2021-08 Sydney

Manjits have you covered during lockdown with our new heat-and-eat meals available at your local convenience store, or delivered from our Darling Harbour restaurant.

We're also offering our popular Social Distance Packs for a chef hatted Indian experience, right in your living room!

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR RajniAnandLuthra

CONTRIBUTORS

RheaLNath,BageshriSavyasachi,

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

COVERIMAGE BAKINGMelissaDomingoRawat CAMERAShyamalBhatia

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. Opinions carriedin Indian Link arethose of the writersandnotnecessarilyendorsedby Indian Link. Allcorrespondenceshouldbeaddressedto:

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

lympics 2020could well havebeena blank page in the history of thisfour-yearly multi-disciplinary global sporting competition. With COVID-19 ravaging theworldand bordersclosed internationally, science rather than sport was atthe top of ourminds. Host country Japan, which had run up a bill of $30 billion tostage the Olympics, was inlimbo about thefuture of the Games, andthe athletes who had spent years preparing both physically and psychologically were left ina vacuum.

TheGames, like everything else in our world, were in a state of frozen motion.

But thedecision was taken to move the 2020 Games to 2021. Opposition camefrom theJapanesepeople who were concernedabout rampantstrains of the virusentering thecountry as athletes from allover the worldcame to town, andfro,ntheseprotests, the sponsorsseemedreluctant tobe overtly backing the Games. The Gamesdid go ahead and will be rememberedforever

as the COVIDGames. Despite allthe protestations,sportdid what itdoes best - uplift us asweexperienced the best inhuman athleticism, which when combined withthehuman spirit, showed howadversity canlead to resilience.

Against thebackground of empty stadiums, theathletes thrilled television viewers worldwide. For 70 percent of Australians in lockdown atsome time during the Olympics, this was the much-neededtonicthat boosted spirits. ThatAustraliadid wellin mostevents (oratleasttheones being telecast), onlyhelped in bringinga smile as people went for their 5-km radius walks.

What was indeed interesting as a migrant, was to see the greater proliferation of multicultural Australia onshow. While one is used to seeing thison the football and hockey teams, the diversity on our basketball and women's beach volleyballteams was a pleasure. To havean athletelike Sudanese refugeePeter Bol stop the nation in the 800mmen'sfinal, was another exampleof how sportcan bring a nation together.

As an Indian-Australian, one has engagedin many a discussion on the disparity in the performanceof Indian

and Chinese athletes. Both countries have overa billion people to drawfrom, yet Chinaalmost beatthe United States to top the medaltallywhereasIndia was way down the list, surrounded by Armenia, Dominican Republicand Kyrgyzstan, and with itssolitary gold, finishedat 47th spot.

The Chinese willcertainlyplay up their achievements both internationally and internally to buildup national pride, andso theyshould. Theyhave beenstrategicin theirapproach with theirwell-documented 119 principle, which targeted 119 goldmedals on offerfromathletics,swimming, sailing, canoeing and rowing. Theyalso strategizedthe women's events with fewerparticipants. It workedfor them, andhascreateda template forIndia. Indianeeds along-term strategy in place to encouragea generation of non-cricket focusedathletes. Then fora proud Indian-Australian, theOlympics can bring double thejoy.

Meanwhile, this specialIndependence Dayedition evokes some mixed emotions and reminiscences of India - a country on the cusp of greatness but not taking the nextstepsquickly and surely enough. Here's to thenext 25yearsand beyondof brilliance forIndia -in the field of sports andmuch, much more.

KusumSingh,MridusmitaBorkakoty, RitamMitra, ChitraSudarshan, NidhiJoshi,SGopika,Minal Khona, SandipHor,Auntyji,AnuShivram

SPECIAL FEATURES

#MISSIONJAB

Have you had yourjabyet?

COMMUNITY

New Melbourne JainTemple: Stone-laying ceremony

ACCOLADES

20-year-oldfilm-maker VirSrinivas stuns at Cannes

ACCOLADES

USyd's Aditya Nair, wildlife enthusiast, in major photography contest

TRAVEL

Significant spots in India's freedom struggle

✓Roof restoration

✓Guttering solutions

✓Whirly birds

✓Driveway cleaning & painting

✓Fencing & retaining walls

✓Skylights

✓Sunrooms

✓Leaf guards

✓Carports, decks, patios &

YOUR SAY

AYOUNG FILMMAKERMAKES HIS MARK

RITAMMITRA interviewed 20-year-old Sydney filmmaker Vir Srinivas, whose debut film Orders

FromAbovehas picked up international awards at film festivals including Cannes.

Tarun Laroia wrote: Awesome achievement, Vir. Congratulations andbest wishesforagloriousfuture.

Sanjay Dar wrote: Congratulations,Vir!Absolutelywonderful.

Goplka Kaul wrote:CongratulationsVir Srinivas. So proudandsuper,super impressed.Can't wait to watch this.

Sanjay Bhartlya wrote:VirSrinivas, congratsandwishyouthe best.

Sumeet Singh Chhabra wrote:Congratulations,Vir.Youaredestinedfor extraordinarythingsin life.

Rohlnl Srlnlvas wrote: Ritam,youcapture Vir's incredible journeyso well. Krishna Srlnlvas wrote:Yes, very well written Ritam Mitraasalways,you have hitit out ofthe park! KudosVirSrinivas.

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

MASTERCHEF'S NODTOSOCIAL INCLUSIVITY

What Kishwar andJustin showed onMasterChef2021finale wasso much more than their food, wrote LISA SINGH and SHRUTIMATHUR: on display was their characteras Australians

Krish Na wrote: Definitely madea better representation foraDesiAussie than IndianMatchmaking. Andrepresentation matters

Betty Jager wrote:Congratulationstoyouall.

Mary Erisiotis wrote: Enjoyed everyone'scooking especially Kishwar's Mahesh Enjeti wrote:Goodshowinmorewaysthanone.Thetongueisaunique organ.Whilelanguagemightsetpeople apart, tastebringsthemtogether

100NatziScalps wrote: Okay MasterChefAUhasalwaysinclusive.Thisyear theyjusthadmore greatdesichefs thanany other year.

Hollday_Border_2954wrote: MasterChefAUalwayshadthebestvibes, encouragementandcamaraderieontheshow-unlikeShoutyJoeon MasterChef US.Yet,someoneneedstocalloutsomebasicdishesthedesicontingentput outon MasterChefAUthisyear-daalbhaatandalooborta,like,really?

Bleedybuts wrote: Don't get whydesisneedto denigrate their own cuisine Italians, French,Spanishhave turnedtheir peasant foodintofinedining. Whendesisdoit, there'salwaysan armyofdesisthere tohateonit. Crab in a bucket mentality

Chal1984replied: I know,right. on theotherhandmyparentsare impressedat how much Kishwar embraced Bengaliculture.Australia's been inclusivefora while now-morethanthe USAat ground level althoughthere are no BobbyJindalshere.Also,just because thecricketerssledge alot doesn't meanthe entire country'sracist.

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

FORMERINDIAN OLYMPIAN NOW ANAUSSIE COACH

RHEA LNATH spoke to Rajeev Balakrishnan, an Indian athlete atthe2000Sydney Olympics, nowa Brisbane resident andcoach atthe University of Queensland.

Lisa Singh wrote:Whata great example ofthe contributionourIndian diasporacanmake!

Shabu Thomas wrote: Iremember Rajeevfrom when I grew upinChennai. Saw hisname regularlyin The Hindu andhadthestyle/size ofatopsprinter.

Rupinder Singh wrote: Well done, Rajeev.

Adv Rajesh Nayak wrote: (Seeing Rajeev here)afteralongtime Witnessed first-hand hishard work atlshwar DeshmukhGround, Nagpur.

Kamal S Pooni wrote: India needs you.Australiaalreadyhastop coaches.

SAYIT AGAIN

JUSTIN: THE MINDFUL CHEF

RAJNI ANANDLUTHRA chattedwithMasterChef 2021 winnerJustinNarayan, who impressed with his inventive cookingas well as hisaffable personality. Lisa Singh wrote: Lovethis: "Foodis agreatequaliser.Youeatdeliciousfood, youcan'tdenyit.Whenyousee andtastethe foodfromvariouscultures, whenyourelishsomeone else'sfood,youlearntoaccepttheirculture alittle bit more. I thinkthrough food, MasterChefhasdone alot toincreaseour awarenessaboutothercultures."

Shruti Mathurwrote:Thisisso well articulated byJustin. Sherley Coelho wrote:CongratulationsJustin.Well deserved.Yourjourney hasbeenimpressive. Congratulationsto Peteand Kishwar.All thebest. Debbie Sequeira wrote:YoudeservetowinJustin,sodowntoearth.Welldone! KalyaniAbhyankar wrote: Congratulationsto every participant.

Jawaharlal Nehru played acentral roleinthe discrediting ofEuropean imperialism andgavea voiceto peopleacrossAsiaandAfricastrugglingfor self-determinationandracialequality.

Ian Hall, GriffithAsia Institute, on Guess theGame ChangersonSaturday Extra withGeraldine Doogue onABC Radio National.

When the news comesthat someone has died, the fact theyweren'tvaccinatedshouldn'tbe conveyed with blame, but with shame fornot having a vaccinationprogram that works

CJ Josh, journo

PAY RISE OR WORK-FROM-HOME?

According to a recent study, more than 40 per cent of Australians would rather work from home than receive a pay rise. We asked you what you thought.

Deepak Chltnis wrote: Both should be possible because companiessave on infrastructure costs

Hanish Rathod wrote: These 40%must be so well-offmoneydoesn't worry them

Deborah Fishburn wrote:Depending on how much you pay fortransport, coffees, lunchesetc., youmay well get one when you do the other.

Nadir Flrflre wrote: Work from home

Anand Bhosle wrote: Work from home

Harmeet SarabjeetSingh wrote: (As ateacher I'dwant) Payrise aswell as go to work Face-to-faceteachingisso important.

Evelyn Jemima Jacob wrote: Payrise for pushing throughremote learning and back to face-to-face teaching.

Slddhesh Warerkar wrote: (I vote for) getting a payrise for workingfrom home!

WHERE IN INDIA

Weasked,#Wherelnlndiawillyoufindthetemplethatishometothesethree iconicdeities?Andwhataretheycalled?

Pie: WikimediaCommons

lndlOnl.ink�

andSubhadraare housed attheJagannathTempleinPuri, Odisha.Theyaremadeofwoodas opposedtostone,andareinthestyleoffolksculpture.Theyarecarriedoutof thetempleinelaboratechariotsin anannual RathYatra.

WatchingtheOlympicswithmy3yohasbeen amazingbothbecauseshelovesit,andbecauseshehasliterally neverseen an adbreakbeforeinherlifeandcan'twork outwhattheyare

Dom Knight, comedian andpodcaster

#MISSIONJAB

When 'London Thumakda' became 'Aussie Thumakda': How Indian Link Radio used a Bollywood tune to send the message out about vaccination Smita Shah wrote:Thank you forhelping promoteCOVIDvaccination inthe community

Ashish Verma wrote: Verycreative andmuchneededinitiative.

