2021-02 Melbourne

COMPLEMENTARY GLASS OF BUBBLY OR A ROMANTIC COCKTAIL ON ARRIVAL

AvaiJableforlunch and dinner

.February 12th to 14th �021

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PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

RajniAnand Luthra

CONTRIBUTORS

nwan e ann1versar

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

twason11 March2020 thatthe WorldHealthOrganization(WHO) declaredCOVID-19apanden1ic. By thatdate,the coronaviruswhichhad originatedinWuhan, China,hadspread to over 110 countriesinfectingover 118,000 people.Theconcernsof WHO werejustified.

pointabovethe globalaverage. Eventuallyanalysiswillbeundertaken as to why anislandcountry suchasours gotitso wrong, andwhy wepunched muchaboveourweightinanareawe didnotwant.

evenstatedhewouldopenhisstate's bordersonly whenthe coronavirus was eradicated.)

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 Link arethose of thewritersandnotnecessarilyendorsedbyIndian Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

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Email: info@indianlink.com.au

As wegoto print, thereare 107 1nillioncasesreportedglobally, with 2,335,308peopledeadfromthis virus. Leadingthesestatisticsis theUnited States,with over27.5 millioncasesand 476,000 dead (1.85 percentof cases).

Indiahashad11,000,000 reported caseswith 156,000dead(1.4 percent ofcases); Brazilreported9,550,000 caseswith2.4percentdead, andRussia documented4,000,000 cases with 1.7 percentdead. UKhas adeath rateof 2.82percentofitsreportedcases. India hasfarfewerdeaths-butalsoone ofthe lowesttestingrates(145,000 permillion people).

Australiahashad28,857 cases reportedwith909deaths. At3.15 per cent, thedeathrateis afullpercentage

COVID-19also testedourpoliticians, andourfaith inpolitics.One re1narkablepoliticalfatality,Donald Trump, couldnotarticulate orlead withaplan to tackle thevirus.The debateis onwhetherTrumpwouldhave lostthe2020 electionswereitnotfor COVID-19.Other authoritarianleaders likeRussia's VladimirPutinandBrazil's JairBolsonaro bothledfrombehind onthisissue. Indianleadershiphada peculiarway ofhandlingthevirus, with chantsanddrums todriveitaway.

Australiamovedfasttoclose itsinternationalborders, but individualstates erredwithlapsesin implementationoftheisolationstrategy. TheinfamousRubyPrincesscruise shipandthenlaxhotelquarantine issuesexposedlocalcommunities to the virus.Knowingthat thiswasano-win situation, theFederalgovernmentsat this oneout,whileallowingtheStates to make theirowndecisions.Asexpected, thestatessplitalongparty lines, with theLaborstatesmoredraconianin theirlovefor thenation. (Onepremier

TheAustraliansharemarkethita lowof4,403 pointsearly, on23 March. Mediapredictedgloomanddoom, and manyinvestorspulled theirinvestments outfromthe plunging markets. The share marketsdefiedallpundits, andfuelledby cheapcreditandnew opportunitiesemergingintechstocks, theAllOrdsnowstandsat6,850points, upabout55 percentfromitslowpoints. Itjustremindsone thatitis timeinthe marketwhichworks,nottimingthe market.

Theshiningstars havebeenthe frontlineworkerswho workedlong hours attestingsites whilescientists scrambled tounderstand whatthe viruswas allabout. Pharma companies threwalltheirmighttowardsfindinga vaccine, andbeganrollingthemoutin undera year.

AstheAustralian rolloutbegins- after manyothercountries - we'reseeing so1nehesitationinourownIndianAustraliancommunity.Isitthequick turnaround orseeminglyinsufficient testingof thevaccine? Whateverthe case, atthispointintime, betterstrategy andleadershipareneededtoallaysuch concerns.

RheaL Nath, BageshriSavyasachi, JyotiShankar, Manan Luthra, Smita Nashikkar,SandipHor, AnujaVijay,Shyamal Bhatia, Mina! Khona,Auntyji

YOUR SAY

BREAKING THE GABBA STREAK

RITAMMITRA on how a battered India pulled offthe greatest Test serieswin ofall time.

Prem Verma wrote: Reallyinspiring.

Mohinuddin Choudhry wrote: It was awellcontestedmatch.Welldone, Team India

Gurmeet Kalsi wrote:SERIESSORTED. Paine, wesaw you atGabba

Ananya Hazra wrote: Firstwinfor India after 1988inGabba What amatch itwas.We areproudof theyoung Indianteam.Jai Hind.

Bharathlya Jayarathne wrote:Great win.Continue captaincywithRahane.

Chakrapanl Rao wrote: Atthis rate, our superstarswhowere injuredandwho attended other dutiesmay not find aplace in the team.Why were such young talents waiting in the wings for a long time?

Blswadeep Sinha wrote: Now thequestionis whether therookies willbe allowedto play more Testcricket, after Kohli comesback.

HarshaArora wrote:TheBollywoodfilmonthisTestserieswillbeablockbuster.

Robert Gardlnl wrote:A tributeto self-belief, courage, andpersistence.

Vaanle Krishnan wrote: IndefatigableCheteshwar Pujara!

WHEN STRONG TASTE= STRONG SMELL

After neighbours complained about the strong smell of Indian cooking, RHEA L NATH discussed what we, and you, can do about it

Pheroza Dauwalla wrote: Love, love, love Indian Link - thank you. Had to share Rhea'sarticleon "smelly foods".Wonderfully writtenanda realeye opener. Loved that youoffered tips to reducesmellsanddidnotgo overboard on theoutrage. Keepupthe fabulouswork

Akshay Kulkarni wrote: We actually hadto stop cooking Indianfood in our Houston house when we were trying to sell it. The people that came by to see thehouse wouldcomplain about thesmell.

Rlshab Shankar wrote: These are thepeople whocomplain aboutthe mayo being spicy

Betty Jager wrote: I myself loveallthesmells of different foods fromdifferent cultures.The one complainingneedsto stopand mind their business.

Rakhl Joshi wrote: Evenin Mumbaisomebuildingsdo notallownonvegetarianfood (to becookedordelivered).Flats aresold or leasedwiththis clausein such building societies. Individualchoice! Look for a secludedhome.

Amal Ral wrote: Curry smell doesn't kill anyone. Ithink itis ok. There is no law sayingfood smellhas to be lockedin your room!

Ambarlsh Natu wrote:The realissue onhand is thepoor design of buildings in Australia in general - that includeskitchen exhausts andventilation systems. The AustralianStandardsandthe BCA standards need an amendment to addressthismatter. The buildershavebeengettingaway with cheap constructionsdesigns for fortune of a price forwaytoo longnow!

Burjor Banajl wrote: (TheIndiantenantin thisstory)hasevery rightto complain.

YB Yoshi wrote: Northeast Indians face these problemsin mainland Indian cities We have to hide(to)cook (our food).

Nathan Nalewabau wrote: Thatis what you call racist.

AUSSIE CRICKET FAN, 91, APOLOGISES TO SIRAJ

BAGESHRI SAWASACHI reported on veteran cricket fanClaudeCurrywho rang our offices to apologise to MohammedSiraj after reports of racial abuse surfaced at the SCG.

Prem Bhardwaj wrote:Good one.Thereare alwaysnice peoplearound. Appreciated.

Bhagwandass Gursahaney wrote:We support MohammedSiraj and condemn those who passed remarksof racialdiscrimination againstouryoung rising player.

Sudin Kamat wrote: Oneof the nice fellows.

Solomon Raj wrote: One can't affordto blamethe Aussie fans enmasse for thiskind of racistmentality. Only ahandfulof rogueelementsindulgein this shamelesspractice. If itcontinues, evenothernationalteams willhesitate to tourAustralia.

Sherwin Dias wrote:Good, better latethan never.

Deepu Dharmarajan wrote: Based on some people's behaviour, we cannot judge all!So many goodhearts in Australia.

Rohit Jaggi wrote: 9NEWSand 7NEWS, why don'tyoushare thisnews?

Devastating news forIndiaand @narendramodifollowing flash flooding in Uttarakhand.Australia standswithone ofitsclosest friends atthisvery difficulttime.

Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia

Acarynidhi Das wrote:Thecomplainantislogicalandjustified.Despite all knowledge, Indians stilluselotsof garlicandonionwhichare considered food in ignorancemode.I too can'tstandthepungentsmell fromthe neighbour's house.Food tastes better withoutonionand garlic. If youdon't believe me, check outwithany Hare Krsnas

Venkatesh Paramasivan wrote:The neighbours' concerns are valid. Our curry smellmight bepleasing forus as wehave gotten usedto it since childhoodandwe may not even feel it, butitmight be difficult for people of othercultures. It's areasonable concern andnotbigotedor racistatall. Eveninmyhome country, someveg communitiesprefer notto have non veg communities livinginthe same building.Whileit'snotillegal, it'sa practiced norm, maybebecause the smellof meat(troubles them).So they've gota point.Weneed to manage these differences and sometimesone sidehas to compromisemorethantheother.

Gautam Nath wrote:What an aptarticle!Well written andto point.Where we live inCanada, recently landednewcomers livein tiny homes andthe food smell getsonto theirclothes and heavy woollen jackets, so become walking incense sticks.

Whatelse cana fortified city and blockinginternet accessrepresentother thanabarricadedand diminisheddemocracy?

Ed Roy, writer

Whenapersonof colourspeakspublicly about racism weknowithastaken a lot - notof courage, butalotof racism. Thus, when they speak, itisnotenough just tobelieveor sympathisewith them; wemustact,immediately. Allof us.

Chelsea Watego, academic

If you don't think white supremacy is real, Emily in Paris isnominatedfor a GoldenGlobe.

Kimberly Drew, writer

#WHEREININDIA

There are 1,212 pillars, eachintricately carved, inthistemple corridor, believedto be thelongest ofits kindin theworld Whichtemple, builtin its current form in the 12th century, arewe talking about?

Readers Shabu Thomas and Chandra Kishore guessed it right: RamnathswamyTemple inRameshwaram, Tamil Nadu

DIWALI 4'NOT PART OF AUSTRALIAN CULTURE"?

KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU reported on Western SydneyMayor Steve Christou's divisive comments that Diwali and the Lunar New Year are "not part of Australian culture", and ratepayers should not foot the bill for these events.

Charlshma Kallyanda wrote:Welldone Indian Link forhighlighting the hypocrisy ofCumberland CouncilMayor inposing forphotooppswith culturally diverse communities whenitsuitshim but failingtouniteand support ourcommunitieswhenit countsmost.

Alan Mascarenhas wrote:Themayor alsodissed Diwali, whichissuchan importantpart of our tradition in ParramattaandCumberland. Torepresent his community, heshouldwalkthe streetsand understandit.

Renu Datta wrote:We willstill continueto celebrate with our community of diversecoloursdespite these narrow-mindedpeople

Leyla Nubia wrote: Hypocrisy posingin thatphoto

Sunll Gole wrote:Thanks, didnot knowthat. Had wonderedwhy there were no Diwali bannersby councillastyear. Now Iknow.

Krishna Kumar Ramamoorthy wrote:TheMayor ofCumberlandwoulddo welltotakealeaf outofScott Morrison'sbook.The Premierhasalsobeen warmand inclusive each year atDiwali. Multiculturalism ishereto stay;the Mayorshouldtakea walk aroundhisownsuburb tofindout.

Bhavln Rabarl wrote:Whydo wecare?TheIndiansaying aboutelephants having (separate) display teeth andchewing teeth precisely fits the politicians,soI wouldn't beaffected toomuch by either theovertdisplay or theabsence of bonhomie.On thecontrary, Hindusshould continue to be ideal, hard working citizens, achievingsuccess, creatinga reputation for themselves. That'swhatshould matter

Joseph La Posta, CEO Multicultural NSW wrote: Nearly onein 20 Aussiestoday were either bornin Chinaor India.Why shouldn'twe embrace Lunar NewYear andDiwali? Bothfestivalscelebrate lightoverdarknessand beginningsandunity!

Johnny Due-Huy Nguyen wrote:Thisisdisappointingnewsforsomeone that representsso many of those whoseculturehe haseffectively rejected It'salsoimportantto note thatthe apologymentionedin the lastlineshould extend beyond Australiansof Indianand Chinese origin: LunarNewYear,as the namesuggests, isnot only celebrated by ethnicallyChinese peoplebut peoplefromallacrossAsia.

Brian Mackenzie wrote: Pleasedto seethe term "Australiansof Indian or Chinese origin". Makesabigchange from those whooffer originbefore Australian.

Eric Roine wrote: My family come fromanother culture. Idonot expect Australiansto bowdowntoit. IamAustralian nowin Australia

Neil Robert Darling wrote: UntilCOVID 19iscompletely under control, they shouldbe restricted thesameasallcelebrationshave been.

Narturhi Karibian wrote: IbelieveitisIndian cultureandshouldbe celebratedand enjoyedwithinthe Indian community andany otherswho wantto join. Thisisafter alla multicultural country. Asa multicultural country, every ethnicgrouphasthefreedom tocelebrate itsownparticular days of cultural celebration,and thankgoodnessforthat.

If entitled white women who complain to the manager are Karens,I thinkAustralianscan agree entitledwhitemen who feel they're thetrue victimsof systemic racismare now Eddies.

Benjamin Law, writer

After lots of time using Bing(livingin countries whereGoogleisblocked),I think I cansum up theuser experience. It'slikeaskingfor directions, andthen beinghandedascrunchedup pieceof paper with 'road' writtenonit.

Richard

Cooke, writer&journalist

#WHEREINOZ

Thisdesert ishometo theseuniquely naturalattractions - where isit located?Readers Petra O'Nelll and Twlnkl Twlnkl had the rightanswer: the Pinnacles Desert, NambungNational Park,WA.

INDIA'S71-YEAR TEST

RITAM MITRA spoke to former OzTest opener and ex-Cricket Australia chairman WallyEdwards about a Jong-Jost archive of Fairfax Media cricket photos, including India's early tours of Australia, which is now available asa book.

PeterYoung wrote: Indian Link hasmadetheBradman Museum cricket books,includingIndia's71-YearTestlaunchedbyRaviShastrilast week, its coverstory. Paper'seditorialalsomuseson potentialimpactof Syd test on Aust-IndiadiplomaticlinksAust wantstostrengthen

Jamie Parker, NSW MP wrote: Coverstory oncrickethistory isabsolutely fantastic!Welldone,Ritam Mitra.

DarshakMehta wrote:Whataterrific,heart-warmingproject.Wally,todo somethingsoridiculouslygenerousforno reasonwhatsoever,istruephilanthropy.

Lovetheideathat politicians getting thevaccine firstwill somehowlessen vaccine hesitancy.Theonlygroup Australianstrustlessarereal estatesalespeopleandad execs.

