2010-02 Sydney (1)

INDIANLINK

PUBLISHER

Pawan Luthra

EDITOR

Rajni Anand Luthra

ASSISTANT EDITORS

Usha Arvind

Sheryl Dixit

MELBOURNE

Preeti Jabbal

CONTRIBUTORS

Sudha Natarajan, Preeti Kannan, Ritam Mitra, Farzana Shakir, Annie Pathania, Chitra Sudarshan, Hasnain Zaheer, Indranil Halder, Noel G deSouza, Geeta Khurana, Tom King, Shafeen Mustaq, Minal Khona, Rani Jhala, Guneeta Dhingra

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Vivek Trivedi

02 9262 1766

ADVERTISING ASSISTANT

Priti Sharma

02 9279 2004

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Darren Monaghan

Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in English. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, maybe 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

Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001

Ph: 02 9279-2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005

Email: info@indianlink.com.au

Let the parties begin O

ver the next few months, the Indian community in Sydney is going to be treated to an extravaganza of festivities.

Usually, the ‘party’ season for us as a community comes later in the year around Diwali. This year, however, it will hit us much earlier. And it’s just as well – the woes for the community from last year continued into the new year, and we need to cheer ourselves up.

March is shaping up to be an exciting month. Those totally in awe of Bollywood will be rapt in the presence of Bollywood’s A-lister Rani Mukherjee who jets in to Sydney and Melbourne to launch the Indian Film Festival. The Festival will showcase contemporary Bollywood and regional language movies. Rani herself will be accompanied by actor/ director Sohail Khan, Raj Kumar Hirani (of 3 Idiots fame) and Imtiaz Ali (Love Aaj Kal).

As well next month, we’ll welcome two terrific Indian performances. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with his entertaining fusion of Sufi and Bollywood music, promises to be a spectacular concert. If you prefer something more classical, can’t go past Ravi Shankar. In what is hailed as the last tour by this musical genius, the Opera House will see him play alongside his daughter Anoushka.

March also brings with it the annual

By PAWAN LUTHRA

Holi Mela at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour. Easily one of the best organised and presented fairs in our community, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s colourful showpiece attracts the local Indians, Australians as well as hundreds of tourists in Australia at the time. Free entry but a priceless day of fun in mid-March. For those out West, Holi through Indian Arts and Cultural organisation will also be celebrated at Fairfield Showgrounds. .

For Bollywood fans and dance enthusiasts, The Merchants of Bollywood comes round again at the majestic State Theatre to entertain us all. A simple story wrapped up in music and dance with great costumes, it is a wonderful evening out and guaranteed to have you dancing in your seats.

To all these, why not grab an Aussie friend and take them with you? The colours of Holi, the music of Khan, the Shankars’ sitar, or the joi de vivre of Bollywood, can perhaps help the negative headlines of the past year behind us, and allow the healing to begin.

In April, the Queen’s baton for the Commonwealth Games finds its way to

Sydney. Be ready for a barrage of photos and athletes welcoming the torch. While the list of the baton carriers is still not known, local Australian cricketers and Indian community members are surely limbering up. The Waughs and Lees will be professing their love for all things Indian. For those who love their reading, expect to see major Indian writers grace this year’s Sydney Writer’s Festival.

The cup, as they say, runneth overthere are plenty of occasions coming up for us to move forward and enjoy the lifestyle and opportunities which living in Australia offers us.

Beauty Therapy and Nail Centre

Esablished 20 years back in Hurstville

Now open in Paramatta on level 1 near station and food court

OPEN SPECIALS:

* $55 MEDICAL GRADE LASER (5MINS) example lip, bikini and underarm or face or brazillian

* Brazillian and underarm $70

WAXING:

* Full leg and Brazillian $45

* Eyebrows $10

* Bikini $10

*Face $20

* Full leg and bikini line $31

FACIAL:

* Mini facial includes massage, removal of black heads and mask $35

Phone 9633 3822

Shop 1169, Level 1 Westfield Paramatta NSW 2150 Also in Westfield Bondi Junction, Hurstville, Miranda & Eastgardens

Havan

21 Feb H.H. Sri Om Gnana Sakthiyendra Swamiji will preside over Homam (Havan) at Sri Om Adi Sakthi Ashram, 62 Kurrajong Crescent, Blacktown, 10 am to 12.30 pm. Details Chandra (02) 9920 0536

Bollywood Extravaganza charity event

27 Feb Bollywood Dhamaka presents a night of live entertainment (including Saaz live band, singing, dinner and live entertainment) at Bowman Hall, Campbell St, Blacktown NSW. All proceeds go to Australian Hindu Multicultural Association inc. and Sanatan Cultural Centre Trust. Details Suresh Gowda: 0401 432 282

Global Organisation for Divinity (GOD)

Prayer sessions and Gopakuteeram classes start on Sunday 21 February between 4pm and 6pm, at Parramatta Scout Hall, Webb Street, North Parramatta. Details email contact@godivinity.org.au

Spiritual discourse by Shri Vibhuji

Mananv Dharam Society of Australia presents a spiritual discourse by humanist and social philosopher Shri Vibhuji

5 Mar at AHECS (Hindu Village), 410 Clifton Ave, Kemps Creek NSW, 7.00-9.00pm

6 Mar at Villawood Senior Citizens Hall, Villawood Rd, Villawood NSW, 6.30-9.30pm.

Details Sanjeet 0432 682 275.

Mother India reinvented

7 Mar The Sydney Opera House will screen a distilled version of the classic Bollywood film Mother India complete with a modern electronic score. Mother India: 21st Century Remix (MI21) had a hugely successful sell out UK tour last year. A stunning adaptation of the 1957 Oscar-nominated film, MI21 remixes, re-edits and rescores the original 3-hour epic into a 45-minute silent film. British turntablist DJ Tigerstyle has composed a contemporary electronic and strings based score to convey the myriad of actions and emotions expressed on-screen. Tigerstyle will be joined on stage by Matt Constantine on the keyboards and electric cello and David Shaw on the drums, with Josh Ford as MI21’s visual editor.

Details, www.sydneyoperahouse.com/screenlive

Upanishads short course

Starting March SVT Vidyalaya presents Upanishatsarasangraha a rare and free opportunity to learn the essence of all Upanishads. Sri Vasudevacharya, Senior Disciple of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi will teach the course. In eighteen classes, he will systematically explain the meaning of the most outstanding mantras from all the principal Upanishads. This is a unique course that will prove of great benefit to spiritual seekers. All are welcome. No prior knowledge necessary.

WHERE: Darcy Road Public School Hall, Wentworthville

Details Kumar 0407 108 372 or Shobana 0422 732 907

UIA’s Women’s and Seniors Forums

6 Mar Women’s Forum 9.30am. 20 Mar Seniors Forum

Both events will be held at Parravilla Function Centre, Campbell St Parramatta, starting 9.30am. Working lunch will be provided on both days. Details Aruna Chandrala 0410 338 900 or visit the website www.uia.org.au

Chinmaya Mission events

5 Mar - 7 Mar Opening the Heart (Ladies Retreat) with Swamini Amritananda and Brni Sujata Chaitanya, at Satyananda Yoga, 300 Mangrove Creek Road, Mangrove Creek, NSW Australia 2250.

7 Mar Holi celebrations (Seeing one-ness) organised by the Chinmaya Yuvekendra (Senior, Junior) and Balavihar Castle Hill, 10.00am to midday, at Chinmaya Sannidhi, 38 Carrington Road, Castle Hill.

Veda & Stotram Chanting Classes for Beginners Friday evenings (starting 12 March) with Brni Sujata Chaitanya and Saturday mornings (starting 13 March) with Br Gopal Chaitanya.

Sanskrit for Beginners (10 classes)

Tuesdays at Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram

Bhagavad Geeta classes

Monday nights at Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram

Vivekachoodamani classes

Wednesday nights at Pymble and Thursday nights at Chinmaya Sannidhi Ashram

Details contact Chinmaya Sannidhi 02 8850 7400. Purandaradasa singing competition

3 and 4 Mar To participate in the Sri Purandaradasa Aradhana singing competition, call Anu Ananda 02 9764 4587 or email purandarasydney@yahoo.com.au

Kathakali

11 Mar Spirit of India presents Kathakali dance drama The Killing of Dushasana performed by the world-renowned Kerala Kalamandalam Dance Company. Seymour Centre, 7pm. Booking www.seymourcentre.com.au or phone 02 9352 7940.

Vision 2020 fund-raiser

13 Mar Vision2020 Incorporated (a charitable organisation in Sydney) is organising a Gana Mela Evening, a film music program including songs in several Indian languages Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. Talented singers from the Sound of Music Orchestra will entertain the audience at Castle Hill High School, 76-100 Castle Street, Castle Hill, NSW, starting 6.30pm. All proceeds go to carefully selected and genuine charity projects in developing countries.

Details: Nagarajan 02 9498 2260 or Ravi 94774164

Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam

27 Mar JET Australia Sydney organises the traditional Seetha Ramam Kalyanam at Tuggerah Community Hall, Anzac Road, Tuggerah. Details contact Veena or Ramakanth on 0404 029 520

What’s On Business for sale

Indian takeaway in a high potential area with huge Indian population. Newly renovated and looks great. Next to station & cheap rent. Running business with less expenses.

Dancing to spirituality

28 Mar Natyadharshan Dance School presents a charity dance program, at Casula Power House Theatre, (Casula Road - near Jolly Knight Motel) 6pm. Details call Sashi Bala on 9607 2916 / 0434 233 115

Hornsby Indian Seniors Group seeks help

The Indian Seniors Group is looking for some further support in order to keep their organisation going. They have about 100 members but all fairly aged and need someone who can join their group on a voluntary basis to begin with who can take the responsibilty to continue to run this organisation with dedication and selfless motive. It is going to be a commitment on the part of anyone volunteering, so please take it on if you are able to afford the time and the energy. If you feel that you are the right person, then please do contact Mira Raheja founder ISG Hornsby on miraraheja@hotmail.com

Music and dance with GOD

15 May Global Organisation for Divinity (GOD) presents an evening of music and dance on at the Sydney Baha’i Centre, 107 Derby Street, Silverwater. Madhura geetham (devotional music by Uma Ayyar and Mythili Narayanaswamy) and Namami narayanam (bharatanatyam dance presentation by Padma Balakumar and students of Nrityagriha School of Indian Classical Dance). Details contact Mythili Bala, 02 9482 1204 or Kavitha Bhaskaran, 02 9836 2354

Hindi news bulletins on SBS

SBS Television’s WorldWatch service has been screening news bulletins in Hindi since 1 Feb 2010. The Hindi news (from public broadcast DDI India) airs on: Mon – Sat at 11am on SBS ONE Sundays at 11am on SBS TWO To view a daily schedule online, go to www.sbs.com.au/schedule

Chester Hill Seniors Centre

Sri Om Care has opened a Day Centre for Seniors activities at Chester Hill community Centre, Chester Hill Road, Chester Hill from 28th Jan 10. It is open on all Thrusdays of the week from 10 am to 2 pm. Activities include gentle exercises, lectures on health, cultural interactions and indoor games. Morning tea and sumptuous lunch is provided. Please call Jay Raman on 0410 759 906 or Dr. Sadhana on 0466 396 079 for more details

Keep up the good work, Amit Dasgupta

It was good to read your interview with Mr. Amit Dasgupta, Consul General of India, Sydney, in your January (2) issue. I think his efforts in handling the student issue, that has overwhelmed him since his arrival in Sydney, have been commendable. It was encouraging to hear his positive and well spoken approach in the Insight program on SBS TV.

He has encouraged the Indian community to put forward their views and suggestions in true Indian democratic fashion.

He has of course been supportive of our IABBV Hindi School and the Indian Seniors but besides that he has turned adversity into positivity by initiating an exhibition on Gandhiji’s story and his struggle. This exhibition Mahatma Gandhi, My Life is My Message, has been produced by National Gandhi Museum and Public Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs Government of India Exhibition.

This is an exhibition ‘on the move’ and will resonate among the young and the old alike. As you know we are living in troubled and troubling times and Gandhiji’s message, I believe, continues to have relevance and appeal – perhaps more so now. What better place to start than with schools and educational institutions.

In 2009, some of the schools that held the exhibition were Hornsby Girls High School, Thornleigh West Public School, IABBV Hindi School, AIS the International School, Cherrybrook Technology High School and West Ryde Public School. We have received positive feedback from these exhibitions and My Life is My Message will continue to be exhibited in many more schools in 2010, commencing with Artarmon PS on 22 February.

The current crisis faced by Indian students in Australia is indicative of a broad problem in Australians understanding their near neighbours, and education from schools onward is the best way to do this. This positive step forward, initiated by Mr. Dasgupta, will increase cultural awareness of India so that in the years to come the recent student issues do not reoccur.

More positive cultural exchanges like

Letters to the editor

this need to happen at the grass root level, in primary and high schools in Australia, to make Australians understand and develop respect for Indian culture and sensitivities.

Continued support like this from Mr. Dasgupta and his team at the Consulate will be much appreciated.

Mala Mehta OAM Coordinator IABBV Hindi School

Necessary interference by CG Amit Dasgupta

A recent article in Indian Link about the community’s umbrella organization confronting Consul General Amit Dasgupta proves the Chinese proverb “He who strikes the first blow admits he’s lost the argument”.

Consul General Amit Dasgupta issued a statement on 18 January 2010 publicly urging Indian employers who employ students to abide by the local employment law and pay their employees wages as per the Australian law.

GOPIO North Sydney chapter agrees with Mr. Dasgupta that though policing of the workplace rests with the government, it is within Mr Dasgupta’s jurisdiction to demand morally that our students are treated fairly and provided minimum wages as per existing law in Australia. It is a fact that one can not commit social service by breaking the law. Let us face the truth and not sugar coat the issue. As a community we must take responsibility and ownership to clean up our act, and strive to provide better working conditions in an ethical and respectful manner. It is important that we look at this issue with a balanced approach; consequently the community at large must continue to drive the support for the Indian employers by dining out regularly and buying goods and services so these business owners can sustain and afford better working conditions. The students must also respect the working laws and put in hard and sincere work in their respective jobs. We have to play our own part too – let’s not shirk responsibility at the individual level.

Mr. Amit Dasgupta has put a distinct mark on the local Indian community and international students in the short time he has been here. Mr. Dasgupta, a man of principles, has not hesitated

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to stand up for the Indian community, seeking proper regulatory mechanism for education providers, during the Harris Park demonstrations, supporting the Indian students, and suggesting to all Indian associations to have elections so the consulate has up-to-date list of the office bearers.

GOPIO North Sydney chapter congratulates and salutes Mr. Dasgupta for taking this courageous and bold step. We stand by the CG on this necessary interference and extend our full support to him.

Raj Paul Sandhu Secretary GOPIO (North Sydney Chapter)

Kudos, Amit Dasgupta

I was disappointed to read that there were Indians protesting against Mr Amit Dasgupta. I strongly support his views. I am told that Indians have many associations and it gave me the impression that Indians are not united as one. What a shame?

Trevor Coutinho Sydney, NSW

VFS, make visa processing easier

I write regarding visa processing facilities that the Indian High Commission has outsourced to a private company, VFS.

The processing time for visa applications at VFS has worsened to 9 working days in December 2009. This is poor management: if you are anticipating higher volumes, you should be preparing for that, not changing the service standard.

I was disappointed, thinking that 7 business days was enough to get a tourist visa, when staff confirmed that it would take 9 business days and no exceptions (death in the family is not an exceptionit is expected on humanitarian grounds).

So I had to cancel plans to attend a good friend’s wedding - cancelling internal air flights, accommodation in 2 cities, drivers etc.

A small price for India to pay, but individual businesses and people in India have been deprived of income.

I will not say that you must reward poor planning. In my case, the decision to travel was based on a sick daughter

being stable enough for me to leave my wife alone here to attend the wedding. But the embassy should insist that their outsourced service provider provide an express visa service for those willing to pay!!! Make it double the normal cost, and all will be happy. The challenge is that VFS may not be able to provide the extra service, but surely the Indian government and its expatriates deserve better?

This is not 1980. India now says that it compares to the best, but these little things always make that claim a little false.

If you want your many wealthy and sentimental expatriates to return not just for family reunions, (this will end in two generations - our children will find little reason to return to India other than as tourists) these services should be as good as we can have.

I am very disappointed that VFS could do nothing to provide an express visa. Another question we should be asking is, why can’t India offer online visa applications for low risk countries? If the US can do it, why not India for its expats? It is revenue, just charge, but make it quick and easy! I am sure that tourism to India will double!

I am a proud Indian even though I have never lived there, but making it hard to travel to India is not a good idea. We should be demanding the best, then and only then, can you say India is progressing and improving.

I hope that the Indian Government and the High Commission will think about this.

Allan Parapuram Hunters Hill, NSW

Indian Grocery Store for Sale

Too little too late

The NSW Government response to the findings of the NSW Ministerial Taskforce on International Education was released at a round table of the Indian community leaders 72 hours after the Federal Government made drastic changes to the migration programme. These changes announced by Minister Chris Evans will have a profound effect on the thousands of Indian students in New South Wales. It seemed that the Ministerial Task Force which took over 12 months to deliver these findings have delivered too little and much too late.

The past 8 months have seen an explosion in issues relating to the international student community in NSW. Attacks on students, street protests and marches have hit the headlines regularly. The Australian Prime Minister has visited India and the Indian Foreign Minister has come down under, with the student sagas dominating their talks and visits. Diplomats from both countries have been kept busy. Overall, the landscape has changed considerably since the task force was established.

The three key expectations of the international students were the availability of travel concessions; the establishment of low cost housing close to their institution of education, and a job placement service through their place of eduction were addressed in the findings.

No firm commitment to any of these was made by the NSW Government. Other issues of an international student centre etc.

However, the Premier’s task force on international education has decided to establish an International Student of the Year award to recognise international student achievement in NSW. Other initiatives announced were:

* The Premier will establish an international education advisory board for NSW, called the Premier Council on International Education (PCIE).

* The taskforce will provide a copy of its findings to Commonwealth Government and PCIE which will continue the work in the

* The NSW Government will create a website which will help International Students with information on living in NSW, with links to a variety of websites such as safety, travel, accommodation etc.

* The Minister of Education and Training will write to all NSW international education providers about the importance of taking an active role in providing assistance to students in finding accommodation during the first semester of their studies.

* PCIE will work with NSW Transport Department and education providers on

a range of options including possible sponsorship, making pre-purchasing of tickets easier for first semester students, providing better online information and purchasing longer-term tickets which are cheaper.

* On safety issues, the NSW Police Force will build on existing initiatives to maintain a safe environment for international students.

* PCIE will work with all stakeholders, including education providers to provide international students with support at all stages. The PCIE will consider an international student festival and working with local councils to make social engagement activities and services available to international students.

* The PCIE will play a key role in the development of an international marketing plan to position NSW as Australia’s premier state for education

* The PCIE will establish an International Student of the Year award to recognise achievement.

However with the changes at the Federal level and a sharp decline in international vocational students expected in the coming years, one needs to question the relevance of these initiatives on international education. A response such as this may have had better value and created more goodwill, if it had been released a few months earlier.

Pawan Luthra

Service to humanity is service to god

In her series on seniors, SUDHA NATARAJAN introduces us here to Cronulla’s Damodar Sodha

amodar Sodha is a man of determination, quiet assertion and compassion that goes beyond expectation. At the youthful age of 82, Damodar, who lives near Cronulla Beach, walks three and half kilometres every morning and attempts an evening walk too, if the weather is good. He is always positive in his approach and is kind to everyone who needs help. With a generosity of heart, he keeps striving to help fellow seniors of the community in various ways.

Mr Sodha has been Chairman of Resourceful Australian Indian Network (RAIN) for the past two years. Under his able leadership and constant motivation, this community service organisation has seen growth and development and has developed the capacity to assist a lot of seniors in need. He and Labubehn, his constant companion and wife of over 60 years, take on their responsibility to the community seriously and work tirelessly, while also inspiring others to reach a common goal: a senior care centre for Indian seniors. Damodarbhai and Labubehn have been involved in community welfare since they lived in South Africa and under his guidance, RAIN has done very well in promoting the needs of seniors.

The group has achieved a part of this objective in developing a Day Care programme in partnership with St George Migrant Resource Centre. The programme runs twice a month at the Bexley Community Centre and seniors are picked up from their houses, taken to the centre for breakfast, lunch and social activities and

then dropped back. They also enjoy occasional outings and this is only the beginning.

Mr Sodha has his heart set upon helping frail, aged members of the community by organising for them a place where they could find comfort and shelter. He has donated generously for this cause and encourages his friends to do so.

Mr Sodha was born in South Africa in the state of Pretoria. His mother passed away when he was just 9, and the tremendous responsibility of caring for 6 children fell on his father. The family moved to India, primarily to find support in bringing up his very young children. A loving father, he remarried and moved back to South Africa.

It was not easy to cope with so many changes, but the young child took each upheaval in his stride and worked hard to be of assistance to his father.

At 15, Damodar went back to India with the family. He and his elder brother joined a boarding school, but tragically, his brother lost his life to smallpox. The trauma of death never stopped haunting this teenager, but he also became determined to make a life for himself, and was strengthened by the trials that came his way.

At just 18, Damodar’s father arranged for him to marry the lovely Labu, who was only 13 at that time.

A moment in history

Mr Sodha recounts how his grandparents Ratanshi Mulji Sodha and Rambhabai R Sodha secured a place for themselves in South Africa’s Gandhian history.

It was December 30, 1910 and Mrs Rambhabai R Sodha stood in ‘B’ court, Johannesburg. The lawyer defending her was none other than the much revered Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The Gandhian Satyagraha in South Africa was fighting for immigrant rights, workers’ and women’s rights. Her husband Mr Ratanshi Mulji Sodha joined the movement, and was imprisoned under the Registration Act.

Mrs Ramabai R.Sodha and her three children were still in Natal, their shop was broken into and they lost all their property.

Mrs Sodha was prone to illness, just like her youngest child and they found it hard to live on their own without the man of the house.

Gandhiji brought Mrs.Sodha to Transvaal

to live at Tolstoy Farm with the families of other Satyagrahis, so that they could be better cared for. But she was declared a prohibited immigrant because she could not speak or write in English. She was lucky to have Mr Gandhi as her defending lawyer, and the case became one of historical importance. The trial of Ramabai R.Sodha found mention in The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi,Volume 10. The case was keenly followed by the Indian community, and many Indian ladies offered support to Mrs Sodha. The sight of the lady with a baby in arms and a three year old child by her side was pathetic. Gandhi argued that her husband had passed the education test and was not a prohibited immigrant. By common-law, she had the right to follow her husband.

RM Sodha was imprisoned thrice for testing the rights of educated Indians under the Immigration Law. The family showed

grit and determination, supporting the cause of Gandhian Satyagraha, fighting for rights of immigrants supporting Gandhi in his struggle. This cost them their livelihood and business, and finally, RM Sodha left for India in June 1911.

Their son Revashanker Sodha stayed on in South Africa and was one of the first 16 Satyagrahis in 1913, at less than 18. He married Vakhatbehn, and Damodar Sodha was the second of their surviving children. Tragically Vakhatbehn passed away in her late thirties, leaving behind six young children.

Damodar Sodha faced the trauma of death in the family from a very early age. He can still vividly remember his grandfather’s funeral, although he was only 3. Damodar says that his grandfather was always there to help the community, offering help to those who suffered from illness. He left his printing

Young Damodar wanted to work and establish himself before getting married, but his father insisted that he should marry. He left for Bombay, joining an income tax consultant’s office and rented a small room so that his young wife could join him.

Damodar continued working in Bombay until his father wrote, asking him to come back to South Africa, as he would lose his right to enter if he did not return immediately. He was very reluctant to leave the security of a job and the life he had built through hard work but once again, he was a dutiful son. He succumbed to his father’s pleas, and reluctantly left India, preparing for the changes ahead.

Life seemed to toss Damodar around, challenging his capability to survive, but he was determined to emerge a winner, and he did!

In South Africa, he began working in a drapery and grocery store, and after seven years, he was elevated to the post of manager. It was not easy, and he had to keep striving. Damodar was polite, diplomatic, innovative and extremely hardworking. After 16 years of toil and tribulation, Damodar opened his own retail shop at a strategic spot near a bus terminus. The days were busy and the work was hard and demanding, but he made good money. Once again, his stressful life led to ill-health and he had to give up his hectic business.

