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EDITORIAL All things Indian. In Australia.

Things to watch for in 2024

Elections, Rates, Regions and Revolutions

PUBLISHER Pawan Luthra EDITOR Rajni Anand Luthra ASSISTANT EDITOR Nadine Silva CONTRIBUTORS Suhayla Sharif, Vivek Asri, Bedashree Gogoi, Lakshmi Ganapathy, Mahesh White-Radhakrishnan, Kamal Sarma, Vya Pulavorty, Petra O’Neill, Minal Khona, LP Ayer, Auntyji SALES AND MARKETING Charu Vij ADMN Aanchal Matta

Indian Link is a monthly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, may be reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to:

INDIAN LINK MEDIA GROUP Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001 Ph: 02 9279-2004 Email: info@indianlink.com.au

BY PAWAN LUTHRA

A

lmost at the mid-way point of this decade, this year could well define our future trends for this half of the 21st century. With high geopolitical uncertainties and leaders seeking mandate from their electorates to give them the right to rule, we are at an interesting intersection in our contemporary history.

Let’s look at issues that have the potential to define us.

1. US elections: This could singularly be the most important event of 2024. As the Republicans decide on who their candidate will be to challenge the current Democrat President Joe Biden, the front runner seems to be former President Donald Trump. If his four years of Presidency (2016-20) were any indication, he would be a President who would polarise – both domestically and internationally. A win for Trump in 2024 could lead to a more extreme and divisive political environment.

2. Indian elections: The ruling BJP under the leadership of Narendra Modi is a shoo-in to win the 2024 election, locking in their government for another 5 years.

Since being elected in 2014, the BJP government has been applauded for their strong economic policies propelling India to become the world’s fifth-largest economy by GDP, giving it an important clout in international forums. Yet it has also been criticised for allowing a rise of Hindu fundamentalism which has had an impact on India’s secular fabric and democratic principles. But this could well be PM Modi’s last election. He would be 79 years old when the next elections are held. As to how he wishes to leave his legacy will be interesting to observe in the next few years.

3. Geopolitical challenges: With the Ukraine-Russia conflict now about to enter its third year and the Middle East a powder keg, geopolitical volatility is high.

A third front opening up, such as China v Taiwan, or North Korea v Japan, will seriously test global diplomacy.

4. Artificial Intelligence: Just as the Internet revolutionised the way we live, work and play, AI is the next frontier to be scaled.

Technology grows exponentially, and usually advances faster than gatekeepers can figure out how to guard against any social fallout from it. This could well be a year when these guard rails are put on this new frontier technology to help protect us all better.

5. Frog boiling: The “boiling frog”metaphor is often used to describe a situation where one fails to react to slow and gradual change, leading to dire consequences.

Everyone talks about longer summers and extreme weather conditions and yet, action on climate change is limited, with no clear direction or strategy by any leader or country. Expect more of the same in 2024.

6. And yes, house prices: No yearly forecast is complete till there is a reference to house prices. Yes, with interest rates in Australia on their way down in 2024, house prices should be going up. But then when interest rates went up in 2023, house prices were expected to go down.

They did not - going up instead. So, for 2024, let’s flip a coin.

Bring on 2024, it seems like an exciting novel to read.

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JANUARY 2024 5

CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURES EDUCATION Deakin University at GIFT City Gujarat

12

14

24

31

12

SCHOOL

Class of 2023: Looking back at Year 12

2024 CALENDAR

Indian and Australian holidays and observances

WELLNESS

14 20 24

Pink Sari Inc at Sydney Pink Test

ENTERTAINMENT

Indian-American actor Avantika in Mean Girls

COVER STORY ANOUSHKA SHANKAR: A new chapter

31

10

Would you rather say No to a drink

or

No, I’ve lost my licence, I can’t take you to school.

There are worse things than saying ‘No’ to a drink when you’re going to drive, and it’s not just you who is affected. If you’re caught drink driving, significant penalties will apply and you will lose your licence.

Take responsibility. If you drink, don’t drive.

6 JANUARY 2024

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JANUARY 2024 7

YOUR SAY Y LANE DOWN MEMOR

NOSTALGIA

e inception. We’v h year since an Link’s 29t ily photos, it’s as we mark Indi back at old fam ! all nostalgic and like looking n and Now snapshots here We’re getting our old issues, e The ugh som pic! thro a ring ng us been leafi y inside. Sha erved? Send warm and fuzz that you’ve pres making us all an Link issue Indi an in r Were you eve THEN

NOW

THEN

In 2011, we wrote about Prof. Veena Sahajwalla winning the Indian Government’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award for eminent overseas Indians. It is but one of the many awards she has received, a recent one being NSW Australian of the Year in 2022. Her claim to fame is rubbish – or rather, how to reclaim it. Waste, Dr Sahajwalla preaches, is not to be rubbished, but broken down into its component parts and then put back together into new products.

She’s given new life to old tyres, discarded plastic, old clothes, coffee waste, to produce steel and building material, and has come to be called “Queen of Waste.”

‘Green steel’, ‘green ceramics’, ‘microfactories’, ‘microsolutions’ are terms she has popularised, in her ultimate aim of building sustainable communities.

Her body of work has made her a flag-bearer for science and science education, for overseas-trained scientists in this country, for women in STEM, and for research and application in the science of recycling.

MALA MEHTA

It was an OAM that made Mala Mehta our covergirl in 2006, awarded to her for “service to the community in Sydney through establishing the Hindi School, fostering interest in Indian culture, and providing assistance to new migrants”. It was a rare honour then in Australia’s migrant community.

Nearly twenty years later, Mala continues to do all of the above and more, her interests and acclaim having moved beyond the confines of the community.

Her main work though continues in language advocacy, particularly related to the Indo Australian Bal Bharatiya Hindi School she founded in 1987. Run with the help of volunteer teachers, the school saw their first HSC student only ten years after inception. Mala herself was involved in curriculum development for a few years prior.

Today the school attracts diplomats, political figures and education authorities. Its students are welcomed on the wider stage for their cultural contributions, and its teachers have helped mainstream schools in their take up of Hindi classes. Mala herself has taken on other roles over and above her teaching, cultural, pastoral and now grandmotherly responsibilities.

These include Women’s Shed, Police Multicultural Advisory Council, theatre patron, and most recently, Voice to Parliament campaigner.

20 DECEMBER 2023

NOW

DANIEL MOOKHEY

DAVE SHARMA In 2013 Dave Sharma was appointed as Australia’s Ambassador to Israel. Only 37 then, he became Australia’s youngest ever appointee to such a role.

In 2018 he was on our cover, as he campaigned for the crucial Wentworth seat as a Liberal Party candidate. The byelection had come about following the ousting of sitting member Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister. Dave famously went on to win then, but lost out to Independent Allegra Spender in 2022.

Well, he’s back in the news again, like his charismatic namesake Dev Anand, whose defining characteristic was that he refused to give up.

(Yup, in case you’re wondering, Dave is named after the famous Hindi film actor). Dave has won his way back into Parliament as a Senator, taking over the spot left vacant by the retirement of former foreign affairs minister Marise Payne.

NOW

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When we featured Barry O’Farrell on our cover in 2011, we had no idea of the impact he would go on to have on India-Australia relations. (Perhaps we should have guessed, given the book he was reading when he posed for this pic for us.)

He was then heading a Liberal Party campaign to lead the state of NSW, which he won (after 16 years in Opposition, as he likes to remind us). Today of course, he is a name to reckon with in the bilateral space, and a well-known Indophile, having served a hugely successful term as Australia’s High Commissioner to India (Feb 2020 – June 2023). It was under his tenure that the relationship between the two countries took a fillip, after having been fraught with difficulties in the two decades preceding. Australia’s perceptions of India finally moved from the three Cs (no, we’re not going to elaborate on that) to the Ds, (Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti – that last one being the Hindi word for friendship, which Barry can lay claim to hashtagging). The Es are also being bandied about (Economy, Energy, Education).

Care to bring on the Fs, Barry?

THEN

NOW

Dr. VEENA SAHAJWALLA

THEN

BARRY O’FARRELL

THEN

In 2015, Daniel Mookhey made history when he became the first Indian-origin politician to enter NSW Parliament as a member of the Legislative Council.

As the 32-year-old took oath on the Hindu holy book, the Bhagavad Gita, he made the news headlines not only here in Australia but also in India and in Indian diasporic communities across the world.

In a wide-ranging interview he had then spoken of his family’s early migration here when the community was miniscule, growing up in Western Sydney, his introduction to politics at university, and family life with wife Tamsin Lloyd.

Earlier this year, he brought out his copy of the Bhagavad Gita again as he took oath, this time as Treasurer of NSW in a Chris Minns led Labor government.

In his interview with us this time round, he spoke of his priorities and plans as Treasurer, but also about representation – of seeing other Indian origin members in Parliament as well as those from other religions and regions of the world.

NOW

THEN

UZMA BEG In an eleven-year stint on Indian Link Radio, she bowled us over with her nonstop chatter, fiery spirit and no-filter demeanour. Even as Uzma Beg shocked us – on a daily basis on her Morning Show - she delighted us with her caring personality and genuine warmth. Yup, it was an unusual combo alright, but her unique charisma was undeniable. It won the hearts of her listeners like never before, and she continues to be remembered on air to this day.

She’s now moved on to greener pastures, commanding a vastly bigger audience as a film and television star in Pakistan. You’ve probably seen her in Hum Tum, Chupke Chupke, Badshah Begum, Pyari Mona, Aangan, Bisaat e Dil, Ishqe-Benaam, Gham-e-Dil, Yun Hi, Naseebon Jali, Kaffara, or in the feature film Dum Mustum.

Can’t wait to see her now in the about-to-bereleased series Barzakh, alongside famous names such as Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed.

NOW

LINKING HISTORY DECEMBER 2023 21

THEN AND NOW Our old issues are a treasure trove of fond memories. We jumped on our time machine to find some familiar faces.

Sunil Badami wrote: I never became the doctor my mother always wanted me to be, but she told me I’d made it when I made it into the pages of Indian Link! Thank you for the lovely memories – and all your wonderful and fearless coverage of issues important to NRIs and Aussie Indians.

Charishma Kaliyanda wrote: This is so lovely! Thank you for the trip down memory lane and for always sharing new, inspiring and connecting stories from our communities.

Joseph La Posta wrote: Loved this article! Bravo Indian Link!

THEN AND NOW: PREETI JABBAL Pushpa Narayan More wrote: Preeti Jabbal, you’re incredibly talented!

Vanita Sharma wrote: Still the same - Preeti is still Pretty.

Indians in Sydney, Meera Sharma, Bhupinder Jabbal, Chaitanya Sharma, Anju Parasher and Rima Madan Trikala also wrote messages of appreciation THEN AND NOW: MALA MEHTA Shantha Viswanathan wrote: So wonderful to see you featured Mala for all the good work you continue to do.

Bhavisha Parmar Bhandari wrote: Many congratulations. You are an inspiration, Malaji.

Anu Shivaram wrote: Grace and elegance.

Laraine Nicholls wrote: I am honoured to call you my friend.

Mala Mehta OAM wrote: Thank you Indian Link for your warm words and continued support. Humbled with your acknowledgement as I represent all in our Hindi School parivar and Women's Shed family. It helps us achieve our milestones!

Rohan Amlani, Hema Shankar, Tehmi Meher-Homji, Jyoti Dogra, Tila Gera-Popat, Rugmini Venkatraman, Keiasha Naidoo, Sangeeta Sharma, Preeti Badle, Asha Sareen and Shipra Shah also wrote messages of appreciation.

THEN AND NOW: KHUSHAAL VYAS Khushaal Vyas wrote: Well, this is a very sweet way to close out the year (albeit a reminder that I’ve barely grown a few centimetres since I was 12).

More importantly, thank you Indian Link Media Group, Pawan Luthra and Rajni Luthra for your advocacy spanning decades and especially on matters of national significance in a year like 2023. You’ve changed the game when it comes to South Asian matters in Australia.

Paul Swain wrote: Only grown a few centimetres in height and yet you’re and absolute giant now.

Nandini Oza wrote: This is so very good to see.

Stephen Lawrence wrote: MLC wrote: Nice one!

