YOUR SAY

India With Open Arms

PAWAN LUTHRA caught up with the returning Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell for a wide-ranging chat.

Sheba Nandkeolyar wrote: Superb interview. Congratulations Pawan Luthra. A big round of applause for Barry O’Farrell - he has been an incredible High Commissioner and took the relationship to an all-new level. Love his advice - don’t go to India with preconceived expectations and notions. He speaks about the advantages of structured diplomacy but knowing India they would have loved his flexible approach. Well done, Barry.

Dipen Rughani wrote: Great interview Pawan! I particularly liked the Indian political analysis by Barry, very refreshing. I also enjoyed the probing questions you had prepared, well done!

Sanjeev Nandkeolyar wrote: Great interview Barry and Pawan go to India with your eyes open!

Shanti Raman wrote: Excellent - I have a new appreciation for Barry O’Farrell now. I think he got the nuances of communalism and tensions in India right.

Thanks Pawan.

Yadu Singh wrote: Superb interview. Very comprehensive and informative.

Padmini Sunder Raj wrote: Good points made. It is also true that most of the Western world and media feel uncomfortable and insecure about India's rise. Barry has a good knowledge about India.

Mala Mehta wrote: Excellent interview Pawan!

Atul Sood wrote: Excellent interview Pawan. Very honest, transparent and insightful responses by Barry O’Farrell.

Vishnu Shahaney wrote: A superb interview Pawan - and very insightful comments by Barry O’Farrell.

Rohit Jain wrote: Excellent interview Pawan Luthra and equally honest answers by Barrey O’Farrell

Harsh Shah wrote: A fantastic interview Pawan Luthra.

Gandhi Creations wrote: This is a brilliant overview, thank you Indian Link. What an absolute legend our former Australian HC for India, Barry O'Farrell is.

KVIR Live wrote: Very engaging conversation, spot on questions by Pawan, with spontaneous answers by Barry!

Innovation Global wrote: Great interview and engaging conversation.

Ginger Snaps wrote: Great questions.

Bahrisons Booksellers, Barry O’Farrell’s favourite book shop in New Delhi were thrilled at the mention: How kind of you, Your Excellency, we will certainly miss your regular visits to Bahrisons! All the best.

Kantilal Jinna wrote: An excellent interview with Barry. Important questions asked and excellent bonding responses received. Congratulations.

A LOTTERY SYSTEM FOR PARENT VISA CATEGORY?

VIVEK ASRI wrote about Australia’s review of its migration system, contemplating various reform options for the Parents Visa category in an effort to address the growing backlog of applications.

Gowtham Pitchuka wrote: This is such a pain point.

Sriraman Annaswamy wrote: Having cared for both of my parents here in Australia for more than a decade, my one piece of advice to Indian migrants would be, make sure you persuade and action the process for your parents to become residents as early as legally possible. Will save you tens (and perhaps) even hundreds of thousands in healthcare expenses in addition to enormous time, anxiety and the resultant stress.The system here is not set up for tourists, visitors and relatives of temporary migrants who fall seriously sick.

Gauri Maini wrote: The support I have received for my parents has been incredible. The outreach program for older people who are permanent residents is amazing. For visitors, travel insurance may help somewhat.

Reza S. wrote: At least Aus is smarter than Canada - giving everybody free health care at the cost of Canadian taxpayers.

Deepak Gupta wrote: It's a common problem now across and not just for parents of immigrants. Medical insurance premiums have increased, bulk billing has reduced...

On Oppenheimer And The Bhagwad Gita

ANAND VENKITACHALAM on how J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atom bomb, turned to the Hindu text as a spiritual foundation to navigate his catastrophic work.

Srinivas Karkenahalli wrote:

Saw the movie Oppenheimer the very first day (perhaps it was the very first show as well). Found it gripping, strong in visual and audio effects. Those interested in Oppenheimer and the history of science should see it. However, it was way too long at three hours. His cross-examination by the commission on his communist involvement has been stretched too much. Further, the movie requires some background knowledge on the part of the viewer to be completely understood.

Now for Oppenheimer and Bhagwad Gita. There is a passing mention of it in the movie. In one of the scenes, where Oppenheimer and his lover are both naked and arguing, she opens the Gita and asks him to read a verse. He obliges, but it is difficult to make out which verse he read. I found it a bit annoying to bring out Gita in such a scene.

My understanding of the connection between Gita and Oppenheimer was different. He was no doubt well-versed in Gita. When the trial bomb exploded in Los Alamos, he exclaimed “Brighter than a thousand suns!” Doing so, he alluded to the verse 11:12 of the Gita, namely, Divi sūrya-sahasrasya bhaved yugapad utthitā yadi bhāh sadniśhī sā syād bhāsas tasya mahātmanah. If a thousand suns were to blaze forth together in the sky, they would not match the splendour of that great form.