Osman Faruqi, podcaster

IwelcomeKamalHaasan'sideaof recognizing houseworkasasalariedprofession, withthe state govt payinga monthly wagetohomemakers.This willrecognize&monetisetheservicesofwomen homemakersinsociety, enhancetheirpower,& autonomy& createnear-universalbasicincome.

Shashi Tharoor, IndianMP

Safe for new mums? Pfizer or Astra Zeneca?

DrVYOM SHARMA answers your questions on the COVID vaccine + (S)_.. .

rVyomSharn1aisamedical practitionerinMelbourne, specialisingingeneralpractice. Asahealthco1nmentator,he hoststheshowRadiotherapyonTripleR, writescolumnsinthemainstreampress, andappearsfrequentlyonourTVscreens, notablyonABC's Q+Aand TheDru.111.His particularpassionisreservedfordispelling misinformationandadvocatingevidence-based medicine.HesitsdownwithIndianLinkto answerfrequentlyaskedquestionsaboutthe coronavirusvaccine,settorolloutthismonth.

Whatshould I do before I get thevaccine?

There are three thingsyoucould do. First, makesureyou'refeelingwellontheday. Generally,ifyou'reunwell,we don'tlike tovaccinate. Soifyouhaveanysymptoms, askyourGP. Two,make anote ofanyother vaccinationsyou mayhavehad recently• we like tospacevaccinationsapart.Three, keepathand infonnationaboutthethings you maybe allergic to.

YOUR DOSEOF t-!: RELIABLE [INFOR��;ION '(_,

Howshould J care formyelderly parents

iftheyare getting thevaccine first? There could be mild symptoms that could last forup toadayor two: abitof painwherethe needlewentin,orperhaps tenderness; tiredness; soremuscles orachingjoints. Keepyourelderly parentsunderobservationafter their vaccination - bestnottoplanany activities.

Should I getthevaccine ifI'mpregnant?

IfI'm tryingto fallpregnant? IfI'm a newmum?

Thevaccineisnotcurrently recommended forpregnantwomen. This issimply becausewedon'thavesufficientdata at thisstage. We'rewaitingfor more testing, andit isverylikelythatitwillbe recommendedfor themtoointhefuture.

Newmumsshouldhavenoconcerns whatsoever.

Tryingtofallpregnant -whilewe don'thaveofficialguidance onthisyet, itwillverylikelybe thesameadviceas

newmums,unlessyou are lookingto fall pregnantinthesamecycle.

What about newborns?

The vaccine is onlyforpeople 16years and over,atthis stage. Testingforchildrenonly beganmuchlaterin the piece.

Whataboutallergic reactions?

Allergicreactionscanoccurdueto anything, butlife-threateningallergic reactionstoCOVlD-19vaccinesarevery rare. Butjustincase,you'llbeasked tostay for 15 minutesafterbeingvaccinated. lfyou developanyconcerningsigns,you canbe treatedimmediately -we are readyforthis!

Whatshould I know about side effects?

The vaccines are incrediblysafe.There could be mild sideeffects inthe first2448 hourslike I've listedbefore,whichare reallycommon to all vaccinations.

Long-termsideeffects are rare, and most commonlypop up bythe 45-daymark.

Butconsider this: we've had 80 million

COVIDvaccinationsdeliveredworldwide already, andwe've observednothingof concernsofarforseveralmonths.

Also, theAustraliangovern111enthas laidoutacon1prehensiveprogra111of investigationofallside effects.

Howmany shotswill be needed? Two, asofnow.I can'ttellyouright nowwhatthe timegapbetweenthe two willbe.

Aftermytwo shots,will I continue tohavetowearmasksand sanitize frequently?

Yes,thecurrentadviceistocontinuetowear masksandpractisehandhygiene.Thevaccines areverygoodatpreventinglifethreatening orsevereCOVID-19.Butcouldyoustillgeta verymildinfectionthatyoupassontoothers? Maybe-we'restillfindinganswerstothis question. Untilwe'resure,besttowear111asks andsanitizetokeepotherssafe

I hadCOVIDandrecovered Do I still needtogetvaccinated? Thegeneralthinkingisyes. The immune responsethatthevaccineprovidescan be better thantheoneyoudevelopafter gettingCOVID. Butresearchers are exploringwhetherjustoneshotis enough forpeoplewho'vebad COVID before.

Who should NOTgetthevaccine? Thosewhohavehadprovenallergytoone ofthespecific ingredients ofthevaccine. Andthatwillaffectaveryverysmall numberofpeople.

What's the difference between Pfizer andAstraZenecavaccines?

Bothvaccines are tryingtodo the same thing - teachourimmunesystemto recognise a keypartoftheviruscalledthe 'spikeprotein'.Thevaccinesboth 'show' our immune systemthis'spike' protein, andthenthebodylearnsto recognise it, and is readytodestroyvirus itifitever encountersitagain.

Pfizervaccine teachesourbodyto make asmall amountofspikeprotein, sothe in1munesystemcan recognise it.

AstraZenecavaccineusesanother completelyharmless virus tocarrythe spike proteinintoourbody.

Eitherway, the immune system'sees' thespike protein,andlearnstodefend the bodyagainstthevirusifitevercomes acrossitin future.

Howwill theydecidewhogetswhich one?Can Ichoose?

Atthisstage, mostpeoplewillget theAstra Zeneca vaccine - simplybecausewe have moreofit. Idon'tthink peoplewillgetto make anindividual choice. But frankly 1 don'tthinkitmakesmuchdifference atan individuallevel- I'dtakethe first one Icanget. All thevaccinesseemtobe veryeffectiveatstoppinglife th1·eatening infections, whichis fantasticnews.

Can I refusevaccination?

It is notmandatory atall. In future perhaps insomehigh-riskoccupationsLike aged or healthcare theymightbe mandatory butnotfornow. Ideallywe don'twantit tobe mandatory - wewantyouto see the benefitsofitforyourself. Butwearevery hopeful:vaccination ratesare highinthis country- despite the anti-vaxmovement gainingmon1entumrecently.

Whatwouldyousayto people who are sayingcurrentlytheydon't wantthe vaccine?

I'dsay tothem, findoutmoreabout the vaccine, fromtrainedexperts. Manypeople havevalidconcerns butin 1nyexperience, onceI answertheirquestions, theyfeel muchmoreconfident aboutgetting vaccinated!

Whatwouldyou sayto peoplewho say they areworried aboutinsufficient testing? Thatthevaccine came outin record time and somightnot be reliable?

There are severalstepsinthe preparation ofavaccine - thereare preclinicalstudies, thentrialsinPhases1, 2 and3, andthen anapprovalprocess. Nota single stepwas skippedintheLnakingofCOVIDvaccines. Yestheyweredevelopedin recordtin1e, but that was because there wasoverlapin somephases. Plusofcourse manyofthe bureaucratic andfundinghurdleswere removed,with afloodofresources thrown at this, given theurgency.

Wonderful thingscan happenwhen the focus ison thescience.

Andalso, researchonmRNA vaccines hasbeenongoingforyears. Whatseen1s like a rapidinvention was basedon decades ofwork.

Whatdoyou knowabout India's vaccinesCovishicld andCovaxin?

Covishieldisthesameas theOxfordAstraZeneca. Covaxin, an lndian developedvaccine,we havenotseen the resultsofthe Phase3 trialsyet. It's hardto commentonitwithoutthefullinformation.

Acommenton India's role in manufacturingandexportingthe vaccine?Can Indiabecomethe'pharmacy totheworld'asis beingclaimed?

Absolutely. India hasdone a fantasticjob in the pharmaceuticsindustry. Andgiven thecurrenttrade tensions with China, it candefinitely make aplay,especiallyasit isseenasn1ore open.

But there arechallenges,like there areevery timeyou talkaboutChinaand Indiaand theAfricannations.Thereare conversationsaboutqualityassuranceand transparency. ButforIndia thiscanbean amazingopportunity: ifitcandemonstrate highspeed, high qualitymanufacturing,it can be thebeginningofanewage.

The vaccinations will be rolled out in three phases

Phase 1 isforthose peopleatriskof exposuretothevirus (ie healthcare workers;aged care and disability care);thoseatriskofdeveloping COVID-19 (seniorcitizens, Aboriginal andTorresStraitIslanderpeople undertheageof55,quarantineand borderworkers; essentialworkers).

Phase 2 is plannedforAboriginal andTorresStraitIslandersadults between 18to54yearsofage; Australiansbetween 50-69years ofage;and otherhigh-riskworkers.

With Phase2b,the restofthe adultpopulation isexpectedtobe covered.

Phase 3 willbeforchildren "if recommended",followingevidence thattheydonottransmitthedisease like adults.

Despite initialconfusion,freeaccessto the COVIDvaccine has been assured toallvisa-holdersinAustralia, includinginternationalstudents, refugees, bridgingvisa holders, and othertemporaryvisitors.Theyare likelyto beconsideredin Phase2b, exceptingat-risktemporaryvisa holdersorthosewith existinghealth conditions.

P.erceived

P.rofessional_jou1·nalists, P.alientsand •I irreplaceable. Melbourne-based

OPTIMISTICABOUT INDO-OZ RELATIONS

ROBERT JOHANSON, AO

Fordistinguished service to the banking sector, toAustraliaIndia relations, and to tertiaryeducation governance and financial administration

'' alwayssay - there's more diversitybetween Kash1nirand Kerala than there is between Norwayand Greece," said Robert Johanson fondly as helookedbackon his two dozen tripsto India in thelastdecade. Thisyear, hismarked con11nitment to Australia-India relationswasrecognised with anAustralia Dayhonour, alongside his respected career in banking, having servedon theboardofBendigo and Adelaide Bankforover 30years.

In the field oftertiaryeducation, too, the veteran banker has donned many hats - chairingthe investment Committee and servingas Deputy Chancelloratthe UniversityofMelbourne and now, board men1berofMelbourne Business School.

Still, he re1nains almost surprised to receivethe award.

"It's agreathonour Son1e mightexpect it, but Ididn't reallyknow I was being nominated," he admitted.

As Chairman ofthe Australia India Institutesince 2011, and Chainnan of Australian FriendsofAsha forSlums since 2012, he's no strangerto the Indiansubcontinent. Reflectingon the relationshipbetweenthetwonations, whichhas certainlyseen itsupsand downs in the21st century, Robert looksahead withoptimism.

As he explains, diplomacy today has evolved from thedaysofcontestbetweena handfulofbigpowers.

"We're all becomingincreasingly aware ofthe relationship with India and

IAttheKumbhMela

Australia. As ti1ne has passed,with the changingrole ofthe United States and developments in China,it'sbeen itnportant for India andAustralia tostrengthenties."

Havinghada pivotal role in establishing the Australia India Institute,howdoes heenvisionits rolein facilitating this relationship?

"Overthe last 10years,it'sbeenan interestingexperience togetinvolved

and see howtheinstitutedeepensthe engagementbetweenIndiaandAustralia. Theinstitutefacilitatesacademicresearch

andcollaboration, but there's abroader scopeaswell. We've assistedwhen political figureslike Prime Minister Modicame tovisit Australia. We've helped organise exchangesand round tables.The institute recognisesthe crucialroleofmobilising theyouth," Robertelaborated. Acrucialpart in thjsdeveloping relationship, he pointsout, is understanding India asa "rich,diverse andcomplexcountry"with astill overwhelminglyruralpopulation.

Through hisworkwith Australian FriendsofAsha, theAustralian branch ofAsha India, he hasseen thisfirst-hand. Thecharitableorganisation,createdbyDr Kiran Martin in 1988,addressessocial, health,andeducation issues affectingslum dwellers in New Delhi.

Thepride in Robert's voice isevident when hesharesthe successstoryof Mahinder, whowasbornandraised in a Delhislum,andwenton to complete his master'sincomputerscience at the University ofMelbourne in 2018.

"Overtheyears,we're seeing howlives are beingtransformed through education," Robertsaid.

Inthecase ofAustralia, whose tertiary education sectorwasshaken upwhen borderswere closed practically overnight, he identifiesa realopportunity.

"Australiabecame structurallyreliant oninternational students. Theseoverseas studentscontribute notjust through money, but to the richness and multiplicity ofuniversities. Out ofthis crisis, there'sa realchance to reset."

In fact,heextendsthis philosophyto most aspectsoflife since the pandentic.

"Hopefullywe don'tjust rush to resu1ne life as it was. It'sa chance tosit back and pause. Toreassesshowwe work,howwe live, bowandwhat weconsume, andour relationship totheenvironment," Robert said. "It's achance to rediscoverwhat's reallyimportant."

YoucansupporttheworkofAshabyvisiting www.australianfriendsofashaslums.org.au

Rhea L Nath

'' am pleased and honoured," DrAnand NaidooofCoffsHarbour NSW told Indian Link, abouthis Australia Day felicitationthisyear.

He added laughingly, "It never crossed my mind that I would be put up for this honour.

Wondered whyanyonewould bother!"

Dr Naidoo came toAustralia from South Africa as ayoungdoctorin 1978, servingin Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

Whatwould he sayhas beenbis career

highlight?

TAKING MEDICINETO REMOTE COMMUNITIES DrANAND NAIDOO, OAM Forservice topaediatric medicine

"Saving n1anylives,workingas a regional paediatrician. But that'swhatwe do. Ifyou've been in this line ofworklongenough, you'll havefacedseveralsituationsin whichyou've been able to save lives and help youngfamilies."

To serve ina regional settingis another highlight, he noted, takingmedicine to regional and remote communities, even though Coffs Harbouris notexactlyremote.

"The advantages for ruraldoctors ofcourse,

Robert:JohansonwithAshahealthworkers

AGURUDWARA FORALL

Thelate Dr AMARJITSINGH MORE, OAM

Forhisservice to medicine, andto thelocal andSikh communitiesof Woo/goo/go

saproud Sikh and aproud Australian, DrAmarjitSingh Morewasdeeplypassionate aboutboth identities, serving both communitieswith unwavering com1nitment.

"Our Gurushave taught usto follow apathofrighteousnessand truth and to createa free, con1passionate, tolerant, and egalitarian society," heonce said. "These vaJues are the same asthoseofAustralian society. SikhsfoughtalongsideAustralian diggersin the 1nanybattlesin WWl and WW2 toupholdthe valuesofaden1ocratic, free, andjustsociety. OurGuruswere martyred fordefending thesevalues."

DrAn1arjit

SinghMorewasfelicitated

with theOAMhonouron thisyear's Australia Day.

"1 am deeplyhun,bled, andalsosad," his daughterSasha More told IndianLink aboutthe honourforherfather.

Dr More passedlastApril.

"Buthehimselfwouldhave said,what's all the fussabout! Hewasaverygracious man,verydeserving."

