2021-11 Melbourne

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

RajniAnand Luthra

CONTRIBUTORS

RheaLNath,

owns

anotherday.

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

SALES AND MARKETING

CharuVij, PriyankaHatwalne

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s we headtoDiwali,COVID-19 imposedrestrictionsarealso ending in two ofAustralia's largeststates, and there is promiseof resumingnormallife. Strange tobeanalysing'normal' and 'notnormal' life, but then thelast 18monthshave been, well, largelystrange.

Wehaveallbeen livingalife of suspendedanimation in whichwe seemto bemoving,butnotgoinganywhere. Both VictoriaandNSWhavegone through extendedlockdowns, withMelbourne holdingthegrimrecordof 264days of cumulative lockdown overa 570dayperiod. Sydneysidershad 12 Local Governmentareas undercurfewand other strictlockdown measures.Andletusnot talkaboutinterstate orinternationaltravel.

So, whatareson1ethe takeawaysof the last 18months?

1. Firstup, Carpediem, or'Seize theday'. Do that thingyou'vealways wanted to do, thatthing thatyouthought was too expensiveor tootime-consuming or you were too oldfor.Don'tputitofffor

2. Don'ttakefamilyandloved onesfor granted.Therearewaytoomany storiesofnearand dearonestaken fromusbythisdeadlyvirus. Life is unpredictable; buildand enjoygood relationships.

3. Settimeaside forahobby. Our professionallives giveusstrict regimentation. Beingin workmode evenafterclocking off, isarecipefor burnout.Tocreatebalance,developa hobbywhichallowsyoutorelax. Find an activitythatinducesflowstate, that feelingofbeingsoimmersedinan activity thatyoulose track of time.

4. Appreciate science.It wasscience that steppedupto themarkin the recent healthcrisis,andinless thana year, managed toresearch,trial, and approve anumberofvaccinestofightthis virus toamazingresults.

5. Value thegiversamongstus.It's amazedme tolearnhowordinary thepayscalesare of our healthcare workers, educatorsandotherswho work to increasethequalityof our lives.Perhaps itisintheircalling to makethe worlda betterplaceandto giveratherthantotake,ascompared tootherprofessions thatare more take thangive. Myrespectforthoseon the frontlinesof thispandemic.

6. Cherishyourfriends. Friendship networks sustainus throughadversity. While we'velearnednow tolive with virtual socialnetworks(havingadded Zoomonlymonthsago),itis vital to maintain realrelationshipsbeyond thoseWhatsApp emojis,Facebook likes,or280charactersorlesson Twitter.Tophysically 1neetandgreet, exchangeideas, debateserious issues, discuss frivolousmatters, sharecreative endeavours- thesearehealthyaspects ofsocialrelationships.

7. Trust thegovernmentsatalllevels toactas shock absorbersattimes ofcrises. Afterall, theycanprint money,andtheyareawareof their powertohelptheirconstituents. Evenif theirgoalis towinvotesand retainpower, forthose inneed, the government'scapacity torollout grantsandincentives shouldnot be underestimated. Infact, if they demonstratedtheirpower duringthe financialcrisisin2008andCOVD-19 in2020-21,then theycanunleashthat capacitytocreate momentumshould theydecide to take onclimatechange.

We eachhaveourowntakeawaysand memories fro1n thelast two yearsof intermittentlockdowns, what we valueand treasureremainsa verypersonaljourney.

•

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YOUR SAY

VISHAL JOOD RUSHED OUT OF AUSTRALIA

The 24-year-old had been in police custody since April for involvement in a series of gang attacks in Sydney's west.

Alex Hawke MP wrote: Attemptsto undermineAustralia'ssocial cohesion will not be tolerated. I thank community leaders who have worked to build cross-community unity and resilience against attempts by a small minority to incite discord and disharmony, demonstrating theimportance and benefit of our nation's strong social cohesion.

Krishna Neelamraju wrote: Hopefully it will deter others like him. People are sometimes so deeply stuck in online rabbit holes that they forget they live in adifferent country with adifferent expectation of civic behaviour

Renu Datta wrote: I am still confused. What happened to the other people (involved), were they alsodeported or is it aone-sided affair? I hope every individual wastreated fairly and not succumbed to the pressure of one party. He is stillour hero.

Sia Ram replied to Renu Datta: If criminals areyourhero(es)then you can't be a realHindu who uses religion to promote political agenda and divide the community.You mustknow the real story before making anyone ahero.

Raman Nlrman wrote: Good riddance! Bye bye, no place for hate mongrels inAustralia!

Adnan All Khan wrote:They (in India) will makehima hero now.

THE FOWLER SEAT

KHUSHAAL WAS on the missed opportunity for diversity in endorsing Senator Kristina Keneally over Western Sydneycommunity advocate Tu Le. Jannet Ballte wrote: I knowTu professionally andpersonally andsheis so passionate about helping her community. It would bea shame if she isn't given theopportunitytorepresent Fowler.

Hema K wrote:I support what youhave said here - 'we cannot continue telling ethnicAustraliansto wait their turn. Wehave waited!' I hope toseTu Le in parliament.She is a candidate who can provide the voice of the community thatshehasbeen part of.

Michael KIiier wrote:IheardTuLeonABCRN - whataninspirational young woman who's connected with her community. Ithink ALP missed an opportunity here.

Anka Sahln wrote:This arrogant and entitledbehaviour by theALPis aninsultto thegood peopleofWestern Sydney andIhopethat a viable independent candidate emergesso thatit can begiven the response thatit richlydeserves.

COMMEMORATING #FIJILANGUAGEWEEK

Did you know that 'Fiji baat', spoken by lndo-Fijians, is mostly Hindi mixed with Bhojpuri and South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam?

Pratham Australia wrote: Great to see Indian Link raising the treasures of our Fijian Indian community.

Ramona Roy wrote:Thanks so much for sharing. It's about time FijiHindi gotmore recognition and awareness.

SAY IT AGAIN

UNITINGTHELATTEAND SHISHA DIVIDE

PAWANLUTHRA on the difference in COVID restrictions between Sydney's LGAs ofconcern in southwestern and western Sydney, and the affluent eastern suburbs Alan Maurice wrote:Wellsaid, Pawan.Time willtell. Leadersbe warned! Sukhmani Khorana wrote:Great title and write-up tosummarise what has taken place!

Just learntIndian team took the knee today, in solidarity with BLM Goodto know they're keepingthemselvesinformedabout current affairs in America. Perhaps one ofthese daysthey'll feelthe urge tomake a statement for those inIndia whoare beingmarginalised and targeted.

Deepanjana Pal, writer

Infuture, oneofthemetricsforuniversities'rankingsshouldbehow humanelytheytreattheir students.Thereneedstobe place forrespect andcompassionforinternationalstudentsineducationalpolicies UQ PhD researcher Preeti Vayada who studied Indian students' experiences inAustralia

SCOMO'S CURRY NIGHTS

RHEA L NATH joined Kishor Napier-Raman and Charishma Kaliyanda on ABC's TripleJ Hack, to discuss theoptics ofthePM'ssocial mediaposts.

Madhavi S Johnson wrote: Another way to 'curry' favour is to allow peopleto travelto celebrateDiwaliwith family.

Charishma Kaliyanda wrote: Years ago, I was really embarrassed by the curries my mum used to pack for school lunches. It's great that'schanged, but quality political engagement needs to be authentic - not just tokenistic.

Ruchika Mangla wrote: I personally think it's super cool to have a prime minister who enjoys cooking Indian. To me thisis inclusive at many levels - role modelling multiculturalism, normalising men to cook, personalisinga political figure. This should be applauded.

Daniel Verrell wrote: I can't believe there was a TripleJ Hack segment on "WhyScoMo makes curries".That livesin my head rent free.

USING TECHSOLUTIONS FOR CHARITY

BAGESHRI SAWASACH/onhow Sydney entrepreneur GopalGarg tied upwith India's Mahindra Groupand Australian provider Language Training Institute to upski/1teachers in rural India.

Sonia Mehta wrote: Most commendable and laudable initiative, helping teachersby equipping them with required resources is paving theway to creating futureleaders. Kudos!

Jaswant Kaur wrote: Thank you somuch forsupportingour teachers.

Slddhartha BhattacharJee wrote: Wonderful toseesuch purposeful initiative. All the best and moreglory ahead.

Gopal Garg wrote:Over theyears,Ihavealwayswantedto

AUSTRALIA OPENSUPTO AYURVEDA

Dr. RAJ KUMAR SHARMA wrote about the academic chair in Ayurveda, the ancient Indian health science, recently announced at Western Sydney University

Rekha Rajvanshi wrote:Thisisgreat news

Remiya Goswami wrote: My life's dream has beentoseeNeem treesin Australia at least oneon everystreet.How muchI miss that plant. Deepak Chitnis wrote:Great! Australia hasgood potentialto manufacture Ayurvedicmedicines for export if localpeopledon'tliketo usethem

Shaji_rt wrote: Excellentarticle. Howcan I contact Dr Raj Kumar?

ENABLINGSELF RELIANCE

helpcommunityandcountrythathasgiven mesomuchbutIneverfoundtherightchannel.I amoverwhelmedthat asmallsteptowardseducationhasturnedintoabig project:"Helpingteachers workingin ruraland remote areas, givingthemaccesstointernationalresources, equipthem with contemporaryteachingtechniques,adeeper understa ndingofteaching methodologieswhichthey can put intopracticeindiverseclassrooms".Thanksfor theinterview, IndianLink!

WHERE IN INDIA

We askedyoutoidentifythisfamiliar coastal stretchinIndiaandboy, was thisa popular one! Readers Aryan Gupta, Vandana Gulati, Robby Singh, Priyanka Chokhani, Afred Dsouza, Navjot Gill, Suman Chugh, Akki Gaurav, ShikhaShagun, Shruti Lal, and Bhanu Kothari hadthe rightanswer: Mumbai.

You are asking a loyalcustomer to leavethe store.

AnonymousIndian student, when PM Scott Morrisontold internationalstudents toleave, quotedby UQ PhDresearcher

Preeti Vayada

In which Australian city can you findthis interestingly shapedbuilding? Sherley Coehlho, Anu Shree, Maurya Morya, Ekta Lumb, and Deepak Vincent guessed correctly: Barangaroo House, also known as 'bird's nest building',nearSydney'sCBD.

dvertisingexecutiveSanchay Mohanand hiswifeVesnasee themselves as"citizensofthe world".

AndsohisIndianculturaltraditionsare justasimportantasherSerbianones.

"Diwaliisalwaysspentatmyparents' place,"Sanchaydescribed. "Vesna'sparents joinin too.Wewearourtraditionalclothes andhavea1nealafterprayers.Easter, Christmasand Saints Dayareequally significant.We'rewithVesna'sfanillyat thesecelebrations."

TheirsonLeroy,now 18monthsold,is addingawholenewelementtoaUoftheir jointcelebrations.At Janmashtaminotso longago,herockeduptoafainilygathering dressed infull Krishna attire,peacock featherincluded,muchtothedelightofall.

"We'relookingtodoa bit111orewithhim atDiwali-dresshimup,introducehimto candles-batteryoperated onesofcourse!" Didtheyoungcoupletalkbeforehand aboutpassingontheirseparatecultural

SANCHAY ANDVESNAMOHAN

traditionstotheirchildren?

"We'vebeentogetherfortenyearsnow, andl honestlycan'tremember.Wejust feelverymuchapartofeachother'sfamily traditions, havingparticipatedfromthevery beginning."

SanchaygrewupinSydney'sNorth Shore,goingtoa schoolthatwasnotvery diverse,andisglad Leroyisbornintoa moretolerantsociety.

"RacismwasabattleI facedonadaily basis. Itwasn'tuntilYears 11 and 12 did theotherstudentsmatuTeup.LuckilyLeroy won'tfacethat, associetyissomuchn1ore multicultural.Hopefullytherewillbeless challengesforhim. lnsayingthat,wonder whathismixedheritagewillmeanforhim inthatsense We'lltalkaboutitwhenwe cometoit."

Hehimselfwas"broughtuptobe acceptingofallpeople"andcanboasttoday ofsocialandprofessionalcircles thatare hugelydiverse. Itisalessonhewillnodoubt passontoLeroy.

SALVIN KUMARANDSCOTTMCBAIN

heleaduptoDiwaliwillsee twon1ajoractivitiestaking placeinthehomeofSydneybasedwriterSalvinKun1ar andhispartnerScott.There'llbea thoroughspringcleanofthehouse, followedbyamassivecookup.

Thisyear,Salvin'smakingaloo poori, pumpkincurry,avial, and dosa-sa,nbhar-chutney. Agiantmithai platterwillbebrought in. It'sallstrictly vegetarian,likeeveryDiwali.

"ScottandIhaveanannualDiwali openhousefrom2pmto8pm," Salvinrevealed. "We'llputcandles throughoutthehouse,andthere'llbe plentyoffood.Peoplecomeandgo freely,stickingaround tochat.Some bringpresents."

Bothwillbewearingnewoutfits they'llhavebought forthe occasionprobablysomethingIndian.

They'llalsohaveboughtatleast onenewkitchenutensil. Foodisan essentialpartofitall.

"Cookingisa largepartofmy identity,"Salvinrevealed."Thearomas ofDiwalicookingrefreshmymemories ofMum'skitchen.Aswell,I lovethat foodbringspeopletogether."

Thesetraditionscomedownfrom Salvin'sFijian lndian family. With noimmediatefamilyaroundhere in Australia,SalvinwillbedoingDiwali exactlyashisfamilyhavedonefor years -except, ofcourse, forthe fireworks.

"On Diwaliday, I'lldoa pujaby myself,andthenScottwilljoin me as I videocallthefamily."

ComeChdstmas,Scott'sfamilywill be at thecentreofitall. "Westart thinkingaboutpresentsweeksbefore-

weliketoputsomethoughtintoit.We spendChristmasdaywithhisfamily, openpresents,haveabiglunchand spendtheafternoonchatting."

Sa1vinandScotthavebeentogether forfouryears, marriedfortwo. Conversationsabouttheircultures grewastheirrelationshipgrew. "We wereopentoeachother'scultures fromthebeginning. Heknowswhich daysoftheweekI domypujas;he'll lightthecandlesforn1eand allown1e n1ytimeatprayer."

Weretherechallenges,giventheir cultural differences?

