2021-04 Sydney

..

rransTasmantr--avel bubble: Cautiousoptimism 10-dayitinerary

Authorised bythe Australian Government, Canberra.

PUBLISHER

PawanLuthra

EDITOR

Rajni AnandLuthra

CONTRIBUTORS

Nath,BageshriSavyasachi,

India's vaccine rollout acestou:h battles

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

SALES

CharutaJoshi

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in partorinwholewithoutthewrttenconsentofthe editor.Opinions carriedin Indian Linkarethoseof thewritersandnotnecessarilyendorsedbyIndian Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

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Email: info@indianlink.com.au

''amterrifiedaboutmy80-yearoldparentsinPune,"afriend revealedrecently.Itisasentiment sharedbyalargenumberof Indian-Australiansasreportsofsurging COVID-19casesinIndiadominatethe headlines.Withrestrictedoptionsto travel,shouldtherebeanemergency, manyliveindreadofreceivingthat messageurgingthemtocomehome.

Itisalarmingtoseethisstateofaffairs inacountrythatproclaimsitsworld dominanceeconomically.Privatehospitals arerunningoutofbedsandventilators, andinpublichospitalspatientsarenow sharingbeds.NewZealandrecentlyshut itsborderstoIndia,concernedbythe spreadofthevirusthere.

ThepictureinIndiaismarkedlydifferent ascomparedtotheUnitedStates,evenas bothnationsleadtheworldinCOVID-19 infectionrates.Bothwouldnodoubthave hadavaccinestrategyinplacewhenthe pandemicwasconfirmedbyWHOin March2020.Yet,aboutayearin,they seemtobeheadedintooppositedirections.

IntheUS,alladultswereassureda

deadlineof1Maytobeeligibletoreceive thevaccine.Thishasbeenbrought forwardbytwoweeksto17April.In India,ontheotherhand,thevaccine rolloutseemstobefaltering.TheUnited Stateshave21percentoftheirpopulation vaccinated,Indiaisstillat0.83percent.

Oneofthereasonsforthesuccessinthe USwastheestablishmentofapartnership betweenthegovernmentandprivate enterprise,aptlynamedOperationWarp Speed.SetupininMarch2020,Operation WarpSpeedworkedtoresearch,trial, approveandmanufactureavaccine,in aUS$11billionproject.WithPfizer,the USgovernmentplacedanordertobuy 100milliondosesofthevaccine,withan optiontobuyanadditional500million,a totalof600milliondoses.Thegovernment notonlyfundedtheresearchandhelped upgrademanufacturingfacilitiesbutalso becameabuyerofthevaccine.

InIndia,theSerumInstituteofIndia (Sil)tooktheinitiativeandunderlicence fromAstraZeneca,negotiatedadeal tomanufacture1billiondosesin12 months.Nofundingca1nefromtheIndian government.Infact,SIihadadealto supplythefirst100millionvaccinesat apriceofRs200($4)andsubsequent dosesathigherprices.ButtillJan2021, theIndiangovernmenthadnotconfirmed howmanyvaccineswouldbeneededand

when.Whenitdid,itorderedonly11 milliondoses.

WhileIndiahasadministered100 milliondosestodate,itisjustnotgood enoughforacountryneedingover2.5 billiondoses,aseachindividualhastoget twoshots.

Whereasothergovernmentsglobally haveinvestedinmanufacturingfacilities torampupproduction,theIndianside hasbeenswampedwithredtapeand lackofsupportbythegovernment.The companieswhichcouldwellhaveallowed Indiatogetontopofthevaccinerollouts, neededtobeencouraged,asintheUnited States,ratherthanbekeptinsuspense abouttheirfuture.

Addedtothecurrentstateofaffairs,has beenpoormessagingonsocialdistancing andgoodhygiene.StateslikeDelhiand Maharashtraarefacingnewboutsofthe pandemicwithlockdownsnowbeing enforced.Yetmasscongregations(rallies/ religiousgatherings)continuedespitethe spread.

Whilethesecanbestopgapmeasures, theonlywaytostopthespreadwillbe throughvaccinations.Thequickerthe healthofficialsinthecountrycanwork throughastrategyofnotonlysourcingbut implementingthevaccinations,thequicker willIndiacomeoutontheothersideof COVID-19. �itk

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SPECIAL FEATURES

YOUR SAY

#LetUsBackToAus

International students staring down an uncertain future

#LETUSBACKTOAUS

A full year afterAustralia's borders shut, RHEA L NATH reached out to students stuck in India to ask: doesAustralia care more about their fees than their futures?

NOT GUILTY VERDICT

A tragic case ends afterKu/winderSingh was found not guilty of murdering his wife ParwinderKaur by lighting her on fire in 2013.

Rochelle Fernandez wrote: Seriously? Heabusedher, threatened her, hit her with a heavy object, poured petrol onher, andhedidn't mean to killher? What will it take to believe avictim?

Navneet Singh Kalra wrote: 12 jurors havelistened andseen all the facts before giving their verdict. TheJustice systemhasworked andifonereads all the forensic factsand other aspects, theywill know thetruthas well. Half information ismore dangerous than anything, so please go throughallfacts which areeye opening.

Narin Bairns wrote: What ajoke.Judicial system failed again.

JassSingh wrote: If anything, peoplehavefailed againby stereotyping men.

Chris Bhiki wrote:Justice is served here.The factsclearlyindicate innocence.

Mishi Christine wrote: Unbelievable.How many more women haveto die!

Dharmishta Sharma wrote: Imaginewhat adangerousworld wewomenare living in! Where ALLtheheinous actsof domesticviolencearebeingjustified withflimsyexcuses. Disgusting.

Sarah Macdonald wrote: Sick of being treated like cashcows, Indian studentsare keento get their education. Andtheyare goingelsewhereif we don't act soon.

gossiping for no reason wrote: RIPAustralian universities. International studentsare alreadyfinding their way toUK/ USA/Canada.

presti CH wrote: Plentyof Australians who stillhaven't managed toreturn home. PlentyofAustralianswhohave familyoverseas theyhaven'tseenfor years- personally Ihaven'tseen mygrandparentsinEurope for 2.5 years (hadbooked to golastyear), butit'snotreallyfairfor metosteal someone else'squarantineposition whoismore needyof it. Until theabove problems are solved, internationalstudents are on the back burner.

frangelica wrote: Isupport the gradual returnofinternationalstudents, butitneedsto bewaymorecarefullymanaged. Improperlymanaged hotelquarantinehas led tooutbreaks in multiple states, and that wasin government supervised hotels, sothere's no way they're going tolet student accommodationbe used. Doingitin regionalAustraliaisnot a goodidea either. Our regional communitieswould be waymore vulnerablein the event of apotential outbreak. Theyjust don't have the same access tomedical care and resources that wedoin the city. Idoubta regionalhospitalevenhas more than a couple of ventilators

nameless9123 wrote: Sad to say, Idoubt theAustralianborder will be open for international travellersbyJuly. Withthe rate of the vaccination programme, 2022 seemsmore likely.

Yashvi Brahmbhatt wrote: Everyinternational student onshoreor offshore has immenselysuffered due to the border closure for more thana year now We arehoping for a recovery that makes up for the lossesmadeinmonetary, timelineandgrowth prospects for all thoseimpacted. WechoseAustralia for a reasonandIhope theychooseto see ustoo.Thank youforcoveringmy storyandarticulatingit so well.

Manjukta Bhakta wrote: It's timeinternational students get the same opportunities as local students.

SB wrote: Thank youIndian Link, hope(NSW Premier)GladysBerejikliansees this. Hope thisarticle helps usand getsusback toAus byJuly

Hex 0000PIII wrote: Oh no, thesameinternational students whodon't pull their weightin group projects are not allowed back because ofCOVID, noooo. recurecur wrote: Ohno, universities have todo researchand learn how to properly adaptwithoutsupplantingall this overseasstudent income. Isit timeforUTS topull itself upbyitsbootstrapsandstop hobblingdegrees for internationalstudents?Cryme a river, preferably theMurray Darling. 1) More research anddevelopment. 2)Universityincubators. 3)University should have used themassive amounts ofmoney frominternationalsto gain assets to offset theneed for so manyinternationals.

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rIS HARRIS PARK SYDNEY'S 'LITTLE INDIA'?

When the City of Parramatta asked for feedback on promoting HarrisPark as 'Little India', readers weighed in.

Pravesh Babhoota wrote:Absolutely, butwithoneconditionthatthelocal businessassociation takesontheresponsibilityof operatingunderAustralianLaw Deepak Vincent wrote: Itcomeswith a responsibilitytoo, representingIndia andIndiansin everyway

Khalsa Geo wrote: Absolutely. We must feel proudof our heritage and ancient civilisations.

Satinder Preet Singh wrote: Soon there will be littleChina, littleTurkey, little Afghanistan, littleLebanon.

Rakesh SahgaJ wrote: It isgood that we are considering a name'LittleIndia' inSydney. Practically every major city in the world has a'ChinaTown' but few citieshave'LittleIndia' whileour populationis almost the same.

INDIAN NEWS HEADLINES ON PRINCE PHILIP

PrincePhilip: Three royal visits anda tigercontroversy Press Trust of India

PrincePhilip: The foreigner consort, whose ancestry spanned all of royal Europe Indian Express

FROM BLOGGER TO MENTOR

JYOTISHANKAR shared the story of Melbourne's Vinesh Ba/an, who is helping new migrants and students navigate theirjob search, one meet-up at a time.

Vinesh Balan wrote: Sharingyourstory will help (people) nottorepeat the mistakesyoudid (unlessyouwant themto suffer thesamewayyoudid). That'showIstarted documentingmyjourney threeyearsago. Ididit formy ownmental sanitythough-to escape from thehorrendousjobsearch thatI washaving. Little did Iknow the impactit would have.Today, I'msoproud to seesomeone elsenarrating mystory! Ahugeshoutout toJyotiShankarfor the beautiful write-up

Varun Rao wrote: Greatarticle,VineshBalan! Istruggledinmyjobsearch aswell likemany others, applying for over 1000jobsbefore Igot myfirst breakthrough. But in all of thisInevergave upand alwaysbelieved that "I need to chase mydreamsand notthe competition". Thedayswhere I would knock onevery employer's door, speaking withpeopleto buildconnections, trying differentstrategies (i.e. suggesting to employers, try beforeyoubuy) are stillfreshtome. Also one needs tokeepasking oneself the question, "Howbadly do I wantthis?"

Vlgnesh Jayakumar wrote: Thesestoriesare not limited to migrantsin Australiaalone,butto all wholeavetheirowncountrytostudyand work in othercountries.Sometimespeoplegetdemotivated,ordepressed. Hopefully thesestorieswillmotivatethemtostartafreshintheirsearchofabetterlife.

Jal Praful Ved wrote: Longjourneysummarized well byJyotiShankar,as she brings to theforethebasicneed ofnetworkingto build relations.

Tarzon Budhathokl wrote:You really are doinggreat workVinesh,you inspiretoshare. Asajobseekerimmigrantin Australiamyself, Ibelieve that the wayyouare empowering fellow migrants topushthemselvesand get out there to connect withrealpeople,isamazing.Youstartedyourjourney with Zero,learnedtheway,and nowyouare passingthelearning to othersso that theycouldlearn more thanjust fromthebooksat uni.

YOU DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER, AISHWARYA

The seven-year-old from Perth passed awayover the Easter Jong weekend after waiting two hours to seea doctor, raising calls for an inquiry into the functioning ofemergencydepartments.

Lisa Collins wrote: I'ma Queenslander living in Adelaide.TheWA Health ministerisblamingCOVID, which isanabsolute cop out! Ithinkitdoesn't matter whatstateyoulivein, these longwaittimeshappen. AtIpswich HospitalQLD, Ihad to wait 6hoursto beseen - finally at 4am. Atthe Women and Children'sHospital Adelaide, where myGP told me to take mytwo-yearoldson, we waitedthe wholenightinto the earlyhoursof the morning!The nursessaidthere wasno chance he would getseendueto staffshortages, so we ended uphavingto take him home and comeback laterthe nextday. Appalling! Luckilymyson ended up being ok. Suchasub-parsystem.The doctors and nurses are undersomuch stress due to staff shortages.

John De Graff wrote: Thisis the reality offree Medicare in Australia. Tax-payerspaying huge taxesforhavingour kidsmurderedin emergency situations.Thisis amurderand LNPshould answerthis.

Kaur Mandeep wrote: At publichospitals, everything from parkingto wait times, ishorrific.They don't wanttopay medical staff well, and nobody wants tooverwork forverylittlepay

Sri Bhargavl Peesapatl wrote:Themedicalsystemin thiscountryseems to be downgradingthesedays,don't knowwhy.I'mhearingthewords "understaffed"and "negligence" very often, especially during holidays orlong weekends. If staff isonholiday, they needtoeitherreplacetemporary/back up staff immediately orrecruit more staff. Firstofall, theyshouldn'tallowmore numberofstaff nursesordoctorsto takeleave during long weekends.Wetreat doctorsandnursesasgodsastheysavelives. I'mhearing(about) newborn deaths tooinAustralia. Seriously, action needstobe takenimmediatelyasnot tohappenagainin future.Thisisscary and disheartening.Can'tevenimagine thepainthislittle one'sparents are goingthrough. Feeling verysad.

Chandra Klshore wrote:Thishappeningin AustraliaisJUST not on.

Daniel Satheesh wrote: Whyare emergencydepartmentslike this, not consideringyouuntil youare bleedingheavily?

Padma Jatoth wrote: My prayersforthe grieving family. Unimaginableloss. Ihope thehospitaladdressesthetriagesystemanddelayin treatmentto preventrecurrence

#WHEREININDIA

Onthe occasion of Holi, we asked: whichnorth Indiantownhasanannual Holi ritual ofbeating the menfolk withsticks, while they protect themselves withshields?

Readers Ambika Girglani, Alok Chaudhary, Neha Mittal, and Ruchika Mangla gotitright: Laathmaar Holiin Barsana, near Mathura.

#WHEREINOZ

Inthespirit ofcolour, weasked you where you can find thispink lakein Australia. Readers Deepak Vincent, Subha, and Saurabh Anand gotthe correct answer Lake Hillier,WA.The pink colour comes from the micro algae called Dunaliella salina.

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PrincePhilip:The

Did youknow PrincePhilipwasborn on akitchentable?