As founderandgeneralpractitioner attheWoolgoolga Medical Centre, Dr Morewasamuch-lovedmemberofthe comn1unjty. AsaSikhelder,hewashighly regardedwithin thelocal SikhcoIDJnunity, and tookon aleadership roleinthe buildingofthenewFirstSikhGurudwara.

"He lovedworkingfor thegurudwara," Sasha recounted. "Fro1nplanningthrough to buildingand inauguration, he was involved ateverystep,goingto the site everydayevenwhenhewassick. He also travelledwidelyforfundraising. Ican safelysay,withouthi1ntherewould be no gurudwara. 1t ishislegacy."

Thenewtemplewasgrantedheritage statusayearafterbeinginaugurated.

DrMorearrivedinAustralia in 1964as a 13-year-old. Buthisfamily'slinksto this countrygowaybackbeforeFederation. His greatgrandfathercame herein 1800s,and the familydivided theirtimebetweenIndia

also include lifestyle. Coffs, with its beachside setting, is paradise!"

'Paradise' is a term he also uses to describe his adopted country, especiaJJy given his experiences ofApartheid South Africa,where hisfamilyhaslived since the early 1900s.

"Although I havegood memories of mychildhood, these are overwhelmingly predominated by the racist rule, police brutality,controlofwherewe could or could notgo. I'm pleased or see the backofit. Ofcourse, the situation haschanged, now that itis politically

andAustralia. Hisgrandfatherstarteda bananaplantation thatthe familystill owns.

DrMorebecameschoolcaptainofthe localpublicschool inWoolgoolga,and then wentto the UniversityofQueensland to studymedicine.

He chosehowevertoreturn to Woolgoolga toservehisadopted city. Deeplyinvolved inthecommunity, he founded the LionsClubofWoolgoolga in 1976, and wasmemberformanyyears. He was alsoasupporterofthe Returnedand Services LeagueofAustralia.

Asa Sikhelder, healsoplayed apart in making theAustralianSikhGames the hugeannual event it istoday.

Hiscommitment toboth his nativeand adoptedidentitieswasevidentwhenhe saidattheinaugurationofthe NewSikh Gurudwara in 2019, "Weareonly the custodiansofthisuniqueandiconic place ofworship,but itbelongstoallWoolgoolga and Australia.ThlsGurdwarais foremost aplace ofworshipforSikhs, butithas broughttogetherindividuals, communities, and faiths fortheimprovedunderstanding betweenus all."

Itisa sentiment thathlsfamilyfollowsto the letter.

"Mybrotheriscurrentlythe vice presidentofthe temple committee, and my

different."

He faced no such jssues here in Australia.

"There were manydoctors ofcolour when l arrived here," herecalled. "I've worked with many doctors ofIndian origin forexample-all brilliant, they function at averyhigh level."

How would he adviseyoungdoctors comingintodayas NewAustralians?

"I'd sayto them, do work to the best of yourability. It's allabouteffort, effort, effort. This is afaircountry, and it will giveyouopportunities. There could be

cousin issecretary," Sasha revealed. "We beHeve thattheGurudwara isacommunity centreand invite the mainstream inatany opportunity."

Incaseyou'rewonderingaboutthat unusual surname fora Sikh, Sasha clarified, "Ltcomes from the Hindustani termforpeacock. Dad'suncle moved to Englandandchanged his na1ne there."

Ltis aname thatsuits DrAmarjit perfectly.

The peacocksymbolismacross various culturesstandsfor nobility,holiness, guidance,protection andwatchfulness. lt is also symbolic ofrejuvenation-a connection between thepast, presentand future.

Rajni Anand Luthra

barriers to entry to begin with, but isn't that true ofanycountry - noone will acceptyou straightoffwithopen arms. Manypeople ofcolourare now heads ofdepartments, doing reallywell. You can see that in the Indian diaspora - the barriers are high, and those that do get through are talented. By no means is this sheer luck; there's thousandsofyears of hlstory behind such achievement. Today's Uberdriver is the parent oftomorrow's professional-it's partoftheir cultural strength."

Rajni Anand Luthra

er s oes

Molina Asthana is appointed Vice President of the Law Institute of Victoria

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

eingappointed as Vice President ofthe LawInstituteofVictoria (LIV) is a hugely satisfying achieve1nent for Molina Asthana. Notonlydoesthismakeherthe first Indian-born woman - indeed the first Indian-born person - tobe elected to this position in the 162-yearhistoryofthis institution, italso1narkstheculn1ination ofa longjourneyof 16years,when as a newn1igrant, shewas told shewould struggleto get ajob inAustraliawithher Indian qualificationsand experience.

Despite havingworked as a lawyer in the Supreme CourtofIndia, Molina's degree and experiencewere discounted here. She took a MasterofLaws degree in Melbourne with good grades, but that wasn'tenough together started. Even as recruiters dismissed herapplications, Molina decided to1nake herown move.

"Meeting the partners at thebig lawfirms, I wouldtellthemaboutmy experiences,1nybackground and the value add that would bring," Molina told Indian Link, recountingthe early days ofstruggle. "When I gotmyfirstbreak, it wasat the top-tierlawfinn Clayton Utz."

Starting asa traineesolicitor, she climbed the ladderwithin n1onths. She soon beca1ne the Principal Solicitorat the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, a position in whichsheserved foreleven years until twoyears ago.

Explainingher decision tostart her ownpractice, Molina said, "As I wentup the ranks, 1 realised that in spite ofall my effortorskills, I would probably never reach the top, like becomingpartner."

She decidedtoservice the migrant business population,whowere clamouring for "son1eonewhospoke theirlanguage and understood them culturally."

As awo1nanofcolour,she had hit whatshedescribesas the 'double-glazed glass ceiling'. Herownexperience ofthe law firn1 cliquewhere work culture is exclusionaryis telling. "People like me feela bit lostin the bigfirmswhere male colleaguesspeakofprivate schools they wenttoorthefootyand state clubs they belong to and don't make any effort to include you."

However,Molinaadapted quickly. She now sitsonsportingboards likeGymnastics Australia, theAFLSouthEastCommission andTribunalfortheFootballFederation ofAustralia. Sportwassomething

Molinarealisedcould beherstrengthin assin1ilatingintoAustralian culture.

"When I came here, I wasa1nazed to see everyoneparticipatingin some sport, whetherrunning, cycling, walkingor organised sportlike soccerorfooty. Iwas inspired," Molina revealed.

Shenowrunshalf-marathons. Itledhertolaunch anot-for-profit called MulticulturalWomeninSport, usingsportas a means ofempowerment

and toincrease wellbeingand a sense of belonging. Jtworkswith large sporting organisations to help them restructure com1nunity programstomake them migrant-women-friendly.

"Wealso advocate formore inclusive

spaces forwomen, such as allowing womentoplayin clothingtheyare comfortablewith like thehijabor longer clothing, have womenfacilitators, umpires and coaches, curtainswhen swimmingor separatetimingsforwomenwho are not

comfortable swimmingaround men." Molina hopestouseheryear-long tenure as Vice President ofLIVto make a real impact. Allegations ofsexual harassmentare rife in herprofession. "More supportforvictims, awareness campaigns, and helping smaller firms set uppolicies tostem such behaviour, will be an areaoffocus," she stated.

Diversity in the legal profession is anotherissue. Manylawgraduatescome from diverse backgroundsbutdon't eventually make it to the top, thinningout at n1id-level. "There arebarelyanyjudges ofAsian/migrant background. Visually the profession is verywhite," Molina observed.

Recovery from COVID-19 is another focus for LIV. Not onlylawyers, but many migrant clientshavealso suffered. "Going online has benefitsbutwheneverything is tech-based, itis the most vulnerable that suffer,endingupbeingmarginalisedeven further."

Herown practice,which also runs an office in fndia, specialises in comn1ercial law. Cross-border work is Molina's passion. She speaks atlegalconferences in India and has been consulted on lawsdrafted there, relating to financial consumerprotection and privacy. She is alsotryingtomake iteasier foroverseas lawyers like herselfwho struggle to get theirprior learningand experiences recognisedwhen theymigrate.

To hear Molina in herownwordsand literallywalk inhershoes, head toSydneyMaritime Museu1n,where she is featured as part of'A mile in n1y shoes' event. Inside agiantshoebox, visitors are provided with astranger's pairofshoes and an audio recording and are encouraged towalk a mile to understandwhere thatperson came from and what has shaped their migration story. A free exhibition, it is on until 30 April 2021.

Molina'sadvice towomen inher profession isto equip themselves with knowledge and imbibegood things from the culture oftheiradoptedcountry while being true to their own heritage.

"1 encourage aUwomen, inparticular migrant women, toput their hands up for leadership positions. You have to make yourselfheard," says Molina who haswalked this talk and continues to, tirelessly.

Empoweringinsightinto women's strength andresilience

Diversity in the legal profession, sexual harassment, and recovering from COVID fallout will be high on Molina Asthana's agenda in her new role.

.ltdia Gillard -- ---- _..,. --- ---- -�gozi Okonjo-1,,·e.._'lla

MyownCOVIDcreation: Mincetomyum chickenandvegetableson lettucewith crispynoodles

Bridgerton (Netflix) for its diverse casting

Tanveer Sangha becomesthe second Indian-origin playertojoin the Australian national cricketteam

BY BY MANAN LUTHRA

''startedoffplayingcricket,justas anynorn1alkidwould."There'sa lovelysenseofhun1ilitytoSydney ladTanveerSanghawhohas,inthe spaceofonesu1nn1er,lituptheAustralian cricketworldwithhislegspinbowling.At just19yearsold,he'sgonefromunknown T20debutanttotoutedTeststar.

Tanveer'scricketconnectionsreachas farasthenationalMen'steamcoachJustin Langer,andhe'scurrentlypreparingto battleafonnidableNewZealandline-up acrosstheTasman.Hehaseveryright totalkhimselfup,flexhisstatistics,and flaunthimselfasafutureAustralian cricketer.Instead,hedisplaysastriking levelofmaturityandperhaps1nore importantly,enjoymentofthegan1e.

"Iwasnineandstartedplayingin 1nylocalUnder-t0stean1.Wewereonly allowedtobattwoovers,butyoucouldget outasmanyti1nesasyouwantItwasall aboutfunbackthen.Outofthose12ballsl couldonlyhit,like,2or3!"hetold Indian Linkwithagrin.

Fromthoseearlyunder-10smatches,the storyofTanveerSanghareallybegan.

"As1startedbowlinglegspinatabout13 yearsold,that'swhenIstartedn1akingthe localrepresentativesquads.WhenIwas15, In1ade1nyfirstNSWrepresentativeteam, andfromthattourna1nent,l111ademyfirst AustraliaUnder-16steam,"hesaid.

Whatfollowedwerehisselectionsinto theAustraliaUnder-17s,Under-19s,and thentheUnder-19WorldCup,ironicallyin 2019.

Allthoseyearsofrepresentativecricket paidoffinthen1ostrecentT20BigBash League.Tanveerfinishedtheseasonas thejointthird-leadingwicket-taker,played alongsideexperiencedcricketerslike UsmanKhawaja,andearnedhisfirstcalluptoAustralia'sT20squad.

He'san1onganun1berofyoung,fresh facesinthenationalteam,enteringavastly differentcricketlandscapefromthe'old' eraofRickyPontingandSachinTendulkar.

"Mytean1-matesalwaysteasemeabout it,butIamsobadwith'old'cricket history,"Tanveerconfessed."They're shockedwhenIdon'tknowthisplayeror thatplayer.Well,IhatedhistoryinschoolsoIdon'tlikeanythinghistoryrelated!'

Aheadofhisdebut,it'sclearthathe's enteringadifferentcricketatmosphere thantheplayersbeforehim.Cash-rich leaguesaroundtheworldareten1pting(he brieflyraisesafondnessforIndianPremier LeagueteamKingsXIPunjab),newer competitionsareonthehorizon,andthe ga1neisevolvingconstantly.

ForTanveer,though,themostexciting partisthechancetoobservehow experiencedplayersgoabouttheirgame.

"1'111definitelylookingforwardtojust beingouttherewithallthoseseniorguys [inNewZealand],"heshared."Bowling tothern,askingquestions,trainingwith themandseeingtheintensityandthe qualitytheytrainat.[Seeing]thelittleoneper.·centersthatreallyhelpthen1getthat edgetothenextlevel,getthatadvantage overotherguys."

Notingthenicebalancebetweenthe experienceoftheolderplayersandthe confidenceandfreedomoftheyounger players,hehassomeadviceforup-andcon1ingcricketers.

"Havingagoodbalanceisvery important.Itshouldn'talwaysbecricket, cricket,cricket.There'salwayshardwork -facingalotofballs,spendingti1nein thenetsbutit'sknowingwhat'quality' trainingis,"Tanveersaid."Havingthat qualityinsteadofquantityreallyhelpedme towardsthebackendofmytrainingover thelastfewyears."

Like1nostcricketfans,hewasgluedto cricketupdatesthispastsummer.Infact, helookstotheAUSvINDseriesof2020-21 asaguideforhisfutureactions.

"Idefinitelysawmanyupsanddowns (intheBorder-GavaskarTrophy],somany

amazingperformancesfrombothsides -especiallyfromIndia.Withsomany injuriesanddowntimesforIndia,what withquarantining,theystillfoughtsohard onthefield.Theyhavesomuchpassion andloveforthegame,andIreckonthat reallyhelpedthemcomeoutintheseries andkeepfighting,"hesaid.

Understandably,heidentifieswiththe youngerplayersoftheIndiansquad(think

MohammedSiraj,WashingtonSundar,and TNatarajan),whomadethemostofthe opportunitytofight-andstandout.

"Ireckonthat'swhatmightbesimilarfor me.IfIget1nyopportunity,I'mgonnatake it,standoutthere,andshowwhatIcando aswell."

Andfinally,hispredictionsforthe upcomingAustralia-NewZealandseries? "3-2,Australia,"Tanveersmiled.

Lecturer Dr Ian Woolford's three-month campaign to save Hindi proves successful

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

twas aconsolidatedcampaign staged overthree long111onths,but LaTrobe's Dr Ian Woolford received news this weakthatn1ade itallworth it. The university's Hindiprogran1, slated tobe terminateddue toCOVID-caused financial hardships,will bemaintained with nocuts.

"It'squite arelief" DrWoolford ' , LaTrobe'sface ofHindi, toldIndianLink. "I can hardlybelieve thatthe uni hascome to thisdecision."

Announcingthe decision,theuniversity's Dean ofHumanitiesand SocialSciences

ProfNick Sisleysaid, "Afterconsiderable discussionswith stakeholdersincluding staff, students,con11nunitygroups and governments,we havedecided to retain the current tlindiprogram. Notwithstanding the significantfinancialchallengeswe face, itis cleartous thatit re1nainsfirmlyin the university's andcountry'sinterestto retain the Hindiprogram."