"Betweenthetwoofus, no. If thereeverwassomethingwedidn't understand,we'djustaskeachother and learnaboutit. It'simportantto have thatopenness.Ourfamiliesare veryaccommodatingnow, butearlyin thepiecewe facedchallengesfrom my Indianfamily- same-sexn1arriagewas a foreignconcepttothen1eventhough suchunionshavebeenknowninIndia foreons. Outhere,peoplehavelooked atusdifferentlytoo, I mustadmit. Manypeopleassume ImarriedScott foravisa - eventhoughI had my citizenshipbefore Ieven1nethin1!"

However, Salvinagreesthat thesechallengesnotwithstanding, intercultural n1arriagesand mixed-race familiesgoalongwayinhelpingto breakdownsocialbarriers,promote understandingand acceptance, andincreasetolerance.

"Wearealldifferentindividuals. Our culturesand traditionsaredifferent. Let'srespectthatand includethat. Let'sbringallofourseparateidentities toplay,andsavourthe flavoursand fragrances."

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

DrRANJANASRIVASTAVA

iwaliatoncologistDr. Ranjana Srivastava'sMelbournehomeis celebratedwithjustasmuchgusto asChristmasandEaster.

"Welookforwardto Diwalieachyear," DrSrivastava described."Wedressup,start theeveningwithapujaconductedbymy mum,followedbysparklersandexcessive sweets! Son1etin1es, the Irish-Australianside ofourfan1ilyjoinsintomultiplythefun."

Christmasand Easterarealsotraditional.

"Weattend Mass,singChristmascarols andjoin Easteregghunts. But Ishould admitthatourChristmastableoften features turkeyalongsidetandoorichicken andChristmascakeservedwithmango kulfi.Ourbiastowards Indianfoodis evidentandproud!"

Assomeonewhotriestolivebythe1notto Vasudeva Kutun1baka111, whichmeansthe world isone family, itisveryimportantto

DrSrivastavathatherchildrenrespectand celebratetheirjointheritage.

"Thiscomesfrombeingrespectfulofeach other'straditionsandtakingtheleadfrom ourown parents,"shestated."Ourchildren lovethepomp andceremonyofIndian festivalsandtraditions.Ourfestivalsare suchanexplosionofcolour-ineverything fromdresstofood. GoingtoIndiaconfirms thisandtheyfeelveryproudoftlleir lndian heritage,whichmakesmehappy!"

Aretherelessonsthatmulticultural familiescan teachusaboutlivingin aworld thatissopolarisedat the moment?

"Multiculturalism isagreatsourceofa healthyworldview-thatthecolourofour skinortheaccentofourspeechdoesnot define us as much as thevaluesweliveby. Wetrytoembodyforourchildrenalifeof integrityandhope thattheywillgrowupto begoodcitizensoftheworld."

THE NAPIER-RAMANS

ydneymusicianJohnNapierwill receiveacall-orseveral- the morningofDiwali.Theywillbe frommembersofhisIndian-origin doctorwifeShantiRaman'sfanlily. Hashe hadhisGanga-snaanam(holybath),the callerswillask. ltisatypicalTamBra1n (TamilBralunin)greeting011Diwali morrung.

Johnwouldprobablynothavehad thetraditionaloilbath,orwornanynew clothes,ordoneapuja,butheknowsthat thesearewaysinwhichDiwalimorning typicallybeginsintheIndiansideofhis fanlily.

Oh,andheprobablyknowsthat''Have youhadyourGanga-snaana,n"ismerelya wayofsaying"HappyDiwali",anddoesnot necessarilyrefertoyour111orningablutions.

DiwaliisaspecialtimeintheNapierRamanhousehold,but"prettytan1e" accordingtoShanti,ascomparedtothe

celebrationsinIndia.Extendedfanlilywill gettogetherontheweekend,lightsome candlesandsharea1neal.

Perhapsmoresignificantly, Johnand Shantiwillhostadiversegatheringof friendsincludingHindusforHumanRights (HfHR-ANZ).

"Wewillcelebrate/ashn-e-Chiraagan withpoetryand music,asareflectionof cross-culturalandinterfaithunity,"Shanti revealed."Wewillalsoraisemoneyfor adeservingNGOinIndiadealingwith vulnerableandstreetchildrenbasedin DelhiNCR."

AndwhenChristmascomesaround, itwillbeprettymuchsomethingsinlilar, withvisitsarrangedformembersofJohn's extendedfanlilywhoareallinterstate,and giftsexchanged.

WonderifitwillbeJohnthatringshisinlawsthisyear,toaskiftheyhavehadtheir Gangasnaanam

How mixed families do Diwali - alongside their other traditions and the lessons we can learn from them

NEETACALLAGHER

orNeetaandTohnCallagherof Sydneyandtheir three kids,Diwali is spentwithfamilyandfriends.

ThisisoftenatNeeta'sparents' ho1ne,TataandTati tothegrandkids.

"Welightdiyasand sparklersandeat sweets-Indianorotherwise," Neeta described."Thekidsalsomanagetoextract presentsfromTataandTati!"

Afond Diwalin1e1noryisgaiJ1jnga furry family member.

"Wena1nedout'dog'Sparky' as he arrivedtwoyearsagoatDiwali. Sohewas our Diwalipresent/blessing."

Neeta and John arenotparticularly religiousbutitisi111portanttothetn that theirchildrenunderstand,appreciate and haveahealthycuriosityoftheir backgrounds, Indian andBritish/NZ.

"Weteach/impartcultureasmuchaswe canviaourdailybehavioursandhowwe demonstraterelationshipswithourparents and extendedfamilies.Ourfa1niJyhistories and traditionsareimportanttobothofus-

wehaveamutualrespectfortraditionbut alsorealisethattraditionscanevolveand progressovertime aspeopledo. Pre-COVID wetravelledtoIndiaandNewZealandasa fatnilyandhopetorevisitsoon."

Havetheirkidsembraced theirdual identities?

"OurkidsseethemselvesasAustralian, astheyareeffectivelysecond-generation,but theyenjoytheopportunitiestodressupin culturalclothes(especiallymygirls)attimes offestivecelebrations,visitstothetemple, orwhencelebratingHal'monyDay.Theyare proudoftheirmixedheritagebutalsoseeit asverynormal.Bothmybrotherand John's brotherarein,nixed racerelationships, soourchildrenhaveessentiallygrown up,oraregrowingup,withappreciating differencesinbackgrounds."

Aswell,theirdiversesocialenvironment, withschoolsbeinga 1neltingpotofdifferent cultu1·esand races,hashelped them appreciateandembracedifferences,Neeta added. elb-basedlpshitaCollinsloves Diwaliforthelightsanddiyasand thefood.

She'snotabigfanofthe firecrackersthough.

"IusedtoliveinDelhi,andthesmoke wouldinvariablytriggermyasthma,"lpshita revealed."Thenoisebotheredmeaswell."

It'sdifferentstorythough,withher husbandLiam.

"Heontheotherhand,wouldturnintoa child,burstingcrackerstotheweehoursand lovingeveryminute!"

Muchlikehim,hisfa1nilyare"keenon everythingIndian,"accordingtolpshita.

"Morethanme,sometimes,"shelaughed. "Nobodyreallytalksaboutour'cultm·al differences'.Igettheoccasionalquestion

orMelbourne'sFrancesBaruab, DiwaliisnotasimportantasBihu, thefestivalcelebratedinAssam, fromwhereherhusbandSeujhails.

"Wedomessagemyhusband'sfamily forDiwalitoletthen1knowweremember thiscelebrationandarethinkingofthem althoughsofaraway,"shetoldIndian Link, buttheymakearealeffortatBihu.

"Weensureeveryyeru·whenwevisit Assan1post-Christmas,thatwestayuntil Bihuisover,"shedescribed. "Thisis notonlyin1portanttoacknowledgethis significantfestival,butitalsomeansalot toallmyhusband'sfamily."

TheBaruahsarealsokeenfortheirson tobeeducatedonwhatBihutneansand whyitissoimportant.

"TheAssamesecommunityinVictoria organiseBihufunctionswherewegetto experiencethe traditionoffood,dance, musicandAssameseattiretocelebrate. Thesecelebrationsarenotonlykeepingthe traditionalivebutalsoson1uchfunand bringseveryonetogether."

Sherecognisesthataspectsofherown culturewill bepassedontohersonby default,astheyliveinAustraliawhere her traditions arecelebratedbythe majority andhighlightedinthe mediaandin schoolsetc.

FRANCESANDSEUJBARUAH

"Myhusband'sculturalcelebrations requirealittlemoreeffort,astheyare onlycelebratedbytheIndiancomn1unity. Wewouldtakeourlittleonealongtothe communityevents,althoughhewould invariablyendupfallingasleepand1nissing mostoftheevening! WewantBihuin particulartobefamiliartohimandknow thatonedayhewouldbeabletoenjoythis celebrationwithoutsleepingthroughout." Theirson,now 10yearsold,willproudly tellpeopleheisofmanymixedraces.

"He'llsay I'mIndian,Greek, Russian andUkrainian.Wehavealwaysreminded himofhisbackgroundandjusthowlucky heistobesomulticultural."

Francesherselfhasadiverse background, and hersiblingsbothhave partnersfromdifferentbackgrounds.As such,sbeidentifiesthemanycognitive advantagesthatbeingn1ixedracebrings. Theseincludebeingadaptable,confident inmembershipofanumberofdifferent groups, and rejectingofthenotionthat racepredictsone'sabilities.

Atthisstagethoughinheryoungfamily, itisthe'bringingeveryonetogether' aspectofherwildlyinterculturalfamily thatappealsmost- theabilitytosee connectionsbetweenpeopleoverand beyondwhattheylooklike.

IPSHITAANDLIAMCOLLINS

abouthowthingsaredone backhome,that'saboutit."

Whilefamilymayhave embraced Ipshitaforwho sheis,othershavecertain expectationsbecausesheis Indian.

"I'vemetsomepeople whoaresurprisedthatI speakEnglishreallywell ThatIhavecolow·edhair andpiercings.ThatI don't cookIndianfoodallthetime. Myin-lawsarefarmers,and throughthemI'vemetpeoplewhohavenever hadaconversationwithanIndianperson before.Theyhaveallthesenotionsintheir headabouthowpeoplefromIndiasoundlike,

looklike,behaveoreat. What'sbeenpositiveabout itallthough,isthatI've beenabletochangetheir minds!"

IfDiwaliisusuallya gentleaffairatlpshita and Lian1's,Christinasis different.

"Christmasisabigfanilly event.Thewholeclangets together-sometimeshave upto 16-20people-and thereiswaytoomuchfood involved! Easteriswhenwegoca1nping;the groupcampingsee1nstobegettingbigger everyyear.Oh,andthere'salwaysabonfirein everyfestival,nomatterhowhotitis."

NeetaCallagher(secondfromright)atafamilyevent

BY CHITRA SUDARSHAN

he Sydney-basedorganisation Kamban Kazhaga111,dedicatedtothe studyandproliferationoftheTamil languageinthiscountry,recently markedthe 15thanniversaryofitsfoundation.

Not onlyisTamil one of22 scheduled languagesin theConstitutionofIndia, it isalsoan official languageofSri Lanka and Singapore, aswell as ofthe Indian statesTa1nil Nadu and Puducherry. Tamil is theonly language apart from Sanskrit that hasanequally richandlongliterary history: notonlywasTamilfirstdeclared as aclassicallanguage ofIndia,thevaTiety and richness ofclassicalTa1nil literature hasled to itbeingdescribed as "oneofthe great classicaltraditionsandliteratures oftheworld."Morerecently,booksby westernauthors such as David Shulman and George Hart have highlightedTamil'sgreat contribution toworldcivilisation.

It isnotsurprising, thereforethatTamil people takethepassion fortheirlanguage withthe1nwherevertheygo.Kamban Kazhagamin Sydneyispreciselythesort oforganisationthatwasbornoutofthis passionfortheTa1nillanguage.

Its FounderandChairpersonJeiram Jegatheesan,aproject managerin his daytime job, toldIndianLink, "AsTamil settlers here, wefelta certainlacuna,an absence offocusonTa1nil literature, and the teachingofvalues as enshrined insuch magnumopusesas Tirukkuralandthe RamayanaofKamban."

Kainban's 12,000-verselraniavataramdated betweenthe9thand 12thcenturies -wasthefirstRan1ayanawritten in a vernacularlanguage.

"AttheKazhagan1,webeganpromoting

TamilLiteraturetlrroughourannualflagship eventKan1banVizha,andsoongrewfroma modestliteraryeventwiiliwhichwebeganin 2006,toafull-fledgedmulti-dayliteraryfestival, attractingscholarsfromIndiaandSriLanka."

To takeTamilliterature tothenext generation, aspartoftheschool curriculum particularly,wasa natural nextstep.

Thereare severalTanilllanguage schoolsthathave beendoingstellarwork inpreservingandpromotingTamil.Their influence can beseeninthegrowiliofTamil languagelearningacrossNSW. Since2001, TamilhasbeenofferedasalanguageinHSC, andonaverage,between30and40students sitforTamillanguageexamseveryyear.

However,once the studentsfinishschool, there aren'tenoughopportunitiesforthem to studyor develop thelanguagefurther.

Kamban Kazhagamwantedto address this hiatus,and began teachingstudents in the 15+ age cohort in2013.

"Thiswasenthusiasticallyreceived,soit promptedustoaskthequestion,whydon't we beginclasses foryoungerkids too?" Jegatheesan recounted.

In2015, classeswereinstitutedfora youngercohorton Fridayevenings, andfor seniorstudentsonSunday.

Someparents reachedoutand requested IntermediateTamil-and thiswasbegunin 2019. Seniorstudentshave helddebates duringliteraryfestivals, andperformeda Tamilplayeveryyear, scriptedentirelyby themselves,Jegatheesandescribed.

AlioftheKazhagam's activitiesare run byvolunteers,headded.

OnceilieactivitiesoftheKazhagamgrew

andexpanded,theorganisersaddedmore eventstotheircalendar,andinthetruespirit ofmuththa1nizh(thethreeexpressionsof Tamil)addingtheisaiandnatakam(n1usicand dramaticarts) toiyal(Literature). Since2008 theyhaveinvitedrenownedmusiciansand dancersfromIndiatoperformintheirevents.

The Kazhagamisawareofsomeofthe challengesandopportunitiesaheadforthe organisation.The2016censusestimatedthe TamilpopulationinAustraliaat 75,000.Yet, theaudiencesinn1anyofitsevents,especially theLiteraryones,consistlargelyofolderpeople.

"Weare keen to getmoreyoungerpeople involvedand are triallingvariousmodes," Jegatheesan revealed.

