Intheir ownseparateways,eachcommunityisforgingits ownsenseofidentity;together, theyarebuildinga notionofnationhood.

lnastrokeofgenius, MacKayhashischaracters speaktheirnativetonguessothattherearesome sixdifferentlanguagestobeheard inthefilm, includingHindi,Punjabi,Pashto,Cantoneseand theWesternAustralianIndigenouslanguage Badimaya.

Setinthegold1niningtownofMt. Magnet,six hoursawayfrom Perth, thefilmbringstogether amulticulturalcasttosupport lead actorDavid Wenha1n'scharacter,agoldthiefontherun.As hisAfghancameleerHanif,thebrilliantyoung EgyptianactorAhmedMalekbecomesparallel lead.

Indian-originactorsKaushikDasandMahesh JaduplayJundahandSadhurespectively-Sikh can1eleersandfamilyfigurestoHanif.

"Thefilmitselfishistoric,startingaconversation aboutaneranotdiscussedmuch,"Dastold Indian Link. "Withtheirremarkableworkexploringthe outback,andwiththeirblood,sweatandtears,the can1eleersopenedthefrontierstotherestofthe country."

Unlikeanythinghehaseverdonebefore,the highpointsfromtheexperienceweremany.

"BeingatMt.Magnet,stillanactiveminingsite, wasroughingit,butasspiritualIndigenousland, 1felttheenergyoftheplace.Meetingtheoriginal descendantsofthecharacterswewereplayingwas specialtoo -manywerepart-Indian.I alsofelta greatresponsibilityinlearningtospeakBadimaya,

asleepinglanguage,asitslastspeakerdiedayear ago.Heknewthoughthateffortswerebeingmade withhislanguagein thisfilm,sothatwasspecial. Andofcourse, thecamels- Ifellinlovewiththe amazingcreatures."

Thechallenges?"Filminginthe40-degreeheat, withtheflies.Everytimeweopenedourmouths, wetookafewfliesin!"

Particularlyspecialhowever,wasplayingaSikh character,beingaBengalihimself.

TheAustralianSikhHeritage,servingasSikh consultants,advisedwithnamesandattireofthe times.Mostimportantly,theytiedtheturbans,which theyinsistedmustbekeptauthentic.

Jundahwasapparentlythenameofareal cameieer,Dasrevealed."l-leoperatedoneofthe largestcameltrainsfromthe 1890stothe 1930s. Whenmotorizedtransportcame,helosthis livelihoodandtookhisownlife. Hisnameprobably camefromthewordjhundawhichn1eansflag. l like tothinkofhimasflagbearerofthecommunity."

It'sclearthatDasisquitetakenwiththisperiod ofhistory.Coincidentally,thiscriminallawyerturned-actor-producer-writerwashimselfwriting ascriptsetinthisera, inspiredbyAdelaideartist PeterDrew's"Aussie"posters,whenhescoredan auditionwithTheFurnace.

RoderickMacKayisconvincedweneedto tellmorestoriesofthetime. "TheFurnaceonly scratchesthesurfaceofthehistoryofourvery fascinatingSikh,MuslimandHinducameleers. Ihopeitencouragespeopletogoontheirown researchjourneyandawakenmoreinclusive notionsofAustralianidentity."

DavidWenhamwithAh

13-year-old Ashwell Starr is making waves in the Australian youth soccer league

Premier League, the exciten1ent in his voice is hard to contain when he states that he's an Arsenal fan.

BY RHEANATH

shwell Starr still reme1nbers that he scored over ten goals in the first soccer match ofhis life as a young boy. Ever since, the now 13-year-old has been hooked to the beautiful ga1ne.

"I love the thrill ofthe competition and scoringgoals," Ashwell admittedwith a cheekygrin.

Overtheyears, he's garnered a few feathers in his cap, playingforbig clubs in Sydney like the Parran1atta Eagles and Marconi Stallions. Theleft-wing striker impressivelyended the 2019-2020 season as thehighest scorer in his agegroup in the league.

This year, the budding soccer star is all set to commence a new stage in his career, playing for the U-14 team ofthe highly competitive Western Sydney Wanderers.

"It's a testament to his skills that he was scouted by the Western Sydney Wanderers. You don't typically try out for the Wanderers - they scout you," proud father Carlton Starr toldIndianLink.

By most accounts, he could be the most successful 1ndian player in the Australian youthleague so far. Ofcourse, the accolades don't come easy.

"Ashwellundertakes specialised training once a weekwithone ofthe best academies in Australia called Futboltec," Carlton explained. "Then he trains three ti1ues a

weekwith the Wanderers. And there are games overtheweekend."

With the whole family involved in Ashwell's training, includingolder brother Jason whoplayed soccer in India and England, the game is very much a family affair for the Starrs. (Even their pet dog Diego is named after the late Argentina soccerlegend Maradona.)

As part ofhis soccercareer, Ashwell has travelled all over, such as to theCairns Cup Yanmar Cup in Japan lastyear. Withsuch a busylifestyle dedicated to his game, the unwaveringfanuly support helps.

"It's not easy to train eaTlymornings and

late nights. At times, we've had to make sacrifices, but Ashwell has an undeniable talent. Others train very hard to reach this level oftalent that he's born with," said Carlton.

It's this talent that continues to fuel Ashwell's Socceroos ambitions.

"I'd love to play for the national team, of course," he shared with JndianLink. "I'd also love toplayforthe Indian Super League (ISL); there are a lot ofAustralian players doing well there."

Like most boys his age,Ashwellcounts Neymar, Messi, Renaldo as his favourite players. When asked about the English

So what has he learnt about himself fro1n the game?