Scott Farlow MLC wrote: Well done myfriend Pawan Luthraandthe entire team atIndian Link MediaGroup on#MissionJab, encouragingthe community to#getvaxxed!

Joseph LaPosta wrote:Great work, Pawan Luthra.

Anita Prabhakar wrote: Wow!Thisis so amazing andsucha nicewayto conveytheimportanceof vaccinationduringtheseCOVIDtimes.

Dhawal Adhyaru wrote: Veryinnovative.

Jodi McKay MP wrote: Howgood isthis?Well done Indian Link Radio on spreadingthemessageabout vaccination.Thisisso impressive and so important.

VP Chawla wrote: It is an excellentmessageto the communityto go in for vaccination and adopt COVID safe practices.Congratsalso to theteam who performedtheir own version whilemaintaining socialdistancing. Everyone contributedfromtheirrespective homes- conveying "stayhomestaysafe" message.

Sandy Nagesh wrote:Thanksforthegreatinitiative.Igotmyselfvaccinated forthe sake ofthepeopleIserveasa pilot andaJP. Might Ialso add, we arebigfans of yourmagazine: it'sthe onlyIndianmagazine we pickupwhen visiting Indian stores

Sarah MacDonald wrote: Vibing well done, Indian Link Nisha Khot wrote:Isn'titjust fab.If you haven't,Irecommend watching Queen, fortheoriginal ofthe song

WHERE IN OZ

Weasked, #WherelnOz will youfindthis heritage steamtrain andwhatis it called?

Pie:WikimediaCommons

Readers Raj Saneja and Naresh gaveusthe correct answer. Thisis Melbourne's PuffingBillyRailway.It operatesinthe narrowgaugeheritage railwayintheDandenong Ranges.

Justhadaverylonganddepressingargumentwithmyuncleaboutvaccines andnowhe'ssendingmealltheconspiracyjunkvideos.Idon'tthinkpeople areawarejusthowdeepthemisinformationtrailis,orhowpoorlytherollout isgoing,bothintermsofjabsandcommunication.

OmarSakr,poet

Getthebestof Indian Linkstraightinyour inbox.ScantheQR codeto signupto our weeklyenewsletter

ReadersAntara GuhaSen, Gaurav Masand and NituSharma gaveusthe correctanswer.ThethreedeitiesJagannath,Balabhadra

It'sbeenayearunlikeanyotherfor India,and formanyinthediaspora, it'sbeena whirlwind ofemotions tobeawayfromthe motherland. Whetherit'sthe inabilitytovisit home,watchingthecountryfighta pandemicfrom afar,orprayersforour lovedonestostaysafeand sound,our heartshavegoneouttothecountry, onewayoranother. So onthis75th

Independence Day,weaskedyou todigdeepandtell us:whatisyour messagetoIndia?

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SAN�IVDUBEY

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Evenasthe javelinsoared throughthe sky forthesecond of hissixattempts, Neeraj Chopra put his handsup in triumph andletouta guttural roarwhilelooking in the directionofthesmall Indian contingent inthestands. Itfelt goodassoonasthejavelinleft his handandsometimesyou just know. Hedidn'teventurnto look. He knew.

Ashlsh Magotra, sportsjourno

MilkhaSingh wantedtohearthe nationalantheminastadium. He isnolongerwith usbut his dreamhasbeenfulfilled.

NeeraJ Chopra, dedicating his Goldmedaltolegendary Indian athlete MilkhaSingh

Realisedmyunfinisheddream after37years.Thankyou,my son, Neeraj Chopra.

PT Usha, formerathlete

Thankyou NeerajChopra! Haven'tbeenabletovisit India since 2yearsduetoCOVID-19 yetthisisthe closestI havefelt homedespitebeing inAustralia. Thanksforthememories.

Devdutt Kshirsagar, journo

Congratulations toSubedarSaab

Neeraj Chopraourgolden boy!

Unbelievable at23!

Karishma Hasnat, Indianjourno

DearNeeraj, ManycongratulationsonbecomingIndia'ssecondOlympicGoldmedalist.To winaGoldatthegrandestsportingeventintheworld, whichisheldonceevery fouryears,isin itselfsoimprobablethatlessthan3%ofthe 11,707athletes competinginTokyowillendupwithone.Addtoitthe weightofexpectationsfrom anextremelyproudnationstarvedofOlympicsuccess,andyourachievement becomesevenmorememorable.

Javelinthrowmightnotbethemostfollowedsportingdisciplinein India,butyour historicachievementhasbroughtittothelimelight,capturingtheimaginationof billionswatchingat home.Theimpactyourvictorywillcreateonpromotingyour sportamongstthecountry'syouthisimmeasurable.Youhavecrossedthefirst barrier;thegatesarenowfirmlyopen.BuddingOlympianswillnowlookuptoyou astheyset outtofulfiltheirdreamsofbringingglorytothenation.

,, Thankstoyou,wehavefinishedourTokyoendeavouronagreathigh.Your performancehasfurtherelevatedwhathasbeenevidentthroughouttheGames -thatourathletesarenotonlycapableofgoingtoetotoewiththe bestbutare firmlyestablishingourselvesasthefavourites.

OurfirstindividualGoldmighthavetakenoveracenturytocome,butthe comparativelyminisculetimetakenforyoutobring homethesecondisasolid indicationthatwe,asasportingnation,areontherise.There mightstill bea lotofworktobedoneforustobecomeasportingsuperpower,theremightbe , disappointmentsinthefuture,andprogressmightevenbeslow,butwedoknow nowthatweareonthe rightpath.Wearestrongerthaneverbecauseofthe spirityouandyourfellowIndiansshowedinTokyo.

Abhinav Bindra,shooter,thefirstIndiantowinanindividualGoldMedalatthe Olympics.

Aswecelebrate NeerajChopra's successatTokyo2020,sparea momenttorememberDavinder Jhanjhariya,anathletewhohaswon twogoldmedalsinthesamediscipline 0avelin)forIndiaatthe Paralympics.

Shaun Fathome, podcaster

Aditi Ashokplayedreallywell. Missedthemedalby whiskers andfinish4th in theOlympics. Andwho's hercaddie? Her mother.Thatisthe kindof supportoursportspersonsneed.

Parveen Kaswan, IFSofficer

Shestormed the fortressofgolfandputIndia in the reckoning Thankyouformaking usa force inthegame'sfuture, AditiAshok.

Anand Mahindra, billionaire businessman

I can't believe this. Indian Men's Hockeyteamare backonthe Olympic podium. It hasbeen41years. It has beendecadesof heartbreak. Never thoughtthiswaspossible 5yearsago. Readsa Bronze,thisisGold forme.

DigviJay Singh Deo,journo

In Mary Kom'sOlympicsswan-song, she found hersuccessortoo - Lovlina Borgohain. Like her mentor,she hastechnique,technical awareness andcomposuretobe more than aone-off,tobea talisman ofwomen'sboxing in yearstocome,to ruletheworldformanymoreyears. Sandip G, sportsjourno

Heartbreak!! Butall reasonstoholdourheadshigh.Wellplayed Indian Women'sHockeyTeam.You all inspiredeveryonein India. Thatitselfisavictory

Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood actor

LovlinaBorgohain,Silver. Boxin�

Women'sHockey, 4th MirabaiChanu,Silver, Weightlifting --===-�=-===--K-

BhavaniDevi, Fencing

AditiAshok, Golf,4th

PVSindhu,Bronze, Badminton

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

hyisitthatwhenathletesfrom NortheastIndiawinmedals, Indiacelebratesthen1,butonce thesportingeventspassandthe fervourdiesdown,theconm1unitygoesback tobeinginvisible?

Atthjgyear'sTokyoO1y1npics,acelifter andworldnumberthree, Manipur'sSaikhom MirabaiChanuwonasilvermedalinwo1nen's weighlifting,whileAssam's LovlinaBorgohain beca1nethethird IndianboxerafterMaryKorn andVijenderSinghtowinanOlympic1neda1 inboxing.

Bothhavereceived n1uchpublicacclaitnin recentdays.

H.owever,for1ne1nbersofthe Northeast Indianconununity,such fanfareonlyleavesa sourtastein themouth.

"Theyonlywanttoacknowledgeuswhen it'sco1nfortableforthem,"24-year-oldTendel Phintso,aNortheasternerbornandbredin Mumbai, toldIndianLink.

"l'musedtoit,butotherNortheasterners whodidn'tgrowuphere[Mumbai]hateit becausethey'renotusedtobeingtreatedlike second-classcitizens,"shesaid. "Evenwhen theyn1akemoviesaboutourconununity,we areerased."

Justthinkbacktothetunewhen BollywoodcastedPriyankaChopra-Jonasin MaryKo1nandAanurKhanasPhunsukh Wangduin3Idiots.Thesecharacterswere basedonrealpeople,fromManipurand Ladakhrespectively,butfilnunakersstill misrepresentedthecommwutybyusingother actorsandprofitedfromtheirstories(3Idiots made $90millionUSO,highestboxofficefilm grossforaBollywoodfiln1, in2009).

"ThegovernmentneglectsNortheastern states. Intennsofeducation,itiscompletely removed,"Tendelstated. "Andsowhen Northeasternersareforcedtoseekeducation

eas erners on VISI e

outsideofNortheastIndia,theyarefrequently discrinunatedagainstandbecometargetsof racialslw·s."

"Inschool,weneverstudyaboutwhat happenedintheNortheastduringIndia's independenceinanyofourtextbooks.There isnorepresentationatall. Eventhemedia channelsignoreus,"Tendella1nented.

MostIndiansremainunawareoftheissues facedbytheeightNortheasternstatesbecause mainstrean1mediachannelsrarelyshow newsofun-uniformland laws,differentiating citizenshiprights,orviolenceperpetrated undertheArmedForcesSpecialPowersAct, andotherlocal issueswhenbroadcasting nationally.

Bollywoodfitnesst1·ainerAnkitaKonwar tweetedrecently,"Ifyou'refromNortheast India,you becomeanIndianONLYwhenyou winamedalforthe country.Otherwiseweare knownas'chinky','Chinese','Nepali'oranew addition,'corona"' Australia-basedanthropologist,author, andNagawomanDrDollyKikonconcurred. "'Chinkygirl',isaco1nmonslurNortheastern girlsencounterinDelhi,tl1ecapitalofIndia. Theyareharassedsimplyforlookingdifferent. Whenilieygotothepolicetoreportit,they refusetolodgecon1plaints,andaskthemif iliey're'dancers'."

ASeniorLecturerinAnthropologyand Develop1nentstudiesatMelbourneUniversity, shepointedouthowilieOlympicvictories

display"amomentaryfetishisedsuccess".

DrKikonthinksthisisespeciallytruesince mostofilieseIndianathletescomefromrural areasandhavehadtoovercomeclass,caste andgenderbarrierston1aketheircountry proud,andyet,theydon't receivetheproper training,nurturing,safetyandjobsecuritythey sodeserve.