One other time Oppenheimer quotes Gita is when Albert Einstein criticises him for making the bomb, being a destructive weapon. Oppenheimer chose to hide behind the following verse, Shrī-bhagavānuvācha

Kālo ’smi loka-kshaya-krit pravriddho

Lokān samāhartum iha pravrittah

Rite ’pi tvām na bhavishyanti sarve

Ye ’vasthitāh pratyanīkeshuyodhāh.

The Supreme Lord said: I am mighty Time, the source of destruction that comes forth to annihilate the worlds. Even without your participation, the warriors arrayed in the opposing army shall cease to exist.

Sadly, these are absent in the movie. Those interested in details may like to read my book Albert Einstein, published by Prism Books Pvt Ltd, Bangalore, in 2015. Usha Srinivas wrote: Extremely well written article in the Indian Link about Oppenheimer and the Gita. Everyone must read this before watching the movie. But the movie lacks many of the details mentioned here. Srinivas’ explanation above and review is excellent.

INDIA AS HOST FOR CWG 2026: YAY OR NAY?

Should India step up and save the Games, asked PAWAN LUTHRA, or should it, like Australia, keep its distance?

Sriraman Annaswamy wrote: Utterly daft idea, let's hope it doesn't get up. If hosted in any major city, will worsen already skyhigh levels of congestion. If hosted in rural countryside will struggle to attract sponsors and crowds.

More importantly, what's the point of this vestigial appendage called the Commonwealth? Dan Andrews had the right idea, we need to go a step further and scrap the redundant Commonwealth monolithic itself.

Pawan Luthra wrote: Sriraman, agree with the whole concept of the redundancy of the Commonwealth Games. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and the impact it has on the upcoming debate of Australia becoming a republic. So, nay from you.

Thomas De Souza wrote: Nay

Raghu Rules wrote: Why not, when Vic can’t?

Raghunath Kandella wrote: Congressmen's mouths must be watering. If they win in '24, these games will be a bonanza for them, as the earlier one was.

Josel Jose wrote: Yay

Ajay Bhatia wrote: Yay

Bhanoo Sharma wrote: Nay

Krupa Dave wrote: Nope

Satheesh Antony wrote: Nope. Waste of money.

Shankari Chandran Takes Home The Miles Franklin

The award-winning author spoke with SARU SIVAPALAN.

Darryl Alexander wrote: An excellent book, regardless of whether it won the Miles Franklin or not.

Manju Rani wrote: An excellent book with so much to soak in. I’ve read it twice and will revisit in a few months’ time. Well done, Shankari!

Sriraman Annaswamy wrote: Well done and well deserved, Shankari. At our Five Dock Sai Centre, we’re delighted at your remarkable accomplishment. Onwards and upwards now.

Kalyan Ram wrote: Great achievement to the whole community, in addition to her own. Warm congratulations.

Rajni Luthra wrote: Congratulations Shankari! Current Booker Prize and Miles Franklin both from SriLanka. Plus of course the current International Booker from India. We’re doing pretty good in South Asia.

Rashmi Watson wrote: Congratulations to Shankari Chandra. A great achievement.

Bhavisha Parmar Bhandari wrote: I will definitely get this one. Loved Song of the Sun God

Shantha Viswanathan wrote: Fantastic achievement Shankari Chandran! Congrats.

Anita Sam Robert wrote: Congratulations! What a great achievement!

Margaret Burns wrote: Looking forward to reading Chai time at Cinnamon Gardens.

Shankari Chandran wrote: Loved talking to Indian Link about Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens. Thank you so much for this wonderful interview and profile, so grateful for your support.

Where In India

Where in India, we asked, will you find the richest temple in the world?

Say It Again

Caption Contest

What did Rocky say to Rani on the runway that had her giggling?

Arix Bishnoi wins a movie ticket for his response: No one knows, but I made my sherwani with Deepika’s ghaagra and borrowed her earrings too.

Poonam Gupta wrote: Yeh lehnga mera hai! (You’re wearing my clothes.)

Tashu Sharma wrote: Bahut der baad dhang se kapde pehne hain, achcha lag raha hun na? (I’m wearing regular clothes after ages, hope I look ok)

Pavneet Kaur wrote: Mera ghaghra aur dupatta vapis kar (Give my skirt andscarf back to me).

Preeti Kothari wrote: Gullugullu mat karna, warna woh tujhe thop dengi! (A Gully Boy reference)

Raghu Rules wrote: Alia! Let’s go hiding. Reviews (of Rocky aur Ranii) aren’t that great.

Arix Bishnoi wrote again: I’m better looking and funnier than Ranbir.

Where In Oz

This spot is where Ranbir Kapoor proposed to Deepika Padukone in the movie Bachna Ae Haseeno. Where in Oz?

The answer is Archibald Memorial Fountain at Hyde Park, Sydney.

Readers Josel Jose, Anagha N.Meher, Deepak Vincent, Joy A. Montague, Julia Raath and Desi-Aussie Socializer got it right.

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