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
The Gaza effect in liberal democracies
ABY PAWAN LUTHRA
t the start of 2024, we braced for three major elections that would chart the world’s political story over the next 4-5 years.
The Indian election took everyone by surprise, not at the Modi-led BJP winning, but at their lacklustre showing in the polls.
The US election will have us holding our breath for a few months longer.
The UK election was always meant to be a thrashing for the ruling Conservative party. The voting public did not disappoint, and the Conservatives have fallen to one of their worst ever results, losing 250 MPs while holding on to 121 seats, whereas Labour has crossed(the Modi dream of) 400 seats and now hold 412 seats.
What was a surprise in the UK election was the election of five independent pro-Palestinian MPs.
The ‘ceasefire’ candidates called on
the Muslim vote and dissatisfaction with Labour’s stance on Gaza. Polling amongst the 4% Muslim population earlier in the year had indicated that a large cohort were in the favour of a ceasefire, but this was not being reflected in the policies of the mainstream parties. The Labour party has come onto this idea but has not been pushing it strongly. The Muslim vote which only came into being six months ago was able to endorse 150 candidates, some from other parties but all of them locked into the ongoing issues in the Middle East and push to bring about a ceasefire.
With Australia heading into elections in the next 12 months, the Gaza effect could be a major factor in local politics. While the Teals were able to strip seats away from the Coalition at the last elections, the Labor Party came through with 77 seats in a 151 seat Parliament, not the landslide victory they expected. With only a handful of seats keeping him in majority government, Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party have probably watched the unfolding Gaza effect with trepidation. While Labor has traditionally been
seen as the party most likely to garner support from Muslim voters, this time the Muslim vote may well look for another home if the call for ceasefire is not heeded. Not that Australia has much of a sway on the Middle East crisis, but then Australia is reputed to punch above its weight on the international stage: perhaps it needs to glove up now if it believes in the cause.
Senator Fatima Payman and her very public exit from Labor has taken a lot of oxygen away from Labor in this current sitting of the Parliament. It appears the Gaza effect stole their thunder, while they would have preferred instead to be talking about Stage 3 tax cuts and paying off energy bills. Peter Dutton’s attempt at capitalising on this was ill-timed, and drew the ire of the soft-spoken Usman Khawaja. At times, in politics, it is judicious to simply zip it when the other side is splintering. Dutton just had to look at Donald Trump and note his silence on the disastrous debate performance from Joe Biden. The Gaza effect on liberal democracies still has some way to play out.
Attn: City Strategy, City of Parramatta Council, PO Box 32, Parramatta NSW 2124
, PHIVE, 5 Parramatta Square, Parramatta
Olympic Games: Indian Channel
Language: English
Local coverage & shows. Exclusive. Live & On Demand.
YOUR SAY
BARRY O’FARRELL ON ABC REPORT: DAMAGE TO IND-AUS TIES
PAWAN LUTHRA sought out former High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell’s thoughts on the ABC’s Four Corners report ‘Infiltrating Australia.’ Dr. Khimji Vaghjiani wrote: Great, Pawan Luthra, for taking this initiative with Barry O’Farrell AO to put things straight. Very disappointed with the ABC for such poor journalism. Real shame, I thought the ABC had more credibility than this.
Vikas S. wrote: I have watched this report, and as Barry O’Farrell aptly puts it, it is truly disappointing. It felt like personal vendetta was being played out on a public platform. Thank you for covering this story in detail and addressing the biased comments and criticisms presented by the ABC reporter. What happened to quality checks? The bigger issue is the scarcity of reporting on India, and when it does happen, it often seems aimed at maligning the country's image and sowing discord within the community.
Sheba Nandkeolyar wrote: A very honest and genuine feedback provided by Barry O’Farrell. I have appeared on several ABC shows myself but this program had me totally confused. The blatant one-sided trashing was shocking to say the least. It showed lack of Indian culture, lack of understanding of India’s growth story, trashing the hardworking councillors who give up family time for the community, more importantly showing utter lack of respect for the diaspora’s contribution here in Australia.
Venni Venkata Krishna wrote: I watched the Four Corners episode and there is very little in this program to get so annoyed about. I am an old boy of UOW (Ph.D 1987) and currently Professor at UNSW specialising in social history, innovation and development. At end of the day freedom of expression is a fundamental right, unfortunately scuttled and aborted in India in the last few years. I do not support expulsion of journalists from anywhere in the world and at the same time do not find anything wrong with ABC. There must exist space for critical discourse, commentaries, discussions and freedom of expression. Otherwise, how will we know the views, ideologies and perspectives of people and their identities?
Amanthi H wrote: Perhaps Australian media would do well to highlight the systemic injustices and racism faced by Indian Subcontinent people living in Australia, which has nothing to do with ethnic or religious conflict in India itself. Vibhava Tripathi wrote: Congratulations, to the point. I have met Barry O’Farrell during tourism G20 working group last year, his views then and now have not changed a bit. A true friend of India.
Mahesh Enjeti wrote: Good on Barry O’Farrell to put things in perspective and Pawan Luthra for sharing it. This balanced perspective merits exposure in the mainstream media.
Arun Sharma wrote: Great interview and timely. Been disappointed with biased reporting by the ABC lately. Hopefully this interview will not go unnoticed and balanced reporting with better research will start coming out now. Well done, and keep them honest.
ON THE FOUR CORNERS SHOW ‘INFILTRATING INDIA’
While sections of the investigative report provided a comprehensive view of the Modi government, other segments could have benefitted from contextual references, wrote PAWAN LUTHRA.
Amit Gupta wrote: Definitely a much more balanced article. Thanks for articulating this so well.
Ginz Singh Sidhu wrote: The Sikhs in Punjab don’t want a Khalistan. The fake Sikhs sitting abroad are maligning the Sikh image. It’s a political game.
Tracey Holmes wrote: Thanks for the detail, Pawan. A good read.
Dipen Rughani wrote: Balanced article, thank you.
Prakash Barot wrote: As much as ABC News tends to report all the details on one side of the story, it blatantly excludes very important details and contextual facts. Western media needs to look past their own lenses (when they) report on India.
KING’S
BIRTHDAY HONOURS 2024
It was a women-only list from the Indian community, led by Niharika Hiremath, the youngest recipient this year nationally at just 29.
Rajini Vasan wrote: Women have always been at the forefront of meaningful change and innovation, especially in community development. It’s great to finally see acknowledgement and kudos so richly deserved. Deep respect and congratulations to the three winners this year. Well done and well done to Indian Link for shining a spotlight on them.
Jenni Northcott wrote: Niharika Hiremath, congratulations! I'm so thrilled you have been recognised for the incredible human and woman you are. Well done to the person/ people who nominated you.
Sakshi Thakur (herself an honouree) wrote: Jenni Northcott I second this. She is indeed an incredible human and woman and deserves all this plus more.
Jimmy Medhora wrote: Congratulations! Wonderful to see the ladies of our diaspora get the recognition they so richly deserve.
Pawan Luthra wrote: Ladies, you make us proud!
Shantha Viswanathan wrote: Congratulations to Harinder on this great recognition. Her tireless work and efforts in supporting women impacted by domestic violence is commendable.
Mala Mehta wrote: Congratulations Harinder and the other awardees, for your achievements. Fantastic news.
Tarini Puri wrote: Congratulations to all the winners, and a huge kudos to those from the Indian commuity making us all proud with their work.
Anu Shivaram wrote: Hearty congratulations, ladies. The community is proud of your selfless work.
Notes of congratulations also came in from Guru Sidddha Maha Swami, Shambiharidas Benake, Balkrishna Tiwatane, Karishma Singh, Aruna Chandrala, Sunita Ji, PJP Nandi, Alan Maurice, Asha Bhat, Prabhakar Tiwatane, Sharwari Rajurkar, Manjusha Bhakta, Dr Chyrell Bellamy, Suhas Tiwatane, Amaulika R, Rajesh Bibikar, Nitin Rakshe, Sameer Manduskar, Mihir Thakar, Amar Singh, Nadeem Ahmed, Sue Advani, Veena Nair, Sheba Nandkeolyar, Daizy Maan, Jyothsna Rao, Dr Gita Pendharkar, Swati Dave, James Seow, Shereen D'Souza, Sunita Gloster, Hemant Kukde, Malavika Kadwadkar, Swagata Bapat, Juhee Ahmed, Ramesh Kumar, Indu Ponnuswamy, AliO, Vaishali Sambare, Lata Satyen, Venkatesh Krishnashastry, Yash Kolpe, Keiasha Naidoo, Monia Choudhary, Melissa Monteiro, and Suryakant Nagarkar.
WHERE IN INDIA
This site, a UNESCO World Heritage site, took ten years to build, opening to the public in 1887. You’ve probably seen it in innumerable Bolywood movies. Where in India?
Readers Meena Sunder, Rajjev Ramakar Tiwari, Bhanu Kothari, Ranjeeni Dube, Devendra Singh and Trupti Shukla got the right answer: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai.
DON’T TALK BACK
Catch KHUSHEE GUPTA and RENESH KRISHNAN on Indian Link’s new podcast DON’T TALK BACK (YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud). The chatpata chatter is about growing up Indian in Australia, desi parents, Aussie friends, and everything in between.
Elise Hodgson wrote: This looks so amazing, can’t wait to see more!
Ritu Gupta wrote: Haha, this is so funny - love it!
@eshigarg wrote: So honoured to be that “cousin” on Indian Link! @advait_mi wrote: Accurate!
Anmol Malhotra wrote: This looks so cool! Will definitely tune in.
Devna Luthra wrote: New Don’t Talk Back ep was so good!! Congrats Renesh and Khushee, can’t wait to hear more!
Mohit Gupta wrote: All the best, guys. Looking forward to more fun episodes.
Maha Sheikh wrote: What this is crazy! Can’t believe you’re doing something so incredible. I’m going to watch this every Monday.
Seema Garg wrote: When is the next episode out?
Charu Vij wrote: I would like to congratulate the team for such wonderful work. I think this is a great initiative and would get a lot of traction in the focus age group. Can imagine the work that has gone behind the scenes… superb - way to go!
@10.09.2001 wrote: This looks so fun! Glad to see you doing something so cool!!
Rajinder Gupta wrote: So proud of you Khushee and Renesh! Keep up the great work - looking forward to seeing more episodes full of fun chats.
Karan Jindal wrote: So proud of you Khushee! You’ll do great things with this podcast.
Evrim Senler wrote: Wow, look at you go! Congratulations. @hoagies wrote: Khushee you literally had one job… you should’ve crossed your toes!
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE LENS
LAKSHMI GANAPATHY chats with 80-something Melbourne photographer Guruswamy Perumal about how he rode the rush of the shutter.
Rajiv Iyer wrote: This was a well-written portrayal of a very interesting life/character.
Scott Harding wrote: What an amazing life. Really enjoyed your interview with the man who paints with a camera. Thanks for sharing.
Asha Pai wrote: Beautifully penned. What about Perumal's daughter? Did she recover? Such unsung heroes.
Shashi Gupta wrote: This is excellent work done by Lakshmi. She is very talented. I also read her story a few months ago on Charan Dass. Please convey my sincere appreciation to her.
Nalin Sharda wrote: So nice of Lakshmi to write this. My congratulations to her.
Anil Khanna wrote: Mr Guruswamy is NRISA’s official photographer. Our loving interactions with him and his wife have made them inspiring icons.
Justice (Retired) Dr S Radhakrishna wrote: Amazing article. Heartiest congratulations to Lakshmi. She brings out the character of Perumal in a perfect way. From all angles, it is a very touching and moving story. Like Perumal, Lakshmi is highly talented.
Ardeshir Irani wrote: Thanks for an enjoyable read.
Amita Iyer wrote: Very interesting. There was much I did not know about Gurumama. Nicely written.
Pratima Srivastava wrote: Guruswamy’s story is very interesting.
Parminder Jabbal wrote: Beautiful story on a roller coaster type of a life. Guruswamyji’s perseverance and dedication, and willpower to achieve his goal, is still alive in him. Wish you all the best Guruswamyji - never give up your passion. You are a strong willed person.
Sarita Sharma wrote: Such a beautiful article. Excellent work.
Guruswamy Perumal wrote: Lakshmi is a brilliant writer and selected good photos to go.
Lakshmi Ganapathy wrote: I love the little snack size bits you make as reels. Also, scandalous that Renesh doesn't like mithai.
Rachit Gupta wrote: Khushee, you better cross your toes for the upcoming Ind v Pak match!
@gingersnaps9334 wrote: Superstitions chat was hilarious, guys - can't wait to hear more!