"Stoptluscelebrationfron1gettingtoyour head,ifyou'renotgoingtolookoutforthemat home," DrKikonsaid.

"Lookatthekindofsportsthesewomen [Chanuand Borgohain]areexcellingin weightliftingandboxing!Theseathletesare vocalanddeterminedtochallengepatriarchal structuresinIndia.Ononehandthecountry rewardsthemforit,andontheoilier,ilieyare harassedinthestreets."

Thisharmfulanddiscriminatory 'acknowledging-when-convenient'attitudealso extendstootherminorityathletesinIndia.

VerbalabuseofhockeyplayerVandana Katariya'sfamilymadeheadlinesafterIndia's semifinalloss,whenitwasreportedthat uppercastemensarcasticallybw·stcrackers outsideherhouseandclaimedtheteamlostin becauseithad'toomanyDalits'.

Acknowledgment and beingactivelyanti-racist Movingforward,howcanIndians acknowledgethismisrepresentationandbe active alliestoourNortheastern fanilly?

"Firstly, theerasure needstoend," Tendel Phintso remarked. "Erasurefrom historybooks, educationsystems, news, media and especially Bollywood movies."

While India has national comn1issions dedicated to Scheduled Tribes and Castes, withoutadequate representation in government and media it is unlikelythat the con11nunitywillsee any form ofresolution.

"I thinkit'sa longjourney," Dr Kikon mused. "We have tothink togetherabout issuesofsexualcrimes, caste, and racis1n through renewed lensesofjustice and equality. But right now,weneedregulations and policies on the ground to safeguard the community."

Tiredofthe hypocrisy and erasure, Tendel PhintsoshareswhatnonNortheasternerscan doat the individual level tobe anally.

"People need to stop talkingover Northeastern voices and listenwhen the minorityare speaking," she said. "Many people thinkbecausethey're 'woke' about discrimination againstus, theyhave the righttotalkoverus and discreditour experiences. Theyliketogatekeepwhat is considered 'racist' and what is not, without acknowledgingilie roletheythe1nselvesplay to perpetuatethese cycles."

Sheadded, "Spread awareness about thecommunity. Mostrecentlythere's beenastringofhate-crunes against Northeasterners because ofCOVID-19. Questionyourown biasesand be an allybystoppingothers from engagingin discrimination."

Notefromtheauthor:The article does notintend toclub togetherdifferent states orplace anentireco111111unity underoneumbrella.However, thisarticle employs theterms 'northeastIndia' and 'Northeasterners'tomerelyallowdiscussion aroundmajorissuesthese communitiesface while acknowledgingthefrrich,diverse, and individualcultures.

Some of India's recent Olympic wins have brought into spotlight the racism encountered bythosefrom the Northeast

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Have you had your COVID vaccine yet? Well hashtags #MissionJAE

s we continue toworkfrom home,manyofusmayfind ourselvesgoingdays without steppingoutdoors. While it's important tokeepup thissocial distancing, there'sagoodchance it meanswe'renot gettingallthesunlightweneed. Whenwas thelasttimeyou tookagood,longstroll and soaked insome rays?

Aswefacemanyweeksahead in lockdown - andvaryinglevels ofrestriction whenitiseased - one thingisclear: we need toraise ourvaccinationrates. The n1essages thathavebombarded ussofarinthishealth crisisinAustralia, haveconfused usandcloudedourdecision making.

lsonevaccinebetterthan theother? Howcan Igetthe 'better' vaccine?What roledoesagegroupplayinvaccine efficacy? Howgood ismyvaccine in

controlling theDeltavariant? Sonow I'mbeingaskedtoshiftthegap between doses? Can I getoutand aboutnow that I'vehad mytwoshots?

Whetherthe sluggish ratesof vaccinationuptakeare becauseofshifts in messaging,poorsupply, orgeneralvaccine hesitancy, theneed ofthe hour istoget the communitytotake thatfirststep and make a bookingtoget thejab.

And sowelaunch#Mission)AB.A con1n1unitycampaignbyIndianLink, this endeavour isaimedatgettingthemessage out toasn1anypeople inAustralia's Indian communityas possible - togetvaccinated and be safe.

Themessagingin #MissionJABtakes a multiprongedapproach:

I. CommunityconnectWe are encouragingall(eventhosewho've had theirfirstjab)totaketosocialmedia

PoornimaBhatt ..

ehrotra

DrSakshiBudhiraja,Mumbai

Dr:JayaDogra,Chandigarh

witha"vaxxie", orvaccineselfie, using thehashtag#jabwegotvaxxed. Vaccineselfies, it hasbeenshown, help normalisethevaccine procedure, reducinghesitancyaround perceived risksandincreasingvaccinetrust withinsociaJcircles.

2. Messages fromthefrontline in lndia TheDeltavariantwreakedhavoc acrossourhomecountry India, with manyofusaffecteddirectly byits onslaught. In ourshortvideoseries, webring1nessagesfromhealth professionalsdescribingthedevastation theyhavewitnessed,andstressingthe absoluteurgencyofvaccinationatthis time. Youcanhearthesemessages in variouslanguages.

3 Messages from friends ofthe Indian communityOurshort videoseries alsoincludesmessagesfromfriends

oftheIndiancommunityhere in Australia. Manyof our stateandfederal politiciansacrossthepoliticaJdivide arewelllikedintheIndiancommunity. Asfrequentandwillingguestsatour communityevents,theyhaveforged strongbondswithus. Easilyidentified, theymakewonderful influencersfor MissionJAB.

4. Bollywood callingToappealtothe youngergeneration, theIndian Link RadioteamledbyEktaSharn1ahave createdaparodyof iconic HindisonginwhichLondonThu,nakdabecomes AussieThu,nakda. Thereworkingofthe lyricssendsthe vaccinationmessageout. Wethank thehealthprofessionals,celebs, poUiesandotherswhohavealreadyjoined us in #MissionJAB. Can't wait toseeyou onsocial 1nedia,gettingon thebandwagon with us.

lndianl.ink@)

, jab (when) you do, tell the world using our l or #jabwegotvaxxed.

:JodiMcKay, MP(NSW)

AribamPrem;

•

Arrangement KUSUM SINGH

Camera RADHA SINGH

Operations KARISHAMA SINGH

Concept RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

MAA TU:JHE SALAAM

Melbourne's Shwetambar Jain community rejoice at stone-laying ceremony of"first Jain temple

BY MRIDUSMITA HALOI

he foundationstone laying cere1nony or'Shilanyas' forthe first fain Derasar (te1nple) in Melbourne wasperforn1edin the early hours of Wednesday4August in Moorabbin, Victoria, under the spiritual guidance of Pujya Acharya Bhagwant Jagvallabh SuriMaharaja.

Scenesofjubilation broke outas the21 beautifully carved 1narble Shilas(stone slabs)were laid into thegroundamidst chantingofprayers, in the presenceof manydignitariesandprominentme1nbers of theco1nn1unity, includingleadersof variousreligious organisations.

Jain templesinIndia are incredible architecturalmarvels, and the Melbourne Jain temple will be nodifferent - must-see forall. It willbe made ofwhite Makrana marblefromIndia,verysiinilartothekind usedto buildmanyiconic1nonu1nentsin India, includingtheTaj Mahal.

Morethan 5,000piecesof beautifully carvedmarble, weighingabout 1500 tonnes,willbe i1nportedfromIndiato buildthe temple. Currently,morethan 300artisansareundertakingthecarving work, whichisexpectedtotakearound30 months tocon1plete.

Thetemple, includingthecommunity hall,issettocost millionsofdollars,

mostlyto befundedbythemembersofthe community.

"Itisaremarkablefeatforasucha smallcommunityofaboutfivehundred familiesto embarkonsuchanambitious

project,"saidMrJasonWood, Federal AssistantMinisterforMulticulturalAffairs. Attendingtheevent,hepledgedhissupport towardsthecompletionofthe project. The temple isexpectedto welcome

devoteesby2023.

TheConsulGeneralof India, MrRaj Kumar,describedthishistoricevent as "anotherfeatherinthecapof theIndian diaspora."

odwithNitin

MayorofKingston City MrSteve Staikoscongratulated the Jain co1nn1unity, while observingthat theconstruction of a temple ofsuch magnitude and beauty will helpin forgingahead Melbourne's multiculturalism.

Mr Nitin Doshi, the Presidentof Melbourne Shwetambar Jain Sangh (MSJS) told IndianLink, "A beautifullycarved white marble temple ofShri Sumatinath Bhagwan will bean iconicdevelopment in Melbourne.Oneofitskind, it will become ago-toplace forall Jains in Melbourne forreligious rituals, andwillprovide a spiritual sanctuary forgenerations to corne. We hope itwill continue toshowthe pathofliberation through Jainisrnvalues and enhance positivityfor the surrounding co1nmunity."

Thepropertywasacquired in 2017 and since then a temporaryfacilityin the sitehasbeen functioningasa com1nunity centre. Thiswasupgradedin the recent past, thanks to theVictorian Government's Multicultural Co1nmunity Infrastructure Fund (MCIF)of$230,000 dollars.

The te1npleprojectwasenvisaged in 2015, and since then theco1nmunityhas dedicateditselfphysically, emotionally and financiallytowardsthisgoal. For devoutme1nberslike Ekta Shah,it is a drea1ncome true. ''Weare so excited that the Shilanyasisfinallytakingplace," she remarked. "Therehave been delays due

tolockdowns and otherobstacles along theway-thesehave made our resolve only stronger."

Jignesh Shahsummed up the mood ofthe Jaincon,munitysuccinctly. "This isa historic moment,oneforwhich we have waited foryears. Aswe launch the constructionofour temple, we hope it will be a steppingstone forour future generations toconnectwith ourfaith."

JasmaSutariaadded,"Livingawayfro1n India,weareextremelyfortunate thatweget toparticipateinaceren1onysuchasthisone. Itisakeystep inthebuildingofamonument thatwill111eansomuchtosomanypeople. Manypeopleevenin Indiado notgetto participateinthis - astemplesaremainly renovated,sofoundationstonesdonotneed tobelaidagain. So tobeabletobuildsuch anedificefromscratch,isamatterofgreat prideandspiritualsatisfaction."

Anothercongregation memberNimita Bagadia told IndianLink, "I1nagine the numberofprayers thatwillbechanted here, and theconcernsthatwill becalmed acrossgenerations ofdevoteesthatwill enterthis temple. Thishistorical Shilanyas event fills me withjoy,happiness,and so muchgratitude."

It isquite clear thatfor this 4000-strong Australia-wide community, faithisa strong guidinglight, especiallyat a time whenour worlds have beenturned upsidedownin thecurrentpandemic.