Theybeganconductingonlineforums from2020, teachingKambaRamayanato yow1gerpeople.ThisyeartheKamban Vizha willbe heldover3daysatthe Lidcombe Function Centrewiththeactiveinvolven1ent ofyoungerpeople,andwillbe streamed liveonYouTube andFacebook;severalwellknownscholarsareexpectedtoattend.

KambanKazhaga1nis tryingto spread itswingsfurtherafieldandsince2012 have even heldthreeVizhasinMelbourne. Most oftheirfundingcomes fromsponsors and well-wishers.

LearnmoreaboutKambanKazhagamat http://www.kambankazhagam.org

Kamban Kazhagam has played a significant role in the growth of Tamil language and culture in Australia

rave eco

arlierthismonth,totheestimated 4.4 1nilliondualcitizens,the announcementtoreunitefamilies separatedbythepandemic wasmet withrelief.

ThePrin1eMinisterScottMorrison particularlyhadthe Indiancom1nunityin 1nind whenhesaidduringaQantaseventthat announcedtheresu1nptionofservices, "From the 1stofNovember,if youareAustralian residents,citizens andtheiritnn1ediatefamily - andIcanconfirmthatitnmediatefamilywill includetheparentsofAustralianresidents andcitizens - (thentravelrestrictions will easeforyou).AndIknow,particularlyin ourIndiancommunity,thathasbeena very importantissuefor them,andJ know thatwill be welcome."

AsQantasannouncedthenewflights to India, FederalMinisterforI-fon1eAffairs KarenAndrewsannounced,parents of Australiancitizensandpermanentresidents areeligibletoapplyforatravelexemption,for travel toAustraliafron, l November2021.

MinisterAndrewssaidthechangeswould reunitemanyfa1niliesseparatedby the pandemic.

TheMinistersaid,"Withthischange, parentsofAustraliancitizensandpermanent residentscan reuniteinAustralia.Inlinewith Australia'sNationalPlan,Ilookforward to furthereasingtravel restrictionsovercoming weeksand 1nonthsasAustralia'svaccination

Parentalrelationshipstoberecognisedincludebiological, adoptive,legal, step-parent,andparents-in-law.

ratecontinuestoclimb."

Qantashasalsobroughtforwarditsflights toLondonandLosAngeles.Atapress conferenceatSydneyAirport,Qantaschief executiveAlan Joycealsosaiditwouldlaunch

e ne

theChristmasbreak, tobe withbereavedor recoveringfamilymembers.

Applicationsforatravelexemptioncan be1nade throughtheDepartmentofHome AffairsTravelExemption Portal,fortravelto Australiafrom 1 November2021.

Parentalrelationships which are recognised,including biological,adoptive, legal,step-parent,andparents-m-law.

Evidenceofaparentalrelationship withanAustraliancitizenorpermanent resident isrequired, withexamplesofthe typeofevidencerequiredavailableon the Departn1ent's website. Parents 1nustalso haveavalidpassport,visa,andproofof vaccinationfortraveltoAustralia.

Allinternationaltravellerswillremain subjecttostateandterritoryquarantine arrangements.Thismeansthatthosetlying intoNSWandVictoria, if theyarefully vaccinatedwillnolongerhavetoquarantine fromNovember 1,whereasthoseconnecting toQueenslandorWesternAustralia will have toquarantine for 14days.

a newservicetoNewDelhion6 December - thefirsttimetheairlinehasflowntothe Indian capital inalmostadecade. Thiswillbe pleasingnewsforAustralian IndiansdesperatetogetbacktoIndiaduring

Formany,thepast 18monthshavebeen traumaticastravelrestrictionshaveprevented families fromsharingspecial moments together. While there willbe wrinkles to be ironedout,allowingvaccinatedparents totravel,and theopeningofnew routes byQantas,canonlyadd tothepositive momentum.

Pawan Luthra

It's a virtual event yet again for the Indian community's annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast

BY RAJNIANAND LUTHRA

Jyoti Jadeja wasspeakingat the online communityeventPink Ribbon Breakfast, an annualfundraiser for breast cancer.

Sporting tell-tale headwear, the 32-yearoldhadlistenersin thrall as she recounted herbreastcancerstory withcharacteristic candour.

It allbeganwhenshefeltthebra pinching, the award-winningSydneylawyer narrated.

Dayslater,shehadherdiagnosis: carcinoma.

Thetitningof itall, she described, was "a sick joke". Mu,n toa two-year-old, shehad been keen togetpregnantagain. The shock diagnosis had urgedher to consider having hereggs frozen, but in1agine hersurprise whenthescansrevealedshe was pregnant already.

"The decision l had tomake,was whethertoputoffche1notill the third trimester, or terminate the pregnancy.In whatturned out tobe the most harrowing tin1e in thissaga, I optedto tenni11ate the pregnancy and begin chen10."

AnotherspeakerAnita Barar, si1niJarlyscarf-clad, clain1ed shesaw nosignsand felt no syn1pton1s.She has no fa111ily history.

Stage UJ,revealedher diagnosis. Andgrowing aggressively.

"ls thisthe end of the road for me," she recalled askingasked surgeon.

He repliedlaughingly, "No, you don't need to resign yet."

Our targeted treatment sees 95% success,he assuredher.

"l'm happy to report, J'rn in the 95%," proclaimedAnita, an awardwinning writer basedin Melbourne.

What stood outin bothwomen, adntlrable in theirhonestand courageous recou11ts, wastheirpositive attitude toit all - graceful acceptance,countered witha quiet but dogged detennination toresume a normaJ life as soonaspossible. Both adnlittedtotun11oiJ - andtheren1ustbe plentyofitongoingas treatment continues - but theyarealreadybrimnling with the wisdomof lessonslearned.

"Trustin yourtreatment,"saidAnita. "There'sanentiretea1nof wonderfulhealth workers who arecurrently caring for me, andIan1indebted to then1."

"Takea yearofyourlife tofocus on the restof yourlife," saidJyoti, advisingselfcare.

The Pink Ribbon Breakfast, organisedby survivorsRekha RajvanshiandSueAdvani, hasgainedgoodprofile inSydney'sIndian community, with numbersincreasingeach

yearinattendeesaswellasdonations.

Rekhaherself relivesthen1omentn1any times when yearsago,clutchingthehandsof her twoveryyoungkids,hersailorhusband away at sea, she waited with bated breath forthesurgeon toadvise her.

"I had nofamilyaround 1ne,and didn't know manypeopleas we hadn1ovedhere only recently. But those that I didknow, all

steppeduptohelp," she toldIndian Link. Thatwas2007. By2012, havinglostone friend tobreastcancerandhavingseen other friendsgo throughit,sheknewshe badto doherbit.Together withacolleague sheorganisedthefirstPink Ribbon Breakfast, intendedasagentle way toallow sufferersandcarers totell their story among friends,aswell asfundraise.

"Theresponsewas wonderful, with plenty ofwarmth andacceptanceand hope."

Today,it'sgrown ofitsownmomentum, with1nany'pinksisters' joitlingin,dressed in thecolourof theday. It'sbecome one of themainstaysontheannualsocialcalendar.

Attendingthisyear,besidesthose who have traversedthebreastcancerpath themselves, were members ofparliament, locaJcouncillors,medicalpractitioners and com111unitypartners,manyofthese being repeat attendees.

Nearly $4200wasraised thistimeat

Pink Ribbon Breakfast,slightlylower than previousyears nothanks tolockdown.It wouldhave beensoeasytogive theevent a nlissthisyear, asoneguest JuliaFinn MP observed,butforPink SistersRekba and Sue, it wasimperative thattheysoldieron.

As JyotiandAnitarecountedtheirheartwrenchingstories,perhapsthere were many won1en,nlicrophonesmutedandcan1eras turnedoff,wholiftedahandtodoa quick

self-check.

lf theydid, thenPinkRibbon Breakfastis evidence thatgrassrootseffortsand botto111 upapproaches - bylone citizens willing todrive change thattheyareconcerned about - canindeedcreatethenecessary mon1entum. VisitformoreinformationtheNational

knew something waswrongwhen the nurseattendingtome went from beingreally,nean,to really nice."

RekhaRajvanshi

BY RHEAL NATH

henwasthelasttimeyou tookstockofyoure1notional wellbeing?Whenwasthelasttime youcheckedinwithyourself?

Thesea1·equestionsthreeyoungMelbournians arehopingtoraiseeachweek.

"Vulnerabilitycreatesavenuesformore vulnerability,"explainsSunnyBahuguna, oneofthefoundersofBottledUp,apodcast dedicatedtoconversationsaroundmen's mentalhealth.

"I'vefoundthatpeopleunderstandthe gravityoftheirsituationaftertheystart articulatingtheirstoryoutloud.Mentalhealth journeyscanfeelisolating,butwe'rehereto sayyou'reneveralone."

BottledUp,co-foundedwithMayank Sohaniand UjjwalChaudhry,providesa platforn1forpeopletoopenupabouttheir mentalhealthstoriesinthehopeofinspiring otherstodothesame.Spanningnearly thirtyepisodessofar,the UruMelb111ates havealreadyhostedsomepronunentna1nes includingformerAPLfootballers JinLong andTon1Boydandanti-violencecampaigner TarangChawla.

"I'veuncoveredmoreaboutmyown storyinthelast 1.5yearswhenlisteningto others," Sunny tellsIndianLink. "It'smade mealotn1oreen1patheticand appreciative ofpeople'sstories. NooneisiI111nunefrom mentalhealthconcerns,butallofus have thepowertocheckin."

Drivenbythisdesiretocarveasafespace fordiscussionsaroundmen'smentalhealth, Bottled Upwasfirstideatedasactivitiesand seminarsinhighschools.Whenlockdown began,itmovedonline,tunungthese conversationsinto easilyaccessible, freepodcasts instead.

Accordingto recentfigures fromtheAustralianBureauofStatistics,an averageofoneineightmenwillexperience depression,andoneinfivemenwill experienceanxiety,atsomestageoftheir lives.Withthe'boysdon'tcry'narrative thatcontinuestoplaguemen eventoday, improvingtransparencyaroundn1en's mentalhealthremainsacrucialissue.

For23-year-oldSunny,thisdesiresh·ikes apersonalchord.

"Menfeelthlspressuretobestrongfor thesake ofthefamily. Growingupina singleparenthousehold,Ithoughtthatl

MayankandSunny

neededtobe the 'manofthe house'at 14 or 15yearsold. Itfeltlikeitwasexpected ofme,butl didn'thavethelanguage to expressmyself," beshares.

Besidesalackofvocabularytoarticulate thesedifficult emotions,the fea1·ofjudgement and "Logkya kahenge?"(what willpeople say?)withintheSouthAsiancommunity continuestohindermanypeople's abilityto comeforwardandstartaconversation.

Sunnyelaborates, "It'sworthnotingthat thereareintergenerationaltraun1as,like the Partition,thataredeeplyrootedinthe historyofourcommurutyand itgetspassed down,affectingourbehaviours.We're allcapableofbreakinga boneorhurting ourselvesphysically,whyisourmental healthanydifferent?"

Eachweek,Mayank, UjjwalandSunny shareaspectsoftheirO\Vlln1entalhealth

journeyandinviteguestswiththeirown livedexperiencestodiscuss,alongwith interviewingthoseinthementalhealth space, likefoundersandadvocates,andspecialists, likepsychologistsandGPs. Moreoftenthan not,theboysnote,peoplearereallywillingto comeforwardandsharetheirstory.

"Menhavebeenconditionedtostepupand bestrong,butthey'renowgettingaccessto toolstobevulnerableandtalkthingsthrough. We'vehadsomefantasticconversationsonthe show,liketheepisodewith Heshan Fernando. Growingup,hedidn'thaveacloserelationshlp withhisworkaholicfather,butthey'vesince reconciledandwentontostartTheModel Man,anorganisationthatworkstocreate positivemalerolemodelsintheworkforce."

The threefriends,allworking professionals,carveouttimeeachweek towardsBottled Up, inthehopesofcreating meaningfulconversationsandultimatelya senseofen1powerment.

"Forthosestrugglingwiththeirn1ental health, wewantthemto feelempowered toreachoutforassistanceand takeaction. Andeveniflisteners aren'tgoingthrough somethlngthemselves,wehopetheyfeel empoweredtorecognise the signsandcheck inonthosearoundthem,"saysSunny. BottledUpisavailableforstreaming onSpotifyandApplePodcasts. Ifyou're keentocomeonboard asaguest,orwant toreachout,youcancontactthemvia FacebookandInstagram.

Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisstrugglingwith theirmentalhealth,pleasecontactBeyond Blueon1300224536,LifelineAustraliaon 13 11 14,orheadspaceon(03)90270100.

In Mental Health Month, a look at Bottled Up - a podcast dedicated to creating conversations around men's mental health

Lefttoright:UjjwalChaudhry,Sunny Bahuguna,guestStefanoGunawan, andMayankSohani

Sydney's Gopal Garg on helping teachers in rural India

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

orSydney entrepreneurGopal Garg, education, charity and businesshave all come togetherin a recentproject that is seeingmany thousands of livesdirectlyunpacted.

Bypartnering up withIndian corporates that u1vestin educatingunderprivileged children,and Australian tutoringinstitutions, MrGargisresponsiblefortraining hundredsofIndian teachersinpedagogical methods and English-speakingskills.

SpeakingwithIndianLink,GopalGarg revealed thatdw·inghisbusiness tripstoIndia hesawmultiplebigcorporatesdeeplymvested mchangingthelivesofunderprivileged children,prunarilygirlsin ruralareas.

"While researchingthechal'ities that educate theseyoungchildren, I found that the teacherswhowereinentoring and teachingthestudents needed toup skill, especiallyintheirEnglishlanguage skills," MrGargdescribed. "These teachers workinginruraland remoteareas have li1nited orno accesstou1ternational resourcestolearn teaching techniquesin English. Ihadaclearobjectivewhichwasto equipteachersin Indiawithconteinporary teachingtechniques,adeeperunderstanding ofteachingmethodologieswhich theycan put into practice indiverse classrooms."

To achievethisfeat, MrGarg'scompany TruBizSolAcademy tied upwiththe MahindraGroup'scharityfoundation NanhiKalithatsupportstheeducation of over 150,000girls inIndia, andDeepalaya,

an organisation thatisdeeplyengaged m fightingilliteracyamongunderprivileged children all overnorthernIndia.

"Theteachersfrom [Nanhi Kali] areall womenfromlocal communitieswhofacilitate lea1·nmgandmentoringstudents truough theirschooling,and alsoengagewithpal'ents and communitystakeholderstocreategirlfriendlyecosystems," MrGargsaid.

