2021-03 Melbourne

MANJITS HOSPITALITY

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

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

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

WWW.MANJITS.COM.AU

Thepropertyjuggernaut takes offagain

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

tis difficult to make predictions, especiallyaboutthefuture.An old adage,thisisvery true ofAustralia's propertymarket. Aboutthistimelastyear,property investmentdidnotfeaturehighon anyone'sagenda.TheWHOhadjust announcedthattheworldwasfacing adevastatingpandemic,andimages dominatedinthen1ediaofpeoplebeing lockedupintheirhomesinWuhan,and ofmassgravesin Italy. Millionscould be dead,wewere warned.Withinternational bordersclosinganduncertaintyaboutjob security,thepunditspredicteda 10-15% year-on-yeardropintheimmediatefuture. Ifpeoplecouldnotgettoworkto keep theirjobs,howcouldtheyexpect totake onmoredebtandserviceamortgage?

And yet, onlya year later, the local property market seems to behittinga boom. Economists at Commonwealth

Bankarepredictinga riseofas1nuchas 16% overthenexttwoyearsforhouses and9%forapartments.Westpachas alsomadesimilarforecasts. Itisnot uncommon tosee auction clearance ratesatover 85% onweekends.

Whilethesurgeinpropertyprices could beexplainedbythatmostbasicof economictheories-supplyanddemand, lowinterestratesandeasingoflending criteriaseem tobethemajorfactorshere. Currently,wehaveononehand buyersin fearofmissingouton theboom,andon theother,lesssupplyassellers,especially homeowners,fearfulthatiftheysellout withouthavinganotherhometo movein to,mightnotbeable togetbackinto the market.And thenthereischeapmoney. Asthegovernmentworks tostimulate theeconomypostpandemic,official interestrateshave fallen to0.25% pa. Thegovernmenthasmadeitclearthat they donot wantto increaseinterest ratestillthereisdropinunemployment andupwardmovementinbusiness investment.Itisnot uncommontosee interestratesbeingquotedof 1.99%fixed forfouryears- thismeansamillion

dollarsofborrowingcanbefunded by $20,000 ofannualinterestrepayments. Yes,thecapitalneedstobepaidbackalso overtin1e,butthe borroweris inhope thatthecapitalgrowth ontheirproperty overtimewillmitigatethatrisk.

Thebanksare also looseningthe chainsaround lending, imposed after theHayneRoyalCommission. Overthe nextfewmonths,expecttoseemoreflow offundingfromthem,astheirfiltersfor lendingbecome less stringent.

TheIndianAustraliancommunityisa growingcommunity;thetypicalIndian migrantis34andhashighdisposable income. Buyingthefirsthomeisan importantstatementthattheyhavearrived andsettledinwell.With thecurrent boominthepropertymarket,theyneed toplancarefullytotimetheirentryin well. Owningasurgingassetdoescreate asenseofwell-beingand prosperity. Itis an assetwhichcannotbeeasilysold,and while theillliquiditycanbeahinderance, italsoallowsforaforcedaccumulation ofwealth.Theymusthoweverbe waryof challengesto the cashflow,andthelevel ofdebtthatistakenon.

EVERY TEST HELPS US STAY TOGETHER

Everytestforcoronavirus(COVID-19) is helpingus keep ourfamiliestogether andourcommunities open

Ifyou haveanysymptoms, gettested. Evenif you have beentested before Every test helps.

STAY SAFE STAY OPEN For translated information in your language, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translations

A brand new Face Mask range

Natural Glow, Purifying, Detoxifying, Youthful Radiance & Deep Moisturising

A Herbal Experience FOR YOUR FACE

Himalaya RangeAvailable at ALL CDstores

SelectedCincotta, Terry Whites, Priceline, Medicines RX, Pharmacy Junction Pharmacies Pendle Hill -Radhe, Shivam, Hill Supermarket, KST Blacktown Radhe, Surbhi, Granville Moonlight Grocery, Toongabie Indian Spices, Mt Druitt CMJ spices, Glendenning Radhe, Harris Park Radhe, Rich Indian Bazaar

YOUR MOST WANTED HERBAL PERSONAL CARE ITEMS

MemberforLakemba ShadowMinisterAssistingon Multiculturalism ShadowMinisterforSkillsandTAFE ShadowMinisterforYouth ShadowMinisterforJuvenileJustice

PrueCar MemberforLondonderry ShadowMinisterforEducation

GregWarren MemberforCampbelltown ShadowMinisterforLocalGovernment ShadowMinisterforVeterans ShadowMinisterforWesternSydney

Paul Scully MemberforWollongong ShadowMinisterforResources

Daniel Mookhey MemberofthelegislativeCouncil ShadowMinisterforFinanceandSmall Business ShadowMinisterfortheGigEconomy

Stephen Bali MemberforBlacktown

GuyZangari

Michael Daley

Jodi McKay MemberforStrathfield NSWLaborLeader ShadowMinisterforMulticulturalism

Julia Finn MemberforGranville ShadowMinisterforConsumerProtection ShadowMinisterforCarers

HughMcDermott MemberforProspect

Authorised by Jodi McKay,JihadDib, PrY.r,Daniel Mookhey,Julia Finn, GregWarren, Paul Scully, Stephen Bali, Zangari, HughMcDermot1, MichaelDaley andNick Lalich Funded using Parliamentary entitlemen

A HISTORIC TEST FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS

The third Test in the Ind v Eng Test series was played at a state-of-the-art stadium, wrote DARSHAKMEHTA, but on an abysmal Test match wicket. Sam Kronja wrote: (Repitch) Iactually don'tcare whatispresented perse, both teams playonit.I thinkwearenaivetothinkthatthehome teamdoesn't know what's comingand canprepareandselectbetter.Touringteams tour andget whatthey get. Indiaareaheadof othercountriesintermsofhow they deploythisathome.

Bruce Adams wrote: Sorry but Ican't agree withyou onyour assessment of thepitch. Australia bowledIndiaoutfor36attherecentAdelaidetestandthe commentary wasthatAustraliapossessedthebestfast bowling attack inthe world. England invariablyproduce greenseaming wicketsthathavenodoubt assisted BroadandAndersonandthecommentaryisrarelyon thewicket but quiterightly onthequalityoftheEnglishseambowlers. Whycan't wejust applaud PatelandAshwinasqualityspinbowlerswhobowled Indiatovictory against a verypoor England battingeffort?

Ivan Brewer wrote:Indiawerebetter intheconditions,butit wasalottery. Not atestlevelpitch in myopinion.

Aaron Phillips wrote:I agree thatthese conditionsarepart oftheIndiantest experienceandplay totheirexcellentspinners. Butyoumust agreethat when awicket startsexplodingon day 1, therehasto bequestionsasked.Also, England don't necessarilyproduce greenseamers.. it'stheswinging ballthat helpsus and atleastthe wicket would last 5days.

Adam Temple wrote:Ashwin andAxar bowled well with the Englishbatsmen unable tocopebut neither were theIndiansabletodealwith thatrenowned Englishspin king withlessthan 40wicketsatan averageofover 40inTest matchesandno fver for infirstclasscricket.A lotofthebatsmenwerebowled or LBWplayingfornonexistentspinbecausesometimestheballslidon and sometimesitturnedprodigiously. Thefundamentaldifferencebetweenthe Aussiegame or aTrent Bridgeseamer isthatthepitchestendtobehome bowler friendly buthaveconsistency-there'slittle variabilityof bounceand wicketsaretaken duetoskillofthebowlerexploitingtheconditions.

QUERIES ON 'FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM'

RAJNI ANANDLUTHRA reported on questions raised by Member of the NSW Legislative Council David Shoebridge to NSW Minister for Multiculturalism GeoffLee following Indian community incidents.

Jessy Skaria wrote: Far right Hindutvaextremismhas dividedIndiansinto two factions, withthegovernment'sboorish attitude"you areeither withusor against us".Self-respectingIndiansarepushingback,and inside and outside India,ithasledtothistragic Indians vsIndiansscenario.

Krlsh Na wrote: What are thechancesASI0is monitoring thetroublemakers already?Therearesomany oftheseextremist right wing Hindu Nationalists onFacebookGroups,someof whommeet regularlyin person.They're organised, well connected andmotivated -not someragtag keyboard warriors. Ihopethegovernment hereis taking noticeand preventingthem fromdisturbing thepeace.That attack and property damagein Harris Park is heinousandIhope the government can prevent moreattacks

Deepak Vincent wrote: IcanonlyseeIndian name(tarnishedhere)nothing else. Painful.

Manbir Kohli wrote: Nicely balanced article. Weneedmoresuch reporting fromthe'ethnic'press, astheIndian mediaisnot doingitsjobright now.

The Humanism Project wrote: It'sallpart of apattern. First, the onlinehate and call toboycott Sikhbusinesses.Then,intimidation via'Tiranga Rally'dog whistle.And now this

Amar Singh JP:Thanksfor agreat article.

1n 1an radio

INDIAN LINK RADIO APP

Thank you for your comments, newmembers of the Indian LinkRadio family. Vaka Deepika wrote:So pleasingtonoteyoucover issuesin and around Australiawhileat thesametime entertaininguswithdesi music. Mr Malik wrote: Breath offresh air listening to this No. 1 radiostation.

AC wrote: Lovethemorning bhajans

Feroza Bachana wrote: Enjoying allyour programs.

Arvind Chaudhry wrote:Verygoodradio.Just likeradioinIndia

Rajendra Rana wrote: Excellent radiostation.

Sorelieved Iwasn't shot whileat theCanberra #March4Justicetoday. Thank goodness we alllivein acountrywhereassaultsagainst womenremainintheprivacy oftheirhomeor workplace.

Felicity Reynolds, Twitteruser @flickreynolds

"IT FELT LIKE A MORAL IMPERATIVE"

ANEETA MENON and RHEA L NATHspoketo Dhanya Manion whyshe opened up about her indecentassaultat work.

Dhanya Mani wrote: I've been reading@indian_linksince I wasa kid. We'd getissuesafter I'dhada danceclasson Saturdays. lntersectionality with themigrant experienceandbeingan Indian-Australianwomaninpoliticsis somethingmany don'taskabout-weexplore ithere.

Aneeta Menon wrote:Thanking@dhanyajmani for taking time toexplore withushowoverlappingidentitiesfurther marginalise womenseekinga careerin politics(or anything really). Finding thetenacity tokeepspeaking whenyou'redeliberately unheardisnotasmall thing. Godspeed.

SOUTH ASIANS TALKING ABOUT MARDI GRAS 2021

BAGESHRISAWASACHI spoke with members of Trikone, a queersupportgroup. Sukhmani Khorana wrote: Bigshoutout to@indian_linkforaddressing LGBTIQ+SouthAsiancommunitiesthis Mardi Gras.So challenging,yetso pressingtodiscuss theseissuesamongst migrantsnewand old!

Alan Maurice wrote: Wego through yearsoffear andhurt toperhapsfeel goodabout who weare.Thank you.

Fobgays wrote: Happy Mardi Graseveryone!

Trikone Australia wrote: Happy MardiGrastoall ofyou. Besafe.Beproud. Beyou. Havea great weekend.

WHEN RITU WED CHANDNI

BAGESHRISAWASACHI on Ameya Narvankar's new children's book Fobgays wrote:Yes!!!Amazing newkidsbookbyAmeya Narvankar wecan't wait toget ourhandson this. Sendhelpmyroslnbroke wrote on Reddlt:This issosweet! Ameya Narvankar wrote:Thank yousomuchforthelovelyreview andinterview Vall Books wrote:Thankyoufor thefeatureand thethoughtful review!

WHERE IN OZ

We askedyou to identifythis picturesque coastal bridge

Readers Krish Murthi, Petra O'Neill, Harsh Bhatt, Senthil Raja, Maurya Morya and Sourav Biswas providedthecorrectanswer: Sea Cliff Bridgein Stanwell Park NSW.

How is Scott Morrison's 'met with bullets' remark nottheendofhiscareer?

TroySimpson, Twitter user

Sobadevenintroverts arehere. Placard at #March4JusticeCanberra

WHERE IN INDIA?

We askedyoutoidentifythese waterfalls, sometimes called the Niagara Falls ofIndia.

Readers Charuta Vaze, Bhanu Kothari, PrasantChettri Timsina and Sujitha Suji R cameup withthecorrectanswer: Hogenakkal Fallsin Karnataka

Begrateful womenwant justice,not revenge. Placard at #March4JusticeCanberra

Prevaricating whethertotakemyteendaughtertothe #March4JusticeAUin Canberra. It'sa school day, she's gotstuff on. Her father - a good man - saysgo,takeher, thisishistory,a seminalmomentinthenation'spoliticallife.Yes!

Nikki Gemmell,journalist

BY RHEALNATH

hasingthepromiseofhigh-quality educationandabetterfuture, thousandsoflndianstudents throngtoAustraliaeachyearto startanewphaseoftheirlives.Inthelast decade,thishastransformedthecountryinto acovetededucationhub- and becamethe fourthbiggestexportindustryafterironore, coalandgas.

Whenthegoing getstough,though,it seemsthere'sadifferentstorytobetold.

SinceborderclosUJ·esinMarch2020, thousandsofIndianinternationalstudents havebeenleftinthelurchbyagovernment thathasseeminglyno plansfortheirreturn.

"Wearenotthevirus,pleaseletusin," readthepetitionsaddressedtoPrime MinisterScottMorrison.

Tomanystudents,thesilenceonthese issuesistelling ofacountrythatcaresmore abouttheirfeesthan theirfuture.

"It'saterrible,frustratingsituation. I wouldn'twishthisonanyone,"said Pankaj Yadhav,apostgraduatestudentofcivil engineeringattheUniversityofTechnology Sydney(UTS).