THEN AND NOW: DANIEL MOOKHEY Mala Mehta OAM wrote: Love this!

Sriraman ("Sri") Annaswamy wrote: Has he even studied the Srimad Bhagawad Geetha or is he doing what politicians often do best, posturing?

Perhaps, the next time you meet him, you could ask him to recite the "charama shloka" (ultimate verse), 18:66, explain what it means and record it and post it on your social media? That should sort it out, shouldn't it?

Sonia Sadiq Gandhi wrote: Love this.

THEN AND NOW: BARRY O’FARRELL Sharon Rundle wrote: An encouraging and supportive AHC to those in all walks of life, including authors and editors in India and Australia collaborating to share their stories. His kind support is deeply appreciated.

THEN AND NOW: MANJIT GUJRAL, KARANDEEP GUJRAL Akhilesh Harsh wrote: Well done!! Absolutely remember those days, Deep Gujral. Your journey is really inspiring. Congratulations to you and your family.

Necktarios Halakatevakis wrote: Must say they hosted the best wedding I’ve been to. Even if it was my own.

Manish Sundarjee, Rashmi Prasad, Raj Minhas and Jassi Khan also wrote messages of appreciation.

8 JANUARY 2024

In the video series ‘Linking History’, LAKSHMI GANAPATHY explores the complex history South Asians have had with Australia since its colonisation.

Episode Two is titled ‘Indian Indentured Labour in Australia’.

Indu Balachandran wrote: These histories and knowledges are critical to a strong, shared future. Nice work.

Pawan Luthra wrote: While forging forward as Indian-Australians, it’s always meaningful to be aware of our history. This will make us more determined to make a meaningful future for us all. Great work, Lakshmi Ganapathy.

Sharon Rundle wrote: The Linking History videos are enlightening and a sad indictment of the Australian perspective on ‘others’ and the willingness to exploit other people. This chapter of Australian history should be acknowledged and it is a credit to Indian Link Media Group, the producers, CEO Pawan Luthra and Lakshmi Ganapathy that they have brought this to light. Thank you.

Bala Balachandran wrote: Absolutely fabulous production. Great work to explain background to this topic. Well done.

Charan Dass wrote: Excellent! Very well orated, and precisely explained the whole era, how and when the Indians as hard core labour were inducted into Australia. Marvelous presentation. Good on you, keep it up.

Ramaseshan Balachandran wrote: Fabulous production. Great information to the background on this topic.

Rajni Anand Luthra wrote: A wonderful effort by Lakshmi Ganapathy - I was witness to the extensive research that went into this, and the care that was taken with each word that made it to the final script. Congratulations Lakshmi.

Monica Wat wrote: Important history! So proud of you.

BHARATANATYAM WONDERGIRL VYA PULAVORTY spoke with Year 12 finisher Vishakha Iyer, who chose Dance for her HSC and finished with a Callback nomination.

Soumya Srinivasan wrote: Congratulations Vishakha. Looking forward to seeing your Bharatanatyam journey.

Usha Thirumeni wrote: Huge congratulations, Vishakha!

Hamsa Venkat wrote: Such an awesome daughter!

Rajni Luthra wrote: Wow Vishakha! So good to read this. I saw your performance at the Diwali event - it was so inventive in its choreography I knew immediately it was your own.

Anu Shivaram wrote: Hearty congratulations Vishakha! We seem to have accepted your high standards of achievement as a norm! May you soar to greater heights.

Poornima Menon wrote: Congratulations and best wishes! You are amazingly talented and your humility is endearing.

Mittu Gopalan wrote: Heartiest congratulations dear and may God bless you always. Congratulations to proud mum Hamsa Venkat too.

Swetha Venkat, Meena Sunder and Chitra Iyer also wrote notes of appreciation.

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PROF. SHARATH SRIRAM Late last year, VIVEK ASRI reported on Prof Sharath Sriram of Melbourne who took over the helm at Science & Technology Australia.

Dr Morley Muse wrote: Prof Sharath Sriram is an incredible and dynamic leader and I wish him and the team at Science & Technology Australia much more success in the journey ahead.

Vivek Raj Shrestha wrote: Congratulations Sharath Sriram. Way to go!

Silva Fero wrote: Congratulations Sharath. What a great achievement. You were always going to do great things.

Carole Ann Goldsmith wrote: Congrats Sharath and you will continue to succeed and add lots to Scence and Technology Australia.

Santosh Gunaseelan wrote: Congrats Sharath. So proud of you!!

Satish M, Naren Vattikuti, Ramalingam Ganesan, Nipun Bhaskar, Karthicka Krishnasamy, Bhuvaneswari Shanmugam, Ajmal Abdul Azees, Tracy Baylis, Ravi Shukla, Naren Vattikuti and Shreepadma Venugopalan also wrote messages of congratulations.

FOUR OF THE BEST AT THE SCG In the lead up to the Sydney Test in the Aus V Pak series in early January, veteran cricket writer KERSI MEHER-HOMJI picked his favourite SCG Tests since 1970.

Michael Hennessy wrote: Great piece. I can still see Steve Waugh hitting that 4 off the final ball of the day to bring up his century, like it was yesterday.

Graeme C wrote: Peter Sleep and Michael Clarke bowling their teams to victory late in the day would have to be up there, although the disgraceful performance of the Indian team towards Andrew Symonds was a disappointment in the second.

Worst would have to be the Pakistan test where they gave Michael Hussey a century on the last day, then collapsed spectacularly.

CAPTION CONTEST We asked, what's the chitchat between Karan Johar and Malaika Arora?

Urmila Chaudhary won a free movie ticket for her response: MA: When your expressions say ‘script discussion’ but your eyes scream ‘juicy gossip.’

Vandana Mathur wrote: KJo: I'm Cruella. Have you lost your spots?

Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay wrote: MA: Hey Karraan! Matchy matchy! How come we are wearing the same colours?

Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh wrote: KJo: Tell me which of the Khan Boys is the sexiest. MA: Salim. KJo: My my, Daddy Khan indeed!

Janaki Ganapathy wrote: KJo: I’m making a black and white movie. Care to be part of it? You’ll have to ditch the blue bag though.

Smita Yogini Goda wrote: KJo: Can you get on the train top again, for another dance number?

Girish Kukreja wrote: MA: Main nahi hu simple, chaahe mere gaal pe padh rahe dimple!

OPENING LINES We asked, of which Indian novel is this the opening line: I broke up with my boyfriend because he was repeatedly unfaithful to me. So I left Bombay and got myself a job as a copywriter in Dubai. I was restless there, surrounded by real gold, fake snow and men who looked but would not leap.

Is it: A. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth B. Pride, Prejudice And Other Flavors by Sonali Dev C.The Permanent Resident by Roanna Gonsalves Readers Bhamini Sampath, Anu Singh,Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh, Susan Abraham and Indians in Sydney got the correct answer: C.

WHERE IN OZ

WHERE IN INDIA This is a massive star-shaped fort constructed by Tipu Sultan in 1792 located 3241 feet above sea level.

Where in India?

Readers Jyoti Dogra, Vinaya Rai and Bhamini Sampath got it right: Manjarabad Fort, Sakleshpura, Karnataka.

This national park is a lunarlike landscape of dried-up lake beds and sand dunes, steeped in Aboriginal history.

Where in Oz? Readers Singh Harjit, Bhamini Sampath, Sanjyot Kolte Firke and Lea Trafford got it right: Mungo National Park, NSW.

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STAGE

10 JANUARY 2024

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Photos: Jacquie Manning

A new chapter for Anoushka Shankar’s Australia tour, new “mini-album” and reflections on her music and life BY MAHESH WHITERADHAKRISHNAN

C

urrently touring Australia, Nine-time Grammy nominee, composer and sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar dazzled Sydney audiences with a masterful concert at the Opera House this month as part of the Sydney Festival. Her concert which went for about an hour and a half, featured a lush array of traditional Indian classical blended effortlessly with contemporary genres, especially Western classical, jazz, and music for cinema soundtracks. Alongside Shankar were the performers Arun Ghosh on clarinet, Tom Farmer on double bass, Sarathy Korwar on drum-kit and other percussion and Pirashanna Thevarajah on mridangam, ganjira and other percussion instruments. It was her fourth time playing at the Opera House (all sold-out shows) and her first trip to Australia in 6 years.

The tour coincides with the recent release of Shankar’s latest EP Chapter 1: Forever for Now, the first of a trilogy of “mini albums”, and the first to feature her new line-up of brilliant musicians.

What makes Anoushka Shankar’s music unique is its versatility, appeal, and capacity to evoke mood, particularly through the thoughtful use of motifs, almost always grounded in beautiful phrases from a raga, drawn out and expanded through artful repetition and variation. Her compositional style brings these motifs out to speak for themselves or in delicate conversation with pure raga expression and sometimes quite surprising chord patterns. It is a beautiful thing to hear and even more to experience live, with the rich and complimentary combination of Shankar’s sitar and Tom Farmer’s double bass, in particular, carrying the show over the structure of brilliant rhythm by Korwar and Thevarajah and Ghosh’s soaring clarinet interludes.

Sydney Festival concert at Sydney Opera House

The concert yielded a nice mix of some great Anoushka classics as well as new works from Chapter 1. She started alone with the plaintive and pleading What will we remember, in the raga Madhuvanti, inspired by the collective intensity of the global pandemic and the hopes of many, that the emerging different ways of thinking and approaching life might endure. Grounded in this raga, associated with pathos, this piece sets a tone of gravitas, calling on us all to remember those fresh perspectives and do better.

Bringing good into the world is an important part of Anoushka Shankar’s ethos, with a deep commitment to using her platform to speak out about social justice issues, including as part of PETA India's campaign against zoos, the One Billion Rising campaign to end rape and sexual violence or, somewhat more cautiously, about the erosion of freedoms in contemporary India. In this vein, it was also refreshing to hear three pieces from Shankar’s 2016 album Land of Gold, which focused on the refugee crisis, especially sitting so close to Sydney Harbour. It was an important reminder of the uncomfortable truth of Australia’s harsh asylum seeker policy, grappling with the harsh realities of

the crisis without politicising the issue. In an interview for Women of the World 2021, Shankar said, “When we’re using art and music to talk about issues it reaches people in a different emotive way, and it helps them to connect with their sense of empathy for each other in a way that discussions sometimes might not… with art (the) heart stays open.”

Shankar has found ways to open up her own heart and bare her soul, not just on broader sociopolitical issues but on issues within her own life. Her powerful and deeply personal album Love Letters deals head-on with the anguish and heartbreak of betrayal and love lost, in the wake of her divorce, offering some catharsis. “I know that every time I bare my soul, I’m ok at the end”, Shankar said, in a 2020 interview with Mojo Story.

She juggles these characteristics with a grounded awareness of her immense celebrity and all that comes with it (including partnerships with big players), managing to carry it off with grace and show a possible pathway for emerging artists. Even if it’s not the pathway of one’s preference it is incredibly refreshing to see creativity, dedication and a grounding in

tradition meeting success and South Asian artistic traditions valued. Meanwhile, it’s refreshing that she is able to have fun doing it, for example, breaking up her Australian performance schedule with a trip to Melbourne specifically to catch the tennis.

Other moving moments during her Opera House concert included tributes to both parents, her North Indian father, sitar trailblazer the late Ravi Shankar, and her South Indian mother, Sukanya Shankar.

The quintet played one of her father’s compositions which “stood out” to her.

Fire Night is an upbeat piece not originally composed for sitar, but perfectly suited to it, to which a new section and riveting solos were added. In honour of her mother, Anoushka Shankar performed Daydreaming from the new EP, an arrangement of the gorgeous Carnatic composition of Narayana Theerthar Madhava Māmava in the raga Nīlāmbari, quintessentially used in Carnatic laali (lullaby) songs. Fittingly, this kriti was sung to Anoushka Shankar by her grandmother when she was a child and one day Shankar played it for her son as he slept on her lap which inspired the arrangement, adding to the appeal of her music to rasikas of both Indian classical music forms.