"l then researched andselected one of the topEnglishlanguageinstitutes of Australia toprovide teachingservices,the LanguageTrainingmstitute(LTi).Theyare leadersin trainingteachers to teachEnglish tonon-Englishspeakers and have been teachingEnglishfor25yearsinAustralia and overseas," headded.

TruBizSolAcademyinvited seniors from NanhiKaliandDeepalayato becomefamiliarwithteachingformatsand

standards. Then,groups of8-10 teachers were formed tocreate interactive learning environn1ents.Theclassesconducted by LTi teachers, focussed on Speaking, Listenmg, Reading, Writing,and Grammarskills dividedinto6 one-hoursessions.

While Ml'Gargbad aclearplanin mind, be faced challengesinexecutmgthe ambitiouspartnership.

The fact thatmostof the teacherswere based in remoteareasexposed the major lackofpersonaldigitaldevicesandhighspeed internetconnectivity.

"Eventually, we spoke totheexecutives at NanhiKaliandaskedif theycouldorganise andpermit theteacherstologinand attend thesessionsfrom the nearestMahindra dealeroffice," hesaid.

Evenarrangingtopayteachers andstaff coordinatingwiththeIndian companies

L - 11 -

proved to be a hurdle.

"Another bigchallengewasalso that the organisations in India, even though they welcomedthe idea, found it hard to believe thatwewouldprovide these classespro bono," asurprised MrGarg remarked.

AlthoughGopal Garghad left India over twodecades ago forafreshstart in New Zealand and then herein Australia, he still feltsomethinglackmgin hispurpose.

"Overtheyears,I have alwayswanted to helpmycommunity and countrythat has givenme somuch, but J neverfound the rightchannel," Mr Gargmused.

Agreatbelieverin usingtechnology solutionsforcharitablepurposes,Mr Gargfindsthese invaluablepartnerships especially rewardingwhenhe receives heartfelt 'Thankyou' notesfrom teachers who have successfullycompleted their training.

"Iamoverwhelmed toknowthata small step towardseducationhas turnedintoabig project, upskilling tutors andeducatorsthat have themostimportantjobof supporting the education ofabout 500,000 under providedchildren,"he said.

''The teachers logged in and attended the training sessions at the nearest Mahindra dealer office''

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7VEARS AND BELOW

What a stunning display!

Our littlest readers never cease to amaze us in our annual Diwali Kids' Art Contest.

Congratulations to our winners Vedankita Kuhaluri (Upto 7 years category) and Aadhya Agarwal (8 - 12 years category). Both win book vouchers valued at $75 each.

Congratulations also to Runners-Up Ayaan Thakkar (Upto 7 years category) and Aarav Panicker (8 - 12 years category) who take home book vouchers worth $50 each.

Vedankita's design will feature on Indian Link's official Diwali card for 2021.

8-12 YEARS

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

even-year-oldVedankita Kuhaluri ofPontCookVictoria andAadhya AgarwalofParran1atta NSW,8, havewonIndian Link's DiwaliArt Contest forKidsthisyear.

Theytookthe prizesintheiragegroups 7 yearsandbelow, and 8years andabove, respectively.

Ayaan Thakkar, 7,ofHampton Park Victoria,andAarav Panicker, 9, ofRouse HillNSW,havebeenannounced as ru11nersupintheiragegroups.

VedankitaandAadhyawilltakeho1ne bookvouchersvaluedat $75each,and AyaanandAaravwill receive $50vouchers each.

Vedankita'sdesignwillfeatureon Indian Link'sofficialDiwali cardfor2021.The Year2studentatMelbourne'sPointCook P-9 Collegewasthrilledtohearthenews.

"Iputalotofthoughtinto it," shetold Indian Link,aln1ostasifsheknewshe wouldtakethetopprize. "I thoughtabout whichcolourstopick. I likewarmcoloursredismyfavourite."

Sheadded, "I'velearnedartbymyself. Mysisterdoesart aswell."

Thewinningn1andala,muchliketheartist herself,isvibrantandbubblingoverwith energy.

With itscrispnessandclarity,itreflectsa freshandhopefuloutlook,andacelebratory mood. Itwill resonate asweputlockdown behindusandre-e1nergewithstrengthand confidence.Theperipheralfeaturesofthe design areevocativeofDiwalifireworks, sotheexcitementinit ispalpable. Equally impressive,wasVedankita'sdedicationto detailandneatnessinexecution.

DadVasanth Kuhaluri isa regular followerofIndian Link'ssocial media, andthisisnotthefirsttiinehehassent hisdaughters'entriesinfortheDiwaliArt Contest.

"Mygirlshavevaried interests,"he described. "Currentlythey'reintoTik.Tok

dancing,alongsidetheirCarnaticvocal whichwasintroducedtothem manymonths ago andwhichtheykeptupviaZoom sessions. Butartwasour favouriteactivity tokeepthem occupiedin lockdown."

The Kuhalurigirlsmadethenews lastyearwhentheyrecited toperfection all twentyshlokasinChapter 12ofthe BhagavadGita.

AadhyaAgarwal'sexuberantandintricate designtookthetopspotinthe8-12years category.

"Ipaintedin manydifferentcombinations ofcoloursand thenpickedtheone I liked best,"theYear2 studentat Parramatta Public Schoolexplained.

Sheand hersisterAnika(whoalsomade ittotheTopTen),areold handsat mandala paintings.Anika, 12,hasmadelarge mandalasoncanvas.

"I lovepaintingmandalasbecause they relaxn1e,"Aadhyasaid."Mymumjust boughtmeawholebookofpatternsto colou1·in."

NoopurGoyal,Aadhya'smum, revealed, laughing,"Yourmandalakeptthem

hooked foreightdays. Eachnightfrom 8.30 toabout 10pm, thegirlswouldbe engrossedintheircolouring-experimenting andcomparing. l nowowntendifferent versions!"

Dad Bhagwan added, "Iwouldwonder whysuch alotofenergywasbeinginvested inthisactivity. ButI'mso pleased - both girlsseemtobedrawn toartandcreativity and oftensurprise me. Lookingback, I rememberseeingAadhyasparkupwhen she finished herfinalmandala - itwaslike she knewshehadfoundtheoneshewanted tosendin."

Initstentheditionthisyear,238entries cameinforthe kids' artcompetition,up significantlyfromlastyear. Perhapswe havelockdownto thankforthisincrease, althoughthecontesthasgrownsteadilyin popularity.Oneentrywasreceivedfrom India,andtwofrom Kuwait.

Thisactivityisaimedattheyoungest membersofourcomn1unitytoincludethem inthe spiritofDiwaliina mannerthat resonates withthem.

VedankitaKuhaluri

Indian Link's Diwali Art Contest for kids was all aboutjoyous and festive mandalas this year

rt1myotkftU!e�

A short Aussie -film about Indigenous food practices of the Nagas of Northeast India

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

elbourne-basedacade1nicand Nagawoman DrDollyKikon

turnedfilinmakerinhernewly releaseddocumentarySeasons oflife:Foragingandfennenting ba1nboo-shootduringceasefire.The short 11-ntinutefilmisabeautiful recordofpreciousfoodpractices andlivelihoodsofindigenous commu1titiesinNortheastIndia.

SelectedfortheCanberraShort FilmFestivalinthe 'Fu-stNation Stories'category,Kikon's doctm1entaryfocuseson thebambooshoot.

Ba1nbooisa forestproduceand mainstayofmany tribalcom1nu1tities includingtheNaga people.Thefilm followsthree won1enintothe forestsasthey forageforbamboo shoot,andthenas theyfermenttheir produceforsupplyto themarketsinDimapur (Nagaland)andbeyond.

Theydotltisasasourceofincomeaswellas foodtosupporttheirfa1nilies.

Whileitisanintegralingredient, fennentedfoodfrotnNortheastIndiaisoften categorisedas'smellyfood',thefilmmaker DollyKikonshared.LandlordsacrossIndia prohibitNortheasterntenantsfromcooking fennentedfoodbecauseitsmells'disgusting'.

/:1.sPithw1glo,oneoftheforagers,saysin thefiln1,"Weeatfermentedbambooshoot. Othersperceiveusasdisgustingand stinkybecauseweeatthis Wealso tradeinthis.Itisourspiceandour o.ii"

"Thesewordsareoneofthe essencesofourfilm,"Kikontold IndianLink. "Forthosewhodonot knowaboutbambooshootasfood,I wantedtoshowcaseitsversatility. Forthosewhocan'tlive withoutit,1wantedto conveythepainstaking workinvolvedinits harvestingandprocessing. Inafast-consu1ning, globalisedeconomyof food,itisiinportantto knowwhereourfood comesfrom,andthe peopleinvolved,often madeinvisiblebeforeit reachesourkitchens."

Anthropologist andUniversityof

Melbournelecturer

DrDollyKikon

Fermentationisasignificantpartofhuman sustenanceandsurvival. InSeasonsofLife, itallowsustoopennewconversationsabout traditionalknowledge,foraging,andhow theseaffectongoingissuesofclimatechange, increasinginequality,anddispossessionof land.

Foragingforbambooshootmightseem insignificantascompru·edtotheimmediate large-scaledestructionofforests,floods,and mining.Yet,onecanconsiderKikon'sfilmas ameditativemomenttofocusonsomething sotransientasaseasonalactivity-sortof atouchandgo-whereforagersenterthe foresttoharvestbambooshoot.Theirsenses andknowledgeaboutthechangesaroundthe villageforestsistiedtoongoingchallengesof feedingfamiliesandworryingaboutchildren whoaremigratingawayfromthevillage.

DrKikonmetthethreeforagersinthefi!Jn -friendsYanchano,TsumungiandPithunglo -inOldRalanvillagewhet·etheylive.The triochosethesiteatwhichthedocumentary wasfilmed.

Thefilmwasmadein2019andittook DrKikonfive1nonthstoputittogether. Inpreparation,sheconnectedwithtwo localvideographersinNagaland,both self-employedandexperiencedatfilming communitygatherings.Post-productiontook placeinGuwahati,Assam.Sincethelanguage spokeninthefilmis Lotha, hermother tongue, DrKikonmajorlycontributedto editing,workingonsequencing,translation, andmusic.

DrKikonalsostressedthatthelandscape ofthevillagewascentralforher.Theareais partofthe/:1.ssrun-Arakanoilbasin,oneofthe

ARCH-India

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

ollaborativeresearchbetween Australiaand lndiahasincreased considerablyoverthepast fewyears.ManyAustralian universitieshaverecognisedIndia'sroleas aglobalhubforinnovationandR&Dand haven1adeengagementwith Indiaapriority. Yetthereren1ai11suntappedpotentialto deepenourtwo-wayresearchlinks.

Anewinitiativebythe Departn1ent ofEducation, Skillsand En1ployment (DESE)andMelbourne'sAustraliaIndia Institute(All),theAustralianResearcher CooperationHub- India (ARCH-India)will serveasanonlineplatformforresearchers toconnectexpertise, buildrelationships, shareinformation, andexplore opportunjtiesforcollaborationandmobility.

Co1n1nunitystalwartand fonnersenator LisaSinghjoinedtheprojectasAll'snew Directorwhenthewebsiteopenedupfor earlyaccesson 31 August.

"Theconception and creationofARCHIndiahasbeenadearlyheldaJ11bitionof successive DirectorsoftheAustralia India Institute," LisaSingh toldIndianLink. "Myrolenowisveryn1uchfocusedon themandateforARCH-Indiatofacilitate increasedreseat·chcollaboration andtofind thenecessaryresourcestocontinuethat worklongintothefuture."

"Inthattask,weareveryfortunatetohave theguidanceofProfessorAbid Khan,Deputy Vice-ChancellorGlobalEngagementatMonash Univetsity,whohasagreedtobetheChairof thenewARCH-IndiaBoatd,"sheadded.

DrAbid Khan toldIndianLink, "ARCH-India hasbeencodevelopedwith

oldestoildepositsintheHiJnalayanregion. HerfirstbookLivingwithOilandCoal (2019)wasbasedonherfieldworkconducted iJ1thatarea,alsoknownasthefoothills betweenAssa1nandNagaland.

Shereturnedtotheareatoengageand learnaboutthelivesofthepeoplethere.

''Asnegotiationsforoilexplorationsaround thevillagecontinue,wemightwitnessthe bamboogroovesandtheforestdisappearand bereplacedwithoilrigsandgaspipelinesiJ1 thenearfuture," shewarned.

SeasonsofLifeisanin1portantpartof Kikon'songomgworkonfermentiJ1gcultures mtheeasternHiJnalayanregion.

Althoughfoodpracticesaretiedto livelihoodprojects,Kikonwantedtoadopta frameworkthatallowedustoconnectwith foodandplacetru·oughtheexperiencesof thepeople.Foodstories,shebelieves,should berootedmthepoliticalandsocialhistoryof theplaceandstemfromthegrassrootsrather

unjversitiestoparticularlysupportearlycareerresearcherswhoare newtoworking internationally;byhelpingthem toidentify relevantpartners,fundingopportunities and experienced mentorstoaidthemin progressiJ1gtheirwork."

TheARCH-Indiawebsitehjghlights 15 areasofbilateralmterest.Theseresearch areasareadvanced materials,agriculture,art andculture,critical minerals,cybersecurity, economy,education,energy,environment, health,infrastructure,law,politicsand internationalrelations,socialwelfareand

inclusion,andwater.

Anoverviewisprovided foreachof theseresearchareasaimedatintroducing researcherstotheresearchcontextineach countryand tohelpbuildunderstandingof theresearchenvironmentin which theycan engageandcollaborate.

ARCH-Indiaisopentoeveryresearcherat anyresearchinstitutionorindustryR&Din AustraliaandIndia.DirectorLisaSinghwas happytoannounce that thesite has received strongresponsesbyscholarsfromboth countriessmceitsearlyaccesslaunchphase.

ARCH-India is opentoevery researcher atany research institution orindustry R&D inAustraliaand India

"Inourmentorshipprogra1nalone,we haveover60 mentorsfrom20different institutionsinIndiaandanother20 institutionsinAustralia," Singhrevealed. "Weru·ealsoseeingscholarsfromother partsoftheworldexploringthewebsiteand remainveryopentotheprospectofARCHIndiasupportingAustralianandIndian researchersworkingtogetheronprojects with researchersfromthirdcountries."

