2021-06 Sydney

things Indian. In Australia.

Presented

Pawan Luthra EDITOR

RajniAnand Luthra

CONTRIBUTORS

Indian economy needs bold vision post COVID-19

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

SALES

Level24/44

GPO

Ph: 02 9279-2004

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

hehumancostoftheongoing COVID-19pande1nichasnow beenwell-docun1ented.The secondwaveinIndiahastaken thedeathtolltoover320,000while governmentsatalllevelshavebeen caughtonthewrongfootbattlingthe fastspreadofthisvirus.Citieswereshut downandtheflow-oneffectwasthat industries,malls,transportcan1etoa grindinghalt.Lockdownswerenecessary tostopthefurtherspreadoftheinfection andobviousdeaths,buttheychokedoff don1esticconsumption(whichaccounts foroverhalfofthenationalGDP.)

Theconsequenceisaslowingeconon1y whichhascontractedby7.3%overthe courseofthelastyear,andcurrently hasaslowergrowthratethaneven Bangladesh.Unemployn1entinMay was11.9%,ahnostdoublingsince8% inApril.Over25.3millionjobs(nearly thepopulationofAustralia)werelostin

thefirstfivemonthsoftheyear.When schoolsandcollegescloseddown,there werefearstheeducationsysten1had halted,perhapsevengonebackwards. Addedtothisistheanalysisthatwhen theeconomyopensandthereispentup demand,consumptionlevels1nustreach atleast70%ofthoseinpre-COYID ti111esforsn1allbusinesseswithdebtsto survive.Withconsumerinco1neheavily impacted,thiswillbeachallenge. Boldvisionisrequiredfromthe governmentnowtorevivetheflailing econon1y.Astrategytotakeup opportunjtiesaffordedbyopenmarkets, andintegrationwiththerestoftheworld, willholdthekeyforpostpandemic econon1icrevival.Indiahasdonewell whenithasembracedglobalisation. Historically,itsgeographyasasubcontinentsurroundedbyoceanson threesideshasn1adeitahubofglobal maritimeactivity.Inthisdecade,India isfortunatetobepartofoneofthe fastestgrowingglobalregions.Closeto IndonesiaandMalaysiaonitseast,two countriesstrivingforgrowthandlooking west,Indiaalsohasagoodrelationship withtheMiddleEast.Iftreatedwith

balancedrespectandcaution,Chinacan becomeanallyasitneedsaccesstothe vast1narketthatisIndia.Indiamaybe wellservedinforgingitsowndestiny withChinaratherthanintheshadowsof theUSorJapanandevenAustralia.

Whatwillbeinterestingtonoteis whethertheleadershipcanmovethe domesticnarrativeawayfron1thetalk ofatmanirbhar(self-reliance)whichis acodewordfornationalis1n,totalking upthebenefitsofglobalisation.The samethemeofself-reliancewasbandied aboutinthe1970sand'80s,andit didnotwork.Indiawasweeksaway fron1bankruptcyin1991whenPrin1e MinisterManmohanSinghopenedthe econon1yupforforeigninvestment. Thishastrackedwell,butoverthepast fewyears,theintroductionofgreater restrictionsandtariffshashadanimpact oninternationalcompetitiveness.

Muchtothechagrinofnationalists, thepostCOYIDrecoverystrategyn1ay forceareviewofthesystem.Global tradeaspartofIndia'sGDPgrewfivefoldinthelast30years;itneedstogrow fasterinthenextdecade.Cusinnos aute1npores.

The number that changed my life

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PUBLISHER

Rhea LNath,Bageshri Savyasachi, Darshak Mehta, MontySachdev, Ashwin Chhaperia,Devna Luthra, Nidhi Joshi,SandipHor, Minal Khona,Auntyji

Anshika Maini

Indian Link isamonthlynewspaper publishedin English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in partorinwholewithoutthewrittenconsentofthe editor.Opinionscarriedin Indian Link arethoseof thewritersandnotnecessarilyendorsedby Indian Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

YOUR SAY

TAKING INDIAN-AUSTRALIANS FOR GRANTED

DARSHAKMEHTA on whythe community mustholdthe government accountable for recentdiscriminatorymeasures

lnduBalachandran wrote: Yes. TheIndian diaspora inAustralia does need to hold the Government accountable. The current representation of community is deeply problematic, outdated and complicit in the harm that is being caused to the community's sense of place and being taken for granted. The diaspora is diverse, layered, influential and also has particular priorities at this time, whether it is citizens stuck in India, relatives needing to travel or international students with very particular challenges. The organisations that are contacted to represent community views are questionable in the actual reach of their membership, their ties to government, and the depth of their knowledge and lived experience on these matters.

Bonney Ghosh wrote: I absolutely agree with the sentiments expressed.As an IndianAustralian and a strong Liberal supporter, I am shocked by our leaders' total ineptitude in bringing back its own citizens.The reasons remain ridiculous, incorrect, and surprisingly as of now, not illegal. The attitude towards citizens from India is horrible and racist. It reflects an incompetent Government w th kneejerk responses. Instead of reaching out to our own who aremost in need, we opt to shut our doors.What an absolute shame. For a rich country with relatively few problems, it behoves our well-paid politicians to improve their performance. Elected officials must know that theirjob once elected is to look after all Australians, not to only work towards getting elected again.

Sachin Khisti wrote: You have summed up the anger and frustration of most Indian people in this article. This is an act of complete discrimination and racism, period. I understand the need to bio-protect our borders; temporarily stopping flights/means of entry into the country would have sufficed, but to go to the extreme extent of saying anyone coming from India will be jailed or fined, reeks of nothing but racism! I strongly believe that if we don't stand up to the s*** theAussie government has now served the Indian community, we will always continue to be used by the government(s) going forward!

Sameer Pradhan wrote: Agree 100% with well written article. WeIndians are to be blamed also. We do not have back bone / guts to stand up for ourselves. Too concerned about financial safety and perceived status

Vaugh Harvey wrote: What a joke, the government is keepingAustralia safe from C0VID-19. Suck it up like the rest of us have to AbdulAhad Khan wrote: Any law in anyAustralian state or in a Federal Court must equally apply to allAustralian citizens, irrespective of their place of birth/ origin. Having lived as a law-abiding citizen in this country for 50 long years now, having richly contributed to the very fabric of this country, having served theAustralian populace as a doctor, having workedin much needed remote and rural Australia, being a law-abiding citizen, I am disgusted at this racially discriminating law. Why are theseIPL-participating Australian cricketers who

have sneakily returned home from India, not being penalised and imprisoned? Why areAustralian citizens of Indian origin being treated as second-rateAustralian citizens?Are there not enough honest state and federal politicians who will stand up for us?

Eugene Reinboth wrote: This does point out well publicised views as to apparent flaws in the federal government's handling of C0VID. Firstly, a disorganised vaccination roll-out. It is difficult to imagine that an affluent, well resourced, commercially savvy country such asAustralia has not been able to secure and dispense enough vaccines to a comparatively small population. Secondly, as indicated in the article, it beggars belief that adequate quarantine facilities (not medi-hotels proffered by the states, which are not fit for purpose) have not been built, now more than a year since this pandemic descended on us. We are blessed with millions of square kilometres of open country and a skilled construction force which could have been put to use. I do not think anyone is expecting five-star hotels standards, just basic accommodation that isfit for purpose - airy, spacious and secure. That has never been a challenge for the construction industry,just a walk in the park. But where is the leadership to organise th s?

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DOSA DIPLOMACY?

RIYA KIRAN and RAJNI

ANANDLUTHRA onthe

Prime Minister's recent visit toaMelbournetemple,a perceivedattempt toreach out tothe Indian communityafter policy backlash.

VirajVaidya wrote: Too little too late, lmao

Jacquie Marler wrote: He looks so condescending, he infuriates me

Anil Gupta wrote: Wow, temple visits politics!

MayaChauhan wrote: He doesn't have to (do this) but he has respect for all communities. Heis a great PM.

KaustavGhose wrote: Scotty from marketing doing his bit to paper over the issue of having criminalized those seeking to escape the world's worst outbreak.

PrashinKapahi wrote:That's one way to get votes.ScoDosa special! Can't imagine Modi ever doing anything like this.

Krish Na wrote: Mate, we asked for Doses, not Dosas. Vaccine, ScoMo, vaccine. Don't lose the focus.

'REGRET CHOOSING AUSTRALIA'

Oneyearinto border closures, RHEALNATHreportedon internationalstudents turningaway fromAustralian universities in favourofCanada, UK, andtheUS. aufgehts2.213 wrote: Can't blame them. It's a good decision and would probably also save money.

Samantha wrote:The words of every international student.

Deepesh Batra wrote: Sad but true.

Vineeta Nathan wrote: Communication is the key. Must say Canadian government does that well. Sharing this insightful article!

KaranAujla wrote:Thankyoufor supporting theissues of international students Qetty R wrote: Warning everyone: do not get enrolled inAustralia for your education!

BettyJager wrote: $17,000 is way too expensive. Greedy.

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SAY IT AGAIN

After months of the most anti-citizen vax policy ever seen during which he held up lifesaving equipment to charge duties on it while bodies piled up and we'll never know how many were lost, Modi caved, agreed to free vaccinesand is already trying to spin it as a personal win smdh Shiv Ramdas, storyteller

So the consulting firm McKinsey has been paid $5 million for vaccine rollout "advice." And what have we got for it ? A total shambles. What a disgraceful rort.

MikeCarlton, author and commentator

WHEN KIRTHI WED ANITA

RAJNI ANANDLUTHRA reported on the same-sexcouple's big, fatHindu wedding. Ramenalien wrote: So cute, congrats to these beautiful brides. Seems like they got their dream wedding.

Anonymous wrote: I'm of Indian heritage, born and bred here in Australia, and in my mid-30s. I'm amazed that I have no peers who are openly out. Only one friend is out, but that too only to family and close friends. My heart goes out to theseyoungsters - my peers, your children -who feel they cannot be their true self especially around those that love them. We are very far off from acceptance and being open to same sex marriages.So pleased the couple in your story had the support of those around them.

LalitaVaswani wrote: The article caught my eye as a south Indian. I was thrilled to see the community accept marriage equality, and most importantly, that the girls had support from their families which is very dear to me. I had an inter-caste marriage with no support from my family. It was challenging especially when I had to explain to my children why my family was not at my wedding - I didn't want my kids to have any prejudice towards my family and at the same time wanted to explain to them howI felt!

Great to see the changing attitudes towards and appreciation of same-sex relationships. I applaud the families for embracing them.

Nivedita wrote: This is super incredible. Big applause to the extended families for standing by them and accepting their love.

ShaliniGhosh wrote: Love wins. Hope soon our people back home become more acceptable towards LGBTQ community.

DevakiParthasarathy wrote: I maintain that the generation of mums and dads from late '50s to '60s is the most adaptable bunch! Full marks to the set of parents there!

AnuradhaVenkatesh wrote: Beautiful couple. God bless. I zoomed in to check out the saris, make-up and hair. Interesting ladder pattern in the orange blouse!

Fdamodshere wrote: Awwww, these stories are so great!

PinoMigliorinoAM wrote: Congratulations Pawan. You show such editorial leadership. Equality for all.

BANNING THE KIRPAN

Readers weighed in on the NSWgovernment's recent decision to ban kirpans in schools

PallaviVuppalaGrandhi wrote:Kidsdon't need knives, they need books, sports, entertainment (to) enjoylife. Ritualsand traditionsneed tochangewith time AldyDsilva wrote: Must be banned. Safety is a priority than religious beliefs CHMonsoon wrote: A child or even an adult can use anything to protect himself when he/she is bullied or assaulted. He/she has the right to have a safe and respectful schooling or even workplace. Would you have liked the child to keep getting hurt as he has been for past more than a year? Is that what you want simply because he comes from a faith different from you?

SukhdevSinghJaswal wrote: Amrit chhakna (Baptisement), as far as I know, is for adults.That is for over 18s, as it is an important step in one's life and should be undertaken as such

SabrinaEdwards wrote: Why should Indians get certain privileges when living in a foreign country yet the same is not reciprocated in India with other communities?

KathrynHeggartywrote:You'reinAustralia. Plus it'sin a school.School's purposeis to teach.This meansthe abilityto negotiate conflict inhealthy means, via debateinstead of reaching for a knife. Ifit's really about helping the oppressed, theneveryone educated knows, helping the oppressed startsin the mind.The abilitytoknow when to put down theswordand pick upa pen, to write, so that discussion can behad and solutions can be found. Australians have a culture and the cultural norm isno weaponsor anythingthat could beused as a weaponin educatonal areas. Bullyingis rife inschoolsso the leadersof theSikh communities need to startsupporting the teacherswithinthose schools.Youdon't need a knife to do that.Yes, the kirpanissymbolic of the5 Ks, thenadapt tochanging times (try) a cardboard cut-out orpaper drawinginstead of the real thing.

AnuShivaram wrote: Let us arm youngsters not with Kirpans but with selfassurance, confidence, and support tofight bullying and stand up to their oppressors.

AnandbirBal wrote: It is not a knife, it is a kirpan and it is not even sharpened. Anything can be a weapon in a school, even a butter knife. A butter knife is evensharper than a small kirpan carried bySikhs

WHERE IN INDIA

WHERE IN OZ

Can you identify this CBD laneway, a popular tourist attraction foritsstreet art?

Readers ChaitanyaPrabhu,RishabhaChitaliaNayak,Nivedita Kunder, and SandipHor had the right answer: Hosier Lane in Melbourne.

We asked you: in which Indian city can you find thisAlice in Wonderlandesque garden made entirely of reclaimed, reused and recycled materials? It must be a popular spot because our readersVirajVaidya,KarlRock,Julia Rath,JagnoorJagnoor,RohinaJoshi,SachleenSinghVerya,Anita Bassi,AkkiGaurav, and RjMk all got it right: Chandigarh.

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For 10 days she (Tharunica) was denied appropriate medical treatment, until it got so bad she had to be medivac'd to the mainland. A 4-year-old child in our government's custody. But not in its care. MarqueLawyers, Sydney lawfirm

Q: What is the sexiest song ever?