Deccan Herald

PrincePhilipwasnosaint, buthe wasthe Queen'srock Deccan Herald

PrincePhilipwasthe gruff figure at heartof Britain's monarchy The Tribune

strength behindthe crown Hindustan Times

BY SANDIP HOR

Whilemakingtheannouncen1ent Prin1eMinisterArdencautioned travellersthattheirtravelplanscould bedisruptedatshortnotice ifacaseis detectedoranoutbreakhasemergedin Australia.

twassheerjubilationattheTailor Thebubblewillcontinue ifthe household inSydneywhenNewZealand detectedcaseislinkedtoaquarantineot PriineMinisterJacindaArdernannounced borderworkerwhohasbeencontained thelong-awaitedtwo-waytrans-Tasman quickly. However,chancesremain high bubble.Thisallows,from 19April forthebubbletobepaused ifthere onwards,AustraliantravellerstoenterNew isalocalisedoutbreakthatleadstoa

half-pricefaresto 13destinationswithin Australia.

However,Sayanand Monalisa,ayoung couplefrom Melbournewilllovetotravel

• , internationally .,,. , "Wewillboardtheplane forsure � despitesomerisks,"theysay,beingvery

••• .... -

Zealandwithoutmandatoryhotelquarantine. shortlockdown,liketherecentonein It'sbeen ayearsince BharatandAsha Brisbane. Further,theNZgovernmentmay

keentodustofftheirpassportsandvisit NewZealand,wheretheyhavebeen twiceearlier.Theynowlookforward tootherinternationaldestinationson theil'bucketlistifallowed..,,..

Id'. - "Theconditionsdon'tworryus; it's the newwayoftravel inapandemic," TailorsawtheirsonParaswholives in New suspendthebubblete1nporarilyifthere Zealand. Parascouldhavetravelledto areanumberofcommunitycaseswith

" AustraliaanytimeafterOctoberlastyear anunknownsource.ThisNZapproach whenAustraliamade itquarantine-freefor mirrorsthatofAustralia,whichpaused NewZealanders,butthemandatory 14days thetravelarrangementte1nporarilyduring ofhotelquarantineonreturnstopped him outbreaks inAuckland. fron1doingso.

Also,tobecomeeligibleforaquarantineNotanymore. Parashasalreadybookedhis freeflight,anu1nberofconditionsneedtobe flighttoSydneytomeet thefa1nily. met,likenot having hadapositiveCOVID-19

TheTailorfainiJyarenot theonlyones

t

in

th

rejoicing. Similarjoy issharedbyaround departure,

andcurrentlynotwaitingforthe results ofaCOYlD-19testtaken in thepast 14days. Inaddition,travellersneedtospendthe 14 daysbeforedeparture ineitherAustraliaor NewZealand.

TheflightsacrosstheTasmanwon'tcome

theyadd.

SovonThakurfromTataConsultancy

Services(TCS)expresssimila1·views. Based inSydney, he isHeadofOperationsforNew Zealand.Sincethepandemicbegan hehas beendependingmostlyonvideocallsto managemanymulti-milliondollaraccounts acrosstheTasman.

600,000NewZealandersLivingin

Vilz.ea\and Australiaand 75,000Australians

000\(f\\ghtS to Ne

inNewZealand.Allarelooking g forward ton1eetingfamiliesseparated formorethanayearbecauseofthe pande1nic.

However,willthisquarantine-free travelinspiremanyAussiesandKiwis tomake holidayplansagain?

"Perhapsnot,"saysPhillipBoniface fron1HelloworldTravelinCarlingford, NSW.

"Surelyourphonesareringingwith enquiries,butpotentialleisuretravellersare thoughtfulabouttheassociatedrisksand conditionsoftraveland thecost."

Headded, "Thisarrangementwillstrongly appeal to thefriends-and-relativessector and toson1ebusinesstravellers,butleisure travellersarenot100%confidenttotravel offshorejustyet."

cheapeither.AccordingtotheQantas website, itwillcostafamilyoffour around $3,000fromSydneyto Queenstownandbackduringthe Juneschool holidays,Queenstown in winterbeingafavouritefor Aussieskilovers. WithJetstarthe farewillbemarginallycheaper.

Consideringtheabovesome mayprefertotraveldomestic, particularlybecauseofthe

"Nowit'sthetimetopersonallyshake handswith clientsandcheerupmyNZ team",hecomtnentswhileplanningtobook hisflightstoAuckland soon.

Thesuccessofthisbubbledependson manyfactors.Animportantone is how stronglytheestablished health, transport andisolationprotocolsareenforced inboth countries.Theotherfactorofsignificance isthesuccessfulrolloutofthevaccination, which hasbeenratherslowinbothcountries, though it'snotessentialforpassengerstoget jabbedbeforetravel.

Oncetravelarrangementsacross the Tasmanproveeffective,opportunitieswill openuptoexpandtheconcepttoother countrieslikeSingapore,Japan,SouthKorea andotherPacificnations.

TheNewZealandtravelbubble,to paraphrasePrimeMinisterMorrison,isbut thefirststep.

TravellingtoNewZealand?CheckoutPetra 0'Neill's 10-dayitineraryoverleaf

•Proceed with prudence' is the general advice following the announcement of the trans-Tasman travel bubble

11Surely our phonesare ringing with enquiries, but potential leisure travellersarethoughtful aboutthe associated risks and conditions of travel andthe cost."

Phillip Boniface, Travel agent

Let's get started

Gotonewzealand.con1forawealthof information,includingthemeditineraries togetinspirationfrom.Considerwhatyour interestsare-fromadventure,wildlife, snow-cappedn1ountains,abeautiful coastlineandpristinewilderness,asNew Zealandhasitall.

Onceyou'vedecidedwheretogo,choose howyou'llgetaround.Hiringacaristhe 1nostconvenient,thoughyou'llneedan internationaldriver'slicence,androad conditionsaredifferenttohere.Thereare fewexpressways;n1anyroadsaresinglelane andhilly.NewZealandalsohasanextensive busnetworkaswellasferriesandscenicrail journeysincludingtheNorthernExplorer, TransAlpineandCoastalPacific.Check timetablessincenotallservicesoperatedaily. Costwise,you'llbepayingsin1ilarprices tohere,thoughtheAUDisworthslightly n1ore.Foraccon1rnodation,backpacker acco,nmodationisgenerallyofahigh standardandiswidelyavailable.YHAand BBHhavehostelsacrossNewZealand. ThelargesthotelchainisAccor,with theIbis,Mercure,NovotelandSofitel brandsalsowellrepresented.B&Bs arewidespreadandLuxuryLodgesare exclusiveandhighlyrenowned.Hiringa motorhon1eispopularandconvenient. Ifyouwouldratheranadventurous stay,Life'sanAdventureandHeritage Expeditionsofferguidedhikingtrips.

Youradventurebeginsontheflight acrosstheTasn,an,ascloudsparttoreveal then1ajesticpeaksofNewZealand's SouthIsland,ortotheblacksandbeaches alongthewestcoastoftheNorthIsland. Qantas,JetstarandAirNewZealandare allofferingflightsandVirginAustraliawill beresun1inglater.Airfat·eprices,naydrop aftertheinitialsurgeinden1andsosignup fore1nailalertsandtosuityouritinerary, considerflyingintoonecityandflyingout fron1another.

Itineraryfor10 nights

Ifthisisyourfirstvisit,I'dsuggest travellingfron1AucklandtoChristchurch toexperienceabitofeverything,withthe optionofdiversionsorlongerstays.

Auckland

Afriendly,vibrantandculturallydiverse citywedgedbetweentwoharbours, Aucklandoffersson1uchtodiscoverwith neattimberhouses,boutiques,restaurants andmanyattractions,includingtheSky Towerthatprovidespanora1nicviewsof thecityfromtheobservationdeck.

Knownasthecityofsailsforitsstunning harbourdottedwithboats,headfor ViaductHarbour,thestreetsnearQueen StreetincludingHighStreet,andthe innercityneighbourhoodsofParnelland Ponsonby.TheAucklandMuseumisalso ahighlight,withdisplaysonMaoriculture amustseeandiftiineallows,catchaferry toWaihekeIslandwithitsrollinghills, stunningcoastlineand30wineries.

Auckland - Coromandel

Peninsula - Maunganui

FromAucklandfollowthecoastlineto Coromandel,whereyou'llfindcraftshops, hikingtrailsandKauripineforests.Drive bythebeachsettlementsofWhangapoua, MatarangiandKuaotunutoWhitianga.The roadcontinuestoHotWaterBeachand CathedralCove,twon1ustseeattractions, andalongtoWhangamata,oneofNew

Zealand'smostattractivesurftowns.

OnarrivalinMaunganui,apopular holidaydestination,witharelaxedvibe andbeautifulbeaches,lookoutfor dolphinsasyoufollowthebasetrack aroundMountMaunganui.

Maunganuito Rotorua

NeighbouringTaurangahasmanicured gardensandheritagemansions,including theElmsMissionHouse.Fromhereit's ashortdrivepastKiwifruitorchardsto Rotoruawhereyoucanspendtheday exploringthe1nanygeothermalattractions. Frombubblingmudpoolstoerupting geysersandcraters,theearthisalivewith volcanicactivityaswellasofferingwalking trailstoviewwaterfallsandlushnative forests.Ireco,nmendbothWai-O-Tapuand Waimangu.Endthedaywithahotsoakin thethermalpoolsorbyi111mersingyourself inMaoricultureatTePuia.

Rotorua to Napier

Napierisfan1ousforitsdistinctive

ArtDecostyledarchitecture,afteran earthquakelevelledthecityanditwas rebuiltin1931.

Beyondthecity,Hawke'sBayisaregion ofvineyards,orchards,beaches,stunning landscapesandagannetcolonyatCape Kidnappers.

NapiertoWellington

Thedrivefron1NapiertoWellingtonis linedwithstunningforests,riversand mountainranges.

Nestledbetweentheharbourandthe hills,Wellingtonisidealforexploringon foot.Delveintothemanymuseumsand galleries,samplelocalcraftbeersand experiencethelivelycafes,restaurants andcultureofNewZealand'scapitalcity. Renownedattractionsincludethehistoric parliamentbuildingsandtheBeehive, Museun1ofNewZealand,abustling waterfront,cablecarandBotanicGardens.

Wellingtonto Nelson

TheInter-islanderferryprovides spectacularsceneryasitpassesthe coastline,waterwaysandislandsof MarlboroughSounds.Onarrivalatthe SouthIsland,continuetopicturesque NelsonandspendadaytoexploretheAbel TasmanNationalPark.

Nelson to Christchurch

Drivealongthewindswept,rugged coastlinetothemountainouscoastaltown ofKaikoura,knownforitsrichmarine lifeincludingspen11whalesanddolphins, beforecontinuingontoChristchurch.

Withaheritageofmanicuredparks, Gothicstyleuniversity,sprawlingvillas andpuntingontheAvonRiver,postthe devastatingearthquake,acreativityhas emergedofartgalleriesandhigh-tech urbandesign,livelycafes,barsand bistros.

Spendadayexploring thesceniclushcountryside oftheBanksPeninsulaand theprettyseasidetownof Akaroa,withbrightlypainted timbercottages,craftshops, cafesandartgalleriesandthe quirkyGiant'sHouse.In1840, ashipcarrying60French settlersarrivedtoestablisha colonyonlytofindtheBritish hadbeatenthem.Toofarfrom

offthE

BY PETRAO'NEILL home,theystayedonandAkaroastill retainsaFrenchinfluence.

Morejewels

Whilethisitineraryprovidesagood overview,itmissesoutonsomeofmy favouritedestinationsincludingtheBay ofIslands,MountCook,MilfordSound andDunedin.Ifyouhavetime,Iwould definitelyincludeDunedin,acitywiththe steepeststreetintheworldandastrong Scottishheritageshowcasedinstriking cathedrals,graciousterracesandeven acastle.Dunedinalsoboastsincredible wildlifeincludingfurseals,penguins andsealionsandhasbeenawardedwith havingtheworld'sbestbeer.

Ifyouenjoyadventureyoucouldalso endyourtripinQueenstown.Surrounded bymountains,QueenstownisNew Zealand'sadventurecapital,

easy

to travel aroL

withskiing,thrillingjetboatridesthrough therapids,andbungyjumpingallonoffer. Morerelaxingarethemanyhikingtrails, agondolarideforfantasticviews,acruise onLakeWakatipuandendingtheday enjoyingthelivelyartsanddiningscene followedbyasoakinanonsenhottub.

Travel Notebook

It'scoldintheSouthIslandduringwinter sodressappropriatelywithlayers,jackets, hatsandgloves.Publictransportincities isexcellentandhoponhopbusesarealso available.

AustraliaandNewZealandhave reciprocalhealthcaresotakeyour Medicarecard.YourSeniorscardwill alsobeaccepted.Creditcardsarewidely used.Checktheairline,carhirecompany andhotelstoensuretheyofferflexible cancellationpolicies.

It's time to dust

� passport and start planning, because if there's one country that's Jnd - it's New Zealand and they are ready to welcome us back!

Melb becomessecond hubafterPerthto securean IndianCommunityCentre

The Australian Indian Community Centre was inaugurated at Rowville late in March

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

henYasan Srinivasan pottered around at Melbourne's new Indian con,munity centreat Rowville on theweekend, he observed con,patriotsstopin theircars to checkout the building.

Someeven tookphotographs.

"Itwasawonderfulfeeling," Srinivasan beamedashespokewithIndianLink.

As thedrivingforce behind tbe new Australian Indian Community Centre that waslaunched late in March, itmusthave been satisfyingto see thatthewordhadgot around so quickly,and hadpiqued interest in thecon1n1unity.

Co1nmunitycentreshavebeenapipedrea1n forwaytoolong,andnowMelbourne becomesthesecondhubafterPerthtohave'a placetocaUhome',asSrinivasanreferstoit.

An idea that wasfloatedwaybackin 2012,ittook muchlobbyingwith the governn1entand within thecommunityto finallysee it tofruition.

Alan Tudge, Ministerfor Education and Youth, acknowledged thiswhenhesaid attheinauguration, "Thishasbeenthe culminationofabigvisionandhundredsof hours ofworkbycommunityleaders."

The FederalGovernmentmade a $2.5 milliongrant fortheproject.

TheCo1n1nunityCentreatKingsleyClose inRowvillewillhavehospitalityandfunction centrefacilities,andwillalsohostcultural andsportingactivities,seniors'activitiesand educationalprogramsfortheyoung.

Thepremises,fonnerlyownedby SalvationArmy,include on theground flooramainhall anda 1ninihallthat canaccommodate 250and 120people respectively; offices, toilets andshowers, and outthe back, asportcentrewhich

couldconvertintoa 350-seatdininghall.

Upstairs ishometothe Museum of India, nowrelocatedfrom its temporary home at Dandenong. Filled with artefacts donated bythe Parekh fan1ily,itwill bean added attraction. So1ne ofthe collections include nearly 500coins (somedatingback to600 BC), nearlya million sta1nps,a large collection ofGandhi memorabilia, no less than 600paintings, and manysculptures and books.