ARCH-Indiawillallowresearchersto:

• Showcaseresearchnewstheyhave writtenorshared

• Highlightcasestudiestheyhaveworked onandlearnfromotherresearcher's experiences

• Indicate researchareaswheretheyare opentocollaborating

• Joiningasearchablepooloflndo-Pacific researchexpertiseopento industry, NGO andgovernments

"BenefitsofjoiningARCH-India include, inadditiontothevaluableinformation ongrants andfundingopportunities, casestudiesofsuccessful research collaborations,researchnews,updates on governmentpoliciesimpactingresearchand collaborations,eventsandtraveladviceand resources," LisaSingh added.

ARCH-Indiapresentsasignificant opportunityforAustralianandIndian universities,researchmstitutionsandindustry todeepenthefrinternationalresearchand innovationrelationships,tobuildunderstanding ofthenationalresearchandeducationsyste111s, andtostrengthenthereputationsofboth countriesforleading-edgeresearch.

Thefullyfunctionalplatforn1is now focusingonbuildingitsengagementwith researchersin the lead upto theofficial launch inearly2022.

Researchersaremvitedtoregister andupload theirresearcherprofileat arch-india.org/user/login

thanfrompolicyinakers.

"The Indiansubcontinentanditsfood writers,chefs,andresearchersn1ustrecognise howIndigenousfoodpracticesandtraditional knowledgeaboutcon1111unityfoodhistories areconstantlyerasedorrelegatedasprinlitive waysofcookingandeating,"DrKikon observed."Eventoday,manypeoplemlndia arenotawareaboutAdivasi/tribalfood

cultures.Thisexistingignorancetellsusso muchaboutthemarginalisationofcultures andhistoriesontheground."

Thedocumentarywasthefirstofficial selectionwasforthe2020DrukInternational FilmFestival.Thefilmwasselectedintwo categoriesfortheGoldenDragonprize;it wonBestFilmonWomen,andBestEditing mthemonthlycompetition.Thefilmwas

alsoselectedforthe2021 International UnionofAnthJ"opologicalandEthnological Sciences'CongressatYucatan. Itisamong 21 filmsselectedfromacrosstheworldfor the"IndigenousandEthnographicFilm Exhibition".

"AsanindigenouspersonfromIndia,this wasspecialforNagalandtobeacknowledged andrepresented,"sheconcluded.

currently lists fifteen areas of bilateral interest are currently listed

•az 7

DIVAS IN BLOOM Amritsar, India

Image by RAMINDER PALSINGH /AAP

Why,forthe restofthisyear, we must celebratethe social importance ofschools

The socialisation function of school is an essential component of students' learning

BY MOHANDHALL

iththereopeningofschools,it hasbecomeveryevidentthat thesocialutilityofschools isunderstated.Asstudents arerehuningtoschools,theyreturnto socialsettingsthatbringcomfort,asource offriendship,e111otionalsupportanda closenessthathastakenonnewvalue.

Whathasbeennoticedbyparentsand teachersisthatstudentsarethrivingonthe opportunitytoreconnectwithfriendsand enjoythecon1panyofothers.Asenseofa newnormalityisemerging.Akeyfeatureof thisisunpackingandsharingtheirrecent experienceoflockdown.

Thoughmoststudents,includingthose abouttodotheirfinalexams, arenot workingtotheirfullacadenuccapacity rightnow,actually,whocares?Forinthe contextofalargediscontinuitytherehas beenapsychologicaldisruption. Itwilltake timeforthistobefullyappreciated.

lnchattingwithacoupleofteachers,they reportthefollowing.Everyoneisrelieved tobebackatschool. Thereisalsohowever someuncertaintyandmorethanalittle anxietyaroundthepossibilityofthenu1nber ofcoronaviruscasesrising.Nevertheless, teachershavespokenabouttheenthusiasm ofchildrenbeingbackatschool. Students

appreciatethecareandguidanceoftheir teachers. Bothpartieshavebeenthroughthe experienceoflockdown,albeitwiththeirown uniquecharacteristics.

Whowouldhavethoughtthatgiventhe choicebetweenhon1eorschool-students wouldchooseschool?Thisfactisessentialin trulyappreciatingthesocialvalueofschools.

What is a school?

Intheabsenceofacademicassessment,we shouldaskwhataschoolactuallyis.Schools a1·eshapedaroundthesegmentationof youngpeoplebyageandstage.Theyhave alwaysbeenhorizontallystreamed.Tlus means thatpeopleofthesameagetend to beinthesameyeargroup.Whilstthereare alwaysexceptions,aschildrenn1atureand gothroughdifferentagesandstages,they tendtofacesinillartypesofchallenges. lo navigatingtheseandlearningtounderstand andmanagethem,students'socialnetworks, typicallycentredaroundschool,providea sourceofvalidation.Theyalsoprovidea sourceofcomfortandasom·ceofinsight.

Studentsroutinelyn1akedisclosuresto oneanotheraboutwhattheyexperience. In

sharingtheirexperiences,theirthoughtsand theirfeelingstheyfeelnormalised.Theytalk togetherandthisbringsasenseofinclusion andoftenstrength.

Uptoaquarterofchildrenfeelsaferat schoolthanathome. lfthestatisticsregarding thelevelofdomesticviolenceand/orsexual assaultwithinhouseholdsareaccurate,thena largenumberofstudentsineveryschoolare physicallyandpsychologicallysaferforbeing there,ratherthanathome.

Iknowofyoungpeoplewhoreportfeeling anxiousonthejourneyhon1e. Inthemorning astheywakeandprepareforschool,theyfeel energised.Andthoughsomeoftheseyoung peoplefacechallengesthey'dprobablyrather not-theydosaytheirbesttimeduringthe dayisthetime theyspendatschool.

Forchildrenwhoareacademicallygifted whethertheylearnathome orschoolis arguable.Indeed,sadlyforaproportion ofstudents,theylearnmostofwhatthey seeastheessentialcurriculumincoaching centres.Inthiscontext,thesocialfunction ofschoolforthesechildrenisevenmore important.Withinthisgroup,averysmall minorityofchildrenwhoarecoachedview

everyotherchildasathreatorasourceof competition. Mostdonot. Forthisverysmall minorityanyenvironmenttheyareinwill beanenvironmentinwhichtheyseektobe noticed,tobevalidatedortobelaudedfor whattheyknowratherthantorwhotheyare. Schoolscanhelptomoderatethistendency.

Formostchildren,schoolisan opportunityforthemtolearnessential socialskills.Suchsocialskillsinclude fundamentalsocialbehaviourssuchastaking turns,listeningtoothers,understanding perspectives,workingin teams,and acceptingotherseventhoughtheymaynot alwaysagreewiththem.

1nschools,childrensharetheinevitable challengesthatallchildrenfaceastheygrow. Withintheircohorttheyarelargelylikelyto findacceptanceanda realsourceofexternal validation. Iftheyerr,theywillalsomostly findforgiveness.

Formanychildrenthealmostsole importanceofschoolisthesocialisation function.Forallchildrenthesocialisation functionofschoolisanessentialco1nponent oftheirlearning.

Celebratingthe social function ofschool

Inmyviewfortherestofthisyear,this shouldbethemainemphasiswithinschools.

Schoolteachers,adn1i11istratorsandschool leadersshouldbepraisedfortheireffortsin helpingstudentsfindsolaceandsafetyafter thecrisis,despitetheongoinguncertainties theythemselvesfeel.

Our children's social networks, typically centred around school, provide a source of validation, comfort and insight.

Seniors deserve quality care at home

Home Care Packages are supposed to help Australians live at home with their families as they get older But under the Morrison Government seniors from diverse backgrounds are struggling to access these services, which rarely meet their language and cultural needs. If this is affecting you or your loved ones, my office can help - scan the QR code or visit julieowens.com.au/aqedcare

Cuts to Medicare under cover of COVID

In July Scott Morrison snuck through almost 1,000 cuts and changes to Medicare. These changes mean patients could face out-of pocket costs of up to $10,000. Labor built Medicare and we will always protect it. If you want Scott Morrison to abandon these changes scan the QR code or visit: julieowens.com.au/savemedicare

COVID support payments slashed

The Morrison Government is cutting COVID support payments with no plan for Parramatta's economic recovery. If you are worried about how these cuts will affect you or your family, scan the QR code or visit julieowens.com au/covidl9 for more info on the support still available

Active Super partners with MultiConnexions to tap into Australian diversity

ctiveSuperispartneringwith MultiConnexionsGroup,a multiculturaltnarketingand advertisingagency,tobroaden itsappealandincreaseengagementwith Australiansfron1differentbackgrounds. ActiveSuper,aleaderinresponsible investn1ent,iskeentoreflectthedjversityof theAustralianpopulationinits111arketing strategy,recognisingthataone-size-fits-all marketingandcom111unicationsstrategy isnotthebestwaytocon1municatewith theAustralianpopulationgivenitsstrong multiculturalcomposition.

Thepartnershipisthelatestplankin ActiveSuper'sstrategytoattractnew me1nbersanddrivefuturegrowthfollowing itsrebrandingfromLocalGovern1nent

SuperinMay2021.

ChantalWalker,ActiveSuper'sChlef DigitalandMarketingOfficer,said therewastre1nendouspotentialtoreach Australianswhootherwisewouldnotbe engagedwiththeirsuperannuation.

"Wevaluediversity,equityandinclusion andseektoen1bedtheseprinciplesinall aspectsofourbusiness,"MsWalkersaid.

"Researchshowsthat25percentofthe Australianpopulationspeaksalanguage otherthanEnglish,and50percentofthe populationisbornoverseasandhasatleast oneparentbornoverseas.

"Regrettably,n1anymarketersignorethese segments,butthroughourpartnershipwith MultiConnexions,ActiveSuperistaking actiontoaddressthjsgapinthe1narket.

"Iamverypassionateaboutmicrosegmentation.Byaddingethnicityasan overlaytoanysegmentationbeitLifestage, ageorvaluesbased,wecreateawonderfully rich,multi-layeredunderstandingof membersandtheirfinancialneeds.Wethen usethisdatatoengagepotentialmembers foracquisitionaswellasfortheretention ofexistingmembersaswegainadeeper understandingofwhatmakesthen1tick beyondjusttheirage

"Ihavehadthepleasureofworking withShebaandherteaminthepastto createverysuccessfullocalareamarketing campaignsbytargetingvariousmulticultural audiences,andIwantedtobringthis experienceandopportunitytotheworldof superannuation."

ShebaNandkeolyar,Founderand CEOofMultiConnexionsGroup,said: "MultiConnexionsisproudtohelpActive Superexpanditsofferingandservicesto reachAustralia'sn1ulticulturalaudiences. LikeActiveSuper,wesharethesentiment thatfromadiversity,equjty,andinclusion perspective,itisimportantforsuch con1n1urutiesinAustraliatobeheardby brands

"Inthisclin1atewheregrowthiskey toasuccessfulbusiness,multicultural Australiansareoftenoverlookedby traditionalEnglish-speakingn1arketingand advertising.Welookforwardtoworking withActiveSupertoconnectwiththese con1n1unitiestoensurethattheirvoicesare heardandneedsrecognised."

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COVID-19 VACCINES ARE FREE AND AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE OVER 12 YEARS OF AGE

The COVID-19 pandemic has broughtmany challengesto everyone inAustralia. We have all had to makechanges inour livesto keep ourselves, ourfamily and community safe. Vaccination is a critical steptogetting backtothe thingswe lovetodo.

Everyone inAustralia 12 yearsofage and overcan have afreeCOVID-19 vaccine atparticipating pharmacies, doctors' clinics, and government clinics. Read on tofind outwhere you can get information aboutthe COVID-19vaccine in yourlanguage, and howto bookyourCOVID-19 vaccination, even ifyoudo not have a Medicarecard.

Thevaccines and doses recommended forAustralians maybe differentfrom whatis happening in othercountries. It isespeciallyimportantthateveryone living inAustraliafollowthe health advice given byAustralia's health experts.

Accessing translated COVID-19 resources

Ifyou would like information about COVID-19vaccines in yourown language, visittheaustralia.gov.au website.All you need todo is click on "information in yourlanguage" and chooseyour languagefromthe 63 languages available.

Howto getthe COVID-19vaccine, even withouta Medicare card COVID-19 vaccines arefreefor everyone inAustralia, even ifyou are not anAustralian citizen or permanent resident. This includes peoplewithout a Medicarecard, overseasvisitors, international students, migrant workers and asylum seekers. Everyonein Australia aged 12years and overcan booktheirvaccination now.

You can geta COVID-19 vaccine at:

• Commonwealthvaccinationclinics

• participatinggeneral practices

• Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Services

• state and territoryvaccination clinics, and

• participating pharmacies.

Ifyouare an overseasvisitor living in Australia,an international studentor anyonewithoutAustralian citizenship orpermanentresidency, you may not be ableto access Medicare benefits. Butthatdoes notstopyoufrom getting vaccinated.

You do not need to beeligibleor enrolled in Medicareto receive afree COVID-19vaccination.

Ifyou do nothave a Medicarecard, youcan getyourfreevaccination at:

• Commonwealth vaccination clinics

• stateorterritoryvaccinationclinics, or

• participating pharmacies.

Use theaustrafia.gov.au linktofind yournearestvaccination clinicand bookyourvaccination. Ifyou need phone oron-site interpreting at yourvaccine appointment, call the Translatingand Interpreting Service on 131 450.

Getting proofofyourCOVID-19 vaccination

You can accessyour Immunisation HistoryStatement:

• online, bysetting up yourown myGovaccount and then accessing yourMedicareaccount,or

• through the Express Plus Medicare app.

Authorised bytheAustralian Government, Canberra

Ifyou do not have a Medicarecard, ordo not haveaccesstoa myGov account, you can accessyour Immunisation History Statementby:

• asking yourvaccination providerto printa copy foryou, or

• bycallingtheAustralian Immunisation Registerenquiries line on 1800 653 809 (8am-5pm MondaytoFridayAEST)and asking them to send yourstatementto you in the mail. Itcantake upto 14 days toarrive inthe mail. For interpreting services please call 131 450.

For more information on howtoget proofofyourCOVID-19vaccinations, seethe ServicesAustralia app. ForotherCOVID-19vaccine information, visit australia.gov.au website orcall 1800 020 080. For interpreting services, call 131 450.

Australian Government

Cj)VID-19 VACCINATION

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BY RHEA L NATH

loveyoulikebiryanj,"croons Melbourne-basedmusicianAshwarya intheopeninglineofoneofher mostpopularhits.Afewseconds later,inwhatn1ightcon,easapleasantsurprise torn1ostlisteners,shedipsinto 1-iindi.

"Tumho111eridilkidhadkan (youarethe beatofn1yheart)/itkeepsonbeatingfor you. Gattisebhipaas,nataao(don'tco1ne tooclose by mistake)/ Iwon'tletyougo."