A: Shanti Matra by Ravi Shankar Australian singer-songwriter BenLee, in a Good Weekend interview with writer BenjaminLaw

Get the best ofIndian Link straight in your inbox. Scan the QR code to sign up to our weekly enewsletter

etthoseapronsout,sharpen thoseknives andbeinthe runningtowin$2000! The firsteverIndiancooking competitionisaboutto takeoffinSydney andMelbourne.

It's MasalaChef,presentedbyFortune andpoweredbyIndianLink.

We'recallinguponallamateurchefsto createyourfavouritehomemadeIndian dish, andtochallengeyourculinaryskillsin thekitchen.

Here'syouropportunitytoshowcasethe complexflavoursanddiversityofIndia's world-fan1ouscuisine!

HOWTOWIN

Round1:10June-6July2021

Getyourphoneoutandsendusavideoof youcreatingyourfavouritedish. ltshould benolongerthan2 minutes.

Shareyourname,where youarefrom andwhat yourdishtasteslike.

Whyisthisaspecialdish toyou?Youdon'tneed toshareyourtop-secret recipe-wejustwanttobe abletotastethespiceson ourtongueandsmellthe fragrancethroughthe screen!

Wewantyouto notonlycreatea deliciousdishbut showcaseallthe 1ne1noriesassociated withit.Thereisa storybehindevery home1naderecipethat hasbeenpasseddown orcreated.Itcouldbe thebiryanithatbrings

8 :JUNE 2021

A new cooking contest is announced

youhappiness,orthesabjithatcomforts yoursoul.

HeadonovertoWW\V.masalachef.com.au toenter.Entriesclose6July.

TheTop30contestantswillbeselected fromthevideoentries.

Round2:17July2021(Sydney)and18 July2021(Melbourne)

Thisround,youwillbeabletogetout frombehindthescreenandletustaste yourcreationsinreallife.Youwillbring yourvideoentrydish,cookedathome, toourvenue.You'llalsobringyourown plates,garnishesandenoughfoodfor fourofourjudgestotaste.Therewillbe provisionsforyoutoheatupthefoodand plateit,butnootherpreparationwillbe allowedatthevenue.Youwillbejudgedon thetaste,presentationandthestorybehind yourcreation.

TheTop6contestantswill moveontothenextround.

Round3:31July 2021(Sydney) and1August 2021(Melbourne) Thiswillbeatest ofyourskills•how wellcanyouperform underpressure?Wedidn't saythiswouldbeanordinary competition!

lnthisround,youwillhaveanhour topreparetwocoursesfromtheopen pantryinourwell-stockedandfittedout professionalkitchen. Nooutsideingredient willbeallowed. (Therewillbevegetarian aswellasnon-vegetarianoptionstochoose from.)Youwillbejudgedonyourabilityto performunderpressure,yourculinaryskills andthepresentationofyourdishes.Did wemention,yourjudgeswillbeexpertsin cookingandtasting!

Twofinalistseachwillbechosenin SydneyandMelbourne.

Round4:7August2021,Sydney

Thelastandultimatecook-offwillbe betweenthetopfourcontestants,including thehvofinalistsfromMelbournewhowill beflowntoSydney.Thefourcontestants' culinaryskillswillbetheultimatedecider forthisround.

lnthisfinalroundtheTop4willprepare a3-coursemealwithonlytheingredients froman1ysterybox.Youwillhave75 minutestoprepareanentree,maincourse andadessert.

Everythingforthecook-offwillbeprovided. Youwillbejudgedonthecohesivenessof yow·threedishes,yourcreativity,thetaste andtheplating.Thejudgeswillbeasurprise youwon'tbeexpecting!

Thewinner,Fortune'sFirstMasalaChef willtakehometheFirstPrizeof$2000.The RunnerUpwillreceiveaprizeof$500.

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• • . WHOCANENTER

:Thiscompetitionisopentoanyone

• • andeveryone,aslongasyouarcnot

• :inthehospitalityindustry,orhavea •backgroundinprofessionalcooking

•

• • . FORTUNE

:Helpingyousailthroughthiscooking

:adventure,willbeFortune'stop-quality

• ingredients.

• Fortunebelievesinprovidingyou

• •accesstothebestqualityingredients

:foryourcooking.Youdon'thaveto

• •beaprofessionaltocreatetantalising

• •food,youjustneedthebestingredients.

•Fortunehasthebestrangeofproducts

:foreverydaycookingwithdifferenttypes

• •ofriceandtopsourcedcookingoilsto

• • •caterforthosespecialevenls,sharedwith

• :thepeopleyoulove.

•

Weknowyouhavebeenbrushingupon yourcookingskillsduringthepandemic. It'stimenowtoshowoffthoseskillsand shineinthearclights.

Sohaveyougotadish tomakethe neighbourscomeknocking?EnterFortune's firstMasalaChefcontest!

Checkoutallthedetailsat www.masalachef.com.au

www.indianlink.com.au

BY DARSHAK MEHTA

tistimetheIndiancon1munityandmany ofitsself-anointedleadersstoodupto thefederalgovernmentinlightofits pronouncedbiasagainstAustraliansof Indianethnicityandengagewiththemonly ontheirownterms.

ExhibitAwastherecentblanketbanand egregiousthreattojailreturningAustralian citizensfromIndia-anoutrageandarguably, ashrilldog-whistletoson1eAnglo-Saxon Australianstodisplay"toughness"and securethered-neckvoteinthenextelection. Evenifitwasn'tintendedthatway,itwas Indian-Australianswhowerevictimisedand demonized.Itwasanappalling,recklessmove.

ExhibitBwastherecentgovernmentdata thatprovedtheAustralianBorderForce (ABF)waspermittingthreetin1esasmany peopletotravelfromthe(then)dangerously COYID-infectedcountriesofUSAandUK ratherthanIndia,muchbeforethedisastrous KumbhMelaandelectionralliesthat triggeredthedevastatingnewwave.

TheABF'sinherentinstitutionalracialbias, evenifunconscious,wasonfulldisplayinthe figures.EvenAustraliansfromSingapore,a countryoncediscussedasthenextpartnerin Australia'stravelbubble,showedsurprising figuresofexemptionrejections.

Thisisnotopinion,thesewerestatistics. Indefensiblefacts.Howdotheyjustify allowingexemptionsforAustralians (onewouldguesspre-dominantlywhite Australians)totravelfromtheUKandUSA

Vent on the Facebook pages oftheABF, Ministers, Prime Minister, and local MPs. Phonethem. Write lettersto newspapers. Tweet. Phonetalk-back radio.

whilstdenyingexemptionstootherstranded Australians?

lsin1plycannotimagineablankettravel banorevenathreatofjailtimeforreturning AustraliantravellersfromIsrael,forinstance. OrtheUKorUSA.Canyou?

AndyetIndianswerefairgame.That's whythisgovernmentneedsasternreminder atthenextelectionthatwewillsimplynot copsuchhighlydiscriminatorymeasures andwillvoteinsteadforapartythatwill treatuswithrespect.

Ourcommunityisprovidingpoliticians likethePrimeMinistermultipleforaand photoopportunities,butseemstobe oblivioustoalltheinsults,discrimination, sinsofcommissionandomissionofhis government.

Indeed,weneedtoholdallhues

ofpoliticianstoahigherstandard thana namaste,somecomical attemptsofspeakingHindi,orapious speechmentioningthe4Cs(culture, commonwealth,cuisineandcricket).How aboutsomethingsubstantive,forachange?

lfsomerespectwiththeiractionsis difficult,theymuststopthehostileand offensiveactstargetingusIndian-Australians.

Garlanding,smiling,andfawningon biasedpoliticiansatourevents,temples, andfairshasgivenusnothingexceptsore ribsfromcommunity"leaders"elbowing eachothertobeinaphotowiththe"YIP".

Thereare9,000Indian-Australians languishinginIndiaforoverayearandthe federalgovernmenthasdonenothingto bringthemback,notevenmakinganyweak attempts.Itisliketheydon'tbelongormatter.

PrimeMinisterScottMorrison cooksadosaattheShiva Vishnu TempleatCarrumDownsin Melbourneon 19May.

ltisnotthathardforthisgovernmentto find$500milliontorenovatetheAustralian WarMemorialinCanberra,butitdoes notwanttouseidleAirForceplanes(or commercialairlines)andbases,toflyback andquarantinestrandedAussies.God knows,itishighlyefficientatbuilding detentionfacilitiesfor"foreign"refugees tolanguishin,sowhat'sthebigdealabout buildingquarantinefacilitiesforitsdinkydi Aussiestospendafortnightin?

Amidstallthis,theyhavealsototally forgottenandignoredIndianstudents, whoseplightisunin1aginable.Theirfutures ruinedandpreciousborrowedresourcesby theirfamilies,exhausted.

Membersofourcommunityservingon variousgovernmentorquasi-government panels,organisations,andcon1mittees hadachancetopubliclyobjectorn1ake theirdispleasureknownaboutallthese governmentmissteps.Theycouldevenhave resignedfromtheirpostsinsheerdisgust. Butmostly,theirsilencewasdeafening. Thereseemednoappetitetoen1barrass theirpoliticalmasterswhothrowthem cheapscrapsofsinecuredappointments andimaginarystatus.

Ourcommunity,whichispolitically savvy,needstoben1oreassertiveandvocal. VentontheFacebookpagesoforganisations liketheABF,Ministers,PrimeMinister,and localMPs (bothStateandFederal- same horse,differentjockeyafterall).Phone them.Writeletterstonewspapers.Tweet. Phonetalk-backradioshows.Thatisthe only"Tool-kit"atourcommand.

Ren1ember,onlythesqueakywheelgetsthe oil.Ifwedon'twanttobetakenforgranted andignored,thendon'tstaysilentandsurly. Bombardthehelloutofyourkeyboard.

Asanlndian-Australianof33years standing,Ihaveneverfeltsoexcludedand targeted.

l amlivid,asshouldbeourcommunity. Wesimplyshouldn'tstandbyidlyand welcon1ethesecharlatansinour1nidst.

IfAustralia's Indian community doesn't want to be taken for granted, it must not remain silent

Photo:AP

TheSydney-basedAustraliaIndia BusinessTradeFoundationraised nearly$100,000atahigh-profile dinner(including$60,000from auctionalone).Fundscollectedwill gotowardstransportationofmore than25containersofKN95masks (approximately12millionin number).Excessfundswillgoto localcharityAasha.

INDIASOLIDARITYVIGIL

Melbourne-basedmedicosand'VigilAunties'DrRanjanaSrivastava, DrNishaKhot,DrBindiyaSethiandDrManjulaO'Connororganiseda solidarityvigilforIndia'smedicalpersonnelatFederationSquare,who despitelimitedresourcesandterrifyingodds,continuetofightatthe frontlinesofthepandemic.

VISION 2020

TheSydney-basednot-for-profit Vision2020hasbeenencouraging avarietyofactivitiestoraisefunds forCOVIDreliefinIndia.Inrecent weeksithasengagedcommunity

• -:__._f youthwithcreativeactivities,suchas ,. ...........,;_,, - �aworkshopconductedbywell-knownfather-daughterartistduoMurthy DakshinandMiliDakshin,andafund-raiserbythestudentsatthe RasikaDanceAcademymatched1:1byitsfounderManjulaVishwanath.

�fillJl���Jtm� ��,���� ����A�!e i�.2 �-��llll.l���- 1•. ��� PARTNER. GROWTI

DavidElliot,NSWMP

LisaSthalekar,cricketlegend

AlexHawke,MinisterforImmigration

GU:JARATI PLAY GIRLS NIGHTOUT

TheGujaratiBrahman Samaj ofNSW(GBSON) inassociation withVipul Vyasandhisproduction teamandwith assistancefromTheHillsShire Council,stagedtheplay GirlsNightOutatthe PioneerTheatre,CastleHill on 23 May2021. Net proceeds of$17,000weredonatedtotheIndian CovidReliefAid.

APASSAGETOINDIA

Sydney'sGenesianTheatreis aimingtoraisefundstohelp fightCOVIDinIndiaasthey showcase theirlatestproduction APassagetoIndia. Inan initiativeledbyIndiancast memberAnkitKapoor,each donation will bematched 1:1 by theGenesian.Theplay continuestostage until 19June.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

narmyofPPE-cladofficialsgreets usaswecomeofftheflightbridge atMelbotu-neairport.They're irectingustosanitiseourhands, gettemperaturechecked,replaceourmasks withnewones.Butmostofall,they're insistingwemaintainsocialdistance.

Littledotheyrealisewe'vealljustspent16 hoursinaclosedcabin,packedlikesardines, withnotmorethan6-inchdistancing. ***

l'msoglad-andthankful-tobebackin Australia,eventhoughit'sgoingtobe another 14daysbeforeIcanhugmywifeand kids.It'sbeennothingshortofanightmare gettinghere.Theprocesswasrackedwith uncertainty,andanxiety,nottomentionthe en1otionalturmoilofleavingmyrecently bereavedelderlyfatherbehind,andtheangst formybusinessthathastakenapummelling since1rushedofftoIndiatenmonthsago. I'm physicallyandemotionallybattered. ***

I'velivedinAustraliafor37years.Mysister, 1nyonlyothersibling,livesintheUS.Our parentspreferredtocontinuelivinginIndia.

lnJulylastyear,mymotherpassedawayat ourfamilyhomeinDelhi,aged87years.With internationaltravelbansinplace,Iaskedfor anexemptiontotravelforherfuneral,and 1nanagedtogetontoaplanefourdayslater.

Ourfather(92years)cannotlive independently,somysisterandIcameto anarrangementof6monthlyshiftstoJive withhiminIndia.Shereturnedtothe USin August2020andIhadnooptionotherthan stayingontocareforDad.

WhenthenewCOVlDwavecame inMarch,therewascarnageallaround 1ne. Mymindwassingularlyfocusedon reunitingwithmyfamilyinMelbourneand revivingmybusiness.ByApril,countries wereissuingtravelwarningsforIndia,or worse,banningflightsfron1India.

TheAustralianGovtdroppedabombshell withitsill-conceived2-weekflightbanwith finesandpenalties.Myanxietytogetback homeandmysister'sreluctance tocome toCOYIDravagedIndia,whilstbeing completelyunderstandable,didn'tgowithout someemotionallychargedconversations.

***

Thankfullythebanwasliftedon 15May withthe announcementofflightsto evacuate 1,000vulnerablecandidatesoutof the 10,000registered.