Buoyed atthedecision, Dr Woolford said, "I an1particularlyheartened that thereasonstated isthatHindi isvitalto Australia'snationalinterestand therefore has aplace atthe university.Asa Hindi specialist, I agree."

DrWoolford spearheadeda massive campaign involvingvariousinterestgroups besideshis owncolleaguesand students, dedicatingallhisenergies intosavingHindi at theuniversity.

"Ireached out tostaffand studentsfrom multipledepartn1ents andotherswho

wanted tosee itsurvive, the Indiancommunity in Australiawhowroteto the universityand totheir Me1nbersofParliament askingforsupport,even academicsin India. Support ca1nefrom theAustralian High Commission in New Delhi too."

Hindi student Jessica Elle1n, whocoordinated the student response tothe university,isoverthemoon attheannounce1nent.

"I'111sogladtobestarting mythirdyearbeingable to continue Hindi,"shetold IndianLink. "The uni has madeawisedecision. The currentfinancial situationis not ideal butit'sitnportant forus to haveHindi - not onlyforour 700,000strong Indian communitybutalso forAustralia'sownfuture in tradeandgeopolitical stability."

Jessica organised fellowstudents towrite groupsubmissions to theuniversityand also targeted newsoutletsand governmentagencies.

"Iworkedveryhard on thephone, and onsocialmedia, tokeeppressure onthe Universityand thefederal government. I alsowenttotheVictorian Sate Government, DFAT, the Ministersof Education,HomeAffairs,Multiculturalism, and otherrelatedministersandShadow ministersto stoptheuniversityceasing

Hindi-aNationalStrategic priority Language."

The Indian Student AssociationofLaTrobeand the university's Bollywood Club alsoplayed theirpart.

Presidentofthe

Bollywood Club Priyanshu Tomar, an international studentstudying for a Masters'degree in ComputerScience, helped organisetwoonline petitions.

Theyread: "LaTrobe Universityuses their connectionto the Indian Film FestivalofMelbourne and Bollywood starsto promote the University in India,particula1·lyto potentialfuture students. Itis hypocritical (todo this) andatthesame time cut Hindi,the language ofBollywooditself. What kindofmessagewill this extraordinarystepsend to India and the Indian diaspora?"

"ItisgreatnewsthatHindi willcontinue," Priyanshu toldIndianLink. "Ihave firstgenerationmigrantfriendswhoare studying Hindiandtheyweredevastated whenthe movewasannounced."

DrWoolfordmeanwhile,isshowingno signsofslowingdown,instead appearing furthergalvanized intheserviceofthe languagewhichhascome todefinehislife.

"Nowthatwehave support,itisvital tocontinuetobuildmomentum,and not

just at LaTrobe butacrossAustralia," he reflected. "The universitysectoris devastatedby thecurrentcrisisand wemustconsider newinitiativesgoing forward. Forinstance, I'm looking atways toworkwith facultiesacross the spectrum -Public Health, International Relations, Sociology-tosee ifthere isanywaywe can design Hindi units to help their students. In Public Health forinstance therecould be greatadvantages. Howcanwe make Hindi, avitalcommunitylanguage inVictoria, more attractive to theirstudents? l thinkit's a natural thingwe should bedoing."

He seems tohavepassed thisenthusiasm on tohisstudents.

Jessica Ellen1stated, "I will work alongside Ian togetmorestudents. Butthe universityalsohasa responsibility. Itwas perhapsa failureofmarketingthatpeople didn'tknowabout tlu1diat LaTrobe."

She added, "Ianisagreatteacher, and agreatasset totheuniversity. Itwould havebeen ashame tolose himand the program."

One ofIan'sjobsonhis to-do listfor nowincludeswritingmessages ofthanks tovariouspeoplewhosupportedhis campaign.

"There are hundredsofpeople to thank, peoplewhotookituponthe1nselvestodo theirbit. l justknowthefirst 150."

Wecan'tletIangowithoutaskinghitn this: with Hindisafeat LaTrobe,is there a line ortwo frompoetrythatdescribeshis currentstateofmind?

"The lastlinesfron1Vinod Kumar Shukla'spoemHathashaseVyaktiBaith GayaTha. Theygoasfollows: flum dono saathchafe,Ekdoosrekonahinjaantethe, Saath chalnekojaantethe."

Bravo, Ian babu.

:JessicaEl/em

BY RHEAL NATH

hen Karl Rockpicksup the phone (with acheerful 'Na1naste!' noless), his New Zealand accentisapparent. That is, until he burstsinto 1-lindiwith an earnest, quietconfidence.

Onsocial media,the popularlndophileis knownforhishonest,sometimeshumorous, videoswherehebustsn1ythsand scamsof India. He'sevengothisown hashtagforthe cause: #nahichahiyeji (Nothankyou).

"Therewereso1nanyproble1nswhenlfirst ca1netoIndia.Everytouristhasatleastone badexperiencefromtheirtrip.l wantedto givetravellersawaytodiscoverthecountry andavoidthescains,"KarltoldIndianLink.

Fromhighlightingfakecallcentresto warningagainstfake teasandtrinkets, his videosaiintoprepare the averagetourist

forIndia.It'snosurprise, then,thathe'sgot over 1.2 millionYouTubesubscribers.

Nowa residentofNew Delhi, Karl earned a stampofapproval lastyearby none otherthan ChiefMinisterArvind Kejriwal when hedonatedhisplasmaafter recoveringfron1 COVID.

"All Ihavewantedistofitin. Itwassuch a nice thingto becalleda Delhiite. Itwas oneofthebestdaysin aprettydifficult year,"he saidwithasmile.

TheKiwi'sadventures in India might evenput local travellersto shame.Since hisfirsttripbackin2013,he hasvisited everystateand UnionTerritory, along with neighbouringcountries Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Hisreason issimple: "I've been fascinatedwith Indiasince I was 18years old. Ijustwanted toseeeverythingthe countryhad tooffer."

Indeed,aglance atbisYouTube channel reveals escapadesoffthe beatentrack, like visitingthe BearTemple inChhattisgarb and CellularJail in theAndaman and

Nicobar Islands.

Evenin hisowncity, Karlroutinely sharessnippets ofhislife. In 2019,he sharedhisexperience ofattendinga Diljit Dosanjh concert andsoon afterthat, the Punjabi singerreached outonlnstagra1n, welco1ninghim"tothe Bhangra world."

Theexpathasauthored twoe-booksso farfortourists and Indophiles,includinga bookonhowtolearnHindiquickly.What made hjn1wantto learn thelanguage?

"l startedlearningHinditoassin1ilate," Karlexplainedto Indian Link. "Often, menusandroadinstructionsandothertravel basicsaren'tinEnglish. LearningHindi helpsyouconnectwitheveryone."

Infact,someofhismostpopularvideos onsocialmediaremainhisinteractionswith localswhilespeakingin 1-lindi,complete with theirfaceslightingupinsurprise.

Jnoneinstance, hegreetsa military officerwithajovial "Rani rani ji, ki haal chaal?" (How's itgoing?)beforeentering the airport.

Anothertitne, anamused shopkeeper

askshim: "Toh kahan. se seekh rahe ho? (Whereareyoulearningfrom?)"

"Mere dost se (From myfriend)" Karl responds happily.

Doesthis111eanhe'sgotagraspofthe infamousIndianbead wobble?

"Initially, l had troubleunderstandingit," helaughed. "Butnow peoplecommenton myvideos that ldoittoo!"

AnotherbenefitoflearningHindihas meant enjoyingBollywoodn1ovieslikea local. In 2018, heeven visited the Druk White Lotus School (whichwas featured in Bollywoodfilm 3 idiots) beforeitwas closedtotourists.

"I starteddiscoveringBollywoodwith ShahRukbKhanmovies,but nowI'ma massiveAamir Khan fan.Hismovieshavea lotofdepth. ltcanbe difficult forforeigners to trulyunderstand movieslikePKor 3 idiots withoutcontext,butI'mnowgetting the hangofit,"Karlshared.

Twoyearsago,histiestoIndia were officialJycemented when be married bisgirlfriend, Manisha Malik,bycourt

marriage through the Special Marriages Act. Stayingtrue tohiscause, healso made the mostoftheopportunity tobust mythsaround marriagein lndia, including a misconceptionaboutconverting to Hinduismto marrya Hindu.

"There'ssomuchstrength in the Indian familyunit.Sometimes,there canbe commentspassedabout my wife being married to aforeigner, but myparents-inlawreally fight forme," Karlsaid.

"I didn'tknowthisbefore,butwhenyou marryintoanIndian family, you become theirothersonordaughter. l cannowsay thatl have twosetsofparents!"

Movingfron1Aucklandto New Delhi, asonecan imagine, wasa "steeplearning curve" forthevlogger.Herecallstheinitial difficultyoflearningto'adjust' bysharing seatsona busorassertingbis spot inlineif peopletrytocutpasthim.

Overtheyears,though, heseemstohave settled in. "There'snotalltoomuch Imiss about NewZealand Agood n1ince and cheesepiemaybe,"heconfessed.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

With Karl Rock

Favourite local dish? Cholebhature. I love it!

Cookanything Indian?

I'm not much ofacook Ican make Maggi,though. I liketoadd extra black peppers,turmeric, chilito spice itup.

Favourite Indian drink?

I amthechaiwallah ofthe house! I loveto makepropermasala chai, I probablydrink multiplecupsa day. Thefunnythingis, I didn'teven like tea before I cameto India.

Favourite Bollywood movie?

Oangal, starringAamir Khan. It'sset in Haryana,where mywife isfrom.

AdvicetoAussies or Kiwis looking to live In India?

Live here ifyou havea deep appreciationofthecountry. You haveto WANTto be here. Otherwise, itcan bea lotofworktoadapt.

Delhiite

Pink ari Inc launchestwo new health projects

With ·seyond Pink' and 'Cervical Screening for Survival', Pink Sari's work in community health reaches new heights

then1on1entintherealin ofculturally appropriatecareforcarers."

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

cancerdiagnosistypicallyturns one'sworldupsidedown,andnot necessarilyforthepatientalone.

"Carersareoftenforgottenin thecancerjourney,"ShanthaVishwanathan, PresidentofPinkSariInctoldIndianLink. "Buttheyaredoingtrulyimportantwork."

PinkSarihasjustlaunchedayear-long projectentitledBeyondPink,aimeddirectly atthisseg1nentofthecancerexperience.

Treatmentoutco1nesare knowntobe betterwith effectivecaregivers,andyet thefatigue, stress,even angerandperhaps illness resultingfon1 forgettingoneself whilecaringforalovedone,isscarcelythe subjectofconcern.

"Itis the toughestplacetobe,watching someoneyoulovego through cancer," Prof. DavidCurrow, ChiefCancerOfficer and CEO ofthe Cancer Institute NSW, said atthelaunch. "Jtisanenorn1oussacrifice, andoftenthei1npactstays,even aftercare is complete."

PinkSariInc'sBeyondPinkproject,a partnershipwith NSWMulticulturalH.ealth Con1municationServicefundedbythe CancerInstituteNSW,isaimedathelping caregivers1nake senseofitaU,empowering then1withinformationaswellasskiJls.

"We'dbeen observingthe fa111ilies that weworkedwithandhadi.dentifieda need," ShanthaYishwanathantoldIndianLink. "Thisledtoa survey-targetedas wellas opentothecom1nunity-thatestablished agapin services.There'snothingat

Sheacknowledgedthatourcommunity isgoodwith offersofhelpto known and sometin1esunknownpeople,butadded thatfonnal andcompletecareis theneed ofthehour.

"Firstup,wehopeto conductworkshops toconnectcarers-bothprimaryaswell secondarycarers- with existingservices, offeredbyCarers NSWandtheCancer Council.Alsoon theagendaareworkshops onhealthylifestyle. WhenIworkedinthe USI foundon-sitefacilitiesforcarerssuch asyogaand1nusictherapywhichwerevery beneficial."

Sheadded,"Ultimately,wehopetodevelop strategiestoadvocateonbehalfofcarers."

Ontheoccasion,com1nunitymember SelviRanjanprovidedafirst-personaccount ofcaringforhermumwhovisitedfrom Indiaandfellseriouslyillwith stomach cancer. "Withmyownyoungfan1ilyatthe tin1e,Iwouldhavelikedso1neculturespecificcare: helpwith transport,groceries, anythingwouldhavebeenappreciated."

IndianandSri Lankanwomen.

Alsolaunchedsimultaneouslywasa secondPink Sariproject,entitled'Cervical ScreeningforSurvival'.Tobe in1plemented withpartnersAustralian Indian Medical GraduatesAssociation(AIMGA)and theAustralianMedical AidFoundation (AMAF),the projectwillraiseawareness aboutthe NationalCervicalScreening Progra1nandtheimportanceofearly detectionofcervicalcanceramongst

Speakingontheoccasion,DrPalu MalaowallaandDrChitraHarinesanof AIMGAandAMAFrespectivelyprovided earlyideasofincreasingscreeningrates inWesternSydneyandSouthwestSydney. TheseincludetargetedresourcesforGPs suchasdata-drivenhealthmanagement programssuchasPenCAT;settingaside adaysuchasonaweekendandhavethe womencomebyfortesting;sendingout reminders;dispellingmythssuchas 'I might notbeat riskbecause1 amnolongersexually active/asymptomatic/havenofamilyhistory'; awarenesscampaignsusingmultilingual flyersandposters,and,perhapssignificantly, involvingmeninthehealthofwomen.

"Cervicalis the mostpreventable cancer," Prof. Currowoffered. "Screening isthe bestwaytoproceed,andAustralia hasseengreatsuccess here."

PinkSariIncbeganasacommunity projectfundedbytheCancerInstitutein

2014toincreasebreastscreeningratesin IndianandSri Lankanwomen. Whenthe two-yearprojectcametoanend,itbecamea communityassociationonitsown. Starting offwithsixwomenvolunteers,itnotonly capturedtheimaginationoftheco111111unity withitsinnovativeandaward-winning campaignsinvolvingthearts,italsometwith appreciablesuccessinincreasingscreening ratesforbreastcancer,givingitstarget womenabettershotatbeatingtheoddsand abetterrangeoftreatmentoptions.

"It's been excitingto see you growand develop thiswaysinceyoufirstlaunched," Prof. Currow told Pink Sari. "Youshould be proud-you'reawonderfulexampleof whatthe communitycandowhen they take ownership. (You've shown) incredible trackworkingalvanizingthecom1nunity. Weare countingonyouasapartner becauseofyourgreatcom111unity reach, andknowthatyouare trustedandhave the necessary skillsandexpertise."

