2021-09 Melbourne

All things Indian. In Australia.

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MELBOURNE I SEPTEMBER 2021 I FREE

Reclaimin the Swastika In the light of a proposed Vic Govt ban on a fascist symbol, a discussion on its original Hindu signi1icance

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PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra CONTRIBUTORS Rhea L Nath, Bageshri Savyasachi, Manan Luthra, Chitra Sudarshan, Danish Ravi, Mohan Dhall, Neha Jain, Gopika S, Petra O'Neill, Anya Doan, Misbah Ansari, Minal Khona, Auntyji SALES AND MARKETING Charu Vij, Anshika Maini

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BY

PAWAN LUTHRA he knock on the door from the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus has got louder over the past few months.

This has seen health authorities and political and community leaders scramble to get the vaccination message out.

The nation has responded with vaccination rates now racing to 70%, - 80% of double dosage. Wonderful news, this opens the door to a somewhat normal life once again.The danger, however, lies in those who are vaccine deniers, and who, for one reason or another, are not willing to get vaccinated. Federal Liberal MPs including Andrew Laming and Russel Broadbent have signalled their unease with what some are calling "vaccine apartheid" - with people losing their jobs and being prevented from entering pubs and other venues if they haven't gotten the jab. The question then is, do people have a right to refuse the jab, and still go about

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e their business as usual?

The answer is, no. The action (or inaction) of this group impacts everyone else in society. To use a graphic metaphor, it is like going to a public pool, pissing quietly in the corner and assuming no one will be affected.

People may claim that they have a right to refuse vaccination. But that does not give them the right to put the lives of others at risk, nor to force the majority to pay for their bad decisions.

Why should the soon-to-be majority of Australians accommodate those who refuse to take this simple step especially now that we have an antidote to the virus?

With the highly contagious delta variant, the unvaccinated pose a deadly risk to others and themselves.

Vaccinated workers, students, airline passengers and others who go out in public should not have to bear the risks and huge financial costs that the unvaccinated are imposing on society.

As a society, we already undertake social apartheid in many instances, and have learnt to live with this. Think of what we do with smokers. We are tough on smoking in public and in confined places where n o n s- mokers have to

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breathe in the toxic fumes. We banned smoking in flights, we charge smokers higher insurance premiums.

The danger we face is a future wave of the pandemic of the unvaccinated - which will bring with it enormous lockdown costs, job losses as places of leisure and work shut down, disruption of schooling, financial flow-on effects as people struggle to pay rent and mortgages or lose their homes, and mental health pressures.

Meanwhile, as we dealt with the current lockdown and with the mammoth task of vaccinating the population, the 'latte lines' and 'shisha lines' that divide our cities became clearer than ever before. Perhaps some time in the future, social researchers will undertake a closer examination of why it was so difficult to break through to the populations in certain parts of Sydney and Melbourne at this challenging time.

Our governments at all levels, while paying lip service to multiculturalism and plurality, need to work harder in forging closer ties and better com1nunications between the various groups into which our cities stand divided.

SEPTEMBER 2021 3

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ANU scholar translates the Vishnu Purana

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Father's Day: Lessons from dad

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Why Australia needs to inject a fresh sense of purpose in reengaging with India BY MAURICE NEWMAN AC ndia and Hong Kong share a common British colonial history. From the earliest times that connection and free enterprise attracted many Indian merchants to migrate to the "barren rock" where they prospered and became some of the city's most prominent businessmen and philanthropists.

Whatever their colonial shortco1nings, the British brought a system of democratic government, the rule of law and free enterprise. Whereas India has just celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule, Hong Kong had to wait until 1997.

Under an historic "One Country, Two Systems" agreement with China, the city was guaranteed its distinct political, socioeconomic, and legal arrangements for at least fifty years without change.

While India has gone on to stamp its presence on the world as a vibrant, democratic, growth economy, once free, Hong Kong has succumbed to Beijing's imperious interference in its domestic affairs.

As liberty's light is extinguished, so goes the city's renowned international financial centre's future.

But China's President Xi Jinping won't fret. He is contemptuous of individual liberty, market economies and what he can't control.

He seeks to replace lost international business with domestic demand. With total debt of 290 percent of GDP, falling productivity and weak profitability, it is wishful thinking. Beijing's options are shrinking and its future is not what Xi tells the world.

Seven decades of communism have cemented a corrupt ruling class built on cronyism and nepotism. Xi Jinping is a product of that system. Some 70,000 heavily subsidised zombie companies sap productivity. Investment and divestment rely on patronage, not profit, and previously concealed bad debts threaten the viability of financial institutions. China is no longer the cheap manufacturer it was and President Xi's obsession for control, means a "please Beijing" culture crowds out risk taking and innovation.

Most crippling is Mao Zedong's legacy of the one-child policy. Despite efforts to up the quota to three children, China is currently experiencing its lowest birthrate since the 1950s. It means in coming decades over 100 million workers will retire with n o o- ne to replace them. China's over 60s population is already at 17.9 percent compared to India's eight percent.

When compared to India, China's future looks grim. With its young, smart, energetic population of 1.4 billion people, untroubled by totalitarian leadership, India stands as a beacon to global corporations looking to reposition. Indeed, according to research firm Gartner, a third of supply chain leaders have plans to move at least some of their manufacturing out of China before 2023 and up to 1,000 companies have India under consideration.

No doubt this reality accounts for Beijing's flagrant incursions into disputed territories. It sees time running out and wants to deter the West from defending Taiwan should it attack.

It's true, until recently, China's miracle economy has mesmerised the world. But Beijing got a ten-year start on Delhi thanks to Deng Xiao Ping's 1980s reforms. It wasn't

until 1991 when a collapsing Soviet Union convinced the Indian Congress to abandon socialism that India's star began to rise.

Only then did it begin ditching the economic rigidities and entrenched patronage co1nmon to socialist regimes.

The changes included privatisation of government assets and a concerted effort to deregulate mainstream sectors. Indeed, India is keen to dispel its old image of stifling bureaucracies, aware that smaller govern1nent 1neans less corruption, lower transaction costs higher returns and increased investment.

Unlike China, ownership is a two-way street with very few sectors requiring prior central government approval for foreign investment.

Limits on foreign direct investment across key industries have been increased.

Today, India is a land of emerging opportunities with a growing appetite for a diverse range of high value services and products. It has reached a new level of growth and maturity without surrendering its competitiveness. For 2021-22 the International Monetary Fund forecasts India's GDP will grow by 9.5 percent, well ahead of China's 5.7 percent.

These profound developments are serendipitous for Australia, particularly at this time. While many in government and business 1nay yearn for a rekindled relationship with China, it won't happen under Xi. Canberra's decision to deny Huawei participation in its 5G network and its push for an investigation into the origin of COVID-19, angered him deeply. Now,with America's abject retreat from Afghanistan, Xi's wolf warrior diplomacy in Asia and the Pacific will put further strains on the relationship.

In this context, India has become an indispensable security partner for Australia.

Both are me1nbers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue which also includes the United States and Japan. Its aim is to support "a free, open and inclusive Inda-Pacific Region" and, to China's chagrin, its 1nembers have established regular defence co-operation through naval exercises, and the sharing of intelligence.

Five years ago, a compelling opportunity pushed by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and then Prime Minister Tony Abbott, to complete a comprehensive economic co-operation agreement, was inexplicably squandered by Abbott's successor Malcolm Turn bull. Now, as Australia's special trade envoy, Mr. Abbott is endeavouring to r e boot this bilateral agreement. It follows an understanding between Prime Ministers Morrison and Modi to "re-engage" and upgrade their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

To give this effect, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade need to inject a fresh sense of purpose. It means Australian bureaucrats must urgently find common ground. Too often they have created obstacles or concentrated on non-negotiable issues rather than find solutions. To build momentum and, as a measure of good faith, Mr. Morrison should visit Delhi before year-end or, at least, meet Mr. Modi at the margins of the Glasgow clin1ate conference in November.

The Indian train is leaving the station and unless Australia moves quickly, it risks losing its place in a lengtl1ening queue. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, "The future depends on what we do in the present".

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Telegraph (dailytelegraph.com.au)

Jodi McKay could be NSW Trade Envoy to India

ithout doubt, former NSW Opposition Leader and Member for Strathfield Jodi McKay is the most popular politician amongst the Indian community in her state. McKay wows all at community gatherings with her knowledge of and love for Indian culture and traditions - and an enviable collection of saris helps just as much.

A recent story doing the rounds has been of Jodi McKay being courted by the NSW Government to take up the position of the state's trade envoy to India.

Sky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell broke the story. "I revealed (yesterday) that the NSW government had been undertaking talks with former Labor leader Jodi McKay about her becoming a trade envoy to India, something which would yield a b y e- lection in Strathfield with a 5 per cent margin and could give Gladys Berejiklian a majority government," Mr Clennell said. "The minister in charge of these $500,000 a year trade envoy appointments, Deputy Premier John Barilaro, did not deny talks with Ms McKay."

Speaking to Indian Link, McKay has indicated that she has been approached and is interested in the role but discussions with the government have not progressed any further. "I am currently focussed on helping the people of my electorate of Strathfield as they are going through difficult tiines during this lockdown," she said.

Jodi McKay resigned as Leader of the Opposition after being targeted by factions for failing to win the Upper Hunter seat in a b y e- lection in May this year. The Upper Hunter seat has been held by the National Party for over 80 years and never by the Labor Party. Though offered a front bench role by the new Opposition Leader Chris Minn, McKay declined the offer.

There is a growing trend for politicians to be appointed to diplomatic and special posts, especially to India. Fonner NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell, the current Australian High Commissioner to India, was himself NSW's trade envoy at one stage.

If Ms McKay does take up her new role as trade and investment envoy, she would be stationed in Mumbai to push for increased business activity. The relationship between NSW and India, despite huge potential, has

seen stops and starts for too long. There was mo1nentum in the early part of the last decade when as Premier, Barry O'Farrell put this as a top priority. Yet Premiers that followed - Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian - have not been able to focus on this relationship.

Appointing a leading politician who has a special regard for India can only help in increasing bilateral trade opportunities. As a nation, Australia is being drawn towards India due to its obvious opportunities, as well as its trade and diplomatic fracas with China.

PM Scott Morrison has recently appointed former PM Tony Abbot as a special envoy to India. Ms McKay taking up her new role will further de1nonstrate the seriousness of a move towards India.

If this appointment does proceed, the seat of Strathfield, which is held by Labor by a narrow margin of 5%, will also be in play in the ensuing by-election.

It could well be a test for the new Opposition Leader Chris Minn, and a loss for Labor can give Gladys Berejiklian a majority government in NSW. Pawan Luthra

SEPTEMBER 2021 5

YOUR SAY

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COVID TEARING ME APART EVA BOSE

OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES

A poem by EVA BOSE, 9, won over readers.

Smita Shah wrote: Wise words from a 9 year old.

Rupa Ganguly wrote: Straight from her heart. An innocent perspective - a little girl's take on COVID. Shirali Chohan wrote: Indeed straight from her heart! Very well expressed, Eva.

Covid is very bad and it makes me so mad So many people are dying and everyone around the world are crying I do not like online learning as with this, we are all burning All we see is people singing 'Happy Birthday' on Zoom and in your class, you just sit and listen to them singing from your room I miss my teachers and my friends and it feels like the world has come to an end I finish all my work so quickly and nobody plays with me, Everyone keeps on working and I feel so lonely

Ashmita Chakraborty

wrote: Wow, beautifully written, Eva, I hope we all soon get to return to our I cannot go to school and play on the playground normal lives soon and you This makes my little face turn into a frown can then start enjoying all But I get to sleep in and eat lots of mummy's yummy food the fun at school and with I am not very thin, but this keeps me in a good mood! your friends. Till then, enjoy the cuddly, snuggly feeling at home.

All I hear is 'You're on mute or turn on your cam!'

Oh whatever! I still love spending time with my tam!

Veena Gandhi wrote: Very beautifully written and Before Covid, life was a bliss Stop Covid, I do not like this!!! expresses our feelings too.

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MISSION JAB

When 'London Thumakda' became 'Aussie Thumakda': Indian Link Radio's Bol/ywood-inspired vaccination message continues to inform and entertain.

Natalie Ward MLC (NSW Minister for Multiculturalism) wrote: Please pass on my thanks to the Indian Link team for creating this Bollywood-style video clip, which helps to spread the message about the importance of being vaccinated. The song is catchy and good-hearted and accompanying graphics effectively convey this vital message, especially to younger viewers. My office has shared this YouTube link with many of our stakeholders. May I take this opportunity to commend Indian Link for educating its readers about the public health measures that are helping to counter the spread of COVID-19.

The NSW Government appreciates that you, your team, and the community are helping to save lives.

Pepi Bedi wrote: A very important message to ensure people comprehend the vital need for vaccination .

Ritam Mitra wrote: Amazing work, team. This is a campaign to be proud of.

Petra O'Neill wrote: This is such a great initiative by Indian Link - I had my second Pfizer vaccine last week. Can't wait for our borders to open once more.

Rohina Joshi wrote: Loving the mission jab selfies. Thank you, Indian Link for promoting this message.

Mala Mehta wrote: Congratulations Indian Link from all at IABBV Hindi School for this wonderful initiative ... the children are enjoying learning to sing it!

Pink Sari Inc wrote: Here's a fun 'jab song' from Indian Link. We've had our jab. Have you had yours?

Vaibhav Singh wrote: Just saw you on ABC News Live. Great job.

Jason O'Connell wrote: This is the greatest thing I have seen today!!

Elliot Brown wrote: Love it - great message and an absolute bop of a tune!

Jeanette Alexander wrote: Brilliant job. Love it.

Phil wrote: Excellent. Great music with an important message.

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SIKH SOLDIERS' WAR MEMORIAL IN BLACKTOWN NSW

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• • RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA on an upcoming project that will pay homage to the • • Sikh efforts in Australia's military history.

• • • • Sumeet Singh Chhabra wrote: Great effort. Respecting the past shall •• encourage the future.

•• •• Moninder Singh wrote: Great initiative by the Indian Sikh community to •• remember the soldiers.

•• •• Jay Macmillan wrote: I was a peacekeeper with the UN in Cambodia. We had •• a Sikh battalion with us in our village, they were wonderful blokes.

•• •• John Graham wrote: Good soldiers.

•• Rohit Ralli wrote: Great effort and a fantastic outcome. Keep up the good work!