Themillion-dollarquestionwas,whois deemed"vulnerable"?ltwasallspeculation, asn1yn1indwentintoatizzy,seekingthe answerto"AmIonthelistofthe 1,000?"

Con1putingthatatarateofevacuating only 150passengersperweek,itwilltake 1norethansixweekstogetthe 1,000 backhome.WhatifIamwaydownthe listofpriority?ShouldIevensharethis

informationwithmysisterandgetherto delayherarrival?WhatifIgetaflight,and sheisn'thereorcan'tgethere?Ortheother wayaround-whatifshearriveson25May asplanned,andIstilldon'thaveanyway toexit?Isitfairformetosubjecthertothe COVIDexposureinIndia?

MycallstotheAustralianHigh Commissioncouldnotshedanylighteither astheythemselveshadnoclue.

***

Finally,I receivedanemailinvitetoregister myinterestforaGovt-assistedevacuation flightfromDelhitoDarwinon 14May butwithdueprocessesofpre-flightrapid AntigenTest,isolatingataDelhihote�then anothertestpre-flightandthenoncein Australia,morequarantine.

Iwouldhavetopay$1,500towardsthe costsofhotelstay,testingandflighttoDarwin (trustme,thisishugelysubsidisedandvery generousoftheAustralianGovt},especially whencomparedwiththeopportunisticpricing announcedbyQatarAirwaysforflightsoutof DelhiintoAdelaidestartingat$10,000OneWaywithonlyBusinessClassseatavailability.

Andthenafixedcostof$3,000-which seemslikemarketrates.

Howevertemptingitwasformetothrow myhatintheringbyregisteringwithno guaranteetobeon 14MayflighttoDarwin, Icouldnothavemadearrangementsformy fathertobecaredforuntilmysisterarrived onthe25th.Andso,withaheavyheart1 declinedtheinviteanddidnotregister.

***

Thencamenewsdissectingtheexperience ofpassengersonthefirstflightthatlanded inDarwinonthe 15th(greatopticsfor ScoMoto lift thebanonthe 15thbylanding thefirstflightthatmorning!).

Theflightleftwithonlyhalfthe anticipatedplaneload-aslearnt subsequently,duetobungledtestingin lndiathatauthoritiesdenycompletely.

Irrespectiveofthetestingfailure,you'dthink aglobalairlineofQantas'reputewouldhave statisticalmodellerswhopredictnoshows andexigenciestocreateabookingbuffer.

Iwasn'tsurehowtoreact- blessmy starsIwasn'tonittopossiblygetbumped off,ortoregretmydecisionastherewere almost80seatsabegging!

**..

Thenextemailarrived,announcingaflight anticipatedaweeklateron24May,for whichl\Vouldhavetogointohotelisolation thatveryevening!Oh,andtherewouldbe nosuretyofboardingtheflight.

Howcould Ileavemyfatheralonefor5 days?

ButthistimeIhadahumanvoiceatthe otherendwhoansweredmyqueryabout futureflightoptionsandtherewasone scheduledfromDelhievery2 days-26May toMelbourne,28MaytoBrisbane,30May toDarwinand 1 JunetoPerth.

Wonderwhythiswasnotbroadcasttothe thousandsofusinanguishand despairhere inIndia?!

FormeMelbourneishome,andthe directflightwas socompelling,Iconfirmed myacceptance.

MyfamilyinMelbournewereoverthe moon.

**..

lcheckedinattheITCMauryaHoteland clearedmyRapidAntigen.Instructions weretoremaininmyroomatalltimes,with mealsdeliveredatmydoor.

Forahotelofveryhighreputeandthe finestMichelin-starredtandoori(Bukhara) andPersian(DumPukht)restaurantsto raveabout-thepackagedvegetarianmeal thatwasservedwasanticlimactic.DFAT/ Qantas/Maurya-pleaseincludeafieldin thecheck-informforMealRequestlikeyou doin-flight.Pleasedonotstigmatiseusas evacueeswhomyouaredoingafavour.

NotthatIamungrateful,butasacitizen

whovotesdecisionmakersintooffice andpaysmytaxesinoneofthehigher contributionbrackets,l thinkIdeserveyour protectioninmytimeofgraveneed.]

Arestlessnightfollowed,withworries aboutlowinternetconnectivity,waitlist, RT-PCRtestoutcome.

Thenextn1orningalabtechnician arrivedtocollectmynasalandoralsan1ples. Whilsthislisthad1nyroomnun1ber incorrectheassuredmethatthecontainer inwhichthesampleswereplacedhadthe correctdetails.(Thankfully,itcame thenext daybacknegative).

Iwasvaccinated(Covishield)before commencingthisquarantine,andrigorously tested tobeCOYID-freebutthenagging thoughtremained-will Ibesusceptible toinfectionduringmymandatoryhotel quarantineinVIC,whichhasaterrible track-recordofn1anagingtheprocess?

***

Onthefinaldayofthe72-hourisolation, Ihadnotheardfron1anyoneaboutthe arrangementsfortheflightthatevening.

Isupposeitwasjustthelullbeforethe storm.At 11:30 Igotacallsayingthatin 10 minutes,Imusthavemycheck-inbags ready tobe collectedoutside1nydoor.Foran8:05 pmflight?

ThenlgotacallfromCanberrasaying, whilst1haveabooking,I amnotticketed Thisdefinitelymademeskipaheartbeat. Noonehadaskedmetogetticketeduntil now.Iguesstheyhadtobecertainofme boardingwithanegativeRT-PCRfirst!

IwasgivenanAustralianQantasnumber tocontactforpayment,butldidnothave internationaldialfacilityonmymobile.My ·wifeinMelbournearrangedpaymentandsent confirn1ation-whichoccurredseamlessly ina10-minuteturnaround! [DFAT/Qantas onceyoulearntofmyNEGATIVEtest woulditnothavebeeneasierforyoutoemail mewithalinkforpayment?Ireceivedso manye1nailsatvariousstagesprior-whynot justthiscrucialtime?]

Anyway,Iwasfina!Jyonthebustothe airport-where,theperfectbubblewe hadbeeninforthislong,wascompletely compromised.

Therewere 15-20flightsdeparting andpassengersscurryingallaroundthe place. Somuchforensuringwedidnotget infectedpre-boarding!

Throughimnligration, security,dutyfree andattheboardinggate,Iwasexposedto hundredsofstaffandunrelatedpassengers. Whenweboarded,everyseatwasoccupied. *** AtMelbourneIwastoldIwouldbegoingto theMantraHotelinEpping.

It'stheepicentre ofthecurrentoutbreak thathassentthecityintoitsmostrecent lockdown.

• MONTY SACHDEV writes from quarantine, having just arrived in Melbourne after ten stress-nlled months in India

ArepatriationflightfromIndiaarrivesinAdelaide,early::June.

Photo:AP - :-'™ .2 ---

BY

RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

irthiShekaralwaysknewshe

wantedatraditionalIndianwedding.

Eventhoughshewasbroughtup here(shearrivedinMelbourneon hersecondbirthday),shewantedthewhole shebang-thesaris,theflowers,thefood,the 'homam'religiousceremony,thegatheringof familyfromacrosstheworld.

Assheandherfamilypreparedforher weddingthisyear,theytickedeachofthese offthelist,exceptforoneessentialelement -apriestwhowouldofficiate.

You see, Kirthiwasmarryingtheloveof herlife,Anita-anotherwoman.

Ultimately, Kirthi'smumSivakamifound SydneypriestPanditRami Sivanwho agreedtobindthetwoinunion.

"PanditRa1nihasperformedsamesexweddingsbefore,andsoknewthe

��I...;�

framework,"saidKirthi,aGPpracticingin SkinCancerMedicine."I'msogratefultomy mumforhelpingmehavemydreamwedding. I'mindebtedtoher:shewasadamantthatl shouldn'tbetreatedanydifferent."

Withhermum,dadandawholehostof auntieschippingin,Kirthiformalisedher unionwithAnitainatraditionalHindu ceremony.

Withthesacrificialfireaswitness,theytook theirmarriagevowsinfrontofimmediate familyandfriends,andwithextendedfamily Zoominginfromacrosstheworld.

Amongthosewhogavetheirblessings tothenewcouplevirtually,wereKirthi's 80-somethinggrandaunt,andtheextended familiesofbothherbiologicaldadandher stepdad,allspreadacrosssouthernIndia.

"Itfeltwonderful,tohavesomanypeople supportingme," thebriderevealed."We lovedourbigfatIndianwedding.Asasamesexcouple,wewerenottakinganything awayfromthetraditionofitall. Ourhope isthatthemorefrequentlyithappens,the moreitwillgettobeaccepted."

PanditRamiSivanhasspokenbeforeof his"supportforequalityofallcitizensbefore

theLawand(for)therightofeveryonetolive andloveindignity,peaceandsecurity."Asa Hindupriestandmarriagecelebrant,aswellas ateacherofVedantaandYogaphilosophies,he iswell-knowninSydney'sIndiancommunity, particularlyforhisexplanationsofritualsashe conductsthematHinduceremonies.

PanditRamihadtheyow1gcouple performalltheroutineritualssuchas garlandingeachotherandputtingthe thali (mangalsutra)aroundeachother'snecks.

"ItwasanintimateweddingandI cherishedhavingsomanyofmyfamilyand friendsthere,"Kirthirecalledfondly.

Aftertheceremony,theyenjoyeda festivelunch,ameticulouslyorganised eventwithtraditionalsnackssourcedfrom SydneyandIndia.

Themeldingoftheuniversefortheyoung coupledidnotexactlycomeeasy.

"Therewasoppositionatfirst," Kirthi divulged,"butmostpeoplehavecome aroundultimately."

Wasithardtocomeouttothefamily?

"Itdependsonyourrelationshipwitllyour parents.Idon'tthinkIknewasachild,like someothersknow.Onlyabouteightyearsago

didl becomemorecertain.1confidedfirstin my1nu01,andshewasn'tparticularlythrilled. Butshe'sacceptingnow.Oncemymother andfatheracceptedn1e,introducingAnitato thefamilywasveryeasy.Evenmystepdad nowcallsher'mydaughter'.Ialwaysknewhe wouldsupportme.Mybrotherandhiswife weresupportivefromthestart."

KirthimetpsychologistAnitafouryearsago aftertheyfoundeachotheronline.Todaythey liveonQueensland'sSunshineCoast,where tlleyhopetohaveacivilceremonyshortly.Two puppiesmakeuptherestofthefamily.

Bothare acceptingofeachother'sreligious persuasions,participatingintheritualsand markingtheholidays.

HowwouldKirthiadvise someoneelse inasame-sexrelationshipwhowantsa traditionalwedding?

"Familiesaresuchalargepartofour culture. BothAnitaandl wantedtohave ourfamiliesaroundusaswetookourvows. I'dsay, talktoyow·families.Initialreactions maybedisappointinentorsadness,butbe patient,theymayjusttaketime toadjust. Byandlarge,inmyexperience,parents' reactionshavebeenpositive."

Ifyou'renotsurehowtogoaboutit, sheaddedwithasmile, "Calln1e-being adoctor,andalsoolder,Imightbeable tohelp!Ialsorecommendthefollowing websitetomypatients:Qlife.org.auwhich hasfreeonlinecounselling."

• They took their vows in a traditional Hindu ceremony

I'm indebted to my mother: she was adamant that I shouldn't be treated any different

Amidst India's distressing new COVID wave, a Melbourne student recounts facing uncomfortablecomments in an online class

BY ASHWINCHHAPERIA

henIjoinedtheUniversityof Melbournebackin2017,a lotoffriendswarnedmethat AustraliawasracisttoIndians.I tooktheircommentsintoconsideration,but atthebackofmymind,Iwondered:surelya 1nulticulturalcitylikeMelbournewouldnot besoprejudiced?

Sadly,itseemstobepartandparcelof lifeasapersonofcolourinAustralia.It manifestsdifferently,butitexists."Goback towhereyoucamefrom!""Doyouhave tnicrowavesinIndia?""Howdoyouspeak suchgoodEnglish?"

Don'tgetmewrong,Melbournehasa specialplaceinmyheartfrommyuniversity years,andIlovewhatithastooffer.But it'sdifficulttoignoreracismwhenyou're exposedtoitonyourweeklygroceryrun, onyourmorningjog,andespeciallywhen youareinclass.

Onthelastdayofthepastsemester,I hadthemisfortuneofhearingmyfellow classn1atesmakefunoftheCOVIDsituation inIndiaoverZootn.

ltstartedwithintroductionsinthe breakoutroom.Wetookturnssharinga littlebitaboutourselves,andwhenitwas tnyturn,ItoldthemthatI'mcurrently studyingfromIndia.

SomeoneaskedabouttherecentCOVID wave.BeforeIcouldanswer,theyallburst outlaughing.

18

"Iheareveryone'sdroppingdeadlikeflies."

"Youguysaresopoor.Lookathowwell we'vebroughtthisundercontrol."

"Servesyourightfortrappingour cricketersthere."

WhenItoldthemthatitwasn'tfunnyand IhadlostsomepeopleI'dknownforyears, theybroughtoutthecringeworthyApu impression.Iwasshocked,andevenworse, helplessinthesituation.AllI could dowas disconnectmyaudioandtrytopretendthis wasn'thappening.

Itwasmyworstfearscomingtrue.When ImovedtoMelbourne,Ibegantointroduce myselfsimplyas"Ash".Fromabeautiful Sanskritnamethatmeanthorse-rider,lwent tobeingthegrey-blackpowderyleftafter burningsomething.Aftermyroommate complainedaboutthesmellofmyspices, IstoppedcookingIndianfoodeveryday. Muchtothechagrinofmyparents,Ieven cutofftheredthreadonmywristmeant toprotectmefromevil,fromfearofbeing recognisedasanIndianmanoffaith.

Ihadshedmylayerstoportrayabrown Australiantotrytofitin,butclearlythere wasnopoint.Nowaddedtotheburdenof borderclosureswasthediscomfortofracist classmates.

