2022-02 Sydney

PUBLISHER PawanLuthra

EDITOR

Rajni AnandLuthra

CONTRIBUTORS

RheaL Nath, Bageshri Savyasachi,

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

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rumpyisthemoodthat mostofAustraliaisinatthe moment.Grumpyaboutthe ongoingchallengeswiththe COVID-19virus. Grumpyaboutthe uncertaintyingoingoutwithfriends andfamily.Grumpyabouttheongoing necessitytoworkfromhome. Grumpy aboutstrugglingtomakeendsmeetas businessowners,withnoJobkeeper orJobsavertodependupon. Grumpy aboutstalledfamilyreunionvisits. Grumpyathavingtostickaswabup yournostriltocheckforthevirus. (Evengrumpiertohavetodothisfor school-goingchildrenatleasttwicea week.)

Yes,thisgrouchinesscouldtranslate intoavoteofnoconfidenceagainstthe incumbentCoalitiongovern1nentatthe nextelection, duebeforeMaythisyear.

Theopeningupofinternational borderstoallvaccinatedtravellers

Howtovote

seemstobeasignofacrawlbackto 'regular'life.Thismayormaynot impactyouimmediately,butastourist cashbeginstoflowthroughtoother sectorsoftheeconomy,theboostit willprovidewillbeverywelcome.The intangibleeffectofconfidenceinthe systemthatwillthenensueiswhatthe governmentishopingfor.

Atthisjuncture,astronger pushisalsoneededtobringmore internationalstudentsback.Thiswill addfurthertothekickstartofthe economythattouristswillprovide,as wellashelpbattlelabourshortagesof thepast18-241nonths.InNSWalone, itisstatedthatinternationalstudents wereaddingover$30millionadayto thelocaleconomybeforethepandemic struck.

Nationsandorganisationsthatcan createopportunitiesforthemselves inthesetoughtimesofCOVIDcauseddisruptionwillboominthe post-pandemicworld.Australiahas beenhaemorrhagingstudentsto countriessuchasthe UK, Canada, andSingapore.Itnowneedstoadd incentivessuchassubsidisedtravel,

housing,andpathwaystomigration, tohastenthereturnofstudents onshore.Instarkcontrastto April2020,whenPrimeMinister ScottMorrisontoldvisitorsand internationalstudentsthatitwas 'timetogohome',luringthem backnowwillbeaninteresting challenge.

Indiacouldwellplayapivotalrole inapost-CovidAustralia.Withayoung populationthatcontinuestogrow, andwithinternaleducationoptions strugglingtokeepupwithdemand, AustraliaishighintheeyesofIndia's youth-eitherforfurthereducationor tomovehereaseconomicmigrants. Atthesametime,thereispent-up demandforinternationaltravelin theaspirationalandaffluentsections ofIndiansociety,andAustraliaisa favoureddestinationforitsnaturaland culturalattractions.

AsFortressAustraliaopensupto travelandhighereducationandthese tidesofgrouchinesshopefullywash away,expectIndiaandIndiansto playastrongroleinhelpingrevivethe economy.

ROBERTSON,Ellie

SustainableAustralia PartyStop Overdevelopment /Corruption

LI,JasonVat-Sen

Labor

FARRELLY, Elizabeth

Independent

LAXMANALAL,Rohan

AnimalJusticeParty

BUCKLEY, Courtney

TheGreens

SAKR,Bridget

Liberal

MananLuthra, CarlBuhariwala, Ritam Mitra, Smita Nashikkar, Vikas Datta, MohanDhall, Quaid Najmi, SandipHor,Gopika Sambantham, GauravMasand, Mina! Khona, Auntyji

Electoral District ofStrathfield

KASHMIRI PANDIT EXODUS

On the anniversaryof the Kashmir exodus in January 1990, Sydney's VIJAY HANDOO shared a personal account of the events leading up to her family's flight by night that year

AkhilJhingranwrote: Itissosadwhat happenedtothePunditsintheir homeland Kashmir. Hardlyeveranycriticism from theWestern media. Hatsoff tothe present-daygovernmentto takesome boldstepsand restoretheirpride andcreateanenvironment fortheirreturn.JaiHind

YashShaTai wrote:Thisis veryimportant,aswhathashappenedtothis communityisrarelyeverpublished.The Kashmiri Pandit genocidehasbeen neglectedand wipedfromhistory.Themediashouldreinstatethe factsof this genocideandcallit for whatit was.

"WHY IS IT OKAY TO BEND THE RULES?"

Or is it really, okay? Where does the buck stop? A note by reader PREETHI MALCOLM of Melbourne.

Like many other times during the pandemic, I recently found myself wondering abouthumannatureand the strange, rebellious streak of rule breakers. Ilookedinward at our community and noticed that weonlytend to do the right things out of fear of being caught by the law, especially when thehard-earnedplastic notes that we so lovingly and carefully save forour futuregenerationsare taken awayin the nameof "penalties."

I remember reading somewhere that integrity meant doing the right thing even when no one was watching, and thatstruck a chord with me. But who decides what's right and what's wrong?Whenit comes to the pandemic, it's not about playing the roleof "moral police".I feel peopleshouldinstead apply some mindfulness and another factor that is becomingsuch ararity these days: common sense.

Walking out of the cinemas recentlyafter watching thefilm '83, I listened to this nearby family of uncles andgrandparents tell theirkids all about cricket andpassion, but neverheard a mention of picking up theempty Coke bottles or popcorn packets that theyleft on the seats. It washeart breaking. Isit becausethereis no penalty for suchactionsor just thelack of mindfulness?

Similarly, afather encouraginghis teenager with alearner'slicense to exceed the speed limit because there were nospeed cameras, or parents tweaking their kids' drivinghoursin therace to get a P-Platebefore their friends' children what are we really teachinghere?

Even faking declarations at Customs to bring in some spices may sound trivial but take a moment to consider the long-term repercussions and the lessons weare giving the next generation- that it is ok to lie.

In my mind, it's like telling friends you'reona diet but eatingjunk food when no oneis watching. Who are we really foolinghere? COVID or COVID-free, it's probably time to make mindfulness a part of our daily life.

SAY IT AGAIN

Indiahas lost its voice.

Vice President

Venkiah Naidu on thedeath of Lata Mangeshkar

VIVE LA REPUBLIQUE

KRISHNA NEELAMRAJU, a newly elected NSW Branch member, writes why he joined the Australian Republican Movement.

Sriram Balakrishnan wrote: Personally, myview isthat Dominion/ Commonwealth isaredundant concept and every countryindependent of the Crown must chooseits own Headof State. I wonder whensuch amovement will take shapeinCanadaor NZ.

Uncle Chop Chop on Worimi Land wrote: Inspiringand true.

FrankSutherland Davidson wrote: Fallacious argument -acommon misconceptionof thefunctionand positionof the monarchinaconstitutional monarchy

Ray Summerscales wrote:Two questionsnobodyseemstobe preparedto answerabout becoming arepublic. What will bethe material benefit to the averageAustralianandhow much willit cost to change?If it ain't broke

Pallavi Kumar wrote: Lovelypie,and anequally great write up

RIP LataMangeshkar, I grew up in theCaribbean listeningtoyour timelessmusic yourmusicshall live on!!!

Daren Ganga, West Indiescricketer

Meriawaazhipehchaanhai(My voice ismyidentity)

Poignant lyrics ofaniconicLataji number forwardedincessantlythis week

A PASSAGE TO INDIA

From changing flight dates to miscommunication at the airport, JAZ/8 FAR/D's recent trip to India was not without its challenges.

Vandana Mathur wrote: I travelledQantas so far one way. No issuesif you have the rightpaperwork inSydney, but theflight was packedtothe rafters. Not one seat free!!!

Rajni Luthra wrote: Some ordeal! Must have been arelief to get onthat last flight back home.Makes mewonderhow much time youspent, during the holiday, on the phoneto the airlines But at the very least, yougot tomeet the family.

Jazib Farid wrote:Thank you Indian Link forsharingmy travelexperience. Surely atrip to remember for along timefor many of us. Truly appreciate the community's support and efforts in helping oneanother withthe constantly evolving travelinformation and groundreality, which let me takethistrip onboard

Nitin Khanna wrote: Thanksa lot for sharing your ordeal, Jazib Farid, I'm surethis will helpmany unfortunate passengerswho have booked with Thaiairways recently, while my heart goes out to the ones whoweredenied boardingat the gatesforno fault of theirs. Appreciateyou beingso patient withall thesequeriesover the pastmonth, andkudosto you and others for helping hundreds like me planningalternatearrangements. Wish you andus all better travel experiences in future!

Pavneet Kaur wrote:Amazingly articulated appreciateyou taking the timeto painstakingly share your travel experience. Travelthesedays can be anightmare and I am sureyour post willhelp reducethetravel anxiety of many people. And also, thanks to Indian Link for thewider reachto the community.

HARJAS SINGH: ONE TO WATCH

DARSHAK MEHTA on 17-year-old Sydney cricketer Harjas Singh's recent achievement, which puts him in the same league as some of Australia's top talents.

Harsha Bhogle wrote: Next gen Indian origin cricketers starting to makea mark inAustralia

Andrew Wu wrote: Interesting piecefromDarshak Mehta. NeilD'Costa, Marnus's batting coach and former mentor of MichaelClarke and thelate Phillip Hughes, might haveunearthed another good one

Makarand Waingankar wrote: Nicepiece bySydney-basedfriend Darshak Mehtawho played for CCI in the '80s.Teen cricketer HarjasSinghhaswhat it takes to play forAustralia.

INDIAN LINK POLL

Are you comfortable sending your kids to school in this COVID environment? 40% Yes, it'sabout time they return toclassrooms andschoolsaretaking necessary precautions 60% No, the pandemicis still raging.

WHERE IN INDIA

This popular tourist destinationhas been calleda "MiniSwitzerland". Where is it? Readers Vandana Saini Sandhu, Tripti Joshi, Chakshu, and Vandana Gulati guessed right: Khajjiar,HimachalPradesh.

If we play her songs one after another, we could hear her for an entiremonth and neverhear the samesong again

Kajol, actor

WHEREINOZ

We asked youto identify thiscollection of birdcages and its significance. Readers Anu Shree, Devika Chaudhary, and Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell hadthe correct answer:Angel Place, Sydney CBD. In thissound sculpture, the cagesrepresent birds of the region that are now extinct dueto over development or pushed to the fringes of the city

These once-in-two-year #U19CWC always give me a feeling of eating at an unlimited GujaratiThali restaurant. Like we've just about begun to savour the likes of Shivam

Mavi & Kamlesh Nagarkoti & they've already left two tempting bowls of Ravi Kumar & Raj Bawa on the table.

Bharat Sundaresan, cricket writer, on India's U19World Cupwin

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BY MANAN LUTHRA

WithyourYear 12 now behindyou, you've probablyhadopportunityto lookbackatit all with somewisdom Whatdidyou learn aboutyourselfin theyear 2021?

DhruvHariharan: I was surprised how much I could push through when it came down to it, since l hadn'tbeenfacedwith the same level ofstress before. At the san1e time, I gottounderstand 111y limits, and when I needed to stop and take a step back fron1 studies. lt alsogave1ne a sense ofdirection with what I wanted todo in the future,which is science research.

DanielJesudason:2021 wasa learning experience unlike any other I have had duringmyschooling. The challenge ofcompletingYear 11 and Year 12 sin1ultaneously(I was studying fourYear 11 subjects and four Year 12 subjects underthe SACEcurriculum) meant that myworkload was significant. However, I learned thatwith hard workcomes rewards. Myambitiousgoalofachieving a 99+ ATARas aYear 11 studentwas quite extreme. PeoplethoughtI was insane; but just because otherpeoplehave anopinion,

The class of2021 talk COVID and (high school)tests

DHRUV HARIHARAN '

(HSC)

ATAR: 99.95

Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Maths Extension 1, Maths Extension2, EnglishAdvanced,German Results/SpecialAwards: Tuckwell I ScholarshipatANU, Bronze Medalinthe International PhysicsOlympiad(IPhO), NSWState DebatingTeam

Uni Course: BachelorofPhilosophyScience(Honours),ANU

School: KnoxGrammarSchool,Sydney

doesn't mean theyare always right. The most successful peoplecanblockout others and focus on achieving theirgoals.

CharanKanwalSingh: I learnt that with effort and perseverance,your hard work will be rewarded. Even though you might want toprocrastinate, whenyou receive yourresults in the end, you realise it is worth the effort.

SatvikGupta: I understood more about how l learn best. Unlike the majorityof my friends, 1 preferred studyingearlier in the morningbefore school insteadof stayingup at night. I alsolearnt that I perfonned betterin myexamswhen there was some fortnofpressure that I placed on myselfsuch asdeadlines. Thishelped me remain organised and balance mytime between subjects so that nothingwasleft to the last second.

KaranPartapSingh:Akeylearningfrom thisyearis that resilience triumphsall. Therewere timeswhen 1 thought that 1 had underperformed, duetoa poorSAC mark ora poorpracticeexa1n, but itwas important tokeepmyselflevel-headedand trustmypreparation.Thisdoesn't mean that I didn't feel frustratedorupsetbut1 knewthatthe bestwayforwardwas topick myselfup,brush 1nyselfoff, and tryagain.

HussainHardwarewala: Throughout Year 12, I learnt that 1 work well under pressurewhendeadlines are approaching.

GURBANI MINHAS (VCE)

ATAR: 97.65

Subjects: Mathematical Methods, Biology, Chemistry, English Language, Latin,ChineseSecond Language University Course: BachelorofScience, UniversityofMelbourne School: Penleighand Essendon GrammarSchool, Melbourne

I also learnt that I enjoylearningas l wasgenuinely interested in mychosen subjects.

AbhinavRajan: To notunderestimate myselfwhen l'n1doingsomething I have never seen before.

GurbaniMinhas: Looking back atwhat perhapsmayhave beenthe most stressful period ofmylife yet, I cannot confidently say that J have no regrets.There are many things l wish I could have done differently, howeverall those decisions l made enabled me to reflect on my choices and further cultivate a new skill. I learned that I am a reflectiveperson,further enabling me todiscern myproclivity towards persistence and tenacity.

The pasttwoyearshave caused alotof uncertaintyforstudents Howdidyou goaboutyourstudieswhile adaptingto achanginghealth environment?

Karan: 1 thinkitwould be fairtosaythat thelast twoyearshave beennothingshort ofchaos. However, in orderto keep on top ofmystudies, it was really helpful tohave anend goal in mind, whichwas gettinginto mydesired course. But most importantly, the most help came from my supportive family. Theyhave always been extremelyencouragingand havemotivated me totrymybest in all aspects oflife. It's something I will carryforward with me.

Satvik: Itwas difficult, and (wesaw) increasing amounts ofuncertainty. Howevermy ability to focus onwhat I could control positively in1pacted 1ny results. r chose not to worry about the number ofdailyCOYID casesor new restrictions. I knew I did not have the powertochange our health environment, and so I shifted myenergy towards my studygoals and performing to the best I could. This allowed me to remain focused and motivated.

Dhruv: With the uncertaintyaroundwhen exams were likelytobe held, the keywas topace myselfto keepup mymotivation. There isn'tone single waytostudyfindingson1ething thatworks and sticking with it was essential. I'm a big advocate for the Pomodoro technique ofstudying harder forshorter intervals, broken up by short breaks.

Hussain: l was lucky enough to notbe impacted for the majorityofthe last two years as I only missed out a week or so ofteaching. 1-lowever, l stayed true to my revision and studyprocess even with lockdowns and isolationswhichhelped mestay disciplined and somewhaton top ofmy studies.

Daniel: In aconstantlychanging environment, the bestwaytoapproachlife isto prepare whatyoucan but be 1nindful thatanythingcouldchangeatanymoment.

Iutilisedthelessbusybeginningofthe yeartocompletehighyieldassess1nent tasksinadvance,beingfullyawarethatthe latterstagesoftheyearmaybesignificantly disrupted.Therewardsofthisearly 'grindset'wereevidentearly;inJunefwas ad1nittedtohospitalwithhealthconcerns butlwasabletostayuptodatewithmy peersasIhadputintheworkearlier.This meantthat,despiten1issingtwoweeks ofschool,Iwasequally(andoften111ore) preparedthanall1nyclassmates.

Gurbani: Learninginsuchanadverse environmentprovidedmewithan1ultiplicity ofchallenges.Jhadtokeepupwiththe acaden1icaspectofmylifeandsin1ultaneously maintainmyphysicalandmentalwell-being. Ifoundthattakingtimeoutofn1ydaytotalk tomyfriendsandfa1nily,andworkingout regularly,aidedinmitigatingthestressand pressureI'dbeenfeeling.

Abhinav: 1playedalotofbasketballand badmintonatschoolandwatchedalotof animetohelp1nepasssometiine.

Kanwal: LivinginWA,wehavethankfully notbeentooaffectedbypandemic-imposed lockdowns.Therewereafewshortperiods oflockdown,butwetransitionedto distancelearningprettyefficiently.

Young people are becoming increasingly aware ofnews and political affairs. What were your main

news sources throughout the year?

Satvik: Iusedamixtureoftraditional media(TheDailyTelegraph)andsocial mediaaccounts.Onlnstagram, @dailyausand@guardianaustraliawere constant,reliablesourcesofinformation. IalsoreadtheAFRweeklytokeepupto-datewith1najorglobaleconomicand businessnewswhichhelpedmystudyof econon1icsatschool.