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SAY IT AGAIN

Free advice: until you meaningfully include the voices of survivors, victim-survivors, and families who have lost a loved one to men's violence in your discussions, you won't get remotely close to solving the issue. Tarang Chawla, writer and gender equality advocate, on the Women's Safety Summit

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FORGET CHINA, I N DIA IS OUR FUTURE

MAURICE NEWMAN AC why Australia needs to inject a fresh sense of purpose in reengaging with India.

Rina Hore wrote: I couldn't agree more. I really enjoy working with our cricket -loving visitors. They have such a deep respect for Australia and our champions.

Dipen Rughanl wrote: I like this: To give this effect, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Trade need to inject a fresh sense of purpose. It means Australian bureaucrats must urgently find common ground. Too often they have created obstacles or concentrated on non-negotiable issues rather than find solutions. To build momentum and, as a measure of good faith, Mr Morrison should visit Delhi before year-end or, at least, meet Mr Modi at the margins of the Glasgow climate conference in November. The Indian train is leaving the station and unless Australia moves quickly, it risks losing its place in a lengthening queue. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, "The future depends on what we do in the present".

Amar Bantwal wrote: Nothing new here. Both sides of the leadership and bureaucracy come up short when it comes to delivery. The manifesto bootlegging has gone on for too long now.

Dalzy Maan wrote: Why does our focus on India always need to be in comparison to China? As if Australia is some elite nation taking its pick of Asian countries. This type of title feeds existing bilateral tension and divisive rhetoric.

VlraJ Vaidya wrote: If you start an article purportedly talking positively about India with "shared colonial history", you're not going to get anywhere. No wonder India has declined all Australian efforts of securing an FTA with Australia. The truth is Australia doesn't have much to offer to India, and Australians are stuck in a time warp about their perceptions of what India is. Even if any progress is made between the relationship, it will not be significant for these reasons.

WHERE I N I N DIA

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On the occasion of Janmashtami, our clue was Krishna related: where in India is this temple located, known as 'Prem Mandir'?

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'YES, l' M AN OLD SOUL'

The Voice Australia's JANAK/ EASWAR chatted with RHEA L NATH about her musical journey so far.

Elisabeth Negrrea wrote: Yes, you are a beautiful old soul.

Vlshal Kumar wrote: I saw your performance at the Australia India Address with the AIBC. You inspire us all. All the best!

Lois Weightman-Jones wrote: Another good interview to listen to Janaki and know so much about you. So young, so wise beyond your years. I'm loving getting to know you better through the questions journalists touch upon that gives us a picture of the beautiful and talented young girl that you are.

Lydia Dyas wrote: You're amazing Jaanu. God bless you, child. You're making a great impact. downtlmereddltor wrote: I'm so glad it's new music. Anytime I watch an Indian channel which has young kids singing, it's usually old '80s and '90s music their parents listened to growing up and they do the hand motions their singing teachers do. I got tired of it after the second time. I'm glad hers is more modern .

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WHERE I N OZ

We asked you: where in Australia can you find this building, which gained heritage status in 2020?

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• Readers Radha Raju, Vandana Mathur, Abhishek Nahar, Falguni Shah Readers Yogesh Kasnia, Kylie Dhillon and Vandana Gulati got it right: • • • • and Sarita Narayan had the right answer: Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.

• Gurudwara Sahib Woolgoolga, Australia's first Sikh temple.

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I asked him why he wanted to be Indian and his response was simple: 'I feel Indian,' he said. 'It's the country I love, the place whose history matters to me, the nation whose aspirations I share. It's India's people I love. It's where I am most comfortable. I wouldn't dream of living anywhere else.

Dr Shashi Tharoor's tribute to his teacher Dr David Baker who passed away recently, in The Australian who wanted to be Indian, (www.mathrubhumi.com)

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COVER STORY

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Well-intentioned reform by the Victorian Govern m ent agai nst hatefu l sym bols could be cause for concern for t h e state's Hindu community.

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA and RHEA L NATH report

A blessing on thresholds and facades of homes

8 SEPTEMBER 2021

www.indianlink.com.au

here is concern in the Hindu community in Australia at the recent announce1nent regarding strengthening Victoria's anti­ vilification laws. It's a 1nove rightfu1ly intended to put a stop to extren1ism and propaganda, like Nazi symbols, but it is unnerving for Hindus, for whon1 the swastika is an ancient, sacred symbol.

Announced on 2 September, the landmark reform aims to curb hateful behaviour and 1nake civil and criminal vilification easier to prove in courts.

Expected to be introduced in early 2022, it could 1nean consequences of aln1ost $10,000 fines or six months irnprisonn1ent, as reported by the ABC. "All forms of hate are tu1acceptable and have no place in Victoria - expanding our anti-vilification laws to protect more Victorians sends a clear message that this vile behaviour will not be tolerated," explained Victoria's Attorney-General Jaclyn Sy1nes.

This includes the Nazi swastika, which glorifies "one of the 111ost hateful ideologies in human history," said the state's Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence. ln the modern world, the swastika is a symbol of hatred and violence. So synonymous is it with fascis1n that its original meaning stands obliterated in the western world. However, for Australia's nearly 450,000 Hindus (as of the 2016 census), it is a syn1bol of good fortune and wellness.

Swastika: The original and the misappropriated

Growing up in Hindu fa1nilies, many of us knew of the swastika first as a sacred syn1bol of all good things, and only n1uch later as a syn1bol that the Nazis stole.

The Sanskrit term 'swastika' con1es fron1 the combination of two root words Su (1neaning good) and Asti (meaning existence) and as such, refers to wellbeing. The four 'anns' signify wellness or good forn1 in the four basic endeavours of human life - 1noral, economic, emotional and spiritual (which Hindu readers 1nay know of as Dharma, Artha, Kan1a and Moksha). Jn this sense, the sacred Hindu symbol is the very antithesis of what the Nazis intended it to be.

To the w1trained eye, the symbols may look alike, but there is a difference in the iconography of the Nazi Hakenkreuz (booked cross) and the Hindu swastika. The Nazi symbol is black and tilted, on a distinctive white circle and red background. ln his autobiographical n1anifesto Mein Kan1pf, Hitler elaborated that the red symbolised social thought while the white national thought. The swastika in the middle signified his 'ntlssion' - "the struggle for the victory of Aryan mankind and at the san1e time the triu1nph of the ideal of creative work."

Thus, the Nazi misappropriation bas seen

the original significance of the swastika turn head over heels.

At a Sydney Dance Company production only months ago, when contemporary dance performer Raghav Handa attempted a re­ sanctification (The Cult ofthe Titans), one cast me1nber opted out because they were not comfortable with the theme of the swastika.

When it finally did go ahead, the show came with a content warning: The work contains images ofthe swastika. ... Patrons (have) the opportunity to leave the theatre if they wish.

In November 2013, a weU-meaning but controversial "Learn to Love The Swastika Day" even saw tattoo artists around the world offer free swastikas. lt was an attempt to embrace the symbol's multicultural past rather than its fascist connotations, but it drew massive criticis1n and was ultimately shut down.

How the ban will impact Hindus

For Hindus, the swastika is a symbol of blessing that has been used for thousands of

years. lt n1arks the opening pages of books, thresholds, doors, even events.

"Visit any Hindu hon1e, and you'll find the swastika - often at the entrance," Prakash Mehta, President of the Hindu Council of Australia told Indian Link.

"We use it at the commencement of our religious rituals. But equally, (in our daily lives) we use it as decoration, at weddings, in our vehicles. This practice has been continuously followed for thousands of years. Hence a ban will greatly impact Hindus, for perfornung not only their religious ceremonies, but also to follow their cultural practices."

It's crucial to note that the Victorian Government has not categorically banned the swastika and the recommendation to ban the symbol has some considerations for exceptions.

"The Hindu Council of Australia ( Victoria) made submissions to the enquiry into the anti-vilification process. However, the terms of reference were related to anti­ Semitism and the potential prohibition of

The Sanskrit term 'swastika' comes from the combination of two root words Su (meaning good) and Asti (meaning existence) and as such, refers to wel l being.

the swastika symbol was not identified at the time," Mehta noted.

"When the anti-vilification report was published in April 2021, the reference to the swastika was noticed. The Hindu Council immediately made a submission to the Victorian Multicultural Commission... ·we received assurance then that the Hindu community would be consulted. However, the Hindu community is disappointed to note that there are no references to this in the (recent) announcement."

The Hindu Council of Australia and other Hindu organisations are expected to make submissions that wiU elaborate and specify the usage of the syn1bol for all applications related to Hindu faith.

Earlier this year, in an exclusive interview with Indian Link, Minister for In1migration, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke was quick to note the difference between the two symbols.

"Obviously the swastika is a different syn1bol to the ancient Hindu symbol used for many thousands of years. We're very sensitive to that issue as well. The swastika can be a raUying point for right-wing extremism, and therefore if we receive advice to remove those rallying points, we wiU be in favour of that, but it will not affect the faith symbols. I've seen them in Hindu temples and people's houses, the n1isappropriation of that ancient symbol by the Nazis is a tragedy," he told Indian Link's Pawan Luthra.

When asked about preserving the Hindu syn1bol, he confirmed that the Federal Government plans to take that approach.

"The ban of the swastika is meant to be a ban on rallying of Nazisn1, not to target other people's faiths. We are an inteUigent country, and we can identify the difference between the two symbols," he insisted.

Still, there have been unfortunate incidents in the past when well-meaning Australians have found themselves at odds with the swastika, most recently in 20I 9 when a Hindu family's Diwali rangoli was destroyed by an Adelaide delivery man who thought it to be the anti-Semitic symbol. ''The identification of the difference between the two symbols is to be done through community awareness and education to be itnparted to the implementing agencies," said Hindu Council of Australia's Prakash Mehta. "(We) will undertake at an appropriate time this activity to clearly distinguish between the two symbols."

It's clear that the Victorian Government's recent reform, while weU-intentioned and necessary, is understandably unsettling for the state's Hindus. Has the time fina1ly come to d e w - eaponise the swastika?

Main image: Facebook / Empowered Yogini yoga by Master Anshu (Anshupriya, Yoga Instructor Vietnam)

" ,, The swastika in use in daily life: on earthernware Diwali lamps; on bricks in temple construction: in floor decorations, on ledger books; and above, during Diwali the Festival ofLight.

SEPTEMBER 2021 9

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www.indianlink.com.au

C R IC K ET

Vice Captain Harmanpreet Kaur has shown good form in Australia (Photo: Twitter/ BCCI)

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Captain Mithali Raj is the top run-getter in women's international cricket (Photo: IANS)

The I ndian Women's C ricket Team's upcoming Tour of Australia: A preview BY

MANAN LUTHRA or fans of Indian cricket here in Australia, there's been little live action since January 2021. India's historic win at the Gabba is undoubtably etched in our collective consciousness, but it's no longer the flavour of the month. Overtaken by isolations, uncertainties, and the fatigues of daily case nun1bers, that Day 5 in January seems eons ago.

Thankfully, the end of our crisis appears to be in sight as vaccination rates increase daily and we incren1entally r e e- xperience the freedoms we once took so easily for granted - reme1nber when Sydney Cricket Ground could boast of hosting the first international sporting event with a capacity crowd since the pandemic began?

The upcon1ing series between the Indian and Australian wo1nen's cricket teams will be the fu-st bite of a cherry Indian cricket fans in Australia are so desperate to taste.

With a T20 World Cup finals loss to avenge, a rare Women's Test match, and an 8 n- 1onth delay courtesy financial and COVID-1 9 concerns, the Indian team arrive in Australia with a lot to fight for. For the ever-increasing number of women's cricket fans, and particularly those that follow the Australian and Indian teams, the multi­ format tour set to start in Queensland on September 21 is as eye-watering as their last match-up 18 months ago.

But just how prepared is the team for the Australian conditions they now find themselves in? How has their squad developed since March 2020, and what

should they look to do differently to contain one of the most don1inant cricket teams, regardless of gender, of all time?

The schedule

Fii·st, let's consider the logistics of the tou1·.

After a tour 1natch on 19 September, to be played at Mackay's Great Barrier Reef Al·ena, the two teams battle it out over a three-match OD! series at the same venue.

Four days after the final ODI, the sole Test match of the tour (which occurs over four days as opposed to the men's traditional five), to be played at Gold Coast's Carrara Stadium. Finally, a three-match T201 series on near-consecutive nights in early October, also at Ca1-rara.

This brings the whole affair to 21 days, 11 of which will feature international cricket.

Ample opportunity to see lndia in action both live and online, but a hectic schedule for the squad by any standard. Hopefully they'll have tin1e to rest du1·ing theu- two­ week quarantine, because they won't be getting any once that's done.

With respect to the two stadiums, neither team has played in them before; in fact, they've barely been used at all.

The squads

On the squads, confiTmed only in late August, there's no shortage of talent on either side. Aush·alia's 18-woman collective, only one of who featured in England's new domestic hundre d b- all competition aptly named 'The Hundred', is stacked with a l l stars, multiple World Cup winners, and greats of the game. Many of them featured in the side's most recent international fixture, a six-match series against New Zealand in April 2021, but game ti1ue has been non-existent since then. Though they

will miss the services of top-ranked 001 bowler Jess Jonassen due to injury, it would be unfair to label them short-staffed or 'rusty' - they are coming off a 24-001 and 3 .5-year-T20I win streak after all.

India, by contrast, have kept themselves busy in the cricket scene. A substantial number of the current squad, similarly packed with household names, played in the one-Test, three-OD!, and three-T20 series against England over June-July 2021. Many of those players also stayed in the U K for 'The Hundred', which gave them a further month of limited-overs game time. Test and 001 captain Mithali Raj currently sits atop the Women's ODl batting rankings, with 17-year­ old Shafali Verma the top-ranked T20 batter (unfortunately, the ICC does not maintain similar lists for Women's Tests). The team's record, however, is less than optimal: the test was drawn, and both linuted-overs series were lost 2-1 to the old enemy.

On those facts alone, it's difficult to pick a stronger side. Australia bas the record, but India has the in1mediate experience. Both line-ups are the envy of the won1en's cricket world, and for good reason. Australia can be argued to have home ground advantage, but given the lack of familiarity regarding the pitches in use, it's a nunimal one at that.

The contest

What, then, can divide the two nations?

How can one team gain the advantage over the other?

The answer, as it regularly is in modern cricket, is deceptively simple: psychology.

For even the most general cricket fan, it's easy to say that Australia have the upper hand in this department. Last time the teams met, over 86,000 home fans packed in to the MCG to watch their veteran gfrls

execute their tried-and-tested method of success yet again. The same names delivered (as they had done time and time before) against a side who were in the middle of unearthing their core of young superstars, who (along with their respective veterans) were comprehensively unprepared for the match ahead.