Eversincelreturnedhomelastyear aheadoflockdowns,Ihavehopedand prayedforAustraliatoreopenitsborders. Myfriendsandltuneintoeverypress briefingbythegovernment,inthehopes thatthey'llfinallyannouncearoadmapto bringusback.I'vetriedtoremainhopeful thatifnotonhumanitariangrounds, surelywe'dbecalledbackbecauseof thethousandsofdollarswepourinto

theeconomy?Afterall,weareoneof Australia'sbiggestexports.Butatevery pressbriefing,itisalwaysonehollow promiseaftertheother.

Asinternationalstudents,wepayup to$25,000everysemester.WhenIwas on-campus,thiscostwasjustifiedbythe universityexperienceofinteractingwiththe teachingfacultyandaccessinguniversity serviceslikelibrariesandstudentunion facilities.Buthowdoyoujustifypaying thousandsofdollarsforZoomclasses?IfI

wantedmylearningtobelimitedtoalaptop screen,Imightjusthaveenrolledforclasses onCoursera.Itisalsounfairtogetustopay thousandsofdollarsforZoomUniversity justbecausehotelquarantineisflawed. Onaslightlybetternote,I'vefelt empoweredbytheoutpourofsupport onlinetogoaheadandfileacomplaintat theuniversityaboutthisincident.University hadalwaysbeenasafe,inclusivebubble forme,andhopefullyIcantnakesurethe bubbledoesn'tburstforanybodyelse.

ASCHOOL PROGRAM ABOUT THE DANGERS OF RACISM

Forcloseto30years,CouragetoCare hasproudlybeendeliveringUpstander ProgramstoSecondarySchoolstudents, educatingaboutthedangersofracism, prejudice,discriminationandbystander behaviour.

Hatespeechandracialviolence areontheriseacrosstheworldand, worryingly,it'sgrowinginAustraliatoo. It'sonourveryowndoorstep.Fromwhite supremacistralliestotargetedracial attacks,thetrendisimpossibletodeny. That'swhyitfeelssooverwhelming. Andattimes,insurmountable.Butthe solutionisclear-anditalwayshasbeen: EDUCATION.

Byeducatingtomorrow'sgeneration aboutthedangersofracism,prejudice andintolerance,wecancreateaworldof Upstanders,everydaypeoplewhospeak up,actwithcourageandcreatereal change.

Andthere'snodoubtthattheyounger

thechildren,themoreimpactfulthis educationbecomes.

That'swhyCouragetoCareisnow launchingMiddleYearsUpstander Programspecificallydesignedfor studentsinYears5,6and7.Thisnew, age-appropriateUpstanderProgramis alreadyreceivingexcellentfeedbackfrom educators.Whichmeansthewordisout there,withdemandfromschoolsacross thestateclimbingbytheday.

CouragetoCarehopetoreachmore than8,000MiddleandSecondaryYears studentsbytheendof2021.Asan independent,universalcharity,Courage toCareisseekingdonationstosupport thisimportantwork.

Findoutmoreanddonateat couragetocareorg.au/horne.

Alldonationswillhelpusshapeamore inclusiveandunderstandingsociety,one thatleavesintoleranceandhateinthe past. www.indianlink.com.au

BY RHEALNATH heninternationalstudent

TarangHiranicameacross aviralInstagrampostofhis universitylibrarylitupinthe Indiantricolour,ashowofsolidaritywith India'sfightagainstthecoronavirus,he wasn'tparticularlyimpressed.

lnfact,likemanyofhisUNSW classmatesstuckinIndia,hesawitas nothingmorethananemptygesture.

"There'sbeenverylittleofferedto internationalstudentsintermsofresources andassistance.Whatdoeslightingupa buildingdoforus?"hewonders.

Formorethan14months,international studentsstrandedoverseashavebeen fightingforthechancetoreturnto Australia,pleadingwithauthorities throughTwitterstormsandlobbiesoutside embassies.

However,theshockingannouncement ofatemporarytravelbanonAustralians strandedinIndia,coupledwiththefederal budget'ssuggestionthatborderswon't opentill2022,hasleftthemwithasinking feelingtheyarefardowntherungonthe government'slistofpriorities.

28-year-oldTarangisnearingtheendof hisMaster'sdegreeininformationsystems andadmitsthathe'sstayedthecourse studyingonlinefromPunebecausehe's"so closetobeingdonewithit."

"Ihadconsidereddroppingoutor deferring.lfIwasearlierinmydegreein suchcircumstances,Iwouldhaveprobably doneitbynow,"heelaborates.

ForSi,narArora,aninternationalstudent atWesternSydneyUniversity,enoughis enough.

"IregretchoosingAustraliawhenthere areoptionslikeCanadaandtheUnited Stateswhoactuallycareabouttheir students,"shetellsIndianLink.

"Wecan'tjustsitaroundandwaste Otll" careers;wewantaclearti1nelineonour return.It'sverydepressingwhatwego througheveryday.NowI'mplanningto transfertoaCanadian1u1iversity."

InFebruary2020,muchbeforeconcerns ofapandemichitAustralianshores,she hadreturnedhometomeetherfamilyand attendhersister'swedding.

Overayearlater,Simarisstillstuck there.

"lmissmyfriendsinSydney,myjob,the lifethatIhadbuiltformyselfinAustralia. Borderclosurestookeverythingaway.I'm stillpayingrentinaplaceI'mnoteven stayingin!"shesays,visiblyagitated.

She'samongthousandsofstudentswho havestayedgluedtopressconferencesand announcements,readytobookaticketat thefirstsignofopenborders.

Unfortunately,theregularwill-they, won't-theydancebyauthoritieshasmeant manyofthesestudentsmissimportantdates totransferouttootheruniversitiesaswell.

"l'n1keentotransfertouniversities intheUnitedStates,butI'vemissedthe deadlinestobeginthisyearwhilewaiting foranupdatefromthegovernment.NowI can only applyforthespringsemesterthat beginsinJanuary2022,"explainsShaina Reuben,anarchitecturestudentatthe UniversityofSydney.

She'salsobeeninformedthatsomeof hercreditscan'tbetransferredbetweenthe

International students give up on Australian universities

Linkvehemently."Iregretchoosing Australia.Mymentalhealthhasdeteriorated duetothelackofcommunicationfromthe governmentandfalsehopeseveryn1onthfor thelast15months."

Recentstudiesintothe1nentalhealthof internationalstudentssupportshisclaim. AsurveybytheCouncilofInternational StudentsAustraliahasindicatedthatover two-thirdsofstudentshavereportedselfdiagnosedanxietyand/ordepression.

Inevenn1oregrin1news,nearly30per centofstudentshavereportedthoughtsof self-harm.

twouniversitysystems.Thismeansre-taking classesandshellingoutmoneyforcourses she'salreadydone.

"Ireallydon'tfeellikeI'mmakingthe mostofmydegreeonline,"sheadmitswith asigh.

The25-year-oldhadinitiallyreceived offersfromthelikesofPrattInstituteand ColumbiaUniversityintheUSandturned themdowntostudyatUSyd.Today,she's notsosureitwastherightcall.

Witharesignedchuckle,Shainashares: "Myfatherhastravelledafairbittoboth countries,andhefeltmoreateaseknowing I'dbeinAustralia.Nowwell,wejust don'ttalkaboutthatdecision."

RidingoutthesemesterinPune,she hasmanagedtogetherfirstdoseofthe COVIDvaccine,andsharesthatplentyof internationalstudentsarerushingtoget thejabtoo,hopingAustraliamightbemore welcomingtovaccinatedcandidates.

It'salongshot,butit'sallthatfuelsthe

flickeringhopesofstudentswhotakeout loansandrelyonpart-timejobstobuild theirfuture.Intheprocess,theycontribute tothecountry's$31billioneducationsector.

Inanewappeal,internationalstudents havenowturnedtothediasporafor support.Anopenlettercirculatingon TwitterurgestheIndian-Australian communitytoraiseborderconcernswith thegovernmentanddemandmeaningful action.

"Theycontinuetomakefalseclaimsand raisefalseexpectations,"theletterreads. "Wedideverythingwecouldonourendto liftourvoicesWeareindesperateneedof yourhelp."

*KailashBhat,enrolledatQueensland UniversityofTechnology(OUT)and studyingfromhishomeinMumbai,is scathinginhiscriticismofthesituation.

"Canada,USA,andtheUKareand alwayswillbeabetterchoicethanAustralia forinternationalstudents,"hetellsIndian

Kailashelaborates,"Iamprettymuch depressedafterpayingnearly$17,000per semesterjusttostudyonline.Asyoucan imagine,it'snoteasytoarrangethesekinds offees.ScottMorrisondoesnotcareabout anythingbuttheupcomingelections."

Withnoendtoborderclosuresin sight,itdoesn'tcon1easasurprisethat internationalstudentsarelookingelsewhere fortheirhighereducation.Infact,new federalgovernmentdatahasindicatedthat enrolmentsfromIndiahavedroppedmore than52percentcomparedtotheprevious year.Ifthesetrendsareanythingtogoby, thisisgoingtocontinuetoplungeinthe comingyear.

Ofcourse,slippinginreputationasa studydestinationwitheachmonthofclosed borders,itseen1sAustraliasimplydoes notcareaboutthisfallfromgrace-orthe internationalstudentswhohadplacedall theirbetsonthem.

*Namechangeduponrequest

as as

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

henSydney-basedartistKaren Blackfollowed thenews during COVID-19lockdownlast year, eminentepidemiologist ProfessorRainaMacIntyrewas afigure thatpoppedupfrequently.

Standingoutamidstallthediscussions and analyses, shesetherheartonpainting theprofessorforthe2021 ArchibaldPrize.

"ThemannerinwhichRainaexplained thescientificfactsaroundaspects ofthe virusn1adeitalleasytocomprehend," KarenBlacktoldIndianLink. "Shealso hadamazinghairandheavykohllineron hereyeswhichJ thoughtlookedgreat."

Black'sdecisiontoapproachProfessor RainaMacIntyreforaportraitisdirectly inlinewiththeprinciplesshefollowsin herartpractice.Asanartistwhoconcerns themselveswithglobalissuesofsociety, economics,andpolitics,shepaysclose attentiontothestoriesunfoldinginthese situations.

Whentwopowerful womenmeet

KarenfirstcontactedRainaviaanemail, inwhichshewrote,"lalwaysenjoyedthe informationyousharedanditwas also sogreattoseeso manywomencome to theforewhenthiskindofexpertisewas required.Womeninjobsthatwenever hearabout. Jobsthatlookathumanityand ourfrailty. ItwasthenthatIfirstthought aboutaskingtopaintyou."

22 :JUNE 2021

Thetwo onlymetonceatUNSW's Kirby InstitutewhereRainaworks.Theytook offtheirmasksandchatted.Thescientist toldtheartiststoriesofherchildhood,her family, herSriLankanbackgroundandthe strugglesshefacedinherprofession.

"Ithoughtshewasincredible," Karen gushed."lsawRainaasanincrediblerole modeltomanyyounggirlswhowouldlike topursueaLifeinscience."

Likemanyofus,theprofessortoowas shockedwhenKarentoldherthatin 100 yearsoftheArchibald,onlytenwomen artistshaveeverwon, andonly 17sitters havebeenwomen.

Little didtheyknowthat2021 would bethe yearthathistorywould bemade. Forthefirsttime,theArchibaldPrizebas achievedgenderparity,withexactlyhalfof its52finalistsbeingfemale.

Capturingadistinct likeness

Delvingintothefineraspectsofthe portrait, Karenrevealed,"Jtwasreally importantformetofeatureRaina'seyesin thepaintings.I wantedthemto belarger thanlife soshewouldbestaringstraight backattheviewer."

Shescaledupthesizeoftheface tobe largerthanlife,hopingthatthescale ofthe workcouldsymbolisean"icon".

"Ihadthebackgroundmuchlighterbut decidedtomakeitdarksothattheviewer wouldfocusonherface,"shesaid."While finishingtheworkIdecidedtoabstractthe clothingfurtherandtobringfocustotheface again,butalsoIthoughtitlookedlikearegal outfitfittingforaveryimportantperson."

Theprofessor'sessentiallyblank expressiondoesn'trevealmuch,butatthe

sametimespeaksvolumes.

"lwasultimatelytryingtoportray hercompassionandstrength,"Karen remarked.

Sheworkedontheportraitforafew daysusingthe photographsshetookthe dayshemettheprofessor, butthenforgot aboutitafterbeingdisappointedwiththe result.

Onthefinaldayprior totheArchibald submission, shefoundherselfrubbingout andrepaintingthefaceseveraltimes.

"lntheend,thefaceonlytook1nea minuteorso," Karensaid.

Whenthefinishedportraitwasunveiled beforeher,ProfessorRainaMacIntyrewas ecstaticandgenerousinherappreciation ofKaren'swork.

"Iwasamazedandmoved,"shesaid."She didsuchafantasticjob,capturingasadness thatIexplainedtoher,aboutthesufferingthat Ihaveenduredinmycareerasasuccessful womanofcolour.Shealsocapturedmy hairandfacesowell. Herworkisusually moreabstractthanthisportrait,sothatalso surprisedme.lwasalsodeeplytouchedthat shechosetopaintme.Ifeelhonoured.Her motivationtopaintisverypure."

Karenherselfobserved,"It'sgreatto bein thefinalsoftheArchibaldPrize,not onlyformebutalsoformysitter. Itwas sogoodmeetingawomanofmyownage whobasbrokenthroughtheglassceiling toreachwheresheisnow. Beingafinalist bringsa lotofattentiontoyoursitterwhich isveryn1uchdeservedinthiscase."

Theworksofthe2021ArchibaldPrize finalistswillbeexhibitedattheArtGallery ofNewSouthWalesinSydneyfrom5June to26Septeniber. www.indianlink.com.au

'ProfessorChandiniRainaMacIntyre'byKarenBlack(oiloncanvas,96.5x81.5cm)

It's all about the face: Artist Karen Black on her portrait of Prof. Raina MacIntyre

ear1n er • reensu1 , 0

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

heglaringportraitofafashionably dressed"femmequeerbrown" artistawaitsaesthetesatthisyear's ArchibaldPrizeexhibition.SydneybasedKirthanaSelvaraj'sself-portraitisa finalistforthe2021 portraitureprize.

"Itfeelsquitesurreal;theArchibaldhas alwaysbeenthisinstitutionthatIfeltwould beimpenetrableforsomeonelikeme," Kirthanamused.

The Green Suit, ASelfPortrait Rightaway,theiconicexpressionon theartist'svisagedominateseveryfirst 1mpress1on.