Dhruv: Honestly,Iwasfarlesssocially consciousthisyearthanlwouldhave liked,mostlysinceIwasfocusing onstudies,butpartiallytoavoidthe seeminglyendlessstreamofbadnews. Istilltrytogetn1ynewsfron1arange traditionalmedialikeMichaelWest,The Conversation,andnews.coin.au.The 11 AMdailyconferencebythePremieralso beca1neastaple.

Karan: MymainsourceswereTheAge andABCNewsontheTV.Ialsoobsessed aboutVictoria'svaccinationratesduring ourraceto90%doubledoseandtokeep upwiththis,1followed@thedailyauson lnstagran1.

Gurbani: Ididconstantlytrytokeepup withthenews,whetheritwasthrough televisionorInstagram,bothofwhichI usedquiteoften.

Hussain: Channel7newsontheTVand onlnstagramweremytwomainsources. TheABCNewsapponmyphonewasalso

KARAN PARTAP SINGH (VCE)

ATAR: Prefernottosay

Subjects: English,Biology,Chemistry, PE,AccountingandMathsMethods

Results/Special Awards: School Captain

School/University Course: Bachelor ofMedicalScience/Doctorof Medicine,MonashUniversty

School: SuzanneCoryHighSchool, Melbourne

usedquiteabit.

Kanwal: Havingn1ovedfromoverseasin themiddleoftheacaden,icyear,Ihada heavyworkloadtocatchuponinYear 11 andwasfairlyoccupiedduringYear12 too.Ididn'twanttoreadthenewsaslfelt itmightdistractn1e.

Daniel: SocialmediasuchasTwitterand Instagram.Whetherpolitical,sporting orhealth-basednews,theseoutletswere influentialtomyunderstandingofthe worldaroundme.

Abhinav: Mymainsourcesofnewswere thenewsprogramsonTVbutsometimes Iwouldgetinformationthroughother socialmediaaccounts.

After online classes, are you Team Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout or other?

Abhinav: HavingusedMicrosoftTeams then1ost 1 wouldpickit,butZoomis probablyeasiertouse.

Hussain: IpreferMicrosoftTeamsas documentsandvideoscanbestored, whilehavingtheabilitytoconnectwith arangeofdifferentpeoplethroughvideo calls.

Dhruv:AsmuchasIhatetofollowthe crowd,Zoomhasbeenmygo-toforthe pastyear.Changingthebackgroundisa greatwaytobreakupthemonotony!

Kanwal:Itdepends.lfIwantedtospeak

tomyfriendsthatlivedelsewhereor wastutoringonline,IwoulduseZoom. MicrosoftTeamstendstobeusedmore forofficeandschoolpurposes.

Karan:TeamZoom,forsure!

Daniel: TeamZoon1. 100%.

Gurbani: TeamGoogleMeetalltheway!

Satvik: Withoutadoubt,TeamZoo1n!

What extra-curricular activities, bobbies, or TV shows helped you through the past two years?

Daniel: Musicplayedabigrolein offsetting111yheavyandsomewhat intensiveacademicworkload.Iwas inseveralmusicalgroupsincluding orchestrasandbands,andplayedthe saxophone,clarinetandpianothrough variouspartsoftheyear.Sportalso playeda1nassiveroleinhelpingn1eto relax;watchingRishabhPant's1natchwinninginningsattheGabbawasa fantasticwaytostarttheyear.

In2021 Ialsomanagedtokeep busythroughphilanthropicalwork.I participatedinfundraisingeventsfor mynon-profitofchoice,UNICEF.This ledtomebeingelectedasaUNICEF Ambassador,andUNICEFYoung AmbassadorforSouthAustralia.Inthis roleIhavebeenencouragedtoconsider theproblemsfacedbyyoungpeople aroundthecountryandinternationally, andamendeavouringtomakeapositive contributiontotheworld.

MylatestUNICEFprojectisthe RedZoneCrisisAppeal,aimingto raisefundsfordisadvantagedyouthin less-economicallydevelopednations, particularlythosefacinghungercrisesand malnourishment.Moreinformationabout myfundraisingeffortsandanopportunity todonatecanbefoundonmyUNICEF Australiafundraisingprofile.(https:// fundraise.unicef.org.au/daniel-jesudason) Karan: Forthemajorityofmyschool journey,I'velovedtakingonleadership positionsandgettinginvolvedinasmany sportsteamsaspossible.IwasHouse SportCaptaininYear11andSchool CaptaininYear12whichwereboth extremelyrewardingexperiencesthat providedmewiththeopportunityto continualJygrowasaperson.

Hussain: Tennis,cricket,playingthe saxophone,andwatchingYBshowssuch asTheOfficeandBrooklynNine-Nine, weregreatescapesfromthepressuresof schoolandassignments.

Gurbani: Readingdefinitelyhelped

methroughout.Itprovidedaformof intellectualrelease,consideringIdid manyscience-basedsubjects.Andof course,TVshowswerealwaystheperfect stressrelieftogetn1yn1indoffthings forawhile.Wheneverlwasfeelingabit dejected,Ioftenturnedto1nyfavourite feel-goodshow Friends.

Kanwal: Iwasthevice-captainofchessatmy schoolandwouldoftenspendtimeduring lunchplayingchess.Sportwasalsoanice waytorelaxandunwind.IwatchedYouTube videosratherthanTVshows.Becarefulnot tofallintotherabbitholeofsocialmedia, whereyoukeeponclickingonrecommended videos;thatwasteslotsoftime!

Satvik: Despitecontinuousrestrictions andlockdowns,Iwasabletomaintainmy passionforcricketandsoccer.l'1nastrong advocateofmaintainingphysicalactivity whilestudyingfortheHSC. l alsotriedto beinvolvedinextracurricularactivitiesat schoolasaSchoolPrefectandparticipated intheGoldDukeofEdinburghAward whichhelpedn1eren1ainconnectedwith mypeers.IalsolovedwatchingTVshows suchas Brooklyn, NineNine, Suitsand Money Heist.

Dhruv: I'veloveddebatingthroughout1ny tin1eatschool,andluckily,Icouldcontinue thatthroughlockdownonline.Otherthan

ABHINAV RAJAN {VCE)

ATAR: 94.05

Subjects: General English (A+), Physics (A-),SportScience(A-), Biology(B+)

University Course: BachelorofMedical

RadiationScience (RadiationTherapy)

School: Christian Brothers College, Melbourne

DANIEL SANJIVAN JESUDASON (SACE)

ATAR:99.25

Subjects: Biology, Mathematical Methods, Psychology, Research Project School: St Peter'sCollege,Adelaide

that,mygo-tosarenormallySeinfeldand BrooklynNineNineonNetflix.

Do you think nerds rule the world?

Gurbani: Speakingfromacompletely objectiveperspective,DEFINITELY!

Hussain: Yes,we'reallnerdsabout so1nethingortheother.

Satvik Gupta: Idon'tthinkanyonecan ruletheworld.Itwouldbemuchtoo difficult!

Abhinav: No.Anyonecan.

Dhruv:Theydefinitelyrulethebusiness world(lookingatyou,Bezos,ElonMusk andBillGates!)buttheystillneedtoenter politics.

Karan: Absolutelynot.Istronglybelieve thatthosethathaveexcellentpeopleskills andanobsessiveworkethic/discipline ruletheworld.

Kanwal: lthinknerdshavebeen negativelystereotypedandpoorlydefined. IfyouhavepassedthroughYear12,there wouldhavebeenperiodsoftimewhere youwouldhavefeltlikeanerdandthat's alright.Everyonehasbeenanerdonce uponatime.Ifeeltheydoruletheworld.

Daniel: Theword'nerd'hassomewhat ofanegativeconnotation.Oneofmy classmateswaspubliclycalledoutfor beinganerd butitmademethink.This

personisatalentedmusician,athleteand debater,andoneofthemostgenuine, kindesthumanbeingsI'veeverknown. Noamountofacademicbrilliancecan takethataway.Whilenerdsmaynotrule theworld,thosethatarekind,andthose thatworkhard,mostcertainlywill.

\Vhat moments from 2021 doyou remember most fondly?

Kanwal:Thefondestmemoryformehas tohavebeenthedaymyWACEexams finished.IfeltveryrelievedonceIknew Ihadfinishedschool.Resultsdaywas prettyfulfillingtoo;itfeltgreattoseethat yearsofhardworkhadpaidoff.During school,someofmybiggestachievements includegettingtheroleofChessViceCaptainandjoiningtheStudentCouncil.

Karan:Therewereafewstandouts,like returningtoface-to-facelearningright beforeexams,asthiswassuchawonderful opportunitytoreconnectwithfriendsand teachers.Year12valedictorywasanother highlightbecausethisallowedusstudents toreflectonthepastfewyears,celebrating howfarwe'vecomeandgrown.

Satvik: Afewofmylastmomentsatschool stickout:ourYear12campwherewewent tothebeachatsunrise,andourformaland graduationceremonywhichwasheldin

person.Anotherfondmomentwouldbemy teamwinningourschool'sannualfutsal (indoorsoccer)competitionwithallmy friendsinthecrowdjumpingontous.

Dhruv: Myfavouritemon,entwasmeeting myn1atesinpersonafteralmost4months inlockdown..HSCwise,Idon'tthinkI couldeverforgetthesenseofreliefafter finishingpaper2ofEnglishAdvanced(my leastfavouritesubject).Ofcourse,l'dbe remisstonotmentionDay5oftheFourth AUSvlNDTestattheGabba!

Daniel:Thefeelingofreliefaftermyend-ofyearPhysicsexamisonethatwillresonate withmeforever.Havingcompletedsix examsoverthepreviouscoupleofweeks,l wasmentallyandphysicallydrained.Aside fromthis,spendingtimewithfriendswas fulfilling.Thecontributionofn1yfriends andfan1ilytomyacademicdevelopment cannotbeunderstated.Forthat,lam perpetuallygrateful.

Abhinav: SpendingFormalwithmy friendsandthebondsIformedwiththem.

Gurbani: Spendingtin1ewithmyfriends atschoolduringtheshortperiodswe wereoutoflockdownaremomentsthatI willlikelyneverforget.Seeingeachother afterlengthenedperiodsoftimemadeus appreciatebeingtogetherallthemore.

Hussain: Year12Retreat,Year12

, Graduation, Year 12 Formal, and most ofall the banter amongst teachers and students intheclassroom.

Whatwouldyouradvicetofuturefinal yearstudentsbe?

Hussain: Enjoy it! Don't stress too 1nuch about assignments and tests. Theywill work then1selvesout, but you might n1iss out on the best schoolingyearifyou are too focusedongrades, ATAR and uni admission. Balance is key.

Abhinav: Cherish it. Don't spend your whole time studyingbut also don't slack offcompletely.

Satvik: Remember it is not the number ofhoursyoustudy that 1natters, buthow efficientlyyou spend yourtime. Place distractions likeyourphonein a different roon1 when studyingand ren1ind yourself that aimlessly scrollingthroughTikTok and Instagra,n is notworth it. Prioritise completing past papers and other revision questions in the weeks leadingup toyour exams so you can pinpointexact areas of in1provement. Apart fro1n that, have fun and enjoyyour last yearofhigh school!

Karan: Take it as it comes. I thinkit's veryimportant tonotshy away from the fact that it is a very difficultyear; howeverifyou break itdownintosmaller

HUSSAIN HARDWAREWALA (SACE)

ATAR:98.15

Subjects:Chemistry, Mathematical Methods, Psychology, Integrated Learning,General English, Research Project, MusicSoloPerformance, MusicEnsemble Performance

University/Course: BachelorofBiomedicalSciences, JamesCookUniversity School: RostrevorCollege,Adelaide SATVIK

GUPTA (HSC)

ATAR:99.90

Subjects: MathsExtension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, Physics, Chemistry, EnglishAdvanced, Economics

Results/SpecialAwards: Band 6 in MathsExtension 1, Mathematics Extension2,Physics,Chemistry, EnglishAdvanced, Economics University/Course: BachelorofActuarialStudies(Co-OpProgram), UNSW

School: Baulkham Hills HighSchool, Sydney

CHARAN KANWAL SINGH (WACE)

ATAR:98.70

Subjects: English, Chemistry, Mathematics: Methods, Mathematics:Specialist, Business Management&Enterprise, Economics, Punjabi (interstate)

Results/SpecialAwards:CertificateofDistinction, SubjectCertificateofExcellence: Business Management& Enterprise(top0.5%inWA)

UniversityInformation:UniversityofWesternAustralia - BachelorofPhilosophy (Honours)with Majorsin Business Managementand Economics

School: Scotch College Perth

pieces,YCE becomes alot less daunting. Moreover, it's essential thatyou enjoy thegrind. Therewill be ti1nes whenyou are studying forhourson end despite not feelingveryn1otivated. Buton the flipside it'simperativethatyou make themost ofyourfinalyearofschool and immerse yourselfwithin theschool co1nmunity to make those lifelongn1emories.

Dhruv: It's easytogetcaught up in the everyday chaos ofYear 12,so never lose sightofwhatyouwanttoachieve. Take the time to stop and askyourself whyyou're doingwhat you are. Don't underestimate the need to take time and to enjoyyourselfduringtheyear. Studies

areimportant,but so are breaks!

Daniel:Thebeststudentsarethosewho enterYear 12 prepared. Beforeyour first dayofschool, make sure thatyouknow yourcourse inside-out. Knowthestructure andwhatisexpected. Don'tbe afraidto talkto past studentsto seekadvice and askquestions.Makethe mostofyour teachers; positive, meaningful relationships with them cansupportyou,fosteringa communityofacademicsuccess.

Gurbani: While itis important to work hard and be uptodate withyour studies, I'd recommendregularlyspendingtime doingthings outsideofyour academiclife in order to prevent a burnout, and enjoy a

balanced YCEjourney.

Kanwal: Enjoy it. Work hard. Simple.

Favouritequotefromateacher?

Satvik: "Hospitals need cleaners as much asthey need doctors."

Dhruv: "The HSC is a marathon, not a sprint"

Daniel: "Thefuture belongs tothose who prepare forit."

Gurbani: "Practice makes perfect." I know it's a cliche, but it's a sayingwhich I will forever hold to heart.

Hussain: "Nooo!!!!" - on many sentences ofmyEnglish drafts.

Karan: "There's nothingmoreyoucan do other than tryyour best." Best teacher in the world: Mrs Ruddick.

Describeyourfinalyearinthreewords

Dhruv: lntense. Insightful. Insane.

Hussain: Fun. Stress. Memories

Karan: Challenging. Rewarding. Unforgettable.

Kanwal: Busybut enjoyable.

Abhinav: Exciting. Fun. Eventful

Satvik: Demanding. Unpredictable. Rewarding.

Gurbani: Challenging. Engaging. Rewarding.

Daniel: To becontinued

Melbourne's Devika Chaudhary is Brimbank Council's Young Citizen of the Year 2022

BY CARLBUHARIWALA

orBrimbankCityCouncil'sYoung CitizenoftheYear2022Devika

Chaudhary,allittakesisasmall gesturetomakeadifferenceinthe livesofothers.

Whenwethinkabouthelpingothers,we questionwhatin1pactoureffortswillhave onthen1.Wemayworryaboutnotbeing abletodoenough,perhapsbecausewe believewemightnotbesufficientlyskilled, resourcedorexperienced.Or,wemightnot havetheconfidencetohelpothersinneed.

22-year-oldDevikaChaudharynever questionsherabilitytohelpothers."Weall havesomethingtooffer,"shesays."Wejust needtofinditanddoit!"

Withherpositive,outgoingandproactive attitudeinlife,DevikaistheproudcorecipientoftheBrimban.kCityCouncil's YoungCitizenoftheYearawardfor2022, forhercomn1unityworkacrossawiderange ofgroupsandprojects.

Children,youthandwomenfro1ndiverse backgroundsformthecruxofDevika's worksofar.

Amonghervastvolunteeringcon1mitment isherworkasanadvisorymen1berforthe BrunbankCo1nmunityFundforthepast twoyears,findingwaystohelptheFund withactivitiestobenefitlocalyouth.

Herworkalsoincludesstintsasan AdvisortoStateLibraryFocusGroup (CulturallyandLinguisticallyDiverse People)in2020;asamemberofCouncil's

HomeworkClubin2020;aspartof Council'sMentorProgra1nm2020-2021, andasaKidsActivityorganiserforthe McKayGardenFestival2019-2020.

BorninDelhi,Devi.ka1nigratedto Victoriawithherfan1ilyattheageof6. Thereweredifficultiesexperiencedin thoseearlyyearsofadjustmgtoanew culture.Asayoungadult,sherecognised thechallengesthatnewmigrantfamilies typicallyface,jugglingendlessprioritiesand activities."lrecallseeingfamiliesmigrate fromoverseasandnotunderstandsomeof theprocessesthatwenowknowandtake forgranted,"sheexplains.Sharingher experiencesandmsightswithotherchildren andtheirparentsonschooling,cultureand familylife,shehashelpedmanyfamilies feelcomfortableastheytransitiontolifein Australia.

Devika'spassiontovolunteercomes fromherownfamily.Withhermothernow thePresidentoftheWomenofBrimbank, a1nu1ticu1tura1wo1nen'ssupportgroup, Devikacontinuestoplayanimportantrole

inhelpinglocalwon1enbuildconfidence andleadahappylife.Asamen1berof thisorganisationherselfnow,shehas helpedorganiseCOVID-safeeventsfor localwomentokeepthemconnectedand supporteddurmgisolation.