However, this time around, Damodar knew the tricks of the trade. As soon as he got better, he opened a wholesale ‘Cash and Carry’ business in partnership with his brother and a friend. He enjoyed a successful life, but unfortunately, also suffered a severe heart attack.

Each time he worked himself to a successful position, a problem came up, so troubles became a part of his existence. But Damodar Sodha was not a person who would give up easily. Life’s tribulations had taught him to be resilient, but it was also in his genes.

business in India at Gandhiji’s request to open a printing press in South Africa and to publish the Indian Opinion which voiced the issues that the community faced. Damodar finally arrived in Australia to be with his son and daughters. He now enjoys the company of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, who live in adjoining suburbs. In a message to fellow seniors, Mr Sodha says that social inclusion and sharing time with others is important, as is understanding old age issues and helping those in need. Service to humanity, specially service to the aged, is definitely service to God.

With a history of working towards the betterment of the community in general, it is no wonder that Damodar is wholeheartedly involved in helping seniors at the twilight of their lives. Well done, Damodarbhai!

Sudha Natarajan

Mr Sodha has his heart set upon helping frail, aged members of the community by

Mr R.M.Sodha

Mrs.Rambhabai Sodha

Flying colours

Divya Gordon finished her HSC last year, with art as two of her units. The oil painting she made received 100% marks and was shortlisted to be in this year’s Art Express exhibition. It is a composite work, with nine separate canvases - six of these are portraits of a woman in different angles, and three larger plain paintings - all arranged on the wall intriguingly. Divya has called the work Maina, after her mother.

Maina Gordon has been suffering from MS for some years now. An article on her (Living With MS) that appeared in Indian Link in 2007, opened the eyes of many readers to the hardships and pain, and also breakthroughs and triumphs, of being a sufferer of this disease.

Divya Gordon, Maina’s older daughter, took this into account while choosing her topic to do her HSC art project.

She says, “People have always been my favourite subject matter. I just don’t connect to still life and landscapes with the same amount of interest. Studying and copying every slope and crevice on someone’s face, is infinitely entertaining.”

The former PLC girl adds, “Rather embarrassingly, I think I found my calling when we had to sketch a nude model at school!”

Divya describes the process by which the painting took shape.

“I caught mum on a blue day and asked her to pose for me. I knew which views, angles, limbs and expressions I wanted to depict. Limited instruction was needed – she’s a natural! A copious amount of photos were taken during her daily struggles (i.e. getting out of bed and onto her chair) and then played with on the computer

to experiment with angles and cropping. The final photos were then selected”.

Maina couldn’t pose in person because she can’t stay still for long, and also because Divya had to work at school.

“It took approximately 6 months from start to finish - I worked in class and at lunch times”.

Why the separate canvasses?

“I think the effect of small scale (attempted realistic) snapshots is to provide, as well as they can, a narrow window into the daily trials of Maina’s disability, through the emotive screen of blue. Originally I planned to line the 20-by20s up across the wall. But that would have been boring”.

And why blue and white?

“Reasons to why the paintings are blue and white are two-fold. One, emotive emphasis; and two, I wanted to experiment more with all the tones and shades of blue. I painted once before in these colours and liked the end result.”

The end result in this particular work, has enough mystery and intrigue, so that viewers linger over it for quite some time. Divya explains, “It is my understanding that good art tends to be mysterious - a good artist never explains their artwork in depth (unless its purpose is to convey a point, for whatever enlightening reason)”.

Divya prefers that the viewer’s “experience and understanding should be on a more sensory level, and they should identify with it by imaging up their own meaning”.

Other than that 100% mark, Divya got some positive feedback from other people who saw the artwork.

“My teacher was very happy with my effort and the end result. She wasn’t aware that I was

nominated for Art Express and when I told her she said she had expected so. One of my friend’s mums who knows my mum actually cried when she saw it, but I think we can attribute that to her feeling emotional at the time”.

And Mum herself, is naturally bursting with pride, even though she was very much in pain when the photos were taken.

“When I saw the final work, I was flooded with memories of how difficult it was for me at the time Divya took those photos. The paintings were screaming with the anguish I had experienced with each movement I made. At the time Divya had taken the photos, I was recovering from a bilateral mastectomy. I felt detached from the figure in the paintings, as if I were looking back on myself. This retrospect relayed hope to me, as my recovery was emphasised by the reminder of my pain.”

Divya has always had an interest in art. She chose art as a subject for the HSC because “I loved the theoretical and practical aspects of art and was scoring high in it at the time. It was a practical and enjoyable decision. Art is a great two units as it breaks up the study during that intense time.”

And no doubt she will be doing more art in the future. We wish her all the best.

Devna Luthra

It is my understanding that good art tends to be mysteriousa good artist never explains their artwork in depth… (the viewer’s) experience and understanding should be on a more sensory level, and they should identify with it by imaging up their own meaning

Divya Gordon

Maina (Divya Gordon 2009)

De-linking education & migration

PAWAN LUTHRA on what the changes in immigration policy will mean for the students, for the Indian community, and for wider Australian society

The link between vocational education training and permanent residency in Australia, now lies severed - and the local Indian Australian community is about to enter a new phase in their life

Down Under.

The 100,000 plus Indian overseas students, especially those undertaking vocational courses in Australia, now live in uncertain hope of gaining permanent residency, and most could be returning to India in due course.

For those who have been victims of this government change, there are going to be monumental repercussions. With every student who is now battling to understand the rules of this new game of permanent residency in Australia, there are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts who have mortgaged their future – financial and emotional – to send their loved one to Australia with the hope of finding a better life. But now, there is no certainty that the treasure at the end of the educational journey – that permanent residency stamp – will be available. In all probability in the near future, a vast majority of international students will be packing their bags and returning to their towns and villages in India – families heavily in financial debt, their hopes crushed.

Cut out the festering wound, rather than try to cure it?

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has built a reputation for himself as a ruthless task master after two years in office. Mainstream newspapers such as Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, The Age, have painted a picture of a Prime Minister who ensures that public servants keep the midnight oil burning. Himself a well known workaholic, Rudd is known for his working style of getting things done. The cries of racism against Indian students have raised shackles in the bureaucracy and the Prime Minster’s office in Canberra. Rudd, himself an expert in foreign affairs - and on a personal front, with members of his own extended family coming from non-Australian backgrounds - would have had his finger on the pulse when reportage of the attacks on Indian overseas students initially began. His embarrassment at the constant accusation of Australian racism, would have been one of the lowlights of his Prime Ministership. The message coming from India seemed to be: since you are making so much money out of our students, it is your duty to ensure their full safety at all times. The Australian government tried to argue their case that it is impossible to assure this for anyone -students

or otherwise. However New Delhi, egged on by the Indian media, went a step further, warning of dire consequences in case student safety was not provided. Seems like the Australian government refused to prostitute itself for the $16 billion international education industry.

The issue of racism was sucking out all oxygen from the Indo-Australian relationship. For Rudd and Australia, it was easier to cut out the festering wound than to find a cure for it.

In doing so, one estimates over 400,000 people – students and their families – would be affected but these are, as they say, collateral damage in this war.

Marrying the education and migration industries

The nexus between education and migration started in 2001 under the Howard government. With skills shortages looming, the Howard government made it easier for overseas students to apply for permanent residency while in Australia. They also opened the doors for part time or restricted employment. As the economy boomed, semi skilled jobs such as hairdressing, cookery etc were demanded by employers. The then Immigration Minister allowed bonus points for immigration to be given to overseas students who were doing the vocational courses in demand: these trades were included in a Migration Occupations in Demand List, or MODL.

This was an invitation for students to enrol in these courses, and their numbers jumped from 48,000 to 212,000 between 2003 and 2009.

What the students did for the economy at the micro level

All this worked for the Australian economy and in a strange way, for the Australian-Indian community.

The Australian workforce saw an explosion in numbers of qualified Indian workers. Young Indians began to man the counters at the local 7/11, petrol station, supermarket, with increasing frequency. Desperate to maximise their 20 hours of work to fund their studies and lodging, these new employees were an excellent source of economical employment for their employers. They spoke reasonable English, were articulate, well presented, law abiding and importantly, understood the value of ethical labour. Of course, there would be the odd exception to the rule, but generally, both employers and employees were able to find a comfortable fit. The local Australians may have felt aggrieved on missing out on these jobs, but for the economy there was

more activity. As well, the residence of these students created peripheral activities such as local housing requirements, travel growth etc. The fit, overall, was good.

The local Indian community also benefited. With the increasing supply of consumers, there was a boom in eateries; travel agencies were kept busy; cheap overseas telecommunication options grew by leaps and bounds. Now, one could dine out on a range of Indian regional foods: Punjabi, Gujarati, south Indian – at cheap prices. Travel agents began opening on weekends to meet the demands of the growing population of these Indian Australians. The avenues of entertainment also increased – Bollywood movies began to be released every weekend, with gate earnings enough to keep the business growing. The newspaper industry within the community flourished, and there was more from the community also on TV and radio. Community melas or fairs saw healthy turnouts, with 10,000 –20,000 people in attendance at these functions. In a country where elections are won or lost at times with a handful of votes, the numbers as above are a major achievement in the local environment.

It was a win-win situation for everyone.

While the students were settling in to their lives down under, the financial pressures on them were considerable. A number of them were from the middle socio economic band in India. With the rules in Australia relatively relaxed with respect to permanent residency, the strategy was to bring enough monies into Australia to sustain themselves for the first few months and then find local employment as per the rules, to fund the rest of their education stay here. Upon completion of their studies, they would apply for permanent residency and join the queue for the normal processes to be completed in due course. More often than not, their dream to live in Australia was fulfilled and they settled into their new life comfortably.

The formula was simple - and in its simplicity, was the attraction for all.

Politically, the Liberal Party did what it has traditionally done: create more workers, so that

In typical Howardspeak, the message from the Rudd government now appeared to be: We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come!

India’s Foreign Minister SM Krishna talks with a media advisor and Indian students after a press conference in Melbourne in August 2009.

the employers have a greater choice, and keep costs down while there is abundant supply of labour.

A few random events created chaos

In May last year, however, all this changed. A few random attacks on Indian students occurred –some quite horrific. Shravan Kumar, a Melbourne student, had a screwdriver pushed into his skull in a random attack. Saurabh Sharma, also from Melbourne, was assaulted in a late night train journey. CCTV footage from this bashing made headlines around India and from then on, the Indian media took it upon themselves to highlight the issue. As the year progressed, more and more cases came up in which students were attacked, and no redressal seemed forthcoming. The Indian politicians came under intense pressure to raise their concerns, in a bid simply to protect their own.

Their public cry was to get an Australian government guarantee that no Indian student would be assaulted in Australia.

The Australian government’s reaction to all this was a sense of bewilderment. Their response to the Indian media was weak. Over a period of time, the Indian politicians and Indian media became more strident, and the Australian government retreated into their shells.

Most students in Australia were happy as they were, and not directly affected by what was happening. However, they experienced a sense of empowerment as they found themselves in the spotlight. Already hurting from being exploited by rogue education agents and shoddy colleges

who were charging exorbitant fees, the students vent their frustrations out in street protests. Some community leaders, while working to calm the students, also at times themselves inflamed the media with attention-seeking headlines. A number of them saw this as an opportunity to further their cause by accessing government grants and positioning themselves for future political careers in Australia. In all, the bulk of overseas Indian students’ demands were ignored.

The murder of Nitin Garg in January became one of the most horrific crimes within the Indian community in Australia.

Two more reports surfaced in quick succession, of Indians being torched, and by this time, the Indian politicians and media had judged Australia and Australians guilty. The cover story of the influential Indian magazine Outlook India said it all: a bruised and battered student’s face stared out, beside the chilling headline, “Why the Aussies Hate Us.”

By this time, enough was enough. The Australian government needed to take action.

The Indian media had gone berserk. They had failed to point out that over 99% of Indians in Australia were happy with their life here, and that no systematic attacks were being carried out against other communities in “racist” Australia. Later, the subsequent charging of Indian nationals themselves as being perpetrators of at least some

crimes, were lost in the headlines. The fact that most crimes against Indians were late at night in isolated incidents which can happen in any part of the world, including India, and that these crimes were now probably becoming copycat crimes, was seriously downplayed. That many of the students were really here to gain permanent residency, was not understood at all, and probably still isn’t. And in the midst of this melee, the Australian government decided to take charge.

Divorcing education from immigration

In typical Howard-speak, the message from the Rudd government now appeared to be: We will decide who comes to this country and the circumstances in which they come!

The migration rules changed, the nexus between migration and residency was broken, and currently, the future for many is in limbo.

The Labor Party did what their policy directs them to do - lower labour supply so that employees can demand greater wages from their employers.

The students were caught in the crossfire of two political ideologies.

The MODL has been revoked and a new and more targeted Skilled Occupations List (SOL) will be released in April and implemented in July. This list developed by an independent body, Skills Australia, will focus on high value professions and trades. Students currently studying in Australia who have not lodged their skilled graduate visa before February 8, 2010 will now be assessed on opportunities available in the new list. Many may miss out. Those who are not in the SOL will have until 31 December 2012 to apply for a temporary skilled graduate visa on completion of their studies. This will enable them to spend upto 18 months in Australia to acquire work experience and seek sponsorship from an employer.

Minister Evans has pointed out that international students should not expect to automatically attain permanent resident status.

“If you can get a job and employers are prepared to sponsor you,” he said, “then clearly you’re of value and you’ll fit in and you’ll make successful migration.”

Currently, it is not only the students who are facing a period of uncertainty. Vocational colleges, a number of them who have been audited and cleared by the government, will also feel the pressures as current students review their options of staying on in Australia, while new students reassess their plans for coming here.

Could a sunset clause have helped?

In initiating the changes, perhaps the government could have included a clause to the effect that the changes will come into effect with all future students starting now so that the students in the system already would have remained unaffected.

Some migration agents believe that current students will find themselves in a tough situation. Some may decide to go back to India; for others, the attraction of living in Australia may outweigh their ethical responsibilities and they could end up choosing the illegal path such as opting for sham marriages or simply becoming illegal immigrants.

Whatever the future, the rules of the game have been changed by the referees, potentially shattering the dreams of many. For the moment, personal posturing by the media, community leaders, student leaders, diplomats and politicians, allowed the situation to spiral out of control. Very few winners in this one - and the losers will feel the effects for years to come.

Some may decide to go back to India; for others, the attraction of living in Australia may outweigh their ethical responsibilities and they could end up choosing the illegal path such as opting for sham marriages or simply becoming illegal immigrants

Victoria’s Police Assistant Commissioner Paul Evans, left, speaks with parents during a parent student interaction organised by the Australian High Commission in Ahmadabad, India, in July 2009.

Fate hangs in balance for students

Uncertainty looms large for the countless Indian students in Australia waiting anxiously to understand the implications of the new immigration policies, as the Australian government moves to tighten laws. A number of students are now planning on booking their tickets to go back to India, following the February 8 announcement.

The sweeping changes announced by the government have kept many on tenterhooks as they worry if their areas of study will be relevant once the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is out in April. A number of students are also concerned how they would face their parents and pay the exorbitant loans they took to study in Australia with the hope of securing the coveted Permanent Residency (PR).

“I have decided to go back to India as my qualifications do not seem to be on the demand list any more. I had applied for a visa extension earlier, which was refused due to some medical problem. I was planning on re-applying but now I don’t see the point anymore,” says Param Veer, a diploma student in cookery from the STI Institute in Paramatta.

“I have spent close to AUD 50, 000 to study here and was sponsored by some relatives. My family was hoping that things will work out for me in Australia and I would settle here once I finish. However, this news has been a big blow to them. I am not sure how I’ll face them once I return. I’ll be financially dependent on them when I go back,” he adds.

“The rules keep changing and it’s extremely hard for us as students to keep tab. I am really concerned if community welfare would be in the new list or if it will be knocked off, like cookery and hair dressing,” says a worried Raveena Garg, a community welfare student at TAFE.

“Many of us work very hard to get local experience so we can qualify for a PR. I have been working as a volunteer and only hope things work out. Right now, no one is in a position to tell us what the new policies will look like. We don’t really know what is in store for us and that is extremely disconcerting,” adds Garg.

Students say that it is not the changing immigration rules that is more upsetting, but the fact that the government had lured students with its immigration policies and was now reversing its stand, leaving many in the lurch.

“I am very disappointed and feel misguided. Many of us are tempted in to studying here and after we spend so much money, they are changing the rules. My course costs nearly AUD 70, 000 and I have completed two years of study already. Now, I am wondering if I should bother paying further fees at all or should I go back,” says Harpreet Singh, a cookery student at Southern Cross.

However, he says that if he cannot apply for a PR in Australia, he would look at Canada as a serious option to study further and apply for residency. He added that a number of his friends, who were planning on studying here this year had now changed their minds and had applied for refunds from institutions.

Roohbir Singh, a hotel management graduate

slated to be revealed in April. “If my occupation list is not on the new list that comes out later this year, I won’t be able to get these points towards my PR. I am concerned and will be sorely disappointed if my occupation is not on the list,” says Singh, who is presently on a bridging visa.

Singh believes that the changes are bound to impact students currently studying and set to finish soon. “Logically the changes make a lot of sense as a lot of people were abusing the system and thousands of students were encouraged to study community welfare or commercial cookery courses. The Australian government is only trying to look at the best interests of the country and the skills it requires by making these changes to its immigration policy,” he says, conceding that they have been long overdue and the government had chosen to take its own time to look at the malaise affecting the education sector. However, he is confident he will be eligible for a PR based on the old list.

Another Indian student who does not want to be named, says that the changes are worrying and he is planning on seeking professional advice. “I do not know what this would mean to me. I plan to meet with a lawyer soon to seek some clarifications and take professional advice”.

Yet another concerned student Pawandeep Kaur reveals, “I just paid my fees for this semester. My course was supposed to end this July. I had finished my planning. I have no options now but to either go back to India or pursue another course”.

“However what is the guarantee that the rules won’t change,” asks Pawandeep, who has completed a year and a half of a diploma course in hairdressing at the CBD College. She adds that her friends pursuing similar courses are facing the same predicament.

The students believe that the recent attacks and

“The policy changes may be partially influenced by the recent attacks and the media hype created in India,” says Pooja Kohli, who recently completed her Masters in Community Development. “Education agents in India aggressively promote Australia as an education destination and sometimes paint a rosy picture of how life is,” says Kohli, who plans to work in India soon.

Ruchir Punjabi, a former student of Sydney University and Managing Director of Langoor Pty Ltd, observes, “I am sure that the recent issues for students has a lot to do with the current overhaul. The education side of things are receiving substantial reviews, which is certainly a good thing. Whether migration should be linked to education is really a long-term policy issue that the government needs to think through properly. Either ways they are going to have to ensure that all such systems are well integrated to protect the interests of students and that of the country.”

“In my opinion it would be wrong to think that the students, using education as a pretext to migrate are at fault, when the system is built around supporting the same. Consequently, less students who are interested in migrating to Australia can be a good thing and a bad thing. It really just comes down to what Australia wants with regard to skills, to fill the holes in the country’s workforce,” adds Punjabi, who is based in Sydney.

He also notes, “Indian and international students will have to adjust. A lot of them who came here with expectations to migrate will seek other ways to do the same. Others who came here to just study will, I suppose, be indifferent.”

While the decision may have dealt a blow to several Indian students, many say they would like to go back to India and work and are not impacted by any immigration changes. “I would like to work in India as it offers great exposure. I am here for the quality education and work experience,” says Mihir Mathure, a student at Sydney University.

PREETI KANNAN talks to students about the impact of the new immigration policies

The sweeping changes have kept many on tenterhooks as they worry if their areas of study will be relevant once the new Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is out in April

Pawandeep Kaur:

Just paid up for the new

semester,

but might have to return

to

India

Raveena Garg: Will Community Welfare be on the new list?

All potential migrants will be deterred

The sweeping changes announced to Australia’s immigration policy and the DIAC’s decision to dump 20, 000 applications is being perceived as a major blow to Indian students - current and prospective. The long-anticipated immigration overhaul, many believe, comes in the wake of increasing allegations of racist attacks and New Delhi turning the heat on Australian political leaders to resolve issues.

Migration agents, who have been flooded with calls since the decision was announced, say the changes have no doubt dealt a blow to international students and prospective skilled migrants, notwithstanding their own businesses. Angry agents term the changes unfair to international students and blame Australian departments for their failure in protecting the interest of students. With the toughening of laws for students and prospective skilled migrants from overseas, they observe that in the long-run, Australia would face severe shortage of skilled professionals.

“This is a big blow for students and all stakeholders involved in the business of education,” said Amit Baijal, director of VisaInfo, a migration consultant in Sydney. “There has been a complete and utter failure on part of the education and immigration departments in monitoring the system for abuse. They have failed in their duty to protect international students’ interests”.

“The question is, why didn’t the government monitor the education industry five years ago? The legislation has been slack and the turnaround time to redress issues has been dismal,” said Baijal. He pointed out that with the bar being raised for English language requirements, increased skills’ assessment fees from AUD 300 to AUD 4550 and increased skills set processing time from 4 to 5 weeks to one and a half years – all factors would act as deterrents for migrants from all nationalities.

“Of course the impact on Indians would be more profound than other nationalities as the number of Indian students in vocational institutes is much higher than their counterparts in higher education. Vocational courses were seen as a springboard for migration and were marketed by offshore agents as a sort of fast track process for PR,” he noted, adding that the huge number of applications for cooks and hairdressers were bound to create an imbalance.

While agents do not see a direct link between the recent attacks and alteration in migration policies, they do not dismiss the timing of the roll out. “Indian applications were seeing a drastic decline in the past six months. This has been further aggravated by the new policy announcement. There is no correlation but the timing of the changes is definitely interesting,” said Baijal, adding that the uncertainty has led to a huge jump in calls from clients and students seeking clarifications.

“Being an international student at this time is

an extremely scary idea as there are a number of agents onshore and offshore misleading students,” he said.

Manish Agarwal, director of Evisalaw Australia Pty Ltd, called the new policies ‘absolutely ridiculous in every sense’. “The scrapping of the MODL list is not fair to applicants whose skills are in demand in this country. The whole objective was to prioritise and award additional points for people with skills in immediate demand. At the end of the day, the fact remains that we live in a country which will always have skills shortage. To overcome this, either local population has to grow or skills must be obtained from overseas”.

“What will happen is that due to toughening of policies, not only will international students be effected, but also people who want to migrate from overseas. In the long run, it is a disadvantage for Australia. Right now, there is a backlog of applications. If the policies and criteria are not relaxed, it will have a strong impact on the economy,” he said adding that instead of taking a sympathetic view to the plight of Indians, the government had taken a tough stance.

“Instead of trying to rid the system of its problems, the drastic changes will discourage all potential migrants,” said Agarwal adding that the news had created panic and has increased queries from students.

Both agents noted that the changes would not come without an impact on the migration business. “It will be a huge financial loss for the industry. No one anticipated such dramatic changes to the immigration policies. There are pros and cons to this announcement. Students and migrants have sufficient notice to prepare mentally and digest the facts, while preparing for secondary options. But, the flip side is the wait is long and there too many speculations. A lot of mixed advice is being given to students, which is dangerous,” he said.

Baijal observed that migration agents would see their business slackening and may likely migrate out of the market, while educational agents would diversify and aggresively promote newer destinations like Canada.

Syed M Kabir, Principal Migration Consultant of Kangaroo Migration and Education Consultancy, opines that the

government’s new policies will ‘shake-up’ the industry. “It is going to change the landscape of Australia’s migration programme. Students will virtually not be able to get PR. Having said that about 5 to 10 per cent are now eligible. The intention of the government is to make a complete overhaul of the industry and decouple education from migration. Of course, there is a political intent behind the announcement, albeit small”.

Kabir added that it could take six months to a year for people and the industry to recover from the massive changes that will be introduced and revealed only in April.

Shyamala Elango, head of Inner Universe, an educational agent based in Dubai, said, “Migration laws have always been subject to change and everybody who is considering migration is well aware of that. This is not pertinent just to Australia. In fact even with the 2-year course rule, we have always advised students to take the course that have their primary interest so they don’t find themselves short changed should laws change”.

