2022-01 Sydney

All things Indian. In Australia.

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SYDNEY I JANUARY 2022 I Vol. 29 No. 4 I FREE

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EDITORIAL • PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra

CONTRIBUTORS Rhea L Nath, Bageshri Savyasachi, Jazib Farid, Krishna Neelamraju, Nikeeta Bhatia, Mohan Dhall, Nidhi Joshi, Tarini Puri, Jessica Bhatia, Petra O'Neill, Minal, LP Ayer, Auntyji SALES AND MARKETING Charu Vij

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EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra

BY

PAWAN LUTHRA or the 1 million Indians in Australia, the worry levels are high about the potential spread of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus in India. Most of us were left affected directly or indirectly when the Delta variant bushfire raged across the nation less than 9 months ago, even as the health system fought tooth and nail to contain it.

India is all about numbers; with a population of over 1.3 billion, these numbers can either be a source of attraction or a liability to manage.

Investment consultants spruik the great opportunities which lie in business with these 1.3 billion consumers; others look at the social, environmental, educational and health responsibilities which come with this population size.

India has reported 35,000,000 infections and 483,000 deaths caused by COVID-19's Delta variant. These official

figures have been disputed - claims are that they on the lower side, due to incomplete certification of COVID deaths, misattribution to chronic disease and low levels of paperwork in rural India. Nonetheless, they constitute about 10% of the global deaths due to COVID. To be better equipped to fight the virus, one needs at least three doses of vaccines at this stage, the initial two vaccinations and then the booster shots. To date only 45 % of the population is fully vaccinated and it is only now that the booster shots have begun to be rolled out for those over 60 or with comorbidities and for frontline workers.

It is a well-known fact that the initial vaccination shots have low efficacy after about 4-5 months. Of those currently vaccinated, a large number of people in India will be walking around unprotected against the Omicron variant, due merely to the gap between their initial vaccination and their hooter shot.

Last year, the spread of Delta partially accelerated due to elections in five states of India, including Bengal and Tamil

OSBI

ernau Naidu. Thronging rallies were blamed for the fast spread. And now in 2021, 180 million people are set go to the polls in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur on 10 Feb. Though election rallies have been banned, one can expect to see huge gatherings of people, leading to fears of a repeat of 2021. That the Omicron is reported to be particularly severe on those who have not been vaccinated or have low efficacy is therefore of concern.

All this as the government reported 160,000 new cases on a single day (Sun 9 Jan), with the two largest cities Delhi and Mumbai recording more than 20,000 new cases each. In spite of schools in many states remaining closed, health officials are understandably concerned.

For Indian-Australians heading home to India in coming days, it is i1nportant that they are not only double vaccinated but have had their booster also. And yes, social distancing in India might prove to be a challenge, but sticking to the triple mantra of masking, social distancing and hygiene may just make the trip safer.

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Contact us: +61 2 924156431 Email:info@sbisyd.com.au Sydney Office: Level 31 Suite 02 264 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Melbourne Office: Level 9, Victory Tower, 416-420 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000, VIC

JANUARY 2022 3

YOUR SAY

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CHRISTMAS DAY TRAGEDY IN PORT ELLIOT, SA

A harsh reminder for water safety among multicultural communities after 26-year-old Sidhardha Reddy Vaddi fell off the rocks into choppy waters and drowned.

Petra O'Neill wrote: So sad. Please only swim at a patrolled beach or river

between the red and yellow flags, never alone.

Dhiraj Patel wrote: This is very sad news. Rest In Peace.

Jawahar Mudliar wrote: Water safety skills are a must-have, always. RIP Niranjan Ramjee wrote: Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti. God grant the family courage to deal with this loss.

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INDIAN COUTURE FOR PETS

RHEA L NATH reported on doggie dressmaker Meygha Shankar of Sydney, who creates custom sherwanis, anarkalis, bow ties and more for dogs.

Revathy Sundaresan wrote: Brilliant concept and creation Meygha! How

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INDIAN SPICE CROPS IN OZ

JYOTI SHAN KAR reported on the work of CQU crop physiologist Prof Surya Bhattarai, which could see spice crops such as black sesame (kaalatil), fennel (saunf) and more, grown right here in Australia.

Surjit Dhanji wrote: Awesome. I'd love a tour of the farm where you grow these

spices

Malcolm D'Souza wrote: How interesting, using biomass leftover after harvest

for making fire briquettes for cremation. Wonder if they use only the black sesame plant for this purpose, and if so, why?

Preshika Sharma replied to Malcolm D'Souza: Black sesame is used a lot in death-related rituals. It is believed to absorb negative energies both within the body and in the atmosphere, and so it must be cleansing in some way.

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adorable the pups look. Wish you the very best.

Resmi Krishnan wrote: So genuinely proud of my friend for starting her passion project and already killing it. So much so she ends up in Indian Link. Every Aussie Indian knows - this is big!

Esha Aggarwal wrote: I don't usually like dogs dressed up to look like humans, and yet even I paused to look closely at these photos!

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WORLD IENE TH THE

JANUARY 2022

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• • • • • • • • • • •• • tLLUSTRATIONS 6Y T[SS OOWUNO

MAKING MATHS FUN

NIDHI JOSHI on 17-year-old Vignesha Vishwanathan's new book of short stories, in which numbers are the main characters.

Dhanya Samuel wrote: How interesting!

Swathi Shanmukhasundaram wrote: This little legend is also a Takeover

Melbourne Winner! In addition to her love for writing, Vignesha's fascination with national anthems and what they tell us about a nation's identity brought us so much joy in 2021! Thanks to Indian Link for amplifying Vignesha's work.

Prof. Asha Rao RMIT wrote: This is the same young woman I tweeted about last week. She has memorised 38 national anthems.

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SAY IT AGAIN

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Imagine being like: "It's a jail, it's hell on earth, I'm being deprived of my liberty, nobody should be treated like this, it's despicable and inhumane" ... and they let you go and you just toddle off for a lovely hit of tennis. Says all you need to know.

Maxine Beneba Clarke, writer

The best move for the government now would be to free all the refugees in indefinite detention.

Adam Liaw, writer and TV presenter

I would not be mad if my tax dollars were used for free RATs. Beverley Wang,

writer

www.indianlink.com.au

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A #STOPADANI PROTEST

JYOTI SHAN KAR reported on a noisy game of cricket played out near the Sydney offices an Indian institution, in protest against Adani.

Tejas Joshi wrote: Adani's is not the only coal mine project in the world.

There are so many coal and other industries that are currently producing minerals and other natural resources from the soil in Australia and around the globe. Not sure why this project is having all the issues. It seems like particularly someone doesn't like Indian businesses doing progress electricity will bring growth in India for sure which may be issue for some.

So is the cause of protest on the name of the environment? Each and every project will have impact on the environment at some level. This project will earn good revenue for Australia and give work to a number of people directly and indirectly in Queensland.

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WHERE IN INDIA

On Christmas, we decided to test your church trivia: where can you find this church, built in the Gothic Revival style? And no, it isn't Goa or Pondicherry!

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SEEKING PUNJABI READERS

We asked, what's this on the back of this truck, seen on Sydney's Hume Highway.

Naresh14 wrote: Baba mehar sab te. It means May God bless all.

Sukhvir Sidhu wrote: I saw this same truck in Metcash, Adelaide a couple

weeks back!

Hitesh Kaplish, Manjeet Singh, Keshav, Singh Gurdev, Sourav Wahi, Akshay Jain and Harjinder Aneja also wrote: God bless all.

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WHERE IN OZ

This might've been a tricky one! We challenged you to identify this castle, hand-built by a Spanish dreamer in the Australian tropical jungle.

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•• •• • Readers Naresh, Anu Shree, Keerthi Chandrapaty, and Rohit Ganesh Readers Anu Shree and Divya Praveen got the right answer: Paronella •• •• had the correct answer: Medak Cathedral in Telangana .

Park, QLD. It was built by Jose Paronella in the 1930s.

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The pandemic has fundamentally changed the lives of the many people who share the Sanskrit name of Kovid. And many of the Kovids are tired of the jokes. Several have even bonded over social media, forming a loose network to discuss and complain about their shared experiences of being mocked for a name that means "scholar or learned person" - and is referenced in Vedic literature, including within a Hindu prayer dedicated to Lord Hanuman.

Jennifer Hassan, "My name is Kovid and I am not a virus" in The Washington Post

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SPECIAL FEATURES PASTIMES

Gold Coast golfer's Lagaan moment

STAGE

16

Challenging gender norms: Binary artist Naavikaran

18

2022 Calendar of Indian and Australian observances and holidays

20

VIEWPOINT

Girls CAN be what they cannot see

FINE DINING

The new quirk in Indian restaurant names

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·iwisted indian

COVER STORY

32

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

A personal account of a recent trip

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JANUARY 2022 7

COVER STORY

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Despite open borders, international travel remains an ordeal due to changing ru les and restrictions. A personal account of a recent tri p to India.

TRAVELLING TO MUMBAI

BY

JAZIB FARID ith international borders open at last, n1y wife and I decided to bring in the new year with our loved ones back home, for the first time in three long years. Like many others, of course we'd heard the anecdotes of difficult international flights, 111iscon11nunication at airports, and even wrong paperwork, but we couldn't shrug off the exciten1ent from meeting our fa1niJy after such a long wait. And so, this sununer, we decided to travel to India.

We took Sri LankanAirlines for our trip fron, Sydney to Mumbai (via Colombo).

For our return journey from Mumbai to Sydney we flew ThaiAirways (via Bangkok).

Now, l wish l could say it was smooth sailing. Unfortunately, like all those other anecdotes, l saw my fair share of difficulties too. There was lots of paperwork to be co1npleted at each step • shockingly, with nothing more than a glance at them by the authorities. When international travel guidelines changed practically overnight, I had to rely on my own research as the airlines did Httle to help us.

In sharing 1ny story, here's hoping f can help other travellers be better prepared for what lies ahead.

(Let me also mention that aviation has always been a passionate hobby tor n,e, though by profession I lead the enviro1unental and sustainability division for a Sydney-based company. Ln my free ti111e, you'll find me at the airport watching planes take off and land, while learning more about the aviation industry every step of fue way. l'm also an amateur aviation photographer.)

(SriLankan Airlines, 25 December 202 1 )

I booked my tickets in October on the airline's website and found it to be a fairly easy and straightforward process. Shortly thereafter I joined some WhatsApp groups for SriLankan Airlines trave!Jers that were actively used by close to 700 people. The an1ount of information shared was great and it helped n1e plan my trip more efficiently.

Flight Tracking

Being an aviation geek, I track flights via the FLight Radar a.pp that gives me live information of timings, delays, aircraft details, etc. Now, I plan n,y trip to the airport as per the inbound flight's arrival tin1ing. This helps n1e work with real-time flight inforn1ation that is available online, rather than what is shared at the airport.

Flight Delay

Ahead of my travel, I noted down departure and arrival timings of SriLankan Airlines flights to and fron, Colombo, Sydney, and Melbourne and shared details with fellow passengers to be prepared for delays. I found they have been delayed consistently on weekend flights from these cities.

On 23 Dec, a n1ember of the SriLankan WhatsApp group who had her parents flying in fron, Colombo to Sydney posted that the llight was an hour delayed. Usually if the flight is delayed by an hour but has a strong tailwind in the direction of SYD, the flight can make up for lost time. When the headwind is blowing towards the West, ilights towards SYD are unable to make up for the lost tin1e and hence are delayed.

While tracking this particular llight, I realised that due to a technical issue, it was diverting back to Colombo 1.5 hours after

departure.

I knew then that given night-tin1e curfew fron1 11pm to 6am here at SYD, there was no way I would be boarding my flight at 10.30pm as scheduled.

ShortJy after figuring this out, I received a ca!J fron1 SriLankan Airlines customer care to not go to the airport as the flight was delayed. Over phone call and email, they inforn1ed me that they would get in touch with a new departure time and later that day, true to their word, l received these details.

Departure from SYD

Given the new boarding time at 6am on 25 Dec, l arrived at the airport around 3:15am.

T here was a huge line for verification of documents followed by the queue for check-in. It took me two hours to complete the entire check-in process. (It is highly recomn1ended to take colour printouts of all required documents to make the verification process quicker.)

The Documents checked were: • Air Suvidha Form • COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate • RT-PCR Test Report (taken within 72 hrs of departure time) • OCI or Indian Visa After the check-in process was complete, immigration and security check were a breeze as the airport was empty. Ours was the first international flight to depart SYD on Christmas Day. We completed the process by 5:43an, and waited at the departure gate shortly after. Notably, there were no duty-free shops or restaurants open, leaving onJy vending machines for snacks and drinks.

Settled into my seat on the plane at 6.10am, 1 noticed that over 90 per cent of

the plane seats were vacant.

In-flight Experience (Sydney to Colombo)

Half an hour into the departure and drinks were served along with vegetarian and non­ vegetarian food options. Everything came inside a large plastic box for each passenger.

The passionate environmentalist inside me wasn't particularly impressed!