Yet, that conclusion negates the impact of the past 18 months. Thanks to The Hundred, which brought unprecedent crowds and media coverage to the wo1nen's game, many of India's girls understand how to deal with the n1ental battle playing in a foreign stadium brings. They know the challenges of playing on lush and bouncy Western wickets, because since 2020 most have spent more competitive playing time on them than those back home. In England, they've shown their ability to fight against top-flight cricket teams and cricket players for gritty hundreds and hard-earned five­ fors. The past four months have allowed them to prove that they can take on a challenge, and there is no bigger challenge in cricket than Australia in Australia.

As a result, though on paper there is perhaps little to distinguish the Indian women's cricket team from March 2020 to the one in Australia now, what makes this current squad so vastly different to the former, is their mindset. Psychologically they are light years ahead of where they were last year, and contrary to 2020 they now have the confidence in themselves to get the job done. As the men's team demonstrated in January, that's the driving force behind cricketing success in this country - and why this tow· will be more intense, more competitive, and more thrilling than any before it.

We could be in for a treat of a tour.

SEPTEMBER 2021 11

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A p roject supported by the Blacktown City Council will pay homage to the Sikh efforts in Austra lia's mi litary history ''Blacktown is a great city for respect for other groups, and Sikhs are part of the big Blacktown family. They are extremely generous, having performed exemplary service at times of bushfire, floods and

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA lenwood in Sydney's north-west could soon be home to a Sikh Soldiers' War Men,orial.

A tribute to the turbaned soldiers in Australia's 111ilitary history, a proposal to this effect has been accepted by the Blacktown City Council and has currently been put out for con1munity consultation.

Mayor of the Council Tony Bleasdale told Indian Link, "Historically, the Sikh community has played a significant part in the British E1npire, sacrificing many sons and daughters in war zones on behalf of us all. When a 1nonument was suggested, we were more than proud to offer support."

Blacktown is one of the most diverse LGAs in Australia, with a significant Sikh con, munity.

"Blacktown is a great city for respect for other groups, and Sikhs are part of the big Blacktown fa1nily," Mr Bleasdale said.

"They are extremely generous - having perforn1ed exe1nplary service at times of bushfire, floods and COVID 19. Even as we speak, they are out there supporting those who can't support themselves."

Their sense of service will be exen1plified in the statue of the unknown Sikh soldier, to be erected, if aU goes well, at Glenwood Lake Reserve (cnr of Dia1nond Ave and Glenwood Drive).

Blacktown Councillor Dr Moninder Singh told Indian Link, "The project was put to Council by the Fateh Foundation, a not-for-profit, with support fron1 the RSL, the National Sikh Council of Australia and Glenwood Gurudwara."

The process began about a year ago, Dr Singh revealed. Various sites were

indianlink.com.au 12 SEPTEMBER 2021

COVID 19."

Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale

considered, including an RSL location, before Blacktown Council was approached.

"We hope that the n1emorial becomes a spot for the community to gather on occasions such as Anzac Day and Re1nembrance Day, as well as dates of significance on the Indian calendar."

The Fateh Foundation, who will be funding the 1nemorial, was launched last year. Volunteer Amarinder Bajwa said, "We want to highlight the legacy of Indian soldiers, Sikhs in particular, and to let future generations know of their contributions. Our project is seeing support from the Sikh community across Australia."

Currently a design for the monument is being developed with artists and architects, Bajwa revealed.

Sikh soldiers fought for the British Arn1y in World Wars I and II at hotspots in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

In Australia, their involvement at Gallipoli, where they fought particularly valiantly, came to light in the early 2000s.

Especially noteworthy is the contribution of the 14th Sikh Regiment.

371 Sikhs fought gallantly to their

Indian Lin kAustra I ia

deaths on June 3 & 4, 1915. Many of them were among the 22 Victoria Crosses awarded to Indian soldiers.

Paying tribute to their heroism, General Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander of the Gallipoli operations, wrote: "In the highest sense of the word extreme gallantry has been shown by this fine Battalion... In spite of tremendous losses there was not a sign of wavering all day. Not an inch of ground gained was given up and not a single straggler can1e back. The ends of the enemy's trenches leading into the ravine were found to be blocked with the bodies of Sikhs and of the enemy who died fighting at close quarters, and the glacis slope is thickly dotted with the bodies of these fine soldiers aU lying on their faces as they fell in their steady advance on the enetny."

The bravery and heroism are acknowledged annually at the Anzac Day Parade, at which a Sikh contingent has been marching since 2007.

Much of this unknown part of Australia's history was unearthed by historians Len Kenna and Crystal Jordan of the Australian Indian History Society.

@indian_link

A war memorial to Indian soldiers already exists in Sydney, unveiled on the eve of Arn1istice Day in 2018 at Cherry brook. A project of the Hindu Council of Australia, it has been criticised by Kenna and Jordan for including only Sikhs and Hindu names, not Muslims, Anglo-Saxons or other people of Indian origin who were Anzacs, who served in the Australian Imperial Force and fought for Australia.

Opinion is being voiced again at the Blacktown move now, against faith-based tributes to Indian-origin soldiers.

A similar UK tribute, unveiled in 2018, is a 3 m bronze statue of a Sikh soldier, but it honours soldiers of aU faiths from the Indian subcontinent who fought for Britain during WW l . (Another memorial, the Sikh War Memorial in Coventry, bears the Khanda, the 1nilitary emblem of the Sikhs.)

In 2017, Brisbane got its own memorial honouring Indian participation in Australia's war efforts. It is housed at Sunnybank RSL. The Glenwood Sikh memorial, it is hoped, will be the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

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PA RALY M P IC S AVANI LEKHARA (S oo Jng) Hailing from Rajasthan, the 19-year-old shooter won gold in the Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH 1 category and bronze in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Shooting SHl. Lekhara, who sustained spinal cord injuries from a car accident in 2012, took up shooting in 2015 after she was encouraged by her father to learn a sport. After attempting both shooting and archery, she found she enjoyed shooting more, and her resolve was cemented after reading Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's book. She n1ade her debut in 2017 at the World Cup in Al Ain, UAE. This year, not only did she win India's first gold at the 2020 Paralympic Games, she becan1e the first Indian woman to ever win gold in the Olympics or Paralympics . ., ,,., .................................,, ., ........................................, ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. '....... , ............................. ,, , , ,. ''

PRAMOD BHAGAT (Ba h1 nton Currently ranked #1 in the world in para-bad1ninton n1en's singles SL3, Pra1nod Bhagat was a favourite at this year's Paralympics, winning gold in the Men's Singles SL3 event. He partnered up with Palak KohJi in the 1nixed doubles SL/SU category, butcrashed out in the se1ni-finals to Japan's Akiko Sugino and Daisuke Fujihara.

Bhagat, who contracted polio at four years old, began co1npeting in para-bad1ninton in 2006, having co1npeted against able-bodied players since 2002. He received the Arjuna Award in 2019. This is the first tit11e that badn,inton was played at the Paralympics, 1naking Bhagat the first Indian bad1ninto11 player to win a Paralympic 1nedal.

SUMIT ANTIL �avelin throw) 23-year-old Sumit Antilbeat Australia's Michal Burian and Sri Lanka's DulanKodithuwakku to place first in the Men's Javelin Throw F64 category. He also set a new world record in the process, hurling the spear to 68.55 metres. 1n fact, in an impressive showing, three of his five attempts made new world records. Along with fellow athlete Sandeep Chaudhury, who ultimately placed fourth in the same event, Anti! was viewed as a strong medal contender. He has competed in para-athletics since 2018 and also competes in able-bodied javelin at the national level, most recently the 2021 lndian Grand Prix in Patiala. Antil competes in the F64 category, designed for limb deficiencies, after losing his left leg below the knee in a motorbike accident in 2005.

MANISH NARWAL otin )

KRISHNA NAGAR (Badminton) The 22-year-old badminton player, diagnosed with dwarfism at age two, defeated Hong Kong's Chu Man Kai to take ho1ne the gold in the Men's Singles SH6 event.

Earlier this yeru·, Nagar won two golds at the Para-Badminton Internationals in Dubai, setting the tone for what was a successful Paralympics campaign. He is ranked #2 in the world and took up bad1ninton as a hobby in 2017.

14 SEPTEMBER 2021

OriginaJly wanting to be a footbaJler, 19-year-old Manish Narwal turned to shooting in 2016. He won gold at Tokyo, shooting 218.2 to win the P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SHl events, days after losing out on a medal in the Pl men's 10m air pistol SHl. Due to a congenital impairment, Narwal is unable to raise his right hand. Showing great prontlse in para­ sports, he received the Arjuna Award in 2020. His younger brother competes in the sport as well as a member of the able-bodied Indian national junior shooting squad.

www.indianlink.com.au

Photos: IANS

Five gold, eight silver, and six bro nze med a l s mark Tea m Ind ia's best campaign yet

BHAVINA PATEL (Tabl i The 34-year-old table tennis player won India's first medal at Tokyo 2020, bagging silver in the Women's Singles Class 4 on the country's National Sports Day. She also became India's first TT player to win a Paralyn1pic n1edal.

Ranked 12th in the world, Patel had missed out on participating in Rio 2016 due to paperwork issues. However, she views the experience as a blessing in disguise. In her Tokyo campaign, she knocked out world number 2 and Rio Paralympic Gold medallist BorislavaRankovic in an exciting semi final n1atch, ultin,ately losing to world nun1ber 1 Zhou Ying of China.

ndjan athletes have put their best foot forward in thls year's Paralyn1pic Games with a tally of nineteen n1edals in total. With some promising young faces in this year's contingent, such as 19-year-old gold medallist AvaniLekhara, and numerous world and Asian records being broken, it's proven to be a very exciting Gan1es. In case you nussed it, here are the athletes that brought home medals for Jndia.

NISHAD KUMAR

YOGESH KATHUNIYA ( --=·_ ...,)

Promising high jumper Nishad Kumar brought home India's first athletics n1edal at Tokyo 2020, winning silver in Men's High Jump T47 category.

He cleared the bar at 2.06 n1etres and n,atched the Asian record in the process.The 21-year-old, who lost his right hand at the age of six, first began con1peting in para-athletics in 2009.

Since then, he has won several medals at the national level. In 2019, he won bronze at the World Championships in Dubai.

With an impressive (and season best) attempt of 44.38 metres, 24-year-old Yogesh Kathuniya earned silver in the Men's Discus Throw F56 category. The New Delhi native took up the sport at the age of 20, going on to create a world record in the F36 category in his first international competition, the 2018 Para-athletics Grand Prix in Berlin.

The following year, he won bronze in the 2019 World Championships in Dubai. At the age of eight, Kathuniya experienced a paralytic attack that impaired coordination in his limbs. He credits athletics as a way of overcoming his disability.

DEVENDRA :JHA:JHARIA I (:Jave I Perhaps one of India's most decorated athletes, javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia was aiming for his third Paralympic gold after Rio 2016 and Athens 2004. Ultin1ately, he won silver in the Men's Javelin Throw F46 category at Tokyo 2020. His left hand was amputated when he was eight years old after accidentally touching an electric wire in a tree, and he took up para-athletics in his teens. In 2004, he self-funded his journey to the 2004 Paralyn1pics in Athens and won the country's first gold at the Games. ln his athletic career spanning two decades, the 40-year-old from Rajasthan has been a recipient of the Arjuna Award in 2004, the Padma Shri (India's fourth highest civilian award) in 2012 and the Khel Ratna Award in 2017.

SINGHRA:J ADHANA ) Another double 111edallist from Team India is Faridabad's SinghrajAdhana, who won a silver medal in the Mixed 50m pistol SH 1 (currently ranking #4) and a bronze medal in the Men's Pl 10 metre air pistol SH 1 (ranking #5).

The 39-year-old picked up the sport four years ago, originally wanting to be a swimmer. Earlier this year, he won the gold in Pl category, silver in P4 team event, and bronze in P4 individual event in Al Ain World Cup held in 'UAE. In May, he was in the ICU with COVID, and when he recovered, he returned to build his own shooting range at home in preparation for the Paralympics.

18-year-old Praveen Kumar bagged the silver in the Men's High Jump T64 category with a best jump of 2.07 metres. He was a close second to Great Britain's Jonathan Broom­ Edwards, who had won the silver in Rio 2016. Kumar's congenital impairment affects the bones that connect his hip to his left Jeg. Earlier this year, he set a new Asian record of 2.05 metres in the high jump, winning gold at the World Para Athletics GP.

MARIYAPPAN THANGAVELU

J The flag bearer for Team India at Tokyo 2020, the high jumper took home the silver n1edal in the T63 category.

Thangavelu, from Tamil Nadu, was disabled in a road accident at the age of five when he was hit by a drunk bus driver, crushing his leg below the knee. In the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he became India's first high jumper to win a Paralympics gold medal. In 2017, he was a recipient of the Padma Shri.

SUHAS L. YATHIRAJ dminton) The 38-year-old shuttler won the silver medal in the Men's Singles SL4 category. An IAS officer, his iI11pairment comes from poor treatment after an accident that resulted in a deformity in his right ankle. Yathu-aj became India's first-ever serving bureaucrat to win a medal at the global level when he took home the gold in the 2016 Asia Championships as District Magistrate of Azan1garh. He is currently the District Magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and was a recipient of the Yash Bharti, the state's highest civilian honour, in 2016.

SEPTEMBER 2021 15

PA RALY M P IC S SHARAD KUMAR (High jump) Sharing the podium with Mariyappan Thangavelu in the Men's High Jump was Sharad Kumar, who took ho1ue the bronze in the T63 category. The 29-year-old broke a 12-year Asian Games record in 2014 and more recently, he won gold at the 2018 Para Asian Games in Jakarta, setting a new Asian and Continental record at 1.9 metres. His imparrn1ent is the result of polio, which caused paralysis in his left leg at age two.

SUNDAR SINGH GUR�AR Li-J

Considered a strong n1edal prospect, Sundar Singh ca111e in third place in the Men's Javelin Throw F46 category, sharing the podium with Devendra Jbajhai-ia.

He was considered a medal favourite in the F46 javelin throw at the 2016 Rio Paralympics but was disqualified after failing to register for the event on time. The 25-year-old took up para-athletics in 2015 after losing his left band in an accident. He was named 2017 Differently Abled Athlete of the Year by ESPN fndia and was a recipient of the Arjuna Award in 2019.