"Soccer, like most sports, teaches discipJj11e and respect for the opposition. l've learnt to remain hun1blewith victories and with losses," he said.

His fathercouldn't agree more.

"Ashwell is a really respectful boy. He's learned a lot about the importance of teamwork and conducting yourselfwell,on and offthe field," Carlton elaborated.

The Starrs, originally from B01nbay, migrated toAustralia in 1995. As Ashwell's soccer careers continues to reach new heights, it's easy to acquire naysayers. To this, Carlton Starr has one simple philosophy - hard workand results should do all the talking.

"It's a great sign that there's an increasing number ofIndian boysplaying soccer at the grassroot levels. I believe we're going to see a lot ofIndian talent coming up the ranks in the next few years. As l frequently tell Ashwell, no one can argue with dedication and talent," he said.

Like with many aspects oflife, COVID has puta dampeneronAshwell's soccer plans too, but the Starrs are keeping apositive outlook.

"Ashwell has been contacted by Genk, a celebrated soccer team in Belgium. But we've been unable to travel because ofborder closures," Carlton revealed.

With thismanyexciting things in the works, it's nowonder the Starrs are eager to see what2021 holds for the talented lad. Onwards and upwards,we say!

TheStarrfamily-mumKareena, sons::Jason,AshwellandLeander, anddadCarltonStarr. �'WII-----

BY PETRAO'NEILL

ithafocusonofferingrailtours

toexploreregionalNewSouth Wales,Irecentlyjoinedthe inauguraltouroftheGolden WestwithVintageRailJourneysasthetrain's TourDirector.

Overfivedaystravelling 1500kilometers wevisitedhistorictownships,wineries, gardensand1nuseums,andviewedtheeverchanginglandscapethroughthewindowsof thetrain.

The train

Initsheydayfron1 1962-86,theSouthern Auroraprovidedafirstclassovernighttrain servicebetweenSydneyandMelbourne.

Aftertheserviceceased,manySouthern Auroracarriagesca1netoformpartofthe collectionsofrailpreservationgroups.In 2017,VintageRailJourneysacquired 14, renamedthecarriagesAuroraAustralis,and scrubbedandpolishedthembacktotheir originalcondition.Togetherwiththedining andloungecars,thedecorislikethatofan old-fashioneddiner,featuTinglaminated walls,andflutedstainlesssteelexteriors, allowinggueststorevisitthepast.

HummingalongtothetunesofFrank Sinatra,barmanagerDanservesdrinkswith

An old Sydney-to-Melbourne train service takes on a fascinating new avatar

flair. Passengersareofferedqualitywines sourcedfromvineyardsalongthejourney. ChefsBelindaandScottpreparehea1ty countryfare,withanemphasisonfreshlocal produce.Afteralongday'stravel,passengers cantuckintomainsincludingrackofCowra LamborslowlybraisedBeefCheeksserved withlentilsandsweetpotatoes,followedby lemonpiewithadollopofcreamorsticky datepuddingwithcaramelsauce.

Twin-sharecabinshaveseatsthatfoldback tobecomebunkbedsatnightwithasteep laddertoclin1bandacompacten-suitewith folddownbasinandtoilet.Thesmallsingle cabinshavesharedtoiletsandshowers.

The journey

AtSydney'simposingCentralStation,we welcomed 124guestsonboard.Thewhistle blewandtheAuroraAustralisheadednorth, pastruggedsandstonecliffs,densebushland, andstunningcoastalscenery.AtBrooklynwe joinedtheRiverboatPostmanthatsince 1910 hasdeliveredn1ailandessentialsuppliesalong theriver,foraleisuTelythree-hourcruiseof theHawkesburyRiverandBrokenBay.

Rejoiningthetrain,wetravelledontothe pictureperfectvillageofPaterson,nestledon thebanksofthePatersonRiver.Volunteers fromtheRailMotorMuseumandHistorical Societyguidedusaroundthetownslovingly restoredhistoricbuildings,manydatingback totheearly1830s.

Thenextday,wejoinedahop-onhop-off

bus to visit the H.untei- Valley Gardens with the med gardensincludiJ1gan Indian garden. Stopswei-e also made at the Watershed Gallery showcasing local artists, and at several wineries to sample wine at cellar doors. Re-boardingthe train,we travelled onto Werris Creek, and were metby volunteers to view the fascinatingcollection of1nemorabilia at the Railway Museum. Later that evening, with a band playing,we met friendly locals at the renowned WerrisCreek Railway Hotel.

An earlydeparture bad us travelling on freightlines, with the train turningat Binnaway Junction, before passing towns including Dubbo and Wellington. The gently undulatiJ1g landscape graduallychanged fron1 lush greento golden, around bends and through tunnels aswe passed by canola fields, rolling hills, fruit orchards, viJ1eyardsand paddocks. Manydifferentbirdsflewoverhead and horses flicked their manes. It was a relaxing day, with guestsgaziJ1g out oftheir cabin windows toviewthe ever-changing scenery.

Arrivingin Orange, a city of40,000 overlooked by the iinposing Mount Canobolus, guests could selfexplore with a map in hand to view parks, Federation-era mansions and historicbuildings. Atour was also offered to visitAdagio Mills that specializes in alpaca wool, to learn more about how thewoolis processed.

The followingday,we visited Bathurst, and

explored local sites such as the impressive Fossil Museum, featuring rare crystals and fossils fro1n around theworld. We then travelled by coach towardsOberon to visit May field Garden, the prettiest privategarden I've ever seen. With meandering pathways, waterfalls, lakes and streams, surrounded by oak, maple and birch trees, this was a day to re1nember, with a picnic lunch by the lake.