Thecommunityrejoices

Sydney-based

BY RITAM MITRA

heongoingspectreofCOVlD-19 lockdownshaselicited fron, many ofus some previously repressed talents: cooking, home improven,ent, arts and crafts. During Sydney's2020 COYID-19 restrictions, 20-year-oldYir Srinivas en1barked on a much more ambitious lockdown project than most: writingand directinghis first feature length film, despite having no background in filrnmakingand no n1oneyto make a filn,.

It is all themoreastoundingthen, that Vir's 87-minutewritinganddirectorial debut, OrdersFro111Above, hasrackedup international awards at a staggering rate, mostrecentlywinningthreecategories, including Best flistory Fihn,attheCannes World Film Festival.

Vir'saward-winningspree n1arks a stratosphericrise fortheyoungSydneysider, but belies hishumblebeginningsin theworld offiln1. Havingstudied ayearofCommerce at UNSW,Virknewacorporatecareer wasn'tforhim,soheenrolledin aone-year Diplo1na ofScreenandMediaat theSydney Filn1 School. But, asSydneyentered athreemonthlockdown in March 2020,sotoowas Vir'senrolinentdelayed to July. Undeterred, Virdecided togive hiinselfahead start,and fulfilwhathad longbeen ad1·ean1ofhis: to write a scriptfora featurefilm

Virsettled on a storythatwasinteresting, yetpossible tobe shot in one ortwosimple indoorlocations: thetruestoryofthe interrogationofNaziwarcriminal,Adolf Eichmann,byIsraeli police. Once Sydney's restrictionseased, Virsnappedinto action to bringhisstorytolife,findingpassionate actors (RichardCotter,PeterDonnelly, Darrell Hoffn1anand Emn1anuel Drakakis) willingtoactforfree, borrowinganold camera, andbuyingan oldvoicerecording device whichVirwouldultimatelysellthe satnewayheboughtit: oneBay.

"Beingafanofhistory, the 1noral culpabilityofthe Holocaustand the banality ofevilwerethingsthatlingered inmy mind," saysVir. "Withoutmuchproduction value, and itbeingsetinonelocation and consistingofmostlydialogue,itwas important thatthe storybe strongenoughto engage audiences."

Virscoured throughhundreds ofpages ofofficialtranscripts fromIsraelipolice archives,withmuch ofthe dialogue fromthefilmtaken verbatimfromthe

List ofawardsfor OrdersFromAbove

CMANNHEIM ARTSAND FILM FESTIVAL

Winner Best History Film

CANNESWORLDFILMFESTIVAL

Winner Best Historical Film

Winner BestJewish FIim

Winner Best Black&WhiteFilm

Nominee BestBiographical Feature Film

Nominee Best FirstTime Filmmaker(Feature)

VENTOTENE FILM FESTIVAL Finalist

INTERNATIONALSYMBOLICART FILM FESTIVAL OfficialSelection

transcripts. Even still, itonlytookhim one month towrite thescript,a featwhich beacknowledgedwas aidedbySydney's lockdown.

Then came perhaps an evenmoredifficult task: bringinghis debut script tolife, usingpockets oftimeafterschool and on weekends overthecourse oftwomonths. Thereweremanyobstacles in bisway, not the leastofallwere budgetary and, courtesy ofCOVID-19, movementconstraints.

"I filmedwitha 3-personcrewincluding myself, afriend'sold camera,onelensand nopracticallighting," saysVir.

Incredibly, theentire filmwas shotin just twolocations: afriend'ssmallstudio apartment, and a classroomatschool.

Despite all theconstraints,Yir's biggest challengewas hisnecessarilyverbose script. "Myactorsdidverywellinmemorisingthe long111onologuesofdetail, butto help them, I used h·ickslikehidingthe scriptinprops or somewhere on setforthemtouse as a reference," revealsVir.

ACCOLADES

Oncethe ftlm was finished, Virentered variousfilmfestivals,despiteknowingthat hewouldnotbeable tophysicallyattend duetothepandemic.Theglobalsuccessof OrdersFromAbovehas since surpassedeven Yir's ambitious expectations,havingpicked upawru·dsor nominationsatfourfestivals, includingCannesand Mannheim. Yirhas alsowrittena short film - TheProselytewhichhasalsobeennominated forseveral awards.

Vir'ssuccessis uniqueandgroundbreakingformanyreasons,includinghis Indianheritage. Speakingto the issueof diversityinAustralianmedia - atopicabout whichmuch bas beensaid and writtenover thelasttwoyears - Virseessomepositive signs, andsees bisownsuccessasevidence thattheindustryischangingforthe better. "Ithink the filmindustryisgettingbetterin termsofrecognisingthe talentthatpeople fromdifferentwalksoflifecanbringtothe table,"he notes. "I've seenafewavenues

wherepeople from avarietyofbackgrounds andculturescan prove themselves and [ hopethattheindustrycontinues to encourage these voices."

Vir'sparents, Rohini and Krishna,are unsurprisinglyecstatic. "Tosaywe are proud would be a huge understatement," says Krishna. "We had no idea he had this kindoftalent in him. Westill need topinch ourselves sometimes".

Lookingforward,it isnotloston Vir thatayear has passedand at least from oneperspective, nothinghas changed.

"Now, as ifwe have comefullcircle, the filmiscompleteandwe are once again in lockdown," he muses. ButYir'sjourney is just beginning,withthe impressive 20-yearoldalreadyplanninganothershortfilm this year.

"Thefuture isuncertainbut I amgoing tocomn1it myselftothis careerandgiveit mybestshot," he concludes. "It's mygoalto makefilmsfull time."

filmmaker, 20, picks up international awards with his debutfilm

Ascenefromthefilm

Vir produced the film in lockdown last yearwith a friend's old camera, one lens, no practical lighting andjust two locations.

USyd student's image ofcheetah wins accolades atthis year's Africa Geographic Photographerofthe Year competition

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

-year-old Aditya Nair's photo 'The Murderous Pharaoh' was highly comn1ended in thisyear's Africa Geographic Photographerofthe Yearco1npetition.

Nair's stunningcapturetaken on safari in the Maasai Mara National Reserve depicts a 1nen1beroftheTano Bora (largest known male cheetah coalition offive) in the n1iddle ofazebra meal.

Whether the imageisevocativeor disturbing,we leaveit toyou to decide.

"l absolutelylove thebigcat fa111ily,the1·e's so n,uch character to the1n,"Aditya told IndianLink. "Theguides, locals, and industrystafftracktheiJ·stories and constantlykeepupdatingvisitors. Thatway wecreate more ofan emotional attachn1ent to these animals. J wouldn'tsayI havea specific anilnal 1 love shootiJ1g, but I love a good leopard sighting."

Aditya Nairwasborn inTrivandrum, Kerala, and at theageofthxee hisfamily moved to Mon1basa, Kenya,wherehespent a 111ajorityofhischildhood exposed to the warmAfricansavanna.

"Growingupin Kenya gavemea unique upbrmging," theyoungphotographer pondered. "Wehave a laidbackbeach lifeas wellas the adrenaline-filled wilderness-bush experience."

Though he always had apassionfor wildlifephotography, Aditya onlybegan takingthe craft seriouslyafterhe left Australia,where hewas a n1arketingstudent at the UniversityofSydney.Theonset of the COVI0-19pandemicled himto return ho111e to Kenyajust beforeborders closed.

"I came backtoKenyafora changein environ1nent andwiththe intentiontospend moretin1ewithwildlife,"he said.

"Thefast paced, money-oriented city lifetooka lotoutofn,e. When I looked backat allthetitnesl feltatpeace, thefust thingthat came tomind waswakingup to asunrise iJ1the MaasaiMaraNational Reserve, hearillgtheroarofalion," he mused.

Asforinspirations,Aditya revealedTV shows thatbeganhisfruitfulfascination withwildlife. Progra1nslikeAnimalPlanet's MadMikeand1\1.ark, andthe likes oflate

Most ofAditya's shots aretaken on a camera bean bag that rests on the window ofa safari vehicle.

AustralianiconSteve Irwin reinforced the allureofthe wild.

Withregard tophotographyand art, Aditya names NatGeoWild photog,·apher Shaaz Jung'sworkasasourceof encouragement topush theboundaries ofphotographyand addmgtouchesof surrealism.

Due tothenatureofthesetting, 111ostof Aditya'sshotsaretakenonacamera bean bagthatrests on thewmdowofa safari vehicle.At othertimesheprefers totake hand-heldshots,and rarelyuses tripods.

The photographercampsillnational parksforfow·to fivenightsata stretch, everycoupleofmonths. Thatn1aysound likea lottosomeandverylittle toothers, but money-wiseit canbequiteapricey venture, especiallyifyou're notmakingalot ofmoneyfro1n the activityitself.

"However, dw·mgmytimeatthese nationalparks,I spendalmost8-12 hours outonsafari. Sometimesgoingfrom sightingto sighting, andotherssimply

stationaryinone spot,"Adityasaid. "As forplanning, plentyoftouragents make our liveseasybutwherever l canavoid the middleman, I do. It doesn'ttake time,it takesinitiative."

Social n1edia andassortedwildlife documentarieshave alsoplayed arole illhis understandingofthe practice. Hesayshismaillsourceofresearchis spendingtimewith animals inthewild, observingthemwiththe helpofguides.

"As forwildlife photographers, there are a lotofus; l justknowthat there are two thmgs l aimtosticktowhen creating andpostingcontent. One isquality over quantity.Twoistostand out,"Aditya stated.

Whatissomethingpeople don't know aboutwildlifephotography?

"Thateveryimage isadifferent story and there'salways someone illCredibly passionate aboutwildlife behind the lens," Aditya remarked.

TheAfrica Geographiccompetition entrieswerejudged on theirabilitytotell a story,evoke emotionandcapture the essence ofAfrica,whichovertheyears, Adityaseemstohavegottenthe hangof.

"To alreadyhave myname inthe san1e conversation as all the other talented photographers mentioned is1nind blowing," hegushed.

Inthefuture,Adityahopes toworkin the tourismindustrytohelptherest of the world experiencewhathedoesinthe awesomeAfricansavanna.

TheMurderousPharaoh

•

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

byKrishnakumar

short newdebut novel Decipheringa Kill (published byNotion Press Media, Cbennai, 2021), byKrishnakumar (KK) isa whodunnitset largelyin Bengaluru and Chennai. It'sa racypage-turner and movesata fastpace, and the denouementisa real surprise. KK packsa lotofpunchinthisshort novel,sketchingtheprofilesofthe maincharactersdeftly. Asgood murder mysteriesgenerallydo, thisnovelisalsoa commentaryon modern Indian society. Theebook is nowavailable onAmazon.

ravind Adiga'snewnovel, A1nnesty(Picador, 2020), short-listed forthe 2021 Miles Franklin LiteraryAward, isonewhichwill resonatewith n1any newmigrantsinAustralia. Itcleverly

• invertsthe idea of'the other', bygiving

: avoiceto an (illegal) immigrant in this

• : country. Itsprotagonistisa Sri Lankan

• : Tamil Dhananjaya RajaratnamorDanny,

• : whowadesthrough the mazeofSydney

: life tryingtoekeout a livingcleaning

: homesforcash, and generallysteering

clearofthe authorities-andpolice-to avoidgettingarrested. He isin this predicamentbecause his attemptatbeing recognised asa refugee has failed. 1-le

•

: hadworked in Dubai forson1etime, but

• : hadbeen mistaken fora LTTEterrorist

• : bySri Lankan authoritiesonhis return

•

byAravind Adiga

MARAVIND AD GA

homeand brutallytortured. Desperate toget away, Dannyuses hisfather's savings tocome toAustraliaona student visatostudyina nondescriptschool, which turns out to be abigscam. His subsequent request forasylumisrejected, because,afterall, he hadarrived legally on astudentvisa(nevermind the torture scars). Consequently, Dannygoesinto hiding, livingin agrocerystoreroom for fouryearsand movesaboutthecitywith avacuumcleanerstrapped to his back.