Isabella Lanske wrote: This looks mad good! I’d definitely listen to it while driving to work.
Kamakshi Palli wrote: Incredible stuff guys, keep doing what you do! nilanka.abbey wrote: Thoughts on a fan Q&A?? My girlfriend and I watch this religiously, and would love to get involved.
Aanchal Matta wrote: Great work guys, keep it up!
Sandaya Rani wrote: Congratulations to the whole team at Indian Link. We can’t wait to see what is in store for this podcast. Renesh and Khushee are wonderful hosts and we love hearing what they have to say. We might not be as young as them, but we are fascinated by everything they talk about on Don’t Talk Back.
Lucienne Hodgson wrote: THIS IS SO SLAY! Actually genuinely so good, Khushee, you’re so natural on camera like I’m so IMPRESSED, and proud of you! Keep it up girl, you’re killing it!
Aayush Gupta wrote: Yeah that hate on Pat Cummins is so overdone. I agree, he’s a very good captain but once an Indian always an Indian haha… Rohit and Virat on top for sure
Sruth Sajeev wrote: I saw your podcast on Instagram and loved it! You guys are funny.
Deepak Gupta wrote: Good work!
Neena Aggarwal wrote: Wow, very nice. Well done, kids!
Ritu Gupta wrote again: This is hilarious guys… Can’t wait to see more: Yeh Dil Mange More!
@sakshij94 wrote: What an interesting way to describe soanpapdi, “hairy” hahahah.
@elisehodgson wrote: Yeah, you could not pay me to go into lockdown again. @khusheegupta wrote: Renesh keeps saying “oooo” and that takes me out every time
Devika Kumar wrote: So wonderful to see two young people talk so casually! Every episode just gets better and better.
Gaurav Malhotra wrote: I listened to the second episode while driving home from work and I have to say, this is by far one of the most exciting podcasts I’ve seen. As an Indian living in Australia, I find that a lot of the media does not cater to topics relevant to our diaspora, so having a dedicated podcast for Indian-Australians is such a massive achievement! Thanks Indian Link team and of course to the hosts, Renesh and Khushee.
Apurva Tandon wrote: Love your work Renesh and Khushee - your chats are so casual, fun and I relate to it all!
WHERE IN OZ
This site, a reservoir, was a vital source of water in the 19th century. It ceased operations in 1899 and was reborn as a garage, then a petrol station. It is now state heritage-listed. Where in Oz?
Readers Divya Praveen and Howard Jones got the right answer: Paddington Reservoir Gardens, Sydney.
Get the best of Indian Link straight in your inbox. Scan the QR code to sign up to our weekly enewsletter
On ABC’s ‘Infiltrating Australia'
In the interest of balance, a closer look at claims by an ABC Four Corners episode that the ‘long arm of the Indian state’ is over-reaching within Australia
ABY PAWAN LUTHRA
nest of spies. Allegations of government-assisted assassinations. Infiltration of political organisations. Phone threats against individuals. A James Bond plot? No, just Four Corners on ABC.
The 45-minute episode Spies, secrets and threats: How the Modi regime targets people overseas did make for fascinating viewing for all those interested in international politics. Or perhaps James Bond. And yet, just like the screen franchise, it was sadly lacking in detail on several issues, and at times, seemed to follow the tired adage of not letting balance get in the way of a good story.
While sections of the ABC’s investigative report provided a comprehensive view of the Modi government, other segments would have benefitted from additional contextual references, and certain portions can only be described as perplexing.
Let’s look at the various issues covered, in context of balanced reporting.
Religious and media freedom in India
It’s a well-documented fact that India has slipped in the Global Freedom of Press Index under the Modi Government. In 2024, India has ranked 159 out of 180 countries. The world also noticed the wrath of the Modi government against the BBC for its documentary India: The Modi Question and its subsequent banning by invoking emergency laws. Media ownership in India has increasingly narrowed into Modi-vested conglomerates, and large swathes carry the Modi government narrative.
Religious freedoms have also been questioned under the Modi government. During the election campaign of 2024, Narendra Modi himself made what many considered inflammatory speeches against minority groups in India.
Both these issues have often been reported by the international press – but more importantly, 669 million voters have expressed their displeasure with the Prime Minister and his BJP party at the recent elections. By pushing the BJP into a minority government, the Indian public has sent a strong message. How the Modi government
responds in the next five years will be interesting to watch.
For a democracy to work, no leader should escape media scrutiny, and presenter Avani Dias did effectively break the myth of Modi being a leader for all, and a country with a thriving free press, which is promising to see. At the same time, she still deigned to describe India as ‘turning towards an authoritarian regime’, despite the program airing well after the clear show of democracy in motion in the recent general election.
‘Nest of spies’
The Four Corners program built on the sensational Washington Post story from May this year that Australia had expelled a nest of spies. The story stated, quite breathlessly, that Indian spies were seeking to gain access to sensitive defence technology and airport security protocols by targeting former and current politicians as well as a state police service. Most shockingly, the Indian spies were also accused of monitoring the local Indian community.
As questionable and unpleasant as it can seem amongst allies, it’s widely accepted that countries all around the world monitor and verify each other – from those that subscribe to some form of democracy such as the USA and UK all the way to those who don’t such as Russia.
In 1994, CIA agents joined US trade officials to various international locations including London and Geneva to spy on Japanese auto executives and government officials during Japan-US negotiations on automotive trade.
In May 2021, it was revealed that the Danish Defence Intelligence Service helped the NSA spy on European leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2012 to 2014, and other officials from Germany, France, Sweden and Norway.
Yet the allegations of Indian government agents monitoring the diaspora are frightening if they can be properly substantiated, and thus worth following.
John McCarthy AO, former High Commissioner to India (2004-2009) commented on the matter to Indian Link.
“I hadn’t been aware of the degree of activity in the intelligence world from India in Australia, this was relatively new to me. One doesn’t regard the Indian government as the sort of government that behaves in that way towards a friendly country,” he said.
“Of course, all countries have intelligence activities which may or may not be
welcomed by host governments, but it was the extent to which the program suggested parts of the Indian government have been active in the diaspora which surprised me.”
Khalistan
The ABC (Four Corners and Foreign Correspondent program weeks ago) has extensively reported on Sikh separatists fighting to secede from India and form a new country, Khalistan. Both programs gave an extraordinary amount of airtime to the leaders of this group, providing them full opportunity to present their views. They spoke about their passion for Khalistan due to the oppressive policies of the Indian government and the sacrilege of the attack by the Indian army on their holiest site of worship, the Golden Temple, in 1984. What both programs fail to do, is to give context to the background of Khalistan –the storming of the Golden Temple (a holy shrine which had been converted into a fortress of arms by Sikh extremists), the subsequent assassination of PM Gandhi by her own Sikh bodyguards, and the bombing of an Air India flight which killed all 329 on board. Narendra Modi’s BJP was not in power when these events occurred.
Speaking to Indian Link, former Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell observed that most Australians do not understand the history on this issue. “I note Four Corners did not explain why Gandhi “invaded” the Golden Temple, nor did it refer to Pakistan’s support for the movement. Regarding the allegations of Indian government involvement in the assassination of a Canadian citizen connected with the Khalistan movement, neither Canada nor the US prosecutions have made it to court.”
In the interest of balance, the program could have spoken to other members of the Indian community, including other Sikhs, about their thoughts on Khalistan. No group is a monolith, including the Sikh community, and even a cursory straw poll would have revealed large segments of the community who view Khalistan as an extremist position held by a militant minority, and condemn the movement. Had Four Corners attempted to canvass the community at large on their thoughts on Khalistan, some balance on the issue would have resulted.
Overseas Friends of BJP
There was much made of the organisation
Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP) and its strategy to infiltrate local politics – “by first getting elected to local government, then state and ultimately federal parliament.”
Mention was made of Rahul Jethi as a powerbroker in the Hills area in Sydney, and his wife Reena Jethi, Deputy Mayor of the Hills Shire Council. The episode claimed that Rahul lobbied other members of the Council to vote for his wife at the time of local elections.
One is hard-pressed to understand why a husband should not ask others to vote for his wife.
Much also was made of a surge in Indian Australians who have signed up in the Hills electorate at the urging of Jethi, attributing it to branch stacking rather than a simpler hypothesis of civic participation.
Barry O’Farrell remarked on this issue, “I do not support branch stacking but there is a history of migrant communities being involved in both side of politics and to date, this has not adversely affected our democracy.”
John McCarthy AO was equally nonplussed: “I think it is legitimate that a party in one country seek in another country to influence the voting patterns of the diaspora who have the right to vote in that first country.”
Unless there was evidence of Jethi paying for branch admission, this seems to be a nonissue. It’s highly likely many new migrants from India who have seen the economic growth in their country under PM Modi will find greater alignment with the policies of the Coalition here in Australia and will be inclined towards that side of politics.
On the plus side though, the program did pick up on the fact that OFBJP is not registered as a foreign agent in Australia. In the US, the organisation is declared as one, and therefore must disclose all its political activities. Perhaps it is time the OFBJP did this in Australia too?
Conclusion
The Four Corners report has had the Indian community, here as well as back home, scratching their heads.
The ABC has a sterling reputation for balanced reporting – in the 1970s, it was the touchpoint for Australia’s role in the Vietnam war, and more recently, has exposed shocking war crimes committed by the SAS in Afghanistan.
But this episode played out less like Australia’s premier investigative documentary series, and more like a James Bond film, contorting decontextualised information in the pursuit of a coarsely drawn villain.
Journalists Avani Dias and Meghna Bali discuss press passes…. (Source: Youtube) … and investigate branch stacking claims. (Source: Youtube)
Potential damage to Ind-Aus ties’
Former High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell on the ABC’s Four Corners report ‘Infiltrating Australia: India’s Secret War’
BBY PAWAN LUTHRA
arry O’Farrell, what are your thoughts on the recent Four Corners report ‘Infiltrating India’?
The ABC’s charter is that it should be fair and objective, and for its journalists to uphold those standards. The concern I have is potential damage to the AustraliaIndia relationship through such a program.
The report was disappointing, because it seemed essentially like it was a conga line of criticisms without an attempt to enable viewers to decide on the issues presented – be it communalism, Khalistan or the Canadian and American allegations.
The criticism within the program is that Australia turns a blind eye because it’s obsessed with economic opportunities in India. Pawan, during my time in India, we had visits from both sides of politics – the Morrison government and the Albanese government – and I can tell you that the discussions that were held were frank and direct, and the relationship is strong enough to have those frank and direct discussions.
Australia clearly has a different view to Canada, which prefers to use megaphones to communicate with India, and we all know that that doesn’t work. Australia continues to bring its values to its engagements with India. When Indian official visitors come to Australia, we expose them to the multicultural, multi-faith, prosperous and peaceful Australia. So, it is disappointing. I don’t know what happened in Canada. I don’t know what happened in the United States. But what I do know is that all of us, including India, Australia, Canada and the United States, operate on the basis of a court system that enables evidence to be presented and decisions to be made. And almost a year on from the allegations first made by Prime Minister Trudeau, we’ve seen no court action in Canada, [and] to the best of my knowledge, we’ve seen no court action in the United States.
I was frustrated by the program because it was damaging to both Congress and BJP. The brief mention of Indira Gandhi’s actions in Operation Blue Star ignored the fact that a religious place of worship was being used to store Chinese ammunition and bombs. Something like 3,000 people died around that time from this Khalistani movement. I just don’t think that anybody who watched the program could make a decision on any of those things because there was only one side presented. Pawan, I think the other thing which has been unhelpful[ly represented] – I picked this up early when I was in politics – is that people who come from India, where democracy is vibrant (as demonstrated again in this month’s Indian election) would bring that enthusiasm to Australia, join political parties, stand for Parliament and engage. To suggest that the reasons Indians are getting involved in Australian politics are for self-advancement or to influence the Australian government’s relation with India is a complete
slur against citizens who are entrepreneurial and peaceful… and who increasingly we find ending up in our parliaments. It’s just disappointing that the presentation was not explaining why Indian-Australians may want to be involved in politics but simply that they were part of a [branch] stack.
Now I’ve been out of politics for a long time. I have no first-hand knowledge of those things. But I do know that whether you’re a Labor member elected to the Federal Parliament [or] the National Party member elected to the NSW State Parliament, you’re there to help your community, you’re there to serve your electorate and if you don’t do that, you don’t last very long.
Barry, this seems to be a follow-on from an earlier Foreign Correspondent report when the presenter was asked to leave India. Did you feel that there were personal issues involved, rather than it being an unbiased report?