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MANO� SARKAR (Badminton) Another shuttler debuting at the Paralyn1pics is Manoj Sai-kar, who defeated Japan's Daisuke Fujihara to win the bronze in the n1en's singles SL3 event. He has been playing badminton since the age of five and received the Arjuna Award in 2018.

His previous international wins include the bronze at the World Championships in 2019 (losing to fellow Indian shuttler Pramod Bhagat) and bronze in the Asian Para Games in 2018. Sarkar's impairment is the result of huproper medical treatment for polio, which affected his right leg.

Shooting stars Singhraj Adhania and Manish Narwal

16 SEPTEMBER 2021

HARVINDER SINGH (Archery) Notching India's first ever archery medal at the Paralympics, Harvinder Singh placed third to win the bronze in the men's individual recurve event. .He is currently ranked #23, having taken up para-archery after watching the 2012 Paralympics in London. He made his international debut in 2017 at the Para Archery World Championships in Beijing. When he was 18 n1onths old, Singh's doctor prescribed medication for dengue that had adverse effects, leading to an impairment in his legs. Before Tokyo 2020, his biggest international win was at the 2018 Para Asian Games in Indonesia, winning bronze.

VINOD KUMAR (Discus Throw) Along with India's great showing at Tokyo 2020 came one unfortunate incident: Vi.nod Kumar's bronze medal in the men's F52 discus throw came under review after some competitors objecting to his classification in the category for athletes with impaired muscle power, limb deficiency, leg length difference or restricted range of moven1ent.

The 41-year-old's throw of 19.91 metres had put him in third place behind Poland's Piotr Kosewicz (20.02m) of Poland and Croatia's Velimir Sandor ( 19.98m). After review, the athlete was found to be 'ineligible' in disability classification assessment.

In the official statement by the Paralympic Games organisers, it was announced that the panel was unable to allocate Kumar to a sports class, and he was thus designed as "classification not completed." This rendered his results in the competition void.

Paralympic Committee President Dr Deepa Malik with silver medallist Bhavina Patel

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A review of Mccomas Taylor's latest book The Visnu Purana BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN he Vishnu Purana was the earliest Purana to be translated fron1 the Sanskrit and published in English, in 1840, by H J-{ Wilson.

An important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnava literature corpus, it is canonised as one of the most sacred texts of the Srivaishnava con11nunity, in which I was brought up myself. I was exposed to the Vishnu Purana fron1 a young age, and know of it as the most comprehensive and authoritative Purana of all on Lord Vishnu.

So it is indeed delightful to see a new translation of this 1nuch revered text, The Visnu Purana, by the Australian National University's Sanskrit scholar McComas Taylor.

McComas Taylor leads the university's South Asia Program in the College of Asia and the Pacific. 1-iis research has been in the highly esoteric field where classical Sanskrit narrative literature intersects with conten1porary critical theory. This can be seen in the comprehensive introduction he has written to his book The Visnu Purana: it truly enhances the reader's appreciation of the text.

Readers 1night be aware there are 18 great Puranas and possibly an equal number of lesser ones, all written in Sanskrit. Besides these, there are scores of other Puranas - like the sthala puranas or mahatmyas of temples and sacred places in vernacular languages, which preserve accounts of sacred sites, comn1unities and religious practices.

The Vishnu Purana's date is rather contested, and various scholars place it anywhere between 100 B.C. and 1400 C.E. Taylor's assessment is that it is about 1450 years old. What we can be certain of is that

indianlink.com.au 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

The Visnu Purana, Mccomas Taylor's translation of the ancient Indian text, is easy to follow and stays true to the original it dates later than the Mahabharata - as well as the l-lariva111sa, which describes itself as an appendix to the Mahabharata. as the creators were aware of the forn1er. (Taylor reconunends Siinon Broadbeck's translation of Harivamsa). Unlike the previous two, however, Taylor argues that the Vishnu Purana is filled with songs of praise, and in1bued with a Bhakti that is absent in the two earlier texts.

The Puranas, as the name suggests, are a genre of sacred texts with collections of narratives from 'long ago'. Needless to say, Lord Vishnu (especially in His manifestation as Krishna) is the central deity in the Vishnu Purana, which contains an account of the universe as well as a guide to life. It places Vishnu at the centre of creation, theology,

Indian Lin kAustra I ia

eschatology, soteriology - and reality itself: it also provides a comprehensive introduction to the themes and narratives that constitute the Hindu imagination such as cyclical creation and destruction of the universe, gods and mortals, the population of the world and the structure and conduct of an ideal society.

The Vishnu Purana also contains the trials and tribulations of Vishnu's exemplary devotees like Dhruva and Prahlada, the struggles between devas and asuras and the deeds of great heroes as well as His Avataras.

There are some great devotional shlokas and hymns in His praise; Krishna lee/a can be found in this text in its authoritative form and the Vedas are also invoked; creation and dissolution of the Universe is mentioned

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in some detail. Indeed, the entire Purana is divided up into six 'books', viz Creation, The world, Society, The Royal Dynasties, Krishna, and Dissolution.

The basic Hindu idea of samsara, or the cycle of birth and rebirth which continues forever - is explained in the Vishnu Purana, which also has a roadmap out of this to nioksha - that can be achieved by merging with the Divine, Vishnu. One can realize this by cultivating the deepest devotion to the Divine. The Vishnu Purana also explains the four stages of life - chaturasrama - through which all pious individuals are expected to pass. The purushartha or the goals of human existence, are also laid out.

It is this Purana that talks about Vishnu's ten avataras as well - although the earlier Mahabharata lists between four and eight; and the later Bhagawata Purana lists 22.

Krishna is the most important avatara in this Purana - indeed, as Taylor rightly points out, it is impossible to think of the Vishnu Purana without Him, as He is the subject of entire Book Five.

The Puranas must embody the panchalakshanas or characteristics, and the Vishnu Purana adheres to this canon more closely than most other Puranas. lt is a conservative text in that it places Brahmins at the top of the social hierarchy and also assigns a narrow role for women con1pared to some of the more liberal ones.

As Taylor says, "To be Hindu is to have internalised the Puranic thought-wodd."

For those not proficient in Sanskrit but would like to plunge into the world of the Puranas (without the help of TV serials or Amar Chitra Katha), I cannot recomn1end a better translation. It is seamless, easy to follow and stays true to the original.

"The Vishnu Purana is poetry, beauty and nectar to be in1bibed and relished," notes Taylor.

His own rendition of it is beautiful, lyrical, and deeply satisfying.

Indian Link www.indianlink.com.au

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A N U academic and Sansk rit scholar p roduces fi rst translation of its kind i n 200 yea rs BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA cCon1as Taylor first felt drawn to Sanskrit when he saw Peter Brook's television production The Mahabharata in the late 1980s.

Today, as an acadenuc at the Australian National University, he has translated the entire Vishnu Purana from its original Sanskrit, into English.

Released in June this year, the book The Visnu Purana (ANU Press) is the first English translation of the ancient Sanskrit text in over 200 years.

The Vishnu Purana is an ancient Indian text believed to be son1e 1500 years old. As an introduction of sorts to Hinduis1n, its six sections explain Hindu thought starting from the creation of the universe to the description of the religion in Kaliyug or the 'modern' era.

"It's a collection of beautiful verses which is typicaUy sung or recited," Dr Taylor described to Indian Link. "Jn my translation, I've tried to capture the musicality of it all, and 1 hope that it will be read aloud, as it should be, or recited - not read silently."

He added, "The original is in metric, whereas 1nine is in blank verse, although I stuck to the rhyth1nic nature of the verses.

You n1ight have heard that old saying, poetry is what gets lost in translation! I'm also considering an audio book."

The project was five years in the making, Dr Taylor revealed. "Four of these were spent in translation, working 9 to 5, as each idea was translated into English - 1 produced five co1nplete versions. The last year was spent polishing it aU." The performance aspect of puranic texts has fascinated Dr Taylor for some ti111e now. "l spent a great deal of time studying the

''I n my translation, I've tried to capture the m usicality of it all, and I hope that it will be read aloud, as it should be, or recited - not read silently."

Bhagavata purana, especially observing the saptaha (seven day) tradition of its recital.

These a1·e beautiful events, describing stories of Krishna."

Out of this came his book Seven Days of Nectar (2016).

A colleague in India then suggested he should translate the Vishnu Purana. He took the project on, con1mencing on 13 Dec 2016, a full 111oon day sacred to Vishnu.

Which sections of the book would he pick as his favourite?

"The advent of Krishna, the gopis in Vrindavan in particular. It's just sublime.

My favourite verses are where the gopis follow the footprints in the sand, and know that Krishna is walking with one other girl.

At one stage they can only see his toes, and surmise that he was reaching up on his tiptoes to pick a flower for his beloved."

A lifelong love of Sanskrit

McComas Taylor feU in love with the Mahabharata following Peter Brook. He was already involved in Asian studies by then, having dabbled in Chinese studies and Tibetan studies.

"The TV show was life-changing for me, setting me on a lifelong study of Sanskrit and the traditions of India and Hinduism. l've been reading the Mahabharata in the original, a page a day, since. 1 began about eight years ago, and I figu re I have four more to go, so it's on ongoing project!"

Today his resea1·ch lies at the intersection of contemporary critical theory and classical Sanskrit narrative literatu1·e. Starting with explorations of the Panchatantra tales (which led to an early book The Fall ofthe Indigo Jackal, 2007), he moved on to studying the performative and ritual aspects of

Sanskrit texts. His work is recognised for its contributions to the n1anner in which texts shape societies, particularly in the interplay of power, text and oral performance.

As a Sanskrit scholar and researcher, Dr Taylor has also seen his university become the leading national and international provider of Sanskrit studies. ANU offers the leading Sanskrit program in the world, having pioneered an online program.

"We've been teaching on Zoom long before the pandemic made it popular," Dr Taylor laughed. "The program, for first year tertiary students, has been going for 15 years now. It attracts students from Europe, North America, China and India. In fact, we can claim to be the only university in the world that exports Sanskrit studies to India."

The e-book he helped develop, The Joy ofSanskrit, has been downloaded son1e 180,000 times.

The program incorporates a spoken element, quite rare in Sanskrit studies.

"Students at the end of the first year can speak about themselves, their families, likes and dislikes, and have a vocabulary of about 250 words. Uniquely, we balance production of language with reception of language classical and textual Sanskrit as well as its spoken, written and recited forms."

About a third of the students are of Indian cultural heritage, Dr Taylor described, the rest being yoga practitioners keen to access the fundamental texts of their traditions. "They want to get a deeper knowledge of the asanas they practice, or the verses they chant every day."

What better way to end than to have McCon1as Taylor present a message to our readers, in Sanskrit.

Idanim jagati dukham sarvatra anubhuyate.

Kintu agami varshe shantih sarvatra bhavishyati, iti ashaye.

We are all currently e.xperiencing much sadness in the world. 1-lowever in the coming year, my hope is that we all get to experience peace.

Lisa Singh is new director at Australia India Institute

ormer Australian Senator and the first MP of Indian descent Lisa Singh will soon join the Melbourne­ based Australia India Institute as its new Director. Ms Singh has a u1uque set of skills and experience in the India-Australia realt11 which will be put to productive use at the University of Melbourne institute.

She is the Deputy Chair of the Australia India Council and also sits on the advisory committee of the University of Melbourne's Asialink.

Ms Singh has been a long-term advocate for a deeper Australia-India relationship. In 2014, she was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Sanunan by the President of India, for

building friendly Australia­ lndia relations, the highest civilian honour for a person of Indian origin. Ms Singh said she is honoured to take up the role and intends to work with a range of leaders in Australia and India to advance the political and econonlic agenda.

"The Australia-India relationshlp is going through a transformative period. I believe its success will be dependent on the effort and collaboration

that governments, business and institutes like the All put into it," Ms Singh said. "It's important we nurture the academic and research capabilities in the relationship. But it needs to be done by focusing on shared priorities. That way partnerships for both nations will be enduring and mutually beneficial."

Stepping into her new role, Ms Singh is aware that international students, many of whom are from

India, are clamouring for a full return to campus.

"COVID-19 restrictions have stymied the education sector. The sooner Indian students can return to Australia to co111plete their qualifications the better. 1 hope to play a role to help facilitate a pathway for that to happen," Ms Singh said, while expressing concern over the significant impact of the pandemic on the sector.

The Australia India Institute was launched at the University of Melbourne in 2008 as a centre dedicated to the study of the bilateral relationship. It plays a significant role in developing relations between the two nations by expanding scholarship opportunities.

SEPTEMBER 2021 19

V I EW F I N D E R

20 SEPTEMBER 2021

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KOOKABURRA

Blue Mountains NSW Image by DANISH RAVI Nikon 05 with 500mm f4 Prime Lens and an exposure of 1/640 sec, f/5.6 ISO 1000. www.danishraviphotography.com

SEPTEMBER 2021 21

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Innovative Janmashtami celebrations at Hare Krishna Melbourne a midst COV I D lockdown rishna Janmastan1i is the largest festival of the year for the Hare Krishna comn1unity the world over.

It n1arks the birth of Shri Krishna, the deity of love and compassion.

In Melbourne, the Hare Krishna community celebrated the event on 31 August, using a combination of online strean1ing, re1note tneetups, and smaller at-home famiJy celebrations.

The Hare Krishna Melbourne Temple residents worked hard to maintain the regular deity worship standards without the usual crew of volunteers. The deity dresses were changed three times throughout the day with gorgeous, brand-new outfits. Each darshana and arati was live strean1ed via the Temple YouTube channel, so that eager devotees couJd participate from the safety of their hon1es. The highlight of the day was the beautifuJ abhisheka ceremony of Radha Krishna, where the deities were bathed with milk, honey, yoghurt, ghee, and fruit juices.

The Temple residents also cooked and offered over 108 delicious, vegetarian food preparations to Krishna. This prasadan1 was distributed via pickups and deliveries as part of Hare Krishna Melbourne's Food For Life program.

The Hare Krishna co1nmunity created

a unique cultural progran1 glorifying the Supreme Lord Krishna. Over a hundred fa1nilies recorded and submitted videos of their children's in-home performances.

These included traditional Indian dances, soulful kirtanas and short dramatic monologues. The Hare Krishna media team worked hard to combine all these videos

into a virtual cultural program that was live streamed on YouTube. These performances can be seen by all on Hare Krishna Melbourne channel on YouTube.

"It was a surreal feeling to be celebrating Janmastami at borne in lockdown with my children," Yasoda Sonthalia, a member of the Hare Krishna comn1unity, said later. "We

did son1e craft activities, kirtan, chanting, and reading stories from Krishna Book. We also cooked together and had a delicious feast at home. We especially loved watching the live stream of the abhisheka and meditating on the Deities up-close on screen."