AsanlPCHealthYouthAmbassador oftheVictorianResponsibleGambling Foundation,Devikahasworkedtopublicise theharmthatgamblingcancausetoyouth. Heractivitiesincludeschooloutreach projectstomakestudentsawareofgambling harm,sothattheydonot fall mtothetrapof gambling.

Attheageof15,Devikajoinedthe AustralianAirForcecadetprogram."I amfascinatedbyaviation-mygrandfather servedintheIndiana1·medforces,"she describes."Duringthecadetprogram,I developedfundamentalskillsliketeamwork, leadership,motivationandconfidence. Ivolunteeredacrossthreesquadronsto participateinvariousactivitiesthathelped medevelopessentialskills."

Towardstheendofher5-year

commitment,sheprogressedtobeing responsibleforteachingbetween80-90new recruitsandworkedherwaytotherankof sergeant.

Currently,Devikaisinherfinalyearofa jointEducatjonandLawdegreeatVictoria University.

"lhopetoimplementthelearningsfrom bothstreamsu1myvolunteeringwork.Law andeducationaredisciplinesthatwillallow metoguideothersonapathtoabetter future."

DespitetheimpactofCOVIDon universitylife,itisnotsurprisingthatDevika foundfurtheroutletsforherparticular passions.ThroughVictoriaUniversity's VolunteermgProgram,shewrotecountless letterstoresidentsinagedcarehomes, bringingthemcomfortandgivingthema contactwiththeoutsideworld.

Throughvolunteering,Devikaclaims shehasbeenabletouncoverwhatsheis passionateabout,andthishascontributed toshapmghercareertrajectory.

"Volunteeringnotonlyhelpsothersbut allowsyoutoidentifyanddevelopyourown skillsandpassionstoo,"saysDevikawith wisdom."Youdonothavetovolunteerall of your timetohelpsomeone.Allyouneed todoisofferasmuchoraslittleasyoucan to1nakeadifference.Speakingformyself,I feelIhavealotmoretooffer."

Withvariouss1nall(andso1nelarge!) gestures,Devikahasshownthatitdoesnot takemuchtogivebacktoothers,evenwith abusyschedule.

Itisclearsheispartofanewbreed ofyoungsterswhocaredeeplyabout supportingtheirlocalcommunityand n1akingitbetter.

COMMUNITY, BUSI DEEPAK-RAJ GUPTA, OAM

Forservice to the communityofCanberra

eepak-RajGuptawasfelicitated onAustraliaDaythisyearwith theOAM,forservicetothe con1munityofCanberra.

"Ifeelhonouredandprivileged,"Gupta toldIndianLink. "Itreflectswellonour con1munity,tobefelicitatedbasedonour professionalcontributions."

GuptaservedintheACTLegislative Assen1blyin2019-2020,asaLaborParty representativefortheYerrabiconstituency. Hebecan1ethefirstIndia-bornpersonto beelected,andasapractisingHindu,took hisoathontheBhagawadGita.

IntheAssen1bly,hetookonrolesinthe fieldsofjusticeandcom1nunitysafety, economicdevelopn1ent,waterefficiency, clin1atestrategy, andtourism.

Beforethis,alonglistofcontributions adornedhisCV,inacheckeredcareerin thebusinesssphere:hewaspartofACT tradeandbusinessdelegationstoIndiain 2015and2019.

WithintheIndiancornmunityin Canberra,Guptaiswell-known.He foundedtheCanberraIndiaCouncil;was PresidentoftheIndiaAustraliaAssociation ofCanberra,andwasfoundingpresident oftheACTChapteroftheAustralia IndiaBusinessCouncilfortenyears(he continuestobeamemberoftheAIBCat thenationallevel).

"lca1nehere32yearsago,withalmost nothinginn1yhands,"Deepak-RajGupta said,describinghisjourney."Asayoung internationalstudentin Melbourne,I neverdreamt1nycontributionswouldbe recognisedinthismanner."

TheAgra-bornSiinla-educatedGupta isgratefulfortheopportunitiesinthose earlydays,doingoddjobssuchaswashing carsandinhospitality."Thatstartputme directlyintouchwiththeco1nmonpeople, andallowedn1etobecomepartofthelocal co,nmunity.Ifoundpeopletobefriendly andwelcoming."

Gettingintotheworkforce,Gupta tookajobasprojectmanagerinafederal governmentdepartmentinCanberra. Outsideofhisworkhours,hethrew himselfintocon,munitywork.

"In2004IstartedHoliandDiwali celebrationmelas.Withthatexperience, l thoughtourco1nmunitydeserved moreexposureattheannualNational MulticulturalFestivalinCanberra.Aweeklongevent,ithadonlya15-minuteslotfor Indiann1igrants.I gotbehinditandasked formore.Todayitisaday-longevent, oneofthemostsought-afterintheentire festival."

Buoyedbyhisexperienceandsuccess inlarge-scaleevents,andwithgrowing businessnetworks,Guptathenlaunched

theWorldCurryFestivalinCanberra.

Withprofessionalinterestsasdiverseas this,itisnowonderhiscolleaguesinthe LegislativeAssemblyreferredtohimasan "IndianForrestGump".

Askhilnabouthiscareerhighlight,and hewilJpickhisshortstintintheLegislative Assen1bly.

"I'mquiteproudofthatachievement. Itshowsothersinourco1nmunitythatwe canfulfilourdreamsinthisnewland, withhardwork.Equally,itshowstherest ofthecountrythatIndianmigrantscan servethewidercommunityaspeople's representatives-andnotjustasmedicos andITprofessionals.I'malsoconscious thateffortssuchasminecaninspirethe secondgenerationofmigrants-I'mquite thrilledwiththeinterestI'mseeinginthe takeupofpolitics;manyofouryoungfolk aretakingthebatonandarekeentobein theplacewheredecisionsaremadeforthe

peopleofAustralia."

Inasignificantcontributionwhilehe wasintheAssembly,Guptalocatedthe graveofWalterBurleyGriffininLucknow. TheChicago-bornarchitectwhodesigned thecityofCanberra,diedinthenorthern Indiancityin1937.AsGuptapaid obeisance,hesaidfamouslythathewas ableto'feelaconnection'.

Advisingnewmigrantsintheiradopted ho1ne,Guptasaidsimply,"Dothehard yakka;don'ttakeshortcuts;giveyour 100%andtheresultswillcome."

Heiswell-awarethatrecentmigrants havebeenimportingolddivisionsfrom India.

"Wearenotunitedasacommunity,and thatisnotagoodreflectionofus.Worse, thepoliticalpartieswilltakeadvantageof it.Itisentirelyourfaultthough,andwe mustcheckthesetendenciesbeforethey bringusdown.Wemustleaveourdisputes

backinIndia.Thisisourhomenow, andwemusttreatitassuch.Thisisvery important."

WhatdrewhimtoLaborwhenhe decidedtotakeuppolitics?

"IknewverylittleaboutAustralia when.I wasgrowingupin India.Thetwo personalitiesthatimpressedmemostwere BobHawke,andRichieBenaud (laughs). HawkewasPMwhenIarrived.Ifound thenthatthevaluesoftheLaborParty resonatedwithn1e. As1nyowncareer inbusinessadvancedandIinteracted withpoliticians,Ibegantospeakup formorediversityinourboardsandin policy-making.Theyencouragedmetoget intopoliticstoseethechangesIwanted, implementedinreallife.Laborgave megreatsupport,allowingmetoseek preselectiononmyownterms.1gotthe preselectionin2016byonevote-itwas thattough."

Atrailblazerinacomn1unitythatisnow increasingitspoliticalpresenceespecially atthelocalcouncillevel,Gupta'slife experiencecanbeasourceofinspiration tomanykeentofollowthispath.

Rajni Anand Luthra

Ourheartiestcongratulationsalsoto Professor PrithvipallSingh BhathalofMelbourne, whoreceivedtheAM honourforsignificant servicetopathology, toeducation and mentoring,and tomedical research.

Deepak-

How lnstagram took Sydney girl Sanjana Nagesh to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list

SanjanaandNikitaatlnstagramheadquartersatLA

BY RITAM MITRA

ollowingyourpassionsisasimple adagethatiswroughtwithcomplexity foryoungSouthAsians.Forone,itis neversufficienttosimplyfollow;you areexpectedtoexcel,tolead,towin.Butmore significantly,passionsarefinetofollow-aslong astheyLiewithintheboundsofconvention: medicine,law,finance,engineering.

ButSanjanaNagesh,the25-year-old founderandCEOofsocialmediacommunity BrownGirlGang,isbreakingthemould.

Sanjana'sjourneyin"accidentally"starting aglobalsisterhoodhasseenherstarttorack upaccolades,includingbeinghonouredon theForbes30Under30Listinthecategory ofMedia,MarketingandAdvertising.In aninterviewwith Indian Link. Sanjana describesherjourneyas"surreal",andone shehopescanmotivateothers.

Itwasin2017thattheSydney-based Sanjanafoundherselfscrollingthrough Instagram,drawinginspirationfroma widerangeofSouthAsianwomenacross avarietyofdiversecareers.Surprisedto discoverthattherewasnocommunityor "girlgang"collatingthesewomenandtheir stories,Sanjanacreated-onawhim-the lnstagramhandle@browngirlgangand beganthatcuration.

"Theprocess(ofcuratingstories)was initiallymeanttobeapersonalmoodboard. Growingupdesi,1didn'treallyknowabout thedifferentcareersavailabletome.So, IthoughtIcouldlearnfromtheseother people,"saysSanjana."AkeyreasonI choseBrownGirlGangasanameisthat theAsiandiasporacon1efromsomany differentcow1tries,socontentbymost 'browncreators'isinherentlyrelatableto anextremelywideaudience.So,brown isjustshorthandtoreflectmyidentity. Brownmeanstoembracemyancestryand heritageandmergeitwithmydailylife, whetherit'sspeakingmultiplelanguagesat home,watchingBollywoodmoviesoreating differentcuisines,"shecontinues.

Initially,Sanjana'spetprojectinvolved postingcontentprimarilyduringherdaily commutestouniversityandwork.But BrownGirlGangtookonalifeofitsown, andnowboastsnearly140,000followers onlnstagramalone,andcountsamongstits followerscelebritieslikeNeverHaveIEver creatorMindyKaling.Forawhile,Sanjana alsojuggledtheresponsibilityofcollating, producingandresearchingcontentfor BrownGirlGangalongwithherpart-time jobatventurecapitalfundAirTree.

• -

Giventhat"working"insocialmedia isarelativelynewphenomenon,attin1es SanjanawasunsurewhetherBrownGirl Gangcouldsupportasustainablecareer. Havingrarelyseenrole1nodelsthatlooked likeherinthemediaspace,Sanjanawas detern1inedtofindSouthAsianwomenand featuringtheirstoriesonherInstagram,and indoingso,hasdevelopedforherself-and others-astrongsenseofcommunity.

Fittingly,BrownGirlGangalsohasan unofficialmicrobrowngirlgangbehindit; Sanjana'soldersisterNikita,whoherself hasextensiveexperienceinworkingwith technologyandstart-ups,andbySanjana's ownadmissionhasafantasticknack forspottingopportunities,alsodevotes whatevertimeshecantohelpSanjana withthearduoustaskofmaintainingand growingthecommunity."It'sbeenamazing seeingSanju'sjourneyasalessoninhow farpassioncantakeyou,"saysNikita."All theopportunitiesthathavecon1eherway arequiteorganic,whichjustgoestoshow howengagedhercommunityis.Oneof myfavouriteexperienceswasflyingover toAmericatogethertomeettheHeadof Productatlnstagram.Iamsoexcitedtosee what'saheadforBrownGirlGang."

WithplanstonowscaleBrownGirlGang upacrossmoreplatforms,withawider varietyandvolumeofcontent,Sanjana's workloadisn'tabouttogetanyquieter. Findinginspirationtodosowasn'thardSanjananotesthatshereceivesdailymessages andcommentsfromfollowers-including acrossawidespectrun1ofgendersand ethnicities-whocreditBrownGirJGangwith helpingthemfeelcomfortableintheirown skin,motivatingthemtofollowtheirpassions, orallowingthemtoembracetheircultu1·es.

It'sinteractionsLikethesethatground Sanjanainrealitywhenitcomestothedark sideofsocialmedia:trolls."Gettingnegative commentsispartofcontentcreation,and Likeeveryjob,thereareprosandcons," admitsSanjana."Butthebadisverymuch outweighedbythegood,andinthemon1ents whenlfeeloverwhelmed,Itrytofocusonall theamazingDMsI'vereceivedinsteadand takeabreakfromtheonlineworld."

Andhavingusedtheplatformtorun successfulsocialcampaignsLikeraising almost$5,000dollarsforCOVID-19reliefin India,there'sasensethatthereismuchmore goodtocomeforandfromBrownGirlGang.

Sanjana'sadvicetocreators,entrepreneurs andinfluencersissimple:"Createthings youwishexisted-whateveryou'regoing through,youmayfeelisolated,butsomeone elseisfeelingitintheworld.There'snosuch thingasanicheanymore.Ifyoucanfindthe targetedthingthatyoucareabout,you'llhave anincrediblyengagedaudience."

Teen cricketer Harjas Singh has what it takes to play for Australia

BY DARSHAKMEHTA

twaswitha1nixtureofprideandcuriosity thatIdrovetomeetHarjasSinghat NeiJO'Costa'sStarCricketAcademyin Hornsby.Harjasisayoungmanofwho1n muchisexpected.Hebecan1ethe8thyoungest teenager,at16,toscoreahundredinSydney's (First)PremierGradeCricketCompetition, forhisteamBlacktown,againstStGeorge. Indoingthishejoinedson1everyillustrious na1nes,includingSteveSmith,Usn1an Khawaja,NieMaddinsonandKurtisPatterson -allcontemporaryAustralianTestcricketers. Infact,atayoungeragethanthem!

Thedistinguishedgroupofteenagerswho havepe1fonnedthesamefeatingenerations past,includesforn1erAustraliancaptains ArthurMorris,IanCraigandBobbySitupson. Folks,wearenottalkingofcheapruns here.Thelevelandqualityofcricketof thetopclubteamsinSydney'sFirstGrade isreminiscentofmanymiddle-rungRanji TrophyteamsinIndia.

So,thereisareasonformyhype.

InNeilO'Costa'swords,"Thisboyis special.HeiscapableofplayingTestcricket forAustralia."

ComingfromthecoachofMichael

Clarke,PhilHughesandMarnus Labuschagne,thisishardlyamentor pluggit1ghispupil.Thisisarespected Dronacharyawhohaspersonallydiscovered, mentoredandfinessedmoreAustralian cricketersthananyoneelse.

D'Costaisparticularlyproudofhis Indianheritageandhebelievesthat1-larjas isthegoods."Heiscool,confidentand unflappable,andhasdevelopedthepleasing habitofscoringbighundreds,"heaffirmed. "Itisearlydaysyet,but 1an1confidenthe hasthetalent,ambitionandtemperamentto playatthehighestlevels."

AYear12studentatWestfieldSports HighSchool,Fairfield,Harjaswasunfussed

answeringquestionsinanhour-longchat.His parentschippedineverynowandthen,when asked.Blessedwithgoodsportinggenes(father lnderjitwasaPunjabstateboxingchampion andmumAvinder,astate-levellongjumper) Harjaswascannilymotivatedbyagrandfather whogavehimcash"baksheesh"everytimehe scoredover50.Granddadmighthavetoscale itbackorliftthecriteria,thewayheisgoing!

Harjasisanaturalright-handerinaln1ost everythinghedoes,EXCEPTbatting.The reason?

"Asayoungkidbattingright-handedin thebackyard,Iwasindangerofbreakingthe glasswindowswhichwerecloseby,onthe leg-side,"herevealed."So,Istartedbatting

left-handed,toavoidthatpotentialcrisis.And I'vestucktoit!Ibowlright-armmedium pacers,though,andthrowright-handed."

Theyoungsterhascomethroughthe ranksincricketandannouncedhimself byscoring161battingatNo.3,forthe BankstownUnder12sagainstFairfieldLiverpool.Thatledtohin1beingselectedfor theNSWAcademyUnder13s.

"That'swhenIfeltIreallybelonged,and developedheapsofself-belief,"Harjassaid.

Atjust 17,D'CostafeelsHarjas"isahead ofwhereheshouldbe"andintheoff-season thisyear,planstofocusonafewaspects whichwillfurtherhonehisability.

Harjasisnotaboring,uniditnensional blokeeither-hehasplayedtheharn1oniu1n sincehewas6yearsoldandhasevenpicked upthetablainthepastfewyears.Hisparents creditthistothekirtansheattendsandplays atregularlyattheRevesbyGurudwara.

HealsolovestheSikhmartialartof "Gatka",astyleofstickfighting,andproudly donsa"patka".

He'sfondofcookingtoo,herevealed.

"I'mavegetarian,andpastaismy favouritedish."

Hein1pressedasawell-grounded, n1atureyoungmanwhosedotingparents arejustifiablyproudofhiskind-hearted, relaxedandfriendlynature.Despitehaving encounteredunsavoury,discrin1inatory experiencesasayoungboy,Harjasiswell andtrulyoverthosechallengingtimesand bearsnoresentmentofthosewhoignored orsidelinedhiminhisyoungerplayingdays.