CurrentlyinBhopal,hewascompelledto flybackto Indiaintheheightoflockdown afteradeathinthefamily.While copingwith thispersonalloss,hewasforcedtocontinue hisstudiesonline.

"Likemoststudents, Iwantedtostay inAustraliatofinishmydegree,apply forte1nporaryresidency,trytogetajob, andstartanewlife.There'snocertainty anymore,"hetold Indian Link.

Pankajisone ofnearlyahundred IndianstudentsfromUTSalonewhohave approachedtheiruniversityto facilitatetheir travelbacktothecountry,throughcharter flightsandquarantineai-rangements.A similarpetitionwassignedbyhundredsof IndianstudentsattheUniversityofSydney.

Suchanarrangementwouldn'tbeafirst inAustralia. 1nDecember2020,Charles Darwin UniversityintheNorthernTerritory successfullybroughtback70international studentsviaapilotprogram,allowingthe studentstoquarantinefortwoweeksina formerworkers'campnearDarwin.

Moststudentsviewthesekindsof arrangen1entsasawin-winsituation.After all,recentfigui-esbytheAustralianBureau ofStatisticshaveindicatedborderclosures tointernationalstudentshave costthe educationsectoralossinrevenueofnearly $9billion.

(Morethan40percentofAustralia's annual universitystudentrevenue comes fron1internationalstudents. Indianstudents alonebroughtthissectoroftheeconomy $6.6billioninthe2019-20financialyear, secondonlytostudentsfromChina.)

Unfortunately,governmentshavebeen unabletofinaliseaclearpathforward.When NSWTreasurerDominicPerrottetrecently

suggestedinternationalstudentsquarantine inHobarthotelsbeforetravellingtoNSW,he wasshotdownbyTasmanianPremierPete Gutwein,whostatedtheirprioritylaywith thesafemanagementofseasonalworkers andtheirowninternationalstudents.

"l thinkthere'salackofcommunication andunderstandingtotheseriousnessof thisissueforus,"saidGaurangKudalkar, apostgraduatestudentofaerospace engineeringattheUniversityofSydney.

Likemanyothers,hequithisfull-timejob inIndiato commencehisstudiesinAustralia andhadtosettleforonlineclasseswhen bordershadnotopenedbythefirstsemester of2021.

"Inmydegree,there'salotofmathematics involvedandit'snoteasy LO studythisonline. Iwakeupat3AMinMumbai toattend mylectures. IfIhavedoubts,Ihavetowait almostanentiredaytohearback,"heshared withIndianLink.

He'snotaloneinvoicingconcernsthat onlineclassesdonotreplacetheon-campus experience.Most universitieshaveprovided feerebatesandothermeasuresinashow offinancialsupport,buttheybarelymake adentintheconsiderablefeespaidby internationalstudents. It'snowonderthen thatthenumberofnewIndianstudents enrolledatAustralianuniversitiesdropped bymorethan80percentinthelatterpartof 2020.

It'sevenmoretellingthatothereducation hubsliketheUnitedStates,Canada,andthe UnitedKingdomhaveprovidedawarmer receptiontointernationalstudentsdespite worsesituationsduring thepandemic. In the United States,theendoftheTrumpera hasespeciallyboostedtheconfidenceof internationalstudentswhoseeitasaviable optionagain.

Whilehetoohasconsidereddeferringhis universityoffer,Gaurangremainsconflicted withthewholesituation.

"WhatifbordersopenbyJune? Butifthey don't,whatamIsupposedtodoforthenext 4-5months?"hesaid."There'snoclarity.We payahugesumofmoneyattheseuniversities togetinternationalexposureandnetwork withothers.We'renotgettinganyofthat now."

Formanystudentsstillenrolled,their aspirationsofbuildinga life inAustraliaas anewmigranthavebeenleftinlimbo.In recentUNSWgraduateYashviBrahmbhatt's case,it'sthelackofdefiniteanswersthat's mostconcerning.

"MystudentvisaexpiredinJanuarythis yearand[wouldtypicallyhavetheoptionto applyfortemporaryresidency.There'sbeen anextensionforstudentsoff-shoretofile theirpaperwork,butwithoutknowingwhen bordersareopen,it'sdifficulttoknowwhen toapply.ljustfeelstuck,"shetoldIndianLink.

CurrentlyinAhmedabadsinceMarch 2020,Yashvidescribestheordealas physically,mentally,andemotionally draining.

"Studentsdon'tfeelsupported.It'sno wondersomanycame backtoIndiaduring lockdown.1 feellikethegovernmentdoesn't

VISA-485&500

LETUSCOMEBACKTOAUSTRALIA(SUBCLASS500)

VISAEXTENSIONTOSTUCKTEMPORARY GRADUATEVISAHOLDERS(SUBCLASS485)

LOCATION:AUSTRALIANEMBASSYDELHI 22MARCH2021{10:00AM)

haveaclearvisiononwhattodo,"shesaid.

Atthen1ostrecent ationa1Cabinet n1eetinginCanberraon5March, internationalstudentsweredevastatedto heartheinternational travelbanwasfurther extendedtillJune.Theyhavenowplanned acoordinated"emailstorm"on 17March, askingallIndianinternationalstudentsto emailtheirrespectiveuniversitiesforaclear timelineonwhentheycanreturn.InDellii, aprotesthasbeenplannedinfrontofthe AustralianEmbassyon22Marchtomake theirvoicesheard.

"I reallywonderifthegoven1mentis eventryingtothinkabouttheinternational students. WhenScottMorrisoncommented thatit'stimeforusto'goback',wewere allunderstandablyupset.Whereisthe humanity?I understandwantingtohelp strandedAustralians, butyoumakeusfeel likecashcows,"lamentedYashvi.

Theimpactonmentalhealthisalsoa sourceofconcern.Studentsinterviewedfor thisarticleadmitted tofeelingdepressed,the agonisinguncertaintyofitallimpactingtheir mentalwell-being.Theyfeelstuckinarut, heavilyburdenedbythehugeamountthey havetopaytounisasfees.Manystudents

hopedthatpart-lilneworkherewouldhelp themfundthedegree,butleftinIndia,they feel likethey'remerelysurvivinginstead of thriving.

Studentswhochosetostayback inAustraliasufferedsimilarly,allbut forgottenwhenthepandemicragedon. It wasdesolationas1nanylosttheirjobsin thehospitalityindustry.Theysurvivedon com1nunitywelfareandhandouts.

Thegovern1nentdidtheiTbiteventually tohelp,byliftingthe20-hou1·workbanin certaincrucialsectors. Butthisdidnothing toassuagethefeelingsofabando11n1entby internationalstudents."It'sreallyabout fillingtheworkergapinagedcareand restockinginsupermarkets,notabout helpingstudents,"studentNinna1Joywrote inIndianLinklastyear."Cashcowsonce, able-bodiedlabourersnow."

AlmostayeartothedaysinceAustralia closeditsborders,internationalstudentsare stillstruggling. Grantedvisasn1eannothing tothosewhohavegivenupopportunities, takeneducationloans,andbetonacountry thathasonlyturneditsbacktothem.It'sno longerthetimeforsympathy-it'stilnefor meaningfulaction.

One year since the announcement of border closures, international students are staring down an uncertain future in Australia.

Newbusinessnetworking platform launched

neofthe consequencesof COVlD-19hasbeenarethink oftheway weliveand work. international travelmayhave cometoashudderinghalt,butour connectiveness withtheworldaround ushasincreased. Reportsofnotonly the spreadofthe virus,but also howaglobal con1munityisfightingithavebecomedaily news headlines.Businessleadershave alsofoundthatinsteadofzippingaround theglobe,thereare waystointeractand networktogetherthroughZoom,WebEx andthatplainold-fashionedwayofpicking upthephone.

Tobuildonthenetworkingopportunities whichwillemergepostCOVIDandto explorebusinessandtradeopportunities, Sydney-basedentrepreneurRamanBhalla haslaunchedanot-for-profitorganisation,the Sydney Investors,Professionalsand Business NetworkingGroupIncorporated(SlPBN Inc).

"Thisisaplatformtoharnessthe strengthofthedynamicindividualsand businessesofSydney,especiallyWestern Sydney,"Bhallaannouncedattheinaugural functionheldrecently."SIPBN ispremium platformtoassistAustralianbusinesses andentrepreneurstoexpandintooverseas marketsthroughbusinessintroductions, exports,mergersandacquisitions, investments, andforeigntic-ups."

He added, "Ourmissionis tohelp Australianbusinessgrow and thrive in the domesticandglobal post-pandemic environment. Weconnectpeople and businessesinAustralia withopportunity

and entrepreneurship across differentparts ofthe world includingtheUS, India, UK, Europe,China,HongKong, Israelandthe Middle East."

Tohelpwiththeopportunitiesgoing forward, Bhalla hasputtogetherastrong boardofadvisers,includingformer SW Deputy PremierAndrewStoner.Atthe launch,AndrewStonerspokeaboutthe innovativeAustraliawhichhasbrokennew groundsinbiotechareas."Australia isthe worldleaderinresearchinsleepapnea through ResMed,andwehavepioneered treatmentforskinburns. Wemaybea smallcountry,butwedoveryinnovative things.And 25%ofAustralia'seconomy lives inNSW, withWesternSydneyplaying alargerole.Governmentsneedtogetout ofthewayandletbusinessescollaborate andnetworkwitheachother,seizingthe opportunitieswhichlieahead."

SWMinisterDavidElliotbuilton the themeof'Why ewSouthWales'."The government has workedhard inthelast fewyearstocreateastrongeconomic basein SW,"hesaid."Theyhave createdgreatinfrastructure,invested inhealth,minimisedanyredtapeand haveencouragedopportunitiesinthe community."

ConsulGeneralof India(Sydney) Manish Guptaalsospokeabouttheimportanceof multiculturaldiversityforeconomicgrowth.

SIPB PresidentRamanBhallaisexcited abouttheopportunitiesahead. "Todate, wehavea numberofexcitingprojects on thebooks," he revealed. "Someofour transactionshavebeenintheareas of buildinganaged carefacility,property developmentprojectsofvariouslevels eitherthroughdirectinvestmentorthrough structuredvehicles, miningandexploration

sectors,investingingreentechnology, pre-IPOopportunitiesandaneducation providerlookingforexpansionoptions. Ourmen1bershipfeeis$2,990andsofar, wehavehadgoodsupport. Thefeedback by our n1embers is thatthey find value inour premium platform tonetwork,accessdeals, businessmatch makingandadvocacy."

Headdedthatthelaunchofthenotfor-profitwas"allaboutmakingnational andglobalreach available tomembers tohelpsecurebusiness,investmentand opportunities."

Inthenextsixtoninemonths,SIPBN hasplannedarosterofhigh-profile networkingopportunities with successful businessleaders,includinganeventin Federal ParliamentCanberra withsenior governmentleadersandopposition members.

PAWANLUTHRA

arr1s ......,.•ar

heCityof ParramattaCouncil is currentlyconsultingwith the communityona proposal aboutrebrandingHarrisPark as•Little India'. Manyalready consider themulticulturaJ hub thego-tosuburb for all things 1ndian.Thisis wherethe city'sIndiancommunityheadsfor its authenticIndiangroceries, Indiandining and Indianfashion.Wigran1, Marion and Station StreetsinHarris Parkhost dozensof Indianeateriesand shops that resemblethose backin India and caterto theneedsofthe communityhere.

The move follows the promotion ofother districtsinthe city thatare promoted asculturalprecinctsof Chinese, Italian, Vietnameseheritage. Such demarcation basadvantagesfor visitorspromisingattractiveand unique experiences, whilealsobalancingthe needsofthelocalcommunityatthe same time.

Melbourne bassuchadistrictin Dandenong. Centredaround Foster St,itis promoted as the city's "longest standingandmostauthenticclusterof Indian andsubcontinental cultureand commerce."WyndhamandTarneit

are other suburbsin Melbournefor which LittJelndiaprecincts have been considered.

London,Toronto, Singapore,Hong Kongare some world cities that have well-established Little Indiadistricts. InSydney, themainstreammedia has already takento callingHarrisPark's co1nme1·cial centi·e 'Little Li1dia'.

The Little IndiaAustralia community onFacebookhasproposedan action planthat will promote 'Little India' as a tourist attraction,celebrating vibrant lndian culture andfestivalswhile alsodevelopingtheexistingbusiness network.

TheCityof Parramatta's'Little India' projectpageand surveyarenow live andready for the broadercommunity to view and provide feedback. Theofficial engagementperiod closes on Monday22 March at4pm.

Manyhavealready providedtheir support andopinions on thematter.

Visithttps://participate. cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/little-india and completethe shortsurvey. Or scan the codeintheposter adjoiningthis articletogotothe website.

isExcellencyGiteshSarma's tenureinAustraliawasunlike anyofhispredecessors.Typically theIndianHighCommissioner, whilestationedinCanberra,will beonthe roadandmeetandinteractwithgovernment headsandthelocal[ndiancommunityinthe varioushubsaroundthenation.Thiswasnot thecasewithGiteshSarma,asafewmonths intohistenurehereandhavingpresented hiscredentialstoGovernorGeneral David Hurley,thecountry andlargelythewhole world wasforcedintoalockdown.Diplomacy hadtobeconductedbyZoom.

AtafareweUfunctionhostedinSydneyby ConsulGeneralManishGupta,manylocal comn1unitymemberssharedtheirmemories ofworkingandinteractingwiththedeparting HighCommissioner.TheConsulGeneral himselfacknowledgedthechallengesofthe lastyearwhenalargenumberoflndians weresh·andedinAustralia.Students,visiting parentsandtouristswereallcaughtonthe wrongsideoftheborder."Amajorityof thesehavenowgoneback,manyonthe Vande Bharatrepatriationflights.Therewas strongandtimelyguidancefromtheHigh Comtnissionerasweworkedthroughthe challengesofputtingpeopleonthewayback home,"theConsulGeneralsaid.