I don’t think any reasonable person could think otherwise.
That’s a pity; I think the reporter could have presented a program that provided more balance and made the same points that she made and come out of it with the impartiality that the ABC says they want their reporters to have.
I’m not one of those from my side of politics who has ever engaged in criticism or bashing of the ABC; I grew up in Northern Australia, and the ABC was incredibly important to me, informing me about sport and about the world, and I’ve always been a strong supporter of it.
That’s why I say I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed. The same program [could have been] done differently, in a way that informed and presented the facts on both sides.
What did you think about the issue of spies monitoring the local diaspora?
We all saw the head of the intelligence service [Mike Burgess] make that statement, but he didn’t provide any context or any background. We don’t know who it was or
what it was about.
There’s no doubt it’s a disturbing issue, but I’m not the first one to say when these things are announced, they should be put in some sort of context.
If you just [say] there was an incident, it doesn’t explain the depth of its seriousness. Ultimately those things will be resolved, but it was a surprise to me.
And the issue about the links to RSS and HSS and the training with the lathis –was that taken a bit out of context?
I met with the RSS hierarchy twice, as many ambassadors do in India, and the discussions with them were around economic policy, reforms, and India’s engagement with the world, and it’s clear the RSS has shifted positions over the decades as any organisation does.
I read the paper today, Pawan, and there’s a report that the British Conservative Party, who have an organisation in Australia as they have in other countries, are rallying English migrants to vote in the election to support [them]. The [Australian] Liberal Party, the [Australian] Labor Party do likewise in places like Europe, UK, the Americas, and the American political parties have presences in Australia – it’s all about their [members’] commitment to their party.
I don’t think there’s anything nefarious about having a ‘Friends of BJP’ or ‘Friends of Congress’ in Australia; the divide that exists in any democracy between political parties is brought to Australia [too]. I meet many Indians who are strong Congress supporters. I meet many Indians who are strong BJP supporters, and I meet those that support regional parties – given the state of the last election, they all seem a bit happier than they were previously.
I don’t think it’s nefarious, and yet it was presented as though it was nefarious.
I’ve had no association with RSS organisations here… I do know that one of the things that has been part of the RSS mantra is personal development and making people personally disciplined. I’ve
had ministers like Gadkari and others talk to me about that, but I have no knowledge of that really.
Any other comments, Barry?
There’s too little reporting on India in Australia, so when I see this sort of item, it is disappointing. There’s also been very little media follow up to this Four Corners program; when Four Corners has hit a rich vein, it’s [usually] followed up by commercial TV, by newspapers and the like – I haven’t seen much about the program since it aired.
To me, it’s a sign that those who did watch it either recognise the fact it was not a balanced piece, or people didn’t watch it.
I’ve got no idea what the ratings were.
That’s interesting - gives me a lot to think about.
No democracy is perfect. No democracy doesn’t have negatives. For 20 years we ran an offshore detention centre and illegal migrant policy that was criticised around the world, [but it] didn’t stop a democratically elected government doing what it thought was in the best interests of Australia.
The [latest Indian] election again showed that democracy is alive and well. My view is the fact the BJP now has a coalition alliance will be good for its future operations, because as we’ve seen in this country, when the Senate is not controlled by [one] political party, it knocks the hard edges off policies.
I kept a close eye on the 2022 Karnataka elections, [during] which BJP were in power, as we were opening a consulate down there, and the usual tactics which we all despair about were deployed and failed. It’s too soon to analyse, but there’s a suggestion out of the federal campaign that these tactics again didn’t deliver the results expected. There’s nothing that’s more likely to see the demise of those tactics than the fact that they’re no longer effective.
That’s a good thing and I think it reflects again the changing nature of India. The more educated, the more upwardly mobile, the more entrepreneurial and job-focussed India [becomes], [the more] these troubling things from the past start to fade.
At least that’s my hope.
I also want to add that it’s all very well to bring Australian values to our dealings with India, but we should also have our eyes wide open and not simply view things from the perspective of how they operate in Australia.
For instance, I genuinely do not believe that Australia understands what having a land border with a country is like. The land border with China and India is the equivalent of the tip of Cape York to Tasmania. It’s a bloody long border.
Equally, we have never been touched within our country by extremism or terrorism, and India, regrettably has been. India has a clear lower threshold than we do in Australia when it comes to giving groups the benefit of the doubt, based on this experience. To try and conflate both is not informing people.
The Four Corners program ‘Infiltrating Australia: India’s Secret War’ can be seen on ABC iview.
High Commissioners Barry O’Farrell and Manpreet Vohra watched on by Prime Ministers Modi and Albanese (May 2023)
India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign ended a 17-year drought after India’s surprise win in the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007. Hindsight tells us that the 2007 edition was as momentous an event in cricket history as any other; it kick-started the IPL and the still-burgeoning franchise cricket phenomenon. The 2024 tournament may not have the same revolutionary impact, but it has still sparked a religious fervour that has followed the Indian team from the US, to the Caribbean, all the way to a parade on Marine Drive in Mumbai, in front of 300,000 exultant fans.
The veritable pilgrimage was yet another stark reminder of the 12th player that perennially accompanies the Indian national team onto the field: a guaranteed parochial “home” crowd, no matter the venue. Though cricket is perhaps one of the few sports where a “home advantage” doesn’t merely mean a supportive crowd, it’s obvious the sea of blue that washes over India games plays an enormous role, particularly in ICC tournaments where most teams play on neutral territory.
Spare a thought too, for those who may not have been celebrating with quite so much enthusiasm. For each time cricket takes (even more) centre stage in India, so too do other sports slump in collective disappointment. Not for a lack of patriotism, of course, but from a singular, all too familiar thought: when will they celebrate me?
To those in India who follow multiple sports, the dichotomy is painfully obvious: that India may have a cricket culture, but it doesn’t have a sports culture. It’s a peculiar state of affairs for a nation that participates in a relatively wide array of sports, albeit with varying degrees of success.
Amongst the cautious detractors is former world number one in badminton, Saina Nehwal, one of relatively few household names amongst “other” Indian sports. “Sometimes, we feel so bad cricket gets that kind of attention, because if you see badminton, basketball, tennis and the other sports are so tough physically. You don’t even have time to pick up the shuttle and serve, and a game like cricket gets that kind of attention where I think personally, skill is more important than stamina or agility,” says Nehwal. Nehwal admits that she, too, loves cricket. But as she notes, “you have to give that kind of attention to other sports so that India can become a sporting nation and compete with China for 60 Olympic medals.”
With the BCCI announcing an astonishing AUD$22 million bonus prize money for the victorious Indian squad, it’s little surprise that, as Nehwal laments, aspiring athletes in India overwhelmingly favour cricket over other sports. In fact, a single IPL contract could easily earn an Indian cricketer – male or female – more than they would in an entire career playing another sport at a national level.
With the Paris 2024 Olympics Games due to commence later this month, Indian Olympians will be breathing a sigh ofrelief. That’s because by then, the dust will have mostly settled on the T20 World Cup, and India’s athletes will be able to revel in the occasional limelight that is rationed to them.
But whether the limelight lasts long enough to make a difference is the real question. After all, the Tokyo 2020 Games unearthed gold-medallist javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra, with medals also in weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, boxing and field hockey. Which of the other six medallists can you recall?
Ritam Mitra
Cricket’s supremacy laid bare, again
India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign may be great for cricket, but casts an ever-longer shadow over other Indian sports.
Photo: Pallav Paliwal
Saina Nehwal
Neeraj Chopra
Legacy, almost a dynasty
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja leave behind a huge legacy
IBY RITAM MITRA
t’s a well-known quirk of cricket’s incredible popularity in India that its best players are revered as legitimately religious figures.
While all Indian cricketers are, by default, galácticos, the best are regarded as higher beings altogether. It’s why the simultaneous retirement – from T20 internationals – of alltime greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is so momentous. In fact, the duo – and to some extent fellow retiree Ravindra Jadeja – leave behind a legacy that came close to being a dynasty.
The statistics tell much of the story, but not all of it. Sharma and Kohli retire as the two leading run-scorers in the format, and to date, no one has hit more sixes than Sharma in T20 internationals. It’s easy to forget that Sharma played a starring role in the inaugural World T20 in South Africa seventeen years ago, in a team that also featured long-retired names such as Ajit Agarkar, S Sreesanth and grand final hero Joginder Sharma, who now works as a policeman in Haryana.
Some of Kohli’s most memorable performances – in any format – have come in T20 internationals. Indeed, arguably the best shot in modern cricket history came off Kohli’s bat during the 2022 World Cup, with his straight six off Pakistan’s Haris Rauf being perhaps the most replayed cricket shot of all time.
Sharma too, will be remembered for playing scintillating hands in both of India’s successful T20 World Cup campaigns, including matchwinning knocks against vastly different South African outfits in both tournaments.
In the nearly two decades that passed since the inaugural edition, India has come close to lifting the trophy again several times without success, until the latest edition. Runners up in 2014, semi-finalists in 2016 and 2022 – and on each occasion, as favourites to win the title – there’s a sense that, had those opportunities been taken, Sharma and Kohli could have led a veritable dynasty during their careers, matching those of the great Australian sides, including the incumbents led by Pat Cummins.
Of course, it’s not only the Indian public that worships sporting demi-gods like Sharma and Kohli. It’s a staple feature of the cricket-mad subcontinent, with the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi similarly revered in Pakistan.
It’s no wonder administrators are scrambling to lock in more of the fanfare. Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley recently revealed his desire to see Australia host a tri-series featuring India and Pakistan, given the two subcontinent sides have suspended all bilateral ties outside of ICC and Asia Cup tournaments. “If we can play a role in helping and facilitating the India vs Pakistan bilateral series, we would be more than happy to do so,”said Hockley in a recent press conference.
It wouldn’t be the first time Australia has played host to the arch-rivals, given limitedovers tri-series were formerly a staple of the Australian summer. Pakistan and India faced offagainst Australia in the 1999/00 Carlton and United tri-series, a series in which an Indian side featuring Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid won a solitary ODI game.
Those names have remained etched in cricketing folklore, and even on their achievements in the shortest format alone, so too will Sharma and Kohli’s.
“This is exploiting young people.”
Australia doubles student visa fee for international students
IBY VIVEK ASRI
n a move that has sent shockwaves through the international education community, the Australian government has more than doubled the cost of student visa fees for international students. As of July 1, the fee has risen dramatically from $710 to $1,600, a decision that has sparked fierce criticism and concerns over the future of Australia’s lucrative education sector.
The government has framed the fee increase as a necessary step to generate additional revenue for educational initiatives. These initiatives include reducing graduate debt, providing financial support for apprentices, and implementing a comprehensive migration strategy.
Minister for Education Jason Clare stated, “International education is an incredibly important national asset and we need to ensure its integrity and quality.”
After the pandemic, the previous Morrison government had introduced measures to encourage the return of international students, such as longer visas and expanded work rights. However, these policies have since been reversed. Visa grant rates are now at record lows, with the government rejecting more international student applications than ever before. This trend is particularly pronounced in the vocational education and training sector, which has been scrutinised for hosting
"dodgy" providers or "ghost colleges" that enrol students primarily interested in working rather than studying.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil defended the fee increase as part of the government's effort to manage net migration, which reached a record 528,000 people in 2022-2023 following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. O'Neil asserted that the changes aim to create a “fairer, smaller” migration system that better serves Australia's interests.
The view of student reps and industry leaders
However, student representatives and industry leaders are sounding alarms about the potential repercussions. Yeganeh Soltanpour, National President of the Council of International Students Australia (CISA), denounced the fee hike, pointing out the added financial burden it places on international students, many of whom already face high deposit costs. “The possibility of spending all that money only to face rejection is quite disheartening for many students,” Soltanpour said in a media statement.
The visa fee hike places Australia at a significant disadvantage compared to its international education competitors. For instance, student visa fees in the United States are approximately USD $185 (AUD $277), in Canada CAD $150 (AUD $164), in the United Kingdom GBP £490 (AUD $932), and in New Zealand NZD $375 (AUD $343). This stark disparity has raised concerns that Australia may lose its appeal as a top destination for international students.
significant revenue drops, as the sector heavily relies on international student fees.