Sydneygradecricketisnotforthefainthearted.Vigorousverbalexchanges(a.k.a. sledging)arecommonplace.Previously, thoughheneverinhiatedanyverbals,Harjas wouldnottakeabackwardstep.HeisaSikh afterall! However,hebasheededhiscoach NeilD'Costa'sadviceandthesedaysrarely dignifiestheopposition's"banter"orbaitwith aresponse-justasmile.NeiJ'ssuggestion wassimple:StayQuiet.Also,StayHun1ble. AskedaboutNeil,thepupilsays,"Hecan bequicktocriticiseandslowtopraise,but nevergoesoverthetop,regardlessofagood orbadperformance."

There'sobviousrespectandadmiration there.

D'Costacanbeacerbic,i.tisknown,but hasaheartofgoldandsupportshisboys passionately.Heisdeterminedtoproduceand seeacricketerofIndianheritageinAustralia's Testteaminthenext3to5yearsandhefeels thiswillinspirescoresofothers.Hehasafew goodprospectscurrently,includingbuddmg quickbowler,HunarYern1a.

Ifhiscoachisright,Harjas,whohas himselfbeeninspiredbyUsmanKhawaja, mightwellbetheinspirationforhundredsof youngSouthAsianboysandgirls,aspiringto playfortheircountryofbirth,Australia.

soa In n Ian amI 1es

n e-coo

Grassroots community organisations RAIN, Sakhis and Heart of Love Foundation rise to the occasion

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

sSydneysidersgrapplewiththe

O1nicronwave,Kogarahresident

EktaSharmafoundhersell'ina 10-dayisolationsituationafter sheandherhusbandtestedpositive. Thefamilyofthreefoundithardto copewiththeharshsympto1nsofthevirus (fever,cough,ru11nynose,headachesand diarrhoea) while also caringfortheir6-yearoldson.

Withnotimetobuygroceries,the

Sharmashadnofoodorsuppliesatho1ne. ItwasthenthatafriendofEkta'sona KogarahcommunityWhatsAppgroup 'Sakbis'poi11tedherinthedirectionof wannho1ne-cookedrelief.

"Wecould'vereliedonSwiggyorUber Eatsbutwhenafriendtoldmeabouta communityserviceorganisationproviding home-cookedfood,l quicklybookedmeals withthem,"EktaSharmatoldIndianLink. "1twasnotjustsoulsatisfyingbutalsogreat formychild."

JtallstartedduringtheSydneylockdown of2021 whenManishaShi1·odkar,a memberofRAJN(ResourcefulAustralian IndianNetwork)whoalsomanagedSakhis (a256-membergroup),noticedthatmany

Indiancommunitymemberswhowere isolatingwereindireneedofareliable sourceofnutritiousfood.

However,RAlN'sfoodcollectionpointin Penshurstprovedtoofarforsomeisolating householdsintheSouthSydneysuburb. Asmoremessagespouredinfromother Kogarahresidentswhoneededthetiffin service,ManishaShirodkarrequesteda bulkdeliverytotheKogarahIndiaBazaar. ManishaShirodkarisacricketclub secretaryattheKingsgroveCricketClub insouthSydney,whichhostsabout200 players.

"Therewerepregnantwomenwithnone oftheusualfamilysupport,andpeople recoveringfron1ailmentswhohadbabiesto

lookafter.Theyallrequiredhealthyhomecookedfood,"Manishasaid.

"At$8pertiffin,it'sverycheapandmore thanenoughfoodforoneperson.Youget amazinggharkakhaana andtheproceeds gotosupportanNGO,"sheadded.

MadhuAuntyfromtheKogarahIndia Bazaarwasinstrumentalinhelpingthe localcon1munity,Manishashared.She clearedshelvesatthewell-knowngrocery storetomakeroomforRAIN'sfood deliveries.

"WhenEktawasimpacted,myson pickeduptifftnsfro1nthestoreand droppedthemoffatherhouse,"Manisha revealed."Andwhenhehimselffellsick halfwaythroughherisolation,anotherlady fromthegroup,Charanya,tookoverto makedeliveriesatsickpeople'sdoorsteps. Thepeopleinourgroupfindwaystohelp eachother."

Theinitiativetakenbythevolunteerand motherofthreehasledto25fa1niliesin Kogarahregularlyreceivinghealthyhomecookedmeals.Closetoathousandtiffins havebeendeliveredtoresidentsinisolation sinceSepten1berlastyear.

Me1nbersat RAIN Penshurstbegin cookingat7a1nsothatmealscanbe deliveredorpickedupbefore 1l:30am, wellaheadoflunchtime.

"Wehave7staffandaround20 volunteers,somecomeinonaregular basis,"RAINGeneralManagerParagShah said."Wewouldlovemorevolunteersbut duetoCOVIDsocialdistancingguidelines wecannotaffordtoputanyoneatrisk;it's acatch-22."

Hewenton,"Weareheretoserve. Welovetoservethecon,munity.Though westartedthisNGOin2014forseniors, throughManisha'sgroupmanyyoung mumsandexpectantmumshavealsobeen given1nuch-neededrelief."

Thoseinneedofmealscanplaceorders twodaysinadvancebycontactingRitaben on0422897665,Gitabenon0450 150 808,orParagon0409748832.

***

TheSydney-basedHeartofLove FoundationhasalsobeenprovidingCOVJD reliefintheformofmealstosickfamilies.

SriandNaveenYelamanchililaunchedthe foundationtwoyearsago,toprovidemeals tohomelesspeople.ButCOVIDhasaddeda wholenewdimensiontotheiragenda.

Volunteersnowcookanddeliver foodboxesandprovisionsallacrossthe city.Theirmessagehasgoneouttothe

FoodpacksdonatedbyvolunteersofHeartofLoveFoundation

ManishaShirodkar •

con1munityviaFacebookandWhatsApp groups.

SriYelamanchJJitoldIndianLink, "Ourfoodisvegetarian,sattvicandhomecooked.It'susuallydal,vegetablecurries, n1aybe paneer, plentyofsalads,riceand rotis,andson1etimesfruit.Weaskour volunteercookstouseminirnaloil,andnot toincludenuts."

Asanalliedhealthprofessionalhimself, Naveenisveryparticularaboutthekind offoodthatmustbesentouttothose currentlyconvalescing.

Son,e60fan,iJieshavebeenbenefitting inthelastfewweeks.43volunteersare currentlyserving-eitherpreparingthe mealsordeliveringthen1,oftentakingon bothresponsibilities.

"Thenun1berofpeopleofferingtohelp isgoingupeveryday,"Srirevealed."We expressourthankstoallourvolunteers, especiallySavita,Pushpa,Ashok,Priyaand Prathilna."

Yetanoperationsuchasthisrequil'es morevolunteersandsothecallisoutcontactNaveenon0488725753ifyou wouldliketohelp.ContactSrion0434 620092ifyouareinneed.

"Theain1ofourfreeco1nn1unityservice istohelpprovidefoodtoCOVlD-infected peopleandabettheirfastrecovery,"Sri re1narked."Butourunderlyingaimand goalistoutilisethisserviceasamedium toexpressourlovetowardsourfellow compatriots,andinthatprocesstolove ourselves."

"Whiletherearemanyformsofservice towardsmankind,webelievethatfood servicenourishesthestomachsofthe receiverswhilenourishingtheheartsofthe givers,"sheadded.

RAIN / Sakhis

Ifyouare in need, place orderstwo days in advance bycontacting Ritaben on 0422897 665, Gitaben on 0450 150808, orParagon 0409 748832.

VolunteersatRAINhavebeenpreparingregularmealsforaffectedcommunitymembers

Heart of Love Foundation

ContactSrion 0434620092 if youare in need. ContactNaveen on0488 725 753 if you wouldlike tohelpcook and/ ordeliver.

With RaJni Anand Luthra

We have learned so much... there still remains much to learn. Wearenotgoing in circles,weare going upwards.The path is a spiral; we havealreadyclimbed many steps.

Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha (1922)

Image bySMITA NASHIKKAR

lnstagram: smitanphoto

Sydney Olympic Park Drone photography (OJI Mavic Mini)

'' urderisacrime.Describing murderisnot.Sexisnota crime.Describingsexis," Americanculturalcritic GershonLegn1ansaidin1949,decryingthe officialattitudethatallowedculturaldepictions ofgraphicviolencebutnotsex.

Asthe1960sbegan,however,twohighprofiletrialsintheUK('TheLadyChatterley' case)andtheUSsawrulingsthatsexinliterary workscouldnotbepenalisedongroundsof obscenity,andtheeroticele1uentbecamequite mainstrean1

Sexhasfiguredinliterature,rightfrom ancienttimes,butsawa111ajorfillip-and gotdifferentiatedfron1pornography-asthe noveldevelopedinthe18thcentu1y,with JohnCleland'sFannyHill(1748),oractually Memoirsofa Wo,nanofPleasure,possibly beingthefirsteroticnovel.

Thegeru·ereallyhititsstrideinthe20th century,asevenestablishedwritersespoused it.JosephineMutzenbacherorTheSto,yofa VienneseWhore,asToldbyT-Jerself(1906)was publishedanony1nously,butisnowattributed toFelixSalten,otherwiseknownforthe children'sclassicBa,nbi.

Hern.yMiller'sTropicofCancer(1934)and TropicofCapricorn(1939),AnaisNin'sThe DeltaofVenus(fron1thet940s,butpublished 1977),PaulineReage'sTheStoryofO(1954), EmmanuelleArsan'sEn1manuelle(1959),and TerrySouthern'sspoofBlueMovie(1970)are son1enotableones.

Furthermore,sexscenesbecamecommon inothergenrestoo-takeHaroldRobbins, JackieCollins,andeveninthrillers,say,Sidney Sheldon,IJ·vingWal.lace,the'ModestyBlaise' series.AnotableoutlierwasAlistairMaclean, whowhenaskedabouttheabsenceofsexin hisworks,saiditgotinthewayoftheaction.

Withsocietybecomingn1oreliberal(mostly) andnewformsofmediaen1erging,thetrend hasbeco111ecomn1on.AsthesuccessofSexin theCity, 50ShadesofGrayandtheirilkshows, theeroticinfiction,oreveneroticfiction,is nolongerseenasprurient,asthepreserveof dodgy publishers,orhiddenawayinbookstore corners(mdianreadersofacertaingeneration wouldrecallcoiningacrossNancyFridayand LetterstoPenthouseandbeingchasedaway bybookshopowners/parents).Andlikeother media(cinen1a/OTIespecially),itnolonger hastobeapologetic,thoughchallengesfron1 "moralguardians"stillpersist.

l11dianshavealongtraditionoferotic literaturedowntheages.TheKainaSutra, theAnangaRanga,Kalidasaandhisvivid descriptions(oneaboutShakuntalagotits Bl"itishtranslatorallworkedup),Jaydeva's GitaGovinda(thoughsomedee1nitto beareligiousallegory),Vallabhadeva's Subhashitavali, Bihari'sSatasai,Telugupoetess Muddupalani'sRadhika-santvana,n (The AppeasingofRadhika),andmanyothersshow thatourforebearswerenotshyabout thetopic.

Closertoourtimes,we'vehad "bold"writerslikeIsn1atChughtai, KrishnaSobti,KhushwantSinghneveraversetopullinghispunches onthiscount-andShobhaaDe.And now,authorsdon'tevenneedthat label,astherangeofanthologies,web stories,andtheIndianimprintofthe Mills&Boonseriesshows.

Beforelistingsomecontemporary examples,itisimportanttonotethat thequalityofthewritingism1portant. (ManyIndian-Originwritershave beenshortlistedforTheLiterary Review's'BadSexinFictionAward',

VIKAS DATTA on Indian erotic literature and its significance

withtwoevenclaimingthedubioushonourof winning).

Depictionofsexshould"evokeafeeling androotforthecharacter,notmakeitcreepy, dirty,orderogato1ytoanygender,"says MadhuriBanerjee,whoseoeuvre,relevant here,includesLosingMyVirginityAndOther Du,nbIdeas(2011),MistakesLikeLoveAnd Sex(2012),ScandalousHouseivives(2014) andForbiddenDesires(2016)aswellasthe screenplayforHindifilmHateStory2.

KiranManral'sversatileaswellas prodigiousoutput,spanningfrothyron1ance

(AllAboard, 2015,andSavingMaya, 2108) tol-limalaya11Nair(TheFaceatTheWindow, 2016),todarkerjou1·neysintomentalnever lands,asinMissingPresurnedDead(2018) ru1dMoreThingsinHeavenandEarth(2021), alwaysqualifiesonthisscore.

Shesayssheis"generallynotveryexplicit anddetailed,Itendtoleavealottothe imagination.Myaimisnottotitillatebutto putthereaderinascene,sotheygowith themoment."

Shenotes,"Onedoesn'treallyaddasex scenethinking,okay,let'saddasexscenehere.

Forme,ilieprocessisorganic;ifthe1noment isprogressinginawaythatoneneedstowrite itoutsothereaderwillexperiencewhatthe protagonistisgoingthrough,thenonedoesso. Ifitwouldseen1gratuitous,thenIdesist.Ifeel itisthecharacterswhodrivewhatIwrite,and itistheywhotellmewhentheyaregoingto havesex,andwhetherIneedtowTiteitoutor merelyalludetoitandmoveon."

Kiranalsoadmitsthat"sexscenesareperhaps themostdifficultscenestowrite,afterhtunour".

SomeotherstoseeincludeAbhaDawesar's Babyji(2005),acoming-0f-agestoryofarather precociousteenagegirlstudentintheearly 1990s-atumultuoustimeforJJ1dianyouth, careerandotherwise-assheexploresherown sexualityandnavigatescomplexrelationships, includingwithherclassmatesandadults.

Ananth'sPlayWithMe(2014)mayseema fantasybutalsoprovidesfoodtorthoughton theintensityanddurabilityofrelationships, longing,andemotionalsupport.

Inshortstories,ApurvNagpal'sEighteen Plus:BedtimeStoriesForGrown-Ups(2013) usesvariousforms,includingthetranscriptofa textingexchange,toexploresexualityinurban India.Theuproarious'AttheBigFatIndian Wedding'setinaresortwherethebridegroom ishavingsecondthoughtsandhisfiendhasa seriesofencounters,standsout.

InEighteenPlusDuets(2016),Nagpal collaborateswith 18womenwriterstofashion anotherrangeofsex-themedstories,including 'ADayofDeshSeva'(alongwithJoMarch), asatiricallookatIndianpoliticiansand bureaucratsinthecourseofaday.

APleasantKindoffleavyandOtherErotic Stories(2013)byAranyanialsoexpandsthe gem·e'sscope,especiallyinitsfirststorywhena post-lunchmassagele,1dstoallsortsofthings. Then,twoanthologiesdeservemention -ElectricFeather:TheTranquebarBookO EroticStories(editedbyRuchirJoshi,2009) andThePleasurePrinciple:TheAmaryllisBoole ofEroticStories(editedbyG.Sarnpath,2016). Therearemanymore,butit'stin1etoask whatdowemakeofsexinbooks?

Justpassingitoffasawaytotitillatereaders, thelitera1yequivalentoftheHollywood"item song",wouldnotbeve1yvalid,foritdoes provideinsightsintoemotions,personaland genderrelations,socialmores,nonns,thestate ofsocietyitself-anddesiresandaspirations. WhileforKiran,1nak:ingherfemale protagonistssexuallyactive"hasbeenthisneed toshowagencyandfen1aledesire",Madhw·i says,"Iwriteaboutwo1nenempowerment. Andonefacetofthaten1powermentissexual liberation.Iaddascenewhenthecharacter hasadesireandhasbeendeniedorrepressed toralongtimeas1didinScandalous Housewives, whereeachcharacterwasscorned forsomereasonbutfow1dhappinessinanew way."

Thatwecanrelateto.

BY MOHAN DHALL

hestartoftheschoolyear commenceswithrnostadults

wearyandwary.Whilstthelarge risesandsubsequentdeclinesin O111icroncaseshavegivenson1ehopethat casenun1berswillcontinueto fall,parents, educatorsandstudentsremainconcerned.

A conflation of issues

Afewissueshavecombinedtocreate averyuncertainstarttotheacadentlc year.Disruptionsappearinevitable,but accommodationforthispossibilityhas beenpatchy.Considerationsincludethe effectofdisruptiononstudentsandtheir parentsifstudentsfallill;concernsabouta sn1allernumberofteachersinschools;and theeffectofhighOmicroncaseloadson teachers,parents,andsystemsonceroutine, giventhathighvolumemove1nentandclose contactisthenorm.

Student illness

Itmaybepredictedthatdespitemoderate butrisingvaccinenumbersamongst school-agedchildren,therewillbemore coronaviruscasesaffectingyoungpeople. Thiswillleadtoschooldisruptionsandwill directlyimpactonstudents.Forindividual studentsaffected,therewillbetheinevitable isolationandconvalescence-whichmaybe

quick,butforothersfarlonger.Thisalone willimpactonstudentconfidenceandcould alsobringasocialstign1afromirnmatu1·e peers.Thepublicstaten1entshavebeen abouttheneedforschooltocontmueas normal-butwhetheritiswantedornot, onlir1elearningn1uststillbereadied.