Healsoacknowledgedtheworkdoneat theHighCommissioninbuildingstronger bilateraltiesbetweenIndiaandAustralia, guidedbyMrSarma.

DuringhistenureasHighCommissioner, thestrategicdefencetiesbetweenlndiaand Australiahavemovedupanotchortwo.With China'saggressivegeopoliticalposturingin thesouthernseas,bothcountrieshavebad increasedinteraction,withPMMorrisonand PMModiconnectingdigitallyintheabsence ofeitherone-on-onetalksoronthesidelines ofinternationalsummits.Thestrengthening oftheQuad-thedialoguesbetweenIndia, UnitedStates,JapanandAustralia-isalso enhancingtherelationship. Onebelievesthat theHighCommissionbasbeenratherbusy.

"Theartofdiplomacyistheartofmaking friends,"MrSarmaobserved. "Allwillbe goodafterthat.Weallwillbericherbythe experience."

TheHighCommissioneralsosharedsome memoriesfromadiplomaticcareersprinkled withsignificantandmemorablepostings.He happenedtobeservinginMoscowasthe socialfabricoftheUSSRchangeddiabolically, inBerlinwhenthewallwasbroughtdown, andinHongKongwhenitwashandedback totheChinese.BackhomeinMumbai, hisofficewasjustaroundthecornerwhen terroristsstruckattheTajHotel. Hewillno doubtrememberhistimehereinAustraliaas apostingdominatedbyapandemic.

Yetitwasmentionofhisearlylinkswith thiscountrythattouchedheartsthemostat theevent.MrSarmarememberedbistime atschoolinRanchiinnorthernlndia,which wasfoundedbyChristianmissionariesfrom

Australia.So1neofthemwerehisteachers, andhemanagedtolocateandreunitewithhis Principal whoisnowretiredinMelbourne. MrSannalookstobeinagoodplace ashehandsthebatontoincomingHigh CommissionerNavneetVohra,whois expectedtojoinbyendofApril.

"Weneedafreshpairoflegs.Indiaissetto takeoffglobally,andsoistheAustralia-India relationship,"hesaid.

HealsoacknowledgedthegrowingIndian Australiancommunity.

"Indianrestaurantsareagoodbaro1neter ofru1 Indiancommunityanywherein theworld,andImustsaythereisagreat communityhere,"heconcluded.

PawanLuthra

BY DIPANJALIRAO

undredsofthousandsoffarmers havebeenprotestinginIndiasince Septemberlastyearinwhathas becomethelargestfarmersprotest inIndia'shistory.Theirprotestsagainst changestoagriculturallawsbytheLndian parliament-ram1nedthroughwithoutdebate inthemiddleofapandemic-shownosign ofabating.Instead,theynowhavesupport fromcivilrightsbodiesandlabourunions inIndia,unitingacrosslanguageandcaste. Internationally,theyrecapturedmainstream attentionwhenRihannaandGretaThunberg tweetedaboutit.

TheLandlessWorker'sMovementsin Brazil,oneofthelargestmovementsinSouth America,haveexpressedsolidaritywiththe farmers,ashaveavarietyoflabour,farming andcivilgroupsinCanada,membersofthe UKParliament,and87Americanfarming andfoodjusticegroupswhourgedpeopleto connectthedotsbetweenneoliberalismand farmersdeclineinIndiaandtheUS.

Farmers'protestsaren'tnewinIndia. Theseprotestsareprecededbydecadesof mismanagement,imperialismandcorporate greed,andtounderstandthem,weneedtogo backtothefirstattemptat'reforming'Indian agricultureinthe 1950s.Limitedmostlyto northernIndianstates,the'GreenRevolution' (atermcoinedbytheUSStateDepartment) introducedindustrialagriculturalmethods: fertilizersandpesticides,newvarietiesof wheatandriceandcapitalintensivepractices. Studiesatthetin1eshowedthatsmallerland holdingsweren1oreproductive,butthe Congressgovernmentdidn'twanttoupsetits

DENTIST

votebanksbyredistributingland,sochose theeasieroption.Overtime,damagefrom fertiliserandpesticideuseledtoecological degradationandlowyields,farmerdebt increasedandtriggeredawaveoffarmer suicides.

Thesecondwaveof'reforms'wereeven moredestructive.The'structuraladjustment' loanthatIndiatookfromtheInternational MonetaryFundin 1991 camewiththree mainconditions:

a.liberalisation:reductionofgovernment controls

b.privatisationofthepublicsector

c.globalisation:reductionofsubsidiesand importbarrierstoenablefreetrade.

Thisbroughtinlargeprivatemultinationals likeMonsantoandCargill.Theseedmarket openedup:pricesinAndhraPradeshwent fromRs.70peracrein 1991 toRs. 1000 in2005(anincreaseof1429%),requiring ahugeupfrontinvestmentbyfarmers.

Pesticidesubsidieswereremoved(anexplicit conditionoftheJMFloan),electricitytariffs wereincreasedandimportdutiesprotecting Jndianfarn1erswereremoved.Thepriceof

cottonandpeppercrashedheavily,impacting MaharashtraandKerala.From 1997lo2005, 149,244farmerscommittedsuicide, 17,131 in2005alone.Monsanto'sprofitin2005was USS255million.

Thelatestsetoflegislativechangesseek tofurtherweakengovernmentcontrolby wrestingcontrolawayfromstatesandtothe centre,whereveryfewlawsexisttoregulate behaviour.Theyremoveregulationintended topreventhoarding,meaningpricescanbe drivenupandallowfarmerstoenterinto contractswiththeprivatesector,pitting farmersagainstcorporateslikeRelianceand Adaniwithnolegalrecourseforfarmersto sueanybodyundertheact.

Thegovernment'srationaleisthatthese lawswillmakefarmers'livesbelierand createjobs.However,India'sownhistory, andtheevidencefromprivatisation, structuraladjustmentandglobalisation acrosstheworldtellsaverydifferentstory.

Su·uctw·aladjustmentsimilartowhatIndia wentthroughin 1991 cutthegrowthrate indevelopingcountriesfrom3%to1.7%. 1nsubSaharanAfrica,itnearlydoubled

thenumberofAfricanslivinginpoverty. Afternearly5decadesofindustrialisation, structuraladjustmentandglobalisation 'reforms'inIndianagriculture,theaverage percapitaincomepermonthinagricultural householdsinthelastnationalsurveywas Rs. 1,300(lessthan IAUDaday).Inequality acrosstheworldisextreme,andgetting worse.Unbridledprivatisationonlyservesa selectfew:asTexas'sprivategridcollapsed intherecentfreeze,electricitysurgedloUSS 9,000anhourinsomeplaces.Thepandemjc haslaidbaretheflawsinourcurrentmodel: billionaires'wealthincreasedbyUSS3.9 trillionbetweenMarchandDecember2020, whiletheworld'spoorwilltakemorethana decadetorecoverfromthepandemic. Anditisinthemidstofthispandemic, onethatimpactsthemostvulnerablethe worst,thattheModigovernmentisseeking tofurtherweakenalargelyimpoverished population.Theincreasinglyauthoritarian tacticsofthegovernmenthaveseenIndia dropfrom 142to 180inthePressFreedom Index,threespotsbehindMyanmar. ThejailingofDishaRavi,suspensionof activists'Twitteraccounts,characterisation offarmersas'parasites',thewilfulattempt tocomrnunalisetheprotestsbyclaiming thatfarmerswere'Khalistanseparatists' andsuspensionoftheinternetduringthe protestsmakeitclearthatthegovernment's actionsaren'tjust1nisguidedideologyoran overzealousenthusiasn1fordysfunctional models.Itisaclear-eyedpursuitofprofit andpower.Andthefanners'protestsare nolongermerelyfortheirsurvivaland livelihood,butafightforafadingde1nocracy. DipanjaliRaoistheauthorofachapteronthe impactofglobalisationonIndianagriculture, inthebookGlobalization:Sectoralin1pacts andcountryexperiences(ICFAIpress2009)

A look at the ongoing farmers' protest in India in the backdrop of historical agricultural ·reforms'

•NO JOINS •NO LEAKS •PRE-PAINTED

SEAMLESS MEASURE & QUOTE

�I Recruitment of Priests for Shri Shiva _V!lJ_J Vishnu Temple, Melbourne, Australia

ShriShivaVishnuTemple,CarrumDownshasbeenservingthespiritualandculturalaspirationsof VictorianHindusforthepast 2.6years.WearelookingforSivacharya.sproficientintheShivagama traditionofrituals.

Theprospectivecandidatewillreport10thetemplemanagers,shallbea Brahmin,followthetraditional dresscodeforShivacharya,havecompletedgeneraleducationuptoyear 12., syearsofVediceducation in aGurukulaorundera recognisedguru, workedforatleastsyearsasaShiva.chary-a,andshallhave performedBrahmotsavams andI<umbabishekams. Dutiesincludeconductingpoojas,u1hsavams, homams,andotherfunctionsstrictlyaccording10religiouspracticesandschedulesofthetemple; prioritisingandplanningforpoojasandeventsandmakingnecessaryarrangements inconjunction withtemplestaff;sanctifyingthedeities, sanctumsanctorumsandotherpropertyusedin poojasand ceremonies;preparingprasadamsaspertemplerequirements;attending10thespiritualrequirements ofdevoteesthroughcounselling andeducation;engagingwithdevoteeswitha focusonservice; providingguidancetoyouthintheHinduwayofliving.

Thesuccessfulapplicantwillbeappointedforaninitialperiodoftwoyearswiththepossibilityof extensionbasedonperformance.

• PleaseapplywithresumeandcredentialstoTheSecretary,HinduSocietyofVictoria(Aust)Inc., siBoundaryRoad,CarrumDowns,Victoria, 32.01, Australia. Email:secrerary@hsvtemple.org.:..!!!.

''TheRNLegalteamdidanexcellent job. Theywereprofessional, friendly andhelpful. ,,

•

ar1n aur 1s own

oman o e ear

As founder of Harman Foundation, Harinder Kaur has reached out to those affected by loss, domestic violence, bullying and mental health issues

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

ydney-basedHarinderKaurwas named 2021 WomanoftheYear atthe BlacktownCityCouncil's InternationalWomen's Day breakfaston8 March. She wasrecognised forheroutstandingcontributionsto thecommunity through theHarman Foundation and the Departmentof Communitiesand Justicewhereshe currently works asaco-ordinator providingeducational servicestoinmates.

Rewind totheearly '90s, whenthe real-life'socialjusticewarrior'migrated toAustralia,Harinder wasan active participantincon1munitycirclesand immersedherselfinsocialengagements.

Alone point,sheeven hadherown bhangragroup.

Life wasgoingvery wellforHarinder andherfamily untiltragedystruckin 2012. Shelosthereldestson,Harmanpreet Singh,in acaraccident.

Harindercouldnotcope withthesudden lossof herson.However,throughthe poweroftheinternet,shefoundsupportin theformofcompassionatepeople within thecommunity who were strugglingwith lossthemselves.

Itwasduringthis tryingtin1ethat she hadanepiphany.

"Aseed begangrowinginn1y mind," Harinderrevealed toIndianLink. "l wanted todosomethingwithgriefand losstohelppeople who wereinsimilar situationslikeme. So, westartedthe

HarmanFoundationin2013."

HarinderKaurco-founded theHarman Foundation withherhusbandManinder Singhand theirtwochildrenManupreet and Nikki Singh. After thefamilyregistered thecharitywiththeAustralianCharity andNon-profitsCommission(ACNC},they circulated asurveytofindouttheneedsof thesubcontinentalcommunity.

While they setouttosupportgrieving families, theyreceivedanoverwhelming numberofresponsespertainingto domesticabuse.

"Surprisingly,whenwegotthe500 surveyresponsesback, themostcommon topicwas domesticandfamily violence,and thenmentalhealth,andlastly,bullying."

Soonafter,theHarman Foundation acquireda 1800 numbersothatpeople could ringtheirhelplineconfidentially to seekhelp. Thefoundationalsostarteda

sheltercalled 'HerHouse'tosupportand empowerwomenwhoseekrefugefron1 violentlivingconditions.

"Theshelterwasneededbecausefor ourpeoplefromIndianbackgrounds, it's justhardtosend themtomainstream shelterswheretherecould be25people livingunderthe same roof.Theyneed to knowtheyaregoingtobesafe,theyneed familiarity,"sheexplained.

The foundationalsoprovideschaplaincy servicesinhospitalsandprisons topatients and inmates ofIndianbackgroundstohelp themcopeanduplift theirspirits.

Lastyear,whentheCOYIDpandemicwas atitspeakinAustralia,theywereproactivein feedingvulnerablemouthsinthecon1munity.

"Wedistributedabout 7000food hampersduringthe pandemic.Westilldo a fortnightly food servicein Blacktownfor thehomeless and peoplefromlow-income

households,"Harindersaid.

TheHarman Foundationalsohosts informative seminarsconductedby educatorsandpractitionersontopicslike domesticviolence,relationshipbuilding, andmentalandphysicalhealthawareness.

"Whilewedon'tspecialiseinthese particularissues,ourmaingoalisto educateandputvulnerablecommunity membersintouchwithpeopleand services thatcanhelpthem,"sheexpressed.

OverattheDepartmentofCommunities andJusticewhereHarinderhas worked forthelastthreedecades,she findsherself regularly co-ordinatingeducational services forthe incarcerated.