Economic and social commentary
On the other side of the debate are commentators like Sydney-based IT entrepreneur Sriraman Annaswamy, who wrote on Indian Link’s Linked page, “I feel that the education sector needs to take responsibility for the crises of higher interest rates and pressures on housing. The flip side to this is that nearly one million migrants especially international students have entered the country in the last two years alone, placing enormous pressure on the housing markets especially in cities like Perth and Sydney and ultimately, through to inflation and interest rates. The universities have been milking the cow that's international education whilst the rest of society, especially mortgage holders, have been paying the huge price in the form of "higher for longer" interest rates. This is just a tiny step in getting them to pay a very small portion of the cost they are placing on the rest of us and indeed, does not go far enough. Far more stringent measures are needed, at least till inflation is in the RBA's 2% to 3% band for at least 2 to 3 years.”
Concerns from prospective international students
Questions are already being asked by prospective students who may be looking to come to Australia.
CEO of International Education Association of Australia (IEAA), Phil Honeywood criticised the move saying this is exploiting young people.
“I can’t believe that, coming on top of the recent policy impacts on our sector, the Govt have today decided to increase nonrefundable student visa fees from AUD $710 to $1600! This will make Australia more than double the cost of other countries. This is exploiting young people,” Mr Honeywood posted on social media site X.
The university sector, a key stakeholder in Australia’s education industry, has reacted with dismay. The Group of Eight, which represents Australia's leading research universities, including the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, criticised the fee hike as a “blatant revenueraising move” and warned of its damaging impact on the $48 billion sector. The nonrefundable nature of the $1,600 fee could deter genuine applicants, particularly from developing countries, thereby reducing the cultural diversity that enriches Australian campuses.
The increase builds on a series of recent policy changes that have made studying in Australia more challenging for international students. These include stricter English language requirements and higher savings thresholds.
Additionally, the government is considering capping the number of international students overall, further heightening concerns among educational institutions about potential financial losses.
Universities Australia has expressed anxiety that these changes could lead to
Akshit Patel from Vadodara Gujarat is a student looking forward to higher education in Australia. “I am genuine and I firmly believe that I'll get my visa without any problems,” he wrote on Indian Link’s LinkedIn page. “Still, I am concerned. Not about the amount itself… and the newly established roadblocks (which should turn a good amount of students away from Australia), but about how attitudes towards 'prospective students' are changing and the consequences (thereof). All these shockers on prospective students when the cause of the problem is blamed on 'current students' sounds kind of unfair to me as a prospective student. (I wonder) how international students are likely to be treated by Australia in coming years. Are we 'livestock', 'scapegoat', or a 'resource' capable of pivoting several sectors of Australia?”
Akshit’s decision to come to Australia, he wrote, is fueled by a desire to pursue more in IT, have a better university experience and to do some of the collaborative activities and networking. “I am firm on staying in catered accommodation, thereby not contributing to the housing crisis. Naturally, I will need to do some parttime jobs to gather some funds to spend on acquiring technical certifications in IT despite having a good funding from loan + family support.”
However, amidst the changes and the changing attitudes, he admits he is “reconsidering the plan for Australia.”
With around 440,000 international students applying for visas between July 2023 and May 2024, the demand for Australian education remains high. However, as the government tightens its migration policies and increases financial barriers, the future of Australia’s international education sector hangs in the balance. The ripple effects of this decision could reshape the landscape of one of Australia’s most vital industries.
Photo: Canva
DEFYING STEREOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH DISABILITY
Nidhi Shekaran has defied the expectations and stereotypes that come with having a disability. Living with cerebral palsy and a vision impairment, Nidhi was always told that she would find it difficult to succeed in life.
“Often in the Indian community, if someone has a child born with disability, then people start telling them that now their daughter or son can not do anything now. My parents were told the same. People used to tell them that I will never be able to walk. I will not be able to read and write and I will not be able to work.”
Now, Nidhi is the Chairperson on the City of Sydney’s Inclusion (Disability) Advisory Panel and was a finalist for the NSW Volunteer of the year awards in 2017.
She has dedicated her life to being an agent of advocacy and education within the disability and multicultural sectors.
Nidhi shared her story in an interview for the Speak My Language (Disability) program, a national initiative led by the Ethnic Communities’ Council of NSW to share stories and advice about living well with a disability.
Born in India, Nidhi’s lived experience as a person with disability from a diverse cultural background inspired her to become an advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse people. Nidhi’s family first migrated to New Zealand, and later moved to Australia when she was a teenager. Due to her
disabilities, Nidhi was told she would not be able to achieve her education goals but went on to graduate university despite this.
By drawing on her bilingual skills and passion for advocacy, Nidhi has transformed attitudes and removed barriers within contemporary multicultural Australia. Nidhi
has worked and volunteered for the Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association since 2005 and has served seven other organisations in the disability sector.
In her interview, Nidhi states that her family was a key part of her resilience and success in life. “My parents did not
differentiate between me and my siblings. I was given as much freedom, love, and respect as was given to them, and I was given the same opportunity as was given to my siblings.”
Nidhi’s positive attitude has led her to take advantage of every support service and opportunity available to her.
“I do not have the word 'no' in my dictionary. I have completed a Diploma. I volunteered for 10 years and I have a good job. I also work in the Department of Disabled Services. I am associated with six to seven different organisations. In 2000, I was selected for the New South Wales Volunteer of the Year Award.”
Speak My Language (Disability) is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Social Services. The program is being led by the Ethnic Communities Council of New South Wales and is proudly delivered via an historic partnership between all State and Territory Ethnic and Multicultural Communities' Councils across Australia.
There are more than 45 Hindi interviews that share information and advice about living with a disability.
Stories like Nidhi’s have helped shift attitudes towards disability, and connect listeners with services and resources that support their participation in all aspects of life. You can listen to Nidhi’s full story for free online at www.speakmylanguage.com.au.
“Migration is essential to Australia’s economy”
PAWAN LUTHRA sits down with ANDREW CHARLTON, Federal Member for Parramatta and Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of India.
First up, Andrew, did the results of the recent Indian election surprise you?
They did. The exit polls had given a very strong suggestion that the BJP would be returned with a big majority, and I think lots of the indicators before then had suggested that as well. So to have a different result was quite a surprise. I always think that exit polls can't be trusted, but certainly the end result was, I think, different to a lot of people's expectations.
Anthony Albanese referred to Narendra Modi as the boss, as you may recall. Was this an over-exuberance by your own boss? Good question. Look, I think that in that forum, you could not help but be taken by the electric atmosphere. There we were in Qudos Stadium in May last year, right here in Sydney, 20,000 people, incredibly excited to see Prime Minister Modi. The atmosphere was absolutely electric, and I think Prime Minister Albanese's simple point was this is a rock star reception that Modi received and I think that's a very true statement. Put it this way, not many Australian politicians get that kind of reception in big groups.
A recent Lowy Institute poll looked at the Australian attitudes to immigration. Results showed that about half of Australians think the total number of migrants coming here is too high (about 48%), while the other half say it's either about right (40%), or too low (about 10 %). You're an economist turned politician. What are your thoughts on migration and economic growth of a country? My thoughts are that migration is absolutely
central to Australia's economic growth. If you look back over the last 30 years, with the exception of COVID, Australia did not have a single economic recession for thirty years. We were the only country in the world that didn't have a recession for thirty years. The only country in modern history that went that far. The main reason for that, and there are many reasons, but the main reason is the high level of migration we've had. That just continues to grow Australia's economy as it grows our population. I think that migration is a good thing for Australia. It's essential to our economic growth, but that migration has to be managed carefully. We have to maintain a good level of migration, but keep it smooth rather than spiky. When we have massive spikes in migration, periods where we get a lot more migrants than normal, our infrastructure can't keep up, our housing infrastructure can't keep up, our transport infrastructure can't keep up. The problem in the last five years is that migration has been very spikyvery low migration during COVID.
But Andrew, the migrants have all been absorbed. Unemployment in this country is extremely low, as you know, about 3.4%. On the other hand, the latest GDP figures which have come out in the last quarter is 0.1%, so literally zero and moving towards negative. Yet we have the Opposition leader Peter Dutton dogwhistling to his followers. Your party has followed suit. Is this debate not leading to demonising migrants, a substantial number who live in your constituency? Absolutely not. I agree with you that the Liberal Party has really tried to blame migrants for economic problems. I think
of Australia's economic story, and they will continue to be so. But we have to make sure that that migration path is smooth, that we build the infrastructure, the houses, the transport to make sure that that migration works for the whole of Australia and works for those migrants as well.
Let me get you back in your economist hat and your expertise - perhaps you can educate us. With less migrants coming in, do you think it will lead to wage push inflation?
migrants are the source of many of our economic benefits, not problems. The Labor Party has traditionally, and today, agreed with that. But we are managing a real spike. I do think that you're right that those migrants were absorbed in the labour market and our unemployment has remained pretty strong. But if you look at the housing market, those areas that are particularly affected by migration, particularly rental properties, the price of rental properties in Australia has gone up by 20, 30%.
But is it not the government policies of short-term rental and other things which are making an impact? Those have not been handled. Rather, it's been an attack on the migrants coming in. Look, the issue you talk about is very important. Things like short shortterm rentals, houses being allowed to be maintained vacant, incentives that encourage particularly older Australians to stay in large homes after their kids have moved out, all of this makes the problem worse. There's no question about that. But that is in total a relatively small part of the overall housing stock. The biggest problem that we have has been a lack of growth in supply of housing, and the government is working hard on that, but that is not a ship that you turn around overnight. And accentuating that has been a very unusual spike in migration. And I don't blame the migrants for that at all. That is the fault of COVID and the settings after COVID. So to summarise, I think that migrants are absolutely essential to Australia's economy. They're absolutely essential to our skills shortage. They have always been a big part
Look, I am very nervous about the decline in migration and the impact on our economy. I live in Parramatta where we have a very large international education sector. Lots of universities and colleges, a really significant part of the population in Parramatta, is those international students and the organisations that support them. Now, if we reduce those international students by a lot, it is going to create a lot of problems in Parramatta. Problem number one, many of the shops and businesses in Parramatta employ those international students. They need them. They need those students in their labour force. If they're not there, yes, wages go up, businesses will struggle. Secondly, those international students inject a lot of money into the economy. They are out there buying things, renting homes, purchasing things. Thirdly, they contribute a lot of tourism to Australia. Every international student gets two, three, four visitors during the time that they're in Australia, and that is extremely positive for us. So if we go too hard, like Peter Dutton wants to do in slamming down migration, places like Parramatta will really suffer. That's why it needs to be smooth, and we make sure that we manage it very carefully.
Staying local, Little India seems to have many fathers. We have the Little India Harris Park Business Association, Little India Australia. Too many? Look, I'll be honest with you. I think all those organisations have done a fantastic job elevating Little India. I think that for the next stage of Little India's development, it would be great if everybody came together. And if we do, it'll be really positive for Little India. It will enable us to put Little India on the map. And my vision for Little India is that it becomes as famous a destination for the South as Brick Lane in London, as Little India in Singapore, as the Golden Mile in Leicester. To do that, I think we need to have one group of people who are applying for grants, doing media, promoting the culture, and working together with the businesses. I pay credit to all of the businesses and all the business associations in Little India, but I think the more we can come together to promote that area, the better.
Andrew, thank you for joining us on Indian Link.
Such a pleasure. Can I say that I wish this interview every success, but I hope it doesn't go as viral as our last interview.
“I wanted to show my cultural context”
Jasnoor Kaur’s dad is her muse for her Young Archie portrait
In a remarkable display of young talent, Jasnoor Kaur has been named a finalist in the prestigious Young Archie competition by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This competition showcases the artistic prowess of young minds, and Jasnoor’s painting, inspired by her father, stands out for its emotional depth and vibrant execution.
Inspired by the renowned Archibald Prize, the Young Archie prize is aimed at encouraging children towards portraiture.
Awards are given across different year categories for the best portrait of a person, which must depict someone personally known to the student, ensuring a genuine and intimate connection in the artwork.
When Jasnoor Kaur, 14, revealed to her father that he was the inspiration behind her artwork, his reaction was nothing short of heartwarming. “He was so happy,” she shares with a smile. “And mum agreed with me, she wasn’t offended at all.”
The painting, predominantly blue, was
designed to evoke a sense of peace and reflection. “I wanted it to have a peaceful mood, so when you look at it, you think of your own dads,” Jasnoor explains.
Choosing blue was no accident for Jasnoor. “It’s my favourite colour, and I find it very peaceful,” she reveals. This choice added a layer of calmness to the piece, aligning perfectly with the tranquil message she aimed to convey.
Her meticulous use of coloured pencils brought this vision to life, especially
considering the challenges she faced.
“The hair was the hardest part because there was a lot to do,” she admits, reflecting on the three weeks she dedicated to this project, working an hour each day.
