2021-07 Melbourne

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

RajniAnandLuthra

CONTRIBUTORS

RheaLNath,BageshriSavyasachi,

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

SALES

AnshikaMaini

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in partorinwholewithoutthewrittenconsentofthe editor.Opinionscarriedin Indian Link arethose of the writersandnotnecessarilyendorsedbyIndian Link. Allcorrespondence shouldbeaddressedto:

INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000

GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

he outrageinSydney's Indian Australiancommunity at the ongoingsecondlockdownis palpable. Similar frustrations wereexpressedby Melbourne's Indian community only weeks ago. Thedispleasureisnot aimedatour respective state governments butat the way theFederal Government under PM Morrison'sleadershiphas handled therolloutof the vaccines.Asmigrant communities, thediscontentwillonly grow thelongertravelrestrictions andinternational borderclosures keep families apart. No guidelines areforthcoming on whetherthose in Australia who arefully vaccinated will be allowed to travel.

This is over and above thecontinuing hurt regarding the unfairtravelbans implemented against Indian-Australians trapped inIndiaformonthsnow.

Outside the co1nmunity, those in the mainstrean1 are also voicing their anger atthe mismanagement around the vaccine rolloutand the poormessaging by the Morrison government.In the early days of the pandemic,Australia

relishedits island nation statusthat gaveitrelativefreedomfrom the virus. Politicians of allpersuasions spoke upfor astrongzerotolerance policytowards COVID-19, rather thandiscuss waysto preparefor a possible-or inevitable -outbreak.

Vaccinemanagement, an obvious strategy, was an importantway outbut thegovernment bungled it byrelying toomuch ona singlemanufacturer AstraZeneca, atthe expenseof other availableoptions.

Thoughallthesedecisions were madeintheearly days of the pandemic, prudence and farsightedness should have dictated a more diversified approach.

When the media began to report highly adverse effects ofAstraZeneca, thegovernment, seeminglyin astate of paralysis, put out no concerted messaging to standupfor its choice of vaccine. There was no one pointing outthe factthatthe probability of these hostile reactions occurring were extremelylow. Bettermessagingby the governmentin the early days of adverse media reportson thereaction toAZ could havequelledthedoubts.The correctnarrative atthattimecouldhave helpedput things in perspective for the public.Instead, rather than clarity, we sawconflictingmessages from the Prime Minister, theFederalHealth

OUMinister and State Health officials.This did little to combat vaccine hesitancy, and probably turnedoffthose vaccineready. Withlimited alternatives, alargely unvaccinatedpopulation blunders in and out oflockdowns.

There will be muchthatPrime MinisterScott Morrison willbe praying for as he prepares to call an electionin thenextnine months. Topof thelistwill be,no cause for more lockdowns - not only to keepAustralians safe, but also to keephimaway fromthe wrath of the people.

He'll alsopray for the economy to showresilience againstthe pandemic -an increasing demand for iron ore from China, perhaps? Going into an electioncycle with a bursting hip pocketisagood way to retainthePrime Ministership.

Andperhapslike his 'goodfriend' Narendra Modi,he willalsopraythat thereis nochangein theleadershipof the Opposition. (Thesoundof 'Prime MinisterAlbanese', perhapslikethatof 'Prime Minister RahulGandhi' might not exactly bethemostengagingfor eitherelectorate.)And yet, closerto theelection, whentheALProlls outits policies, the votersmay wellchange their minds.

To scorethis perfect trifecta may indeedneedafair bitof praying.

JyotiShankar,SydneySrinivas, VishalSaddi,MohanDhall, KalyaniWakhare,DhanyaSamuel, PetraO'Neill,MananLuthra, Minal Khona,Auntyji

ishalJood,anIndiannational arrestedforaIIegedinvolve1nent inaseriesofgangattacksin Sydney'swest,wasduetoappearin ParramattaLocalCourton1July.

Thecasehasnowbeenadjourneduntil12 August,withbailrefused.

Thesagahascaughttheattentionof observersinIndia,includingManoharLal Khattar,ChiefMinisterofHaryana,Jood's homestate.MultipledemonstrationsbyVishal Joodsupportersinthenorth-Indianstate promptedtheCMtotweetaboutraisingthe matterwithExternalAffairsMinister,DrS Jaishankar.

Since21June1nembersoftheRor communityinKarna!andKurukshetra districtsofHaryanahavebeenmarchinginthe streetstodemandVishalJood'srelease.

Thecommunityreportedlypressuredruling partyleaderstoputtheissueforwardtoCM ManoharLalwhothenbroughtitupwithDr Jaishankar.

Indiandailyl-IindustanTimesreportedthat astatementfromtheHaryanaCM'soffice saidthe24-yr-oldJoodwas"innocent"and wasjailedfoIIowinga"conspiracyfromantinationalforces".

Jood'ssupportersalsoinsistthathewas framedby"Khalistaniextremists".

Saga reaches Brampton, Canada

Meanwhile,thehigh-octanesagahasmadeits waytotheIndiancomn1unityinCanada,adire depictionthattensionsarerunninghighwithin thecommunityacrosstheglobe.

InathreadofvideosonTwitter,Jood supporterswereseenrallyinginthesuburbof Bramptonwhentheyencounteredopposition fromSikhcommunitymembers.Thetwo sidescanbeseenhavingheatedinteractions whichthenpromptedlocallawenforcementto intervene.

Khalistanflags,cricketandbaseball batswerealsovisibleinthevideothread;

--. ---·· --

CM rr,khatt&<spoketoEltum&JAttairsMinister,SIVI ""OtSJat- urforlmmecf.aterele111aofV'aahaJJude,a Hary.irrvlyouthlod(edInAimrafla"sjail&appealedfor iMmediate riten-ent.oninthem,uet.TheForet.an Mlnlsterhlsc�fnd..a'sconce,ntotheAusll n Embassy

elementsthataffirm theJoodcaseasa catalystforthegrowing (andseeminglyviolent) dividewithinthe Indiandiaspora.

H&yanaCMMa.noharLIil<hattAth.:lslJ)Ok&ntotho Mlnl,st,yofExt•n•IAflalr1to..cur1lm�l•t• r�lclldorVi!:halJood

Joodhubeenlmpflc:11tt1dlnf secuesbyl(haJlst.anl «11tnunilt•whohadbffnbullyinghimforIIlongtlm;s boca=•ofhis1-tlndufaithandlndmnnabonahty.

Flnally,ExternalAffalr5W1r,11teraauredth.atVlihal JoQclwouldber&11tl1$0dfromprison,nAu$1t8'i3VIIJY

!l001'I

Projectexpressed concernsregardingthe

innocencecampaigns launchedforJood

Indiawithoutjusticebeingserved."

Theyarguethecampaignsatte1npttopaint Joodinapositivelight,andthathewas,infact, arrestedforhistargetedassaultofthreeSikh meninSydney.TheHumanismProjectalso highlightstheroleofthefarmers'protestin IndiainthecaseofVishalJood.

"Withinthis,theroleofthecurrentongoing farmersprotestinIndiacannotbedismissed. Joodandthosethatsupporthim,namely supportersofIndia'srulingHindunationalist BhartiyaJanataParty,havevocalisedtheir oppositiontotheprotestingfarmers,many ofthemSikhs,andhaveengagedinactsof violenceandvilificationagainstsupportersof theprotest,"theletterstates."Infact,there isavideocirculatingcurrently,inwhichJood purposefullyattendsasolidarityprotestin supportofthefarmers,andantagonisesthe attendees."

ForthehonoroflndlanNallor,llFf-ainSycfney, Au;tniflca,Vi�IJood�firmlywithKholiat1Jni;& didn'tallowIndianfl-atob&insulted

Ithasbecon1e

inpartsofIndia, Australia,andmost recentlyCanada. increasinglyapparent WestandWithVishal thatunprecedented,,., a.4 ,__.. globalconnectivity•••- H ... 11111 hasledtoarisingtrendofdomesticIndianpoliticsplaying outindiasporiccommunities-atrendthat cannotbeignoredandonetokeepaclose eyeon.

Diaspora raisesconcerns aheadofcourt appearance

AdaybeforeVishalJoodwastoappearbefore ParramattaLocalCourton1July,concerns wereraisedbysectionsofthecommunityhere regardingthemainstreamnarrativeofhis arrest.

InanopenlettertoSenMarisePayne, MinisterforForeignAffairs,Australia-based socialjusticeadvocacygroupTheHumanism

"Ourconcernsare withthenarrative beingspunbycertain factionswithin theIndiandiasporainAustralia,asweIIas fromIndia.Theseindividualsholdfirmthe beliefthatJoodisinnocentofanycrimes, andiscurrentlybeingheldunderinhumane conditionsfor'protectingtheIndianFlagand Identity'.Theseclaimsarebeingparroted acrosssocialmediaandarebeingamplifiedby right-wingHindu-nationalistentitiesinIndia andinAustralia,"theletterreads.

Notingthatmeetingshadbeenscheduled betweenIndianministersandDrS Jaishankar,ExternalAffairsMinisterof India,tointerveneinthecase,thegroup askforJoodtofacetheAustraliancourtsfor thechargesand"notbeallowedtoreturnto

Accordingtotheletter,TheHu1nanism Projectbelieve"acommitmenttojusticefro1n theAustraliangovernmentwouldgoalong waytosupportingandshowingsolidarity withtheSikhcommunity,andwiderIndian DiasporacommunityofAustralia."

SinceApril,certainIndianmediaoutlets reportedthatJoodwasdeniedmedications injail,assaultedbyotherprisoners,andnot allowedtomeethislegalrepresentation.There hasbeennoevidencetosupporttheseclaims.

Inavirtualmeetingwiththemediaon24 June,anofficialspokespersonfromtheIndian MinistryofExternalAffairsconfinnedthey wereintouchwithAustralianauthorities.

"IknowthatconsularaccesstoVishal JoodwasgrantedonJune17.AndourHigh CommissionisintouchwiththeAustralian authorities,"Arinda1nBagchi,Official Spokesperson,stated.

Lastweek,IndianLinkreachedouttothe HighCommissionofIndiainCanberrato inquirewhethertheirofficehadreceivedany officialrequestsregardingtheVishalJoodcase. TheHighCommissionerrefusedto commentduetothecasebeingsub-judice.

A Sydney saga of affray makes its way to communities in India and Canada. BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI and RHEA L NATH report

''I know that consular access to Vishal Jood was granted on June 17. And our High Commission is in touch with theAustralian authorities," Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson MEA.

YOUR SAY

VISHAL JOOD SAGA CONTINUES

The arrest of the international student has caused ripples amongthe diaspora BAGESHRI SAWASACHI reports.

ViratSingh wrote:Thechargesareserious and evidenceisstrong.

GursharanSingh wrote: Thanks Indian Link forbeing fair. Farmers happen tobe Sikh and BJP teamhasturned thisinto a divide-and-hate campaign

SCORN OVER SYMPATHY

International student Ashwin Chhaperia, currently studyingfrom India, shared his unfortunate experience with racist comments in an online class.

Rhea Nath wrote: Thank you Ashwin for beingso willing todiscussthis incident openly. It would'vebeeneasy, maybe eveninstinctual,toshyaway fromnamingthe university or askingtoremainanonymous.Ireally think your article will makeahugedifferencefor many otherswhoarescaredtospeak up. Here'stocreatingsafe, inclusive bubbles foreveryone!

Souryanl Mohlle wrote: Iamreallysorrythatyouhadtofacesuchracism!It is sadto seehowmisunderstoodIndians andourcountry Indiaare. Ihope one day thingsimproveandwenolongerhavetofacesuchcommentsandbehaviour

Rupa P wrote:Thanks forbeingsobraveinspeakingupaboutyourexperiences.

Ashwln Chhaperla wrote: Racism has never been okay, and when you are on the receiving endof it, it canbehighly unnerving anddistressing. But always, always, alwayscallit out. Because everytime someone callsout something like this, theworldbecomesa slightly betterplace.

Suprlya Padhye wrote:Thisissosad.

DeepakVincent wrote: Studentsshouldbe self-confident andignorant tosuch comments. Focusonstudiesand(be)boldenoughto reply back. Becoming the victimto verbalcomments isnot good, theyhave toreply back withboldness.

BobbySaini wrote: Thisis Australia, not India. Without evidence, police cannot arrest anyone. Policehave CCTC footage proof. Haryanagovernment playingcardagainst farmersprotests

Shabu Thomas wrote: Eitherway, (VishalJood) shouldbe bailed and then thecase canbe prosecuted. No reason for him to be injail. This is Australia, wedon't rejectbail forsuchcases

LITTLE INDIA PRECINCT

The City of Parramatta Council inNSWallowed a certain section of Harris Park to be labelled 'Little India'

TrikoneAustralia wrote: Little India, or notsolittle!

Little IndiaAustralia wrote: "LittleIndia",theheartandsoul oftheIndianAustraliancommunity,shapingthefuture ofthe Australia-Indianbilateral relationship. Progressingnowtowards installation of "Little India Gate".

SAYIT AGAIN

Scott Morrisonsets example for Sydney by isolatinghimself from thenation.

The Chaser

KIRTHANASELVARAJ IN HER 'GREEN SUIT'

BAGESHRI SAWSACHI caught up with the queer brown artist and Archibald Prize nominee.

MichelleCahill wrote: Arewomen of colour invisible, UNSW?Professor Chandini Raina MacIntyre andqueer artist Kirthana Selvaraj, alumna UNSW COFA in the#ArchibaldPrize.#diversitymatters

Satyarth Mishra wrote:This isbrilliant!To eachtheirown.Powerto Kirthana.

The frustrationof seeing wealthy Hollywoodstarstraveling herewhenyour own country shutsyouout. Ijustcan't even.

Shalailah Medhora, ABCjourno

Heal country like itheals us. Happy NAIDOC Week everyone, but especially mob. And remember, Blak excellence should be acknowledgedandcelebrated all year round.

Casey Conway, former rugby league footballer

SBSHINDI INTHENEWS

ThelegalcaseinvolvingjournalistPallaviJain's unfairdismissalfrom thenational networkmadeheadlinesthismonth.

RanbirShauhan wrote: Fight,fight,fight(the) racistdecision. So manyIT contractors have been (similarly) illegallysacked

Rekha Rajvanshi wrote: Enough ofbullying,SBS.Take Pallaviback YaduSingh wrote: GoodcoverageofPallavi'sstorybyIndian Link. SBS managementshouldfixthe issues inSBSHindi. Manyhavebeenthe victims ofSBSHindi management. ThefaireststepforSBS isto reinstate Pallavi. InquisitiveSoul wrote:Unfairtreatmentshould becalledoutand rectified. Saroni Roy wrote:I'mnotsurprised.

Suchl Patel wrote:JayaSharma wasa Melbourne journalistthatSBS picked to leadSBSHindi.Howeversuddenly KumudMeraniprotested,and she wasgiventhejobinstead!

fdamodshere wrote:Notsurprised butreallyannoyedthatunclestrytopull thiss**tinthefirstworld.Theygetawaywiththatmessinthehomeland,but theydon'tunderstandthat women likePallaviJainaren'tgoingtoputupwithit?

PROVING BROWN IS BEAUTIFUL

RHEA L NATHsharedthestory ofNitesh Pillai, a 20-year-old Indian origin model who made his bigdebutat theAustralian Fashion Week 2021 Gautam Gordon Nath wrote:Nicetoreadthejourneysofa varietyof individualsfromacrosstheglobe!Wellwritten! VedaGottumukkala wrote: He'sgorgeous!Reallyhope he makesitbig. Nltesh PIiiai wrote: Great writing, reallywellputtogetherandextremely cohesivepieceofwork, gladto bea partofit!