“With the Gulf being a migrant society in itself, migration was not always the “only” criteria for selecting Australia. Australia has been able to garner interest primarily because of its emergence academically as a provider in the global scene with 6 of its Universities making it to the top 50 in the world. For a young country that was a reflection of its academic capabilities,” she said, adding, “However, there have been ripples and questions more by the recent attacks. Students insist on campus accommodation before they “sign up”. I don’t believe changes in migration policies will create a shift in direction of outward bound students to other regions. If anything with the economic downturn, the rising cost of the Australian dollar and cost of tuition fee would have a more farreaching impact.”

Migration agents give PREETI KANNAN their take on the announced changes

Migration experts Syed Kabir,Amit Baijal (middle) and Manish Agarwal (bottom) feel there will be a strong impact on the economy.

Living her dream

Pulling off a successful dance debut is no easy feat. To understand the nuances of an ancient, sophisticated and acclaimed art form like Bharatanatyam, and to eventually master it, a danseuse needs true passion for the genre. Not only is it physically and mentally demanding, it takes years of focus and commitment. No wonder then that an artiste’s achievement is often described as a sadhana

And Sharanya Shrikanth, the 17th graduate of Lingalayam Dance Academy, proved herself a worthy shishya of Guru

Anandavalli. What a momentous occasion it must have been for the renowned Bharatanatyam teacher as she invoked the blessings of Lord Nataraja at Sharanya’s arangetram.

The gifted Year 11 student of Meriden Girls School is a second-generation disciple, proudly carrying forward her family’s classical tradition. Her mother Tharani was among the pioneer students of the Academy back in late eighties.

As well, her grandmother, dance stylist Radha Ruthiramoorthy has been an integral part of Sydney’s close-knit dance community for three decades now.

As a child, not content with merely enjoying her mother’s performances, Sharanya nurtured a deep desire to follow in her footsteps and excel in Bharatanatyam. Fired by this ambition to accomplish, she took on the arduous task of mastering this ancient temple dance under Anadavalli’s tutelage, vastly expanding her repertoire over the last eight years. Sharanya recently made several trips to India to undertake additional training under Guru Udupi Laxminarayana.

As the high achiever donned the salangai for her maiden solo recital at the Gillian Moore Centre in Pymble, there was high expectation, and Sharanya delivered a memorable performance. After all, through her arangetram, Sharanya was not only living her ammamma’s dream but her own too.

In keeping with her high standards, everything was impeccable – from the elaborate floral arrangements at the foyer, stage decoration and lighting, to the costumes, item selection, live musical support and actual dance rendition. Well done to Sharanya’s support team for executing a grand success. She took the stage with the customary Pushpanjali and Ganesha Stuthi. The Jathiswaram (set to Lathangi), which followed, provided her the opportunity to show off her agility, technical skills and footwork.

An energetic kavuthuvam dedicated to Ardhanaarishwara (Shakthi-Shiva) effortlessly integrated the seemingly opposing male and female strands into a harmonious combine.

In contrast, the leisurely Varnam (the backbone of any recital) celebrating the many aspects of Shakthi allowed Sharanya to explore in greater detail the subtleties of the genre. Mayai manam kanitharul purivaye was a feast for the senses, marrying nritta, natya and of course nrittya Sharanya is a capable storyteller, conveying

complex narratives with her liquid eyes and sculpturesque postures. Be it the coy bride or fearless warrior, her emoting ability is quite advanced. Clearly the aspiring shishya has blossomed into a seasoned dancer and her rigorous training schedule over the past eighteen months paid rich dividends.

A talented all-rounder, she has also excelled in piano, debating, trombone, tennis and public speaking. Her determination to succeed in any pursuit she undertakes and extraordinary selfdiscipline make her an excellent role model for aspiring students. Her newest muse (post Master Chef) apparently is cooking. Armed with confidence and a great sense of humour, she is a very capable young woman no doubt.

While the spotlight was all Sharanya’s, her younger but no less talented sibling Arnanth delighted the packed auditorium with a fine display of instrumental prowess. His mrindangam taniavarthanam was followed by a Carnatic saxophone (Raaravenu) recital.

Likewise the musical interludes by the accompanying artists Kottayam Jamaneesh Nair (vocal) Thiagarajan Ramani (violin), Ghanavenothan Retnam (flute) and Bala Shankar (mridangam) were a real bonus.

The latter half of the Arangetram was devoted to lyrical compositions, reaching a crescendo with Andi Mayanguthadi and Brochevarevarura The former, a Kannadasan classic was specially choreographed as a tribute to her grandmother. In Andi Mayanguthadi, an ode to love, Sharanya portrayed the lovelorn nayika’s sheer anguish at separation, pining to be reunited with her beloved. The bhava-soaked Brocheva is another eternal favourite. Incorporating the stories of Gajendra moksham and Sita Kalyanam, it offered the danseuse a wide palate to paint on. Sharanya signed off the arangetram with an ecstatic Thillana set in Bhaagesri

Live your dreams, Sharanya, your future holds endless possibilities. Age Quod Agis!

Usha Arvind

Sharanya Shrikanth (and right, her brother Arnanth)

A confluence of two great rivers

Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services.

It is often said that for a Hindu, life is incomplete without bathing in the Ganga (or Ganges) river, at least once. It is sacred, and people travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of loved ones past in the waters of the 2510km long Ganga; this is believed to send the ashes to heaven. The act of bathing in the river on certain occasions is also said to cause the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Drinking water from the Ganga with one’s last breath is said to take the soul to heaven. In fact, the simple act of having a vial of water from the Holy Ganga in one’s home is said to be auspicious.

Closer to home rests the Murray River, forming a 2375km long natural barrier between New South Wales and Victoria. It is often referred to as the “Mighty Murray”, and has significant cultural relevance to Indigenous Australians. According to the peoples of Lake Alexandrina, the Murray was created by the Great Ancestor, Ngurunderi, as he pursued Pondi, the Murray Cod, with the help of his two wives. While some variations of the story exist, it is agreed that the Murray is especially important in Indigenous Australian mythology.

However, it is easy for us to forget just how much has changed about these great rivers over time.

Previously “Mighty”, the Murray now receives just 36% of its natural flow, while the Ganga, once considered the epitome of purity and divinity, lives a polluted and decrepit life as a result of the relentless abuse shown towards it by the very people that worship it.

On Saturday, the 13th of February, Valentine’s Day fell a day early as several groups and communities combined to perform the dance-drama Ha’Murray Ganga at the Parramatta Riverside Theatre, sharing their love for the Murray and Ganga river systems. Director Kakoli Mukherjee of the Bharatiya Sangeet Academy spent over two years preparing for the program, saying “I’m not a writer; I’m not a poet. I’m a singer. To write about this I needed to read, I needed to look and I needed help from people.” However, the vision and idea lay with Ms Mukherjee from the start.

And what a vision it was. From the very opening segment, a spiritual mood was evoked – a traditional (albeit electronic) lighting of diyas or pradeeps was performed by Julie Owens MP, a proud supporter of the campaign. A small glimpse of the amazing colour and splendour of traditional Indian costumes to follow throughout the night was shown through beautiful little girls presenting garlands to Ms Owens and Mr Laurie Ferguson, Parliamentary Secretary for

This opening was followed by the Indigenous Australian welcome and land acknowledgement ceremony, performed by the Koomurri Dance Troupe. The sounds of the yidaki, a variation of the didgeridoo, resonated throughout the hall, with “Uncle” Greg Simms’ welcome heralding the opening scene of the dance/drama; a dance exploring Ngurunderi’s pursuit.

If there was one thing that stood out from the night (although there were many) however, it was the enthralling music score. A fascinating fusion of classical and modern music was employed throughout the night, and it allowed the dancers to embody the remarkable stories of the Ganga and Murray rivers in captivating fashion. The composers Ms Mukherjee and Amit Diwadkar spent countless hours coming up with compositions that lent the hall an excellent ambiance. Especially memorable was the fusion between Indigenous Australian and traditional Indian dance to a modern beat – the costuming and lighting making this harmony all the more appealing.

17 year-old dancer Riana Das commented on the night, saying “Ha’Murray Ganga was different to other dances I have done. It was more than just looking pretty and getting the moves right, it was to convey the importance of water as our most vital resource”.

And of course, although the show was such a glamorous exhibition of talent, innovation and culture, the underlying message behind the night was made clear to the audience throughout. Kakoli Mukherjee said, “The performances were beautiful; it was a grand show, and people got the message. The impact will be there. People will start thinking about rivers and water. We want to keep freshwater rivers safe and secure for the next generation and let them flow forever.”

The protection of these amazing resources for our future was an idea conveyed not only by the current generation –the stage was lit up by the younger generation, including instrumental group “Sur and Beat” who performed the Australian and Indian anthems with great enthusiasm, as well as a great rendition of A.R. Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam. Many of the dancers were not yet in high school, and it was refreshing to see the passion which they took to the stage.

The inspiration for the show came from Kakoli Mukherjee’s own experiences. Having lived her life by the side of the Ganga, she has been to the Himalayas and seen the beauty of the Ganga, but has also seen the deterioration.

“With all the environmental issues coming up now, this is one thing we need to do – protect the rivers, the water. I’ve met many Australians who feel for the river Ganga; they go to Benares, to the Himalayas and speak about the beauty of the river. Even they are doing their bit to save it.”

As a result of the fertile soil of the Ganga Basin, the river essentially lends 400 million Indians with a livelihood through crops cultivated in the area such as rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes and wheat. The presence of swamps and lakes along the banks of the river also provides a rich growing area for crops such as legumes, mustard, sesame and chillies. However, the extent of the pollution to the Ganga River is almost unbelievable.

Kanpur. These use large amounts of chromium and other chemicals, and many of these pollutants find their way into the river. Add to this the problem of corpses, the immersion of ashes, the floating of religious idols, and the (ironically) pure disregard shown towards the river, and it is clear that 1 billion litres of mostly untreated raw sewage is but a part of the problem.

The Murray River suffered from the lowest rainfall on record in 80 years in 2007, and a dramatic increase in the salt content sees it take but a meagre form of its past. However, it continues to supply 40% of Adelaide’s domestic water, and although efforts to alleviate the problems occasionally proceed, disagreement between the concerned parties stalls this progress. The Murray River stands, like the Ganga, on the brink of destruction.

But, while the problems continue to unfurl, and the waste keeps piling up, we must remember the hope the Ganga and Murray Rivers bring with them. The Ganga gives millions the courage, and the optimism to face each day, in the hope of a new tomorrow. The Murray’s significance to the Indigenous people of Australia is enormous, and both of them have lasted this far. As Ha’Murray Ganga highlighted: it is now up to us to ensure their eternity.

Two sacred but troubled rivers form the backdrop of a new Indo-Australian production. RITAM MITRA reports

Nandita

Suhavi

Vishwa

Sidharth

Simarpreet

Prayers for peace at Shivaraathiri celebrations

The Vishva Hindu Parishad of Australia organised a group prayer on February 13 at Crestwood High School in Baulkham Hills on the occasion of Maha Shivaraathiri, the well-known Hindu festival. Nearly a hundred people participated, despite uncertain weather conditions. The main aim of the group prayer was Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu (May all living beings in the world be happy).

It was also intended to teach Hindu Australian children the 16 basic steps to perform a simple pooja (prayer) for Lord Shiva, especially to mark the occasion of Mahaa Shivaraathiri.

Kumari Dhanya and Kumari Supriya welcomed the gathering and stressed the importance of group prayer “kootu prarthanai”. In group prayer, an acquaintance between the worshippers is achieved and love and peace are promoted. All devotees feel they are equal, humble and exalted as they sit in the same position, recite similar prayers, perform expressive, symmetrical actions, and turn towards one Lord for one cause, in this case for “world peace and harmony”. This inspires them with a feeling of value for humanity and equality of all human beings before God. The festival is principally celebrated through day-long fasting, night-long vigil praising Lord Shiva in the form of chanting,

bhajans and slokas and by offerings of bael (bilwa) leaves to Lord Shiva. From a scientific point of view according to Ayurveda, bilwa leaves are a powerful preventive medicine for all respiratory diseases including cardiac problems. The worship of Lord Shiva with these leaves is like aromatherapy. According to research, when the moon moves to an angle between 84 degrees to 180 degrees in its rotation around the earth, there will be profound influence on the brain, digestive organs, kidneys, reproductive organs and spleen. Especially in the Tamil month of Maasi, there is increased distance between the earth and the sun due to its longitudinal axis. This influence reaches its peak on the 14 day of the moon’s descent, which is Mahaa Shivaraathiri day. Ayurveda prescribes fasting on this day, with the intention of keeping the body systems intact.

Through this celebration, VHP Australia extended Mahaa Shivaraathiri to a “Sarvo Jana Rathiri”, and a vigil and chanting were conducted for the happiness of mankind.

Sri Ramarathinam and Sri Subramanian taught the audience the 16 basic steps to

for Lord Shiva.

Chanting of vedic mantras was done by the four Sydney Veda

Patasala students located in Carlingford, Baulkham Hills, Liverpool and Dural. It was truly heartening to see all the children chanting these mantras and slokas in a systematic and structured fashion. The vibrations of the powerful mantras were felt

very strong divine presence was felt in the room and surely all the Gods would have heard these prayers for peace and happiness in humanity.

A delectable array of prasadams was organised and served by Smt Subhashree Balachandar’s team and all attendees were as happy with the food for the stomach, as they were with the food for the soul.

Uma Rama Subramanian

Beach boy

VISHAL KUKAL talks about making friends and influencing people as a volunteer lifesaver on Victoria’s beaches

How it all began…

A few months ago, I visited a stall run by Life Saving Victoria, who were looking for volunteers to join their team of lifesavers patrolling the beaches of the state. Their dedication and devotion impressed me, and I asked if I could join the team, although I didn’t even know how to swim well. They accepted my request, and after three weeks of swimming classes and five days of intensive coaching in the duties of a lifesaver, I was ready to take on the beach.

How to be a lifesaver…

There are a lot of things I learned. Apart from the obvious ones like patrolling, offering first aid and educating people about water safety, I also learned about rescue operations, rules and regulations, sea levels, even how to recognise safe and unsafe areas to swim. For example, if there has been a shark sighting, we follow certain evacuation procedures. If a person has been stung by a jellyfish, we need to put ice on the affected area to reduce the sting which can be very painful. The entire course was very interesting and informative, and I am glad that I took the initiative to be a lifesaver.

Currently my job involves….

Patrolling mainly, first aid when needed, and talking to people about water safety. I am a part of the Chelsea Long Beach Life Saving Club and I have now learned all about the beach, its safe and dangerous spots, and how to steer tourists and visitors to stay within the flags which mark safe spots. I constantly scan the beach through binoculars for signs of any distress or unusual incidents and we then take action. Very often students tend to be a little adventurous and it is my job to make sure they are cautious, to avoid accidents. Of course, I am still new at the job and have not had any major crisis or life-saving opportunities, but I am sure a few will come my way.

I enjoy being a volunteer lifesaver

because…

Apart from being able to offer voluntary

backgrounds, cultures and countries, of different ages and attitudes – it has helped a lot in understanding and appreciating people. The beach I patrol is a popular tourist destination as well, so we get a mix of all kinds of people. But because it is rare to see Indian lifesavers, a lot of sub-continent visitors come over for a chat and are curious about

what I do. So in addition to educating them about water safety, I also get a chance to talk to and meet different kinds of people. Some are regular visitors on the beach, so they recognise me and come over to say hello. It’s a good feeling and I enjoy being a part of the team.

How the job helps me

It keeps me fit and active, and of course, I am happy to contribute to society. I am a student presently, studying accounting and finance, so I don’t have much time on hand. But whatever little time I can spare, specially on Sundays, I go down to the beach to take on my lifesaver duties. I have also found that being a lifesaver is a great way to get to know the Aussies and their lifestyle and culture. They are all friendly and helpful, and I have learned a lot through interaction with them.

About myself…

I am originally from New Delhi, where I studied and worked as an accountant. I have a history of social work, and was also actively involved in a Delhi University project on a smoke-free initiative. My job then was to talk to students and adults on the merits of being smoke-free, and this too was voluntary service. I enjoy helping others and making a positive contribution to society. I am also a member of the Rootvij Kakadia Foundation which aims to educate people about water safety.

My message…

I enjoy being a lifesaver, and with the right kind of training and a positive attitude, anyone can volunteer. But for me it’s not just that, because I try and spread the message that being a lifesaver is a responsible, yet fun job. In fact, I have convinced some of my friends to join the service too, and they are keen on starting the training. Connecting with people is important, and my voluntary job as a lifesaver has helped me make friends as well as help society.

Vishal spoke with Sheryl Dixit

Life-saving foundation in memory of drown victim

Rising temperatures + summer heat = time to head for the beach.

While it is great fun to be in the sun, it is essential to add beach safety to this equation. Australia is blessed with one of the most beautiful coastlines and pristine beaches. Beach culture is prevalent in Australia especially around this time of the year.

Unfortunately however many new migrants are not au fait with water and swimming education that is crucial to their safety. This has resulted in a disproportionate number of drowning and water-related injuries among the migrant communities in Australia. It has been noted statistically that the majority of harmful incidents and fatalities that occur

at Australian beaches involve recentlyarrived Australians and other nationalities. These could be tourists, migrants or international students.

‘Read the Beach’ is an exciting new campaign being promoted by Melbourne’s Rootvij Kakadia Foundation (RKF) to raise beach safety awareness amongst the migrant community in Australia.

The foundation was formed last year in memory of young Rootvij Kakadia who drowned in Lake Tyers beach near Lakes Entrance in Victoria while attempting to save a friend. 26-year-old Rootvij was a popular young man who made the ultimate sacrifice while trying to help someone in need. Inspired by his selfless act, his family and friends decided to establish a

forum to help educate people about various aspects of water safety.

A beach program was organised by RKF, recently, at Chelsea beach in Melbourne. It was attended by international students from Box Hill TAFE. The session was held in association with Life Saving Victoria (LSV). RKF funded 50% of the cost of conducting the session. This was the first time such a large multicultural group participated in a Beach Program conducted by LSV.

LSV is an organisation that has been imparting water safety education through its various courses and initiatives. Its mission is to prevent aquatic-related death and injury in all Victorian communities.

LSV’s vision is that all Victorians

will learn water safety, swimming and resuscitation, and be provided with safe aquatic environments and venues. Rootvij’s brother Mounil Kadakia, who was instrumental in setting up the Foundation, said, “We think that the time is right for the Indian community to know about our Foundation. We are a small group, but we have very high aims and we definitely need a lot of support from the community”.

The RKF Foundation has more than 50 members mainly from the Indian community. Some of the key members of RKF include Kalpana, Manoj, Mounil and Radha Kadakia along with Dr Chandra Bhuta, Ravi Lakhani, Upendra Shah and Tejas Patel.

Vishal (left) with a colleague at Melbourne’s Chelsea Beach

INVESTIGATORS in Pune’s terror attack are increasingly veering to the view that the Indian Mujahideen (IM) was behind the bombing because the city - an IT and educational hub popular also with foreigners - was once used by the group as its “important base and recruiting ground”, said an official privy to the probe.

Sleuths of Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) scouring for clues into the deadly blast that killed nine people are also closely monitoring CCTV footage from near the site that shows images of two potential suspects entering the German Bakery where the bombing took place.

The arrested members of the IM, a homegrown Islamist terror outfit with suspected links to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), are being interrogated again in connection with the Pune blast. They include a recently arrested operative Shahzad Ahmed, alias Pappu, whose arrest Feb 2 in Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh had caused a major dent in the organisationbelieved to be an offshoot of the banned Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Security agencies say local IM members have been trained in arms and explosive handling in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Ahmed was believed to have been trained as a pilot for a possible 9/11-type attack.

“From the preliminary examination, it (the blast) appears to be the handiwork of the IM,” said the official said, on condition of anonymity.

“The IM had used Pune as one of its important bases and the city was on its radar for sometime,” the official said. The group first came into the limelight

after it owned up to the wave of bombings in Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and New Delhi in 2007 and 2008.

Iqbal and Riyaz Bhatkal, the two brothers presently hiding in Karachi in a LeT camp and considered top leaders of the outfit, were in Pune for sometime in 2006 when they set up a terror module in the city that has a large number of Indian and foreign students studying such diverse subjects as management, media, engineering, films, software development, etc.

With the Bhatkal brothers in Karachi are two other IM leaders, Mufti Sufiyan and Rasool Parti, according to intelligence sources.

Iqbal, a hardcore Islamist, was part of the Tableeghi Jamaat - an organisation of “puritanic Muslims” - and used to preach in the Pune Jamia Masjid and other mosques in the city.

“Under the garb of the Tableeghi Jamaat the Bhatkals did talent hunting for the Indian Mujahideen in the city,” the official said.

The brothers met Mansoor Peerbhoy, a software professional, in Pune in 2007 through a common friend Asif Bashir Sheikh, another IM operative. Peerbhoy, accused in the 2008 blasts in various Indian cities and in police custody, was recruited in the IM soon and tasked to look after its IT cell.

According to sources, Peerbhoy, who has revealed his rendezvous with the Bhatkals in his interrogation, and his colleague Sheikh are being questioned afresh for clues into the February 13 bombing.

The two used to stay in a rented accommodation in Kondava in Pune before shifting to Mangalore in August 2008.

Besides, Sheikh and Peerbhoy other members of the IM’s Pune base were Mubeen Qadir Sheikh, Akbar Chaudhary,

Aniq Syed, Abdus Subhan Qureshi and Mohsin Chaudhary. Except for Chaudhary and Qureshi all its Pune members have been arrested.

Intelligence agencies believe that Qureshi and Chaudhary could have been behind the German Bakery bombing. They have have launched a massive manhunt to arrest the two who “have not fled the country”, said the sources.

Intelligence agencies that collected evidence from the blast said the materials used, RDX and ammonium nitrate, in the blast and the pattern of the bombing point towards the IM’s modus operandi.

Scotland Yard to help India in Commonwealth Games security

INDIA AND BRITAIN have agreed to cooperate on security for forthcoming sporting events like the hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Delhi this year.

“The UK and India have agreed to cooperate on security for major sporting events as Delhi will host the Commonwealth Games this year and London will host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012,” said John Yates, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, also known as Scotland Yard.

Yates visited the national capital Feb 11-12 and met officials of the Indian government, Delhi Police, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) to discuss security plans for the forthcoming hockey World Cup and the 2010 CWG.

“My visit is one of a series of interactions

with the Indian authorities to discuss best practices in this area. I had a positive set of meetings, including a tour of the impressive Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and a detailed security briefing for the hockey World Cup. The security plans for the hockey World Cup look robust and the UK looks forward to working with the Indian authorities as they are implemented,” Yates said in an official statement.

“We also had further positive discussions about security planning for the Commonwealth Games. The UK looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Indian authorities in the run up to this year’s sporting events in Delhi and beyond in preparation for the London Olympics,” he added.

Over three-fold hike in Indians studying in New Zealand

THERE HAS BEEN an over three-fold increase in Indians getting student visas to study in New Zealand in the past five years, authorities said recently.

As many as 9,591 Indians were issued students visas for the financial year 2008-09 as compared to 2,972 for the year 2004-05, said Immigration New Zealand. From July 1, 2009 to Jan 31, 2010, a total of 5,544 Indian student visa applications have been approved.

India stood second, after China, among 194 countries on the New Zealand immigration list.

Despite China holding the first position, the number of Chinese student coming to New Zealand has decreased from 52,059 to 26,518 in the past four years.

Parul, an Indian student, said the country has one of the best education systems, Continued on page 34

Pune was ‘important base’ of Indian Mujahideen

Continued from page 33

shortest visa processing time and student support services.

Richard Howard, an immigration adviser, said: “In view of the recent spate of attacks on the current batch in Australia and UK’s sudden decision to temporarily stop accepting student visa applications at its three centres in north India, the number is expected to increase more this year.”

India to spend US$ 200 bn on defence systems by 2022

INDIA IS SET to spend a whopping US$ 200 billion on defence acquisitions over the next 12 years to replace its outdated Sovietvintage inventory.

According to a study by the India Strategic Defence magazine, nearly half of this funding, or US$ 100 billion, will go to the Indian Air Force (IAF) which would need to replace more than half of its combat jet fleet as well as the entire transport aircraft and helicopter fleet.

The army needs new guns, tanks, rocket launchers, multi-terrain vehicles while the navy needs ships, aircraft carriers, an entire new range of submarines including nuclear-propelled and nuclear-armed.

The army has the largest requirement of helicopters while the navy needs both combat jets, helicopters, and a fleet of nearly 100 carrier-borne combat jets.