Itisalookharbouredbymanywho arepartofAustralia'sminorityand 1nulticulturalcommunities.

"I'mdefinitelyreferencingmanymultiple truths,"KirthanatoldIndianLink. "The exhaustionofemotionallabouT.The disillusionmentofwhenyouaren'treally beingseenorheard.Refusingtoretreatinto amorepalatableimage."

Havingsaidthat,though,atruethinker likeSelvaraj seeksmore thanrelatable representation.

"lwasfrustratedwiththewaybodieslike 1ninewereportrayed,"sherevealed."Almost always,ourimagewasproducedbyawhite person,withthisanthropologicaltaxonomyin 1nind,meaningeithersomethingtobestudied orso1nethingtobefetishised.Ithinkitbecame reallyimportantformetorupturethis."

"Forme,itisaboutquestioningwhois authoringthequeerbrownbodyinart,"she added."Myidentityorlivedexperienceisnot c'.5 monolithic;itintersectswithothertruthsof

feelingeitherinvisibleortoooverlyseen,of tryingtostu·viveandstillbetender."

Queernessand theSouth Asianidentity

BorninAuckland,NewZealand,KiTthana istheyoungestoftriplets. Hermothergrew upinIndiaandherfatherinSingapore. lnthelate'90s,herfamilymovedto WesternSydneyfroma"reallywhite" neighbourhoodinlnvercargill.

AnalumnaofUNSW'sFineArts program,KirthanaSelvarajisalsoan establishedarttherapistwithamaster's degreefromWesternSydneyUniversity. She recognisestheimpactofartinproducing, reauthoringandaugmentingself-narratives whileworkingwithissuesofracialtrauma, genderandsexuality,andinternalised oppressivesystems.

Inherartpractice,Kirthana predominantlyusesoilpaintandoscillates betweenthemesofrealism,expressionism and abstraction. Shewasdrawnto portraiturebecausethebodyitself"isa locusforpolitics,violence,tenderness andjoy"andgivenportraitpainting's Eurocentric,colonialhistory.

Worksofartistsandintellectualslike PushpamalaN,AlokVaid-Menon,Achille Mbembe,AudreLorde,andJennySaville havegreatlyinfluencedherpractice.

Hinting with tints

ThecolourpaletteemployedinKrithana's TheGreenSuit,ASelfPortraitis breathtakinganddeeplymeaningful.

Thegreenofhersuitalludestonature, newbeginnings,harvest,swellingof life,andhealing.Beingenrobedin it isa manifestationofdivinitywhich"notonly demandsattentionbutalsoalchemises publicdiscourse".

"lthinkareallymasculine,oversizedsuit isstillviewedbysocietyascis-maleclothing. Itisalsoreminiscentofthesuitsthatearlier whitesittersintheArchibaldwouldwearto commandrespectandsocialpositioning," Kirthanastated."Inthisway,Iamwearing it subversively.Clothingdoesn'thavea gender.Hereitisnow,onmyqueer,brown, femmebody."

lnthebackground,thepinksandoranges areanodtoherIndianroots.Thearch aboveherheadisrichwiththesymbolism ofSouthAsianarchitecture,representinga "thresholdintoalinlinalplace",inthiscase, "thepossibilitiesofaqueerbrownimagery''.

Theorangetingebetweenhercollarand intinyburstsonhersuitistheunderpaint "rupturing''through,aimedatgivingthe portraitamoredynamicfeel.

Andthevibrantbindiisanicetouch.

"RightafterIcatchyouwithmygaze, Ireallywanttoholdthisintensityinthe centreofmyforehead,"shesaid."The redofthebindisymbolisesthefuryofthe redflameofGoddessDurgainHindu

mythologyassheistransformedintoher mostferociousform,Kali."

Kirthanacompletedtheself-portrait overaperiodofonen1onth,earlyinthe morningsbeforework/schoolorlateat night. Shedescribedherpaintingsessions as"deliriouslongsessions,ortinyanxious outbursts."

"Sometimesl wouldilnproviseandpaint elementsthatwould emerge,makingthis paintingacombinationofobservation, interpretationandimagination," Kirthana remarked.

Toqueerbrownartiststryington1ake itinthe artworld shesays,"Seekout like-n1i11dedco1nmunity;takeyourtin1eto figureoutwhichspacesmakeyoufeelsafe andaffirmedandkeepshowingup.I think it'soktosaynotoprojects thatmakeyou feeltokenised.Althoughit'simportantto knowyourownhistoryandwhatmattersto you,it'sjustasimportanttogiveyourself permissiontoparticipateincreative venturesforthepleasureorjoyofit.Often asLGBTQlA+brownpeople,wearedenied accesstojoy,instead1nadetoseeour bodiesasinextricablylinkedwithlabour andproductivity.Itisn'teasytonavigatethe artindustry,but1reallybelievewedeserve achancetodreamofandimaginedifferent futures".

As a queer brown artist, Kirthana Selvaraj refuses 'to retreat into a more palatable image'

TheGreenSuit,ASelfPortrait'byKirthanaSelvaraj(oiloncanvas, 36"x60'?.

IS anu, IS ero

Nine-year-old Viraj Tandon is in this year's Young Archie for his painting 'My Grandfather's Secret Garden'

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

ine-year-oldVirajTandonof Sydneyisoneoftenfinalistsinthis year'sYoungArchiecompetition inthe9-12yearcategory.

Thechildren'scompetitionruns concurrentlywiththeArchibaldPrize, Australia'smostfamousportrait competition.

"Iwas veryexcited,verysurprised,when 1nymumtoldme,"abeamingVirajtold IndianLink.

HissubjectishisbelovedgrandfatherDr HarbansAulakh,akaNanu.

NanuwasViraj'sfirstchoiceforsitter. "Istudied somephotos ofhis,butmostly paintedhimfromn1emory,"Viraj, aYear 4studentatSCEGGS Redlands, described. "HewasveryhappytoknowIbecame afinalist,andcouldn'tstophuggingand kissingme!"

Vi.raj paintedhiminhis"secretgarden" offlowers andfruit.Thegardenalso attractsnativebirds,whichNanuchases away,muchtothedelightofViraj.

"Iobservedinthegardenovermany 1nonths,"theyoungartistrelated,with amaturitywaybeyondhisyears. "Ilove natureandvibrantcolours."

Ittookhin1nearlythreedays tofinish thepainting.

ThefinalworkmeldstheIndianand AustralianaspectsofViraj'sidentity wonderfulJy.Nanu'sturbanis strong

anddraws attentiontoitself,anodto theSikhidentitythatisbecomingknown forits spiritofse1va(service)intimes ofhardship.Andyet,thisisseamlessly balancedwith theAustralianelementin termsofthecockatoos.

Thebrightcolourspopagainsttheplain background,imbuingitaUwithlightness andoptimismbutrevealingadeepsenseof grounding.

Overall,itshowsclarityofvision, strengthofpurposeandthepowerof symbols.

NanuDrAulakhis,predictably,overthe moon.

"Ithinkhe'sdoneagoodjob -his portraitisaverycloselikenessofme,"he toldIndianLink.

lnretrospect,he'snotsurprisedthathis grandsonchosethegardenelementsforthe portrait.

"It'sthefirstplacehegoeswhenhe comesover. Helovesthefruittreesandthe veggiepatch. He'IJpickafigoralemon orsomeherbs,bringittothekitchenand chopupforusneatly."

Virajwasfourwhenhefirstshowedan interestinart. He hassincetaughthimself toworkwithacrylic,watercoloursand charcoal.

"Iloveanimals. Myfirstpiecewas anelephantinthejungle.I'vemade cockatoos,crabs,crocodiles,andIreally likeMF Husain'shorses."

Helaughedwhenthesuggestionwas made that Husain'shorsesare strangely shaped.

"That'sbecausetheyareabstract,"he enlightened.

Viraj'sdadRohitTandonrevealedthat hisson'stalentcametotheforemore vigorouslyduringCOVIDlockdownlast year.

"Wewereschoolingandworkingfrom home," herecaUed."Ispentmuchtime withhimaloneasmywife Mandeepis adoctorandworkedextra-longhours. Paintingwas awayrealJytokeephimbusy. Igothimloadsofsuppliesandlethimdo whathewanted."

Outattheshopsoneday,Virajsaw mountedcanvases;therewasnostopping himafterthat. Sixmonths later,hehad producednolessthan40works,some largerthanhimself.

Hisportraitsincludehismumanddad, Krishna,GuruNanak,MotherMarywith Baby Jesus,andMotherTeresa.

HisaU-timefavourite,though,isa paintingofGanesha.

Itwasmadeonarequestby•whoelse •Nanu,forafriendwho hadjustmoved intoanewhome. Ganeshamakes agreat housewarminggift.

MeanwhileNani(grandma)isagreat inspirertoo. SpeakingtoVirajonAnzac Day,shesuggestedhemakeapaintingfor theoccasion.Theresult,athoughtfulpiece featuringsoldierand poppies,waspicked upbytheABC.

Viraj'sworkhasalso madeittoNational Geographicandtothe NSWParlian1ent, andhasbeenonshown1ultipletimesat school.

Virajpaintsnearlyeveryday. He has nowtakentoreadingallabouttheold mastersMichaelangeloandDaVinci (Vesuvian1\1.anisacurrentobsession). Yet, drawnnaturallytorichcolour,heprefers Picasso andFridaKahle.

MumMandeep,keentonurtureViraj's specialgiftcarefully,is adamantthat heshouldbeleftalonetodevelophis ownstyle, ratherthanberestrictedby instruction. Luckilyforher,Virajhas provedhe's agreatself-learner.

"Hepicksup techniquesfromYouTube," sherevealed. "Oncewhenhewasn't quitegettingtheeyerightforaparticular portrait,he said,Mum, canIphotograph youreyeandstudyit?"

It'snosurprisethatVirajwantstopaint forthe"big"Archiesoneday.

Whowouldheliketopaint?

"I don'tknowyet-some celebrity." Heknows,however,whathe'lldo ultimatelywithhisYoungArchieportrait.

"I'llframeitandhangit- maybeat Nanu'splace."

''I love animals. Myfirst piece was an elephant in thejungle. I've made cockatoos, crabs, crocodiles, and I really like MF Husain's horses."

A new Australian book seeks to introduce young readers to cultural experiences different from their own

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

Vedllika andAyaanlightdiyas, thought tohelpguide thegoddessLakshmiinto people'shomes, bringingfortuneandluck.

* KareemwisheshisgrandfatherEid Mubarak(ablessedEid)andoffershim ma'amoul,asmallroundpastryJilledwith dates,figsandwalnuts.

* AnoukleavesaJetterforSantaClausunder theCluistmastree,alongwithsomemilk andcarrotsforSanta'sreindeer.

romKumbhMela,theworld's largestbathingfestivalinIndia, toKonakiSt11no,a'cryingbaby competition'inJapan, TheBig BookofFestivals(HachetteAustralia)is everythingyoucouldaskforinachildren's bookaboutthevariousimportantfestivities followedbypeoplearoundtheworld.

YoungAustralianreaderscanfeasttheir eyesonsimpledescriptionsandillustrations ofthebirthdayofGuruNanak,Buddha Day,EidUI-Fitr,Holi,Diwali,KumbhMela, Nowruz,ChristmasandEaster-afewofthe festivalscelebratedbyIndiansaroundthe world-recordedbrilliantlyinTheBigBook

OtherspecialfestivalssuchasBunya DreamingwhereAboriginalcommunities gathertoharvestbunyaconesfrombunya treesandtellstories,GeledeinWestAfrica celebratedbyYorubacommunitiestohonour mothersandwomen,andtheYiPengfestival inThailandwherefloatinglightsarereleased symbolisingthelettinggoofnegativity,are alsosuretodelightyoungreaders.

TheBigBookisanexcellentwayto introducekidstotheworldaroundthem, especiallytoculturesthattheymaynotbe exposedtointheircurrentenvironment.

Ineachstory,childcharactersfrom variousculturestakeontheroleof storytellersastheyparticipateinthe festivities.This,alongwiththesimple illustrationsoffood,attire,anddecorations, makethisbookanabsoluteti·eattoflip through.

Eachpageisincrediblyimmersive, paintingavividandvibrantpictureof

festivitiesthatalmosttransportsyoutothat verylocale.

Meetthecreators

AustralianauthorsMaritaBullockandJoanMareeHargreavesarebothavidcultural punditswithakeeninterestinpromoting diversecommunitiesandexperiences.

"Wewerethinkingabouthowmuch childrenloveparties,celebrationsand festivities,andthenwerealisedabook aboutfestivalswasafantasticwayto introduceyoungreaderstodifferentcultures andtraditions,differentbeliefsystems,and differentwaysofcelebrating,"Joan-Maree told Indian Link. "Thetopicoffestivals isafun,joyousandcolour-filledwayof celebratingculturaldifference!"

Whileresearchingfestivalsacrossthe world,thewritersfoundthattherewere plentyofbooksforadults,butnotmany onthetopiccateredtochildrenoryoung readers.

"Itwasverydifficulttonarrowour bookdownto38festivalsfromaroundthe world,"MaritaBullockexplained."There aresomanyincrediblefestivalswewould havelikedtohaveincluded!"

LecturerintheDepartmentofEnglish attheUniversityofSydney,MaritaBullock hasalsotaughtyoungerstudentsasa schoolteacher.Sheisanexpertinthefield ofCulturalStudiesandhaspublishedan enormousamountofliteratureonthe visualisationof'difference'.

WriterJoan-MareeHargreaves,who haseditednumerouschildren'stitles,has aspecialinterestinsocialjusticeandis motivatedtotellstoriesabout'reallife' throughengagingvisuals.

IllustratorLizRowlandalsobroughtto theprojectasin1ilarinterestinpeopleand cultures.IttookLizabout7monthsto createillustrationsforthebook,including3 monthsofresearcharoundeachfestival.

"Itwasthebiggestandbestchallengeof myillustrationcareersofar,"Lizsaid."I hopepeoplefindjoyinthebook.Ihopeit instilsanearlyappreciationandrespectin youngreadersforotherculturesandlife experiences."

AuthorsJoan-MareeandMaritaadded, "Wehopethatourbooksparksyoung readers'interestindifferentcultures,and curiosityaboutthemanyvariedwaysin whichwecometogetherton1arklife'sbig occasions!"