The flight was comfortable but cold recomn1end carrying a jacket or sweater.

At 5:23pm (Sydney time) or 11 :53am (SriLankan time), we landed in Colon1bo.

Transit at Colombo Airport

The Transfer Desk was packed with passengers from our SYD flight who soon were notified that their onward connections to Cochin, Bangalore, or Hyderabad had been cancelled or delayed and they hadn't been informed beforehand. Understandably, it caused an uproar as SriLankan Airlines wasn't providing hotels for the long layovers until the transit flight. I counted myself lucky to have already received the boarding passes for the Colombo-Mumbai flight in Sydney.

The standard food options available at the airport are Pizza Hut, Burger King, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Cafe. It's worth noting that the only currency used across the terminal is USO and SriLankan Rupees.

Some outlets accept foreign currency, but the change would be given i11 USO.

Departure from Colombo

The aircraft was quite worn down from the inside. The seats were old and brushed off and there were no in-flight entertainment screens. Unlike the flight from Sydney, this llight (two and a half hours long), was fu!Jy packed. In fact, there wasn't enough room

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Flying SriLankan into Colombo, and crowding the Transit counter

8 JANUARY 2022

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for the overhead luggage and some extra luggage had to be taken by the ground staff and stored in the luggage con1partment of the aircraft.

Arrival in Mumbai

At Mumbai, it was a straight-forward process as long as you had all docu111ents colour printed and organised in a file/folder.

The advice given by passengers fron1 the WhatsApp groups proved very useful.

with efficient conlffiunication to passengers even when the flight was delayed from Sydney. The service was good, and the crew was friendly and humble. I would fly with them again on a long-haul sector.

RETURNING TO SYDNEY

(Thai Airways, 3 Jan 2022)

Location: Rando1n counter on the way to ln1111igration after deboarding aircraft Documents Check: Air Suvidha Forn1. They barely brushed through the details and told us to proceed to I111Juigration.

When bookmg 111y travel in October, I noticed that Thai Airways was selling tickets for close to $800-900 per person for the Mumbai to Sydney sector via Bangkok in the first week of the new year. It was unreal for a premiun1 airline to sell such comparatively inexpensive tickets du1·ing COVID and the upcoming peak holiday period. Little did I know, it would be by far a frustrating experience.

2nd Stop

Buying the Ticket

1 st Stop

Location: Baggage Claim Documents Check: No documents asked/ checked.

Even purchasing 1ny ticket on the Thai Ail-ways website was not a comfortable experience. l t only allowed purchase through A1nerican Express (AMEX) credit cards, although the ticketing policy on the website states that all Visa and Mastercard types of pay1nent are allowed. Since [ didn't have an AMEX credit card, I had to ask my family in lndja to purchase the ticket for me and bank transfer the amount later. It was highly inconvenient, but I bought the ticket for its competitive price.

4th Stop

Regulatory Approval

Location: h111njgration Documents Check: For Indian Passport Holders - Submit Indian Passport For Foreign Passport Holders - Subn1it Foreign Passport, OCI or Indian Visa, .Department of ltn1nigration Form (given at Colombo Airport during boarding)

3rd Stop

Location: Custon1s Documents Check: No documents asked/ checked.Only baggage screening.

5th Stop

Location: ln the arrivals hall just before exit of airport building Documents Check: Air Suvidha For111, International Vaccine Certificate, RT-PCR Test Results

The counter person briefly saw them, did not even go through in detail and told us to 1nove on. Notably, no authorities asked for the additional fonns provided to us at Colo111bo airport or the in-flight health declaration.

Overall, it was a great airline experience

It turned out that Thai Airways sold tickets in October even though they had not received regulatory approval yet to fly between India and Thailand. Hence, there were no flights to rely on to understand if my travel in January 2022 would go ahead.

A lot of the decisions were based on the hope that the 1 ndian governn1ent would approve Thai Airways flights to India. Less than a week after booking my tickets, there was an official circular announcing the resumption of scheduled flights to and from India. 1 rested a little easier.

As with my previous travel, I joined the Thai Airways WhatsApp group created by passengers travelling with the same airlines between lndia and Australia via Bangkok. A lot of critical announcements

and discussions here led me to successfully travel to India and back. Perhaps our biggest challenge, though, was the lack of travel updates by Thai Airways. They kept changing the rules and restrictions but did not communicate them to us passengers via phone call, e1nail, or text n1essage. As you can in1agine, it created a lot of stress and anxiety.

India's announcement for travel restrictions (9 Dec 2021)

Practically overnight, the Indian government announced that all international scheduled flights will be suspended until 31 Jan 2022. Only countries sharing a travel bubble with India would be able to fly easily. For passengers travelling through countries that do not have a travel bubble with India, they would have to quarantine as per the transiting country's travel restrictions.

For us Thai Airways passengers, it meant quarantining for a day in Bangkok at a hotel, completing an RT-PCR Test and then based on the negative test report, checking back into Bangkok Au·port to board their onward connection flight.

Quarantine Requirements of Thailand (Thai Pass)

Since all travellers to and from India now had to quarantine in Bangkok, passengers had to apply for a Thai Pass, the entry per111it into Thailand to quarantine. Of the three types of quarantine programs Thailand offered, the least was of the I-day Test & Go Package. However, the requirements were quite strict and remarkably, the need for a Thai Pass was not communicated to us in any travel updates from Thai Airways. We were meant to discover on our own that without an approved Thai Pass, we would not be allowed to travel.

Following India's travel ban, I was increasingly anxious about my travel. 1 contacted Thai Airways in Sydney about travel updates and quarantine requirements, but they remained unreachable.

Changing my ticket for the first time (14 Dec)

Eventually I went to the Thai Airways office in Sydney CBD on 14 Dec to change n1y flight ticket to have a 24-hour quarantine in Bangkok. The office was closed to the public but Thai Airways staff were working inside. I knocked on the door repeatedly until someone finally came out and agreed to help me out.

In under 10 1ninutes, my ticket was updated and now had the 1-day quarantine stopover in Bangkok. I also booked a hotel stay that is a SHA+ hotel as required for the Thai Pass.

That same evening, the airlines put out a post on their official Facebook page about the need to quarantine. Passengers were not contacted by the airline nor was this travel update available on their website. For a premium global airline to communicate in this fashion was, I thought, rather unprofessional.

Second ticket change (16 Dec)

Two days later, Thai Airways deleted the Facebook post and posted a new update, stating "If you are booked to travel between 1 ndia and Australia or vice-versa, you ARE now pern1itted to TRANSIT in Bangkok in both directions, you do not have to stay overnight in a hotel." There was no official notice from either the Indian or Thai government to support this travel update but because we were flying with Thai Airways, we had no choice but to follow them.

I contacted Thai Airways via Facebook Messenger and they changed my ticket to my original ticket. It felt very unprofessional to do this via social media and after my ticket was changed, I noticed they had not put in the 30kgs of standard luggage in my updated ticket. It took a long time chasing them to get this updated.

Third ticket change (20 Dec)

And yet, my ordeal with Thai Airways did not end there. Mysteriously, their Facebook post announcing the travel update was

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JANUARY 2022 9

COVER STORY deleted, causing an uproar among us passengers. We were back to square one - requiring at least 24 hours quarantine in Bangkok.

Despite nu1nerous attempts, I was unable to reach That Airways Customer Care via phone. I was also told by friends who visited the Sydney CBD office that the staff had behaved very rudely. After consecutive phone calls getting disconnected, I was finally able to get through to a staff men1ber at the Sydney CBD office who helped change my ticket (again). She was very patient and helpful.

Fourth ticket change (24 Dec)

A day before n1y flight from Sydney to Colombo, I received a travel update for my Thai Airways ticket that n1y flight has been postponed by a day. Instead of travelling on 2 Jan 2022 fron1 Mumbai and arriving on 3 Jan in Bangkok that n1et the 24 hours quarantine requirement + additional 11 hrs until 1ny next available flight, Thai Airways has changed n1y departure date to 3 Jan. It reduced my stopover tin1e in Bangkok to 10 hours 451nins and mentioned it as a transit in 111y ticket (which wasn't allowed as per the latest travel guidelines). By this point, I was fed up with chasing Thai Ajrways for updates. I decided to take a chance at Mun1bai Airport to let then1 permit me to travel.

26 Dec 2021

Thai Airways announced on Facebook that any new applicants for Test & Go ( I -day quarantine) in Bangkok have been suspended from 22 Dec 2021. It meant that any new applicant for the Thai Pass would have to quarantine for a minimu1n of 7-days in Thailand. This vital information was not clearly con1111unicated to us passengers via any forn1 of communication

by Thai Airways. However, 1 had received my 1-day Thai Pass and was able to quarantine in Bangkok on my trip back to SYD.

RT-PCR Testing in India

As per India's travel guidelines, it is mandatory to only do the RT-PCR Testing within 72 hrs of your flight departure fro111 an approved JCMR Laboratory. My advice would be to refer to the latest updated List of lCMR labs. 1 completed 1ny test in Mumbai and got the results on the day of departure. Please ensure the report has a QR code, correct name, passport number and nationality as per Passport.

Departure from B0M (3 :January, 2022)

I arrived 5 hours prior to departure tiine to Bangkok and was one of the first few passengers for Thai Check-in. Once the queue began, 1 was asked strictly for a set of documents that I had prepared beforehand. The Thai Airways team went through all of my documents in detail: • Thai Pass • Travel Insurance • Covid-19 Vaccine Certificate • RT-PCR Test Report (Negative) • Hotel Accommodation Bookjng in Bangkok (that includes confirmation of RT-PCR Testing) The check-in counter was very slow and unsure during the whole process. The staff was unsure of the travel rules themselves

10 JANUARY 2022

Feeling lucky... but concerned

and weren't sure what was required except for Thai Pass. I saw 1nany people in the check-in line who did not have any Thai Pass and didn't even know about such a requirement as the airlines did not communicate to them about it. I do not think they were aJlowed to board the flight.

The Transit area of Mumbai Airport was pretty eLnpty, as was the flight to Bangkok.

We departed at 11 :20pm.

Arrival in Bangkok

We landed at 4:26am on 4 Jan 2022 and were instructed to check our documents. At the verification of docu,nents counter, it was all checked thoroughly again, before we proceeded to imnugration. Everything at the airport, including duty free shops and restaurants,were closed. Only the money exchange counter and health services were still open, where we got some Thai Baht as it is the only cu1-rency accepted at this airport.

At arrivals, there are many counters for hotels with hotel representatives sitting there to receive you and then communicate with the driver to drop you to the hotel.

Our hotel representative attended to us quickly and we had a dTiver in 15 minutes at the terminal exit. It was an SUV and all our luggage fit in. Soon we arrived at the hotel.

Bangkok Hotel Stay & RT• PCR Testing

We arrived at the hotel by 6am and opted for express PCR testing as we needed the report as soon as possible. With my changed ticket, my stopover in Bangkok was reduced fron1 35 hours to 11 hours. 1 had to complete an express PCR test as the results would come in 4-6 hours while a standard PCR test result would come in 1215 hours. lt cost me AU$200 per person additional over the hotel stay. The testing centre was at the parking of the hotel and had no waiting time.

It was stressful waiting in the hotel room for the test result without which I could not board my llight to Sydney. We eventually received our test results at 12:30pm after constant checking with the hotel reception.

Once they can1e, we quickly grabbed a taxi from the hotel parking lot and left for the airport.

Departure from Bangkok

The check-in counters were deserted at Bangkok airport. My wife and I were the only passengers checkjng in at that time.

We completed our check-in process in 10 minutes, security check and immigration in 15-20 minutes.

We had a lot of time to spend in the airport transit area. Soon we realised that 70 per cent of the airport terminal is

under renovation and there were only three food outlets to eat from, one being on the extreme end of the terminal while the other two (Bread Cafe and Subway) were at the other end of the terminal. As we waited, l continued to be astonished by the number of flight cancellations on the departure board.

We arrived in Sydney on 5 Jan at 7: 15am. Although the in1migration process was hassle-free, 1 was surprised that no authorities checked for an RT­ PCR Certificate or Australian Travel Declaration.

LOOKING BACK AT IT ALL

I've now shared my travel experience on Facebook and WhatsApp groups. I do not want anyone to go through what I did, especially those who continue to face difficulties around the Thai Pass. Thai Airways would not be 1ny preferred airline based on my experience, although I'm thankful to have been able to travel to India and back during this time.

It has been a long time since many of us have seen our loved ones, but international travel remains a challengin gexperience during the pandemic. If you must travel, please do check information constantly. But most of all, be prepared for plenty of uncertainty.

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ultiple COVID-19 testing sites acrossAustralia have been temporarily closed due to n1assive numbers of people lining up for PCR testing. If you're travelling to India and trying to get tested 72 hours before your flight, Histopath Diagnostics Specialists at three n1ajor Australian airports will give you PCR test results in 90 1ninutes for the price of $ 79 per test.

Only international travellers are allowed to attend Histopath'spre-departure testing at Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne International airports on the sa,ne day of departure.