The details of the study will be published in March but according to a brief report in India Strategic’s DefExpo show daily being published Monday, it is not that India has military ambitions but just that more than 70 percent of the inventory of the Indian Armed Forces is 20-plus years old, and needs to be replaced as well as augmented with the sophistication of modern technology.

There have been few defence deals after the allegations over the acquisition of Bofors in the 1980s, and Russia, which inherited the Soviet military infrastructure, is unable to meet all the requirements.

According to official Russian reports, only 10 percent of the Russian weapons could be described as modern.

All the three services as well as the Coast Guard and paramilitary organisations also need satellites and net centricity.

Plans to acquire surveillance aircraft, lesser in capability though the IAF’s Phalcon AWACs and the navy’s P8-I Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) are also being worked out.

Pilotless intelligence aircraft (drones) generally called UAVs, including those armed, are also on the top of the list of the three arms of the forces.

The report says that the Pakistani 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, in which scores were brutally killed and wounded, has resulted in a wake up call to India and that the authorities had realized that 24-hour, 360-degree eyes and ears and preparedness to meet any attack were a necessity.

That also meant increased diplomatic and security cooperation with other countries.

It may be noted that the only major aircraft to be acquired by the IAF is the Su30 MKI, some 280 of which have already been ordered in successive follow-on deals that do not involve fresh tendering and are easy to go through procedurally.

IAF has a plan to build 45 combat squadrons (about 900 aircraft), up from its maximum effective strength of 39.5 squadrons a few years ago. Many of its aircraft have been phased out due to simple ageing.

Obama picks Indian American as special envoy to world Muslim group

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA has appointed Rashad Hussein, an IndianAmerican Muslim as a special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the 57-nation organization that calls itself the “collective voice of the Muslim world.”

Announcing the new envoy, Obama described Hussein, who has been a deputy associate White House counsel, as “an accomplished lawyer and a close and trusted member of my White House staff.” Obama made the announcement in a video message to the US-Islamic World Forum in Doha, Qatar. He said he made the move to broaden the outreach strategy toward the Muslim world he laid out last year in Cairo.

“Rashad has played a key role in developing the partnerships I called for in Cairo. And as a hafiz of the Quran, he is a respected member of the American Muslim community, and I thank him for carrying forward this important work,” Obama said.

Hussain has served as a trial attorney at the US Department of Justice, a law clerk on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He posted a message on the White House blog saying he is “honoured and humbled” by the appointment.

“I am committed to deepening the partnerships that he (Obama) outlined in his visionary address last summer. I look forward to updating you on the Administration’s efforts in these areas over the coming months,” he said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently spoke at the 7th annual forum and Obama took the opportunity on February 13 to laud the event and reiterate what he calls the “new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world” - a relationship that he says has been marred by “misunderstanding and mistrust.”

Obama said his administration has held thousands of events with students, civil society groups, faith leaders and entrepreneurs, including Clinton’s

“landmark” visit to Pakistan.

“And I look forward to continuing the dialogue during my visit to Indonesia next month. This dialogue has helped us turn many of the initiatives I outlined in Cairo into action,” the president said.

“None of this will be easy. Fully realising the new beginning we envision will take a long-term commitment. But we have

An

Indian now owns East India Company

WITH JUST AROUND a month to go for the re-launch of the East India Companythe world’s first multinational whose forces once ruled much of the globe - its new Indian owner says he is overwhelmed by “a huge feeling of redemption”.

It’s been a long, emotional and personal journey for Sanjiv Mehta, a Mumbai-born entrepreneur who completed the process of buying the East India Company (EIC) in 2005 from the “30 or 40” people who owned it.

Acutely aware that he had bought a piece of history - at its height the company generated half of world trade and employed a third of the British workforce - Mehta, now the sole owner, dived into the company’s rich and ruthless past in order to give it a new direction for the future.

With a $15-million investment and inputs from a range of experts - from designers and brand researchers to historians - Mehta is today poised to open the first East India Company store in London’s upmarket Mayfair neighbourhood in March.

And then there is the inevitable - and daunting - task of launching in India, a country whose resources, army, trade and politics the company had controlled for some 200 years.

It’s a task that Mehta has not taken lightly, he said in an interview. “Put yourself in my shoes for a moment: On a rational plane, when I bought the company I saw gold at the end of the rainbow.

“But, at an emotional level as an Indian, when you think with your heart as I do, I had this huge feeling of redemption - this indescribable feeling of owning a company that once owned us.”

The formal start of the East India Company is usually dated back to 1600 when Britain’s Queen Elizabeth I granted a group of merchants a charter under the name ‘The Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies.’

With its own Elizabethan coat of armsnow owned by Mehta - the company was made responsible for bringing tea, coffee and luxury goods to the West and trading in spices across the globe.

By 1757 the company had become a powerful arm of British imperial might, with its own army, navy, shipping fleets and currency, and control over key trading posts in India - where it was known variously as Company Bahadur and John Company. In 1874, the British government nationalised the company, opportunistically blaming the 1857 uprising on its excesses. But the East India Company army, brought under the command of the Crown, retained its allpowerful presence in India.

“When I took over the company, my objective was to understand its history. I took a sabbatical from all other business and this became the single purpose in my life,” said Mehta.

He travelled around the world, visiting former EIC trading posts and museums, reading up records and meeting people “who understood the business of that time”.

“There was a huge sense of responsibility - I didn’t create this brand, but I wanted

Continued on page 36

Shiva K.P. Keshavan of India prepares to take the start of the men’s luge singles run 3 at the Whistler sliding centre on February 14, 2010 during the Vancouver Winter Olympics

Photo: AP

Continued from page 34

to be as pioneering as the merchants who created it. The Elizabethan coat of arms stands for trust and reassurance, but we are not repeating history. It took me four years to do the brand positioning and put up the milestones.”

The ‘relaunched’ company, with its headquarters on Conduit Street in Mayfair, is set to open a diverse line of high-end, luxury goods in London in March and in India some time this year.

EIC products in India will include fine foods, furniture, real estate, health and hospitality.

“India is the spirit of the East India Company in many ways - it evokes a huge amount of connectivity and emotions,” Mehta said. “It’s also a major ambition to bring Indian products to the rest of the world. Today there is no single brand name from the East that can stand alongside, say, Hermes or Cartier from the West.

“The East India Company has that ability.”

India’s annual inflation rises to 8.56 percent in January

INDIA’S annual rate of inflation, based on the wholesale prices index, rose to 8.56 percent in January from 7.31 percent in the previous month, driven by increasing food prices, official data recently released showed.

The annual inflation rate was 4.95 percent in January 2009.

The latest data released by the commerce ministry showed prices of food articles jumped 17.4 percent last month, while those for primary articles rose 14.5 percent, and manufactured products was up 6.55 percent.

In January, India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India raised its forecast for the wholesale price inflation for the current year ending March 2010 to 8.5 percent from 6.5 percent. The government has completed its market borrowing of Rs.4.51 trillion ($97 billion) for the current fiscal year.

Platinum becoming popular in India, slowly but steadily

INDIANS, KNOWN for their craving for gold, are now looking at platinum jewelleries with equal enthusiasm, opening market for the elegant and exquisite shining white metal slowly but steadily.

“For platinum, India is an established market, particularly the southern region, where Chennai and Bangalore are the two most important markets. There are around 300 stores at present in India which keep platinum jewelleries,” Vaishali Banerjee, Manager-India of Platinum Guild India Pvt. Ltd, said in an interview.

Talking about the domestic market, she said since platinum is rarer than gold, it is more expensive but the consumer response is positive. Platinum price hovers around Rs.2,700 per gram.

Banerjee said most of the metal is imported from South Africa. “Around 75 percent of platinum originally comes from that region.”

She said the company is going all out to popularise the rare metal in the country.

“It is our mission to provide customers with 100 percent hallmark platinum. This will help us to create awareness, knowledge and desire for the metal,” Banerjee said.

Subir Sen, Director of B.C. Sen Jewellers said, “The demand for platinum is gradually increasing in India. Awareness about platinum is increasing and it is becoming more regularised. It is a strong

metal and diamond goes very well with it. Hence it is used more for diamond-studded jewelleries.”

Sen, whose outlet has three stores in the city that have been selling platinum jewellery for the last seven-eight years, said: “Enquiries regarding platinum jewelleries have definitely gone up in the last four-five years.”

Asked about his expectation from the market in the next couple of years, Sen said: “Sales will definitely go up but the metal has still miles to go in the Indian market compared to gold.”

Platinum, a very hard metal, comprises 2-3 percent of the total jewellery market in the country, he said, adding rhodium polished gold is doing good business in India.

“The platinum market is still at the nascent stage and is yet to catch the imagination of Indian customers. Awareness regarding white metals is growing,” said Pankaj Parekh, regional chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Exports Promotion Council.

“The mindset to use white metals is yet to develop in the Indian market,” he said, adding, “Most people opt for white gold as it is much cheaper than platinum.”

India has dream run at Berlin film fest

INDIA HAS A DREAM run with eight feature films including My Name Is Khan, Peepli Live and Manthan at the ongoing Berlin International Film Festival. Such a large selection is very rare at an A-list festival without an India focus.

In its 60th anniversary, the festival has selected a wide range of Indian Bollywood and arthouse films in several languages.

They are represented across different festival sections.

There are also Indian films in the European Film Market that runs parallel to the Berlinale. No wonder there are nearly a 100 Indians at the festival.

The eight features include Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan, Dev Benegal’s Road, Movie, Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live, Laxmikant Shetgaonkar’s Paltadacho Munis (Man Beyond the Bridge, Konkani), Umesh Kulkarni’s Vihir (the Well, Marathi), Kaushik Ganguly’s Arekti Premer Golpo (Just Another Love Story, Bengali), Shyam Benegal’s Manthan, Satyajit Ray’s Charulata and Madhusree Dutta and team’s Cinema City

Moreover, Indian film director Sridhar Rangayan is on the Teddy Queer Film Award Jury, which honours the best festival films in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) context.

My Name Is Khan got a thunderous reception here. Dev Benegal’s Road, Movie opened the Generation 14 plus section for young adults.

“I am thrilled that my film is in BerlinI’m living the dream. But it is also historic, as it is the first Indian film to be picked up for international distribution by Fortissimo Films,” Benegal said in an interview. He is here with his cast, Abhay Deol, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Satish Kaushik.

Peepli Live, produced by Aamir Khan, is a superb satire on farmer’s suicides in India.

Paltadacho Munis, produced by the National Film Development Corporation, is in the International Forum of New Cinema. It deals with the relationship between a forest guard and a mad woman.

Amitabh Bachchan Corp Ltd’s Vihir is a strong coming-of-age story of two young

boys. Arekti Premer Golpo is a daring, sensitive, gay love story, with Rituparno Ghosh as creative director and lead actor. Benegal’s 1976 critically acclaimed film Manthan shows in the Culinary Cinema, which explores food and politics. Charulata (1964) plays in the Retrospective section.

Cinema City compellingly explores the relationship between Mumbai and its film industry in Forum Expanded, which nestles on the border between cinema and the other arts.

Osmania University rocked by violence again

THE OSMANIA UNIVERSITY in Hyderabad was rocked by clashes between the police and students over the Telangana issue on February 15. Security personnel used batons, teargas and fired rubber bullets to disperse the mobs, leaving many injured. Mediapersons were particularly targeted.

For the second time since February 14, the sprawling campus turned into a battle zone with pro-Telangana students taking to the streets and police using force to tackle them.

Protesting the police firing and baton charge on them the previous night, students took out a rally and threw stones at policemen and paramilitary personnel deployed on the campus.

The police hit back with batons, rubber bullets and teargas. Witnesses said some policemen were injured in the stone-pelting while a few students and mediapersons also were wounded when the police used force.

Scribes covering the students’ protests once again became the police’s target. The men in uniform not only baton-charged

Continued on page 39

Sanjiv Mehta is about to relaunch the East India Company in London

Photo: IANS

photographers and camerapersons but also damaged their vehicles.

Several armed policemen were seen damaging vehicles with batons and removing number plates and press stickers. They snatched cameras and destroyed these too.

“The policemen mercilessly beat me with ‘lathis’ though I was wearing the identity card. They abused mediapersons, saying the protests are happening because of them,” said a reporter of a Telugu television channel, showing the marks of blows of batons on his back.

The Andhra Pradesh Working Journalists Union strongly condemned the police action and demanded that a criminal case be filed against Joint Commissioner of Police P.S.R. Anjaneyulu for leading the attack on journalists.

Journalists staged a sit-in on the campus, demanding action against the police officers.

Tension continued on the campus as police mobilised more forces while proTelangana lawyers and women activists reached to express solidarity with students and journalists.

Meanwhile, the committee formed by the State Human Rights Commission visited the campus to begin a probe into February 14 violence, in which over 30 students and six mediapersons were injured when police fired rubber bullets and used batons and teargas shells to disperse the agitating mobs. Trouble had started when students tried to take out a procession hailing 15 Telangana legislators who resigned to protest the terms of reference of the Srikrishna panel looking into the separate statehood demand.

State Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy told reporters that action would be taken against policemen if they were found guilty of using excessive force.

Tension also prevailed at Moazzam Jahi Market, a busy commercial area, when students of City College tried to march towards the assembly building to protest the violence at Osmania University. Police used force to disperse the students.

Police also locked the gates of Nizam College in Basheerbagh area to prevent students from marching towards the assembly, where unprecedented security arrangements were made for the budget session that began on February 15.

Armed policemen to escort teams at hockey World Cup

ARMED POLICEMEN will be travelling in team buses of 12 countries participating in the World Cup hockey tournament starting in New Delhi on Feb 28. Pakistan and Australia will get the maximum security cover.

In a bid to prevent a repeat of the terror attack on Sri Lankan cricket players in Lahore last year, armed policemen will escort the players when they move to and from the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, where the matches will be played. The stadium, in the heart of the city, is located barely two kilometres from the Le Meridien hotel, whose 240 rooms have been booked for the teams.

“The players will travel in normal buses, not bullet-proof vehicles,” a senior officer dealing with the security of players told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Asked about the possibility of an attack like on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan, the officer said: “India and Pakistan are different countries. As of now, no intelligence agency has reported any threat to the hockey World Cup. But we are taking precautionary measures.”

Besides two-three armed officers who will travel in the buses with the players, there will be a police escort ahead of the

players’ bus, said the official. Although the government does not want to generate needless fears, it is equally determined to ensure that nothing goes wrong since any mishap will cast a shadow on the larger Commonwealth Games in October.

The teams from Pakistan as well as Australia -- where Indian students have come under racist attacks -- will get maximum security cover, officials told IANS.

The hockey World Cup takes place once in four years. The participating countries this time are Argentina, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Spain.

Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said: “We are taking the World Cup as a dry run for the Commonwealth Games. It will be a full-fledged rehearsal where multiple agencies will coordinate and work hand in hand to prevent any untoward incident.”

Riding to Green Games on a ‘Soleckshaw’!

HERE COME THE ‘SOLECKSHAWS’.

Thousands of athletes and officials taking part in the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi this year will get to travel in solar rickshaws - a zero carbon vehicle.

“We are introducing a fleet of 1,000 Soleckshaws (the name of solar rickshaws) for the Commonwealth Games players,” Rajesh Kumar, a senior scientist at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), told IANS.

“These Soleckshaws are the greenest transport vehicles. They will also help the cause of the Green Games as promised by the Delhi government,” said the scientist, who has been coordinating with the state government for this project.

Over 7,000 players and delegates from over 70 countries will reach Delhi to be a part of the Commonwealth Games Oct 3-14 in the national capital.

It was developed by the Durgapur-based Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, one of the 30-odd laboratories

of CSIR, the apex science research body in the country. The technology has been transferred to three companies - one each in Faridabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

“These zero carbon vehicles will ferry players inside the Games villages and help them reach sporting venues from Metro stations,” Kumar explained.

He said this effort would give special status to the country for its aim of reducing carbon intensity even during a mega sporting event and popularise the vehicle among the masses, who may adopt it quickly in several cities.

Soleckshaws are optimally designed, pedal operated, motor assisted green pedicabs which draw their power from overhead solar panels.

Kumar said introducing these rickshaws will herald India’s effort in providing a life of dignity to people.

“It will enhance the dignity of human labour by diminishing drudgery and exhaustion involved in pulling traditional rickshaws. This will put India in a better light among the global community. It’s a model for sustainable development,” he said.

The scientist said use during the Games would help the acceptance level of the vehicle and increase self-employment at the grassroots. The solar rickshaw would not use any fossil fuel and hence there was no question of polluting the environment.

He said the solar rickshaws would be supplied by three companies.

“We will have full support for this. It will support the Green Games concept as well as make our product a marketable one later,” Anil Sahoo, manager of the Hyderabad Battery Limited, one of the three companies, which are converting CSIR lab rickshaws to marketable ones, told IANS.

Carbon-zero vehicles for Delhi’s Commonwealth Games Village

Photo: IANS

Love is not finding someone to

Love

two can play and both win

Shwetambra and Apoorv

Anisha and Charanjit

Neha and Shagun

Pascal and Kiran

By Farzana Shakir, Annie Pathania, Preeti Jabbal Raj Suri

The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together

Men always want to be a woman's first love

Women have a more subtle instinct: what they like is to be a man's last romance

A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers.

I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.

Anuj and Neha

Rimy and Bunty

Tania and Sunny

Jasmin and Tony

Suruchi and Shobhit

Pinky and Hemant

Meera and Arvind

Bollywood to Brecht and beyond

human emotions and social relationships. “But our aims are far from fixed. We want to experiment on all levels of filmmaking, not just themes, but cinematography (not to forget sound), editing and narrative styles as well, and thereby invent new prospects of presentations’” he added.

Acclaimed India-born independent filmmaker Sadashivam Rao has made his mark in the Australian performing arts scene with two parallel productions. Rain of Ruin and Tom Stoppard is Dead have both been nominated in the Top 100 at the 2010 Short+Sweet festival. Shortlisted from over 2000 submissions across the globe, the two plays have been directed by Rao.

In its ninth year now, Short+Sweet Theatre is touted as “the biggest festival of ten minute theatre in the world.” The event climaxes with a Gala Final and Awards night later next month.

Talking to Indian Link in between hectic rehearsal schedules ahead of the opening night, Rao said that the directorial experience has been an enriching one. More so, given that he is still finding his feet down under. The Randwick-based Rao migrated with his anthropologist wife not long ago from Germany.

“As a director, you are the driver of a whole project, liaising between the scriptwriter, cast and technical team, guiding their thought processes, amalgamating their diverse energies into a harmonious whole. It is that of a father figure, who can keep his cool at all times or the whole family goes under”, he explains.

So, what has his Aussie experience been like so far?

Radically different from the Continent, Rao quips. “The local drama scene is modelled more on the British and more recently American influences. Their role models obviously are Cate Blanchett and Mel Gibson. But I found my peers very cooperative and insightful. Initially they were not open to my Brechtian ideals and orientation. Obviously one can never impose too many new concepts overnight but rather attempt to slowly persuade them”, he hopes.

Soon after his arrival in Sydney, Rao completed a short course from the premier academy NIDA. “It certainly sharpened my understanding of structure, techniques and communication as well as the local rehearsal processes. Likewise, it also opened up new networking pathways.”

Performing arts definitely runs in his veins. And his long stint in Germany, which has a strong theatrical tradition (particularly the theory of alienation through disturbing sound and heightened forms of expression), only served to heighten his sensitivities. Having worked on major Bollywood projects like Sailaab and Haftha Bandh as Assistant Director to Deepak Balraj, he moved onto documentaries, parallel cinema and eventually theatre.

“I can remember even as a child, I would often bunk classes to watch a movie,” he laughs. Rao’s passion for the theatre prompted him to be an active member of drama groups at Delhi Public School and St Stephens thereafter.

However, as is the case for most “Indian” boys, drama as a career option was a definite no-no. Rao moved to Germany for post grad degree in Physics and Maths (Heidelberg Uni), but continued to dabble in documentary and feature filmmaking.

It was then he realized his life’s true calling, prompting him to abandon his scientific pursuits to take up film making and editing. He eventually opted for a Masters in multimedia authorship from Halle UniWittenburg in 2005, while working under leading directors there.

Rao also founded a production company Mercury Films to support experimental films emerging from India.

The basic idea behind it, Rao explained was to explore new territories in filmmaking by producing projects, which entertain without losing sensitivity to the portrayal of

His first feature film, an Indo-German production, Sanyogita or the Bride in Red (2003) has been well received at international festivals in Europe. Awarded the audience prize for best new Asian feature film at the Lyons fest, it stars Bollywood actors Divya Dutta, Milind Gunaji and Amardeep Jha.

Following the Brechtian tradition of “Episches Theater”, the film explores relationships on many levels that involve the audience to form independent judgements and decipher the narrative strands. The audience is almost an inherent part of his cast, actively involved in decision making.

Sanyogita is a Rajput bride, whose life takes a catastrophic turn when her bestial husband is arrested for murder even before she can enter his household. Though surrounded by her new family, she is lonely at heart. Focussing on her inner struggles as she grapples with loneliness and alienation (another classic Brechtian characteristic), it is a remarkable journey of a naïve young woman who is faced with difficult life changing decisions. And the sheer barrenness of her life is poignantly mirrored in the desert beyond, creating cohesive imagery.

According to Rao, “Sanyogita is an effort to present a different narrative style, that manages to not only concentrate on narrating a story but to evoke levels of reflection in the audience, which open up swirls of possibilities”.

While Rao’s works predominantly focus on relationships, he is passionate about gender issues of contemporary India, particularly the insecurity of a new bride as she hesitantly gropes to understand her new world order.

Likewise, the Rain of Ruin (currently showing) is also a study of difficult relationships. Set in Hiroshima, it is a love story of an American girl and a Japanese boy, with a war scarred past. The young couple traverse a rollercoaster relationship, eventually culminating in an educated

Rain of Ruin was a true challenge because of the multicultural cast, says Rao. Yet it was an enlightening experience all the same. To deal with cross cultural baggage surcharged with emotional twists, was a wonderful experience.

In contrast, Tom Stoppard is a black comedy about angst. Based on the classic 1966 play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, it yet again explores relationships that are in crisis. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter the study of playwright Tom Stoppard, they are prepared for an honourable reception and even more. What they encounter makes their blood curdle and turns them against the new master.

Besides filmmaking, Rao has also donned grease paint for a number of local stage productions. Acting has helped Sadashivam Rao better understand the theatre genre in all its entirety. Despite being typecast because of his ethnic background, Rao has boldly trialled variety of risqué roles, including that of a mainstream gay person in Day Care. “It was a challenging role because of explicit references and obvious violence but I enjoyed it. NIDA encourages people to take up acting. It develops lateral thinking,” he stated.

Rao has other projects in the pipeline. This July, he is India bound once more scouting for actors for an upcoming feature film.

“I hope to experiment simultaneously with several genres through the life of a kabaadi”, he reveals.

Rain of Ruin and Tom Stoppard is Dead are part of Short+Sweet Festival. Details visit www.shortandsweet.org

USHA ARVIND catches up with actor-director Sadashivam Rao, who has made impressive headway in Sydney’s theatre scene

Sadashivam Rao

Rao’s Tom Stoppard is Dead at this year’s Short and Sweet Festival

Bollywood’s Divya Dutta in Rao’s Sanyogita

Perceptions of Pakistan

CHITRA SUDARSHAN reviews literary offerings by authors whose insights into India’s neighbour are varied and revealing

Idid my usual trek of book shops in India last December, trying to observe and gauge the sorts of titles and genres that are popular among the English reading public. Australian Greg Roberts’ Shantaram is still a favourite after all these years, and continues to adorn the windows and display shelves of bookshops; so is Freidman’s The World is Flat. The Indian middle class, this seems to suggest, hankers after validation from the west - in fact or fiction! Everywhere self-help books are popular: they entreat the readers to achieve the impossible and assure them that the world is theirs for the taking! For some inexplicable reason, Mein Kampf jumped out of bookshelves, book bazaars and book exhibitions a little too often for my liking; then there was the perennial favourite Paulo Coelho, and for the more advanced readers, Orhan Pamuk. Pamuk, the Turkist Nobel Literature laureate is the darling of the Indian literati: he is quoted by everyone from Pankaj Mishra to Githa Hariharan. Wendy Doniger’s tome on Hinduism has evoked varied reactions from the Indian media and public –and despite its hefty price, is selling well.

