2015-01 Adelaide

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2 JANUARY 2015

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EDITORIAL

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It's game on (hopefully)!

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.':P�v.:an �.!:�hr� EDITOR';

Rajni!Anand Luthra-; ASSISTANT EDITOR;

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MELBOURNE COORDINATOR

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CONTRIBUTORS

Radhika Bhatia, Ajay Naidu, Sandip Hai; Grahak Cunningham, Royston Rebelid;; Shampa Bhattacharya Bruwel�ii; Petra O'Neiii; ,.,,_.._/Chitra Sudarshan, Dhanya Sa.,.;�el; ,_._.,_ ,, : N._iri,cy Ja�e. ,\[thea, Si!riarn_SH,3rn,a , ADY,ERTISINGMANAG�R':

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ith the Indian team's amazing abilicy to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, as evidenced in rhe first two test matches against Australia this summer, one can only hope that they fare better in the ICC Wo.cld Cup matches later this quarter to keep the hopes of not only their fans in India, but the 30 million strong non-resident Indian communicy, alive. The upcoming One Day matches against Australia should give them a good feel for what they need to do, bm the true test will start from 15 February when the big competition kicks off.

For us Indians u1 Australia, it is always a difficult question to answer as to which team we support, India or Australia. One answer which is outright disloyalty ro our country of adoption is ''You can take the man out of India but you cannot take the Indian out of the man." Now, consideoog that c. cicket is the only sport i11 which India excels (at

tunes), while Australia has mgby (union and League), tennis, swrn1rning and so many other sports to bring home the gold, it may be alright to be disloyal.

The other answer hedges your bets, "If Australia wins, we throw a shrimp on the barbie; if India wins, it's tandoori chicken (or paneer) on the barbie."

Th.is way rhere is an answer which says nothing and yet satisfies the inquiry.

Either way, the challenge often is how to balance the extremely parochial commentary on Channel 9, where Australia can do no wrong on the cricket field and the visitors can do no right. A prime example of th.is was the commentary by cheer leaders of Australian cricket such as Shane \'v'arne, Ian Healey and Michael Slater, who could not find a thing right with Indian captain MS Dhoni in the Boxing Day Test. His field placing was wrong, the bowling changes were strange and the overall game plan was a mystery.

It was only guest commeutacor, the injured Australian captain Michael Clarke, who was able co explain why Dhon.i was doing what he was doing, and the purpose behind those field placements and strategies. Channel 9 cricket commentary could well do with a balance - or viewers will switch to watching their visual but with ABC radio commentary in the backgrou11d.

The Indian ream Looks good - they are young and with youth comes a certain level of aggression. Newly appointed captain Virat Kohli enjoys confrontation as was evidenced in the 2011-12 tour with his famous middle linger salute to the crowds in Bay 20 at the SCG who were having a go at hiin. That he bas succeeded in rattling tl1e Aussies is clear when the temperamental Dav.id \Varner suggested he should cool it down. Nevertheless, interestiJ1g to note that a spell check on 'Virat' comes up with 'brat'. \X/ith IPL in India allowing rhe Aussies and other international cricketers to interact with their Indian counterparts, .it is als.o good to know that friendships get fotmed across the playing boundaries. During rhe current rour, MS Dhoni catching up with Michael Clarke for a private BBQ and discussing Dhoni's love for motorbike� is good to note. Perhaps there's hope yet for Kohli and \.'("/arner to be cliscussing the tanni.ns in good red wme.

Till that happens, wishing all the teams a terrific World Cup. lndian Australians will be fortunate enough to back two teams to win ... time to get a new wardrobe reflecting the green and gold of Australi.a and the deep blue colours of India.

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JANUARY 2015 3

rrlEJ 4 JANUARY 2015

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PEOPLE

Hindi language campaigner wins Indian government honour

T

he Sydney-based Hindi language campaigner Mala Mehta has won this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Samman (Overseas Indian Honour).

She was one of 15 diaspora members who were conferred the award by the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari.

Tbe highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, the award is presented by tbe Government of India annually as pare of the Overseas Indian Conference in eady January. The event was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, chis year.

The other recipients this year were Guyanese President Donald Rabindernauth Ramaotar; Kamaljeet Bakshi from ew Zealand; Ashraf Palarakunnummal and Bharatkumar JayantilaJ Shah. from UAE; Essop Esoop Goolam from South Africa; Rajmal M. Parakh from Oman; Justice Doraikannu Karunakaran from Seychelles; Sanjaya Rajaram from Mexico; Lord Raj Loomba and athu Rarn Puri from Britain; Mahendra anji Mehta from Uganda and Nanclin.i Tandon and Kamlesh Lulla from the US. Also from Australia, last year's winner Lisa Singh accepted her award this year.

Mala Mehta is a well-loved personality in Sydney's Indian community. As founder of the fodo Australian Bal Bharatiya Vidyalaya, Mala has campaigned bard for the inclusion of Hindi in the Australian school curriculum.

Several hundred sn1dems at ber Sydney-based school learn the Hindi language on the weekends, scarring from age live and many continue up ro the Year 12 level.

J\fala has also been responsible for taking to primary schools across tbe Sydney region, an awareness of Tndia and its culnu:e as part of the '1ndia Calling" program.

"This is a great honour for me but really I accepted the award on behalf of all those who have travelled the Hindi journey with me in Australia," Mala told J,,ditm Unk on the phone from India. ''As I walked up to the stage, all I could see were my bachchas

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ors and wished my Hindi School parivaarand others who had taken this journey with me had been there tool I missed my dad who would have felt only as a dad can.

1 would have loved to ha\Te my mum and children there too but was happy that they were watching it live."

Of course doting husband Teddy Mehta was in the audience as Mala received the award from Hamid Ansari, an old friend of the Mehras from when he served as India's High Commissioner to Australia yea.rs ago.

Mala was thankful for the government's acknowledgement of the efforts for the Hindi language in Australia.

"This is the first government Ln India that has extended support co our campaign and I am ever so grateful," she said. "I am elated also because the award came at snch an opportune momem. I've just started work with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) on the development of the new Hindi curriculum, and I needed the support of the Indian go\Ternment. The award will on.I)' boost my efforts."

Soon after the e\Tent in early January, Mehta anended the World Hindi Day celebrations in New Delhi on 10 .January.

"I was amazed co Lnteract

2015 .i1...i's ret 7 � 9 January, o.1\""'"' G .f "J\II ho.t11\.0.

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with many foreign dignitaries who spoke in Hindi - the ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Khazakastan, Romania, I ran, Thailand . . . I couldn't help thinking, this is exactly what my life's work has been about!"

The year has begun on a great note for Mala. Her Hindi students from HSC 2014 finished with exceptionally high ATARs (and one even topped the state

in Hindi); news has come in tbat two new centres will commence Hindi teaching (\X'aitara Public School and John Purchase Public School), and on a personal noce, her son announced wedding plans.

The Hindi School's motto, H11t11 Honge Ka11tyaab (I.We Shall Overcome) has indeed stood in good stead fot Mala in her 30-year crusade for Hindi.

Our heartiest congratulations, Mala.

JANUARY 2015 5

SCHOOL

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A

Year 12 finishers look back at the final year of school

BY RADHIKA BHATIA

r rheendof December lase year, students around rhe counttv were frantically logging on to the nee to perform rhe final task of their last school year collecting their ATAR. I know this because at the very same time one year ago, 1 was one of chose frantic students. 1 was in Iaclia and it was far too early in the morning when I was roughly shaken awake by m;r parencs and handed an iPad. The Board of Studies page glared at me menacingly. One tense minute passed. My parents srood over me, waiting as the page loaded. I surpassed my aim. I gm into law.

It's a lot easier for me to talk about my experiences, looking back ar my own HSC year. I've just finished my first year of university, doing a course l love, and not once since uni started have I been asked my ATAR. The HSC has become a clisrant memory.

What 1 do remember of that year is the free pass I was given at home. All of a sudden I was unassailable. I yelled at my poor, innocent little sister, and ir was her Emir. I stayed up till 3am, and it was okay. Dishwashing duty was no longer mine. The smdy was left in a constant stare of disarray and my room became a no-entry zone.

All because it was 'Radhika's HSC yea:r'.

School life also changed. All of a sudden, 1 was not surrotmded by peers, but by opponents in the most important race of my young life. The top rank ,vas in contention. 'How many hours of srndying clid you do last night?'

'How much of that 3000 word essay have you completed?' 'How many 1narks clid you lose in the latest rnarhs test?'

And then, as soon as I found om my scores: How many of my friends got onto the clistingu.ished achievers list? How many got onto the all-rounders list? How many got 99+ ATARS? Everyone's experience of his or her final year will be different.

6 JANUARY 2015

Bur I can guarantee you that everyone will go through some sky-high ups and rocky downs. I can also cell you, with a clarity that only presented ir.,elf following the whole ordeal, that for me, those rocky downs would not have been quite so rocky if I had lifted jusr a little pressure off myself.

'So what?' I would question my stressed an.cl angry 2013 self.

'What does it matter if you lost a couple of marks in tliat English essay? There will be more essays (nor necessarily a comforting thought, I admit) where, after a chat to your teacher and a litde hard work, you can more than redeem yourself. Seriously former Radhika, just calm clown.'

During this year, family becomes a fantastic support base.

However, sometimes this support can rranslate into an unspoken pressure. So now I address rhe parents. Those few parents who belong ro the 'tiger mum or dad' category: bearing down on their children, imagining an end of year result that diey can boast about for years. You know who you are. Please srop. This year is not going to be easy for your children; that is undeniable. Bur, if you step back and lee your child just do their thing, it can definitely be pleasant.

Obviously I don't condone letting go completely. Sometimes a lirtle push away from the suddenly fascinating outside world and towards the mounting pile of homework is exactly what an easily distracted teenager needs. But this year is already heavy with a never-before-seen amount of work and a thus far unparalleled level of stress.

A d ding more packs to die saddle will only slow your child down.

All of the students I've interviewed have done incredibly well in their final year of high school. But that isn't rhe only parallel f can draw. Each one of chem managed tO march har. d work with an abundance of extracurricular activities and relaxation. t\nd for them, it was a fantastic year.

So, ro everyone starting the HSC, the VCE, the SACE, or final school exams: Good Luck.

This year will be a big one; that is undeniable. Bur big does not necessarily mean bad. Make sure you enjoy it!