This beingourfinal night, ourjow·ney continued to Kandos, a small settlement tuckedin the foothillsofthe mountains.

Greeted with a Welcome to Countryby men1bers ofthe Wiradju1·ipeople,volunteers led us to view aboriginal art galleries and the Rail Museum, before arriving at the Kandos Community Hall, for a spit roast dinner and live band that soon had us clappingand stomping our feet.

At sunrise the next morning, the huge sandstone cliffs ofthe Caper tee Valley gave offa goldenglow, aswe followed the Gwabegar line, across the Great Dividing Range to Wallerawang. The scenerywas breathtaking and on a line that is seldon1 used, the overgrown tree branches almost stroked against the train.

On ourwayto Lithgow, we crossed a series ofbrickviaducts built inthe 1920s, before arriving at Mount Victoria inthe Blue Mountains. Passengersspentthe day selfexploringonthehop-onhop-offsightseeing bus before re-boardingthe train and ending ourjourneyat Central Station.

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

• Thefive-dayGoldenWestjourney costs$3995 perperson,twin shareorfora singlecabin.Other itinerariestothe North Coastand Riverin a arealsoavailable. Contact 1300421422fordetails.The journey providesan introductionto regional NSW.

• Ifyou'd prefertoexplore in greater depth,a short break iseasyto organise. Manyexpertlydesigned roadtripsareavailabletoguide yourdrivethere,orchoosea town toserveasyourbase, and make daytripsfromthere. Mypicksare OrangeorTamworththatare both buzzingrightnow. Regionaltowns

offersomuchtoseeand do, and while basedthere,takescenicdrives tovisitnational parksand quaint historicvillages, madeeasy by touristdrive mapsthatcan beeasily downloaded.

• Ifyou'd prefertocatchthetrainand hirea caron arrival, NSWtrains arecomfortable, affordableand relaxing. Goto NSWtrainlink.Visitor Information Centresare located atall majorcenterswith veryhelpfulstaff.

• Togetyou started,goto visitnsw.com

Before makingplans checkthe latest advice fortravelInNSW.

Talk about biryanis, and you'll encounter waytoo many FAQs...

Doyou cookthe riceand meatseparately,ortogether?Doyou usetheovenordoyou prefertoplaceyourpotontopofa hotirontawaonthestove?

Doyou useboned meat, ordoesbonelesscomeoutbetter?How doyou preventyourbiryanistickingtothe bottom ofthepan-doyou cookon low heat, ordoyou layerthebottomwithsliced potatoes?Thecorrectanswerto eachoftheseofcourse, istotrythemoutbothways, and find outfor yourself!Whileyou'reatit, whynottastethedifferentregionsofIndiathisRepublic Day,andtrydifferentvariationsofthe biryani? It'll bea pleasure if youdo itwithFortune Rice

Bombay

VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Forthe Rice Wholespices

• 250grams(roughy2 cups)

Fortune Biryani Rice rinsed andsoakedfor 15 minutes

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 tsp shahijeera

• 4-5 blackpepper pods

• 1-inch piece cinnamon

• 2-3 cloves

• 2-3 green cardamom

• 1 large fresh bayleaf

• Salt to taste

FortheVegetables

• ½ cup green peas

• 4pods blackcardamoms

• 3cm piece cinnamon

• 8 whole cloves

• 8 whole peppercorns

• 1 tsp shahiJeera

• 3 fresh bay leaves

Forthe Masala

• 3 tbspghee or oil

• 4medium onions, sliced

• Green chillies to taste

• 3 tspg,nger-garlic paste

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• Red chilli powderto taste

Plus

• ½cupyogurt,whisked

• Afewstrands saffron, soaked,natbspofwarm milk

Forgarnish

•Tomatoslicesand corianderstrips

•2onions,friedcrisp

•Choppedmintand corianderleaves

•Limeorlemonwedges

• ½ cup carrots, cut into

• 1½ tsp garam masala long pieces powder

• ½ cup green beans, cut

• 1½ tsp corianderinto long pieces cumin powder

• 2 medium sized potatoes,

cut into four pieces each

• 4-5 dried plums or prunes

• 3 large tomatoes

• Saltto taste

• Oil fordeep fryingonions

Tocookrice, heatoilandadd inthe When well-combined, add the whole spices. When they begin to crackle add in the drained rice and sautebriefly.Addwater(equivalent to double the rice) and salt, and cookuntil 75%done. Sievethrough a colander.

Heat oil and deep fry onions until well browned. Removefrom oil and cool,thengrindtoa paste.

vegetables and prunes cook until vegetables arejust about al dente. Add atinyamountofcookingwater ifnecessary. Cool, and stir inyogurt to keep it all moist. Keep covered until needed.

Assemble biryani in a large baking dish.

Arrange alternate layers of rice and prepared vegetables. Pour over the milk infused with saffron. Cover tightly with alfoil and bake in a moderately hot oven for 20 spices crackle, then introduce the minutes. onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and saute. Stir in tomatoes. Add Servedecorated withgarnish. turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and coriandercumin powder and salt. Saute until itallcomestogether.

To cook the veggies, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and throw in thewhole spicesandgreen chillies. Allow oil to infuse flavours until

NI RICE

Hyderabadi

CHICKEN BIRYANI

• 1 kg chicken, cut into medium pieces

• 1 kg (roughly S cups) Fortune Biryani

• Rice; rinsed and soaked for 1S minutes

• Juice of 1 lime

• 2 cups yoghurt

• 2 onions, sliced

• 1 cup oil (add a littleghee ifyou prefer)

• S tbsp oil extra

• Saltto taste

Grind to Paste

• Green chillies to taste

• 7cm piece ginger

• 4-5 garlic pods

• 2 onions, sliced

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp salt

Rub chicken with salt and letsit for 10 minutes. Then add the ground pasteandyogurt, mixandsetaside for20 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and throw in whole spices. Add water in 1:2 consistency, salt and turmeric and bringtoa boil.