During one of my meandering bookshop

walks, I picked up an edited book by Daniel Herwitz and Ashutosh Varshney titled Midnight’s Diaspora (Viking). Ashutosh

Varshney is a talented academic whose articles on India I had enjoyed reading in serious journals - so I was attracted to the book. It is for the more seriously inclined: a collection of essays by Indians and Pakistanis settled abroad - and Western intellectuals - mainly on Pakistan’s national identity (although there are several on India as well), based on the works of Salman Rushdie and his evaluation of Pakistan as “a place.... insufficiently imagined” and his attack of that country as a “failure of the dreaming mind”. Included are two interviews with Rushdie who defends The Satanic Verses, and for whom freedom of speech is intertwined with freedom to offend. Husain Haqqani’s article is by far the most engaging and he endorses Rushdie’s views that the survival of Pakistan requires a re-imagining of its identity. There are great essays by Shashi Tharoor (now an elected MP from Trivandrum and a Minister in the Congress Government) and others as well.

It came as no surprise, therefore, that in

Ziauddin Sardar’s book Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim, he devotes a whole chapter (13) to a diatribe of Rushdie’s Satanic Verses and the latter’s ‘irrational hatred of Pakistan’. Sardar is a well known Pakistani-British scholar and academic who writes extensively on Pakistan and Islam. This book draws on an old Muslim tradition in which a man sets out from home and friends, ostensibly to go to Mecca, but really to indulge his spiritual restlessness – as Ibn Batuta did several centuries ago! The book describes the author’s interaction with various Muslim religious groups in Britain and his travels in Muslim countries around the world.

Satanic Verses, he argues, was written about the Prophet’s life in an offensive way. Rushdie’s controversial book “plundered ...the inner sanctum of my identity and (I) felt ..every word was directed at me... personally”. The claim of the title, that he is a ‘Sceptical Muslim’, therefore, does not quite sit with the theme of the book. The author does, however, canvass the idea of plurality within Islam, and introduces the reader to a Muslim world that is lively and questioning and tolerant –in a humorous way. However, one does comes away with the feeling that Sardar’s is a sanitised and benign account, shorn of the malevolence that characterises

Defining India’s future

HASNAIN ZAHEER reviews a book that offers a new template to pen the future of India’s growth and development, with steps in the right direction

For a country of India’s proportions with its one billion plus population, a trillion dollar economy and the promise of becoming an economic powerhouse that is just commencing to be real, there is a plethora of books analysing its economy and politics, opportunities and potential, hurdles and failures.

Imagining India: Ideas for the new century by Nandan Nilekani is not just a book. The author has written almost a blueprint to re-build India as an economic power that can bring prosperity, empowerment and happiness to its more than a billion citizens.

Australian-Indians who have already decided to live and work in India should be interested in this book for three reasons. The first is that in the global village of today, they can take advantage of their cultural, linguistic, business knowledge and contacts in India for growth by participating in bilateral trade and business. As bilateral trade skyrockets, they will gain from all this growth and contribute to betterment of both countries. Secondly, they can leverage their education and knowledge of advanced systems, processes and management, and perhaps financial inputs to bring solutions to India that can help it reach its goals quicker. And finally, as they frequently represent the face of India in social gatherings, Australian-Indians must know the ideas, issues and challenges to respond

in a clear, knowledgeable and informed manner, not as gut-feel and hunches.

In software parlance, this book reveals the code to build a new operating system for India – one which is fast, flexible and scalable. It shows a direction in building governance structures, infrastructure and institutions that are growth oriented, inclusive, uplifting for the poor and disadvantaged, and are practical, yet steeped in the realities of India.

There is only one problem: the book demands a lot from politicians and lawmakers. Their dismal record in achieving results for the people they represent makes it unlikely they will fulfill these expectations.

It helps that the author is a business visionary who, as co-founder of Infosys Technologies helped establish the immensely successful software outsourcing industry in India. Infosys is one of the largest software services companies in India. But it helps even more that Nilekani had his brief brush with license-permit raj and experienced the labyrinthine corridors of Indian bureaucracy, as he spent the 1980s establishing his fledgling company. It is

said that the software industry in India succeeded not because of, but in spite of the government. This book not only gains from Nilekani’s perspective as a successful co-chairman of Infosys in the 2000s, but also from his earlier experiences as a struggling entrepreneur fighting western (customer) perceptions of India’s delivery capabilities on one hand, and bureaucratic hurdles on the other.

Nilekani’s book outlines the state of

many even marginally fundamentalist groups: his description of the Egyptian based Muslim Brotherhood, for instance, reads like only a slightly misogynist neighbourhood committee.

While still on the subject of Pakistan, two very different books recount the experience of growing up in Britain in Pakistani households. Ed Husain’s book The Islamist, describes his teenage years as a Hizb-ut-Tahrir jihadi operative in Britain, rubbing shoulders with well known terrorists, and his way out of it. This is an extraordinarily honest personal story, which examines the dislocation experienced by many second generation Muslim young men and their drift towards radical Muslim youth organisations like the Hizb. Husain also admits that sexual frustration is intertwined with the idea of terrorist glory. A quite different account of growing up a Muslim in Britain is Imran Ahmad’s book An Unimagined Life. Whereas Ed Husain came from a poor family, this is a story of a middle class boy who went to grammar school, University, and ends up as an auditor. The trajectory of his religious awakening quite different: coming from a liberal household, he discovers Islam only in the University, and is overwhelmed by the brotherhood of the global umma

governmental and public sector affairs since the 1960s and is adamant that India has to go much further in its reform agenda to translate the tremendous potential that it has discovered in the past 5 to 8 years, into sustainable growth. Economically. India seems to have found the confidence to meet its ‘tryst with destiny’ after a few missed decades, but the game can still go either way. As a saying goes, ‘India has potential and it will always have potential’. The risk of failure is ever-present. Not unless we heed to Nilekani.

Nilekani has divided this book in four parts namely, Ideas that have arrived, Issues that Indians are currently engaged with, India’s deepest challenges and a riveting section Solutions and innovations, which makes it a work of superlative order. The author blends a compelling understanding of India’s economic, political, cultural and social issues to suggest solutions that can help it move forward. There is a comprehensive discussion of solutions relating to health, aged care and social security, but the focus is on declining environment and an emerging energy crisis.

The author’s solutions are balanced to avoid the ills of ultra-capitalism that may lead to rising inequity and rebellions as well as bureaucratic solutions to allocating resources that have proved a failure. He has utilized the insights from the problems that the developed world encountered in its growth phase to find solutions that can help India avoid duplicating those issues in its own quest for growth.

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Destroying Mumbai’s cosmopolitansim

Citizens must speak out against the parochial element, writes

political analyst AMULYA GANGULI

After Sachin Tendulkar, it is Mukesh

Ambani who has said the obvious - Mumbai belongs to all Indians. That it takes a sports icon and a business magnate to articulate a virtual axiom points to the deplorable context in which such truisms have to be emphasised. Nothing can be more damaging to Mumbai’s reputation than the need for such assertions because Tendulkar’s and Ambani’s statements point to the presence of elements which are bent on destroying the city’s cosmopolitanism. Their identity, of course, is no secret. Nor are they a new phenomenon. The rise of such insular forces began in the mid-1960s when the Shiv Sena, known for its Marathi chauvinism, began to make its presence felt, mainly through the vituperative utterances of its leader Bal Thackeray, against outsiders. Now, a breakaway group, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj, has made its appearance.

Claiming to stand for the Marathi manoos (men), their politics of sub-nationalism is marked by violence against immigrants and perceived “aliens” - whether south Indians in the 1960s, Muslims in the nineties or north Indians today.

Historically, of course, such fascistic groups are known to have the support of the lumpen proletariat, who use street violence to establish themselves as gang leaders, and the lower middle classes, which fear the loss of employment opportunity by the inflow of people from other states.

But the scene in Mumbai and, indeed, in India is complicated by the decline of national parties with their broad-minded outlook. Since the Congress can be said to be the only national party in India considering that the other party which claims to be one - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - is itself guided by an anti-minority philosophy, it is the Congress’s degeneration which is primarily responsible for the rise of the xenophobic outfits.

This disturbing development is not confined to Mumbai and Maharashtra alone. Regional parties driven solely by caste or community or state-level loyalties have appeared virtually all over the country. They include parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Samajwadi Party championing the cause of the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in the Hindi heartland, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) favouring the Dalits, the Akali Dal of the Sikhs, the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) claiming to represent the Tamils and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) standing for the Assamese.

The situation in Mumbai, however, is different for two reasons. One is that the Shiv Sena and the MNS base their politics only on violently attacking the immigrants. This isn’t the case with the others, which

may favour one caste or community but do not always target the others.

The second reason is their influence in Mumbai, which is India’s commercial capital and No. 2 metropolis. In the years when New Delhi was no more than a dull town of bureaucrats and politicians, Mumbai, or Bombay as it was known then, was a thriving city known for its night life, the glamorous Hindi film world and an urbane, cultured population comprising people from different backgrounds - Parsis, Christians, “Madrasis”, Hindi-speaking north Indians and, of course, the Marathis.

The “Maximum City”, as a best-seller called it, was, like all major cities, a magnet for people looking for jobs. These were available for all - from the jet-setting corporate executives to aspiring film stars to lowly manual labourers. Not surprisingly, the city also had the largest slum in Asia in Dharavi and a violent underworld with the mafia dons acquiring a nationwide notoriety.

It is the volatile combination of an unending influx of people from other states, especially those like Bihar which suffered from a severe economic downturn, and the violence of the gang leaders, which fuelled the growth of the provincial organisations.

They were also aided by the cynicism of major parties like the Congress, which used the Shiv Sena in the sixties to target the communist trade unions, and has been mollycoddling the MNS in recent years to divide the anti-Congress vote.

Till now, the silence of the responsible citizens over the depredations of the narrow-

minded ‘kupmanduks’ (frogs in the well), either out of fear or because of their general political insignificance, encouraged the chauvinists to strut about with impudence.

It is a matter of satisfaction, therefore, that at last eminent personalities like Tendulkar and Ambani have decided to speak out. They probably felt that the crude parochialism of uncle Bal and nephew Raj have reached a stage where Mumbai was earning a bad name.

For Ambani, there was perhaps an economic compulsion as well. If Mumbai comes to be known as a city where outsiders are not safe, both high-flying executives and the humble taxi drivers will tend to avoid it with damaging consequences for the business world.

Hence Ambani’s observation that “we in the corporate sector got out of the licence raj, but the poor taxiwallah is still stuck in the licence raj”. The reference was to the state government’s notification making only those who had lived in Maharashtra for 15 years and could speak Marathi eligible for taxi licences.

The document was later modified following a public outcry to include Gujarati and Hindi among the language which the taxi driver must know. But it was another instance of the Congress-led government playing the parochial card.

Since the national parties are seemingly reluctant to take a bold stand against divisive politics, the regional parties can only be checked if distinguished citizens start speaking out against them.

A policeman stands guard outside a cinema theatre complex in Mumbai, 10 February 2010. More than 1,000 activists from the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena party were arrested in Mumbai amid threats to disrupt the screening of the film My Name Is Khan. The film’s lead actor Shahrukh Khan outraged nationalist Hindus when he said Pakistani cricketers should be included in the Indian Premier League.

Photo: AP

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NOEL G DESOUZA reviews the dilemmas faced by Indian retirees as they plan for a secure and peaceful future

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Indian migrants who came to Australia between the 1970s and 1990s were typically middle-class, well educated and with young children. They migrated to give themselves and their children a better life. Australia’s attractiveness lay in its prosperity, democracy, rule-of-law, religious freedom and cultural tolerance.

A good number of those migrants are now either retirees or nearing retirement. Many of them have fulfilled their material needs like having good homes and well educated children who have good jobs. The spectre of retirement has shifted their focus to obtaining a sustaining retirement income, good healthcare and maintaining cultural continuity. The Indian retiree has several cultural dilemmas to sort out.

The Australian government provides several benefits to those above 65 years of age. However, the percentage of those above 65 is growing and this implies that in the coming years, there is going to be a heavy financial burden on the public purse for pensions and healthcare for seniors. Whilst the over-65 group is only 4.9% in India, it is 13.9% in Australia and a burdensome 22.6% in Japan. By 2030, the figures are estimated to escalate to 8.4% for India, 20.7% for Australia and a staggering 30.8% for Japan.

There are strong cultural contrasts with caring for the old in European and Asian societies. Europeans and Australians have grown with the belief that it is the state’s responsibility to care for the aged; thus seniors who do not have sufficient income are given welfare pensions.

The Asian way is radically opposite. In typical Confucian style, China in 1996 passed the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly Act, which made families responsible for looking after the elderly. Singapore ensures that adult children have the moral and legal responsibility to look after their parents. However, most elderly Singaporeans live with an adult child and the government encourages this through tax incentives and offering housing priorities.

In India, the central government passed the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act in 2007, leaving its implementation to the states. Adult children are made financially responsible for the maintenance of parents and where there are no children, the relative who is slated to inherit the person’s property, can be made responsible. This Asian way reduces the government’s burden on aged care unlike in Western societies. In Australia, children bear no such responsibility.

Indian migrants have strong cultural

“duties”. They have two major preoccupations which are ensuring that their children learn their parents’ language and follow their parents’ religion. Like many other migrants, Indians discover that teaching children one’s native tongue is no easy matter. As children grow up, ensuring the continuation of their parents’ original faith and beliefs is likewise difficult. Many Indian parents might also wish their children to marry within their own language group and religion and even caste or sect. Universitytrained children, however, tend to fall in line with their mainstream contemporaries with regard to food, music, films and lifestyles. They also develop broader views with regard to cultural interactions. This could become disillusioning for parents.

Australia, like India, is secular. But Indian secularism implies the freedom to practice one’s religion and the majority of Indians practice their faiths quite strongly. In Australia, secularism has a European meaning which involves a shift from old religious practices to a rational view of life. Whilst many mainstream Australians have religious beliefs, only a minority regularly follow religious practices.

Another contrasting cultural factor is that Indians consider that their children’s higher education and marriage is very much the parents’ responsibility. That is why parents factor in expenses for higher education and marriage celebrations. If these events can be achieved before retirement, the Indian retiree feels that their major responsibilities have been completed. However, if these events have to be completed after retirement, these can become additional demands on the finances of the retiree.

The current trend in Australia is for simple marriage celebrations. However, some ethnic groups like Italians, Greeks and Lebanese have elaborate celebrations and Indians do like likewise. This means that Indians close to retirement or already retired need to have adequately saved for this purpose.

When children set up their own homes, parents are often left by themselves in a large dwelling. The trend in Australia is to sell one’s family home and to move into retirement villages as a couple or alone. Lots of Australians live alone and this increases with age as 75% of those above 65 years are currently living alone. The original migrant dream might well have been to be living in the vicinity of one’s children or even with them as one did in Indian towns. But this might prove impractical. Mainstream retirement villages might not be culturally suitable for Indian retirees.

In Australia, secularism has a European meaning which involves a shift from old religious practices to a rational view of life

Another contrasting cultural factor is that Indians consider that their children’s higher education and marriage is very much the parents’ responsibility

Gotcha!

SHERYL DIXIT relates an experience of winning and losing…just in time!

“Congratulations! You’ve won 400,000 Hong Kong dollars!” said the lady’s voice at the other end of the phone, with well-stimulated excitement. Straining to hear her over a whining toddler and The Wiggles belting out one of their best on TV, it wasn’t surprising that I thought I had heard wrong. But when the next day, she called to confirm that I was a winner, I had to take a deep breath. But once she hung up after noting my email address, reason, as is inevitable, returned to her throne and my natural scepticism took over.

Now I have to admit, easy money doesn’t come my way. It has always the plodding path of honest toil and I haven’t won anything more exciting than a couple of soaps or lines at housie in my entire life.

Curiosity compelled me to check my email for the promised ‘receipt’, which would enable me to “claim the prize money”. When I saw the receipt on my gmail e-address, I laughed out loud. The website and email of the company, which was of some obscure sounding Far Eastern origin, was suffixed with a Yahoo address, the biggest blunder any dubious company could make, particularly when offering obscene amounts of money for free.

I realised ruefully, that I’d been scammed.

Indignant at having been duped (well, nearly), I found the SCAMwatch Australia site (www.scamwatch.gov.au), and called them. An unsurprised lady heard my story and asked me a few pertinent questions. Did you give away your personal email address? No, fortunately! Did you send them any money for processing fees, or disclose your bank account details? Of course not! Then she calmly asked me to check one of their web pages, and to my surprise, there it was! The exact same fraud which I had experienced, named the ‘Casino’ scam, which called dupes like me, asking for answers three questions as a part of a tele-survey. After the questions, I was told that I would get a free IPod for my time, and a free entry into a draw where the first prize was a BMW, the second 400,000 Hong Kong dollars. The next day I was called, ostensibly from a crowded location, and told that I had won the second prize.

The helpful lady at SCAMwatch specified that if I had gone ahead with providing my details, I would have been asked to send the company a processing or transfer fee, and if I complied, I would have never seen my money again.

These days, there are scams for everything and its aunt under the sun. The Little Black Book of Scams published by The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission lists scams for everything, from lotteries, sweepstakes and competitions; chain letters and pyramid scams; investment opportunities and money transfer scams; betting and computer prediction software ones; banking, credit card and online account scams; internet and mobile phone

scams. And let’s not forget, health and medical ones, psychic and clairvoyant, dating and romance scams, even charity scams. There are door-to-door scams, job and employment ones and even small business scams – and they are all active, in some form or the other. It seems like a lucrative financial opportunity for your resident conman, so beware of the lure of easy money.

The SCAMwatch booklet is a helpful little guide, with a few golden rules to help you beat the scammers: Always get independent advice if an offer involves money, time or commitment Or talk to a hard-core sceptic. I called my husband, and what he said is not fit for innocent ears, or any ears for that matter. In language that was colourful and imaginative, he explained to me at the risk of busting my eardrums, exactly what he thought of my intellect, their audacity and just about stopped short of calling 000 to complain.

There are no guaranteed get-rich-quick schemes – the only people who make money are the scammers. Now this is something we don’t like to hear; and if we believed it, Lotto and scratchies wouldn’t exist. Every normal human being, at some stage of life, wishes to stumble over that elusive pot of moolah! Just don’t get carried away and remember what you learned at your mother’s knee, about hard work and perseverance being rewards enough. Do not agree to offers or deals straightaway. If you think you have spotted a great opportunity, insist on time to get independent advice before making a decision. Which is why the internet is a great tool, particularly for researching what may seem like sound organisations, but which may turn out to be elaborate duds.

Do not rely on glowing testimonials; find solid evidence of a company’s success Same as above, really. Ask, call, investigate. Don’t take the person’s assurances at face value. Log direction on to a website that you are interested in, rather than clicking on links provided in an email. Which can obviously be rigged. In my case, the Chinese company

Free prize

Free prize

quoted did have a legitimate business, they supplied casino equipment globally. And that was the only connection. Never send money or give credit card or online account details to anyone you do not know and trust. I would add, never give anyone you don’t trust your personal email id, unless it’s a Yahoo or Gmail one, as access to your computer could well mean access to the information stored on it. One can never be too careful, particularly in this day and age of rampant internet fraud.

If you spot a scam or have been scammed, get help. Contact the Office of Fair Trading in your state or territory, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for assistance. There are numbers for each state; call 133220 in NSW or visit www.fairtrading. nsw.gov.au

And remember, anyone can become a target for fraud. Soon it will be people calling, asking you to invest in blue chip companies or real estate in India. They will have impeccable credentials, will be suave and friendly, and will assure you that they have your best interests at heart. Be sceptical. Thoroughly check every bit of information provided, and ask family back home to make further inquiries, before parting with your hard-earned cash. Jealously protect your identity; never send money to anyone whom you don’t know or trust; ask for identification – website details, contact details, even an ABN number. Don’t disclose your credit card, personal or online banking details over the phone and delete suspicious emails instead of unsubscribing.

And lastly, invest in a good internet security software program that helps filter out all the spam and protects your computer from hidden viruses and unwanted programs. This is specially true for people who fall into the lure of ‘free’ downloads of movies and songs, which could install harmful programs onto your computer without you knowing.

I am still waiting for my free IPod, and I have a feeling that the wait will be a long, long one.

A bitter bargain

I was driving through Victoria Road atWest Ryde. A man in a white van asked me if I wanted to buy a good Pioneer home theatre system worth $6000, for just $500. He said his boss had accidently put an extra one in the delivery van and he was out to make a quick buck by selling the piece. I examined the product carefully and it seemed genuine. The box even had a picture of the UEFA Cup on it, and

thinking it was a good bargain, I bought it outright and was excited about getting a good system for cheap.

But I was completely fooled, because when I opened the amplifier box, all it contained was a metal box.

I looked on the internet and these people have a website, but to contact them you have to submit your contact details; theirs are nowhere to be found.

Well, I couldn’t do much, but recently my cousin who lives in West Ryde called me to say that someone was selling him a home theatre system for $1500, and he was keen on buying it. I immediately told him to say no to them, and to save himself. I checked the description of the product and it exactly matches the one I bought.

These guys do such a professional job, it is difficult to get them. I think these

people are fooling us and getting lucky. My story is about four months old, but they still seem to be doing good business and getting targets. They are professional in their approach and sound genuine, but are not.

My intention is to let as many people know about this so that they can avoid being conned as well.

Gaurav Kumar, West Ryde, NSW

Modern healthcare, the Indian

INDRANIL HALDER

the current healthcare industry in India, and its amazing progress and development

India’s knowledge and practice of treating patients is an art that the country has been familiar with for many thousands of years. There is evidence from remains of the Indus Valley civilization (3300BC) that indicate teeth being drilled back into the jaw. Descriptions of plant-based medicine in the second millennium BCE is found in sacred Hindu and Indian texts called the Atharvaveda. There are even descriptions of some 300 surgical procedures, classification of human surgeries and 120 surgical instruments by Sushruta, a renowned Indian surgeon in the 6th century BC, who is also known as the father of plastic and cosmetic surgery. His text, the Sushruta Samihta speaks of a glorious subcontinent that was well advanced in patient healthcare.

But unfortunately instead of developing further, the Indian healthcare system came to a stop because of the caste system. According to learned scholars in Kolkata, the caste system was responsible for rejecting well developed Indian surgical and medication practices, as high caste physicians would not touch the bodies of patients from the lower castes.

In this century, India is heading towards becoming the country of the decade with growth in business not only in IT and outsourcing, but also in the healthcare market. With faster development in hygiene conditions, water and the quality of air, India has the potential to cater for a healthy environment for all its citizens.

I had a hands-on experience of the current healthcare system and its immense potential when visiting Kolkata recently. My daughter fell ill with severe dysentery and was admitted into the Kolkata Apollo Gleneagle Hospital, to prevent dehydration. Our experience was a unique one. I also realised the importance of taking out travel insurance, which covered our medical expenses and kept us in daily communication with a nursing team from Queensland, to make sure the patient got better.

Apollo Gleneagle Hospital has a large signboard promoting medical tourism, with a foreigner testifying the hospital’s facility and staff services. The emergency department was

very clean and tidy and contained patients suffering from cardiac conditions, gastroenteritis or respiratory illnesses. The management staff diligently accommodated patients in the almost-full hospital.

Several local private and government hospitals have managed patient care in the city and state so far, but a change is sweeping through Kolkata. Several new hospitals are being built, many in collaboration with overseas hospital businesses, to ensure world-class facilities. Moreover, as foreign companies are providing employees with health insurance, the awareness of better healthcare is slowly touching the lives of ordinary citizens. Medical institutions such as ColumbiaAsia Hospital, Peerless Hospital and BC Roy Research Centre, Ruby Hospital, AMRI Hospital are some that offer top-notch services like highly sophisticated operating theatres, high dependency units and well-trained healthcare professionals who have trained overseas.

My daughter was placed in the platinum wing of the Apollo Hospital and nurses from Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu shared the task of looking after her. The room was spacious with an automated high-quality hospital bed, sun bed and proper diagnosis equipment. There were constant recommendations from the pediatrician and dietician, which helped her recover sooner.

I was surprised to know that the specialist attending my daughter had just returned from the US. This seems to be a trend as many doctors and specialists who were practicing in the US and UK are now treating patients in India as their western experience and Indian qualifications give them the best of the both worlds.