As Danny negotiates theworldof Livingandworking in Sydneyas an illegal, tryingto blend in byemulating the accent and streakinghis hair-we are privyto what he thinks ofAustralia andAustralians. DannyknowsRadhaatwhosehomebedoesoddcleaning jobs-and that Radha ischeatingonher

GOODGIRLS:ANORDINARYKILLING bySonia Faleiro

oniaFaleiro'snovelGoodGirls: An OrdinaryKilling(Bloomsbury, 2021) isbased onrealevents

• : that shookthevillage ofKatra

• : in UPin2014-whentwoteenagegirls, : one 16 and theother 14, cousinsandbest

: friends-were foundbangingfrom amango

• : tree intheirvillageonenight. Faleiro

: has attempted togettothe bottomof

• : the 'killing'byspendingagreatdealof

• : time in thevillage,interviewingscoresof : people,andworkingonitforfouryears. : Itisawonderfullywrittenbookthatis

• : reportageatitsbest. Iwillnotdisclosethe : actual'truth'behindtheeventforfearof

• : spoilingitforourreaders,butFaleiro's : descriptionofthebravestandtakenbythe

: women- whoformacirclearoundthetwo

• : girlshandingfromthetree,refusingtolet

: theirbodiesbetakendownforafull48

• : hours,forfeartheremightbeacover-up;

: thejournalistswhodescend onthevillage

: eagerforastory;thefathers'responses;

•

SONIA FALE IRO

Australian husbandwho exerts brutal controloverher. Her lover Prakash isfreeloadingon her,yet at the sa1ne time resents the residual obligations she feels towards herhusband. When Radha turnsupdead, Danny musteither choose to tell the policewhathe knows or remain silent to avoid gettinginto trouble.

Adiga makes scoresofastute observationsaboutAustralianattitudes, mindsetand outlookonlife in general through Danny'svoice. Adiga hiLnself hadlivedforsome time in Sydneyand purportedlystill carriesan Australian passport - sotheyfeelquite authentic. His reflectionsonAustralia are nothing shortofsearing, as his Man Booker Prize winning White Tigerwas on India's nouveau riche.

thevillager'sreactionetal, arelaidout for thereadertobeholdingreatdetail.All thecomplexitiesofwhatitmeans tobe a youngwomanin intrinsicallyconservative ruralNorth Indiaare madeapparent as Faleirocarefullynavigatesdisturbing anddelicate themes. Itisamosttelling revelationofhowideaslikehonour, shame andcollectivevillagemoralitycome headto-headwithmodernity,mobilephones and media.

TheGoodGirlsis aharrowingtale that saysas 1nuch about India'sunderbelly ofpoliticalcorruption,violence against women, and casteprejudice-as itdoes about the twoyoungwomenwhofall prey toit. The bookhasalreadybeen chosen bya hostofliterarynewspapers andmagazines as a 'must read'for2021. Readersmay recall that Faleirohas previouslypublishedawidelyacclaimed bookonthesexindustryinMumbai called Beautiful Thing.

This issue, we look at three books that have something to do with 'killing' - one way or another

AutllorofTIie Wllltl 11t1r, wi111r oftlle Botker Prize

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

iwi bybirth and lndophile by choice, volunteer Ben Chapple's trystwith India firstbegan on a trip to Chandigarh as a mature age student pursuing a social welfare degree. Fiveyears on, the 56-year-old reached out to Indian Link to continue to help serve the cause ofIndianAdivasi (indigenous) con1munities he came to know on his travels, and thathave been adversely affectedbythe COVID-19 pande1nic.

Describing his maiden trip to India, Ben told Indian Link, "It wasa cultural progra1n hostedby Punjab University. We received lectures from different faculties which illuminated avery broad understandingofIndian culture. We visited welfare organisations and did son1e touring, including the GoldenTemple. At that point, l decided I loved India andjust vowedto return."

Whenhe did return in2018, he caught upwith friends he'd ,nade. These included the Prince ofRajpipla in Gujarat, Manvendra Singh (theonly 'out' Indian prince)- Benhadbeenimpressed by his advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.After striking up an e1nailfriendship, the prince invited Ben to staywith him in his countryside cottage. They did yoga in the mornings and theprincewould tellhim stories from his life.

Thiswas where Bengrewaware ofhow the Indianupper class lives. Though the Prince leads a sin1ple life now, stories of hispastgeneration's classiccarcollections and eliteeventswith dignitaries only encouraged Ben to worktowards the upliftment oflandless and homelessAdivasi people.

Ben began to investigate how feasible itwould be toconductpersonalChild Welfare advocacy. Heconducted multiple meetings and conferences with a cross section ofpeople. It allwent sn1oothly until

he was mugged at gunpointin Delhi the daybefore his departure from India.

The rnishap turned outtobe serendipitous - it broughthimin close contactwith the international coordinator ofthe Jai Jagat Movement (JJM), aglobal campaign forjustice and peace rooted in Gandhian philosophy.

::Jai ::Jagat Movement's Peace March: Delhi to Geneva

Withthe JJM, Ben became initiated ina gruellingphysicaladventure that would truly test his devotion to social welfare As a participantin Jai Jagat's 2020-21 Peace Yatra from Delhi to Geneva, he setoffon a 11,000kmjourneyon foot, traversing 17 countries, advocatingfornon-violence and justice.

Participantsofthepeace convoywould walk while theirluggagewas transported bytrucks. Fortunately, Ben had retained a good level offitness because he wasan active sportspersonasa youth.

Yatris (travellers) wouldjoinon different stages ofthe Peace Yatrafromtheown countries and stay in dorm roomswith others. Theywouldwakeat 7am, make sure all the washingwasdone andget theirbags readyto be thrown onthe truck. Chores and communal activities wereassigned to all. Yatriswould begiven responsibilities for the day or theywould meetandengagewith local community men1bers.

"Youquicklylearned to notbe too precious," Benremarked. "Yourindividual

egoswerediminished asyou realisedyou had tofitwell in thegroup. And then of course,you might have been tired from doingupto 38km a day. Youwould also be exhausted because you were quite exposed; allyourouter layersofskin hadbeen peeledofflikean onion revealingdifferent things. Aseach layercame to passyou were forced toconfront whoyou were, and how you wish to relate towhateveryou were goingtoconfrontin theday."

He wenton, "Oncewewere walking througha thick forestarea along the tree line and 10 metresoffthe pathwere anold couple sittingoutside their home. Seeing them strugglingtostand up, I rushed to them.Theydonated 1 and 2 rupees respectively in my kalash. I sawthat they were both weeping, l thinktheywere really upset that theycouldn'tcome up to us. It wasbeautifulwitnessing the weakest and poorestofusdesperatetocontribute to society. Ifonly there wasgood leadership inplace."

Just before theyweretosailacross the Black Sea,close to reachingits final destination in Europe, COVlD struck. The Jai Jagatvolunteers,havingwalked 2,400 thus far, hadto turn around andflybackto thefr home countries in disappointment.

COVID relief for Adivasis

Ben'scurrentfundraiser inassociation with the Catholic Bishop'sConferenceof India (CBCI), supports a holistichealth developmentproject forAdivasi peoples and the rural tribalregionsofChhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha.

"We're raising n,oneytobank them off against the next wave ofCOVID. We've been functioning with funds from foreign donors because India's own internal systen,s don'thave much in place," Ben revealed. "Internal funds have mainly been allocated to the bigcities.Villagepeople in rural settings received absolutelyno support through the second wave, and they were ravaged by COYID."

India's latestcensus in 2011 depicted that out ofthe 100 million people livingin the three key north-Indian states that fonn the Adivasi movement, about 17 million wereAdivasis and Indigenous tribes.

Ben's bondwith India is so strongpartly because offamiliarindigenous beliefs in Australia, where he has lived for the last twodecades.

Having worked with Aboriginal housing in Sydney's Redfern, Ben came to learn the three 'pillars' held bythe indigenous community: "Respect, sustainability, and providing for future generations."

"This is reallythe focus forAustralian Aboriginalpeople - providing for thenext generation. I haven't been toanyother indigenous communities, but when I went to India, I saw the same value system, except theAdivasis adopted a fourth pillar - consensus," Ben said optimistically.

Historically, India's Adivasi and tribal people have been excluded, suffered neglectfrom politicalgovernance, land grabbings and otherinjustices.

Ben choked up reflectingontheplightof theAdivasis.

"Yet on my travels, I sawthatbecause ofthe church'sactivitiesandsocialwelfare support network, there's agood, positive sprinkling ofeducation," Ben said. "They are seekingequityirrespective offaithor language. I'mnotreligious atall, but the Catholic Church is providing the social welfare networks thatwe mighttake for granted inAustralia."

Donate to Ben Chapple's fundraiserfor aid to Indianindigenous tribes andAdivasi communities at: https://au.gofundme. com/f/dare-to-dream-of-a-covid-free-india

Help Sydney-based Ben Chapple raise funds for Adivasi and tribal communities in northern India

''Internal funds have mainly been allocated tothe big cities.Village people in rural settings received absolutely no supportthrough the second wave, and theywere ravaged byCOVID."

1ve I mana

�own w1 • I ome

A young mum shares her tips on keeping the little ones engaged whilewe'reall stuckindoors

BY NIDHIJOSHI

t'sshapinguptobealongwinter,especially forthoseofuswithchildrentoentertainat homeduringlockdown.Manyfamiliesfind the,nselvesinthestressfulsituationofhon1eschoolingkidsorlookingaftertoddlersand pre-schoolersathome,allwhilejugglingtheir workandhomelife.·1-1erearesometipsand resourcestohelpyougetthroughitlikeapro.

Getyourchild's inputand come upwitha routine Weekendsare forslowstarts andchilling outbutcreatingasiinple routii1eduringthe weekcanhelp keepeveryonesane. Spend tin1e togetherwithyourchildwritingupa rough routii1efor thedaysotheyknowwhat isplannedand canrefer toit as needed. This helpsstructure thedayforboththe childandparent.