Shankar’s focus on making mini-albums is a smart choice, arguably aligned with her resistance against the often unjust demands placed on artists. It’s also a chance to release more often and leave fans wanting more. The relative brevity of the Sydney concert also left us wanting more. But the quality performance and variety of moods evoked more than made up for this, particularly the chance to see such masterful musicianship, with the brilliance of Anoushka Shankar and each of her outstanding co-musicians, and their precision as a group. If anything, I would love to see them let loose a little more and fly in the face of precision, something which may happen in future Chapter releases, over the coming world tour and at future Australian shows which will hopefully next come before too long.

JANUARY 2024 11 An intimate presentation at Brett Whiteley studio, under the Australian artist’s portrait of her father Ravi Shankar

EDUCATION

A GIFT of education for India Deakin University launches bold new venture at GIFT City Ahmedabad.

VIVEK ASRI and PAWAN LUTHRA report

B

From left: John Bolton (Executive Director, International Branch Campuses); Vice Chancellor Prof. Iain Martin; Chancellor John Stanhope AM, and Ravneet Pawha (Vice President Global Alliances, and CEO South Asia)

12 JANUARY 2024

uilding on the growing bilateral bonding between India and Australia, Melbourne’s Deakin University has become the first international university to establish an onsite campus in Gujarat India.

When one talks about India, numbers are always staggering. India is the world’s most populous nation with a population of 1.43 billion. The median age of the population is 28.7 years. With 300 million people between the ages of 18 and 25, education is the way forward for the country to grow.

With many countries of the world including Australia facing the challenges of an aging population and declining workforce participation, India will become the source of a highly educated and young labour force.

In its latest Union Budget, the Indian government allocated over AUD 20 billion to educate over 40 million students enrolled in its 5,350 universities. Yet there are just not enough universities in India to educate all those who want to gain a higher degree.

Australia’s education business with India is valued at over $4.2 billion, with over 130,000 students studying in Australia.

But that comes with its challenges: the affordability for a student to live and study in another country, and from a local Australian perspective, issues such as housing challenges.

This was recognised by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits to India in 2023.

“We always welcome students to come and study in Australia, and that will continue to be an important focus for us,” Mr. Albanese said in one of his speeches.

“But not everyone has the means or the ability to pack up their lives and study in another country. There might be financial constraints, or family commitments, or a variety of reasons that you want to, or need to, stay closer to home. So, the presence of Australian universities in India opens up new ways for Indian students to obtain an Australian education by bringing Australia a little bit closer.”

Seizing the day, Australia's Deakin University has made history with the official opening of its first international branch campus in India, nestled in the GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) of Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Ms. Ravneet Pawha, Deakin VicePresident (Global Alliances) and CEO (South Asia), has been instrumental in establishing this new venture. Speaking with Indian Link, she said that she was surprised at how quickly things progressed.

“I visited GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) in October 2022, a month

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after the Indian finance minister announced that it would be accepting foreign universities,” she said. “The following January, Deakin’s Vice Chancellor decided to go ahead with the project. We got the first approval in March, which is when PM Anthony Albanese announced it during his India visit. Our required approvals came quickly, with the construction of the campus starting in June 2023. And now the campus is ready in 2024. For us, the whole process was about 11 months.”

It is expected that other universities will follow suit, with the University of Wollongong also planning to open a campus in the same area.

Ms Pahwa is proud of Deakin University’s history and legacy of engaging with India.

“We have a 30-year engagement with India, and the largest cohort of international students, approximately 35%, are from India,” she said. “For Deakin, India was the natural choice when it came to setting up its international campus, as India has always been the centre of internationalisation for the Australian university sector.”

The Indian campus of Deakin University, boasting modern facilities including digital classrooms, libraries, and laboratories, will provide local students access to postgraduate courses in business analytics and cyber security at a fraction of the cost of international fees in Australia. Priced at approximately Rs 21 lakhs (about AUD40,000) for the two-year course (fasttracked to 18 months), the program will be delivered by local and international staff, along with guest lecturers from leading industry figures.

“At any time, students who want to study in Australia can move to Australia, because course details and timing will be the same,” Ms Pahwa said.

Regarding the international students’ experience, she stated, “If our Australian students want an India experience, they can do so with a semester’s study, or tri

Australian High Commissioner Philip Green and Deakin Chancellor John Stanhope do the honours

semester, in India. We also hope that into the future, we will have students from other countries avail of the opportunities at the Deakin University campus in India.”

When questioned about the budget, she responded, “I'm not at liberty to share that detail, but it was comprehensive.”

According to Deakin University’s annual report for 2022, it earned AUD222 million in fees from domestic offshore students.

Emphasising the commitment to accessible education, she stated, “It is very clear that this is not about taking away from the university’s overseas market. Those who want to travel to Australia to study may still do that. This is about making high-quality accessible education available for students in India who may not, for whatever reason, be able to or want to study overseas. So, this is looking at that larger piece of engagement in India, with India, for India.”

When Deakin University Chancellor John Stanhope AM first visited the campus, he told Ms Pahwa that it seemed almost similar to any Deakin campus in Australia.

“He said, if you could pick up this campus and put it in Australia, you couldn’t tell the difference. All the facilities that Deakin students have, including sport,

accommodation, online library resources for teaching, engagement with industry, internship - all of those are available to GIFT students. In fact, perhaps more so, because India has a very rich culture of engaging with industry. We have already tied up with ten companies that will be working closely with courses, guest lectures, internships and possible jobs. So, I think it will be a very rich experience.”

The university plans to allocate 20 to 25 percent of its Deakin staff from Australia to the Indian campus, with the remaining positions being filled locally. Ms Pahwa’s vision encompasses not just the present but the future, where education knows no borders, and fosters enriching experiences for students globally.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin told Indian Link, “This is just the beginning of what GIFT City can deliver well beyond teaching. It is an opportunity to enhance long-lasting relationships with government, and forge new connections in a way that helps Deakin to achieve our long-term goals, including research opportunities.

We know that partnerships, like those we are maturing with India, are vital for our continued success.”

The inauguration at GIFT City followed a pivotal meeting between Indian PM Narendra Modi and a Deakin delegation, emphasising the collaboration between the government and academic institutions, particularly in the vital domain of cyber security. The delegation included Chancellor John Stanhope AM, Vice-Chancellor Prof.

Iain Martin, and Ravneet Pahwa herself.

“We had a truly fantastic conversation around the future of education, skilling, and research in India,” Prof. Martin said.

Reflecting on the event, Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green OAM stated, “This opens a new chapter in our education ties, and this is only the beginning.”

The sentiment echoed the historic nature of Australia establishing India's inaugural foreign university campus.

Deakin University’s Indian links date back to the 1890s. It is named after former Australian Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, who envisioned a future where students from Australia and India would engage in cross-border interactions and establish enduring intellectual collaborations. Alfred Deakin’s early involvement with India, driven by his interests in irrigation and cultural diversity, led him to publish a research report titled “Irrigated India” in 1893. His explorations of India’s spiritual centres and architecture culminated in the publication of Temple and Tomb in India.

Deakin GIFT City Campus is currently accepting applications until March 31, 2024, with classes scheduled to commence in July 2024. Those interested in learning more can register for updates at Deakin’s official website.

In recognition of Deakin University’s 50th anniversary and 30 years in India, the institution announced two fully funded scholarships for economically challenged students, underscoring Deakin’s commitment to educational equity.

The scene on campus

JANUARY 2024 13

SCHOOL

LESSONS

about oneself The Class of 2023 look back at the last year of school

BY SUHAYLA SHARIF Now that Year 12 is behind you, you likely have had the chance to reflect on the experience. What insights did you gain about yourself?

Drishti: Year 12 was a year full of excitement and challenges. I learned to challenge myself by stretching my normal study time and choosing some subjects which were initially difficult to me in Year 11. I learned that I could achieve the desired result through hard work, time management, strategic and smart way of studying. Nonetheless perseverance helped me a lot in keeping myself focused throughout the HSC year.

Aayush: Now that I look back at my time in Year 12, one thing I’ve definitely recognised about myself as an individual is that the stress and hectic nature that pretty much constructs a typical Year 12 experience proves to be beneficial at the end of the day, as it builds resilience and engraves strength to face challenges head on and deal with adversity in better ways.

Aarushi: I think that by undertaking an accelerated course alongside my Year 11 subjects, I revealed to myself that successfully completing a HSC course is something I am capable of. I was able to uncover the work ethic that I knew was hidden in me somewhere! The struggle of having to balance the accelerated course with my other subjects was definitely challenging, as I found myself focusing largely on my accelerated subject and often cramming for my Year 11 courses. I learnt that I really needed to master having a balanced study timetable, but most importantly I gained more confidence in myself after receiving my very first HSC result!

Rishi: I learnt not to underestimate myself, and I can achieve more than I think if I put

14 JANUARY 2024

DRISHTI GUPTA (HSC)

RISHI SETHI (VCE)

SCHOOL Cheltenham Girls High School SUBJECTS Maths Ext 1, Maths Ext 2, Chemistry, Biology and English Advanced

SCHOOL Haileybury College SUBJECTS English, Legal Studies, Accounting, French, Further Mathematics, Mathematical Methods

my mind to it. I tended to get overwhelmed and stressed whenever I received many assignments, or had SACS coming up, but in the end I did enough to prepare so I should just trust myself to pull through.

Aakriti: I learnt the importance of taking brain breaks! I’m admittedly a workaholic, but I think the Year 12 experience really helped me understand the value of resting my brain and not being hard on myself.

Krishav: I learnt that hard work doesn’t always pay off, but when it does, it’s a sweet victory. I think that a lot of people get quite demotivated when hard work doesn’t pay off, but that’s part of life, and it can be due to factors outside our control

as well. However, I learnt that with enough dedication and perseverance you will reap the rewards of all the hard work you put in, even if the results do not come instantly.

Devika: I learnt that I enjoy being busy and am most productive when I have lots going on in life.

Pragati: I learnt that I am an individual that prioritises achievement in every form whether that is in terms of my academics or in the relationships I make. I learnt that I am someone who requires to connect with my friends and family to drive forward and pursue my passions and goals. I now understand that the people I surround myself with are the most valuable assets in my life.

AARUSHI DHAMU (HSC) SCHOOL Cheltenham Girls’ High School SUBJECTS Aboriginal Studies. (Class of 2024- Completed Aboriginal Studies in 2023 as an accelerated course.)

Dixya: One of the best things I learned was that I had not previously been able to admit my own limitations until I had finished Year 12. Being able to do this when it was about my academics, something I highly care for and was aspiring quite high in, was something I found out I struggled with.

What moments from 2023 do you remember most fondly?

Pragati: Honestly, it’s the moments that were detached from school and studying.

Perhaps, after the exams, hanging out with my friends, just unwinding and letting go of the exam stress and pressure.

Aayush: The moments I remember most

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DESCRIBE YOUR FINAL YEAR IN THREE WORDS

AAYUSH

AAKRITI

RISHI

Simply the best.

Good. Bad. Chaotic

Daunting. Demanding.

Fulfilling.

DEVIKA

DRISHTI

Dynamic.

Fulfilling. Busy.

Perseverance.

Time management.

Hard work.

PRAGATI

KRISHAV

DIXYA

Friends. Stress. Gratitude.

Hard. Tiring. Rewarding.

Challenging. Exciting. Overwhelming.

fondly from 2023 came funnily during the last few weeks before graduation, in which all my friends decided to come together and have our own soccer/football competition to make the most out of the last few weeks we’d have together as students.

Drishti: Catching up with friends after each term in our favourite eatery outlet to burst stress was one of my most fond memories.

This was the most sought moment which I always was looking for, to have fun and motivate one another. Another memory was my selection and participation in the chemistry titration competition held in Macquarie University where I represented my school.

Rishi: The relieved feeling after completing a SAC or exam was hard to forget and something to look forward to. A main thing that drove me to continue to work right until my final exam was looking forward to this feeling afterwards, knowing that I could finally be free from stress and pressure.

Aakriti: Taking part in the French Model United Nations meet is probably my most fond memory and was also a great experience. For one whole day, we became delegates of different countries around the world (I was Argentina) and debated different resolutions and proposed

amendments. The experience from this day was not only fun – making new friends and catching up with some old ones – but also very fruitful, shaping me as a French learner and helping me achieve 100% in my end of year oral exam! Another fond memory was when my Year 5 primary school teacher sent me an email, after finding me in The Age post-ATAR release, and I went back to visit him and my primary school!