Sending themessageoutwith cricketerGlennMcGrathatSydney'sPinkTest, 2019

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

Facebookgrouplaunched lastyear isfastbecon1ing thego-toplace forexpectant andnew rnurnsinSydney's Indiancornrnunitywho have transitioned into motherhood with nosupport from extended family.

When it became apparentinlate February 2020 thatCOVID wasgoing todisrupt our livesinan unprecedented manner,HetalBhimani Vasavada began to notice aparticulartrend oncorurnunity socialn1edia platforms. Pregnantwomen were postingwith concernaskingwhether theirparents' impendingvisits-to help withtheirnewbornbabies-would have to be cancelled.

"Itwasclear to rne thatthese women would be having theirbabieswith no outside help," Hetal told Indian Link.

The 33-year-old auton1ationengineer knewexactlywhatthismeant. Whenshe firstarrived in Australia in 2017,shewas 32 weekspregnantwith her firstchild.

"My husband and 1 weresettingup ho1ne inanew country-where we did not knowasoul,anddidnot know the systen1s -at atime when mostexpectant parents are wrappingupwork responsibilitiesand preparing for thebirth,"sherecounted. "Luckilythough, we did have my parents visitforthefirst three monthsafterour son wasborn. For2020'snewparents, J knew I had to help."

Jt all beganwith simple postonenight on acon11nunity Facebookpage.

"I live inWestn1ead,"Hetal wrote. "If you're goingtobeatWestmeadHospital havingyourbaby, I'd behappyto help." There were 30 repliesthenext1norning.

Whilesome werenotesofappreciation for heroffer ofhelp, many werefrom young won1enseekinghelp.

"I'mfond ofcooking, and since my husband and I were bothworkingfrom home,I foundwe had to time togo deliver somefood boxes,"Hetalrecounted.

Soonother women wereposting,saying theycould help too.

"The den1andwasgrowingforsheera, the kheerthatistraditionallyfed tonew mumsinourculture,"Hetalsaid. Postsbegantoappear fro1n other suburbs, seeking/offeringhelp.

Thenaturalnextstep was to setup a Facebookpage dedicated to thisnew endeavour, andsotheprivate group Helpinghandstoivomen duringpregnancy/ Deliveries wasborn.

Asayoung mumherselfwho has little time to readlongposts,Hetaltold membersto keep itshort. "Tell uswhich

suburbyouare from,and whetheryouare seekinghelp orofferingit."

Today, expectantmumsnearingterm seekinfonnationaboutwhatto take to hospital, whereto buybabyneeds. New mumsaskforinformationonpost-natal massages, dietary concerns,breastfeeding issues,and catch-upsforolder kidsand the1nselves.

Sleep consultantsandn1aternitysupport professionalsposttheiravailability.

Womenwithsparetitne ontheirhands offerhelpwithcooking,grocery runsand occasionalchild-1ninding.

It'sa warm,supportiveenvironment, filled with careandgenuine concernand much kindness.

"Manywomenhavesaid to me, thisfeels like fan1ilywhenourownfamilycannotbe here,"Hetalsmiled.

Post-partumtraditionswithstrong familyinvolvementcontinue to berobust inourculture, evenforthose ofus who move outofthe country. Physical nourishn1entisparamount, withspecial energy-giving, in11nunity-boostingand reparativefoods, aswellastherapeutic massages.Emotionalnourishmentis

equally important, with freedomfrom household chores, and muchrest, rejuvenationand replenishment. It isa time whennewmumsneed mothering themselves, itisbelieved, andso convalescence isencouraged inour parentalhomes, withourownmothers, sisters,auntsallchippingin.

And whenwe can'thaveourreal 'village' supportinguswithournewborns inanew culture, thattoo intimesof COVID-related restrictions, thevirtual 'village' isfillinginquitenjcely.

Whilethe women are no doubt accessingthe freegovernmentservices intheirareassuchaschildhealth centres, howmanyhaveHetaland fellow administratorChhaviMishrahelped?

"Icouldn'ttellyou,"Hetalreplied with honesty. "It'sonauto modenow.Thegirls exchangephonenumbersand take itfro1n there, and we haveno wayoffollowing italluptosee ifhelpwasdelivered effectively. Allwe've done isprovide a platform- it's really the womenoutthere whoarehelpingeachother."

Whenwomensupport women,amazing thingscanhappen.

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Whatwould you do ifyou saw this note on your building's noticeboard?

Sincethen,Aishwarya became alittle moreconsciousofhercookingathome, where shehadAmerican, Latino, and Korean flatmates.To be more mindful ofthosearoundher, shestarted toputa clocheoverthepanwhile cookingand begantoventilate the houseasmuchas possible.

Formanyfirst-generation kids, there's also the daunting'lunchboxmo1nent' when theyfeel targetedforthesmells coming from theirpacked lunches. Toavoid ridicule,theyeventuallyswitch to 'safer' lunchesat school like hamsandwiches.

Ofcourse, the argumentgoes beyond homes.Acommonquestion onAirbnb's hostdiscussions rooms hasbeen: 'Can you askgueststo not cookcurryorsmelly foods?' Some queries are morestrongly worded thanothers, but thecon1mon sentimentisthat curryhasa strong, lingeringsmellwhich allAirbnbguests might notenjoy.

Cultural perspectives on food

Itallboilsdown to understandingand recognisingdifferences.

BY RHEAL NATH

hen 29-year-old Vaibhav Pokhriyal moved intohis newapartinentin the Sydney suburbofDee Why, he never would have guessed whata stir(no pun intended) his cookingwould create.

Merelytwoweeksin, asignwentup on the building'scommunity noticeboard, in bold letters: 'Stop cookingcurry! This buildingsmells likean Indian restaurant.'

Wasitthegarlicpaste inbisdal?The hingin hisaloosabzi? Whateverthecase,it rubbedhisnewneighboursthewrongwayand theywere determined tolethimknow.

Toreceive suchapassive-aggressive note abouttheircookingmightdetersome people. Vaibhav, though,was determined to continue hishabitsas is.

"I'm stillcooking Indianfood," hetold IndianLink. "I'm notgoingtostopbecause ofthiscon1plaint. I'mcertainly notgoingto makepasta everyday."

Infact,hetookit astepfurther. He decidedto address thepassive-aggressive note with alittleone ofhis own: 'Ifyouare tired ofyourfood,you'rewelcome totry someof1nine.'

Bothnotesstayedup onthenoticeboard foratleast a1nonthbefore theywere taken down.

Unfortunately, thisisn't aloneincident ofIndian cookingreceivingbacklash

from neighboursorlandlords. Indian cotnmunitygroupson Facebookhave seen numerousposts about neighbourswho complain aboutthe strongsmell emanating from their kitchens.

"l an1 in so 1nuch stressthat 1 have stopped cooking Indianfood," oneuser lamented.

Anotherusersharedthattheymovedout oftheirnewapartmentaftera fewweeks because ofunpleasant incidentswith their neighbours.

"Mycousinwaslookingatproperties around Western Sydney. When he found onethatheliked,hewastold by the agent thatthe landlord doesn't lease to Indian orChinese familiesbecauseofthe smell of the cooking,"Vaibhavadded.

In situationslike this,it'shardtoshake offthe paranoia upon realisingyourfood makesyou stand out negativelyfrom the restofthe crowd.

24-year-oldAishwarya Reddy, an HRconsultant recalls across-cultural managementclass fron1hertime atthe UniversityofSydneywherethestudents were encouraged tohaveanopen,honest conversation about stereotypes.

"Wewere aprettymixed classwith Indian, Chinese, andAussiestudents. WhenwewereaskedaboutAsian stereotypes,wetalked about seafood, soy, strongvinegarsmells," sheexplainedto IndianLink.

"Whenit cameto Indianfood, Iwas surprisedand initiallyoffended.Then I realised this is howthe othercommunities must've feltduringthediscussion."

As individuals, wetendto becautious ofsmells,sights,andsounds that we aren'taccustomed to. However, when migrantcommunitieshavefacedthese kindsofissuesallove1·theworld,the idea of"smelly food"isn'tlimited toanyone culturalgroup.

Plentyof"white"foodslikebluecheeseand anchoviesareassociatedwithstrongsmells.

Early European familiesarrivingin AustraJia felt thebrunt ofsimilarostracism with theirsalamis, cheesesand sauerkraut.

South-east Asian foods like kimchi, and fruitsuch asdurian, are strongin their smells butaredelicious to eat.

What WEcan doaboutour cookingsmells

• A new-agetricktogetridofstrong smellsis lightinga candletosoak up the airin a room. Tryitoutnexttime you're cooking- and no,itdoesn't haveto beascented candle.

• Cookingfood,especiallyIndianfood, can bea longprocess. Trytoclean asyougo, includingwipingdown thestovetopandtheadjoiningwall whenyou'redone,to limitthelasting scent.

• Ifyou'reexpectingguests, itmight helptofinishyourcookingofcurries and otherstrong-smellingfoodthe daybefore.

WhatYOUcan doaboutour cookingsmells

• Simplytell us ifyoufind ourfood overpowering. Wedon'tfind itso,

Andyetwithincreased interaction and exposure came acceptance, even true relish. Evenaubiquitoussupermarket iten1 such asyogurtwashard tofind comn1erciallyuntil notso longago - today the averageAussieconsumes around 7.5 kilogramsofyogurtannually.

The internationalfoodaisles in supennarkets,while convenient, are anotherwaythatwe see a formoffood politicsplayout. Some items, like olive oilwith Mediterraneanorigins, sit comfortablyonshelveswhile lentils, tortillas, and currypaste find themselves indifferent aisles. With time, as these ingredients become more commonand normalised in households, maybewewon't need to see such ademarcated space.

So what's the problem?

Unfortunately, unpleasant incidentscrop upwhenothers feel the need to impose their ideas. Who likes to be told what theycancook in thecon1fortoftheirown home?

Perhaps all this boils down to the way we accept, and giveout,criticism. Think back to neighboursofother cultural backgroundswhosecooking might have affectedyounegatively in anyway. Or even considerother Indianfamilieswhose cookingn1ightsmell different than our own.

Withoutdolingoutshame or disapprovaJ, maybe it's time we accept that foodhas asmell. Sometimeswe like it, sometiineswedon't.

(But ifyou're facingparticularly nastyincidents withyour neighbours orlandlords, do somethingabout it. Reach outtostrataoryour local council. Disagreementsareokay, racistremarks are not.)

sowewon'tbeaware until youtell us. Mostofuswouldtakean extra step, like usinga cloche,to make it a more comfortableexperience. (Try nottosound likeVaibhav Pokhriyal's neighbourthough).

• Knowthatsomeofyourownfoods smelltoo -there aresome pretty strong-smellingcheese; and an egg sandwichfor lunch can stink upthe office, oreven microwaved cheddar popcorn.Soit's notjustcurry,or 'ethnic' or'Asian'foods.Strongtaste =strongsmell.

• Giveourfoodatry.Ifyou likethetaste, youmightfindyou'llbeabletotolerate thesmell.Mostofuscould notstand the lookandsmellofVegemitewhen wefirstcame here, butwegave ita goastheanthemofAustraliasayswe should.Tryand broadenyourpalettes whenyougoouttoeat.

PS: Numerousreadersreachedouttosaythattheyhad actuallygotten compliments abouttheircookingfromfriends,neighboursandacquaintances.Someevenaskedfor recipestotryathome.Alwaysagreatsign!

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'' balcony."

VIJAYHANDOO's first-person account ofthe circumstances that led to the Kashmiri exodus in 1990.

t's 26 January, memsaab," the milk1nan l had known foryears said to1ne. "Maybeyoushould putup ablackflagonyour

"I d-don'thaveablackflag," I sta1nmered in reply.

"Use ablacksari, oradupatta." Itwasthefinalstraw.

That night 31 years ago, undercoverof darkness, I fled myhomein Kash1nirwith myhusband andtwoyoungsons, after months ofsheerterror.

Thisismyrecount ofexperiences I had then. As I relaythese toyou, I makeno allegationsoraccusations.This is buta straightforward accountofthedaysleading up tothenightweweredrivenoutofour state.

Itwasthe night of 19Jan 1990. My brotherandhisfan1ilywerevisiting

us.Theywere overtoseeournewhousewhichwehad built lovingly, puttingall our savings111.

The doorbell rangat 11.30pm. 1twasourPanditneighbou1·s, allina panic.Don'tyouknowwhat'shappening? Locked infromthe coldwinter,we hadn'theard thecom1notion.The entire neighbourhoodwasouton the streets, as loudspeakersfron1 themosqueblaredout messages tellingKashmiriPanditslikeus, toleave, convertto Islam,ordie.

Theterrorhad begunmonthsago,when wereceivedletters tellingustoleave Kashmir, referred to asthe Land ofAllah, the land forMuslin1s, inwhichkaafirs (non-believers) had noplace. Theletters endedwiththreats toourchildren'slives.

Wewerea smallminoritygroupof Kashmiri Pandits, inthe Muslimmajority state ofJammu and Kashmir. The daily

persecutionsand harassment ofour communityofthepastfewmonths had left usin fearofourlives.

Therewere dailyreportsofkillings, blackouts,curfew, stone-throwing, breakins,and closureofschools,colleges, and cinema halls.

Onlyrecently, ayounggirlhad been rapedand killed brutally. Sheworked as a nurse, and apparentlyhad informed police abouta patientorpatients, clearly militants.Theyleftherbody, cutupinto pieces, ata prominentcitycrossing.

Notsolongago,aclosefriend

Lassa Kaul,whohappened tobemy husband's boss and DirectorofSrinagar's Doordarshan Kendra,wasshotonpoint blankrangeoutsidehishomein Bemina colony,underthewatchfuleyesofhis 'trusted'driver.

Also, ourclose relation PushkerNath Handoo,a top stateGovern1nentofficerin

the informationdepartment, lost hislife when hisown driverbroughtanassailant to his home in Karan Nagar, Srinagar.

There are manymore such storiesof friendsandfamilyme1nberswhoare no longerwithus.

Andtonight, the mosquewas sending outitschillingmessageon its loudspeakers: KashmiriPanditsexit, butleaveyourwomen behind. Batawvaraie, Batneiwsaan.

"You're the onlyhome herewith a phoneconnection," the Pandit neighbours beseechedus. So we rangthe police,the army. No onepickedup.

We rangfriendsinotherlocalities,fa1nily inneighbouringcities:Sendhelp. Ourhearts can1euptoourmouthswhenweheardthey wereinthesameboatasus,withmosquesin theirareasblaringoutthesame1nessages. AriseMuslimbrothers,fighttheHindus. Nizaam-e-mustafa Pakistanzindabad.

At l.00a1n, thecalls endured in the backgroundas mayhen1 continued on the street.

Mybrothersaid,"I'mgoingtohideupon theterraceand keepalookout. I'llyellwhen Iseethe1n coming,you allrun outtheback."