Introduce the rice, cover and cook until halfdone. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat 4 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and fry sliced onions. Removewith slotted spoon and keepaside.

Whole Spices

• 2 tspshahijeera

• Sblackcardamoms

• 6-7 cloves

• 1 large stickcinnamon

• 3 large fresh bayleaves

Green Masala (chopped fine)

• 5-6green chillies

• 1 bunch mint leaves

• 1 bunchcoriander leaves

Lucknowi

Inthesameoil,putinthemarinated chicken. Layersinglefile ifpossible. Spread half the rice on top. Then add the fried onions, the green masala and lime juice. Layer the restofthe rice on top. Nowpourin thecupofoilandgheeifusing.

Cover with teatowel and tighten with lid. Place on a hot iron tawa and cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)

• 1kggoatpieces,large(retainbonesand

• Salttotaste somefat)

• 250ml milk

• 4tbspcream Rice.rinsedandsoakedfor15minutes

• 750grams(roughly4cups)FortuneBiryanl

• ½ cupoil

• 2stickscinnamon

• 4-5cloves

• 1medium-sizedonion,sliced

• 4tspginger-garlicpaste

• Redchillipowdertotaste

• S0gyoghurt

• Afewstrandssaffron

• 1tbspkewrawater

Heatoilinheavy-bottomedpanand addcinnamon and cloves. Stiruntil flavours are infused in the oil. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Introduce meat and saute on high flame, stirring constantly. Add ginger-garlic paste and continue to stir. When nicely browned, add red chilli powder, salt and yoghurt. Mix well and let cook for 3-4 more minutes.Thenadd500mlwaterand thekewrawater,stirandthencover and cookuntil meat is beginningto separate from the bones. Turn off heatand coolcompletely.

Theoilwill bynowhave risentothe top, and will be infused with the colour of the spices. Use a deep spoon to siphon offall the excess

• 3-4podsgreencardamom

• 1 tbspghee

• ¼ tspsugar

• 1 tbsprosewater

For Masala Powder: grind together

• 7 pods green cardamom

• 2 tbsp white pepper pods

• 8-10 blades ofmace

rice.Cookuntil 75%done,andthen sievethroughacolander.

Meanwhile,bringoutthesiphonedoff cooking oil and add to it ghee, sugarandrosewater.Mixwell.

Assemble biryani in a heavy bottomed pan. Put in a layer of riceatthe bottom, and then spoon some of the meat and gravy over. Spoon some of the flavoured oil over.

Repeat with another layer of rice, meatandgravy, andflavoured oil. Finish off with a final layer of rice and pour the rest ofthe flavoured oil all over.

oil - this will be come to use a bit Cover tightly with teatowel or alfoil later. and cook on high for five minutes. Then cookon low heat on top ofa Add milk, cream, saffron and the hot irontawafor20-25 minutes ground masala. Mix well and cover tightlyto incorporate.

To cook rice, heatwater in another pan and add a stick of cinnamon, the cardamom pods and salt to taste. When hot put in the soaked

(Alternately, cook in oven. Seal lid with dough. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C before putting your pot in and then reduce heat. Check in 20 minutes.)

AK VS AK (Netflix)

STARRING: Anil Kapoor, AnuragKashyap, Sonam Kapoor, Harshvardhan Kapoor

DIRECTION:Vikramaditya Motwane ***1

Halfthetrickliesinthecasting.Anil KapoorplaysAnilKapoor.Anurag KashyapplaysAnuragKashyap.They gettobadmoutheachotherexposing theother'sfallaciesinthebuild-uptoan engagingthrilleroverflowingwithwrywit.

AKVsAKhastobethe quirkiestfilm Bollywood madethisyear.

Vikramaditya Motwane'sfilm thriveson itssheerabsence ofgenrespecifics. It involvesreal people playingout afictionalstoryline, and yetthe narrativecoldlydrawsfrom theirlivesto set up make-belief.The mockumentary-stylenarrativeplays

I out withtheclinical precision ofatrue

I story, exceptthatnoneofit actually everhappened.

I AvinashSampath'sstory is atwo-

I liner. FilmmakerAnuragKashyap

I (ashimself)andveteran Bollywood starAnil Kapoor(ashimself) areat

1 loggerheads.Thefilmmakerkidnaps

I SonamKapoor(asherself}, daughter

I ofthe star, andsetsoffthesenior

1 actoron afranticsearch, in a bidto teachhimalesson. AsAnil Kapoor

I getsgoingon adesperate huntfor

I daughterSonam, Kashyapfilmsthe

I action in realtime. Heissure it'sready materialforhisnext blockbusterfilm.

I Experimentalentertainmentthat I toyswiththe real andthefictionalis

1 rareeven in Hollywood,leave alone Hindifilmdom.Onecan at random I recallthe SpikeJonzegemsBeing

I John Malkovich andAdaptation.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS SEEKING BRIDES

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Professionallyqualified match required for '88-born 5"3" Hindu Punjabi girl, divorced (short marriage, issueless). Workingfull time in Sydney. Pref teetotaller. Must have Aus PR. Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com.