Her children, 9 and 6, performed in the cultural show.

N1ta1 Gaura Harf Bol 22 SEPTEMBER 2021

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WIN book vouchers valued at $75 and $50 in both categories.

Colour in or paint the pattern presented here. Photocopy the pattern if you need to.

Send in your work, along with your name, age, address and phone number, to:

For more details, ring the lndim Unk office on 02 9290 1 855, or email media@indianlink.com.au

SEPTEMBER 2021 23

ARTS

• Writer Manisha Anjali shares her new creative project: a COVI D-19 commu nity dream journal

an artist residency in Mooramong, a 4000acre estate on Wadawurrung country, where I was sharing my dreams fro1n each day of the residency," Manisha revealed.

"I was already running a platform where I was conducting audio interviews with artists and writers about their dreams, so I thought to open it up to the whole world, as we collectively transition into a new world order," she added.

Born in Suva, Fiji and a descendant of the Girmityas, Manisha spent her childhood in Aotearoa (New Zealand). A film and literature scholar, she completed her honours from Victoria University.

Now Manisha lives on Bundjalung country (NSW) and heads the School of Dreams. "l have not received any formal training on dreams, mysticism and creative writing.

I am self-taught and self-resourced, always on the lookout for teachers, but just learning from this incarnation of life as I n1ove through," Manisha mused. "The School of Dreams is an imagination workshop I run, where I guide participants to puJI symbols and narratives from their own drean1s and integrate into their own practices and lives."

Dreams, ancient devotional poems by Indian women mystics and saints, ani111al power, mountains, oceans, Girmitya histories, and the worlds of children, are all key influences that guide her practice.

"In many pre-colonial societies, dreams have played an important part of storytelling, myth making and healing. Many of us today have lost access to our own dreams, and thus our own cultural knowledge and means of self and social healing," Manisha remarked.

"I am interested in documenting dreams that con1munities are experiencing in this moment in history, to learn what our stories are, and to encourage people to share their dreams more with each other," she added.

Manisha invited folks she had con1e to know through creative con1munities and friendships to participate in the COVID-19 Collective Dream Journal. The news mostly spread through word of mouth and social media during lockdown.

The response was overwhelmingly wonderful.

The following are some excerpts from f dif erent people's dream entries.

I 1,vas in India, a return to the imagined India of 1ny drea,ns.

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI ince COVID-19 swept the globe last year, researchers across disciplines and borders came to a curious conclusion. That this nightmare of a panden1ic has been affecting us even while we sleep. In our dreams.

Experts who collected large san1ples of dreams people had during COVID-19, discovered an obvious negative side to almost all of them.

Of course, this is because we're all a bit disturbed right now - mourning lost time and freedom and community.

And while people increasingly reported dreams about sickness, social anxiety, and isolation during the pandenuc, the peculiar phenon1enon is not all grim.

24 SEPTEMBER 2021

''I a m interested in documenting dreams that communities are experiencing in this moment in history, to learn what our stories are, and to encou rage people to share their dreams more with each other."

Manisha Anjali lnderFijian artist, writer and educator Manisha Anjali runs an online platform called Conlllunity Drea1n Practice (CDP) that hosts a COVID-19 Collective Dream Journal: a collection of dreams experienced by the people of the world dw·ing the coronavirus pande1nic.

"It [CDP] is a research and documentation archive for dreams, visions and hallucinations. The dream journal is an

ongoing research and storytelling project, to see what new mythologies arise from our dreams in our time of collective isolation," Manisha told Indian Link.

Manisha was away at an artist's residency program when the idea for this special community project first came to her.

"I was living in Naarm (Melbourne) when lockdown began. I had just returned from

I drea,nt of swimming into the deep ocean. I went through the wrong door and ended up right at the bottom of the sea...

1 realised that I didn't have a helmet so I couldn't actually ride my bike anyway as 1 1,vas in Australia and not Europe where helmets are an optional extra.

Frozen jalebi! I jumped out of the bed.

Ground still wet washed by Aaji, seated.

As I peer into the icy core, I can see moments of life from all around the world playing out in real time like short films, and whatever I ivant to see appears into view. The 1nore 1 focus the more I'm able to see...

Some short, some epic-sized, some poetic, and some blunt. These valuable reflections and ruminations are all in one place online for anyone to access. Do with that information what you will.

And if you like, enter your dream at https://communitydream.org/

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A new a pp roach to tertia ry education in pandemic times

BY

MOHAN DHALL niversity education in Australia should be free for school leavers in 2022. This is particularly i1nportant given several factors that have made it harder for the current cohort to feel confident about their future.

Firstly, this cohort more than others has suffered two years of disrupted learning. The pandemic cotun1enced when they started Year 11 and has continued throughout their final school year. UndoubtedJy and widely reported, for students there have been significant mental health issues associated with the pande1nic.

These include feeling uncertain, isolated and worried. lt is well known in education and in educational psychology that when feelings of anxiety, loneliness and uncertainty predontlnate, learning is affected. Accordingly, there should be significant adjustn1ents made to consider the disadvantages faced by this cohort.

Secondly, formal assess1nents for these students have been disrupted throughout the past two years. This cohort and their parents feel particularly concerned about whether they will get the university places they deserve.

This fact alone requires direct reassurance.

Such reassurance should co111e from senior bureaucrats, university Vice Chancellors and Education Ministers, State-based and national.

Thirdly, universities themselves face an uncertain future. Whilst an 80%, COVID vaccine uptake may lead to so111e partial reopening of the international border, what is

This cohort more than others has suffered two years of disrupted learning; we also know they have experienced significant mental health issues associated with the pandemic. evident is that universities need an enroln1ent model that applies to the current and predictable future issues. One accommodation that universities have made is a mid-year or rolling intake. This is an inlportant change.

However, the universities cannot do as they did prior to the pandemic - having an overreliance on the "cash cow" of international students.

With the new normal there needs to be a new paradigm. This paradigm needs to be based around accessibility for domestic students.

The universities have had around 18 months to adjust to the new and emerging situation.

Thls includes assessing and adapting the way learning is approached and engaged with. It also means that there is a need for far more flexible delivery and a range of short courses for school leavers.

Other significant changes that need to be w·gently considered include the removal of HECS fees and the introduction of what I calJ a "StudyKeeper".

Abolish HECS during economic recovery for school leavers

I believe that HECS charges should be abolished for at least the first six months

of next year for school leavers entering universities around the country. ln addition to this, I think that the Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) scheme should be expanded so that any caps on university enrolments be lifted at least for six months.

This would mean that while we are in transition and undertaking economic recovery, students can access the tertiary studies they deserve and desire. lt seems to me that authentic investment in higher education commences with this.

The need for a Study Keeper wage

I also believe that for at least the first six months of 2022 there should be a "StudyKeeper" wage that goes directly to students for the payment of their tertiary enrolment fees. This would support those seeking to undertake a pathway in universities for tertiary study. The money should go directly to the learners, not the universities in the first instance, and should be released upon enrolment. This would enable school leavers to engage with tertiary education at no risk. This kind of investment should be a national priority.

Economic reasons

There are important econon1ic reasons as to why a StudyKeeper wage supple1nent should be imple1nented.

Firstly, it can be assumed that Australia will be in a period of economic recovery throughout 2022. In a time of recovery, unemployment is generally high and young people, typically the most overrepresented amongst the unemployed, will be finding work hard to come by. To help them improve their opportunities within the labour ma1·ket, having access to a StudyKeeper wage wiJl support them improving their academic credentials and make some more job ready. This is preferable to having high incidences of young people on welfare.

A fresh start

This idea of a fresh start or a new approach to accessing tertiary education is extremely important contextually. It recognises that the university sector has been ha1upered by the economic downturn induced by the pandemic. lt further recognises that the current school leavers have been very affected by rolling lockdowns nationally throughout their last two years of schooling.

The ideas here intend to be the beginning of a very urgent conversation that should have taken place 18 months ago and at least should be on the national agenda right now.

We need to work urgently towards articulating and implementing plans that will address predictable issues that will otherwise arise.

SEPTEMBER 2021 25

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This PCOS Awareness M o nth, a personal acco u nt of living with the h ormonal d isord e r BY RHEA L NATH or many women, going to the gynaecologist isn't always a pleasant experience. l should know - I've had to schedule a doctor's appointment every three months for the last two years because, like in 10 wo1nen around the world, I Live with a condition that often feels out of my control.

Polycystic ovarian synd1·0111e, or PCOS, is a com111on hormonal, reproductive, and n1etabolic condition among wo1nen of reproductive age. It's not curable, and when I noticed my own symptoms like acne breakouts, mood swings, difficulty in losing weight, and skipped periods, I was petrified.

In fact, I found 1nyself actively dodging doctors tor alt11ost a year to avoid getting tested.

EveutuaUy, sitting across the gynaecologist going through my ultrasounds and blood work, I was told that I had to make so1ne important lifestyle changes to get ahead of my condition, especiaUy because it put me at an increased risk of developing diabetes, cholesterol issues, and cardiovascular diseases in the long run.

At 22 years old, all this was difficult to take in. What am I supposed to eat? What medicines should I be taking? Should I change my work out? It seemed like I had to overhaul my entire lifestyle, but I didn't know where to begin.

Since joining the 'cysterhood' in 2019, I've developed a routine that works for me and helps 1ne feel in control. There are still good and bad periods (no pun intended) but in case you're in the sa1ne boat I was in, hopefully these tips and tricks help.

26 SEPTEMBER 2021

A diagnosis of PCOS can be made when at least two of the following three criteria are met: 1. Irregular periods or no periods 2. Higher levels of androgens are present in the blood, shown by blood test or symptoms like excess body

Read. read. read

I'm someone who likes to do my resea1·ch and have aU the information in hand, so I often find myself reading articles and studies about PCOS. 1t helps to understand what's happening in my body, but more importantly, it helps 1ne reme1nber that this is normal, and it is not my fault. l also foUow a lot of lnstagram pages for women with PCOS to see their success stories. It's a lovely reminder that this 1nay not be curable, but it is definitely treatable.

Staying active

While exercise and an active lifestyle is one of the biggest ways to improve our symptoms, the hormone imbalance linked to PCOS can often cause lethargy and fatigue. Who wants to work out when they wake up tired?

During lockdown, I've taken to hour-long walks, listening to music or chatting with friends over the phone. For more intensive workouts, l opt for weight training and pilates with some cardio. I've landed on these exercises through trial and error, having spent hours on the elliptical with seemingly no results while strength training improved my metabolism and helped burn fat faster.

Figure out a sustainable healthy diet

Based on advice from my doctor, I turned to a dairy-free diet in 2019 and more recently

hair, acne, scalp hair loss 3. Polycystic ovaries are visible on an ultrasound

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tried to cut out gluten. A typical meal now consists of lean protein (think chicken, fish, tofu, and lentils) along with plenty of vegetables. I've found that limiting my carb intake, rather than cutting out items like rice and bread, has also worked wonders.

Desserts are part of my palate too, taken in stride with my generally healthy lifestyle. No more feeling guilty for my sweet tooth!

While n1ost nutritional requirements can come from your diet, I've found certain supplements, like probiotics, to be helpful with hormone regulation and improving gut health.

Take time for self-care and relaxation

Women with PCOS often struggle with cortisol, the body's stress hormone, which disrupts our menstrual cycle, impairs our immunity, and is often the reason we crave sugru·y treats when we're stressed. In fact, some women may find that high intensity exercises work against them because it only boosts these cortisol levels.

The typical advice of yoga and meditation to relax doesn't really work for 1ne, so I turn instead to activities that make me happy and keep me away from a screen. I've started to enjoy a nightly routine of mint tea alongside some journaling, and it's helped to shed the stress from the day. What matters here, really, is carving out a little 'me-time' every day.

Find medical professionals you trust

Because of the nature of PCOS, proper treatment can mean consulting with specialists Like endocrinologists and dieticians. Unfortunately, too many cysters have felt dismissed by their doctors before getting to that stage, told to simply lose weight or come back when they want to get pregnant. In my case, my friends warned me against hormone regulating pills and birth control, but l trusted my doctor, and the h·eatment made such a difference for my condition. Each case is unique, after all, so it's crucial to find a doctor you feel comfortable with.

According to the Royal Australian CoUege of General Practitioners (RAGCP), up to 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed.

And for those who are, there are significant healthcare costs (approximately $400 million per year in Australia). As an international student in Australia, I'm weU aware of how the cost of these necessary medical treatments can really add up.

Living with PCOS hasn't been easy.

There are many days when I've had terribly low self-confidence from acne breakouts, bloating, facial hair, and other sympton1s that oppose society's traditional idea of 'femininity'. Mix that in with the ebb and flow of understanding your body in your 20s, and it can feel like there's no beating this. But recently, a friend shared some great advice that's helped put my PCOS journey in perspective: saying 'have self­ confidence' is much easier than actuaUy doing it, but you have to believe this is not a broken problem to fix. It's more like tuning, finding the right frequency that works for you.

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# M YW O R K

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In this column, we look at the interesting vocations in which our commu nity membe rs a re involved. This issue, Melbou rne's N I RALI D H RUVE te lls us a bout her work helping people with menta l hea lth needs refugees, won1en with family violence issues, and children who have no access to support service or are under child protection orders.

Head to Help, another service program, is part of my job profile since the onset of the pandemic in early 2020. When a mental health concern is referred by the mental health service or emergency department of a hospital or through calls directly, using Referral Decision Support Tool (LAR-DST), I identify their needs and type of support and services required through preliminary assessment, using a series of clinical and social questions. A caller/client may be referred to e,dsting services or to one of the Head to Help services which offer a multidisciplinary team to help with more complex needs.

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My job title Intake and Referral Social Worker - Mental & Allied flealth.

I have been in this field for 16 years, eight of these predo1ninantly engaged in community health.

My educational qualifications I have a Masters' degree in Social Work, augmented with a course in Mental Health dealing with suicidal clients.

My work profile and programs that I work for I am associated with two 1nental health programs: 'LIFT' also known as 'Stepped Care Model for Mental Health', and 'Head to Help' also known as Mental Health Hub. At Mental Health Hub, my role requires me to identify initially the mental health

concerns of the client, assess their eligibility, Cal'e plan and urgency, along with linking them with psychologists/counsellors and/or other social and health services available in the local community.