Ifigured I couldask ourMuslim neighbours forhelp - they had been strangely silent.

Fromoui-backyard, Ihoistedmy8-yearoldsonintomyPanditneighbour's house towake themup. Meanwhile,asamob descendedonourdoorstep,imaginemy terrorwhenIrealised,mysonisstuckinthe neighbour'sbackyard,allalone,inthedark ltwasonlylaterwewouldgettoknow, the mobwastheretothreatenandterrifyus.

Butweknew then thatwe hadtorun, ifwewanted to saveourlives. Butwhere wouldwego?And how?Wehad nomoney athome, andverylittlein the bank,having putallofoursavingstowardsthe dream homewewould havetoleave.

Itwasdead ofwinter, and the citywas closed to curfew.

On the morningof the 20th, thingswere quiet.The night, too,passed sleeplessly,in sheerterror.

"Makesurewhenweleave,thatyoutake BabyBrotherwithus," mysonwhisperedto me. "Youmightforgethimifheissleeping." * * *

On21 Jan, anotherneighbourstoppedn1e in thestreet.

"Sister,can1sendthewomenofmyfamily toyourstonight?Thearn1y-wallahswon't searchyourhon1ebecauseyou'reHindu.They createhavocinMuslimhomeslikeours."

I staredathim dumbfounded ashe continued, "Leaveyourhouseunlocked tonight. I mighthaveto bringmyfamily overinahurry."

* * *

On 25 Jan, the doorbellrang.I froze. l toldmyhusband togoto thebackof the house. Wehadbeenadvised thatthecallers mightshowmorerestraint towomen.

Twoyoungmen stoodat thedoor,tall and well-built.Theirhandswerehiddenin the pockets oftheirflowingphirans.

"lsyourhusband home?" theyasked.

"No," Ilied. "He'sprobablystillatwork."

"He's not," theyreplied. "We checked. HeworksatDoordarshan, in thenews department. Wewantedtoaskwhybe spreadsliesaboutus."

"Hedoesn't make the news,"I replied, tryingtocalm111yracingheart. "Hejust putsoutwhat comes fromabove."

Silence.Then: "Mayweuseyourphone?"

I unplugged theinstrumentfrominside thehouseandbroughtitout,hookingit intoan outsideport.Asl stoodaround, theirphoneconversationsent thechills rightdownmyspine.

"Hopethearmyisnotcreatinghasslesin yourarea," theysaidintothephone. "It's allclearoverhere. Maybe send the asla (ammunition) here. Thisisalarge house. There'splentyof spaceheretostoreitall."

1 can'tspend thenightinthishouse,I said tomyhusband.

Werangafriendinthearmycantonment area,consideredfullysafe, andsaidwewere comingovertostaywiththemforthenight.

Thenextmorning,26Jan,wereturned

home,justasthe milkmancan1eby.He gaveusourdailyn1ilk-and thatmissive aboutthe blackflag. * * *

Webatchedaplantoleavehomethatday.

Taxito Tammu? Wedidn'twanttoriskit. Wewouldhavetofly.

Thereisaflightearlytomorrow, the aii-port toldus,butitisfullybooked. Wereplied indesperation,we'recoming regardless.

Wearrangedtoborrowsomecashfron1 ourclosefriend,DeepakBudki.Asnightfell, underthecoverofdarkness,myhusband drovetoDeepak'shousetopickitup.

Meanwhileathome,I hadpackeda bag. Itwasa briefcase, really -allitcontained wasourdocuments.Thekidsand [puton asmanyclothesaswecould; to protect us fromthe cold I told then1, but I knewthisis allwewouldhave forthenextfewweeks.

Asataxidrove us totheairport, I did notonce turnaround tolookatthedream homewewereleavingbehind.

Oureyeskeptdartingaroundtospot peoplewho mightstopus. Itwaswhenwe sawthearmypicketat theentrance to the airport, thatwe breathedagain.

"Iknowtheflightisfull,"n1yhusbandtold thecheck-incounter."Buttherecouldbe somecancellationsascurfewhassetinnow?"

Waitandsee, wewere told.

l prayedallnightaswehuddled inthe cold - but relativesafety-oftheairporthall.

Earlynext morning,we wereairborne.

At Jammu,wegotsome time to process thelastfewdays. I had leftfoodonthe stove. Clothesdryingonthestand. Toys lyingaround the house...

Soonwebegan to hearfromfriends. So1ne,likeDeepak,had fledlike us.Others, tragically,willliveonin theValleyeternally. * * *

Weekslater,wefoundourselvesin Jalandhar,myhusband'sen1ployer Doordarshanhavingfound himasuitable position.Wewerewarnednottotellanyone wewerefrom Kashmir, aslandlordswere notrentingto Kashmiris-yousee, theymay havefled theirhomes,andinalllikelihood wouldhavenomoneyforrent.

"Just theone bag?" ournewlandlord asked us.

"Ourstuffiscon1ingbytruck,"welied. Myownemployer,DAV,alsofound me a positionasa teacher. l wasan MA-MEd, but l happilytookon nurseryteacher training.Myson,whowenttoanelite privateschoolin Kashmir,wenttoCentral School now.

Like allKashmiriPandits, wefellback onoureducation to build usupagain. We'vealwaysbeenproud of the 100% literacyin ourcommunity:itcame invery handyinthistimeofcrisis.

Myhusband and I climbed thecorporate ladderwith betterand betterjobs.Our sons tookengineeringandMBAdegrees, and foundjobsinAustralia. Uponretiring, we moved toAustraliapermanentlyin 2009 tobewith them.

On19 Jan thisyear,the anniversaryof thatdreadfulstart tothe Kashmiriexodus, we spent the daywithonline communities nowstretchedacrosstheworld,whofaced thatterror.Weremembered. Weprayed. Wethanked,even.

Butmostofall,wevoicedourhope. Our wounds remainraw,butjusticeeludes usevenafter32years.Drivenoutofour ancestrallands,wecontinue toseeka probeintothegenocideof 1989-90. The HandoofamilyinAustralia

A list of Indian Link's currentfavourites

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EAT

A9aibowlsincreasinglybecomingoneofthemostpopularsuperfoods whyisthat? Theytaste incredible,they lookappealing, and theyareamazinglyhealthy! Some proponentsclaimtheyhelpwith weightloss, high cholesterol,and arthritis.Acaibowls are essentiallythicksmoothie bowls loadedwithtoppings.Theyare madeofpulped andflash-frozen acai berriesthatarepureed with otherfrozenfruit,then served ina bowl andtoppedwitha varietyofberries,granola,seeds,nuts,peanutbutteretc.

READ

Ritu weds Chandni byAmeya Narvankar isa wonderful children's picture bookabout a LGBTQ wedding. Thestoryfollowsa younggirl Ayesha, who iseagerlyanticipating theweddingofherfavouritecousin Ritu Didi.Thevibrantcoveris eye-catchingand thecontents, simplywholesome. When Rituand Chaandni areconfronted with bigots, youngAyeshatakesa stand and doesn'tletthenegativity ruintheirspecial day! It's the perfect bookto educateyourchildren aboutdifferenttypesofrelationships.

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

WATCH

Ofallthe Indianshowsand movies releasingonlinethis month,wethinkyou shouldn't miss: The Girlon the Train (Netflix), a Hindifilm adaptation ofPaula Hawkins'debut novel from2015, starringParineeti Chopra. The Broken Hearts Gallery(Amazon Prime), a rom-com starringAustralianactorGeraldineViswanathan.Also catch season 2ofThe FamilyMan (Amazon Prime) and 1962:A War in the Hills (Disney+Hotstar) with Abhay Deol inthe lead role.

LISTEN

The incomparableShreya Ghoshal has released a newsingletitled 'Angana Morey'. Thesingercollaborated with herbrotherSoumyadeep in her homestudiotoproduce the latestcontemporarypop releasewhich isadramatic interpretation ofa woman longingforherbeloved.Thesong'selectronic beatscoupled withsoundsofthetabla andflute putyou ina musicaltrance. Ghoshal'sdistinctivelysweetvocalsonlyamplify thisexperience.The musicvideoonYouTubegarnered 5,000,000views intwodays.

Bageshri Savyasachi

•

n south Asian culture, there's astrong sense ofdutytowardsfamily. Whether it'sold age,sickness,ordisability, fan1ilies rally togetherto dotheirpart fortheirloved ones.

Whentheyneedanextrahand,though, OSANAbiJityAssistishappytostepin.

"Ourculturecanson1etimeshinderthe abilityto askforhelp.AtOSAN,we're simplysuggestingson,e additional aid," says DrOmer Khanwith asmile.

As CEO,he hasseenthe con1pany growfrom its humble beginningsinto an industry leaderindisabilitysupport and aged care services. Through their certified caregivers,excellent acco1nmodation facilities, and services that span26 differentcategories, OSAN providesitall.

"We're nottoolarge that ourclients beco1nejusta number,butwe're nottoo sn1all thatwe can'tcater toyourneeds. We liveour mission state1nent: 'qualitycare withcompassion'," On1ershares.

True totheirword, OSAN'sphone servicesdo notgetdirected to an answering machine. Instead, you'realwaysgreetedby a pleasantvoiceontheotherend oftheline in avarietyoflanguageslike Hindi, Urdu, Nepali,Turkish, andAfghani

lnfact, Omerbeams, OSAN goes the extramile. From trainees tosenior manage1nent, all stafftrytovisit every client, gainingvaluablefeedbackand creatingconnectionsalongthe way. Many times, theselittle interactions make all the difference.

AsaregisteredproviderwithAustralia's National DisabilityInsuranceSche111e (NDIS),OSAN'ssupportservicesare tailoredtoeachclient.Andfornewmigrants andAustralianswhodon'tknowabout NDISfacilities,Omer andhisteamwantto helpyougetthefacilitiesyou'reentitledto.

AB I

her, stressed outofhis wits. Eventually the 85-year-oldtookhim in - andcontinued to care forhim in herold age.

With OSAN's accredited short-and medium-term accommodation services and specialiseddisabilityaccon,modation, familiesdon't need to make thatdifficult choiceeveragain.

"We welcome familiestobeinvolved, butwe en1powerourclients, sotheydon't feel likea burden. We help themachieve theirgoals, no matter theirage, creed, or disability,bygiving them theirown space and independence," Karunaexplains proudly.

During the pandemic, the importance ofhealthcareworkers has been at the forefront. OSAN, too, continues to hire care workersastheyexpand.

Howdoyou knowthatyou'reeligible? It startswith three sin,ple questions:

■ Areyoulessthan65yearsoldwhenyou firstentertheNDlS?

■ Areyou anAustralian citizenorhold a permanent/ Protected Special Category visa?

■ Doyouhaveadisabilitythataffectsday-todayactivities?

With $22 billionallotted to disability servicesin Australia in 2020, OSAN is determinedtoconnectyou with the right fundingforyourneeds.

MembersoftheteamLikeKarunaPrasad, DirectorofOperationsatOSANAbility, believethatleaderslikeOmertrulyhavethe abilitytochangepeople'slives.Infact,when fundingfellthroughforaclientwhohadbeen waitingforadisabledscooterforn1onths,she sawOmerbuythe scooterhimself.

"Thiskindofworkmakesyoulearnalot aboutyourself,"Karunashares. "And OSAN isthe kindofcompanythatisdrivenby communityservice.Apartofourincomeis devoted towardswelfarework,togive back."

Shestill remembers the case ofan elderlymotherwhose sonwasplacedina governmentfacilitythatwasunsuited to hisrequirements. Everydayhewould call

"TheAustralianphilosophyistoalways invest in health. Asanorganisation,we're recruitingalmostevery week. We require minimum Certificate 3 & 4qualifications in disability andaged care. This is a greatcareerchoice forthosewho are interested," Omersays.

Whenover4millionAustralians continue tolivewithadisability, en1poweringthe1nto live normallives (with alittleassistance) cangoa longway. No matterwhereyouare in Australia, OSANis alwaystheretohelp -just reachout.

Experiencethe healing and rejuvenating powerofnatureat Kangaroo Island

BY SANDIP HOR

okangarooswelcome me as I landontheshoresofAustralia's third-largest island, but two centuries ago in 1802 a large numberofthen1greeted English explorer Matthew Flinders.

He proceeded toseize 31 ofthem as meatforhisravenouscrewand asa token ofgratitude, named the southerndiscovery Kangaroo Island.

Only a45-minute ferryridefrom Cape Jervisonthe southern edge ofSouth Australia, thislandmasswith its towering and colourful sea cliffs, lush rolling fields, footprintfree beaches, ribbons ofnative vegetation, thrillingwildlife,and boutique food and wine, has longbeen a topbucket list destination withboth international and domestictravelconnoisseurs.

The island is 155-kmlongand 55k,nwide,coveringalandareaof4416 square kmandencircledby509 kmof coastline. While Kingscote is theisland's busiesttownand hometo a tinyairport, Penneshawis anothersmall townwhere the ferryfromthe mainland arrives. Both arelocatedon the easternpart ofthe island.

Markedbythefootprints ofAmerican sealersandwhalers,Frenchnavigators and English colonisers, theearlyhistory

oftheislandisnoless invigorating. When SouthAustralia was formallyestablished asa BritishProvincein 1836, Kingscote becan1ethe capital and ren1ainedso forfour1nonths,untilAdelaide in the mainland tookover. Fanningbecame the principaloccupationofthe local people and it 1natured furtherwith the soldier resettlements afterWorld WarII.

Afewbuildings,lighthouses,graveyards, memorialsandrelicsstill remainas poignantemblems ofthe earlyera.

UnquestionablyKangaroo Island is a beautiful 111akingofMother Nature, whoat times doesn'thesitate todestroyherown creationwith deadlyacts ofearthquakes, floods, landslidesandotherdisasters.

Kangaroo Islandbecameavictim ofthis naturalphenomenonearlylastyearwhen devastatingbushfires rippedthrough almosthalfofthe island,terminating infrastructure,vegetation,andlandscape,

and mostdisturbinglykillingseveralnative animals, livestockand twohumans.The calamitywassospreadthat96% ofthe 326square km FlindersChase National Park-one ofAustralia'stopprotected sanctuaries- turned black. Itissaideven the birdsonthe island stoppedchirping. Manyincludingthe 4000-pluslocals, thoughtthe returntoformerglorymaynot happen soon.

MotherNature thought differently. Twelve monthson, it'samazingto see howthe ecosystem is bouncingback,with huge splashesofgreeneryemergingfrom a blackenedlandscape.

With this tragedystillfreshinmind,my islandodysseykicksoffona depressing note,particularlyafterhearingfromNikki Redman,the tourguidefrom Kangaroo Island Odysseys, the magnitudeofthe bushfire. Butthegloomstartsto fade asI notice theregenerationallaround me.