I IranianfilmmakerAbbasKiarostami I madeClose-Up, about acrazed 1 cinephile whopassesoffasthe maestro Mohsen Makhmalbafand

I I I scamspeoplesayinghe will castthem. I

I InAKVsAK Motwane usesthegenre I 1 specifics well, tocraftan originalstory. Sonam Kapoor'sappearance is I boostedbyan accompanyingcameo I ofherbrotherHarshVarrdhan Kapoor.

1 Harsh'scasting, infact, isusedby director Motwaneto addcheeky I humour, takingthe joke on himself.

I BuddingactorHarsh isseen telling I Kashyapat one point ofVikramaditya Motwane'sBhaveshJoshiSuperhero, I whichended upaflop. Harsh wants I Kashyap, who wasaproducerofthat I film, to make a sequel.

Thefun reallyliesin savouring I the waythese'real'charactersare I presented,even asthefictional

Sydney-based 46-year-old, PR holder, down-to-earth,sweet natured, healthy,slim,attractive, cool-minded,welleducated, spiritual, issuelessdivorcee,vegetarian, North lndianKayastha Hindu man, workingin ITcompany, seeksa girlfrom India

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Seekinga professional matchforHindu-AdDharmijRamdasia, 27-year-old engineer onTRvisa, doingcustomerservicejob in Sydney,with an educatedfamilybackground,family relatives professionallysettled inSydneyand Brisbane. Caste no bar. Pleasecontactwithdetailsand photoat hsruby 2000@yahoo.com/0401324862

suspenseunfolds.Motwane keeps thenarrative suitablyfast-paced, with SwapnilSonawane'scinematography deliveringthe impact.

Thecredibletech-specscomplement smart screenwritingthat drawsfrom personalaspectsofthecelebritiesin question (AnuragKashyap's asthmatic fitsin real life,forinstance, are woven into thestory), just asfeats and failuresoftheirprofessionallivesare tossedinto conversationsto render dramatothe dialogues.

Goodwritingisalsothe reason theactorsget to playthefieldas themselves.The ironyisyounever quite knowin whichscene aparticular cast memberisactually 'acting, andin whichthey arejust beingthemselves. ThatsortofafluidityisMotwane's triumphasafilmmaker.

Vinayak Chakravorty

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I

1 COOLIE NO. 1

1 (Amazon Prime)

I STARRING:Varun Dhawan, SaraAli Khan, Paresh Rawal,JavedJaffrey, I Rajpal Yadav,JohnnyLever,SahilVaid, I ShikhaTalsania,VikasVerma, Manoj 1 Joshi,Anil Dhawan, BharatiAchrekar

DIRECTION: David Dhawan

I 1- - ------

all ofthem really, you

realiseasthe muddled messplays out. I

Well,Varun betterstickto doing I a Varun-that'sthewayhisfans like him.AndSara doesn'tlookcool I withthecoolie.Thegyration gigis

I I simplynotfor her,she can givethe 1 pelvissomerest.On Dhawansenior, someonetell him whatyearthis is.

I In it"�lf, thefirst Coolie No. 1 was I nogreatcomedy- noteven by David 1 Dhawan'sloonyyardstick. Butat leastthefilm had thesingularasset I thatmade itstand out-Govinda.

I You shouldn'tget intosuch ditsy 1 misadventure in the nameofcomedy filmmakingunlessyou have Govinda I tojustifythe chaos.

I The big problem aboutthe 1 recreated Coolie No. 1 is notthat it I I

is utterlybrainless(the 1995 original was no intelligententertainment either).Theproblemwiththe remake 1 isitfailsto hold yourattentionfrom almostthetime itgetsgoing. Boring I and brainless can bea lethal combo I fora 'comedy'.

1 Owingto any obvious intent to narrate anythingoriginal,the I cast isa one-on-onearrayof I substitutes. So ifVarun doesa

1 Govinda and Saratakesoverthe

I naach-gaana dutyfrom Karishma

Kapoor, Paresh Rawal stepsinto

I Kadar Khan'sshoesasthe heroine's

I father, ShikhaTalsania (whata waste)triesfitting in asthe heroine's I sisteras Kanchan did inthe oldfilm.

Rajpal Yadavdoes his ownversion

Varun Dhawan triestodoa Govinda I ofthe heroine's mama, which Shakti

playsout.

Okay, notall ofitisa rehash. Govindawasa cooliewearinga blueshirtata busterminus.Varun isa coolie ina red shirtata railway station.Someoriginality, right?!

Screen writerRumiJafry re-hauls thestoryline ofthe 1995 original almost in entirety. David Dhawan callstheshotson a familiarchain ofeventsasattempted slapstick, overdone mimicry, some melodrama and the mandatoryfightscenes unfold.

It'sall aboutdeja vu as rich businessman Rosario(Paresh Rawal) insults panditJai Kishen (Javed Jaffrey)overa matchmakingdeal for hisdaughterSara (Sara Ali Khan).

The livid pandit picks up Rajuthe

coolie (Varun Dhawan)from the

station, packages him asa millionaire I and presents him before Rosarioas a loaded, prospectivegroom. Raju and Sarafallforeach otherbeforeyou can spell 1-o-v-e,and Rosario happily marriesoffhisdaughtertothe 'super rich' Raju.

Ata convenient point in the narrative, Rosariodiscovers Raju's reality, sotheguyinventsa twin. Almosteverythingthatfollows isa blind repeatofthe 1995 screenplay.

Asall of 134 minutes playout,you wouldfrequentlyfind askingyourself -whywasthisfilm made in thefirst case?There is noevidenteffortto catertocontemporarytastes.