Educators,parents,andchildrenare generallywearyofonlinelearnmgandso thispossibilitycanleadtoresistanceand undermineornullifyitseffect.Moreover, teachershavenotbeengivenextra timetoplanforthisagain.Afterall,say systems,theyshouldbynowbeready, notwithstandingthepreparationforface-tofaceteachingandlearnmg.

Consequently,shouldtherebehighcaseloads everythingwillbepredictablyre-activerather thanpre-readiedshouldissuesarise.

Parentsarewary.Theyareuncertain aboutwhatwilltranspire-hopefulbut weary.Summerholidays,asanextension oflastyear,weren1uted.Parentsworryfor theirchildren.Theywonderhowquickly thingswillreturntosomething'normal' andsotheycanfinallyrelax.Anadditional worryisthatparentsmaynothaveany accumulatedleavetolookaftertheirownill child(ren)and111ayfeelworkvulnerable.

Vaccines and vaccine concerns Astherolloutincludeschildrenofyounger ages,thenumberofconcernedparents rises.Theyseethat,althoughvaccinesmay a1neliorateseriousillness,theydonotappear toreducethetransntlssibilityoftheOntlcron

variant.Morethanoneconcernedparent hasstatedtomethattheydonotwanttheir pre-adolescentchildrentohavethevaccine forfearofwhatthelong-termeffectsmight be.Thesearenotanti-vaxxers,havinghad alltherequisitedosesthemselves.They aresimplyconcernedandwaryparents, responsiblythinkingoftheirchildren.

Fewerteachers

Unvaccinatedteachershavebeenforcedout ofschools.Thishasledtoadeclineinthe numberofteachersinschoolandtheriseof unvaccinatedteachersbecomingtutors.The staffproblemiscompoundedasthepipeline fornewteachersbasbeendisrupted.This isbecausethepracticalexperienceof traineeteacherswasunabletobeeffectively completedlastyearandthusfewertrainees areclassroom-ready.

Giventhat20-30%ofdifferentworkplaces sufferedfromstaffsickness,beforeand afterChristmas,thereislikelihoodthathigh levelsofstaffsicknesswillbethenormin Terms1 and2.Thisisaseriousissuewith fewerteachersavailable.Howwilllearning beaffectedbythis?

Olderteachers

1knowofolderteachersinschools concernedthattherehasbeenno accommodationtotimetablesto allow themtoworkonlineforthistern1.Theyare simplyexpectedtoworkas"newusual" withfacemaskson,physicaldistance,the shieldoftheirvaccinesandtwiceweekly RATs.However,Omicronnumbersarehigh

acrossallagegroupsandwitholderpeople mostvulnerable.Manyteachershaveelderly parentsandtheseteachershavenotheard fromschoolshowtheirextendedinterests arebeingtakenintoaccount.Inshort, teachersarewary.

Weary

Whetherwelikeitornot,thepasttwoyears havetakenanemotionaltoll.Teachingis tiringwhenthereisnottheaddeden1otional overlapofworryaboutselfandfa111i1y. Thoughtherehasbeenabreak,theholiday wascharacterisedformanyasatimeof worryforfanillyandfiendsduetothehigh casenu1nbers.Teachersarewearyandso areschooladministrators.

Not enough psychologists in schools

Pre-pandemictherewerenotenough counsellorsandpsychologistsinschools. Atthistimen1oreareneededthanprior tothepandemic.However,thereare feweravailable,andtheemotionalsupport required,intheabsenceofsystemic support,isnowevenmorenecessary.The effectofthisisthatteachersandstudents needtorelymoreontheirownresources. Whilstweallwanttocelebratethestart ofanewyearandafreshbeginning,for awhileparentsandeducatorsneedtobe disciplined,carefulandconsidered.

Atthestartofthiseducationalyear,a significantproportionofthemostimportant stakeholdersarewearyandwary.

Atthe start ofthis school year, a signiiicant proportion ofthe most important stakeholders - parents and teachers - have many concerns

Myjobtitle

DeputySuperintendentClassificationsand Place1nent,attheSilverwaterCorrectional Co1nplex

Ihavebeenin thisfieldfor 27years

Whatmyjobentails

Myjobinvolvesdecidingwhereinmates shouldbeplacedsothattheyhavethebest chanceatturningtheirlivesaround.

Whenaninmate first con1esin,wedoa detailedriskassessmentbeforebuildingacase planforthelengthoftheirstay.Thisinvolves lookingattheirage,whethertheyareafirsttin1eoffender,healthissuesincludingmental health,educationalanden1ploymentlevels, identifyingwhetherthereareakohoVdrug/ violence/gang-relatedissues,etc.Basedonthis wechartoutacomprehensiveplanfortheir rehabilitation.Dependingontheprogramwe reco1nmend,wedecidewheretheyshouldbe placed,ie,whichfacilitywillprovidethemwith theprogramtheyneedforrehabilitation.

Itisalongjow·neyforinmates-soour assessmentandplacementcanbecrucial.In

so1necasestheirownsafetycanbeaffected. Butn1oreimportantly,ifweplaceaninmateat alocationwithoutasuitableprogramforthem, they'rejustgoingtositarow1danddonothing, which1nightencou1·agethemtooffendagain.

Thepositiveaspectsofmywork

I'mdirectlyinvolvedin helpingsomeone turntheirlifearound.Thedecisionsthatmy teamandItake,haveasignificantbearing onthefutureoftheoffender.Thiscouldbe in theirhealthormentalhealth,behaviour issues,aswellaswork.hnportantly,wesee thattheygetappropriateskillsets,training themin111eaningfulwork.Long-tenn inmatesareencouragedtowardseducation viaopenuniversityiftheyarekeentodoso.

Mostoften,we'veobservedthat theytakereallywelltoourintervention programs.Ofcourse,therearethosewho don't-youcan takeahorsetowater,but youcan't111akeitdrink.

Overall,myworkisfulfillingandrewarding. TherehavebeenoccasionswhenI'moutand aboutafterhours,andsomeonewalksupto meandsays,HelloMrSinghhowareyou.It'll beaforn1erinmatewhostillremembers.

Thechallenges

Yestherearechallenges,likeineveryjob. Intherarecasewherewearenotableto placeaninmateinthebestpossibleprogram forthemduetowhateverreason,itcanbe frustrating.Itisnotdeliberate,asmightbe believed;we'dlikeyoutoknowthatplentyof worktakesplaceinthebackgroundbeforewe decidetogodowntothenextbestplacement.

Itcanalsobeachallengeson1etimesto establishrapportandtrust,butI'veleaTnt thatcommunicationisthekey.

l'n1oftenaskedaboutsafetyofstaffin thisworkenvironment.Yes,staffhaveto dealwithissueslikeself-harm,skirmishes andriots,butwearetrainedtodeal withthesesituations.Confrontedwith theseconditions,weactaccordingtoset professionalguidelinestoquicklydiffuse.

HowCOVID-19haschangedmy workpractice

I'mworkingfromhomealotWhenIdovisit thesites,it'salwaysaftertesting,becausewe areconcernedaboutthehealthandsafety ofstaffaswellasinmates.Likeinother industrieswe'realsofacingstaffshortages,

o cer

andongoinguncertainty.Wedohowever havegoodsupportfromCommandPost,who managestaffandlookaftertesting.

Regardingtheinmates,monitoringsocial distancingandmask-wearinghasbecome anaddedresponsibility.Visitshavebeenan issueobviously.Buttechnologyhashelpedwe'vebeenabletoorganisevideovisits.

Howmyjobhaschangedmylife

I'vegainedalotoflifeexperience(laughs).l wasverynaivewhen Istarted! Butseriously, I'vedevelopedgreatskillsindealingwith people.Effectivecommunicationisvital.I've learnedhowtobefirmbutfair-it'sthe1nost appropriatewaytotreattheinmateswith dignity,andtodotherightthingbythe111.

I'malsopleasedathowI'velearnedto communicatewithmystaff.

Overandabovethesechanges,l've beguntofeelthatmyworkissewa,the actofselflessservice.Sewaisatthecore ofmySikhism.It'ssomethingI'velearnt frommyfamilyandhavetaughtitonto myownchildren.Wealldosewainthe gurudwarafrequently,but1thinksewamust bereflectedineverydaylife. Iseemyjobas sewa,directlyhelpingbetterpeople'slives. Seeingmyjobassewaalsohelpsmetodo itbetter.

Adviceforpeoplewhoarelookingtoget intothisprofession

Yes,manynewmigrantsfromIndiahave shownaninterest.Itischallenging,but you'retrainedforit.There'sbeenanincrease infinancialstability,andtherearemany opportw1itiesforgrowth.Youcandiversify accordingtoyourareaofinterest-industry, psychology,civilianorcustodialroles.

In this column, we look at the interesting vocations in which our community members are involved. This issue, Sydney's GURPREETSINGH tells us about his work with Corrective Services NSW, on National Corrections Day

GurpreetSingh spoke to Rajni Anand Luthra

BY RHEAL NATH

avigatingtheworldofonlinedating canbeadauntingexperience,facing awkwardencountersandconfusing conversationsinthesearchforlove.

Unfortunately,it'smuchmorecomplicated thanthatformorethan4millionAustralians livingwithadisability.

"Whenpeopleseen1eforthefirsttime, someofthemmakefalseassun1ptions," sharedJerushaMather,adisabilityadvocate, poet,andn1otivationalspeakerlivingwith cerebralpalsy.

"WeshouldjustseedisabiJityasanorn,al partofdiversityandnot1nakeitabigdeal. Peoplewithdisabilitiesarecapableofso muchandcanhaveahighqualityoflifejust likeanyoneelse."

Tiredofthemisconceptionsandlackof support,the27-year-oldiscallingondating appslikeBumble,Tinder,ande-Harmonyto maketheirplatformsmoreinclusiveofpeople withdisabilities(PWD).

"Thereshouldbemorespecialised coaching/mentoringprogramsandalternative optionsforpeoplewho'dprefernottouse datingapps,likeafree1natchmakingprogra1n andfreespeeddatingeventsaimedat increasinginclusion,"JerushatoldIndianLink.

"RecentresearchhasfoundthatPWD havesimilarwantswhenitcomestodating yetsupport,inclusivityandlackofequal opportunitieswerethemainpreventersin themhavingmeaningfuldatingexperiences."

importantly,shehighlightstheneedfor improvedsafetynormsandsupportonsuch appsforpeoplewithdisabilities.Accordingto theAustralianLnstituteofHealthandWelfare, around43percentofadultswithdisability haveexperiencedsexualharassment, comparedto37percentofAustralians withoutdisability.

HerChange.ergpetitionhasalready received1norethan2,500signatures.

"Everyonehastherighttofindtheir specialsomeone.Andthoseofuswhohave disabilitiesarenotdifferent.Itjusttakes alittleofunderstanding,compassionand conlillunication,"wroteonesupporter.

"Itishardenoughtoputyourselfout

there andthiswon'taffectablebodied persons.Itdoes,however,allowcontact betweendisabledandablebodied,by1nutual decisionanddisclosure,"addedanotheruser.

Normalisingsuchrelationshipsremainsan importantcauseforJerusha.

"Somepeoplehavethisbiasedviewthat peoplewithdisabilitiesshouldonlydate peoplewithdisabilities,"sheelaborated."This isanunacceptablefalseassumption.We shouldbeabletodateadiverserangeof people,andthisshouldbethenorm.We shouldbelookeduponaspotentialpartners andpartners.Weshouldbelookeduponas contributingequallytotherelationship."

Havingn1ovedtoAustraliafro1nSriLanka attheageoftwo,she'sparticularlypassionate aboutdispellingsuchmisconceptionswithin theSouthAsiancommunity.

"Theperceptionofpeoplewithdisabilities canbeparticularlynegativewithintheSouth Asiancomn1unity.Thishasgottochange andisthankfullyslowlychanging.lthinkthe focusshouldbeonprogressionratherthan perfection.Particularlyinthesecultures, youhavetheassumptionthatpeoplewith disabilitiesshouldonlymarrypeoplewith disabilities,whichisjustunacceptable."

AsherChange.orgpetitioncontinues togaintraction,shesharesson,eexciting news:twoweeksago,representativesfron1 BumbleAustraliareachedout,promisingto passontheseideastotheirinternalteamfor consideration.

"Weoftentrytofixthedisability thinkingitisaproblem,ratherthanfixing theenvironn1ent,"Jerushalamented."We shouldcreatechangeston,akesocietymore accessibleandinclusiveandtransfonn mindsets."

It'scertainlyamessagethathasdo1ninated headlinesrecentlyafterParalympianandfollow disabiHtyadvocateDylanAlcottwasna1ned AustralianoftheYear2022.(Notably,thefirst timeintheaward's62-yearhistorythatitwent toapersonwithavisibledisability.)Whatwas herreactiontothenews?

"lwasoverjoyedandexcitedforDylan," Jerushasaid."He'sanamazingandgenuine advocateforpeoplewithdisabilitiesandl knowhe'UdogreatworksastheAustralian oftheYear.He'satruechampionwitha powerfulandinfluentialvoiceandhasa passionateheartfor1nakingthingsaccessible forpeoplewithdisabilities."Asshecontinues herPhDinneurosciencewiththegoalof becomingarehabilitationphysician,she's makingcrucialstridesofherown.In2020, shejoinedtheAustralianAcademyof Science'sgroupoftwelveSTEMWomen Changemakers.

"Ilovedlearningbiologyandpsychologyat highschoolandwantedtomakeadifferencein people'slifesothatbecame1nylife'spurpose andmission.Ialsowantedtoutilisemylived experiencestocreateamoreempatheticand compassionatemedicalenvironn1ent."

Melbourne's Jerusha Mather is calling on platforms like Bumble and Tinder to help create safe spaces for people with disabilities

Bumble, Tinder, e-Harmony: Make your platforms more inclusive of people with disabilities

BY BAGESHRI SAVYASACHI

n2008,22-year-oldDwayneFernandes wasworkingasaconsultancyaccountant intheMLCCentreinSydney'sCBD.His workviewencon1passedthecityskyline includingaparticulartoweringlandmark, CentrepointTower,orSydneyTowerEyeas it'snowknown.Itwasthenthatacolleague approachedDwaynewithaninvitationto jointheminrunningupthetower.

"NoneofthesepeopleknewIhadfalse legs.Iworelongpantsandforn1alshoes, sonoonecouldtellthatIamadoubleleg a1nputee,"Dwaynetold Indian Link. "I phonedtheorganisingcom1nitteeofthe towerclimbingeventandaskedthem,'Hey, haveyoueverhadanybodywithfalselegs runupCentrepointtower?'.Theperson saidtheywouldmakesomeenquiriesand callback.'No.We'veneverhadanybody withfalselegsdothisrun,'theysaid.'Please come,there'llbe111ediaandyou'dbesetting aworldfirst!"'

"WhoamItosaynotoaworldfirst?" Dwaynethought.

Starting at1 504ste:. s Atthispoint,Dwaynehadneverimagined runningupstairs,ortowersforthatmatter.He wasn'tinthebestshapeeither.

However,duringtheweeksbefore thetower-runDwaynesoughtoutstairs

everywhere.Hewouldpracticerunningup everystaircaseheca1neacross,becausehe knewthatifhecouldmakeitallthewaytothe top,thatwouldbeaworldfirst.

"1justneededtogetuptothetopof1,504 stairsbecausenobodylikemehadeverdone that,"hesaid.

Workingonsomebasicn1athsandmusic, Dwaynefiguredthatifhemanagedtodoat leastonestepasecond,(whichispreventively slow,accordingtohitn)hewouldreachthetop in20-ishminutes.

"Ipluggedinaplaylistthatwasabout20 minuteslong,and1started,"Dwaynesaid. ''ltwasthe1nosthorriblethingthatonecan everdo."

"It'sunlikeanyotherrace,"hedescribed. "Inamarathon,therearecrowdsonthestreets cbeermgandhopmgyouwin.Instairclimbmg. itisjustyou,thesoundofyourechoillgbreath, andthesoundofyourfootonthemetalsteps. Noviewsatalluntilyougettothetop."

Afterseveralstepsandself-affirmations, Dwaynebecamethefirstdoubleamputeeto everrunuptheSydneyTowerEye.Hediditm 23minutesand12seconds.Twoyearslater,he returnedtom1provehistimeandfinishedthe climbill20minutesand14seconds.

•

"Youshouldputthelogoonmyshirtandsend metoNewYorktorunuptheEmpireState Building,"Dwaynejokinglysaidtooneofthe partnersofhisfirmtheFridayafterbisfirst race.

"Draftupamemo andwewillspeakon Monday,"theyresponded.

OnasnowyFebruarydayin2009,Dwayne climbed86storeysoftheEmpireState Buildinginarecordtimeof26minutesand 12seconds.Heisthefirstandfastestdouble amputeetodoit.

AfterhisstintmNYC,Dwaynesoonfound himselfflymgoutonweekendstodifferent cities,climbingtowers,andreturningtowork onMonday.

"Whenmostpeoplewerespendingtheir weekendsonPlayStationsandtalkmgabout games,IwasillSingaporeorVietnam,just settmgworldrecordsforotherpeopleto break,"Dwaynesaid.

Dwaynealsoholdsworldrecordsin 100mand200mracesattheRetroRunning (alsoknownasbackwardsrunnmg)World Championships(2016)thattookplacein Essen,Germany.

Thoughheispleasedthathisrecordsstill

stand,heisproudertobethefirstonetoset them.ForDwayne,towerclitnbingwasabout drivmgequityandawareness.