"We believe thateducationcanmakea differencetopeople's lives,especiallythose intheprisonsyste1nthatlackeducationin theirlives,"Harinderstated.

TheBlacktownCityCouncilcalledhera 'crusaderforjustice'andrightlyso. Despite the devastatinggriefandloss,thischampion haspaiditforwardinthecommunity.

Harinderhasbeenhonouredwithmultiple suchawardsandhasbeenafinalistforseveral others.Shewonthe RotaryInspirational Women'sAward2019,thesameyearshewas recognisedbyHinduCouncilofAustraliafor her'DedicationtoDon1esticViolence'work.

"Therearesomanyinspirationalwon1en whohavemadethedifferenceoraremaking thedifferenceinthisworld,IfeellikeI'mjust atinydropintheocean,"Harinderremarked.

"Inthisfield,nomatterhowmuchyou've achieved,there'salwaysgoingtobemore that can bedone,"sheadded.

Hyouorsomeoneyouknowisinadomestic violencesituation,youcanreachtheHarman Foundationon 1800 116675.

HarinderKaurwith husbandManinderSingh

ithastreakofwinsbehindher, 14-year-oldGauriKoterais nowamongthetopfiverowers under16,inthestateofNSW.

ThePenrithSelectiveHighSchool studenttookgoldinthesingle,doubleand quadeventsatthe2020CentralDistrict RowingAssociationSprintsChampionships; agoldandabronzeattheNSWState CombinedHighSchoolChampionships, andtwobronzemedalsattherecentNSW StateSprintsChan1pionships.

Thestatewinputsherincompetitionat theNationalchampionshipstobeheldat WAnextyear.

"I'llbecompetingwiththebestrowers inthecountry,"Gauritold IndianLink. "I'mkeentoseehowfarthiswilltakeme."

TheYear9studentwasintroducedto rowingonlytwoyearsago,asanextracurricularactivity.

"Ihadneverbeenonariverinarowing boatbeforeanditwasscary,butcompletely thrilling."

Sheadded,"Atfirstitwasjustnicetobe outonthewater,relaxing,intouchwith nature.ThenIstartedcompeting-and winning-andthatdrewmeinfurther. Plusmyteamisverysupportive,sobeing aroundthemisgood."

Penrithofcourseishometosomeofthe bestrowingfacilitiesintheworldandhosts nationalandinternationalregattas.

Asaneliteathletethough,doingthe hardyardsisparforcourse.

WhileGauricompetesontheweekends, shepracticeseveryafternoon,withgym threetimesaweek-jugglingitallwith schoolwork.

Supportcomesthroughfromavarietyof sources,coaches,teammates,evenfamily.

Gauripickedforspecialmentiona personalmentor,nationallevelrower

AnneliseIsaacs."Anneliseiscurrently risingthroughtheranks,andI'velearned

muchhavingrowedwithher.Iaspireto competewithheroneday."

Herparentsofcourseareanintegral partofherrowinglife.

"I'mgratefulforthesupportmyparents giveme,"sheacknowledged."They'reup earlydrivingmearound.Likeme,they've hadtolearneverythingaboutthesport fomscratch,nothavinggrownupwithit. H'sgreatformetolookupsometimesasl

row-amidstthepressureandthepain-to seethemshoutingoutmynamefromthe shores."

MumCharuKoterachimedin,"Yesit wasanewexperienceforus,l'n1noteven aswimmer!Whensheshowedaninterest Iactuallysuggestedsheshouldsticktothe groupeventssoshewouldn'thavetoget outthereonthewateronherown!Butshe showednaturalability,sowegaveherour fullsupport."

Charuagreedrowingisanunusualsport inourcommunity.Amongotherthings, ourwomenparticularlydon'thavethe physiqueforit,althoughGaurialready standsat5'9".

"Rowingrequiresgoodupperbody strength,andforGauri,it'ssomethingthat neededtobebuiltup.It'stypicalofusas arace:wearegoodatlegwork,butnot upperbody.AndyetGauriisgettingthere, withherregimentedroutine."

Gauriherselfadmitsthatthephysical enduranceaspectofhersportisthe hardestpartofit."ButIenjoymy practicesessionsandgym,"shesaidwith characteristichonesty.

Andthebestthingaboutrowing?

"Doingsomething!'111goodat,being abletochallengemyself,becomingbetter, andenjoyingthefruitofthehardworkthat Igetalongtheway."

We'llbewatchinghercareerwithgreat interest.

RaJnl Anand Luthra

BY RHEA L NATH

stheclockstruckmidnight thispastNew Year'sEve, the Bhandari familyin Sydney celebrated ina ratherunique way: takingcareofsixbeautiful, healthy puppiesbornjust thenightbefore.

These were noordinary puppies.

"They'redestined forgreatness, to becomethe'eyes' ofAustralians with low visionandblindness astheirguidedogs," Vik Bhandaritold Indian Link cheerfully.

Vikandhis familyare volunteersofGuide DogsAustralia,whocombinetheirlovefor animalswith importantcommunityservice.

"It'sa really rewardingexperience, helping the puppies geta greatstart to life.Wedo itasseva,giving backtothe community," he explained.

ILallstartedbackin2003 whenthe Bhandaris foundthemselvesina situation often facedbytemporaryresidentsin Australia.They wanted toadopta petbut weren'tsure abouttheirlong-termsituation in thecountry.

That'swhen afriend turned them to Guide DogsAustralia.

"Atfirstwesigneduptobepuppyraisers, totakecareofapuppyfrom8weeksto 14 monthsold,"Viksaid. "Theybecomeapai-t ofthefamily. Youteachthembasicskills, helpthemestablishadon1esticroutine,and takethemonceaweekfortrainingsessions."

Infact,it's an intensive five-month processtoturnacutepuppyintoafully trained guidedog.Thetrainersworkwith thepupstobuildtheirconfidence,teach them tonavigate streets, followcommands, andacquirecomplexskillsfortheirnew job.Puppieswhodon'tcompletethe programaredivertedtoother'career' pathssuchasbecoming therapy dogsin juvenilecourts,hospitals,andagedcare.

Inthe last fouranda halfyears,the Bhandarishavecompleted thepuppy raisingprogram with two dogs.

"It'sareally rigorousprogramtobecome a guidedog. Only 50 percent ofthe dogs pass theprocess. One ofourdogsdid,"Vik said proudly.(Thefamilyevenattendedher 'graduationceremony')

Lastyear,thefamilysigned upforGuide Dogs'home whelpingandrearingprogram, assistingLottieasshe gavebirthtothe organisation'sfirstlitterof2021.Acrossthe lasttwo months,theBhandarishadagreat time raisingtheadorableKato, Kenny, Kofi,Bevie, Heaven, and Dorrit.

"Lottiedidn'tquitetaketoitatfirst,so we hadtobeprettyhands-onintheearly weeks. By week3,though,it wasquite lovely," saidVik."It wastoughsaying goodbyeto themwhentheyeventually wentbacktoGuide Dogs."

AccordingtoKarenHayter, SW Puppy DevelopmentManageratGuideDogs Australia,theroleofvolunteerslikeVikis enormous.

"GuideDogsreliesheavilyonthe communitytohelpfundthisimportantwork, andvolunteerPuppyRaiserscontribute significantlybygivingtheirtimeandeffort,"

sheexplained. "WitheachGuideDogtaking $50,000tobreed,raiseandtrain,theroleof aPuppyRaiserisimmeasurable!"

Shealsoaddressed the ethical considerationsofbreeding,acommon concernforanimal lovers.

"Thehealth and welfareofpupsand dogsispriorityatGuide Dogs. Thisiswhy GuideDog SW/ACTcreateditsown breeding programin2011 toassistwith theincreased den1and," Karensaid. "The dogsinourbreedingprogran1 andallof theirpuppiesarecaredforbyourteam of experts,including full-time veterinarians, kennelstaff,neonatal andbreeding specialists,consulting allied professionals, and volunteers."

Vikconsidersthiskind ofvolunteer worktobea greatopportunityforanimal loversona temporaryvisa, individualswho workfrom home,and familieswhowould

like a'testrun'beforen1akingalifelong commitmenttoapet.

"GuideDogsreally supportsyou throughtheprocess. They help withmost oftheequipmentyou'dneedathome,like dog food,collars,grooming equipment, andbasicmedicines.They alsocoverall veterinarycoststhroughtheirapproved vets," heconfinned.

SinceNewYear'sEve, hisvideos of thepuppieshavebroughtsmiles tomany friendsandfamilyonline. On Facebook groups,too,co1nmentshaveflooded infor theplayfultykes.

"Thesepuppiesarejustdelightful andthey willgoontodoafabulousjob enhancingsomeone'slife,"wroteoneuser.

20201nayhavebeenadifficultyear forn1ost, butit'salwaysgreattohear lockdownendeavourssuchasthesethat bringasmiletothelipsofmany.

Sydney's Bhandari family have turned their love for dogs into a rewarding community activity

VikandBhavishaBhandari

MayaBhandari with Dorrit

AkshaiBhandari withKenny

Motherofthelitter, Lottie

And a very happy--.,, Holi to you too

Image by SAHIL KANDOI lnstagram: sahilkandoi

Camera: Canon EOS 50 Mark Ill

BY :JYOTI SHANKAR

inesh BalangothisAustralian permanentresidencyandarrived in Melbournewith hiswife in 2018, fullofhopesoflanding ajobwithin afewweeks. Whilestillin India,theyhadavailedof the servicesof anAustraliancareercoach, astheyhad no friends orfamilyhere. With resumes tidied,jobsearchskillsimprovedand mock interviewspractised,Vineshwasupbeat about hiscareerand excitedaboutthebig 1nove

Inretrospective, Vineshsays,"lwas naive tothink thatl couldsendoffjob applicationsandsitback. l thoughtmy resumewouldspeak foritself."Jtwaseight 111onthsbeforehefinallygotabreakbut during thisstressful period, thisyoung ITprofessionalstartedsomethingwhich changed his life.

Initiallyitwasablogabout his experiencesofn1igratingtoAustralia. What surprisedhimwasthathis personal journeyattractedtheattentionofmany.

"Thatboostedmeandpushedmeto sharemore,"saysVinesh.Herealisedthe powerofputtinghimselfouttherewhena recruiterhewaschasingupunsuccessfully formonthsthrough Linkedlnandemails, sawhisarticleandhimselfreachedoutfor achat.

Vineshdecidedtotakethisfurtherby proposingtheidea foraface-to-face meetup withotherslikehim,andtheresponseblew him. "That'swhenitgotreal,"saysVinesh. "Within twoweeks,l hadbookeda room inthe DocklandsLibraryand foundmyself sharingstorieswith25 otherpeople."

Arecruiterjoinedtooandsharednis perspectiveandthuswasbornthemonthly meetups,whichhassincespread toother AustraliancitiessuchasAdelaide,Sydney and Brisbane.COVID-19camearound and tnrewaspannerin theworksbutthe meetupsmovedonline.

Alongwiththe three-hour,workshopstyle monthlymeetups,Vineshalsostarted weeklynetworkingwalks.Thesecasual lunchtimewalksin thecityweregreatfor newmigrantsandstudentstocatchupwith experiencedold-timers.COVIDalteredthis tooaspeoplestartedworkingfromhomes. SohenowdrivestothecityonThursday evenings,justforthesewalks. Whenasked

howhemanagessuchacommitmentweek afterweek,Vineshhumblysays,"I don't consideritasahugeeffortasI havebuilt it intomyroutine,andI lovedoingit."

Vineshconsidershumanconnectionsto beimportant,notjust forsecuringajob, butalsoforone'smentalwellbeing. By sharingstories,youcangetinspired,aswell aslearn fromothers'mistakes.

" etworkingisnotaone-to-one transactionbuta long-term goal thatyou havetoconsistentlyworkat. It ismoreof alifestyleratherthan transactional. It is not aboutjustgettingajobbutalsoabout personaldevelopment."

Elaboratingtheconcept,heexplains, "Choosea fewcompaniesyouwantto workwith. Understandwhat'shappening in theseorganisations,makecontactwith peopletnrough Linkedlnand showyour interest.Tellthemwhatyouloveabouttheir workandunderstandtheirproblems.All thisgivesyouanadvantage."Hecautions against looking peopleupandaskingfor ajob."That'snot networking. Don'tspam people. Establishtrustfirst.Down thelane, ifarolecomesup,probablyonethat'snot evenadvertised,theymightthinkabout you,but that shouldn'tbeyourendgoal."

Recountinganinstanceofthepowerof

networking,Vineshspeaksofa migrant who got his PRlast March,just asCOYID lockdownsbegan."Hestarted networking onlinewithpeopleoverLinkedIn and it paidoffwhenhesecured ajobbeforeitwas advertised, less than aweekafterhelanded inAustralia."

Heemphasisesthat networking is not somethingyouattc1nptandforgetabout aftergettingarole. Itisasupportsystem forall times. "Youneverknowwhenyou mightloseyour job. Iencourage people withjobstoo,tomeetand talk with people."

Withover 16,000followerson LinkedIn, wherehesharesalotofusefulcontent, Vinesh's reach hasgrownexponentiallyin just threeyears. Overa 100eventslater, he confessesthatifhehad connected with people, hismental statewould have been much betterinthosestressfuleight months. "Jobsearchisatemporarystate. Byspeaking toothersand meetingwith people,youcangrowinconfidence,and feelconnected andhappy," headvises.