I watched a busload of nurses arrive in the early hours of dawn, while others left after their night shift. They reminded me of air hostesses, but the hospital was their plane as they assisted on the flight towards better healthcare. The

Nursing College. There are many such young nurses who earn an excellent monthly salary, and provide for their families.

Although it was also visible that the cost of the excellent care is still not within the reach of everybody, it is still important to realise that it is slowly reaching everybody.

The Indian medication administered to my daughter was of high quality. Newspaper reports have been flaunting the bullish growth of the Indian pharmaceutical industry within the past five years. The Indian pharmaceutical market is seen as a part of the emerging market, which is growing fast at 15% compared to mature markets (5%). According to the global pharmaceutical industry, companies such as Pfizer, GSK or Novartis lined up for revenue through research and development, and are gearing up for stronger business growth through generic business, as well as market penetration through collaboration.

The Indian generic market is a strong leader and slated to become world-class in its own right. Ranbaxy has recently been purchased by Japanese pharmaceutical giant Daiichi Sankyo for $4.6 billion, and the collaboration of Pfizer with Aurobindo Pharma, an Indian generic company, will lead the way for Pfizer to sell several of its generic drugs. Pfizer has become the latest brand-name drug maker looking to expand in a generic market with Indian-manufactured medication. This growth is sweeping through the Indian clinical research industry, biotechology and medical devices industry.

It was an impressive experience to review and understand the healthcare industry in India which is defining the country and her spirit. With the new breed of young graduates and their management skills, the excelling of professional healthcare workers and the availability of sophisticated medical facilities, India is ready to care for her people in the best way possible. It is this combination that will make India a true global player in the healthcare industry and keep up its reputation as the ancient epicenter of healthcare.

…many doctors and specialists who were practicing in US and UK are now treating patients in India as their western experience and Indian qualifications give them the best of the both worlds

(Above) A happy stay: The Halders in their daughter’s hospital room in Kolkata

(Below) One of the Fortis chain’s mega hospitals

Essential elements

GEETA KHURANA explains the necessity of minerals in building a strong and healthy metabolism, essential to good health

We all are familiar with minerals like Calcium, Iron, Sodium and Potassium, but there are many more uncommon minerals that are needed by the body, though in lesser quantity. Minerals like Zinc, Selenium, etc., have an equally important role to play as the major minerals. Here are some of these minerals and their uses.

Zinc Zinc is one of the essential minerals needed by the body and is present in almost every cell within the body. Zinc plays a vital role in protein synthesis and helps in regulation of cell production in the body’s immune system. It is essential for the activity of some enzymes. It is also required for proper growth and sexual maturation of the individual. Zinc plays an important role in the prostate gland and reproductive organs, both of which require this mineral to develop and function properly. Zinc deficiency causes enlargement of the prostate gland and makes it vulnerable to cancer. Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis is an inflammatory and chronic disorder of the skin, and is mainly caused by a deficiency of zinc in the body. Some research studies have also shown zinc to be effective in helping treat acne and pimples.

The risk factors for zinc deficiency include: inadequate caloric intake, alcoholism, and digestive diseases. Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than non-vegetarians because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods; which is why they need to have good sources of zinc in their diet. Most alcoholics are deficient in zinc as alcohol decreases the absorption of this mineral. Since most alcoholics do not eat a large variety of food, their zinc intake maybe inadequate. Our body contains about 2-3 gms of zinc. There are no particular storage sites for zinc; hence it is regularly needed through the diet.

Oysters are known to be rich in zinc. Most meat products also have healthy amounts of zinc, and beans, nuts, whole grains, and many seeds are also excellent source of zinc. Of all the vegetarian sources, pumpkin seeds are the best source of zinc.

Selenium

Selenium is a trace element required in small amounts to maintain good health. It is present in nearly every cell of the body, but especially in the kidney, liver, spleen, testes and pancreas. Selenium acts as an anti-oxidant and fights against free radicals that damage our DNA.

Selenium has recently been in the news because of its role in combating cancer. Some research and studies have shown this mineral to be beneficial in preventing cancer of the cervix, ovaries, rectum, bladder, esophagus, pancreas and liver. Selenium is also useful for the thyroid function.

Selenium can be found in many foods like Brazil nuts, walnuts, poultry, seafood (tuna) and meats. Oats and brown rice can also contain significant amounts of selenium, but it also depends on the type of soil in which these are grown.

Boron Boron is a trace element that is needed by the body in very small amounts. The benefits of boron were recognised as late as the 1980s. Boron helps to regulate the levels of other minerals such as calcium, phosphorous and magnesium that are essential for bone health, thus indicating that boron may be helpful in preventing osteoporosis. It also helps already brittle bones and prevents fractures.

It helps reduce the loss of calcium and magnesium in the urine that is needed to help build strong bones.

The main sources of boron are fresh fruit, apples, carrots, grapes, pears, prunes, nuts and grains.

Fluorine Fluorine is helpful in preventing dental caries, but the toxicity of fluorine should be kept in mind as an excess of fluorine causes mottling of the teeth. Fluorine along with calcium and molybdenum helps in the formation of calcium fluorapatite that contributes to healthy bones and teeth.

Fluorine is present in tiny amounts in foods, but mostly in seafood, kelp and tea.

Chromium Chromium is needed for the metabolism of glucose and helps in the breakdown of cholesterol, fat and protein. It thus helps to keep blood sugar levels within the normal limits. It has also been used as a treatment for migraine headaches, psoriasis and acne, can prevent anxiety and fatigue and is used extensively by athletes and dieters because it promotes fat loss, thus increasing lean muscle tissue.

Deficiency of chromium may lead to glucose intolerance in diabetics, heart disease, high cholesterol, tiredness and obesity.

Good sources of this mineral can be found in lettuce, onions, tomatoes, brewer’s yeast, potatoes and oysters. Food processing methods decrease the chromium content of foods. For example, chromium naturally occurs in the bran and germ of whole grains. When whole grains are milled to make flour, the germ and bran are removed, and consequently most of the

chromium is lost. Also, refining sugar cane and sugar beets to make sugar removes most of the chromium that naturally occurs in these plants.

On the other hand, acidic foods cooked in stainless steel cookware can accumulate

chromium by leaching the mineral from the cookware.

As you can see, some of these minerals though needed in minute quantities by our body, are as important for our health as the major minerals.

Vegetarians may need as much as 50% more zinc than nonvegetarians because of the lower absorption of zinc from plant foods; which is why they need to have good sources of zinc in their diet

Landscapes of

By THOMAS E KING

During the impressionable years of childhood I listened to fanciful tales of damsels in towering castles and knights in shining armour. The stimulating stories further embellished with witches and wizards were inspirations for many a whimsical dream and even the occasional nightmare! Even though bedtime readings ended long ago those nearly forgotten tales of mythical times and magical characters surged through my mind’s eye when I saw a fairy talelike castle mirrored in a glassy lake in central Lithuania.

Lake Galvė as I could see from a tree shaded vantage point is dotted with islands. Only one isle, however, has an important link to the nation’s early history. The monarch of the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas is credited with building an islandcrested castle from red bricks and establishing his capital in Trakai in the 1320s.

Throughout February the lake is frozen with skaters carving lazy figure eights into the ice which now surrounds the snow-dusted

fortress. During the long and warm summer months, however, paddleboats can be hired for self propelled journeys around much of the carefully rebuilt Island Castle. July is a particularly enticing month for many visitors with the sounds of booming bands and mock medieval battles reverberating throughout the tiny town during the Trakai Festival.

Trakai, 28 km west of Vilnius and the most popular daytrip from the Lithuanian capital, has memorable lake views. Farther to the west, Kaunas, in contrast, is bisected by the 900 km long Nemunas River which flows through the city and then continues on to the Baltic Sea. The wide waterway was particularly advantageous for the citizenry of Kaunas as the country’s now second largest city was a prosperous trade town in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Kaunas has a compact Old Town lined with beautifully restored German merchants’ homes from that period. In the centre of the Old Town Square I was surprised to see several decorated stretch limousines

parked under century old trees. With champagne glasses in hand, couples in bright wedding clothes waited to exchange vows in the former town hall after which they would walk a few blocks to the river bank for photos. I watched one bridal procession celebrate by the water and then headed off to the Baltic port of Klaipėda.

Like other centres I visited, Lithuania’s third largest city also reveals a mix of today and yesterday. I thoroughly engaged with the latter during a walking tour of a fascinating city that was part of the German Empire until WW I. Heavily bombed during the following global conflict, Klaipėda’s Old Town was the first in the country to be reconstructed after WW II.

One of the more unusual things I saw in Lithuania’s oldest city – its foundations date to 757 AD – was a courtyard where several mid 18th century buildings had been constructed in a rare German folk art style. Once used as warehouses, the buildings are now part of a cultural enclave where traditional crafts are taught and visitors can enjoy the atypical architecture before setting off to other places of interest in this small country.

South of this port city are the wildlife inhabited pine forests of the UNESCO listed Curonian Spit. The 98 km long tongue of sand between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon has been called the Sahara of Lithuania

Built nearly 700 years ago in Lake Galvė, the Island Castle is the fairy tale focal point of Trakai.

Built nearly 700 years ago in Lake Galvė, Castle is the fairy tale focal point

Last year when the people of this progressive nation celebrated the Millennium of Lithuania

(Left) These sturdy structures built in a unique German folk art style are tucked away in a corner of Klaipėda.

Lithuania

Some 25 km north of Klaipėda and the direction I took is Palanga, perhaps Lithuania’s best known seaside resort. This small village was bursting with visitors last July. Many were strolling through the lovely landscaped Botanical Park where rose lined paths lead to the Amber Museum. Set in a century old palace, this striking building houses an outstanding collection of some 28,000 examples of translucent fossilised resin. Glass showcases on two levels contain the finest examples of Baltic ‘Gold’ though shop keepers in Vilnius the following day tried their best to convince me otherwise.

Lithuania, the largest of the three Baltic countries, can be crossed in about three hours so it wasn’t long before I had travelled from west to east across this Tasmaniasized country and was bargaining with street vendors along Piles Gatve in Vilnius. Summer time shopkeepers here sell everything from amber jewellery and Soviet memorabilia to contemporary paintings and Lithuanian folk art.

Castle Street, as it’s known, is the main pedestrian friendly street that winds its way from an ornate city gate through much of the Old Town and down to Vilnius Cathedral. The Old Town – said to be the largest baroque Old Town in Europe - is studded with striking architectural standouts, many of which could easily double as storybook settings.

(Right) This archway in Vilnius is an entry point to one of the largest medieval Old Towns in all of Europe.

(Below) The classically styled Vilnius Cathedral along with its soaring belfry is the national symbol of Lithuania.

Perhaps none is more glorious than Vilnius Cathedral, a white neo classical masterpiece that glimmers thanks to modern plaster renewals and paint restorations.

A statue of the monarch of the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas and his horse rises to the side of the adorned cathedral in a massive square that was a bustling marketplace in the 19th century. Some three centuries before this construction started on St Anne’s which is often considered to be the Old Town’s most beautiful church. Built of 33 different types of red brick, the Gothic building impressed Napoleon so much that he wanted to move it to Paris!

The 1500s not only saw the creation of this lovely church but also the establishment of a much venerated educational institution. Catholic Jesuits arrived in the burgeoning city in 1569 and went on to establish Vilnius University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The university is but one of around 1500 buildings of merit in the approximately 1 sq. km medieval centre of the Lithuanian capital. Their historical and architectural significance are of such global significance that UNESCO

bestowed World Heritage status on this unique area in 1994.

More recent are the events of last year when the people of this progressive nation celebrated the Millennium of Lithuania. Vilnius, too, was also in the spotlight as the European Capital of Culture for 2009.

The 3.4 million residents of Lithuania have more reasons to celebrate this year as they commemorate the 600th anniversary of Grünwald throughout 2010. This decisive battle in 1410 heralded the beginning of a golden age of prosperity throughout Lithuania and particularly in Vilnius where tales of castles and knights are fact not fantasy.

Travel Notebook Lithuania

FLIGHTS:

Thai Airways International has three flights a day linking Sydney with Bangkok and a daily service between Bangkok and Stockholm. For information and bookings contact THAI reservations on 1 300 651 960. See www. thaiairways.com.au

TRAVEL:

After exploring serene Stockholm, my wife and I boarded a Viking Line ship for an overnight cruise between the Swedish capital and Helsinki. See www.vikingline.fi. From the Finnish capital we flew to Vilnius and began a one week road journey incorporating many Lithuanian landscapes.

PACKAGES:

Book your Viking Line cruise, accommodation, tours and all travel arrangements in Lithuania and the Baltic countries through Sydney-based Baltic travel specialists MyPlanet, tel 1800 221 712. Visit www.myplanet.com.au

ACCOMMODATION:

Sited in the heart of the Vilnius Old Town, the classy 50 room Narutis Hotel is contained within a 16th century red brick townhouse. See www.narutis.com. The cosy 28 room Hotel Klaipėda is surrounded by the Old Town of Kaunas. See www.klaipedahotel.lt Set back from the pine bordered sea front, the stylish Vanagupė Hotel just outside Palanga is near the pine bordered Baltic Sea. See www.lithuanianhotels.com/hotels/Vanagupe

INFORMATION:

For detailed information see official city/country websites: www.vilnius-tourism.lt and www.lithuaniatourism.co.lt. We found Lonely Planet’s Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to be an essential guide in making the most of our Baltic odyssey. See www.lonelyplanet.com

(Photo Credit: Thomas E. King)

The CHUTNEY challenge A

By SHAFEEN MUSTAQ

s the summer days roll on and the heat and humidity depletes everyone’s energy and hydration levels, it’s hard to think about cooking

curries and rice dishes. It’s on hot and humid days like this that my mother’s vast array of chutney’s makes for a cooling contrast to the humbling humidity of the summer

Date and Orange Chutney

This chutney is a sweet and tangy classic that will have everyone licking their fingers and reaching out for more.

450 g oranges

3 ½ cups sugar

7 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp salt

¼ tsp chilli flakes

Apple Chutney

Mum’s apple chutney is tangy and the sweetness depends on the quality of the apples. Its spicy mixture of ingredients tingles all the way down your throat!

4 cups fuji red apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small dice

1 lemon (juice only)

1 tbsp canola oil

2 medium onions, cut into small dice

2 tbsp peeled and minced ginger

1 pinch salt

1 pinch ground black pepper

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup apple juice

1. In a large, non-reactive bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice.

6 ¾ cups malt vinegar

450 g onions, chopped

450 g dates, stoned and chopped

450 g raisins

1. Grate the orange zest and set aside.

2. Remove the pith from the oranges and discard the seeds. Finely chop the orange flesh.

3. In a large, stainless steel saucepan, combine

about 30 minutes.

the sugar, syrup, salt, chillies and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

4. Add the oranges, onions, dates, raisins, and half the grated zest. Reduce the heat and simmer until thick, about 1 hour.

5. Stir in the remaining orange zest.

6. Spoon into warm, sterilized jars. Leave to cool, then seal. Store in a cool, dark place

8. Correct the seasoning and cool before ladling into a tightly sealed jar.

Beetroot Chutney

Beetroot chutney is an unusual treat which tastes great on a hot day. It works well with apples and onions - a wholesome and quirky chutney everyone will be eager to try.

1. Chop apples and boil 20 minutes in vinegar to which sugar, lemon juice, salt, ginger and chopped onions have been added.

2. Add beetroot which should be cut up in small pieces, boil further 15 minutes.

3. When cool put into jars and cover.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.

3. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan.

4. Add the onions and ginger and sauté until the onions are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add the apples and cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7.Add the vinegar and apple juice and cook until the liquid is reduced by three quarters,

1.5 kg beetroot, boiled, diced into small pieces

750 g green apples

2 large onions

1 tsp salt

225 g sugar

½ tsp ground ginger

500 ml vinegar

Lemon juice, from 2 lemons

Mango Chutney

Mango chutney is everyone’s favourite. Below is an easy recipe that will keep this favourite a favourite among your family and friends.

1 tsp peanut oil

½ red onion, diced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 mango, peeled, seeded and diced

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup raisins

1. Sauté onion and ginger in the oil, then add the diced apple and let it pick up some colour.

2. Add the mango, sugar, vinegar and raisins, then bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Let cool and store in a dry jar in a cool place.

Amla Chutney

100 g amla (Indian gooseberry)

Green chillies to taste

3 to 4 cloves garlic

Salt to taste

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

50 g coriander leaves

1. Cut amla into small pieces.

2. Blend together amla, coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic.

3. Add lemon juice and salt to taste.

Curry Leaves Chutney

1 bunch curry leaves

5 to 6 green chillies

5 to 6 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1. Separate curry leaves, peel the garlic flakes.

2. Break the chillies into two parts each.

3. Heat half the amount of the oil, and then add half the amount of cumin seeds.

4. When cumin splutters, add garlic and sauté briefly, then take out with slotted spoon.

5. Add curry leaves and sauté, then take oot and drain on kitchen paper.

6. Throw in green chillies and sauté.

7. Blend all in a blender.

8. Heat the remaining oil and add remaining cumin seeds.

9. Add the blended ingredients, salt, fry a little and remove from flame.

Spring Onion Chutney

3 bunches spring onions

Green chillies to taste

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

1 tsp oil

Salt to taste

1. Wash spring onions and chop up.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Put in spring onions, salt, tamarind and red chillies and cover with lid.

3. Allow spring onions to soften, then

Mint Chutney

The mint chutney is a staple in Indian cooking and compliments both rice and bread as well as hot and mild curries.

It is the perfect accompaniment to breakfast, lunch or dinner on a hot summer’s day. This chutney is great with sautéed scallops, grilled shrimp, or grilled lamb and thus the perfect accompaniment at a bbq.

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves

4 spring onions, coarsely chopped

remove lid and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Cool and then blend to a paste

Zucchini Chutney

2-3 medium zucchini

1 onion

½ tsp asafetida

4 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp tamarind pulp

Green chillies to taste

1 ½ tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urad dal

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and sauté zucchini, onions and green chillies.

2. Add turmeric and salt, and cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes till veggies are soft.

3. Blend together.

4. To season, heat ½ tbsp oil and put in mustard seeds and urad dal. When they start to splutter, pour over chutney and mix well.

1 small fresh green chili, coarsely chopped, including seeds

1 large clove garlic, chopped

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 ½ tbsp water

2 tsp sugar

¾ tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp salt

1. Coarsely purée all ingredients in a food processor.

2. Serve with your choice of rice, bread, meat or curry.

asafetida and fry for another 30 seconds.

3. Add dry shredded coconut and mix well for a few seconds.

4. Transfer into a dish and let the mixture cool.

5. Grind not too fine, all the dals together to a powder and keep aside.

6. Now grind all the fried ingredients, with the tamarind and salt. When it is powdered, add sugar and mix for another 30 seconds.

7. Empty this mixture into the ground dals and mix well with a spoon.

8. Now grind it all together for 30 seconds.

Pineapple Chutney

100 g dried apricot, finely chopped

1 300 gm can pineapples

2 dry red chillies

1 lime, juiced

2” piece ginger, chopped

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp salt

Large pinch panch phoran spice mix (available at most Indian spice stores)

1. Heat a tablespoon of oil and season with panch phoran and red chillies.

2. Add the pineapple and cook on full heat.

3. Add chopped apricots, chopped ginger, sugar and salt.

4. Cook until the pineapple cubes are soft.

5. Add lime juice when cooked.

Moong Dal Chutney

1 cup moong dal soaked for about one hour

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tbsp mustard seeds

1/2 tbsp cumin seeds

Dry red chillies to taste

½ tsp asafoetida

1 tsp tamarind pulp

1 bunch coriander leaves

Salt to taste.

1. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.

2. When they crackle, add cumin seeds,

Shakuntala Chamala’s Chutney Powder

1 cup chana dal

½ cup mung dal

½ cup urad dal

60-70gms seedless tamarind

50 gms coriander seeds

70 gms dry shredded coconut

70 gms sesame seeds

40 gms dry red chillies

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2-2 ½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp asafetida

3-4 tsp oil.

1. Roast all dals separately unbtil golden brown and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a fry pan, put in coriander seeds and fry for 30 seconds. Then add red chillies, cumin seeds and fry until light brown in colour. Then add sesame seeds,

Fresh Tomato Chutney

A new spin on an old favourite, this chutney will be gone before you have time to pick a jar to store it in!

350 g ripe tomatoes; chopped

2 tbsp oil

1 medium onion; chopped

2 large cloves garlic; peeled and chopped

2 green chillies; seeded and chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar, or to taste

1. Put the tomatoes in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat, covered , until they are soft (4-5 minutes). Remove and cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the onions and garlic until the onions are soft, but not brown (4-5 minutes).

3. Add the chillies and cumin and for 30-40 seconds. Puree the tomatoes, the onion mixture, salt and sugar in a blender.

4. Transfer to a serving dish and cool thoroughly before serving.

Battle for the bulge!

MINAL recounts the disadvantages of being super-skinny, but not necessarily sexy

You never find clothes that fit you just right, you have to have them tweaked to fit well and have to constantly look for styles that hide your flaws. Sounds familiar? But unlike what you’re thinking, it’s is not about being overweight, but about being underweight!

I am not going to be politically correct in writing this because it is something I feel deeply about, and I have first-hand experience with the highs and lows of dealing with weight issues. So while I mean no offence to anyone, I hope there are some of you out there who will relate to what I say.

Ever since I can remember, I have been skinny. A flat-chested and androgynous kind of skinny. And if you think only the fatsos out there have issues with their bodies, think again! Being skinny as a child was no big deal; however, once I reached college, I could never get trendy clothes that fitted me right. I could not even find a pair of jeans that would fit me. I was tall and gangly so I needed the length, but that meant a bigger waist size which slid right off my waist. Getting a pair altered to fit meant it made my legs look like sticks. So I asked a distant relative who travelled abroad often to buy me a pair from Singapore, in the hope that international brands may make jeans for smaller waists. Sure enough he got me a pair – the largest size in the children’s section. And believe it or not, I wore them all through my college years and they continued to fit me till I was 23!

That took care of the lower half, but what about the top? I got teased regularly by friends and siblings at my lack of curves. To the extent that I could never dream of wearing a sari to college on Traditional Day (a day most colleges nominate when students can wear traditional Indian attire). Being flat-chested was a major no-no during my growing up years. Size zero was not trendy and unlike my voluptuous friends, I could pass off as a boy. In fact I have been mistaken to be one several times, when I had my hair cut short.

Anyway, given my skinny frame, I learnt

to slouch though I was tall – close to 5’7”. That was to draw attention away from my body. By doing this I didn’t look as tall, so I didn’t stick out among all my shorter friends. This was how I managed for several years – wearing loose clothes, slouching and not making any attempt to draw attention to myself. It led to a lack of confidence and self-esteem because in a society that judged a book by its cover, I didn’t make a mark at all.

Gaining every kilo was a struggle. If I gained just one kilo over six months it was a major victory. My mother dreaded my falling sick – because that meant losing 3 kilos in one week – the 3 kilos that it took me a year to gain!

For years I have stayed in the range of 40-45 kilos, pronounced underweight by most doctors and advised to gain weight to prevent health problems. I tried to gain weight. I even took a weight gain supplement, to put on a few kilos. I never ever went on a diet to stay slim; I was just genetically programmed that way. The good side to this whole thing is that I could eat anything and not worry about the calories. But the self-conscious body language of being too thin took a long time to shake off. To help myself, I attended some imagebuilding classes where I learned how not to slouch by walking up and down a corridor with a book on my head. I had to do that to stop feeling so conscious of my flat chest and to project the body language of confidence.

I even learnt to laugh off comments about me being too thin. Today I still wear loose clothing, but I am no longer so skinny that I need to buy kids’ sizes or be mistaken for a boy.

The world’s attention is on the obese section of society because there are far too many of them as compared to us skinny ones. But weight issues plague us all. I just wish to point out to every fat person out there who thinks that the grass is greener on the other side - it is not. We skinny, bagof-bones types get teased as much as you do and we struggle to find our size too. The feeling of not being attractive enough or a lack of confidence to be a social butterfly gnaws at us as well.

Nowadays with fashion awareness growing, being slim or not so well-endowed is accepted, but even 15 years ago it was not. Today designers make clothes for

really small and large sizes, but back then there were just the three – small, medium and large. If you were an extra-small or an extra-large, you just had to get your clothes tailor-made.