"Iwasoneofthefewpeoplerunningup towerswithbusinesscardsinmypockets," Dwaynesaid.

-

DwayneFernandes,36,wasbornillBombay (asberemembersit),buthisfamily1noved fromIndiatoNewZealandwherehefinished schoolbeforemovmgtoAustraliairt1999.

Duetoaseverebonedefect,Dwaynewas bornwithoutfibulas,causinghimtohave problemswithbalance.Belorehewasthree, hehadalreadyundergonefivesurgeries,andat age11,hemadeacourageouschoicetoreplace bothhislegswithprostheticlimbs.

"Weunderstandbowthequalityandthe valueoflifeisirtthesedifferentcountries,don't we?There'salowqualityoflifeifyouhavea billionpluspeople,"Dwayneshared."When IwasbornillIndiaasapersonwithdisability (PwD),mymu1nknewthatwehadtoleaveso thatIcouldhaveabetterlife."

Dwayne'smotherwasshockedtofindout theyhadbeenacceptedintoNewZealand.She doublecheckedwithvisaofficerstomakesure theyknewhersonhadadisability.Shefound comfortintheit-response:"Yousonisnot unabletodoeverything,it'sjustafewthingshe won'tbeabletodo."

DwaynecommendsNewZealand's schoolingsystem,whichdidn'tsegregate betweenPwDandothers,andprovided aphysicaldisabilityunitavailableforuse oneverycampus.Herevealsthisrnclusive

Forhisnextadventure,Dwaynewantsto bethefirstdoubleamputeeinspace. Sofar,onlyfourpeoplewithdisabilities havebeentospace.

approachdidsomethingveryimportantforthekids:"making themrealisethatsocietyisdiverse,andismadeupofavarietyof differentpeople".

Dwaynewitnessedfirst-handthedifferentattitudesinthese countriesandknowswhatinclusivityfeelslike.

WhenheworkedwithTransportNSW,henoticedthat"his people"(PwD),weren'tbeingpromoted.

"AfterIgavethatfeedback,Igrewthenetworkatthe organizationfro1n50peopletoover300.Itbecan1ethelargest disabilityemployrnentnetworkinthepublicsectorintheyear 2020,"hesaid.

NowheworksasaDiversityandInclusionpartneratthe NSWDepartmentofPlanning,Industry,andEnvirorunent, helpington1ake1noreand1norespacesinclusive.

DwaynelivesinSydneywithhiswifeOliviaandtwo daughters,EsrneandEnola.HesaysNDIS(NationalDisability InsuranceScheme)hashelpedhimimprovehisphysicalquality oflifesothathecanbeagoodfatherandhusband,andbemore usefularoundthehouse.

"It'salengthyprocessnow,becauseeachdifferentdisability isaco1nplexstep.Itisagreatsystetn;itjustgetsabitpoliticised sornetitnes,"hesaid.

• Inadditiontohfadaytin1ejob,DwayneFernandesisalsothe co-founderofMindsAtPlay,aplatformwherepeopleonthe spectrutnplayDungeonsandDragonsandMinecraftinasafe space,tolearnsocialandcommunicationskills.

Dwaynehadakeadybeenplayingvideogamesasanoutlet forstressforafewyears,butwiththedesiretoconnectwith hisgodchildwhohasautisn1,hetransformedthehobbyintoa gamingplatforn,forPwD.

DwayneandhisbusinesspartnersDanPapalloandJeffOzog launchedMindsAtPlayin2019.Intheirfirstonlinesessionin June2020,theyhadnoideastartingthissidebusinessinthe middleofapandemicwouldbesuchasuccess.

"Thesupportcoordinatorhadneverseensuchengagement frornherclassorfron,herclientsbefore.She'dneverseenthese boys,socialiseandcometogetherandwanttohangoutandalso makecontactwitheachother,"Dwayneshared.

WiththehelpoftheLukePriddisFoundationanddigital gamingdeveloperBouncyrock'ssupport,MindsAtPlaycurrently host151playersintheironlinegamingsessions.

WhatwouldDwaynesaytosomeonelikehin1whowishesto setworldrecordsandchangetl,eworld?

"lfyouwanttodosornethingthathasneverbeendonebefore, Isay,'Goforit!'andmostofthesethingscanbepracticed,"he said.

"Bylookingtodothingsthatpeoplehaveneverdonebefore, youendupiinprovingtheplace,itnprovingthetechnology,and engagen1entinthatway."

Forhisnextadventure,Dwaynewantstobethefirstdouble amputeeinspace.Sofar,onlyfourpeoplewitl1disabilitieshave beentospace.Then1ostrecentastronautwas30-year-0ldHayley ArceneauxonSpaceX'slnspii:ation4flight.

"There'splentyofvalueii1havingpeoplewithdisabilities goingupthereandmakingitmoreinclusiveforeverybodyelse," Dwayneremarked.

But1noreimportantly,hesays:"Ifyouhaveagoaliliatbig, youendupdomgawholebunchofothersmallerthingsthatare prettyitnpressive."

In 2019, Dwayne launched MindsAt Play, a platform where people on the spectrum play Dungeonsand Dragonsand Minecraft in a safe space,to learn social and communication skills.

DwayneinSingapore fortheStanfordHotel VerticalMarathon

QUAID NAJMI pays a tribute

namusiccareerspannjngoverseven decades,LataMangeshkarhasbequeathed arichtreasuretroveofimn1ortaJsongs thatareingrainedinthe1njndsofasmany generationsofmusiclovers.

Startingintheblack-and-whiteerawhen 6101songswereoftenrecordedincongested studiosorevenintheopenatthedeadof night,tothemodern-day'auto-tuners',Lata blazedaglitzycomet-liketraiJthatwilldazzJe for1nanymillennia.

Hersinginglegacycompriseslilting lulJabies,lovesongs,love-lornnumbers,legshakers,haunting,heavenly,high-paced,both solosandduets,classicalandcom1nercial,in multiplelanguages,renderedwithease.

Shedevelopedanunprecedentedstyle ofsinging-mouldinghervoicetosuitthe particularheroineonwhon1itwouldbeshot onthescreen-likehermalecou11terpart,the equalJylegendaryMohammedRafididwith aplon1b,andwboremainsevergreen41years afterhisdeathinJuly1980,aged55.

Likeallinspirationalstories,Lataji'searly struggletoestablishherselfinthe 1940sis onethatwecannoteverforget.Inthosedays, shewouldtakeaBESTbusandtravelfrom hersouthMumbaihomeregularlyto1neet NaushadAliathisKharWestbungaloworin thestudios,hopingfora'singingbreak'w1der thelegendarymusicmaker'sbaton.

IntbeviciousMumbai1nonsoon,sbe wouldcometoNaushad'shome,wea1·ing hertrademarksari,carryinganumbrellabut totallydrenched,shiveringandbarelyable tospeak,letalonesing.Themusicdirector wouldofferherpipinghotteaandcookies tosootheher,butnosongs yet.

"lfelthervoicewasnotyet'ripe'for mystyleofmusic,"saidNaushad,the perfectiorust,inaconversationwiththis writer.Hewastryingtojustifynotgiving heranearlybreak."Toimproveherdiction andcontroloverwords,Iadvisedherto learnandpracticeUrdu,whichshedid... andfinally,shewasreadytorecordforme."

ThefirstchoicesofNaushadwerethe reigrungstalwarts-Noorjehan,Suraiya, Sha1nshadBegum,ZahraAmbalewali,to nameafew.

Withtime,trainedbyherfather,Dinanath Mangeshkar,Latajigraspedthemaestro's adviceandgotherfirstn1ajorhit-Uthaye

JaUnke Sitam (Andaz 1949) composedbyher mentorNaushad. Withit,she'arrived'in thefilt11industry.

Thereafter,topmusicdirectors oftheerawooedher,andtheyincluded SachinDevBurn1an,HusanLal-BhagatRam (brothers),GhulamHaider,SardarMalik, GhulamMohamn1ed,Jaidev,SalilChowdhary, C.Ramchandra,Shankar-Jaikishan(partners), Roshan,MadanMohan,M.ZahurKhayyam, Kalyanji-Anandji(brothers),LaxmikantPyarelal(partners),Sonik-Omi(unclenephew),RaviKumarSharmaor'Ravi', SudhlrPbadke,SajjadHussain,UshaKhanna, andevenA.R.Rahman,AnuMalik,Rajesh Roshan,Anand-Milindandjatin-Lalit,among theyoungercropofbatonwielders.

Aftertheex.itofNoorjehanfromIndja andtbefadingawayofotherstalwartfemale singers,bythelate1950s/early1960s,Lataji wasfirmlyperchedontbetopoftheheap.

ProducersanddirectorsviedforLataji's uniquevoiceandstylefortheirtopheroines, especiallybecauseshecould'mould'her voicetosuitmostheroines.Withoutdoubt, shebadbecometbefirstamongwomen singers,apositionthatMohammedRafi enjoyedamongthemen.

AsLataji'ssingingstylematuredunder mastermusicdirectors,hervoicehelped heroineswhoactedordancedtoher

tunescatapulttostardom,such asMadhubala,MeenaKu1nari,Nargis, Ameeta,BeenaRai,WaheedaRehman, VyjayanthimalaBali,Tanuja,Sharmila Tago1·e,AshaParekh,Nutan,SairaBano, SadhanaShjvdasani,BabitaKapoor,Zeenat Aman,ParveenBabi,HemaMaJini,Rekha, Sridevi,NeetuSingh,MadhuriDixit,and manyothersintbepost-1980s,rightdown totheyoungsters,notably,Kajol,Rani MukherjeeandKarismaKapoor.

SimuJtaneously,shesangindifferent Indianlanguageswithaplomb,non-film songs,withherrangeencompassingclassical, tragic,melodious,erotic,melancholic,light, mischievous,dependingonthecomposer, ortheheroine,ortbesongsituation.She neverfailedtoastoundherlistenerswithtbe seemingly"undying"powerandyouthfulness ofhergoldenvoice.

'Iypically,sbebrookednononsensefrom anyone-producers,directors,composers, siblingsorcontemporaries-attemptingto clamberanywhereclosetoherroost.

BollywoodisfullofstoriesofhowLataji ring-fencedherpositiontilltheveryend,

oftenraisingthehacklesofhertemalepeers, althoughmalesingers,suchasMohammed Rafi,Mukesh,KishoreKun1ar,Mahendra KapoorandMannaDeychosetomaintaina professionalrapportwithher.

Nevertheless,thereweretalesofhowRafi onceborethebruntofher"otherside",or certaincomposersquiveringasshegently declinedtosingforthemaftertheyallegedly daredtocommissionothersingers,for whateverreason.

Lataji'srisetothispositionwasafarcry fromherhumblebeginrungs.

BornonSeptember28,1929,asthe oldestchildofamusicallyinclinedfamilyin Indore(MadhyaPradesh)-comprisingfather Dinanath,Lataji,Meena(Khadilkar),Asha (Bhosale),UshaandsolebrotherHJ·idaynath -shewastutoredbyherdadfromtheageof fiveandalsoactedinhismusicalstageplays, tillbisdeathin1942.

Overthedecades,sbewasdecoratedwith amultitudeofrewardsandhonours-three Padmaawards,fiveFilmfareAwards,the DadasabebPhalkeAward-cappedbythe BharatRatnain2001.Morethanthat,state governmentsnamedawardsandinstitutions afterher.

Latajisangatprestigiousliveconcerts orcharitableevents,enthrallingglobal audiences,pickedupmoreoverseas accolades,suchasFrance'shighestcivilian honour,OfficeroftheLegionofHonour, in2007,brieflydabbledinhjgh-end merchandise,suchassignaturejewelleryand perfumes,launchedaproductionand1nusic house,andenteredintointernationalmusic collaborations.

Deathhasonlyremovedherphysically. Tbelegaciessheleavesbehindwilloutlive herfordecades.

Lilting lullabies, love songs, leg-shakers, to hot, highpaced, haunting and heavenly.

BY SANDIPHOR

oapassionatetrave!Jer,exploring Brisbane,thecapitalof'Sunshine State'Queenslandcanbe

unfoldingmanyi11terestingstories whilediggingintothesettle1nent's19th centurycolonialhistory.

Forexa1nple,notmanyknowEdinglassie wasthecity'sfirstna1necreatedbythe ScottishsettlersasablendofEdinburghand Glasgow-thetwokeycitiesinScotland. Infact,manysuburbsinthecityarenamed afterplacesinScotland,orafterScottish fa1nilynameslikeBrisbane.

EdinglassiebecameBrisbanein1824when itbeca1neapenalcolonyforBritishconvicts sentfromSydney.ItwasthenattachedtoNew SouthWalesandthenewnan1ewasderived fro1nthethenGovernor,SirThomasBrisbane. ln 1838itwastransformedintoafree settlementconsideringitssuitabilityfor farming,fishingandagriculture.

In1859,QueenslandseparatedfomNew SouthWalesandbecameanindependent BritishColonyandmaintainedthisstatus until1901,whenitwasincludedasoneofthe sixfoundingstatesoftheCommonwealthof Australia,withBrisbaneasthestatecapital.

Thecity'spresent-dayCBDiswherethe historically1nindedtrundletofindamong acrowdofglean1ingskyscraperssome architecturallyastutesandstonebuildings thatstandas1nemoirstothecity'scolonial

past.Amongmany,CityHall,Treasury Building,Parlian1entHouse,andOld GovernmentHousedrawattention.

WhileatOldGovernmentHouse,another interestingstoryunfolds.Notmanyknow thisvenueasthebirthplaceofLamington, thenation'sfamouscake-dishnamedafter LordLamingtonwhowasthegovernorof Queenslandbetween1896-1901.While therearemanystoriesaroundthebirth ofLamington,theone1wastoldsaysthat atadinnerpartyhostedbytheGovernor, thedessertiten1fellshortandtherewasno ingredientleftinthekitchentoquicklyprepare somethingnew,otherthansomepiecesof spongecake.Aquick-thinkingmaiddippedthe piecesofcakeintomoltenchocolate,covered themwithdesiccatedcoconuttoavoidmessy fingersandservedthemupasanotherdessert.

Theguestslovedit,anditwentontobeco1ne aculinarysensationinAustralia.

Tuckedbetweentheopenseaandthe greeneryofthebotanicalgarden,Brisbane todayisabustlingriverfrontsettlement. Currently,itisgoingthroughamassive makeshifttoemergeasthecontinent'snew globalcity,wherecuttingedgemodernism shakeshandswiththeland'srichlegacyand culture.

Besidescolonialheritage,thecityhasmany morethingsandexperiencestodelightvisitors. Herearesomeofthemorepopularones.

Cruising the river

TakingacruisealongthewindingBrisbane Riverisaspectacularwayofcatchinga glimpseofthecity'shigh-risepunctuated waterfrontsilhouette,particularlyinthe

With Queenslana t>oraers now open, it's worth planning a trip to capital Brisbane to hear some interesting stories

eveningswhenthelightsonthepanorama bestowafairy-taleappearance.

Spinning on a wheel

Risingto60111abovegroundlevel,arideon theWheelofBrisbaneoffersabreathtaking 360-degreevistaofthesurrounding cityscapefrotnthesafetyandcomfortofa fullyenclosed,air-conditionedgondola.

Hiking tothetop ofa bridge

Alandmarkofthecity,theStoryBridgeis aheritage-listed,steelcantilever,770111-long roadbridge,spanningacrosstheBrisbane River. Itreminds1neofKolkata'sland1nark -theHowrahBridgeonthe HooghlyRiver. Oneofonlythreebridgeclimbsinthe world,anadventuroushiketoitstopalmost 80111etresabovethewaterlevelnotonly offersadrenalinerushingthrillsbut also unmatched360-degreeviewsspanning MoretonBayintheeast,theGlasshouse Mountainsinthenorthandhinterland viewstothewest.

Exploring art and culture

Locatedonthesouthernbanks

oftheriver,theculturallythriving SouthBankisfamousforworldclassmuseums,galleries,theatres, Librariesandcentresofperforming arts.The17-hectareareaishome toQueenslandArtGallery,Gallery ofModernArt,Queensland MaritimeMuseum,Queensland PerformingArtsCentre,some 90restaurants,cafesandbars,

andahostofotherentertainment, recreationandleisureactivitiesallofwhich a1·ewithinwalkingdistanceofeachother. Hundredsofeventsofdifferentkindsare heldhereeveryyear.

Sleeping in an art house

Thoughthecityoffersseveralhotelsto choosefrom,stayingattheCrystalbrook Vincent(formerlyTheFantauzzo)beneath theiconicStoryBridgeandoverlooking

therecentlyrevitalisedHoward Sn1ithWharvesoffersanextraordinary experience.Inspiredbycelebrated AustralianpainterVincentFantauzzo,this 166-roomluxurypropertyprovidesguests withanartisticindulgence.Theartist's creations,500ofthem,aresplattered throughoutthehotel,evokinganimpression ofsleepinginanartgallery.Aportraitof AmitabhBachchaninthelobbydrewmy firstattention.