'LIFT' is a free mental health service for people of all ages who live, work, or study in the northern metro region of Melbourne who cannot afford or access similar services, including asylum seekers. They get support from mental health nurses, psychologists and counsellors, cal'e coordinators and peer workers. I engage with clients needing help with mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, 1nental health disorders and suicidal thoughts. I ensure that every person seeking help receives timely and relevant care from a specialist in their local com111unity. Our wide client-base includes local community members without income or on healthcare cards, the homeless,

What's hard about my job My work is fulfilling and rewarding but can also be emotionally taxing. It can be challenging, establishing rapport and trust­ based relationships with high-risk clients concerned with confidentiality.

Mental illness can be caused by abuse but having a mental illness can leave a person vulnerable to abuse too. Our clients are vulnerable to abuse in many forms - physical, sexual, psychological, fmancial, discriminatory and neglect. This abuse, intentional or unintentional, can come from many sources like friends, family, neighbours, strangers and even care professionals. Working with vulnerable people puts a Social Worker in a position of power, both real and perceived, and it is important that this is not abused.

Communication can be a struggle.

Apart from hallucinations and delusions, son1e people don't have the motivation to communicate, while others lack the confidence.

How COVID-19 has changed my work practice COVID has exacerbated anxiety and mental health issues in the community. My Community Health Centre in Melbourne has seen a 55% increase in phone calls reporting stress and anxiety, hopelessness, and an inability to cope. We now have a wait list for our clients and are facing a shortage of staff due to this increased demand. The mental health care system is stl'uggling along with

the public health care system.

Working virtually has been challenging, especially in a field where direct interaction and comn1unication are so vital.

Juggling work with home schooling of children can be overwhelming, but l have learned to be 1nore organised and disciplined about my work.

Looking after my own mental and physical health, keeping work-life balance and staying positive, are of great significance in times like these.

The positive aspects of my work The n1ost rewarding part of working at a Community Health Centre are the clients.

They con,e from all walks of life, with unique experiences, strengths, attributes, and traumas. They carry with them their own distinctive intersecting social identities Like race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and age, which play a major role in therapy and make it an interesting experience to get to know them personally and professionally.

It's a good feeling to know I've helped improve the quality of life for some of the most marginalized groups of people in the healthcare system. Apart from this I also get an opportunity to learn ways to work effectively with a wide variety of healthcare professionals (physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, counsellors, etc.)

Advice for people who may need mental health services If someone you know is affected by a mental health issue, support from friends, family and health professionals plays a significant role in their coping and recovery process.

You can make a big difference through small gestmes like listening, keeping in touch, and showing you care.

There are many free and low-cost state and federal funded mental health services available. You can contact your GP, nearest public hospital, or local council to learn more.

The following are some other useful numbers you could try: Beyond Blue Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

Black Dog Institute Online help.

Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or chat online.

Suicide Call Back Service Call 1300 659 467

My Community Health Centre in Melbourne has seen a 55% increase in phone calls reporting stress and anxiety, hopelessness, and an inability to cope.

SEPTEMBER 2021 27

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How to make learning the home language exciting for you r child ren

grandparents or video call them and get them to have conversations with your children in the home language.

■ Use the home language yourself regularly.

BY NEHA JAIN s Indian Australian parents, we strive to educate our children about their biculturaJ backgrounds so that they can appreciate the diversity that they grow up with and be confident in who they are.

When we became parents, n1y husband and I were also keen to do this with our little one.

Reading up on the topic, we learnt from research that children aged 0-8 learn best through play. So we decided to use the play­ based approach with our child to explore their bicultural heritage.

One of the ways to learn about our cultw·al backgrounds is by teaching our child1·en our various ho1ne languages. Language has an instant connection to cultw·e.

For some families, teaching the home language comes very naturally. For others, this isn't quite as easy, and in that case, this article will be a great start at easing your worries.

Here are three tips to assist in making learning the ho1ne language exciting for children. These are tips that have personally worked for us in our family.

TIP 1: MAKE IT FUN

As with any kind of learning for our children, it is important to make home language learning an enjoyable process.

When learning is fun, children are keen and want to learn and this is something that we have noticed with our little one.

28 SEPTEMBER 2021

TIP 3: IMMERSION

There are 1nany ways to n1ake home language learning fun: ■ Children love music. Listen to nursery rhymes and songs in your home language to your children, and sing (or dance) along with. Scientists have shown that listening to songs and humn1ing or singing along to songs help with language learning, memorisation as well as em·ich our vocabulary.

We've noticed that when we are singing and dancing in our home language, our little one seen1s to pick up words quicker (e.g. indradhanush, chand, tara), and definitely seems to retain better.

■ Watch cartoons/child friendly movies in your home language with your children as this is an enjoyable way to immerse your child in the language.

■ Games are entertaining so play games

like Bingo, 1 spy and memory games in your home language.

-amJi;il·li

Another important part of learning is that it needs to be consistent. We all know continued behaviour of any kind becomes a habit.

Here are some ways to make language learning a part of your daily life: ■ Have a dedicated time to have conversations with your child in your home language. You could start off by having 5 -mi.nute conversations and then progress from there.

■ Get grandparents involved as they are a great resource. Leave voice notes for

Lastly, learning is more pleasant when it is done with others, and also when it is a part of your child's environment. When yotu· child hears their home language spoken around them, they will be more Likely to want to use that language themselves as well as be intrinsically 111otivated to understand and learn it.

Some ways to itnLnerse your child in your home language: ■ If it's possible, surround your child with extended family speakmg the same language ■ Surround your child with friends speaking the same language So these are some tips for parents to ensure that home language learning is exciting for their children. As we are on this journey ourselves, I can definitely say that it is a journey with funny moments, learning mon1ents and mon1ents of triw11ph.

One of the funny mon1ents is how our child mixes the languages learnt ill a sentence, e.g ''Mumma I want some paani."

The triumph occurs when our child uses the home language spontaneously and the learning moments enable us to make the journey smoother and more fun.

So my advice to all you parents is: enjoy the journey, make it fun, and watch the magic unfold.

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For Father's Day this year, we asked young readers to share the smallest bits of fatherly advice they've received from their dads that have made all the difference.

Be sure to note down t h ese pearls of wisdom!

MAKING MY BED (lshaan Verma) 'It's the first task of the day', my father would always say. Once you complete it, you naturally feel a sense of acco1nplishment. 1'111 a very messy person, so I always did appreciate the little sense of control that came from making my bed every morning. Even now, it always leaves me feeling motivated and positive, I '111 definitely more productive for the rest of the day!

POWER ROUTINE (Ananya Bose)

MORNING DUMPS (Rohan Shinde)

Basic algebra. Differential calculus. My dad teaches n1e a lot. But the best lessons really co1ne fron1 what he does. Every morning J wake up to see three bowls of breakfast on the kitchen table (plus our vitamins).

Before setting these up, Dad has already exercised, showered, and said his prayers. Every. Single. Day. By breakfast time, he is a burst of positive energy. I've learnt from hiln that routine is crucial. In lockdown, I'n1 trying to be him in practising routine. I've even done what I thought I'd never be able to do - fifteen minutes of yoga daily. Thanks Dad!

This piece of advice really changes things. During my school days, my dad wouldn't let me go to school without taking a dump in the morning. He would always stress how important it was to be able to focus on your day and also have a healthy gut. My man would stand outside the bathroom and ask for updates until I was done. And till today, I believe it, taking a shit before leaving home in the morning is the best thing one can do for oneself and body!

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD (Sharanya Ganguly)

THE ELIXIR THAT IS WARM WATER (Misbah Ansari)

I have always been 'Papa ki Pari' and the wisdom he's imparted has always remained very close to heart.

Prior to this pandemic, I led a regular university student and part-time worker's life with an early start to my day beginning by dressing to impress and ready to take the world by storm. Of course, during lockdown surviving in pyjamas had come far more instinctively to me. So, my father suggested l continue starting my morning by getting ready as if I was going out, but of course take the detour route straight to my study table where the day's agenda awaited me. This small tip gave n1e purpose to excel academically and professionally and for that I am eternally grateful.

THE ART OF THE HANDSHAKE (Manan Luthra) My dad taught me how to shake hands - firmly, with good eye contact and a smile on my face. The norms in the recent past may well have necessitated fist or elbow bumps or no contact at all, but those early lessons from dad have taught me to 1nake that first impression always memorable for the right reasons. The handshake as an art form is ridiculously complicated in its simplicity - come on, you're literally just shaking someone's hand - but when done right, with the right nux of respect and confidence, it can be a masterpiece.

My father probably has the 1nost niche yet therapeutic n1orning and night routines. The n1oroing started with warm water, milk, and two soaked almonds (to run n1y two brain cells). However, nothing like his night routine with wann water again (for digestion), olive oil on the skin (beauty gurus could never), Saafi (this bitter herbal potion by Haindard which could just make your pimples vanish) and turmeric milk (white people's turmeric latter could never). So, 1 figure that all 111y illnesses, depressive moods, existential crises, can be solved by drinking warm water. That's it.

THE ARGUMENTATIVE INDIAN (Kushaagra Kesarwani) I have learnt many things from my dad, but one of them must be the importance of a good discussion. From listening to him and my brother argue for an hour after dinner - on a variety of topics - I've learnt how important a healthy quarrel can be. I've realised that these discussions allow you to form new thoughts and ideas and gain new perspectives. This is what the world needs now - people are too ignorant of others' opinions and won't be convinced otherwise, and the key is to meet in the middle.

SEPTEMBER 2021 29

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O UT D O O RS

ome sugges 10 o maintenance plants thi eason from la ndsca I n •

f you're thinking of buying new plants for your spring gardening or if you're renovating, then put low maintenance plants on your shopping list.

Spring is the time when everything in nature perks up. When it comes to gardening, this is the time to prepare your garden soil, clear the weeds, and identify plants that survived the winter frost. Then, you can move on to shopping, to add colours and edibles to your yard.

Choosing low maintenance plants will save you n1uch time in your gardening, while you continue to enjoy a thriving garden all year round.

Prep yQur oil

Soil is the foundation for every living thjng in Olli' environn1ent. Making your soil orgaruc rich will be like adding an extra boost to it. [f you're planning to buy loads of flowering plants, then add to your shopping list s01ne pren1jxed garden soil - tlus will have the necessary nutrients to give your plants the best chance to survive and thrive.

Low maintenance plants

The below is not an extensive list but worth the money and time. These low 1naintenance plants once established in the garden will require less care as years roll in.

Three Perennial Plants Perennial plants give more bang for your money. Once established they'll flower and fruit everywhere if watered during dry periods and shown son1e care.

• Correa reflexa (Native Fuchsia) Best planted in part shade location. Low level shrub. Blooms from Spring to Autunut.

• Plargonium (Geraniun1s) Best planted in full sun to part shade. Low level shrub.

Blooms late Spring to Autun1n.

• Daisy (Perennial varieties) Best planted in full sun to part shade. Colourful fillers.

Blooms late Winter to Autu1nn.

Three Annual Plants If you want to add quick colour to your garden in any season, then annuals are your best bet.

• Zinnia (Zinnia) Full sun. Medium sized shrub. Blooms Summer to Autumn.

• Cos,nos bipinnatus (Cos,nos) Full sun.

Medium sized shrub. Blooms Spring to Autu1nn.

• Calendula offinalis (Marigold) Full sun.

Medium sized shrub. Blooms late Spring to Autumn. Ma1·igolds are a special favourite for Indian-Australians, because we had it around us in abundance growing up. They fonned such an integral part of our celebrations. Here in Australia, they can bring that feel of celebration to our gardens, with thefr gold, copper and brass display. Another great attraction will be that they are drought-resistant and heat-tolerant. They also make wonderful companjon plants for all ou1· favoul'ite veggies - tomatoes, eggplant, chillies - keeping insects and pests at bay.

Three Screening Plants As much as we love oui- neighbours, we love our privacy more, especially in our backyard.

These screening plants grow fast and a1·e low maintenance.

• Syzgiu111 austral "Pinnacle" (Lilly Pilly) Fast growing screening plant. Native, suitable

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Marigold to all conditions.

• Trachelospennum jasminoides (Star jas,nine) Part shade. Needs sturdy support for climbing.

• Viburnum odoratissitnu,n (Sweet

Viburnum) Evergreen shrub. Dense

growth. Perfumed flowers.

Three Pool Plants A pool by itself is not going to be appealing to your outdoor space. Adding plants to soften the structure works very well if you choose plants wisely.

• Magnolia "Little Gem" (Magnolia) Full sun to part shade. Perfumed flower. Compact growth habit.

• Ophiopogon jaburan (Giant lilyturf) Best suited for dry and shade area.Grassy foliage.

• Grevillea juniperina (Prostrate Grevillea) Suits full sun area. Low level shrub.

Blooms from Spring to Winter.

Three Ground Covers The benefits of ground cover plants are numerous, especially in summer months when they cover the soil and help it retain moisture, saving time in watering.

Ground covers are best suited in your garden bed, in between pavers or as alternative to lawn.

• Viola hederacea (Native violet) Best suited for part shade to shade area. Native groundcover with tiny flowers.

• Gazania tomentosa (Silver Gazania) Full sun. Suitable for slope area. Blooms from late Spring to Summer.

• Thy,ne spp (Thyme) Suitable for all weather coodjtions. Full sun. Aromatic leaves.

Three Edible Perennials Who doesn't love bringing in good produce fron1 the garden? l't's definitely worth the joy even if it takes time, energy and n1oney. If you plant some perennial plants in your edible garden bed, then gardening becomes a breeze with fresh produce every year.

• Mint (in ideal condition the roots will be invasive) • Ginger • Pomegranate Three Annuals/Biennials plants Here are some easy-care annuals you can plant among your perennial edible plants each season to enjoy fresh produce from your yard.

• Beans • Spinach • Potato The plants Listed here are available in most retail and online nurseries. Cost will vary based on the size of the plant. Ifyou are looking for cost-effective ways to buy plants then buy seeds, seedlings and tubestock. lf you have time constraints, then buy a bigger size plant for quick establishment in your yard.

A fin I tip

Get the kids involved. lt's a good idea to take them shopping to pick plants they like, their favourite veggies for example - even though thls might not be possible in lockdown. Get them their own tools. Encourage them to dig around, and clear the weeds. Give them their own little corner, their own little indoor plant to care for, start seeds indoors, or get them to make popsicle markers. You'll be sowing a lifelong habit.

SEPTEMBER 2021 31

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PETRA O'NEILL f you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? According to the Economist n1agazine's annual Global Liveability Index, of the world's 1nost liveable cities, Australia's punch way above their weight. Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney jostle to reach the top ten, though this year, Adelaide overtook then1 all, con1ing in at number 3.