Inthelastyear,herbilingualsingle"Biryanj" hasgarneredover600,000streamson Spotifya11dthenu1nberonlyseemstogrow. It nught'vebeenagambletoincorporateHindi lyricswhilestartingout,butshesimplyviewsit ascombiningthebestofhertwoworlds.

"Yes,it'sabitexperimental,butthere'snot a 1nassivecatalogueofbilingualmusicforine toreferto.Soreally, I'n,n1akillg1nyownrules asIgo," the21-year-oldtoldIndianLink.

"Biryaru"isoneofthesinglesfromher debutEPNocturnalHoursthatreleasedlast year, accompanying"PsychoHole","Love Again"and "ToTheNight" featuringChicago rapperVicMensa. Eversince,Ashwarya's

beentoutedasthenextbigthinginAustralian pop,featuredinPaperMagazine, NME's 100 EmergingArtistsfor2021,andbeingthetop pickofbestfindsonTripleJ'sUnearthed.

In fact, she adds,she's had non-Hindi speakerssingingalongto"Biryani" atlive showstoo.

"Theyhadtakenthe time tolearnthe Hindi lyrics, I couldn'tbelieve it," she sn1iled. "Itprovesthatyoucanconveya feelingwithmusicevenifpeopledon't understandwhatyou're saying."

In lateSepten,ber,the Indian-Australian musician dropped anew track "Flare" that she considerstobeherbestworkyet.

"It's asongaboutthetensionthatplays outbetween not knowingifsomeone likes you backand searchingfortheirsignal, treadingthelinebetweenlettingpeoplein and Jettingpeoplego,"sheelaborated.

WorkingwithBritish-Australianproducer JarradRogersandmixerJamieSnell, Ashwaryafindsherselfinthecompanyof internationallyrenownedartistslike Boyzone, Anrue Lennox, Mark Ronson, DuaLipa,Ellie Goulding,andNoahCyrus.Lastyear,shewas thefirstartistsignedtoNOiZeRecordingsin ajointventurewithSonyMusicAustralia.

It'sno meanfeatforayoungartistwho launched hercareerin the middle ofthe pandemic.

21-year-old Melbourne musician Ashwarya has embraced her IndianAustralian heritage to create a unique new sound in pop music

"It'sbeen hard,missingouton internationaltravelopportunitiesbecause ofthepandemic. r haven'tevenbeenableto visitSydney!"sheconfessed. "Still,therehave beenalotofnewskillslearnedin lockdown, likemakingmyown musicvideosathome."

Growingup inMelbourneinthecompany ofhergrandparents,Ashwarya (real name Aishwarya Shah) found herselfimmersed in old BoUywood films, introducedtothen1usic ofKishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkarand the hitsofthe'80s. In recentyears, theworkof ArijitSingh("the EdSheeranofIndia") and thesoundtracksofAeOilHaiMushkiland Pad1naavathave caughtherattention.

Combine these BoUywood influences with musical inspirationsfromthe2000s like Rihanna,Tylorthe Creator, andThe Weeknd, and it'sgiven hera uniquesound thatshecanonlydefineas"experimental" and"forward thinking."

She'sunderstandablyreluctanttobox herselfinto onesinglegenre, butson1e commonelements thatcon1eacrossin her musicarestrongemotional qualities,high productionvalue, andtempochanges that youneverseecommg.

"Mygeneral idea istokeeppeopleon theirtoes,"shegrinned.

From ayoungage,Ashwaryafelt drawn to exploringhern1usical side, participating incommunitychoirs,and continuingto explorehersound.Shewentbackandforth onwhetherto take itmusicseriouslyas a careerandeventually took theplungeafter highschool.

Amidallthissuccessandpress,it'sthe dfrectmessagesfromfansthatmeanthemost.

"Inthepastyear,I'venoticedhowmuch mySouthAsianbackgroundhashadadirect impactonpeople. It'ssosatisfying.I'vehad teenagersreachouttosaymymusicallowed then1tofeellikethemselvesandbeproudof theirheritage,"saidAshwarya,whoseown familyhailsfromAhmedabadandLucknow.

Sowhat's nextontheagenda?

"I've alreadystartedwritingmynext projectand I knowwhere I wanttogo visuallyandsonically. Justkeentoget started," shesmiled.

Composer, performer, lyricistand multi-instrumentalist Vidya Makan on diversity in performing arts

BY MANAN LUTHRA

IIiversityispartofmyidentity, sobeingaminorityand talkingaboutmarginalised voicesispartofn1ystory.

YidyaMakanisnothinglessthana onewomantourdeforce.The Queensland nativewith IndianandSouthAfrican rootscan act, sing,compose,playpiano, andwrite. Herrecentperfonnancecredits includetheroleofCatherine ParrinSIX,a musicalre-tellingofthelivesofKingHenry VIIl'swiveswhichtouredAustraliain2020, andtheleadroleofMariaiJ1 The Colour of Darkness, a filtnaboutIndia'ssocialhistory availableonSBSOnDe111and.

"DiversityisiJ1teresting,and 1nakesfor interestingstorytelling,"Vidyatells Indian. Link. "Musical theatreisa!J aboutthe

underdog,whereacharacterwillwant son1ethingandthenhavetogothrough obstaclestoprovethattheycangetit. In .Disneyn1ovies,[theherois]almostalways son1eonewho'sunseen,orpushedtothe side, oroneofthe freaks.Which isthe minoritystory."

ThisminoritystoryissomethingVidya haslivedexperienceof.Exposedtothe artsatayoungagewithhertheatre-loving family("Ilearnedtoreadmusicbeforel learnedtoreadEnglish"),shewasinspired byJulieAndrews'performanceasMaria vonTrappin TheSoundofMusic. Yetthe self-proclaimedto1nboyreca!Jsthatdespite herparents'fullsupportofherfollowing herartisticendeavours,theydidshowinitial apprehensionwhensheexpressedherdesire totakeupperformanceasacareer.

"Theywerehesitantbecausetherewasno onewholookedlikemeinlheindustryorin aUthetheatreshowswe'dseen,"sheexplains. "Theideaofhavingacareerinaspacethatwe weren'ttypica!Jypartof,wasscaryforthen1."

Pushingforwardnonethelessandgaininga BachelorofMusicdegreeattheQueensland

See Vidya Makan asCatherineParrinSIXTheMusicalinitsSydneyseason commencingh Conservatoriuminthemid-2010s,Yidya's careercoincideswithaturningpointinthe performanceindustry.Revisionistmusicals like f-Ja,nilton (createdbyoneofVidya'salltimefavouritecreatives,Lin-ManuelMiranda) arerevolutionisingthewaythatpeopleof colourcangetonstage,replacingall-white historicalfigureswithmulti-ethniccastsand crew.Outrageoverthelackofopportunities forculturallyandlinguisticallydiverse performersonscreenisleadingtomovements championingthisissue,givingusfilmsLike Black Panther. TheAustraliantheatreindustry isfoUowingthispathtowardsinclusivity,of whichSIXisagoodexample.

"[SIXis]revolutionaryinthewaythatit givespowertothesewomen'svoicesand contextualisestheminthemoderndayfora modern-dayaudience.Eachof[HenryVIIl's] wives,whohavealwaysbeenportrayed throughaverywhite, male,patriarchallens, gettheirownretellingofhowthey'reso famouslyknown.Eventhoughthen1usicalis setupasapopconcertandisnotarealistic show,itspoweristhatweactuallygetto seewhothesecharactersareintheirown perspectives."

Thispoweriscentraltoanotherpieceof workfrom2020•forwhichVidyafound herselfnominatedforaGreenRoomAward,a performingartsprize.Hersong/ Need You To See Me featuredover 100perlormersofcolour initsn1usicvideo. Describedasan'explicit invitationtotheentertainmentindustry forvisibilityanddiverserepresentation',it includeslinessuchas

Your world neversaw me look what I've alreadyachieved I won'tletyou ignore tne... I breathe theairofthis land And I needyou tosee ,ne.

Clearly,asshewritesborrowingfroma much-regardedidol,Vidyaiskeen'tobeinthe roomwhereithappens.'

Havingpackedinoverhalfadecadeof workingfull-timeintheperformingarts, Yidyahaswitnessedherstarpower(and

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

CURRENTLY READING:

Puttingit Togetherby James Lapine

CURRENTLY LISTENING TO: The Daily by The New York Times ALL-TIME FAVOURITEARTISTS: Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel

InanythingI write,that'sgoingtobethe undercurrent."

Vidya Makanas CatherineParrin SIX TheMusical

(.) b..

Miranda,TobyMarlowandLucyMoss

workload)continuetorise.Asidefro1n SIX(whichwill resun1e its nationwidetour afterlockdownends),sheissettoperform in HayesTheatres' Merrily WeRollAlong (whichwasdelayedduetoCOYCO)and continuedeveloping TheLuckyCountry, a newmusicalinconjunctionwiththeCreate NSW MusicalTheatreFeUowship.

Whileacareerin BolJywood stilleludes her- though anenthusiastic"hellyeah" indicatesshe'drectifythatinaninstantshe'salsofindingtimetoengagewiththose cultural roots,havingrecentlywatched6ln1s like KhabiKhushiKhabiChain "forthefirst tin1einn1ylife".

With thoseexperiencesinmind,she candidlyoffersthefollowingadviceforall diverseartiststryingtofollowinherfootsteps.

"Youhavetobeunafaidtotakeupspace andassertyourpresenceinspacesthatmight notnecessarilyseeyou.Also,findyourtribe. Findyourco1rununity,becausethat'swhere mycareerstartedtotakeoff.IfIhadn'tfound theincrediblecreat:ivesthat1did,Iwouldn't beachievingsuccessinthecommercialworld now.TheygavemeaspacewhereIcould actuallybe1nyselfandbeseenasn1yself.And1 guesstheworldtooknotebecauseofthat."

Shelaughs,"That'ssuchstereotypical advice,butitworks."

InSundayinTheParkWithGeorge

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BY GOPIKAS

ith landsizeshrinking,big houseswithsmaJIgardenspaces are becomingco1nmonplace. This meansthescopeof landscapedesignca1u1otbe elaborate - it mustbesuccinct. Ifyouhaveboughta houseinanewdevelopmentareaand arecluelessaboutworkingwithinasn1all space,thenthisarticlecouldhelpyoucreate functionaland aestheticspace. Remember,smallspacegardensdo havea majoradvantage: theyrequireless maintenanceifplanned and executedwell, savingtimeandenergy.

StyleDecideearlyonwhat theme or styleyouwantforyours1na1lspacegarden, whatwillsuityourfamilyneeds, aswellas whatwillmatchthesurroundings.Adding toon1anyfeaturesins1nallspacemayseen1 likeclutter,sosticktoeitheracolourtheme, orlayertheplantsaccordingto sizeora particularstyletocreateinterest. Regardless ofstyle,everygardenshouldconnectthe indoorstotheoutdoorsseamlesslyandbe sustainable,benefittingbothyouandyour surrounds.

Zoning Understandyourneedsand wantsandzoneyoursmallspaceaccording toyourfamilyneeds.Forexample,ifkids' spaceanda cozysit-outplaceisrequired, prioritisetheseandlayoutthegarden aroundit. Keepyourplantselection minimal and n1assplanttogetthegreenery. Byaddingdifferentflooringlikepavers, deck, concretewithoutdoorrug,youcan zonethesmallspacegardenwitha palette ofmaterials.

Levels and LayersAdding distinctlevelstothesmallspacewillprovide aperceptionofspaciousness. Dothisby includingadeck,oraverticalgardenwith climbers,araisedgarden bed, aboveground plungepool,sunkenterraceorhanging baskets.

Variedlevelscanalsobeachievedby layeringplants in the gardenbed,orwitha cleverchoiceofhardscapestructureslike built-inseatsetc.

Colour and year-round interestAddcoloursandtexture inyourplantselection,furniture,and hardscapetogivethesmallplaceadistinct vibe.Year-round interestwithplant selectionwilldothetrickforsmallspace aswell. Iftime isoftheessence,ageneral thumb ruletoachievelowmaintenance gardendesignistoselectatleasttwoto threeplantseachofmediumsize,small size,groundcoverplantsand massplant them.Considerthesunexposure,wind, andthedirectionsoftheyardforplacement ofplants tothrive.Forexample,south facingyardplantingshouldconsidershade andwind toleranceplantsin theirplant selection.Selectplantswithvariedleaf colow·ortextureorshape toadd interest.

Focal pointHaveonefocalpoint strategicallyplacedinyoursmallgarden, likeafeaturetree,statementpots,small waterfeature,colouredwallorfenceand mirror.Theideaoffocalpointingardenis

tocreateaninterest,anillusionandcleverly camouflage the boundaries.

Furniture and lighting Builtinseatswithstoragespace,collapsible furnitureand built-inbarbequeand seatcan beweavedintothe smallspacegardenwith cleverplacement.

Someup-lightingnearfeaturetrees, anddownlightsnearpathwaysand seating a1·eawillenhancethegarden appealevenin chillyweather.

Planting Ifyou are timepoor, then choosinglowmaintenanceand hardy plantsforyoursmalJspacegardenisa wise idea.Tokeepyourgardenstyleto lowmaintenance,plantselectionisvital. If you'regoingwithacolourtheme,son1eof thelowmaintenanceplantsare

MediumshrubsRaphiolepisindica(Indian Hawthorn),Gardenia, Loropetalumchinense (Chinesefringeflower)

LowlevelshrubsAgapanthus,Lomandra, Dietesspecies(Wildiris)

GroundcoverCarpobrotus(Pigface), Sedum, Gazania

Designing asmallspacegardenisa challengebutitispossible.Withabitof creativityandsomesmartchoices,as1nall gardencanbe transformedintoa stunning placethatsuitsyouandyourfanlily.

Small space gardens need not be uninspiring and mundane

To create a feel of space, think of a deck, or a vertical garden with climbers, a raised garden bed, sunken terrace or hanging baskets

BY PETRA O'NEILL

esidentsofPerthwill proudly tell you that theircity is the most isolated in theworld. Thejourney fron, Sydneyon the Indian Pacific train takes 65 hours. Havingworked on thattrain, afterjourney's end in Perth, I'd goand explore the sights. Hereisaguide towhatyoucan see and do.

ELIZABETHQUAY

This revamped precinct is the place togo toenjoy newlyopenedriverside restaurants,while rooftopbars offer sweepingviews ofthe city. It's alsoa pleasant place tostroll alongside the Swan River.