Askforactivitypacks fromyourchild'sdaycare/ preschool

Manyday-carecentresandpreschoolshave askedforchildrenofnon-essentialworkersto stayhomeifpossible.Ifyourchildisinthis category,youcanasktheday-care/preschool toprovideonlinelinkstoactivitiesthatcan beprintedathome, ortocreateactivity packs/artandcraftpackstotakeho1ne. So,nepreschoolsarealsoopentosettingup atoylibrarytobeable toborrowyourchild's favouritetoyforaweekortwo.Allyouhave todoisask!

Getoutdoors

Theweathermaybeterrible,anditmaybe easiertostayindoors,butyouwillbesurprised howgoodyoufeelonceyoustepout.Why nottakethekidsforawalkorbikeridetothe park?Wheneversiblingsst.artbickeringor yourchildisthrowingatantrumfornogood reason,rugup,stepoutandaUyow·problems willbesolved.It'sagreatwaytoletthekids spendaUtheirextraenergysothatwhenthey gethome,theywillbemorethanhappytodoa quietactivitywhileyougetdinnerready.

Rotatetoysandgetcreative

Rotatingtoysisanage-oldtrickthathasalways workedwondersinourhouse. Uselockdown asanexcusetodosomespringcleaningand bringoutson1eoldtoysthathavenotbeen usedinawhile.Inaddition,getcreativewith yourspaceandmakeacubbyhouseout ofyourbeachtentortakeyourpicnicrug andputitinthemiddleofyourlivingroom.

Childrenloveplayingwiththeirtoysinnew environmentsandeventhesimplesthousehold itemscansparktheirimagination.

Makeuseofonlineresources

Luckyforus,weliveinthedigitalageandcan accessaUcornersoftheglobeviaaninternet connection.Therearesomephenomenal resourcesonlinesuitedtokidsofaUages, providingactivities,projects,information, education,livestreamingandmediatailoredto theirspecificinterests.Ourfavouritepicksare: NationalGeographicKids:Perfectforthe curiouschildwhoisinterestedintheworld aroundthem.Thereareplentyofactivitiesand videosforfreeoryoucangetasubscription tothemonthlymagazmedeliveredstraightto yourdoor.

Twinkl:Afantasticeducationalsitetailoredto theAustraliancurriculumcreatedbyteachers. Thisisagreatresourceifyouarelookingfor age-appropriateeducationalactivitiesfrom

kindergartentoyear 10acrossaUsubjectareas.

ABCKids:ItmaycomeasnosurprisethatABC kidshasaplethoraofeducationalvideosinall subjectareas,cateredtochildrenofaUages. Screentin1einthiscaseisalsoawayforyour kidstobeengagedandlearnabouttheworld. EducatingYoungEngineers:Ifyourchildloves Lego,checkoutthisorganisation,determinedto introduceengineeringtochildrenfromayoung age.Thewebsitehassometi.tnLegochallenges aswellasinteractiveactivities.

BBCGoodFood: Ifyourchildwantstobethe nextMasterChef,checkoutthislistofover50 recipestailoredforcookingwithkids.

Questacon:Somefunscienceactivitiesand experimentstodoathomeforcuriousfuture scientists.

SydneyOlympicPark-ParkLive:Ifyou haveabuddmgparkranger, thismightbethe perfectwaytospendtheafternoonwithout leavingyow·loungeroom.Youcantakea virtualtour,hearfron1parkrangers,andprint outartsandcraftactivitiesthatwillkeepthe kidsentertainedforhow·s.

KenDone:Forbuddingartistswhowant toexploretheircreativeside. KenDone isaprominentAustralianartistproviding freeresourcesonhiswebsiteforartlovers everywhere.

toryFactory:Afantasticresourceforthose interestedincreativewriting.Thesiteprovides activitiesandpromptsforyourchildtounleash theirimaginationandcreatetheirownmagical charactersandstories.

Whosayslockdownmustbeamaddening endeavourwithkids?Hopefullyoursimple tipsgiveyousomeideastokeepyourlittleones occupied,andgiveyoumuchneeded'me-time' duringthedaytoo.

oor

We may not be entertaining now, but it's the perfect time to get your outdoor space winter-ready for next year, writes landscape designer GOPIKA S

oyou're lockeddownand are 1nissinghavingfriends and family over. Well,whatbetter timeto thinkaboutentertaining- or rather,howtogoaboutyourentertaining! Getoutintoyourbackyard, and seewhat you can donowtohaveyourplaceallready for party tin1e come nextwinter!

Herearesome tipsforoutdoorwinter entertaining.

Garden Lighting

Illuminateyourpersonal su1·roundings withcleverlighting.Throwsomelightover treeswith smoothbarks, foliageplants, walls,pathways, entertainingareas,garden sculptures ifyou have any. Lightscaping youroutdoorspacewill not onlyfulfillthe functionalneeds ofthe space butalso add aestheticqualityafterdark. Lightingyour outdoor space alsoprevents trip/fallhazards and provides safety.Thereare aplethora of choiceswhenit con1es to solar lightsinthe market: choosea qualityone thatwilllast longer. Awell-designedgardenwithlights encouragesustoventure out.

Garden Furniture

Whenitcon1estooutdoorfurniture,comfort anddurabilityplaya vital role.Thereare loadsofoptionsouttherethatadd style to these. Lookfordesignsbestsuitedfor positioning, suchasinthepatio, around thepool,oraroundthefirepit.Forguests,

Outdoor Heating

Thefirepitmaybeanintimatesettingfor itswarmth, butthe cleveruse ofoutdoor heatingcansetup asimilarambience. Chooseheatingforthepatio,underneath thepergolaand nearthepool. Withplenty ofoptions tosuityourtasteand budget,you can continue entertainingoutdoors through thewintermonths.

Outdoor Blinds

experin1entwithfurniture arrangements to create ambienceaswellas tobuild small intimate spacestoenjoyyouroutdoorarea.

Outdoorblindsareworththemoneyifyou havealargepatioandalfrescoareafor entertaining. Youwillbeshelteredfromthe elements,anditwillcreateanidealspace for

entertainingallyearround. Choose theblinds thatfulfillyourneedsandfitsyourbudget.

Firepit and Seating

Warm foodandheat - these are two essentialsforwinterentertaining.Add in the magicofa fire pit, andyou're bound tohave amemorable evening.Firepits create an invitingspacelike Little else, providingmorereason tolingeroutside thancrouchedinside. Haveyourseats either built-in orpositionloosefurniturearound. (Do notethough, firepitscomewithsafety considerations, suchasavoidingenclosed or unventilated areas andoverheadbranches. Soensureyouhave thatsortedoutbefore throwingin thatpinecone fire starter.

Outdoor Cooking

Now, this is agreatwayforrelaxed entertainment. Most modernhomeshave theinside ofthe houseconnectedwith the outsidebyn1eansofanalfrescoorpatio. Installinganoutdoorkitchenwitheither a built-inbarbequeorstove enhances the functionalityand ambienceofthe alfresco or patio. Whenplanning,ensureyouposition youroutdoorcookingincloseproximityto yourexistinginside the kitchen forease and accesswhile entertaining.

Acon1booflighting, furniture, warmth, andfoodwillmakeyouroutdoorspace more appealingnotonlyinwinterbut throughouttheyear.

•

Indian restaurants jump on the bottled cocktail bandwagon

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

fyou'vebeen doingacelebratorytakeawaynight onsay Friday nightsthis lockdownperiod, you'veprobablyseen bottled cocktailsonthe n1enu.

Packaged in cutelittle bottles,you can now enjoya martinior anegronibefore

yotu·1neal - without havingto make one yourself.

Select lndian restaurantsarejumpingon thebandwagon.

UrbanTadka, based inSydney'sTerrey Hills, hashad onofferthree varieties for awhilenow-Old Fashioned, Espresso Martini and Margarita. Besidesbeingaway ofexpandingtheirservicesin COVID tin1es, co-ownerlnder Duasays, "Bottled cocktailsare afun newadditiontoour products. It'sgreattoseeourclients

Indian-inspiredcocktailsatForeignReturn

lovingit,and we've reallyenjoyedbringing on this innovationtoo."

Gaw·angGahoiofnewIndian restaurant Foreign Return inSydney'sSurry Hills, says,"Asa trend adoptedbytheindustry, it's about creatinganin-houseexperience ofallouron-siteexperiences. Whenyou goout,yousavourtheexperience ofa goodbartender - we'retakingthistoyour home."

Foreign Return's takeawaycocktail range is slightlydifferent though. It is"proudly Indian," Gaurang(or 'gG'ashelikestobe called)describes.

"We define ourfood as modern Indian farebased on age-old Indian recipes. So our cocktailsaresimilar- traditional favourites, butedgy,with aspin that's Indian-inspired."

Howwouldyou lndianise a Negroni?

Addgul, orrose flavour, and viola, the Gui Negroniisborn.

Foreign Return's Gui Negroni isatribute to the 16thcentury Mughalemperor Babur, (cue factoid here) who loved the rose so much thatnotonlywashe known to order camel loads forpersonal use, he also named his fourdaughtersafterhisfavourite flower.

Gaurangcreated the Gui Negronihimself.

He admitscheekily, "I've always been fond ofbeverages buthavinga rum distilleryright nextdoor,helpstoo!"

Other favouritescurrentlyareSpice Rum Old Fashioned and Saffron FennelOld FashionedWhiskey.

Thewhiskeyis infusedwith spices and flavourson site,asare the flavoured syrupssuchascardamomsyrup, and the dehydrated fruitgarnishessuch as citrus and bloodorange.

"Ofcourse, we ensure there's no compromise onspirits,usingpremium

quality supplies only. So it's painstaking effort: there's recipe development, execution, labellingofingredients, and then bottling."

The restaurant's regular cocktail menu has alwaysbeen awinner, its"pauwachakhna" experienceespeciallyrelished byIndian clients. (Hip Indian readers will know the "pauwa" as the quarterbottle, and the "chakhna" asthe nibbles that accompanyalcohol-usuallydeep-friedand served insidea newspaper roll.)

"Wearenowalsobatching500mlbottles foryourhomebar,whichyou can use over the week," Gaurangreveals. "Theycon1e in handcraftedbottles that I'm sureyou'll enjoy."

UrbanTadka ontheotherhand, has tiedupwithan outside manufacturerwho preparestheconcoctions to the recipes they provide.

"Ourbottled cocktails are labelled, sealed, chilled andreadytogo," lnder reveals. "Athome,youcoulddrink straight from the bottle,or pourintoaglass."

Ifyouare an UrbanTadka regularand love theirsignaturelycheetinis,youcan still orderthen, - aspartofthe Special Isolation Pack,a unique meal for two thatcon1esin a beautiful box.

Pre-batchedcocktailsare not newof course, havingbeen aroundfor111ore thana decade now. But theyseem to have 111oved beyond the corporate eventand the hotel mini bar,tobecome the newlockdown luxury.

Seeingacocktail beingmade is an experience thatcannotbe replacedof cotu·se,butthiscomes close. And with the convenienceofit aU whatare you waiting for? Go on, treatyourself!