Outli11ingthejourneyoftbeAustralian IndianComn1unityCentre,Srinivasan described,"Son,e28 Indianorganisations cametogetherasan Indianfederationtosee thisprojectthrough.Theseincludedlocal organisationsofpeoplehailingfromKashJnir toKerala.Whileindividualorganisations continuedtocarryontheiractivities,asmall groupfromacrosstheboard formedacore con1mitteeformajorinfrastructureprojects toservicetheco1nmunityatlarge. Thiscore group,theAustralian IndianCommunity CharitableTrust(AICCT),wasmadeupof like-mindedpeoplewhowouldsupportthe projectsphysically,financiallyandmorally."

Alistoffive majorprojectswere

drawnup-an ethno-specificaged care facility,a museumofIndian art,an Indian communitycentre,a retirementvillage for Indian-origin people, anda school.

"We'vedeliveredon threeofthese," Srinivasan declared. "Theethno-specific agedcare isa 108-bed facility in Noble Park that MiCare willconstructand manage. Planningisapproved,andconstruction isduetobeginshortly,asCOYIDplayed spoilsport. lt will havelanguage-based staffandvolunteers,prayerroomsand a 300-capacitycommunity hall."

Museum Indiawas launched in 2014 withcollectionsdonated by art collector andconnoisseur Dr Dinesh Parekh, who passedonlyweeks ago.

TheIndianCommunityCentreiscurrently awaitingCouncilapproval,Srinivasan revealed."Thepremiseswereused previouslyasaplaceoftrainingandassembly butceasedoperatingthustwoyearsago.We arewaitingonCouncilto reinstatepermits forthesepurposesagain;we'rehopingthey'll comethroughinthenextsixweeks."

Awebsite forthecommunitycentreisin development: itwillenablepeople tobook

facilitiesonline, registerforevents, and also see the Museum in 3D.

"Wewould lovetocelebrate Independence Dayhere, but are aiming mostcertainlyforaGandhi Weekin October, with Museumactivitiesand a leeture series," Srinivasan announeed.

Itwasexactlytwoyearsago the Indian communityin Perth securedits India centre, thanks to the Indian Societyof Western Australia (ISWA). It was a project onwhich Srinivasan had advised.

"I workedtogetherwithaverycommitted ISWAteamunderthen President Surya Ambati, tonegotiate with thefederal government," Srinivasanrecalled. "Wewere abletosecure grantsof$2.5 millioneach. They're hopingtoinaugurate thisAugust too. Ofcourse they've had toconstruct,but wewereabletopurchaseexistingpremises, even thoughwe'llhavetospend$250,000 forupgrades."

Whatabout an Indian centre in NSW, we ask Srinivasan.

Allhe'llsayin replyis,"Weare disappointed thattheNSWcommunityisnot comingtogethertoachievewhatwehave."

Colours, open plans,joyful designs: A Sydney-based not-for-pro

BY RHEAL NATH

nganwadis,orrural childcare centres, haveexistedin lndia since the '70s,but theyhaven't alwaysbeen associatedwith beautyorco1nfort. Despite their noble purpose, theycanbe badlylit, hot, and many times neglected.

Forovera decade,agroup ofAustralian architectshavebeenworkingonchanging that notion, oneschoolata tii11e.

"We decided to start with small

interventionsin Ahmedabad anganwadis, _g like improvingventilation," explained Jane & Rothschild, co-founderand project director en 0 ofTheAnganwadi Project. "Eventually, 0 we decided togobigger. We recruited o.._ _ volunteers fron1Australiaand New Sarah

Zealand towork onaproject on-ground in India. For6 months,fromthe planning phase to thefinal result, theyreallywork with the com111unity tounderstand their needsanddelivertheirvision."

Janedescribesan anganwadi,ofwhich there aresome 1.3 million nationwide,as morethanjust apre-school.

"It'sgenerallyconsidered anearly learningcentre anda source ofmealsfor childrenbetweentwo and fiveyearsold, butit goes beyond that. It becomesahub for thewomenandchildrenofthevillage,"

she told IndianLink.

The AnganwadiProject grewoutof Jane'schance encounterwith ayoung India-based designer throughArchitects Without Frontiers. Since2007, the notfor-profit hasbecomemuchlargerthan theycouldhavein1agined,witharound 40 architectscontributingtill date.

"Thereceptionhasbeenreallygreat," Jane shared."Everyoneis thrilled that theseanganwadiscanbemorethanjust an ordinaryconcretebuilding.The colours,

openspacesand thoughtfulplans around communityneedshavereallysparkedjoy."

Indeed,a lookat theirprojectsin Ahmedabad, Gujarat andAnantapur, Andhra Pradeshreveal bright, colourful, welcomingspaces that are bound to getcreativejuicesflowing. Fromwellventilated bamboointeriors and generous greenery tolatticed metalwork andmosaic floors, the newbuildingsbringa n1odern aestheticto rural constructions.

"Each anganwadicostsanywhere

between $10,000 to $20,000 to build. Our ethos is to recycle, reuse,andrepurpose local materials. Creating mosaics offree broken tiles, takingin oldgates and windows,incorporatinglocalart and mudwork,we're making the mostofwhat isavailable around us," Janeelaborated.

Workingincollaboration with lndiabased NGOs Manav Sadhna and the Rural Development Trust (ROT),TheAnganwadi Project aims to prove that co1nmunitybased designsaresuccessfuldesigns.

Changing lives on-ground

"There's lots to be gaLned bycloser ties between India andAustralia. It'san amazingcountryofcontrast with big citiesalongside traditional, rural areas," said Sarah Schaffel,boardn1emberand architect withTheAnganwadiProject.

In2019,shehelped design their first anganwadi inAndhraPradeshin Bondalawada, Anantpur.

"Theanganwadiwasgiventhe name Harivilluwhichmeans 'rainbow' inTelegu. It waschosen by the community," she told IndianLinkwith asmile.

Developing Harivillu startedwith two weeksofpre-design,spendingtLme with the teachers,children, andco111munityto understandtheirlifestyle and needs.The architects then came backwithcolourful, graphicplans thatwould beeasyforall stakeholders tounderstand. By the end ofthefirstmonth, theywereon-site every day("withagoodpairofbootsand plenty

Schaffel(left)and:JaneRothschild(right)with children in the anganwadi.

ofwater", Sarah chuckled) tosupervise construction.

Years later, she'sstill in touch with the Bondalawadacommunity.

"l thinkwebuiltsomeveryclose relationshipswith the teachers andmothers. Forthem, itseeined an empowering experience togiveinputsonthedesign of theanganwadithatwould directlyaffect them. I stillspeakwith Lakshmi (oneofthe teachers) every 10daysorso," Sarahsaid fondly. "Whenwecompleted theproject, so1neofthechildrenwerestillinpreschool. Nowwesee them allgrownup... it's certainlyarewardingexperience."

Sherecallshowthechildrencan1efro1n poor,lowercastebackgrounds, makingthe

anganwadianecessarysafespaceforthemto studyandsocialisewithouttauntsorridicule.

"AsAustralians,you might notagree with these structures,butyou want tobe respectful," sheoffered.

The way ahead Lastyear, thepandemicforced

construction tocease and mostofthe volunteers had to 1naketheirway back to Australia. Still, therewas asilverlining: theymanaged toco1nplete theconstruction ofone anganwadi, Harivillu 2, in Ammavaripeta, Andhra Pradesh.

"COYI0-19definitelyimpactedour work,butwe learnt tocontinueourefforts

remotely," Jane explained. "Ourpartner organisationsalsoworked duringthis titne onhelping migrantworkerswhohad lost theirjobs during lockdown."

Like manyofthe volunteers, she looks forward to visitingthe sites and communitiesonce againwhenthe situation improves.

"I've always hada deep love and appreciation for the country. Ifirst travelled to India when I was25, it'salways felt Like mysecond home. I'm keen to visit again when Ican," she said.

ReadmoreaboutTheAnganwadi Projectandhowtogetinvolvedat www.anganwadiproject.com

TheAnganwadi Projectcombines modernitywith sustainability to help disadvantaged communities

0 er cu ures

How paintings became a pathwayfor Ratna Sarma to immerse herselfin othercultures

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

sanewvisitortoAustralianot solongago, RatnaSannafound herselfdrawnto Indigenousart. ItremindedherofGondart, oneoflndia'sownfolkarttraditionsthat iscurrentlyexperiencingaresurgenceof interest, andwhichsheasan artistherself, hasbeenfollowing.

"l wasinspired tomaken1yown painting, basedonelementsfromstreamsofthought inindigenous Indian andAustralianart," Ratna toldIndianLink.

The resultingtriptych isentitled 'Wisdo1n'.Withitswarn1earthycolours and rawmagnetism,itevokesasenseof connectednesswithnature, andisahark backtoatimeofsimplicityinthiseraof screenoverloadandvil·tual connectivity.

Thepaintingfounditselfatthecentreofa biddingwarafewmonthsago,pickedtobe auctionedofftorbushfirerelief.

"I waspleasantlysurprisedwhenlocal organisationlWiN (InitiativesforWomen inNeed)approachedmewiththerequest," Ratnarevealed. "Itwasapainting1 made

forleisure,butwhenaskedforittohelpa worthycause, 1agreedwithouthesitation."

(TheCanberra-basednot-for-profitwas launchedby DrMadhumitaIyengarin2013, tosupportwomenandchildreninIndiaand AustraIia.)

FundsraisedbythesaleofRatna Sarina's paintingwenttoan Indigenouscommunity particularlyaffectedbythebushfiresoflate 2019andearly2020.

GivenCOVIDstruckaroundthesame timeandlockdowncan1e intoeffect,the characteristicback-to-natureaestheticof Ratna'sworkquicklycametothefore.

Withplentyofti1neonhand,shebegan topaintprolifically.Hersubjecttnatterwas almostalwaysnature - landscapes,thehills behindherhome,birdsand ti·ees.

"I'dgoforshortwalks(thankfullyin Canberrathiswasallowed),takephotos, and paintoffthem."

Confinedindoors,it'sclearshewasdriven bytheneedforareconnectwiththenatural

worldoutdoors.

Aself-taughtartistwhohasbeenpainting sincechildhood, Ratna'sbodyofwork encompassesoils,acrylicpastels,chalk pastelsandsketching.Shesharpened her innate skillsatNew Delhi'sfamedTriveni KalaSangam, underthesupervisionof leadingIndianvisualartist Rameshwar Broota.

Herperspectivesbroadenedwithher travelsoutsideofIndiawithherdiplomat husbandGiteshSarma,currentlyIndia's HighCommissionertoAustralia.

"I tookin impressionsfromallthe countries l havelivedin,learningfromother cultures-silkpaintingsin Belarus, Russian techniques,Chinesemethods, Uzbek works."

Shealsofoundopportunitytoexhibither workateachofthesepostings,frequently offeringdemonstrationsofWorLi art,andof course,visitingmuseumsandgalleries.

loAustralia,sheclaimstobe particularly partialtotheArtGalleryofNSWandthe MuseumofContemporaryArtinSydney, and theNationalGalleryand Portrait GalleryinCanberra.

"I doliketheearlycolonialandfederation eraworkssuchasArthurStreeton,butitis Indigenousartthathasalwaysbeckoned," Ratnaadmitted. "Theyai-emuchmore

rudimentarythanourownGondorWorli, butthat'swhat I love.Theworksare inforn1edbythe artists'ownDreaming,and thespecificplaces theycome fron1,sothey areverymuchexpressionsoftheirspecific culture,handeddown fromgenerations."

Sheadded,"l wouldlovedearlytoseean exhibitioninwhich Indian andAustralian Indigenousartarepresented together!"

Asherhusband'stenure inCanberra comestoaclose, Ratnasayssheisgoingto missCanberraand Australia.

"Everynewpostingstartsasablank canvasforme,whichI fillinwith impressions. AsourlastpostingAustraliais aspecialplace. I'llmissthebluestsky 1 have everseen,andthe mostfascinatingflora and fauna. Asregardspeople, I mustsayit hasbeen theeasiestplacetogetalongwith people. 1gobackwithverygoodfeelings aboutAustralia."

Howwould Ratnaadviseothertemporary residentwives/partnerslikeher?

"Honeyourskills - art,craft,cooking, anything. Make friends;it'sthebestwayto learnaboutothercultures. Learn about the cultureofthe hostcountry.Trytobehelpful whereverandwheneveryoucan: I've been blownawayathowcharitablethe Indian communityinAustraliahasbeenduringthe bushfil·esandduringCOVlD."

BY BYNIDHIJOSHI

extilestudentswhowenton JuHa Raath'sfirsttourtoIndiaremember asitthe"OhmyGod"tour- the exclamationthatcameoutoftheir mouthseveryplacetheyvisited.

Theyvisitedlarge-scaletextilefactories aswellastraditionalartisansinthevillages. Theyalsogottotrytheirhandatcreating printedtextiles,naturaldyeing,and embroidery.

"Thiskindofexposuretosuchawide varietyoftextilepracticessimplydoesnot existinAustralia," JuliatoldIndianLink. "Itwasalife-changingtripformanyofthe students."

Thatwaswaybackin2015.

Sincethen,theMelbourne-basedtextile designer,teacherand artisthasledovera dozentourstoIndia,acquaintingAustralians withitsrichtraditionsanddiverseculture, throughthelensoftextilesandfood.

"Forateacheroftextiles,Indiaisheaven," Juliadescribed."Then1arketsinKolkata and Delhihaveeverytypeoftextileyoucan imagine;complexpatterned silkbrocades fromVaranasi,Pashn1inawoollenshawls fromKashmir,tinyknottedBandhanisca1·ves and embroideriesfromGujarat,finecotton muslinJmndanifromWestBengalandmore."

Julia'sloveaffairwith India beganover twodecadesagoin 1998,whenshevisited foratextileandfashionconference.Her deepknowledgeandinterestintextileshave

A painting a day for 100 days: Julia Raath's latest exhibition is in aid of Bengal artisans

WhenJuliaheardofthedevastationcaused byCycloneAmphaninWestBengallastyear, overandabovetheimpactsofthepandemic, sheknewshehadtohelp.Thesewerevillages shevisitedregularlyonhertours.

"DuringCOVID-19lockdownsin Australia, l paintedeverydaytokeepmyself creativelyoccupied.Isharedmyworkon socialmediaandreceivedmuchpositive feedbackandmessagesofsupport. WhenI heardthatmyfriendsinIndiahadstarted afundraiser,Idecidedtosellprintsofthe paintingsl hadcreated,withalltheproceeds goingtocycloneaffectedareas. Iwasblown awaybytheresponse,asweraised$3000 withintwoweeks."

Julia'sloveanddeepappreciationfor Indiaanditspeoplehasallowedhertotruly experiencethecountrylikealocal. "There issotnethingaboutlndia -itgetsunderyour skin. Itisnotaneasycountrytotravelinand therecanbemanychallenges,butwhenl an1there, Ifeelalive,alertandexcited,and thechallengespaleincon1parisontothe delights."