Aarushi: Some of my favourite moments from 2023 were at a school camp I went on for accelerated Aboriginal Studies. As we travelled around the Northern Territory, we learnt about Australian history from a direct Indigenous perspective and immersed ourselves in Aboriginal culture. This trip was one of the most invaluable experiences and I am so grateful I was privileged enough to attend. Other moments that I remember fondly were the times spent with my friends where I could just relax and focus on things outside of school. However, the excitement that washed over me the second that the invigilator told us to put our pens down at the end of the exam, definitely provided me with unbeatable joy.

Krishav: Honestly, the moment I remembered most fondly of 2023 was when I got my results. I think during my VCE I had quite a

bit of tunnel vision and was only focussed on my studies, so as a result, getting the results was something that I remember gave me an overwhelming sense of relief, and was something I remember fondly.

Devika: Moments spent with friends and family having fun and supporting one another.

Dixya: I think of all the time I have spent with family and friends, whether it was watching a movie or just talking and laughing, having a good time. I think of all the cultural events I went to held by our community and all the fun new places I discovered, as well as my classes and getting to know my teachers and fellow classmates over the course of the year.

What is one change you’d make to your state’s ATAR system?

Aayush: To give more value and scaling to humanities subjects.

Rishi: I would change the system for derived scores. My GAT scores were considerably worse than my actual subject study scores, and these scores are used by VCAA when calculating derived scores. I know of friends who received a study score much lower than they should have due to not being able to sit the exam properly. I don’t believe this

is fully fair, and there should be a more thorough system of ensuring the study score achieved is a better reflection of what a student deserves.

Devika: Adapt some of the subjects to better test understanding of concepts rather than memorisation.

Aakriti: SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme) being available to people practically living next door to me, in metropolitan areas, is definitely something I would change. It can be difficult knowing that people living in the same conditions as you are, getting aggregate boosts when you’re not.

Krishav: I don’t think there is anything I would change.

Pragati: In WA, each school sets their internals which comprise 50% of your final ATAR and then the WACE which makes up the remainder. Each school’s internals are of varying difficulty. Although there is a process of moderation which the exam board undertakes, I felt that my slightly weaker internal scores hindered me from achieving the best possible ATAR I could.

Hence, I would suggest levelling the playing field to a greater extent by making each school’s internals of similar difficulty.

Dixya: I think the system here is quite well suited to me personally, but I know

JANUARY 2024 15

SCHOOL others might perform better if there wasn’t so much pressure on our external exams which happen only once at the end of the year. So, my suggestion would be to introduce a low weighted, and much shorter in length, external exam for midyears, which could ease some of the nerves for the end of year, as well as provide students with the opportunity to see how they would perform under pressure and improve over the remaining year.

Drishti: I reckon the current ATAR system is an appropriate system considering many suitable scaling variables whilst calculating the rank of an individual student.

AAKRITI MALHOTRA (VCE) SCHOOL Suzanne Cory High School SUBJECTS English Language, Specialist Maths, Mathematical Methods, French, Chemistry, Biology

AAYUSH LEKHWANI (HSC)

DIXYA BIYALA (TCE)

SCHOOL North Sydney Boys High School SUBJECTS English Advanced, English Extension 1, English Extension 2, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Legal Studies, Ancient History

SCHOOL Don College SUBJECTS Physics 4, Chemistry 4, Biology 3, Mathematics Specialised 4

Shepard). Often, I played chess with my elder brother and spent quality time with family members. My Dadi (grandmother) who was with us last year was also one of my motivators. I used to talk to her whenever I used to get time on various topics. This inspired me lot to do good and explore the world.

Rishi: I tried to maintain a study/life balance throughout the year. Some hobbies include doing Bhangra classes every week, going out with friends when I had the time, playing board games, and rewarding myself with video games or TV after a study session. I watched a combination of comedy and thrillers on TV to make sure that my mind was getting a relaxing break from the studying.

Aarushi: Small hobbies such as playing the guitar or trying to learn keyboard were definitely some of my favourite pastimes as they were a fun break, but also allowed me to stimulate my mind in other ways. I also found going on frequent walks, especially in the evening, very relaxing after being cooped up all day studying.

Aakriti: I’m a member of the Multicultural Youth Network at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and I think that this engagement really helped me by taking my mind off Year 12 studies!

Meetings with the committee as well as external engagements were not only great experiences but also great distractions too!

Devika: Doing lots of debating - it was something that I really enjoyed and was successful at. This gave me something to focus on that wasn't just academics in school.

Spending time cooking whilst blasting music was my favourite way to destress and reset.

Pragati: I played the flute, and danced kathak throughout the ATAR period which I feel was incredibly significant in helping me unwind and release the stress. Especially after exam periods. I feel dance, especially, was necessary for my physical health, forcing me to get off my laptop and my desk and engage in some form of movement.

Bollywood enthusiast that I am, I watched many movies throughout the two years, which again enabled me to leave the stress and pressure of school for a solid 3 hours.

Krishav: I think just talking with my brother and friends was something that I found as super effective for relieving exam stress. Also, discussing my studies with them also helped me to self-reflect and see maybe how else I can study more efficiently, or what else I can do to really perform well in the academic year.

How did you use social media, like TikTok and Instagram? Did you ever see any education or study-based content?

Aarushi: Though social media played quite a minimal role in helping me study, one thing it helped with was motivation. Seeing many Year 12s post about creating a study routine pushed me to establish my own, and TikTok accounts such as ‘ATAR Notes’ would expose me to past HSC questions for my other subjects, which was an engaging way to practise for other exams. Apart from that, I did not see much content related directly to my accelerated course, apart from a few past major works.

Aayush: I used social media just to pass time and scroll through whenever I felt like I had time to kill. I’d see study-based content every now and then and would be intrigued by their “study-hacks” although any attempt at incorporating them rarely lasted over a week or two.

Rishi: I watched YouTube videos to help gather information and notes for my English texts, as well as helping with learning and improving Maths skills. I came across many study tips and methods on TikTok, some of which I tried to implement. Social media was also useful in collaborating with friends and classmates and working together.

Drishti: I deleted every social media app at the start of Year 12 to remain focused.

Aakriti: My relationship with social media pretty much stayed the same throughout Year 12. I know a lot of people delete social media, but it wasn’t necessary for me. As long as you can control the time you spend on social media, it can serve as a good break!

Devika: Honestly I just used Instagram as a way to procrastinate work.

Pragati: Throughout the two years of upper schooling, I have used Instagram on a frequent basis to unwind. Yes, I did see study-based content advising students on how to better their study technique, however

16 JANUARY 2024

I must admit this was quite rare.

Krishav: I only used Facebook. I think Facebook is actually quite beneficial especially certain pages since you can purchase resources or look for high-scoring tutors who can teach these subjects well.

Dixya: I used them like most other people, scrolling every now and then, and would a lot of the time see study-based content. Some of it was humorous, others were advice or study techniques that people used (mostly university students).

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

Dixya: I watched some Netflix over the last two years and YouTube. I’ve rewatched some favourites like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and finally watched classics like Friends, as well as plenty of other shows. I also learned a little bit of many languages from Duolingo, sketching often, and listening to a lot of music.

Aayush: As Indian as this sounds, an extra-curricular/hobby that’s kept me busy outside of studying for the past 2 years and honestly for as long as I can remember, is playing cricket.

Drishti: I read fiction books at my leisure time and played with Luna (my German

Who is your favourite nerd (historical

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or fictional)?

Drishti: Hermione Granger.

Rishi: The Professor from Money Heist.

Aakriti: Shakuntala Devi is my idol! I’ve been watching videos and documentaries about her from a young age. I’m a maths nerd, so naturally, when I saw her calculating people’s day of birth from their birthdays, I was starstruck.

Aarushi: Rory Gilmore Krishav: Wouldn’t have any.

Pragati: Shaun Murphy (Good Doctor) Devika: Seems cliched but maybe Hermione Granger?

Aayush: Probably Spider-Man.

DEVIKA MUKHERJEE (SACE) SCHOOL Wilderness School SUBJECTS Biology, chemistry, english literary studies, legal studies, philosophy, activating identities and futures, Headstart (introduction to criminology and introduction to logic).

KRISHAV MALHOTRA (VCE) SCHOOL Melbourne High School SUBJECTS Specialist Maths, Mathematical Methods, English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology

PRAGATI NATH (WACE) SCHOOL Rossmoyne Senior High School SUBJECTS Maths specialist, maths methods, chemistry, politics and law, economics, literature

What would your advice to future final year students be?

Aakriti: Find what works best for you. There are so many resources out there that TELL you HOW to study, but not many help you to find what works best you – the latter is so much more fruitful. Focus on yourself and keep working to become the best version of yourself – in Year 12 and in life!

Aarushi: Learning how to balance your time out and take notes according to syllabus points during class - it saves you so much time while revising! But also find a way to make studying seem enjoyable to you so that you can identify and be inspired by your own intrinsic motivation rather than external influences.

Drishti: Decide what you want to be and be focused. Everyone can achieve what they want through perseverance, time management and hard work. Keep talking to your teachers and parents and ask for help if it is required. Do things which motivate you. Spend quality time with friends and family whenever feeling low.

Rishi: Use your time wisely and efficiently, and the workload automatically decreases. I was surprised by how much I could achieve in little time when I put my mind to work, leaving more time for breaks and leisure activities. Maximising study time is essential in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed, especially close to exam period, ensuring that the amount of time you spend studying is not so excessive that it negatively impacts your mental health.

Krishav: Work as hard as you can, and learn to accept the fact that such hard work might not necessarily pay off. I believe if you learnt to work hard even when it seems like nothing is going your way, you will achieve feats that are far beyond even your own expectations.

Dixya: Your value doesn’t come from your grades. Work hard for what you want, in whatever field interests you, but also allow yourself breaks, have fun, and spend quality

time with the people in your life.

Pragati: Even though it’s easier said than done, take time for yourself to unwind amidst the pressure and stress of tests, exams and assignments. Enjoy the landmark moments of Year 12 such as ball, valedictory, final dances, final dress-up days, because these days will go by quicker than you expect. Surround yourself with the people you love and who genuinely care about you whether that be in terms of your friends or family, and make time for these people amidst your crazy school schedules.

Devika: Throw yourself fully into the year, work hard and be unapologetically dedicated to your goals. But also take the time to enjoy the year; it will be over in the blink of an eye, so enjoy the little moments along the way. Take the time to relax and make amazing memories. Have a clear vision and goal of what you want to achieve.

Aayush: All the stress really isn’t worth it in the end and you’re better off trying to make the most of your Year 12 experience by enjoying it as much as you can with all your friends. Also, don’t give up on all your hobbies and extra-curriculars.

Favourite quote from a teacher?

Aayush: “Life’s just going to get tougher from here so just enjoy now

while you can.” (English teacher would always say this while teaching us about existentialism and absurdism.)

Aarushi: “Be a sponge and not a brick wall.”

(When giving feedback after a test.)

Krishav: None that I remember.

Drishti: “The future depends on what you do today.”

Rishi: “Work hard. It’s worth it.”

Pragati: “I won’t give you extra marks but I’ll give you a scented sticker instead.”

Aakriti: “Do your tie properly.” (Mr Colin Axup)

Your jersey name Drishti: Drishdog Pragati: Rishi: RISH Aakriti: Aakriti (I asked for ‘quack quack’ but got rejected) Aayush: Our school didn’t let us have nicknames

What are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Dixya: University life, which encompasses meeting new people, being more independent and self-sufficient, being my own parent, and studying the degree of my dreams.

Aarushi: I’m really looking forward to meeting a new version of myself this year,

and being able to create more effective and efficient study patterns and trying to enjoy my last year of high school as much as I can!

Devika: Beginning university and meeting a range of new people from all different walks of life.

Rishi: Having an extended break before starting University as well as a lighter workload, allowing me to spend more time with friends and family.

Drishti: Going to university and meeting new friends.