Photos: Leigh Griffiths

OldfavouritesatUrbanTadka

Red Fort Delhi

"At the stroke ofthe midnight hour,when the world sleeps, Indiawill awake to lifeandfreedom." This historic state1nentwas made by Nehru duringa broadcastpriortoraising the IndianTricolour fron1 the Red Fort in Delhi on the n1orningof 15 August 1947, marking India'sindependence from British rule. Since then, this t7th century bastion, which is one ofthe city's top tourist attractions, acts as the setting for Independence Daycelebrations everyyear.

India's freedom struggle: Where the battles were fought, blood spilled, and lives lost

BY SANDIP HOR

s thedayofindependence fro,n British rule, thedate 15 August isted-lettered in thecalendarof modern India.This yeartheday ismore special aswe n1arkthe startofthe 75thyearofthis hard-earned freedom.

On 24August 1608, the Britishlanded in India ashu1nble traders, soon shifted theirinterestinto makingterritorialgains, and finally stayed backas ruthlessrulersof theland ltntilgrantingcompletefreedon1 in 1947.

The long-drawnstruggle forthis independence isassociated withmany sites in Indiawhere battleswere fought, blood spilled,liveslostand Mahatma Gandhi'snon-violence movement thrived. The 1noderngenerationmaynotbeaware oftheseplaces. As anavid traveller, I list so1neofthemhere,sothattheyknow thesignificanceofeachin the makingof today's India. Ifinterestedfurther,they canvisittheselocationswhenopportunity strikes topayrespectand expresssome gratitudetowards thefreedomfighters.

·ootted300kmsouth ofLucknow, thiscityfa1nouslyconnectswith the reignof legendary Rani Laxmi Bai,thequeen whofought the British heroicallyduringthe Sepoy Mutinyfromthe ran1parts of amajesticfortbuilt250years earlierbyherpredecessors.

One of India'sn1ost illustrious citadels,thisfortsurvivedheavy bon1bard1nent bytheBritishforces andstandsgallantlytoday asan emble.1n of lndia's firstbattlefor Independence.

► Calcuttar West Bengal

As thecapitalof BritishIndiauntil 1911,Calcuttawas thestageformanyliberationmovements togetthe Britishousted.Thefourbuildingswhich stillstand assilent witness tothisspiritof freedomare the Lalbazar PoliceHeadquarters where policeatrocitywascultivated, the High Courtwherethefreedomfighterswere trialled, Alipore Jail wheremanywere imprisonedand someexecuted, andtheWriters Buildingfrom where orderswere issued.

Cellular:Jailr Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Builtafterthe SepoyMutinyasapenalcolony, particularlyforthefreedomfighters, the remotely located Cellular Jailstandstodayas awitnessof British barbarism. Thousands imprisoned there were inhumanly tortured andexecuted. Today it'sa national monument wherea soundand light show honoursthefreedomfightersand narrates theirheroic tales while behindthe barsthere.

Themassexterminationofthousands offreedomfighterswhogatheredfor aprotestmeetinginside Jallianwala Bagh,awalledgardenarenainthe GoldenTemplecityAmritsaron 13 April 1919,markedaturningpointinIndia's modernhistoryandleftapermanent scaronlndo-Britishrelations. British armyofficer Oyeron that fatefulday blockedall the exitsfromthevenue and opened fireon innocent people. Thegarden is a national monument now wherethe bulletmarkscan stillbe seen on the wallsof thegarden.

► Dandir Gujarat

The 1882SaltActgavetheBritishamonopolyin themanufactureandsaleofsalt. Eventhoughsalt wasfreelyavailableonIndiancoasts, Indianswere forcedtobuyitfromthecolonisers. Dandi,a village nearSurat,wasasaltmine. WhiledrivinghisnonviolentmovementagainsttheBritish,Gandhiji decidedtomarchonfootwith hisfollowersfrom hisashram inSabarmatinearAhmedabadtoDandi tobreaktheSaltLaw.The386kmmarchwith thousandsofpeopletook24days. ReachingDandi on 5April 1930,Gandhimarchedintothesea andpickeduplumpsofnaturalsalt.Theactwas syn1bolicbutbecameaturningpointin theIndian independencen1ovement.

Murshidabadr West Bengal

TheBritishpresence was ineffectcemented in India at thisriverfrontsettlement on23 June 1757. Thisdatemarksthe endofthe infamousBattleofPlassey foughtata nearby mango grove, between the Britishwho were based 150km awayin Calcutta (nowcalled Kolkata) and NawabSfraj-ud-Doula, then the powerfulrulerof Bengal. Murshidabadwashis bustling capital.The battle ended withoutmanygunshotsfiredasthe Britishbribedthe Nawab'sarmyto throw theirweapons and surrenderprematurely. independentIndia'sffrst Prime Minister JawaharlalNehrudescribedthismockeryofacombat as"anunsavory beginning"ofBritish rule in India. Fullofdilapidatedpalacesand1nonuments, thisshabbydistricttowntodaydraws visitorsto narratestoriesoflust and passion,greed andpowerthatchangedthefate ofanationforcenturies ahead.

Barrackporer West Bengal

ThefirststrikeofIndia'sindependencewasthe'SepoyMutiny'whichbeganin1857atthis arn1ybarracklocated24 kinnorthofKolkata,whenaHindusoldierMangalPandeyrefused tofollowtheordersofhisBritishcommanderstobitetheriflecartridgerumouredtobe greasedwithbeeffat.Soonothernativesoldiersfollowedsuit. MangalPandeywascourtmartialledandhangedonApril 8,1857,butbythentherebellionhadspreadintoother cantonmentsinthecountry. FilmmakerAmirKhan's2005 blockbusterhitMangatPandey: TheRisingisworthwatchingtolearnmoreaboutthispatriotandtheuprisinghebegan.

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Standingonthebanksof RiverGomti, thisNorth Indiancitywasfoundedin 1775 as thecapitalofAwadh, anindependent sovereignty. However,thestatewas annexedtotheexpandingBritishE1npire in 1856withalargearmy base. When the 'SepoyMutiny'movedin,the rebelsoldiers killed2000Britishpeoplewhotookrefuge insidetheBritishGeneral'sresidence. The walledcompound,calledResidencynow, stillstandsasitwasin 1857withruinsof many buildingsmarkedwith bulletwounds. LikeGallipoli,it'saplaceofpilgrimagefor thevisitorsfromthe UKwhileformany Indiansit'sasiteofbraveryandcourage. Unfortunately,themutinywas brutally endedwiththekillingofalmostallthe rebels.Theresultofthiswasabolitionof the EastIndiaCompanyinfavourofthedirect ruleofIndiabytheBritishgovernment.

:Jhansir Uttar Pradesh

�a lianwala Baghr Punjab

ffllltl(i:,i, PLASSEY '-D..-11?

7 Indian films and series to watch in August 2021

RE

Directed byAanandLRai (Raanjhanaa, Tanu Weds Manu), thisfilmstars Dhanush,AkshayKumar andSaraAli Khan in adouble role.Itmarksthe secondcollaboration between Rai, Dhanushand music producerAR Rahman after Raanjhanaa in 2013. Themusical dramawillalsofeature asong performed by Dhanush, whomanywill recogniseas I the singerof Why This KolaveriDiin 2011.

AtrangiRehits cinemas on 6 August.

NAVARASA (Netflix)

Inspired bytheconcept ofNavarasas(nineemotions evoked byartforms), thisTamil anthologyseries features nine stand-aloneepisodes on each emotion: fear, anger, laughter, compassion, valour,wonder, peace, disgustand romance. Navarasa isdirected by Mani Ratnamandfeatures an ensemblecastincluding Siddharth,Suriya, Poorna, Gautham VasudevMenon, and Revathi.

It's all setto release on 6 August.

I

BHUJ: THE PRIDE OF INDIA (Disney+Hotstar)

SetduringtheInda-PakistanWarof1971,this filmportraysthelife ofIAFSquadron Leader Vijay I Karnik.Itsharesthereal-lifestoryof300women fromthelocalvillageofMadhapur,whohelped KarnikreconstructtheIAFairbasefromscratch. It's believedtohave one ofthe pivotalmomentsthat helpedIndiawinthewar.AjayDevgn portrays Karnik,

I joinedbybignameslikeSanjayDutt,Sonakshi Sinha,Sharad Kelkarand Nora Fatehi.

I

SHERSHAAH (Amazon Prime)

ReleasingjustintimeforIndianIndependence Day, thisfilmisaboutthe lifeofParam VirChakra awardee and armycaptain Vikram Batra,a war herofromthe 1999KargilWar.Siddharth Malhotra essays a double role in this one, portrayingboth Batra and histwin brother Vishal.The biopic isdirected byTamilcinema's Vishnuvardhan in hisHindifilmdebut andco-produced byKaran Johar. Thefilmgainsits nameShershaah (lion king)fromthecode name believedto have been used bythe Pakistani armyforBatra

Shershaah releases on 12 August.

COMEDY PREMIUM LEAGUE (Netflix)

I Shu}: The Pride ofIndiareleases on 13 August.

1.00 (ZeeS)

Inthisfast-pacedthrillerfilm, Officer Nikhil (Manoj Bajpayee) receivesathreateningcall one nightthat beginsthe longest, life-changingnightofhis life.Will he be able tostopthe mysteriouscaller beforeit'stoo late? Directed byRensilD'Silva,who previouslydirected Kurbaan in2009, Dial 100 alsostarsNeena Gupta andSakshiTanwarinsupporting roles.

I The film premieres on 6 August.

SPIN (Disney+Hotstar)

Inthisfilmtargeted atayoungerdemographic,Abhay Deoltakes on hisfirst'dad' role, playingthefather ofa 15-year-old daughter. HisdaughterRhea Kumar (Avantika Vandanapu) aspiresto bea DJ, while exploringheridentityasayoungIndian-American.Will she be abletoconvince herfatherofherdream?Spin isalso directed byManjariMakijany, who recently directed Netflix'sSkaterGirl. Spin drops on Disney+Hotstar on 15 August.

Spotted anyofyourfavourite Indiancomedians yet?Inthisweeklyseries,some ofthecountry's mostpopularfaces unite forsomestand-up andsketchcomedy.They'redivided intofourteams:theLovableLangoors (AmitTandon, Rytasha Rathore,AadarMalik,Samay Raina), Naazuk Nevle (Mallika Dua,UroojAshfaq, Rahul Dua,and Rahul Subramanian), IDGAFIguanas (Sumukhi Suresh, RohanJoshi,SumairaShaikh,andTanmay Bhat)andGhareluGilaharis(Kenny Sebastian, KaneezSurka,Aakash Gupta, PrashastiSingh)and hosted bynone otherthan Prajakta Kohli(whowaslast seen in Netflix's romcomseriesMismatched). Couldwe askforanymore? Comedy Premium League begins on 20 August.