Mahendra Chitrarasu

ATAR: 99.9, SACE

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry.,

English smclies, Psychology, integrated learning School: Rostrevor College

English Advanced, Machs Extension l, 2 Unir Maths Chemistry, Physics, Biology.

School: James Ruse Agricultural High School Sangita Iyer

Appurva Raaj

ATAR.: 96.60, SACE

Subjects: English Stuclies,

Chemistry, Media smclies and Psychology School: Lady of the Sacred Heart College NehalJain

ATAR: 97.35, (37 TB)

ATAR: 99.85, VCE

Subjects: English, Machs Jv[ethods, Australian Hisrory, Business Management, Psychology, French.

School: Sacre Couer

What were your expectations going into the Year 12?

How clid reality compare?

Subjects: Machs Higher Level,

Physics Higher Level, Economics Higher Level, Chernistry Higher Level, English Standard Level, Hindi Standard Level School: Glemmga International High School Rahul Malhotra

ATAR: 99.7, SACE

Subjects: Biology, Chemistry,

Physics, Maths Smdies, ESL Stuclies, Hindi Continuers School: Eynesbury Senior College Prajna Vidyasagar

ATAR: OP2, Queensland

(equivalent to 98-99) Subjects: English Exrension, English, Maths C, Maths B, Physics, Chemistry.

School: Saint Johns Anglican College

Abhishek Goyal

ATAR: 99.95, HSC

Subjects: English Extension,

Rahul: I knew chat ir would be

a challenging year. There would be assessments and tests and time would have to be managed efficiendy. Reality was not much different! So I was kind of prepared. It turned out chat teachers were very helpfol, and I had a good circle of friends who supported each other.

Nehal: My expectations were

quire sirriilar to reality.Just as I had rhought, Year 12 was much harder and faster paced, with more assessmenrs I had evet done before. But I learnt how to manage my time and it all worked well.

Appurva: I was college vice­

captain so tl1ere was a lot of excitement. I was doing subjecrs chat I really loved. I didn't really worry about the social aspect I became quire close witl1 all my

friends because we were going chrough the same thing We grew closer by helping each oilier out.

If someone had a bad day we'd talk about ir and support each other. I tl1ought it as going to be che best year of my life. 1 was really sad when it ended.

Prajna: T rhought Year 12

would be just like Year 11, quite chilled. Bur it was quite stressful, competitive. You see die competition and you wane to bear ochers, you want to be the cop. My family and teachers really helped me though. I was not used to this amount of study and srress. My suppott system really helped me bring it together.

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Mahendra: There was that sort

of outside pre.�sure, it's going m be hard etc, etc. But it sort of Aucniated how difficult it really was. It wasn't like I had to give up going out, taU,ing to my friends, that sort of thi.ng, in order to do well. le was like make a decision between, sometimes, going to a party or working on something due soon. Bur having those other things in your life made you realise that school grades aren't the most important thing in the world.

Abhishek: I didn't expect my

HSC year to be roo difficulL I found that moving into Year 11 was tougher than Year 12.

There was a big jump in the syllabus between Years 10 and 11. Moving into Year 12, 1 wasn't too worried. My goals weren't focused a.round getting a high ATAR. I just wanted to do the best I could do for each subject, and then the ATAR would come with it. The most important thing to concentrate on is learning the content for each course and dien marks came with that.

Sangita: Everyone builds it

up but it's really not diat big a deal. I imagined having to smdy several hours every night. But it didn't end up being that bad.

J\,fost weekends I wasn't even working really hard at it. I was just waiting for it to get more intense.

You never really realise that the workload increases. You just rake

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it on. They teU you it's a big deal, bm they don't tell you to get on widi it.

What did you learn about yourself? Did you exceed your expectations?

Mahendra: Every year you look

back and think about how much you've changed. Looking back now, 1 diink it's been a positive change.

1'm quire happy. It wasn't so much mar l got a particular ATAR, but more mat I tried doi.ng lots of different things.

Abhishek: I realised bow much I

like spending time with my family.

Throughout die year I would procrastinate studying by spending time wim my family in me lounge room watching T\Z Indirectly, I learnt more about what goes on in d1eir lives - my mum, dad, sisters.

I like spending time with diem.

Even during die exam period, 1 used to sit down widi my mum and watch TV while we ate dinner.

We watched reruns of The B;g 13,wg Theory and complained that d1ey played the same episode every few days. I even sat and watched some Jndian dramas. I didn't even know what mey were caJled, just some crime serials on Youtube. Exceed e."qJectations did you say? Yes, definitely I never expected to do as well as I did. I don't dii.nk I studied hard bm my study techniques, especiaJly group studying, were effective.

Rahul: I learnt that I must

believe in myself. I would often doubt myself, but I know now that if l work hard, apply myself, l can overcome any challenge that life throws at me. l feel confident to try new things, and experiment. I've learned that I have good time management skills and can organise myself well!Did I exceed my expectations? \):.1eU, I've always wanted to do medicine so I knew I'd need a high ATAR 1 pushed myself hard . . . and maybe I could've gotten a higher score bur I'm happy. Getting the Governor's Commendation as well as Dux of the school, were born thrilling, diough.

Sangita: I've sort of been the kind of person to sail along, somewhere i.n the middle of the group. I was nevet· the kind of person d1at received many ,awards.

To come out of d1e year as Dux of the school is kind of insane. It taught me mat if 1 apply myself, l can do well. You don't have to be die smartest person to succeed.

Nehal: You know, looking back, I

learnt that I can work hard. I can try new and different mings and do them well. I've also learned die importance of activities odier than studies - extracurricular activities and even physical activity.

These aspects really helped me last year, and perhaps diat's why l finished well.

What went wrong? Did you make any m.istakes throughout the year?

Nehal: iYlistakes, of course!

Perhaps the biggest one was losing interest in one of my subjects and then not working as much on it.

Which subject? Mad1s!

Rahul: 1 did make mistakes, yes.

There were times I did not score \veil, but I told myself to stay positive. No point getting bogged down by one bad mark, better to see it as a chance to improve yourself.

Appurva: I probably hyped it up

way too much in my head. I would be really hard on myself, like I'd say, 'This isn't good enough for Year 12'. I think I underestimated my abilities to do well. I just pm mrself tmder an unnecessary amount of pressure.

Mahendra: Of course there were

mista_kes. Year 12 was something new. I wasn't smashing everything at the beginning of the year. It was all a learning curve. The way 1 saw it was, it's not really important what grade you receive, but appreciate the learning that's taking place. By learning I mean new ways of thinking. It's inevitable diat you're going co mal(e mistakes, but don't stress over it. The sun is going to rise tomorrow, life goes on. That's die way I took it.

Prajna: I had a hard time

answering English questions in Year 11. I want to tell people, especially in Year 12, if you're having a hard time, keep writing, and keep practising. Write your own questions even, and practice them, mat's what helped me. This worked widi Maths as well. 1 would do a1I the questions in my Maths textbook and dien I looked for more. It made me more confident. Also try different types of questions; this will give you me exposure to exam style questions.

Sangita: I've had times where I've srudied more than I .needed to, or stayed up revising dungs diat I never ended up needing to know. 1 wouldn't get enough sleep before exams sometimes. I would stay up doing... I don't even know what 1 was doing - reading or being on die internet. Just procrastination, really.

Did you feel there was much competition within your cohort?

Mahendra: Not really acruaJly. For the group of friends I hung out widi, it wasn't so much that you would be protecting your answers. If someone asked you something, you would let him or her know.

Appurva: There was a little

competition. Li.l(e 'who is at the wp of die class', and who would

JANUARY 2015 7

SCHOOL get dux for each class. le was healthy competition though. And I learnt a lot from my peers. If we had doubts, then we'd help each other. We did a bit of give and take. I'd teach them something they wouldn't know and vice versa. 1 ended up getting Dux of my school!

Nehal: Yes, there definitely

was competition, but I'd call it healthy competition, and it was encouraging for us all.

Abhishek: Definitely. There

was always lots of competition cowards mp half of the grade.

Especially jn things like Maths and sciences. For me, I ropped the State in Biology. However up until the external exams, competition for the top spot was quite _fierce. It was always the same five people neck to neck at the top of the class - getting the same exact mark or one off each other. After the trials, a lot of my srudy became group study. I really endorse fr. I organised sessions with my friends whete we discussed syllabus and try and teach each other bits of material. Teaching other people is one of the most effective ways of learning itself, and fixing problems or issues specific ro your understanding of a subject.

Usually this would happen just before assessments (even internal ones). But it happened considerably more after the u·ials in preparation for the external exams.

Prajna: Our final year brought

out a Joe of competition between all the students. We wanted to beat each ocher. But what I liked about my cohort was that we also really helped each other. We shared notes and discussed questions. I recommend helping each other as well as staying competitive.

Did you do anything alongside studying?

Nehal: I was debating club

captain as well as coach. 1 continued to take part in public speaking events. In sport I did swimming and cenrus and at the community level, 1 participated in the 1vfela. 1 figured it was important to keep up all my usual activities.

Rahul: I kept up my other

activities as best as I could. I was part of social justice groups, working for the homeless and for the World Wildlife Fund. l took part in debating and at school open days. I kept np sporting activities through tennis and cricket.

Appurva: As college Vice­

Captain, I organised a lot of social justice work. \Xie ran campaigns and raised awareness for organisations involved in social justice i.e. St Vinnies and ran soup kitchens. We also organised a silent vigil for asylum seeker children in immigration,

8 JANUARY 2015

for the educational rights of children in detention. It was called 'A Child Like Me' and Channel 7 News covered us and we have a Facebook Page. I also do Bharatanatyam and Karnatic singing. I performed in festivals around Adelaide, like Mela.

Abhishek: I spent some time

volunteering at Vinrues. We were trained as chaperones for disadvantaged kids between the age of 5 and 16. They were mainly kids who were experiencing hardships at home. I wish I'd done more. I didn't do very many days because of studies. \'(le would go around to fun places: ice skating, magic shows, parks. In school I was the leader of the cl1atit)' club. So I spent time organising fundraisers for things like Daffodil Day, Pink Ribbon Day and the Red Shield Appeal. It was a great way to spend time besides studying.

Mahendra: I was Deputy Head

Prefect; that was one of the major things. I would help out with the school community and the wider community. The most significant thing, I suppose, was that we established a peer support network. We got one or two prefects co chat to younger students and help with homework.

Ir was probably the most satisfying part of my role; the teachers were keen to continue with ir so ir was a great legacy to leave behind. I also played badminton, table tennis, debating and was in the 3,d A team for football.

srudy centre for Year 12s, with kitchen facilities so that we had hot lunches. Ir was pretty cool!