WHERE IN INDIA

IIII

Theonly placeintheworld whereyoucanfind multipletemplesontopofahill - whereisitlocated?ReadersSmitaPawarNashikkar,DeepakVincent, Neha Mittal, andSudhaguesseditright: PalitanaTempleonShatrunjayaHill inPalitana, Bhavnagardistrict,Gujarat.

Ihadahighlyrespected virologistknockbacka requestforan indepthinterview/Q&Athisweekbecausethe mediaenvironmenthad become"tootoxic."Brokensand dripsonsocialmedia wagingtheir ownideologicalcrusadeshavedestroyedinformed publicdebate.

Kemal Atlay, reporterW

WHEREIN OZ

Weasked you, wherecan youfindthe BigBundy Bottle?Readers Naresh and Bhanu Kothari hadthe rightanswer: Bundaberg, Queensland!

Fewcountrieshavegonebackwardsintheirrestrictions(letalone lockedtheircitizensoutatall)18monthson.WhyisAustraliadoing itagainandagainandagain?Becauseit'spoliticallyokay,supported byLabor&Liberalsand mostofthepopulation.Sad, uglytruth."

LatikaBourke,TheAgejourno

GetthebestofIndian Linkstraightinyour inbox.ScantheQR codetosign uptoour weeklyenewsletter

BY JYOTI SHANKAR

versinceCOVlDfirststruck in2019-2020,responsestothe panden1ichavedifferedaccording toresourcesavailableandthe speedwithwhichgovernn,entstookactions. Indiawaslaudedinternationallyforitsearly effortsinbringingthebeastundercontrol, butwhenadevastatingsecondwavestruck ayearlaterinMarch2021,theworld watchedhorrifiedastheextentoflosshit thenews.Thesituationgot1norerealas newsofillnessanddeathsoflovedones backhornetrickledin.LifeinAustraliahad almostreturnedtonormalbutIndiansliving here,withfamiliesinIndia,watchedin sadnessandhopelessness.

OnesuchIndian-AustralianwasDr. RohinaJoshi.AstheheadoftheGlobal HealthWorkforceProgran,attheGeorge InstituteofGlobalHealthandAssociate ProfessorattheFacultyofMedicineat UNSWSydney,Rohinafeltimpelledto takestepstosupportherfellowmedical colleaguesinIndia.

"Iwasgettingconstantmessagesabout oxygencylindersandhospitalbeds,and spentmanynightslinkingpeople,"Rohina recountedtoIndianLink. "Itreachedapoint whereIthoughtthatdoingthingsby1nyself, alone,wasnotgoingtobesustainable."

ApostonherownFacebookpageand thatofalocalcom1nunitywon1en'sgroup washerfirstattempttoreachouttodoctors basedinAustralia.Shealsowrotetomany medicalgroups.

Theresponsewasoverwhelming.The resultwastheestablishn1entofCOVID Connect,launchedbyRohinaanda colleagueLizaThomas,professorandstaff specialistatWestmeadHospital.Their aitnwastoprovideaplatformtoconnect healthcareprofessionalsinAustraJiawith theirpeersinIndia.Rohina'scolleaguesat theGeorgeInstitutealsojoinedin.

EARLY EFFORTS

Therewasnotimetolose.Explainingthe sprintspeedinwhichtheyworked,Rohina said,"Asurveywasorganisedtofigureout wherevarioushealthprofessionalswere basedhereinAustralia,andwhattheycould helpwith.Initiallyweworkedviaen,ails andphonecalls.Thelaunchofawebsite nowhashelpedto,nakeprocessesmore stream.Lined.Thecoregroupnow1neets weekly."

Theydecidedthatprovidingevidencebasedtelehealthsupport,peer-to-peer supportand111entalhealthsupport,were thethreethingstheyneedtofocusonfor in1n1ediateimpact.Manyofthedoctors ongroundinIndiaspoketoRohina aboutmentalexhaustion.Doctorswere trau1natisedbybeingforcedtochoosewhich patientstosavefirst,astheygrappledwith insufficientsuppliesofn1edicineandoxygen. Theunderfundedhealthcaresystemwas underseverepressureandwith3000deaths everyday,itwasin1portanttositnultaneously trainhealthcareworkerstoeducatethe co1nmunityandreducetherateofinfections.

ORGANISING TELEHEALTH SERVICES

Theyhitalegalroadblockwithproviding telehealthsupport."IfyouareoutsideIndia, youcannotprovidemedicaladviceinIndia, evenifyouaretrainedthere,"saysRobina.

Fortunately,theylearntofavolunteer effortintheUSwhereexpatdoctors wereprovidingtelehealthservicesin collaborationwithIndia-baseddoctors, tocircun1ventsuchlegalissues.Sothey decidedtoworkthroughtwotelehealth platforins:theUS-basedMDTok,and Globa1Medics4COYIDinSydney.

"PracticingasadoctorhereinAustralia isdifferenttoIndia,"admitsRobina."We arewellawarethatwedonotknowthe realitiesofthecurrentsituationinIndia."

SixtyvolunteerdoctorsinAustralia weretrainedbytheirIndiancounterparts toprovidehome-basedcareandpractical advicetopeopleinruralIndiawheremany ho,nesaresmallandoftenhavenotoilets.

Sixty volunteerdoctors in Australia weretrained bytheir Indian counterparts to provide home-based care and practical advice to people in rural India

INDIA'S FRONTLINE WORKERS FIGHTON

ACOVIDpreventionpostercreatedbyRabiaKhan,epidemiologistand COVID Connectteammember,foruseinruralIndia

DoctorsorganiseacandlelightvigilontheoccasionofNational Doctors'Dayasatributetofrontlineworkersanddoctorswho losttheirlivestoCOVID-19attheTamilNaduGovernmentMulti

A 'vaccinationon wheels'initiativeatKumartulydistrictinKolkata. SuperSpecialityHospitalinChennai

Ghaziabad'sDrBrajpalSinghTy ona39-year-oldMucormycosis

"Welearnt aboutadvisingonsin1plethings such ashow to maintain spacesbetween peoplewhenlivingintiny hon1es bynot siltingoreatingtogether,leavingdoorsand windows open, usingtheverandah, about pronation orsleepingonyourtun1n1y to ease breathingdifficulties verypractical things," saysRohina aboutthe takeawaysof thetraining.

PROVIDING ONLINE TRAINING FOR STUDENT VOLUNTEERS

LizaThon1as,throughaclassn1atein[ndia, foundthat COVIDConnectcouldbe partof anotherlargerinitiativebyMaduraiKamaraj University.They couldhelpwithonline trainingofgraduatestudentvolunteers on theprevention andcontrolofCOVID.

To dateCOVIDConnecthastrained 600 graduate students andthefacultyofseven colleges inTamilNadu. These studentsare nowgoingtovillages in Maduraitoeducate people about thevirus andto counter vaccine hesitancy.

Theyalso provide psycho-socialsupport to counterthestigma causedbyCOYJD, aswellasgriefsupport topeoplewho havelost a lovedone. "Thisis abeautiful model ofhowcivil societycan rise up and dosomethingfor prevention andcontrol, andwe playa smallrole in this 111uchlarger move111ent," says Robina about this 'all handson deck'solution.

What started asa pilothasnowgrown biggerthan what they ilnagined.They have been askedtotrain 2400 n1oregraduate students."Weare bracing ourselves forthis," laughs Robina, both excitedandfearfulat the enormityof the task.

Whiledoctorson the groundinIndia are busy meetingtheirclinical responsibilities, theseIndian-origin doctorsinAustraliaare workingwithCOVlDConnectto provide all the additionalsupport theycan.

CARING FOR CHILDREN DEALING WITH LOSS

Anotheractivityin the pipelineissourcing simple, clearevidence-based materials for children dealingwithlossofa loved one

and 1najorchanges in theirlife causedby COVlD in ruralIndia.They have expanded theiractivitiestocover NorthIndia where they will train more volunteers and alsothe NepaJ region.

Sharingresourcessuchaspostersand messages to bedistributedonsocialmedia platforms, hasbeen anothereffective support activity.This helpstocounter the misinformation spreadthrough what

Robina calls "TheWhatsApp University".

In a matter ofeight weeks, the movement has grown exponentially. Butgiven that India has seen more than 30 millionCOVID cases, andso1ne 403,000 deaths since March2020, Rohina isaware that there ismuchtodo. Atthe same time, she isconfidentthat the work ofCOVID Connect will create the needed impact.

"l amamazedat the responseand the generosityofaJI ourvolunteers," she says with humility.

WithCOVlD Connect, she's proving again what anthropologist Margaret Mead oncesaid, "Neverdoubt that asmallgroup ofthoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;indeed,it's theonly thing thateverhas."

Formoredetailsandtofindouthowyou canhelp,headtowww.covidconnect.net.au

Rohina:Joshi

To date C0VID Connect hastrained 600 graduate students and the faculty ofseven colleges in Tamil Nadu. These studentsare now going to villages in Madurai to educate people aboutthe virusand to counter vaccine hesitancy. 2400 more students arewaiting to betrained.

agiperforms endoscopicsurgery patientatHarsh ENTHospital.

Dr. KedarToraskar(centre), headofCriticalCare, operatesona C0VID-19patientattheMumbaiCentral WockhardtHospital.

A technicianprepares a CTscan ofa C0VID-19patientatthe SwaroopRaniNehruHospitalinPrayagraj

verthepastthreeyears,Energy

SafeVictoria's(ESV)BeSure carnpaignhaspromptedn1ore Victorianstohavetheirheaters checkedbyaqualifiedgasfitteratleastonce everytwoyears,howevertherearestill s01newhoareyettoactonthismessage.

ESValsowarnspeopletoensureson1e ventilationintheroon1whentheheateris on,andnottooperateextractionfans,such asabathroomfanorakitchenrangehoodat thesametin1eastheheater.

ESVCo111111issionerandChairperson MarnieWilliamssaidcarbonn1onoxide poisoningsyn1ptomswereoftensimilarto thoseexperiencedbyflusufferers.

''WeareurgingVictorianstoensuretheir familiesareprotectedthiswinterwithtens ofthousandsofopenfluedgasheatersstill beingusedacrossthestate,"MsWilliams said.

"Wewantpeopletobewarmintheir ho1nesbutthosewithopenlluedgasheaters

needtoensuretheirunitsareservicedby TypeA,licensedplumbersatleasteverytwo years."

VictorianMulticulturalCommission spokespersonVivienneNguyensaidcarbon monoxidepoisoningfromoldorfaultygas heaterspresentedarealdangertofamilies thiswinter.

"Havingyourheaterscheckedbya qualifiedgasfitterisaneasysteptoensure youandyourlovedonesaresafe,"Ms Nguyensaid.

Victoria'sDeputyChiefHealthOfficer .DrAngieBonesaidthatwhilenoteveryone sufferingthesesymptomshadanissue withabeater,itwasessentialthatcarbon monoxidepoisoningwasnotoverlooked.

BeSurewaslaunchedin 2019 afterGreensboroughwon,anSonia Sofianopoulosdiedfron,carbon1nonoxide poisoninginherho1ne.

Details:esv.vie.gov.au/campaigns/carbonmonoxideorcall 136 186.

Going through aseparation? Havingtroublemanagingadifficult relationship? Broadmeadows Family RelationshipCentrecan help. AtBroadmeadows Family Relationship Centrewesupportseparated familiestoestablish parenting,financialand propertyagreements. Mediation facilitated bya neutraland accredited practitionercan helpfamiliesdeal with separation, manage relationships, improvecommunicationand support childrentothriveafterseparation.

Wewelcomefamiliesfrom all cultural and linguisticbackgroundsand provide interpreters andsupportworkerstohelpfamiliesfromdiversebackgrounds through thischallenging phase intheirlives.

Formoreinformationonhowwecan

''TheRNLegalteamdidanexcellent job.TheyMnpro(essJona/,friendly BIidhelpful.''

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

Three elitejudgesareall setto checkthe contestants out in Fortune's MasalaChefcooking challenge

hefirstofitskindinAustralia's Indianconlillunity,Fortune's MasalaChefisachanceto showcaseyourtakeonthecon1plex

SARAH TODD

flavoursanddiversityofIndia'sworldfamouscuisine.Thefirstroundisnearly done,withvideoenh·iescontinuingtoflood infron1acrossthecountry.

We'veseensomefantasticcookinginthe formofprawncurries,biryanis,curryonthe cob,andevenaBengalifeast.Contestantsput theirbestfootforwardwiththeirentries,soof

coursewehadtodothesamewiththejudges! Herearethetalentedchefswhowillbe judgingthenextrounds.Contestants,are youreadytomeetyourcelebjudges?

SarahToddisaninternationalchef,restauranteu1:,entrepreneur,and TVhost.ALeCordonBleu-trainedchef,sheistheproudownerof tworestaurantsinIndia:AntaresRestaurantinGoaandTheWine RackinMurnbai.

SincehertimeasacontestantonMasterChefAustralia2014, whereoneofherdishesincludedadeliciousaloogobiforthejudges, Sarahhasbecon1eoneofthemostfamousfacesforglobalIndian cuisine.Shehaspublishedtwohugelysuccessfulcookbooksand hasnineTVshowstohername.In2014,hersix-partseriesMy Restaurantin India wasairedinalmost160countriesaroundthe world.

In2020,shewastheofficialcheffortheAustralianOpeninanallfe1naleAOChefSeries.Inearly2021,shejoinedAustralian Wo111en's Healthmagazineastheirfoodandfitnesscolun1nist.

Sarah'shugedigitalpresenceandbreakintotheculinaryworld hasresultedincollaborationswithinternationalrenownedchefslike HestonBlurnenthal,GeorgeColambaris,RanveerBrar,andMarco PierreWhite.AccordingtoSarah,herinnovativecookingstylecomes fromfresh,localproducecombinedwithsignature,elegantflavours.

SASHI CHELIAH

Sashikun1arCheliah,thewinnerofMasterChefAustralia2018,is aSingapore-bornrestauranteurandtelevisioncook.

Theeldestofsevenchildren,Sashi'spassionforcooking startedatayoungagefromwatchinghisrnother,acafeowner, cookmealsforthefamily.On MasterChef, hewonoverjudges andaudiencesalikewithhfafusion-stylecookinglikesambal prawnwithherbsalad,fishcurrywithcuminrice,andSingapore chickenrice.

Inthefinaleofhisvictoryepisode,hereceivedarecord93 outofapossible100score.Hewalkedawaywiththetitleof MasterChef,agrandprizeof$250,000,andamonthlycolumn forDeliciousmagazine.

Inlate2019,helaunchedGAJAbySashi,areflectionofhis Indian,Singaporean,andMalaysianfoodinfluences.Gajais Sanskritfor'elephant',atruereflectionofhisbold,robust,and flavourfuldishes.Sinceitslaunch,GAJAbySashihasreceived ravereviewsforitsingeniousnodtoSouth-EastAsiancuisine, andin2021,itwontheAdelaideReaders'ChoiceAwardforBest AsianinSouthAustralia.

DEPINDER CHHIBBER

DepinderChhibberhasbeenoneofthemostpopulaT contestantsintheongoingMasterChefAustralia2021, despiteashockelimination.

BorninDelhi,she1novedtoAustraliaasapreteen andgrewupinNewcastle.Shetooktocookingfrom ayoungagebywatchinghergrandmother,murn,and auntiesinthekitchen.Herfoodisinspiredbysh·ong SouthAsianflavours,asseenbyherimpressive con1petitionofferingslikefriedchickenwithmango chilli,prawnmoileewithcorianderriceandpeanut salsa,andcrayfishkathiroll.

Depinderis also aself-taughtbaker,showingoff herpastryskillswithaBombeAlaskawithwasabi icecreamandlemoncuTd,andpoachedapplewith brownbuttercrumbandrose1naryicecrea1uduring herMasterChefseason.Shefinishedinseventhplace.