Food and wine

Becauseofitspleasantclimateand abundanceoffreshproduce,foodand drinkaretakenseriouslyinBrisbane, whetherit'scoffeeattheStanton Cafe&BarinQueenStreet,lunchat theGreektavernGrecaatthenew HowardSmithWharvesprecinct,a cocktailatMrPercival'soverwater barwhilewatchingthesunset,or finediningatthePolpettaforataste ofreal[taly

Spending a fun-filled day

Worldfamousforfun-tilledthen1eparkslike SeaWorldandMovieWorld,Australia'sGold Coast,onlyanhouraway,isalsoanideal destinationforspendingadaywiththesun, seaandsandatoneofthemanybeachside locations.SurfersParadisecontinuestobethe mostpopularGoldCoastdestination.

Visitwww.visitbrisbane.com.auformore information

St. StephensCha

OldParliamentHouse

TRRUEL

BY GOPIKA SAMBANTHAM

heswimmingpoolisawelco1ning sightonasummer'sday,and providestranquilityandlushness du1·ingotherseasons.Acareful plantingdesignwilltransformyourpool surroundsintoasecludedbackyardhaven. Plantingdesignaroundtheswi1runing poolneedsconsiderableconsideration, involvingtimeandresearch.Addingany plantthatyoulikethelookof,n1ightsiJnply notcutitifyouwantalush,secludedand safebackyard.

Youn1ayloveyourtropicalpool-side holidays,andidylliciiuagesfromlnstagram aboutswimmingpoolhavens,butremember notallplantsthrivewellnearthepool. Choosingplantssuitabletothelocalcfuuatic conditionsandyourlocationisalsovital.

Youn1usttakeitintoconsiderationfactors like:

• Willtheplantsshedleavesandclogyour poolfilter?

• Aretherootsinvasive?Willthey damage/crackthepoolsu1-roW1ds,pool wallsorplumbingsystem?

• Aretheplantschosensafeforswhnmers, withnothornyorspikybits?

Toavoidthesepitfallsforyourpool-side, belowaresevenplantcon1binationsthatyou couldconsider.Theseplantsthrivenearpools astheyaresaltanddroughttolerant,arelow maintenance,andsafetousearoundpools.

EXOTIC PLANTING

Lovedthebeachresortlastholidays?If youwouldlikeabeachresortlookfor

r1en an 01ces

7 low-maintenance ideas for pool landscaping

poolandhavevariouslevels,then aMediterraneanplantmixwillprovide asilveryfoliageeffectandattract pollinators.

Trees Olivetree(Oleaeuropaea),Pencil pine(Cupressussempervirens'Glauca)

Lowlevel shrubs Bluechalksticks(Seneico serpens)andFrenchLavender(Lavandula stoechas)

ROPICAL FEEL

Ifallyouwantislushnessandgreenery aroundthepool,thenatropicaloasislook canbeachievedusingthebelowplants. Suitableforfullsuntopartshade

ShrubsSandankwaViburnum(Viburnu1n Suspensum),Frangipani(Plumeria) Lowlevel shrubs Fern(Blechnu1ngibbum), Cycasrevoluta(Sagopalm)

RESORT LOOKS

yourswimmingpoolsurrounds,thenthese plantcombinationswillnotdisappointyou. Suitableforfullsuntopartshadelocations.

Shrubs BirdofParadise(Strelitziareginae), ChineseWind1nillPaln1(Trachycarpus fot1unei)

LowlevelshrubsZebraGrass(Miscanthus sinensis'Zebrinus'),Hebe.

NATIVE COMBO

IfyouwanttogiveAustraliannativesago, totransformyourpoolsidetoacountryside billabong,thenthisplantcombowillgivethat effect.Suitableforfull SW1 tolightshade.

TreesBlueberryAsh(Eleocarpusreticulates), SwampBanksia(Banksiarobur)

Groundcover

(Grevillea juniperina'Molongolo')andIceplant (Carpobrotusglaucescens)

SCULP URED LOOK

Ifyouraimistogetaneat,clean,green look,thensucculentsandstructuredshrubs willhelptoenhancethewallsnearthepool andthereflectiononthewater.Suitablefor fullsuntopartshadelocations.

ShrubYucca,Reedfeathergrass (Calan1agrostisxacutifloraKarlforester).

GroundcoverAeonium,Echeveria.

MEDITERRANEAN COMBO

Ifyouhavealargeareatoplantaroundthe

Alwayswantedyourresortholidaystolast longer?Thenwhynotbringapieceofthat staycationeffecttoyourhomebyplanting thebelowplantsaroundthepool.Suitable forfullsuntopartshadearea.

Trees Magnolia,AlexanderPalin (Ptychospermaelegans)

GroundcoverGiantLilyturf(Ophiopogon jaburan),StarJasmine(Trachelospernium jasminoides)

SMALLSPACE

Ifthespacearoundthepoolisless,then optforcontainerplantingofsomeof theplantsmentionedhere.Plungepoolsare alltheragethesedays;itiseasyto incorporatetheseintoyourlandscapewith athoughtfuldesignthatsuitsthestyleof yourhome.

ProstrateGrevillea

Latest role is

or Ka

ravel,theysay,canchange yourlife.Psychologistshave nowactuallyconfirmedthis, byshowingthatitleadsto increasedself-conceptclarity.This wascertainlytrueinpopularn1ystery thrillerTheTourist(Netflix)inwhich theleadcharacter,thetourist(actor JamieDornan),findshiinselfinoutback Australiasufferinga1nnesia.

ForSydneyactorKabirSii,gh,the serieshasbroughtself-conceptclarityin realLife.

Althoughh_iswasbutas1nallrole,Kabir saysitwaspivotal,andinmorewaysthan one.

Atonepointearlyintheseries,you're transportedtoabustlingIndianbazaar. Yougopastovercrowdedshops,fihn posters,vegetablehawkers,raidis (open carts),sari-cladwomen,evenacow crossingthestreetlazily,beforeyougetto Kabir'scharacter,ataxistandoperator.

WhereinIndia,youwanttoknow.

"AdelaideJaiJ,actually,"Kabir reveals,laughing."Tookthen,fourdays toconstructtheset!Whichsurprised me,givenitwasbutasmallrole."

InvolvingawholerangeofcharactersAfican,MiddleEastern,Indian,Greek, [ndigenous-TheTouristisrefreshingin itsdiverseappeal.

"Forn,eitisparticularlysignificant, asI'mfinallytreatedandrespectedasan actor,"Kabirnotes.

Therolecamefourteenyearsafterhefirst startedout,freshfromtheLeeStrasberg TheatreandFil1ninstituteinNewYork.

Ofcoursehehasn'texactlybeenidlein theinteriin,evenpickinguptwoAACTA no111inations(forindependentfiJn1sOne LessGodandAiyai: WrathfulSouls).

Butthebigbreaksrefusedtocome.

�ame-chan er

"Sure,Iwasdiscouraged,urged totakeona'real'job.Butforme thereonlywasaPlanA.I'man all-inkindofguy,noroon,forPlans B,CorD!"

Twoyearsago,hefellseriously illwitharareblooddisorder Thron,boticthrombocytopenic purpura(TTP),spendingfive monthsinhospital.

"Itcausedamajorshlftinmy life.I'verecoverednow,buthaveto goinformonthlybloodtests."

Throughchemo,ashereassessed hispriorities,hedecidedtogiveup onacting.

"Somuchrejectionand unhappiness,it'snotworthit,Isaid tomyself.You'renevertreated withtherespectyoudeserve."

Followingadiagnosisof depression,PlanBcameintothe picture.

"Findingmyselfinadeepdark holeoneday,Igotacraving formum'sjeeraaloojaffles.My roommatewentoutandgota sandwichgrillfromMarketplace for$10,andwemadejeeraaloo jaffles.Theyweresogood1thought lshouldbesellingthem!"

asthiscanbemyplatforn,tospeakabout mentalhealth."

Tolifthimselfupfromthefeelingsof insecurity,heworkedoutastrategy.

"Ataudition,myattitudewas,Idon'tcare ifIgettheroleornot.These15minutesof auditionarewhatlhavecontrolover.I'lldo n1ybest,andthenI'llletitgo."

Itworked.

"Igotadafterad-forBlueBet,Hard Yakka,AmericanExpress,brandskeento makeAustralialooklikeAustraliabycasting diversecharacters."

With TheTourist, though,thingsarefinally beginningtolookup.

The30-year-oldwasdrawntoacting asayoungchildgrowingupinDelhi.A prin1arystudentatDPS,hetooktothestage instinctively,perhapsinfluencedbyhismum LuckySingh,herselfanactorandn1odel.He finishedschoolinSydneywithDran1aasa Year12subject,andknewhewantedtobe anactor or

Shortlythereafter,hehadbought afoodtruckandhissidebusiness PocketRocketzwasborn.lthelpedthathe hadworkedasachef.

Ashedrovearoundtocommunity hotspotsillSydney,hebegantoseesuccess.

Withsignificantimprovementillhisown mentalhealth,hebecamepassionateabout talkingtootheryoungpeopleaboutit, particularlyillhisowncommunitywhereit isstillatabooofsorts.

"IfiguredthatImustreturntoacting,

Hescoredtheleadroleinmulticultural projectTheAbandoned.

Hewasatworkonitwhenhegotthe auditionandsubsequentcallbacksforThe Tourist.

MeanwhiJe,Bollywoodhascomecalling too.WhiJesomeoftheprojectsthereare currentlyonholdduetoCOVID,aUhe'll revealissomeselectnames-Madhavan, JimmyShergill,SanjayLeelaBhansali.

"You'llseemeinsomethingsoon,"he smiles.

RaJni Anand Luthra

or1nanyIndian-Australians,thepast yearwasadifficultonemadeworse byaproblematictravelbanthat stoppedthemfromreturningtotheir owncountry.Butformanyinthecommunity whogrewuphereii1AustraJia,these unconuortablefeefu1gsarenothingnew.

It'sanissuethat23-year-oldfihnmaker AbhishekParashertackledinhislatestwork.

"GrowingupinMelbourne,Isawlittle illCidentsallaroundme,likedisputesat school,whenimmigrantsSill1plyconcede insteadofrufflingfeathers,"hetoldIndian Link. "There'samentalitythatwe're'lucky' tobeherethatimpedesupfromstandingup forourselves."

HisshortfilmAcrossBordersnarratesan Indian-Australianfamily'suncomfortable experiencewithanunruly,racistneighbour whomovesinnextdoor.Theirnnligrant father,Akash,isafamilymanwhotriesto avoidanytrouble.Toprotecthisfamily,he isforcedtoconfronttheneighbour-and findshimselfworse-offwhenhedoes.

"Justbecausesomeonemightnotbea

'fullresident'doesn'tmeanthatsomeone bornandraisedhereisabovethem.I'dlike anyonewhowatchesthefilmtousethe opportunitytoiliinkaboutthemesofjustice, inferiority,andwheretheythinktheyfitinto thisworld,"Abhishekelaborated.

AcrossBorderspremieredatFlickerfest FilmFestival2022asoneofthenominees forBestAustralianShortFilm.Ithasalso

beendoingtheroundsofinternationalfilin festivalsliketheMosaicInternationalSouth AsianFilmFestival(MISAFF)inCanada andAmdabadFilmFestivalillGujarat.

"Thefeedbackhasbeenan1azillgso fa1-,''Abhigrinned.''I'vereceivedalotof messagesabouthowmuchpeoplerelate totheissueathand.Racismexists,but weshouldfeelconfidenttostandupfor ouTselveswhenwearen'tinthewrong."

Theprojectwascrowdfundedwiththe supportoffamilyandfriendsthrougha GoFundMepage,withthecrewpitching

illfortherest.Itwasthefinalprojectof theIndian-originfilmmakeraspartofhis BachelorofFilmatSAEInstitute. ForAbhishek,whosefamiJyhaiJsfrotn Punjab,Across Bordersaddressescrucial conversationsaroundvisastatusthatare finallyreceivingattentionintheAustralian maillStream.

"ThefilmisaboutmorethanjustIndianAustralians-it'saboutanyonewhofinds themselvesinanewcountry,andhowthey deservetoberespected,"hestated.

Rhea L Nath

I INDIA SWEETS

1

AND SPICES

I DIRECTOR: Geeta Malik

I CAST: Sophia Ali, Manisha Koirala, RishShah,Adil Hussain

FilmsabouttheSouthAsian

I diaspora in countries likeCanada, I the US, Australia,andthe UK aren'tparticularlynew.Infact,with 1 memorable hits likeMississippi

I Masala(1991), Bend It Like Beckham I (2002)and morerecently The BigSick (2017)and Never Have I Ever I (2020-),it'sa categorythatis seeing I someserious competition.

1 Whilesomehavemanagedtoshare thediasporastoryparticularlywell,there I aredozensofothersthatfallvictim I tocertaintropes,suchasbattlingthe I immigrantparent'simpossiblyhigh expectationsorthedifficultiesoffalling I inlovewithsomeoneoutsidetheir I community.Thankfully,newofferingIndia

I SweetsandSpices steers(mostly)clear 1 ofthese.Instead,itaddressesthe Log kya kahenge?(Whatwillpeoplesay?)

I mentalitywithinthemigrantcommunity

I thatmanywillsympathisewith.

1 India Sweets andSpices, written and directed byGeeta Malik,is

I the storyoffirstgenerationIndian-

I AmericanAlia Kapurwhois homefor

1 the summerfromherfreshmenyearof collegeinCalifornia.She's backin her I affluentsuburbancommunityin New

I Jersey,onewhereelaboratehouse

1 partiesare hostedeverySaturday,the localIndianstoreisastaplesocial I spot, andeveryoneknowseveryone

I (perhapsa littletoowell.)

1 Forthefirst40minutes,wesee charmingand equallybitingsnapshots

I oftheupper-middleclassdiaspora

I life.Alia'smother,queenbeeSheila

1 (ManishaKoirala)istheepitomeof graceandeleganceatpartiesand I expectsthesameperfectionfrom her I rebelliousdaughter.SoAliaisforcedto I sneakinhersipsofbeerina hidden corner,awayfromallthejudgemental I aunties.Someoneevenplaysthe

I Bollywood hit"Beedi"thatcausesall I thedrunkunclesto,unsurprisingly,bust amove.Theselittlescenesdopanderto 1 certainstereotypes, butthey'rehonest, I andearnest,enoughtoevokea little

I chuckleatourselves.(It'sworth noting I herethatthefilmdoescomefromthe producerofanotherhugelysuccessful 1 Asianhit, CrazyRichAsians.)

I However,Aliagoesontostirthis I alreadysimmeringpotwhen she invitesthe Duttas,thenewfamily I totakeoverthelocalgrocerystore, I tooneoftheseopulentgatherings.

I Suddenly,weare remindedofthe classdifferencesthatcanexist I betweenoldand newmigrants.

I Bhairavi Dutta(theformidable Deepti

Gupta)arrives ina beautiful but simplesari andimmediatelyfeelsout ofplaceamongtheSabyasachi and Manish Malhotra-adornedaunties. Asthe Duttaswanderthe partyshyly, onerecallsthesacrificesthathumble migrantsmustmakeintheinitial yearstosetthemselvesupfora lifeof comfortand success.

Eyebrowsare raisedwhenhumble Bhairavi recognisesqueenbeeSheila fromtheircollegedaysatDelhi University.Alia can'thelp butwonder: whyis her mother sosecretiveabout herpast?Withoutgivingtoomuch away, shockingrevelationsaremade, andAliaisforcedtoconfrontthefact that herparents arefarfrom perfect. Unfortunately,it'ssomewhereinthis crucialdiscussionthat India Sweets andSpices beginsto lose itsedge. Thetoneshiftsfromplayfulto preachy whilecommentingonthepatriarchal structuresthathauntIndianwomen evenafterthey leavethecountry andthe unnecessaryjudgement and pressurethatmembersofthe diaspora place ononeanother(hence thetagline: "lettheauntiestalk.")

Adaptedfromthedirector's2016 script Dinner With Friends thatwonthe AcademyNicholl Fellowshipsin screenwriting, India SweetsandSpices isa well-intentionedalthough somewhat predictablecomedy. We'reeven offereda littlelovetriangle and some caricatureteen rivalsforadditional drama.Thefilm may notprovide thefreshesttakeonthediaspora experience unlikethe morewellroundedfilmsthatcame before,but itisexecuted well byatalented cast alongsideslick visualsand acatchy soundtrack.Checkitoutforthe mirror itthrows uptoourowncommunity, questioningwhatwecould,and probablyshould, bedoingdifferentlyto evolvecollectively.

Rhea L Nath

MATRIMONIALS

SEEKING GROOMS

Seekinga professionallyqualifiedteetotaller match,ofgoodfamilybackground, preferably Australian citizen or PR holder,forhighly qualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian.ofgoodfamilybackground,working and wellsettled in Sydney. Pleasecontactaussyd08@gmail.com

Contact Peter0407993140

Seekingqualified match (workingprofessional, notself-employed)fromAustraliafor'88 born 5"3" Hindu Punjabigir (divorced, issueless), workingwith a governmentorganisation in Sydney. MusthaveAusPR; preferenceto RadhaSoamifollower,teetotaler. Email: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com

SEEKING BRIDES

45-year-old Sikh Khatri man seekssuitable match. Divorced, no child, self-employed, on bridgingVisa. Preferred Australian PR/ citizen girl. Contact 0422812939 oremailjas_ghai01@hotmail.com

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

TwobedroomuntWentworthville,Lanestreetcloseforalltravel,shopsschoolswithinaveryfriendly area,securitylockupgarage,newaircon,floatingfloorboards,oven,showerrecess,paint,blinds, separatetoilet&bathroom,spaciousbalconywonderfulstrata.500kono

Wal or?