Sangita: We bad a big common

room with a kjtchen and couches to sit on, and a stereo where we could play our music. It was a great way to relax and bring everyone together.

Was there anyi:h.ing you would do differently?

Mahendra: Not really, and

Prajna: Make sure you keep

that's probably one of the most satisfying things. I had a great time and went out a lot. l\ifum would get angry, she thought I was going our too much. Whatever mistakes I made weren't life changing.

up the motivation. I never lost fajth in myself. Make sure you share time with your family. And relax! For people who are not academically motivated right now, like I was, start pushing yourself now. You will surprise yourself!

Rahul: I'd probably get more help where I needed it, as sometimes I was reluctant.

Sangita: I actually don't tl1ink

there was anything I'd do differently. I balanced my life well.

Before results came out I thought I was going to regret relaxing all those times I chose to have fun instead of study. But I really don't chink 1 could have worked harder.

1 don't think l regret anything.

Nehal: I could have done more

work in Maths! Also, 1 could have organised myself a bit better, so that I could fit in more of my extra-curricular activities.

Prajna: I don't think so. I think

1 worked as hard as I could. I've never worked chis hard before.

Rahul: My parents treated me as

Do you have any advice for .funue Year 12 students?

Nehal: Ac home, I got given food

wherever I wanted, and of course whatever I wanted!But I did my bit too - I kept my room clean and helped with the gardening. At school, I really enjoyed tl1e new

Appurva: You've reached Year

12 so you are capable of doing whatever Year 12 tl1rows at you.

Don't get worked up over i t . You are more tlian capable of handling it. Make the most of the last year you have at school.

What Year 12 perks did you enjoy?

usual, really, and only went easy on me sometimes regarding my share of household cho.res.

judge your success on that rather than the grade that you've got, that would be an achievement.

Enjoy tl1e )•ear. Year 12 is so much more than just your studies.

Rahul: Get as mucl1 help as you

can, don't be afraid to ask. Don't get bogged down by the pressure of the siruation.

Mahendra: Realise that at the end of tl1e day it's not so much the grade that you gee but more tl1e person you've become. lf you can

Nehal: Aim high. Don't

underestimate yourself. You can acrueve if you pm your mind to it. And of course, keep up those exu·a-curricular activities besides studying. At home, involve your famjJy; ask for support.

Importantly, learn co manage yonr time.

Abhishek: Make sure you pay

attention in school, especially to your teachers. I know lot.5 of people do rncoring so they believe there is no point paying attention in class. However, I feel school offers you a lot of knowledge that tutoring doesn't. It's important because a.I.I internals are made and marked in school. You need ro know specific nuances, unique focus your teacher places on specific part.5 of the syllabus. Also, study in gr9ups. This is one of the main reasons I succeeded in the way I did. It really helps you craft responses in your own words when you're in exams. It also helps you troubleshoot specific types of problems.

What do you want to do now?

Mahendra: I'm taking a gap year

to work and meet new people.

The school offered me a job as a boarding house coordinator, so I'U do that. And maybe tutoring. I might pick up a job here or there.

Later in the year l want to travel, maybe Soucl1 America. I want to enjoy the year off. f'm not a hundred percent sure yet what I want to do ac Lilli.

Appurva: Bachelor of Law/ International Srudies at Adelaide University. I wanted to get imo journalism but I'm not sure. Bue I'm definitely interested in human rights. I'd love to work for the UN. 1 want to be the voice of people denied their human rights.

I want to do my part in helping build a better society.

Rahul: Medicine. Probably at University of Adelaide or at Flinders. Later on, I'd like to get into cardiology, maybe.

Nehal: Probably medicine. If not,

then software engineering.

Prajna: I want to become a

vision science professional. Like optometry. My course is a 5 y- ear course integrated witl1 M.asters.

I was reading an article about how in old age, eyes and muscles are the fir'5t parts of the body to deteriorate. l tl1i11k it would be really rewarding to help old people with their eyesight. The plan is to go places in Africa and India, less fortunate places, and help people out - everyone needs to enjoy life, and sight is a big part of that.

Sangita: Arts/Commerce at Monash University. Within Arts I want to do History or English, but I've really got to experience it a bit more before I make any big decisions.

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JANUARY 2015 9

COVERSTORY

with the Indian cricket team The touring team enthrals the local Indian community at official social engagements, writes PAWAN LUTHRA

I

f Bollywood sweetheart Anushka Sharma had any plans to keep a low profile in Australia as she joined her special friend Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli on tour here, she certainly did not do a good job at a recent Sydney Harbo1tr cruise.

At an event organised by the High Commission of India in Australia, the rouring Indian cricket team mingled with guests from Australian policies, cricketing greats, ci:icket tragics and a few members of the local Indian community.

As the Indian team walked down King Street Wharf in their dark blue T-shirts and black pants, the hottest actress on

10 JANUARY 2015

the Bollywood circuit, enjoying the phenomenal success of her current movie PK, stood out in a beautifully tailored white knee-length dress and high heels. Towering above d1e other parmers and wives of the cricketing tean1, one feels that if the role for a fernale secret service agent is on offer, Anushka would bag it hands down.

But once on board the cruise ship, Anushka charmed everyone with her ready smile and grace.

Perhaps part of drnt rubbed off on the Indian captain Vi.rat Kohli. who willingly posed for photographs with the guests as he chattered about his time in Australia.

"I quite enjoy my banter with

ilie Australian team," he cold me with a twinkle in his eye.

"I do not want to take a step backwards on this rour and want co give it my best," he said, as he moved backwards to allow girlfriend Anusbka to be photographed by a couple of adoring fans.

Only a few days earlier, on New Year's Day, the Indian and Australian cricket teams were hosted by Prime Jvlioister 'Tony Abbott and wife Margie at Kirribilli House on a bright and sunny afternoon.

Kohli has just been named as the Indian captain, after MS Dhoni's surprise resignation,

and it was clear that he was relishing d1e role. Speaking on the occasion, he expressed his happiness in his new position and then, putting on his diplomatic hat, had words of praise for Australia and its people, adding that his team loves touring down under and exploriJ1g the country. "\�e love ilie competitive nature of the people - in general," he concluded, perhaps ensuring that ar. ch rival M.itchell Johnson did not give him a New Year's hug.

When I mentioned this to ]'vlitcbell Johnson later, he smiled cheekilr and said, "Oh, but I sent him a Christmas card . . . seems like it got lost on the way."

Perhaps to create a better understanding between the two

teams, Prime :Minister Abbott had a few words with die. two captains, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, a moment captured famously by the photographers. As to what was discussed is anyone's guess: suggestions for yoga and meditation sessions for both teams, perhaps, to help create a more harmonious atmosphere out in the middl.e?

Till chat advice is followed, it seemed that tl1e Indian cricket team spent more time on d1e east side, while the Australian cricket team was happy on the west side of Kitribilli lawns.

The only person who sauntered across for a banter was Indian opener Shikhar Dbawan who played the doting dad with bis

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DEfit II8I FAMOUS

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one-year-old son Zoravar in his arms. The name Zoravar means 'brave' and 'powerful' and as such, perhaps the tot gave dad Shikhar some moral suppord Both Indian cricket ambassadors were received warmly by the Australian side. There were a few cricketers at the PM's house who were strangely silent, or it may not be that strange in hindsight, as they may have been feeling the effects of a late uight at the Ivy night club on New Year's eve at a BoUywood dance party organised

by Sydney party king Ra Khanna. j The bachelors of the team such as Isham Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvenshwar Kumar were seen shaking a leg and

INDIANLINK

enjoying their champagne as rhey welcomed 2015 on their day off on tour. Captain KohJj and Anushka did drop in but decided to head off to Cafe Sydney for a more intimate dinner.

Back on board the Sydney Showboat cruise ship, team director Ravi Shastri chatted aruiably with Hornsby MP and a great friend of India, Matt Kean and his ftancee GabrieUe . . . and turned out t o be quite the storyteller.

"One of my favourite memories in Australia was the Man of the Series award in 1985," Shastri revealed. "I took home the Audi, bur did not even bave a driver's licence when they handed me the key! Still, I

,..._

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� fl/ ·10·-'is...r.I ICI �

decided to drive it around the MCG. Before I knew it, Kapil Dev and Sunny Gavaskar bad jumped onto the bonnet . . . and in some way, the entire team was able to fit or cling on to rhe car, as an unlicensed driver drove around the MCG (kids, do 11ot do this at borne)! In fact, it was a bir of hassle to take the car back horne. There was a duty of 320 per cent on imported vehicles to lndia and Rajiv Gandhi, then a minister in the Indian Government, was able to waive it through a special amendment to the constitution. Io fact, when the car arrived in India, 10,000 people gathered in the docks ro see it unloaded. Audi got such great publicity that since 1985, I have been the brand ambassador

for Audi in India."

Meanwhile, dinner was being served and at rhe main table were India's very own Posh and Becks, Anushka and Virar. The organisers had cleverly scattered the whole team across the tables, so that there was a chance for d1e guests to interact with the cricketers and tl,eir families. But aU eyes were on You Know Who. While Virat charred with the guests around him, turning his considerable charms on Bollywood srar Aoushka was the Chair of the Commuuity Relations Commission and former bead of Cricket NSW, Dr Hari Harinath.

With wife Gayathri keeping a close eye on the proceedings, Dr Harinath was happy to do his bit

for comrnuuity relations between NSW; BoUywood and cricket. One suspects that there were others on board who would have fought him for his place.

The cruise was a fantastic way for the Indian cricket team to relax and enjoy Sydney Harbour. Good weather, food and wine a.long wid1 a roaming magician who kept everyone entertained, made it a very special evening. Having the Australian cricket team on board as weU, would have resulted eid1er in someone being thrown overboard, or lots of Christrnas­ Diwali cards exchanged next year.

After all, on a boat, you can run, but you cannot hide!

JANUARY 2015 11

SPORT

a1nc •

Mahi quits amid deafening silence

, BY AJAY NAIDU

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o sea of emotions among devoted fans in the stands. o guard of honour from his grateful colleagues. No lap of honour from rhe man himself!

In a style so typical of the man, Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked into the sunset, quirting Test cricket and 1eaving the cricketing world stunned and she!J shocked.

For someone who follows his own wisdom, and wears his humility on his sleeves, Dhoui has been a man who isn't given to display his emotions openly.