ShecountsSanjeevKapoor,TarlaDalal,Gordon Ramsay,andDonnaHayamongherkitchenidols. Depinderhopestofollowintheirfootstepswithher owncookbookoneday,thistimeshowcasingIndian fusioncuisine.

SENIORSAREAVALUABLE COMMU

Melbourne's DrSantosh Kumar, OAM Forservice to the Indian communityofVictoria.

'' '111sadandhappy,"DrSantosh Kun1arOAMtold Indian Link abouthisQueen'sBirthday honourthisyear.

Hehadlosthiswifeof57years,Bala, justoveramonthago.

"Onesolaceisthatsheknewthough, aswegotnotificationbeforeshepassed. Andreally,equalsharegoestoherin thisachieven1ent."

.DrKun1ar,85,wasfacilitatedfor hisservicetothelndiancommunityof Victoria.

Althoughhehasbeenservingthe com111unityinvariouscapacitiessince hearrivedinthiscountryin 1970,he beca1newidelyknowneversincehe retiredandtookonthecauseofseniors.

DrKu111arsawaproductiveacademic careerinmathen1aticsandoperations researchatRMJT,attheUniversity ofMelbourne,andalsoatuniversities inZimbabweandSouthAfrica.He producedacade1nicpapersprolifically, andguidedresearchnationallyand internationally,hislastsupervisedPhD comingatage83.

"Ineverreallygaveupacade111ic work,andhavekeptmyselfpurposefully occupiedtwentyyearsafterofficially retiring.Therehasn'tbeenadull mon1ent."

Thepassionforhisownhealthyand activeaginghasnowtakenhiinto advocacy,asheencoutagesothersin hisagegroupandtalkstopolicymakers aboututilisingtheskillsetand experienceofseniors.

AdrivingforceinDrKumar's comn1unityworkhasbeentohighlight thatseniorsareanunderusedresource, andmanyofthe111canandwantto continuecontributingtosociety.

"Areseniorsaresource,orawasteto thecountry?"heasked."Ifeelseniors haveneverbeenappreciated-theonly discussionsaboutthemareinagedcare.

Peopleretireatabout65orso,and haveagoodtwentyor111oreyearsof activecontribution.Withprofessional backgroundsbehindus,wearea resourcethatmustbeharnessed.Why istherenoinfrastructuredesignedfor this?"

Headded,seniorswhoarekeen, thosethathavea'get-up-and-go' personalityhaveforgedtheirown pathways,butmanyotherswhomay wanttohelp-orhavetheskillsto-are leftdisillusioned.

Perhapsseniorsaretoblame the111selves,hemused."Manyofus believeitisnowtimetotakerest,and don'taskformuch.Butageisjusta number.Imyselfchangedcountriesat 59,movingtoAfricaforafewyears, tookuplinedancingat79,andwasstill acade111icallyinvolvedwellintomy80s!"

PerhapsinplayhereisDrKumar's professionalexpertiseinoperations research-adisciplinethatemploys advancedanalyticalmethodstohelp makebetterdecisions.

DrKumarfoundedtheNorthern RegionIndianSeniorsAssociation NRISAasaplatformforseniorstoget togetherregularly,interactsocially, participateinentertainmentandlight exercise,andtakeininformation sessionsontopicssuchashealth,elder rightsandfinance.

ButDrKu1nar'senthusiasmfor morepurposefulengagementofthe seniorsincommunity,perhapseven senioremployn1ent,tookhimtolarger platforms,suchasNorthernFederation ofEthnicSeniorsClubandtheEthnic Comn1unitiesCouncilofVictoria.

Throughtheseagencies,hehasbeen talkingtoauthoritiesatthestateand federallevelsaboutharnessingthe valuableresourceofthoseintheir senioryears.

Rajni Anand Luthra

MEDICINEAND MUSIC

Melbourne's Dr Selvanayagam

Selvendra,OAM

Forservice to multicultural organisations, and to medicine.

twaswithcharacteristichumility thatDrSelvendraOAMaccepted congratulationsforhisQueen's Birthdayhonour.

''I'mgratefultotheAustralian governmentforrecognisingmyservices totheconununity,"hesaidwith understatedelegance.

ManyofMelbourne'srecentHindu migrantsmightnothaveheardofDr Selvendra,buttheywouldallhavevisited

communityhotspotsthathelaunched,or participatediniconicannualeventsthat hebegandecadesago.

Foremostamongthesearethree well-knownplacesofworshipthatDr Selvendrahasseengrowfromsmallscalegatheringspotstolargecommunity structuresthatnowwelcomeprime ministersandpublicfigures.These includetheHinduSocietyofVictoria's ShivaVishnuTemple,whichsitson15 acresoflandatCarrumDowns.Dr Selvendrawasafoundingmemberofthe HSVwhenitwaslaunchedin1982,and

continuedtoserveonitsmanagement committeeuntilmuchlater.

AdevoutHindu,DrSelvendraalso foundedtheSriVakrathundaVinayagar TempleatTheBasinin1990,andserved asChairmanofitsBoardofTrusteesfor manyyears.TheTemplewasinthenews lastyearforbecomingthelargestHindu templeintheSouthernHemispheremade withhandmadegranitestonesinthe traditionalstyle.

DrSelvendraalsoremainsdeeply involvedwiththeMelbourneMurugan TempleandCulturalCentreinSunshine,

PROMOTINGAWARENESSOFSPECIALISTDENTALCARE Perth'sAssoc ProfRamesh Balasubramaniam, OAM

Forserviceto dentistry.

t44, the University ofWestern Australia'sAssociate Professor Ra1nesh Balasubramaniam is one ofthe youngestrecipients ofthe Queen's Birthday honour from our con11nunity.

"I an1 surprised and honoured atthis felicitation," an elated Dr Balasubra1nania111told IndianLink.

Currently engaged in a complexfieldof medicine called dentalsleep medicine, Dr Balasubra1nania111 hasa special interest in research pertainingto orofacialpain.

Describinghis niche field,heexplained, "Chronicorofacialpain canbe very distressing and hard totreat. Isuppose that challengeexcited me and drew111e away fromgeneraldentistry.Ireallywantedto relievepatients' pain and suffering."

SittingPrincipalofthe PerthOral Medicine and Dental Sleep Centre forover adecade,hewasalso the founding men1ber ofthe DentalSpecialists SocietyofWestern Australia. Launched in2016, thesociety ai1nedatpromotingawarenessofspecialist dental carewithin thecommunity.

Dr Subramania111 is also Presidentofthe Oral MedicineAcademy ofAustralasia.

The associateprofessorhasdelivered over 100 lectures in the field oforal medicine all overtheglobeand has numerouspublicationstohis name.

Graduating from UWAin 2000, he travelled overseasand received diverse trainingin orofacial pain and orofacial medicine atthe UniversityofKentuckyand the UniversityofPennsylvania respectively, returningtoAustralia in 2008.

Whenhereturned, oralmedicinewasnot a recognised specialtyin WesternAustralia.

"In 2009, alongwitha coupleof othercolleagues, Iwasinstrumentalin gettingthespecialtyrecognised," Dr Subramaniam revealed. "Atthattime, there wasno national board; eachstate

had its own.We1netwith the Health Ministeratthetime, Nicola Roxon,to effecta change in the Dental Boardof WesternAustralia toseethisdiscipline recognised."

Todayhe seesthis as asignificant highlight ofhiscareer,besidesofcourse, hisOAM honour.

"I hope this recognitionwill motivate others in the field ofdentistry as wellasotherareasofun1netneed in Australia toexcelinthose fields," Dr Balasubra1naniamexpressed.

The Malaysian-born oral medicine specialist'sIndianlinksrun deep thanks

aprojectirutiated anddevelopedbyhis wifeMani.

The Selvendras'contributiontoHindu lifeinVictoriacannotbe underestimated.

DrSelvendra cametoMelbournein 1974 afterhismerucaleducationinEngland, Scotlandand Ireland. Hepractisedas GeneralMedicalPractitionerand Surgeon, servingatSunsruneand attheRoyal MelbourneHospital, inacareerthat spanned 59years.

The SriLanka-borndoctorwasalso felicitatedforhlscontributiontothe multiculturalcommunityinthearts.

to hjspassion for the field.

"Besidessome aidworkin the past, I havetiesto India within theoralmedicine and radiologycommunity. lfitwasn't for theglobalpandemic, 1 wasgoing to go to India again thisyear to do somelectures in dental sleep medicine. Obviously, now they're allonline."

He added, "I havemanydearcolleagues in India. WhenIwrotemytextbook, my colleagues inoralmedicine in Indiawere verygenerous inprovidingclirucal images ofsomeofthe rarediseasesofthe mouth, whichwas helpfulforthe textbook."

The Oral Medicineexpert

"Inthe 1970s,therereallywasnotmuch in thewayofartsforus in the SouthAsian community," DrSelvendrarecalled. "Those ofuswhowere artsinclined hadtoirutiate programsourselves."

Andsohebecametheorganiserof dramas,filmscreenings,concerts,radio shows.The musicfestivalplatformshe organised haveledthewayto the highprofile SruthlLaya Kendraandthe AcademyofInruan Music,Victoria.Asa Carnaticmusicfan andartiste,hefounded theSouthIndianMusic Festivalto markthe ardentlyfollowedThyagarajaAradhana, a

acknowledged that beingAustralia-trained has probably made hisjourneytosuccess easier than those who trained overseas.

"Ifyouwereto comehereas adentist qualifiedfromoverseas,andthen sit theAustralian DentalCouncilexam,it ischallenging.It'snotan easyexam; in fact,pass rates are verylowbecausethe standardsare extremely high. Butwhen one doeshearofanoverseastrained dentist practisinginAustralia,thefirstthingthat comestomindis, thispersonmustbean excellentdentist,to be ableto becon1e a studentalloveragain andrequalify."

Bageshri Savyasachi

tributetothefatherofCarnaticmusicthat fansallover theworldcelebratetothisday.

Melbourne'sfirst-everThyagaraja Aradhanawasheld attheSelvendra residence. Itwasthestartofthe Indian classicalmusicsceneinthecommunity, leadingtoastringofconcertsand fundraising events.

Asaperformerhimself-Dr Selvendra playedthe Jewishharp (morsing) -hecan reeloffalonglistofhigh-profiletouring artistesfromsouthernIndia whohe accomparuedonstage.

Rajni Anand Luthra

I '

Appeal to community for international student's medical treatment in Sydney

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

nternationalstudentChandrakanth Madireddyknewso111ethingwaswrong whenhebegantoseeclotsappearon thesideofhisneck.

Forabouta1nonthbefore,hehadbeen experiencingseverebodypains.Son1etin1es theyweresoacutethatdailyactivitieswere curtailed,includinghisabilitytoevenwalk. Afeverhadpersisted.

Today,somefourmonthsin,heisat ConcordHospital,diagnosedwithAcute MyeloidLeukaemia,akindofbloodcancer con1moninmalesover60.

Chandrakanthis27yearsold. Currentlyundergoinglevelthree chemotherapy,heisfacingmoreextensive treat1nentinvolvingbonen1arrow transplant,forwhichaworldwidesearch fora,natchhasjustcon1n1enced.

Luckilyforhim,specialistsatConcord HospitalandRoyalPrinceAlfedHospital believehehasgoodchances.

Alsoluckyforhi1n,aclosefriendis standingby,doingallhecantooffer support-andraisefundsforhistreat111ent.

Childhoodfriendandfellowinternational studentSravanElgamonihaslauncheda GoFundM.ecampaign,seekingfinancial aidtothetuneof$100,000tohelpcure Chandrakanth.

"Thecostsassociatedwiththistreatment cantendtobeextremelyexpensive,inusual casesmakingithardtoafford,however, ahnostimpossibleinChandrakanth'scase," Sravansaysinhisappeal.

"I'veknownChandrakanthsince ourtimetogetherinpriJnaryschoolin Jadcherla,Telangana,"Sravantold Indian Lin.le. "Hehasfaced111anychallengesinhis lifesofar,includingthelossofhis111other whenhewasinYear7.Hisfatherisan agriculturallabourer,andveryearlyon,

Chandrakanthtookontheresponsibilityto careforhistwoyoungersisters."

Familyresponsibilitieswerefront andcentreinhismindwhenhecameto AustraliatostudyforaMasters'degree mComputingandInnovationfromthe UniversityofAdelaide.

Hehopedtobuildacareertohelphis fa1niiy,andyettodaythefamilyhavehadto selllandtohelpfundhistreatmenthere.

Justover$34,000iscurrently

accumulated.Thismadepossiblethe $5,000upfrontdeposittotheAustralian BoneMarrowDonorRegistry(ABMDR) tobegmthesearchforadonor.Butthere isalongwaytogo.Onceapotentialdonor isfound,Sravannotesontheappeal, additionalcostswillaccrueassociated withacquirmgthecells,andthecourier orfreight,whichwilldependonthetype ofcollection(PBSC,marroworcord)and thelocationofthedonor.Recoveryand

rehabilitationwillalsoneedtobefunded "Supportandfundscamefromfriendsin SydneyandMelbourne,theHinduCouncil ofAustralia,fro1nTelanganaassociations andfrombusinesseslikeNewEdge Consultancy,"Sravanrevealed."Donations havealsocomeinfromIndia.Herein Australia,wearegratefulforthehelpof SreenadhBrahmapuram,whogalvanised communitysupport,helpedlaunchour GoFundMecampaign,andtookourappeal totheassociations."

Sreenadh,anITprofessionalfrom Telanganahimself,iswell-knownin Sydney'sIndiancommunityforhiswelfare activities.

"WhenIbeardfromSravanandhis friendsaboutChandrakanth'sillness andhisfamilyandfinancialconditions,I thoughtofwaystohelp,"Sreenadhtold Indian Link. "IworkinRPAmyself,and wasabletogetsomemedicaladviceand intervention."

AshevisitedChandrakanthinhospital andbecamemoreinvolved,hisown familysteppeduptoo.His23-year-oldson Sreekanta,ahealth1nanagementtrainee atWestmeadHospital,tooklessthanan hourtoraisethefinal$800ofthe$5000 registrationfee.

Meanwhile,Sravanlamentsthathehas notbeenabletovisitChandrakanthin hospitalsincetheSydneylockdown."Ilast sawhimsevendaysago,"herecounted. "Wespeakregularlyonthephone,though. He'scurrentlyfightingastomachinfection, buthisthoughtsareallaboutexpensesof theforthcomingtreatn1ent."

Indianreadersmaybeawareofthe ancientfolkloreofSravanwhomoved mountainsinthecareofhiselderlyparents. Hismodern-daynamesakeisattemptingto dothesameforachildhoodfriend.

Perhapsyoucanhelphimtohelp Chandrakanth.

Formoredetails,contactSravanEigamoni on+61 466554402orSreenadh Brahmapuramon+61425216499.

''I've known Chandrakanth since our time together in primary school in Jadcherla, Telangana. He has faced many challenges in his life so far, including the loss of his mother when he was in Year 7. Hisfather is an agricultural labourer, and very early on, Chandrakanth took on the responsibilityto care for his two younger sisters."

BY RHEALNATH

nJune,newsoftheNSWgovern1J1ent's proposedpilotplantobringback internationalstudentsreceiveda lukewarmresponsefrotnIndianstudents strandedoverseas.After151nonthsof disappointingpressconferencesand continualdelays,they'vegrownwaryoffalse promisesontheirreturn.

lnoneoftheirrecentTwitterstorms, theysarcasticallylabelledthepilotplana "lollipop",nothingmorethanaquickfixto keephopesupandassw·eadmissionsinNSW universitiesasenroln1entsbeginthismonth. lthasn'thelpedthatthereare111any unansweredquestionssurrounding theendeavour.Dostudentsneedtobe vaccinatedtoreturntoAustralia?Is thereaspecificvaccinethey1nustget?