Testing is available to travellers to India 48 hours prior to departure.

However, for testing on the day of departure, please ensure you arrive at least 4 to 5 hours prior to your check-in tin1e in order to secure your test and receive your results.

Please Note: Passengers n1ust show evidence of flight details in order to be accepted for testing and testing for Do,uestic flights is not available at any of Histopath's airport facilities.

When you are getting a test at the airport, follow this simple 3-step process.

• Register and pay for your test: no appointn1ents necessary • Visit the testing centre for atest • Receive your certificate

PCR testing at Sydney International Airport Departures

Available 7 days a week 6.00am to 11.30pm (Open Public Holidays). Located on Departures level concourse opposite entrance D.

PCR testing at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport Departures

Available 7 days a week 6.00am to l 1.00pn1 (Open Public Holidays). Located in Tern1inal l .

PCR testing at Brisbane International Terminal

Available 7 days a week 8.00am to 11.00pm (Open Public Holidays). Located on Departures level, shop 4 B-41.

In order to be eligible for testing at Brisbane airport, you n1ust have a mode of transport arranged should your test come back positive.

If not, you will be required to await OAS transport which can take upwards of 5 hours. If you do not have a Brisbane residential address and test positive, you may be required to be admitted to a Queensland hospital to await assessment.

For more information, visit www.histopath. co111. au/locations/airport#Register

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Government of India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

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Revised Guidelines for International

Arrivals from 11 January 2022 (00:01 IST) Planning travel

• Submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel date.

• Upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. The test should have been conducted within 72 hrs prior to departure.

• Passengers shall also submit a declaration with respect to authenticity of the PCR report.

Boarding the flight • At the time of boarding, only asymptomatic travellers will be allowed to board after thermal screening.

• If any passenger reports symptoms of COVID-19 during flight, they will be isolated as per protocol.

On arrival from Australia

• 2% of the total flight passengers shall undergo post-arrival testing at random (testing of these samples will be prioritised) • These 2% of travellers in each flight shall be identified by the concerned airlines (preferably from different countries).

All travellers (including those 2% who were selected for random testing on arrival and were found negative) will undergo home quarantine for 7 days and shall undertake RT-PCR test on the 8th day of arrival in India.

Travelers are required to upload results of another RT-PCR test for COVID-19 done on the 8th day on the Air Suvidha portal (to be monitored by the respective States/UTs). If negative, they will further self-monitor their health for next 7 days.

However, if such travellers are tested positive, their samples should be further sent for genomic testing at INSACOG laboratory network and they will be managed at on isolation facility and treated as per standard protocol.

Disclaimer: This information hos been compiled from the Government of India, Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare website (www.mohfw.gov.in). Guidelines may be subject to change, please check the website closer to your travel date.

JANUARY 2022 11

A D V E RT O R I A L

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GAURA TRAVEL has now operated 100 charter fl ights between I ndia and Austra l ia n the month of March 2020, under great adversity, we sum1noned the will and along with the support and bl.essings of some great well-wishers, we operated our first charter flight.

We weren't sure back then how many more we would fly. Hey, a part of us wasn't even sure we would ever have another plane in the air again!

But we persevered. Our backs were against the wall, but we found room for courage. We banked upon the goodwill of our passengers and lo and behold, we flew our 100th charter flight in Decen1ber!

We caJ1 barely believe that we actually scored a century of charters and we have you, our valued passengers, to thank.

We thank you for the opportunity to connect you back with your loved ones.

We thank you for the faith you placed Ln US.

We are grateful to you.

Great stories from our 'charter' chapter

In February 2021, we flew our 10,000th passenger through our charter planes.

We still ren1ember talking to our 10,000th passenger at the airport just as he was about to board (and now we have flown well over 20,000 passengers!).

We offered him a business class ticket and the happiness he experienced and expressed remains indescribable.

Later that evening, we also celebrated the event with colleagues and well-wishers from the industry and friends.

Even that night, we did not imagine that we would put a 100 charter planes in the air.

We realised one important lesson: that the human spirit wants to fly free, and it can never ever be captured for long.

Want to travel, but haven't booked?

We are also taking bookings for some commercial flights through other airlines in the new year!

So speak with our friendly staff to get further clarity on the rules and regulations. We are open 24/7.

Make 2022 a year to remember

We sincerely hope that the new year brings the joy and togetherness that we have aJJ been denied for the last two years.

We hope that destinations will be unlocked, that borders will remain open, that you the traveller can be as free as ever.

So if travelling in 2022 sounds like a great idea, get onto it now. We have a number of travel packages available.

So, call us and book your seats before we sell out!

Meanwhile, we have a 100 reasons to express our gratitude to all those who make our business tick.

YOU!

The Gaura Travel team

12 JANUARY 2022

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Selective Schools Holiday Intensive Program Written by Mohan Dhall, a n expert i n Selective Schools, the Dymocks Tutoring Program starts on 1 7 January and covers the key areas your child must ace to secure a selective school position! H urry places are limited.

BOO K NOW

Visit dymockstutoring.edu.au/resources/events Call 1300 33 77 88

DR FIONA MARTIN M P FEDERAL MEMBER FOR REID

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F ROM D R FIONA MARTI N MP /

ISUINI> TUE INt>IAN A LIAN t!dMMVNl7Y A VEiY UAPPY I.EP � l>AY May it be a time to proudly remember and treasure your heritage India.

" JANUARY 2022 13

OPINION The Neelamraju family at their citizenship ceremony: It was a virtual event, but they made the video call on the steps ofthe Sydney Opera House to make it a memorable moment.

us ra 1a eco e a •

Or why KRIS NEELAMRAJ U joined the Australia n Repu blica n Movem ent

he Australian society takes immense pride in giving a 'fair go' to anyone who tries. We are all told that, as Australians, no opportunity or job is denied to us. Except for one job which happens to be a pretty important one in a den1ocracy. You should be enraged to know that the very fact that you are an Australian citizen disqualifies you from that job.

Allow me to remind you that the Head of State of Australia is the British Queen and only her son or her grandson or someone in that line of succession can inherit that role.Australian citizens like you and I are, constitutionally speaking, 111ere 'subjects' of the said Queen or King. Which means we can never be good enough to become the head of this country. To n1e, that disqualification remains bothersome. And it continues to re1nind me that there is still work to be done to make Australia fully 14 JANUARY 2022

independent.

To a majority of Australians, having the British Queen as our Head of State represents a harmless link to a quaint institution. A wink and a nod to the 'origin story' of 1nodernAustralia, if you will. However, scratch the surface of this seemingly benign arrangement and you will discover some prickly legal issues. There are dangers lurking just under the surface that are not as well-known as they should be.

The Australian Parliament still passes laws 'In the name of Her Majesty'. In 2002, the High Court of Australia ruled that 'the fundamental criterion of me1nbership (of the Australian nation) is allegiance to the Queen'. As per an analysis published on the Australian Parliament House's website, that High Court ruling gave greater rights to non­ citizen British residents (even those convicted of serious crimes) than those enjoyed by

us• IC

some Australian citizens. This is a shocking example of how having the Queen as a Head of State could lead to multiple classes of citizenship.

Another issue is foreign interference in Australian politics. For decades, Buckingham Palace kept secret its involvement in the dismissal of an Australian government in 1975. Legal experts still debate about the unconstitutionality of those events. It took an epic legal battle in recent years by a tenacious Australian historian in alliance with Australia's best legal minds to force Buckingham Palace to tear down that wall of secrecy. This is another example of the dangers of the status quo.

To son1eone like me, whose formative years were spent in India, bowing to a King or Queen represents a moth-eaten class system that is well past its 'Best Before' date. Celebrating India's Republic Day every

year, I learnt the difference between gaining Independence and beconling a Republic.

When the country became 'independent' in 1947, Indians gained the right to self­ governance. However, every single Act of the Indian Parliament in the first few years was passed in the nan1e of the British monarch, King George VI. This was not what the freedon1 fighters of lndia laid down their lives for. It was still 'His Majesty's Government' on paper in India and that didn't sound like real independence. India quickly beca111e a Republic and on January 26 1950, Dr. Rajendra Prasad replaced the King as India's Head of State and proclaimed equality as a birthright to all Indians. What a 1no1nent of pride that was! With great enthusiasm and pride, Indians still celebrate the day when they stopped being the 'subjects' of a foreign monarch.

Consider my dilemma then, when I learnt that becoming an Australian citizen 1neant implicitly pledging allegiance to the British monarch! Long before I beca1ne a citizen, I started following the Australian Republic M.ovement, an organisation founded in 1991 to campaign for an Australian Head of State replacing the Queen. The closer I got to my citizenship ceremony, the more important it became to deal with my discomfort with allegiance to monarchy. My love tor Australia and the pride 1 took in becoming Australian would have been greater if I had pledged allegiance to an Australian Head of State instead.

Filled with this Republican spirit, my first political act as an AustraHan citizen was to become a pajd member of the Australian Republic Movement, the day after my citizenship ceremony. I have since been active in the Movement and was recently elected to the NSW Branch Council. It is my belief that we are on the cusp of history due to a unique set of expected future events that could make the Republican dream a reality.

I-lowever, I also believe that the Republic is neither inevitable nor imminent unless there is an active push to bring the issue to fore. To channel Bob Hawke from 1983, a Republic is great to have but it is still not a matter of great importance to Australians. It appears to be of even less importance to multicultural communities including the lndian community.

Despite our strong republican roots, Indian Australians are yet to show up in nun1bers to advocate and campaign for a Republic.

My efforts are to publicise the Republican cause an1ong the desi commwuty, and it is my strong belief that we have a central role to play. We have a unique understanding of the importance of being a Republic and let us not forget, our forebears have done it once already.

We must become a Republic so that each one of us and our children are given that 'fair go' that we are so often pronlised in Australia.

Vive la Republique!

To learn more about the Australian Republican Movement, head to www.republic.org.au

www.indianlink.com.au

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Leader of the Australian Labo� P.arty F.ederal Member for G rayndle�

Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor JJarty Shadow M i n ister for Reconstruction, Emr:1loyment, Skills and Sma l l Busi ness Shadow M i n iste" for Science F.ederal Member fo" Corio

Deputy Labor Leader i n trie Senate Shadow Minister foi Immigration and CitizenshiR Senator foi N SW

Shadow M i niste" for M u lticu ltural Affairs Shadow M i niste� for Cities and U rban I nfrastructure Shadow M i niste� Assisting for I mmigration and CitizenshiR F.ederal Member fo� Scu l l i n

L':abor l.'.eader i n the Senate Shadow M i nister for F.oreign Affairs Senator for S1"-

Labor Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP Canberra

JANUARY 2022 15

PA ST I M E S

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,

Special challenge th rown to Gold Coast's Navish Gupta sees h i m claim the championship at excl u sive c l u b BY

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

S

eeing the underdog rise to victory is a familiar trope in sport films Hollywood, Bollywood or Aussiewood.

The odds stacked against them, the out-of­ towner is n1otivated by drea1ns of sporting glory (think Rocky), establishing a new record (think Ride Like a Cir[), or perhaps fulfilling a parental an1bition (think Danga[).

Sometitnes though, it is national pride that is at stake (think Lagaan).

In amateur golfer Navish Gupta's case, it was Lagaan. all over again, as he won the Club Championship at The Grand Golf Club last December.

In the iconic Hindi filin which beca1ne India's entry to the 2002 Oscars, an in1poverished but youthful farmer takes on the challenge thrown by a British Raj official - win a ga1ne of cricket and have your struggling con1munity's tax wiped off for three years.

So what did Navish play for, in 2021?

Uraniu1n for India, perhaps? Free trade agreement? Con1passion for international students?

No, only the much simpler satisfaction of seeing his birth country's flag hoisted at a private and exclusive Australian golf club.

And when did it fly high, it was no less than 16 JANUARY 2022

an Olympic event for the 54-year-old.

Recounting the championship, Navish described, "I was a1nong the eight who qualified at the quarter final stage. The Club President Jimn1y Vernon, a good friend, joked that if I won, he would hoist the Indian flag at the club. It was a good laugh, given I play with a handicap of 4 while 1ny opponents, all of them much younger than me, have a handicap of zero."

It was a challenge nonetheless and Navish was all fired up.

"The semis were gruelling; after 36 holes I was one of two men left standing."

Navish then rang Jimmy Vernon, to ask if be remembered his promise about the Indian flag.

The 88-year-old replied, "I will honour my words." Of course, he had to seek permission from the club committee, to

hoist another nation's flag on the premises.

As Navish Gupta emerged victorious, the Indian Tricolour was unfurled, bringing a touch of colour to the clubhouse.

"I felt very proud," the 2021 Club Champion revealed. "I'd seen this very scene play out in Dangal and similar ftlms, but this was completely my own doing!"

The Tiranga flew proud for two whole days, until the Club's year-end party. lt was a grand affair, being the Club's 24th birthday as well.

"Indian-origin Uber drivers who drove the guests in were surprised and happy to see the Tricolour fluttering away," Navish laughed.