Now that I am on a sabbatical and lead a less active life than last year, just eating home-cooked food and not missing meals has helped me gain weight. The scale has finally moved beyond the 50 kilo mark. But in keeping with life’s ironies, the weight has gone to my waist and banished my flatboard stomach forever. I would have liked it to go elsewhere so that I would not look thin but no, it has to go where you need it the least! The weight gain has helped in the sense that I can wear a sari without looking like a clothes hanger and I easily get jeans my size. I do occasionally feel conscious about my flaws and resort to scarves and push-up bras, but what I have learnt throughout these years of wanting something I don’t have – is that no one is perfect. Fat or thin, all of us wish we had the perfect 10 figure, but the key is to stay healthy and accept your body as it is - love handles everything, skinny legs and all.

The world’s attention is on the obese section of society because there are far too many of them as compared to us skinny ones

To help myself, I attended some image-building classes where I learned how not to slouch by walking up and down a corridor with a book on my head

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A sari safari

Neelu Maharaj was fourteen when she wore her first sari. It was Diwali, and she picked a silk number from her mum’s wardrobe. It must have been a pretty good sari, because she was hooked for life.

Today this young mum of two spends much of her day around saris. As founder of the Saree Haven boutique, Neelu has carved a niche for herself among the community’s A-list social set with her choice collection of formal Indian attire.

Want a special piece for an upcoming event? Ask around and you’ll be told, go to Neelu’s.

And when you get to Neelu’s, you’ll find yourself infected with her enthusiasm for it all.

“Saris are sensuous, feminine, and so, so elegant,” she says. “I feel I express myself best as a woman, in a sari”.

As she describes her collection - gently smoothing a crease here, or clearing a stray thread of embroidery there - it is hard not to notice the sheer passion with which she’s obviously put it all together.

There are laces, nets, chiffons, georgettes and silks, arranged immaculately according to colour in floor-toceiling shelves. Each piece is hand-picked by Neelu, and with her impeccable taste, it would probably be hard for clients to make a choice.

“Oh, not at all,” she laughs, “I actually enjoy advising them – it’s the best part of the job”.

A variety of factors go into helping the client make the right choice.

“I first ask my clients to look around and tell me what appeals to them straight off. I find this gives me an idea… then I look at the colour of their complexion, their hair, and advise them accordingly. Of course I honour their style - that’s important to me - but I find I can oomph it up considerably!”

A fair bit of study goes into the blouse too. Gone are the days of the plain simple one-design-suits-all type of blouse. Today’s blouse is a garment that makes a statement. With tiebacks and strings and bare backs and bells, the blouse can enhance the look of a sari all on its own.

“The design of the blouse is based not only on the style of the sari, but

equally on the shape of your back”.

Neelu is particularly good with blouses, claiming she has always had a flair for designing these. Fitting them with inbuilt bras incorporates the style of western gowns, and converts the simple sari ensemble to an item of haute couture. (There is a seamstress on site at Saree Haven, who can turn orders around inside a week).

Neelu operates the boutique from her beautiful Glenwood home, having converted her formal room into a shopfront.

The saris are all sourced from India –Neelu spends three to six months of the year there. “I work with some designers in the larger centres, Bollywood designers, as well as small-time karigars that you reach after walking through miles of tiny galis”.

Many happy hours have been spent with these karigars (traditional artisans). “I sit on the floor with them, and am surrounded by millions of saris! I’ve designed some of my choicest items with them…”

And yet the typical Sydney client wants Bollywood fare.

“Last year I sold some 15 Teri Ore saris (worn by Katrina Kaif in Singh is Kingg)”.

Other in-demand ensembles, Neelu reveals, were Sonam Kapoor’s Anarkali number from Delhi 6; the green sari from Main Aur Mrs Khanna (excuse us if you’re not a Bollywood freak), and also, strange but true, the coatie style

time not only with the Indian girls but surprisingly with the Aussie girls as well. They come for the ready-pleated saris”. (Fitting at the waist and butt, these saris come equipped with velcro, zippers, hooks and buttons, and can be put on like a dress).

Among the mainstream clients is Indira Naidoo, who Neelu dressed in an olive green sari for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards night last year.

Late last year, Neelu also got herself a gig at the Miss Earth beauty pageant where she dressed some thirty girls in saris for a fusion item on stage. “That was a lot of fun, but it was hard work. I met the girls individually before hand, and picked a sari for them based on their skin colour, eye colour and hair and all that. And on the day itself, it took me three hours to drape each girl in the sari – over leggings and boob tubes. Yes, I used lots of safety pins, and no, there was no wardrobe malfunction whatsoever!”

Earlier this year, Neelu took her troupe of models to the Art After Hours program at the Art Gallery of NSW –their fashion show was a side event at the Gallery’s Garden and Cosmos exhibition.

Neelu has learnt to combine her passion for saris with another interest, social work. She has organied fashion shows for many charity fund-raisers working for underprivileged children in Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. One of her pet projects is a Sri Lankan charity run by Arilya de Silva, the Sydneybased sister of cricketer Aravinda, who has been organising artificial limbs for tsunami-affected children.

The younger clients want chamak, apparently. “They all want to look like Bollywood stars – Katrina Kaif, Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra are the favourite role models, and young women are splashing out trying to imitate their looks”.

“Only last week I had an 11-year-old who wanted to look like a Bollywood star. Of course I worked with her and her mum so that she didn’t end up looking 25”.

Neelu readily offered her services recently to an Indian Link fund-raiser as well, donating two beautiful pink saris to a breast cancer awareness program.

Her husband has said of her, “When I married her, I married suitcases and suitcases of saris”. Well, he better be warned: the suitcases have already taken over the largest room in the house, and are asking for more….

Rajni Anand Luthra

To check out Saree Haven’s collection of saris, call Neelu Maharaj on 0414 461 069

Neelu with Bollywood star Sushmita Sen in Mumbai

Walking in alone

The ‘single’ status can be daunting when you’re up against the challenge of making an entrance on

recently went to the 50th birthday celebration party of a very dear friend. He happens to be a close friend from my media days before I moved to Australia. We go back a long way, and I wasn’t going to miss this birthday party for anything in the world.

However, there was one slight problem. I had been invited, but because he doesn’t know my brothers or other friends, I had to go alone. Now as I am single, you would think I am used to walking into a party alone. I have done that as a professional media person, walking into a conference or a party alone and then meeting up with other media people. But this was different. It was not a media event. My celebrity designer friend had invited only the people he really cared for and those who had worked closely with him through his long and illustrious career.

So I had no option but to walk in alone and hope to meet people I knew. It was the first ‘big’ social event I was attending in the year. Being back in India had seen me go into self-imposed hibernation. I walked in early so I could meet the host before he got busy playing host to all his invitees, since I was seeing him after three years. A long, emotion-filled hug later, I was introduced to an elegant lady who ran a little deli selling exotic cheeses and meats from all over the world.

Then I met another lady who I had worked with and interviewed many years ago. My friend kept hovering around making sure we had a drink in our hand and the food kept coming to our table. As time flew by, I ended up striking conversations with a lot of people whose names I knew, but whom I had never met. I began to relax and have a good time. The glasses of red wine also helped.

Later, I met several models and designers who were the biggies when I was part of the media scene. They brought back some fond memories of photoshoots done together at ungodly hours of the morning or night. Some of them are still very big in what they do, and it was heartening to see that success has not changed them one bit. I was greeted with the same warmth they exuded then,

and my not having the ‘editor’ tag made no difference.

At midnight, my friend cut a cake after a very, very emotional speech and then everyone hit the dance floor. I left soon after, unwilling to wait until the Aishwarya Rais and Lara Duttas made an entry. And strangely, although I walked in alone, I left not feeling alone and with a sense of wellbeing that one has when you have had a great time.

The next day, nursing a hangover from the wine, I wondered if it is the same for single girls all over the world. Do they also feel a bit awkward walking into a party alone, till they meet people they know? Or do they make the most of the situation and use it as an opportunity to make new friends or meet interesting people? I must admit, in my case it was a bit of both. I did feel awkward but yet, I did strike up a conversation with strangers. For the more outgoing and confident party animals amongst us, walking into a party alone may not be a big deal at all. But what about the shy violets who need to be coaxed into a smile or a chat? And what about the in-betweens like me who are partly nervous and partly walk into a wedding or birthday celebration just like that? Especially when the other guests belong to the beautiful set who always look good and have perfect bodies?

It may not even be a party where the

people are all glamorous, it could just be an old school or college reunion, or even a club party in your neighbourhood or community. Ever walked into a friend’s wedding where you don’t know anyone except the bride or groom? If you have, you will know what I am talking about. I think it’s the walking in alone part that a lot of people shy away from. A designer I got chatting with at the party who is happily single said she doesn’t think twice about it as she does it all the time. But another model I met said she never walks into a party alone unless she knows the hosts very well, simply to avoid unwanted male attention.

I am sure most single girls today walk into a party alone and think nothing of it. But this one is for all those girls who are not

so confident about taking this step. They may have their reasons – being overweight, perhaps shy or introverted, not being very confident or comfortable talking to stranger – it can be anything. But after having taken the plunge, all I can say is that there are some things in life we have to take in our stride and go through. Walking into a party alone is not quite as bad as going to the dentist, but there is a first time for everything.

Even if it is a party where you know noone except the host and you belong to the shy category, when you get invited, make it a point to attend. You may meet some interesting people or the love of your life. Or you may get bored to tears. But you will never know unless you try it. So as the line goes, just do it!

But after having taken the plunge, all I can say is that there are some things in life we have to take in our stride and go through

And strangely, although I walked in alone, I left not feeling alone and with a sense of wellbeing that one has when you have had a great time

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Valentine strikes in India

She had heard it all.

“Diya, I am sorry.”

A short story

by RANI JHALA

“Amar, you can’t do this!” Peter heard himself shouting

“Yes, I can. I am sorry, but I am out of here,” Amar snapped his baggage shut and grabbing it, turned towards the door.

Peter found himself blocking the exit. “For heaven’s sake Amar, the wedding is tonight. You should have said something earlier.”

Amar had the grace to look ashamed, but returning to his determined self, he said. “I never agreed to this”.

“You never disagreed either,” Peter cut in.

“Peter, you are my friend, stay out of it. You of all people know how I feel about Kaitlin, I can’t do this to her, to us”.

“And your bride? What about her?”

“My mother created the problem, she can sort it out,” Amar continued in a frustrated tone.

“Amar, it is too late. You have to go through with it. The ceremonies have already started, the marriage cannot stop now”.

Combing his hair through with his fingers, he replied, “I am sorry, I can’t do it”.

“Then go tell Diya yourself, you owe her that”.

But Amar was not going to risk any chance of being manipulated into the marriage. He knew he should have spoken up earlier, but it was better to end things now than later. He could not give Kaitlin up, nor was he going to face his mother and risk being forced again.

“I am sorry, mate. I have to do what I have to do. Do you want to fly back with me?

“No, this is my first trip to India. I’ll continue as planned. I came to find myself and I will continue on my search. I’ll see you back in Sydney”.

“Will you explain it to Diya for me?”

“I don’t know if I can. What do I say - I am sorry but my friend did not want to marry you?”

“No, just tell her I wanted to marry somebody else”.

“How does that make it any better?”

“It doesn’t. It just makes it less worse…” Amar returned.

Peter knew that the situation has become hopeless. Quietly he followed his friend to the car and waved him off. As he turned to walk back into the building, he saw her.

She stood at the top of the steps in a plain pink chiffon sari, a thin strand of pearls gracing her neck and her long black hair falling as a shimmering waterfall, past her waist. But she was not looking at the car speeding away down the driveway. She was looking at him. And her eyes told him everything.

Diya looked at him and his heart bled a million drops. He saw pain, he saw hurt, he saw disgrace.

Slowly she moved a step back. “I better let them know that there is going to be no wedding”.

And then she smiled. A faint smile that did not wipe away the hurt in her eyes but it sure made it difficult for him to breathe. A second later she turned to walk back in.

“Will you marry me, Diya?” The words were out before he realised it himself.

She froze, with her back to him, she stood still. He stood still.

“Marry me,” he said again, softer this time, now convinced that he had indeed uttered them before.

“What?” she managed to whisper.

“I know enough about your culture to know the consequences of a groom leaving on the wedding day. I know what your family will face and what you will too. A marriage could stop all that”.

“You obviously don’t know enough about our culture to know, they would rather a daughter sat at home living the life of a spinster, than marry like this. They will say Amar left because of us. No one will approve of our marriage”.

“Do you approve?”

“I did not have a say about my marriage with Amar, I will not have a say about a marriage with you”.

“So you did not love Amar?”

“I did not know him,” was Diya’s simple reply.

“Yet you were going to risk a lifetime with a man you barely knew…”

“I thought Amar and I were taking the same risk. I was obviously wrong”. Again her reply was said in whisper.

“Amar is not a bad chap. It’s just that…”

“I know. I heard everything. I have

always known that something was not right. He avoided our phone calls. He never wrote. He never came after the engagement ceremony. But his mother assured everyone that her son was marrying of his own free will. That he was not in love with another woman…”

And then she let out half a laugh. “Do you know that I thought he was gay. That is why I came here to ask him that. I could have fought for my marriage against another woman, but how would I have fought against a man?”

Peter noticed that the humour had not reached her eyes. The worry in them had not ceased either.

“I can face everyone, but my parents have invested their entire saving into this marriage. They have told the world, their daughter is moving to Australia, that she is marrying a perfect partner. How do they now tell the world, that the perfect partner, was never that? That nothing was perfect. Your friend should have spoken up earlier.

He played Russian Roulette with all our lives”.

“Then marry me and stop the roll of the dice with us,” Peter stated again.

“I will find an escape, but what will you get out of this marriage? I thought you westerners married for love”.

“Most do, but like your arranged marriages some of us find our partners through dating services and matchmaking agencies. It is not that different to an arranged marriage”.

“Yes true, I have seen the television show where a man picks his partner from a group of girls in a matter of days. I guess you are right. We all have our destinies arranged in some way.”

“Then take that chance with me”.

“I should be grateful, but I can’t help feeling, it would not be fair to you. No! It would not be fair. Goodbye, Peter”. This time Diya walked down the steps and towards the car park.

Peter stood until her car had driven off, and then turned to go and find Amar’s mother. And the moment he did, all hell broke loose. Anger, frustration, despair, shame and disappointment coloured the atmosphere. Peter could only think of Diya and her position. Her position would be much worse. And he just knew he had to be with her. Taking Amar’s brother with him he left for the bridal home.

As he had guessed the bridal home was in chaos too. Half were screaming, the other half, crying. Half blamed Amar, the other half, Diya. They said she was unlucky. That her stars must have been malevolently placed. He hoped that Diya was not hearing the hurtful words. He looked around but Diya was not amidst the crowd. He searched the crowd again and then impulsively looked up. There on the landing she stood, looking at him, her deep brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She was listening to everything. Detaching himself from Amar’s brother, he walked up the staircase and to her side.

“Let me help you…” he pleaded.

“I can’t. Can you not see them? They have had one shock already. If I tell them I am marrying you, it will come as a bigger blow”.

Peter could not understand the pain he felt. For heaven’s sake, he had only just met Diya. Then why was he hurting for her?

“If that is what you want, then so be it.

I will be here for six months. I know this will sound an empty promise after what Amar has done, but I will be here for you, if you need me, ever, I will be here.”

Once again she gave him her magical smile. And he knew that for the moment that had to be enough.

“I was envying Amar his Valentine’s Day wedding. What a Valentine’s Day it’s turned out to be!” Peter let out.

As he turned to look at the crowd below, a hand touched his gently. A voice whispered, “I can’t marry you just yet, but will you be my Valentine?”

And Peter knew that time no longer mattered. He had found what he came for. He had found himself.

Amar knew he should have spoken up earlier, but it was better to end things now than later. He could not give Kaitlyn up, nor was he going to face his mother and risk being forced again

Matrimonials

SEEKING BRIDES

Palghat Brahmin Iyer, 32/5’9”, MBA, MS, pure veg, dual citizen, working as IT Operations Specialist at large Telecom at Melbourne CBD, pleasant looks, seeks bride under 30 with similar cultural background. Horoscope available. Please email kkrangan@yahoo.com or contact 0418 720 781 for more information.

ABrahmin family from north India seeks suitable bride for their son, handsome, fair colour, slim, never married, non-smoker, non-drinker, broadminded, 29 years, 5’ 5”. He lives in Sydney while his parents are in India, and earns well. The girl should be good looking, well educated, family oriented, and from Brahmin background. Initial contact, with profile, can be made at raj2010syd@gmail.com

Parents of Gujarati Patel boy seek bride for their son, age 29 years, Australian citizen, IT professional, permanent job. Visit www.Bharatmatrimony.com and search for his ID G584083 to find more details or call Kesh Patel on 02 8205 8409 / 0401 548 194 to discuss further.

Australian citizen, 36 years old, settled and working in Sydney as a professional employer. Seeking girl between 27 and 36, no caste bar. Please contact 0416 398 869 or for other details and photo mail me at satishsingh_2009@ yahoo.com.au

Fiji Indian Hindu family from Sydney, seek alliance for son aged 26, Australian citizen, fair, educated, 160 cm. Seeking bride under 25 years, slim, fair, sincere and pleasant personality. Contact parents at PO Box 502 Plumpton NSW 2761 or email at hum772009@gmail.com

Australian citizen, Indian origin male, uni educated, govt job, own house, mid 40s, seeks honest Indian/ Fiji Indian lady for marriage. Please send details to email: tamave@hotmail.com or phone 0404 263 400.

SEEKING GROOMS

Seeking alliance for Sunni Muslim girl from India, 36 years, 5’3”, fair, software consultant working in USA, strong family values. Looking for Sunni Muslim boy, non-smoker, non-alcoholic and follower of Halal food. Please contact on marrylink@ymail.com with photograph and details.

Seeking suitable groom for a Tamil Brahmin girl (Kodanya/5’8”/23 years) professionally qualified and working in Bangalore. Family well settled in India. Seeking 26-29 year old groom, qualified and match with strong cultural and family background. Please email kallvidhya@ yahoo.com with your biodata.

Seeking a professional and caring boy for a smart, MBA, professional and homely 26-year-old girl working in management in a leading private

bank in India. Grandparents currently visiting Sydney. Please send details on mainirahul@gmail.com

Seeking suitable professionally qualified, Hindu, well-settled match for Indian-based Hindu girl, never married, 30 years, 160cm, practicing as an architect and interior designer in India. Please contact Shivani Baheti (elder sister) on 0421530 876 or bahetived@ yahoo.com.

Sister and brother-in-law seek suitable groom for Gujarati Brahmin girl, professionally qualified. Family well settled in India. Seeking 26-29 year old, qualified match with strong cultural and family background. Please email biodata and recent pictures to Meghna.joshi@ato. gov.au or contact 0433 613 676.

Parents seek educated and wellsettled boy for Hindu Punjabi girl, IT professional, Australian citizen, born 1977, 5’ 6” slim, never married. Please send details and recent, clear photo to vnsb2009@gmail.com

Seeking alliance for our 24-year old, 5’4” beautiful Sikh daughter. She is a finance professional with strong family values. We are settled in Sydney for many years. Please send your details and photo at kuldeeponly@gmail.com

Brother seeks suitable groom for Hindu Gupta girl, professionally qualified. Family well settled in India. Seeking a 28-30 year old, professionally qualified match, with strong family values. Please send biodata and recent picture to vikjas@gmail.com or contact 0401 318 439.

The lingo of love

SHERYL DIXIT takes a look at popular phrases that endeavour to explain this unique emotion

Aaah, love! Another Valentine’s Day and our thoughts inevitably get mushy and sentimental, romantic or plain cynical, depending on one’s temperament. There are so many ways to define this emotion, but none of them would be quite adequate. So here are some quotes which try, sometimes obscurely, to explain love.

We don’t believe in rheumatism and true love until after the first attack. Some wise soul thought this one up, and it’s a true saying indeed! Was there ever a time in one’s life when you scoffed at the idea of falling in love? All those coy looks Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor exchanged while running around trees. And the visual of two red roses meeting in midair, to convey even to the most obtuse that what was being exchanged was a clandestine chumma Naah, I wouldn’t behave like an idiot. But when you meet that special somebody, no matter how young or old you may be, you end up doing things, the thought of which will probably make you cringe with embarrassment for the rest of your life. Like tattooing their name all over your arms using an indelible marker and then trying to explain to your mum exactly who ‘Rahul’ is supposed to be. Or quavering on her doorstep with a single drooping rose, as her dad subjects you to a third degree interrogation. Or writing love letters, and in this techno-savvy world, romantic emails, or exchanging explicit SMS messages. As long as your partner doesn’t find out, or you’ll be spending V-Day in the doghouse, along with Tiger Woods!

You know it’s love when you want to keep holding hands even after you’re sweaty When you can gaze into each other’s eyes, even through steamy bifocals. When you take romantic walks along the beach and don’t complain about getting sand in your hair. When you spend the entire day SMSing or emailing each other, and the day still seems too long before you’ll meet again. When you take a walk and neither of you notices that it’s raining. When you buy each other gifts on impulse, from chocolate to iTune recharge cards, and are ecstatically

surprised by each offering. When you buy him a CD of romantic ballads and he looks no more than mildly bemused. When you’ll have your first argument and are convinced that it’s the end of the relationship. Of course, making up is the best part! Women have fantastic memories for these moments, but if you recount them to your partner even a year on in the relationship, he’s likely to deny ever listening to Whitney Houston. No, not even for love!

You can’t put a price tag on love, but you can on all its accessories. Spot on! And in this day of rampant commercialism, walk into any mall a week after Christmas and those not-to-be-missed Valentine’s Day gifts will smack you in the face. Original and imaginative bunches of red roses, expensive perfumes, huge cuddly teddy bears holding hearts, or simply large red hearts in the shape of cards, cushions, chocolate, are displayed for your edification and wallet. Clothing stores who should know better advertise ‘V-Day specials’ and I have seen at least three seafood stores running specials on oysters. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not that much of a cynic and I don’t really hold more than a mildly irritated grudge against paraphernalia that encourages, reminds and enthuses people to celebrate love. After all, it’s all in the name of retail.

But when you meet

If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? Good question, but let’s not forget that even imagining the loved one in lingerie can miraculously restore sight, right guys? However, I draw the line at men in lingerie. Tight little boxers, yes, but not lingerie. Besides, to give this cosy couture its due, it is a fairly large contributor to the essence of love, and women adore it almost as much as their men. From slinky black numbers to nearly-not-theres, this form of sensuous attire is responsible for steamy nights, seductive scenes and making babies.

Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is. Well, as you plod through another year of marital stress, there are times when even wives have such seditious thoughts. Where has the love gone, you ask yourself, after receiving a book on weight-loss again as a V-day present. Well, nowhere really. It’s just changed in dimension, adapted to suit the circumstances, but yes, it’s still there, hovering in the background. Like when you look at your partner opening his third beer while watching the footy as you slave over dinner. You may think unkind thoughts at that moment of time, but when he piles his plate with an appreciative third helping, you can’t but help feeling fond of him again. You may think you’ve moved down in the list of priorities, coming close to the bottom after kids, work, his laptop,

iPod and Blackberry, but at least you’re still on the list. Unlike that photograph of a bikini-clad Katrina Kaif you ‘accidentally’ deleted when checking your email on his laptop.

Love makes the world go round. The origins of the phrase are lost in the sands of time, but it is still as relevant today as it was when the phrase was first coined. It is in everything we see and do, and no matter how hard we try not to fall prey to this strange and enveloping emotion, we will always have love in our life. From the respectful affection for parents, often enhanced after you have kids of your own and realise exactly how tough the job is, to the protective and inexplicable love for children, displayed in the joy they bring you on good days. And to a lesser extent, in the sense of exasperation you feel on days when they’re working hard to drive you crazy. In its myriad forms, love can blossom when your little puppy comes home for the first time or even exhibit itself in naked lust when you see a Jimmy Choo handbag or a pair of Ralph Lauren sunnies.

Love is everywhere. In the cuddle a mother gives her baby, in the sight of an elderly couple holding hands, even seeing a cat and dog sharing a snooze in their basket. Love is in the air, so let’s celebrate each day as if it’s V-day.

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that special somebody, no matter how young or old you may be, you end up doing things that will probably make you cringe with embarrassment for the rest of your life

Tarot ‘n’ You Tarot ‘n’ You

Tarot predictions for February 2010

ARIES March 21–April 20

Tarot signifies that the present time is the opportune moment to start a new project. You need to use your skills and follow your instincts. You should be determined to use your potential to the maximum, to succeed. It is the right time to initiate action and execute plans. In a relationship reading, Tarot indicates a dynamic relationship where one partner provides the inspiration and the other makes them a reality, through his skills and practicality.