Juliaalsosetagoaltopaintoneoriginal stilllifepaintingperday,foronehundred daysduringCOVID-19.Thecollection istitled"Astilllifeforastilllife"andis beingexhibitedatThe BoroughsStorein Melbourne.Theexhibitionwill rununtil 14 April2021.

sinceprovidedherwithopportunjtiesnot onlytoleadn1anyguidedtoursacrossIndia forAustraliantextiledesignstudentsand tourists,butalsototeachattheNational InstituteofFashion&Textiles(NIFT)in Delhi, Kolkata,Chennaiand Hyderabad.

"I nowhavefiendsandstudentsallover Indiathatstillkeepintouch,"sherevealed. "Theyareallsogenerousandwelcomjng, andwehaveasharedpassionforartand textiles."

Juliaisnolongerafull-tin1etextiledesign teacher,butshecontinuestotaketourists fro1nAustraliatoWestBengalthroughher company'Surfaced'.Sheusuallytakessn1all grouptoursforfifteendays,withafocuson textilesandcraftsthere.

"I noticedthattherewereson1efantastic toursalreadyoperatingoutofRajasthan, GujaratandDellu,butnotasmany showcasingthebestofKolkataandWest Bengal,"shesaid."lhavealwaysenjoyed teachingandwantedtoassistfirsttime travellerstogettheirbearingsinIndia andgivethemthesamekjndofguided introductionthatIhadonmyfirsttrip.My toursallowparticipantstolearnanewskjll, spendtiinewithlocalsandreallyunderstand andappreciateanotherculture."

Thetourshavebeenhaltedlatelydueto COVID-19,andtheimpactofthisisnotlost onJulia.

"Thetoursprovideagreatsourceof incomefors1nallvillageartisans.Thisyear wehadplanstoworkwithwon1enfrom ShantiniketaninWestBengal,toexpand theirbusinessestoproviden1ealsformytour groups,aswellascreateacomprehensive craftskillsprogramme."

Resin tabletop?

No, it's Cape Schanck in VIC

Image by RITAM MITRA

lnstagram: @rit.mit Drone photography (OJI Mavic Mini)

ewor sees ec1ma ecr1s1s1n

Australia needs to lead in response to climate change or iind itself become a global symbol for inaction, writes EDMOND

nthelate 1980s, while I was a reporter coveringone ofthe mega-cyclones to hit Bangladesh, a government official in Dhaka confided in me that hewas fed up with seeinghis nation only make the global headlines as a result ofthe disasters that befell it.

Australiaisfastcatchingupinthatregard.

In the past 18 months, thedriest continenton theplanethas 1nade global newsforunprecedented bushfi.res thatleft 33 people dead and more than 17 million hectares in ash. This was followed by the greatfloods of2020,whichleft hundreds homelessand drenched the eastern part ofthe countrywithmore than 700 n1illilnetres ofwaterina week.

Co1neMarchof2021 andAustraliaisinthe globalheadlinesyetagain.Thedescriptions areassimilarastheyarefamiliar.

Worstfloodsindecades. One-in-a-hundredyearevent.Greatestconcern. Newsreporters andpoliticiansappeartohaverunoutof adjectives,recyclingthesatnephrasesusedin previousdisasters. Gonearethedayswhen Australiawasfamousacrosstheworldfor storiesofcuddlykoalas,boxingkangaroosor surfersversussharks.Australiaisnowwell andtrulyattheforefrontoftheclimatecrisis.

Compoundingthischallengeisaviewof agovernmentoutofstepwiththeworld to actinresponse.

Itwasnotalways thus. Consider the case ofthehole in theozonelayer,when afterits discoveryin 1985,Australia played an outstandingroleinthe creation ofthe MontrealProtocol,whichbecame known asthe "world's most successful environmental agreement".

Thatsuccessonlymakesfora1norestriking contrastwithAustralia'sconte1nporary internationalreputationfortheapproachit

Theauthoratthecausewayonthe roadtohome. Kera/a-bornEdmond's homeinnorthern NSWhasseen threemajornaturaldisastersinthe past18months.

basadoptedtoclimatechange,particularly undertheLiberal-NationalCoalition governmentinpowersince2013.Peopleare regularlyremindedthatPrimeMinisterScott Morrisononcebrandishedalumpofcoalin thecountry'sparliament,thattheCoalition dis1nantledthecarbontaxandstruggled overarenewableenergytarget,andbas consistentlyignoredthepleasofbusiness groups,environmentalorganisationsand climatescientistsforfirmaction.

Notionsofisolationandrelativesafety havelongbeenan1ainstayforglobalviewsof Australia. In2021,itmaywellbethereverse.

It'snotthatAustraliahasbeenwithout recomn1endations.The GarnautClimate ChangeReview,forexample,commissioned in2007 bythen-LaborleaderKevinRudd, arguedthatitwasinAustralia'snational

ROY

interesttoseekan internationalagreement forholdingcarbondioxideequivalent concentrationsat450 partspermillion (ppm)orlower,and forAustralia toofferin advancetoplayitsfullpropo1·tionatepart insuchanagreen1ent.Thereportalsosaid thecostofaction totheAustralianeconomy oftacklingclin1atechangewas farlessthan thecostofinaction. ButtodaytheGarnaut reportis hardlymentionedand hasallbut disappearedfrompublicdiscourse.

InsteadAustraliaappearstrappedina turgidpoliticalcontestwherecriticsare dismissedas"wokeinner-citygreenies" and theattemptstodiscussthecauseofregular crisesaredeflectedas"notthe right time".

AU ofthiscan'thelpbutbe notedaround theworldasthecountryfirstburnedand thendrowned. Evenformerfinance minister MattiasCormann'scan1paigntobecon1e chiefoftheOrganisationforEconomic Cooperationand Developmentwasdogged bycriticismofAustralia'sclimatestance, andwhilethisdid notpreventhimwinning thegig,willsuchquestionscontinue to mountand infutureholdAustraliaback?

As I write thisfromhome the rainhas been steadilyfallingforthepastweek. Sofar, in thesmall hamlet ofMarlee, on the mid-northcoastofNewSouth Wales, we havereceived 820millimetresofrain. Thecreeksaroundourpropertyhave inundatedpaddocks, createdriversout ofstreams and uprooted 30-metre-tall gumtrees. Theroads intoourareahave beenwipedout,causewaysand bridges destroyed. Landslides blockaccesstomany properties,livestockwasheddownstream and drowned,communicationsysten1s are down,electricityandwatersupplies cut. Suppliesarerunninglow, andwithevery passinghourthegroundisgettingmore

sodden. The State Emergency Service and the Rural Fire Service, bothvoluntary organisations, have been runofftheirfeet. Evacuation centresare swelling, roadsare closed, and flood waterscontinuetorise.

We've beenthroughall ofthisbefore. Australia is a land ofextremes. We all knowthat. And we alsoknowthe national storylines ofa people who are resilient and stoic and tough. But that reputation is at riskofbeingoverwhelmed withoutthe leadershipto act.

In 1957, Nevil Shute wrote his nightmarishvisionofwaitingto die in a nuclearcatastrophe, On the Beach. He set itin Australia, the lastplace on earth to receive the radioactive fallout thatwould wipe out life onearth. That notion of isolation and relative safety has longbeen a mainstayforglobalviewsofAustralia. In2021, itmaywell be thereverse. It's inAustraliawhere itallbegins - the bellwetherofinactionon climate change.

easu re

oo e ec 1veness

Why schools should compile and publish Net PromoterScores(NPS)

Schools routinely gloataboutthe

BY MOHAN DHALL

he tiresomegloatingbyschools aboutthe proportion oftheir studentswhogettopATAR bands, can easily be remedied by havingschools publiclyreport theirNet Promoter Scores.

lfyouhaven'theal'dofitbefore,Net

PromoterScoreorNPSisametricusedin customerexperienceprogra1ns.Itmeasures theloyaltyofcustomerstoacompany,based ontheirresponsestoonesimplequestion: Howlikelyisitthatyouwouldrecommend (OrganisationX/Product¥/ServiceZ) toafriendorcolleague?

Firstusedin2003, the NPSisnow implementedbymillionsofinstitutionsand businessestomonitorhowtheyareperceived bytheircustomers.

Wearesuggestingherethatschoolsshould asktheir leavingcohortthequestion: Howlikelyareyou torecommend thisschoolanditsservicestoafriend orcolleague?

Thiswouldprovidebalancetopromotions aboutaschool'stopATARbandsbyusinga statisticinclusiveofthewholeschoolinstead ofthosefewmostpubliclyvaluedandlauded.

CalculatingtheNPS

NetPromoterScoreusesa 1-10rankingscale.

Scoresof9or 10arepro1noters

Scoresof7and 8arepassivesorneutral andarediscarded

Scoresof1,23,4, 5and6aredetractors

To calculatethe NPS, thepercentage of detractors isdeducted from the percentage ofpro1noters.Thismeans that if10%ofall respondentsarepromoters and 20% are detractors (with 70% beingneutral) then the NPS can actuallybenegative.Across privatelyrun educationalenterprisesthe score issaid tovarybetweenabout30% and 70%. However,thisisnotthemetric formainstream schools. SurveyMonkey determined theglobalbenchmarkacross 150,000 organisations tobe +32%. Schools donothaveanyNPS benchmarkagainst whichto assessthem.

WhyschoolsshouldmeasuretheirNPS

Usedinmainstreameducation,thismetric could beextren1elyusefulforseveral reasons. Firstly, simplycompilingthismetric

requires thatschoolsreachouttoeachand everystudent,andalsothestudent'sfamily. Sincesomestudentsand theirfamiliesare virtuallyinvfaible, thisalonewouldbean important firststepinmorefullyengaging withtheschoolcommunity.

Relatedtothisissomethingthatevery singleteacherknows. Whenyouhavehad contactwith astudent'sparentorguardian, theawarenessofthatstudentin theclass isheightened. This isthefirststepin improvingstudentoutcomesifstudents havebeenunnoticed.

A thirdreasonastowhythe NPSshould becompiled isitgivesevidenceabout communitysentiment. Ratherthanschool leadersandteachersassumingthatstudents andfamiliesarehappyonthe basisof selectivelyreportedATARresults,theNPS wouldbeametricthatcouldaddimportant insightintowhattheleavingcohortreally feels.1£schoolsare seriousaboutevidence-

based interventions - thisisasimplefonn ofevidence thatcould beextre1nelyuseful. A fourth reasonastowhytheannual NPSscoreshould bemeasuredisthatit would indicate whatthose NOTachieving thehighestmarksandbandsthink. That is,whethertheyfeelsupported,guided and valuedasmuchasthosewhoare publicly badgedasrepresentative ofschoolsuccess. Thisaspectiscrucial,asinanysystemor institution,whenviewedfromtheeyesof thosemostvulnerableor1narginalised there isalwayscapacitytoimproveand make meaningfuldifferences.

WhyschoolNPSdatashould be publiclyreported

Ifschools are seriousaboutsupporting ALL students, then I believe theyshould welcome the opportunitytouse NPS scores,orsomeversionofthesame. However, asNPSdataforregularschools isfairlyscant,wecannotyetknowwhat a 'goodscore'is(andwhatisnot) in mainstreameducation. This factshould alarmparentswho seektomake informed decisionsabout theirchild'seducation. Itshouldalsoconcern educational bureaucratswho coulduse thisdata as evidence inparttohelp detennine howbest to supportthosestudentsmostdisaffected inschools.

However, once NPSscores are measured andreported - aspubliclyasschools promote the highestachievers -we willhavea broaderbasisformeaning accountability.

proportion oftheirstudentsscoring in thetopATAR bands. Perhaps a high NPS scorewould be bettertogloat about- itwould be inclusive ofthe whole school instead ofthosefew most publiclyvalued and lauded.

eensecasses

Shaken by the rising incidence ofsexual violence in India, Sydney's Manjula Rao is doing her bitto help

BY JYOTISHANKAR

he2012 Nirbhaya rapecase in Delhishook theworld with its brutalityand callousnessof its perpetrators. News ofsuch incidentsn,akeusangryand sad, butrarely does thecon1mon man feel empowered to doanythingabout the situation.

Notso for SydneysiderManjula Rao.

"The Nirbhaya case shookn1e to n1y core, and l felt l had to do what I could," shetoldIndian Link.

1-Iertwo school-agedgirlshappened to be learningTaekwondo atthat timeand this planted the seedin Manjula's1nind.

"Forn1ygirls,itwasjustaregularsport, butl startedtoconsiderTaekwondoforits potentialasaself-defensetool,"Manjulasaid.

She decided to teachchildrenin Indiato defendthemselvesand toprotectothers.

Manjulachoseto start hertnissionin Bhamavillage ofMadhya Pradesh, not farfro1nherancestral ho1ue."Ittookus some timetofind a teacher. I then spoke to thesarpanch ofthevillagewhogave ustwo rooms in aschool, andwe started training," sheexplained.

Theprojectstartedwithonevillagein 2014andsoonasecondvillagejoinedin. ThroughtheNGOshesetupwithher husband SudhindraRao,called Luxmy Samiti,Manjulaensuredeverychildwho enteredthecoursegotanewunifonuwith allthesafetygearrequiredsuchashelmets andguardsforelbow,kneeandchest.Today everySundayforthreehours,overahundred childrengatherforself-defenseclasses.

Manjula confesses thatthejourney wasn't assmoothas this sounds. "Initially

I had to speak tothevillagersto convince them aboutrapebeingonthe rise,about the importance ofself-defense."

In2019,the NationalCri1nesRecord Bureau (NCRB) reported over 32,000 casesofrapeinIndia,whichamountsto over88 cases perday.

When asked howtheii-childrencould protectthemselves, thevillagers' standard responsewas 'Bhagwankebharose'(we leaveittotheAln1ighty). Tothat, Manjula countered, "Yes,wearealwaysunderthe guidanceofthe Lord,buttherearesome thingswe'vegottodoourselves!"

Visitingthevillages,oftenfourtofive timesayearbeforeCOYIDstruck,speaking inHindianddressinginlndianoutfits, Manjulahassubtlygainedthetrustand establishedarapportwiththevillage folk.

The numberofenrolments increased graduaUy.

"Girls are afraidnomore,and theboys learn howto respectgirls. Ina society wherethere isnoplace aboycantalkto agirlwithout astigma attached toit, we have openclasseswhere thegirlsandboys traintogether."

Littletouches such as teachingthe childrentogroombetter, furtheradded totheii-confidence. Manjula observeda change in bodylanguageaswell.

"Beforetrainingtheywalkedwiththeir headsbentandshouldersstooped,butthe confidencegainedfromlearningmartial artshasmadethesechild1·ensophisticatedin themselves,"shereportedwithpride.