Vineshsaysmanyofthepeoplewho cametothefirst meetuparehisclosest friendstothisday.Ashesaysonhis LinkedInpost,"Hi,butI'mnorecruitertalk tomeasa friend :)"

ReadVinesh'sblogat https://www.vineshbalan.com/

Hoveryourcameraoverthecodelohearsomejob

He began a blog about hisjob hunt struggles, now he's a mentor

search storiesonVinesh's YouTubechannel

BY MOHAN CHALL

fternearlyayearofrestrictions placed onparents,schools have finally re-opened.Parentscan droplittleones offtoYear 1, theycanattendsportingevents,andcan supporttheschoolsinvariouswaysthrough engaginginfundraisingand thelike.

Parents,carersandguardiansare importantstakeholderstoschools, and schools need toclarify the rules or conditions ofengagementwith themparticularlywithrespecttoacademic matters.Currently I heartoo oftenthat parentsare nottrusted, theyareclassified as "pushy", "helicopterparents", or"Tiger mums anddads"foraskinglegitimate questions aboutwhattheschool isdoingto support theirchild's learning.

Parents are, appropriately, thechild's foremost advocates.Thequestionis howto achievesuccessfuladvocacy orinclusion, withoutbeinglabelledornegatively construed?Toanswer this, startwithfacts.

Whoknowsthechildbest?

Parents, thosewhohave lovedand nurtured theirchild since birth, know more thananyone else about theirchild includinga hostofthings the school cannot know: whatthe fa1nily hasbeen through,therolesofbothparents, thecommunicationpatterns between parentsandchildrenandinteractionwith siblings.They alsoknowthechild's likes anddislikes,some oftheiranxietiesand theirpriorlearninghistory. Schools see snippetsand teachers maymake astute observations, buttheydonothave this wealth ofunderstandingaboutanychild, letalone 25 in aclass.

School-parentcom1nunications

Otherthanformalised, regular, predictable communications - such as tbeweekly enewsletter ortheSemesterreport, thereis generally very littledirectcommunkation thatschoolsprovideparentsabouttheir child orchild'slearning. Regularinformal communications betweenteachersand parentsdo occurin Primary School, butwitheachyearachild advances, communicationbecomesmore sparce and controlled.

Startlingsurveyresultsaboutschool-parent communications

ln thepastthree years l bavesurveyed parentsaswellasteachersaboutbowthey wouldfeel orwhattheywould expectif the schooltheirchildattends called them duringtheday. Eachandevery parentand teacherhas said theywouldfeelanxious and stressed.Theytellme they expect thatthecommunicationwould bebecause theirchildisinjured orintrouble. l ask the teachershowthiscouldbeacceptable - thatnoparentyet(includingthosewho are educators) thinks that the callwouldbe directly aboutthechild'slearning. 24

Noonecanbeaverage

Aparent ofaYear8boy told me recently thatherchildhadbeen called"average", "middle ofthe road" and "unremarkable" sinceYear2.Theparentsassumed this meant thathewasworkingtohisacademic potential. Alas, his academicpotential wasnotactuallyeven noticed.To me,all thisindicatedwashisteacherswerenot preparedtodoanythingtoraisebim. I askedthe parenthowitwas possiblefora childto remainaverage: if his performance inYear2was "average", surely his teachers hadplans tohelp himachievebeyondthis. Apparentlynot.Hesimplycontinued for 6yearswithoutanyexpectation from his teachersthathedomore, ordo better.

Afterbasicassessmentitwasclearthat thisboywas underachievinganddidnot knowit.Hehadneverthoughtto push himselfacademicallybecausehebadnever beenrequiredtodo it.

Whatlearningneedstocommunicate?

Asevidenceincreasesthatmanychildren canhavehighlyparticularisedlea1·ning needs,parentsshouldlearntoaskquestions andelicitaccountabilitybeyondformalised reports.Thismeansanyformalreports shouldleadtoparentsaskingwhatnextwbatwillbetheroleoftheteacherinassisting tbechildtoachievethenextlearninggoal. Tbeexpectationthatteachersdothisis actuallyrole-modelledonthegovernment's owneducationwebsites.lfthisisdone,then teacherswillstarttoassistchildrenintheir particularisedlearningplans.

Childrenshouldbewithparentswhen therearemeetingswithteachers

Parentsthereforeshouldseekinformation andfollowup.Theyshouldalsobring theirchildrenwith themwhenthere areparent-teachermeetings andinsuch meetings, they shouldhavetheteacher articulatewhattheirgoalsarefortheir childincludinghowthe teacherwill

measureachievementtowards those goals.However,everythingisajoint pact as parentsmustsupportteacherefforts. Hence,parentsshouldask,"What can we do to supportwhatyouaredoing?"

In thiswaythefamilyand the child's teacherscanplacetheinterestsofthechild foremost andworktowards common goals, ratherthanwhatcanfeel likebeingasked to trust the school whilstbeingexcluded.

How to be a successful advocate for your child, without being labelled

Check out the works of Indian artists Siji Krishnan and Kiran Subbaiah

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

ndian artistSiji Krishnan's work

'Father's Portrait'iscurrently on display at Melbournc'sNationalGalleryof Victoria (NGV)Triennial.

Thepaternal figurehasbeenarecurring theme forthe Kechi-basedartist,her work often fallingbackonchildhoodmemories and connectionsn1ade whilegrowing upin her villagein southern Kerala.

"My mostpreciousme,nories are(from) the times Ispent with my father, who passed away in 2008," Siji told Indian Link. Forme,hisintenseloveandcare were1nore motherlyin nature. lt isbecause ofthisthatthe fatherimagesareoften represented with milk-filled breasts,asa manifestationoftheir femininelove."

Interestingly,thoughthe workisentitled 'Father'sPortrait' thesplendidpainting takesonthe dimensionsofalandscape. Clearly,landscapesplaya significant rolein theKerala-born artist'screative expression.

"Perhapsmy lovetowards vastseashores and openplainsofKerala(play arole)," Siji admitted."In fact, such landscapesempty 1ne; inotherwords,theybringsilenceand serenity."

She added, "Herethelandscapeishazy and misty, akintoafaintmemory."

Thefact that the figuresappeardistant withintheframe,addstotheideationof the foggymemories.Themoodisfurther enhancedbytheuseofwatercolouronrice paper.

Sijistarted usingrice paper(commonly

usedin Indianart) asa mediumin2006. Its flexibility andfeeble naturesupports herparticularbrand perfectly.

"I haveobservedthe fragilequality of il often supports and enhancesthesubtler and lighterhuman feelings I try tobring about throughtheworks. Ioftenfeelthe paleandpermissiblesurfacesareakin to manylayersofourown n1emories."

Sometimesshe usesa multiplelayering ofricepaperwhich,in thefinalresult, looks likedriedleaves.

Siji Krishnan's'Father's Portrait' isa partofagrander'Family Portrait' which is almost three metreslongand features charactersand figuresshehasobserved in herlife.

"Deepdown1feelthatweareallapartof alargerfamilywhichincludesanimals,birds, andplants,"Sijiobserved."Likeushuman beings,theytoohavetheirownstoriesto tell. Ifwelistencarefullyandintensely,we

canendlesslybeenchantedbytheiramazing stories.Artthriveswhenwordsfailto comprehendcertainexperiences."

While visualsofruralityinfluencedher, evensmellsandsoundsinspire her work.

"Thestories I haveheardfromsenior peoplein my village andthesongs Ihave enjoyedfromthe farmersin thepaddy fields, theyallhaveagreatimpacton my artisticimaginations,"Krishnansaid.

SijiKrishnan nowworksinaserene studiojusta fewkilometresaway from bustlingKechiwhichenablesherlo retain "theclearskyandcalmingviews ofbeautifulcountrysideasasource of energy"totakeherworkand lifefurther.

AnotherIndianworkofart, Kiran Subbaiah's'Narcissicon' isalso being showcasedat theTriennial this year.

TheBengaluru-basedartist'sworkis a43-minutefancifulvideodepictingthe stateofbeinghalf-asleep/half-awake,kind

oflikeadaydream. Itshowsthelikeness ofKiran Subbaiah playingmultiple versionsofhiLnself,presented through doppelgangersand mirrorreflections.The amusing and whimsical video, collated overmultipleyears, ismeant tobe a behind-the-scenesportrayal ofhisartistic process.

The two Indianartists'larger-than-life artworkswill beon display attheNGV Triennial until 18April2021.

Father'sportraitimages, (artwork aboveanddetailsbelow):National GalleryofVictoria, Melbourne RuthMargaretFrancesHoughton Bequest,2019. CourtesyGalerie Mirchandani+Steinruecke©SijiKrishnan

SijiKrishnan'simage:Courtesytheartist andGalerieMirchandani+Steinruecke, Mumbai.

BY SWATIALOKTIWARI

naninterestingmomentinDhanya Dinakarand PratikshaChuttar'srecent arangetram(debutperformance),theduo movedgleefullytoembracebutstopped short,creating anhonestreflectionofthenew normalduringCOVIDtimes.

Itwasauniquewayofcontemporisinga Bharatanatyan1sequence,inanarangetram cere1nonythatwasalreadymodernisedby presentingfordebutnotonebuttwoyoung artistes.

Anincreasinglycomn1onoccurrencetoday, thejointarcmgetrammightevenhavesome artisticadvantages,suchasallowingthe debutantestoexhibittheirskillsinsoloaswell asduetperformances,indeedeveningroups.

Intheirmaidenrendezvous,thedancing gazellesDhanyaandPratikshaconvincingly portrayedlovelornnayikasinthePadatn; thecosmicdancerLordNatrajain NatesaKaJJuthava,n,andepitomisedthe consciousnessofShiva-Shaktiin Varnam.

Adorningalluringlycoordinatedcostumes, Dhanyashoneexquisiteasifthesunin orange,andPratikshaenchantedinroyalblue. Togethertheytransportedtheaudiencetoan erathatistraditionalandmystical,timeless anddivine,owningtheirpresence

confidentlyliketwosidesofa coindistinguishedyetreliant.

Itwasthesolonumbershoweverthat wentontobecomethestand-outpiecesat thisevent,achanceforthedoubledelightto provetheirmettle,announcetheirarrivalwith fanfare.

Dhanyainhersoloembracedmaternallove portrayinglhe'VatsalyaBhava'inKrishnaNee BeganeBarosettoragaYamankalyani.From dressingupUtlleKrishnainthefinesttobeing bewitchedatthesightoftheentireuniverse inhismouth,thepiecewasanaffirmation toDhanya'stalentasan ableinterpreterof emotions.Astellarchoreography,inwhich shewasthemischievousKrishnaeating thesoiloneinstant,andsurprised,gullible Yashodainanother.Sheperformed,she conquered.

Pratiksha'sinnocentromancewithKrishna inherdelightfulsoloreflectedaglimpseofher ownpersonalityinKannaManiVannasetto ragaKamas.PratikshaasRadhafallsasleep whileawaitingthereturnofKrishna.She wakesupwithajerkandheisstillnotinsight. Dismayedandangry,shequestionshimabout hiswhereabouts,Krishna'sindifferencetoher pleafurtherinfu1iatingher.Dazzlinginthe roleofexasperatedRadha,Pratikshastolethe heartsoftheaudience.

TheVarnan1SarniNineinRaagamalika onLordBrahadeseshwara-thepresiding deityofthebigtempleofTanjore-gaveample scopeforDhanyaandPratikshatohighlight theirc01npetence,enduranceandrangeas dancers. Settointensivefootwork,skillfully executedtothunderousapplause,theduo transformedintodistressednayikasseeking unionwiththesupremealmighty,conveying

thetrueyearningofthesoul.Creatingavisual spectaclewiththegeniusofmridangam masterJanakanSuthanthiraraj'sperfect rhythmictimingandGuruArunaGandhi's impeccablenatuvangan1flair,thispiece wasaperfectcongruenceofwillsand talents.

Revivifyingsnippetsfrom Ramayanainasoulfulbhajan, thedancersdepictedwithinnate honestyRamabreakingLord Shiva'sbowtowinSita'shandin marriage,andShabari'swaittoget aglimpseofhersaviour.Thispiece wasatestimonyofthedialogue betweenDhanyaandPratiksha

• throughthevibrantsoundsoftheir ghungroosandcoystolenglances.The liltingandresonatingvocalsofNamarata Puliapakaandthemesmerisingviolinist KranthiKiranModigondaaddeddepth, dimensionsandlifetothisrecital.

Theeveningendedwithavivacious ThillanaandMangalatnand

Dhanya and Pratiksha

presentationofcertificatesofachievementto thetwoenchanters,astheirparentsbea,ncd onstage.The prideandjoyintheeyesofthe parents,andthehu1nilityinthedemeanourof thedancers,broughtinaglowofwarmthto thisexperience.

Thiswasthesecondarangetramfor Sila1nbamSydney,an acclaimedclassical danceschoolthatinspiresmanyartiststo losetheniselvesintherhythn1s,tunesand divinityofBharatanatyam.Pratiksha andDhanyaundertheabletutelage oftheirGuruArunaGandhi graduatedwithexcellence.Their arangetram validatedthefaith ofproficientdancerandartisticdirector Aruna,whoexcelsinpassingonthenuances ofBharatanatyamtoherstudents.

Whenaskedaboutonen1ajortakeaway fromthisarangetranithedancersobserved, "It'stherealisationofourdevotionfor Bharatanatyan1beingeternal."

Aloveaffairthatwehopewillprosper withtime.

There's spellbinding promise in the Bharatanatyam debut of

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

utwhatiswrongwith that?Whyshouldn'tmarry Chandnididi?"asksAyesha, theyoungprotagonistin AmeyaNa1·vankar's Ritu weds Chandni.

Theinnocent questionisenough to plant the seedof questioningwitrun the mindsof buddingreadersabout the nature of queer acceptancein Indiansociety.