CanstudentsbevaccinatedinAustralia? WhatsAppgroupsanden1ailchainshave beeninundatedwiththeseinquiries,butfew officialanswersareavailable.

lt'sespeciallyworrison1econsidering therearethousandsofstudentswhohave waitedforguidelinesfromtheAustralian governmentbeforegettingthejabinIndia, toavoidjeopardisingtheirreturninany way.AccountingforthetenseCOVID situationinthecountry,thehauntingsilence couldbeamatteroflifeanddeath.

IndianLinkreachedouttoNSW

Healthwiththesevaccinationinquiries andweretoldto"redirect(these)queries totheCommonwealthGovernn1ent". lt'saworrisomeresponseconsidering theprogramistobesupportedbyNSW HealthandNSWPoliceasperallofficial communications.

plague students keen to return to Australia

Pnzer, Covishield or Covaxin?

Must we be vaccinated upon arrival or get our jab here in quarantine?

Answers don't seem to

"There'sageneralunderstanding thatregardlessofvaccinationstatus, internationalstudentsreturningtoAustralia willstillneedtoquarantineaspartofthe pilotprogra111,"saidBelleLim,National President,CouncilofInternationalStudents AustraUa.(Sheaddsthat,likemanyothers, theyawaitofficialcommunicationtofully understandtheplanmovingforward.)

However,withtherecentapprovalof SouthAustralia'sproposedquarantine hubforreturningstudents,basedinnorth AdelaideatParafieldAirport,Limremains optinusticofthesameinNSW.Currently, theplanispendingfinalreviewfromthe FederalGovenunent.

"Theplanhopestobringback250 studentstoSydneyeveryfortnight.It's slowconsideringthereareatleast50,000 studentswaitingtoreturn,butit'sastart," shetoldIndianLink.

ST DEN I& NDER

Studyingonlinefrom his townin Maharashtra,PrayagSawaiistheonly memberofhisfamilywhohasn'tbeen vaccinatedyet.He'sbeenwaitingtoknow moreabouttherequirementstoreturnto AustraUa.

"There'sbeennosupportorinformation fromtheAustraliangovernment.lfthey couldatleastgiveussomeguideUnes, wecouldbepreparedonourend,"he explained."Inmytown,vaccinationsare easilyavailable,butIwaited."

The25-year-oldispursuingbis

MasterofProfessionalEngineeringin

TelecommunicationsfromtheUniversityof Sydney.Everyday,bereliesonhismobile internettosignintoonlineclasses.

Heelaborated,"I'mfromatowncalled ArviinWardhadistrict,Maharashtrawhich hasnoWiFiproviders.It'sabigstruggle."

HedecidedtooptfortheCovishield

(AstraZeneca)vaccine,butnewscamein thatitwillbephasedoutinAustralia.

Likemanyothers,heworriesthatIndia mightnotbeoneofthecountriesapproved intheNSWplan,even if studentscan providevaccinationcertificates.

"I'matapointinn1ycareerwhereIcan't losetime,"hesighed."l'malsoasponsored studentfromthestateofMaharashtraand ifldiscontinuemystudies,theywillrescind thescholarship.lhavenooptionbutto continue.Ifitwereinmyhands,Iwould definitelyconsideruniversitiesinother countries."

ForstudentsLikeAishwaryMandloi, whohasreceivedbothdosesofIndia's indigenousvaccineCovaxin,therecouldbe apossibilityhewillneedtogetvaccinated agam.

"Itwasverydifficulttogetaslotwiththe COWINvaccinationportal.Ultimately,Igot theoptionofbothCovishieldandCovaxin, butthelatterhadanearlierappointment andgiventhetensesituationinIndiaatthe time,1didn'twantanydelays,"Mandloi explained.

AshecontinuestocompletehisMasterof DataScienceonlinefromtheUniversityof Sydney,hehopesitisn'tadecisionhewill con1etoregret.

Currently,CovaxinandtheRussian SputnikVaretwoofthethreevaccines approvedforuseinIndia,buttheydonot featureontheemergencyuselisting(EUL) oftheWorldHealthOrganisation.This listingiscrucialwhenitisbeingusedby manycountriesasabenchmarkforallowing internationaltravel.

"AslongasI'minIndia,it'sbetterto bevaccinated.Idon'thaveanyhopes ofbordersopeninganytimesoon,"he admitted.

"Ihopetoatleastattendmyconvocation inAustralia,"hesaidwistfully.

reneurc

The 18-year-old business student Himanshu Singh's productaims to transform classroom resources forthe digital age

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

irst-year business student Himanshu

Singh'searly-stage entrepreneurship idea foran education technology (EdTech) con1pany haswon first prize in UNSW's prestigious Peter Farrell Cup (PFC) competition.

Na1ned after PeterFarrell,2001 Australian EntrepreneuroftheYearand founderofResMed,thecontestis an ideas challenge aiined atfast-trackingthe next generationofentrepreneurs.

Singh's teainpitch, anEdTechstart-up con1panyTeachFlowswasselected from 10 team pitchesthat qualified.

"Ourproduct saves teachers overfive hoursaweek," Himanshu explained to IndianLink. "Itii1volves three siinplesteps: upload aworkbook, lesson content, or physicalworksheet, 1natchquestionswith answersusingouronlinetool, and distribute engagmg, auto-marked digitalactivities in less than 2 1ninutesto the students."

He added, "Ouruniqueutilisationof evolving1nachinelearningandAlmodels (generates)dynamicmathematics,science, econo1nics,technology andengineering questionswhichadapttoan individual student'sskilllevels.The questions automaticallychange mdifficulty as a studentbettergraspskeyconcepts.The productalsoprovides detailed reportsto teachersandprincipalstoget a 360-viewof theirstudents'knowledgegaps."

TeachFlowswasdesigned byworking closelywithteachers.

81 teams participated inthe competition.

Otherpitchesmcluded anewgeneration ofvendingn1achines,bushfiredetection syste1ns, solarpanelrecyclmg,and bioprintii1g.

SchoolcaptainatGirraween HighSchool and championdebater, Singhgraduated with anATARscoreof99.9.

Theyoungimpresario'sinterests includeproblem-solving,debatingand entrepreneurship.

Ashesearched forapitchideaforPFC, hezeroed in ontheworldhewasmost familiarwith, one thatdefined 13 yearsof hislifefromKindergarten toYear 12, the world ofeducation.

"Educationisthe onepillarofsociety

that mostclearlydefines the discoveries, innovationsand movementsofthe generationstocome," the UNSWscholar remarked."So,Italked toteachers, principals and well-knowneducatorstofind outcoreproblemsthey'vefaced thatranged fromfundamentalissuesofaccess toglobal educationtocompletmgsimple, repetitive tasksthattookuphours ofteachers' valuable tin1e."

ThePFCcompetitionhelpedfacilitatethe earlystart-upjourneybyprovidingworldclassmentors.

"Towin thiscompetitionweworked uptill2amalongsideourmentor Maz Zaman, practicingourinvestorpitchslides

and presentationasheguidedusongoto-marketand startupgrowthstrategies," Singh said.

The PFC tean1spitchedtheirearly-stage ideas tojudgeslike NarelleAnderson, founderand MD ofEnvirobankRecycling, investn1ent punditsGaryZamelandTrevor Folsom, and the UNSW Science's Deputy DeanofEducationAlison Beavis. Someof the most successfulCEOs, start-upmentors and expertsacrossmultipleindustrieswere alsoseated in theaudience.

Singh's start-upco1npanyTeachFlows,a pertinentproductfortheforeseeable future, aims to transformclassroomresourcesfor the digitalage.

450schoolsand 35 teachers have already expressedthefrinterestin theirearly-stage product.

"We are releasinganearlyversionofour product,where education resourcescan easilybe made into unforgettabledigital activities verysoon,"Singh told IndianLink. "By the end ofthisyearwehope torelease ourmachinelearning,adaptivequestion generationenginethatmakesassessments, and homeworkcreationmucheasierfor teachers."

Especiallynow,sinceobservingthe rapid transition towardsonline exam formatsforSelective,OpportunityClass and NAPLAN,and alsowitnessinga broaderindustrydemandforstudents to have digitalexpertise,TeachFJowspresents as anopportunitytogain aco1npetitive advantage.

"TeachFlowsopensup aneweraof personalisedlearningthatis nottirneconsuming,butrather, usesthe powerof technologytoengage andenrichchildren's learningjourneys," Himanshu Singh concluded.

Withmentor,MazZaman

450 schools and 35 teachers have already expressed interest in the earlystage product Teach Flows.

Blue gum (E.

Port Ste,:

Image: Rajni

leeping we!Jatnightcanmake youfeelbetter, giveyou 1uore energyandpromote healthand healing. There's no denying that sleeping well inhospitalcanbe hal'd; it's anunfan1iliarenvironn1entwithoutthe conuorts ofhome, buttherearethings patients,parentsandcarerscandoto ensure theygetthebestnight'ssleep possible duringtheirhospitalstay.

Howthe hospital environmentcanaffect yourandyourchild's sleep

Manyparentsandchildrenfindit hard togetagoodnight'ssleep inthe hospital environn1ent.Thereare manyfactorsthat couldaffectyourand yourchild'ssleep in the hospital. These include:

Lightinginthehospitalroomcanbetoo

brightatnightordarkduringtheday

Sharing the roomspace with other childrenandfamilies

Regularcheck-upsandobservations during thenight

Symptomscausedbyyourchild's underlyingdiseaseor treatmentsuchas pain,anxiety ortrouble breathing.

So1nemedicationsmightmakeyourchild sleepierorkeepthemawakeatnight

So1neparentsandchildrenfindthat sleepingon adifferentmattressaffects thequalityof theirsleep

Howtoimprove sleepin the hospital

Ifyouoryourchildhavetrouble sleeping in thehospital,trythe ideasbelow: Bringitems from homeYoumaywantto considerbringingcertainite1nsfrom home to1nakeyou feel morecomfortable. These include:

Fan1iliarpillows

Yourchild'sfavourite sleeping toy, blanketorcomforters

Agoodbookforyou, nightwearand son1etoiletries

Earplugs

Aneyemask

Slippers

During the dayOpenwindows(ifyour roomhasone!) orsin1plyincludesomelight physicalactivity in thesun. Light helpsset your body'sinternalclock.

Limitdaytime nappingTakingnapslate in theafternooncanmakeitdifficult foryou andyourchildto fallasleepat night

Speak toyourdoctorornurse Where possiblechangingmedicationtimes and reducing fequencyofobservations overnightmight helpyouand yourchild have uninterruptedsleep.

AtbedtimeAvoidcaffeine containingfoods anddrinks. Bewareofhiddensourcesof

suns

caffeinesuchaschocolatesand coladrinks. Youandyourchild shouldfinishdinnerat least3 hoursbefore youwanttogo to sleep.

Othertipstohelpyousleep better Have a sleep routine in hospital You andyourchildcouldsti!Jtryandkeepa sleep routine inhospital.Pickany three activitiessuchas reading,massage, meditation,listeningtosoothing music using headphones etcconsistentlybefore bedtime.

Make yourbedsleep-friendlyTurnoff a!Jelectronic devices(phones, laptops and iPads) atleastanhourbefore bedtime.Ifyouor yourchildcan'tfall asleep,tryashort activity suchas reading abookfor 30 minutes.Someadults andchildrenmay finddeep breathing exercisesbefore bedtime relaxing Keep yourroom darkClosethe curtains. Usean eye mask.

Theright temperature Make sureyour roomisnottoocoldor hot. Nursingstaff canprovide or removeextra blankets if needed.

There's no denyingthatitcan betricky togetgoodsleep inhospital,butworking withyour treating teamandimplen1enting theabovetipswillgive youthebestpossible chance atmuch needed sleep.

RHEAL NATH on how to work on your Vitamin D levels

swe continueto workfrom hon1e,n1anyofus 111ay find ourselvesgoing dayswithout steppingoutdoors.Whileit's in1portanttokeep upthissocialdistancing, there'sagoodchance it,neans we're not gettingall thesunlightweneed. Whenwas thelasttimeyou tooka good, longstro!Jand soaked insome rays?

WithVitamin D deficienciesrampant in ourcon1n1unity,it'sn1ore importantthan evertolearn what we can,andshould, do to stay healthy. Thevitaminplaysabiggerrole in ourimmunesyste1n thanwethink!

The benefitsofVitamin D

Theso-called"sunshine vitamin"is producednaturallybyourbodywith exposureto sunlight.Itplaysacrucial roleintheabsorptionofcalciumandin moderatingourinm1unesysten1.

Vita1uinD isalso believedto helpkeep away other healthissueslike diabetes, bacterialinfections, heart diseases,andeven regulating ourbody weight.

Ironically,Vita1ninD deficiencyprevails inthe Indiansubcontinent, withso1ne studiessuggesting that 70%-90°/oofIndians havethedeficiencywithoutknowingit.This is oftenlinkedtoourdarkerskin-thehigher the melaninlevels, thelesservitaminDthe skinabsorbs. Surprising, right?

Additionalfactors thataffectVitamin

D levels

Otherthan the melaninlevelsofourskin, thereareotherfactorsthatcanaffect how wellour bodyabsorbsVitamin D. LocationThefurtherawaywelivefromthe equator,theless UVBlight (whichproduces VitaminD) reachesus.

WeightSomestudiessuggestthatpeople withmorebodyweight1uightactually observelowervita1uinD levels.Thisis attributedtothe factthatthevitaminis storedin fatty tissues,sopeople with more bodyfatmayneedgreateramountsof

VitaminD tomaintain thenecessarylevels intheirbloodstream.

AgeOlderpeoplemayseelowerlevelsof the vitaminastheirbody'sabilitytoprocess thevitaminslowsdownwithtime.

SymptomsofVitamin Ddeficiency

Unlikeothervitamin deficiencies, this one can beparticularlyhardto noticebecause it doesn'texhibitoutwardsymptoms.

Instead, thethings tokeepaneyeoutfor includefatigue,difficultysleeping,muscle cramps,andstressfractures (particularlyin thehips, legs, andpelvis).

HowtogetyourdoseofVitamin D Ofcourse,thebest wayto meetyour daily requirementof Vitamin D is bysimplygoing outfora walk.It's suggestedthatyouspend atleast20minutesinthesuneveryday.

However, therearewaystoincludethe vitamininyourdietapartfromsupple1nents. Focus onnecessaryoilslike codliver oilandoilyfishlikesalmon,tuna, and mackerel

Increaseyou1·doseof fortified foodslike yoghurt,cheese, egg yolks,andbreakfast cereals

Turntoseasoningsliketurmeric,garlic, black mustards seeds, andcoriander

Includemoremushrooms inyourdishes

Ifyou suspectthat you,nighthavea VitaminD deficiency,getintouchwithyour GPforpossible testsand/orsupplementsto includeinyourdiet. Ifyoudecideto turnto supplements, keepin nundthattoo many supplements mightcauseissueslikenausea, dehydration,andpoorappetite.Luckily,you can'trea!Jygettoo muchvitaminDfromthe mostnaturalsource ofall,thesun.

So whileyou workawayonyourlaptops andkeepup withsocialrestrictions, take sometime outofyourdayto walkinthe sun. It'llhelpyour moodandit'lldefinitely helpyourhealth!

Paediatric Sleep and Respiratory specialist Dr.VISHALSADDI on making your child's hospital stay comfortable

A new children's series about language and identity

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

eforewegot toFiji, Ihadnever reallytalkedtoNana. Mu,n woulds01netiniesgive1nethe phonetosayhello. Iwouldsay hiandquicklyrunto 1nyroo,n. Icouldonly speak English, andIcouldnotspeakmy Nana'slanguage.

Fiji-Baat isachildren'sseriesabouta 9-year-oldAussieboyspendingtilnewith hisFijianNana(maternalgrandfather). Inbookone,theyoungboyfliestoFijifor Christ111asand1neetshisNanaforthefirst time;inbooktwo,Nanaco1nestoSydney.