Perhaps the only hint he gave during the day was at the end of the Test when Dhoni plucked a stump and put it under his arm on his way back. "\Vhy would he collect a stump in a dr.awn game? " asked Ian Chappe!J on Channel ine. ''\Vhy nor, replied Dean Jones. He has nine victims from the Test. .. some sort of a record."

WeU, now we know why Dhoni took the stump as a souvenir!

And who knows? Perhaps, Dboni might still come back for a gala farewell at the same MCG on 29 March, 2015 - the day of the World Cup final!

Soon after the post-match ptesent'ltion, Dhoni came up for the customary press conference smiling. Some of his answers had his usual wit. Once he was through ,vith ic, he joked with rhis writer and some other journalist friends.

However, till then, no one had imagined that soon they would be hearing breaking news from India about bis retirement.

The news spread like wild fire and, having spoken to a chosen few, ic became apparent that Dhoni's decision bad taken everyone by surprise.

"Had we known that he was retiring, we would have given him a guard of honour or a fareweU befitting a player of his stamre," said a senior co!Jeague. lshant Sharma, who would have been history long back but for Dhoni's relentless backing, tweeted: ''A hie shocked at Dhoni's test retirement, Was sure he would leave it until the toss in Sydney to announce he wouldn't be playing."

One of Dhoni's closest friends, Snresh Raina, tweeted: "Valiant

12 JANUARY 2015

while you led. Valiant in your departure."

It is understood that Dhoni bad made up his mind to retire from Tests on this tour. Bm almost everyone tlJougbt it would be after the Sydney Test.

It has been learned from reliable sources that Dhoni spoke to the BCCI Secretary, Sanjay Patel, informing him of his decision to quit with inunecliate effect.

Again it was Dboni's wish that the decision be made public from India at tl1e end of the third Test.

The BCC l press release gives the reason of Dhoni's retirement as "scrains of playing a!J forms of cricket ".

Those who have been privileged to know Dhon.i closely knew that his current pace in cricket was taking a heavy toll on his body. I n fact, soon after the 2011 World Cup win, Dhoni cold a television channel that he would give up one form of cricket in a year's time.

A couple of years back, during the 2012 Incl.ia-West Indies series, the Indian team had just reached Mumbai from Kolkara for the final Test. Ac the team hotel Taj, Dhoni was resting his tired knees. "It is very taxing for a wicketkeeper," he told this writer.

In another conversation during the same Test, his wife Sakshi cold me, "I don't want my husband to collapse on a cricket field." Indeed on that clay, l had first-hand knowledge of how ta..xing Dhoni's workload was.

Then again, one thing that Dhoni would never forget co tell me during our discussions was that he won't hang around for long. ''The day I decide to retire, I will still be one of the Ettest guys in the team," said Dhoni. And he has kept his word.

To be sure, Dhon.i's body bas been complaining for a couple of years now. A lesser mortal would have given up long ago.

There's anod1er theory which says chat, wich the team concinuing to perform badly overseas, pressure was mounting on Dhoni to quit the job, with former players and critics questioning his defensive leadership in tl1e longer format.

The only answer to that is that Dhoni is his own man. He was seldom botl1erecl abouc tl1e media or bis critics. Had he wanted, he could have given up the captaincy and stayed on to play another 10 Tests to complete a ca!Jy of 100 Tests. But he is not one to be

seduced by the lure of statistics or landmarks. 'rhe criticism notwitl1stancling, Dhoni is now d1e leading n111scorer as captain with a tally of 3454 runs, going past Sunil Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azbaruddin (2856) and Sourav Ganguly (2561). l e must be made clear chat apart from Suresb Raina, Virat Kohli is also Dhoni's closesL buddy in the team. 1n fact, Dhoni chose to ignore Moh.inder Amarnad1's dictate to drop Kohli and play Roh.iL Sharma in the 2012 Adelaide Test. As it were, Kohli wenc on to notch up his first Test hundred in that game. So, aU talks of friction among die top players is sheer nonsense.

In fact, one of Dhoni's major contributions to the lnclian ream is tl1ar, as captain, he ensured there was no 'groupism' in his team. There was no senior-junior business either. His relationship with his team was based on crust and mutual respect.

As Sunil Gavaskar rigbcy pointed our, "Dhoni sti!J had three years of cricket left in him." Bur the one dung he always bad in bis mind was he would quit long before people asked 'why' rather

than 'why not'.

For the simple reason that Dboni gave a hundred per cent, played his cricket with grace and humility, we should rake his sudden decision to retire at face value.

Well done l'vfahi! I c has indeed been a privilege knowing you; as a good cricketer, as a good friend . . . and most of all as a great hunian being!

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JANUARY 2015 13

ASIAN

UP

The fall of Ind 1an football •

A s the A sian Cup gets underway, we look at the changing state of football in India

ustralia is currently hosting the 16th AFC .Asian Cup Football tournament.

From its hw11ble beginnings in 1956, tl1e Asian Cup event has grown into the region's biggest footbaU bonanza which stands proudly alongside any top level competition around tbe globe in terms of excitement, entertainment and organisation. le brings together Asia's cop national teams every four years in a fantastic feast of top-notch football. Australia has been part of Asian circuit since 2006.

Witl1 16 top regional football nations Qapan, Australia, Korea Republic, DPR Korea, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Uzbekistan, UA.E, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia,Jordan, China PR, Iraq, Palestine and Qatar) participating, this 23-day, 32-match tournament is set to be a feast for fans in Australia.

Unfortunately tl10ugh, and a bit disappointing for the half a million strong Indian diaspora clown trnder, Team India failed miserably to get into the final 16.

India's cmrent world ranking an1ong 199 football-nations is 159, while in Asia their equivalent position is 30 among 46. The number doesn't look great, but an entirely different picmre emerges if we go back to the 1950s and '60s when India was considered one of ilie cop 20 nations in the football world. At that time tllere was no formal process for ranJcing teams globally, it was largely based on performance.

Football was introduced in the sub-continent by ilie British and, after gaining independence from chem in 1947, India inade its Olympic debut in football at the 1948 Londo□ Games, but lose 1 2 to France in the first match. The national team then qualified for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil hut were not allowed to participate as Indian players played barefoot, while the wearing of boots was a mandatory requirement. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, lndia became the first Asian nation to reach the semi-finals defeating Australia 4-2 in the quarterfinals.

The hallmark of the win was the hat trick by centre forward Neville D'Souza, who became the first and, Lt11cil now, only Asian to achieve tl1e feat in the Olympics.

Achieving the pinnacle in Asian football, India peaked during that period winning gold at the New Delhi and Jakarta Asian Games in 1951 and 1962 respectively,

14 JANUARY 2015

followed by .finishing runners up at the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in 1959 and 1964 and then the 3"1 Asian Cup in Israel in 1964.

A downhill journey has taken place since the□, iliough the national team managed to snatch the bronze medal at the Bangkok Asian Games in 1970.

So, what really contributed to this massive fail, from the top to the bottom, in the span of a few decades?

"Perhaps complacency and a lack of forward planning," said septuagenarian footballer Clrnoi Goswami when I caught up wim him during my recent visit to Kolkaca.

Chuni is tmquestionably a living legend of Indian football.

Celebrated as one of me best inside-forwards India has ever produced, he made his fust international appearance in 1956 and then played in over 50 matches in major tomnaments like the Olympics, Asian Games, Asian Cup and Merdeka Football Tournament. One of the best in his category in Asia during his heyday, he captained India to win the Asian Games gold medal in 1962 and me runners up trophies at the Asian Cup and i'vlerdeka Cup in 1964. During iliac tin,e his name was almost permanent on the list of Asian All Scars XI. He was also a good cricketer. He played 46 fi.rst

class matches, captained the state team and finis bed off with a batting and bowling average of 28 and 24 respectively.

Outside sports, he spent a major part of his working life as a Senior Manager with the State Bank of India.

According to Chuni Goswami, a key factor for India's success during the early 1 960s was ilie presence of several great footballers in tbe team. Alongside him, that included ail-time greats like Pradip Banerjee, Tulsidas Balaram, Ram Bahadur, Yousef Khan, Jarnail Singh, .Arnn Ghosh, Varadwaj and Petet Tbangaraj. They were all regarded as wocld-class footballers and had the potential to achieve much more if they had the appropriate opportunity of weighing themselves former at international levels beyond the Olympics and Asian Cup every four years. But it didn't happen that way, mainly because of the inward focussed attitude of football administrators of the time. Only Chuoi in his prime had an offer from ilie famous English Club Tottenham Hocspur, but declined it in order

to avoid losing his job with the bank. "i'vfoney didn't drive us at all," Chuni said. ""i'vlost of us men had a job - either with a hank or a state or central government agency like the Railways or Services. We were happy with ir while rigorously playing for om local clubs or office teams in Calcutta, Hyderabad, Chennai or Mumbai. Inter club rivalry was immense and winning the IPA Shield or Durand CLlp for the club was imaginably more important than thinking of playing for any European side."

"However, when playing for India, we were a unified team with strong national pride," Chuni continued. "That passionate hunger for achieving something for our country gave us the killer instinct," he added, while reminiscing about the golden days of Indian footbaU. "Off course to chis, we need to add the contributions of our coach Rahim without whom the results could have been different"

Regarded as the architect of modern Indian football, Syed Abdul Rahim was me coach of ilie Indian national. team from 1950 trntil his death in l 963.

He was a great motivator and understood tl1e game very well. It is said what he taught his players in the 50s were subscribed to in Brazil almost a decade a later. He had the extraordinary endowment of spotting talent. His death can be regarded as a significant trigger for the collapse of Indian football as many talents since ilien passed unnoticed or were not amply nurtured.

Sinmltaneously, the dynamics and style of the gaine ilien started changing worldwide.

Speed and physical power took over dribbling skills and grmmd play, which were me sn-engths of Indian footbaUers. Science and technology were introduced to analyse own and opposition team strengths and weaknesses.

Physical exercise with weights and modern instTun1ents became an integral pare of n-aining.

Diets were changed for healthier lifestyles.

Top players mrned professional - joining clubs ail arotrnd the globe and starting to learn from each other, vastly improving me standard of the game.

"We regrettably fell back in alinost of all of iliem," commented Chuni.

Today many, i o particular some of the football bureaucrats in India, in an effo.rc co hide fai.lures, point fingers at the rise and tise of cricket as a catlSe for ilie demise of football. Chuni himself, being an established cricketer, doesn't agree with that position. He strongly believes me reason for the decline has been largely due to lack of suitable youth development programs and an inability to come out of so­ called comfort zones.