Ritu weds Chanclni isachildren'spicture bookaboutAyesha, ayounggil-1whois impatientlywaitingtodanceinhercousin Ritu's baarat (alivelyweddingprocession with n1usicanddancing). Rituismarrying hergirlfriend Chandni,butnoteveryone approvesofthe celebration; somerelatives, neighbow·s, andevenstrangersprotestby literally'raining' ontheirparade. Artist,illustratorandwriterAmeya Narvankar, whobelievesin'designfor change', isdetermined to use histalents to create apositive impactonsociety. In 2015,whilepursuingaMastersof Design atHT-Bombay, hechose aresearchsubject thatwouldeventuallyculminate into a unique storycuratedforkidsintheir formativeyears.

"l exploredthesubject'Thevisibility &representationofLGBTQ+inIndian Society'formythesis,"Ameyatold Indian

Link. "Ilookedatvariousportrayalsofthe queercommunityinpopularmediaandart, especiallythosecateredtowardsyounger audiences. l foundthatthemainstreamhas shiedawayfromaccuraterepresentation and oftenthedepictionshavebeencruel anddownrighthomophobic.Asagayman whogrewuponastapleofBollywood,these depictionsalwaysbotheredme.Myfindings andresearchtrickleddowntomefocusing onchildren'sliteratureandl wrote Ritu weds Chanclniinanattempttocreatebetter representationavenues,whichinturnwould bringgreaterawarenessonthesubject."

Althoughhomosexualityhasbeen decriminalisedinIndia,same-sex marriageis still illegalintheeyesofthe government. Nevertheless,Ameyawanted RituandChandnitohaveahappyending.

YoungAyesha doesn't letthebigots and naysayersdampen thewedding party, her excitement ofcelebrating the family'sfirstbride leadingherown baarat

cannot becontained.

"I wantedtodrawaparallelwith a prideparade,andatthesame time also challengegenderrolesbyhavingabrideon ahorse,"Ameyaexplained.

A children's picture book provides a gentle introduction to human rights II

Theinnatejoyofparticipatinginher cousin'sweddingmakesAyesha overcome all negativityandrestoresafestivewewill-celebrate-no-matter-what mood tothe weddingparty.

WeddingsinIndiansocietyareagrand andovertsignofacceptance,withthe baraat being"averyrecognisablesymbol"of northIndianweddings.Sincethepremiseof Ritu weds Chandni issetin suchacommon Indian environment,itaddstothevisibility ofsame-sexloveinapositivelightand leavesreadersrootingfortbecouple.

"ThehappyendingisveryBollywoodlikeandperhapsunrealistic,"Ameya admitted."But Ichoosetoembraceit;after aH,Bollywoodisa majorpartofthelingua francaofourpresentsociety."

Ameya deliberatelychosewomen tobe themaincharactersinthestory.

"I believeintersectionalityisthe backboneofeverysocialmovement," theprogressiveartistobserved. "Ina patriarchalIndiansociety,thestatusof queerwomenisevenfurthermarginalised. Byshiningthespotlightontwowomenin thisstory,myhopeisthattheconversation aroundthisbookwillbemulti-facetedand nuancedinitsdiscussionofhumanrights."

AmeyaNarvankarreferstohimselfasan "accidentalauthor"withdesign/artbeing

hismaincalling.Hissoftillustration style inthebookiscalmingandwholesome.He illustratesthebrides,theirornaments,their lehengas(notforgettingtheir n1angetlsutras and sindoors), weddingattendeesand ceremoniesvibrantlywithgreatattentionto detail(eventhetnehendionthebrides'palins ispleasingtotheeye).AlthoughAn1eya's storytellingisquiteadroit,theillustrations aresomeaningfulthattheycouldconveythe plotwithoutneedinganywords!

Eventhough Ritu weds Chandni incorporates muchnon-English vocabulary, theinclusivetextpublished byYaliBooks doesnotrestrictitselfto audienceswho understand Hindi.Thebookcomes with aglossaryoftermsattheend,to helpreadersofdifferentbackgrounds understand all the elementsin thestory.

Ameya'sintentionwastoinculcate a senseofcriticaltrunkingwithincruldren withoutoverwhelmingthemwithhardships facedbytheLGBTQ+community,but alsoatthe sametimenotpaint"toorosy apicture".He'sachievedjustthat;his contributionaddstothevisibilityofnonheteronormative love andtheerosionof stig1nasurroundingthesubject.

Parentswhothinkintroducingqueer loveand acceptance to theirchildrenwill betough, Ritu weds Chandni isaprecious piece ofchildren'sliteraturethatwillhelp yourkids realise on theirownthatevery personirrespectiveofgenderandsexuality hastherighttolead theirlifewithdignity and freedom.

Chef and restaurateur Sarah Todd launches her second book My Indian Kitchen

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

arahToddclaimssheis "obsessed"withpapdichaat-so muchsothatshewouldpickit overchampagneandcaviar. Asaquicksnackathome,she'llputit togetherwithstore-boughtpapdis,boiled potatoesandcannedchickpeas.

Whenshe'sin Indiathough,itisthe street-sidevarietythatsheloves.

"Everytime I'minIndia, l havetotaste asmuchstreetfoodaspossible,"Sarah writesinhernewbookMyIndianKitchen. "Chaoticyetmagical, traditionalyet contemporary,overcrowdedandburstingat theseams, Indiaisknownforitsstreetfood anditsarmyofhawkersthat helpsatiateall cravings."

It'swhereshelearned tolovepakodas withchai, streetstylebhutta(charredcorn), momos, kathirolls,theMumbaitoasted sandwichcookedonanopenflameina squaretoaster, andkulfifalooda(whichshe calls"anexoticsundae").

Someofthesehave nowmadeitintoher secondcookbook, launched inearlyMarch. Alsoincluded,arehome-stylerecipesshe learnedfrom familiesshemetinhertravels around India,andmoresophisticated preparationsshelearnedfromprofessionals.

Thestand-outrecipesthough,arethe modernpresentationsinwhichSarahbrings inacontemporaryfeelwithelementsdrawn fromIndiancuisine - abeetrootsalad withacumindressing; lndianisedbrussels sprouts;lemonpickleroastlamb;roast chickenwithbutterchickengravy. (Well, whatdidyouexpectfromaMasterchef Australiaalumna,anda LeCordon Bleutrainedchef?)

Andyet,thebookisdescribedashaving "asimpleapproach"toIndiancuisine.

"Theconceptbehindthebookcameout ofrealisingjusthowlightandincredible homefoodisinIndia,'' SarahtoldIndian Link. "Iwanted toshowcaseeverydaydishes that, ifyouwanted,youcancateverynight oftheweek,notjustbutterchicken,whichis acelebrationdish.Also, theturnaroundsof beingabletomakereallydelicious, lndianinspireddishesinaslittleas20minutes.

UP CLOSE AND

Iwantedtomake thesecurriesmore approachable,withspicemixesandmasalas thatyoudon'thavetotoastupandgrind fresheverysingleday."

The"simpleapproach" refersalsotothe elegantlightnessofthemeals.

"Myrecipesareclean,healthy, nourishing.Theotherday, I posteda chickpeada1recipeonmysocialmedia. Afriendwho'sverymuchintohealth andfitnesspostedittohergroupaswell, becauseshethoughtitwashighprotein, nutritious,andfilling.It'sgreattoseethat peoplearestartingtoseeIndianfoodas healthy.Andagainforthehealthofthe environment,youcouldn'tpickabetter cuisinethanIndian."

Manydishesinthebookalsocomewith

- PERSONAL WITH

SARAH TODD

Favourite local dish?

Kheema.

tFavourite Indian personality?

I wouldsaySanjeevKapoorbecausehe's createdsuchan incredibleimpactasa chef. He'sbroughtthecelebritycheftothe forefrontand madechefsthestars.

Seen a Bollywood movie?

- Many. I like BhaagMilkha Bhaag.

Shahrukh Khan or Salman Khan? Shahrukh, because he'samassive

foodie.

Deeplka Padukone orAlia Bhatt? Deepika.

Know any Hindi words? Many. Kitneaadmithe?

Hindi film songs?

storiesfromSarah'sexperiencesinIndia, showingherdeepconnectionstoher adoptedhome.(TheconnectwithGoawas instant- havinggrownupbytheoceanin Australia,andw-iththefreshseafood.)The snippetsarewarmandengaging,suchas cookingchickenxacutiriverside,grinding then1asalawithmortarandpestle;1naking bajrekirotiinRajasthanand theneatingit withherfingerswithbutterandjaggery; watchingchlckentikkabeingcookedover charcoalinastreet-sidestall.

FromKashmirand Rajasthan toAssam andbeyondto agaland,anddownsouthto BangaloreandChennaiand Kerala,Sarah claimsshehasseenmoreofIndiathan manyofherIndianfriends.

" agalandwasbeautiful. I wasthere

a Bollywooddanceroutineforher.

Figured outthe head wobble?

Yes,Ihave! It'salmostalwaysa'yes'.

Any advice for Aussies lookingto go work ln India?

duringtheFootballWorldCup,and watcheditonatinytelevisionwiththe entirevillage! Itwasjustsuch anincredible energyandabeautifulplace.Theone placethat1reallywanttoexplorenowis Punjab-it'sonmybucketlistforitsfood."

Sarah'sinitialexposureto Indiacame viaaformerpartner,withwhomshenow sharesason. Andofcourse,thatAloo GobhishecookedonMasterchef2014.

"WhenthatepisodeairedinIndiait gotme 50,000peopleonmysocial media straightaway,"Sarahlaughed. "SoI hadto gothereandseewhatthefusswasallabout. WhenI landedthere,myserieswasairing, and Iwasblownawaywithhowmany peoplewererecognisingme.Tobehonest, Ijustfellinlovewiththeplace. Ijusthada feelingthatsomethingmorewasgoingtobe happeningthereforsure."

Andsoshewentfromsomeonewho wanted toopenan Indianrestaurantin Australia,tosomeonewhoopened two AustralianrestaurantsinIndia-Antares inGoa andWineRackinMumbai. (The storiesofthesemadeittoourTVscreensas the SBSshowsMyRestaurantin Indiaand MySecondRestaurantin India).

AntaresinGoawentthroughitsfair shareofproblems- withitsdifficulties launchingandthenafire afterwards,but continuestoratehighlytoday.TheWine Rack,describedasanintimatewinebar,is intendedtodebunkthemyththat Indian fooddoesn'tgowithwine.Thewinelist hereis 3000-strong,withlabelscoming fromallovertheworld.

Today,attheend ofsixyearsin India, thischefandrestaurateurhasalsoplayed speakerandTVhost - on IndianTVshows ServeItLikeSarah. GrilledandAwesome Assam WithSarahTodd,andAustralian shows ThePerfectServeandFar,ntoFork. Wecouldn'tlet Sarahgowithoutasking herthis:Youhavefriendsoverfordinner atyourMelbournehome,whatwouldyou cookasanIndianmeal?

"Apapdichaattostartwith,ofcourse. Then,I'dprobablycookathali,justforthe abilitytohavethetastingsofmaJ1ydifferent things. Fordessert,anewdish l'vejust invented-gulabjamuninspiredbytira1nisu. Thegulabjan1unsoaksinacoffeesyrup, and thenl putadollopofcrea1nontopand somecocoapowder.Honestly,itisthemost incredibleflavour."

Ohgosh,a lot. Mybestfriendgotmarried justrecentlyand Iwasbridesmaid She wantedallofustodoadance.Andsomy partnerand Ipickeda Hindisonganddid

Understandtheculturealittle;ask questions.Oftensomeofthemannerisms thatwetakeasanegatve,arepositive. TheconceptofAtithidevobhava, thatmy guestismygod,isreallybeautiful - it's suchanintegralpartoftheculture. People arewelcoming,andtheymakeyoufeel like you'reaveryspecialguestintheircountry.

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

outhAsianqueersupportgroup

TrikoneAustraliamarchedinthis year'sGayandLesbianMardiGras paradeheldattheSydneyCricket Ground (SCG), andhoney,itwasfabulous. Its40-strongcontingentdeliveredan energeticperformance,dancingto a rc1nixofChham,naChltammafrom Baz Luhrn,ann's Mouli11 Rouge.

"It'sadistinctly Bollywoodsong used by anAustraliandirectorin afilm Lhat has now becomea cultclassicamong LGBTlQpeoplearoundtheworld," Kunal Mirchandani, Chairperson ofTrikone who led the group, told Indian Link.

Theirbrightandcheerfulblue and yellowcostumesweresuitablyintune withthe"oullandishpageantry"that wasrequested,aswellas inkeepingwith thisyear'slheme of'Rise'•pertaining to overcomingthechallengesoflastyear (droughts,bushfires,floods,andthe COVID-19pandemic),andrising together "through love,compassion,respectand understanding".

Thiswas thefirstMardiGrasparade that did notmarchdown Oxford StreetLike ithasevery yearsince itsinception in 1978.

"1wasabitapprehensivebeforethe Parade,"KunalMirchandaniadmitted."This wasthefirsttimeweweremarchingina stadiumsetting.Marchingoutonthestreets hasaprotest-likesignificance,whereweshow theworldthatwe'requeerandwe'rehere.A ticketedevent,ontheotherhand,seemedlike wewerepreachingtotheconverted."

Kunal was happyto reportthatinitial concerns notwithstanding,thenovel experiencewasanunforgettableone.Not

TrikoneAustralia dazzlesat Mardi Gras2021

participatingsince2007,claimed hehas seenincreasingacceptanceforqueer people,andfortheirrighttolive theirlife the way they want.

The South Asian queercommunity itself hascomealong way sincethe 1990s when its founderAlan Mauricefirstcame outas gay.HelaunchedTrikonein2007.

"l felt weneededaspace where wecould feelsafeand expressourselvesasSouth Asians,enjoyingourfood,ourmusic,our jokes,"Alantold Indian Link.