The Year 8 student at Hurlstone Agriculture High School in Sydney feels that her work is much more than a tribute to her father, it’s a window into her cultural and personal experiences. “The turban and shawl my dad was wearing came from our personal and cultural context, which I also wanted to show,” she explains. Her solitary work environment, her room, provided the perfect setting for introspection and creativity.
Jasnoor’s journey in art began so early that she doesn’t even remember when she started. Transitioning from cartoons, which she felt she wasn’t good at, to realism, she has found her true calling. Influenced by movies and animations, Jasnoor’s love for hyper-realistic art and nature photography continues to shape her style. “I don’t really have a specific person I look up to, but I get easily impressed by anyone who can draw hyper-realistic things,” she says, admiring the skill involved.
With a possible future in animation, Jasnoor’s artistic journey is just beginning. She is already gearing up for her next challenge – another competition, Fishers Kids by Campbelltown Art Centre. Her excitement is palpable as she talks about the potential projects and themes she
hopes to explore.
Having her work displayed in the Young Archie competition is a dream come true for Jasnoor. “I’m really excited and I would love to take my friends and family to see it,” she says enthusiastically. Her hope for viewers is simple yet profound: “I want them to feel comforted because I found that people usually find their dads comforting as a source of protection, just like me.”
As Jasnoor continues to hone her craft, she carries with her not only the support of her proud parents but also the inspiration and warmth that comes from her closeknit family. And who knows? With such talent and dedication, the world might soon see her name in the credits of an animated feature or gracing the walls of more prestigious galleries. For now, Jasnoor Kaur’s painting remains a beautiful testament to the bond between a father and daughter, captured through the eyes of a young artist with a promising future. Khushee Gupta
Hyperrealism: Jasnoor’s kind of art
“The most important people in the family”
Viraj Tandon’s handmade gift to grandparents now hangs at the Art Gallery of NSW
When Sydney-based artist
Margaret Ackland got to know that 12-year-old Viraj Tandon is a 2024 Young Archie finalist, she messaged him, “That’s amazing, although I am not surprised.” Ackland has known Viraj for some time, and has occasionally mentored the budding artist.
Young Archie, a portrait competition for children, runs concurrently with the Archibald Prize, Australia’s most renowned portrait competition, at the Art Gallery of NSW.
Having been a finalist once before, for the 2024 Young Archies, Viraj picked his grandparents as subjects.
“Nanu and Nani are the most important people in the family,” the young artist explained when asked about his choice.
Quite differently from his last portrait which was filled with colour, his work
this year is a sketch, created with pen and pencil, and light highlights.
“It was a gift I made for my grandparents for their 60th wedding anniversary last year,” Viraj described. “It was made out of a photograph of them from a family holiday, when we all went to Port Stephens. Nani usually is always smiling, but in this portrait she looked angry, or sad. So I changed her expression.”
The portrait took pride of place at his grandparents’ gala wedding anniversary celebration with friends and family.
“Many people came to me to say they loved it,” Viraj beamed.
Later the portrait found a prominent spot at his grandparents’ home.
When the Young Archie came by, Viraj’s dad Rohit Tandon knew this was the one to submit.
“We borrowed it from Nanu and
Nani,” he laughed, adding, “When I first saw the sketch I remember being quite amazed. I’m not overplaying it as a parent, but it’s remarkable in its detail and expressions. I was actually quite optimistic about it being shortlisted.”
Viraj now has a treasured collection of portraits of all family members, including extended family who live in India.
A Year 7 student at Sydney Grammar School, Viraj explained he has moved away from acrylics and Indian mythology, his favourites for some time.
“I’m enjoying realism and pencil sketching,” he said with a maturity beyond his age. “I work with fineline pens. I’ve done a series on the landmarks of Sydney –QVB, HB, Cahill Expressway, Kirribilli.”
His dad chimed in, “Check out his Cahill Expressway – it’s his most detailed piece, a 180-degree view, covering Circular Quay,
Art Gallery of NSW, Harbour Bridge, Luna Park and Opera House.”
Viraj has clearly been busy with his art since his last Young Archie in 2021, honing and polishing his gift – even becoming a surprise winner at the Wollahara Art Contest last year.
“There were over 90 entries, mostly all of them adults, some even professional artists,” Mum Mandeep described.
“Judging was blind, and when they called his name out, they couldn’t believe an 11-year-old rocked up to collect!”
Meanwhile his prowess at art is wellrecognised at Viraj’s school.
Mandeep revealed, “As a Year 6 student last year at the Edgecliff campus, he had made a sketch of his school facade, which the headmaster loved. It became the front cover of the invite for end-of-year dinner. When the College St principal saw it, he said make us one too!”
Amongst the artists Viraj lists as influences, are Australian artist Ken Done, from who he has received a personal message too.
“I love his colours and techniques,” Viraj said. “I also follow Vincent Namatjira. Among Indian masters I like Manjit Bawa and Husain.”
But it is Margaret Ackland who holds a special place in his heart, and not just for the encouraging comments she drops on his Instagram page. (Viraj was thrilled to learn she herself is at this year’s Archibald – painted by artist Kean Onn Sea.)
“She invited me to her studio at Alexandria, spending an hour explaining techniques for sketching, shading, brush strokes, and water colours.”
Perhaps he might pick her as his subject for next year’s Young Archie.
Rajni Anand Luthra
Viraj’s grandparents Dr and Mrs Aulakh Viraj
Mentor: At Margaret Ackland’s studio Cahill Expressway
TBY LAKSHMI GANAPATHY
he year is 1994, and Aishwarya Rai has just won Miss World. Every press outlet in the country amasses at Delhi’s Taj Palace, eagerly waiting to clap eyes on the 21-year-old.
Amongst them is a prudent Guruswamy Perumal. He’s a long way away from his childhood in rural Tenkasi, rubbing shoulders now with politicians, film stars and even bandit leaders…
Most people would kill to be so close to such VIPs even once, but for Perumal, it’s just another day in his extraordinary photography career.
The woman of the hour enters – and despite being a seasoned photographer, Perumal can’t resist being bowled over!
“I saw her, this beautiful lady, and thought, my god, wherever she is looking is a beautiful angle [for her face]. I took her photo from 55 different angles,” Perumal remembers.
Perumal was so enamoured he went home and told his wife Kokila he’d ‘met the most beautiful woman in the world’. She curtly responded, ‘If I had that kind of money for makeup, I’d be the most beautiful woman in the world too’.
Regardless of Kokila’s assessment, it would seem everyone from Malayalam magazines to school children agreed on Aishwarya Rai’s radiance. Perumal sold them hundreds of copies of his photos.
In a career littered with memorable faces and places, this glimpse of a young Aishwarya Rai is Perumal’s most cherished moment, and to this day, those pictures retain pride of place on the coffee table in his East Melbourne flat. ***
Photography has been a constant in Guruswamy Perumal’s life. The first of many photographs in his life was taken when he was just one year old, on his grandmother’s lap in Srivilliputhur, a grainy black and white picture fraying at the edges.
He remembers bringing it with him to Australia as a keepsake when his father passed. Taken in 1939, it reminds him of a simpler time.
The eldest of five brothers, Perumal attended a Tamil medium school in Tenkasi, a quaint backwater in Kerala. Unlike his cricket obsessed peers, Perumal was a curious boy, preferring the company of pen pals and his stamp collection.
His father worked for the local postal department, so a camera was out of the question for their family. It was his wealthy friend Jawarali who introduced the young man to his first camera, an Airesflex.
Photography soon consumed Perumal’s day-to-day. By the time he’d finished school in 1957, he was waking up at 5am to capture fields and coconut trees.
“Nobody had this interest [in photography] – my whole family, friends, nobody. But I got it, I don’t know how. It was a natural, inborn habit,” Perumal says.
Of course, there wasn’t much scope for photography in Tenkasi, so Perumal followed his father into full-time work as a postal assistant. In his free time, he would pore over any photography books he could get his hands on and learn how to develop photos himself.
He recalls the anticipation of waiting for the tiny black and white photos to form.
“[You could take] only 12 very small snaps, and those days when you were taking photos, you could not see the result immediately. Only after seeing the negative and developing in studio could you see if it was correctly taken. It was very difficult, a risky job; nowadays photography is much easier, [the screen] gives everything,” he says.
Eventually, he mustered up the courage to send one of his photographs to a competition - a boy lying on a buffalo, the evening sun setting behind them. Sadly, nothing came of it.
Disappointed, Perumal abandoned competitions, and did an about-face to portrait photography.
Life also changed course for Perumal, and
in 1962, he wed Kokila. It was an arranged marriage, but luckily, she was someone who’d abide his true love, photography.
“I got lucky to get my wife. No complaints – she is happy. Before going to any function, I would take one or two photographs [of her] from different angles, and she liked looking at them. Even on my wedding day I was taking our photos.”
***
In 1971, Guruswamy Perumal joined the army’s postal service, and was posted to Akhnoor during the Indo-Pakistan war. He had always wanted to see north India, even if it meant sleeping in a tent in ‘horrible cold weather’.
Though Perumal never saw conflict like his brothers, he spent plenty of time around the border, frequently flying mail and other supplies to the jawans on the frontline. Of course, imminent danger wasn’t enough to deter him from his favourite pastime. He recalls sneaking his camera onboard helicopter trips to Pallanwala.
“In the account bag, along with the letters, and without the pilot knowing, I just kept the camera, and when we started flying, I clicked from the backside of the helicopter which was open. You had to do it all very quietly,” he says cheekily.
Photography was still a hobby; he had enough to buy his own camera, a Nikon FM, but his various pen friends across the
A life lens through the
Melbourne photographer Guruswamy Perumal has captured countless famous lives. Now here's a look at his own.
globe were the only ones who’d see the fruits of his labour.
But that changed during a posting to Delhi in 1974. Word spread about Perumal’s photography prowess amongst the higher-ranking officers, and he was given permission to document any visits to their unit. For the first time in his life, Perumal was paid to take photos.
He beams as he thinks back on the ‘privilege’ of accompanying Brigadiers and Generals.
“[Once], the Lieutenant General asked me what camera I had…I explained everything, and he was damn happy. He called me and said: ‘you please come visit our house, I also have this camera, we are in the same boat’!” he recounts.
Eventually Perumal found himself doing more photography than postal work. He became known to the higher-ups as the man who ‘paints with the camera’, invited to their homes to take their family portraits.
By the time he left the army in 1989, he’d developed a solid portfolio and confidence to boot. Perumal’s invitations to capture visiting officers turned into appointments with visiting politicians, as he became the official photographer for the Tamil Nadu and Kerala Government in Delhi.
Over his 18-year stint, Perumal accumulated a long list of VIPs, from Tamil film superstar Kamal Haasan to literary super weight R.K Narayan, from Congress party matriarch Sonia Gandhi to bandit queen Phoolan Devi. He rode the rush of the shutter, scrambling for angles and following his impulse to capture rare moments: “I met Mother Teresa at Lee Meridian Hotel in Janpath. She’s 5’3”, very small; she entered the hall with her
face down – I was thinking, how can I take her photograph? So immediately I sat down in front of her and didn’t give her space to move, and she looked up – I caught her divine smile, click, click, click!”
Though constantly in spitting distance of prominent figures, Perumal never gave in to starstruck reverence, always regarding them with the detached professionalism of a true pressman.
Of course, there were some exceptions, like the day he met fellow Tamilian and former President of India Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam: “He asked me how I was in Tamil, and I told him I had read his book [Wings of Fire] and I cried. He called me for a photograph!”
***
In 2008, Guruswamy Perumal and his wife Kokila left everything behind, migrating to Melbourne to support their daughter Meena with her brain cancer diagnosis.
Perumal went from being one of Delhi’s most popular shutterbugs to like a bug on the ground. Being ‘underqualified’ in the eyes of
local employers and ineligible for pension meant they had no income besides the money they’d brought from India or borrowed from friends and family.
“We came with one suitcase only; here we were dependent on my son-in-law, that is not good. I tried to get a job as a photographer and in the post office, the only job I know, but nobody is going to give work to somebody 70 years old. They were not recognising me, so I worked without money. $700 per month –two, three years I suffered like that,” he says.
On weekends, Perumal photographed
Indian community functions for various organisations and newspapers. Finally, through word-of-mouth he found a job at the Consulate General’s office, which saw him through the acclimation.
These days, Perumal is approaching ninety, his tired hands struggling to hold a camera steady for long periods of time like he once did. But old age hasn’t smothered his eye for a good shot.
‘‘The heart is in [it], I’m thinking I want to take [photos], but the body is not helping me,’’ he says ruefully.