Thetitletranslatesto'Fijitalk',a languagespokenbyIndo-Fijians-mostly Hindin1ixedwithBhojpuriandSouth IndianlanguageslikeTamil,Teluguand Malayalain.

"Thelanguageistheproductof influencesfromotherlanguagesthat haveexistedsincetheGirmitperiod (whenIndianswerebroughttoFijiby Britishsettlerstoworkinplantations)," authorSalvinKu1nartold Indian Link, adescendantoftheTamilGirn1itiyas himself.

Ku1nar-aSydney-basedteacherand socialworkeroflndo-Fijianbackground

-wrote,illustratedandself-publishedthe book.Hewasn1otivatedbytheongoing identityconflictheobservedamonghis community'syoungergeneration.

"Ourchildrenwerefeelinglikethey weren'tIndo-Fijianenoughbecausethey couldn'tspeakFiji-Baal.ItwasthenthatI decidedtowritethebook,"Salvinrevealed.

AtthespiceshopsinSydney, tnu,n would so1neti1nesbu,npintootherwo111enshe knewfro111 Fiji.

Theywouldsmileandtalk. S0111etimes theywouldask111e, "You kno1-vFiji-Baat?"

Mum wouldlookat meandask, "Canyou sayNan1.askara111 toAunty?''.

"Na-Ma-Sss-Ka-Ra,n,Aunty,"1wouldsay.

Thetwo-partseriesencapsulates theexperienceofasecond-generation Australiankid(ofFijianoranyminority background)interactingwithrelatives

whoareeitherverywellconnectedtothe countrytheirparentsmigratedfromor whostilllivethere.

Theshyness,newness,andcuriosityare alltoorelatable.

TheboyassumesthathisNanadoesnot speakEnglish,butinFiji,hefindsouthe does!Thetwoteachandlearnnewthings fromeachother,andtheirlittleexchanges in Fiji-Baatarefunandinformative.

WhenNanacomestoSydney,he accompanieshisgrandsontoTarongaZoo wherethenine-year-oldlearnsthewords fordifferentanimalsin Fiji-Baat.

"Illustrationssuchastheimageof drivinghomefromtheairport,seeinghis Nanawaitingfortheircartoarrive,areall inspiredbymyupbringing.Theseimages haveshapedahugepartofmyculturaland identityconnection,"Salvinreminisced."1

knewthistobeloveasachild,thesenseof belongingtoacountryandgrandparents showeringuswithlove.Theywouldwait forustoarriveandwouldhavesweetsand allkindsoffoodreadyforustoeat."

Fiji-Baatisaboutconnectingwith grandparents,language,identityandallthe sweetmomentsthataccompanyadiasporic homecoming.

Theseriesisspecialbecauseithighlights theexperienceofn1igrantcomn1unities, astepawayfromstoriesofmainstrean1 experiencesorpersonifiedanimals lea1·ningmorals.Simultaneously,the FijiBaatseriesalsowidensthelabelofstories thatareconsidered'typically'Australian. Itcanbepuzzlingandlonelyforethnic kidsfromdiversebackgroundstofeel confidentintheiridentity,butitdoesn't havetobeachallenge,especiallywhen therearestorieslikeFiji-Baat tohelpthem throughit.

"Ihopethatparentsofmigrant backgroundswhofeelthattheyaren'table togiveenoughculturalknowledgetotheir childrenareabletohaveconversations withthemwhilereadingthebook,"Salvin expressed."Ialsohopethatchildrenwho arebornincountrieswheremigrantslive willlearntounderstandthattheiridentity isvalideveniftheydon'tspeaktheir mothertongue,andthattheycaninclude culturallearni11gandlanguageinthe booksthattheyread."

''I hope that parentsofmigrant backgrounds whofeel that they aren'table to give enough cultural knowledge to theirchildren areable to have conversations with them while reading the book."

Salvin Kumar

BY RHEAL NATH

hisyearrnayhavebeentoughon travelplansandwanderlust,but NiyatiandGavinLibottehave spentafairbitoftin1etalkingabout ballooningoverParis.

FortheSydney-basedn1usicaJduo,travel plansin2020wereonlylinutedbytheir in1aginations.

Theygiveintotheirwhin1sicalsidesin 'BallooningoverParis',oneofthelittletreats featuredintheiraward-winningeponymous debutalbum Goldfynch.,whichreleasedin Junethisyear.

"Goldfynchstartedasacreativeoutlet duringadifficulttime,"Niyatitold Indian Link. "Wewerewitnessingrnanypersonal tragediesandmusicbecameaconstructive wayforustoworkthroughourfeelings."

"Itwascathartictowritetogetherand ultitnatelycreatethisn1usicalartproject. IthinkGoldfynchwillappealtolisteners whoappreciatecreativityandacir1ematic approachto111usic."

Indeed,fromthefirsttrack'Brighter Day'tothelasttrack'LittleBird',thealbum evokesstrongvisualsasGoldfynchtakeus alongtheirit1crediblehighsandmournful lows.Their1nusictraversesgenres-dipping mtojazz,folk,rock,andevenfunk-butthey stopshortofaspecificlabel.Instead,it'sall aboutmoodandfeel.

Meet independent musicians :;t I and Gavin 1bo of Sydney band Goldfynch

InApril,theydedicatedtheirsong 'BrighterDay'toIndiaamidthecatastrophic newCOVIDwave.

"Thelastfewmonthshavebeenan upsettingtin1efortheLndiandiaspora," Niyatielaborated."Wewantedtosharethis songofsolidarityaboutturningtoahigher power,whetherthat'sGodorluckoran unnamedenergy,whenproblen1sseem overwhelming."

Indiaholdsaspecialspotforthecouple, beingNiyati'scountryofbirthandGavin's "soul home."

RevealingbisLndianlinks,Gavinrecalled, "Iwasaskingthereallybigquestionsoflife inmyearlyteens.IreadtheBbagavadGita andafewyearslater,gotthechancetovisit India.Ijustfellinlovewiththeculturethere. Overtheyears,I'vegottenintouchwithmy spiritualsidethroughyogaandmeditationand breathingexerciseswiththeArtofLiving."

NiyatimovedtoAustraliaattheageoffive, growingupinaPunjabi-Gujaratihousehold. Shestudieddentalsurgery,"aswasthe expectation",tillshedecidedtoanswerthe callofcreativity.(Yearslater,hermumwould dothesame.Today,shesingsanddanceson

The Nannas and ThePoppas onABC).

InGoldfynch, themusicalduotap intotheir'wellsofcreativity,remaining heavilymvolvedinthelyrics,composition, production,performance,andvideoshoots. Certainly,there'saneasy-gomgchemish)' betweenthemthattranslateswellonscreen.

"That'sgreattohear,wedohavefun withourmusicvideos,"Niyatilaughed. "We'reblessedtofittogetherlikeapuzzle, blendmgourpomtsofviewtogetherreally well.Goldfynchhasbeenanamazingcreative partnership."

lo'BallooningoverParis',shesingsin bothFrenchandEnglish,andGoldfynch's repertoireincludesperformancesinItalian, Portuguese,andevenSpanish. Should listenersexpectsomeHinditoo?

"TherearedefinitelyLndianinfluences inthealbum.'LittleBird'isinEnglish andFrenchandincludestheharmonium. Meanwhile,thesong'Maya'isaboutVedic philosophyandfeaturestheflute,"Niyati said.

Theprojectfirstbeganin2015whenshe was8.5monthspregnantwiththeir-daughter Saffron.Asself-describedperfectionists,the

Libottestooktheirtimetocreatethislabour oflove,balancingworkandfan1ilylife.

Itworkedoutforthebest.Evenbefore thealbum'srelease,Goldfynchwasalready receivingaccolades.ItwentontowinSilver (OutstandingAchievement)attheGlobal MusicAwardsinJanuarywhile'Maya'was afinalistattheInternationalAcousticMusic AwardsinFebruary.

"Lockdownsinthepastyearhavenot beenagoodtimeforliven1usic,butittaught ustobecomeself-reliantasmusicians.We hadtimetositdownandreallyworkonthe craft,"Niyatireflected.

Asindependentmusiciansthen1selves, Goldfyncharenostrangerstotheconsistent battlewithonlinestreamingalgorithms. Lastyear, The RollingStonesuggestedthat Spotify's2.9millionmdependentrnusicians receivejust 10percentoftheplatform'stotal royalties.

"Thebestwaystosupportindependent artistsarecomeouttoliveshows,followour socialmedia,buymerchandise,andshare ou1·music.There'sanongoingfrustration withonlinestreamingplatforn1sbecause mostalgorithmsprefermusicfromrecord labels.Eventhoughtheydedicatetheir-hearts andlivestotheirart,independentmusicians existoutsideofthestructure,"sheasserted.

Still,muchliketheirnamesake,thecouple continuetoradiatepositivity.

"TheEuropeangoldfinchwasacaged songbirdthatwasbredincaptivityaround theworld.Despitethis,itremainedasyn1bol ofhope.Weseeitasagreatspiritanimalfor musicians,"explainedNiyatiwithagrin.

BY RHEA L NATH

romalwaysseekingoutagooddealto throwingabitofturmericintoevery concoction,SouthAsianscanbeafunny bunchtounderstand.Overtheyears, thankstotheInternet,1nillionsofyoungSouth Asianshaveembracedthesequirksonline.

"Honestly,thefirstvideolmadewasabout anIndiandadbargainingtogetthepricedown orsomethinglikethat,"laughsJeremyFranco,a Sydney-basedTikTokerandvlogger.

Withover193,000followers,he'sbecomethe latestIndian-origincomediantofindsuccesson theplatform,releasingshortvideoclipsalmost everydaythatareboundtoenticeachuckle.

Inhislatestvideo,hepokesfunatfirstgenerationteenagersandyoungadultswhostillshy awayfromtheirSouthAsianbackground.

"What'syournan1e?"

"It'sRyan."

"ThenwhydoesyourlicensesayRajesh?" AccordingtoJeremy,thesekindsofvideosare inspiredbyhisownexperienceasarareSouth Asianinhisyearinhighschool.

"Growingupinadifferentcountry,peoplewho don'thaveabigSouthAsianfriendcirclekindof feedintothenegativitythatpeopletargettowards them.We'veallexperiencedit,we'veallgone throughit,"the24-year-oldexplains.

"Eventually,wegrowoutofitandbecomeproud ofourheritage.Myvideoteasedthestereotypes, thefewpeoplewholeaveschoolanddon'tgrowto lovetheirownskinandethnicity."

Withinhours,thevideohadgarnerednearly 15,000likesandmorethan 150comments.lt's abrandofdesihumourthat'sbecomewidely popularamongthenewgeneration,poweredby comedianslikeLillySinghandFacebookgroups likeSubtleCurryTraits.

"Tome,it'salwaysfeltliketherewasanabsence ofSouthAsiansinthemediaindustry.It'sbeen hardtofindpeopleonscreenwholooklikeus. ThroughTikTok,Ifoundawaytocreatemyown opportunity,"Jeremyconfesses.

Pointingoutthathisvideosaren'tonlyforSouth Asians,heelaborates:"When1startedlastyear,1 wastargetingasortofnostalgiaaroundAustralian culture,solwasmakingcontentaboutcarnivals andPEcaptainsandfunnystuffthateveryonecan relateto.Now,1wouldsaythatIhaveabroad audienceinAustralia,theUnitedKingdom,and theUnitedStates andI'msurethatthereisa brownsectionrightinmiddleofaUthis!"

InAustraliaalone,therearealmost2.5million TikTokusers,mostofwhomarelessthan35 yearsold.It'snowonderthenthattheplatform hasbecomethego-todestinationfor comedianslikeJeremytofind theirvoice.

Hereleasedhisfirst videoinearly2020 andoverayearlater, itremainsafun outletashebalancesa TikTokcareeralongside afull-timejobinstrategic

talentpartnerships.Hisvideosmighthavetheolder generationscratchingtheirheads,buthecaptures new-agehumourperfectly:self-deprecating,absurd, andattimesbizarreinthebestway.

"Thefeedbackhasbeenreallygreat.Iheardfro1n oneviewerwhosaid,'I'mRussianandevenmy parentsdothis!'It'sfunnythatwecomefromdifferent backgroundsbutit'slike(migrantchildren)canlive throughsin1ilarexperiences,"Jeremychuckles. Withson1uchofhiscontentinspiredbyhisGoan parents,doesheeversharehisvideoswiththen1?

«Honestly,Idon'tknowifthey'veeverseen them!Itoldmyfatherrecentlythatmyvideos aboutbargainingatastorewereinspiredbyhin1, andhisfirstresponsewas'Youdidn'tputmy pictureup,didyou?"'herecounts,laughing.

BorninMumbai,thecomedianstillrecallsflying backtovisittheextendedfamilyeveryyearsince movingtoSydneyattheageoffour.Today,he'sa proudAustralianofIndianheritage.Washeaffected byrecentgovernmentpolicieslikethetravelban?

"Hearingwhatcameoutfromrecentdecisions wasreallyhorriblebecausethoselawsweren't imposedonanyothercountry.Forittobeillegal. that'ssuchacrazywordtouseforAustralians tryingtocomehome.EvenIhadfamilymembers whocouldn'treturnbecausetheyweretrapped overthere,"hesays.

"Youknow,youcan'tdisagreethatthereisa stigmathatpeoplehavetowardsSouthAsiansand Asians.Theserecentdecisionsjustperpetuatedan ideologythatwasn'tbeneficialandwasn'tgoingto helpthegrassrootsissue."

Withhiscomedyandmassivesocialmedia presence,thisissomethingthatJeremycertainly hopestochange.

"Thegoalistocreateopportunitiesforbrown peopleinthemainstreammedia,whetherthat's comedy,behindthecan1era,orevenonradio.I wanttoreallyopendoorsandbethatvoicefor othersinthecommunitywhowanttojointhis field,"hetellslndianLink.

He'salsopassionateaboutshowingoffthe diversityofwhatitmeanstobeIndian.

"Thebiggestmisconceptionisthateveryone believesallIndiansarethesame,butourcountryis like20countriesinone!I'moftenaskedaboutmy name.'Ifyou'reIndian,whyisyourna1neJeremy?' Well,it'sbecauseI'mCatholicandI'mfro1nGoa. Indiancultureisverydifferentacrossregions, butwestickupforeachother.Myvideosaimto celebratethesedifferences,"Jeremysmiles.

''I heard from one viewer who said, 'I'm Russian and even my parents do this.' It's funny that we come from different backgrounds but it's like (migrant children) can live through similar experiences.''

BY MOHANDHALL

tisextremelyu11portantinthecurrent woddtohelpourchildrentothink critically.Towardsthisend,thereisalot thatparentscando,asprimaryinitial educatorsoftheirchild1·en.So,wheretostart?

Focuson inquiryandwonder

Curiosityisthestartingpointforbuildingan approachtoproblems.Askquestionslike, "Whyisthatso?"Youcanbackthisupwith, "Iwonderwhatwouldhappenif "

Wonderisaseparateapproachtocritical thinking.Itallowsustorespectthatthereare thingsthatwemaynotfullyunderstandeven ifwemquire.Wonderallowsustoappreciate.

Explain, explain, explain

Provideclearexplanationsforwhythingsare. Explamaroundcauseandeffect.Forexan1ple, youcananswerthequestion,"Whydopeople liveu1apartments?"byexplai.J.ili1gthebenefit ofconservu1glandthroughverticalrather thanhorizontalliving.However,youcanalso add,"1wonderwhattheissuesarewithliving mapartments?"Inthisway,explanationand wondercanleadtodiscussionaboutdifferent aspectsofissuesandvaryingperspectives.

Asignificantdeveloperofcriticalthinking isunderstandingdifferentperspectives -eventhosethatopposethethingsthat parents1nightbelieve.Asignofacademic

Itisthemarkofan educatedmindtobeable toentertainathought withoutacceptingit.