However, Clmni Goswami sees some rays of hope, citing the example of the newly introduced Indian Super League where local footballers are getting decent exposure co transnational benchmarks wiili respect co training and skills in1provemencs, while playing competitively and professionally wim some reasonably practiced international players. " evertheless, a total comeback may require the whole fr_amework behind footbaU i.n India to be changed and value­ added," he concludes. Perhaps Prime i\liinister Modi may be able to progress football i.n the same way as he em7isions moving India forward.

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PEOPLE

A tennis tour to India more than 80 years ago sowed the seeds oftrue friendship

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hile Australia and India battle it our on d1e cricket field this season, iris obvious every batsmen wants to reach a Test centmy. For us mere mortals, the closest thing we can aspire co is to celebrate a 100"' bird1day. William Stevens ('Chum') reaches that milestone on Tuesday 1 3 January.

Outside of cricket, Chum, who lives in the Perth suburb of \X'oodlands, was one of the first West Australians to visit India to play high .level sport. Tennis was his talent and be was one of the state's, in fact one of the nation's, top players in his rime. He was just 18 \Vhen he was selected to join a couring group of players where he would get to visit India on what was as much an ambassadorial visit as a sporting one. The youngster was obviollsly excited about the prospect when he fu:sr heard of che possibility.

"There were run1ours of an invitation being received by West Australian Teru1is coming from India suggesting d1e possible visit of a ream of four players. During October 1933 the team was chosen. On the 27"' of November we sailed from Fremantle," Chum said.

There was no quick flight across tl1e Indian Ocean in tl1ose days. Passenger airlines onlr Aew domestically so the team of fom tennis players boarded the 21,000 tonne SS Nioolta11 for Sri Lanka en route to Calcmta.

Asian oceanic tourist cruises certain.Ly weren't a big industry.

Tbe ship had rooin for 700 but only 40 were on board. lr took nine days to reach Colombo where Chw11 and his team mates played a few exhibition matches before disembarking to the smaller British India vessel the D11111m1a and sailed on to India.

You can only imagine what it was like for the you.og Chmn landing on Asian shores for the first time. Snake charmers, elephants, festivals, the Ganges, even some of the locals managing to transport a piano oo their heads are all recorded in his lNDIANLINK

memoirs! Quite different from me sleepy suburbs of Perth. There was certainly not the cultural connectedness we see now. Not much was known about.India by Australians and vice versa.

"They speak such good English," said Mr .Mookerji, me club secretary of the Soutl1 Calcutta Tennis Club, referring to d1e touring Australians and their surprising mastery over the English language.

Ar the Soutl1 Calcurra club tournament, Chum

did well individually, winning almost all his singles .and taking our the mi.xed doubles championship.

His still treasured trophy was presented by me Viceroy's wife, L'<ldy Willingdon, whose palace cl1e players had toured earlier. After the tournament they commenced some more exhibition matches where India defeated the \'X'est Australian Team fairJy convincingly.

After Calcutta, where Chum celebrated his 19'" birthday, Chum and hi1, teammates travelled the 1000 miles to Madras by train. Admiring the simple but fascinating villages and me timeless agricultme practices from his carriage window, he arrived io Madras on 3 January, 1934. The

William 'Chum'Stevens turns 100 this month; A young Chum in action; Chum's mixed doubles partner Miss Parrott; Competitors in the 1933 Calcutta international match

Aussie tennis ream was treated like royalty, by royalty. They were driven by the Raja of Pita Poran in his Rolls Royce to cl1eir many games and fonctions.

The Madras tournament went for over a week, but Chum exited me tournament eady h1 botl1 the rnixed doubles and singles. He must have had an off day. The overall winner of cl1e men's singles was the player (Islam Ahmed) whom Chmn had defeated in Calcutta. It was a different game back then and

it would be underwmdable to have a bad day. \':v'ith no ball boys they 'foxed' their own balls.

The sporting uniform was also modest - full length trousers for the men and long dresses for the ladies were d1e standard playing attire. The advent of shorts in the game didn't evenmate u.oti.l rbe late 1930s.

"Ir wasn't a problem," commented Churn. "Tt was all we knew back then." Silll, it must have made for a long, hot game and d1e top players would have been in excellent shape.

Mid-tour, the oppornmity of a tour extension was offered to

the ream manager by the 1ndian Association but it was turned down. One of the West Australian players couldn't get any more time off work and feared he might lose his job back home. Under management orders the team was not going to be split and the offer was declined. It's unclear whed1er Chum was pleased or not. It was suggested mar if diey had taken up the offer they were to be taken on a Panther hunt on die backs of elephants!

The long tour continued as originally planned and they went on to Bezawada, north of Madras, and Trichinopoly visiting Srirangam's famous temples where the temple jewels, accmnulated over centuries were displayed.

The touring party returned to Perth again \7ia Sri Lanka. After nine days at sea and over rwo months away the team returned home.

The teani received Jetters of correspondence from the tennis clubs d1ey had visited thanking tbe players for their friendship and courtesy. They made lifelong friendships overseas and amongst themselves and met yearly after the Indian tour for another 50 years.

Chum acted as a great ambassador for his country and state and it is visits like d1ese, separate from politics and boundaries, that helped cultivate the seeds of true friendship tlrnt exist today between Australia and India. They say behind every great champion is another half.

Chum and bis wife Lillian will be remarkably celebrating their 75'h wedding anniversary h1 2016, but for now happy 100' 1, birthday to a true Australian icon.

JANUARY 2015 15

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• Victoria's Deakin University celebrates 20 years ofengagement with India

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ay back in 1893, former Australian Prime l\,(inister and leader of the Australian Federation Movement, Alfred Deakin also known as 'Affable Alfred' predicted that smdents from Australia and India would traverse international borders and form lasting intellectual. partnerships. His long standing interest in irrigation and culmral diversity made him tour India. He published a research report, Inigated India (1893), while his explorations of the spirirual centres and architecture of India were published i.o Temple a11d To111h

in India.

Alfred Deakin's foresight and desire for collaboration between nations bore frn.ition twenty years ago with the initial foray of his namesake university into Ind.ia. he story of Deakin Un.iversity in India has been one of collaboration, friendship and strategic partnersh.ips that transcend geograph.ical borders to create a vibrant culture of research excellence.

Located in the state of Victoria, Deakin is a public university, established in 1974 \\ath d1e passage of the Deak.in University Act of the same year. lt combines research and teaching with a strong focus on strengthening me communities it serves.

Around 50,000 students currently smdy at Deakin, .indud.ing almost 8,000 international students from 127 countries, includ.ing 1,150 students from lodia.

1n 1994 it was me pursuit of excellence and effective partnershjp that led to Deakin University setting up a joint venture in lnd.ia with d1e Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia (J\PESMA) to offer management programmes through distance !earning. Deakin University was me first international university jn_ the world ro set up an office in lnd.ia, cwo years later in 1996.

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Above: Staff and students from Deakin University at their annual Diwali celebration Left: Australian High Commissioner in India Patrick Suckling with Deakin University Vice-Chancellor ProfessorJane den Hollander In me nascent stages of its Indian operations, Deaki.n's focus was primarily on snide.nt enrolments; witb the relationsbip gracluaUy evolving to include partnersbjps wid1 some of India's leading uo.iversities, research instirutions and businesses.

One of the great milestones of me 20 year journey, alongside me education of many hundteds of Indian students i.n Australia, is the Deakin Inrua Research Initiative (DIR.I), created ro help to bridge me innovation gap between academia and induscry. Under the DIRl model, a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidate is based at an Inruau research institution with day-to-day supervision provided by a local researcher. A Deakin academic staff member serves as principal supervisor for die project and me canrudace visits Australia for around six: mond1s to conduct research.

"Our Ind.ia office is one of the jewels in me crown of our growth and success over the 40 years of Deakin's existence from hmnble beginnings on a green field sire at Waurn Ponds in 197 4," said Vice­ Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander in J1er address at the

Australian High Commission in e\V Delhl, held to commemorate De."1kin's two-decade journey . i n India at the end of 2014. "It is a great honour co be Jead.ing a delegation co India and have our 20 year journey in this wonderful country, a rising rapidly-growing power, recognised in such a way."

"At all times we have tried ro complement our strengths ro the needs of lud.ian students, mstitutions and industries," explained Deakin India Country Direccor, New Delhl-based Ravneec Pawha. "ln that way we have always worked as a true partner a . nd that is d1e key to our sustained growth and success in India;' she added.

Deakm marked the biscoric Indian-Australian mliescone by announcing me expansion of its operations in South Asia to include strengthening che uo.iversicy's profile and enrolment share from omer nations including 1 epal, BangL"1desh, Burma, Bbutan and Mauritius.

The industry-academia fratern.ity from both India and Australia have acknowledged Deak.in for .its research in advanced materials, nanotechnology, life sciences

and health; helping to develop solutions to combat me world's most pressing problems.

'Llve me future' is the De.akin University ph.ilosophy. Ir endeavours to nurture me per.sonal development and we!Jbeing of jts smdeocs and sea.ff, co foster a vibrant and inclusive culture wh.icb crosses djscipline and organisational boundar.ies.

In 2014, Deakin University was recognised with the Governor of Viccoria Export Awa.rel for education and train.ing - a testament to the quality of its international research and education, notably in lud.ia and ,vid1 Ind.ian institutions. ln d1e last two decades, Deakin has comm.icted over AU$10 million co research initiatives in fod.ia, with 20 strategic academic partners, 20 research partners and 15 corporate partnershlps. le is hailed by the Indo-Austra:lian fraternity for being accessible, helpful and friendly.

The relationshjp between Australia and India is sec to continue to expand for years co come.

JANUARY 2015 17

I NDIANNEWS There's a leopard in my bedroom: An injured male leopard takes shelter in inside a home in Gauhati, India, on 7 Jan, 2015. The animal, seriously injured after being ensnared by an iron cable, was tranquilized by forest officials and transported to the state zoological park. Due to habitat loss, leopards sometimes enter populated areas in search offood. Photo: AP

Diaspora's strength can be driving force for India: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said every RI is like a "shaktl' and i f the strength of the entire diaspora can be consolidated, it could become a driving force for India's progress.

Inaugurating the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the world's largest annual gathering of people of h1dian origin, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Modi also said that he has fulfilled his promise co the diaspora of merging the Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) cards.