Planned by South Australia's first Surveyor-General, Colonel William Light in 1837, Adelaide is ideal for discovering on foot, with broad tree-lined streets arranged in an easy-to-follow grid pattern, with garden squares and expansive parklands surrounding it. Streets are lined with grand historic buildings, majestic churches and shops with broad awnings and decorative iron lace balconies, while the River Torrens that runs thi-ough the city adds to its appeal.

I've visited Adelaide many tin1es, and whenever l return it's with a sense of finding 1nyself in familiar surroundings, the streetscape reassuringly the same.

Missing the clanking trams, heritage architecture and great dining and bar scene, l recently spent several days there sightseeing. Here is a guide on what you can see and do.

A CITY OF

USEUMS

North Terrace is Adelaide's cultural precinct where you'll find several outstanding museums. The South Australian Museum is home to the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, with more than 3000 artefacts from stone tools to woven fishing nets, the n1ost significant collection of its type in the world. The Art Gallery of South Australia in one of Adelaide's most beautiful historic 32 SEPTEMBER 2021

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buildings, showcasing art from the colonial era to contemporary works. The Migration Museu1n provides personal stories fro1n migrants to Australia, while the State Library has a collection of memorabilia donated by Sir Donald Brad1nan, Australia's most famous cricketer.

GARDENS

Continue along North Terrace to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, founded in 1855, with Victorian era glasshouses, fountains, subtropical and Mediterranean plant displays, and a conservatory featuring 4000 plants.

Fro1n here loop back along the meandering pathway that follows the River Torrens towards the Adelaide Arts Centre and Elder Park. The distinctive and often photographed octagonal Rotunda was built in 1882. You'll pass by ducks wading, rowers at full speed, and the vintage Popeye cruiser that offers short cruises.

Nearby the Adelaide Oval, steeped in cricketing history, has been a feature of the city since it was built in 1871.

Now redeveloped, the Oval has been transformed into a modern state of the art stadium. The city skyline has also begun to get a serious bu1np, with several new skyscrapers, while the Arts Centre precinct near Adelaide Oval has expanded to resemble Melbourne's Southbank.

GRAND BUILDI GS

Also on North Terrace are the former Railway Station, Governn1ent House, Parliament House and Ayers House, the home of a former Prenlier, Sir Henry Ayers. From here you can proceed along Adelaide's main thoroughfare, King William Street, towards Victoria Square, where you'll find grand civic buildings built from sandstone and bluestone, including the Town Hall, Supreme Court, and former Treasury and General Post Office.

P I G

The main shopping precinct is Rundle Mall. On the corner of Rundle Mall and King William Street is the distinctive neo­ Gothic Beehive Building, home to Haigh's Chocolates, the oldest family-owned chocolate manufacturer in Australia. The Adelaide Arcade completed in 1885, was the first retail establishment in Australia to have an electric light. Now beautifully restored to its original condition, with decorative features including tessellated tiles and cast iron, it has more than 100 specialty shops selling hats, comics, buttons and pearls.

Wander down the many small streets and cobbled laneways that lead off Rundle Mall or that are close by, to discover designer boutiques, my favourite being Union Street.

MARKETS B RS ND DINING

The back streets of Peel and Leigh, tucked

between Hindley and Currie Streets, is the heartland of the city's thriving small bar and dining scene, with the East End's Ebenezer Place another area to discover, a nod to Melbourne's laneways and bar scene.

For dining, Asian restaurants are popular, especially Japanese and Korean, with other cuisines on offer, from Vegan Zenhouse to Parwana Afghan Kitchen.

You can also find European cuisine, a long­ standing favourite Lucia's at the Central Market, a go to destination for fresh fruit and gourmet specialities.

ULTICULTURAL INFLUENCES

The Adelaide plains were the traditional lands of the indigenous Kaurna people.

After South Australia was declared a British colony in 1836, British settlers arrived, displacing the Kaurna, whose numbers were decimated by loss of their

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North Adelaide mansion

Beerenberg Strawberry Farm

Adelaide moved up a few ranks this year to list in the world's top three cities

land and disease. German settlers also can1e, as well as migrants who came later onfron1 Mediterranean countries and Asia.

Today Adelaide is a n1ulticultural city.

While most historic landmarks reflect the British colonial heritage, on Little Gilbert Street a n1osque was built in 1889, financed by Afghan cameleers. 181 Shut Street is the former shop of Mahomet Allum from Kandahar, a can1el driver, trader and renowned herbalist. Several hundred Afghan cameleerscame to Adelaide to transport supplies and produce that were essential inopening up our vast desert interior.

NEARB ATTRACTIONS

With its boutiques, restaurants and tree­ lined streets that showcase the suburb's many cottages and grand mansions, North Adelaide is well worth a visit.

Many other places of interest are also just

a short drive away. Glenelg Beach is welJ known, but locals in the know head to beaches including Henley, Brightenand Moseley.

If you enjoy farm-to-plate dining and fine wine, there are many areas to explore.

The Adelaide Hills has 60 wineries, including Penfolds Magill Estate, and excellent places to dine. Enjoy spectacular views of Adelaide from Mt Lofty and visit the beautiful botanical garden.

The quaint settlement of Hahndorf is the oldest German settle1nent in Australia where you can sample delicacies such as pretzels and sausage wurst, or buy locally handcrafted iten1s. The Beerenberg Strawberry Farm and the fonner home and studio of the artist Sir Hans Heysen are also found here.

The Barossa Valley, an hour's drive north of Adelaide, is the heart of Australia's wine industry, with a picturesque landscape of rolling hills and valleys, historic quaint villages including Stirling and Aldgate, artisan food producers, and more than 150 wineries many with cellar doors.

Drive south of Adelaide for 45 1ninutes to reach the rolling hills of McLaren Vale, nestled between the mountains and the sea. Visit a clutch of esteemed wineries including Haselgrove, d'Arenberg and Primo Estate. There's also great food with artisanal bakeries, cafes, chocolate and cheese 1nakers and the weekly Willunga Farmer's market.

There are also son1e great hikesnearby including the Heyson Trail, and for native wildlife, head for the Cleland Conservation Park or Warrawong Sanctuary where native animals are largely free to roam in a bushland setting.

Adelaide is also your starting point if heading to the Flinders Ranges, with n1y stay atRawnsley Park Station one of my best ever trips, and Kangaroo Island, which is where I'm headed hopefully sometime soon.

SEPTEMBER 2021 33

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Set in a world of tribal rivalries, full of betrayals and ruthlessly ambitious enemies, director Mitakshara Kumar's The Empire, streaming on Disney+Hotstar, is a historical series showcasing the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire. The first three episodes focus on Babur, the first Mughal emperor.

The prologue to the series begins on an ominous note, with a smoke­ screened scene of a raging battle in sepia tone and the camera focusing on the wide-eyed Babur (Kunal Kapoor) who savagely swings his sword, slashing his enemies left,

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right and centre, roaring his lungs out and beheading an opponent after receiving a slash on his neck.

That is when he realises, "Zindagi maut se kitna hi lad le, jeet toh aakhir maut ki hi hoti hai (However much life fights with death, it is death that ultimately wins)." And he then tells us how fate made him fight death from the age of 14.

The plot of the first three episodes narrated in a non-linear manner, oscillates from circa 1494 to 1526, telling us how Shaibani Khan, an evil warlord killed Babur's uncle, how Babur lost his father Umar Shaikh, the king of Ferghana, in an accident, how Babur was ordained king after a failed assassination attempt, and how he was a vulnerable soul trying to protect his family and kingdom from scheming ministers, his stepmother Roxanna, and Shaibani Khan.

The first two episodes sail smoothly. By the mid-point of the

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third episode, the narrative gets a bit I tedious but nevertheless intense.

I Mounted on a magnificent I scale with well-etched characters, resplendent sets and period I costumes, the director, intricately and I flawlessly, transports you to the pre­ I Mughal era.

The performances by the I characters are captivating. Mehroos I Mir who plays the younger Babur lays a strong foundation for Kuna I Kapoor I to step in.

I Kohl-eyed and with over-the-top I histrionics, Dino Morea, as the main I antagonist Shaibani Khan, steals I the show whenever he is on screen.

I I He displays the right balance of cold I menace and fiery rage that borders on I insanity.

I I Shabana Azmi, as the mighty I I matriarch Ahsan Dawlat, fondly called I 'Shah Begum', is remarkable, with the I right amount of drama and restraint I I in her performance.

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The others in supporting roles, too, are perfectly handpicked and deliver outstanding performances.

Visually, the series is mesmerising.

The computer-generated images seamlessly interlace director of photography Nigam Bomzan's frames.

With a blend of wide-angle shots and close-ups, he not only captures the locales, but also the intricate details of the tale, to perfection.

His atmospheric lighting lends authenticity to the period depicted in the film. He has also managed to portray the battle scenes brilliantly, making them look natural and real.

And the close-up of the wound being sutured on Babur's neck is gut­ churning.

Overall, the visuals accompanied by excellent music and background score, aided by Atanu Mukherjee and Sagar Manik's crisp editing, elevate the viewing experience.

girl (divorced, issueless), working in Sydney.

Must have Aus PR and preferably be teetotaler. Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com

qualified chartered accountant, working in top bank. Parents highly educated and well settled in Sydney. Please respond to hs52216a@gmail.com

Vinayak Chakravorty

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, MATRI M O N IALS

1 SEEKING GROOMS I Seeking a professionally qualified match, I teetotaler, of good family background, preferably Australian citizen or PR holder, I for highly qualified career-oriented Brahmin I girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian, of good family I background, working and well settled in Sydney. Please contact aussyd08@gmail.com I I Seeking qualified match (working professional, not self-employed) from I Australia for '88 born 5"3" Hindu Punjabi

Seeking a professionally qualified, settled match for Sydney based, never married Australian citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 48, 5'3" slim, fair, attractive girl. Girl is a postgraduate and working at a good position in a government organisation.

Please contact at ausind26@gmail.com Suitable match for Australian citizen, Sydney-based Sikh girl, 1991 born, 170cm,

SEEKING BRIDES

Seeking a professionally qualified, settled match for Sydney based, never married Auscitizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri, 47, 6', athletic built man. He is a project manager with an engineering background and is working in a reputed organisation.

Please contact ausind26@gmail.com

'-------------------------------------------34 SEPTEMBER 2021

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9 Indian films and series to watch in September 2021 I MUMBAI DIARIES 26/11 1 (Amazon Prime Video) I I I I I I I I I

HELMET (ZeeS) As if to follow in his brother's footsteps after Vicky Donor, Aparshakti Khurana's latest film takes on another taboo topic: contraception. Directed by Satram Ramani, Helmet is about a botched robbery where the stolen boxes, expected to contain electronics, are instead packed with condoms. With people shy to openly talk about them, let alone buy them, what can the robbers do with their new stash?

Helmet began streaming on 3 September.

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Originally expected to release in March 2021, this series pays tribute to the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff who were on call during the 26 November terror attacks in Mumbai, working against the clock to saves hundreds of lives. It stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Tina Desai (of Sense8 fame), Mohit Raina, and Shreya Dhanwanthary and created and directed by Nikkhil Advani, along with Nikhil Gonsalves (director of Netflix's Hasmukh).

Mumbai Diaries 26/11 debuts on 9 September.

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I CRIME STORIES: INDIA I DETECTIVES (Netflix) I Joining Netflix's slew of true crime is this I docuseries about the Bengaluru police. Providing a glimpse into the life of a police officer in India I and how police investigations are conducted in the

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I country, the series showcases four major crimes, 1 including a baby's kidnapping, a missing child, and I

a murder.

The docuseries begins streaming on 22 September.

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MAESTRO (Dlsney+Hotstar) A remake of Andhadhun (2018) about a piano player pretending to be visually impaired who inadvertently becomes a witness in a murder, Telegu film Maestro hopes to take on a slightly different approach to the award-winning black comedy. It stars Nithin, Tamannaah and Nabha Natesh and is directed by Merlapaka Gandhi.

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I BHOOT POLICE (Disney+Hotstar) I Boasting of big names like Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Yami Gautam, Jacqueline Fernandez and Jaaved I Jaaferi, Bhoot Police is a horror comedy about a gang

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of ghost hunters. It's directed by Pavan Kirpalani, whose previous work includes Ragini MMS (2011) and Phobia (2016). Bhoot Police comes on the tails of Bollywood's latest fascination with horror (like Laxmii and Ghost Stories), hopefully this fares better than its predecessors.

The film Is all set to release on 17 September. ...

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In this global offering, Freida Pinto and Logan Marshall­ Green (known for his roles in 24, Prometheus, and Spider-Man: Homecoming) play a couple left traumatized by a home invasion. Left with no choice but to kill the ski-mask wearing intruder, they find themselves with more questions than answers when an investigation ensues - can they even trust each other?

---------�----------------------------------Maestro releases on 17 September.

AN HAKI KAHAN IYAN (Netflix) From the production houses that brought you anthologies like Lust Stories and Bombay Talkies comes Anhaki Kahaniyan. The three love stories are directed by filmmakers Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (Barei/ly Ki Barfi), Abhishek Chaubey (Dedhlshqiya, Udta Punjab), and Saket Chaudhary (Hindi Medium) and promise to share unexpected, untold love stories. Need we say more?

The anthology series debuts on 23 September.

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I KOTA FACTORY (Netflix) I Kota is an Indian city known for its coaching I centres that train students for competitive entrance exams. Comedy drama Kota Factory I provides a humorous, honest look at the student I lifestyle in Kota, outside of the typical critique of the Indian education system (think 3 Idiots or I Laakhon Mein Ek). It's also the first black-andI white web series in India, shot in colour and then graded into monochrome. After its original release I on Youtube and massive success, the series now I moves over to streaming giant Netflix.

Season 2 of Kofa Factory begins streaming on I 24 September.

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I I I I I I I I I BREAK POINT (ZeeS) I In the '90s, tennis legends Leander Paes and Mahesh were considered among the most feared I Bhupathi doubles pairs. They played together from 1994 to 2006 I and reunited from 2008 to 2011. In this 7-part series, award-winning filmmaker duo Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and I Nitesh Tiwari provide an honest look at the friendship, I ambition and hard work that marked the duo's including the very public fallout that left many I career, speculating on their off-court lives. According to its I makers, Break Point is a bittersweet story of friendship and success.

I The series does not have a confirmed release date yet I although it is expected to release later this month.

This crime thriller releases on 22 September.