Krishav: I am really looking forward to tutoring and guiding future students in the subjects of Specialist Mathematics, Mathematical Methods and English. I know some parents and students are looking for tutors, so if you are interested feel free to contact me via Facebook.

Another thing I am looking forward to in 2024 is University. I think it will be a new experience for me and I am really excited to get really involved in that whole lifestyle.

Aayush: Definitely meeting new people and making new friends as part of the uni experience.

Pragati: Spending more time with friends amidst navigating university and meeting new people.

Aakriti: Starting university and meeting new people!

JANUARY 2024 17

SCHOOL

Bharatanatyam for my HSC The plucky Vishakha, no stranger to classical circles in Sydney’s Indian community, is now on her way towards a full-fledged career in dance

BY VYA PULAVORTY

V

ishakha Iyer lives and breathes dance, Bharatanatyam in particular.

And so, it was a no-brainer that she picked Dance as an HSC subject.

The 17-year-old Pymble Ladies College student performed a Bharatanatyam fusion dance for her Year 12 major work, with an elegant and modern touch to it.

She finished the year with some heartening news: she was chosen to perform at the prestigious ‘Callback’, a showcase of the most meritorious compositions of HSC Dance students, to be held in Feb 2024.

It will make her the first-ever Callback Bharatanatyam dancer.

“I was very excited to be chosen for Callback,” Vishakha Iyer told Indian Link. “It made me feel validated and seen, especially because I wasn’t sure if Bharatanatyam would suit or appeal to my audience.”

She elaborated, “Through my Bharatanatyam major work, I wanted to

18 JANUARY 2024

Vishakha Iyer will perform at the prestigious ‘Callback’, a showcase of the most meritorious compositions of HSC Dance students, to be held in Feb 2024.

extensive experience, having performed on stage since she was a child. (Under the tutelage of her guru Chidambaram R Suresh, Vishakha presented her arangetram or formal debut at the tender age of 10, which must be a record of sorts. See pics above and below.)

Ultimately Vishakha’s teacher Ms Cluff from Pymble Ladies College helped her in incorporating a contemporary component.

“Bharatanatyam is very similar to ballet in many of its core postures,” Vishakha described. “It has a few of the same techniques with the stretches. For example, the plie, which is the aramandi in Bharatanatyam (the starting position with the knees bent). My teacher and I realised there were ways in which we could blend the two forms to fit my presentation with the required criteria, so that’s where the modern part of my dance came from. I chose to do the Shiva Tandava Stotram.”

It turned out to be an excellent choice: as the cosmic dance of the Hindu god Shiva which eliminates all negative energies, it gave Vishakha full opportunity to demonstrate her skills, in choreography that was high in physicality.

Dynamic and powerful, it saw Vishakha cover the breadth of the stage with leaps and spins. For someone of small frame, the sheer energy and intensity of the performance was simply captivating.

Only days later, a select gathering of guests would get to see it again, at a Diwali event hosted by NSW Premier Chris Minns.

As she covered the floor with her vibrant and pulsating choreography, the audience stood transfixed, drawn into the enthusiasm fuelling her every movement.

This performance made her dig deeper into how she felt about her joint Indian and Australian heritage.

“I felt a deep connection between my Australian identity and my Indian ethnicity because of the location. Performing in the open, with the Sydney Harbour behind me and the bridge watching over, was a highlight.”

Vishakha’s Bharatanatyam practice started at a young age. “My mum noticed that I enjoyed moving as I watched her classes at her institute, the Samskriti School of Dance. She put me into

classes when I was three and a half.”

As Vishkaha’s Year 6 selective examinations drew near, her mother gave her two choices: to take her exams or to complete her arangetram, a dancer’s first performance in the Bharatanatyam community, which signifies the end of their training and the start of their professional dancing career. “I eagerly said I wanted to do my arangetram. That’s when I realised I want to be a dancer.”

Hours upon hours of practice followed, in a dedication that continues to this day and looks set to be a part of her life well into the future.

“Dance is my life – it helps me express myself,” Vishakha revealed.

Vishakha has demonstrated appreciation for her culture, even though many young Indian-Australians her age find it difficult to express their cultural identity due to fears of racism or judgement.

“Sometimes I did feel like an outsider at school,” Vishakha shared. “There were times I left out because Bharatanatyam was my forte, but it was different to what my peers were doing. This is daunting as you are never sure where it stands and if it will be appreciated.

But I was wonderfully supported – by all my peers and teachers. I’m lucky to have a lovely group of people around me. I made up my mind that I would take the risk, and it paid off.

Her biggest support though came as no surprise.

“My mum is my biggest inspiration,” smiled Vishakha.

It is clear Vishakha’s dance experience so far has brought a greater sense of security in her culture, and gratitude for the loving community that has supported her throughout her journey thus far – her mother Hamsa Venkat, her Bharatanatyam teachers in India Sheejith Krishna and Bragha Bessell, and classmates and teachers for enhancing her performances.

The future holds many possibilities for this young and talented, Indian-Australian, dancing superstar.

She’s off now to Perth, to major in Dance at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where she was one of 20 students selected from all around Australia.

show my Indian classical dance skills to the outside world”.

Yet she admitted it felt like “diving into the deep end” at the beginning.

Bharatanatyam as a craft is highly sophisticated, and quite vast, given the sheer depth of the mythology from which its content is sourced. Added to this is Vishakha’s own

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1. New Year’s Day 13.Lohri 14.Makar Sankranti 15.Magh Bihu/ Pongal 17.Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti 25.Hazarat Ali Jayanti 26.Republic Day 26. Australia Day

6. May Day (NT) 6. Labour Day (QLD) 8. Guru Rabindranath Jayanti 12. Mother’s Day 23.Buddha Purnima 26. National Sorry Day 27. Reconciliation Day (ACT)

1. Father’s Day 7. Ganesh Chaturthi 15. Onam 16. Milad-un-Nabi 23. King’s Birthday(WA)

14.Basant Panchami 14. Valentine’s Day 19.Shivaji Jayanti 24.Guru Ravidas Jayanti

3. WA Day (WA) 10. King’s Birthday (All except WA and QLD) 17.Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)

2.Gandhi Jayanti 2. Rosh Hashanah 6. Daylight saving begins 7. Labour Day (NSW, ACT, SA) 7. King’s Birthday (QLD) 10.Maha Saptami 11.Maha Ashtami/ Maha Navami 12.Dussehra 17.Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti 20.Karva Chauth 31.Diwali 31. Halloween

Australian holidays and observances are marked in red.

All

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4. Labour Day (WA) 6.Swami Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti 8.Maha Shivratri 9. Ramadan starts (tentative) 11. Labour Day (VIC), 11. Canberra Day (ACT) 21. Harmony Day 24. Holika Dahan 25.Holi 29.Good Friday 30. Easter Saturday 31.Easter Sunday

7. NAIDOC week begins 7. Rath Yatra 17. Muharram 21.Guru Purnima

2.Govardhan Puja 3.Bhai Duj 5. Melbourne Cup 7.Chhat Puja 11. Remembrance Day 15.Guru Nanak Jayanti

1. Easter Monday 5. Jamat-Ul-Vida 7. Daylight saving ends 9.Chaitra Sukladi/Gudi Padava/ Ugadi/ Cheti Chand 11.Id-ul- Fitr 13.Vaisakhi/ Vishu 14.Meshadi/ Vaisakhadi/ Bohag Bihu 17.Ram Navami 21.Mahavir Jayanti 25. Anzac Day

5. Picnic Day (NT) 15. Independence Day/ Parsi New Year’s Day (Nauraj) 19. Raksha Bandhan 26. Janmashtami

24.Christmas Eve 25.Christmas Day 25. Hanukkah 26. Boxing Day 31. New Year’s Eve

Disclaimer: Indian holidays and observances are listed predominantly from Government of India sources but also from other sources. Dates based on lunar calendar may vary. Please check accuracy closer to the dates specified. things Indian. In Australia.

JANUARY 2024 21

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WELLNESS

Pink Sari Inc at Sydney Pink Test KAMAL SARMA was at the Sydney Cricket Ground to see the pink saris flutter in support of the McGrath Foundation

A

sea of pink saris took over the entrance to the Sydney Cricket Ground on the morning of 3 January.

As Pink Sari Inc, they were there to support people experiencing breast cancer.

The Pink Sari movement has rallied big time to support the McGrath Foundation, which marks the first Test of the year at the SCG to raise awareness about a condition that sees 20,000 new sufferers each year.

Ever wondered about the magic behind a movement?

When folks team up for a good cause, it's like unlocking a bit of enchantment.

What tugs at my heart the most is how Pink Sari Inc has broken down barriers by bringing people from all over South Asia and Australia, to carry on the legacy of Jane McGrath – the late wife of cricket legend

Glenn McGrath and co-founder of the McGrath Foundation.

Let me tell you about Jane McGrath. Her personal battle with breast cancer and the impact of her own breast care nurse fuelled her commitment to make sure every family dealing with breast cancer has access to a breast care nurse, no matter where they live.

Jane passed away in 2008, but her legacy lives on, with the Foundation celebrating Jane McGrath Day every January during the Sydney Pink Test. Funds are raised on this day for McGrath Breast Care Nurses – often described as ‘rockstars’ when you're navigating the challenges of breast cancer.

Pink Sari Inc has been at Sydney Pink Test since 2019, when it was first invited by the McGrath Foundation. The pink silk saris had caused quite a colourful impact then, and have continued to do so every year since. It was only three years old then as a community-led initiative but had already made a mark, winning acclaim (and awards) as it helped raise screening rates for women from the Indian Subcontinent. It did this by means of innovative and culturally appropriate projects, in partnership with Cancer Institute of NSW and Multicultural Health Communication Services.

Cancer doesn't discriminate based on religion, ethnicity, gender, politics, or age. It can hit any of us at any time.

To address this universal challenge, a human centric approach is imperative.

This serves as a driving force behind Pink Sari Inc.'s relentless commitment to achieving improved health outcomes for the community.

As President Shantha Viswanathan has said on multiple occasions, “Pink Sari Inc. exists because we are of the community, by the community and for the community.”

Coming together on its platforms now are not only cancer carers and survivors, but also pinkaholic ambassadors, supporters and well-wishers from across the community – with local organisations AIMGA and Saree Club offering boisterous support lately.

Yet Pink Sari Inc’s presence at the Pink Test perhaps does more to raise awareness about its activities at the national level, than any other program.

People rallied in the thousands at the Pink Test this year to support the cause, raising money as well as awareness. Our special shoutouts to Prabodh Malhotra, (in pic on left) who took on a Herculean journey walking from Melbourne to Sydney (over 1000km!), and the group The Big Three Trek, walking from the central coast to the SCG. Have a pink sari in your closet? Source one, if you don’t, and bring it out at Pink Sari Inc.’s next event on World Cancer Day 4 Feb: a Cancer Awareness Walk, 5.00pm from Sydney Town Hall to the Sydney Opera House.

With Rajni Anand Luthra

JANUARY 2024 23

THE YOUNG ONES

Vya with Dave…

Bridging the generation gap 14-year-old Vya Pulavorty has gained new insights into young people as well as herself, following her stint on this ABC show BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

F

resh out of the ABC TV show Old People’s Home for Teenagers, participant Vya Pulavorty, age 14, has some wonderful observations about older people.

“I think old people and teenagers are not that different,” she told Indian Link.

“We each have struggles to deal with and challenges to face in our lives. The gap in age doesn’t mean we shouldn't be friends; it's more of a reason we should be friends, because of all the advice that the older people have to give us younger ones.”

Of course, she hasn’t always felt this way. Speaking about her own real-life experiences with older people before getting on the show, she revealed,“I thought I was good with older people, but they'd always seemed kind of mean to me. So at the start of the show, I felt like some of them could be difficult, or that they wouldn’t like me, but they all ended up being really sweet.”

It was perhaps this brand of honesty that Vya brought to the show that made her completely at ease in front of the camera, poised and confident in her own skin.

The series brought a bunch of teens and seniors together for an ‘intergenerational experiment’. As they engaged in specially

24 JANUARY 2024

… and with Pat

designed activities of the physical, cognitive, creative, and reflective types, each cohort gained fresh perspectives on the challenges faced by the other. While for one group, it’s dealing with isolation, depression and failing health, the other deals with independence and developing a sense of self and self-worth.