What's on our screens this February

I ONE CUTTWO CUT (Amazon Prime)

I UpcomingcomedyadventureOne Cut Two Cutstars I comedian DanishSaitasanartsandcraftsteacher who -getthis - mustsavetheschoolafter thas I beentakenhostagebysocial mediaactivists. Itis I oneofthreemoviesfrom PRKProductionsand has

beendedicatedtothelateactor-producerPuneeth Rajkumar,whopassedawaylatelastyear.

One CutTwo Cut beginsstreamingon3 February.

ec1 e!

MURDERVILLE (Netfllx)

Whathappenswhenan eccentricdetective(WillArnett) teams up with celebritiesConan O'Brien, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie MurphyandSharonStone?Honestly, theydon'tknowthemselves - because it'sentirely unscripted! Havewecaughtyourattentionyet?

Thisimprovisationalcrime comedyhitsyourscreens on3 February.

ROCKET BOYS (SonyLIV)

Thisbiographicalseriesfollowsthe livesofnuclear physicistsVikramSarabhaiand HomiJ Bhabha.The rolesareessayed bythetalented lshwak Singh and JimSarbh respectivelyastheysharethe impressive accomplishmentsand discoveriesofthesetwoIndian scientists.Astronomyandscience lovers, areyou excitedforthisone?

RocketBoys dropson4February.

BADHAAI DO (Theatrical release)

This upcomingcomedydrama isthespiritual sequel to 2018's Badhaai Ho. StarringRajkummar Rao and Bhumi PednedkarasShardul and Suman, it sharesthestoryofa couplewhoentera marriageof convenience, butfacecomplicationswhen Suman's girlfriend comestovisit.

BadhaaiDo releasesincinemason 11February.

I LOOOP LAPETA (Netflix)

----- -------- - - Inthisremakeofthe1998cultclassic Run Lola Run, I Savi(playedbyTaapseePannu)isina raceagainst

I THE GREAT INDIAN MURDER

1 (Disney+Hotstar)

I Helmed byPratikGandhi and RichaChadha,this film isanadaptationofthe2016novel SixSuspects I byretired IFSofficerVikasSwarup. (Funfact:he I alsowrotethebookthatwasadapted intoSlumdog

Millionaire). Inthisone,detectivesSurajYadhav andSudha Bharadwajinvestigatethemurderofa politician'splayboysonathisownparty.

TheGreatIndianMurderbeginsstreamingon4 February.

I BESTSELLER (Amazon Prime)

I Veteran Bollywoodactor MithunChakrabortyisall I settomake hisdigitaldebutinthis psychological thriller. He isjoined byShruti Haasan,Arjan Bajwa I andGauhar Khan. In Bestseller, the livesoftwo I strangerscollide, causinga dominoeffectonthe livesofthosearound them. Whathappenswhen I everyaction has multipleconsequences?

Bestsellerbeginsstreamingon 18 February.

I timetosaveherboyfriendSatya(TahirRaj Bhasin) afterhelosesa mobster'smoney.Thesciencefiction

I thrillerisdirected byAakash BhatiaandstarsShreya

1 Dhanwanthary, RajendraChawla, Dibyendu Bhattacharya insupportingroles.

I Thefilmreleasesworldwideon4February.

I GEHRAIYAAN (Amazon Prime)

I Caught inthe monotonyofherlife,Alisha Khanna (Deepika Padukone)findsherselfina complicated I situation whensheisvisited byhercousin Tia(Ananya Panday) and Tia'sfianceZain (SiddhantChaturvedi), I withwhom shesharesatroubled past.Willshe beable I toconfronttheskeletons in hercloset?You'll haveto watchtofind out.

I Themuch-awaited Gehraiyaan releaseson11February.

THE FAME GAME (Netflix)

MithunChakravortyisn'ttheonlyBollywoodstar makinghisdigitaldebutthismonth! In TheFame Game,MadhuriDixitNeneplaysafamousactress whogoesmissing,leadingtoapoliceinvestigation thatunravelsthemanyhiddentruthsofherseemingly perfectlife.Itcomesfrom BaarBaarDekhowriterSri RaoandfeaturesKaranJoharasoneoftheproducers. Theseriesbeginsstreamingon25February.

KATHIAWADI

1 (Theatrical release)

I I DirectorSanjayLeela Bhansali's upcomingfilm, basedonthe 2011non-fiction novel Mafia Queens of I Mumbai, starsAlia Bhattasthetitularcharacterwho goesonto becomea brothel madame in Mumbai's I red-lightdistrict. ItalsostarsVijayRaaz, Seema Pahwa, and featurescameosfromAjayDevgn and Emraan Hashmi. I

I Gangubai Kathiawadihitsscreenson 25 February.

Healthy home-made snacks for your next chai break

AIR FRIED METHI MATHAI

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

Mathri(orn1atthi) isthatsavouryflakybiscuitthat alwaysconjuresupchildhoodmen1oriesofafternoon teas,bothsun1111erandwintertime.WhenMumservedit withatangyachaarandhotchai,itwasasimple,earthy pleasure!Itistypicallydeep-friedbutI'velearnthowto usetheairfryerforahealthierversion-theresultsare prettyclosetotheoriginal.

INGREDIENTS

■ ¾cupmaida/ plain flour

■ ¼ cupoatflour (or plainflourorwholemeal flouratta)

■ 1tspsalt

■ ½cupwaterto knead

■ ½cupfreshmethi(fenugreek)leaves,finely chopped

■ 2tbspoil

METHOD

■ Addthe oiltoplainflour,oatflour andsalt. Mixwell tocombine.

■ Kneada mediumtightdough byaddingall ingredients.

■ Takeasmallamountofdoughand rollitintoa big flatbread usinga rollingpin. Useacookiecutterto cutoutcirclesor anydesired shape.

■ Preheattheair fryerfor10 minsat 170degC.

■ Place the mathri inthe basket.Cookfor 12-13 mins at170degC.Sprayoilonceandflipsothatitis cookedevenlyon allsidesand isgolden brown.

■ Coolandstoreinaclean dryjar.

AIR FRIED CHANA DAL

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

AirFriedChanaDalisagreatwaytohavelentilsonthego. Itislowincalories,andperfectforTVtin1e.Okaysoit'snot exactlypopcorn,butitisagreataccompaninlentforchai orotherbeverage!

INGREDIENTS

■ ½ cupchana dal ■ 1-1.5 teaspoon oilorghee

■ Salttotaste ■ 1tspchatmasala powder

METHOD

■ Soakchana dalfor2-3hours.

■ Adddalto boilingwater. Let itcook untilitcomesto a boilagain, and sieve.

■ Preheattheairfryerat200degCfor10 mins.

■ Spreadthedalon a crispingtray/parchmentpaper and cookfor2mins.

■ Addoiland mix.

■ Cookfor8-10 minsat200degC,stirringonceor twice in between.

■ Once done, putinto a bowland add chatmasala and saltifyou like.

■ Cooland store in airtightcontainer.

AIR FRIEDCHICKPEAS

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

AirFriedChickpeasareperfectfortea-time.Alowcaloriehigh-proteinsnack,thesearegreattonibbleon whileatworktoo.

INGREDIENTS

■ 1 cupchickpeas boiled/canned

■ 1tspoil

■ ½tspchaatmasala

■ SaIt totaste

METHOD

■ Airfrythe chickpeas for 7-8mins at 200 degree C.

■ Takethemout and gentlytoss themin oil

■ Airfryfora further 5-6 minutes untilthey arecnsp.

■ Mixspices as pertaste. Store in a clean dryjar

February 2022

BY MINAL KHONA

MinaI Khona has been readingtarotcardsfor the last twodecades. She uses herintuitionand connectwiththecards mostly to helppeople.

Ifyouareexpectingacertain outcome, chances are itwillnot materialize. If ina relationship,even ifyoufeel shutout, persevere and keepthe communicationgoing.Therecould willneed to visit a doctor. Finances are I improving.Youwillno longersettlefor I less than you deserve. Newideas and repeat orders bringsuccess to theself- I

The card representing Sagittarius makesArianseven more outspoken and driven. They mayfind themselves busywithworkand spiritualactivities. Insecurities besiegesome ofyou who are in a relationship. Thatis because it currently lacksdepth. Ifunwell,you

employed. You may movecloserto the I homewhere yougrewup.

betensesituations atwork. Ifunwell, you may need tovisitadoctor;don't ignorechronicissueseither. Financial worriesaretemporary. Turnto meditation ifstress is gettingtoyou; thoughstressfulsituations willend soon. Others willsupportyou in key matters. Take plentyofrest.

I You are in thefinalstagesofa I cycleofdestinysoyou mayfind yourselfcompletingprojects, orold I friends orexes re-enteringyourlife. A I more energized lifestyleawaits. Ifyou I are planningtosellyour home, itwill sell. You make moneythrough your I workas pastefforts are rewarded.

I Any existing health issues willget I sorted. Singles may find they are still notable tofind whattheyseek.A I rocky relationshipthoughwillstart to I improve.

I Singleswho are dating may haveto I take a callaboutwhether they I want to make acommitmentorend things. Some ofyou may evenget I married.Anew business proposal I ordealwill be profitable.Travelfor workwillyield good results. The selfI employed willdo well. Takingregular I breakswillbe beneficialforyour health. I Focus onyourgoals andyou willfind that the universesends peoplewho I helpyouachievethem. Letgoofany I fearsthatholdyou back.

Expectsetbacksanddisappointments inrelationships.Thisisespeciallysofor Leowomen.Someofyoumayevenend arelationshipifitisnotgivingyouthe happinessyouseek.Watchoutforoverexertionatwork.Takeabreakorashort holidaytorecharge.Afriendorlovedone couldneed hospitalization.Ifnegotiatinga raiseorabetterdeal,speakupforyourself tomakethemoneyyoudeserve.Look withinandnourishyoursoulwithself-love toavoidheartbreak.

I Ifyouaresingle, youcouldgetinvolved withsomeoneinan unusualmanner.

I Youwant to breakoutofthemonotony

I ofroutinechoresandmightjusttakea short relaxingholidaytodoso.Anew

I idea orsoftwarecould makelifeeasier

I fortheself-employed.Somesinglescould I getmarried orreceiveaproposal.Avoid irregulareatinghours. Someofyou may I haveahecticsociallifewithcelebrations I thrown in.Trusttheuniverse inareas whereyouseekclarity.

Theaceofheartscardsignifiesaperiod I ofhealing,engagementsandweddingsor I eventheannouncementofapregnancy. I Someofyoumaybuyanewhouse.A tripwillincludealuckybreakintermsof I findingsomethingyouwanted.Youwillget I recognisedforyourideasatwork.Your I healthremainsgoodallmonthlong.Despite yourconcernsregardingmoney,youwill I startanewbusinessifself-employed. I Strainedrelationshipswillseealesseningof tensionandbettertimestocome.

Acard ofabundance andan overall I feelingofwell-beinggivesScorpios I theboost theyneed.You haveto I taketimeouttorelaxthoughtravel forworkisforetold.Arelationship I stilllacksthedepthyouseek.Be I carefulasyoucould have minor accidentsathomeorsufferfromfood I poisoning. Moneyowed toyou isstill I held upbut itcomes infromother I projects.Anewparadigmorwayof workingwillbringyousuccess.

Anexistingsituationinyourpersonalor worklifecouldchangeovernight.Singles couldmeetsomeonetheyconnectwith atadeeperlevelinstantly.Anideawill materialiseevenbeforeyouhaveexpressed itfullyatwork.Stressduetounresolved issueswilldiminishasyousorteverything out. Someoneinthefamilycouldfallill suddenly.Certainpaymentsmaygetheld upbutmoneycomes infromelsewhere.Let theuniverseguideyouintomakingtheright choicesandresolvematters.

I Externalfactorscouldbethereasonfor I Thecardimplies thattherecould be a I anyupsettingevents.Someoneyouknow I reconciliationofsorts (in relationship I mayneedhospitalization.Self-doubtwill I orlegalmatters),and moneywill come keepyoufrommakingconfidentdecisions toyousoonerthan you expected even

I inyourworkorpersonallife.Singleswon't I thoughyou may beina tightspotright I begettingseriousanytimesoon. Forthose I now. Someofyou may movetoa new inproblematic marriages, theunhappiness homeand mayevensellthecurrent I isduetophysicalcompatibilityorthe I one.Anewcycle is beginningfor I absenceofopencommunication. Money I manyAquarians thoughdon'texpect I willcomedespitehurdlesbutwatchoutfor I apovertyofspirit. Focusonwhatyouhave, I notwhatyoulack.Startaspiritualpractice. I emotionalhappinessassomethingvital isstillnotavailable.Avisittothe dentist may berequired.

I Thecard representingGeminiappears,

I promisingmanyideasforcreativePisceans. I I Arelationshipappearsstuckfornow;let t beand keeparationalmindaboutit.

I Creativeendeavourspreoccupyyouwith I I thearts,writingetctakingcentrestage.Your I pastsuccessescouldleadyoutonewwork I comingyourway. Moneywiseyouprosper, I I whetheryouareworkingorself-employed. I I Youcouldmeetsomeinfluentialfolkswho maybeinstrumentalinresolvingariftwith I alovedoneorgiveyourcareeraboost.

Questionable L�nics

DEARAUNTYJI

There's been much chatterthismonth aboutactressSamantha Ruth Prabhu's dancetothesong OaAntava It'sa songsupposedtocall men outfor sleazybehaviour, but is soraunchythat itmightaswell beencouragingthat behaviour Bollywoodsongshavesome peculiar lyrics Eventhesongsfrom the'50sand '60shavelyricsthatin my mindare questionable Forexample, Motiyon kiladihoon mai. sundarparihu main asongfromthe oldfilm Loafer. Thissongisjustoneexampleofthe manysongswherethegirl sings about her beauty I don'tknowanygirlwho talksinthismanner, letalong singlike this.And Iwill admitthatwhen asong isbeautiful,amancansing ittoagirl inreallife Myhusband usedtosing Chaundvin ka chandto meincollege anditwastotallynatural.ButIcertainly didn'tsing Husn haisuhanatohim WhydowehavesuchoddBollywood songswhere agirlblatantlysings abouthercharms?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Arremerigulabo. merichumchum. meri jalebi. whatawonderfulthoughtyou havehad. I'mdelightedthatyouchose

tosharethiswithme.Therearetwo thingsthatIwanttotellyoutoday. So, hereisthereason whywehavesuch weirdnessinBollywood lyrics- where the girl singsaboutherselfinthethird personand highlightshercharms ina particularlyjarringmanner.It'sbecause nearlyall ofBollywoodlyricistsare men,andit'sthereforethemalegaze that'sbeingtranslated intolyricsthat's then perverselyvoicedbythefemale. Letme breakitdown.The malelyricist looksatthegirlandthinks, Motiyon ki ladi, sundarpari. roop,jawaani. husn sebhari, etc etcandthen makesit intoasong,andthen hasthegirl sing it.Couldthere beanything more perverted?

Thesolutiontothisistohavemore female lyricists, oreducateourmale lyricistsnottoobjectifywomenthe waytheydo.

The secondthing I wantedtosayis this. Soyourhubbysang Chaudhvin ka chandtoyou.Whatelse did hesing? And areyousureyoudidn'tfeelthe needtorespond withsomefeistysong inreturn?Theonesongyoucould have sung in return.justtoeventhingsout. could have been Hungama hogaya fromAnhonee.

DEARAUNTYJI

Ioccasionallyreadyourcolumnfor thefunofit- and IthoughtI would submitmyproblemtogetyour thoughts.I'm34andworkasan executiveassistantatasmallfirm Peopletell meI'mgood-lookingbut Istill haven'tfoundamantomarry All I wantinthislifeistogetmarried toa man who lovesme.stayat homeandraisekidsand livehappily everafter Isthissuch abaddream tohave? I havemetmanymen, but noneofthemturnsouttobemy foreverguy.Iwanttohaveaspark with myfuturehusband.and when Imeetthese potentialsuitors. ifIdon'tgetasparkstraight away Itendtorejectthem Iam tiredofdoingeverythingonmy own Auntyji,lifeissohard. Ijust wishIhada husband whocould helpme Areyouabletooffer me someadvice?I wouldlikeatall, handsomehusbandwhohasa reallygoodjobandiswellsettled and would be happywithastay-athomewife And I wanthimtolove meandfor ustohavethat special spark.Wherecan Ifindsucha husband?

AUNTYJI SAYS

Areyouforreal, bekaaraurat?

You leave mespeechlesswith your demands. Soyou want a husband whois handsomeand lovingand rich -butwhatareyou bringingtothe relationshipother than giving him au/ad? You say youexpectan immediate spark. Isyourfuture husbandsupposed tobeanelectronthatwould spark inthe merepresenceofyour highness?Iam ata lossforwhat advicetogiveajahil likeyou.You aresingle probablybecauseyou thinkthat noneofthe nice men youmeetaregood enoughfor you.Youare placingimpossible demandson prospectivesuitors. Marriageismorethan allthat - and soyouactuallydon'tdeserveto be married.Youaresinglebecause that'swhatyougetforbeing so picky.Goodyou rejected allthose guys. because noneofthem deserveda budtehzeeb likeyou for awife. Here'smyadvicetoyou. Updateyour perspectiveofwhat marriagemeans. Understandfirst whatyou bring intoa relationship, andlearnhowtobeagood partner.