"Nature is slowlyreturningto norn1al," says Nikkias l seecolour other than blackdecorating the landscape, flora like yucca plants springingback to life. We heargolden whistlersandwattle birds singing,andspotwedge-tailedeaglesand blackcockatoos,a special offeringofthe island,up in the sky.

One wayofsupporting theisland in its recovery, issimplyto visit.

Inadditiontoobservingnature's renaissance,thereisstillenough unaffected by the bush fires to take inand enjoy. It will notonlyaidtherescue,butwillalso boost thelocaleconon1yshattered furtherbythe COYID-19pandemic. Withinternational travel barred for the timebeing, it'sperhaps the best time toexplore thisge1ninourown backyard, notonlytosavouritssplendours but alsotosupportits retrievaltoroutine.

There'sa lotin itsn1enu card, so I list someofthetopdrawcards that make the island sospecial.

WILDLIFE NATURALLY

Kangaroo Islandisabundantwithnative birds,koalas, short-beaked echidnas, and ofcourse kangaroos andwallabies.A large number ofthem died fromthebushfires, butthere areplenty thatsurvived and it's possible to encounter them in theirown habitat almosteverywhere.

ENDANGERED SEA LIONS

Thesoutherncoastoftheisland ishometo sealions. Watchingtheminlarge numbers restinginthe sunor ridingthewaves

ontothe beach intrueAussie style isan unforgettableexperience. Onaguided tour it'spossible togetclosetotheseanin1als, evenpose foraselfie.

STUNNING �EAFRONT OCAT ONS

Gettingintin1atewithsun,seaand sand ispopularatseverallocationsalongthe coastline-VivonneBayinthesouth,Western RiverCove Bay,SnellBay,StokesBayand E1nu Bayinthenorth,and PenningtonBay inthe westarefan1ousfortheirspectacular settingsandbeachestosuitevery11100d.

ROCKY WONDERS

Locatedatthe westernendoftheisland inside the Flinders Chase National Park areAustralia'stwoiconicrockgrowthsRemarkable Rocks, an impressivenatural formationoforange-lichen-covered granite boulders bythe sea, and the Admirals Arch, a stalactite-coverederoded rock bridge outside ofwhich thousandsoffur sealslike tosunbathe.

OLD LIGHTHOUSES

Many shipwrecksoccurred aroundthe

islandsinceofficialsettlement, leading tothe buildingoflighthousesatnearby Cape Willoughbyii11852, Cape Borda in 1858, Cape StAlbans in 1908 andCape du Couedicin1909.Alloftheseexisttoday as silent witnessesofthecolonialpast.

Lin I:. SAHARA Awayfromthecoast,naturallyevolved inland sand dunesoffer toursand activities forthe adventure-minded, slidingdownthe sandy billbeingafavourite.

-

N UIN CO ON Penneshawis theho1netoacolonyoflittle penguinswhichcanbe seenonaguided tourintheeveningsonly.

CA PRODUCE

Thepristine andstress-freeenvironment provides a fertile platformforthegrowth ofpremiumproduces.Visitorshave the chance to tastesome ofthe finestseafood, lamb, honeyand locally madewine,cider, beerandgin. ---

TRAVEL NOTES

Gettingthere: QantasLink(www. qantas.com)operates daily flightsfromAdelaide,otherwise byferrywithSealink(www. sealink.com.au)fromCape Jervis, locatedtwohourssouth ofAdelaidewithcoachservices availabletoconnectferries.

Stay: Allsortsofaccommodation isavailable,fromswagunder treestofivestar suites.

Aurora Ozone Hotel (www. auroraresorts.com.au) at KingscoteandSea FrontHotel (www.seafront.com.au)at Penneshawaregoodchoices.

Tours: KangarooIslandOdysseys (www.kangarooislandodysseys. com.au)specialisesin various smallgroup toursand tailormadeitineraries.

More Info :Visitwww. southaustralia.comandwww. tourkangarooisland.com.au

•

•

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - NSW HEALTH

Membership - Local Health District and Specialty Network Boards

The NSW Government is inviting applicationsfrom people interested in becoming a memberofa Local Health DistrictorSpecialty Network Board.

The Boards are responsible foroverseeing an effective governance and risk managementframeworkforthe district/network, setting strategic directions, ensuring high standards of professional and ethical conduct are maintained, involving providers and the community in decisionsthataffectthem, monitoring service delivery and financial performance againsttargets and holding the district/ network chief executive accountablefortheir performance.

Individuals should demonstrate the capacityto representthe interest of consumers of health services and the local community served by a district/network, and indicate any affiliationswith universities, clinical schools or research centres, as well as skills and experience in one or more ofthe following areas:

• corporate governance;

• health management/health administration;

• business/financial management/public administration;

• clinical practice/provision of health servicesto patients;

• expertise, knowledge or experience in relation toAboriginal health;

• understanding of local community issues;

• understanding ofor experience in primary health care

Accepted applicationswill be included on the NSW Health Board Register for Local Health District and Specialty Network Boards.The Registerwill be used to fill vacancies on Local Health District and Specialty Network Boards during 2021 and 2022.

To apply, individuals need to complete an expression of interest indicating their skills and experience relevanttothe role by Sunday28February2021.

For information and to obtain an Expression of Interestform visit: health.nsw.gov.au/eoiboards. Forfurther information please call 1800328 998

"I used to thinkthat all mortgage brokers are the same until I met Swati" - Koma/ Talk

a specialist for all your Home Loan needs THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE. swati@buyerschoice.com.au

BY ANUJAVIJAY

etthe111ango maniacontinue,we say, andyouagree! Ifyou haven't madeanaamkapannayetthis --- season, tryoursimplerecipe. Plus, a 1nangopopsicleforafterschool,anda n1angosandesh. forafterdinner.

Eachwilltakeyou backtothesummer holidaysofyourchildhood in lndia.

1 cupfresh mangopulp

1cupfrozenorfreshraspberries pureed

■ 2tbsphoney(ormoreorless.to adjustsweetnesstotaste).

Add honeytoraspberrypuree. Pourmangopulpintopopsicle mouldto the halfwaymark.Add1tbsp raspberry puree. Layerwith anotherspoonof mangopulp andthen raspberrypuree. Freeze until half-frozen.say2-3hours. Stickinyourpopsiclesticks.andthen freeze untilfullyfrozen.about8 hours orovernight.

MANGO COOLER

1 rawmango ¼ cupjaggery

■ Mint leaves ½tspblacksalt

1tsproastedcuminpowder

Peeltheskinoffthe rawmangoandchopintosmall pieces. Cookin apressure cookerwith enoughwaterfortwowhistles. Transferthe mangoesintoablenderalongwithahandful ofmintleaves.jaggery. Blendtosmooth.Sievethe pulpand addblacksaltandcumin.Ifneeded.add morewatertoadjust consistency.

MANGO SANDESH

■ 1 litrefull cream milk

■ 2tbsplemonjuice

■ 1/3cup powderedsugar

Thinlysliced mangoes Apinchofsaffron soaked in ateaspoonofmilk

Bring milktoaboilina heavy-bottomed pan.stirring occasionally.Add lemonjuice andallowmilktocurdle.Turn heatoffand letthe milksit forfive minutestocurdle completely.

Lineastrainerwithcheese

cloth and pourthe curdled milkthrough.Oncethe wheyis strained.washthe cheesewith coldwater. Bringallthe endsofcheese clothtogetherandsqueezeout the excesswater.Leave itin thestrainerfor20minutesto remove excesswater.

Transfercheesetoaplateand kneadgentlywiththehelp ofyourpalm.You'llhaveto kneadfor5to7minutesuntilit becomessmoothandsoft.Add

thesaffron milk.

Nowaddthe powderedsugar andformabigball.

Placeasheetofbakingpaper onthecounterand rollthe cheeseballinarectangular shape evenlyonit.

Placetheslicedmangooverthe rolledcheese.

Withthe helpofbakingpaper firmlyrollthecheese. Leave itin fridgefor15minutestoset. Cutintosliceswiththe helpofa sharp knife.

So you've plur ed n man �.,;;:- all summer - but of course you can iit in some more before the season ends, right?

plushworldofAshokisanawakening ofsortsforBairam.Slyandambitious thathealwayswas, Bairammanages topenetrateAshok'sworldinawayhe becomesincreasinglyindispensableto hismaster.

Yet, Balram's rudeawakeningswill notbe restrictedtothe realisation oftheacute class dividethatexists. Hewill beshockedto realise after a tragic incidentone night how disposable heactually isto his employers. Bairam understandsthe onlywayto bucktheclassdivide, which iswholly loaded againsthim, itisto break all master-servant rules that have been drilled into his mind sincechildhood.

THE WHITETIGER

I STARRING:Adarsh Gourav, 1 Priyanka Chopra, RajkummarRao, Mahesh Manjrekar,VijayMaurya, I SwaroopSampat

I DIRECTION: Ramin Bahrani

I ***"'

1 "Don'tbelieveforasecondthere'sa million-rupeegameshowyou can win I togetoutofit".

I That's Bairam Halwai in The White I Tigerthinkingaloud,outliningthe squalid povertythatheliveseveryday, I asopposedtowhatJamal Malikin

I SlumdogMillionaire mighthavesaid.

I The White Tigersetsitstonebluntly withthatline,somewhere intheearly I portionofatwohour-odd runtime.

I The idea isclear:thereisno superstar-hosted miraclegameshow I waitingtodeliveryou ifyou are Bairam I Halwai, dehatidriverdevotedtoa

I wealthyuppercaste'master'. Butif

1 youare Bairam,andatthewrongend ofthesocial stratum,gettingatthe I wrongend ofthe lawmightjusthelp.

I Only, ina countrywhere'Wanted'

1 postersthatcopsissue rarelyeverlook 1 liketheculprit,you haveto besmart

I I becausethe man whogetsitso right-Iranian-Americanfilmmaker RaminBahrani-hasneverlived in I eitherIndia. I

I enoughtogetawaywith it. I I

I Itisa notionthattriggersinstant chaosasweenterBalram'sworld, I andthemood pervadesbeneathall

I thatgoeson, asthefilm capturesthe

1 essenceoftwoverydifferentlndias thathave learnttocoexist. From I theguttersofLaxmangarhvillagein

I backwaterBihar,where Bairam hails

I from,totheworldofsuper-swanky Gurgaoncondos,where heendsupa

I driverforhis morallymalleable, ultraI richemployers, it'sinterestinghowthe film capturesthe realityaboutboth I milieuswith discomfortingprecision.

I Itleavesyou intriguedallthemore

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekinga professionallyqualified match, teetotallerwith agoodfamilybackground, preferablyAustralian citizenor PR holder, forhighlyqualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian withgood family background,workingand wellsettled in Sydney. Pleasecontact aussyd08@gmail.com

Lookingfora well-educated andsettled match (professional orbusinessman)fora Hindu Khatri girl. Currently, sheis pursuinga Master'sdegree inAustraliatobecompleted thisyear. Herdetailsare:Age35years, Height 5'2", unmarried, faircomplexion, beautiful, slim.Kindlyemail biodata and picturesto narayan.matrimonial@gmail.com

Itiseasy, ofcourse,to rootforThe WhiteTigerforits performances, becausethecastiswhatprimarily drawsyourattention.Adarsh

I Gouravas Bairam Halwai, rises fromthefringestodelivera defining I performance,as Bahrani unfolds his I lifestorybrimmingwith unapologetic 1 tragi-comedy. Balram's isajourney from lower-classignominytowhat I he hopeswill onedaybeataleof

I I I I I successful entrepreneurship. I 1 Thegreystoryofambitiongetsatwist I ofcolourwhenhemeetsPinkymadam I (PriyankaChopraJonas, insurelyher I mostassuredperformanceinyears), I I I drop-deadgorgeouswifeofhisemployer 1 Ashok(RajkummarRao,awkwardlyout I ofsyncwithforcedaccent). Indeed,the I

Professionallyqualified match requiredfor '88-born, 5"3" Hindu Punjabigirl, divorced (shortmarriage, issueless).Workingfulltime inSydney. Prefteetotaller. MusthaveAusPR. Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com.

SEEKING BRIDES

Seekinga professional matchfor Hindu-AdDharmi/Ramdasia, 27-year-old engineerboyonTRvisadoingcustomer servicejob in Sydney, withan educated familybackground,family relatives professionallysettled in Sydneyand Brisbane. Caste no bar.

Pleasecontactwith detailsand photoat hsruby_2000@yahoo.com/ 0401324862

Maintainingthe narrativetoneof Aravind Adiga's Man BookerPrizewinning bookofthesamename, Bahrani'sscreenplayunfoldsasa letterBairamwritesto erstwhile Chinese premierWen Jiabao, around his India visitof2010. As Bairam punches in hisstoryon a laptop,the idea isto laybare a representative citizen ofoneofthetwo most populousnations in the worldtothe headoftheother. Does Bairam really representIndia, andthe nation's moral, economic and culturalfibre? Wewillgivethe makersofthisfilm theadvantageofcreative liberty.

For, Bahranidoes keep his narrative ascloseaspossibletoAdiga·sstory. Thebookwasalwaysgripping,andthe writer-directorusestheadvantageto crediblyestablish everysocio-cultural commentinherent inthetale.

Wittyintone, heart-rendingin its impactandentertainingoverall.

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Why OP Nayyar continues to be SHYAMAL BHATIA's favourite musician

am an ardent admirerofOP Nayyar's n1usic. Anyonewho knowsmewell, knowsof1ny love forIndian film n1usic from the 1940s tothe 1970s. l have grown up listening to, and thoroughly enjoying, songsbyco1nposers rangingfrom Pankaj MaUickand RC Bora! through to RD Burman.

Butifl mustpickapersonalfavourite among these itwould have tobe Nayyar. 1 have oftenwondered to 111yselfwhyit is that Ilike Nayyar's n1usicso much, and whatitisin his songs that makesforsuch pleasurablelistening. What isit that sets it apartfron1the others?

Early exposure

Iwasintroduced toNayyar'smusic in 1ny earlyteens bymy brother,Tushar Bhatia (MusicDirector,AndazApnaApna). The radiowasplayingEkpardesi1neradi/le gaya fro1nthe fihnPhagun.

"You have to listen to this," hesaid, and wenton topointoutbowthe songbegins ona single beat forthefirstlineand then doublesupfor the nextfate}ate,neetha meethagham degaya.

"Notice the word repetition -jatejate and meetha meetha," he said. "Isn'tit wonderful?"

Thatwas it. I was mesn1erisedbythe songand found 1nyselfinstinctivelytapping myfeet.

And fromthatpointon beganmy journeyof'discovering' 0 PNayyar.