ARISTOTLE

andcognitivematurityisbeingableto holdapointofview,argueapointofview, perhapsalso argueagainstthatpointofview -inotherwords,critiquingyourownbeliefs (andnotfeelingthreatenedwhilstdoingso).

Instil that having an opinion is fine, but an informed one is better Opinionscanshowthatson1eonehaspassion, andconviction.However,anopinionofitself isnotasignofcriticalthinking.informedor reasonedopinionisasignofcriticalthinking. Consequently,childrenshouldbeencouraged toreadandtolisten,u1ordertoknowmore abouttheworld.Helpthen1tofindsources thatru·eauthoritativeandtrusted.Authority, appropriatelyunderstoodandquoted,helps toinformopinion.

Not having all the answers is ok

Rolemodellingopennessandhumility, parentscandemonstratethatnothavingall

theanswersisnotaweakness.Rather,being abletosaytoachild,"I'mnotreallysurewhydon'twefindouttogether?"isastrength.

Inthiswayyou'llbedemonstrating thateverythingcanbefoundout,andthat son1etimesthegreaterstrengthisadmitting thatsomethingisn'tunderstoodorknown. Humilityisnotweakness.

Focuson process,notproduct

Honeinonprocess,orhowthingsaredone, ratherthanonproduct.Whenparentsare fixatedonoutcomes,theylosesightofthe learningthatcharacterisesthejourney.

Beingrightmaybevaluedbysome parentsbutunderstandinghowtodothings isprobablymorevaluablebothintheshort tern1andlongterm.lfwewantchildrento beresilient,thenweneedtoteachthemto thinkaboutthinking-nottobefocusedor smittenbybeingcorrect.

lfwefocusontheproduct,ortheend initself,thenwelosesightofthelearning ontheway.Thiscanmakeusblindtoa numberofthings.

Itcanleadtoambitionthatneglects friendshiporteamwork.Itcanleadto obsession.Itcanalsoleadtoextremely low self-esteemandalackofacademicrisk taking.Childrenmaybecomeunwilling orunabletotry-crippledbythepainof potentiallybeingwrong.

Understandthinking yourself

It'scommonforparentstothinkthattheway theythinkistheonlywaytothink.Itshould

becleartoanyadultthatdifferentpeople havedifferentapproachestoproblemsolving. Thisisnodifferentwithchildren.Oneofthe greatestgiftsthataparentcangivethemselves istounderstandingthinking.Thismeans learningthedifferencebetweendeductiveand inductivereasoning,understandingdifferent typesofthinkingskillsthatarisefrom reasoning,understandinglogic,distinguishing betweencreativethink.mgandcritical thinkingbutalsounderstandinghowtheycan worktogether.lfparentsunderstandthinking, thentheycanbetterappreciatehowtheir childrenthink.

Expect critical thinkingto take time

Asignificanthurdleforparentstoovercome isunderstandingthatcriticalthinking takestin1e.Youcannotexpectchildren tobecomecriticalthinkersbyforce.You cannotexpectknowledgebyitselftoleadto understanding.Youcannotexpectthename ofaschoolortheentryintoaparticular courseoroccupationtoindicatethat someonecanthinkcritically.

Criticalthinkingtakestime.Exposing childrentodifferentwaysofthinking,and thenbeingstill,isimportant.Allowingthe mindwithitsprocessesofcognitionto adapttonewthingsrequiressignificant maturityfromparents,patience,anda sensethatcriticalthinkingisnotaracebut ratheraseriesofprocessesthatarebuilt fromayoungage-throughlife-andwhich increasewithmaturityovertilneandwith expenence.

a foundation for criticalthinking is vital in today's world.

BY KALYANIWAKHARE

sthemercurydropsanddays shorten,doyouthinkyouneed thatextrabitofmotivationto getdressedupeachmor11ing?In currenttin1es,workingfromho1nehasbeen theperfectexcusetostayinyourfluffyrobe andUGGs butthere'snobettertimethan nowtocurateaperfectwinterwardrobe. Herearefourthingstokeepinntind whileshoppingtocreateafabulousand functionalwinterwardrobe:

Edit

Always1nakesureyoutakeagoodlookat yourwinterclothes.lstronglyrecommend takingeverypieceofclothingoutofyour wardrobetoexa1nineitcloselyandifyou haven'twornitforthelasttwowinters,ask yourselfwhyyouarestillholdingontoit! Doaseriouscullandeithersell,donateor discaTd,especiallythosewornout,tired lookingsweatersandoverstretchedpullovers.

Stock up

Besmartwhenitcomestostockingup duringsales.Thebestvalue-for-money piecestobuyaretunelessoneslikeneutralcolouredsweatersandcardigans,blackor tanankleboots,pontepantsandperhaps aluxuriouscoat. Stockinguponsmart casualsandsportysweatshirts/tightswill provetobeagreatchoicetooasyouwill endupreachingoutfortheseonweekends andonwork-from-hon1edaystoo.

Basics vs trends

Justbecauseeveryotherpersonwearsa

blackcoat,don't feelcompelledtofit in.Investinclothing thatnotonlyflatters youbutalsoexpresses yourpersonality.Trends areshortlived,andyou mayneverweal'thepiece againnextwmter,so bewiseabouthown1any trendypiecesyoupul'chase. Iliketofollowthe80-20 rule,where80%ofyour wardrobehastimelesspiecesand 20%h·endy.lfyouareakeentrend followerthenyoumayhavealready

boughta'shacket'or'mumjeans'/'dad cardigan'.Oversizedclothingseemstobe thethemelately,butmakesureyoubalance anoversizedpiecewithafittedone,like aflatteringleggingpantwithanoversized cableknitcardigan.

Finishing touches

Accessorieshavethepotentialtogivea basicoutfitsomecharacter.Ifyouliketo playitsafewithneutralclothing,youcan alwaysaddabrightscarf,acoolbeltora beanietosuittheoccasion.Also,thebeauty ofneutralbasicsisthatyoucanmakeitlook likeacompletelydifferentoutfitbymixing andmatchingaccessories.Youcouldthrow onaplaidscarfandwearwhitesneakers withacamelsweaterandjeansorcombine thesamecamelsweaterwithblackjeggings, tallbootsandapuffercoat,theoutfit possibilitiesareliterallyendless!Mencan experin1entwithaccessoriestoo,likeacool winterhat,abrighttieoraloopedscarf.

Tips

Takeadvantageofmid-yearsalestobuy coolinvestmentpiecesthatwilllastyou foryearstocome.

Beforeembarkmgonanexciting shoppingtrip,doagapanalysis ofitemsyoualreadyhave,what youneedthiswinter,andthis season'sattention-grabbing trends.

lnstagramandPinterest aremygreatestsourceswhenit comestotrendsandstyleideas. Therearesomefunapps likeClosetSpaceandStylebook thatyoucanusetodoa stocktakeofyourclothesand createoutfits.

Thiswinter,gotheextramile! Planyouroutfitthenightbefore insteadofgrabbmgwhateveryou seefirst.Planningnotonlygives youaboostofconfidencebutalso ensuresyougetmorewearoutofthe clothesthatsitbehindonyourshelf

I, VIKAS SINGH stating that I cametoAustraliawith my passportnumberF3136813andmynamewasVikasonly on it.Now I would liketoadd my surnameSingh. Please consider my name as Vikas Singh effective from today for all immigration and visa services and othermatters.

Address: Unit-21,2-10PowellStreet,Homebush,NSW-2140 Mobile No: +61435340437

"I used to think that all mortgage brokers are the same until I met Swati" - Koma/ Talk to a specialist for all your Home Loan needs THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR EXPERIENCE. swati@buyerschoice.com.au

Arich and delicious gravy makes this

gg curr perfect for a winter night

BY DHANYA SAMUEL

urma, alsoreferredto asKor1na/ Qormaisa traditional[ndiancurry thathasacreamyconsistencyfron1 the use ofyoghurt, spices and aromatics.Thepreparationofakurn1avaries betweenregions;theNorthIndianversions oftenuse crean1ornut pastes (cashewnuts, aln1onds)forrichnessand thisalsoaddsto the crean1inessofthe finalcurry.Butinthe Chettinadversion(quite si1nilartootherSouth Indianversions),theyoghurt andcrea1n are instead replacedbycoconuttoachievethat crean1yconsistency.

ThisChettinad-style kurmaalsousespoppy seeds, a surpriseingredientbutoften usedin manyChettinadcurrypastesfor itsunique nuttyflavourand thecreamy thicknessitlends tothegravy.

When wethinkofa kurma,it'seithera vegetarianversionora meat-basedversion thatco1neston1ind. Eggisanunlikelychoice, butyouwillbe surprisedjusthowdelicious thischoicecan be.It'sagreatoptionifyou are an egg-etarianorifyou prefertoavoid meatduringthe weekdaysyetcrave fora rich anddeliciouscurry especiallyinthisfreezing winter

The key flavoursof thiseggkurma are inthe wetpaste.The spices, aron1atics, poppy seeds andcoconutare slow-roastedto drawoutthe flavoursandthengroundtoa paste.Thisisthe only step thatrequirespatienceandcare asto notburnthe spicesorcoconut.The restofthe recipe is super simple and straightforward.

Whenn1akinga curryusinghardboiled eggs,agood tip wouldbeto slitthe hardboiled eggs into halvesorto scorethe eggslightly lengthwiseifyou preferto keeptheeggswhole. Thisallowstheeggsto absorbtheflavours fromthegravy. Eggyolkswhendrenched in the curry sauce arejustoutofthisworld!!

The ChettinadEgg Kunnacan bepaired withall kindsofIndianflatbreadslike parottas, chappatis,rotis,naanetc,butitis bestwith differenttypesofrice preparations liketo,nato rice, cumin riceorwith hoppers (appams)and stringhoppers.

INGREDIENTS

10 eggs

3-4tbspvegetableoil

1tbspghee/clarified butter

2-inch cinnamon bark

5green cardamoms

2small red onions (100gm);finely chopped

½tspturmeric powder

2tomatoes (approx1 cup); pureed

Salt.toseason

Wet paste

• 2tbspvegetableoil

1tbspfennelseeds

¾tbsp cumin seeds

3green chillies; slit

5medium garlic cloves; coarsely

chopped

1-inch piece ginger; coarsely

chopped

2tspwhite poppyseeds

1 tbsp roasted Bengalgram; split

10 unsalted cashewnuts

¾ cup grated coconut

METHOD

Hard boiltheeggs,shellandslitin half lengthwise. Keep aside. To preparethewetpaste. heatoil in a largekadhai/wok. When medium hot. addthefennelseeds,cumin.

chillies. garlic. gingerand poppy seeds. Frylightlyfor30 secondsto a minutetillyou beginto getthe aromaofthespices.

Nextaddthesplit Bengal gram, cashew nutsand coconut:continuetofry on lowto medium heatstirring constantlytillthecoconutstartsto getlightbrown.

Removefrom heatandallowtocool. Grindwith a little bitofwatertoget a paste-likeconsistency.

Heatthe remainingoiland ghee in thesamekadhai/wokand when medium hot. add cinnamon and cardamom.

Whenthecardamomsturn plump.add theonionsandsautetilltranslucent. Then addtheturmericpowderand continuetosauteforanotherminute.

Pourinthetomato puree andthe ground wetpaste; seasonwithsalt and mixwellto combine. Cookon lowheattilltheoil has separated fromthe masala.

Add enough watertogetathickgravy, mixwelland continueto cookfor another2-3 minutes.

Finallyaddtheboiledeggsandturn carefullytocoatwellwiththe masala. Removefrom heatand keepforat least15minutesbeforeserving.

Dust offthose hiking boots and explore southernTasmania

BY PETRA O'NEILL

yadventurebeganassoonas

IboardedCoralExpedition's CoralDiscovererfromHobart's Sullivan'sCove.Forthenext 11dayswecruisedalongthecoastUJ1e, takinginthesightsandsoundsofsouthern Tas1nania,andlearningaboutthewealth ofitsnaturalhistory.Therearemanyhikes herethatwilltakeyoutopristinewilderness areas-thesearejustsomethatyoucando.

Bruny Island

Renownedasaholidaydestination,Bruny Islandcaterstomultiplehikingabilities, withmanywalkingtrackoptions,from undulatingtostrenuous.

FromAdventureBay,wehikedto GreenPointalongatrackthathugsthe coastline,linedwithsedgygrass,yellow banksiasandsheoaks.Afterreaching CairnCove,thetrackbeco1nessteepand slippery,thelandscapen1oredramatic, withwavesswirlingandpoundingagainst thesheerdoleritecliffsbelow.Hikingback toAdventureBay,alongtheFlutedCape walk,thetrackpassesthroughadenseblue gumforestfilledwithbirdsong,andifyou areluckytosightone,ra1·ewhitewallabies.

Cape Hauy

CapeHauyforn1spartofthespectacular

ThreeCapesTrackthattakesintall

... -

PaintedCliffs,MariaIsland _-..s

eucalypts,coastalheathandAustralia's highestseacliffs.Thehikeischallenging withlotsofsteps-Icounted1750ofthem.

Com1nencingatFortescueBay,the trackiswellconstructed,1nadeofcut stoneandco1npactedgravelthatdipslike arollercoasterbeforesnakingbetween in1posingcliffs,towardsthefa1nousdolerite stacksknowsastheCandlestickandTotem

Pole,whichsoar300metresabovethe oceanbelow,andarerenownedasoneof Australia'smostspectacularsights.

Port Davey and Bathurst Harbour Tasmania'ssouthwestiswild,rugged andsoremoteit'saccessibleonlybysea, privateaircharterorbyhikingoverland forseveraldaystogetthere.

AsweenteredBathurstHarbourat sunrise,whitebelliedseaeaglescircled overhead,andthemountainswereblueish black,withafaintredoutlineasthesun wasbreakingthroughthenightsky.The shallowwater-stainedbytanninsfrom buttongrass-wasdarkbrown,resembling stronglybrewedtea.

Aftercruisingalongnarrowwaterways bytenderboat,wearrivedatMelaleuca Inlet.1;erewefollowedtheNeedwonnee interpretivewalkalongsideaforestand lagoon,thestoriesunfoldingthrough installationsofthewayoflifeofthe indigenoustribethatoncelivedhere.

Thatafternoonandthenextdaywe muddiedourbootshikingthroughboggy buttongrassheathlandtoMountBeattie andMountMilnerwithpanoramicviews

ofaspectacular,pristinewildernessand myfavouritehikesofthetrip.

Freycinet National Park

Thispanoramiccoastlineisdottedwith whitesandybeaches,turquoisewatersand sitsagainstabackdropofdramaticgranite peaksthatmakeuptheHazardsrange.

FromHazardsBay,wefollowedthe n1arshyIsthmustrackpastalagoon, withloudcroakingfrogstopicturesque WineglassBay,whichcurveslongaround theclearandcalmwater,pinkgranite bouldersandawhitesandybeach.

Awell-madebutchallengingtrackwith over500stepsleadsfromWineglassBay throughaforestofeucalypts,teatrees andsheoaksandbanksiastoWineglass Baylookout.WiththeHazardsoneither sideofthesaddle,theviewasyoulook acrosstoWineglassBayisstunning.

OnthewaybackdownJstoppedto takeinthesoundsandsightsoftheforest. Smallnectarfeedingbirdsincluding honeyeaters,wattlebirdsandscrubwrens dartedabout,andraucousyellowtailed blackcockatoosflewoverhead.Looking downatmyfeet,lalsosawablacktiger snakesunningitselfonthetrack.

Thenextdaywearrivedontiny SchoutenIsland,locatedoffthesouthern tipoftheFreycinetPeninsula.Aswe walkedontothebeachatCrockett'sBay, itwasn'tsandwewerewalkingonbut fragmentsofoystershells,giventhearea isabundantwithshellfish.Wevisitedthe remainsofanoldcoalmine,kayakedto explorethebayandhadarefreshingswim.