For many participants, it became a transformational experience.

The second series in the show with teenagers follows a highly successful inaugural series with much younger children.

“I had watched the previous series as well as Old People’s Home for 4-Year-Olds with my family and we really liked them,” Vya said. “So I was really excited to be picked for the 2023 series.”

Paired with 80-year-old Dave for activities, Vya was able to establish a strong bond.

“Dave was one of the first people I talked to,” Vya recounted. “And then, coming in every day, I would just look for him first, and go straight to him. I was really lucky to get to know Dave because he is one of the best people I've ever met in my life, and it doesn't matter that we come from different worlds.”

The friendship blossomed as they played paintball and badminton, danced after the pompom game, competed in the foam run, and played with the dog - and seems to have lasted beyond the show.

“We talk regularly now. When I met him last, he said to me, ‘Dig deep, my dear, and

know your heart’”.

Also memorable for Vya was cooking with another senior Pat, in a sequence that’s become somewhat iconic from this series.

“She kind of got mad at me for not doing it in the traditional way, and I was asking to use the mixer,” Vya laughed. “I felt like I should have my way because it’s easier…but it was funny as I watched it back later!”

Vya also described the self-critique activity, where the youngsters had to look at their own reflection in the mirror, describe themselves, and then listen to other people’s descriptions of them.

“I got told I have nice eyes and face and smile. It was very sweet to hear that from somebody else. I think most of the young people felt like that - because I feel we never hear compliments enough from people.”

Did she enjoy the activities per se, or the sitting down and talking about it afterwards?

“Actually, talking about it later. And watching it over on TV now is like, oh my God, how much fun we had with it all! I thought the older people would be opinionated – with assumptions about us teenagers, and different views about politics and society. I was pretty surprised our seniors didn’t have any preconceived notions, and were open and accepting.”

As someone interested in the entertainment industry (Vya starts Year 11 this year at the Newtown High School of Performing Arts), she also learned much about how television operates.

“You trust the process,” she said with characteristic maturity.

“It was quite slow at times when they were setting up etc, but I really love how they kept it authentic. There were no retakes - it was all just completely pure and organic.

There was no script telling us what to say.

It truly showed how much we all changed from the start to the end.”

She said the adults opened up first.

“I was quite surprised about how much some of the adults changed just after a few weeks with us. Like John for instance, who was quite upset at the start. And then you see him so much better and so much more interested in life. I'm still friends with him - I saw him recently and he just seemed so much happier, he gave me the biggest hug. This really has positively impacted everybody.”

And then there was Lorraine.

“Lorraine talking openly about what she’s going through in her personal life was really inspiring for us teenagers. If she can talk about how she feels, we can do it too.”

Vya did talk about what she is going through too – in terms of reconciling her dual identity as an Indian-Australian kid.

And while we didn’t see her resolve the issue on screen, it’s clear that she has come some way in doing so, looking back.

She agreed that no one on the show ever asked her what her background was or where she came from.

She was always ‘just Vya’.

“I was made to feel welcome,” she reported.“Every time I walked through the doors of the intergenerational hub, I'd be like, okay, these people love me and care about me, they're gonna look out for me.

It made me feel so much better about my identity - being my true self, just being real.”

And that may just be the single most transformational experience young Vya takes away from this show.

Old People’s Home for Teenagers is available on ABC iView.

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JANUARY 2024 25

26 JANUARY 2024

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with Lakshmi Ganapathy YESHA PATEL is a Melbourne-based entrepreneur and founder of after, Australia’s first start-up collecting textile waste from households and businesses for ethical recycling.

Having diverted almost 6000 kilograms of unwearable textiles and clothing waste from landfill, they are expanding to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney this year. She is also a speaker with Women and Climate and received the 2023 Australian South Asian Centre Stellar Women Award for Business and Entrepreneurship.

Most people associate sustainability with endof-life recycling. What does ‘circular economy fashion’ mean, and how can we build sustainability into the start of the life-cycle?

Circular economy fashion principles involve designing out waste, [and designing] with the end in mind, so creating the garment with components that can be used again; [for example], polyester and acrylic based materials are strong and durable, but don’t do well in landfill, so thinking about using more natural fibres.

I often say after should be the absolute last thing you do with your clothes; if it’s just a matter of a button coming off or some holes, say, that’s not unwearable.

If it can be fixed, let’s fix and get as much life out of the clothing before we recycle.

The responsibility goes on brands too to offer take back or repair systems for their products.

Many of us have made sustainability a new year’s resolution and want to stop buying fast fashion, which you’ve been doing since 2021.

Any tips for sticking to this?

I’ll be honest, it was hard at the start because I enjoyed shopping and the feeling of getting new clothes, and when I went to the malls it would be hard to resist sales. I started to educate myself that the cheap things are too good to be true and mean someone along the line is not being paid enough. Now when I see sales, it doesn’t affect me as much because I’ve seen the other side and why it’s unethical.

It's also a matter of finding alternatives; thrift shops in Melbourne are really cool, and clothing swaps are a great way to meet likeminded people. I think also normalise re-wearing outfits, as we’re pressured to always be wearing something new to each event. Think about restyling things

to look a bit different – there are many communities that help with styling tips.

Finally, I’ve also been into renting dresses, which means I’m able to wear brands I like and that are good quality without paying a hefty price.

after is a relatively new start-up, founded in 2021.

What are some things you’ve learnt along your journey as an entrepreneur?

I’ve learned so much, and that’s the thing – always be open to learning. I’ve been doing this for just over two years and new entrepreneurs always say I must know everything, but I always say there’s still so much to learn, and I will always be learning, even 10 years in.

Particularly in the sustainability industry, people are generally willing to help – 90% of the time I’ve reached out to someone on LinkedIn, they’ve been more than happy to help me out, so I’d say don’t be afraid to ask for help. Any journey

you’re going on, someone has already been through it, and if they can give you advice or wisdom to help you through that’s a really great gift.

Also, I think when you’re running a business, sometimes it can get lonely, so I’d recommend having a tribe of people around you going through the same thing as well who get it, like other business owners or startup founders.

What's something that you're currently listening to/reading/ playing/watching?

I’m a huge true crime fan and listen to a lot of podcasts like Crime Junkie and Murder With My Husband. I also love mental health podcasts and educating myself to live a healthy lifestyle; Mel Robbins, Andrew Huberman, Jay Shetty, they’re my top picks in terms of wellbeing.

I’ve also been reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, she’s the COO of Facebook. It’s a great read not just for female professionals but anyone on their professional journey to hear from someone who has been through it.

What’s a word that you like in a South Asian language, and what does it mean?

I recently learnt the Hindi word ‘jugaad’, which means being resourceful, doing something quickly, efficiently, and easily, kind of like a shortcut. I think that really embodies me and a lot of South Asian founders I’ve met, because when you’re running a business you don’t want to spend all of your money and resources, and if you just ‘jugaad’ it, it’s smarter.

And finally: Soan Papdi or Papdi Chaat?

Papdi Chaat. Anytime I’m at a restaurant, I’d choose street food over curry. I miss it because my mum would make the best street food back home. I’m not such a good cook of Indian food, but there’s lots of good places to get it 27 JANUARY 2024 here.

INDIAN REPUBLIC DAY WISHING OUR INDIAN COMMUNITY A HAPPY AND JOYOUS REPUBLIC DAY!

NATALIE WARD MLC

MARK SPEAKMAN SC MP

Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party

Leader of the Opposition, NSW Liberal Leader

MARK TAYLOR MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR CORRECTIONS AND WESTERN SYDNEY

MEMBER FOR WINSTON HILLS

JORDAN LANE MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR MULTICULTURALISM

MEMBER FOR RYDE

RAY WILLIAMS MP

MEMBER FOR KELLYVILLE

MATT KEAN MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR HEALTH

MEMBER FOR HORNSBY

TANYA DAVIES MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR JOBS AND SMALL BUSINESS

STEPHANIE DI PASQUA MP MEMBER FOR DRUMMOYNE

TINA AYYAD MP

MEMBER FOR HOLSWORTHY

MEMBER FOR BADGERYS CREEK

FELICITY WILSON MP

MEMBER FOR NORTH SHORE

MARK COURE MP

Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Member for Oatley

ALISTER HENSKENS SC MP SHADOW ATTORNEY GENERAL

MEMBER FOR WAHROONGA

MARK HODGES MP

SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR WESTERN SYDNEY

MEMBER FOR CASTLE HILL

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SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND ROADS, SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

MEMBER FOR DAVIDSON Authorised by Mark Speakman MP, Parliament of NSW, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

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INDIAN LINK LOVES

Loving right now A list of Indian Link’s current favourites

LISTEN

READ At the heart of Australia Day, Stan Grant questions what it is to be Australian. The renowned journalist, a Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi man with Irish heritage examines how land, family, race, history and nation contribute to his own identity. He writes about the First Nations' struggle for belonging and identity in modern-day Australia.

"As uncomfortable as it is, we need to reckon with our history. On January 26, no Australian can really look away," Grant writes. First published in 2019, but still as relevant as ever, Australia Day asks how we as a nation can mark our national day in good conscience on a date this land was stolen from Aboriginal people.

You may know Jameela Jamil as Tahani from The Good Place, but the British actor of Indian and Pakistani heritage is also a staunch activist. In 2018, Jameela launched an Instagram account called I Weigh as a social movement to question celebrities and platforms that promote unhealthy fad diets and unrealistic beauty standards. The movement later transformed into a podcast that challenges societal norms through conversations with well-known guests about their lived experiences of mental health.

Our favourite eye-opening episodes of I Weigh with Jameela Jamil include gender non-conforming Indian-American writer and artist Alok, United States Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, and Australian comedian and actor Celeste Barber.

WATCH

EAT

A modern remake of the 2004 cult classic, Mean Girls is the summer flick everyone's talking about. The film follows Cady Heron as she climbs to the top of the social ladder to join an exclusive group of popular girls called The Plastics. However, Cady lands in trouble with the leader of the pack, Regina George, when she falls in love with the queen bee's ex-boyfriend. Writer and comedy legend Tina Fey adapted The comedy-musical to modern times in more ways than one, like rebranding one of the Plastics Karen Smith to Karen Shetty to recognise up-and-coming actor Avantika Vandanapu's Indian heritage. Catch Mean Girls in cinemas now!

The International Year of the Millet may have passed, but we’re hooked. We’ve put millets (ragi or nachni) in our porridge, rotis, dosas, idlis, uttapams, pancakes, upmas and murukkus, even in our dhoklas, muthias, laddoos, burfis, halwas, biscuits, salads, and yes, as above, in our cakes. This ancient grain has high nutritional value and health benefits: it is gluten-free and packed with protein, fibre and antioxidants. It is also wonderfully sustainable, given it requires less water and fertiliser to grow, and can even flourish in arid conditions.

What’s your favourite millet dish?

NADINE SILVA | RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

JANUARY 2024 29

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ENTERTAINMENT

Avantika Vandanapu

Mean Girls 2024

‘Why is one brown?’

Avantika faces racism for starring in iconic Mean Girls reboot

BY NADINE SILVA

I

t’s not the first time Indian-American actor Avantika Vandanapu has landed a leading role.

At age 16, Avantika became the first South Asian lead of a Disney Channel movie in the Emmy-nominated film Spin. Before making her Hollywood debut, she acted in Telugu and Tamil films.

The now 19-year-old is starring as Karen in the reboot of the iconic 2004 movie Mean Girls.

The original film is widely regarded as a classic, rivalling only Friends and The Simpsons online to be the most cultural product of all time, according to The Guardian.

Amanda Seyfried first brought Karen to life as the easily influenced, sweet but ditzy member of The Plastics who believed her breasts could predict the weather.

Avantika said she didn’t expect someone brown to play a character known for being blonde, pretty and stupid 20 years later.

“It’s the antithesis of everything that we’ve been told our community is from the very beginning. And while nobody wants to be called dumb, there’s something liberating in feeling like there’s no expectation around our intelligence anymore,” Avantika told Marie Claire.

She said she felt empowered to embrace a character unlike what society has stereotyped Indian people, especially Indian women, to be.