The slowing down of life has brought him back to nature photography, the walls of his East Melbourne flat adorned with sunrises and flowers he has snapped. For the first time in decades, he’s submitting his photos for competitions, sometimes even winning them. And sometimes, when he peers through the lens of his camera, he thinks back on the extraordinary life he’s captured.
“So many interesting things happened in my life. This is a life. I’m lucky enough, [by] God’s grace I got this much.”
Guruswamy Perumal and Kokila, then and now
Still shooting the stars: At IFFM
VBY MAMTA SHARMA
eena Sashikumar was told, five minutes after walking into a paediatrician’s office, that her daughter would never walk or talk, and that she would live her life as a vegetable.
Her daughter, then 1.5 years old, is twelve today, and runs around and talks non-stop.
Sydney-based Veena’s story sheds light on the real journey of parents raising neurodiverse children.
Her own began eight years ago. She vividly recalls the moment she first received her daughter’s autism diagnosis.
“The paediatrician told me we should start thinking of our daughter’s future in a home,” Veena recounts.
As a new parent, this news felt like a dagger through her heart. It took a while for her to recover from the shock and accept the diagnosis.
The early days were filled with numerous appointments with specialists and therapists. Finding the right therapy involved a series of trials and errors, which were mentally,
physically, and emotionally draining.
“My social circle became almost nonexistent, partly because of my situation and partly because I wanted to be inside my shell,” she reveals.
Veena realised that looking at the big picture, which was unclear and frightening, was overwhelming. “When I changed my perspective and started looking at the small picture, things began to move forward. I decided to build my own big picture, one small picture at a time.”
This shift in perspective helped her find resources that made a small difference each day. Today, her daughter, once immobile and non-verbal, is a bundle of energy, all thanks to that single step in the right direction.
Balancing work with raising achild with autism
Veena faced numerous challenges in understanding what autism meant for her child and family. “Navigating the system was not easy. Understanding where to start and how to go about it, and how to set life goals with so many unknowns, were significant challenges,” she shares.
Balancing work life with the demands of raising a child with autism has been another major challenge for Veena. “I took a 10-
Championingautism awareness
How a shock diagnosis of autism led mum advocacy and raising community
year career break. Navigating the systems was really difficult—appointments, followups, schools… everything is a tad bit more difficult and needs more involvement.”
Veena’s daughter went through a brain surgery when she was just over two years old. This meant follow-ups, therapies, and regular scans to ensure the surgery was successful. “By the time she was four or five, she had three surgeries and at least 12 MRIs.”
She emphasises the importance of a balanced approach. “It is difficult to have a balance every day, but as long as there is an overall balance it works out well.”
Veena Sashikumar shares several key strategies that have helped her navigate this journey.
Reach Out: “It can be a very isolating journey. When you reach out and ask for help, you will find fellow travellers who will help in making your journey better.”
Veena co-founded a WhatsApp group that supports mums with kids who have additional needs. “Although I don’t have all the answers, the 300 other mums in the group do, and we support each other,” she says.
Within the family, share the responsibilities. “Work and maintaining a family is not just the responsibility of the
mum or the dad. Both have to be equally involved in the journey, even more in this case. It goes a long way when both parents are helping in the child’s growth and development.”
And of course if at times you need professional help, and there is no harm in doing that. “Seek counselling, or coaching if you think it might benefit you.”
Self Care: Veena considers self-care a responsibility. “If you are not healthy mentally and physically, who will be there for your child? I take regular breaks, meet friends, go out for trips, get a massage, explore or nurture a hobby, and most importantly, ask for help. This is very important.”
Small Picture: The big picture can be overwhelming, especially with many unknowns. “Break things down that will help you take that one step to make one difference in your life and in your child’s life.”
Raising awareness
Creating a supportive and inclusive community for autistic children and their families begins with raising awareness. Veena highlights that “one of the big barriers is lack of awareness. Awareness precedes change. Creating awareness is
Photo: Savitha Vishwanathan
Championingawareness
mum Veena Sashikumar down the road of community awareness
very important.”
She stresses that everyone, whether neurodiverse or neurotypical, seeks “acceptance, kindness, recognition, and respect.” She emphasises the importance of treating families and children with autism as we would like to be treated ourselves.
Underlining the importance of openness and dialogue with your own children when it comes to autism, she advises, “Don’t make it into a subject that needs to be shoved under the carpet. Talk about it with your kids. Get them to understand what it is about and how they should be treating people on the autism spectrum.”
Veena Sashikumar urges parents to consider the likelihood that neurodiversity could impact their own families. “Do you think there is a chance that this is going to
reach your backyard? If it does reach your family, what would you want your family to know and how would you want them to behave?”
In 2019, there were 4 million people in Australia registered as disabled, accounting for 18% of the population. This figure includes both neuro and physical disabilities. As Veena points out, “What do you think the number will be in 2024?”
Her message is clear: by fostering understanding and empathy at home, parents can play a crucial role in creating a more inclusive and supportive community for everyone.
Equally, to families living with autism, Veena urges, share with others what’s going on with you. This is how a side-hustle in stand-up evolved for her. She believes that
in difficult situations, there are two options: you can cry about it, or you can laugh about it.
“I’d like to laugh at my problems and deal with it light-heartedly rather than make it into a mountain that I can’t carry.”
In popular media, neurodiversity is often depicted in extremes - either as genius or as a struggle - leaving a vast middle ground unrepresented. “There needs to be more awareness about what it is.”
Looking ahead, she aims to expand her awareness efforts on a larger scale. With ideas and thoughts in development, she has already been approached by community leaders to explore the best ways to execute them.
Finding joy in small victories
Being a mother to her daughter has
profoundly changed Veena’s perspective on life making her a much better person, she says.
“I now seek joy in the smallest things, especially with my child. After that crushing early diagnosis, to see my daughter today as a lively bundle of joy, is a great source of strength. Watching her grow into a teenager, hearing her sassy replies, and seeing her defy expectations is incredibly rewarding. She has helped me prove people wrong, and together we face the marathon of challenges ahead, both determined to defy the odds.”
Ever the person who looks at the silver lining in anything, Veena Sashikumar concludes, “An optimist looks at the glass half full. A pessimist looks at the glass half empty. I look at it and feel grateful that I have a glass; now all I have to do is find water.”
“To see my daughter today as a lively bundle of joy, is a great source of strength. Watching her grow into a teenager, hearing her sassy replies, and seeing her defy expectations, is incredibly rewarding. She has helped me prove people wrong, and together we face the marathon of challenges ahead, both determined to defy the odds.”
Back to where we came from
NEHAL CHHATRAPATI, a Sydneysider for two decades, is back to being an Ahmedabadi. And she’s loving it.
Migrating to another country to live and work is a fairly accepted notion, especially in contemporary India. But reversing your steps and moving back to your birth country - not so much.
It’s a decision that’s bound to be greeted with lots of questions, raised eyebrows, doubts, and yes, even unsolicited advice.
Our story was no different.
It was in the middle of the lockdown in August 2021 that we decided to bid goodbye‘ to our beloved Sydney, a beautiful place we still call our ‘home away from home,’ having lived there for two whole decades.
And yet, the challenges of COVID lockdown saw us engage in some profound self-reflection.
The moment for our homecoming had arrived. It was time to reunite with family and prioritise what truly mattered in life.
The next step was to sell off, donate and pack up our worldly possessions. These personified the twenty years of dedication and resilience we poured into constructing our lives from nothing.
The most saddening part was bidding farewell to our home - a home that captured emotions and cherished memories that we'd nurtured over the years, making it an irreplaceable part of our lives.
As we bid farewell to our friends-turned-family in Sydney, it felt like the city was also bidding us a solemn goodbye in its own characteristic manner. For an entire week in November that year, the city was drenched in continuous rain: perhaps this was Sydney’s tearful goodbye to us.
(And yet, if we weren’t moving, I would be in my comfiest PJs, sipping hot drinks and watching TV - one of the fondest memories from wet Sydney afternoons).
After our warm welcome in India by family and friends, we got busy hunting for a temporary rented house to crash in till we could find our feet on the ground
and buy our own. And thus commenced a series of unexpected and unforeseen mental battles and trials adding to our hardships of settling in a new country.
Every person who learned about our return after two decades, leaving behind what seemed like a picturesque life and possibly jeopardising our son's future in a foreign land, reacted with the same set of questions. Their faces bore a mix of surprise and disbelief, as if struggling to reconcile our decision with their expectations.
Neighbourhood aunties and uncles, extended family, real estate agents, home help, and even school teachers and principals, couldn’t resist but ask: “What made you take such a drastic step?” “While there’s a long queue of people going abroad, what made you come back?” “What if you can’t settle here now?” “What will happen to your son’s future?” “Why didn’t you think of having your parents move over there?” “Did you both lose jobs and money?”
And even worse: “Did you do something over there that forced you to return?”
And perhaps my favourite question: “Were you not able to settle there?” (This after learning that we were very happily settled in Australia and actually uprooted ourselves to be with our families in India)
Yet, this list is not exhaustive! I do acknowledge where some concerns might stem from, but it's essential to recognise the diversity of people's perspectives and priorities. And that from time to time, our outlooks and values can shift, influenced by our evolving life experiences. What may have once seemed of significant importance might now hold less significance, and vice versa.
It’s been two years now that the wheel has come full circle, and we are delighted to be (re)united with our roots.
Watch this space for more stories of transition as Sydneysider Nehal became an Ahmedabadi gal once again.
Stories for 'cultural chasm' traversers
This latest entry to Black Inc’s ‘Growing Up’ anthology series is a welcome foothold for a rocky journey
TBY LAKSHMI GANAPATHY
he wonderful thing about anthologies is the sheer variety on offer; there’s something for everyone, an assortment of voices all pointing in their own way towards a common direction.
Edited by journalist, writer, broadcaster and former foreign correspondent Aarti Betigeri, Growing Up Indian In Australia is an assemblage of stories from Indian Australians across all walks of life, aiming to showcase the richness of experiences and identities within the diaspora.
The book comes at a time where, as Betigeri puts it in her introduction, the Indian global community is ‘starting to see itself represented in popular culture as it actually is’. Growing Up Indian… is a welcome entry to this discourse, offering an intriguing exploration of both the commonalities and differences constituting the Indian Australian experience.
As Betigeri notes in her introduction, Indian Australian is ‘not a one-size-fitsall descriptor’ and overall, the book does a great job of not reducing or defining this term and embracing the plurality of regions, religions and languages it contains. The book casts a delightfully wide net in its selection of stories, from established contributors to new voices, from AngloIndian to Baghdadi Jewish.
Though wide-ranging in contributors, Growing Up Indian... wants for diversity in form and style; the original Growing
Up Asian in Australia (2008) featured poems, pictures, even a comic. Such experimentation with form is missed amongst the consecutive first-person essays, needed to place in relief the ideas of family, language, culture and place explored within each story and offer a chance to come up for air.
Equally, diaspora readers hoping for new conclusions will find many of the deep truths it seeks to reveal are ones already intensely familiar to them. Memories of being the ‘dark’ or ‘hairy’ kid with the ‘weird smelly food’ in primary school are revisited again and again in successive first-person accounts; though this becomes slightly repetitive to read, it demonstrates how unfortunately ubiquitous this early experience of othering is.
But Growing Up Indian… is at its strongest when it goes beyond literal reflections on adolescence; when its writers dare to break the mould and interpret ‘growing up’ in a slightly more abstract sense.
Sharon Verghis’ ‘A Tale of Three Beaches’ situates its exploration within the beloved Aussie institution over multiple points in time, simultaneously capturing her own evolution and that of the country’s cultural zeitgeist.
Tejas Bhat describes drifting away from religion whilst in university after a childhood ardently following Sathya Sai Baba in ‘A Brahmin’s Crossroads’, the Upanayana ceremony only one of many rites of passage in his piece.
And in ‘My Name is Not’, Sneha Lees writes lucidly and with candour about reconciling childhood trauma and her relationship with her parents, cleverly
underpinned by subheadings charting her prismatic, fluctuating relationship with her name.
Equally potent are the pieces that understand ‘growing up’ is perpetual and incomplete, seeking to instead weave a tapestry of how the threads of the past constantly emerge in the present; Preeti Maharaj’s ‘A Tangle of Tenses’ beautifully puts words to the Anne Lamott saying that we ‘contain all of the ages we have ever been’, and Shreya Tekumalla’s ‘Painted’ literally manifests the idea of conversing with your childhood self.