He exhorted the diaspora to come and contribute to India's success in any way possible, including knowledge, expertise or skills. He mentioned in particular, the Namaami Gange project to clean. River Ganga, and said 40 percent of India lived by and smvived on the river. He said he was sure all NRls would be inspired co contribute to this cause.

Modi said the world is ready to "embrace India" and cited as au exainple the fact that his proposal at the U N to institute an inter.national yoga day was supported by a record 177 nations and in just 100 days.

"We have a lot co give co the world, we only lack the confidence," he said, calling upon NRis across the world to forge and take pride in a common identity and heritage, and to use this sn·engd1 collectively.

He said even if a solitary RI

18 JANUARY 2015

is present anywhere in d1e world, India is alive and present in that corner of the world through him or her.

Modi said he had met representatives of 50 countries since assuming office in May last year, and he could say with confidence that all nations rich or poor across the world today feel that their goals and objectives can be met in partnership with India.

He said then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee bad proposed che idea of starting a PBD and it was begun in 2003.

Referring co the apparent slackening in enthusiasm during the past few years to the annual gala, Modi said [bat "in between, people did not feel like coming.

Pew would come and a few came because they bad to come; but I would come regularly," to laughter among the crowd.

"We are e::ftremely proud of ow: diaspora. They have made India global and d1eir strong values have endeared d1em wherever they have gone," he tweeted later.

Earlier, Modi welcomed Guyana President Donald Ramotar, South African Foreign Minister Maire Nkoana-Mashabane and Mauritius Vice Prime J'v[inister Showkutally Soodhun who were on the dais wich him. He later held bilateral meetings wid1 them.

He recalled bow lndian festivals such as Holi and Diwali are enthusiastically celebrated in Guyana, that Jan 8 also happens to be d1e founding day of the African National Congress in Soud1 Africa and Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary Oct 2

is observed in Mauritius with even greater vigour than in India.

A PBD Kendra is also coming up in New Delhi and would be inaugurated soon for the benefit of pravasis, be said.

Overseas Indian Affairs i\finister Sushma Swaraj said the government is determined to work closely with its huge diaspora to "leverage each od1er's strengths for mutual benefits and urged professionals from the diaspora to join in efforts to develop India and "restore it co its past glory".

"A successful, prosperous and politically influential diaspora is an asset to India, much as a strong and self-reliant India would be a source of strengd1 and inspiration for cbe diaspora. This synergy acts as a vibrant bridge between us and sustains our relationship," she said.

Guyanese President Ramotar, chief guest at the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, urged India to play a more active role on the global stage and be the voice of the developing world.

South African Foreign Minister koana-Mashabane said she was happy to join in the celebrations of d1e centenary of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa. She described India as her second home having spent six years as a high commissioner here.

The government also announced a list of 15 !\.TJUs who would be conferred the Prnvasi Bharatiya Sa.mman awards for 2 0·15. The list includes Ramotar and Satyan-arayana Nadel.la, CEO of J\lficrosoft.

The event is held every January

7-9 co mark d1e centenary of the return to the country of India's "sarva sreshtha pravasi Bharatiya" or foremost Indian diaspora member, Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa.

Earlier, Modi inaugurated the 'Dandi Kutir' museum located opposite the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The three-storey exhibition, housed in a dome shaped Salt Mountain structure, traces the life and times of Gandhi. early 4,000 delegates from 44 couna·ies aL1:ended the Pravasi Bharaciya Divas 2015. A mega exhibition spread over 1.1 million sci fr was also organised as pan of the programme.

President promulgates Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015

The Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015, which seeks to integrate the benefits given to Persons of lndian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) has been promulgated by President Pranabh Mukherjee.

"The president hai, promulgated the Citizenship (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015,Jan 6, wid1 immediate effect," an official release said.

The ordinance al.lows registration as an Overseas Citizen of India (OCT) of a minor whose parenrs are Indian citizens.

Jr also al.lows registration as d1e OCI of a child or a grand-child or a great-grandchild of such a citizen, the release said.

The ordinance allows registration as d1e OCI of the spouse of a citizen of India or d1e spouse of an OCI regiscered under Section 7A and whose marriage has been registered and subsisted for a continuous period of not less than two years immediately preceding the presentation of the application under dus section.

The lndian Citizenship Act, 1955, provides for acquisition, termination, deprivation, de[ermination of Indian citizenship and other related aspects.

The act provides for acqui">irion of Indian citizenship by bird1, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of terricory under certain circumstances, and also for the [ermination and deprivation of citizenship.

At present, one year's continuous stay in India is mandatory for Indian citizenship which has been relaxed, staring that if the central government is satisfied that special circumstances exist, it may, after recording such circumstances in writing, re.lax the period of twelve months specified up co a maximum of thirty days which may be in different breaks, it added.

Working to remove bottlenecks in doing business: Rajnath to diaspora

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here that the Narendra Modi government is working tirelessly to remove botdenecks and cut red tape in order to improve the business environment in India.

Chairing a session on lovestment Oppornmities in Indian States at d1e PBD, the world's largest annual gathering of people of Indian origin, Singh said the country is "moving towards an era of cooperative federalism, giving voice to states in shaping the economic destiny of the nation".

He said witb this objective in mind, the government had replaced the Planning Commission wim the Nici Aayog from Jan 1 this year. "lo democracy, we follow the dictum of collective wisdom and collective responsibility. I am confident chat om collective wisdom will help us in overcoming any differences, " be said.

He said the new government

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headed by Mocti has al.ready taken a series of measu.res to re-ignite the economy. "�le have reasons to be optimistic as we are constantly making cou.rse corrections to gain investor confidence," he said.

Singh said the 'Make in India' initiative is a "mission to transform this country from an importer of manufactured items to an exporter of manufacmred products".

Tbe objective is to increase the share of manufacturing in the GDP from the current level of 14 percent to 25 percent.

Singh said the prime minster "is focused on improving the business environment in the country and has stressed on the mantra of 'M.inirnum Government, Maximum Governance"'.

He said the govetnment is seriously pursuing early implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) wh.ich "will create a buoyant source of revenue and create a large common market by eliminating internal barriers".

He said a decision has been taken to allocate natural resources only through e-auction co ensure transparency. "Such measures are necessary co rebuild confidence and trust that is eA'tremely important to revive investments and drive higher growth," Singh said.

The home minister said lnctia "has a vast pool of natural resources and skilled human resources co make this country a 'New Manufacmring Hub'. The people of Indian origin and the NRis should invest in actuali1ing the dream of 'Make in Ind.ia'.

India's progress cannot be achieved only by the people living within the country," he said and urged the d.iaspora to "come and invest" in the country and becorne an "active partner in our definitive ma.rch cowards prosperity and in making fodia a global superpower".

India demands greater say in UN peacekeeping mandate

Ur Secretary General Ban Ki­ moon this month held "expansive talks" with External Affairs M.inister Sushma Swaraj who raised the issue of the need for troop-contributing coLmtries to have greater say in the UN peacekeeping mandate.

India is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping missions with 8,000 persormel, deployed in 10 of the 16 countries where the UN peacekeeping operations are on.

Sushma Swaraj raised the view that the role of troop-contributing countries should have a say in the U peacekeeping mandate. Right now the rnechan.ism is fairly frail in terms of mandate of role.

Ban said a group has been set up to review the mandate and it has an Ind.ian representative in a former peacekeeper, the

INDlANLINK

spokesperson said.

Both sides also d.iscussed tbe forthcoming congress on climate change in Paris later this year.

Sushma Swaraj pointed out that lnd.ia has sca.rred ventures to ensure sustainable development.

She explained the government's in.itiatives in renewable energy and the cooperation witb neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan on hyd.ropower generation. "lndia conveyed that ir is putting in a !or of effort and char the government is being responsive to global environmental concerns," she said, according co the spokesperson.

Sushma Swaraj also raised the issue of reform of the UN, which is to celebrate its 70th anniversary chis year.

"Ir would be .an appropriate occasion for member stares to try and renew an organisation which is increasingly being seen as not being able to act in terms of peace and security due to the anachronistic namre of the Security Council and its actions lad<. credibility," h e said.

The budget of the UN was also discussed.

Ban appoints Khare as under-secretary­ general for field support

U N Secretary-General Ban Ki­ moon appointed a veteran ] nd.ian diplomat and UN official, Antl Khare, as the Under-Secrecary­ General for Field Support, making him one of the rwo highesc­ rauking Ind.ians at rhe UN. Khare will join Vijay Narnbiar, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Nfyanmar, on the wotld body's Senior Management Group.

He succeeds Ameerah Haq of Bangladesh as bead of the U _ Department of Field Support, which backs up the extensive network of peacekeeping and political field missions.

India's UN 1v1ission welcomed his appointment and said ic "has full confidence tbat Dr. Khare will d.iscbarge the .important responsibilities entrusted to him with complete d.istinccion."

In earlier UN assignments, Khare was chosen ro head the Change i'vfanagement Team tasked with find.ing ways to reform tl1e organization's operations and improve efficiency. He has been the assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations and the Secretary-General's special representative for Timor-Leste.

A medical doctor by training, Khare graduated from the All Ind.ia fostin1te of Medical Sciences before joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1984. He also has a master's degree .in management from tl1e University of Soutl1ern Queensland.

During his lnd.ian d.iplomatic career, Khare obtained experience in many troubled spots in Africa where the U N has extensive involvement. As the Charge d'affaires of the lnd.ian embassy in Senegal he was concurrently

accredited to Mali, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde.

He also served as the Deputy High Commissioner in Mauritius, a Counsellor at India's U N 1-lission, tl1e direccor o f the External Affairs i\iliniscry's U N Division, and the Director o f the ehru Centre in London. He also d.id a stint as the Chef de Cabinet of tlie Foreign Secretary.

Exhibition highlights Indian soldiers' contribution in WWI

Through mundane objects like matchboxes and utensils, rare monochromatic phorographs of lndian soldiers cooking and a few silent movies depicting their life during the First Wotld War a□ upcoming exhibition here will pay tribute to their unsung comribution clt1 cing the Great War. The exhibition "India and the First World War" jointly organised

by Roli Books, the French Embassy in New DeU1i and the Ind.ira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) wiU run Jan 12-Feb 10 to commemorate die 1 00d1 anniversary of the beginning of the War. Ir wouldn't be wrong to suggest tliat the exhibition is the brainchild of Roli Books publisher and CEO Pramod Kapoor, who first thought of thought of publish.ing a volume on tl1e contribution of the Indian soldiers during the War when, at the Frankfurr Book Fair, several European exhibicors threw light on this lesser-known subject.