Laterthatday,wecircun,navigatedIleDes Phoques,asmallrockyoutcrop,andhome toblackcormorantsandafursealcolony.

Maria Island

MariaIslandwasnamedin1642by AbelTasmanafterthewifeofthethen Governor-GeneraloftheDutchEast Indies,AnthonyvanDiemen.Mariaisland isalsoknownforbeingTasmania'sNoah's Ark,hometoanabundanceofwildlife suchasBennett'swallabies,wombats, Tasmaniandevilsandisalsorichin geologicalandconvicthistory.

Aswemadeourwayfromthejetty, wepassedtheCommissariatstorebuilt in1825,totheforn1erpenalcolonyof Darlingtondatingbacktotheconvictera. WethenwalkedovertothenearbyFossil Cliffsthesiteofaformerlimestonequarry thatexposes300millionyearoldfossils embeddedintotherocks.Aneasywalk thenledustothePaintedCliffs,which displaycolourfullayersofweathered sandstone.

Ourmostchallenginghikewasthe 620mclimbtothetopoftwinpeaks knownasBishopandClerk.Thetrack leadsacrossflatopengrasslandand thenaforestbeforeopeninguptolarge loosestonestoscrambleover,asteep switchbackandthenafinallargegranite bouldertoclimbthatIcouldn'treach withoutwrigglingupandover.Theviews fromthesummitacrosstheFreycinet Peninsulaarebreathtaking.

SouthernTasmaniahassomuch pristinewildernesstoexplore.

MtMilnerTrack,BrambleCove

Wombats,MariaIsland

Blackswans,AdventureBay,BrunyIsland

STARSTRUCK

1 {ABC iView)

I STARRING: RoseMatafeo, EmmaSidi, Nikesh Patel, Minnie Driver

I DIRECTOR: Karen Maine

I WRITER: Rose Matafeoand

1 AliceSnedden

I Freshfrom its launcheson BBC

I Threeand HBO Maxearlierthisyear, 1 Starstruckputspeopleofcolour (POC) in an unfamiliarspotlight.

I Simultaneouslyplacingthematthe

I forefrontofWesternentertainment

I wheretheyaretheactionstars(instead of,say,theactionstar'staxidriver)

I whilstalsogivingthemthe romantic,

MATRIMONIAL$

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking match for 36-year-old Tamil Hindu Brahmin man, workingfor a top IT organisation in Sydney. Possess Aust PR Visa. Girl should be Hindu vegetarian, preferablyAustcitizen/PR. Pleasesend profileto aravind7778@gmail.com

Seekinga suitable matchfor45-year-old Sikh Khatri man, divorced, no child, self-employed, on bridgingVisa. PreferredAustralian PR/ citizen girl. Contact0422812939 or emailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Seeking a suitable match forwell-settled professional man, 37, 5'9", slim, Australian citizen, grown up and working in Sydney.

I I professional, andsocialpeccadillos normallyascribedexclusivelytononPOCactors,theshowisa refreshing

I chancetoseediversecharacters

I representedas normal people.

1 The premise in Starstruck is straightforward:aftera chance

I meeting in a nightclubon NewYear's

I Eve,Jessie(Rose Matafeo),a New

I Zealand millennial livingandworking

1 in London, beginsa relationshipwith famousWesternfilm starTom Kapoor

I (Nikesh Patel).Astheirrelationship

I progresses, natural issuesarisethat

1 forcethemtofight, makeconcessions, and figure outhowtotraversetheir I modern-dayprince-and-paupertale. I That'sit.There'snodeeperstory.

I Nowackynarrativesthat border I on ridiculous. NocrazyCostanza 1 orKramer-esquesidecharacters. It'sjustthem;twopeople livingas I normala lifeasthey can together, I notwithstandingone'ssuperstar 1 status,theother's Kiwiaccent, and thedifferencein skin colour All I equallytroublesomeissuesforsure. I It'sa storymarked bysimplicity, I and thissimplicityalsoensconces I I the production.Thedirection by I newcomerKaren Maineandco-writing 1 I bythe previouslyNewZealand-based I I MatafeoandAliceSnedden exudethe I relaxed, wine-in-hand programming I I ofothershowsmade bymillennials I formillennials.Theyutilisea witty I

Seekinga professionallyqualified, settled matchforSydney based, never married Aus citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 47, 6', athletic builtman. He is a project managerwith an engineering background and isworking in a reputed organisation. Please contact ausind26@gmail.com

SEEKING GROOMS

Lookingforgirl between 28 and 36, preferablyraised in Australia and livingin Sydney. Contact bips949@live.com

scriptandstrongcharacters(courtesy theirrosterofup-and-coming actorsand actresses) ratherthan elaborate production elementsor expensive castingtosell Starstruck to audiences.As istypical fromcomedybased British programming, there are noextravagantsets, profuse costumingorcomplicated plots; what you see is verymuch whatyou get. Butthatdoesn'tmean such surfacelevel simplicity is bad- indeed, it's quitetheopposite. See, it's niceto beabletowatch peopleofcolour leadnormal liveswith normal problems.Justaswestrugglewithour relationships inthe real world, sodo thecharacters in Starstruck. Justas youngpeople haveeithershedtheir overseasaccentsorembracedthem fortheirdistinctiveness,so havethe Starstruckcharacters.Also, I must admitit's prettycoolto hearIndian peoplebeingconsistentlylabelled as'hot'.Alltheseelementscome togetherto reveal somethingspecial: ratherthan livingin a domain crafted byindividualswhose insightinto peopleofcolourtoesthe line between ignorantand racist, the universe JessieandTom Kapoorinhabitisvery much liketheoneyoungpeopleof colourknow. Nowthatit's on TV, the worldcan cometo know ittoo. Ultimately,thankstoashortfirst seasondriven bythecharacterswith whom we as an audiencecan actually relate, Starstruck isan expertly crafted, simple-yet-entertaining lookintotheworldofyoungPOC. With asecondseason currentlyin development,and itstenureonABC iView uncapped, it's neverbeenso enjoyable(andsoeasy)tosee normal peopledealingwith normal problems in a normal world.

Manan Luthra

Seekinga professionally qualified settled match forSydney based, never married Aust citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 48, 5'3"slim, fair, attractive girl. She is a postgraduate and works ata good position in a governmentorganisation.

Please contact ausind26@gmail.com

Seekinga professionallyqualified, teetotaler match with goodfamily background, preferablyAustralian citizen or PR holder, for highlyqualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian, with goodfamily background, workingand well settled in Sydney. Please contactaussyd08@gmail.com

Seeking qualified match (working professional, notself-employed) from Australia for '88 born 5"3" Hindu Punjabi girl (divorced, issueless), working in Sydney. Must haveAust PR and preferablyteetotaler.

Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com.

RAY(anthology I series on Netflix) I

STARRING: Manoj Bajpayee,GajrajRao, I Shweta BasuPrasad,Anindita Bose, I AliFazal,KayKay Menon,Bidita Bag, DibyenduBhattacharya,HarshVarrdhan I Kapoor,Radhika Madan, ChandanRoy I Sanyal,Akansha RanjanKapoor

DIRECTOR:AbhishekChaubey, I SrijitMukherji,Vasan Bala I

It'scompulsivelydarkfor mostparts, I oftenstrangelyso,thewaySatyajit I Ray'soeuvrerarelywas.Rayhadaway ofservingthesombrein layers,with I simplisticemotionsoftenactingas I masksfor deepersubtexts. I

Theshortstoriesadaptedtocreate thisanthologyaredirectincomparison I whileestablishinggravediscomfort. I Butthen,theyneversaidtheywere I recreatingRay.Theseriesisonlybased on Ray'swritingandthethreenew-age I filmmakerswhocalltheshotsonthe I fourstoriesbetweenthem,takecreative I libertytoalter plotsaswellasmoods, renderinga darkeredgetothetalesand I tweakingthethrillerquotienttosatiate I new-agetastes. I Raymakesforagoodwatch,although theseriescouldseemerraticalongthe I way.Theshowstartsona highnote, I maintainsthetempofor mostparts, I slumpsa bitinthefinalstoryonyto comealiverightatitsend. I

You notea coupleofthings. First, I thesheer universalappealofthe I storiesthatset upthe narratives.The timelessnessofRay's legacybecomes I obviouswatchingthesetales,crafted I for a mediumthatfarfromexisted I in Ray'stime, and interpretedto suitanaudiencewhosedefinitionof I entertainmenthas drasticallyaltered I sincethedecadeswhentheauteur I lived and createdhisart.

Theotherthingthatstrikesisthefact I thatdespitesubstantiallymovingaway I fromRay'sidiom,thedirectortriohave I crediblymaintainedanaestheticquality withthe materialathand.Incharacters I

HASEEN DILLRUBA (Netfilx)

STARRING: Taapsee Pannu, VikrantMassey, Harshvardhan Rane, AdityaSrivastava,AshishVerma

DIRECTOR:VinilMathew

Hand ittotheseguysyou'llgetthe pun inthatstatementonceyou've watchedtheoutrageousend-butthis isonewild Bollywoodthriller, mixing suspensewithwryhumour.

Kanika Dhillon'swritingisasmuch the'hero' hereasTaapseePannu,who breatheslifeintothetitular protagonist withtrademarkrelish,orVikrantMassey -justgivetheguyameatyroleandwatch himgo.That'snottosaythereareno roughedgesinthescript,you'llspot plentyofloopholeshere.Butdespite glitches,thefilmregalessufficientlyand therearefewdullmoments.Importantly,

andcontent,thestoriescouldappear vastlydifferent, buteachofthestories retainsRay'screativespiritsomewhere.

AbhishekChaubeyhelms'Hungama HaiKyonBarpa',thebreeziestamong thefoursegmentsbasedonRay'sshort storyBarin BhowmikerByaram (Barin Bhowmik'sAilment). ManojBajpayee isMusafirAli,a popularghazalsinger

whoistravellingfromBhopaltoDelhiby 1 train.Hisco-passenger inhisfirst-class compartmentisBaig(GajrajRao),a I wrestler-turned-sportsjournalist.Asthey I getacquainted, Musafir realises Baigis someoneheknows-fromasimilartrain journey 10yearsago.Aquirkysecret

I frombackthentiestheirfates.

The moodturnsbleakinthesecond storyasSrijitMukherjinarrates'Forget MeNot',basedontheRayshortstory Bipin Chowdhury'rSmritibhrom(Bipin Chowdhury's MemoryLoss). The protagonisthereisreimaginedaslpsit (AliFazal),acorporatecreaturesoaked inhisambitiontoscaletheheights. Dashinglpsitboastsofarazor-sharp memory,tillachancemeetingwitha woman named RheaSaran(Anindita Bose)putshiminatizzy.Rheaclaims

I I I I I I I I I

UNEVEN, BUT WORTH A BINGE

theyhavespenta nighttogetherin Aurangabad,andgivesvividdetails aboutnotjusttheirblinddate,including detailsastrangerwouldnotknow. He hasabsolutelynorecallofRhea,or visitingAurangabadever.

I I I

and,importantly, letsthefantastic Kay KayMenontakecentrestage.

I

I ashergroom,whoseemfarfromher

I ideaofPrinceCharming.Theguyfrom

I bigtown Mumbaiis,well,bald.The othersuitor isanengineerwithdecent I looks,buthe livesinboringJwalapur.

I Betweenbaldandboring, Ranisettles forthelatter.Anamusing'ladkidikhaai' I sequence later,RaniismarriedtoRishu I (VikrantMassey),theniceguyfrom I Jwalapur.

I

Vasan Bala's'Spotlight'endsthe quartet.Basedonastoryofthesame I name,thefinalefocusesonVik(Harsh I VarrdhanKapoor),ayoungactorwhose stardomseemstorestonaparticular I 'look'hegivestothecamera. "One I LookVik",ascriticsdubhim,isgunning 1 toenter Hollywood,although hewears afakeT-shirtthathas·scorseDada' I I value-addstothestoryand, without 1 givingawayspoilers,Shwetaimpresses

Theslowburnsuspensedrama hasanintriguingstoryofvengeance atitscore.ThetrumpcardisShweta Basu Prasadas lpsit'ssecretary Maggie,whowalksintothenarrative asdiscreetlyasasecretary mightwalk intoasenior'sroom.Itisacastingthat

withanactthatallots minimum I footageand limited dialogues, but keepsyouguessingalltheway.

Mukherjireturnstodirect 'Bahrupiya',easilythemosttwistedof thefourstoriesandhighlighted byKay

I I

writtenonitinBangla(hemeans Scorsese,right?).Onanoutdoortripto Agra,Vikfindshimselfinaquandary.A godwomanwhogoesbythenameDidi checks inatthehotelwhereVikstays and,justliketherestofthetown,the managerialstafffallsatherfeet.Vikis upsetbecause,suddenly,heis nolonger

I thestararound.Didihasstolenhis spotlight. I

KayMenon'soutstandingperformance. 1 Thesegmentisbasedontheshort storyBahurupi(Impressionist). KayKay I plays lndrashishSaha,atimid make- I upartistwhoisbasicallya loser in life. Then,whenhisgrandmother passes

I

I story-indeedtheanthology-afitting closure,asshe(literally)runsawaywith the 'Spotlight'.

'Spotlight'isa moodyandstrange piece, uneveninparts.JustlikeVik's 'onelook',thesegmentseemstobe salvaged byasingleincidence-the entryofRadhika Madanclosetothe veryend,justwhenyouwerewondering ifDidiexistsatall. Heractgivesthe away,sheleaveshimasubstantial amountofmoneyand, more importantly,her bookon prosthetic expertise.Suddenly, lndrashishis equippedwiththepowerto'become' justanybody. Hebeginstoimagine heisinvincibleandstartsabusinghis newfound'power',tohisperil.

'Bahrupiya'isamodern-day allegory,anditsmetaphysicsneedto beinterpretedforonetosavourthe story.TheplotisgrippingandMukherji maintainstensionallthrough,spreading hisnarrativeallacross Kolkata invaried hues-fromthelushMaidanoverlooking aresplendentVictoriaMemorialto therestlesslydingysurroundingsof Sealdahstationwherethecitynever sleeps.Thisthirdstory,in manyways, isthehighpointofRay.Itisastorywell told,isengagingforthewayitgradually introducesthemetaphoricalsubtext

I Thefourepisodes primarilybankon I I interestingstorytellingandacting.While 1 theprimarycastislaudableacrossthe board,youspottrulyengagingmoments I thankstoafewinthesupportingcast, I too.RaghubirYadavasthe hakim ('HungamaHaiKyon Barpa'),Anindita BoseasmysterygirlRhea('Forget I

I I I

MeNot'),Dibyendu Bhattacharya asamysticalfakir('Bahrupiya')and Chandan RoySanyalasVik'sassistant ('Spotlight')areperfectpropswhoenrich I eachstorywiththeir roles.

I Competentlyexecuted, Raymanages I tosustaininterestdespitethe uneven patches.Definitelywortha binge,anda I secondseasonwithnewstories. I VinayakChakravorty

I (AdityaSrivastava)believesRaniisthe I killerasdoesmostofthe'mohaIla·, asdoesRishu'sbuddyAfzar(Ashish I Verma).Movingintimecyclesbetween I flashbacksandthepresent, Rani's I narrativetellsyouwhy-shehadatorrid I flingwithRishu'shandsomecousinNeel (Harshvardhan Rane)whenhearrivedin I Jwalapurtoriver-raftforafewdays.The I entire neighbourhoodwassoonaware ofthefact.

Nothingthatgoesoninthisstory I actuallypreparesyoufortheend.If I thetestofathriller liesin keepingits I audienceguessing, Haseen Dillruba wouldpassthetest.Theendcould I seemoverthetop,butthat'sprobably I whyit'sfuntowatch.