CULTURALINSTITUTIONS

The Perth Cultural Centreisa dazzling newstructure integrated withinheritage buildings. It reflects thestoriesand cultural traditionsofWestern Australia from theperspectiveofits Indigenous co1nmunities. Thecentre alsoshowcases mineral and crystal collections, and interactive exhibitionsthat childrenwill

enjoy. Close by, theArt GalleryofWestern Australia hasasplendid indigenous art collection that'swellworth seeing.

SHOPPINGANDDINING

TrinityArcade and London Courtare beloved bylocals,andflashdesigner boutiques line the southern end ofKing Street.At thenorthernend,you'll find numerousbarsand restaurants. The newly refurbished State Buildingsarea haven for foodiesofferinghighend dining,aswell asbars and boutiques. ManyofPerth's

FREMANTLE

SituatedonPerth'ssouthernfringe, Fre1nantleisavibrantportcity. Discover thehistoricwaterfrontdistrictatVictoria Quaylinedwithwarehousesandlearnabout itsseafaringpastattheMaritime Museum. Strolldown HighStreet,oneofAustralia's mostbeautifulstreetslinedwith 19thcentury heritagebuildings.AtSouthTerraceyou'll findcafes, pubsandrestaurantsofferingal frescodining. Learn aboutAustralia'sconvict pastat Fremantleprisonandexplorethe Roundhousedatingbackto 1830.

ROTTNESTISLAND

lanewayshave been reinvigoratedwith decorativestreetart. Howard andWolf Lane arejam packedwithcafes, boutiques andbarsthat buzz nightandday.

BEACHES,PORTS ANDISLANDS

With 19 beachesandlongsunnydays, Perth is heaven forbeach lovers. The most well known areCottesloe with its terraced lawnsandsurfyhotspot Scarborough. Lingerhere towatch the sun setoverthe Indian Ocean.

Jumpon-boardaferryfora40-minute ride toRottnest lsland. Apostcard perfectcarfreegetaway, itoffers63 stun11ingwhite sandbeaches,protectedbays,coral reefsand manyfriendlyquokkas,ot·pint-sizedfurry wallabies..Hireabikeandcyclearoundthe islandtofindyourownbeach,orcatchthe Bayseeker Bus thatstopsaroundtheisland.

GETTINGOUTBUSHFOR WILDLIFEENCOUNTERS

Kings Parkisa400-hectare parkin the city centre with stunningviewsoverlooking the cityand Swan River. With 3000 native plantspecieson display,it's spectacular atany timeofyear. While therebesure toexperience theelevatedwalkwayhigh

The top-rated tourist attractions in and around Perth - a city with so much to discover

abovethetreecanopy. Ifyouwanttosee unspoiltbushland,youwon'thavetotravel far.Ontheeasternedgeofthecity,thePerth Hillsarehometoseveralnationalparksof toweringjarrahtrees.Amongtheabundant nativeshrubsarewaratahs,grevilleasand wattles,especiallyspectacular whenflowering.

A45-minutedrivenorthof Perth,YanchepNationalPark featureslimestonecaves, lakes, andwoodlandforest.Walking trailsprovideencounterswith greykangaroosandkoalas,

oldestwinemakingregion. Explorethe valley'sn1anyhistoric townships, boutique wineriesorsamplebeer, ciderorginger beeratoneofmanymicro breweries. The districtisalsorenownedforchocolate, cheeseandwalkingtrails,including Bells Rapidand NobelFalls.

TheAvonValley encompassesavastarea thatstretchesfrom Beverley inthesouthto NewNorcia inthenorth. Strollaround quainthistorictownships suchasYork,delve into pioneerhistory, anddrive amongrollinghillstoenjoy thewildflowers. Ifyouhave

and there isanabundanceof nativebirdsincludingblack swans,pelicans,andparrots.At KarakamiaSanctuaryyou'llsee RottnestIslandquokka time,considerdrivingtheSilo nativeanimalsin abushsetting.

47kmssouthofPerth, Rockinghamis knownforitsruggedcoastline,andfor thepodsofdolphinsthatvisitbetween Septemberand June,bestviewedfroma boatorbyswimmingalongside. Youcan alsovisitnearby Penguin Island,hometoa colonyoffairypenguins.

GOURMETCUISINE, FINEWINEANDQUAINT TOWNSHIPS

TheSwanValley,a25-minutedrive northeastfromthecitycentre,isWA's

Trail,a series oflarge murals painted ontoweringgrainsilos.

TheMargaretRiverisoneoftny favouriteregionsofAustralia.Toenjoy itfullyyou'll need more thanadayor two. 1-lereyou'll find renownedwineries withcellardoorstosa1nple,a spectacular rugged coastlinewith someofthebestsurf conditionsintheworld,deliciousfood, andartgaUeriesshowcasingtheworkof localartists.Youcanalso kayak along the MargaretRiverorfollowoneofmany walkingtrailswithexpansiveviewsof windswepthillsand ancientcaves.

MargaretRiverVineyards

CyclinginRottnestIsland

BY EKTASHARMA

ohtyohaarhikya,jismeyjalebinaho?What'sthe funin festivitieswithoutjalebis?

AndaDiwaliwithoutjalebis,nowthat's unheardof. Ofcourse,ifyou'reajalebifanliken1e,youdon'twait forDiwalioranyothertyohaar(festival)toshowthatjalebilove Perhapsforme,thisstemsfromthedaysmydad,anotherjalebifan, broughthon1ehotcrispyjalebisalmosteverySunday,andwithoutfail onschoolexamresultsday,onbirthdaysandonanniversaries. You'llfindjalebionanylistoftop lndiansweeteats.Except,did youknow,jalebiisnotoriginallyIndian! Yes, youheard thatrightjalebicametoIndiafromPersia. It's beenvariouslycalledzolabiya, jalepi,andjalipi,butthis spiralsweetness hasnowbecomea Diwali mainstay.

Asanadult, Ilearntthatyoudon't havetobeahalwaitomake perfectjalebis:withtherightmeastu·en1entsandstepwiseinstructions, you'reallsettogo.

I'veexperimentedwiththreedifferentrecipesfor this Diwali. You cantoo-don'tworry,they'reeasy-breezytoexecute,andtheresults aredelicious.

Bhai�vaah, astheysayinthatsongAfghanJalebi. (Okay,honest confession -I'vecaughtmyselfhummingthisnumbera bittoooften thesepastfewdays ).YoumightpreferJalebiBai, orJalebiBaby,as yourgo-tosongwhenyoutrytheserecipesout,letmeknow!

PANEER JALEBI

INGREDIENTS

■ 1 cup paneer

■ ½ cup plain flour

■ 1 ½ cupssugar

■ Ghee forfrying

■ Powdered pistachio forgarnish.

Forthesugarsyrup

■ 1 cup sugar

■ Pinch saffron or powdered cardamom

■ 2 cups water

■ 2-3 largeslices of lemon

METHOD

■ Add a little waterto plain flour and whiskto pouring comsustency. Forthis version ofjalebi, you'll needto keep whiskingfor5-6 minutes. Setaside foran hour.

■ To makethesugarsyrup, combine sugarand water in a deepsaucepan. Bring itto a boil and then letit bubble away for 10 minutes, till it reachesone-stringconsistency.Add lemon slices and saffron orcardamom powderand keep it aside.

■ Mash paneer and knead till verysmooth. Add to batter.

■ To makejalebis, heat ghee in a flatwok or pan. (Keep heat medium - high heatwill hardenthis version ofjalebi.)

Gentlysquirtyour batter in, in spirals. Usetongs toflipover. Dunk into syrup when done, forabout a minute ortwo.

■ Serve sprinkled with powdered pistachio.

METHOD

BEETROOT JALEBI

INGREDIENTS

■ 1 cup plain flour

■ ½ cupghee

■ 2tsp cornflour

■ 1tsp chickpea flour (besan) optional

■ ½ cup beetrootjuice orvery fine beetroot puree (To make beetrootjuice, half boil the beetroot, cool down and puree)

■ 2 pinches bakingsoda

■ Ghee forfrying

Forthesugarsyrup

■ 1 cupsugar

■ Afew drops oflemonjuice

■ 2 cups water

■ Mixflour, a spoonful ofghee, beetrootjuice, cornflour, besan if using, and baking soda in a large bowl.Addjustenough waterto make a batter. Make sure it's not tooflowy. The beetrootwill give it a gentle pink colour.

■ Setaside while you makethe sugarsyrup.

■ Combine sugarand water in a deep saucepan. Bring itto a boil and then let it bubble awayfor 10 minutes,till it reaches one-stringconsistency. Add lemon juiceand keep itaside.

■ To makejalebis, heatghee in a flatwok or pan. Gentlysquirtthe batter in, in spirals. Use tongs toflip thejalebi over. Remember nottofryyour beetrootjalebis too brown. They must be kept light pink. Dunk into syrup when done, for abouta minute ortwo.

Servingsuggestion: Beetrootjalebistaste best with yogurtor rabdi.

I t'sbeenawhilesincewehavehadsuch

I I aninterestingbunchofIndian filmsat theSydney Film Festival.

India'sonly all-fen1ale newspaper.

I Arecently widowednorth-lndian

I I wo1nan who wantstoLive itup. A9-yearoldboytransfixedbycine1na. Scientist andactivist DrVandana Shiva.

I Andperhaps1nostsignificantly,an I I openingnightfeatureproduced by Indian-originAustralian filmmaker Sheila Jayadev, set rightherein our I backyard•in WesternSydney.

I ThefilmHereOutWestsounds like a greatpickforopening night. Produced byentertain1nentlawyerturned

I filn1makerSheila Jayadev, itlooksat the I I livesofa wholerange of diversefamilies thatmakeupBlacktown-Australia11, Bangladeshi, Chilean,Chinese, I Burmese, Kurdish,Indian, Lebanese, I Filipino, Vietnamese. Theycome

I togetherovera singleday,followingthe kidnappingofababyfromhospital.

Eight emergingwritersfromdiverse backgroundgottogetherto workshop and write this film, includingBina BhattacharyaandArkaDas.

FromIndia,SydneyFilm Festival bringsusthedocu1nentary WritingWith

I I

Fire. Basedon India'sonlyall-female publicationKhabarLahariya, itfollows the trialsandtribulationsof its Dalit journalistsnotonlyastheyfaceoffa

gender-basedhierarchyanda ruthless mainstreammedia,butalsothe changing

natureof the industryitself asthey struggletomove fron1print todigital. DirectedbySushmitGhoshand Rintu Thomas, thefil.mcon1es to Sydneyafter huge acclaimatSundanceFilmFestival earlierthisyear-winningtheAudience AwardforWorldCinema(Documentary); WorldCinema DocumentarySpecialJury AwardforImpactandChange,anda nominationfor theGrandJuryPrizefor WorldCinema(Documentary).

Inthe filmJustLike Thatthe recentlywidowed Mrs. Sharma decides to live herlife to the fullest-despite the cultural traditionsandexpectationsshe'll be breakingalongthe way. Directedby Kislay Kislay, the filmoffers aclear and unflinchinglookatfemaleagencyin India. Ithasbeen nominatedformultiple Best Filmawardsatvarious international film festivals.

Criticallyacclaimed director Pan Nalin'sLastFilmShowfollows 9-year-old Samay who is fascinatedby the worldof cinema, unmovedby hisconservative father'sviews on the 'immorality' of the medium. Sydney Filn1 Festivalmarks the premiere of this film.

The docun1entaryThe Seedsof VandanaShiva is basedon Indian social activistandphysicist, Dr. VandanaShiva, well-known forher role in the anti-GMO movement. She stood up to the corporate powersat agricultural giant Monsanto by suing then1in 1999 for theirillegal GMO Bt cotton strain trials in India.

Herstance againstcorporates isjust asstrongas herpushfororganic/local food systems. DrShiva won the Sydney Peace Prize in 2010. The film,directedby American filmn1akers Camillaand James Becket, features acameoby actor Mark Ruffalo.

Together, these films look set togive usa feel of the emergence ofa new-look India, one where change is afoot, and the perspectiveis far-sighted.The shiftindeed the revolution- whetherin societal codesandmores orin issues thatconcern usallas humans, springs from thevery basicindividual orsmallgrouplevel, ie fromregularcitizens willing to drive change.

Thatthischangeisbeingspearheaded bywomenincharge,notat thehighest political,businessorinstitutionallevels,but attheverygrassroots,isincredible.

TheSydneyFilmFestival2021programcan befoundonline atsff.org.au.

It's a fascinating pick of Indian films this time round

1 TABBAR {SonyLIV)

I DIRECTED BY: AjitpalSingh

I STARRING: Pavan Malhotra, Supriya 1 Pathak,GaganArora, Sahil Mehta, ParamvirCheema, KanwaljitSingh, I Ranvir Shorey, Ali Mughal and 1 Nupur Nagpal

I ***"'

I Set inthe heart of rural Punjab, in Tabbar, family means everythingto I retired police constable Omkar (Pavan I Malhotra).With the conniving mind of 1 a seasonedpoliceman,Omkarpushes all boundaries tosave his family from I fallingapart in thisdark crimethriller.

I His wifeSargun(Supriya Pathak)

I is hisperfect match, theyang to his yin. She had alwaysdreamtof abig I and happy family and wasunsure if a I policeman husband would devote his I­

I

I time andenergyto it. Omkar made 1 apromise then, before marriage, andnow, it isevident that heisstill I honouringthat commitment.

I It turnsoutthatthe family, Omkar

1 and histwo sons Happy (GaganArora) andTeji (Sahil Mehta), have notjust I been keepingsecretsfrom their neighbours.They have beenkeeping

I investigation.

1 Thiseight-episode dramatells us about events thatoccurredin the last I two weeks atthe residenceof Omkar.

I The seriesbegins with 'Karam Din',or I the 'day of destiny'.

The episodes, whichfollow I sequentially, are: 'Jhoot' (Lies); 'Sach' I (Truth); 'TureyaJa'(KeepWalking, 1 secretsfrom eachothertoo.Anincident I attheir home that rollson accountof orExploringWithin); 'Kaai', which could be interpreted asTime; 'lshq' I self-defence boomerangs into a fullI fledged jamboree of ahigh-profile case 1 involvingthe local politicians, drug cartels and the police.

I Complicatingthe issue is Palak I (NupurNagpal), the love interest I ofHappy, who'snowengaged to his cousin, Lucky(ParamvirSingh

I Cheema), an enthusiastic police I constableinevitably drawninto the

1 BHAVAI (Theatre release)

DIRECTED BY:HardikGajjar

I STARRING: Pratik Gandhi, Aindrita I Ray, FloraSaini, Rajendra Gupta, I Rajesh Sharma, Abhimanyu, Ankur Vikal, Ankur BhatiaandGopal K.Singh.