Twooftheirgirl studentshave already wonmedalsatTaekwondo competitions. However, Manjula asserts that thatmedals and famearenotwhatsheencourages.

"GoldmedalsworkforyouindividuaUy,not forsociety. Iwantoui-studentstobeconfident andbeanexampleforothers.Competition deviatesfromactualtraining.Theymusttrain toprotectthemselvesandprotectothers."

What makesherhappyis to see her childrengettheirblackbelts, whichfour girlsand threeboyshave achieved already.

Sheseesthefruitsofhereffortsinmore waysthanone. "Ifthegirlsseea boy harassingsomeonenow, theyspeakout. Peoplein thevillagehave cometoknowthe Taekwondochildrenand respect them."

Thecourseissopopularnowthatgirls

fromothervillages askManjulawhenshe will start lessons for them. Unfortunately, the project islimited by resources,and shehopes formore like-minded people in Australia tojoin her in this mission. HerNGO LuxmySamitiwould love more volunteers andfinancialpatronswho wouJdlike to sponsorchildrenandenable theorganisationtogoout tomorevillages.

"Myworkwill notstop, but this n1ission could do with abit 1nore speed, more momentum," Manjula said.

Inculcating thetenetsofTaekwondo - courtesy, integrity,perseverance, selfcontrol andindomitablespirit - ineach child,iswhattheprojectaims toachieve.

Today,Manjulahasmanagedtoenter thetightinnercirclesofthe villages and laid thefoundationforthis societalchange, butitwas adifficultandlongjourney.She wantstotake thisfurthertoensurestronger en1powermentofwomeninruralIndia.

Whileitistruethateducationisthewayto makefar-reachingchangesinsociety,perhaps empoweringindividualsthroughself-defense classesisonecrucialsteptowardsgiving themcontrolovertheirownsafety.

Why do we keep policing women's clothing?

An Indian politician's abrasive comments spark the conversation • once again

'Slut Walks' around the world to fight the notion thata woman's appearance orclothinghas anythingtodo with their sexual assault. (In thefirsteverSlutWalk organised in Melbourne in 2011, no less than 2,500women participated.)

We all standtolearn something by biting our tongue the next time we're tempted to comment ona woman's appearance.

Myexposed knees and I sure would appreciate it.

BY RHEA L NATH

ndian politicians have been known to publiclysharesome bizarreopinions over theyears,butwon1en across the countrywere stu1npedby the latest iterationlastweek: that rippedjeans somehow pave the wayfor 'societal breakdown'.

Merelyweeks into his newoffice, Uttarakhand ChiefMinisterTirath Singh

Rawat raised eyebrows with hispeculiar stance, suggestingripped jeans imply loose morals and were a bad influence on theyouth.

Within hours the hashtag #RippedJeanswas trendingon social media, embracingtheassociation of denim with self-expression that has pervaded since the 1950s.

Rawathassince clarified he meant to en1phasise respect forIndian culture and traditionsover Western traditions, but his co1nmentswere enough torub 111any people thewrongway. Fortoo long, both men and womenin oursocietyhave felt the need topassunsolicited comments on awoman's body and clothing. The rise ofsocial media has made iteven easiertoleavearude commentwith no second thought on the consequences.

It's timeforthis to stop.

Startingasearlyas our school days, girls are taughttodressinawaythat doesn'tdrawattentionor 'distract'.

Manyschooldress codes drawonthese oddprinciples, goingoutoftheirwayto

covergirls up without applyingsimilar rulesfor the n1ale population. How many girlscan recall beingpulledupfor their shortskirts?Or shirts that 111ight showa hint ofunintended cleavage?

ln high society fashion, it's perfectly fine forcrop topstobe paired with lehengas. But when 1natched with jeans, however,they'rean exampleof 'Westernised' women showingofftheir 1nidriff. In such instances, manyIndian familieswillhaveleaped inwitha rebukeorajacketin an innocent-enough gesture toprotecttheirgirls.

Unfortunately, itall boilsdownto a culture ofpolicingwomen's bodies to avoidtemptation, as ifmen have no selfcontroltoan exposed kneeora stray bra strap. Itaffectsthe wayweinteract witheach otherandgo aboutourdays, and ultimately, thewayinstitutions are structured.

Forthosewhothink that this culture existsonlyin India - we'reseeing its implications inworkplaces, and inthe government house,hereinAustralia.

Acrosstheglobe,womenare tired of beingtoldwhattodowiththeir bodies.

Itseen1sall advertisingisgearedto improvingusin so1neway,tomakeus thinnerorthicker, fairerortanned anythingbutwhatwe already are.

Sowhile it'seasytochuckleatthe

n1inister's comments, there's alarger storytobe considered. Swati Maliwal, Chairpersonofthe Delhi Commission forWomen, stirredfeatherswhen she suggested these kindsofcomments advocaterape culture - butis she wrong? Inthe last decade, thousands ofwomenhave ralliedtogetherfor

Myjob title

My primaryjob is related to the IT industry,whereas mypassion and secondaryjob is beingagroup fitness instructor.

I've been in thisjob for Three years.

HowI became afitness instructor "Jaadya" isa Marathi word forsomeone whoisobese/chubby. [ lived all n1yteenage life hearingthisword, and the humiliating re1narkstrulyhurt me.

Just after J completed myBachelor's degree, J had six1nonthsoffree time before startingata universityin Sydney. That's when l gotinto fitness. Thegym [ joinedalsoconducted a Zumba fitness class and my curious 1nindwanted to try it, but J wasafraidofwhatpeoplewould thinkofme.

Verysoonl wasdancingmyheartout andenjoyingeverysecond! l beganfeeling motivated andconfidentinmyownskin, andit'soneofthe bestfeelingsI'veeverhad.

One 1nonthin, theinstructorasked me, "Why don'tyoubecome an instructor?"It was aninstantYESfromme. J registered fora trainingcourse (thoughitwasn't easy convincingmyconservativeparents).

AfterI con1pleted the course, my instructorasked me to coverforherone day.There were 12peopleinthe class and I wassupernervous,sweatingevenbefore we started. Butl thinkI didwell, as Iwas asked to come back again!

Whatthejob entails 90percentof1nyjob ispreparationfor whatI will be teaching. You mightspotme dancingand creatingchoreographieswhile waitingattrafficlights!

Overtheyears J'veundertaken training fordifferentformats. Today l teach Zun1ba,StrongNation, StepAerobics and Bollywood Dance Fitness classes,and l hope toadd othertypesverysoon.

Ona usualdayofclass, J walkinto the studiowitha bigsmile,greetthegroup andchatforawhile.This makesthem feel morecon1fortableand knowthatweare all there tohave fun,enjoythemusic, and sweat! Classesareanhourlong, andina typicalZu1nbasession,we endup dancing to 16 songs. l knowthatfeelslikealotbut onceyou are in theclass, tin1ejustflies.

Challengesregardingmysexualityor Indianbackgroundatwork

NO JUDGEMENTS! Thisisthe tagline ofthe FitnessClubl workfor. Neitherthe managementnormymembershave ever shown anydiscriminationforn1ebeing Indian orgay.

The situationwould'vebeen very differentifI wasinIndia. Peoplein Australiaareconsiderate; I feelhappythat I moved to thisbeautiful country.

Oneofmyn1embersusedtobringme home-cookedfoodeverylesson,andyes,there havebeen instanceswheremymembershave triedtohookmeupwiththeirgayfriends.

Whatis hard aboutmyjob

I amdoingsomethingI love,you will never

see mecomplainabout myclasses

HowCOVID-19 hasaffectedmywork

I've been fortunate because I actuallyhave added more classes post COVID. The three months oflockdownweredifficult but since June 2020, ithas nowgone back to normal. Let's keepourfingers crossed and hope forthe best!

Positive aspectsofmywork

Thebestrewardisthehappyvibes Iget from themembers-itjustlifts n1y mood. Agreat benefitalsoisthat Istayfitwhile working.

Howmyjob haschangedmylife

Workingin the fitnessindustry hasgiven me the confidence to bewho I am. I love instructingso much that there is not a singleday in the weekwhen I'm notat the gym, takingaclass.

Advice forotherswhowantto pursue acareer in fitness

Be kind, be polite and be hu1nble. Regardless ofyourknowledge and training,you must be willingto learn fromyour members. You'll learn 1nore from hands-on practice than textbooks and articles. Always remember, communication is the mostin1portant training toolyou have.

Also, don'thave high expectations. Dependingon thelocation(whetherit's ata bigboxgymorco1nmunitygyn1), buildingacommittedclientbase will take time and effort.

And lastbutnot the least,beyourself, try nottocopyson1eoneelse'sstyle.

As told to BageshriSavyasachi

How OMKAR DHAMAL went from being jaadya (podgy) to a fabulous fitness trainer

'Sarsrr"k41,myhulcpuppy�rds,'calledBhatwan,nro'klnJ.1 his•�n1ficcn1whiskco,u.hrJumpeddownfrom1ht!w•�on A' YOU-rHtvie,•• S,uSriakol,Bh-1™>111 Whathaveyougotforustodil>?' :iskedAnnie. 'Wh:ndorouwuh fur,myprincl'ss?Ihavemanywondrou1 -

1hm,,hom1hdo"«ommohhee�oh•

When Anni

and

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

nniecouldhearBh.ag1,11an Singh's wagon before she could seeit. Itjingledandjangled with itspotsandpansas itcame down thetrack.

The early Sikh historyofAustralia, unearthed in the last decade orso, has fascinated usendlessly.

Nowthere's achildren's picture book about it.

Written by Adelaide-based author Jane Jollyand illustrated by Di Wu, Starof Anisewas released by the National Library ofAustralia in Februarythisyear.

In it, little Annie and herbrotherArthur areenthralledby aSikh traderwho comes by frequentlywith hiswagon filledwith wondrous wares.

WatchingBhagwan Singhcookhis dinner, theylearn abouta secret spice star anise.

"Smell,"instructedBh.agwan.

Anniehelditto hernoseandsniffed. It smeltofliquoriceandbarkandfaraway lands.

Warm and fuzzy, thebookdrawsyou in to thekids' enchantment asthey take in the new experiences.

"I had read about the hawkers, cameleers and Sikh traders n1istaken for Afghans, and thoughtthere'sa bookin this," writerJane Jollytold Indian Link. "It's abit ofour history thatfewpeople knowabout."

She sentoffa 1nanuscripttothe NationalLibrary, and theylikedit.

"Thebookis formany and varied age

1an ers

rthu waited for hagwan Singt to come by in his wagon

groups," Jane revealed. "There'sa nonfiction bitat the end aboutthe Indian hawkersofthe 1800sandabout Sikhisn,. It is from National Libraryarchives,so it pro1notes theircollection too."

Asa teacher Jane hasa special interest in all religionsandhasread ofSikhis1n. She tookgreat painston1akethe Sikh aspects ofherstory astrueandcorrectas possible, such asin thegreetingSatSriAkal.

"I researched Sikh names and attire of that era and had it all factchecked bylocal Sikh associations," she revealed. "I love thegreetingSatSriAkal, and at the launch I signed copies with the message Chardi ka/a."

(Chardikala isa Sikh teaching that prescribes apositive, buoyant and optimistic attitude tolife.)

Forillustrator Di Wu aswell, the book offered a chance to lookcloselyat another culture.Anaward-winningartist, the Chinese-born Di hastravelledto India multiple times, followinghisstudies in Tibetan Buddhist art.

His well-thought illustrations insoft pastels renderthe bookwonderfully wholesome, transportingyou successfully into the kids'world ofintrigueat the noveltyofit all, and into theworld ofthe travellingshopkeepers.

"I madeinitial sketches based on books and old photos that Jane sent to me," Di described. "Then,with advice, I putin details ofthe time,suchasinthe style of hats etc."

Di isparticularlypartial to the turbans.

"I love the Sikhturban," he related. "I thinkit makes the menlookso handsome."

Inthebook,Bhagwanchangeshis turban, andAnnie takeshisdustyone to hermum towash.

"Quite a fewpeople have told me since the bookcameoutthattheyhave memoriesoftheirmums washingthe turbans forthehawkers!" Jane laughed.

Whystaranise as the spice ofchoice?

"Because I thinkit isa beautifulspice that hasa lovelyflavourand smell,and particularlyforkids,a fascinatingshape."

StarofAniseis Jane's tenth picture book, and the thirdpublished bythe National Library. Herbodyofwork, encompassingchildren'sstories setin Vietnamese,lranianand Indigenous culturesaswellas specialchildren, reveals she isdrawn to otherness.

"I amdrawn to otherness," Jane agreed. "I lovelearningabout otherpeople. I love otherculturesand learningabout them, joiningin theirfestivals."

Clearly, this isan attitude Jane wants to passon to her readers and to herstudents. ThelifelessonsfromStarofAniseare significant,perhaps more important today than theywere in the late 1800s: embrace

different traditions,be open to diverse world views.

"I'd like little readers to learn that their world is not theonlyversionoflife-to step outoftheirown lives and look at how others live," Jane concluded.

The multidisciplinary artist's latest project exhibits paintings and installations emphasizing the historical and violent erasures of women

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

orn and raised in Kolkata, Rakini Devi has spentmostofherartistic journeyengagingwith fe111inist issues,beitdowrydeathsin India orrampant fe,nicide in Centraland South America.

HernewestSydneyexhibition 'Inhabiting Erasures' isinspiredbyHindugoddesses, and displaysnever-before-seenjournal paintings, lightprojections,meaningful perforn1ancesanddeeplyinformedstatistics relatingtotheoppression ofwomen.

"Besidestheephemeralnatureofmy art,thereisamoresinisteraspectofallthe researchIhavedoneaboutmisogynyand theerasureofwomenallovertheworld," RakiniDevitold IndianLink. "Theviolence againstwomendoesn'tseen1tobeabating anywhere,itonlyseen1stohaveintensified. Mydrawingsareiinpern1anent;they'rejust washedawayandwipedawayduringmy performances. Icreatethingsandthenthey disappear. It'sthewholeconceptoferasure."

Rakini Devi'sperformancewithsound artistCat Hope on openingnightwas a sombreyetempoweringdepiction of femininity.

Sheusedchalkandpainttowrite and draw, n1aterials pronetofading,perhaps depictinghowsocietytendsto ignore/ normalise violence againstwomen.

WithHope's sunkenand reflectiveguitar

strumsinthebackground, Devi createslive artdressed inblackflowyfabricwithwhite facepaintand an1plifiedmakeup, literally e1nbodyinggoddess-likeaesthetics.

The audiencewitnessestheen1ergence and riseofagoddessbefore theirveryeyes.