Aboutparlicipatingin the MardiGras parade overthe years,Alansaid it has inculcated selfconfidenceand pride, and assuch, has beenpowetful.

"Therewas ofcourseveryLittle diversity in theold days,exceptforoneSouth East Asian contingent. Forus as SouthAsians, given ourmusicand ourcolour,itwasvery easy loputtogetherafloat. ltconnectedus furtherasa group."

The otherimportant outcon1c wasthat Trikone becamesought outbyotherSouth Asians,helpingtheplatformto growevenencouraging many to come out.

Andthatistheessence ofitallforRavin, who organisedthisyear'scontingent alongside Kuna!.

"MardiGrasisallaboutshowingpeople thatlamproudtobe who I am," Ravin said. "Ifithelpssomeoneelse like n1e be themselves,evenbetter."

Ifyouoranyoneyouknowisstruggling withanLGBTIQ+relatedissue,checkout Trikoneatwww.trikone.org.au

onlydid thegroupfeel the truemeaningof pride, they also feltvalidatedforwhothey wereby alliesintheaudience.

"As I waswalkinguptheentranceto the stadium, lfeltathrillofenergy,"Kunal revealed."It wasajoltofelectricitythat I hadn'tfeltbefore - similartothe one portrayedinsportsfilmsjustbeforetheir

biggame. Itwas anexperiencethatl won't readilyforget."

Headded,"Watchingrowsuponrows ofLGBTIQ+supportersfeltLike vinlage MardiGras, wherewefeltvalidatedfor who we are,notjustshowingoffforfolks whowerethere to watchthefreakshow."

Kunal, who hasbeen watching or

HoveryourcameraoverthecodetoseeBageshri's interviewwithTrikonemembersAlanMaurice, KunalMirchandaniandRavin

www.indianlink.com.au

''Watching rows upon rows ofLGBTIQ+ supportersfelt likevintage Mardi Gras, where wefeltvalidated forwho we are, notjustshowing offforfolkswho weretheretowatch thefreakshow''

Kunal Mirchandani

ru1s1n on urra 1ver

A serene river cruise becomes a hark backto bygone days in more ways than one

BY PETRA O'NEILL

he firstthing l noticedwhen I stepped aboard the Murray Princess was the row ofcarved woodenportraitsofearly pioneers whoplayeda significantrolein opening up the Murray River, including GeorgeChaffey.

GeorgeandhisbrotherWilliam introducedcommercialirrigationto Australia,and whileGeorgesettledin Renmark, Williamventuredfurtherupriver.

In 1889he builtasplendid mansionnamed RioVistathatlaterbecametheMilduraArt Gallery.Asachild, whilemyparentsdined withthefrfriend, theDirectorErnstvan Hattum,1 wouldslidedownthebalustrade andgoofftoexplorethegardenandthe mansion'smanyrooms.

Myfree-spiritedchildhoodcametomind whenthinking aboutwhere I could go travelrestrictionsnotwithstanding. Icould revisitmypastandsol bookeda 7-night cruise aboardtheMurrayPrincess.

Myadventure beganinAdelaide, where the transfercoachpickedmeupfrom 1nyhotelforthe90-minutedriveeast toMannumfrom wherewewouldstart ourcruise208kilon1etresupstreamto Renmark.

Reliving theromanceofbygonedays, the MurrayPrincessisanauthentic paddle wheelerthatharksbacktothebustling

timesbetweenthe 1880sandearly 1900s whentheMurrayRiverwasamajortrade route with paddlesteamers transporting cargo andsupplies.

BuiltinGoolwa, SouthAustraliain 1986,itis67meterslong,thelargest paddlewheelerwith awheelatthesternin thesouthernhemisphere.

Afterbeing welcomedaboard,Captain Nick's whistleblew,and wecastoffinto thesunset,cocktailsinhand.Witha capacityofonly 120passengers,theboat hasanintimateandrelaxedambience. Conversationflowed freelyand l easily madenewfriends. Isabellahad beenon thesamecruisejustfiveweeksprior,Irene and Suewerealsoregularsandlikemost oftheotherpassengers,can1efromSouth Australia. Sometravelledaboardtwicea yearandhad donesoforyears,including

Joyceand Les."Everycruisehas been different, the riveralwayschanges,and we'dstaylongerifwecould."

WespentourfirstnightatSaltbush Flat.Wakingearlythenextmorning1 went fora walkalong thebushtrack. Wildlifewaseverywhere; greykangaroos stoodtall,twitching theirnosesbefore hoppingoff,and birds flew overheadblackcormorants,whistlingkites,and sulphurcrestedcockatoos. Inthedaysthat followed,I sawmanymorebirds,including pelicans, herons,parrotsandblackswans.

Wheneverwereachedcharmingriverside townsincluding Morganand Loxton,I'd spend theafternoonstrollingalong the broad tree-linedstreets,pepperedwith cafes,craftshopssellinghomemadetreats, andvisiting thelocalpubforarefreshing drinkwithmynewfriends.

Each daythe landscapechanged. We cruised past majestic riverred gun1s, vast wetlands,citrusorchards,wineries,and smallhistoricsettlementslike PiggyFlat. Mostdramaticofall were thesweeping bendsoftheriver,wherered,yeUow and brownlimestonecliffsrosehighaboveus. Mostspectacularofall wasthehorseshoe bend atBig Bend, withcliffsthatprovidea nestinghabitat forcockatoosand corollas.

AtWaikerie,another picturesque riversidetown,awalking trail highup abovetheriverleadstotwo silosnow stunninglypainted with a giantparrotand yabbie,standing almost 30metres tall.

AtNgautNgautConservationPark,once ameetingplaceforlocalIndigenoustribes, wen1etIvyandherfan1ilyandlearntabout ancientrockcarvings,rockshelters,andplace nameslikeMurrundi,nowcalledtheMurray.

The best vantagepoint lo observe the ever-changingsceneryison thesun deck, foran uninterruptedviewoflifeon the river,fromwhereyou canwaveback to people castingtheir fishinglinesor swimmingasyoucruise by.

But forsheerexhilaration,youcan't beat travellingin a tenderboat toget up close to thewhooshofthe turning sternwheel, orbeingonthesundeckwhen the boatsqueezesunderbridgesand through lockswithlittle clearance.

Each night, we'd return to the boat for a delicious meal,with the menu firmly grounded inshowcasingfresh local produce. This includedscotchfillet, grilled chickenbreast,fried barramundi, and lan1b rump, withspecialdietswell catered for. Dessertswerealsodelicious includingchocolatebrownieorcobbler with Chantilly cream.The chefs always excelledespeciallyonourfinal nightwith a 6-coursedegustation meal.

Thewine listwas extensive, reasonably priced andfeatured localvineyards. Even thecocktailsfocusedonthe regionwith nan1eslikeMudSlide, Murray Buster

and ProcrastinatingPelican thatwere a talkingpointand quitedelicious.

Afterdinner, thefundidn'tstop as Bill,ourentertainerand renowned Adelaidejazzmusician played our songrequests.On our final night, Garry,a fellowpassenger, bought party hats,whistles andglow-in-the-dark braceletsforusall, aswe cheered on Billashe played his saxophone with gusto.

Asourfinal nightdrew loa close, I didn'twant ittoend, so Iwent fora stroll bythe river'sedge navigatingbythe light ofthemoon,and on n1y return spent tin1e on the sun deck, theskyilluminated with stars.Withmynewfriendswegavea toast lohappytimesand life fellgoodagain.

Aftermyreturnho111e, Isatdownto write thisstory,mylaptopbalancedon themosaictable given to n1yfamilyby ErnstVan Hattum asafarewellgift whenweleftMildura. Thepattern is offish. Then l realized theyare Murray Cod.Afteraweekcruisingonthe Murray, l feltreconnected totheriver and tomypast.

Murray River wasa maJor trade route with paddle steamers transporting cargoand supplies.

So,I.calledupadrivingschoolinmy suburb,apparentlyoneofthebest.The receptionistwhoansweredwaswarmand welcoming. Ifeltgoodaboutthisschool overthephonesoJbookedatrialwithone oftheirinstructors.

Duringthetrial,theinstructorbegan chatting. HeaskedifIwasIndian,and thenaskedhowoldIwas.WhenItoldhim 1nyageherepliedsaying,"You'reaspring chicken",whichJthoughtwasabitodd.

Iwasn'ttooalarmed,butassoonas ourfirstsessionstarted,Ibegantofeel uncomfortablewithhisparticularkind ofchatter. Heaskedaboutmyfamilyand whereIwork,thenaboutmypartnerand whereheworks.

Ididn'tmindtalkingaboutmyfamily;it wasfineuntilheasked,''Whatmakesyour manvirile?".

l justdismissedit buthekeptinsisting.

Atthatpointintime,ilwasimportant formetogetmylicense,thatwasallthat matteredtomethroughoutthiswhole experience.

Inthenextclass,wedidsomemore drivingpracticeonthehighwayandonthe roundabout. Hewasagoodinstructor,but towardstheendofthelesson,heaskedif I'm'ahardkisserorasoftkisser'.

Dumbfounded, lremainedsilent.

Hepersistedandaskedmethequestion again. Irefusedtoanswer,andjustgotout ofthecarbecauseweweredone-relieved thatthelessonwasover.

lwenthomeandtoldmypartner whathappened. Hesaidthatthedriving instructorissexuallyharassingme. lsaid,"Yes,heis.ButI'mreally confidentwithdrivingnowandIcanpass thetest."

Thedrivinginstructorkeptappreciating mydrivinguntilthelastlessonwhichwas twodaysbeforemydrivingtest.

Iwasexcited,1wantedtofinjshmy lessonsandgetmylicense.Butlcould sensehismoodwasoff;hewasveryquiet

andsortofpassive-aggressive.Itmademe loseconfidenceandImadeonemistake aftertheother.Eventually,attheendof thelesson,hetoldmehedidn'tthinkIwas readyandthatIneededmorepractice.

Iwasupsetbecausehehaddecidedon thenumberoflessonsandsaidthatIwould bereadybytheend.Ihadspentallthis moneytoprepareformydrivingtestnot togetsexuallyharassed.SoIgotoutofthe carandwenthome.

Hemessagedafterthatsayinghecan stillteachmeandwecanpracticedriving together,butIdidn'trespond. Instead, Iwenttothedrivingschool'swebsite, cancelledthepackage,andranguptheir receptionisttocon1plain.

Itoldherthathewastheonewhohad plannedallthelessonsandthathehad fooledn1e,sayinginitiallythatI'mdoing wellandtheninthelastclasstellingme J'mnotready.Iwantedarefund.Shesaid Ishould'vebroughtitupsooner.Before Jevengottothepartabouthissexual harassment,shehungup.

Now,Iamdown$710,stillhaven't takenthetest,andJ'vehadthisterrible experience.Thethoughtofthiswhole

experiencealone makesmystomachturn.

When RENUKA* found herselfin an uncomfortable situation with herdriving instructor ylearner'slicenseexpires inApril,soI'vebeenunder pressuretopassmydriving test.Assomeonewhois employedfulltimewithafamilytolook after,lreallydon'thavethetimetogo throughthewholeprocessagain.

Atonepoint,Itoldhimfranklythat he'samalechauvinistpigbecausehe madesomebadremarksaboutwomen. Andyouknowwhat?Heagreed.Actually, hefeltproudafterIcalledhimthat,he shamelesslywore itlikeabadge.

Anyway,that'sthestory. lknowIwasat fault.Ishouldhaveraisedtheflagmuch earlier.ButJwasinadesperatesituation, I'mstillinthesituation. IfIfailthetest andhavetostartalloveragain,itwould beunbearable.Spendingallthatmoney andgettingnothingoutofitexceptfor disrespectwastheworstexperience.

Ihaven'treportedittothepolice becauseldon'thavetheti1ne,the resourcesorthementalstrengthtorecount andrelivewhathappened.

Astoldto BageshriSavyasachi *notherrealname

Ifyouhaveexperiencedsexualassault orsexualharassmentandfeelyouwould liketospeaktosomeoneforsupportor information,1800RESPECT(Phone:1800 737732)canprovidecounselling24-hours aday,7daysaweek.

Soinhopesthathewouldstop persisting,Ijokinglyanswered,"Me".

I

March 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

Minal Khona has been readingtarot cards for thelasttwodecades. Sheuses herintuitionand connectwith thecards mostlytohelppeople.

I I I I I I I

Youfocus onyour material possessionsthis month.Asale of propertycould happen but thedeal won't becompleted for a while. Watch out for anxietyand a lackof generosityof spirit whenitcomesto money. Logisticscreate obstacles in longdistance relationships. Finances aregood this month; but takecare of 1 your health, especiallyif itisachronic condition. Be honestwith whatyou need and meditate onwhat isreally important.

The Queen of Pentaclescard drawn for Taureansindicatesamaturemotherly figure. It alsostands forAquariansso thehome-loving,steadfastTaureans couldfind themselvesgoingalittle wild this month which isnota bad thing.Thoselookingtostarta family couldgetpregnant.Singlescould meetsomeonequiteuniqueand the attraction will be mutual.Abusiness opportunityorjob offercouldcome your way.Apleasant tripisforeseen. Moneycomesinfrom multiplesources.

I Thismonth, Geminis will possibly put I love on the backburner and focus on I the philosophical, thedualityof life and gainingknowledge. Someone I mightshare a secret withyou. Women 1 should watch out forreproductive health problems. Businessisslowbut I gains momentumand you makeprofit.

I Everythingthat doesn't suityourhigher 1 purpose will moveout of yourlife, and youwill havea renewed sense ofselfI worth.Changesat thesubconscious I level will becomeobvious later.