I ***

I Setinthe village of Khakhar inGujarat, I Bhavai, apopularfolk theatre form, I provides thebackdropof this tragedy. The film is a layered tale oftwo

I star-crossed lovers whomeet while I performing the Ramlila inthe Bhavai style.

I When a travellingtroupeof the I Ramlilaowned by BhavarSingh comes I to his village, RajaramJoshi(Pratik Gandhi), sonofthe village pandit I (RajendraGupta), realises that this I is the opportunity for him toachieve

I his dream of becomingan actor.With I perseverance and happenstance, he secures the role of Ravan.

I During hisstint with thetroupe, I RajaramJoshiformsa bond with Rani I (Aindrita Ray), who playsSita, and given thecircumstances, they planto I elope. Howthe character, Ravanof the I Ramlila, comesto define Rajaram's life,

I I

I (Love); 'Hanera',orDarkness, literally, I but symbolically and mystically, it 1 connotesIgnorance; and 'Birha', orSeparation, whichalsoimpliesa I longing forreunion.

I The narrative isrichin literary I symbolism, which portrays the ethos ofits cinematicuniverse. The ominous I cawingof the crow, the unpredictable I weather,Sargun's Macbethian

I formsthecrux ofthe narrative.

1 Thefilm is minutely detailed and perfectly cast. What makes itstand I outisHardikGajjar's direction. He I astutely manages to guide his team to I deliverthe best, be itin performances, music,orvisuals.His writing,too, I iscommendable.The dialogues I aredown-to-earth, realistic and I embellished withthe right amount of localflavour.

I The onlyissueisGajjar'sscript.

I Thefirst act movesat a leisurelypace I withan undertone of religiousfervour 1 fanning thenarrative.The secondand third actssimplyseem rushed.

I The performancesby thecharacters I arecaptivating. They all livetheir parts I toperfection. Pratik Gandhislipsinto RajaramJoshi'sshoes effortlessly, I stealing the show withhisboy-next1 doorlooks andstardustinhis eyes. His transformationfrom theordinary village boy mouthingtheTandav Stotratobecoming Ravan issimply

I commendable.Hissinceritytouches

I the right emotional chords, butthe scriptdoes not allow him toflourish.

I Aindrita Ray ispromising as the I defiant Rani whoembodies the

demeanour, her hallucinations symbolising her torturedsoul, and the guilt she experiences, are all encapsulated beautifullyin the narrative, along with lines of the Sufi mysticand poet, Baba Farid.

The entire series appearsrobust, butit isthe fifthepisode whichis the weakestof the lot. The writing and poordirectionchancing with minor cinematic liberties -like Happy stealing the helmet, thensnatching his girlfriend'spurse, and later trying I toconvince her that her father is not I killed but hascommittedsuicide - make the sequence ofevents unconvincing.

The performances of its ace casts provideTabbarwithits bestmoments. Thescenes between Pavan Raj

Malhotraand Supriya Pathak looking deeply miserable, stand out.Similarly, GaganArora,Sahil Mehta, Paramvir Cheemaand NupurNagpal are sincere

and earnest.

RanvirShoreyas the upcoming politicianAjeetSodhi, Rachit Bahal as hisyounger brother MaheepSodhi, Ali Mughal asAjeet's Man Friday, Multan, and Babla Kochhar andSeema Kaushal as Palak'sparents Suneel andTanu Mahajan, all have their moments of on-screen glory. Kanwaljit Singh in a minuscule role as lnderjiis wastedintheseries.

Overall, mounted with decent productionvalues, theseries is visually atmospheric as each frame appearstobe realistic and is painstakinglycaptured.Thesound designtoo elevatesthe viewing

experience.

Troy Ribeiro

I confidentSitaon stage with grace.

1 Rajendra Gupta as Rajaram's dad Panditjiis natural, so are Rakesh I Sharma asBhajrangi, AnkurVikal as I Bhurelal who plays Ram, Ankur Bhatia, I who plays Laxman, and Bhagyashree Mote as Ranis friend Pyari.Their I performances resonate with theright I attitude, both as people and actors I inthe Ramlila.Gopal K. Singh as the I local politician RatanSinghjiis wasted in a minuscule role.The othersin I supportingroles, too,are perfectly I handpicked and deliveroutstanding I performances.

Visually, the filmis aesthetically I mounted.The high productionvalues

I boosted by cinematographer Chirantan I I Das'visual instincts, the stirring score by Prasad Sashte andShabbirAhmed, I whichinclude well-craftedsongs, I elevate Gajjar's effort.

1 The last frameof the film - aquote by Buddha thatstates, "It is man's own I mind, not hisenemy or foe, that lures

I himtoevil ways"-isdirected towardsa I I society blinded by religion andculture. I

Overall, thefilmis a mild attempt to be an eye-opener.

Troy Ribeiro

November 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

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

The self-employed could have some losses, and colleagues could act upforthose in ajob. Take a differentapproach to stay on topofthings. Several events could help to get over a crisis at work or in your love life. Stress-related health issues and aches and pains could crop up. Money istightthis month and you maynotbe ableto save any. Anytroubles you have been havingwithin orwithoutwill soon end.

Work,finishingongoing projects and lettinggo ofthe pastwill keep you busy. A new opportunity can come alongatworkor in your love life. Home improvement ison the cards. Circumstances improve, makingyou feel good aboutyourself. Work and home keepyou busyso goeasyon the nightlife, so you have timeto rest.A renewed project ora new business helpsyou earn more. Ifyouare clearaboutyour goal, gofor it.

You may havegonethrough some lifechangingeventsrecently.Workatbeing lessreactiveand more responsivein difficultsituations.Singles havea lot happeningintheirlives,so romancetakes a backseat.Workseems unrewardingand addstothevacuumwithin. Panicattacks orotherhealth issuescould bogyou down buttakeiteasyandthingswillgetbetter. Look beyondthesurfaceofeverysituation foremotionalgrowth. Introspectionwill helpyou resolve internaldilemmas.

Lettinggoofthepastiswhatyou needto move on andchangeyourself.Consider I thefeelingsofothers before expressing I yourviews.Aromantic relationshipmight end becauseofa realitycheck.Workwill I be challengingthismonth.Keepyour I communication withothersclearto have I happierrelationships.You mayneed to seea doctorifyou havea minorailment. I Thefutureseems uncertain butplodon, I thingswillgetbetter. Beobjective in every situationto knowthetruth.

Forthose ofyou repeating patterns in I The practical Capricorn mightbeeven your life, watch outforyou maylearn a I moresothis month asthey pickthe lessonthatwill never letyou repeatthem cardforVirgo.You become meticulous again.A problemthatseemsbeyond I in whatyou doand moredecisive, which resolution should beletgooffto a higher I isnota badthing. A break-up leavesyou powerfor peace.Achancetomake I devastated. Newsofthe passingawayof someextra cash could comeyourway. A someonecould make mattersworse. If difficultsituation could also be resolved I you havea health issue, getitchecked amicably.Take more restand avoidthe I beforeitaffectsyourwork. Don'tinvest energy drainers. A newjobopportunity is I too much into new business plans,they alsoon the anvil; overall,thingswillstart couldfallthrough.Allowthe higher to getbetter. I powerstoguideyou.

I You feel a strongurgeto optfora I different profession asthecurrent one doesn'tsatisfyyouanymore. Your I spiritual questkeepsyou afloatasyou I acknowledgethetemporariness of I everysituation.Atripcould leadto new opportunities. Be careful while driving I orwhile usinggizmosathometoavoid

I Emotions could run high this month I acrossyour personal and professional I life. An unexpected meetingwith someone could lead to a business I opportunity. Travel plansget shelved; I itisforthe best.Work hits highs and lowsthis month. Asense of emotional I emptiness could add to your problems and may even cause health issues. Delayed income or moneyowed will I accidents. Moneyseems blocked adding I toyourfrustrations. Butfreeingyour I mindfromself-imposed limitations can I bringsuccess. Do notfearchange and I startto come in. Shiftyourenergy and I focusto productive areas ofyour lifefor I go with theflow. I inner contentment.

Tochangetheoutside, it is besttostart Youseekfinancial securityand evaluate I with changingtheinside. Loveyourself I your relationshiptoo, wantingsecurity I some more beforeyou lookforaserious I thereaswell.A lackoffulflmentin your I relationship, ifsingle.Thosealready love life makes workand all elseseem involved could beconsideringgetting I lacklustre.A health condition needs I married. Bethorough inyourworkand do I immediate medical advice.You will I the research requiredforbetterresults. I clearany debtsyou mayhaveas money I Apetcouldfallsick,orafamilymember I flows in. Becareful aboutlossofmoney may need medical help.Avoidsubstance though.You maylosea loved oneto I abuseand binge drinking. Delayed I death. Be completely honestaboutyour I paymentswill startcoming in.Voiceyour I own mistakes and whatyou can doto ideasand workonthem. correctthem. I

I You are lookingfora sense ofbeing I centered andgrounded. Singlescould meetsomeone uniqueandtheattraction I will be mutual.A personal problem leaves I youconfused;give ittimetogetresolved.

I Introspectand cleanseyourchakrasfor a healthieroutlookallaround. Moneywill I come in givingyourelief. Guidanceand I successcomeyourwayto helpyoutake the nextstepinyourcareer. Whatyou I wantwillcometoyou;haveclarityabout I yourgoals however.

I The presenceofa majorarcana could I I indicate a pregnancy, lookingfora I I creative projectand forthesingle,the I chanceofa romance. Ifconsidering I movinginwitha current partner, giveit I I sometime. You couldtravel on a breakor I lookto buyyourown home.Those bored I withtheirjobs may wantto movetoa line I I ofworkthatgivesthem more interaction I I with peopleorcreativeopportunities.Any I delaysin money matters orotheraspects I ofyour life, aretemporary. I

I .------..,.....,...,..c---:--=---:----:��=--=o=--------

Tere chehre pe�..

SALAAMAUNTYJI.

IhopeyouarewellduringCOVID My nameisSairaRukshana.WhenIwas younger.peoplecalledmeSairaBanu becauseIlookedlikethegreatactress ofyore.Infact.SairaBanuthestarandI sharenotonlythesamenamebutalso ourbirthdays Anyway mygrandson hasrecentlygottenmarriedintheUK. andhisnewdu/honinsistsonhaving a weeklycatchuponZoombecause shewantstoseeuswhenshetalksto us.ButAuntyji,hamariboatyehhai, ki Idon'tlikegoingonZoombecauseit isnotthemostflatteringforme.SoI alwaystellthenayidulhaniathatwehave technicalissuesandthatwecanonly doaudio.MyhusbandZulfisaysnotto worryabouthowIlookandtojustmake connectionwithShaila Canyouplease tellmehowIcanendthisonceandforall, andconvinceShailathataudioisbest?

Lookingforwardtoyourguidance

AUNTYJISAYS

Tauba tauba. yeh kisjahilsehamara path crosshua hai?Arre kalmouhi, sharam nahiaati, atyourage?Youare agrandmother.and hereyouare.one footinthekabar. worriedaboutyour

looks.youoldbanana peel? Khudane tujhko achcha cheherazaroordiyatho ifyoulookedlikeSaira Banu.butaka/to bilkulnahidi. Atyourage.youshould bethinkingaboutyourgooddeeds. andbuilding connections.yethere youare.worriedabout whatyoulook likeonZoom.Zaroortumhariticketto jahannum isassured.You haveanew familymemberwhoisdoingherbitto connect.andtospendtimevirtually withyou,andyournarcissistic. selfcentredprideonyourfadedlooksis moreimportanttoyou. Di/ko dekho, chehere nah dekho, because cheherene laakhonko loota. Doyourememberthis Bollywood song?Di/sacha ourchehera jhoota. Exceptinyourcase,yourdi/is koala likethekaja/youprobablywear. Youarenotevena tit onSairaBanuji's face-becauseyouletyourfaded beautykeepyoufromformingaloving relationship withyourgrandson'snew wife. Whenyouland injahannum. there willbeplentytokeepyou company. Noneofthem willbecomplimentingyou onyourbeauty.Theywillbelaughingat youforprioritisingbeautyovervirtue. SoIhavenoguidanceforyou.Getover yourself,youself-centred%*$%#!

OIL maange mJ?ne

DEARAUNTYJI

I haveaparticularproblemIdesperately needyourhelp on Oneofmysons who is27yearsoldrecentlygotmarried.and because wehaveareallybighouse. heandhisnew wifelivewithus.My daughter-in-law isniceandIhopethey live withusforever ButAuntyji,myOIL worksfromhome.and myson worksin thecity Sotheproblemisthis Whenmy soncomeshomefrom workeachday. bothRaviandNina gointotheirroom foroveranhour Wedon'tseethem untilit'stimetopreparedinner- when Ninahelpsmedothis Auntyji.howdo I tellthemthatwhenRavicomes home, itwouldbeniceformetoseehimand thatheand Ninadon'tdisappearinto theirroomforan hour HowdoItell themto stopthisbehaviour?

AUNTYJISAYS

Arre Dayan. teremouh mekidapade. Tere sapno me kaalibi/Iitujh konoche. Tere baa/o me nits andlice khushiyaan manaye. Maygreenfungusgrow betweenyourtoes.Youarethe worst motherIhaveeverhadthemisfortune to writetomeinalltheyearsIhave beendoingthis.

Whatkind ofa churail areyouthatyou thinkyourdesireforseeingyoursonis moreimportantthantheblossoming needsofhis new wife?Don'tyou rememberbeing newlymarried. dusht aurat -and whatit's liketo beinthe honeymoon phase? Ifyouhadevena jotofmaternalinclination,you would bedelightedthatRaviand Nina loveto spendtimewitheachother.You would beoverjoyedandgratefulthattheyare living withyou.Youshould begoing out ofyour wayto makelifeso wonderful forthemthatthey neverthinkof leaving.Yethereyouare, wantingto bethefirst personto be withyourson when hereturnsfrom work.Seriously, isthis what's been buggingyou?How canyounotwanttodiein shameforeventhinkingthis way? Listen up besharam kulta. yoursonis nowaman anddeserves somealonetime withhis new wife.Don'tyoudareimposeyour neediness on him.And especiallydon't imposeyourpoop on yournew bahu. Ifyou wantRaviand Ninato continue tolive withyou.Isuggestyou change yourvyarth thinking-you wacky dushta bhava. HeyRam, mujh ko mukti chahiye fromyourpaapi people.