"Why Indian flag, they asked. We have an Indian champion, they were told."

And the icing on the cake, was, quite literally, the cake of the day. "It came out decorated with tricolour candles!"

In his speech at the event, Delhi-born Navish described his golfing jow·ney with much candour. It began 25 years ago, when he lived in Indonesia.

"I took the family out for a picnic one day.

Looking for a peaceful spot, I came upon a beautiful green clearing. We spread out our mat, made ourselves comfortable, and took out our saniosas and chai. We were enjoying the serenity of it all, until a group of men came up.

What the bell, they said to us, you're on our putting green!"

Navish bad beard of golf before but had never been on a course.

"That sparked my interest, and I decided to give the game a try."

An lndia-trained chartered accountant, Navish became a successful entrepreneur in Indonesia manufactw-ing furniture.

He moved base to Australia in 2003, continuing to grow his business.

Currently he is semi-retired, offering management consultancy. He plays four days a week at The Grand.

Designed by Australian golfing icon Greg Norman, the 19-hole course is one of the world's leading private courses and is described as "only available to a privileged few".

"Yes it's an exclusive golf club," Navish revealed. "Its 555 members could be described as the who's who of Queensland, perhaps even the country."

Navish is also keeping an eye on the golf scene in India. "The game is picking up beautifully there. India did surprisingly well at the Tokyo Olympics, and I 1nust single out Aditi Ashok, the 23-year-old who finished 4th. I'm also very impressed by the courses in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai."

He's also in contact with professional golfer Gaganjit Singh Bhullar.

Looking back at 2021, Navish says it was a good year for hiin "I had a hole-in-one in July; I won my age­ group championship (SO-plus), and finally claimed the club championship."

Plans for 2022?

"Play as much golf as I can. Till the time my body allows! Oh, and win the Club Championship again."

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P H OTO G RA P H Y

• 15-year-old youth photographer Aayush Chitnis wins photo contest BY

NIKEETA BHATIA -year-old Aayush Chitnis' photograph, 'The Faces of Quarantii1e', has won top honours in the 'Alone Together' photography competition (Youth Category).

The con1petition, held by the Hornsby Shire Council in Sydney, aimed to bring local members of the community together to connect on their shared experiences duri11g the COVID pande1nic. Local photographers, including Aayush, subntltted images answering the question, 'What does the COVID pandemic n1ean to me?'

For Aayush, a Year 9 Nonnanhurst Boys student, the pandentlc meant a sense of stagnation. "The world around n1e stopped moving," Aayush told Indian Link. "I didn't go anywhere, and I could not move forward.

I was stuck in a loop of eating, exercising, entertainment, hobbies, and a little bit of schoolwork. I tried to embody that feeling of stagnation in my work."

Constrained by the limits in1posed by lockdown, Aayush chose to photograph himself with his Nikon camera and tripod.

Using photoshop to create a 'stacked' iinage, the photograph depicts three versions of

''I couldn't capture an image that included a lot of people, so I tried to capture one image to illustrate the experience of many." himself taking part in various mundane activities, including: eating, exercising, and practicing guitar. He chose these activities to illustrate how a singular experience of being alone, bored, and stagnant in a pandemic, could be felt by many: "l couldn't capture an image that included a lot of people, so I tried to capture one iinage to illustrate the experience of many."

Aayush revealed tl1at he used photography as an escape during the pandemic. "I started to see photography as an actual hobby at the end of last year. 1 think I chose a bad time to get into photography. l was limited with what I could shoot so I started taking photographs in my neighbourhood. I found that taking photos was calming and allowed me to escape." It was on one of his neighbourhood photography trips when one of Aayush's family friends spotted ltlm and suggested he enter ilie 'Alone Together' competition.

In addition, he also used the time to improve his photoshop skills by going back and editing old images from trips prior to the pandemic. He credits his

growth in skillset to his friends, YouTube, experimentation, and experience with all the equipment and features on offer.

Aayush was introduced to the world of photography when his dad brought home a Nikon D7100 in 2014. "When I was 9 or 10, l started a competition between me and my dad as to who was the better photographer," Aayush recollected.

His friendly competition with his dad has now become a friendly competition with friends. "Competition motivates me.

It's a big part of why 1 started to take photography seriously." With friends, he now travels to the city or wakes up early to take sunrise photos at various National Parks across New South Wales. He specifically enjoys the "feeling of adventure" that he gets from landscape photography.

Aayush looks to the Sydney hobby photography scene on lnstagram as a source of inspiration. "The local artists' and photographers' who define the Australian photography scene are my biggest inspiration," he revealed. "They are able

to capture the vast city and landscapes in the diverse country we live in." He specifically looks up to Sydney based travel photographer @Pat_Kay, and @northborders, based in Melbourne. ln the future, Aayush hopes to enter the world of travel photography. "I will continue photography as a hobby for the foreseeable future. The dream is to become a travel photographer. I would love to travel around Australia and the world to take photos."

Aayush was extre1nely happy when he found out he had won in the Youth Category, stating that it was a "stll'real experience to look at one of my photos hanging up in an exhibition". He expressed his gratitude towards the Hornsby Shire: "I am pretty lucky to live here. What they [Hornsby Shire Council] do for artists is really nice. You have the chance to display your art to the wider public and that's really helpful in getting yow· name out there." In regard to the competitions the Shire holds; "there's no downside to entering. It's a really good way to grow."

Aayush's photograph, 'The Faces of Quarantine', along with 17 other winning photographs, were displayed in an exhibition in Hornsby in late December. The works of winners and finalistscan be viewed on the Hornsby Shire Council's website: https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/lifestyle/ arts-and-culture/alone-together More of Aayush's work can be found on his Instragram: @chitniscuz JANUARY 2022 17

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Multidisciplina ry artist and tra ns woman Naavikaran is challenging gender norms through their songs.

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI f men are from Mars and ivo1nen are fron1. Venus, then I am the entire solar system and beyond... as seen through my mother's eyes.

These are the words of non-binary South Asian artist Naavikaran, a producer, choreographer and chai-maker fron1 Mumbai and Bangalore based in Brisbane, Australia. A multidisciplinary artist, their latest work is a songtitled 'If My Genders Were The Entire Solar System'.

The musical composition is especially 18 JANUARY 2022

unique because it reimagines gender beyond the binary of 1nale and female, through the eyes of an Indian imnugrant.

"The title is a funny story, actually and is entrenched in gender liberation and immigration," Naavikaran told Indian Link.

"Having moved to Australia in 2015, I found it quite haTd to convey who 1 am. Most people I know and have met have a very shallow and binary understanding of gender, race and intersectionality. 1 therefore wanted to create something floral, playful and yet accessible that I could use when I met people and introduced myself."

'If My Genders Were The Entire Solar Syste111' is a track that is part of a bigger theatre-spectacle and album called Brown Church created by them and commissioned

to be presented as a part of the Undercover Arts Festival in September last year at Queensland Theatre.

Naavikaran worked on the lyrics of the poem-song for over 2 years.

Their partner and music producer, Levi Kohler, is behind the tune of the 'deeply celestial track'. Kohler was inspired by the synth melodies of artists like Himera and Oklou.

"The idea was to create a soundscape that really awoke the sense of what travelling through the solar system would feel like," Naavikaran revealed. "That Jed to the creation of the track that is informational but yet has a child-like curiosity and wonder to it."

For inspiration, they listen to a lot of A.R. Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal and Sanjay Leela

Bhansali. They also follow musicians like Dua Saleh, Florence and the Machine, Doja Cat, Janelle Monae and writers like Ocean Vuong, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou.

Moreover, Naavikaran is not completely new to the ,nusic scene; in December 2021, they dropped their first single ever - 'Where Are You From?'.The track captured the experiences of people of colour being asked that question, often by White people, not necessarily out of genuine curiosity but more fron1 underlying roots of racism. " I wanted to create a track that analyses how a very innocent question can be quite destabilising to many people of colour, migrants and even Indigenous people. The work signifies the way in which racist tools like nucro-aggression can create violent

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experiences for people regardless of their indigeneity, immigration status, class and gender," they said.

Naavikaran and Levi wrote the track together, which exhibits a range of different sections including Indian classical and hip­ hop, that blend in smoothly to give listeners 'a fun yet chaotic experience'.

Making music as an Indian immigrant in Australia

When asked about breaking into Australia's 1nusic scene, Naavikaran shared their first­ hand experience.

"I ain still 'breaking' into the music scene. The music industry is extren1ely racist and gatekept.

"As a non-traditional South Asian, trans, disabled, dark skinned artist on a visa,who is using mainly spoken word and experimental 1nusic as a forn1 of expression, there is neither a strong audience for the genre nor curated spaces that cater to diverse art forn1s. Whatever spaces do exist are culturally unsafe and under-resourced," c3 they shared.

"The journey is however, entirely c co exciting! I am lucky to have a very small yet g, loyal following and I am looking forward to 2 u keep working harder for then1," they added. o._ They also en1phasised that Australia, especially Queensland, has poor resources, funding and structures for storytelling and performance.

"I think we have a long way to go to change the narrative so that the distribution of recourses, mentoring, opportunities and avenues to c1·eative forums are 1nore equitable to women, queer and disabled folk and other marginalized intersections," Naavikaran said.

For then1, making music means being more accessible, it was the easiest way to share their work with everyone.

"Most of the world has access to the internet and I am really interested in offering more and more 'free' ways of people being able to Hsten to my work," they said.

As a storyteller, Naavikaran is deeply invested in resourcing spaces for culture, liberation and expression tor various intersections and com1nunities, as led by leading to a better and safer planet for us all. those intersections and com1uunities.

Making music is one of the many ways I am "I believe that the practice of culture engaged in that work," they mused. and storytelling is the practice of caring for Naavikaran is currently engaged in land, elders, children and therefore directly theatre-making; along with their team, they

media handles.

The talented multi-hyphenate also authored a piece called 'Hazards of dating as a queer person of colour' on SBS. And occasionally, they will bless their lnstagram followers with evocative poetry on the platform. Here's an excerpt fro1n an untitled poen1:

''As a non-traditional South Asian, trans, disabled, dark skinned artist on a visa, who is using mainly spoken word and experimental music as a form of expression, there is neither a strong audience for the genre nor curated spaces that cater to diverse art forms. Whatever spaces do exist are culturally u nsafe and u nder­ resourced."

We aren't !KEA built monoliths.

We are biryani in 111y house for Ra,nzan and id/is and chicken kudi at yours for Easter. We are cricket and badminton an1idst dhai-handi and Sawant uncle's daughter's wedding in th.e same kilometer's radius.

What advice does Naavikaran have for someone like them who wants to make it in music?

"Build your community. Find mentors.

Explore authenticity that is beyond 'decolonising' and then live by your values.

Collaboration is key," they said.

You can listen to their songs 'lf My Genders Were The Entire Solar System' and 'Where are you from' on YouTube, Apple Music, and Spotify.

have produced two sold out works, People of Colours at Brisbane Powerhouse and Brown Church at Queensland Theatre in 2021.

They are also building two new works this year, soon to be announced on their social

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things Indian. I n Australia.

JANUARY 2022 21

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H o l idays a re about rest and recreation, but you can use this time creatively to develop new s k i l l s, such a s critical thinking READING DAILY

BY

MOHAN DHALL

t is very important for parents to use the ti1ne during the holidays wisely. The extended break is an opportunity to provide time, structure and experiences to develop critical thinking capability in your child. There are a number of important steps to undertake in order to maxitnise the opportunity for your child to learn to think, to reason, and to think critically.

PLAY TIME AND SOME THINKING TIME

It is iinportant for both parents and children to have balance during the holidays. This means that while holidays are a time for children to get a decent break, it does not mean titne away from books for five weeks.

There shouJd be days and even weeks when there is no expectation the children do any structured thinking, a balanced life means that holidays can have thinking tin1e and as well as plenty of play tilne. lncluded in this is time for social interactions, notwithstanding that this is slightly harder in these holidays due to 01nicron.

STRUCTURE

In the first instance,ensure there is appropriate structure to each day.

Appropriate structure takes the forn1 of discipline early, productive thinking with a clear 1nind ii1 the 1norning and free play, social interaction, television watching and downtime later. Most children feel safest, best guided and also more personally fulfilled when days have predictability and balance.

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A significant and in1portant skill, arguably one of the funda1nental tenets of critical thinking is the discipline and regularity of reading daily. Reading exposes children to language, ideas, a world of iinagination, perspectives as well as the capacity to boost their overall understanding. An in1portant aspect of reading is the capacity to read confidently out loud.

READING OUT LOUD

Allow tune for chiJdren to read out loud.

Indeed, parents themselves should read out loud with theiJ· children and use this as a basis for discussing what they're reading, assessing reading con1prehension as well as using it as an opportunity to improve expression, articulation and the understanding of language.

THINKING TRAINING

Parents can invest in books that have structured proble1ns and worked solutions.

The investment in printed materials helps to provide a number of different things that can assist with thinki11g. Firstly, prepared materials help to provide structure.