I Forthose ofyou single, a loveaffair or I marriage is indicated.Anexcould return I toyour life.You choosetocontrolyour emotions ratherthan expressthem I this month. You mightget nostalgic I aboutthe past but it doesn'tserve any purpose.An unexpected career I opportunitycould comeyour way;itwill I motivateyou further. Healthissuesand depressioncouldbogyou down.The 1 self-employed will make more money I than theyexpectto. Practicegratitude I for whatyou have.

TheMagiciancardsignifiesnew beginningsinseveralareasofyourlife andasynergisticenvironment.Thosedue

I forpromotionmaybegivenaleadership I roleasthereispotential forcareergrowth. Beware of beingcheatedinlove,though

I a newandverypassionateloveaffairis ontheanvil.Youwill beself-motivated I togoafteryourgoalsthismonth.Don't I letstressmakeyouill.Financesaretop notchthismonth.Youwillsoonbeableto I I manifestallthatyouwishfor.

Virgosneedtopracticecontrollingtheir

emotions,especiallyfortensesituations.

I Singleswillbetoobusytolookforlove thismonth.Creativevisualisationfor outcomesyouwishforarebetterthan I illusions.Ifyoulikepartying,becareful

I nottobingeonliquororcigarettes.Drive cautiously.Ifunwell,arestfulbreakisall I youneed.Financially,itisastablemonth. I Extrainformationwillmakeyourwork I easier.Don'tletnegativethoughtsoryour weaknessescloudyourachievements.

I I I I I I I

TheQueenofHeartscardindicatesaScorpio I kindofpersonality-emotional,intenseand I secretive.TheusuallybalancedUbrans I couldbehavelikeScorpiosthismonthfor thatreason.Youcouldmeettheloveofyour I lifeifsingle.Tension,disagreementsand I discordcouldspoilyourpeaceathomeor work.Travelplansgetpostponed.Youcould I veerintodifferentareasatworkgiventhe I opportunity.Depressionandemotional I stresscouldbogyoudown.Aspiritualenergy isincreasingyourintuition;payattention.

I Whileyoutakeleapsof faith regarding keydecisions,theFoolcardadvises I caution.Trustyour intuition butthink I things throughaswell.If youare the sportykind,watchyourfooting, asyou I could havea fall.Ina relationship,you I maystill be in twomindsabout making acommitment.Anyfeelings of unease or I discontentaresignsofspiritualgrowth;

I payattention. Moneyheld upwill cometo I I you.Letgoof whateverdoesn'tserveyour I higher purpose. I

I I I I I I I I I

I TheChariotcardsignifiestheneed for I balance inone'slife, holdingmental andemotionalenergiestogetheras I yourhigherself becomesthecharioteer, guidingyouonyourjourney.Thiscard usuallystands forspiritualgrowthso I I expecta lotof lettinggotohappen

I You need toseewhich old habit I patternsare holdingyou back from a betterlife.Whetheritisnew I relationships, a newlifestyle orthought I process,shed yourolddogmastolive I fully.Letgo of pastbad relationships tohavea more fulfilledone thistime.

I I thismonth.You willwalkawayfrom unpleasantsituations.Slowdowntoavoid I I Otherswillvalidateyour ideasat work anditcould lead to newopportunities. Getallyour paperworkin order.Anew joboffercouldcomeyour way. Health I fallingill.If thereare obstacles, persevere I forbest results.Anopportunityfora homebusinesscouldcomeyourway. I

I improvesand sodoyour finances.

I TheEmperorcardstands forauthority I and power;Aquarianscoulddowell to I realisetheirownpowerandability.At work,contractsand other relatedissues I keepyoubusy.Apersonor circumstance I willupliftyourspiritsandlaya new foundation forthe future.Teeth may I needattention;andthe health of a family I memberworriesyou.Yourfinancial I situationwillalsoimproveand close friendsaremoresupportivethan usual.A I newlineof workisalsoindicated.

I Theprince of pentaclesstandsfor I I Capricornsothedreamyandidealistic I I Pisceanscouldtakepracticaldecisionsthis I month.You lookfor financialsecurityeven I asyoustokeyourambtionstoriseinyour I I career.You behaveresponsiblyduringa I conflictinyourrelationship;itcouldwinyou I browniepointslater.Atwork,anincident I I orpersonwillimproveyourmood. Health I I problemsinthethroatandearsindicate I youneedtobemorecommunicativeI listenbetterandspeakout. I

Indian-origin actress SimoneAshleyjoinsthe castofBridgerton: Here'swhyitmatters

BY RHEA L NATH

venasthelastepisodeofNetflix's Bridgertonwrappedup,theshow's devoted,insatiableviewerswere alreadyhittingsocial mediato demand more. In anexcitingturnof events,itwasannouncedthattheirhighly anticipatedsecondseasonwill include Indian-originactressSimoneAshleyina pivotalrole.

AfteryearsofhavingtoclaimApuas thetokenIndiancharacteruntilnames likeHasan Minhaj. LillySingh,andMindy Kalingcamealong, Indianscanrest easyknowingthatpopcultureisslowly headed the rightway.SeeingSouthAsian representationonaglobalstreaming platformis thrillingnews-andit'smore affirmingthatitwillbeononeofNetflix's biggestshowsofalltin1e.

Thefactis,peopleofcolourhaveexisted throughouthistory,especiallyin Regencyera London,given oldtieswiththe British Empire.Bridgertonhasbrokenthemouldin favouringrepresentationoverauthenticity, unlikeitsperioddramascounterparts,and whenSeason2releases,fanswillgetto happilysuspend theirdisbelief, ifonlyfora shortwhile,towatchSimoneAshleyasthe

fieryKateSharmaamongLondon'ston. (Adarker-skinnedwomanromancingthe ViscountAnthonyBridgerton?Nowthat's enoughtomakeanyonesitup.)

Withallthesedevelopments,it'sclearthat productionhousesarestartingtonotethe success,bothcriticalandcommercial,in translatingourmulticulturalworldtothebig screen.

Still, itwasn'tuntilthispastyearwith NeverHaveIEver'sDeviVishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) thatwesawa SouthAsiangirlastheprotagonistofa mainstreamshow. Lastmonth,comedian AbbyGovindanevenconvincedthe TwitterversethatGoldenGlobenominated seriesEmilyinPariswas"originallyabout anIndiangirl"butwasrejectedbynetwork executives.Thetweetgarnered over800commentsbeforeit cametolightthatitwasjusta prank.

Butconsiderthis:whydidwe fallforit?

Factis, Indianswerethe world'slargestdiasporain 2020,withabout 18million peopleborntherenowliving abroad.Todepictthemnowas taxid1·ivers,conveniencestore workers,andcharacterswith thickclichedaccents,wouldnot onlybefactuallyincorrect,it justwouldn'tstick.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekingaprofessionallyqualified match, teetotallerwitha goodfamilybackground, preferablyAustralianctizen orPRholder, forhighlyqualifiedcareer-oriented Brahmin girl35,5'2",vegetarianwithgoodfamily background,workingand wellsettled in Sydney. Pleasecontactaussyd08@gmail.com

Lookingforawell-settled match (professional orbusinessman)fora Hindu Khatrigirl, currently pursuingMaster'sdegree in Australia (completion beforeDecember 2021).35years, 5'2", nevermarried,fair complexion, beautiful,slim. Email biodata and picturesto narayan.matrimonial@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

Seekingasuitablematchfor45-year-old Sikh Khatriman,divorced,nochildren,setfemployed,currentlyonbridgingVisa.Preferred AustralianPR/citizengirl.Contact0422812939 oremailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com

SeekingsuitablegirlforSydney-based Australiancitizen Hindu Brahmin(raisedin Australia),Sep'88 born, height5'7", Bachelor ofEnggBiolnformatics, Mastersin Public Health,workingasanalystingovernment department. ID20013.

Please contactSoulmateMatrimonial:

Preeti Kothari +61404316288 I

Heena Kajaria+61416787526

Thankfully,there'sbeenamarkedshift in the21stcentury.Wemightstillseethe occasionalSouthAsianstereotype(think taxidriverRanjilinHowI1\tletYourMother) butthey'reslowlyoutweighedbymore realisticdepictions.JustlookatNewGirl's CeceliaParekh(HannahSimone)and Neighbours'Dipi Rebecchi(SharonJohal), whoareofIndianorigin,butit'snottheir entire identity.

When thesecharactersfeellikereal peoplewhohaveopinions,flaws,world views,andanexistenceoutsideoftheir culturalbackground,theyhavetheamazing

capacitytoquestionwhatothersdeem'being Indian'tobe.

Withintheentertainmentindustry,this canmeanmoremeaningfulcontributions fromSouthAsianactors,directors,writers, andallothercreativestafwhogetto translatetheirrealityonscreen.(In Master ofNone, anentireepisodewasdevotedto AzizAnsari'scharacterDev,anactorby profession,whorefuses toputonanaccent inanaudition -andsubsequentlydoesn'tget thepart.)

Diversityinthemediaisespeciallycrucial inthecaseofchildren,who'vebeenexposed totypecastcharactersforfar toolong. Forfirstgeneration immigrants,whocontinue tograpplewithwherethey areand theculturethey comefrom,normalisingthe Indiandiasporaonscreen canmakeallthedifference. (AsfordepictionsofIndiain popularculture well,that's anotherconversation inits ownright.)

Atthisstage,it'sfairtosay thatwe'vegotaseatatthe table-whatarewedoing aboutit?

INDIAN LINK SOCIAL MEDIA

About Kareena Kapoor's baby...

DEAR AUNTYJI

Soeveryone knowsthatKareena hashad herbaby and shestill hasn't toldtheworldthe nameofthechild Auntyji.areyouwillingto hazard aguessonwhatthe babymight becalled?Considering shenamed Taimurafterafamouswarriorking.do youthinkshemightchooseChanakya asthebaby'sname?Orwhatabout BahadurorKrishnadevaraya? I am veryinterestedto hearwhatshecalls thebaby-anddoyouthinkthere is areasonwehavenotseenpictures ofthebabyyet?Doyouthinkthere mightbe anissue?Also, doyouthink theBubwill haveblueeyeslikehis brother?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Arre, mere Kans mama, didn'tyou readmyperspectiveonthissubject whenTaimurwasnamed3yearsago? Doyounotremember.youJahilfrom Jalandhar.thatI saidthatwhatthe Pataudischoosetocalltheirprogeny

isnoneofourbusiness? It's beenalmostadecade-probably longer-thatI have beentrying togiveyou budtehzeeb log some education.someknowledgethat therearesomesubjectsthatwe shouldnoteven ponderordwell on.Arre Raavan ke au/ad, didyou everstoptoconsiderthatthereare somanymore useful mattersto turnyourmindto?Haveyouever thoughtaboutmaybe helpingthe poorwould beagooduseoftime? Ifyouaresokeenon otherpeople's babies.what aboutvolunteering at yourlocal playgroup orteachinga sporttoyoungsters?Isuspectthat yourrecord probablypreventsyou fromclosecontactwith bachche log. Let's leavethe Patuadisalone. Andwhetherthe bachcha has neeli, hari, orkaliankhen. let'sjustsendour blessingsthatheishealthyandthe familyishappy. Exceptyou-noone wantsyourcursed aashirwad. Keep theseforyourself.

...and Meghan Markle's in-laws

DEAR AUNTYJI

NamasteAuntyji OMG!TheHarryMeghansagaisbetterthananyZeeTV showsI'veseen Suchsalaciousdetails nah? I alwaysknewthe royalfamilywas racist. buttothisextent.even I did not imagine.Whatdoyouthinkwill bethe consequencesofthis tamasha Auntyji. andevenmoreimportant.doyouthink HarryandMeghanshould havekept theirdirtylaundrytothemselves?

Personally,IreallyliketheQueen becauseshehasbeenaconstantfor solong I reallylovedDianaalso.and I thinkthepalacetreatedherverybadly ThatCharlesisjustsouncaring, nah? Andevenaftergettingmarriedtothat homewreckerCamillahedidn'tlearn love-otherwisehewould have been abetterfathertoHarryand William I havebeenwatchingthiswholeevent closelyandwould loveto knowyour thoughts

AUNTYJI SAYS

Youknow, wearestillinthemidstofa

pandemic. and I reallywashoping thatpeoplewould havelearnt tobecomemorereflective. morecompassionateand more understandingduringthistime.

Lekhin nah. hearingfromyouis saboot kiduniyamein abhibhibahut saare jahil log rehete hai. Tell methis, my nirlaj -whydoyoucaresomuch about theBritish royals?

Yourinterestin what Harryand Meghandoshouldbedirectly proportionaltotheirlevelofcare towardyouasyoumindlesslyand blindlygoaboutyourday. The Britishroyalsexisttofundamentally remind usofoneuncomfortabletruththatnotall peopleare bornequal.Due tothefactofbeing born royal.they haveaccesstoprivileges, resources and rightsthatthe restofusdon't. Endorsingtheroyalsisessentially rejectingthepremisethatall peopleare bornequal.Sowhydon'tyouunlockthe darwaza ofyourmind and ponderthis perspectiveforaheartbeat. Kalmouhi.

COVID-19 vaccines will keep Australia safe and protect our way of life The people most at risk of serious illness and those most likely to be exposed to the virus in our communities will be vaccinated first, including:

• Quarantine and border workers

• Frontline health care, disability and aged care workers

• People living in aged and disability care accommodation

Vaccination offers the best protection from COVID-19, but it's also important we all continue to remain COVIDSafe.

To find out when it's your turn, visit australia.gov.au or call the National coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccine helpline 1800 020 080. For translating and interpreting services call 131 450.

BE COVIDSAFE

Safe. Effective. Free.

Australia's COVID-19 Vaccination Program