After coming back he got .in touch with Vedica Kant and Amarinder Singh, who researched and petmed India and the First W1m'd War (prefaced with "If I clie Here, who will remember me?'') and Ho11011r a11d Fideliry:

Jntlja�- Militmy Contribution to the G,-ertt !Far 1914-1918.

"Thar interaction with the exhibitors at the fair led co these cwo books because I realised these stories need to be cold," Kapoor cold TANS. But what exactly shaped up this exhibition was a trip to Ypres and Lille in France, where he learned that Indian war heroes such as Khudadad Khan are household names and each family has a story to share about the warmth and bravery of the L1dian troops stationed in this region. ''It was so fascinating ro see how many collectors had items used by the lnd.ian soldiers while on the Western front. It was during the trip I realised the potential and gravity of chis project," said Kapoor. ''I walked along the fields of Flanders where you can still pick out pieces of spent bullets embedded in the soil and was moved by rhe sight of the tricolour and Ashoka's lion capital at Men.in Gate," he added Kapoor then got in couch with the French Embassy, which made arrangements to bring the films

and memorabilia to India for th.is exhibition. Apa.rt from tbis, rare photographs of lnd.ian sold.iers will also be displayed.

However, Kapoor hopes rhis exhibition reaches out to many people as books are read by a few, but visual imagery has the ability to reach out to many people.

Indian student loner convicted of cyberstalking deported

An Ind.ian sn1dent, who "had a bard time socialising, " has been convicted of cyberstalking and deported after social med.ia threats of a copycat massacre cargetingwomen ar the University of Washington (UW0 in Seattle, authorities announced.

Keshav Mukund Bhide, 24, left on an international flight from Seattle-Tacoma fotetnational Airport Dec 24 under tl1e watch of special ,agents, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Using the sa-een name "Foss Dark," he had made several threats on social med.ia in June to atrack women like a California killer.

Bhide was convicted on Dec. l1 in a Washington state-level court of cyberstallcing and sentenced to six months. Federal prosecutors, who had a. lso filed charges against hii:n, agreed not go ahead with the federal case if he left the country.

Bhide's outbursts appeared to have been influenced by Elliot Rodger, a 22-year-old man who killed six people and then h.imself near the University of California at Santa Barbara lase Mar Before the attacks, Rodger announced in a YouTube video tbat he intended to kill women for rejecting him and sexually active men for being better off tlian him.

In the complaint co the federal court in Seattle, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Michael Louis Baldino said Bhide said "that he 'sympathised' with Rodger's personal struggles." He also admitted after his Jrn1e arrest "tl1at he had a hard time socializing at school and bad few friends;' Balctino said.

In his social mectia postings as "Foss Datl,," Bhide defended Rodger's actions and in a comment on June 9 said, "I live .in seatde and go to U\� tliat's all ill give u.

Ill make sure J kill only women, and many more than Elliot accomplL�hed (sic)."

That tl1teat came at a time of heightened inseatrity in Seattle as only four days earlier a gunman had attacked the Seattle Pacific University shooting dead one sn1dent and wounding two people before be was overpowered by other srudents. The shooter, Aaron Ybarra, had written of his hatred for everyone but h.is family and friends and threatened co "kill everyone."

Bhide's case brought echoes of a 2003 case .in which an lnctia.n launched an attack at Case We.stern Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, killing a student and wounding a professor and a

researcher.

A former srudent there, Biswanath Halder, waged a seven-hour gun battle with police before he was caught hiding in a classroom closet. J\t Halder's trial, his own lawyer described him as "the bizarre little man who no one befriends." He was sentenced co Ii fe in 2006 for tbe attack.

Indian-American alumni offer support for US university

Two lndian-American families have offered financial support for the construction of a new research and engineering building in the University of Houston campus.

TI1e Mehta fam.ily witb four siblings who all are alumni of the university's Cullen College of Engineering, together wich engineering graduate Durga Agrawal and bis wife, Sushila, have made significant contributions to construction of the $51-million Multid.isciplina.ry Research and Engineering Building sd1eduled to be ready for occupancy in 2016, according tO a varsity press release.

The new research facility will house "core facilities shared by researchers from departments arotmd the campus, includ.ing high -performance computing facilities, a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer lab and imaging facilities".

Renu T<haror, University of Houston president, said the gifts highlight the university's global student body.

"We continue to cake pride in the University of Houston's international stamre, serving students, scholars and researche.rs from around tlie world who are worlcing to address global problems," she said. ''Tbe enlightened generosity of the Mehta and Agrawal families is helping to build a wotld-class facility that allows UH to remain a welcoming and innovative place for chis important work," l<hator added without giving details of the contribution made by the Indian-American alumni.

TI1e ground Aoor of the building will be nan1ecl tl1e Mehta Family Engineering Research Centre, while the second floor will be the Durga and Susbila Agrawal Floor.

Bocb families have high regards for "the environment" offered by the university co its international srudents.

"It influenced us, and it gave us the ability to adjust to tlie United States. And it wasn't just us. They were ded.icated to every .international srudem," Jay Mehta, who earned his mechanical engineering degree from die varsity, was quoted as saying.

"The University of Houston was uoiqlle, because I was able to continue working on my education and also my life," said Durga Agrawal, who has a long record of involvement as a University of Hollston benefactor.

IANS

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I n 201 5, Modi must resolve inner contradictions

AMULYA GANGULI on the balance the BJP needs to negotiate between its revivalist factions and development agenda

T

he BJP's upward mobility last year was the proselytizingghar 1vapasi (homecoming) confirmed when the alliance Jed by it canipaigns to woo die minorities back into secured a majority in the Jliatkhaud the Hindu fold.

Modi is not unaware of what's hobbling assembly , and the party put up its best ever show inJ&K. him. But, in a way, he is helpless because But there js a him in both the elections that having spent all his life in tlie fundamenta]jsc environment of the RSS sbakhas and among the party's ascent may not continue to be as smooth and effortless in 2015 as it has been its kmyak.a1tas (workers) - Modi rurnself was in 2014. once aprachamk (preacher) - it must now be difficult for him to rum against d1em.

In Jhark.hand, for instance, the BJP could cross the half-way mark in the 81-member AJtl1ough he has partially succeeded in legislature only with the help of its ally, the tanung die hardliners by persuading tliem AUJharkhand Students Union, which added to put off the issue of constructing the Ram teniple by a year, in keeping with hls five seats co the BJP's tally of 37.

What is more, the BJP's victory rath Independence Day call for a moratorium on sectarian a.rumosity, he doesn't seem to have (chariot) came to a halt outside the Muslim­ don.1.inated Kashmir valley, showing chat it is reckoned with tlie penchant of the e..xcremists only the party's vote bank of the Hindus of to conceive of one divisive jdea after anotlier - lovejehad, gl1ar1v,ipsi, bahtt lao-beti bachao and Jammu who supported it while the l\foslims soon. gave it a wide bertli, since tlie BJP could secure only 2.2 percent of the votes in tlie As a result of the xenophobia propagated valley. by the votaries of Hindutva with claims The reason for the rebuff by the minorities that India exploded an atonuc bomb in is clear enough. They are prelustoric ti.mes, as stated angered and disheartened

by Ramesh Pokhriral Nishank, MP, and by the aggressive anti­ Muslim and anti-Christian invented plastic surgery - an assertion made by camprugns of the Hindu supremacist RSS and its Modi llll1self - India is While the BJP's rabid affiliates liJ,e die passing through a surreal success story Vishwa Hindu Parishad atmosphere where a pro­ can be said to be (VHP) a1id the Bajrang market economy reAected continuing, its Dal. by the glittering malls and These fundamentalist multiplexes is coexisting main adversary, outfits have seen the BJP's with articulations redolent the Congress, is rise co power at tlie centre of an unscientific and going steadily as the most oppornme unsophisticated worldview. downhill and has tinie co push their fascistic This cont:.rasr is also idea of converting secular evidenti.n die govemment­ now reached a forming negotiations lnclia into a theocratic stage when its Hindu mshtm (nation). between die BJP and revival seems to be TI1ere is little doubt Muslim-majority parties that if Narendra Modi of the Kashmir valley like nearly impossible js unable co rein in tlie the People's Democratic Hinducva Gestapo, then hi5 Party and tlie National memorable victory the Conference, which the general election will begin saffron hawks regard as pro-separatist and, to unravel.

While tlie BJP's success story can b e srud tlierefore, anti-national. to be continuing, its mrun adversary, tl1e Unless Modi can resolve these Congress, is going steadily downhill and has contradictions between a 21st cenn1ry government and die Hindur:va radkals now reached a stage when its revival seems co by coming down heavily on the latter and be nea cly impossible. The reason is its inept leadership: botli Sonia and Rahul Gandhi resolutely pursuing economic reforms, the lacl< political charisma (whicl1 used to be the em:lier optimism associated with llill.1 will Nehru-Gandhi family's forte), incellecLUal disappear. acuity and an economic vision in sync with The gainer will be the opposition parties, the modern world which has lost patience whose stalling of parliament over the antics witl1 socia]jsm, wh.icli ilie Gandhis seem m of the saffron activists compelled Modi co take the ordinance route to pass crucial pro• prefer. reforms laws. But such bull-dozing tactics As a result, tlie Congress has lost virtually all the major elections for more than a year are a sign of tlie prime minister's, and tlie while the BJP has forged ahead. Only in democratic system's, failure. several by-elections, notably in Rajasthan If Modi nevertheless opted for them, it and, surprisingly, in Gujarat has the Congress was to divert artention from tlie Hinducva fared well but they have been too few and far fanatics. He will have co pursue tlie economic reforms - the road co middle class hearts between to rejuvenate ilie patty.

- even more energetically if tlie BJP fruls In contrast, Modi bas all the reguisites to stave off d1e Aa.m Admi Party's (AAP) of a winner - charisma, oratory; a forward­ looking economic agenda and administrative challenge in the Dellu elections, likely co be acumen with a hands-on approach. But hls held in February.

Achilles heel comes from the RSS, VHP and Mocli will have to confront tlie saffron other Hindu militant groups like tlie Dharma brigade head-on in a face-off remiruscent of Jagran Sa.mjti, which has been organising ffitler's night of the knives.

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22 JANUARY 2015

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MULTIFAITH

Here's to a life devoted to Islamjust as much as to Hinduism, writes QUAID NAJMI

I

n downtown Worli, it is common to bear the strange greeting of !/1.rsalt111Jt1Alqykum, Gttrttii' whenever an 80-year-old Muslim man steps out of his modest home.