Collecting OP

The discoveryofeachpreviouslyunheard

OPsongwaslikeuncoveringtreasure, and through 1nyschooland university days Ispenthourssearchingforthese songstoadd to 111ycollection. Radio Vividh Bharti and RadioCeylonwerethe obvious sourcesand 1 would sitpatiently with mycassetterecorderwaitingfor the announcertoutterthewords"music direction O PNayyar"before I pressed the REC button.

1 recaUgoingto Rhyth1n House,an iconic musicstore in Mumbai, with Tusharbhaijusttobeable to listen to the songsfrom thefilmAarPaar. Rhythm House hadlisteningboothswhereyou could sitdownandlisten to LPsbefore youbought them. 'Trybeforeyou buy' as the sayinggoes, exceptwe neverbought. Wecould not afford thepriceysumofRs 30 for the LPbackthen. Weweresimply there tobearthesongs - Babujidhire chalna, Sunsun sunsunzali,na and Hoon abhi,naijawan would run shiversdown my spine. Theystill do.

ChorBazarin Mumbaiis alargeflea marketwithdozensofstores selling second-handgoods. I rememberfindingan EMI Pakistanrelease LPofYehRaatPhir naAayegiwhich I endeduppurchasingfor Rs 100.Thatwaslaterin myuni days and while Rs 100wasstillalargesum, I could nowafford anoccasional splurge.The recordwas outofissueinIndia and buying this rare copywasmostcertainlyworthit.

ChorBazarbecan1ea regularhaunt whereI painstakinglywentthroughpilesof dusty 78rpmrecordsinthehopeoffinding a Nayyarsong. I discoveredraresongslike

Chayahaisennameradi/haijawan (Qaidi); Man moregaajhoo,nke(Mangu) andAha hahajawanijhootntihai(BadeSarkar).

Acassettewithall Howrah Bridgesongs and one with a highlyechoeyrecording ofManguand Musafirkhana songswere excitingfinds.

Smugglingmycassette recorderinto matineeshowsofHumSubChorI-lain, and Pran JayePar Vachan NaJayeto tape the songs,and recordingoffChayageeton Doordarshan resultedin n1e augmenting mycollection.

Son1uchmoreadventurousand thrilling todiscoverandcollectthisway, rather than downloadingoffYouTube!

Meeting the man himself I hadtheopportunitytomeetOPNayyar several timesthanks to afriendArshad Sultan. Arshadsaabwasthe representative ofPakistanAirwaysbased in Mumbai and Nayyar, beingaclosefriend, frequently visitedhim inhisCuffe Parade apartment. Arshadsaaborganisedseveral mehfils attendedbyfansandwewould spend hourssingingandlisteningtostories aboutNayyar'smusiccareer. These areoccasionsI wi!Jneverforgetandbe eternallygratefulfor.

The man, the music I canbroadlycategorise Nayyar's music careerinto threeeras. Thefirst in the '50s wherehepredominantlyused Mohammed Rafi,Shamshad Begum and GeetaDuttas singers-Ayedilayedeeivane(Baaz), Yeh lo maiharipiya(AarPaar), Thandihawakali

ghata andJaanekahan merajigar(Mrand Mrs 55), Boojh merakya naam (CID), Badi rangeelizindagi (Shrimati420), Tumjohue merehumsafar(12o'clock).

I'm still blown away by Thoda sa di/laga kedekh (Musafirkhana) where Nayyar had Shamshadsingthe words with Rafi singing theinterlude musicthroughout.

Then came the era where Asha Bhosle became his prime singer. The sophistication in his orchestration and his useof1nusicians like Rais Khan (sitar),ShivkumarSharma (santoor), Zarin Daruwala (sarod) and Rain Narain (sarangi) added adiamondlike lustretohis songs. Romantic musicals Like MereSanani, Sawan kiGhata, Kashn1irKiKali, Yeh Raat PhirNaAayegi, Flumsaya, Ek MusafirEk Haseenagaveus songs like faiyeaapkahan jayenge, Pukartachalahoon ,nai, Zara haule haulechalo, Phirmilogekabhi, Oilkiawaz bhi su'and Bahutshukriya.

San1bandhwasaturningpointonceagain. Withserious,meaningfulsongslikeAndhere ,nejobaithehain, Tu,nkotokarodosaaland Akelihoonmaipiya, Nayyarshowedusa siderarelyseeninhispreviouswork.

OP fan forever

Comingbackto the question ofWHY I like Nayyar's music asmuchasI do, I can onlyconclude that1 don't reallyneedto understandwhyI likeitson1uch,ittouches the heartand that isenough.

J'vlerinazaren haseen haiketumhohaseen, yehsamajhnekimujhkozooruratnahin, baatnazaron kihaibaatkuch bhinahin jiskodi/chhaheduniya mehaiwhohaseen.

February 2021 BY MINAL KHONA

MinaI Khona has been readingtarotcardsfor the lasttwodecades. She uses herintuition and connectwith the cards mostlyto helppeople.

The chariot card drawnfor you signifies a need forbalance in your life. Italsostands forvictory: focus on yourgoals, you are on the right path. The charioteer in the card represents one's higher selfsoifyou are on a spiritual quest, you willfind growth. Ifa situation no longerservesyour higher purpose, you will walk awayfrom it - whether itisajob or a relationship. Watchout formoodswingsthis month.

You could gothrough bouts of insecurity regardingmoneythis month. Don'tworry, itwill teach you tovalue moneyand notletitown you. Balance your expenses. Ifyouare lookingtosell property, itwill be sold. Despite obstacles, you will continue withyoursignificantotherifin a new relationship. Ifthere'sa health problem, take a second opinion before it becomes chronic. Success isyours this month butaskyourselfwhat is it reallyworth.

I This month, Gemscould dosome I soul searchingand seekanswers I from their higherselves. On thework front, itis goodto knowtheprosand I cons before makinga decision. A I shorttrip could be on theagenda. If you've had a setback, you could lack I confidence butworkon yourself. You I can resolvea lot ofyourproblems bycontrollingyourthoughts. Money I could betightbutfinances improve I shortly. Payattention totummybugsor 1 headaches.

I The card drawn foryousignifies I successatwork:youwill useyour I will powerproductively. Don'tlet temptations override commonsense, I andthink beforeyou act, especially in I matters ofthe heart. You will take up a much-needed break. Moneycould I betight butfunds underdispute will I cometoyou. You maytake a decision 1 regardinga business ora relationship. Itwill end anydilemmas insideyou. I Acceptyourcurrent situation and don't I force outcomes.

You drawa destinycard this month,sogo withtheflowwhere possible. Therecould

I Thecard picked representsthesign of TaurussothefinickyVirgocould well be

I stubbornthismonth. Oryou maymeet be new businessventurescomingyour way. Ashorttrip could introduceyouto a potential business partnerorromantic interest. Watch yourhealth, especially yourheart. Itcould also indicatea heart attackforafamily member. Friendsgive you thesupportyou need. Finances improve, especially inthe realm of investmentsorprofits. Perseverewithout worryingaboutthe results.

I someonewhoisaTaurean. Stressin a relationshipalmostmakesyou walkaway I butyouwon't.Positivechangesareround I thecornersodon'tgive upontheone

I you love.Travel plansfallthrough.Dental problemsare indicated. Money matters I need resolving. Earlierblocksinyour I head, workorpersonal lifeease upand positivechangesareontheway.

Yourcardthis monthstandsforthesign

ofGemini soyou could blowhotand cold on mattersthatinterestyou. Ifsingle,you could meetsomeone reliable, afinancial advisorora man in a position ofauthority. Adisagreement in a relationshipdoesn't getresolved immediatelybutyou will reunite.You impressyourbossesatwork anda new projectbasedon pastwork could comeyourway. Health improves overall.You prosperfinanciallythismonth. Bediligentinyourwork.

I YourcardrepresentsLibrasotheusually

I indecisiveCapricorns maytakeeven

I longertomake uptheirmindsthismonth. Nervousenergyisindicated,andyoucould I losefocusthismonth. You could also I meetsomeonewho is December-January born, probablya professional - ora I militaryperson.Work isstressful;watchfor I bacterial infections. Change howyourelate I topeopleforbetterresultson allfronts. A legal matterends in awinforyou. Stay I detachedto maketherightdecisions.

I You maydisplaya Leo-likegregariousness notusuallyassociated withthesecretive

I Scorpios.Oryoumightmeetsomeonewho I I Aromanticrelationshipcancausesome heartachebutall isnotlostAnewprojectat I workdoesn'tquiteexciteyou. Manyofyour I I problemsarereallyself-created,socontrol I I yourthoughts.Watchagainstdeceitinsome I

I divorce]canbesiegethemthismonth.

form.Takea breakfromwork;especially I ifyouarestrugglingwithdepression.Any I setbackyoufaceisshort-livedsodon't panicordosomethingimpulsive.

I isa Leo.Youwill havesuccessatwork andyou desirea position ofauthorty. Buttrynotto becometoodemandingor controlling.A relationshipcould leaveyou feelingresentful orjealous.Apassionate loveaffaircould beontheanvil forthose I whoaresingle.A rockyrelationshipwill

I end. Health remains upbeatand good luck I iswithyou allmonth.

I TheusuallygenerousAquariansneedto I lookoutforfeelingsoflackthismonth. Guardagainsta povertyofspiritkindof I approachand practicegratitudeinstead.

I Seekinnerguidanceforeverythingthat I needsclarity.ExpensescouldmountSome ofyoumayevenhaveanextra maritalaffair.

I Youneed restfromaperiodofmentaland I emotionalstress.Workcolleaguescouldbe difficultthismonth.Afallorinjurywill need I medicalattention.Spiritualguidancesees I youthroughatough month.

I Indulgeinsomeself-analysisthis month; I repeatedpatternsand old habitscould be I holdingyoubackonmutiplelevels.Itis alsoacardofrejection,substanceabuse, I lossofa lovedoneand even heartbreak.

I Yet,the universewillgiveyoua helping handthroughsomeone. Don'tgetso I familiarwithsomeonethattheygetbored I withyou.BusinessimprovesforthesefI employedandresourcestoacquiremoney throughmultipleavenueswillcome.Give I yourselfsome loveandTLCthismonth.

Every breath is a blessing

DEARAUNTYJI

It'sbeen12monthsofCOVIDandwe havenotheardapeepoutofyou. Where haveyoubeen,areyouwell, andwhatthoughtshaveyouhad?

Subkuch theekthaaktohai?

Theworldisadifferentplaceit appears somuchhaschangedand peoplearestilluptoalltheircrazy tricks Wehaveneededavoicelike yourstohelpallofusstaysane -and youhave notsaidasingleword Ab tokuch kaho nah!

AUNTYJISAYS

Arre mereyaaro, merebhakt, mere imlikikesundhi, maiyaheento thi, ourkahajaatitum logonse door?Buthaan, thodisishaantthi, becauseIneededtimetosochna samajhnakiisduniyameinhokya rahahail. Yousee,earlylastyear. wehadmassivebushfireshere andtheair literallybecomefoul. Soans Jenamushkilhogaya tho. Literally.Uske baad.I noticekiour blacksaathisintheUSwere getting killedandtheycouldn'tbreathe becausesomeone wasputtingtheir

kneesontheirthroat. PhirCOVID hua. andthepeoplewerefinding ithardtobreatheagain.andthose whodieddidsoaftergaspingfor air.Itoccurredto methatthereis amessagehere.Natureandthe universearegivingussignalsthat eachbreathisablessing,andwe needtobemoreresponsible-to thosearound us andtotheplanet itself.Somaiapnisaansginrahithi andthinkingabouthowtomakethis worldabetterplace.Butthen. early thisyearI realisedtheworldneedsa wake-upcall,anditneedssomeone likemetopointoutthebittertruth toallyouandhelog. Tojaago. mere doston, ourdekho-insteadofasking mehowIam,askyourselfwhatyou havedonetomakethe worldabetter place.Haveyouacted withloveand wisdom,respectandtolerance.or haveyoubeenwastingyourtime postingrubbishonFacebook?

Haveyoushowncompassionand humdarditoyourparivaarandfellow saathis, orhaveyou remainedan ignorantbewakuf?Likhkarmujhe batao, mere bachcheshaitaano.

DEARAUNTYJI

Iama30-year-oldsinglemanbornand raisedinAustralia.butIstraddle both IndianandAussie culture NowIdon't know manypeoplewithkidsand mostof myextendedfamilyareinCanada.USand Norway SoIhavenothad muchcontact with bacche log Inanycase,Ihave moved toanewblockofunitstoliveinSydneyand itappearsthisblockofflatsisfullofpeople withbabies Therearebabiesofevery colour sizeandsoundintensity Someare fatandothersareskinny...butthe mote moteAsianonesarethe cutest. NowusuallyIamindifferenttokidsbutI amintriguedbythesefat.squishylittle beings.andnowIam wonderingwhetherI tooshouldgetmarriedand havekidsofmy own ButAuntyji,the worldisaroughplace; isittherightthingtodotobringa child intothisworld?Andisitmandatorytohave kids? Whatareyourthoughts?

AUNTYJISAYS

AlielemychiknalKitnepyarahairetu gettingallcluckylikethat!Iamsoproudof youforaskingsuchaninsightful.intelligent question.Someone likeyoudeserves tohavechildreninstantly,becauseyou

have alreadydemonstratedthatyouarea superiorhuman being. Mostpeoplehave bacchebecausethat'swhatpeopledo-and somepeoplejustdoitwithoutanythinking aboutwhetherlunaticslikethemshould havekidsinthefirstplace.Theonlyreason we havechildrenistocontinuethehuman race.That'sthebasic,mostfundamental reason.Butifyoudon'tdoitthensomeone else will -sothequestionforyouistoassess whetheryouhaveanysuperior genesto contributetothehumangenepool.Sofor allthe badmash, bewakufand budtehzeeb log, thereareothersamajdharlog who need tobalancethescale.Itseemslikeyouneed tocontributeyourintellectandwisdomto thehumangenepoolotherwisetherewill bealevellingoffofilliterateashikshitvyakti whohavetheir2-3children whodon'thelp progresshumanity.Asfortheworldbeing rough-yes.that'strue.Butit'suptous todoourbesttomakeitabetterplacefor our children.So. goforthandprocreate posthaste.Justmakesurethemotheris notapsychowhowill passonherfaulty genesandoffsetyoursuperioronesinyour progeny.Howtofindaspousewhoisnot lattoo isyournextquestion.Agarmerirai chahiyeto batana.

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• Keep physical distancing in public spaces.

• Wear a mask when needed.

• Practise good hygiene.

• Protect others and stay at home if you're unwell. If you're experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms get tested for COVID-19.

• Have the COVIDSafe app.

Together let's keep going and stay safe. Visit health.gov.au for more information, or call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080. For translating and interpreting services call 131 450.

We need to all keep making COVIDSafe choices to help stop the spread.