TAURUS April 21–May 21

There is a focus on the realisation of what you desire and your inner strength to achieve the same. Domestic changes are likely to take place. You may find yourself thinking about moving on in life towards a new setting. You desire to explore opportunities for fulfilment. It could be a search for a deeper commitment within your present relationship. It could also mean spending time in meditation or in study.

GEMINI May 22–June 23

Tarot signifies permanent changes. The old will give way to the new. It will bring with it new beliefs and understanding. There are times when situations end in life and new beginnings are seen and experienced. Certain beginnings are accepted easily and some may need adjustments. This card in a relationship reading signifies a major change in the relationship. It can either be the end of a relationship or levels of deeper commitment.

CANCER June 23–July 22

Tarot indicates a time for healing. You are likely to be at peace with yourself. Health is likely to improve, making you feel energetic. You are likely to have clarity of thought and so are able to take balanced decisions. The card for you represents purpose, planning and action towards attainment of desired goals. The card also suggests promotion and success in matters related to career. It portrays liberation and infinity of free will. Tarot indicates creativity and understanding in a relationship that is growing.

LEO July 23–August 23

Your focus is likely to be on your achievements and an overall feeling of happiness resulting from them. It is a card that signifies success and victory. You are nearing your personal goals and an enterprise is coming to a successful conclusion. You are feeling emotionally secure and content, which is due to a job well done. Your inner needs are fulfilled. In a relationship reading, there is a great deal of harmony as you have learnt to love and care for yourself, and so you work towards making a happier relationship.

VIRGO August 24–September 22

There seems to be an illusion that there is no choice other than to accept things as they are. Tarot indicates the hold of materialism on you, because of the temptations it provides. Your free will seems to have been lost, as being controlled seems an easier way out than taking responsibility for yourself. It could even mean a reluctance to change at the cost of growth. It is only you who can liberate yourself from this situation.

LIBRA September 23 – October 23

Tarot foresees a focus on relationships. It is a good time for romance and compatibility on a personal level. Tarot indicates harmony, romance, peace, concord and prosperity. Gatherings will be happy and congenial. Monetary success is suggested. Purchase of property can be contemplated. Tarot indicates a quiet time spent with friends and family in a favourite place. It is a time when you are successful in feeling at home in a relatively new situation.

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

There is a focus on strength in opposition. Suspension of events is indicated. This period of delay should be used productively to reassess the line of action for the future. It is a card that tells you to complete a few of the incomplete projects in your life. In a relationship reading, it describes a cautious attitude towards the partner or relationships in general. You have perhaps been hurt by your partner or are yet to come to terms with your past relationships, and in turn are not able to commit yourself fully to the present one.

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

You are likely to be ambitious and will tend to plan towards your goals methodically. You are organized and will be able to put in serious efforts towards your project. You may feel that you aren’t getting due credit for your efforts. Things will turn out right in due course of time. You would benefit by being innovative, yet logical at the same time. Tarot signifies consolidating plans and taking firm steps towards attaining goals.

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

Now is the time to put plans into action. The idea is one of cooperation and business opportunities. Tarot represents established effort, enterprise and strength. Worries are likely to be lessened. Travel connected with career is also suggested. There is a feeling of happiness and optimism as aims are likely to be realised in future. Tarot suggests a relationship which is growing. The relationship may be centred around travel.

AQUARIUS January 20–February 18

Tarot signifies a period for spontaneity. There is a focus on trust and hope. Be prepared for the unexpected. It is a positive time for travel. You are likely to be offered new opportunities leading to new heights. You are likely to feel fulfilled if you undertake this unforeseen journey, so trust your judgement while planning for the future. Tarot depicts the journey of self-discovery with confidence, fun and optimism. In a relationship reading, you will benefit by living in the present.

PISCES February 19–March 20

Tarot indicates the inevitability of change. Certain events in your life may be unexpected. Remain optimistic as changes at home or in relationships are likely to be for the best. You need to leave behind old beliefs and values which no longer support you and adopt a new approach in order to progress ahead. You need to accept the fact that old forms collapse and give way to new forms, for the better.

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Compelling mirror of troubled times

Film: My Name Is Khan

Director: Karan Johar

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Jimmy Shergill, Zarina Wahab

Questions of religious and national identity, of the sense of right and wrong, of combating a certain isolation that comes with a behavioural disorder –these are the ingredients of the film that has caused so much turmoil in India in recent days.

But what triumphs over all the complexities unfolding in a tumultuous post 9/11 America is Rizwan Khan, and his essential goodness, that tells you unwaveringly - his name is Khan and he is not a terrorist.

Director Karan Johar is in unfamiliar territory here. No candyfloss romance, no sweet nothings, nobody breaking into song. Just the super intelligent Rizwan, who has Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism), his halting voice with his inability to communicate, and his many relationships - with his mother, his brother, and yes, Mandira and her son Sam.

Move over Rahul, Rizwan is here.

Shah Rukh makes the transition from the eternal romantic to the intense Rizwan who finds love and loses it some years later when his Khan identity becomes all important in a tense, suspicious America. You sit through three hours waiting to get a glimpse of Shah Rukh through Rizwan Khan, but it doesn’t happen.

If Shah Rukh lives and breathes Rizwan in what is one of his finest roles, Kajol as Mandira, the vivacious single mother, is also good - as always. The chemistry between them, if not always crackling, is heartwarming.

It’s an unlikely romance, not very easy to portray. But it’s dealt with a light touch. There they are sitting on either side of the bed after their wedding with Mandira telling Rizwan, who doesn’t like to be hugged, that this is something they can’t do without touching. It’s a scene that could quite easily have gone wrong, but it doesn’t.

All credit to Karan Johar for that.

Like a piece of music that gradually rises to grand crescendo, My Name Is Khan begins with Rizwan as a child with his mother - so good to see Zarina Wahab after such a long time - in a tenement in Mumbai, and ends

with cheers from the United States’ first African American president in a crowded rally.

It’s from his mother that Rizwan learns his first lessons of humanity; as the 1983 Mumbai riots rage outside, she tells the young boy that the world is divided into good people and bad people.

It is this essential humanism that carries Rizwan through from Mumbai to San Francisco where his brother stays, then to the suburb of Banville where he moves in with Mandira and Sam, and even when he is taken to be a terror suspect.

Sam, his “only best friend”, is subjected to a vicious race attack because he takes on Rizwan’s surname. Mandira hits back, saying that the worst thing she could have done was marry a Khan and Rizwan is out on the roads - unable to articulate his feelings but backpacking his way across the US to meet “president sahib” so he can tell him: “My name is Khan and I am not a terrorist.”

It is a road journey through a troubled post 9/11 America towards humanism and the essential goodness of the human spirit.

This is a US where chanting the

name of Allah gets you into trouble, where the word terrorist and Khan in conjunction can put you behind bars. Rizwan moves from being a terror suspect to a nationwide hero who exposes a terror mastermind. And then, the man with a mission who travels to Wilhelmina that is literally drowning in a hurricane, to supervise a heroic rescue mission.

There’s Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush and Obama too. The US’ first African American president is voted in and, in that final feel good moment Rizwan meets him in front of thousands of people and his goodness is validated.

Plenty of great one liners. When he is refused entry into a presidential fundraiser for the poor in Africa that is only for Christians, he leaves behind $500 saying: “This if for those who are not Christians in Africa.”

The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is superb. This is not a film without flaws. It is at least 20 minutes too long for one and flags in the pre-interval period, but it is one straight from the heart. It has a message, in these days of tensions over language and religion, one which needs to be heard.

Go watch.

Minu Jain, IANS

Film: Ishqiya

Director: Abhishek Choubey

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, Vidya Balan

Ishqiya is a very strange film. Strange, not so much in terms of content, unless you really believe there are sleepy dusty towns in north India where boys learn to use a gun before they learn to wash their own bottoms. But in terms of the way the three main characters are thrown against each other in combustions that suggest a brutal bonding between the libido and the landscape.

To cinematographer Mohana Krishna’s credit, he creates in the suburbs of Mumbai (masquerading as Gorakhpur) a kind of sweeping lazy ambience of leisurely selfindulgence.

Ishqiya is the kind of cinema that you can love or hate, but cannot be indifferent to. The dusty, parched, sexually and spiritually arid hinterland renders itself effectively to the characters. The uncle-nephew pair of Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi provide the kind of sweaty, grimy male bonding that we saw in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds

The two protagonists in Ishqiya represent the acme of reprehensibility. Come to think of it, there isn’t a single character in the plot whom you can begin to like, let alone admire. Like the Naseer-Arsha-Vidya triangle the other characters are either hazy

or horny, or both. There’s a businessman who sells steel on the surface and supplies illegal arms underneath. He’s supposed to represent the clan of the corrupt.

Vidya Balan’s Krishna is a conniving victim. And if that sounds like a contradiction in terms, it is purposefully projected into a plot that pulsates with a seedy tension and a freewheeling virile humour. The writing on the wall is very clear - hate these characters who live by the gun.

How the film finds a central core of gentleness in this milieu of murky machinations is another story. Or maybe it isn’t.

Debutant director Abhishek Choubey tries to create two different worlds, one of criminality and the other of compassion, within one range of vision. It’s a tall order.

Some of the sex and power play among Vidya, Arshad and Naseer’s characters are intriguing and arresting in its swift shifts of dramatic tension from one to the other.

Towards the second overture of this untried symphony of antipathy, the writer and director conspire to create a bizarre climactic spiral involving a shady business tycoon in the area, who our trio of protagonists decides to kidnap.

By the time the kidnapping plan goes horribly awry, the narrative too loses its bearings.

If the film holds you until the end it’s because of the principal performances. Naseeruddin Shah confers a rock-solid tenderness to his ageing criminal-lover’s role.

to sink his skills into a part of a raunchy, randy rogue, out to get the neighbourhood widow to hit the sack.

But the film belongs to Vidya Balan. With a face and eyes that convey a determination to make her way through a rough patriarchal order, Vidya is tender, brittle, cunning and cool - all rolled into a bundle of bewildering emotions that unfold more through her body language than the script. She rises above the self-indulgent realism of the narrative.

A triumph for the actress. But what of the

Love it, hate it, but you can’t ignore it Siddharth hits the high notes

Film: Striker

Director: Chandan Arora

Cast: Siddharth, Padma Priya, Nicolette Bird, Ankur Vikal, Aditya Pancholi, Seema Biswas, Rajendra Gupta and Vidya Malvade

Striker, as we can well see, was not an easy film to make. It’s not an easy film to see either. The vast near-epic scale scope and expanse of the slum saga stretches into two hours of a non-linear narration where time passages are made without borders.

The lack of punctuation marks in the telling of the tale of the coming of age and rage of the protagonist Surya (Siddharth) is a major detriment in identifying the swarm of characters as people who go beyond the immediate job of living their grass root-level lives and try to repair their lives and restore a method of morality behind the madness of a fringe existence.

The madness of slum-life, its eccentric crime modalities as seen through the eyes of the growing and aimless Surya, is brought out in the way editor Sajit Unnikrishnan cuts the material.

It is quite evident that director Chandan Arora has bitten more than the editor can finally chew. There’re stretches of undisclosed narrative material that seems to have been sacrificed to a serious economy of expression that borders on an austerity overdrive.

Characters such as the Muslim girl next door (newcomer Nicolette Bard) vanish from Surya’s life. But not before Surya does his own Mere Mehboob with the girl, even

throwing a letter into her balcony. This is the Mumbai slum in the 1980s, in case you’ve forgotten. Many questions that crop up in the course of the narrative remain unanswered to the bitter brutal end. All we know is that Surya wants a better life. He gets the bitter instead.

Striker opens and closes with the tension around the slums during the 1992 riots. The on-location shooting brings to the proceedings a kind of clipped and cutting edge and an intimate immediacy to the proceedings. You feel you are there in the slums with Arora’s characters. But you aren’t sure you want to be there. We never stay long enough with the characters to get to know them well. The performances keep us moving, kicking and dragging with the seamless unpunctuated narrative. Almost every characters seems to get the point, Siddharth more so than most with a performance that creates contours in the climate of chaos. His layered performance is balanced and even. Siddharth hits the high notes without getting shrill.

Aditya Pancholi as his chief adversary on the carrom board and off it, is menacing yet restrained managing the age-leaps with startling ease. Ankur Vikal the hero’s hyperventilating best friend who comes to a sticky end, plays the part with relish. Yup, he too gets the point.

lurid lunge at realism? Is the film to be applauded for forging a new language of expression?

Or should that language have been used with more restrain and tact?

Frankly there are no clear and simple value judgements to be applied to Ishqiya It’s partly a homage to the rugged Westerns from Hollywood, and partly an attempt to penetrate the north Indian small-town hinterland where people don’t just live with violence, they even enjoy it.

But did this film have to follow them?

There’re some other fine actors who prop up in the narrative including Anupam Kher, Seema Biswas and Anoop Soni. There’s no room for them to make an impact. The same goes for the two leading ladies. Quiet and wordless Nicolette comes before interval, verbose and aggressive Padma Priya comes after.

Striker uses the metaphor of the strike on the carrom board with a fair amount of inner conviction that unfortunately gets substantially lost in a welter of crowds and noises signifying the fury of nulled lives. You can’t fall in love with Arora’s carefully-crafted world of slum-dogged obduracy where swords still rule and guns are a distant boom.

See the film for its frenetic characters who seem to have distant links with the people we saw in Vikram Bhatt’s Ghulam and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. Happily the tragic outcome of the lives lived on the edge in the film is strictly their own.

Khan’s a box-office whopper

Controversies notwithstanding, My Name is Khan the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer directed by Karan Johar, has gone on to rake in around Rs.250 million (about US$5.3 million) across the globe on its opening day.

“We are delighted with the performance and audience reactions across demographics. More so, because this is only phase one of the film release,” Vijay Singh, CEO of Fox Star Studios India, the Indian distributors of the film, said in a statement.

“In addition to the release across 45 countries, MNIK will be rolled out in a phased manner across 25 non-traditional markets from April onwards.” The film features Shah Rukh as Rizvan Khan who embarks on a journey across America to win back the love of his life, played by Kajol. It shows how, along the way, his personality touches the lives of many and inspires a nation.

In New Zealand, the opening day collection was about $9,727 while in the Middle East, the movie is already 50 percent higher than any other previous film in Bollywood with the earning estimated at $300,000. There’s also a huge demand for additional prints in the existing chains across the Middle East and the print count is expected to increase to around 60 by next week. The film also will be released in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Oman and Lebanon in the coming week.

In terms of paid previews, the movie earned about $193,000 from 89 sites in Britain, which is said to be the highest for a single-day preview there. In Australia, paid previews collected around $34,000 and it ranked number 11. And despite all the negative political hype

Bips makes them bop

Bong beauty Bipasha Basu is a selfconfessed fitness freak. Her recent workout DVD is essentially for those “busy, lazy” people who can’t afford gym fees. Calling it her “baby”, the svelte actress says boyfriend John Abraham supported her all through to make her dream a

surrounding the movie, SRK has found support not just from fans, but back home in Bollywood. Hunky Hrithik Roshan, who is on good terms with Khan and Johar posted his first comment on Twitter exhorting his followers to go to theaters and watch the flick. He actually went to a Mumbai multiplex to see the movie, which has been threatened and boycotted by violent followers of the Shiv Sena leadership. Hrithik Roshan was impressed by the message of humanity spread by the character of Rizwan Khan in the film, and wanted his followers to

take it forward by coming out in large numbers to theatres screening the flick.

After Hrithik Roshan’s endorsement of the movie and his bold stand against the protests, Bollywood’s best came out in open support of the film, including divas like Priyanka Chopra, Preity Zinta and even Shilpa Shetty. Even Pooja Bedi and dad Kabir Bedi went to theaters to watch the flick with the general public, which helped infuse confidence among the audience.

Well done Bollywood, for proving that might isn’t right!

reality. Initially, Bipasha wanted to do the fitness video only for her friends. “There were so many unhealthy people around me. Every time I’d try to push them into the gym, they’d say they’ve no time. My music video is for busy, lazy, shy and nonprivileged people who can’t afford the gym fees,” said the sultry star. “I wanted it to be concise exercises that could be done in just 25 minutes and I didn’t want them to look intimidating, like ‘Oh my God only Bipasha Basu can do them’,” said Bips in an interview. “The idea was to make it fun and easy...I wanted to be comprehensive and that included precautionary measures to make sure no injury happened.” And after eight months of honest toil, the final product’s been worth it.

Boyfriend John didn’t mind helping Bipasha with the video even if it was in the middle of the night. “I’d be up at 3 a.m. scripting my video and I’d poke him awake to get his feedback. He would give his inputs no matter how tired or sleepy. He has been a great help. He’s always there for me. He has been a wonderful support,” enthused Bipasha. But she did miss him during the row with the hotel management

in New Delhi after her DVD launch.

“I missed him when I was under attack in Delhi. He has been a pillar of strength throughout the making and marketing of my fitness video. John is always there for everything I do...I like to do everything on my own,” she confided adding, “Emotionally I need tremendous support from all my loved ones including my parents and John. But when it comes to my work I’m fiercely independent. I’ll only take advice from someone who shares my passion, like John does.”

Bipasha is sporting a chiselled figure and she’s proud of it. And of course, John thinks she has the best body in show business. “He could be biased because he’s my boyfriend,” Bipasha said with a laugh. With a body like Bips, John’s sure one lucky guy!

Katrina to belt

Bhojpuri

out

Since playing the lead in Prakash Jha’s Rajneeti, Katrina Kaif has been interested in learning Bhojpuri, a language spoken in

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ABHILASHA SENGUPTA brings us up-to-date on what’s hot and happening in Bollywood

This lady never got her due in Bollywood

BIPASHA BASU

Patna and other parts of eastern India. Katrina impressed fans by speaking a few words in the language at a recent function in Patna to promote the film. Her role is that of a lady politician, akin to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and her portrayal of the role has been impressive, if insiders are to be believed. A few words were enough to have the long-legged lady take an interest in Bhojpuri and she’s busy expanding her vocabulary, learning it from her colleagues in the industry. Let’s not forget that in Kat’s debut flick Boom, she couldn’t speak a word of Hindi. While dubbing for Rajneeti, Kat had to memorize every single word without much understanding, to be able to deliver the lines confidently. Ajay Devgan and Ranbir Kapoor also star in the flick, due for release soon. However, fans of the luscious lady may be a bit disappointed, as she won’t be gyrating or wearing anything other than what a politician’s supposed to wear. So how will Kat look in a sari-clad avatar for a change? Gorgeous as usual, I’ll bet.

Bebo’s sensitive side

You wouldn’t think it of her, but Kareena Kapoor has a surprisingly sensitive and sensible side. Her relationship with Saif Ali Khan is now old news, but they’re still one of Bollywood’s hottest couples. Fortunately they seem to have struck a happy ground in their relationship, as Bebo’s shown unusual regard for Saif’s relationship with his two children. Although they practically live together, Bebo sneaks off to her own pad whenever Sara and Ibrahim come over for their weekly visit. Saif gets to spend quality time with his kids and it’s great that they have the space they need. Saif’s kids are almost in their teens, and Bebo backing off rather than making an irksome foursome certainly does deserve kudos. It’s an arrangement that suits everyone, and cuts down on awkwardness and irritation. A rare sign of understanding and maturity from one who has dated Shahid Kapoor. Well done, Bebo, smart move.

Shahid, Deepika not an item..again!

They’re on, they’re off…Yawn! Bollywood watchers are getting a bit tired of this romance, which doesn’t quite seem to materialise. The paparazzi recently paired them together again, both on and off screen, but reliable sources say that this is unlikely to happen, at least in the near

future. Shahid’s ready to take on fresher talent and father Pankaj Kapur is said to have just signed on Sonam for Mausam, their home production. Deepika too, isn’t hot on signing any films with Shahid, nor being ‘just friends’ with him. She’s gunning for the biggies like Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan. So when will the next instalment of this riveting romantic drama unfold? Well, don’t hold your breath!

Ranbir’s ready to rip!

Ranbir Kapoor’s riding high these days. He finally convinced protective mama Neetu Singh that owning a bike would be the best thing in his young life. In school he wanted a cycle, in college he wanted a motorbike, but Neetu was having none of it. Dad Rishi was cool, but convincing mama that he would be able to ride through Mumbai’s erratic traffic took a while.

A source close to the family explained why. “Neetu always felt that it is too risky for her son to drive a two-wheeler on the congested roads of Mumbai which are always dug up, making it an even more risky affair.”

Now Ranbir has a high-tech cycle of foreign make, but has hardly had the chance to ride it, as he is away in the US, shooting for Anjaana Anjaani. But the hunky heartthrob hasn’t quite lost his Segway obsession. Now that he has the bike, maybe he’ll find a way of convincing his mom to raise the stakes a bit and make his motorbike dream a reality.

Coke calling!

Coca Cola has a new brand ambassador in the young and energetic Imran Khan, who will star in their new advertisement. The actor has stayed away from the endorsement segment for a very long time, and the Coke deal is the first and only

the ad, Imran said, “The entire concept of the film is about how Coke breaks the ice between two characters who might not have been together, if Coke was not there. What is really interesting in the ad is that we have used an imaginary bottle.”

Well, that’s one hell of a way to join the endorsement business! Good on you, Imran.

Kites sizzles on Youtube

Youtube is now featuring leaked trailers of Kites, the much-awaited flick starring Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan and Mexican beauty Barbara Mori. The clips show the hot pair locked together in passionate embrace, with the sexy Mori doing interesting things to the hunk’s torso. No wonder wife Suzanne had a lot to say about those scenes! Naturally, the producers are chasing Youtube to get the promos off the site, as a spectacular twoand-a-half-minute promo is shortly to be released. Kites is directed by Anurag Basu and produced by Rakesh Roshan, and the buzz around Bollywood is that, among

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other things, it will showcase Hrithik’s talent for hot romance. His sexy side is complimented by gorgeous Barbara Mori. “The two sizzle together. This is Hrithik’s most sensuous film to date,” claim sources close to the film. “The sizzling chemistry between Hrithik and Mori is way hotter than Hrithik’s and Aishwarya’s pairing in Dhoom.” The film also stars Kangana Ranaut and is set in Las Vegas. It is said to be a story of love that goes beyond barriers, boundaries and cultures on a thrilling journey filled with precious moments and unexpected betrayal. It is due for a lavish international release soon. So will Kites fly high? Let’s wait and see.

Isabel’s reputation in ruins

Katrina Kaif’s youngest sister Isabel is currently in the spotlight, as a sexually explicit video of a girl bearing an uncanny resemblance to her is doing the rounds of the net. Katrina has categorically denied that the girl is her little sister, and has said that their mother is understandably shocked and upset by the entire episode. She is even considering legal action as the allegations not just harm Isabel’s reputation, but at just 17, she’s also a minor. Rumours about the clip have been around for a while; it seems to have been shot with a camcorder in a hotel room and doesn’t show the face of the man, but the girl is clearly visible and apparently quite similar to Isabel. However, it can’t be conclusively proved that the girl is the clip is indeed Isabel, and it’s highly unlikely that she would allow herself to be filmed in such a compromising situation. The original young lady is currently studying acting in faraway New York and intends pursuing a career in the film industry, just like her big sister. Poor Isabel, let’s hope the whole sordid issue blows over.

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endorsement he has signed in over a year and a half. “This was the only endorsement that I wanted to sign before they ever came to me,” said Imran enthusiastically. “I think Aamir has been endorsing Coke for 10 years now, and ever since I was a kid, I used to watch his ads. I have always considered CocaCola synonymous with refreshment and happiness. I am sure everyone will find the new Coca-Cola communication extremely engaging,” he added. The new campaign will also feature Kalki Koechlin, the

Some other good ones

What bad luck! I failed with Ash-lookalike Sneha Ullal in Lucky, and again with Kat-lookalike Zarine in Veer. No more experiments for me.

Sunil Kumar

If I can’t hit it off with Katrina, then at least Zarine is the closest look alike. It didn’t work out with Sneha Ullal after Aishwarya, but I have got to be second time lucky.

Raj Saneja

KAREENA KAPOOR

IMRAN KHAN

RANBIR KAPOOR