Secondly prepared materials can assist parents to know what the age and stage expectations are. This 1neans parents can get an understanding of the kind of thinking skills that would be indicative of a child at a particuJar age or with a particuJar level of ability. ThirdJy, prepared materials provide an opportunity for children to work on their own. It is often in working by then1selves that children learn best how they think.

ANSWERS MATTER AND ANSWERS DO NOT MATTER

It is very common for parents to get fixated on their children "being right." When

training children for thinking, "being right" is far less important than understanding how to do. That is, the focus should be on process not product.

LEARNING THE RIGHT STRATEGIES

When developing thinking skills, children need to be taught a range of strategies.

WhiJst there are structt1red methodologies for answering critical thinking problems, there is also a common pattern in questions that can mean there are several different ways of reaching correct conclusions.

Parents need to be open to alternative ways of problem solving, not fixated that the way they learned is the only way children learn.

TAKING RISKS WHEN NOT KNOWING

The real development of critical thinking occurs when children can attempt questions even if they do not know exactly where they're going in their processii1g. This is evidence of children who are not afraid to take academic risks. Taking academic risks means children will attempt to solve problen1s through trying various methods even when the outcome at the outset is uncertain. It is through experiinenting that children learn to build their confidence.

When parents are too fixated on children being right, they limit or quell the capacity for children to learn to develop the capacity to try something new

NOT EVERY QUESTION NEEDS AN ANSWER

Some parents are highly vested in answering every question a child asks. In my opinion this can lead to frenetic activity from parents and very little effort from children. Parents need to develop the capacity to discern

between the questions that are important to answer and those that are sin1ply the passing of time. lf you are a parent who remembers the question that the child has forgotten and revisits it, it is possible that you need to breathe and remember to take tin1e out. Not every question needs an answer. It is healthy to live with the uncertainty of so1ne things being unknown.

:JOINING A CLASS

During the holidays there are always classes available which provide structure and materials to support children and their critical thinking. l t can be very useful for parents and also supportive to enrol their child in such classes. However, prior to enrolling parents should be careful to ask questions about who wrote the materials, how well they map to an understanding of critical thinki11g and what the intended outcomes of such classes are. In this way parents can make informed decisions about the value of any such classes.

TELLING :JOKES

Finally, I will often con1mence teaching critical thinking with a joke or a puzzle.

This is entirely planned. The purpose of this is threefold. Firstly, learning should be fun. Secondly when people tell jokes it often requires a type of thinking that integrates critical and creative abilities. Thirdly humour carries expectation of further humour. Therefore, students are open and tend to look forward to what they're learning.

In summary, the holidays are a great opportw1ity for providing your child with both a break from schooling and a start to developing habits that build into the capacity to think critically.

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V I EW PO I NT

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A common slogan in e mpowering women is that we m ust be able to see what we want to be. But th is can be destructive and limiting BY

MOHAN DHALL

here is a populist refrain for those seeking representation and equality at the highest levels: "You can't be what you can't see."

Educators, mentors and others who seek to empower girls and women need to be careful about the slogans they routinely repeat. This one is particularly destructive and limiting.

If we "can't be what we can't see," then our girls n1ay never aspire to anything. Indeed, anyone who is not equally represented at the highest levels will be consigned to never rise.

Aspiring to a successful life requires educators and parents to say precisely the opposite: "You CAN be what you can't see."

To say otherwise is to consign our young people to a life of limitation, low expectations and constrained imagination.

So, let's unpack why it's so important that we teach our girls and young women that they CAN be what they can't see. Indeed, they should expect to be what they cannot see.

Clear inequalities and inequities

It is well established now that there is a gender pay gap and a lack of representation of women in positions of power in politics, business and institutions. There are clear inequalities and inequities with women nussing out.

It is evident that somewhere along the way women are discritninated against, marginalised, constrained, and end up, by and large, occupying lesser roles and lesser positions to their male counterparts.

In this context you 1nay say, "Surely we need to tell those in power that female representation and female aspiration rises when girls can see what could be."

However, this is problematic of itself. For in the first instance young people look at what people do, not which gender they are.

Imagination doesn't stop at what you can see; it sees ft1 rther.

Did the utterly brilliant Sam Kerr see won1en kicking goals for Chelsea as a child?

There was no competition for her to view.

I suspect, aU that young Sam saw was the football and the goal, and had the belief that she could win matches.

You cannot be beyond, if you cannot see beyond. To make an established pattern obsolete, we must innovate. And innovation creates discontinuity for the benefit of all.

The capacity to see beyond

Seeing ourselves not others

In seeking to inspire, we need our young people to see beyond. Which 1neans, seeing past what is currently there.

Imagination can be unconstrained. Young girls and young women need to be trained to iinagine. Imagination is free. Imagination does not depend on having the limitation of a person show you what you can do.

To understand young people, step back and recall what you saw when you were young. I do not recall seeing a person l admired and saying, 'I can't be that'. It did not occur to me that there was limitation based on gender, skin colour, religion or any other factor that can be used to define, limit, or marginalise.

The reason for this is because what we see is ourselves, not others.

When young children are told stories, find heroes, or picture themselves in their imaginary world, they place then1selves into the positions they want to take. This is important to reflect on. In the rea11n of imagination, they fly, they are heroes, they are popular, they are noticed, they are valued, they are the best. They auton1atically become what they cannot see.

Our starting point therefore must be to free, not to limit.

Our commencement is the universe, not a drop of water.

Our slogan must be, "You can be what you cannot see."

Of course, the journey is easier when one is represented, but we must support our children, especially our girls, when they are not represented, and tell them that they CAN be whatever they wish to be.

Did the utterly brilliant Sam Kerr see women kicking goals for Chelsea as a child? There was no competition for her to view. I suspect, all that young Sam saw was the football and the goal, and had the belief that she could win matches.

JANUARY 2022 23

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BY TARINI PURI

was out for a walk when I saw a bee, and 1 immediately had a story idea that I wanted to write out," says Zoe Wadekar, author of the recently published children's book Diney the Bee. She goes on to confidently narrate the synopsis of the story without giving away the plot.

Diney was a fun loving and a curious bee.

One day she found son1ething interesting that changed her Life. Wonder what it was...

She adds, "My book has 23 pages, and it took me a few days to write the story."

Zoe hopes her imaginary characters can teach readers importa11t life lessons.

Twin Zara Wadekar, waiting patiently for her turn, chips in about her own book The Crystal Ball, about a gfrl Lizzy who n1ust decide what to do when she finds a n1agical sphere - she wants to keep it, but should she? The book is intended to bring joy to the readers.

"I came up with the story idea myself," she elaborates. "The character is co1upletely different from me. I read a lot of books myself, and I have a lot of them at home."

At an age when most children are still discovering their love for books, it's hard to believe that twins Zoe and Zara Wadekar - all of seven years - are both authors who have their illustrated books selling now on e-commerce giant Amazon Australia.

"I felt very proud to finally hold my book 24

Voracious readers, these Sydney twins have just debuted as authors

JANUARY 2022

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in my hands," declares Zara. "It's got my picture on the back cover."

She added, "Our school friends were very

shocked, but they are happy for us, as was ou1· school principal."

The books have now been placed in their

school library too.

Proud parents Gaurav and Kanchan Wadekar say the books were a natural progression for the girls, given their voracious reading and love for storytelling.

"The girls have been writing stories for as long as 1 can remember," Gaurav shares.

"They would write on bits of paper, and then would ask me to glue them so that they could hold them together Like the books they read in the school Library. This time, we asked them to select one of their stories each, and with the help of an illustrator we found online, thought to bring then1 to Life."

"Story-telling seems to come naturally to both the girls," Mum Kanchan says.

"They n1ake up stories as they go along, especially at bedtime. Interestingly, both have their own unique styles of writing, and don't appreciate opinion from others for their stories. While Zoe is very n1ethodical in her work, Zara scores higher in terms of imagination. Their love for reading has also translated into a good performance in school, especially in spelling. 1 enjoy reading their stories myself - they may seem very simple, but they usually have an underlying message about kindness or about self­ confidence."

Zoe and Zara particularly enjoy stories with rich imagination, and have loved reading the Harry Potter series, and stories by the English writer Julia Donaldson.

Besides reading, the girls also enjoy playing with their dolls, singing, swimming, and gymnastics.

The creatively inclined girls also recently found themselves on television, performing as opening act on Channel 9's Christmas With Delta Goodrem.

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Maths genius Vignesha Vishwa nathan's fi rst book is about numbers, in the Enid Blytonesq ue world of N u m berville

BY

NIDHI JOSHI n Melbourne student Vignesha Vishwanathan's new book, Pi is a little 'nu1nberling' who lives in Nu1nberville.

While the kids at school enjoy pulling each other's tails, Pi of course has a natural advantage, because his tail goes on and on.

And on.

And so the teachers Ms Circle, Ms Square and Mr Triangle decree that Pi must be cut short to 3.14.

Pi's parents Mr and Mrs Square Root 2 are not happy, and take the matter to Nun1bercourt.

How will the judge - Mr Ruler - rule?

To find out, read the full story in The World Beneath the Fine Print & Other Stories.

17-year-old Vignesha Vishwanathan, a self-confessed number lover, wrote the book this year, while preparing for her VCE as a student of Mac. Robertson Girls' High School in 202 l .

Published by ShawHne Publishing, Melbourne, the book is now available across local council libraries including Knox, Monash, Wyndha1n and Dandenong.

"The stories are intended to introduce mathematical concepts to young readers," Vignesha told Indian Link. "Equally, it is aitned at re1noving the fear of mathematics from young 1ninds and making it more interesting."

Vignesha has enjoyed mathematics fron1 a very young age.

"Initially, I suppose, it was because l was better at it than the other subjects," she adinitted. "But over the years, I started learning more about the theory behind concepts to understand how and why things work, and I found that to be really interesting. That sparked a deeper interest in maths, and I've continued to enjoy it throughout high school".

While she is one of the lucky few who love 1naths and can grasp the concepts confidently, there are many students who find the subject daunting. Vignesha agrees that it can sometimes be challenging to understand con1plex concepts because textbooks don't necessarily explain things in the siinplest ways.

As a result, kids and teenagers often don't approach the subject with an open mind, Vignesha said. "I find that if you make maths interesting and fun, people will enjoy it more. Maths, to me, is a creative field. My in1agination is triggered when I am doing maths problems. Sometimes I 111ay stumble upon a concept that I can weave ii1to a story."

She's been weaving these stories for three years now.

"I started writing short pieces in Year 9," Vignesha recounted. "I would write in

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the stream of consciousness style and send them to my English teacher for review.

She'd give me good feedback and so I tried to itnprove every time, and really enjoyed the process. At the beginning, my writing was mainly diary entries, but after a while I started personifying things and giving characteristics to them. These characters and places then ended up becoming stories."

One of these characters is the number Pi. Vignesha lights up when asked about it.

"I often thought of Pi's personality in a similar way to Enid Blyton's Fredrick Trotteville! l love the number Pi because it is so 1nysterious and there is so much we don't know about it. We think it is quite random in its pattern and decimal digits but actually, there could be patterns that we just haven't discovered yet."

It is this passion and love for the subject that really shines through in her book.

That she has a flair for words comes

through clearly too.

Consider this passage based on a growing attraction between two triangles: Triangle TRX asked Triangle ABC, "How similar are we?"

"Ok, let's see. What are your angles?"

Triangle ABC asked, trying to sound in1passioned but feeling her heart jolt.

"35, 80, 65, " Triangle TRX said.

Triangle ABC's face slightly fell. "Mine are 55, 80 and 45. " "Ok, that means AM is out because all our angles are not congruent. " "What about your sides?" Triangle ABC asked.

"14, 16, 18. " "M' . 1ne are 7, 8, 9 " They gasped. "SAS, " they said together. ('AAA' of course is 'angle-angle- a ngle', when we know all three angles of a triangle.

And the SAS (side-angle-side) theorem states: If nvo sides and the included angle of one triangle are equal to two sides and

the included angle of another triangle, the triangles are congruent.)

Vignesha has a wide range of passions which include not only mathen1atics but also languages, cultures, and writing. She oscillates between these various interests with ease and has been able to beautifully con1bine then1 together in her fictional work.

It conies as no surprise to learn what's next for Vignesha - she wants to study engineering at university. Some of her favourite mathematicians are Hungarian mathematician Paul Erdos, Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman, and closer home to us in Australia, Prof. Asha Rao of RMIT. There's no doubt that Vignesha has a bright future ahead of her, whether in mathematics, engineering or writing. She is truly part of the multi-hyphenate generation that won't be boxed into one particular craft, and is proud of the various passions and interests that light her fire.

JANUARY 2022 25

P E TS

•

How a l ockdown wedding inspi red a ran g e of South Asian a p p arel for o u r fou r-legged friends BY RHEA L NATH hrough the chaos of planning her wedding during lockdown, Sydney's Meygha Shankar ca1ne across a number of hurdles while arranging caterers, make-up, venues and n1ore. But perhaps the biggest of all was - what would their darling dog, Sona, wear?