An anthology is not just about the individual brush strokes constituting it, but the larger picture it paints. Zooming out, Growing Up Indian… is an affirming display of the literary talent we have within the diaspora, effectively capturing that tension of existing in-between which we’ve all come to know. Diaspora readers certainly leave feeling like they’ve ‘seen themselves, but in a hall of mirrors’; sometimes this is a fleeting glance, and sometimes an insightful gaze.
Either way, the sum of Growing Up Indian In Australia's parts makes a thoughtprovoking whole that’s ultimately nebulous, like identity itself. It doesn’t try to, nor can it, offer any simple answers as to what ‘growing up Indian Australian’ truly is, but instead some sketches and provocations as to what this elusive experience might be.
I remember distinctly the quiet comfort the original Growing Up Asian In Australia gave me as I studied it in high school. It’s heartening to imagine this latest entry to Black Inc’s ‘Growing Up’ anthology series stimulating other fellow ‘cultural chasm’ traversers, a welcome foothold in a rocky journey.
Why desi parents need to watch this film
Disney & Pixar’s latest animated project Inside Out 2 has not only conquered the global box office charts but has also ignited a powerful conversation about emotional intelligence, mental health and family dynamics. As it surpasses all expectations to become the highest grossing film of the year, earning $724 million in just eight days, here’s why we think Indian parents should watch the movie.
Following on from the last instalment in the movie, Inside Out 2 tracks Riley (protagonist) as she navigates her teenage years, and introduces new emotions such as Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), all emotions that begin to grow within us as we grow up.
We’ve all been there as we try to navigate the change not only in our body, but also the way our mind works, justifying why the movie has resonated so deeply within young audiences.
For Indian parents, renowned for their dedication to academic success and traditional values that tend to sideline mental health, the movie serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder of the importance of emotional understanding. Parents play a pivotal part in nurturing their children’s emotional well-being and should embrace open communication and empathy, fostering an environment where the young ones feel safe to express their feelings.
As the movie goes on, we see the character of Anxiety taking over from Joy saying, “Riley’s life is more complex now and it requires more sophisticated emotions than all of you.” This particular scene is followed by a depiction of what a panic attack looks like, which is a part of mental health that seems to have been lost within the Indian community. Yes, we talk about depression, anxiety and trauma, but where’s the talk around coping with panic attacks?
Director Kelsey Mann does a fantastic job of showing audiences the reality of such panic attacks, where you can’t do anything until it passes, your mind and body shut down, only thinking about one thing. While Indian parents are becoming more comfortable with having important discussions around mental health, often, they can misinterpret what to do when their child has a panic attack. Saying comments like: “Why do you let things affect you so much”, “Grow up”, “Itni si baat pe itna bada drama”, “Learn to control these episodes,” WILL NOT HELP AT ALL.
HT Drive School Clayton
We are based in Clayton VIC and offer services to most South Eastern suburbs.
n Professional Qualified Instructor
n Ex-VICROADS
Testing Officer
n Working with Children check
n Speaks your language Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English
n Safe Dual Control Car
n Overseas Licence Conversion
Anyone that has experienced panic attacks will know that you cannot control when you get them and people telling you to just “suck it up” makes the situation worse. They feel exposed, vulnerable and confused, so if you don’t know what to do, it’s better to just let things take its course.
However, if you’d like to help, follow these steps:
• Ask them how you can help • Get them comfortable
• Validate their distress • Get further help if needed
By portraying diverse characters with sensitivity and depth, the film prompts Indian parents to broaden their perspectives and embrace their children’s unique identities and emotions. It encourages families to move beyond societal expectations, fostering a supportive environment where every child can flourish authentically.
Beyond its cinematic conversations, Inside Out 2 provides practical insights for parents navigating the complexities of raising children in a rapidly changing world. It advocates for validating emotions, teaching children resilience, and nurturing their emotional intelligence from an early age. By incorporating these lessons, parents can empower their children to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and compassion.
This movie celebrates the beauty of diversity, encourages empathy, and emphasises the everlasting importance of being patient and understanding with your children as they navigate the many challenges during adolescence and beyond.
If you, or someone you know, is in a life-threatening situation please seek help immediately by calling 000. If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or experiencing a personal crisis or distress, please call Lifeline 13 11 14. The NSW Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511 is a 24/7 service that can advise you on appropriate local mental health services for you or a loved one.
n For Pricing and Other information please visit our website www.htdriveschool.com.au, info@htdriveschool.com.au
Photo: Disney Animation
with Lakshmi Ganapathy
CHRISTOPHER GURUSAMY is a Bharatanatyam soloist based between Sydney and Chennai, who trained at the prestigious Kalakshetra institution, performing internationally to critical acclaim. Named in The New York Times’ ‘Best Dance of 2017’, he has toured as a principal dancer in Leela Samson’s Spanda Dance Company, and performs annually at the Madras Music Academy, Sri Krishna Gana Sabha, and Narada Gana Sabha for the Chennai December Season.
When you were a child, all you wanted to do was dance, even though it was a ‘feminine’ pursuit. What do you think life would be like if you’d hadn’t been allowed to pursue this? I mean, to be fair, I was always allowed to dance. My aunt had gone to Kalakshetra way back in the ‘70s, and my mum knew Dr Chandrababu in Melbourne, so it wasn't something that was frowned upon, which I was really lucky [to have].
The kind of success I've had and the kind of things that have happened to me, I could never have dreamt of. I don't have any ‘ins’ in Chennai… Somehow, I'm one of the lucky ones who's really worked hard but succeeded in this thing. It's like the universe conspired for me to be there and I kind of just went at it.
But what would I be if I wasn't? I feel like it's really ironic, but I would just turn into my parents and become a nurse. I'm actually really good with vomit and poop, I can handle it!
hour - because that's what I'd seen my mom do - and [then] just got the clothes and put them on the line. The next day I put them all on and I had rashes all over my body. Everyone thought I wouldn’t last, so nobody thought to teach me how to wash clothes by hand.
I was really lucky in my first year, the girls that were in my class with me, each one of them took it upon themselves to teach me one life skill. When I came back to Australia after my first year and suddenly had hot water, I realised how hard I was doing it. Going back used to be heartbreaking. I always say it's the most wonderful thing I've ever done, but it's also the worst thing I've ever done in my entire life, and I would never ever do it again. It was like being on the TV show Survivor for like, 7 years solid.
You’re currently training abhinaya (emotive
theories that emotions aren’t real. I was reading a book which said when you have an emotion it’s reactive, so are you actually feeling it, or is your body telling you something?
Abhinaya isn’t about you. It’s about everybody else. I don’t have to feel anything, I could be thinking about dead kittens, but you might be thinking I’m thinking about something completely different and that’s the game. It’s selfindulgent to go ‘I felt’ – nobody cares, did you make the audience feel it?
I feel like Abhinaya is really, really difficult, until it isn’t – it’s about doing the work to internalise and understand what you’re going to do, because if you understand that, it becomes easy. Learning Abhinaya is a huge process, it takes a long time to understand and it’s a lot of questioning yourself and looking at tools to make it work.
When you were 18 years old, you moved to India for the first time to study at Kalakshetra. How did you navigate this cultural change, having grown up in Perth? I went to Kalakshetra in 2005, before the internet… I'd been to India once when I was 10 to do a pilgrimage, and that was it. Like, I'd never even seen Kalakshetra before. It wasn't like Kalakshetra people were visiting [Perth either]. I had really no clue what I was getting into.
My family had bets on for how long I would actually survive in India, I’m not even joking! I got a lot of money after my first year because no one thought I would survive - then one year became four, four became seven, seven became ten… then a full-blown Bharatanatyam career.
At Kalakshetra there was no hot water, no AC, no fridge. Sometimes there was no toilet with a flush. You name it, I had to do it. My first time I had to wash clothes, I kind of just got a whole bag of washing detergent and put it in a bucket, put my clothes in it, walked away for half an
What's something that you're currently listening to/reading/ playing/watching?
I’m listening to Priya Ragu on repeat. I didn’t see her live; I feel like Sydney Opera House isn’t really the [right] place to see her, but I heard it went off in Melbourne! The Song of Achillies [by Madeline Miller], that’s what I’m reading.
What’s a word that you like in a South Asian language, and what does it mean?
I actually like ‘da’ and ‘di’, like calling people that; it feels good in the mouth to say ‘va di’. Those kind of colloquialisms are something I miss in Sydney; I have one Chennai Tamil friend and we talk like that. People used to laugh at me because I sound like an auto driver; I learnt Tamil by talking to auto drivers. I present as pretty or fair or whatever, but when you hear me talk, I’m like ‘amam da’!
And finally: Soan Papdi or Papdi Chaat?
Papdi Chaat. Neither really, I’m [actually] a dahi papdi chaat boy… I’ve gone to Calcutta and Bombay and eaten off the roadsides. I’ve [also] had malaria four times in one year.
TWO categories: Kids up to 7 years, and Kids 8-12 years. WIN book vouchers valued at $75 and $50 in both categories. PLUS: The winning entry will be designed into Indian Link’s Diwali cards for the year 2024. Colour in or paint the pattern presented here. Photocopy the pattern if you need to. Send in your work, along with your name, age, address and phone number, to:
Loving right now
What we’re obsessed with this month
READ
Just two years after Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens was published, the 2023 Miles Franklin Award winner Shankari Chandran released her new novel, Safe Haven in May of this year. The story is centred around Fina, who after having found asylum in Australia, seeks to aid refugees held in Port Camden. However, she finds herself retraumatised by the experience and compelled to speak out. The consequences of this act ripple throughout the book. Despite the dense subject matter, Chandran intertwines the book with a sense of hope, as it speaks to the ability of the greater community to empower the marginalised.
WATCH
Labelled as one of the most anticipated films of the year and with a sequel that has already been confirmed, Kalki 2898 AD is the must-watch film of this month. With characters inspired by the Mahabharata, Kalki 2898 AD is a sci-fi story which anticipates a world where Vishnu’s last avatar, Kalki, must take form to restore order. If you’re into Star Wars or Mad Max, then this film will be right up your alley. Featuring Prabhas, and a supporting cast of household names including Deepika Padukone and Amitabh Bhachan, it is a film that is guaranteed to entertain.
LISTEN
Winner of the British Podcast Awards from 2020 to 2023, Sangeeta Pillai’s Masala Podcast is targeted towards South Asian women to address a wide range of cultural taboos including sexuality and mental health issues.The podcast has hosted featured guests from a wide range of career backgrounds, from well-known musicians such as Anoushka Shankar and Raveena Aurora to doctors, comedians and activists. It has now become one of the biggest South Asian feminist podcasts and with the latest season featuring guests such as Richa Moorjani of Never Have I Ever, it is guaranteed to keep growing.
EAT
Feeling a bit under the weather? Kanji/congee is a dish that is the go-to for all South Indians whenever they’re feeling sick. This is a savoury dish where rice is boiled and served with water and topped with papad, pickle, mung beans, a mild flavoured curry (think rasam). However, it can be customised as you wish. Whilst it seems like a relatively simple dish, it has an interesting history, with similar dishes being found in China and Korea in the form of congee and Dak Juk respectively. It is easy to make and is said to have great health benefits.
COMPILED BY SRUTHI SAJEEV
Safe travels!
Travel health: Essentials to pack and tips for staying healthy while travelling
TBY Petra O'Neill
ravel allows us to discover fascinating and diverse destinations and cultures, though there can be challenges when it comes to preventing travel related illnesses that can intrude on the best made plans. As a regular traveller and professional tour guide, here are my tips for staying healthy while travelling.
Before you travel
Make sure you are not overdue for a dental or medical checkup, and if anything causes you concern, have it seen to well before you depart.
Check for any required vaccinations for entry, as well as recommended medications. Sign up to the Australian Government's Smart Traveller website for travel alerts for your destination. Arrange travel insurance.
Organise your First Aid Kit
Basics include medications to treat colds and flu, pain, allergies, an upset stomach and diarrhoea. Add to that eyedrops both for dry/tired eyes and infections such as conjunctivitis, eardrops, antiseptic
Healthy eating
Eating a balanced diet while travelling can be difficult, so carry a back-up of healthy snacks such as nuts and dried fruit, and research the local cuisine to understand what you can and can't eat, especially if you have a special diet.
Food safety is also important.
Foods that carry greater risk include raw foods such as peeled fruit and salads, food from a bainmarie that may have been cooked hours before, and the self-serve buffet.
Eating meat or seafood, especially if raw, may also be risky. Much safer are hot foods that have just been made, packaged, or fruit and vegetables that you can peel, with bananas my go-to.