"I suppose 2020gave me plentyoftime tomyselfatho1ne,justpaintingalot. Because lockdownwasstillongoing, I foundmyselfalone. Iwould have liked to workwithafilmmaker,butmypreferred artistcouldn't,nakeit. I was on1nyown, so I juststarted playing," Devisaid.

'InhabitingErasures: EmbodyingTraces OfTheFeminine'wasa resultofCreate NSW's Quick Response grant Rakini Devi receivedlastyear. Sheusedthefunding to develop her exhibition idea inthe Rex

Cramphorn Studio at Sydney University's DepartmentofTheatre and Performance.

"I badaresidencyattheRexCramphorn StudiowhereIwantedtotryoutthis blueprintformyexhibitionidea. Ienvisaged itasamultidisciplinaryexhibition,whereI'd beabletotransport,transfonn, andevolve ideasandpresentthen1indifferentspaces. Notonlytraditionalgalleriesbutchallenging environmentslikehugewarehouse-style studiosorhistoricbuildings,"shesaid.

Rakini Devi has roots in the East and theWest. Shecomesfrom anAngloIndian and Burmese background and is trained in Indian classical dance forms Bharatnatyamand Odissi.

Theveteranartisthasalwaysfoundherself engagingwithreligiousfemale iconography,

fromportrayalsofDurgaand Kali to integratingpandal-likecanopies1nadefrom traditional Indian fabricsin herexhibits.

"Foryears andyears, I've been fascinatedwithcanopieswhich ren1ind me ofthe pandals in India. Froma veryyoung age, l used tolovegoingto the Durga pujasand Kali pujas. You would rush to theparkanddifferent localitiestocheck outall the pandals. So, thecanopyidea keptgrowing, especiallywhenitca1ne to liveart. Iwanted to create anenvironment displayingmyown aesthetic and framing myselfwithin thesecanopies which then l imprinted with n1yown meanings."

Sheadded, "In thisparticularexhibition I've used thecanopyas anobjectonto which I'm projectingincarnationsof variousperformancepersonasofmine," Rakini Devi stated.

ForherdoctorateinCreativeArtsfron1 the UniversityofWollongongin2017, Rakini produceda thesis titled 'Urban Kali, FromSacred DancetoSecular Performance'. Shedescribedthefouryears shespentonthe doctorate asaperiod of uncovering"depressingresearchabout statistics ofmisogyny,female infanticide, dowrydeaths,andgendercide."

Herprofoundawarenessofglobal atrocitiesagainstwomenacrossallclassesof society,coupledwithapassionforreligious femaleiconography,hastransformedherinto anartactivistwell-equippedtocommenton theissuethroughadivinelens.

A chat with Yashraj Mukhate, music composer and breakout social media star

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

n theyearoflockdowns, Indian social 111ediasawa floodofhumorous, ridiculous, andn1emorableme1nes.

But there'sone thingthat viral videos 'Pawrihorihai', 'Rasode mein kaun tha', and 'Biggini shoot'havein con1n1on. ForIndia'syouth, it's Yashraj Mukhate, a Maharashtra-based composerwhohas been keepingthem entertainedwhile they'restuck at home. (Soentertained, in fact, thathe'sgarnered over2 million followerson Instagram in less than ayear.)

Anengineer-tu1·ned-musician,Yasbraj's catchyremixesandmashupshavebeen inspiredbypopcultureliketeleserials, Rak.hi Sawant rants,andBollywood.1-lesitsdown withIndianLinktodiscussbisn1eteoricrise tofame,musicalinspirations,andwhatwe canexpect next.

Howdoesitfeeltohavemorethan4million subscribersonYouTube?

It'samazing. ldidnotexpectit! Thistimelast yearIwasat6000or7000subscribers,it's 4.5millionnow. I'mhopingtoreachthe5 millionmarkbytheendofthismonth.Itfeels great.And alsoalittleweirdthatsomany peopleknown1e.It'ssomethingthathasn't sunkinyetfully.Out onthestreetinmytown Aurangabad,peopleactuallyrecognizeme, evenwithmyn1askon. Sometimestheylook atmeandjuststare Notusedtoit!

Let'sstartattheverybeginning.Ibelieveyour fathergaveyouakeyboardwhenyouwere onlythree.

Yes,that'strue.Hewasasinger.I usedto

gotorehearsalswithhi111. Ilovedtolistento himsingandobservetheothermusicians. Inoneparticularshow,aKargilfundraiser l recall,I fellasleepbackstage. Iwokeup with astartandsawhimonstage,singing. Ijustwalkedup tohin1andstartedsinging withhin1. Heknewthenthat Jhadthisear fortnusic.Thatwaswhenheboughtmethe keyboai-d,n1yfirsteverinstrument. Dadalso played thekeyboard,soI learntfromhim. By justwatchinghim,believeitornot.Thenhe beganbringingme01orekeyboards.

Regardless,ithasnotexactlybeenan overnightjourneytofameforyou.You've beenuploadingvideosforthelast nineyears. Whatdroveyoutokeepproducingcontent withoutknowingthatonedayyou'Ube appreciatedforit?

Initially,J 111adecovers,likeallmusicians. Luckilyforme,everytimeI putapieceout,it brought megoodfeedback. ItwasFacebook atfirst,andthenlnstagram. Peoplebegan to share, and thenIwasontoYouTube.Of course,withYouTubethen,I nevergotmuch traction. J'dgetlike200-300viewsonmy videos.Butthatdidn'tworryme,youknow. Plus1nyfamilywassupportive,sothatwasa hugecomfort! (Mumwaslike,justfinishyour universitywell,thenyoucangodowhatever youwant!) lfoundI reallyenjoyedthe process,irrespectiveofthekindofresponse lwasgetting. lwasjusthappytoreplicate otherpeople'smusicwithmyownproduction skills.ItisonlynowwhenI havesomethingto lose,thatithasstartedtoconcernme.NowI havesubscribersthatmightleaveiflputout somethingreallybad!

Howdidyourparentsreacttoyourvideos?

Dotheyhavefavourites?

They'ren1ybiggestfans.Mymother'sfavourite isRashibahu. I rememberwhenIputout the video,Ileftworkandwenttoseeher.The

firstthingshesaidwasyournewvideois reallygood -she'dalreadyseenitandIhad justputitout!AsforDad,helikeseverything Imake-evenmyworstevercontent. He sharesmyworkonhisWhatsAppgroupsand onFacebook.Thenhe'llsay,youshoulddoa storyonthisone,it'scrossed50millionviews, l'IJsendyouascreenshot

Whatwouldyousaytopeoplewhoaretrying tobecomefamousonYouTubelikeyou?

Dowhatyoulike.Yeah,just keepdoingwhat youreallylike.Anddon'tworryaboutthe numbers. Numberswillbecomeimportant laterwhenthebrandssta1·t knockingonyour door. Butstartingoff,youjustwant tobuild anaudience. Evenwith 100subscribersor 2000, ifyouhavealoyalaudiencebase,who reallylikewhatyoudo,thenthat'sfine.The scenariohaschangedfromafewyearsago whenthecreatorcommunitywaspyramidshaped-youknow,thetoplevelhadasmall numberofverygoodcreators,thenyou hadthemid-levelcreators,andthenother YouTubeusers.It'snotlikethat now.The shapeisnowaglobe.Everyonehastheir ownaudience.Andeveryoneisbigintheir ownsense.Soevenacreatorwith 10,000 subscriberswillhavehisownaudience.And thatishowyougrow,youfindyourniche andjustkeeponhittingthat. Sodon'tgofor trends,I say.Catertoyouraudienceevenifit isasn1allnumber.

That'sgoodadvice.Isthereaspecificway thatyoupickyourcontent?Likeforexample, RasodeMeinKaunTha.Doyouactually watchdailysoaps?

Yeah,wewatchMarathisoaps,butyouknow, thatoneI'dneverseen.Itwastotallyrandom. I stumbledupon thatsceneonFacebookand justgot theideaforthatvideo.Sonotn1uch thoughtwentintoit. I realisedafterthat, thestrategyshouldbetolookforsomething

funnyorsomethingthathassarcasm;people likeconnectingwith thatkindofthing.

Whichmusiciansinspireyou?

AmitTrivediandAR Rahman.You'llfindAR Rahmaninthe topfivecomposersforany 1nusicianin India!Thesetwoaremyidols -lfollowtheirmusic,theirideology, their sound. l havebeenfollowingAmitTrivedi frombeforehecameintofilms, whenhewas n1akingjingles.

WorkingwithRekhaandVishalBhardwaj hasalsobeenamazing.Vishal Bhardwajsaw oneofmyvideosandcommentedonit.After ourfirstchat,wecameupwithanidea,acover oftheirsongfromTalwaar, makingitacapella. Everconsideredreleasingyourownalbum? Oh,yes. l'mworkingonaGujaratifilm currentlyandhavebeenapproachedfora Marathinumber. Hindinotyet,butI'min talkswithsomenewdirectors.Andyes,the ultimategoalistomakegoodoriginal1nusic. Dialoguemashupisgreat,butoriginalmusic willhavemoredurability.Soyes, I'mworking onsomeoriginalstoo.

At themomentI'mintoshortcontent. Becauseofmyvideosgoingviral,thekindof workI'mgettingcurrentlyis related tothis; everybrandwantssomethingshort.That's mademerealiseI havetoputoutcontent thatwillindicatethat Icancon1pose,andcan makeoriginalstuffaswell.Sothatisthenext immediategoal. Longtermgoalofcourseis tokeepmakinggoodoriginalcontent.

Hoveryourcameraoverthecodetobear YashrajchatwithBagesbri

BY

GAURAV MASAND

eareinthen1idstofChaitraNavratri(13-21April),aHindufestivaJofprayerandfast.Asacook,Irelatethistirnetotheout-of�theordinarydishesthatarepreparedthistimeofyear.Mostpeopleeatonceaday,choosingvegetarianandgluten-freemeals.Hereare someeasyNavratrirecipesfortikkis(patties)-theycouldgodownwellasamealduringabusyweek. Ifyou'renotfussedaboutgluten,youcouldusetheserecipesforyourveggieburgers.

Tip:Forbestresults,makethepattiesonaheavycast-ironpan.

Buckwheat Patties

•••••• •

lrememberbuckwheattikkisorkuttuki tikkiasagreatafter-schoolsnack.Agreatsource ofiron,proteinandan1inoacids,buckwheatcontinuestobeafavouritestapleinn1y vegetarianfamily.

INGREDIENTS

■ ½ cup buckwheatorkuttu

• 2 mediumsized potatoes, boiled and peeled

• 1-inch pieceginger,grated

■ 1-2green chillies, chopped

• ¼ cup mintleaves,finelychopped

■ ½tbspdried mango powderor amchur

■ Oilforcooking

• Salttotaste

INSTRUCTIONS

■ Soak buckwheatinwater and boil itwithenoughwateruntilsoft. Drainexcesswater.

■ Mixcooked buckwheatwith boiled potatoes.spices and mint.

■ Makesmall pattiesoutofthe mixture.

■ Heatoil in a pan.

• Cookpattieson low/mediumflame until lightbrown on bothsides.

■ Servehotwith mintordatechutney.

Green Banana Patties

••••••••••.. f.h"butifyou'reonahealthtt1p,Typically,greenbananasaregreat �1cips, thesepattiesmightbethebetteroption.

INGREDIENTS

• 2rawbananas

• 1largepotato,boiled andpeeled

• ½tbspdriedmangopowder/amchur

• 1greenchillichopped

• 1-inch pieceginger, grated

• Salttotaste

• Oilforcooking

INSTRUCTIONS f r 10-15minutesoruntilsoft. Peelwhen cool.

• Steamtheraw�ana�a o f odprocessorfor30seconds.

• Pulseallingredients1n a O

• Makesmallpattiesoutofthemix.

• Heatoilin a heavybotto�pan. ti lightbrownon bothsides.

• Cookpattiesonlow/mediumflame un I

• Servehotwith mintordatechutney.

Date Chutney

INGREDIENTS

■ ½ cuppitted dates

■ 1cupwater

■ 1tspsalt

■ 2tbsptamarind pulpor2 tspdried mango powder (amchur)

■ ½tspsugar/jaggery

■ ½tspchaatmasala (optional)

■ ½tspred chilli powder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Chopdatesinto small pieces.

■ Bringwaterto boilona saucepanandadddates andsalt.

■ Stirrepeatedlytillyouseeitforminga sticky mixturewith denseconsistency.You can addsome waterifyoufind ittoogooey.

■ Adddried mangopowder,chaatmasala and let cool.

■ Blend itto makeasmooth puree.Strain ifrequired.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Datechutneyisaneasy diptogowithpatties, sa,nosasandpakoras. It isaneasycondimentto makeandcanbestored intherefrigeratorfor aboutaweek.Since datesareagoodsource ofiron,datechutney canbeahealthyswap forto1natosauce.

■ Store in a drybottleintherefrigerator.

BY SANDIP HOR

swe continuetoseekout holiday spots close to ho111ein these pandemic tiiues, this issue weexplore agem destination in ourown backyard, PortStephensin NSW.

Located2.5-hour drive north of Sydney, this patch ofparadise hasal111ost everything toattractmodern-dayholiday makersofall ages-loved-up couples,young families,older travellers. Theofferings includehigh-qualityaccommodation outlets, trendyrestaurants and cafes, boutique shoppingand a hostofthings to see and do.

Atthe veryoutset though,let'sget one thingstraight - PortStephens is the name not ofatownora single seaside spot; itis actually ashire embracing1nany closely knit seafrontneighbourhoods.

While Nelson Bayis itsexcitinghub, others ofvisitorimportance areA1u1a Bay, Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Soldiers Pointand Salamander Bay.

Keyattractionsofthisregionare the sea, sand andsurroundingnature.

With26 beaches,a baytwice thesize ofSydney Harbour, two lakesand a myriad ofrivers, creeksand estuaries, the 98,000-hectare Port Stephens GreatLakes Marine Parkissomethingto behold. While the adjoiningwaterspresenta sanctuary forthe localmarine lifesuch asdolphins, the turquoise blue baysand glistening beacheswelcomevisitors tosurf, swim, sunbathe,jetboat,paddle in therockpools or humbly walkalongthe coastline. Shoal Bay and FingalBayareidealvenues for these.

While inPortStephens, one ofthe mostpopularactivityis tocruisethe

I 0 0 0

Sea,sandandsurroundingnatureatPortStephens

Nature's wonderdoesn'tcease with sea and sand, butextends into stunning greeneryofcoastalbushlands and forests.Tomaree National Parkprovides manyexcitingwalking trails and hiking opportunities. For an lnsta-worthyvistaof the entire region, manyvisitors don't mind the 2kmone-way trektoTomaree Head Sum111itatShoal Bay.The 360-degree view from thetopis regarded as oneof the top ten scenicencounters inAustralia. Ifhikingisan issue, a nicepanora111acan be captured fromGanGan lookout near Nelson Bay,easilyaccessiblebycar.

neighbouringwaterstospot ludo-Pacific bottlenosedolphins throughout theyear. Fortheadventure-mindedit'sevenpossible toswi1nalongside thedolphinsdescribed by111anyasanexperienceofalifetime.