“I hope that it will inspire a new generation of Indian girls to aspire they can truly play out a wide variety of characters if they want to be actors rather than feeling

The popular Mean Girls character Karen Smith has been rebranded as Karen Shetty. Not everyone is happy about the South Indian representation. like they have to play the doctor or the nurse or the taxi driver,” Avantika said to PEDESTRIAN.TV. However, not everyone has been on board with the way Karen Shetty, formerly known as Karen Smith, has defied South Asian stereotypes.

After the official trailer for the 2024 reboot was released, online trolls took to social media.

Avantika screenshotted her favourite reactions and posted them on Instagram with the caption “mean girls”.

“Imagine getting bullied by an Indian girl,” one user posted.

“The head wobble would scare me the

With Amanda Seyfried

most,” another user said.

“Why is one brown,” posted another.

Avantika’s Instagram post attracted a flood of support, particularly from celebrities of South Asian background.

“Why is one brown? Great note, cool guy,” commented actress, screenwriter and producer Mindy Kaling.

“Screw them, you’re gonna shine,” Never Have I Ever lead Maitreyi Ramakrishnan said.

“The only reason I would ever watch this is BECAUSE there’s a brown girl in it.

Specifically you. So proud,” posted Never Have I Ever actress Richa Moorjani.

“You’re a queen[,] we love you,”

commented Live Tinted CEO Deepica.

“WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!

Going to watch BECAUSE you’re in it,” said social media influencer Seerat Saini.

Speaking to Teen Vogue, Avantika said she found the online prejudice amusing.

“I thought it was funny how the movie was called Mean Girls and everybody was being a mean girl on Twitter,” she said.

The actress said the criticism online didn’t take a toll on her because she felt the accusations were baseless.

“If anybody says anything about my acting, I’m like ‘please tell me more’. If you don’t feel like you’re connecting to the character on screen, I should know. But if you’re talking about how you can smell the character from the screen, you’re simply an ignorant person and a bigot, and there’s nothing I can do about that,” she said.

You can be the judge on Avantika’s portrayal of her favourite Mean Girls character.

The reboot has been playing in Australian cinemas since 11 January.

Avantika Vandanapu (extreme left) in Mean Girls (2024)

JANUARY 2024 31

TRAVEL

Petra at the edge of Australia

BY PETRA O’NEILL

T

he Cape York Peninsula is at the pointy end of Far North Queensland and lies just beyond historical Cooktown. Remote and sparsely populated, with billabongs, raging waterfalls, wild rivers, and rugged terrain, it's a frontier wilderness that few ever experience.

I joined a 13-day small group tour with Outback Spirit, an experienced outback touring company, where we discovered the Daintree Rainforest, saw world famous rock art, and ended our trip at breathtaking Thursday Island.

After crossing the Daintree River by ferry on Day 1, we entered the Daintree National Park, a pristine ancient old growth rainforest, that stretches north to Cape Tribulation. The bitumen road soon gave way to a dirt track with boulders and crater sized potholes that caused us to sway in our 4WD touring vehicle, as we made our way towards our lunch destination.

The first stop was the historic Lion's Den Hotel, built of rough sawn timber and corrugated iron, and is the perfect place where you can have a yarn with the locals, enjoy an Aussie BBQ, and view the

One of the world's great frontiers Touring Cape York, Australia's northernmost tip

fascinating historic photos and memorabilia that decorate the walls.

In 1770 Captain James Cook's ship, the Endeavour, struck a reef while charting Australia's coastline. The place where repairs were undertaken was later named Cooktown. After gold was discovered there in 1872, the settlement grew. The same historic charm remains, with broad treelined streets, historic timber buildings, a museum, botanic gardens, and spectacular views of the coastline.

The next day we departed to the Old Laura Homestead which was built on the banks of the Wenlock River, by pioneers in 1879 who established the cattle industry in Far North Queensland. We then continued onto Laura to meet our Indigenous guide for an interpretative tour of the rock art dating back 30,000 years. Laura is considered a world-renowned place for rock art, ranking

within the top ten rock art sites globally.

Driving past termite mounds, grassy plains, and open eucalypt woodlands, across rivers and creeks, we arrived at Lotus Bird Lodge. This was our base for two nights, where we stayed in beautiful log cabins that overlooked a vast lagoon filled with pink lotus flowers, on the edge of Lakefield National Park. The setting was stunning, with over 200 species of birds, including brolgas and cranes, and at dusk wallabies and water buffaloes gathered at the water's edge.

Crossing to the western side of Cape York, we next visited Weipa, a coastal mining town which is heavily populated with FIFO workers. Weipa has significant bauxite extraction, which is done by scraping the soil by giant bulldozers and loaded onto container ships. Also known for its fishing, we joined a cruise of the Embley River,

finding several large saltwater crocodiles sunning by the shoreline.

In 1887 a repeater station for the overland telegraph line was completed at Moreton Telegraph Station whichplayed a significant role in Australia's communication with the outside world. We spent two nights at the station exploring the surrounding woodlands of stringy bark and melaleuca, via the many walking trails throughout the property.

Heading further north we then stopped at Fruit Bat Falls. The day so hot and sultry, and the cascading waterfall so inviting, that I paddled my way fully clothed and sat on a ledge beneath it.

By vehicular ferry, we crossed the mighty Jardine River headed for Bamaga, a service town renowned for fishing and enticing expansive beaches, though as this is crocodile country, signs warn of the danger.

Thursday Island

32 JANUARY 2024

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Rock art, Laura

Cooktown Sunset

Petra at Fruit Bat Falls

Lion’s Den Hotel

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK Getting there Fly with Virgin Australia, Qantas, or Jetstar to Cairns.

Getting around I joined Outback Spirit's tour to Cape York departing from Cairns in a specially equipped touring vehicle.

To do it yourself, you'll need to arrange permits, and a suitably equipped 4WD allterrain vehicle. Roads are either bitumen or unsealed that are very challenging to drive on with holes, rocks, and corrugations.

Roadhouses provide fuel, basic food items and it's important to note that camping sites should be booked well in advance.

Travel tips Best months to visit are

May - Sept. Avoid summer and school holidays. Distances are deceptive as journey times slow when roads are unsealed.

Need to know Large tracts of land have been handed back to the traditional owners of Cape York by the Queensland Government, ensuring the protection of sacred sites and a return to traditional sustainable methods of land management.

In 2022, 362,000 hectares were handed back. For those interested in colonial history, David Marr's Killing for Country, discovers his forebears' brutal past.

A short drive north and a walk across giant boulders leads to Australia's most northerly point, that seems like a rite of passage. The mainland tapers to a fine point, and on reaching it, I was expecting to look out across the Torres Strait. Instead, the tip, or Pajinka (its Indigenous name), is surrounded by swift currents and 274 islands that for centuries have acted as stepping stones facilitating trade and free movement of people between New Guinea and Australia.

Torres Strait was named after the Spanish navigator who sailed here in 1606, and little has changed since then. Of the 274 islands covered with tussock grass and kapok trees, only 17 are inhabited. On all islands you’ll find turquoise waters home to dugongs, sea turtles, giant marlin, and coral reefs.

A short ferry ride away, Thursday Island was our final destination. Closer

to Port Moresby than Cairns, Thursday Island has the feel of a far-flung tropical island destination, with many locals’ descendants from Malaysia, Japan and the Philippines, who came for the pearling industry, as well as from Torres Strait and Indigenous communities.

The friendly township on Thursday Island comprises two main streets that run parallel to the beach, lined with hotels, churches, general stores and cafes. Locals fish off the wharf or walk their dogs along the beach, and the island is an absolute slice of paradise with its people living together in harmony.

Overall, I found Cape York to be a pristine wilderness that allows for a better understanding of the rich cultural heritage of its indigenous owners and of their connection to country.

Local wildlife: Cockatoos, salt water crocs and cassowaries

JANUARY 2024 33

ENTERTAINMENT

cineTALK

Worth waiting for?

You decide!

Take your seats and put your phones on silent - 2024 is already brewing to be a big year for Indian cinema. Here’s what’s on SUHAYLA SHARIF’s watchlist this month INDIAN POLICE FORCE (Amazon Prime Video)

FIGHTER (In cinemas) Fasten your seatbelts… Hindi cinema is taking audiences to the skies this month! Director Siddharth Anand, known for high octane hits like War and Pathaan, has paired Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan for what is gearing up to the first Bollywood blockbuster of 2024. Let’s hope Top Gun’s desi twin has what it takes to make our hearts soar.

Releasing 24 Jan

The sirens of Rohit Shetty’s police squad are sounding once again, but this time with some big new names gripping their guns. Bollywood’s cop universe is now saluting Siddharth Malhotra, Shilpa Shetty and Vivek Oberoi as they are set to don their uniforms in this upcoming Hindi action series. Will this stellar cast be able to destroy their targets or completely miss the mark?

Releasing 19 Jan

MERRY CHRISTMAS (In cinemas) … and a happy new year from Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi! This thrilling Hindi whodunnit has kept Indian audiences on the edge of their seats for a while so let’s have a collective sigh of relief for it’s almost here. After watching the trailer several times, the plot is still a mystery in itself so make sure to bring your magnifying glasses for this one.

Releasing 12 Jan

MAIN ATAL HOON (In cinemas) Hindi cinema had a great run of biographical dramas in 2023 so there are high hopes for the upcoming film covering the life of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Acting powerhouse Pankaj Tripathi stars as the 10th Prime Minister of India, already giving audiences goosebumps as he steps elegantly into the shoes of one of the country’s great leaders.

Releasing 19 Jan

MATRIMONIALS SEEKING GROOM Indian-origin, professionally qualified, issueless match (working professional, not selfemployed) from Australia for ‘88 born, 5’3" Hindu Punjabi girl (divorced, issueless), working with a government organisation in Sydney. Must have Aus PR, and be a non-smoker and preferably teetotaler. Email biodata with photos and parents’ contact details to: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com.

34 JANUARY 2024

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GUNTUR KAARAM (In cinemas) KILLER SOUP (Netflix) A cup of crime with a dash of humour… the perfect recipe for a Hindi thriller series that will have you melting into your couch. Manoj Bajpayee and Konkona Sen Sharma thicken the plot of this mystery release as an unexpected murder stirs up trouble for a hopeful home chef.

Releasing 11 Jan

JAHA BOLIBO SHOTTO BOLIBO (HoiChoi) When the good and the bad begin to blur, justice can seem out of reach even for the most decorated lawyers. Court is in session for this Bengali crime drama series starring Tota Roy Choudhury, who will be familiar to those who watched Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, and Mimi Chakraborty. A city’s social fabric begin to tear as the layers of a gruesome murder begin to unravel the ongoing abuse of power.

Releasing 5 Jan

RUSLAAN (In cinemas)

Make way for Mahesh Babu as he wears his crown once again for this Telugu action drama. When a dutiful journalist crosses paths with an underworld kingpin, chaos will ensue when their love is forced to confront dodgy criminal dealings. Sreeleela stars opposite the South Indian superstar for a ‘spicy’ tale that is set to pack a punch.

Releasing 12 Jan

THANGALAAN (In cinemas)

In one hand a guitar and in the other a gun, this killer cop has all his foes dancing to his tune.

Aayush Sharma takes on an avatar similar to his role in Antim but doesn’t need Bhaijaan to back him up this time. Will he leave his own mark with this fiery Hindi action release?

Releasing 12 Jan

Take a step back in time with this Tamil period action release that will delve deep into India’s history as a gold mining colossus. One of Tamil cinema’s most celebrated actors Vikram has another historical drama under his belt and is promising his absolute best in his 61st film. One tribe’s struggle to guard its gold against the British will reveal how a community’s roar will silence even the strongest of oppressive powers.

Releasing 26 Jan

GOOD GRIEF (Netflix)

KOLONKO (Hoichoi) One woman’s gamble with the truth will trap her in a labyrinth of lies riddled with secrets. This Bengali thriller series showcasing Raima Sen and Ritwick Chakraborty will leave you with more questions than answers. After watching this OTT release, the game of Truth or Dare will never seem simple again.