"My King Charles Cavalier-Jack Russell cross, Sona, is the youngest n1e111ber of our family and the n1ost pampered. Honestly, everything revolves around her," Meygha laughed.

When it came to dressing up her fur baby for her special day, Meygha only found bow­ ties, bandanas, sweaters, and western wear for dogs, none of which would work for her big fat Indian wedding.

"I realised there was nothing out there to represent my heritage," she told Indian 26 JANUARY 2022

Link. "Sona is not just an accessory, she's an important member of the family, and I wanted her to be involved. So, 1 decided to take matters (and scissors!) into my own hands."

Having bought a sewing machine dw·ing lockdown, Meygha decided to utilise her new skills towards pet apparel. In fact, she admits, she even chopped up her own wedding lehenga for material.

"I ended up 1naking Sona three outfits for the wedding. She was by my side, matching with my banarasi silks, velvets and kanjivara,ns, for each and every event" Not only was Sona the centre of attention at the wedding, but her stunning outfits got a fantastic response on social media. Inquiries began pouring in for dog, cat, and even rabbit apparel.

And that's how Meygha's passion project, Puprika Boutique, began. She now designs

Bride Meygha with specialguest Sona

and stitches a range of lux South Asian apparel for pets like anarkalis, shen,vanis, and pattupavadais, all n1ade-t0-0rder.

She explained, "The feedback has been phenomenal. Our customers have been really happy to involve their pets in special occasions.

We launched in late November so I missed this Diwali for orders, but I'm sure next year's Diwali is going to be huge. I'm already planning designs tor Onam, Pongal, Navratri, and other festivals too."

And how do the dogs seem in their brand­ new outfits?

"Sona was n1y model during lockdown.

1 tried all my styles on her to 1nake sure they were breathable and didn't hamper movements, and she went about her business as usual. She couldn't seem to tell something was on her," Meygha elaborated.

Keeping them cute, comfortable, and most importantly, functional seems to be her philosophy towards all the designs. Puprika Boutique's clothes are offered in a range of standard sizes along witl1 the option of custom sizing for dogs with unique builds like Corgis, Dachshunds, and Greyhounds.

The next step, Meygha says, is to find a tailor (as she currently stitches everything herself) and expand the range of products. She's already received requests for custom orders like dog turbans, and in a nod to her Tamil heritage, she's hoping to make dog lungis as well.

"Growing up in Sydney, I feel like I've really had the best of both worlds, embracing 1ny Indian heritage and my Australian upbringing," she shared.

"I am so excited to embark on this journey, and the best part about it is all the dogs I get to see dressed up in cute ethnic wear!"

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Happy Indian Republic Day! From Chris Minns and your State Labor MP's We wish you and your family a happy Indian Republic Day!

Chris Minns MP

Steve Kamper MP

Julia Finn MP

Stephen Bali

NSW Labor Leader, Member for Kogarah P 95879684

Member for Rockdale, Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, P 95971414

Member for Granville P 9637 1656

Member for Blacktown P 9671 5222

Hugh McDermott MP

Edmond Atalla MP

Jo Haylen MP

Greg Warren MP

Member for Prospect P 9756 4766

Member for Mount Druitt P 9625 6770

Member for Summer Hill P 9572 5900

Member for Campbelltown P 4625 3344

Shaoquett Moselmane MLC

Sophie Cotsis MP

Paul Scully MP

Guy Zangari MP

'

Member of the Legislative Council P 9230 2526

Member for Canterbury P 9718 1234

Member for Wollongong P 4226 5700

Member for Fairfield P 9726 9323

Authori sed by Chri s Minns MP, Steve Kamper MP,Julia Finn MP. Stephen Bali MP, Hugh McDermott MP. Edmond Atalla MP.Jo Haylen MP. Greg Warren MP. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC, Sophie Cotsis MP. Paul Scully MP and Guy Zangari MP. Funded using Parliamentary enti tlements.

JANUARY 2022 27

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Wishing the Indian-Australian community a very

Happy Republic Day

JANUARY 2022 29

FOOD

The pa rty's at JESSICA BHATIA's fter a thankfully uneventful - yet somehow exhausting lockdown, it's been a relief and a pleasure to finally have friends and fa1nily over.

And so the holiday season has been filled with cooking, which I love just as

much as entertaining. While I am usually known to embrace a high-effort style of entertaining, the past few weeks have seen 111e tone it down a few notches to the simpler pleasures. (A natural consequence of the pandemic? Who knows!)

My no-fuss entertaining menu involves a

selection of entrees for everyone to snack on followed by one n1ain dish. I usually do a selection of nuts, dips with crudites and a hot starter (such as tandoori vegetables/ paneer), a main dish of puJao or biryani with a raita, and a showstopper of a dessert.

Here's one such meal I planned recently, including an assortment of bruschetta for entree, followed by 1ny cheat's version of a classic Italian risotto with baked pumpkin and home-made pesto, and a cool and playful affogato for dessert.

PESTO, TOMATO, CHEESE TOAST PLATTER

■ PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

i::!Zn11:l�t.: d Pesto Bruschetta Ingredients

■ 2 slices sourdough bread ■ 200 grams cherry tomatoes, cut into two ■ 120 grams cherry bocconcini, ■ ■

cut into two 1/4 cup pesto (recipe facing page) Salt and pepper to taste

Method

■ Toast the sourdough slices.

■ Once toasted, spread an even layer of pesto.

■ In a bowl, mix the tomatoes and bocconcini.

■

Season with salt and pepper.

Note: Go easy on the salt as the pesto will have its own seasoning) Top the bread slices with the tomato and cheese mixture.

30 JANUARY 2022

■ COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

■ SERVING SIZE: 4 (ENTREE SIZE) ■ DIFFICULTY: EASY

Vine Tomato1 Mozzarella and Pesto Bruscnetta Ingredients

■ 2 slices sourdough bread ■ 16-20 small vine tomatoes, with vine intact ■ 120 grams fresh mozzarella ■ 1/4 cup pesto ■ 1 tbsp olive oil Method

■ Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. ■ Place the tomatoes (with the vine) on a baking tray and evenly coat in oil. Place in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly bruised.

■ At the same time, place the bread slices on a baking tray and put them in the oven for the same amount of time.

■ Remove the tomatoes and bread from the oven.

■ Spread the pesto evenly on the bread.

■ Top with torn up mozzarella and place the bread back in the oven for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted.

■ Remove from the oven and gently place the tomatoes on top.

■ Serve warm.

Sundried Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese and Pesto Bruschetta Ingredients

■ 4 slices of a bread of your choice ■ 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese ■ 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes ■ 1/4 cup pesto ■ A small amount of melted butter for greasing Method

■ Preheat sandwich grill for 5 minutes.

■ Layer pesto, sundried tomato and cheese onto ■ ■ ■

the bread slices (should make 2 sandwiches).

Brush the top and bottom of the sandwiches with melted butter.

Grill for 5 minutes until golden.

Cut into halves and serve warm.

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OVEN BAKED RISOTTO WITH ROASTED PUMPKIN

■ PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES

■ COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES

■ SERVING SIZE: 4 (MAIN DISH)

■ DIFFICULTY: EASY

Baked Pumpkin

Risotto

Ingredients: ■ 1 ½ cups arborio rice ■ 2 tbsp oil ■ 5 ½ cups hot water ■ 2 vegetable stock cubes (I use Massei stock cubes) ■ 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped ■ 1 tsp garlic, grated ■ 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated ■ 2 tbsp butter ■ 2-3 tbsp pesto ■ Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients: ■ 3 cups pumpkin, cut into 1-2 cm pieces ■ 2 tbsp oil ■ Salt and pepper to taste Method ■ Place the pumpkin pieces on a greased baking tray.

■ Coat in oil, salt and pepper.

■ Mix thoroughly and bake in the oven at 190 degrees C (fan forced) for 30-35 minutes till roasted and golden at the edges.

Note: You can put the risotto and pumpkin together in the oven as it cooks at the same temperature and takes approximately the same amount of time.)

Homemade Pesto

Method ■ Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (fan forced).

■ Heat the oil in an oven proof pan on a medium heat stove or Dutch oven.

■ Add onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent.

■ Add rice and stir again for 1-2 minutes, until the rice is well coated with oil.

■ Add 4 cups of hot water and the stock cubes, and cover the pan tightly with a lid or with foil.

■ Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

■ Once removed from the oven, stir through parmesan, butter, 1 ½ cups hot water, and salt and pepper to taste.

■ Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of pesto.

■ Top with baked pumpkin and serve immediately.

■ PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES ■ SERVING SIZE: 1 CUP ■ DIFFICULTY: EASY Ingredients ■ 2 cups basil leaves, washed ■ 3 garlic cloves ■ 1/3 cup pine nuts ■ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ■ ½ cup parmesan cheese Salt and black pepper to taste Method ■ Roast pine nuts on medium heat till lightly toasted. Make sure they do not burn.

■ Once toasted, cool slightly and then place in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth Taste to adjust seasoning.

■ (Note: Go easy on the salt as the parmesan adds its own salt to the pesto)

AFFOGATO ■ PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES ■ SERVING SIZE: 4

■ COOK TIME: NONE

■ DIFFICULTY: EASY

Ingredients ■ 4 scoops vanilla bean icecream ■ 200ml freshly brewed strong espresso coffee (4 shots, 50 ml each). If you don't have a coffee machine you can use strong espresso instant coffee powder to make this.

■ Optional: 180ml Frangelico hazelnut liqueur or Amaretto almond liqueur (4 shots, 30 ml each)

Method ■ Pour a shot of espresso into 4 individual shot glasses.

■ Pour a shot your choice of liqueur (if using) into 4 individual shot glasses.

■ Place a scoop of icecream in each individual glass.

■ Serve the ice-cream, coffee and liqueur to each guest.

■ Let the guest pour the hot coffee and liqueur onto the icecream.

JANUARY 2022 31

,

Her Daughter-in-law is a Twisted Indian

Some unique and memorable names a re popping up in the new Indian restaurant scene (Note: All names listed here belong to real Indian restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne)

BY

RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA ove over Curry Houses and Tandoori Diners, there's a new trend in Indian restaurant natnes. Over the last two decades, as Indian restaurants have mushroomed across Sydney and Melbourne, there's been an interesting evolution in nomenclature.

They're no longer weighted down by having to constantly reflect their native cuisine in their na1nes.

What's on trend instead, is to suggest the business owner's mission. And most recently, to give a hint of their personality, if some quirky and unique na1nes are any indication.

32 JANUARY 2022

Indian food is 111uch more than curries.

Aunty pops up. Don't tell aunty that their This is an idea that's finally becoming food is proudly 'unauthentic Indian' or not understood, years after our favow·ite chefs so traditional - heck, they put whiskey in slogged to get the message out. their chai!

How often have you said this It's the same with lsh: the food on offer here yourself? One Sydney restaurant put thls is lndian-ish, modern­ ish... and all prepared thought directly in its name - Not Just with the blessings of Curries. lsh(war), if you aTe spiritually inclined.

The Twisted And while Indian is doing exactly that too. As millennials might not it says itself, the food get Daughter-in-law, the average Indian the rest of us totally cun au: s I COCICTAILS GIICAf rc>ol> eats today is a mix of do. It's a tribute to the influence of new members traditional and modern, desi and global, and so, being in a blended family, to its twisted seems perfectly norn1al. food culture. (Not to be missed Twist - such a swish word for change, for here is the obvious extrapolation to the novelty, for quirky. benefits of immigration).

Talk of quirk, and the na1ne Don't Tell The nod to India and its cultul'e is loud

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and clear in these wonderfully descriptive and rne1norable names. (The Tadka is oh­ so-Urban, don't you reckon?) And nary a hint of that ubiquitous term for Indian food - curry.

Having said this though, there's one interesting restauTant name that still features the c word in it, but you know what, it's so esoteric that we're completely on board with it: i Curry.

It is quite clear that the new Indian restaurant scene is just as much about the essence of the food, as it is about the target audience - food enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds, hungry for new experiences.

The early days

In the early days (read before the 1990s), when Indian food needed to be introduced to an unaware but willing-to-experiment community of Aussie diners, the easiest options for names were as simple as

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'Flavour of' or 'Taste of' India.

Come the 1990s when Indian food truly took off, and tenns like 'curry' and 'tandoor' becan1e better known, you'd pick these for your restaurant name. ldeaUy, you'd go with a double-word phrase: the first word would typically be Curry, Spice, Tandoori or Chilli. The second would be House, Hut, Corner, Palace, Diner or Express. The combinations and pern1utations gave you a large enough variety to work with.

And then as the lndians themselves began to venture out to eat more frequently, they looked for more authentic versions of their cuisine than those available. And so the 'Dhaba ' becan1e vogue, giving us Mehrey Da Dhaba, Babe Da Dhaba, Kake Da Dhaba.

Meanwhile, mainstream Aussies became curry-savvy and picked up relevant Indian terms. When they learned that 'masaJa' as a spice mix is distinct from 'marsala' as fortified wine, it was safe to put that into our restaurant names. A whole new list was born: My Masala, Masala Bar and Grill, and how cool is Masala Theory?