\.

Authors:Joan-MareeHargreavesandMaritaBullock IllustratorUzRowland ofFestivals

.....eav1n ermanen

Hereareyour Superannuation options

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

uetoCOVID-19reasonsand otherfamilyresponsibilities,a numberoftemporaryresidents maybedeciclingtoleaveAustralia permanently.Whiletheyarewindingup theirrentalaccommodationandother personaln1atters, oneoftheimportant assets theyneedtodecideon,ishowto 1nanagetheirsuperannuation.

Questionsthatariseinclude:Howtoaccess 1nysuperannuationifl'mleavingthecountry permanently?Howmuchtaxwillneedtobe paid?Whatisthepaperworkrequired?

Wewillattempttoanswerthesequestions here,butdonote thisisgeneraladviceonly, andyoushouldtalktoaqualifiedfinancial plannerorchecktheAustraliangovernment websitelistedbelowforlatestdetails.

What is Superannuation?

Superannuationisawayofsavingmoney foryourretirement.Employersmustpay superannuationcontributionsonbehalfof alltheireligibleemployees.Thiscompulsory contributioniscalledthesuperannuation guaranteeorSG.

Theain1ofthesuperannuationguarantee istoensureasmanyAustraliansaspossible enjoythebenefitsofsuperannuationincome whentheyretirefromtheworkforce.You and/oryouremployercanputmoney,called contributions,intoasuperannuationfundor retiren1entsavingsaccount.

Superannuationfundsaremanagedby trusteeswhoseresponsibilityistoensure yourmoneyisinvestedwithcare. Each

Accessingmysuper as a temporary residentleavingthe country

Youcanclaimyoursupermoneyintheform ofaDepartingAustraliaSuperannuation Payment(DASP)afteryouleaveAustraliaif:

• youvisitedonaneligibletemporary residentvisasuchasa457visa;

• yourvisabasexpiredorbeencancelled

Accordingtoalawpassedon 1 April 2009,younolongerhavetheoptionof keepingyoursuperfundopenafteryow·visa iscancelledorexpired.About6monthsafter thishappens,yoursuperfundwillbeclosed andtransferredtothe"UnclaimedMonies" or"LostSuper"sectionoftheATO.lt'sstill yourmoneyandyoucanclaimit,butthe applicationprocessisdifferentandbastobe donethroughthemdirectly.

lfyouapplywhileyoursuperfundis stillactive,youcanchooseeitheronline applicationorpaperapplication: OnlineApplicationA1ethod:Theeasiestand quickestwaytoclaimyoursuperistoapply online,usingtheDASPonlineapplication system.

Thisisafreeservicewhereyourvisa statusischeckedautomatically.Youcan startandsaveyouronlineapplicationat anytimewhileinAustralia.However,you canonlysubmityourapplicationonce youhaveleftAustraliaandyourvisaisno longervalid. OncetheATOapprovesyour application,theysendconfirmationtoyour

superproviderwhowillreleaseyourn1onies toyouafterreceivingcertifiedID.Toapply, youwillneedtosupplyinforn1ationsuchas thefunddetails,youremploymentdetails, personalinformationandtaxfilenumber.

PaperApplicationMethod:Thismethodis morecomplexandrequiresadditionalproof ofidentityandvisastatus.

Some frequently asked questions answered fundhasitsownrules,butmustalso followgovernmentrulesthataredesigned toensure all superannuationisproperly managed. Lfyouareaneligibleemployee, youremployershouldcontributea minimumof9.5%ofyourearningsbasetoa superannuationfund.Theyshoulddothisat leasteveryquarter(everythreemonths).

Fortemporaryresidents: What happens totheinsurance benefits attached to superannuation on permanentlyleavethecountry? Providedthereisenoughmoneyin yoursuperannuationaccounttocover thepremiums,thebenefitwillcontinue unchangedaslongasthesuperannuation accountremainsopenandactive.lfyour visaiscancelledforlongerthan6months andyoursupermoniesmovedtothe ATO,theinsurancewillalsobecancelled. Youalsohavetheoptionofcancellingor reducingthebenefitamountatanytime.

IfI'mleavingAustraliapermanently, is there anythingI cando to speed up the process?

Yes, thereareafewthingsveryimportant stepsyoucantaketoensurethereareno delaysinyourDASPapplication.These shouldbedonebeforeleavingAustralia: 0CalltheFundManagerandupdateyour postaladdressandemailaddress.Thiswill avoidlengthydelaysingettinginformation acrosstoyou.Dwingthiscallyoucanalso arrangeonlineaccesstoyoursuperannuation account,soyoucantrackhowit'sperforming. 0HaveyourIDdocumentscertifiedand postittoyourFundManager.Writea covernotewithyourAccountNumber listedandrequestthecompanytokeep itonfileforfutureusewhenyouapply

forDASP.Thiscertified1Dlastsfor6 n1onthsonly,soplanaccordingly.This willsaveyoualotoftimeandefforttoget documentscertifiedoverseas.

Whatarecertified documents?

Who mustcertify?

Acertifieddocumentisacopythatiscertified tobeatruecopyoftheoriginal.Recognized authotitieshavetoviewtheoriginalandstan1p, dateandsignthecopy.AnyJusticeofthe Peace(JP)candoit.Mostbanks,doctorsand policestationshaveaJPonduty.IfinLndia-a gazettedofficerorAdvocateNotarycandoit.

Howwill myrefund be paid andhow longwill it take?

Yoursuperproviderwillsendachequeto thepostaladdressintheDASPapplication. However,ifyouhaveanAustralianbank account,youcanrequestEFTintothis accountbyrequestingitinwritingand postingittotheFundManager.Thewhole processcantakebetween 1 to6months.

Whyistheresuch abigdifference betweenmyaccountbalance and whatis paidtome as DASP?

TheGovernmentdeductstaxbeforepaying outthe balancetoyou. Thisisgenerally 38%onallyouren1ployerSGcontributions butasthetaxratesdifferandchange regularly,pleasesee theATOwebsitefor moreinformation.

Toreadmoreinformationabout superannuationfortemporaryresidents leavingAustralia,headto: www.atogov.au/individuals/super/indetail/temporary-residents-and-super/ super-information-for-temporary-residentsdeparting-australia/

FASHION UP CLOSEAND PERSONAL

Currentfavouritesong? "Grey Area" by Kaytranada

Currentlyreading? TheSeven Spiritual Laws ofSuccess by Deepak Chopra - this is maybe the fifth time now! I'm also reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes. I love philosophy, it's a great wayto understand yourselfand your place in the world.

Currentlywatching? The Office. Brands or designersyou'd loveto workwith? Akira lsogawa, Prada, and Burberry. I'm keen to workwith designers in India as well, to be a part ofthe representation ofdarker skintones in fashion there.

Tipsforupcomingmodels? Firstly, believe in yourself even when others doubt you. Secondly, knowthat you've gotto do things differently if you don't wantto be average. Learn to enjoythe habits that are good for you like exercise, hydrating, and taking care ofyourself. Seek out opportunities and learn to network, it's so important in this business. And finally, build your presence on social media, but don't get bogged down by the mean comments and unfair comparisons.

BY RHEALNATH littleoverayearago,Nitesh

Pillaihadabigdreamonhis visionboard. Lastweek,just daysbeforehis20thbirthday,be finallymadeitareality.

"lgavemyfirstshoweveratthe AustralianFashionWeek.ltwassucha greatexperience, 1couldn'thaveaskedfor more,"themodeltells Indian Link witha gnn.

Walkingforaward-winningbrand COMMAS,hemadehisdebuton Tamaran1aBeach,bravingthe 10° winter

theluxuryswimwearbrand.

(lnfact,theUNSWlawstudentwokeup (/) C: at2:30AMtomakeittotherunwayshow's :.i.c 4AMcalltime-thenhepromptlyheaded � toclass.) a:;

Intoday'snewmediaage,he'soneof theluckyfewtofindtheirbigbreakonline. Nitesh'smodellingjourneybeganthrough TikTok,whereanagentinLondoncame

(/) (.) acrosshisvideosandputhimintouchwith a.. hercolleaguesinSydney. Hewaseventually signedtoIMG Models.

Howdoesitfeeltobemanagedbythe sametalentagencyasGisele Bundchen, BellaHadid,AshleyGraham,andCody Si1npson?

"They'reabignameinthegan1e," headmits. "I'vegottenalotofgreat opportunitiesthroughthis.l'mreallyhappy andhumbled."

AsafirstgenerationAustralian,he remainsacutelyawarethatmodellingisn't aconventionalcareerpath.Butinhiscase, that'shalftheappeal.

"Growingupasapersonofcolour, l thinkwestarttoseelifethroughits limitationsratherthanitspotential,"he observes. "1seesomanybeautifulpeople aroundmewithstunningfeatures,butthey lookdownonthemselvesbecauseit'snot conventional.Iwantedtobecome amodel tobepartofachange."

Withhiscurlyhairanddarkerskin tone,afarcryfromtheEurocentricbeauty standardsthathavelargelydominatedthe fashionindustry,Niteshcertainlystandsout frommostofhismodellingpeers.

"Thefashionindustryhashistorically leaned towardsonekindoflook,"he confesses.

"Butwearebeginningtoseeashift. There'samoveawayfromtheorientalism thathassurroundedportrayalsofSouth Asiansaspoorordependentonlargerworld powers.EvenatFashionWeek,therewere 1nodelsfrommanydifferentbackgrounds aroundme,andthisyearmarkedhigher IndigenousAustralianrepresentationthan ever. Ofcourse,there'sstillworktobe done."

Herecallsattendingacastingcallforabrand thathasbuiltitsidentityarounddiversity.

"Theyhaveplentyofdesignsinspiredby SouthAsianandAfricancultureand1was excitedtobeapartofthat.Unfortunately, whenl visitedtheiroffice,ldidn'tseethat diversityreflected aroundme."

It'sanallegationthefashionindustry hasfacedonmanyoccasions,includingthe timeUrbanOutfitterscameunderfirefor theirNativeAmerican-inspiredcollectionor whenGuccisentnon-Sikhmodelsdownthe runwaywearingturbans.

AccordingtoNitesh,itprovesacleargap inthemarkettobefilledbybothdesigners andmodelsfromdifferentbackgroundsto bringtheiruniqueperspectives.

Onemightbelievethatcelebrating uniquenessisamantraofsortsforthe 20-year-old.

"IwastheonlySouthAsianstudentinmy wholeyearbackatschool. l'vealwaysstood out,butIlearntthatthiscanbeapo\ver.To anyoneconcernedaboutlookingdifferent, I'dsaytoembraceyouruniquenessand nevershyawayfrombeingyourself," Nitesh tells Indian Link.

Despitehisage,theyoungmodelreveals acharmingmaturityillhisoutlookto life-somethingheattributestohismixed heritage.

"Myfamilyisfrom MalaysiaandIndia andIgrewupinaprimarilyCaucasian areaillSydney.MyfatherisChristian,my motheris Hindu,andl'vestudiedBuddhism aswell.Throughallthis,youreallygetto seeandappreciatedifferentpointsofview," hesmiles.

f - -NiteshonTamaramabeachforCOMMAS JUNE2021 29

with

Five things to keep in mind for a stress-free getaway

byHenryW'mklerandLinOliver

TAKEBREAKS DURINGTHEDRIVE

Weensuredthatwehadtitne foronepitstoponour3-houijourney.Weleftintimefor

thetot'safternoonnapand bythetin1eshewokeup,we werereadytomakeastopat McDonalds,whichwasawin forallofus.Timingwaskeyand workingaroundthechildren's routineensuredasn1ooth jomneyforusall.Similarlyon thewaybackwemadeacouple ofstopsalongthewayinBerry andWollongong,andensured allnapswereinthecar.

BEWE -EQUIPPED

Whenindoubt,justpackit!

Toys,snacks,travelcots,books, bottles,favouritepyjamas,you nameit,wepackedit.Whileit goesagainsttheage-old advice oftravellinglight,havingthe tot'sfavouritesofttoyaround whensheishavingameltdown isagodsend. Healthysnacks andatailor-mademusicplaylist inthecarwerevitalforthe journey,wiiliour4-year-oldalso enjoyingsomefreeaudiobooks fromAudiblewhilethelittleone wasnapptng.

BY NIDHI JOSHI

fterayearoflockdowns,border closmes,anewborn,sleepless nights,siblingsquabblesand afull-onroutine,wewereall inneedofabreak. Whiletheideaofa weekendgetawaysoundedappealing,I wasabitapprehensiveaboutthelogistics, havingnevertravelledwithtwokidsin

tow. My4-year-oldand16-month-oldhave completelydifferentneedsandroutines, andfranklyitissometimeschallengingto keepiliingsrunningsmoothlyathomeina familiarenvironment,letaloneinaforeign holidayhome.

TRAVELSLOWLY

Beforehavingchildren,wewouldpackout ourtravelitinerariestomaximisetheplaces wecouldvisit.Thatplanquicklywentoutthe windowafterhavingomfirstborn,andnowwith two,wetravelcompletelydifferently.Wehave

aroughplanofoneortwoplacestovisitinthe daywithampletimescheduledformealsand naps.Goingwiththeflowandtravellingslowly hasallowedustoenjoytimewiththefamilyand notbestressedaboutgettingtoilienextplace. Thekidspickuponthevibeandifwearechill andhavingagoodtime,soarethey! allofus.

Nevertheless,withmysanityatanalltimelow,I waswillingtogiveitago.We decidedonJervis Bay,onthesouthcoast

BE RE AR.EDFORANYTHI G

Thereisneveradullmomentwithyoungchildrenaround,sojust learntoembracetheuncertainty.Enjoythejourney,evenifyouare latetothedestinationorunabletotickeverythingoffyourlist. The kidswillrememberilietimespenttogetherasafamily, andthebest memoriesarealwaysthoseunexpecteddetoursinyourtravels.

LASnY,REMEMBERYOUAREALLONHOLIDAY

It'sOKtoletthekidsstayupalittlelater,enjoysome sugarytreats orwatchonemoreepisodeofPeppaPig. Asparentswetendto sometimestakelifealittletooseriously,andeventhesn1allestof breaksistheperfectrenlindertotakeastepback,letyourhair downandenjoyyourself.