1 KAAGAZ (ZeeS)

I STARRING: PankajTripathi,

--I MonalGajjar,AmarUpadhyay,Satish Kaushik

I DIRECTION:Satish Kaushik

I ThemeritsofPankajTripathi'snew outingaredwarfed bytheclichesthat I thefilmfailstoresist. Itissomething

I thatprevents Kaagazfrom livingupto thepotential itsstoryline had promised. I Tripathi,oneofBollywood'smost I incrediblesuccessstoriesin recent I years,continueswith hisgloriousrun asan actorintheOTTdomain,this I timereturningwithastarringrole in I Satish Kaushik'snewdirectorial.Among I thefilm'sadvantagesisalsothefact thatthe plotdrawsfroman intriguing I truestory.Thefactthatwriter-director I Kaushiktriesgivinghistaleofblatant I corruptionasatiricalspinwould only I seemtoaddtoitscredence.

Yet,astheminutesrollandthe I narrativestuffs in everythingfrom an I item naach toa Shashikala-prototyped schemingchichitoaveryfilmi portrait I ofthe bhrashtsarkari office,thefilm I beginstoloseitspurpose.

-and a Mithun anda Bachchanand a Nanaforgood measure. SaraAli Khan hitsfranticmodewith herpelvic

1 thrusts; shewasoutto prove she can bedarlingofthe masses,too. David

1 Dhawan comes outofsomesortofa

I timewarp thinkingthis is 1995.

Sahil Vaidfor Harish asthehero's I buddy,andJavedJaffreyforSadashiv

1 Kapoor played in theoriginal.There's I

I Amrapurkarasthematchmaker

1 panditji. Noneofthem manageto emergefromtheshadowsofthe

I original'scast,asthejaded rehash

Amusinghowyou tend to subconsciouslyrecall Govinda inspecificscenesasVarun tries repeating random antics.Thatcan surelybethe biggestfailurefora remake.

Vlnayak Chakravorty

Mahadevan's GourHariDastaan. Kaagaz suffersfromseriousdearthofconviction I I in itsstorytelling, incomparison. I 1 PankajTripathiisadequateinthe I centralrole, butclearlythatisnot I I enough.Youwonderwhichwasamore I difficultdeal-theon-screen protagonists I I struggletoproveheisalive,orTripathi's efforttokeepadeadnarrativegoing.

I Storytellinghasalwaysbeenaweak I pointaboutSatish Kaushik'sdirection. I Somehow,afterconfidentlybuildingup a narrative inthefirsthalf, Kaushikfails I tosustainthemomentum postinterval I (think Tere Naam, Hamara OilAapke

I Kaagazstartsfailingearlyon in its efforttocreateanemotionaltugover I theprotagonist'splight,owingtoits I sheerlackofstorytellingdepth.

I TripathiplaystheLalBihari,a bandwallah inavillage.Withworkflow I increasing, Lal Biharidecidestoexpand I hisbusiness,andforthishedecides I tosella plotofland heowns. Except I I thatwhen hetriesto,herealisesthat connivingrelativeshaveusurpedthe land bylegallyprovingheisdead.

I WhenLal Biharitriestosetthings I right,hediscovershemustwageafullonwarwithasystemthatiscorruptto I thecore.Thenarrativethatfollowsis I abouthis indefatigablestrugglethat I lastsforyears,toproveheisalive.

Thethemeofarottensystembearing I downuponacommonman'sbidto I asserthisidentityhasbeenexplored withfarmoreassuredness inthe I past.Randomrecallwouldbringback I MazharKamran'sMohandas, orAnant

I Paas Hai, Mujhe Kucch Kehna Haior BadhaaiHo Badhaai). In Kaagaz, likehis I I morerecentreleases GangOfGhosts I orKarzzz,thebreakpointhappens I I muchbeforeinterval. Longbeforethe firsthourisover,thefilmstrugglesto I holdattention. Nosurprises,Kaushik's I turnasLalBihari'slawyerisfarmore I effectivethan hisfilmmaking. Thatissadactually,forthiscould I have beena relevantfilm.

I VinayakChakravorty

I

45th film of DAVID DHAWA

Thejoke'son

January 2021 BY MINAL KHONA

MinaIKhona hasbeen readingtarot cardsfor the lasttwodecades Sheuses herintuitionand connectwiththecardsmostlyto helppeople

Abalanced monthforArieswithouttoo manyupsand downs. But, asa number5, itcould leadtosome change orunresolved issues. Anex could returnand itmay help youfind closure. Focus your energiescorrectly forfasterresolution ofproblems. Cruisingatworkdespitefrustrations no longerworks, sowhenthingsget unbearable,thechange you seekwill come. An old healthconditioncould recurduetostress.Transformation on all fronts isforetold.

You mayhavetaken onmorethan you can handlethismonth. Changesare predicted; youareinthemood totie up loose endsand start onsomething new. Additional responsibilitiescould bethrustupon you. Arelationship going nowhere isnotgoingto improve so let itgo.Take it easytoavoid fatigueand exhaustion. All this additional flurryofactivitywill lead toa new lifestyle. Don'taccept less thanwhat you deserve- inlove or profession.

I Thepractica Capricornappearsfor I youthismonth, indicatinga more I realisticapproachto everythingfrom you mercurial Geminis. You wantto I makemoremoneybuttheroad seems I blocked. Asense ofbeingresponsible in yourrelationshipwill leave you content I nomatterwhichwaytherelationship I goes Arockymarriagecould end. I Express yourself or you could end up withthroatand earrelated health I problems Moneymaybe slow right now I butmorewill come.