I Mathewwiththesuspensenarrativeof thepresent.Thefilmisn'tatechnical I marvelbutcinematography(Jaya I KrishnaGummadi)andediting(Shweta I Venkat)havedoneanadequatejob capturingtheoverallmood.

thefilmunderlinesthechangingwhiffsof I storytellinginmainstreamHindicinema.

I cylinder blastathomewhenRanihas I juststeppedout.Thelocalinspector

Alloftheabove,incidentally,isa crispflashbackthatfollowsthepoint I wherethefilmbegins.Thefilmstarts offshowingusRishu'sdeath,ina DelhigirlRaniKashyap(Taapsee Pannu)hastheenormousdilemmaof havingtopickoneoftwocandidates

Thefilmismorethanitsthriller I quotientThepsychologicalplayof I emotionsintherelationshipdrama I betweenRaniandRishu,RaniandNeel, orRaniandher in-lawsintheflashback I portionsmaintainsahumoroustempo, I andisdeftlybalancedbydirectorVinil

I TaapseePannuisimpressivein I bringingaliveRaniinallherstrengths I andfoibles.HarshvardhanRaneasNeel andAdtyaSrivastavaastheinvesting I I copareeffective,whileYaminiDasand DayaShankar PandeasRishu'sparents I getamplespacetoexcel,thoughtheir inexplicableabsencefromthelatterhalf I definitelymarksaloopholeinthewriting. I Theactthatresonatescomesfrom I VikrantMassey,thankstohisnuanced I precision. Hegetstotravelacomplete arcasRishuandmakesthemostofit, I consumingscreenspacewithaslow I burnimpact.Understatedinhisshift I betweenthemoodshisroledemands, Masseyprovesonceagainheisamong I themostunderratedactorsaround.

I VinayakChakravorty

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

I

Worth waiting for? You decide!

Six Indians films and series to watch in July 2021

I

NEVER HAVEI EVER,SEASON2(Netflix) MindyKaling'smuch-awaitedteen drama returnsfor itssecond instalmentthismonth. Never Have I Ever made waves lastyear uponitsrelease,especially because itfeaturedanIndian-American ina lead roleforthefirsttime.Afteratumultuousyearanda new lovetriangleonthe horizon,whatliesinstore 1 for DeviVishwakumar(MaitreyiRamakrishnan)? I You'lljusthavetowatchtofindout.

NeverHave I Everreturns on15July.

COLLAR BOMB (Disney+Hotstar)

Whathappens whena celebrated copmustfollow the commandsofasuicide bomber tosavethe lives ofhundredsofschool children?Inthisactionthriller, JimmyShergill playsSHO Manoj,a decorated police officer caughtin an unimaginable hostagesituation. CollarBombbeginsstreamingon 9July.

TOOFAAN (Amazon Prime}

Afteressayingtheiconic MilkhaSingh, FarhanAkhtar returnsfor anothersportsfilm,thistime playinga fictionalgoonturned national levelboxer. Expectations fromthe projectare high,especiallyasthe muchawaitedflickis directed byRakeyshOmprakash Mehra. Thecastisrounded up by MrunalThakur (previously seen in Super30 and GhostStories) and PareshRawal. Toofaan releaseslaterthismonthon16July.

FEELS LIKE ISHQ (Netflix)

Whodoesn'tlookagood romantic comedyafterall? Afteranthologieslike LustStories and GhostStories, NetflixIndiabrings usa romcomanthology,featuring anensemble cast likeTanya Maniktala(ASuitable Boy),Radhika Madan,Neeraj Madhav,RohitSaraf (Mismatched)andAmolParashar.Toldfromthe perspectiveofdifferentcharacters, Feels Like lshq aimstocapturethefeelingofloveovertheyears.

I Theanthologyreleaseson23July.

MALIK (Amazon Prime)

DirectorMaheshNarayananandactor Fahadh Faasilare back,joiningforcesafterthesuccessfulCUSoon last year.Revolvingaroundafishingvillage in Keralafromthe 1960stopresentday, Malik featuresFaasilinthe lead role,and promisestobeanexcitingsocio-politicalthriller. Malikbeginsstreamingon 15July.

HUNGAMA 2 (Disney+Hotstar}

Director Priyadarshan returnsafter asix-yearhiatus and Shilpa Shetty makes her comeback after 13years in Hungama 2, the "spiritualsuccessor"of2003's Hungama.It'sa remakeofPriyadarshan's Malayalam film Minnaram, ratherthan asequalto Hungama,and involves big names likeRajpalYadavandJohnnyLever, alongside PranithaSubhash and MeezaanJaffery. Hungama2 premiereson 23July.

AtSelect Rishta we provide personalised matrimonial services as per your needs and requirements. We are committed to working closely within the Indian community based in Australia andNew Zealand. We endeavour to keep privacy and confidentiality in mind when dealing with individual clients. We keep your personaland cultural preferences in mind when choosing and shortlisting matchesfor you.

EveryMarriage is uniqueand made inheavenand weonearthconnect thetwobeautifulsouls!

Call us and speakto one ofour representatives for a confidential chat, who will be able to help you through thejourneyfor finding that special someone.

July 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

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

The card drawnsaysthat itcould be a month fraughtwithstress,work pressure or unpredictable outbursts. Youseeksatisfaction in yourcareerand I proactive interestin whatyou do can

help. A new love affair is on the anvil forthose whoare single. Ifmarried, yourrelationshipcould gothrough turbulence. Anystress causing health issuesshould notbe ignored. Money owed toyoucould still be blocked. You are on the road to success; stay mentallyfocused.

You can expecta busy month ahead asyou will havemorethan you can handleon yourplate. A relationship leavesyou uncertain aboutitsfuture. You may be dumped with extra work bya colleague butyou will complete thetasks.Youcould movetoa new home ifyou are planningto.Try and take regular breaks as beingoverburdened could leaveyou exhausted. You may lose money duetoa deal fallingthrough. Don'tacceptlessthan whatyou deserve.

I Thecard drawnforyouthis month I You haveto correcta wrong before a I indicatesthings comingtogether in I situation changesforthe better. Being I synchronicity.Yourrelationship could I undecided abouta rocky relationship leaveyou wanting moreaffection from continuesasyou can't make upyour I yourspouse. Ifsingle, bepreparedfor I mind. Life will force youtoconfront I some romantic interest. Any problems I some harsh realities aboutyourself relatedtodocumentswill get resolved. andyou will haveto makethe relevant I Business improvesand moneystarts I changes. Worktoo isfull ofdisputes and I tocome in. Investwisely - whether itis I arguments. Overall, a difficult month I time, money oreffort. Ifyoufeel blocked I forCancerians, exceptthosefinancial atwork, take upa courseto enhance problemswill end. Be grateful forthe I yourskills. Stayoptimistic and indulge I supportyougetand strengthen your I in retailtherapy. I faith in God.

Divine protectionand allthingsgoodand positiveare predictedforLeos. Ifsingle, yourresponsibilitieswon'tleaveyou anytimeto mingle.Asuddenargument oran unforeseen eventcan leadtoa misunderstanding. Familyget-togethers and meetingwithfriendswill makeyou

I PickingthecardrepresentingSagittarius impliesthattheusuallyfinickyVirgomaybe I alittlecarefreethismonth.Youwanttodwell I onthespiritualandexpandyourhorizons. Yourinsecuritiesregardinga relationship I arerealasitneedsmorecommitment I Anewidearelatedtoworkcanbecome happy.Youoryourpetcould needavisit amoney-makingventure.Takemedical tothedoctor.Yourinvestmentswill beyour I helpforahealthcondition,howeverminor. sourceofincomethis month. Discardany I Moneyowedtoyoucontinuestobeblocked. patternsthatno longerserveyourhigher I Referralswill helpyouexpandyourbusiness. interestsandan importantcyclewillend. Learntoavoidsituationsthatstressyouout

I Thewheel offortune indicatestheending ofonecycleandthebeginningofa new I one. Unexpected developmentscould I makeyou changeyourplansandeven causeupheavalofsorts.Anexmayreturn I butyoumaynotbesowilling. Expensesat I homeincrease,while newdevelopments

atworkforceyouto makechanges.A I hitherto unpleasantsituationwillend.

I Yourworkorpersonal lifewill keepyour I moodsinyo-yo mode.Avoid bingeeating andsuppressingyouremotions.

Thecarddrawnsaysyou needtospend I sometimeintrospectingonyoursituation;a I I pauseissometimesgoodforfutureprogress. I I Moneywillcome inthroughan unexpected I source, notthatwhichisowedtoyou.

I Expectanxious momentsatwork. Deal I I wthyouranxietyanddepression before I itbecomesachronichealth issue. Don't I getdespondenteven ifthingslookbad;a I I turnaround isabouttohappen.Takeononly I I whatyoucan handleand avoid brooding I aboutsituations beyondyourcontrol. I I

Expectachange in lifestyle, a lossof relationship and new beginnings.A rocky relationship endsthoughyou may still lovetheother.Avoidtravel fornow.

Changes and hurdlesatwork proveto

I with ease. Despitehurdles, you will be I unsure whethertogo all in ortake it abletosoldieronwith courage.Avoid slow. Awish will begranted. Expectto I takingon morethanyou can handle. I gothrough a lotof paperwork. A new I Aluckybreak regardingmoneycould I businessopportunitymaycome along I comeyourway.Workonyourinnerself tochangeyouroutersurroundings.Your I challengeswill leadyoutosuccess.

I The practical Capricorn picksthe card of I Workpressure, personal commitments I Thefocusthis month is on listening I toyourgutinstinct, hopingfor I Virgo, which meansyou will beextremely I andclarity ina relationship keepyou busy I practical,tothe pointofputtingemotions I this month. Problemsrelatedto money, positive changes all around andthe onthe back burner. Ifyou've had a recent yourfamilymembersand businesscan I role ofthe universe in your life. You I break-up,you willstaycalm and fearless. I catch you unawares butyouwill mutitask I hesitate on the brinkofa relationship, befrustrating. Spend time with friends I Yourhome may needsome maintenance tocheeryourself up. Therecould bea workdone.You mightbe lookingfora loss ofincome but itwill betemporary. I differentcareer.Therecould besomesad Asituationyou thoughtwould never I newson thefamilyfront.Youwill acton change, will get better.You haveto rise debts owedtoyou.A month ofemotional likea phoenixand startafresh which will I detachment no matterwhatthe issues also helpyou growspiritually. I thatbesiegeyou.

I oryou maythinkoflookingfora new job. Letgo and letGod ifyou want I happiness.

Zoom barab.ali Zoorilil I

DEARAUNTYJI

I needyouradvice posthaste. please I workincorporateAustralia. and because ofthe nature ofworkand COVID. we have allmovedto workingfrom home Idon'tmind workingfromhome becauseI can watermygardeninthemiddle ofthedayifI wanted. NowAuntyji. workingfrom home meansI am mostlyon Zoom callsalldaylong.I haveacolleague-let'scallherNatashaforthatishername -andeach timeIamonaZoomcallwithher Inoticethatshehasapictureof herselfinthe background. wearing astriking whiteswimsuitwhileon holidaysinthe Maldives IonlyeversawNatashaasjustacolleague. untilweallstartedZooming.andthenIsawallhercharms ondisplay, rightthere infrontofmyfaceateach meeting Auntyji,asamiddle aged man.I wanttosaysomething butIdon'tforfearofmakinga mountain outofamolehill. Butyouunderstand howdistracting itis tobestaring attwin peaksduring meetings,nah?WhattodoAuntyji. whattodo?The worsething isthatNatasha knowsthatI knowthat she knowsthatIstareatthepicture Pleasehelpme

AUNTYJISAYS

What? WhatisthisI-know-she-knows-I-knownonsense?Saafsaaf kyunahikehta. kiteremaanmepaaphai. youshaitaankabhiaya. Listen upharjaaee. yourjobistoremainfocused on whatyour colleaguesaresaying.andtoremainprofessionalduringZoomcalls. You should beactivelylistening.andnotletyourdhyan(attention) wanderawaytotwinpeaksorKhajurahoorAjantaorwhereveryour paapimindtakesyou.Letmeguess.evenifNatasha wasinachador. you wouldprobablybethinkingabouta glimpseofherfinelytuned ankle.nah?Arrepaapi, yousayyouaremiddleaged,butyouareno sanyasi.Itisnotyourplacetomakecommentsonwhatpeoplekeep intheirhomes.orwhatphotostheyhave.AndIammostsurprised becauseZoomcallsarenotin such goodqualitythatyoucanmake outwhat'sinthebackgroundtothatdegree.Pleasedon'ttellmeyou haveamonitorthatallowsyouto perveonyourcolleaguesinsuchhigh definition.yougoonda.

Compliments for tffie I

DEARAUNTYJI

SinceCOVIDhappened.mytalentedand hard-workingwifehastakenourlifeupanotch where shehasbecomelikeasuperstar ButIhaveonelittleproblemwithher.Auntyji.Soshehasbeen workingveryhardatwork.butathome.sheworksevenharder Weworkfromhome4daysofthe week-andduetoherexceptionalplanningskills. weallhavethe mostdeliciousdinnerat6.30 eachday,asafamilyShekeepsthehouselookingspotless.andsheisalwayslookingforways tohelpourboys Neilaislikeahighlyefficientmachinewhomakeseverythinglookeffortless But Auntyji.wheneverIsaythankyoutoherforeverything shedoesaroundthehouse.andwhenI complimentherforallhereffort.shejustsmilesandsayslittle ButwhenItellherhowbeautiful she looks,orhowsmartshesoundedduringaworkmeeting.sheusuallyasksmetoexplainand wantstoknowdetails ButwhenIpraiseherforherefficiencyathome.shejustsmilesandsays nothing Sheremainschupchaap Khamosh Likeapatharkasanam Auntyji.Iwantmywifetobe moregraciousin howshereceivescomplimentsfromme.Iwanthertosaythankyouorusesome wordsandtoacknowledgemyrecognitionofherefforts.Doyouhaveguidanceforme?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Youarethelowestoflows,yourakshas.Ihavewisewordsforauselessmanlikeyou.Ofallthe things,youactuallywantyourhardworking.talented.efficientandbeautifulwifetoacknowledge yourrecognitionofhereffortinawaythatpleasesyou.Areyouthatstupidthatyoureallywantthis onethingfromyourwife-evenafterallthatshedoesforyouandyourfamily?Letmepointouta fewhometruthstoyou,yousukadahuapurplebaingan. Yourwifeseesyourinsincere,inauthentic andsuperficialcomplimentsforwhattheyare-pointlessravingsofabekaaraadmiwhohighly likelydoeslittlearoundthehouse,and whoseeshowmuchhiswifedoes.andsoheoffersfuzool platitudesinanattempttomakehimselffeellikeheisaddingvalue.Youareaddingzerovalue,and youknowitandyourwifeknowsit.That'swhyshedoesnotevenacknowledgeyourredundant compliments.Let'sbehonesthere-howmuchdoyouactuallycontributearoundthehouse?Or doesNeiladoeverything- whichiswhyyoufeelcompelledtosaysomething?Soinsteadofsaying nothingofanyusetoanyone,whydon'tyoustarthelpingaroundthehouse?Insteadofsitting aroundlikeaplateofday-oldkhichidiwantingtobeacknowledgedforyourcompliments.how aboutmakingyourselfworthyofcompliments?Isthiswhatyouwant-yourwifetoacknowledge yourmostmeaningless,mosttrivial,mostinanecontribution? Whywouldsheacknowledgeyour onetinydona(grain)ofeffortwhenshemovesmountainseveryday?Howyoumanagetohold ontoNeilaisamysterytousall.Perhapshersilenceatyourdishonesttareefisbecausesheis wonderingthesamethingastherestofus.