The bighumpbackwhales though,canbe seenbetween Mayand October,whenthey migratein large numbers fro1n theircold hideouts inAntarctica to warm,shallower watersforcalvingand mating. Nelson Bayhas athrivingmarina fromwhere the cruise boatsdepartdailyatregular intervals, some havinganitineraryto drop anchorat somepristine isolatedislands to givevisitorsthetrueescape fromabusy urbanlife.

Alongside seaobviouslycomesthe sand, butnot1nanyknowthat PortStephensis hometothemonumentalStockton Bight

Sand Dunes - the largestoftheirkind in Southern Hemisphere. Stretchingover 32 kn1alongthe coastlinewithsome dunes reachingaheight of30 metreswith slopesupto60degrees, theyoffera range ofbucket-list-worthyexperiences fro111 sandboardingand quad bikingto bashing over thesandymountainsona four-wheel drive. An adrenaline-chargingadventureis tomove alongthe sandyslopesonacamel likeLawrenceofArabia, and toenjoy aspectacularvista particularlyduring sunriseand sunset.Anna Bayis theplace tovisitforthesesandyencounters. While exploringthedunesit'spossibletocome across manysitesofculturaland historical significanceforthe indigenous Worimi peopletowhomthe land belongssince timeimmemorial.

Many Sydneysidersgoto PortStephens fortheday. However, a day tripdoesn't dototaljustice to the destination asit offers many otherinterestingattractions beyond theseaand sand to keep visitors leisurelybusyfora few days. This includes a relaxingferry rideupthe Myall Lake toTea Gardens, learning n1ore about the seagiantsat the lrukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, and visiting Koala Sanctuaryto see sickandinjured koalas rescued bythe locals and beingcared forwithlove. Whilethefavouritefor the kidsare foot-golfing, go-cartingand fun at the waterpark, keengolfers always make time togo through thegreens at one ofthe manygolfingarenas. Some by choice don'tdoanythingotherthan simply relaxing. Duringtheday they1naygo for aneasystrollorpossiblysitin the balcony oftheirseafronthotelroom,read abook oraimlesslywatch the rollingwaves while sippingacocktail.Aftersundownlocals andvisitorsalikediveintothe lively dining scene. PortStephens boastsofmanytopratedrestaurantsandcafesservingthe best oflocal produces.

"After all, lifeisall aboutcollecting momentsnotthings," states the visitor guidebrochureonPortStephens.

I amsurevisitorswill agree wholeheartedly.

Soldier'sPoint

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

PortStephens

• GettingThere Byroad from Sydney, 207km; from Brisbane, 778 km.

• Stay Noshortageof accommodationstosuitstyleand budget.The Mantra Nelson Bay, closetothe restaurants, cafes, foreshoreandthe marina is a good choice.

• Recommended Restaurants All locatedwithin easydistance fromthecentreof Nelson Bay: Sandpipers Restaurant;The PointRestaurantSoldiers Point; The Nelson Resort& Little Nel Cafe; Shoal BayCountryClub; Taj Tandoori Indian Restaurant.

• Recommended Tour Operators MoonshadowTQCCruisesfor dolphin and whale watching; PortStephens4WDToursfor Sandboarding, Beach & Dune explorations; Oakfield Ranch forcamelridesacrossthesand dunes

• More Info Check www.portstephens.org.au

THE SERPENT{Netflix)

I STARRING:TaharRahim,Jenna Coleman, Billy Howle, Ellie Bamber, I Amesh Edireweera,Tim Mclnnerny, I MathildeWarnier,Aly Khan, Pravesh Rana, DarshanJariwala

I DIRECTOR:TomShankland

I ***

I TheSerpentstartsoffwithvim and 1 venom, andslithersthroughthe middleepisodeswithfreneticenergy I before makinga scrappysurgethrough I the mireofitsfinal episodes.The 1 storyofCharlesSobhraj had enough bitetoleaveits mark withafarmore I engagingpiece had itnotbeenfora I convolutedtangleofflashbacksand I flash-forwards.

Perhapseightepisodesweretoo I manyforthestorythatdirectorTom

I I Shankland had.Theoutcomeisa plotthatstopsintriguingbythetime episodefivehasplayedout. Itcould

I beaflawin writing,orShankland's I execution, butaftera pointSobhraj's 1 storyremainsa meremonotonous chain ofmisdemeanoursandlittleelse.

I If, despitetheshortcoming, The

I Serpentmanagestograbattentionat 1 leasttoa point, itisbecauseoftwo reasons. First,thecombinationoftrue I crime,exotic localesand people(for I thecoreWesternaudienceatleast) I and a periodset-up neverceasesto strikea chord.Secondly,theshow is I highlighted byafine cast-particularly I TaharRahim, French actorwhobears I an uncannylikenesstoayoung Sobhrajandwho bringsalivethe I protagonistwith chillingrestraint.

ThestoryofCharlesSobhraj

I toowell knownfora routine narration I I ofthecrimes hehasbeen convicted of.Screenwriters RichardWarlowand I TobyFinlay, however, chosetostick I toafamiliarnarrativethatwemay

I haveseen insundrydocumentariesor I I

earlierfictionalefforts based onthe subject. Morethan realism, Warlow and Finlay'sfocusseemsmoreon usingthe rich materialathandto createdrama. I Purelyfromthe perspectiveof I storytelling,theapproach issufficient I tosetupan adequateentertainer, moresoforatargetgenerationfor I whomthisshowmightbetheirfirst I initiation intothestoryofCharles I Sobhraj.

TheseriesstartsoffinthemidI seventies.Sobhraj isin Bangkok, I underthealiasofAlain Gautier, I withhisgirlfriend Monique(Jenna

Coleman),whoseactual name is 1 I Marie-Andree,and hisaccompliceAjay I (Amesh Edireweera).Theygoaround I drugging, robbingand killingyoung backpackersfromthe US and Europe I onthehippietrail.Theystealtheir I victims'moneyandvaluables,aswell I aspassportstoset upfakeidentities.

A Dutchdiplomatnamed Herman I Knippenberg(BillieHowle),isout I I trackingthedisappearanceofayoung I I boyandagirlofhiscountry,andthe I suspiciontrail leadstoSobhraj. I WritersWarlow and Finlaytryusing I high dramatobalancethegrim I arrayofcrimesondisplay.Sobhraj's revelationto Marie-Andreeinan early sequenceastohow,fromtheageof I 15therewasnoone and nothingthat

I I wanted him. "EverythingI everwanted, I I hadtotake," heasserts inthescene I thatwouldcomeclosestto underlining 1 I whatshaped his mindsetintheyears I

tocome.Anotherscenebrutallylays bare howSobhraj's motherhated him becausehereminded herofhisfather.

Despite Rahim'sexcellentessaying ofSobhraj,youspota basic oversight. Forall hisalleged killingspree, hewas alsoknownto beaglibtalkerwith a finesenseofhumour CharlesSobhraj isreputedto have been a ladies' man who neverhadtotrytoo hard. While Rahim getsthesuavepersonalityright, thescreenplaydenieshim scopeto imagine howSobhraj's lighterside mighthavebeen.

Sobhraj movedfromThailandto NepaltoPakistanand India,andthe narrativereservestheIndiastretchto concludethestory, beforehefleesto Nepalwhereheisarrested.As istruefor anybiopic, TheSerpentaddsitsquota offictionforthesakeofentertainment. Rahimdoeswelltobalancefactand fictionwhilelivingoutthenuancesof Sobhrajthatsustainshisstory.

Youspotthreehomegrownactors in theinternationalcast-Aly Khanas InspectorTuli,who handlesthecase in Delhi, Pravesh Ranaasthe Nepal PolicechiefwhonabsSobhraj,and DarshanJariwalaasa Kathmandu hotel manager.These areaptly-castroles, well-acted outdespitelimitedfootage. Rahimapart,Colemanas Monique, BillyHowleasHermanKnippenberg and MathildeWarnierasNadineGires (thewomanwhoplayedavital rolein gettingevidenceagainstSobhrajand gang)areimpressiveintheirroles. TheSerpentiswatchablestuff, but betterstorytellingwouldsurelyhave addedtotheimpact.Also,the makers could havezeroed in onaspectsof Sobhraj's lifethathavenotalready been narrated manytimesbefore. Vinayak Chakravorty

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

1 JOJI (Amazon Prime)

I STARRING: Fahadh Faasil, Baburaj, I Unnimaya Prasad,Joji Mundakayam, SunnyPN,AlisterAlex

I DIRECTOR: Dileesh Pothan

I Justwhenyou'dthinkanotherfresh I take on William Shakespeare'sMacbeth I couldn'tpossiblybedone, comesJoji. Fahadh Faasil'scollaborationwith

I director Dileesh Pothanretainsthe I basicoutlineofhumanavariceandslant 1 atviolence, butshedsthegrandeurof I I theoriginal infavourofrestraintasit I I builds upthecrime drama. I Macbeth and itsinnumerable I retellings(includingVishal Bhardwaj's I magnificentMaqbool) havetraditionally banked ona singulartragicflaw I whilespellingdoomforthetowering I Shakespeareanantihero-hisambition.

I STARRING: SurajSharma,ShwetaTripathi, I Adil Hussain, NeelimaAzim, IqbalTheba,

I Hannah Masi,JayAli I

I DIRECTOR: Danish Renzu I

I *H"' I

I You'dthinkyou haveseenthis before.A I I youngboyfrom middle-class India lands in I I America chasinga dream, and hisstruggle I forsustenancebecomesa portraitofthe I grindthatalmosteveryimmigrantmust I I endure. I

I If Danish Renzu'sfilm isoutstanding I despitethenoteoffamiliarity, itisbecauseof I thesheerauthenticitywith whichthewriter- I I directortellshistale.Thefilm isunflinching I I intone,yetsensitiveenough while dissecting I therealityitpresents. Renzu useshiscrisp I runtimeof86 minuteswellin hisnuanced I I storytelling. I

I Unlike mostfilms pertainingtothesubject, I The Illegalis notaboutimmigrantswho I entertheUS unlawfully. Itisaboutpeople I I whocomeinwith legitimatepapers,yetare I I forced bycircumstancestosurviveasiftheir I presenceisillegal.

I Life OfPiactorSurajSharma plays Hassan I I Ahmed,who isonesuch character. Hassan's I I passionforfilmmakingisdestinedtotake I himfrom Purani DiIii to LosAngeles. Hegets I admission atfilmschool inthe US, sohis I I father(Adil Hussain)takesa loantofund his I I dream. I

Renzusetsan endearingpictureofthe I family intheopeningminutes,as Hassan I I recordsafewpartingwordsfrom hisfather, I I mother(NeelimaAzim) and sisterMahi I (ShwetaTripathi). He needssucha clip, he I tellsthem, asa pep pillforthedayswhen I

Pothan'sfilm underplaysthatbit, and givesthetitularprotagonist(played by Faasil)thepersonaofa weakling,ridden byinferioritycomplex.

Faasil'sJojiisclearlytheweakestin everywayamongthethreesonsofrich plantationownerKuttappan (SunnyPN). ScreenwriterSyam Pushkaran draws upJoji,youngestofthebrothers, asa loser. Heisanengineeringdropoutand while hedreamsofbeinga wealthy NRI hehasnocluehowtogoabout it.Twistinthestorycomeswhen Kuttappan, onreturninghomeaftera stroke,clearlyrefusestogiveJojiany inheritancewhatsoever.Angered,Joji quietlychangeshisfather'smedication, which leadstothelatter'sdeath.Asthe narrativemovesahead, a paranoidJaji setson afranticbidto cover histracks, onlycomplicatinghis situationfurther.

Pothanand Pushkaranhavetried interestingdeparturesfromwhatdefines theMacbethstoryline.Amongthemost pertinentre-jigsisLadyMacbeth,imagined hereasBincy,playedwithcoldprecision byUnnimayaPrasad.Bincy,wifeofthe secondsonJaison(JojiMundakayam), isan accomplicemorebychancethan design. Herroleisrestrictedtoplaying along,becausesheseespossible subsequentadvantagethatshecould drawoutofJoji'snefariousplanofaction.

Unlike Macbethand its interpretations,theLadyMacbeth trackhere isrestrictedtogreed.There is nosexual ormaritalsubtextofany

Itisafine I

sequence,deftlyexecuted, renderinga I personaltouchtothewaythe protagonist

is imagined.Thescreenplaysustainsthat intimacyasitfollows HassantoAmerica.

Beforeenteringfilms, Renzustudied electricalengineeringatUCLA, and also holdsa UCLAWriters' Programcertification in screenwriting.Thematically, hewould have drawnfrom real instancesduringthatstint asastudent. Itallowed himtocreateHassan withgreaterassuredness.

Hassan'sexistence in America becomes a pictureofirony. Hisplanstolivewithhis maternal unclecometonought,thereis trouble back homefinanciallyowingtoa downturn in hisfather'shealth, and he must take upthejobofa waiter.

Yet, he doeswellatfilmschool.

Renzu usesHassan'sdual lifewellto portraytwosidesofimmigrantlife. Onone hand, he is impressivelylearninghisropes in theworldofAmerican cinema,which has latelyseengreatrelishaboutinclusivity.Yet, waitingattabalesatan Indian restaurant throws upa dreary,diametricallyopposite pictureofexploitation.Theessenceofthe film lies inthatdichotomy.

This isSurajSharma'sfilmallthrough, andtheactordoesimpressivelyto bring alive Hassan, althoughyou would spotafew winningperformancesamongthe propcast, too. IqbalTheba leavesan impactasthe restaurantsupervisorfondlycalled Babaji by hiscolleagues.Adil Hussain,ShwetaTripathi and NeelimaAzimgetminimalfootagebut leavea mark.

The Illegaliswell-scripted, executed and acted out. Itisasmallfilm thatscoresbig.

VinayakChakravorty

I consequencein Bincy'sequation I withJoji.Theidea letsPothancrafta I narrativethatstayssingle-minded in its focuson Joji'smindgames.

I Thatapproach isalsothereasonthis I film hasdoneawaywiththesymbolism I thatrendersMacbeth muchofitstextual richness. Parallelstobloodonthehands, I supernaturalapparitions,theThree I Witches,ortheBirnhamWoodcomingto I Dunsinaneareeithernegligiblytouched uponordoneawaywith, insyncwiththe I frills-freecinematictreatmentofJoji. I Thebiggestdeparture,ofcourse,is I Fahadh Faasil'sreorganisedMacbeth.As thelow-keyJoji, hestrikesanantithesis I oftheheartlesskillertheprotagonistwill I eventuallyturnouttobe,executingthe I rolewithimpeccablerestraint.