�1/1�J✓ �fjl�

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

eallneedawarmhugnowand then,literallyandfiguratively. Everywherewelookrightnow, therearestoriesofdespair, painandsuffering.Asenseofhopelessness pervadestheairandtheonlyconversation weseemtohaveisaboutthepandemic.Our wholelivesseemtobeinaconstantstateof upheavalandittakesalotofconsciousenergy tostaypositiveandstrong.

1havealwaysfeltthatfoodcanbeagood healer;afterall,it'ssointertwinedwithour 1nemoriesandfeelings.ltdoesn'thavetobe afancymeal,butsimplefoodthattransports ustoalong-lostmemoryorremindsusofour lovedones.Likethistomatoshorba.

Atomatoshorbaalwaystakesmeback tolnrua.Whilegrowingup,goingoutto restaurantswasarareaffairsoIwould getveryexcitedattheopportunity.Andat therestaurant,1wouldspendalongtime studyingthemenu,asifitwaspartofmy schoolcurriculum.1alwayshadtostartwith asoupandmoreoftenthannot,itwould alwaysbethistomatoshorba.

Themostexcitingpartofthetomatoshorba wasthebuttercroutonsthatwereservedon top;itwastheperfecttexturalandflavour componentthat1nadetheshnpleshorbaa deliciousaffair.

SoIdecidedtore-createthesimpleno-

TOMATO SOUP/SHORBA WITH GARLIC BUTTER CROUTONS

INGREDIENTS

Forthe soup

■ 4 large tomatoes. diced

■ 2 tbsp vegetable oil

■ 2 dried bay leaf

■ 1 tsp cumin seeds

■ ½ inch cinnamon bark

■1 tsp garlic. chopped

■ 1 tsp ginger. chopped

■¼ tsp sugar

■ Saltto season

■ 1 tsp black peppercorns

■ 650ml chicken (or veg) stock

■ 1 tbspfresh coriander leavesfor garnish

Forthe croutons

■ 2 slices white bread. cut into evensized squares

■ 2 tbsp butter

frillstomatoshorbatoremindmeofallthose beautifulmemoriesofhomeandchildhood. Withwintersettingin,whatcouldbemore comfortingthanthiscreamydelicioussoup toppedwithgarlicbuttercroutons.

Thespicesandaromaticsmakethis souprustinctlyIndianwhencomparedto othertomatosouppreparations.Usinga homemadestockisbestintermsofflavour butyoucouldusegoodqualitystore-bought onestoo.Alsomakesurethatthetomatoes arereallyripeformaximumflavour.

P.S.:Ifyouarelikeme,youmightneedto makeextracroutons.Thesedisappearfast!

■ 2 garlic cloves. grated

METHOD

Toprepare thesoup

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot and add bay leaf. cumin seeds and cinnamon bark. Fry for a few seconds till aromatic.

Next add garlic and ginger; saute till the rawness goes away and then add the tomatoes along with sugar. Mix well and cook on medium heat till the tomatoes are soft.

Next add the stock along with the peppercorns. Taste and season with salt. Bring to boil and then simmer on low heat till the tomatoes are cooked through and

mostly broken down. Remove from heat and allowto cool completely.

Removethe bay leaf and cinnamon sticks; blitz the remaining contents till you get a smooth creamy soup. Return the soup to pan and heat up just before serving.

Garnish with coriander leaves. croutons and crushed black pepper while serving.

Toprepare the croutons

Add the butter and grated garlic to a pan and then place on low heat allowing the garlic to infuse into the butter.

Add the bread pieces and mix well to coat. Toast on low heat till crispy and golden.

The spices and aromatics in this tomatosoup take you straight backtothe India ofyour childhood

BY SANDIP HOR

mbracingthetipofAustralia's eastcoast,VictoriaisAustralia's second-smalleststate,insize almostsameastheBritishIsles. Somethingimpressiveawaitsthereatevery turn,fromhistoricsitesandsettlements tosweepingcoastlines,pristinebeaches, wineries,lakes,snowymountainsand nationalparksteemingwithnativewildlife. Manyattractionsfromthisdistinctive ensemblecanbeexploredasdaytripsfrom Victoria'sthrivingcapitalcityMelbourne.

Bendigo

LocatedtwohoursawayfromMelbourne

byrailandroad,Bendigo-oneofthetop fourtownshipsofregionalVictoria-came intoprominencein1851withthediscovery ofgoldintheregion.Withinmonthsthe sleepysettlementwasfloodedwithdiggers fromallovertheworld.Itthrivedtosuch anextentthatsoonitbecamehometoover 5000miningcompanies,threemining stockexchanges,severalbanksandafine arrayofgrandarchitecture,mostofwhich stillexisttoawestruckvisitors.

VisitingBendigomeansgetting immersedinitsrichheritagewithauthentic experiences.Thisincludesridingona vintagetramoperatingsince1890,exploring theoldCentralDeborahGoldMinewhich stoppeddiggingin1954.Itisnowopento thepublictoshowcasehowarealminelooks like.Anothermust-visitisBendigoPottery, Australia'soldestworkingpottery.

Howaboutspendingthenightatthe

century-oldhotel?ShamrockHotelwas visitedbyPrinceCharlesandLadyDiana in1983duringtheirroyaltour.

TodayBendigoisrenownedforitsfusion ofclassicwithcontemporary,strongartand culturalaffinity,andboutiquefoodscene. Alloftheseincombinationhaven1adethe cityAustralia'sfirstUNESCOCreativeCity ofGastronomy.

AnewadditiontoBendigoisalarge Buddhist stupa, saidtobethefirstofits kindinthewesternworld.

Ballarat

Onlyanhourfron1Melbournebyrailor road,BaUaratisthestate'slargestinland settlementthatalsoblossomedafteraGold Rushwhichbeganatthesametimeasin Bendigo.WhileminingstoppedinBendigo in 1954despiteclaimsofstrongdeposits stillunderground,diggingcontinueshere

underthetown'sbeautifulcityscapefilled withimposingarchitectureandspacious parksandgardensliningbroadavenues. ItsmainthoroughfareLydiardStreetis recognisedasoneofthenation's1nostintact Victoriastreetscape,oftenusedasaperiod setupforfilmsandtelevision.

Whilevisitorsaredrawnbyitsrich heritage,thedestination'smainattraction isSovereignHillwhichshowcasesthe BallaratoftheearlyyearsoftheGoldRush. Othernotableattractionsincludethe GoldMuseum,KryalCastleandthe WildlifePark-apassionatecreationof wildlifeenthusiastGregParkerandanideal familyjointtogetclosetoAussienative animalsandson1eendangeredspecieslike theSumatranTigerandaKomodoDragon.

PhillipIsland

Just90minutesfromMelbourne,Phillip

Unchecked travel to regional Victoria might not be possible right now, but new government support means businesses will be ready to welcome visitors when it is safe to do so.

SovereignHillBallarat

BendigoLandmark

Ballar

IslandiswellknownforitsPenguinParade -atrulyuniquephenomenonthatcaptures theheartsofeveryone,youngandold.

1tisthemagicalexperienceofwatching hundredsoflittlepenguinswaddlingfrom theseaatsunsetandthentoddlingtotheir respectivehomes-theircollectivebraying and trillingheardfromadistanceaway.

Besidespenguins,thereisanotherkey seaanimalattractioninthis26kmx9km island.H'sacolonyofcountlessfurseals. Theycanbeseenbytakingacruisefrom Cowes,theisland'sn1ainhub,toSealRocks wherethousandsofthemareplayinginthe wavesorrestingontherockyshores.

Therearealsoopportunitiestospot othernativespecieslikekoalasdozingon theeucalyptusorwallabiesgrazingatdusk.

Theislandboastsofaruggedcoastline, idyllicbeaches,tinyvillagesand breathtakingscenerywhichcanbebest enjoyedbytakingachopperridewith PhillipIsland Helicopters.

YarraValley&Dandenong Ranges

LessthananhourfromMelbourne,the YarraValley&DandenongRangesfamous fortheirnaturalsetting,vineyardsand nun1erouscellarsdoors,offerqualitylocal foodandwine,breathtakingscenery,

romantichideawaysandindulgent adventureswhichincludesahotairballoon rideovertherollingvalleysatdawn.Offered byGlobalBallooning,thisglidingadventure issafeandabucketlistitemformany.

Whileinthevalley,it'sworthvisiting theformerhomeandsurroundingestate offamousoperaticsopranoDameNellie MelbaandthecontemporaryTarraWarra MuseumofArt.

Anothermajorlurefromthisregionis theserenerideonthePuffingBillySteam Railwayrattlingontheoriginalmountain trackoverthehills,acrosstheiconic

timbertrestlebridges,downthevalleyand intotheforest.

SowandPiglets

Thisclusteroflimestonetowersthat dramaticallyrisesfromtherollingwatersof theSouthernOcean,atacoastallocation almost275kmsouthwestofMelbourne,is anaturalwonder.Atonetimetherewere twelveofthemcalled'SowandPiglets',then renamedin 1922as'TwelveApostles'.

Currentlytherearelessthantwelve,a fewswallowedbythesea,butwhatever remainsstandsasanawe-inspiring panorama.Itisthesheerscaleandthe settingoftheoffshoremoundsthat mesmerisevisitors.Youmayhaveseen countlessphotos,butnothingmatchesthe joyofexperiencingthegeologicalrecordof millionsofyearswithyourowneyes.

Thisawesomeexhibitionisthehighlight ofajourneyalongtheGreatOceanRoad, oneoftheworld'sgreatestscenicdrives.

The Victorian Govern1nentinearlyIune announceda newroundoftravel vouchers as partofapackageofsupporttoboost tourism recoveryrightacross regional Victoria. 80,000 regionaltravel vouchers valuedat $200 each will helpoperatorsaffected by the current restrictions recoverstrongly.

Bal/aratVictorianstreetscape

UvinghistorySovereignHillBallarat

RHEA L NATH on Indian -films and series to watch in June 2021

I I I I I

SKATER GIRa.. (Netflix

PresentingIndia'sfirstfilm onskateboarding! In her directorial debut, Manjari Makijanysharesthestory ofateenagegirlfrom a Rajasthanivillagewhois introducedtoskateboardingbyathirty-something British-Indianvisitor. Doesshe havewhatittakesto

1 makeittothe internationalchampionships?Watch tofindout

I SkaterGirlreleaseson 11June.

THE FAMILY MAN (Amazon Prime)

Thesecondseason ofAmazon PrimeVideo's most viewed web seriesfrom India hasfinallyreleased. It wasoriginallysupposedto releasein February, but the legaltroublesafterthe releaseof Tandav meant that The FamilyMan hadto be pushed back. Theseriesstarsthetalented Manoj Bajpayeeas middle-classmanSrikantTiwariwhosecretlyworksfor the National InvestigationAgency. Thecastisrounded offbySharibHashmi, Priyamani,Sharad Kelkar,and Shreya Dhanwanthary,andSamanthaAkkineni. Thenewseason beganstreamingon3June.

I SHERN (Amazon Prime

I Afterwinningoverhearts-and critics-playing I Shakuntala Devi lastyear,Vidya Balan returnsto

playan IFS (Indian ForestService)officerwhotries I tosolveavillage'stigerproblem.Itincludes Neeraj Kabi, VijayRaaz (GullyBoy, Made in Heaven) I and IlaArun.Thefilmhasbeendirected byAmit Masurkar,whopreviouslybroughtusthehugely I successful Newton (2017). I Shernibeginsstreamingon18June.

JAGAME THANDHIRAM (Netflix) I I I I

Dhanush is backonourscreenswiththisaction thrillerabouta nomadicgangsterwho must takedown arival crimelord in London.Jagame Thandhiram hasbeenconsideredoneofthemost anticipatedTamil releasesoftheyear,and includesa I starcastofAishwarya LekshmiandJamesCostmo(of I Game ofThrones, Wonder Woman, Braveheartfame). Thefilm releaseson18June. I

MATRIMONIAL$

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SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking a suitable match for 36-year-old Hindu male, 5'11, Kannada, Vokkaliga caste, with good family background. Australia PR holder. Currently working in Melbourne. Please contact0470464328 or email: chandan.gnana@g.mail.com

Seeking matchfor 36-year-oldTamil Hindu Brahmin, workingforatop ITorganisation in Sydney.Possess Aust PR Visa. Girlshould be Hindu,vegetarian, preferablyAustcitizen/PR. Pleasesend profiletoaravind7778@gmail.com

SeekingAustralia-based bride for '84-born, never married Gujarati groom extremely well settled in business. Girl hailingfrom an educated family and preferably living in

SUNFLOWER (Zee5)

ComedianSunil Grover(Gutthi and Dr Mashoor Gulation The KapifSharmaShow) makes his debut in this darkcomedyseries. When a memberof Sunflowersocietyisfound dead,thepolice must interrogatethesociety'squirkyneighbours, a motley crewofcharacters played byRanvirShorey, Girish Kulkarni, andAshishVidyarthi, amongothers. I YoucancatchSunfloweron11June.

(Netflix)

Areyou readyforSatyajitRayclassicsto beadapted

tothe bigscreen? Inthisthrilleranthologyseries,

theauteur'sclassicshortstories, rangingfrom a satiretoa psychologythriller,areessayed byan ensemblecastofManoj Bajpayee, KayKayMenon, I and HarshVarrdhan Kapoor,toname afew. Getthepopcorn readyforwhen Rayreleaseson 25June. I

Sydney 10 + years is desirable, caste no bar. Contact: info@indianmatrimonial.com.au or WhatsApp message on +61401326371.

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking a professionally qualified match, of good family background.teetotaller, preferably Australian citizen or PR holder, for highly qualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian,ofgood family background, workingand wellsettled in Sydney. Please contact aussyd08@gmail.com

Seeking a Sikh (non-turban), professional, well-settled groom, hailingfrom an educated family, and preferably living in Australia since 10 + years,fora 25-year-old Sydney-based smart and intellectual girl. Contact: info@ indianmatrimonial.com.au orWhatsApp message on +61 401326371.