Releasing 19 Jan

When time takes away the people you love, the people who love you will remind you how to make the most of the time you have left. This slice-of-life treat from Netflix is worth a watch if you’ve been craving something sweet yet senti. Look out for British Indian talent Himesh Patel, known for the Hollywood hit Yesterday, who is set to star in the lead cast of this emotional drama.

Releasing 5 Jan

LAL SALAAM (In cinemas) HANU MAN (In cinemas) This Sankranti, witness the story of one man whose superpowers resemble one of the most revered gods in Hinduism. This Telugu action film follows Teja Sajja as Hanumanthu, a simple soul who begins to discover he embodies the same strength as Lord Hanuman.

If you are keen to see spirituality collide with superheroes, this film will be a must-watch for you!

Releasing 12 Jan

THE DIPLOMAT (In cinemas) One man’s journey for justice will prove that compassion can crumble borders. John Abraham is set to captivate audiences in this upcoming Hindi action thriller based on a true story. Will peace talks be enough to bring home a girl tangled in a web of crime?

Releasing 11 Jan

Bow down for Thalaivar as he makes his entry into 2024 with this Tamil sports drama. South Indian megastar Rajnikanth headlines one town’s tale of rising cricket talent, seemingly a change of pace when comparing his string of recent roles in action-packed thrillers. Rumour has it that Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev is slated to make a cameo appearance, truly a special gift for both sporting and cinema fans.

Releasing 26 Jan

SAINDHAV (In cinemas) An entire crime syndicate will cower when facing one father’s mission for his ill daughter, turning his strides in the underworld into leaps for love. Renowned Telugu star Daggubati Venkatesh wields an iron fist that begins to melt as he goes to great lengths to save his daughter. Other familiar faces included Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arya and Shraddha Srinath who help paint the premise of this powerful Telugu action release.

Releasing 13 Jan JANUARY 2024 35

BACKCHAT

How to stop a gasbag

DEAR AUNTYJI I recently experienced a situation where I have conflicting feelings and I don’t know what I should do. At Christmas, my parents and aunt came from Delhi to stay with us for a while. Now my aunt is married to a German man - and we speak a mixture of English and Hindi.

I myself am married to an Australian and we have a 5-year-old son. Jake is highly intelligent, very emotionally aware, kind, thoughtful and occasionally, very funny.

Meanwhile, my aunt who is 55, has a corporate job, is also highly intelligent, NOT so emotionally aware, and talkative.

By god, she talks. When she holds court, no one can get a word in edgewise. But she dotes on Jake - she doesn’t have kids of her own so he is super special to her. So over Christmas, we are having lunch and Aunt Simone was doing her usual thing of talking talking talking.

When she stopped to draw breath, Jake looked at her and said, “You talk a lot don’t you. Why is that?” At first Aunt Simone just laughed. But he persisted. He asked her again, “Why do you talk so much?” Now at that time, we got a phone call and I don’t know what happened next, but since that conversation, Aunt Simone has talked much less. She is still her happy self, but talks 50% less than she used to. What should I make of this, Auntyji? Do I need to say something?

Do you have a question for Auntyji?

Email it to info@indianlink.com.au

BY LP. AYER

‘W

ANTED’ read the sign in big bold black letters, with the word ‘URGENT’ underneath in bright red letters. Posters bearing these desperate pleas adorned every vantage point in New Delhi, including the ornate gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate and even the (new) Parliament House.

Did anyone expect the hundred plus suspended Opposition MPs, sitting on the front steps of the new complex enjoying a mimicry show, would go searching as part of their national duty?

Anyway who was this desperately wanted person?

Top-notch terrorist?

Financial fugitive who bolted, owing billions to the banks?

No, all that the Government urgently required was a chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations only a few weeks away.

This crisis was caused by the scheduled guest, Joe Biden, suddenly pulling out.

Although no reason was forthcoming for his last-minute let-down, social media keyboard warriors are citing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza (or perhaps the reason is more domestic, given US Presidential elections?)

But the conspiracy theorist in me suggests the job specification in small print on the invitation he read belatedly, may have spiked his plan. It requires the chief guest to be on his feet for a few hours, taking salute

36 JANUARY 2024

AUNTYJI SAYS Arre, my dear besan ki burfi, just because Aunt Simone has left a void, why do you feel you need to be the one to fill it? Is there a problem here? I don’t see any problems. Aunt Simone has just stopped sucking up all the oxygen in the room - and for the first time in her life, she probably reflected on the words of a child. And she rightfully came to the obvious conclusion that she was a talker and that she had indeed, much to say.

See, the thing is, no one had been kind to Aunt Simone over the years to point out her bad habit to her. All of you tolerated her bad habit - and in other words, all of you were unkind and uncharitable to her.

Meanwhile, in the spirit of giving, Jake decided to give Aunt Simone the gift of insight. And he did it in a kind, polite, innocent and curious way. And Aunt Simone is not upset and she is not being passive aggressive either. So I think you should let sleeping dogs lie. The deed is done. It was a Christmas miracle, and your son has saved the family from the human tinnitus. Don’t stress about this. Relax. And go give Jake an extra treat. He deserves it for being the man no one else around him is. Happy new year!

ASK AUNTYJI

Merci, Monsieur How the French President saved the (Republic) day

of the marching squadrons. A big ask for ‘sleepy’ Joe with waddle walking style, so he dragged his feet. Then the task of thanking the host. With his failing memory for names he would probably address Modiji as ‘the guy from the Ganges plains.’ (Wonder whether ScoMo, ‘the chap from Down Under’, is still smarting from that intro).

Faced with this crisis, an emergency committee comprising all burra sahibs like Chief Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, etc. from various ministries was instituted, to try

and find an international figure who won’t mind being a standby chief guest, like a twelfth man or drinks carrier in cricket.

Modi era mandarins, having no clue of who has been invited before, took recourse to the Internet (much like this writer).

They found 77 VIPs since 1950, with Indonesia’s Sukarno being the first. From 1950-70 during the Nehru era, the top echelons known as ‘Kashmir Mafia’ chose chief guests from non-aligned or Eastern European countries aligned with Nehru’s socialist ideology.

The committee, to its utter horror, discovered that Pakistan’s Governor General was invited in 1955, seven years after that country occupied Kashmir. Its Food Minister did the honours again in 1965. A few months later Pakistan started another war. Some food for thought there.

Not to be outdone, China’s People Liberation Army’s Marshal Jiyaning was the chief guest in 1958. Three years later he would send his army across the Himalayas, dealing a crushing blow. The choice of chief guest is made on strategic economic and political interests. Maybe the Marshal had different interests in mind.

So far, leaders of 77 nations have been given the honour - 36 from Asia, 25 from Europe, 12 from Africa, 5 each from UK and South America, 2 from North America, and one each from USA and Australia.

Some invitees from Asia, Africa and South America have had little regard for democratic rule in their own countries.

Surprisingly, Canada - a democratic Commonwealth country - has never been invited. Now, Trudeau has truly torpedoed any chance in the near future.

Some notable guests include Queen Elizabeth (1961), Putin (2007), Obama(2015) and Australia’s Malcolm Fraser (1979).

Meanwhile, what’s this? A news flash French President Emmanuel Macron has kindly agreed to step in. Perhaps the big order for Rafael fighters has done the trick.

Macron becomes the sixth French dignitary to grace the event, making his country the most welcomed Republic Day guest in India.

Merci, Monsieur Macron.

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JANUARY 2024 37

FORETELL

JANUARY 2024

BY MINAL KHONA

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

ARIES

TAURUS

TAROT GEMINI

CANCER

MARCH 21 - APRIL 19

APRIL 20 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUNE 20

JUNE 21 - JULY 20

A major arcana is drawn for you, indicating a pre-destined change in some aspect of your life. The high priest card indicates you want to have structure and order in your life. Don’t get too fixed on this or you could lose out on spontaneity. Singles will not settle for a relationship that lacks spark. Those looking for a job will find something less demanding. Watch out for respiratory issues. Choose to operate with integrity over compromising your values. Clarity in a troublesome situation is foretold.

Taureans will first seek clarity on a dilemma before making a decision about a relationship. Someone senior or influential could make an offer regarding your work which could lead to an increase in finances if you take it up. Go for it. Relationships with siblings improve, especially if there has been a rift in the past. A money issue will be resolved to your benefit.

Let the universe know what you desire and wait for it to manifest.

Harvest time as some of your efforts start paying dividends. Singles will be open to dating. An unexpected opportunity for new business could come to the self-employed; be bold and grab them. Those in a relationship will think of moving in together. Don’t binge eat as you will not have the chance to rest it out. Money owed to you will come with the help of someone, and new business leads to a higher income too. Doors to good communication are opening up.

Singles could be considering getting married. Others might think of moving in with someone or may receive a proposal. Cancerians will ace multitasking this month. Don’t overdo it or you will have health issues. If you find yourself against a wall in any situation, stand your ground. You will be lucky with negotiations, and finances are set to increase. Work on improving yourself and setting future goals instead of controlling others’ actions. All obstacles are set to vanish this month.

LEO

VIRGO

LIBRA

SCORPIO

JULY 21 - AUG 22

AUG 23 - SEP 22

SEP 23 - OCT 22

OCT 23 - NOV 21

One of the best cards in the pack is drawn for you – it indicates you will achieve all your desires. Money comes in from multiple sources. Unexpected bad behaviour from a loved one leaves you confused. Use it to detach and evolve.

Those looking for work will have more than they can handle soon. Slow down to recover completely from a past illness or injury. It is the card of nirvana so use this month to grow spiritually. Let go of your obsession to the past.

One of the best cards in the pack; as divine protection is yours this month.

Singles will not meet anyone they find exciting. Work-related travel could be on the anvil. If you have been feeling down; imminent changes will lift your spirits.

Money comes from multiple sources.

Introspect and let go of all the habits that no longer help you grow. A cycle is nearing completion, so expect some form of upheaval or change; mostly in the practical realm of life.

Someone has let you down or disappointed you. It could be a male in your life, not necessarily a lover or spouse. Take a break from work to avoid a burnout. A relationship is not working out as you wished. Be assertive regarding money owed to you. A good amount is coming your way. If you have been unable to let go of a past matter, you will soon move on. Take responsibility for your own well-being.

Let go and let god.

Ask yourself what are you not willing to see? It is time to take the rose-tinted glasses off. If a relationship is not working out, let it go as there is something better on the horizon. To prevent anxiety, take rest till you feel less overwhelmed. Money gains are not huge but there is no loss either. Someone who wants the best for you could help you. Practice gratitude and keep negative thoughts away. Don’t let what appears to be true colour your judgement.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS JAN 20 - FEB 18

PISCES

FEB 19 - MARCH 20

One of the nicest cards – the Queen of Pentacles – will bring you a promising relationship, financial gains and overall wellbeing this month. Singles could meet someone interesting, and the attraction will be mutual. A shift in your work situation will brighten your mood. Indulge in some detox to cleanse your body.

Money that was held up will come in. If looking for a profession, choose a healing line of work for best results. Stay focused on your goal and you will see results soon.

A watched pot never boils so don’t focus on a blocked source of income.

Singles will prefer to be on their own for a while. Some of you may experience anxiety over your career and will look to being more successful this year. If you find yourself feeling exhausted or mentally tired, visit the doctor. More money is on the way though it may not seem like that right now. Be patient with new ideas and act on them till they come to fruition.

Singles may have to choose between two people – not an easy decision as there is heartbreak involved. Travel for work or pleasure will be successful. If looking for a job change, metaphysical professions will bring more prosperity. Opportunities to make more money will come your way.

Go for a second opinion if your health issue doesn’t get resolved. There could be a misdiagnosis. Pursue your goals with dedicated effort. An old friend could pop up with a new opportunity.

A tough month as problems you didn’t expect pop up. Expect a dilemma within, once you make a decision. Sadness and regret could be experienced over past instances.

A recurring health issue may never get completely cured. Finances are stable but you still worry about them. Change your mindset for more positive results. Something you wanted will come to you. If you have setbacks, focus on things that are working out to your advantage. Celebrate your victories, however miniscule they may be.

NOV 22 - DEC 21

38 JANUARY 2024

DEC 22 - JAN 19

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40 JANUARY JANUARY 2024 2024

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