Faasil getsamplesupportfrom I thepropcast. Baburajastheeldest I brotherJomon, analcoholicdivorcee I and singlefather, isaptlycast, asis Joji Mundakayam asJaison,the mildI mannered second brother.

I Joji strikessubtlyas itdelivers impact, I throughShyju Khalid'simpersonal cinematographythatalmostfunctions I asa discreetonlookerina householdof I disquiet, and throughJustinVarghese's I softbackgroundscorethatleavesa noteofmenace.

I Filmed in COYIDtimes,this isan I exquisite Macbeth wherethecharacters I wearmasks notjustliterally, butalso metaphorically.

I Vlnayak Chakravorty

I he mightbe"readytogiveup".

A list of Indian Link's currentfavourites

LISTEN

TryyourbreakfastwithEKTAandSWATIon Indian LinkRadio'sGoodMorningAustralia, weekdays. Ifmorningsunshinehadavoice,itwouldbethatofthesetwochirpychidiyas. Withtheirbubbly, light-hearted humourand positivity-filled banter,theylovetomakeothers laugh,Bollywoodrunningthroughtheirveinslikethechaithey'reprobablydrinking!For power-packed morningswithnews,viewsand interviews, plusfunsegmentslikeDhun PehchaanoandDialogueBaazi,join EktaandSwatiforkamaalbaatein,dhamaalmusic!

READ

Checkoutthis MeToo-inspired voiceforSitafrom Ramayana. Sini Panicker'sSita:Now YouKnowMe isa studyofa woman whose life wasfilled with isolation and loneliness, nothankstothirteen yearsofbanishment inthejungle,a yearofcaptivityand misery, andthen motherhood in estrangement.The pandemic inspiration isobvious, butit isthe MeToo interpretation ofherhusband'sdecreeattheend ofher life, and ofher agonyand resentment,thatmakesthis reimaginingsuch a success

WATCH

Can'tgetenough ofthe bigfatIndian weddingand so-called ·weddingporn' ofsocial media? Lovetheglamorousgowns,scrumptiousfeasts, and breathtakingdecor? Netflix's TheBigDayis backtosatiateyourhungerwith itssecond instalment,this time lookingatcross-cultural marriagesandthe biggestfad ofthe weddingindustry thiscentury:the 'destination wedding'. It'sa guilty-pleasure watch atbestand cringeworthydisplayofwealthatworst, butthere'sa reason TheBigDayhasbeen a hot topicatdinner parties!

DRINK

You can now buycow's milk produced via a completelycruelty-free process atthe MotherCowDairy.The Canberra-based enterprise is inspired bythe Hare Krishna movementandthe Hindu ethosofAhimsa (non-violence). Cow and calfstay togetheronthefarm which isslaughter-free;there's no artificial insemination and free-range grazingisthenorm.All profitsgotowards protection and maintenance ofthe herd. Headtowww.mothercowdairy.com.autoseewhere in yourcityyou can buyyourethical milk.

CRUELTY-FREE ETHICAL PREMIUM

CRUELTY-FREE ETHICAL PREMIUM

With contributions byRajniAnand Luthra, Rhea L Nath, BageshriSavyasachi

April 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

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

Thesign ofCancerdrawnforAries I this monthfocuses on home-related I activities,orevenworkfrom home. You maytravel orchangeresidence. Contractsand negotiations progress smoothly; someofyou maystartyour

own business. Emotional eatingand drinkingshouldbeavoided. Negative situations cometoan end and success comesthrough yourprincipled approach. I Whatyouseekwill cometoyouon its own. Do notcompromiseon what really matterstoyou. Trustin the universe.

Work related pressureand personal commitmentscan bogyou down. You seek clarityand commitment in a relationship. Unexpected problems could occur in yourfamilylifeor business.Youfeel confidentand productivethis month. Do nottakeon more workthanyou can handle. News ora decision madewill endstress puttingyou in a more positive mental state. Moneyowed will cometoyou; staytrueto whatyou believe infor success in all spheres.

I Upheavalsthis month maynotbe a I badthingthoughyouseekspiritual I releasefrom a problem. Surrender is the bestoption even asyouquestion I your relationshipsand work. Finances I improvethoughyou remain anxious aboutthefuture. In a relationship, you I mightfeel like youarethe one making I all the sacrifices. Take more restand avoid thosewhodrainyourenergy. A I reversal ofyourthought process leaves I you happier. Conditions improveoverall 1 and troubledtimescometoan end.

I I I I I I I I I

Along-term conditioncanchangeanda new loveaffaircould alteryourlife. Good newsaboutyourcareercan beexpected. Someonewill helpyouachieveprominence atworkand improveyourfinanceswith a new business.You may hearofan illness ordeathofan acquaintance. Unresolved problemsmaybogyoudown. Success

atworkor business is indicated.Agood timefor newprojectsin all fieldsspiritual oremotional. Don'tgive up; go afteryourdreams.

I

I confrontationsonthehomefront.Atrip I maygetpostponed.Yourworkseemstobe

Youstruggleto understand your I problemsorsituation and lettinggoisthe I bestoption right now. Negative or pent-

up issues inyourrelationshipcan cause moremisunderstandings;you mayeven end itforgood.Someone newenters

I a dead-endoneandyourpotentialwasted. I I Depressivethoughtscouldbogyou down. I yourworkorpersonal lifeandthings

I Insomnia couldcausehealth issuesso makesureyougetenough rest. Financial I lossescouldoccurbutyouwill bounce I backinthenearfuture. Begratefulforthe lessonstoughtimesteachyou.

changeforthe better. Watch outforeye I infections. Financial problemscometo I an end; a courtcasetoocould go in your I favour. Meditate andgowiththeflowof currentevents. Trustinthe higher power.

I I I I I I I

I Afeelingofdiscontent lingers even I asyou struggleto communicatethis I month. Get in touch with yourfeelings andtrustyourinstincts. Upper back I issuescan be resolved with a bitof rest. I Expressingyourtrue intentions and thoughtscan reducetheself-induced I stress. Thosewantingto get pregnant I will succeed. Stay passiveandJustbe I instead ofdoingtoomuch. Atwork, do what is needed and don't postpone I errands. Money may be blockedforthe 1 self-employed but it is on its way.

I You wish to changethe line of

workyou are in and mayevensay I noto ajob offer. Sale of property I I is indicated. Atripthat benefitsyou I financiallycould be on the anvil. I Negative situations make you feel I I trapped butyou can walkaway. Be I I careful ofaccidents with gizmosat home I orwith the car. Money hasslescome I to an end. You will havea changeof I I heart in a relationship. Learn from every I experiencethatcomesyourway.

Asudden reunionwithan old friend or loveris indicated; anewadmirer may alsoenteryourlife. Yourhandsarefull with work, homeand otherschedules.

Beware ofoffice politics ordeceitful people. Muscleachesare indicated; women intheir40sshould havetheir breasts checked. Financial gainsare indicated. Disputesatworkgetresolved toeveryone'ssatisfaction. Stay balanced and don'tletyourheartorhead ruleover theother. Seethingsastheyreallyare.

I The lockdown andotherrestrictions I Unforeseen eventsthatchangeyour I could frustrateyou even asyou are I plansand an ideathatseemstimely, I itchingtostarta newwayoflife. Singles I arethefocusthis month. Anexcould maygetattracted to someone younger. come backintoyourlife. You may be

I Family, friends and colleaguesare I evenconsideringmovinghouse. You will I supportive.You could plan a shorttrip. I makean importantdecision regarding

I Amixed bagofexperiencesawaits-trips, I relationshipissuesandspiritualquests. I Anoldfriend orlovercould return.Ifthere aredisagreementsatwork, refrainfrom I reacting. Unexpected problemsmakeyou I questionwhetheryourrelationshipisan honestone.Stress leadstoachesand A breakfrom worktodosomething

yourcareer.Afamilymembercould I creative getsgood results. Atrapped I needsurgeryorafriendcould end I painsand an unsatisfactorysex life.A I feeling makesyou irritable.A decision I upin hospital.Avoid binge eatingand I relationshipwill continuedespite plansto resolves innerconflictora problem at suppressingyourfeelings. Financesworry I end it. Doyourbestin everysituationthis I workorin love. Somethingyou hadgiven I you butstaycalm.Anewcyclewill start month;don'tworrywhatothersthinkof

I up on will workoutin yourfavour. I and a difficulttimewill end.

I you. Don'tquit;theonlywayoutisthrough. I

You mightfeelthatnothingisgoingright thismonth.Asetbackcouldactually I turnouttobea luckybreak.Avoid

Put it out for good

DEARAUNTYJI

OneofmyneighbourshasbeenirritatingmeforthelastfiveyearsandIreallyneedyour helpinaddressingthis problem.Stevehasagoodjobandhas awifeandkids Ihave knownhim forsixyears NowthethingisAuntyji.forthelastfiveyears,wheneverIgo outsidemyhousetohaveacigarette,andSteveisintheparkwith hiskids.herunsover tometobum acigaretteoffme.Ifindthisaveryirritatinghabit. and Ithinkheis what dotheAustralianssay. agruborascab Even abludger.Ofcourse.Idothepolitething and givehim acigarette and evenlightitupforhim butmoreandmore kanjoos Steve isbeginningto getupmynose Hehas ajobandlivesin afashionablesuburb.whycan't hebuyhisowncigarettes?Andwhydoeshesmokein frontofhiskidsanyway?Iam soirritatedbyStevethatI am evenconsideringgivingupcigarettes.orbuyingareally cheapvarietyjusttogivetoSteve That'swhathedeserves-alowbudgetcigarette becauseheisalowbudgetman SotellmeAuntyji,whatdoIdotogetridofSteve?

AUNTYJISAYS

HeyBhagwaanl Maiekhiboaryekahoongi, so listencarefully,youbudtehzeeb ignoramus.Knowwho'sgetting upmynose?You.Ofallthepeoplewho pissmeoff daily. atthetopofmylistaresmokers.Thisisadisgusting,gandiaadatthatonly uneducatedgawars indulgein.Thefactthatyouhavebeensmokingforiiveyears andhavethenervetojudgepoorkanjoosSteveisbeyondme.Hereyouare.judging Steveforsmokingin frontofhiskids.butwhatexampleareyousetting?Yousoundlike someonewho probablytossesthecigarettebuttontheground afteryouhaveabused yourbodywithtoxins fromthecigarette,right?

NowIsuspectthatthereasonStevebumsadartoffyouisbecauseheisnotasmoker, oristryingto giveup, and eachtimeheseesyoulightup,hiswillpowergoesout thewindow.Sonotonlyareyoudestroyingyourownhealth,youselfish man. but youarecontributingtoSteve's problems,aswellassociety's problemswhenyou getemphysemaandyouneedhealthcare-healthcarethatshould beallocatedto unfortunatepeoplewholooked afterthemselvesbuthadthemisfortuneoffallingsick. HowdoyougetridofSteve?Well,justwaitacoupleofyears andhemightgetlung canceranddiebecauseyougavehimcigarettes.Hispoorchildrenwillbeleftfatherless and itwillbeyourfault.So putthatinyourpipeandsmokeit.

Sometimes you just need to know?

DEARAUNTYJI

LastweekIwastalkingtomyworkmatesaboutsomeofourcolleaguesandwewereidly specuatingaboutthisandthatMindyou.Ihaveknownmycolleaguesfor7yearssoyou cansayweknoweachotherprettywell.Soweweretalkingabouthowmuch everyonein ourcompanyearnsandIthen posed ahypotheticalquestiontothegroup Iaskedwhat eachofuswoulddoifwemistakenlyreceivedanexcelspreadsheet fromHRthathad everyone'ssalarieslisted.Wouldweopenthespreadsheetandlookatit.orwouldwejust deleteit.Andwhy.Theconversationbecameinterestingandwhileotherssaidthatthey woulddeletetheemail becausetheydidn'twanttoknowaboutothers.IsaidthatIwould opentheemailtoseewhatotherpeopleearned Isaiditwouldbegoodinformationto have forperformancereviewtimebecauseIknowIworkharderthaneveryoneelse By theway,weworkatalargeTelcoinSydney Nowmycolleagues arejudgingmeandthey havemadeoneortwosnideremarksaboutmewantingtoknowpeople's privateaffairs I amgettingveryangryandIwantto gotoHRtocomplain Whatareyourthoughts?

AUNTYJISAYS

Oh.youpaapin! Suchakalmouhiyouare.WhatkindofRaavankibahen areyouthat youfeelthereisnothingtobelostandeverythingto be gainedbyknowingaboutother people'sprivatematters?Didyouseriouslythinkthatyoucouldrevealthisinformation, thiszehriliboat aboutyourselfandhavenoonelookatyouwith tajjub?

OK,let'sdissectthis fazoo/kiboat. First. ifyouknewaboutpeople'ssalaries,don'tyou thinkthatyouwouldthen immediatelybecomeunhappyathowmuchmoreother peopleearnthanyou, especiallyifinyourchhotasodimaag youthinkyouworkharder thanmost?Don'tyouthinkthatyouwould goroundandroundincirclesinyourmind abouttheunfairnessofitall?Andlistenup, Dayan, Iwillsaythisonlyekboar. Nogood would evercomefromknowinghowmuchyourcolleaguesearn.Justtheunfairnessof asystemthatdecidesaperson'ssalarywouldeatyouup.

Oh and also.yourcolleaguesseem liketheyaremuchsmarterthanyou.Theyhavemore aka!. whilethedarwazatoyourintelligencehasbeen bund forever.

And aboutyoucomplainingtoHR.Forget about it.Youwilllooklikeapagalnagin whowantsto dus hercolleaguesbecauseyouwerebewakufenoughtorevealyour diabolicalplanstothem. Kaampedhiyaanrakhnaseekho, behenji.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking aprofessionallyqualified match ofgoodfamily background,teetotaller, preferablyAustraliancitizenorPRholder, forhighlyqualifiedcareer-oriented Brahmingirl,35,5'2",vegetarian,with goodfamilybackground,workingand wellsettled inSydney.

Pleasecontact aussyd08@gmail.com

Professionallyqualified match (preferably fromwithinAustralia)for '88 born,5"3" Hindu Punjabigirl(divorced,issueless). WorkinginSydney.MusthaveAusPR.

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SEEKING BRIDES

IndianChristianProtestant parentsseek asuitablematchfortheir40-year-oldson, asoftwareengineerbornand brought up inAustralia.Seekinga Protestantgirl between32-37years.

Email:sammy5073@gmail.com, Mob0403836360

Seekingasuitablematchfor45-year-old SikhKhatri man,divorced, nochildren, self-employed on bridgingVisa.Preferred AustralianPR/citizengirl.

Contact0422812939or

emailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com