I You could have experiencesthismonth I that leave youfeelingpowerless or confused.Theymay evenchange your I life insomeways. Praiseatwork makes I youfeel valued. Drivecarefullyasan I accidentcould occur. Planstoset yourpaperwork in orderwill be I successful. Businessimprovesand I sodoreturns oninvestments Your legs couldgive youtrouble,take somerest if I it is nota seriouscondition. Shed your I illusionsaboutpeople youthinkare on I your side.

Theten of swordsindicatesa situation of extreme stressand clearing out of dead energy Ifa relationship hashit rock bottom, itcan onlyget betterfrom here on.You are ona self-improvement drive inall aspects of your lifethis month.You might evenquit yourjob orgetfired. Dissatisfactionwith your current situationcancause stress. Financesare onanupswing. An infatuationcould also end. Don't lose hopeandacceptwhat is.

I Stayonguardagainst officepoliticsand deceitfrom someone youtrust.While you I dohavethemental strengthtofightback,

I Aslightlydifficutmonth; you spendasyou earnamidbusinesslosses. Everything

You could be in need of hea ingthis month, onvariousfronts. Anew romancemaybe inthe offingbut itmay notbethe one you want. An engagement ora pregnancyinthe family isforetold. Health isgoodthis monthanddespitefinancia constraints you maygoaheadwitha businessplan Itwill helpadd to yourkitty. Atroubled relationshipcould improve.Themore creative your ideas,the higher your chances of success.

I it isawaste ofresources Plansregarding I the homedon'tproceed smoothly A I stroke ofgood luck inyourlovelife or I financesiscoming. Don'ttake ontoo

I problemispossiblethismonth. Trynotto I take ontoomuchthismonth. Stresscan causeachesandpains.Hanginthere, I positivechangesarecoming-thesecould I beduetoachangeinperspective orthe entry of someone intoyourlife.

I seemsblocked;controlling your emotions inadifficult situationwill be hard. A problematworkwill get solvedif youthink I differently. Surmounting ofan emotiona muchasitcould leadtoil ness Letgoa I little; perfectioncanbe exhausting. Any I disputesatworkwill beresolved.Goslow I witheverythingand haveabalanced perspective.

I I I I I I I I

Atimetoplanthe yearahead and I focus onareasin your lifethatneed I improving. Apromotionatwork or I expansioninbusinesskeeps you motivated. Anestrangedfriend or I lovermaytrytowinyou back. Afamily I reconciliationcould takeplace Profits I inbusiness increase. Eatmore of high energyfoods.You might lose out I onsomefunding ora projectbeing I cancelled. Trust your instinctswhen it comestoa newidea or offer.

I An exciting starttothe new yearfor I Capricornastheycould haveintriguing I interactions,a newromance or even travel. In yourpersonal orprofessional I life, expecta dilemmawithtwotempting I options;thinkbefore youchoose. A

I

Therecouldbenewavenuesopening I up ontheworkfrontYou needa break from homeandworktorecoup.Thenew I yearbringsapositive outlookandthe I qualityofwork improves.Becareful of I what you eat; youcould end up withfood

I Thequeenofwandsstandsforthe I zodiac signof Leosothedreamy I Pisceanscould findthemselvesina gregariousand extrovertedframe of I mindthismonth.Theymight even I meet someonewhoisa Leo. Asudden current setback isa blessing indisguise. I Moneycomesinthroughvarioussources I There seemstobe nowayoutforthose trapped ina bad marriage. Aproblem

poisoning.Moneyowedtoyou still doesn't I comethrough.Butitcomesinfrom other I I sourcessoyouwill have enough. Success

I comesfrom educationrelatedareas. Solveproblemsbyjustlettingthembe I sometimes.

I couldtake ittothepoint ofnoreturn. If undecidedaboutadilemma,theright I decisionwillcometo you.

whirlwind romancecould comealong. Yourcareergetsafreshboost of life. If I a relationship isrocky,anoccurrence I getsresolvedduetoa rightdecisionyou I make orwiththe help ofanother.

I I I I I I I

henewyearishere, and the summerof2021 isunderway or isit?Asaninternationalstudent spendingmyfirstsummerin Australiainsteadofrunningoffto Indiato enjoythatextendedvacation,I expected blisteringhotdays. I waspro1nisedcool waves,endlessbeachdays,andsitcon1-esque su111n1eradventures. Instead,as1 sitdownto writethis,acoldbottleofwaterwithinarm's length,it'scon1etomyattentionthatit'sbeen comparativelytin1idweather.

Sundaeshaveremainedintactuponexiting theicecreamparlourand theoccasionaJ jackethassnuckitswayoutofthecloseton anovercastday.The'bloodyhot' Sydney sumn1erhasn'tquitebareditsteeth.

Growingup in Bangalore, a cityknown foritsn1oderatecli1nate and cold beer yearround, I'veneverhadtoexperience particularlyhotweather.To me,anything above 22 degrees ishot - and anything above 30degreesisoutrightburning. But, I was ready totest n1ymettleagainstthe Aussie sun.

Perhapsaboon ratherthan abane,this year's sun11nerhasstayed an1anageable affair, sparingn1efron1those a1nusing incidentsofchecking1nyseatfor sweat-stainsorneedingtoduckintoa conveniencestoreto takeshelterin the A/C. (Orair-con, to use thelingoofthe land). As I soon came torealise, italso offered achance tosalvageunproductive dayswiththeseeminglynever-ending daylight. Is 8 PM toolateforaworkout? ls 9 PM toolateto run errands? Surelynot, if youcan makehaywhile thesun shines, in its mostliteralsense.