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING BRIDES

Seekingasuitable matchfor45-year-old Sikh Khatrimale,divorced, nochild, self-employed, on bridgingVisa. PreferredAustralian PR/citizen match. Contact0422812939or emailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com

Seekingaprofessionallyqualifiedsettled matchforSydneybased, nevermarried Auscitizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri47,6',

athletic builtman. Heisaprojectmanager withan engineeringbackground and is workingin areputed organisation. Pleasecontactausind26@gmail.com

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekinganaffableandhandsome professionalgroomfora5'7"attractive academiclawyer, HinduJat,29. Brought upinanArmyfamily,settled in Delhi-NCR, GreaterNoida.Beingkind andcaring, sheispassionateaboutsocialcauses andlovesanimals.Shetakespride in beingactiveandfit.Pleasecontactvia

email:saven05@hotmail.com

Seekinga professionallyqualified settled matchforSydneybased, nevermarried Auscitizen, Hindu,Punjabi Khatri48, 5'3"slim,fair,attractivegirl.Sheisa postgraduateandworkingatagood position inagovernmentorganisation. Pleasecontactatausind26@gmail.com

Lookingforatall,handsome, educated, wellsettledAustralian citizen match (preferablyfromSydney)forabeautiful nevermarried Hindu Khatrigirl,36years

old,welleducated,Australian citizen, raised inAustralia, livingin Sydney. Pleasecontact Preeti Kothari +61404316288or Heena Kajaria +61416787526.

Seekinga professionallyqualified, teetotallerwithagoodfamily background boypreferablyAustralian Citizen orPRholderforhighlyqualified career-oriented Brahmingirl35, 5'2", Vegetarian withgoodfamilybackground, workingandwellsettled in Sydney. Pleasecontactaussyd08@gmail.com

August

2021

BY MINAL KHONA

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

I I I I I I I

A good month forAries as improved work conditions, new partnerships and renewal in existingconditions is foretold. A newjob offercould come yourway. You maymeet someone special atworkorata social event if single. Holdingon forwhatyou believe you deserve in a relationship will work foryou. Beware oftoo much alcohol consumption. Praiseand rewards at work dueto your efforts will come in. Yourfinancial condition isgood and will get better.

You've drawn a destinycard: keep in mind thatany importantoccurrence thismonth isdestiny related and was always meanttobe. Allowthe higher powersto handle a long-standing problemyou maybefacing. Introspect on what life istryingtoteach you by repeatinga patternthatyou needto shake off. Business is good and profits are in store. Financescould playthe villain inyourlove life. Take more restand avoidthose who drain your energy. ---------

I You havea lotofactivities goingonthis I month relatedto paperworkand money issues. Ifyou can'ttakea decision on I something, keep itasidefornowand let I things progress. Ifa relationship is I goingthrougha rough patch,youwill workat itto makethings better.An old I project, orold issuesand challenges, I couldgetrevived.Thingsatwork could getdifficult. Money matterscould lead I todisputes. Hanginthere,aseventually, I whatisyourswill cometoyou, and it I will end well. I

I I I I I I I I I

Leoswill lookformoremeaningand purpose intheirlives.You could meet someonespecial whoaddsmeaningto yourlife.Those inthe realestate business couldsell orleaseouta property.An eventorpersoncould motivateyouto reviveyourworkorpersonal life.Afamily membercouldfacetravel related issues. Yourhealth couldneeda medical checkuptogettothe rootofa chronicproblem. Yourfinancialfutureisbright.Spiritual assistanceguidesyou.

You wanttojust be ratherthan do; and I focusonyourfeelings, connectionsand

I thingsyou loveatthistime.Singles

I will wanta deeper relationship and not settleforthesuperficial.Those looking I to get pregnantjustmight.Atwork, some I maymovetoajobwith more people

I interaction involved. Watchoutforupper back related issues. Moneycould beheld

I back butitwillcome. Followyourgut

I instincts in everydecision you makethis month. I

I I I I I

You onlywanttofocus onworkand yourcareergoalssothatyoucan have a betterlifestyle rightnow. Singles are readyto mingleagain aftera heartbreak. If in a relationship,you might move in together.A new businessopportunityor partnership is predicted which will also bringin more money. Bingeeatingto deal with emotionalturbulencewill lead toother health issues. Focusonyour goalandthe challengesyou facewill makethe resultworthwhile.

I I I I I I I

I A majorchange isontheway-either I you will move home orchangethe city I you live in. Perhapsyouwill change your lineofwork.You mayhaveto I finish old assignments and workon I newonessimultaneously. Regardless, bepreparedfora majorchange I in perspective. Tryingto revivea I relationship will prove to be a waste of I time. Takingontoomuch will haveyou feelingrun down and exhausted. You I will geta lot ofworkifself-employed. I Pursueyourgoals.

I You arebesieged byself-doubtand I obstaclescaused byothers,your love life ora run ofbad luck. If meeting I someone new, makesuretheyare I not married. An accidentor medical I problem could occurforsomeone close toyou.Therecould bea loss of mental I peaceatwork duetodisagreements.

I Though you mayfeel a lack,you do have adequatefinancesand morewill come.

I What is not rightforyouwill haveto be I letgo of.

I You havedrawnthecardforPiscesso expecta creative phaseorinterestinthe I metaphysical.A relationshipwill progress, I butslowly.Singlescould meetsomeone specialatwork.Onthe professionalfront, I expecttofeelstifled and dissatisfied. I Thebalanced Libransmayevenfind I themselvesextraemotional andfeel drained.Anewprojectcould comealong I andyoumayalsofind ananswertoa longI standingproblem. Proceed cautiouslyand onlytakeonasmuchasyoucanhandle. I

Watch outforobsessivetraitsthis month I I -be itfora newjob ora person.You pine foran ex hopingfora reunion ifyou have I recently broken up. Howeverbadthings may be, don't lose hope: issuesthatyou I mightconsiderclosed, will open upagain I asa blessing, whether in theform ofa promotion, a new love ormore money I comingyourway. Ahealth condition will I improvetoo. Don'tsuccumbtostress. I Badtimesdon'tlastforever: you'll soon learn thetruth ofthis. I

I I I I I I I

I Thealways practicalAquariansare I A long-held idea could be realised and I notasdreamyas presumed;and now I you turn morespiritual this month as thefocusisonfinancialsecurityand you letthe universe guideyour life. You I productiveefforts.You lookforsuccessin I are undecided abouta relationshipI everysphereofyourlife. Logisticscould I whethertocommitor hold back. You I affecta new relationship.Achanceto make moneythroughsaleofproperty I ora businesswillcomeyourway.A

I health conditionshould notbeignored. I A newjobcouldalso beontheanvil.

Yourobstaclesare rooted inyourown I insecurities. Forgeahead regardless.

I may be consideringa newjob or a line ofbusiness. Moneythatis duetoyou I will come in. Don't be impulsive while

I making importantdecisions. You needto I letgo ofthe pastand break outofself- I imposed restrictions ifyou reallywantto I I change your life.

I

Border closures.... of a different kind

DEARAUNTYJI

In2015Iwrotetoyouwith mysadstoryaboutmeeting the mostbeautiful girl whileattheIndia-PakistanWorldCupmatch Itturned outthatthe girlwas Pakistani.Youradviceto mewasthatthe geographicalbarrierwasarbitrary.and we hadthe same colourbloodandthatIshouldpursuethis dillagi Sobased on youradviceIdid Sevenyearslater,weareverymuch inlove andweareboth completing our medicaltrainingto becomecardiologists. Butthetroubleisthis I amveryfromaveryhigh ranking militaryfamilyinIndiawithpoliticalconnections and byastrangetwistoffate,so isherfamily. in Pakistan Wearealso living ina shared housewithtwo otherroommates - andthefourofus havethe besttime ever Neitherofourfamilies knowaboutoursecret- becauseIamcertainthey won'tallowthis union Wearedesperateto marry, butnotsure howto overcome thischallenge Weavoid being on socialmediabutwith onlyafewrandom photos on Facebook weeasilypassforgoreJog MyfamilythinksHeenaisa memsahib and becauseIhave blue eyesandbrown hairHeena·sfamilythinksIamarandom

Australian Pleasetellme howwe cansolvethis particularinsurmountableproblem -Ihave hadsevenyearsofblissandwouldloveto marrythelove ofmylife

AUNTYJISAYS

HeyRam! Wala haul walakuwat -whathaveIjustread?lYou bewakufMajnu, you budtehzeeb deshdrohi -doyouevenknowwhatyou havedone?Myheart is beating sofastthatIcan barelythink.Youjahil,Ishould have suspectedyou ofkaminapun fromthe momentyouwrotetome in2015.becausewhatkindofa shaitaan ka chamcha goestoacricketmatchwhere Viratis playing and instead ofwatchingthe cricket. eyesthe girls inthespectators? Youare going straight tojahannum forthis insanity- andwhat'sworseisthatyouliedto mebyomitting keyfactsaboutthesituation.So.both ofyou belongto high-ranking military families. Letmereiteratethat.High-ranking militaryfamilies.Doyou knowwhat high-ranking militarypeople do?Theymakeworld-changing decisions.Haven't

you grownuponallthe storiesaboutskirmishesandincidentsthat happenfrom isolated momentsthatnearlyalwayshaveescalated into catastrophicsituations forthetwocountries?Don'tyou rememberas recentas2019whentheentire planetwaswatchingtoseeiftherewas goingto beawarbetweenthetwo nations? Doyouandyourbelovedwanttobethecause ofthe nextmajorworld event?Hereyou are. bothstudyingthe heartwhenyou both should havechosen tostudythebraininstead- because bothofyouneedtotakea momenttoreflect onwhyyou havetakensuchahigh-riskhigh-likelihoodsituationandhave made dostiwith it.

Evena Bollywoodblockbustercouldnotcapture the tension ofthissituation.

Ok, nowthatIhavedone mydaatna. myverbalpitaiofyou.letme giveyousome advice.

Itislovewhichmakestheworld go round- andyoutwo have demonstratedthat deepandabiding loveiswhattriumphs- notthis rivalryforourbrothersacrossthe border.It'sbeendecadessince ourjudai. andseriously,someone needstoshow theworldaliving exampleofhowtobe,and howtoshowthatlove is betterthan aggression.So whatto doaboutyourmilitaryfamilieswhowill probablynotbe infavourofthismatch?Well,you canjustcontinuetolivetogetherand resistall demandsbyyourfamiliesto getmarried. Eventuallytheywill give up andleaveyou alone andyou cancontinueyourhappyexistence.Alternatively.you canjustget marriedandthen letyourfamilies know-it'llbetoolateforthemtodo anything. Andpreferablytellthemafteryou havehadyourfirstchild -because which Nani and Dadiare going toremain unhappywhenthereisaprecious laadla inthe picture. haan?

Kitneshaitaan ho, choosing agirlfrom aconflictzoneto beyourbeloved. But goodforyou-you showthesepoliticiansthatit'sthe heartthatrules. Ultimately. youwillstartthetrend ofmarrying peoplefrom acrossthe border.Youaresucha badass,butgoodforyou.Youhave myashirward. Don'tforgetIhave naming rights onyourfirstborn.