But, eternally, it is spice that is the selling point in Indian food. And so we continue to have The Spice Roo1n, Spice Lounge, Spice Nation, Spiced By Billu's. And sometimes, the number of spices the restaurant probably works with - like Thousand Spices, or something more modest, like 49 Spices.

Very much like spice mixes themselves, permutations and combinations today continue to work in restaurant nomenclature, with terms like Zayka,

Rasoi, Affair, Delight, Central, Tiffin in frequent use.

A tadka boom

A recent entry into this ntlx is the term 'tadka', even though it is probably a difficult word for Aussies to understand, perhaps even say. It stands for tempering, and as a final flou1·ish, can raise the success of a dish with its multisensory experience. Alien to all other cuisines, it is basic in Indian cooking. When elite Sydney restaw·ant Urban Tadka burst on to the scene in 2011, its name seemed better suited to a restaurant so1newhere i11 northern India, but that didn't come in the way of its sustained success. Indeed, its achievements spawned a series of restaurants with simi1a1· nan1es - Turban Tadka, Tadka, Zeera Tadka, Spicy Tadka, Tadka Boom, Tadka Hut, even Urban Tadka with an extra a at the end (prompting an indignant public rebuttal from the original owners), and bizarrely, Urban Delight, which tells you nothing about the nature of the restaurant And as if to counter that last one, Rustic Masala.

Whatever floats your boat...

The single ingredient

While we n1ay boast of the number of spices that go into our dishes, sometin1es the single ingredient stands out to our restaurateurs.

Such as Haldi. Tamarind. The Clove.

Cumin. Bayleaf. Zaaffran. Lentil. Black Pepper.

An upmarket MelbouTne restaurant takes the cake in this category, with its most

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non-cake-like name: Atta. Perhaps the most basic of ingredients to be found in an Indian kitchen, it is elevated here to represent a classy and elegant dining experience. Full marks!

Location-based names

Picking a restaurant name from a location in India is another easy path to follow. lt might (or might not) inform the style of food that you could expect to eat, but it allows the restamant to describe the history of the place it is nan1ed after.

So we have Delhi O' Delhi, Delhi Rocks, Oh Calcutta, Mumbai, Last Train to Bombay, Road to Goa, Chennai and Hyderabad House.

Slightly more exotic are Nilgiris, Tellicherry, Dakshin, Konkan, Mathma, Jaipur, Samarkhand, Ajmer, Malabar, Kochi, Koehl, Himalaya, Mount Everest and quite interestingly, Base Camp.

Of course, geography is not always limited to the subcontinent. Try Southall. Or Brick Lane.

Or a Sydney hotspot such as Barrangaroo Wharf, in Manjit's Wharf.

Owner-based names

Talking of Manjit's, another of Sydney's leading Indian restamants, brings us to eponymously named eateries. Billu's, Abbi's, Aki's, Surjit's, Tahira's, Meera's, Mrs Singb's.

The stereotypical vs the atypical

Stereotypes, there's a few of those. Anything

to do with Taj, for example, or 0111. Perhaps even Colonial. Or something based on pop culture, such as Jai Ho. Dawat and Handi would be similarly stereotypical within the Indian community.

And yet there are others that are atypical as titles, but deeply traditional in their reference or meaning.

Feast-related, such as Bhoj, Bhojan, even Chatkaaz.

Spiritual, such as Yrindavan, Govinda's, Moksha, Kammadhenu, Nirankar.

Earthy, such as Aangan, Banyan, Bhoomi.

Musical, such as Sitar, Santoor.

Majestic, such as Jai Hind, Sanu·at.

Obscure, such as Chichora, Jawani.

And some that perhaps only Indian kids of the '70s will relate to: Foreign Return.

Horn Please.

The bizarre

In 1nost major cities of the world, you'll find Indian restaurants na1ned, curiously, Gaylord and Woodlands. The guess is the originals were British Raj era restaurants (write in to us if you have a better explanation).

Some names though, completely defy logic, but we're willing to be enlightened.

No. 21. Yo India. Indian Leaf. Mukka.

Masti. Nashaa.

And then there are some that simply make you go, WHY? Like Bhang. Or Pagla. Or 3 Idiots.

Or The Dodgy Indian - I 1nean, reaJly? And as for Delhi Belly, I do apologise, but it doesn't appeal to me as an eatery of any sort. .. :JANUARY 2022 33

T R AV E L

arke's Melbourne Art Tram,

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elbourne has an energy you'll feel just by being there. From an ever-changing skyline, to excellent restaurants, a small bar movement, street art and dynamic cultural precincts, Melbourne is an exciting destination that's easy to explore on foot or by tram. Here's a guide to what you can see and do there.

Gran architecture

Melbourne's streets are lined with 1nany imposing buildings built after the 1850s gold rush. Most impressive is Collins Street, renowned for its churches, majestic bluestone buildings, high-end boutiques and deluxe hotels.

Opulent arcades

Melbourne's arcades are stunning. The Royal Arcade dates from 1870, while the nearby Block Arcade has a beautiful domed ceiling and decorative mosaic floor tiles.

While here, visit the Tea Rooms that since 1 892 has served exquisite cakes and scones.

Laneways

Melbourne's laneways are spread across the city. From elegant to spray painted with graffiti, they are one of the city's most distinctive tourist attractions. Hosier Lane, a cobbled Janeway, showcases street art. Less known street art laneways include Platypus, Rainbow and Lang's Lane, while Degraves 34 JANUARY 2022

Mornington Peninsula

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Street and Hardware Lane are renowned for their bars, restaurants and pavement cafes.

Culture

From Melbourne Museum, the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, to the State Library, and lmtnigration Museum, to performances at the Arts Centre and theatres, Melbourne has a rich cultuTa1 heritage. The National Gallery of Victoria is stunning and vast, showcasing Australian and international art, while the Jan Potter Centre at Federation Square showcases Australia's finest collection of Indigenous Australian art.

Parks and gardens

Fitzroy Gardens

Melbourne is surrounded by several splendid gardens, including Treasury, Carlton and Fitzroy Gardens. Alongside the Yarra River is Birrarung Marr Park that means "river of mist" in the language of the area's original inhabitants, the Wurundjeri people. Nearby Southbank's riverside promenade is lined with restaurants and bars.

Founded in 1846 the Royal Botanic Gardens is one of the world's finest botanical gardens with plants fro1n around the world. Highlights are the lakes, fernery and majestic pines.

Queen Victoria Market

For over 140 years stallholders have offered a staggering array of fruit, vegetables and fresh produce, the market

as good as any in the world. Visit the continental delicatessen for cheeses, small goods, cakes and bread.

Discover Melbourne's neighborhoods

Take time to discover Melbourne's distinct neighborhoods by tram. Efficient, and extensive, it's the largest train network in the world.

Fitzroy and Carlton Fitzroy's shopping precinct, bounded by Brunswick, Gertrude, Smith and Johnston Streets, is where you'll find retro and designer boutiques, bookshops, cool cafes, bars, and art galleries. ln neighboring Carlton, the Italian heritage is especially evident along Lygon Street. Stop by Brunetti's for coffee, pizza, gelato and cakes.

South Yarra and Prahran A walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens leads to the exclusive dining precinct on Domain Road and nearby, bustling Chapel Street lined with restaurants and high end Australian fashion. Catch the tram back to the city after stopping by the Prahran Markets.

St Kilda Visit Acland Street for coffee and a slice of rich European cake, before heading to the beach for a swim and walk along St Kilda pier. The best day to visit is Sunday for the outdoor craft market. If you're driving, continue along the bay side suburbs to the brightly painted timber huts on Brighton Beach.

Further beyond

Explore the stunningly beautiful Mornington Peninsula of hills and valleys, quaint seaside villages like Balnarring and Flinders, lush farmland, boutique vineyards and a rugged ocean coastline with pounding waves. This is one of Victoria's most beautiful regions, and my home for ten years. To maximize your visit, take the Flinders hinterland scenic drive and consider an overnight stay. Drive by surf beaches including Point Leo and Gunnc11natta, visit farms for fresh fruit, especially strawberries, sample wine at cellar doors, and dine at one of the many renowned restaurants such as Point Leo Estate with a stunning sculpture garden. The most enjoyable way to experience the beautiful forests and fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges is to take a ride on the historic Puffing Billy stean1 train from Belgrave, one hour east of the city.

There are also many quaint villages to explore including Sassafras, Olinda and Tecoma, with cafes, art galleries and craft stores.

North of Melbourne a great day can be spent exploring the Yarra Valley. Visit Healesville Sanctuary where you can encounter Australian animals including koalas, kangaroos and emus in a bushland setting.

The Yarra Valley region excels in premium cool climate wines with boutique wineries and restaurants offering food that's locally sourced and grown, farm gates and farmer's markets.

This is Victoria's premier food and wine destination.

JANUARY 2022 35

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

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What's on our screens this Janua ry 1 YEH KAALI KAALI ANKHEIN (Netflix) I We've all seen the films with a threatening male I stalker, but what happens when the roles are reversed? In this thriller, a powerful politician's I daughter will do anything to win over her love,

I even as he slips down a dark path to escape her

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obsessive love. The series is directed by Siddharth Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein hits the screens on 14 Jan.

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1 HUMAN (Dlsney+Hotstar) Promising to explore themes of class divide, medical 1 practice, and the value of human life, new medical

KAUN BAN EGI S H I KHARWATI (ZeeS) 1

In an attempt to shake off an income tax investigation that risks his palace and treasures, a Rajasthani king brings together his four daughters for some healthy competition - and the royal title is the prize. Who will win? And what will the dysfunctional royal family lose? Find out in these funny 10 episodes, starring big names like Naseeruddin Shah, Soha Ali Khan, Raghubir Yadav, and Lara Datta.

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I Sengupta (of Balika Vadhu) and stars Tahir Raj I Bhasin and Shweta Tripathi in the lead roles.

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drama Human looks at the world of human drug trials. It stars Shefali Shah (you might recognise her from Delhi Crime) and Kirti Kulhari (Four More Shots, Please!) along with Seema Biswas, Ram Kapoor, Vishal Jethwa, and others.

Get the popcorn ready for when Human releases on 14 Jan.

--------------------------------------------Kaun Banegi Shikharwatl released on 7 Jan.

PUTHAM PUDHU KAALAI

VIDIYAADHAA (Amazon Prime)

The second instalment of the successful anthology Putham Pudhu Kaalai, this series features five original and inspirational voices of contemporary Tamil cinema (directors Halitha Shameem, Balaji Mohan, Richard Anthony, Surya Krishna and Madhumita), who bring new stories of hope and love that celebrate the resilient human spirit in these uncertain times.

It's a Pongal release for this one, 14 Jan.

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UNPAUSED: NAVA SAFAR (Amazon Prime)

The power of positivity. That's what the new season Unpaused is about. Unpaused: Naya Safar showcases five unique stories that look at how COVID-19 has made us value life and emotions more than ever. Filmmakers include Shikha Makan (Gond Ke Laddu), Ruchir Arun (Teen Tigada), Nupur Asthana (The Couple), Ayappa KM (War Room) and Nagraj Manjule (Vaikunth).

It's a 21 Jan release for Unpaused.

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I THURAMUKHAM (Theatrical release) I I I I I I

According to the 'Chappa' system of work allocation, metal tokens would be thrown into waiting crowds of labourers. Whoever got them would get work for the day on the wharves and godowns of Kechi, Kerala. Learn more about this primitive and barbaric system in this new film, which has gone on the international film festival circuit as The Harbour.

Check cinemas for a 20 Jan release.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KAPIL SHARMA: l'M NOT DONE YET (Netflix) He quizzes the most popular of popular Bollywood stars on his comedic TV show. Yet Kapil Sharma's own rags-to-riches life is filled with struggles, power struggles, bratty behaviour, social media storms... and personal revival. He talks candidly about all of this, his love for performance, and his young family, in his first Netflix special.

Check out Amritsar's 4th famous export, after Wagah Border, Golden Temple, and Amritsari kulche, on 28 Jan.

MATRI M O N IALS SEEKING GROOMS

Brisbane and well settled in Australia.

Height 5'6',' slim, complexion fair.

Contact kumar.sham@bigpond.com

Seeking a professionally qualified match, of good family background, teetotaller, preferably Australian citizen or PR holder, for highly qualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian, good family background, working and well settled in Sydney.

Please contact aussyd08@gmail.com

Seeking a professionally qualified settled match for Sydney-based lady, never married, Aus citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 49, 5'3" slim, fair, attractive. She is a postgraduate and working at a good position in a government organisation.