•SEAMLESS •NOJOINS •NO LEAKS •PRE-PAINTED

KARNAN (AfTlazon Prime) I allow this to happen. I

STARRING: Dhanush, Lal,Rajisha I

Vijayan,Yogi Babu, Natarajan I Subramaniam

Be it disputes with the I neighbouring village or crooked policemen, Podiyankulam seems to I

DIRECTOR: MariSelvaraj I be all alone in its fight for fairness. I

** * I Sick of the constant exclusion I

agitation makes him an inspiring I role model. It is refreshing to watch I such unapologetic attitudes towards fighting for one's rights. I

The film is also brimming with metaphors of freedom, death, and karma.

All about giving power to the masses I and belittling, Karnan is driven to I take a stand for his village and and reeking of revolutionary stink, I subsequently becomes its hero. I this review finds that Karnan is an I The film is loosely based on the I instant classic. The Tamil action I flick is a gripping tale of a daring violent events that unfolded when I an all-Dalit village in Tamil Nadu was man, one who is bold enough to I attacked by police in 1995. It seems I save his ill-fated village even if the I that Mari Selvaraj was moved to I consequences are grave. I

The film revolves around Karnan, I a fearless soul who is determined

rewrite history in a way that favours I the downtrodden.

Karnan's character is a relatable I to give his village of Podiyankulam a I one, with an award-worthy I much-needed bus stop. A bus stop is I their clear path to literacy, education, I jobs, and progress (basically).

performance by Dhanush. Anyone I who has ever been discriminated against for no reason can relate to I However, rotten circumstances don't I his boiling rage. Karnan's justified I

THE FAMILY MAN 2 (Amazon Prime)

STARRING: Manoj Bajpayee, SamanthaAkkineni, Priyamani, Sharib Hashmi, AshleshaThakur, VedantSinha, Sharad Kelkar, DalipTahil, Ravindra Vijay, Abhay Verma,Sunny Hinduja, Uday Mahesh, Srikrishna Dayal,SeemaBiswas

DIRECTOR:Raj and DK ***"

Season two ofRaj and OK's muchhyped spy thriller series starts with a bang and ends wtha bang(literally, in both cases), and alsocreates scopeto leave a teaser aboutSeason 3. Most of what goes on in between, over nine episodes, is guaranteed to give you bigger and sleeker entertainment than the first time around, though it may not necessarily seem as original.

The FamilyMan2 crafts its fictional action drama referencing subcontinental socio-politics. Mainly centred ontheSriLankanTamil rebel movement, the plot incorporates an Indian Prime Minister concerned about China'sneed to gainstrategic advantage in theIndianOcean and

I Pakistan's swing towards ultra-Right as I necessarymentions.

I As theseason opens, Manoj

I BajpayeesShrikantTiwarihasquit hisjob as a special agent and taken I up a nine-to-five occupation. Heis I struggling atthe workplace more than

Right from the powerful opening I sequence, cinematographer Theni I Eashwar's visual storytelling is deeply I engaging. Aerial shots, cut-aways, symmetry, colour palettes and finer I elements add to the immersive I cinematic experience that is Karnan. I I have a thirst for greatfilmmaking and every frame left me quenched. I While the film employs simple I dialogues and supporting characters, I the plot is compelling and awesome. Characters of Yeman thatha, I Karnan's closest confidante, and I Draupadi, his love interest, are I incredibly easy to get attached to. Even the roles of the multiple village I elders swiftly become meaningful. I

I • I prompting ahapless retortfrom our middle-agedhero. "New world?Same governments.Same wars.Same terrorists. Pakistan andISi...,"Shrikant I trails off wearily.

Series creatorsRaj and DKhave I usedpoliticsas an undercurrent in thenarrative, as the basefor taut I suspense.Thescreenplaysetsup the portrait ofSriLanka's civil warspilling I intoIndia, asthe country's premier tells theIndian PM (SeemaBiswas)

I thatSubramanium Panivel (Srikrishna Dayal), "a wanted man of our country", I is notonlyhidingin Chennai but also rallying support for elections. He adds 1 that France andtheUK are considering giving official recognition to Lanka's I Tamil 'government', which operates in 'exile' from London.

I hedidwithguns andgore, whiledealing I witha much-younger manager who For the Lankan head of state, crushing the rebellion is a matter of pride. For the Indian PM, this seems like

I is ever ready tounleash peptalk on I I theimportance ofnot ending up the "minimum guy" in office. I It'sthe"newworld", afriendtries I explaining thecorporate culture,

I a good chancetokeepSriLankafrom I signing a pactwithChina that would givethe latter a strategic control over I IndianOcean.

And the music is just sublime. Composer Santhosh Narayanan's work is a contemporary treasure. He introduces techno beats coupled with traditional tunes in the film's music score, retaining cultural influences but also making it relevant to current times. His song Kandaa Vara So//unga has already been widely praised by audiences.

You don't have to be a film theorist to enjoy Karnan, but it's impossible to ignore the skilled effort. The film is a blessed duality, a straightforward plot with epic music, elegant storytelling with typical action sequences. Karnan is a must-watch for all.

Bageshri Savyasachi

I That backdrop is set crisply in the I earlyhalf ofEpisodeOne, setting the stage for pulsating action.Shrikant, I saddled byhis self-imposed corporate I exile, wouldseem far removed from I suchmatters of national importance anymore.Yet, heis forced to pick up I thegun forthe country again, asTamil I rebelsfind an allyin certain foesthat he had made inSeasonOne.Worse, I this time, thesafetyof acloseone is at I stake.

I Morethan an originalscript,Raj and DK havescored with stylish storytelling I that keepsyou on edge.The show I is predictable, and yet it is amusing I howthe episodes keep youhooked all through. Fine acting from the entire I cast- notablyBajpayeeandSamantha

I Akkineni asthearch antagonistRajiI is an asset, as a solidtechnical crew bring alive some well-canned action I sequences andsuspense.

I The FamilyMan2 is bingetherapy forOTT addicts, more so in thetime of 1 lockdown.

I Vinayak Chakravorty

June 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

Minal Khona has been readingtarot cards for the lasttwo decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostlyto help people.

I

You may be in a nostalgic frame of mind. Short trips and visits are foretold. Those who are single may finally open up to a new romantic possibility. A newjob or a project gives you the boost you need to lift your spirit. Work from home may have depressed you and you could have other health issues. Finances are

better than expected. An old business issue gets resolved after a compromise. I

Overall, everything will work out better I than you thought. I

I I I I I I I

This month asks forsome introspection and solitude asyou will have to let go ofold habits. You could have fights with a significant other, and an affair or abandonment could make you lose trust. An unexpected setback could be devastating buttrust the higher power. Drive carefully as minor accidents could occur. You may even incur medical expenses. Your finances will improve and a freshstart is on its way. Stay calm in theface of adversities for better results.

I The card representing Pisces appears I for Gemini, makingthem inclined towards the arts and fashion. A I new relationship progresses slowly. I Circumstances make you feel trapped I at work. Speak your mind even if it is a struggle to do so. Health issues with I your legs or knees could bogyou down.

I You have enough moneyfor what you need. A new project could come your I way ifself-employed. Take on onlyas I much as you can handle orthings will I get difficult.

I A new beginning is on the anvil for I Cancerians. It could be in the realm ofwork, spiritual growth or your love I life. Problems with paperwork will get I resolved If in business, you will see a I spurt ofgrowth. You recover ifyou have been unwell. Money comes in I from investments or where it was I held up. Over some months, a I relationship you thought was over could get revived and bringyoujoy. Work I having to be redone several I times causes anxiety.

You drawthe card for Gemini indicating communication, new ideas, or meetinga person with a Gemini kind of disposition. In a relationship, things could be ata standstill dueto ego issues. You are much in demand at work and populartoo. Work keeps you so busy you won't have time to dwell on your emotions. If you have been sick, you will make a full recovery. A prosperous month for Leos. An estrangement with a lover or a friend will end.

I You willwantto indulge in someselfimprovement onthework fronttochange

I yourimage. Beware ofany loners who I make romantic advances; they could be married. Ifseeingsomeone, it may I progressto moving in together. Success I atworkfollowsthe efforts you have put in. An estranged friend or lover maytry I and reconcile wth you. Eat healthier if I you are low on energy. Profits increase I in business. Ifunsure aboutthe future, I think and planyour next move.

The card drawn represents the higher I self and you will focus on spiritual I growth and doingthe rightthing.

I Attempts by otherstocontrol you will lead to resentment ofauthority. Ifyou I have a problem that needs solving, try I meditation for a solution tocome up. If seeingsomeone new, itwon't lead to I much as itwon'tfeel right Respiratory I problems could makeyou ill. A better I opportunityatwork comes up which is more in line with whatyou wanted. I

I I I I I I

There's activity this month in the realm I of the mind as things move forward. I Emails, media, renewed contracts and

I more could keep you busy this month. If I a relationship is rocky, stay determined I to work it out and it will. A project could I get revived. At work, tension makes I I things unpleasant. A family member I could fall ill. A dispute over money takes I I time to work out but it will get sorted. I I Something you hoped would transpire in I your favour, probably will not. I

This month suggests new beginnings as things start comingtogether. You could be in a position of power with a leadership role at work. An intense new love affair is on the anvil. You focus on your goals and have the motivation to follow through too. You won't be able to find the underlying cause for your stress. Business transactions are fruitful. There will be a change in your love life. Be on your guard against deception of any kind.

I It is a time for renewal where you seek I This month brings to an end a I truth and happiness across all spheres I relationship or a currentsituation. Worry I of your life though you may be feeling I not, it will change things for the better. If very blah atthe moment. You will be you have experienced a loss of income, I rewarded with a more positive mindset, I moneywill startto come in. The strife of I self-confidence and the courage to I the past months leads to enlightenment pursue your goals. There could be an and transformation from within. Italso

I You could see a change in a long-term I I condition atwork or in your relationships. I You get an opportunity to promote I yourself or your products. If business I I was slow due to the pandemic, things I I will improve soon. If in a relationship, I you could be thinkingoftyingthe knot.

I starts toflow in.

I announcement of a broken engagement I implies a change in lifestyle or giving I or a pregnancy in the family. A trip I up ofold habits and patterns. Delays in I provesto be unfruitful. A financial I problem will get resolved and new money travel plans workto youradvantage. Let go of anythingthat doesn't help you grow I spiritually.

I Don'tsuppress your feelings ifyou want I I yourgood health to continue. Some I I friendships might become deeper bonds. I You will see the rewards for all your I efforts comingto you shortly. I

The aliens are co

DEARAUNTY:11

Last week I was having meatballs and spaghetti for lunch while sitting in the garden with Kaali Billi and Sher Raja (my pet cat and pet pug). I read on the Guardian website that the pentagon will be releasing a report in Junethat essentially tells us that aliens exist. Even President Obama said so I am really very excited that we will getto see aliens in my lifetime, butwhen I told my kids they laughed at me. I am truly excited that the mysteries of the universe are unfolding I told myfriend Meera about this and she was a little more reserved - she wanted to know ifthe aliens would be hostile This is all so exciting. Auntyji. What are yourthoughts. are you also excited?

AUNTY:JISAYS

HeyBhagwan. Prez Obama said no such thing. All he indicated was thatthere are unidentified aerial phenomena that we are unableto explain. What are you expecting the Pentagon to say. youjaahilbewakuf?That there are little green men?Think aboutthis. Why is the US nowtalking about UFOs/UAPs? Why is there only US footage? Ifthere were aliens. why are they choosing the US to make themselves known? But allow me to indulge the shaitaan in me by asking you these questions. You know howyou took Kaali Billi and Sher Raja from their mothers at birth and you putthem in yourhouse with strong smells? And you know how you neutered your pets, and that Sher Raja exists because ignoramuses like you specifically selected breeds that look cute but can barelyfunction? Well. listen up, you nasamajhganwar, here is the idea you need to ponderfurther. The aliens are coming because they are looking for exotic pets and a newfood source. So they will take our beautiful babies at birth and keep them as pets. And when our kids grow up, they will matethem with exotic people, so thatthe offspring will look beautiful. Then those of us who are fat. theywill make into koftas and havethem fordinner. So putthat in yourchaiand drink it. Nexttime you decide to eat a meat dish. and nexttime you look at your pets. thinkabout what gave you the rightto eat animals, and own them foryour entertainment and pleasure. Howwould you feel ifsome superior being treated you and yourchildren as pets and food?

Prayer without actio.m

DEARAUNTY:JI

I have a situation from last Diwali that l wanted your rai on Generally. because I am married to an Australian. I don't really do anything for Diwali My sister-in-law celebrates it every year and goes out of her way to make all sorts of sweets. Now Auntyji, in the 25 years I have known her I have rarely asked herfor anything In fact. I am always giving her stuff - because it's the right thing to do Anyway last Diwali. I asked her to make me a batch ofbarlis Sneha is a great cook and her barlis are to die for. She is from Fiji so her barlis are different from ours But she politely declined, saying she wouldn't be able to make them because she would preferto use that time for worship I nearly fell off the chair when I read that text. I am not a religious person. but I wondered to myself. what is the point of sitting in front of a statue praying to be good. when you can do an act of service and earn good karma that way? Still I sent a polite text back saying I understood and all. But. Auntyji I really don't understand What is the purpose of prayer without a practical application of an act of service to others? Isn't service to others a form of prayer? Am I thejaahil in all of this?

AUNTY31SAYS

Oh my plateful ofchamcham. how nadaan you are to have such an intelligent viewpoint on religion when you are surrounded byjaahi/s. Yes. I completely agree with you. Ifthere was a devta, I would expect that ofall the prayers and supplications. the most cherished act would be one ofservice to a banda. So your Sneha has fallen into the trap of religious people everywhere who believethat spending time in sisdha or in front of a murat is an act of worship. These people feel that thinking about god and trying to be good and praying to be good is the wayto godliness. If onlythey spend one minute thinking about this. they would realise that an act of service to others is a hundred times betterthan 5000 wahegurus or a thousand rakats. But let·s be charitable and look at it this way. Let Sneha have her up close and personal with her devta. And you can thank herwhen you have your up close and personal with your bathroom scales - because you would have become an e/aichi-scented go/abarliyourself. And yes. I know exactly what you mean aboutthose Fiji barlis. I believe they make them with powdered milk and e/aichi and ghee and sugar. Sadly, neither of us will know because snarky Sneha is unlikely to share the recipe with us either - may she sit in front ofher devta until she becomes a baingan from the lack of exercise.

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