Many travellers avoid street food and local restaurants, believing that they may not adhere to the same food safety practices that hotel restaurants use. Part of the travel experience is discovering new flavours by trying local food though, so my tip is to look for street vendors and restaurants with long queues, generally a sign that the food is fresh and good, then look at how the food is being prepared. It can be easy to forget to drink enough water though being well hydrated is especially important when travelling. Make sure you have a bottle of water with you at all times, and ask if the local tap water is safe to drink. A good precaution even if safe, is to boil the water in your hotel kettlefor at least a minute.
changed. If your room isn't clean, is noisy, has signs of vermin, mould or has a faulty A/C, ask for another.
Travel hazards
As a tour guide, most mishaps occur by travellers slipping or tripping over. When on holiday, they often look at the sights in front of them, rather than looking down at where they are walking, so do take care when exploring.
Research the destination for hazards such as dangerous or poisonous animals.
Having just returned from Arnhem land in the Northern Territory, there were sharks and salt water crocodiles aplenty that I kept my distance from, though I walked right past a black-headed python, not realising they are most active at night. In extremely sunny climates, an umbrella is useful to protect against the harsh sunlight, and while in South Africa, I was glad to have done my research and packed long socks to protect against desert scorpions. Equally problematic, because they are unexpected, are people who try to take advantage of you. I avoid anyone who approaches me with an offer to help. They may be trying to sell you something, or get money from you. Try to look as though you know where you're going, keep your phone and wallet secure and avoid walking alone at night.
Mental and physical well being
Travel involves a lot of sitting while on planes, trains and coaches, so try
to explore on foot, and make use of the hotel's gym and pool.
Travel can also be stressful. Delays can occur, your trip may not go to plan, you may experience crowds, surly officials, language barriers, and you may get lost. So have a back-up plan, some flexibility to cope with changes to the itinerary, as no
cineTALK
NEERU SALUJA has romantic comedies, action thrillers, horror comedies, and true stories on her watchlist.
AURON MEIN KAHAN DUM THA (In
cinemas)
Their intense and dynamic onscreen and offscreen chemistry has always sparked a debate, and we can’t wait to see the hit jodi collaborate again. Ajay Devgn and Tabu star in this romantic saga where they are reunited after 22 years: the angry young man Ajay commits a few murders and ends up in prison. Meanwhile, Tabu marries her Maachis costar Jimmy Shergill. When she meets Ajay again, will their love win over? Releasing 5 July
MIRZAPUR SEASON 3 (Amazon
Prime Video)
The fan favourite crime thriller Mirzapur is back with its third season. In the battle of power at Mirzapur, the stakes have gone higher and the canvas has become bigger. The ensemble cast includes Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Vijay Varma and Isha Talwar.
Releasing 5 July
MATRIMONIALS
SEEKING GROOMS
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 teetotaller.
Email biodata with photos, parents’ contact details to: matrimonial.ml@gmail.com
SARFIRA (In cinemas)
This true story comes from the world of entrepreneurship, start-ups and aviation. Sarfira tells the story of Vir Jagannath Mhatre, the son of a teacher in rural Maharashtra who sets out to achieve the impossible - making the common man fly with India’s first low-cost airline. Let’s hope that Khiladi Akshay Kumar also flies with success as a Sarfira, after recently delivering a series of flops.
Releasing 12 July
BAD NEWZ (In cinemas)
A romantic comedy, a love triangle between national crush Tripti Dimri with Punjabi mundas Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk, and a pregnancy – this calls for Good Newz! But wait, this movie’s title is Bad Newz! We will have to watch the film to determine if the news is good or bad.
Releasing 19 July
WILD WILD PUNJAB (Netflix)
After a long time we will see Netflix premiere an Indian comedy on their streaming platform, and what can be better than one produced by Luv Ranjan. Comedy favourites Varun Sharma, Sunny Singh, Jassie Gill and Manjot Singh come together as friends and take us on an adventurous ‘breakup’ journey within Punjab.
Releasing 10 July
BARZAKH (ZEE5 Global)
Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan may have been banned from Bollywood but not from our hearts. His fans can now watch him on OTT as he reunites with his Zindagi Gulzar Hai co-star Sanam Saeed in the 6-episode series Barzakh. This series follows the poignant journey of a 76-year-old reclusive man who invites his estranged children and grandchildren to this remote valley resort to celebrate his wedding with the ghost of his love. Can’t wait to see former Indian Linker Uzma Beg in this production!
Releasing 19 July
KAKUDA (ZEE5 Global)
You may wonder why there is another horror comedy sandwiched between Munjya and Stree 2. Well, this film was made in 2021 and is releasing now. Starring Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem, perhaps they wanted to time it with Sonakshi’s wedding news!
Releasing 12 July
KILL (In cinemas)
Termed as a groundbreaking action spectacle, Kill was recently screened at the Sydney Film Festival. The film begins as a romantic melodrama, but once the protagonists leave on a night train to New Delhi, all hell breaks loose, and never stops. Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, this film is produced by Karan Johar, Achin Jain, Apoorva Mehta and Guneet Monga Kapoor.
Releasing 4 July
INDIAN 2 (In
cinemas)
Do you remember Kamal Hassan and Manisha Koirala dancing with kangaroos, mini penguins, koalas, cows, horses and on the Sydney Harbour Bridge? That was the 1996 highest grossing Tamil film called Indian. Now comes the sequel Indian 2, where Kamal Hassan reprises his role as Senapathy, an ageing freedom fighter turned vigilante who fights against corruption.
Releasing 12 July
RAAYAN (In cinemas)
Dhanush directs and acts in this Tamil action thriller where he gets involved in the criminal underworld after trying to seek out those accountable for the murders in his family.
Releasing 26 July
Hotstar)
This action thriller is the story of Commander Saxena, a RAW agent who fights back to save his country from the Pakistan Army amidst political mysteries. Can we please just stop with series and films on the India vs Pakistan theme!
Releasing 8 July
The remaining episodes of
Releasing 12 July
SHOWTIME (Disney Hotstar)
Emraan Hashmi’s web series on Bollywood’s glitter, glamour and dark secrets will be released in July.
COMMANDER KARAN SAXENA (Disney
JULY 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.
TAURUS
GEMINI
A time when problems will add up and all you want is an end to the negativity. A destiny card is drawn for you, so introspect on what these issues are trying to teach you. Detachment - a new way of looking at challenges or time for your soul’s growth? At work too, you seem to put in the efforts with little or no results or profits. Don’t be impulsive, think, rethink and plan every move you make. Walk away from an unproductive situation.
A dilemma and tempting options present themselves for you to choose. This could be at work or in your personal life. What looked like a setback at work will later prove to be a blessing in disguise. Expect opportunities in different fields. Staying fit will be your focus this month. You will receive enough money to pay for extra expenses. If you have to choose between two options, weigh them carefully then take a call. Don’t go by appearances alone.
You could be emotionally exhausted with some of the dramas going on around you. Gemini women may be disappointed or let down badly by a lover. Burnout at work is telling you to take a break or quit. A marriage could go through a rough patch. Don’t suppress your emotions, however uncomfortable as it could lead to health issues. Be assertive about money that is owed to you. Don’t take a hasty decision; wait for clarity and guidance.
A reunion is at hand and nostalgia could have you pining for a lost love. The selfemployed will make more money than expected. Female Cancerians could have problems with their reproductive organs; have them checked. Patience is recommended in money matters. Some of you will start to clean up the negative conditions in your life and won’t accept what feels wrong. Luck is on your side regarding deals and negotiations. Break self-destructive patterns and focus on your goals.
A tough month as expenses could be high, but don’t let a feeling of lack cause further obstacles. In a relationship, both partners could be trying to stay calm despite upsets. It will be challenging, however. Avoid multi-tasking and be aware of those who make unreasonable demands on you. It could leave you drained. A personal crisis could end due to changes in your situation. Stress-related aches and pains can cause discomfort. Positive changes are on the anvil.
You draw the card for Leo, making the finicky Virgo a little more chill and relaxed this month. They may even enjoy family get-togethers and take up spiritual pursuits. For singles, a passionate love affair could come along. Or, a secret admirer’s strong feelings for you may get revealed. Expect good news to pep you up if your job's been boring. Some of you may implement lifestyle changes for a healthier you. A rocky relationship or marriage could end. Work on yourself first.
The already balanced Librans draw the card of Temperance. A destiny card, it is asking to check where the imbalance lies in your life. Do everything in moderation and you will see results. Shift your energy and a negative situation turns positive. An ex could show up to give you closure. An old health issue could resurface due to stress. A lucky break will lead to more opportunities to make money. A spouse could turn emotionally distant.
This month, you indulge in self-care and me-time which will help with the way you react to circumstances. Pets could be a cause of concern. A problem will get resolved better than expected. If you feel stuck in a routine at work, take a break to come back refreshed. Or look for a job that is easier on you. Money owed to you will start to come in. Watch your emotions and don’t let them influence your actions.
A sense of foreboding or someone misleading you deliberately keeps you on guard. Trust your intuition. A relationship not working out will leave you disgruntled and disillusioned with love. Singles could meet someone new; ensure the person is not committed elsewhere. The moon card asks you to let go of baggage that could bog you down. A loved one will disappoint you immensely. Past conflicts and stress will start to reduce, and you will receive clear direction. Take the middle road.
The card for Virgo makes Capricorns more finicky than usual. You want to be extra thorough with your research on everything. A short trip is on the anvil. Some of you may want to start your own business. Take care of an ongoing health issue or it could cause more problems. Setbacks or delays in projects taking off could lead to something better. If you feel empty within, recharge and nourish yourself by doing the things you love.
The card for Cancer shows up, so the genial Aquarian may experience mood swings. Single women might meet an older man, mature and considerate. An event in your life could change your outlook towards romance. Someone could help you achieve your work goals, whatever they may be. Avoid junk food as it could make you ill. A stress-causing situation could also be ending. Stand for what you believe in at work and ask for what you deserve. Don’t settle for less.
A slightly difficult month as people around you get difficult, a feeling of lack pervades all aspects of your life and there is an overall sense of doom. Singles getting over a heartbreak still pine for their ex, which will prevent new love from coming in. Possible losses at work or in your business could take place. If you are overworked or overwhelmed, take a break as it could remove the anxiety you feel. An unexpected surprise or financial gain will uplift your spirits.
You doing the dishes, honey?
DEAR AUNTYJI
I am a 55-year-old woman and for the last 5 years I have mostly stayed at home after I left my corporate job. My husband gets paid as a senior executive so we decided that I didn’t need to work if I didn’t want to. My 30-yearold son still lives at home, and he has recently invited his wife-to-be to come live with us. She is a cardiologist. Now Auntyji, the trouble is this. My son is a lawyer and my future DIL is a doctor - so they work really long hours. And while I do all the cooking for everyone, sometimes they don’t clean the kitchen or the house. And I don’t feel it’s fair that I have to clean our home. They always mention that they are grateful I clean up, but still, I think they should clean the house. Do you think I should say something? I mean, it’s not that much effort really, but shouldn’t they be doing all this themselves? I mean, I am not the maid, am I? Aap ki kya rai hai?
AUNTYJI SAYS
What kind of a dayan are you that you have no idea of seva? Your patidev is an executive and you have a lawyer and a doctor in your house, all with gainful employment and being productive, and a jaahil bekarin like yourself finds a reason to complain? You are the one person in the house with the most time - and you could be making such a huge contribution to the lives of your family members. Please tell me that you cook beautiful food for your family? And that you try to make your home comfortable and lovely for all members to enjoy. Please tell
Do you have a question for Auntyji? Email it to info@indianlink.com.au
me that you look for ways to ensure that each member of the family feels supported and cherished in every way possible - and if that means you clean up after everyone, then so be it. Judging by your entitled attitude, I suspect you are a churail who does not appreciate your loving family - and you are like a parasite for expecting your husband to take care of you
while you sit there watching Netflix and eating gulab jamun all day long. Arre, besharam aurat, adjust your attitude. You are so lucky to have such a high-achieving family who are doing good. It’s time you stepped up and learnt what seva means. By the way, have you considered the possibility that your husband might decide that you are a lazy good-for-nothing, and that he wants to upgrade to a better model? What will you do then? Start earning your way, my little kalmouhi. Nothing good comes from having uncharitable thoughts about your family. You may as well look up and spit.
Being
INDIA AUSTRALLIA BUSINESS & COMMUNITY ALLIANCE
I A B C A
SHARE YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY
Established in 2014, IABCA stands as the leading Alliance that builds awareness and understanding between the peoples and institutions of Australia and India.