Please contact at ausind26@gmail.com

Seeking match for 42-year-old Gaur Brahmin lady, working as a lawyer in

Seeking a suitable match for 45-year­ old Sikh Khatri man, divorced, no child,

36 JANUARY 2022

SEEKING

R DES

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ATTACK (Theatrical release) John Abraham is at it again, in an action flick set in Kashmir this time, in the backdrop of the Kashmiri Pandit saga. Minority Hindus are forced to flee as terrorists take over the pristine state. Debutant director Lakshya Raj Anand sets John as a lone ranger resolving a hostage crisis that sounds similar to a certain real life one that caught the attention of a nation.

Jacqueline Fernandez and Rakul Preet Singh also star.

Attack scorches up the cinemas on 28 Jan.

self-employed on bridging visa. Preferred Australian PR/citizen girl.

Contact 0422812939 or email jas_ghai01@hotmail.com

preferably Aust citizen/PR. Please send profile to aravind7778@gmail.com

Seeking match for 38-year-old Gaur Brahmin man, working in family business. Well settled in Australia.

Height 5'8", complexion fair.

Contact kumar.sham@bigpond.com

Seeking a professionally qualified settled match for Sydney based, never married Aus citizen, Hindu, Punjabi Khatri 48, 6', athletic built man. He is a project manager with an engineering background and is working in a reputed organisation.

Please contact ausind26@gmail.com

Seeking match for 36,6' Tamil Hindu Brahmin man, working for a top IT organisation in Sydney. Possess Aust PR Visa. Girl should be Hindu, vegetarian,

Seeking match for 37-year-old Gaur Brahmin man, working in university. Well settled in Australia. Height 5'11", Very slim. Contact kumar.sham@bigpond.com

www.indianlink.com.au

F O R ET E L L

January 2022

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

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E

The card signifying winter indicates that a new cycle is about to start.

Singles could receive an unexpected declaration of love. You could also have someone show interest in your work.

Tension in your work or personal life is temporary so don't let it affect you.

Money matters too could stress you out. A changed mindset ensures you will let a problem work itself out rather than trying to solve it yourself. Use your mind to surmount all obstacles for success.

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You start the new year wanting to improve career prospects. Someone who likes or admires you could lead to better and bigger things. Success on the work front makes you feel good on all counts. Plan your next move carefully. An ex could try to win your affections again. Alter your diet if you have been low on energy. The self-employed can expect profits but new partnerships will not take off.

Plan your work and work your plan for best results.

I E I .-----..,.....,...,..,.....,...-=:--:----:��=--==------.

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I I I JU I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I You continue to focus on your work I I You finally begin to realise the I and career l i ke the past and new I importance of changing yourself from I business opportunities could come within to cope with circumstances.

I your way. S i ngles will be open to I Give yourself some love to be able to I I I meeting someone new. Those involved I give it to others. Work can pile up this I may want to take things up a notch.

I I month and there could be arguments with colleagues. New beginnings are Don't overeat to combat stress I because work will leave you too busy to I on the anvil. Avoid going on a drinking I I exercise the extra calories away. A new I or overeating binge. Payments will start I business adds to your income. Change coming in. Be decisive about taking I the way you work for better results; I action where relevant and it will work in I I maybe even consider taking on an I I your favour. Self-healing and clarity is associate or partner.

I required.

I 1 I I I I I I I I� I I r--c;o 2=2 - - ----, �I 1 '-----=-,��--==c-= �,,._ --I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I The card for spring showers new Clar ty on what you want and need will I helpi you settle relationship issues. Help I beginnings in the new year for Scorpios. I I You can expect a change in circumstances I I from a senior at work or a business from March onwards. Elements in I acquaintance can lead to profit.

I your work or personal life I Paperwork or red tape issues will end I and you get more a mbitious with your I will start coming together and you move I I career. If involved and have two people I into a more practical space in your I head and act less from an emotional vying for your affections, you are likely to I choose the one you have known longer.

I space. Business gets better for the self­ I I A financial problem will get sorted out I employed. If you were unwell, you will I Debts will be cleared and money I finally. Trust your path; all the help you I recover.

I owed to you will be paid. need is already given.

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Delays in any situation are but temporary.

You feel something is missing in your life and need to find more meaning. Singles will want more than a superficial relationship.

Despite misunderstandings, communicate your intent clearly for resolution of problems. Some of you may want to work in more creative jobs. An upper back health issue continues to trouble. Financial delays are predicted. Trust your intuition; it is okay to just be for some time. You don't have to keep busy always.

l ,---

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I I I I I I Expect positive changes in the I new year on all fronts. Singles will I want their next relationship to be a I meaningful one and chances are they will get their wish. Some of you I may be looking for a more fulfilling job.

I Get your medical tests done if you can't find the root of a problem. Money is good I and more is on the way. Anxiety could I make an old health issue resurface. A I hitherto hidden talent could lead to better things at work.

I

1 - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - 1 I I I I I I .------=-=-=--=----=:-:-:--:--:-=------. 1 .------ -=-=� -=-=,- -===-�---, l .---� F==-:-=---:--:-:- =-=,..,...,... -=- =,--� I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

The card for Leo appears for the outdoor loving Sagittarians. Family matters, happy get-togethers and even someone with leadership skills could take centrestage. Singles could get into a new relationship. Trust and let go for this relationship to succeed. Spiritual matters could also interest you. Career prospects improve and impulsive buys won't be bad decisions in retrospect. Share your good fortune for more blessings. Life is good on all fronts.

I There could be things bothering you I January is likely to be a busy month but I that you won't be able to pinpoint the I don't take on more than you can handle. source or cause of. Be cautious in all Singles may have more than one love I interest and making a choice will be I your dealings in January - whether I romantic, inter-personal or professional. I tough. Work-related travel is indicated I If in a relationship, your partner could be I and career progress is indicated. Take a cheating on you. A clandestine love affair second opinion if a health issue persists.

I with a married person is also indicated.

I Opportunities for extra income are on I Work-related issues need to be dealt with I the way. You will change the way you deal through self-control rather than verbal with circumstances and learn to detach I arguments. A debt is repaid but not in full. I from outcomes. Stay focused on what I Let go of past grudges.

I you want to manifest.

I I I I I I I I I

An important month as you outgrow people and situations and move into a different space mentally and spiritually.

Keep your emotions in check and maintain balance at all times. Singles may date someone new but it won't lead to anything serious. Niggling problems on all counts need to be let go of for peace of mind. Ensure you take regular breaks or you could fall sick. An opportunity for a new job or business could come your way.

JANUARY 2022 37

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

-------------------------------Was h your moutffi Ol!I�, �l!I DEAR AUNTYJI Happy new year to you. Auntyji. and I hope 2022 is very successful for you. Have you made any resolutions for this year? Don't mind, noh, but I have a suggestion for you and I was hoping you would oblige. To Auntyji. homein yeh logto hoi ki you are a sensible lady with such good advice to give. You are always spot on with your so/ooh. Lekin Auntyji, what's with all the goo/is? Do you really need to embellish your good advice with swear words - and carry on like a doyon or a fish wife?

I have been reading your column for such a long time - why do you always have goo/is and shroop for your readers? Why can't you be a nice lady and not swear and curse?

I really hope that in 2022 you give us your advice in a sweet. nice­ lady way, and not mixed up with goondogordi. I look forward to a sweet kind response from you. dear Auntyji.

AUNTYJI SAYS Arre, tere mouh meh kido pode.

What kind of &%#$# are you that you think that a man has the right

to tell me how I speak? Did you know that many of my readers like my moophot advice because the world has become full of unpodh gonwors who say nice things to the face but think poop shroop in their mind. At least I always say it like it is - and really, do you even know what a gooli is nowadays?

Why don't you walk down the gullies of Jalandhar to understand what goo/is are anyway. Everyone knows that my so called goo/is are really terms of endearment. Here you are. preaching to me and not even seeing the hypocrisy of your comment by calling me a doyon.

But I take your point and understand that you prefer ghee shokor from my mouh. To hum opne olfooz our zuboon Urdu ki toroh present koronge - but only if you can get 10 other readers to support your idea. Vax populi will win - so put your poiso where your mouh is. and start gathering support for your request. I will be happy to oblige. mere shohjohon. mero cool gin and tonic on a hot day. mero kheere ko cocktail. Happy noyo soot to you too.

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The ethics of cr:o ss-nacia l sl!lnno DEAR AUNTYJI I don't know if you have watched the film fvlimi on Netftix but I have a question for you on this. So I watched this show. and over the Christmas holidays when we had a big lunch with the family. I mentioned this to my siste r -in-law. I said I found the film charming and endearing - and I recommended that other family members watch it too. My highly educated sister­ in-law looked at me funny and didn't say anything - but I could tell she was thinking many. many things Auntyji, many. many things indeed. I found myself feeling slightly foolish. as though I had said something stupid. I don't want to ask Priyanka about this - but can you please tell me what I might have said that was wrong?

Any advice offered will be appreciated.

AUNTYJI SAYS Oh dearie oh. Where to start with educating you. noh, where to start? So the most important thing here is that you have a sister-in-law who. apart from being a thoughtful and intelligent person. is also sensitive and diplomatic. So she could see that you liked the film and being a considerate person. she did not want to rain on your superficial parade. So let me tell you exactly what your pyoori bhobhi

was thinking. and you can decide what to do with this Information.

So the film fvlimi is based on the central premise of white people from rich countries coming to India and using its people for their own selfish needs and wants. So we have a white couple who arrive in India with the intent of finding a strong. healthy girl to act as surrogate for their baby - and their checklist for the surrogate is as offensive as it is amoral. It's as though the surrogate was a farm animal for the mere purpose of breeding. Then. they decide that they didn't want the baby after all - and then they wanted the child back. This film is a reflection of what happens in real life. and that's why this film is neither charming nor endearing - because it reflects the politics of white privilege. This film borders on art - because it should have made you think. It should have made you question why white people from rich countries come to India for surrogacy - and how the surrogates are treated during the process. Essentially this film was a light and fluffy representation of the politics of maternity. And the fact this message was lost on you is why bhobhi was shaking her head internally in disbelief. Just as I am doing right now.

Pick our Australia Day

New Australians are intrigued by a peculiar Austra lia Day tradition: in the lead u p to this national day, Australians debate a better date to celebrate it BY LP AYER ven before Santa puts his feet up in front of the fireplace, returning from his whirlwind tour dispensing � toys to children and spreading the 1'i1 message of goodwill and peace to humanity, -f:.; a war of words breaks out Down Under. � It is about Australia Day - whether January LL 26 is the appropriate day to celebrate this, � .._____�..__.,, whether there should be an alternate date, or whether this day should be celebrated at all.

Living in tltis beautiful country for nearly As sure as night follows day or hot cross buns fifty years, I have come to like its laid-back hit the shelves following Boxing Day, this attitude. Australians always liked the simple a1u1ual debate will be upon us shortly. things in life - sport, drinks, burnt-out chops.

In days gone by, at summertime, But lately almost every issue ignites a fierce debate; not a day passes without dia1netrically Australians never gave a toss about anything besides beaches, beer and barbies. But opposite views heard on the airwaves or read things have changed. Raising the summer off our devices, regardless of whether that issue heat a few bars, tltis controversy is of recent can slip into defined black and white boxes. origin, getting louder with each passing year.

First Nations people may, justifiably, feel Talkback radio, social media comment and aggrieved to call tltis day a celebration, while people on the other side prefer tradition Letters to the Editor columns are full of protagonists on either side, fiercely arguing not to be tran1pled with. Appropriately this their points of view. Thankfully (?) COVID-19 time, the first salvo was fired by former pace has kept it at bay this year. No-vax Novak too bowler Jason Gillespie, who has First Nations has lobbed it over the line temporarily. ancestry, in a two-page article in SA Weekend

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38 JANUARY 2022

as far back as November. Not having scored more than single digit runs in my backyard cricket forays, I don't dare venture a face-off.

Also, being a pacifist, I'd prefer an amicable solution.

So I've come up with a few options that might help resolve the date debate.

Every country in the world has its National Day. We do not want ours to clash with another country's sacred day. So that will rule out some 195 days. Moreover, since people from many countries Jive in our multicultural land, it will help them avoid the dilemma of which function to attend - the adopted land's Australia Day or the national day of their country of origin. This is particularly valid for

us from India as it coincides with our ho111e country's Republic Day. Saturdays and Sundays are definitely out as these would rob us of a paid holiday.

Another 154 days gone.

The natural choice is January 1, as on that day in 1901, Australia came into being as one nation. (Although it doesn't exactly look like that due to COVlD antics by some states).

However, that being New Year's Day, we don't want to be shortchanged of a holiday.

How about April 1 ? No, for obvious reasons.

Now n1y options are narrowing.

How about my own birthday, the most important day in my calendar. l don't mind sacrificing it for a national cause. But the problem is, like every Indian, I celebrate my birthday twice in the year - the day in the Gregorian calendar I was born on, and the 'star' birthday which is a moving target.

There being 27 stars in our cosn1ology, that day can occur within a range of 13 days on either side of the English D.o.B. (Confused?

Don't be - suffice it to say, it's all guided by celestial forces.)

Ah! A light bulb moment. How about February 29? That way, the controversy will occur only once every four years, until a date acceptable to the twenty four million of us is found.

www.indianlink.com.au

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