SEPTEMBER 2021 35

HUMOUR

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Who's fighting for whose rig hts in this protest? It's hard to tel l , write ANYA DOAN and M ISBAH ANSARI No white wo,nen were harmed in the ,naking of this piece. However, the characters are not fictional. They are living, breathing, interrupting you, fighting for LIBERATION, gaslighting you about your concerns, and crying about their oppression.

We hear you and we love you. rantically glaring at the lurid co1nputer sct·een, Surry Hills Delta Babe puts the finishing touches on her 'Race and Environment' unit essay. Nibbling on the last chunk of a banh mi from Marrickville Pork Roll, her phone lock screen (Dua Lipa's butt) lights up. A notification appears.

It's fro1n Newtown Alt Girl.

"Brunch after the protest??

VY hungry."

"Oooo yes! What r u wearing?"

"My patriarchy stomping docs, hehe."

"Literally STEP ON ME, rad-lefty marxist babe, invented fashion!"

"I know we've only n1et once, but love u! 1-Iehe."

Surry Hills Delta Babe (SOB) and Newtown Alt Girl (NAG) are post­ Delta-variant-lockdown besties who met volunteering at a Covid-19 RSPCA Animal Shelter. Con1n1unity care, besties!

It's a scorching morning at Town Hall.

People pour out of the train station and gather around the fountain. It is the day of the 'Make hibiscus free for our chais' protest.

At the top of the escalator, NAG waits for SOB. They both knew, from their first fated meeting, that they were destined to be friends. Of course, their relationship runs deeper than n1ere friendship. Theirs is a far more profound connection borne of their fathers' careers in real estate and a 36 SEPTEMBER 2021

shared love of recreational amphetamines.

They wouldn't have it any other way.

Ah, there she is. They greet each other with a hug as they giggle in their shrill, Aperol Spritz-infused voices, "Remember that Audre Lorde Facebook post talking about the beauty of female friendship? So true!! Ugh, qween."

The protest begins. Chants ring through the square. SOB joins the crowd and the fire in her eyes follows. In awe, NAG watches her, 1narvelUng at how their matching leopard satin skirts are a ground­ breaking metaphor for how they have to run from the hunting shackles of the patriarchy which deprives animal lovers of their plant-based hibiscus merchandise.

God, she's so good, NAG muses.

Meanwhile, SOB peers over at Bondi Alpha Darling (BAD) who is taking film photos of the protest. She is an absolute vision - in her white, mid-calf taj 1nahal linen dress from Tree of Life and a fuzzy Depop bucket hat. Her stacked Eastern Flair rings gleam in the ]ate-Spring sun. Her tote bag, emblazoned with a Toni Morrison quote from a book she has definitely read, looks to be digging uncomfortably into her shoulder. Fuck, that's a fire fit, SOB mumbles to herself.

Next to BAD is Sylvia, the first-year

babe who just moved from Pakistan.

She is wearing a chikankari skirt with a cute white tee, banger jhumkas, and an absolute bewilderment at the words BAD is spurring, as she pleads the protestors for 1nore donations for their hibiscus love movement.

"What a politically fired up babe BAD is, supporting POC sisters everyday," SOB and NAG tell themselves.

"Hellooooo gorgeous, you sexy activist," SOB serenades BAD in a long, ugly and high-pitched voice. "Was at Bondi last week and thought of you, qween."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you," replies BAD. "Sorry I missed your call, just been so busy crying about the hiked prices of hibiscus milk, you know. So it was just my poodle and I creating flyers."

"Aww, you poor baby. Keen to hang out in Newtown and totes shake a leg at the Marly," NAG avoids Sylvia's gaze as she hands out BAD's flyers to the Millers Point Lorna Jane wearing babes who stopped by at the protest after their morning run.

"Thanks, babe. Love your work. OMG also, n1eet Shabana, my new bestie! She just 1noved here - we are in a South Asian Studies unit, such a feisty babe," BAD proclaims.

"Um, hi. It's actuaJly Sylvia, by the way.

At the 'Make Hibiscus Free For Our Chais' protest, the rad lefty marxist babes are out in - what else - their patriarchy­ stomping docs and tote bags featuring Toni Morrison quotes.

I don't know many people here but I was keen to come to this protest."

"OMG, I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I just love Muslim nan1es, but I am just going through so much, you know," BAD responds.

"Anyway, Sabna, so like, where are you from in Pakistan exactly?" asks SOB. "Oh, I am from Pashtunistan, the northern part bordering Afghanistan."

"OMG that's, like, beautiful. Isn't that where Malala is from? So powerful. .. oh n1y god, she made me a feminist! Did you guys, like, hangout or something?" asks NAG. "Um, not really. 1 actually spent most of my time in Islamabad."

"OMG, you should totally come to our fish justice meetings. We could do with some WoC indigenous regional international student perspective, you know," BAD proposes.

"Oh and your city has the name 'islam' in it!!! l nshallah! ! l Hehel" SDB adds.

A silence falls amongst the girls, impenetrable by the din of the protest.

"Anyway, babes, see you all soon! NAG and I are off to try son1e matcha lemon carob milkshakes with coconut elixir fro1n that place in Paddington. Sick!"

Sylvia's phone rings as the crowd wanes.

It's the Kombucha Vitae ticket group for <student publication> - a message from SOB: "Babes! Sylvia, it was nice to meet you today! Loved your indie spirit with that outfit, we should totes talk over a vegan lassi at that place in Enmore. Would love to have you because we want to bring your marginalised Muslim identity to the forefront. Let us know, sweetie. Always here for you, bestie. Mwah."

First published in Honi Soit. Reproduced here with permission.

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FOR ET E L L

September 2021

BY M I NAL KH O NA

Mina I Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

--------------------------------------I I I I I I I I I The card plucked for Aries this I month stands for Virgo so the fiery April-born may show unusual I reticence and caution. You could I also meet a finicky perfectionist like your I a Virgo. Bad news could come waysuch as the death of someone you I know or the separation of a couple I close to you. At work, you might want to change direction or look for I a new business to start. Living with I acceptance of what is, will make I challenges easier to face.

I I I I I I I I I I Family, domestic issues and your home I keep you busy this month. In fact, they I leave you with no time for love. Your health I is good but a family member or a pet will need to see a doctor. There will be I a steady inflow and outflow of finances I mostly tied in with daily expenses. You have divine protection, however, so there I won't be any blocks. If an arrangement I doesn't suit you, you will cancel it I altogether - whether in your personal or professional life.

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I I I I I I I I I You could have unforeseen hurdles I this month on all fronts. If single, you might get involved with someone I possibly younger than you. People I all around will be helpful - at work at home. Any shifts away from I and work - a hobby or a webinar to I improve skills will be productive. A I personal situation can be vexing as it leaves you feeling trapped. Money I issues will get resolved. Something I you had given up on will work out in I your favour.

I I I I I I I I I I You could be introspecting about a I situation or relationship; even spiritual I matters could keep you occupied. If I single, your search for a meaningful relationship continues. Unforeseen I problems at home will be surmounted I easily. At work, a longstanding problem gets resolved. You need to slow down or I you could become sick. Debts may need a I confrontation to get what is owed to you.

I An unpleasant situation will end when you decide to walk away from it in all ways.

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I I I I I I I I I Aces stand for new beginnings I and swords for winter. You can expect a change in fortune by the end I of the year. Singles could expect a new I intense love affair. A visit from someone I could change your plans regarding your future. A marriage could go through I a rocky phase. Family members are I all under pressure which adds to your problems. Money could be delayed.

I But rest assured, tensions will reduce I and you will soon be in a better frame 1 of mind.

I I I I I I I I I I Sevens indicate the need for solitude I and introspection. Librans will want to I analyse current situations and prioritise.

I Work is hectic; watch out for office politics. Let go of your need for perfection I as it adds undue pressure. Finances I are in order and money owed to you will come. Aches and pains could add to your I woes. Eventually, things will work out in I your favour. Take everything one step at I a time and let go of problems you can't solve right away.

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I All that consumed your energy and I attention is now on the back burner I and you will look for something new.

I If single you could be looking for a new I I I love. If involved, you are not happy your current partner. Relaxation, I I with spiritual pursuits and a revival of I something from your past will bring you I I joy. Investments give you rich dividends. I Health improves and you could also I 1 start a new business. Keep a positive I mindset and indulge in some retail I I 1 therapy.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I A difficult month as you avoid a I confrontation, pine for an ex or face I I hurdles in travel plans. Someone you I know may need medical assistance or I meet with an accident. Arguments at work I I cause unnecessary tension. Finances I I remain upbeat and you may even spend I some money on a spiritual pursuit.

I If married, you could expect bouts of I I unhappiness. What is not right for you will I have to be let go and you will no longer I want to be around unethical people.

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Though work keeps you busy, you want to focus on your love life and finding happiness. You seek the kind of peace that comes from spiritual growth and simple living. At work, you get a chance to promote your skills. Business will improve in a big way for the self-employed.

Discord with family members could take place. Be honest in your interactions with others to release unnecessary tension.

A new business idea will get the support and positive reaction you are hoping for.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I You will pay attention to self­ I The practical Feb-born may behave in an I improvement at work and are hoping I even more balanced manner due to the for some good news. If single, ensure appearance of the card for Libra. Conflicts I any new person you meet is not already I on the outside and w thin, changing i I married. A sudden meeting will lead to I habits and legal matters keep you busy.

I financial gains. You are empowered at I Letting go of the past in a relationship work which makes you feel good. An brings peace. Work is mundane and could I estranged lover could try to win you back. I cause some anxiety. A mild infection I Eat high energy healthy foods. Profits at I needs medical attention. Loneliness ends business will go up. A chance to make and you will sort out your personal life.

I more money will also come your way. Be I Stay detached for the truth to emerge.

I thorough in all your actions.

I Respond differently for a better outcome.

I �� I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Sudden departures from home or running I I away from responsibili ties may occur. A I very unusual love affair is also on the anvil.

I An old relationship could see a renewal.

I I Erratic food or sleep patterns can lead I I to health problems, but if you have been I unwell, you will recover. Finances will slowly I improve. Whatever you are struggling with, I I it won't be easy but persevere to succeed. I Trust the higher powers and yourself I to have better relationships all around.

I I Friends and family are supportive.

I SEPTEMBER 2021 37

BAC KCHAT DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR AUNTYJI? EMAIL INFO@INDIANLINK.COM.AU

-------------------------------To be o r not to ic e l ms�a-�o n Iii DEAR AUNTYJI I am looking forward to going to India in December to get married to my best friend Ravi. We are both studying here in Sydney. I have not yet met my future in­ laws. but they have met my family, and everyone has agreed to the wedding.

But Auntyji. I overheard my best friend talking on the phone to another friend and I am a bit worried that what they say may be true. so I'm hoping for your advice. My best friend said that she thinks that my future in-laws will get a major surprise when they meet me in person because I don't look the same as my lnstagram pictures. All my future in­ laws see my lnstragram photos and yes, lnstagram makes everyone look good.

But Auntyji. what if my friend is right and they don't like what they see. How do I fix this situation - I am very concerned.

Can you please tell me how to solve this problem?

AUNTY JI SAYS Arre kalmouhi. you brought this upon yourself. Silly nirlajjanamjali. How have you not wasted time on the inter webs looking at reality-versus-lnstagram photos? Have you not met any of these kultas who look like an Alfonso mango on lnstagram and turn out to be sukdi

hui imli in real life? This is a thing and

I'm surprised a narcissist like you is so unaware of this culture phenomenon.

But you have caught me in a benevolent mood. and I am trying to be a better person during this lockdown.

So here's my advice. Starting now. for every five pictures of yourself that you post on the gram, make sure one is realistic and has no filter applied. Nothing - just your normal. self-absorbed narcissistic visage. Of course, try to look good, you don't want them to reject you before the shaadi.

Then, over the next few weeks, start increasing the realistic pictures and reducing any with filters so that slowly, you only post realistic pictures. Of course. if you wanted to take this a whole new level in the opposite direction, three weeks before you fly out. only post unattractive pictures of yourself looking below average. By this time, the in-laws will have hopefully grown to like your personality, assuming you have one.

Then, when you turn up for the wedding, everyone will be surprised that you look nothing like your ugly girl photos and are not bad looking at all.

There you go. problem solved - and at the wedding everyone will agree that you are a beautiful bride. Win win for all. nah?

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DEAR AUNTYJI My husband has been trying to get his business off the ground. and it has been a long struggle for us. But after three years, we have turned the corner and he was so happy he started to tear up as he told me that he was going to be successful. Then, he whipped out his phone. took a picture of himself with all his aansoo in his aankhen and posted it on LinkedIn. And while there are over a thousand comments on there which are good and encouraging, there are some comments that are a little hurtful.

I thought Linked In was supposed to be a supportive community for business professionals and now my husband's feelings are hurt by some of these comments. What kind of kaminey post negative comments on Linkedln? Also do you have advice on how I can make my husband feel better and how he should ignore these jealous comments?

AUNTY JI SAYS You ask what type of kaminey post negative comments on Linkedln? Well, jahils like your husband, for a start.

Linkedln is not Facebook; it is a global platform for business professionals and it transcends borders because anyone can see anything. I really wish I knew

what your husband was thinking when he whipped out his phone to record his rona dhona instead of acknowledging the importance of turning the corner for his business. Then when he posted that on Linkedln, I don't know what he expected would happen. The beauty of Linkedln is that while there is much groupthink and there are a lot of messages that are bland and anodyne, there is also some information that demonstrates a diversity of thought. And this reflects the human condition. There are just as many different opinions as there are people, and so your foolish husband posting pictures of his tears while others virtue-signalled by offering support or congratulations kept his post lowbrow.

He deserved those cutting comments because - well, who cares about his tears? Did you post your tears when you gave birth to your children or passed your exams? The tears in your husband's post became a self-indulgent. overdone act of vanity. What would have made his post compelling and authentic was if he had talked about the hardship of the journey, or some of his learnings that would have helped others. What a rothlu you have married. I hope his business idea is based on producing tissues - because then, he can be his own No. 1 customer.

CHECK IN

Victoria, checking in has changed. ,--

t,

l!ll!!31!llm

Every time you go to work, enter a business, shop or superma rket, visit a commun ity venue, or attend a place of worsh ip, you need to check i n.

If you don't have a smartphone, you must check in by using Kiosk Check-i n , and ask staff if you aren't sure what to do.

Checking in helps us stop the spread of coronavirus, and protects our businesses, our communities, and each other.

For more information visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/translations or call the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398 and press O for an interpreter.

Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne

38 SEPTEMBER 2021

ORIA

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