Evenasthedustsettlesonthelastlegof AUSvlND111atches, thepleasantweather hasalso111eantarelativelygoodsu1n1ner ofcricket. l'1nhardlythe1nostardent

supporter,butit'saterriblemistaketo discounttheelectricstadiumatmosphere. Anyhomesicknessgetswipedawaysittingin thestandswhen,forabrief1noment,theloyal fanstransportustoWankhedeStadium, flags,chantsand all.Thistime,ofcourse, withthewelcomeoptionofamid-gamebeer.

Still,themostamusinganecdoteshave con1efromconversationswithfamilyback in IndiaasI complainabouttherarehumid day beforeInotice theirjacketsandshawls, scarfsandhotteas,andremen1berthatwe are,ofcoui-se,inthesouthernhemisphere. Sumn1eractivitiesinDece1nberandJanuary -itstilltakesasecondtowrapmyhead

•

hedayhasfinallyarrived. 1t isthe 1norningof19 Januaryand some well-armedguardsaredragging aheftymanoutoftheexpansive White House,evenashekicks andscreams, "Iwantfourmoreyearsonthislease!"A huge crowdgathersoutsideonPennsylvania Avenue,watchingthisscenewithgreat amusement.Afewprotesters(ahem, rioters?)wavehand-n1adeplacards, allthewhilecribbingabouta 'robbed'election.

Inside, the classicblack suitsofthe SecretService canbe seen clearingthe Oval Office. Theyexpect tofind agreatpile of sensitive documents. Instead, they're surprised tounearth an assortment ofunusualitems in the drawers ofthe

mahogany desk.

Inthe topdraweraregolfballswiththe namesofVIPplayers inscribedonthem, alongwithpreciousscorecardsofgames. (Theyallhaveoneleadscorer:Trump.)

In thenextdrawer, thereisa half-empty bottleofdisinfectant,presumablythesame treatmentthathelped dearDonaldrecover from suchashortspellofCOYJD.

Besidethat,there'sasaffron colouredshawl.Youknow,the specialgiftfromtheHowdy TrumpgalawithNaMothat reads'Abkibarr,Trump sarkar'inDevanagari-esque cursive.Peekingoutfrom underneaththeshawl,hiddento theuntrainedeye,isahugepile ofpinkslipsusedtosackWhite Housestaff.Alas,noonefrom theSecretaryofStateto thelunchladywas immune.

aroundit! (still#freshofftheboat,guiltyas charged.)

DiscoveringmyversionofOzsummer fashionhasbeenaninterestingaffair.What doesonewearforthoseswelteringhours inthesun? Jeansarebutanabomination, socksareanunwantednuisancebeneathour soles,andduringaheatwave,evenadress feelslikefartoomuchclothing.Thisyear,we havehadclothmaskstoaddtotheequation. Everydayas Ilatheronthesunscreen,l think ofnextseason'spotentialtrend-sporting strategictanlinesacrosshalfourfaces.

ButJcan'trea1lycomplain. Maybeit'sthe lingeringNewYearspirithangover,but 1

find thatit'salmostcomlortingtobe ableto enjoythissummer.Tosavourthedays.After all, frombushfiresand protests,restrictions andallsortsofdistance,thepastyearwas achallengingone.Asthevacationsrolled aroundandwewereabletoventureoutdoors (stayingCOYID-safe,ofcourse),italmost feelslikeweweren'tbeinghandedanything wecouldn'thandle.

Will 1 becrackingeggson thepaven1entto seeiftheycookin theheat?Nah. Instead, almostlikeamantraforthe new year,youcan findmelookingoutforn1ore suntanandlesssunburn. (PS: Seriously, don'tforgetthesunscreenthough.)

LPAYER is a fiy on the wall as Trump exits the White House

Aspecial keyisexchanged betweenthe SecretServiceagents tounlockonelast goodyonthe table:thepersonalcomputer ofthe President,nowpadlockedbyTwitter, Facebookand more. With thegraceful turn ofa key, itfalls to theground,puttingan end toTrump'sreignofmisinformation.

Topreparethe houseforthe next occupant, maintenance menwash the walls,doors,anddoorhandleswithgallons ofsanitizer. Noonehas theheart toshare withpoorTrumpthatit'sallimportedfrom - youguessedit - China.Asifcementing the man's nightmare,a newshingleisalso placedat the maingate: 'J Biden'.

Evenasdozensofremovaltrucks move outwithloadsofdesignerfrocks, shoes and otheraccessoriesofMelaniaTrun1p, alone truckpullsupwithdozens ofhot idlisspeciallycookedforKamalabyher chithi(mum'syoungersister)inChennai, speed-posted forherInaugurationDay breakfast.There'salsoa smallpacket

often1ple 'prasad'sentbythepeopleof Tulasendrapuram, Kamala'sancestral village. (Butdotheyhearsomeofher pronouncementsarenot that India-friendly, accordingtothosein the know?)

Acrossthe pondat DowningStreet, BoJo isexpectingJo Bitokeepupthe traditionof visitingBritainfirstas a markofrespecting Anglo-Americanbond. Meanwhile, infar offBeijing, thesphi11x-likeXi Jinpinghas alreadybegundraftinganinvitation to Joe Bidentovisitthe'ForBidenCity'. NewYear, newbeginnings,perhaps

Cartoonists allovertheworld plan an onlinewake onZoom, one lastode to the manwhosecatchphrasesandactionswere theirstaple dietforfourlongyears. 1, too, will 1nissTrump,havingwrittenmoreon him than anyoneelse. ButI've learntnotto counthimout, the manwho has 1nastered the artofthe comeback.

Fornow,though,we can allagreeto hopenotforthecomebackof2020.

RHEA L NATH on battling homesickness (and sunburn) during her-first Aussie summer

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