He is none other than renowned Sanskrir scholar Pandit Gulam Dasragir, who O\Ter six decades has impressed the Shankaracharyas, late prime minister lndira Gandhi, RSS leaders and Islamic scholars, aU with e9ual elan.

Armed with a deep knowledge of both Islain and Sanskrit, Pandit Dasragi.r can speak with authority on any religious copic - and earn their w1abashed adm.ir. ation.

Born in Chikhali yilJage in Solapur district, Pandit Dastagir completed his schooling d1ere before joining a goYernmem Sanskrit institution.

"1 was the only Nfuslim student in a class of arou.nd four dozen Brahmins. My Brahmin Guruji developed a special liking for me and encouraged me. 1 ac9uired my entire Sanskrit knowledge of the scriptures, Vedas and od1er texts d1ere;' Pandit Dastagir recalls.

In the mid-1950s, he shifted to Mnmbai ,and joined the Maratha i\fandir Sansthan's Marathi­ medium Worli High School as a Sanskrit teacher for all classes.

Two decades lacer, co comply with professional re9uiremenrs,

he appeared directly for a Masters' degree in Sanskrit from :Mysore University.

After the Emergency, when theJanata Party ruled India, Pandit Dastagir was suddenly targeted. "They suspected l was a namesake Muslim propagating the RSS and Jana Sangh ideology through Sanskrit. It was only after a long investigation chat they were proved wrong," the man chuckles.

When Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, she summoned him and was surprised to discover that Pandit Dastagir was actually a 'Syedvanshi', or belonging to a clan considered the direct descendants of Prophet Mohammed.

"She met me several times and appreciated my knowledge and love for Sanskrit. In 1982, she told the education ministry to appoim me as a 'Rashtriya Sanskrit Pracharak' ."

When baffled officials asked Gandhi how his duties should be classified, she reportedly shot back: "He will teach us what needs to be done. Let him function independently."

For two years, he toured India extensively and propagated Sanskrit in government and private institutions. He 9uit the post after Gandhi's assassination in 1984.

"I ac9uired MA in Sanskrit

only in 1987 when I was aronnd 5 0 years old ald10ugh l was proficient in the language long before."

Since his retirement, Pandit Dastagir lecn1res on the similarities between Islam and Hinduism with reference to various aspects of one of the world's oldest and richest languages, Sanskrit.

"Sanskrit is not only for Brahmins. But tl1is perception made the masses reluctant to study it. I create awareness about Sanskrit all over India among different castes and religions," he says.

Pandit Dastagir explained that Hinduism does not recognise 'conversions' or the caste syscem. "The current craze for 'conversions' has no basis in Hindu scriptures. Ac best, you can change a person's name, nor his soul from the religion of his/her bird, , " he notes.

An old darli1.1g of d1e Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), Pandit Dastagir credits the group with giving him full encouragement to pursue his vocation without having co change his religion.

He feels the RSS is not against any religion. "But if anybody threatens Hinduism, they will hit baclt, irrespective of the

opponent's religious beliefs," Pandit Dastagi.r says.

He bas also never encountered objections from feUow Muslims over his passion for Sanskrit .

"Comparative smdy of different religions makes you more reasonable. I ani not a fanatic, just an ordinary Muslim."

His love for Sanskrit d1ough has not made him lose his Islamic identity. r-l e prays daily at the mosque. " l have built up a huge library of thousands of books on Sanskrit and Islam which I smdy and propagate," Dascagir says.

He laments that there are many other Muslim Sanskrit scholars in the country bur financial constraints prevent chem from propagating the ancient Indian language.

Pandit Dastagir's wife Vahida supports his calling wholeheartedly. Their son Badiujjama is a businessman but is Sanskrit scholar too, and daughter Gyasunissa Shaikh runs a Sanskrit research centre in Solapu.t.

!ANS

Biryani bonanza for vegetarian family!

The Udeshis have carved out a niche for themselves with Mughlai cuisine, writes QUAID NAJMI

I

t was left to a pure vegetarian Gujarati family in l\fombai co whip up and serve some of the most popular non­ vegetarian Mughlai cuisine - specially their lipsmacking Chicken Biryani, Murton Bi.ryani and other varieties.

The renowned Borivali Biryani Centre - or simply, BBC - started in 2002 as a small mobile hawking stall on a main road corner near d1e Borivali railway station, with tbe home-cooked biryanis selling like, well, hot cakes[ "\Y/e stressed on 9uality and taste and thereby, rotal customer satisfaction. le was a tiny start and we could barely manage the flood of orders from our mix of customers," Pradeep U deshi, who started the stall with his younger son Hardik, says.

The name and fame, rhe wiique taste of d1e biryani with d1e perfect blend of all the spices spread like wildfire and within five years, the Udeshis opened a smaU restaurant in Malad.

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Again, that proved too small for the customer and business volumes and they moved to a larger space in Malad and by 2010 in Borivali, the birthplace of the family's biryani business.

"Today, we have seven outlets in Mumbai and Thane. Two are run by us and the rest are franchises, bm we ensure that same caste and quality wid1ouc fail," assures elder son Maharshi, a catering graduate.

The U deshis prepare and taste all the non-veg items daily for quality reasons, but otherwise they remain a vegetarian family. Their simple view is, "Biryani is our bread and butter, so we spare no efforts."

Mallarshi personally trains all the chefs rigorously for fourSL'C months at the BBC Borivali headquarters to make certain iliey follow the fan1ily traditions which have made their special biryani a household name in northern Mmi1bai and Thane in the past one-and-half decade.

The fad1er-son trio is credited

with bringing the good old biryani, once the monopoly of d1e royalty, onto the commoner's palate, at affordable rares.

Io fact, in most classy restamanrs in Mumbai and other places, biryani is not the main item on the menu, but one of d1e expensi\7e specialities, they explained.

The spic-n-span kitchen .in Bor. ivali hums wid1 acti\Ticy from daybreak as d1e chefs and their assistants start preparing the biryanis and other Mughlai items for the ravenous lunch rin1e crowds and continue d1e process unbroken for the evening diners.

There a.re occasional corporate/ bulk otders.

The Udeshis said that aU the biryanis are cooked on charcoal flames by the d11111p11kht method which emits the special aromatic fragrance - it spreads out onto the main road, luring more hungry patrons!

Interspersed are hundreds of

take-away or home-delivery orders for their yum.my chicken, mutton, fish and vegetable biryanis, besides a host of other Mughlai offerings.

"The secret of biryani is chat it must be conswned immediately, failing which the patrons don't enjoy the taste, as the flavour

of the rice and masalas mi.'Ced coged1er rends to go flat," says Mal1arshi.

The Udeshis' 'BBC' brand name is protected and it won the rights to use it even from die venerable BBC media conglomerate, besides other five-star hotels in Mumbai.

!ANS

JANUARY 2015 23

F I RSTPERSON

Sn

akes in summer

Reflections ofa white winter in Germany

, \.J ��

BY SHAMPA BHATTAC':fARYA BRUWELEIT

T

he thought of falling snowflakes io the context of today's South Australian climate is rather f:U"fetched. Snow in the height of summer?! Nevertheless, I have chosen this antipodal topic with intent. The temperatures are soaring and there have been bushfires across our stares. So, for a shon while, 1 escape with my thoughts to the cold climes of the northern hemisphere, and dwell on the memory of my first frozen winter in Europe neatly two decades ago. Perhaps, my musings will act on you like a mental treat of ice cream, helping to chill ouc from the heat, albeit for a fleeting moment!

As the new year of 1997 approached, I set out in a car with three Germans for a. short year-end holiday in the eastern part of Germany. We motored southwards from Dresden, the beautiful capital of the state of Saxony, into the snow-laden terrain of the Erzgebirge. These gentle ranges are known in English as the Ore Mountains.

Our descination was a srnall resort called 'Schellerhau' in these mountains, close to the Czech border. Ir is here chat my first encounter with snowflakes rook place.

Outside the temperature was minus 17 degrees, and at that lace afternoon hour all was quiet and still, except for the cars passing now and then. However, the frozen scenery appealed to my lndian eyes immensely; the lines of rail, snow-ribbed evergreen trees zigzagging with snow-topped

24 JANUARY 2015

mountain slopes, and the neat little houses with snow-covered slanting roofs, their lace-curtained windows twinkling ,vith Christmas lights, presented a picturesque scene straight out of the season's greeting cards.

It was my first winter in Germany. I was far away from the warm cliines of western India which was then our home. ]\,[)' husband an d I had spent the earlier part of our vacation in western Germany, in a quaint historic town on tl1e river Rhine. Despite the favourable forecasts for snow, to our utter disappointment, the heavens refused to part with their niveous supply and denied us a white Christmas. The expected snowfall did not materialise in the following days either, even while the thermometer dropped lower in rhe minus range.

Bue finally, after hurtling down the Autobahn eastwards across the country for half a day and picking up our two companions enroute, here 1 was up in the Ore Mountains, with a feast of snow all around for the eyes to behold, the feet ro frolic upon and tl1e heart to thrill about. The biting cold could not dampen my spirits we reached our destination and stepped out on a carpet of sno,v several inches deep, just before nightfall. \Ve lodged in the small but comfortable house of a retired elderly couple who supplemented their income by taking in ronrists.

I was even more enchanted when my eyes beheld the pristine white panorama of the mountains the following morning. More snow had fallen during the night, and the translucent sky above promised more to come. The daylight that managed to filter in from above bounced off from every surface, casting an eerie glow. The branches of tl1e evergreen trees stolidly held up their tl1ick white burden, while

smaUer bushes wer transformed into nn figures. Overnight, acquired the look of i frosted cake for a children' This was my first foray inro 'Snowland', and it felt so good, especially when I could stand in the open and catch some falling Rakes!

For the next four days we traversed up and down the white countryside to visit nearby villages, shouting out greetings to travellers who crossed our path, as if we were lost in some remote frazen wilderness and were glad to come across ocher human faces.

These were still early clays of the German reunification, and we were deep in erstwhile communist territory, so I was uncertain of local attitudes to a foreign face, but the camaraderie which greeted us was deeply heartening. The slopes that we diligently navigated in thick snowshoes were easy, though slippery sometimes, and we could cover long distances with not too rnuch difficulty. W/e came upon several restaurants witl1 interiors e.."\'.udi.ng old world charm, where our sromachs fared very well on the robust German cuisine, washed down with the equally robust local beverages.

The sno,v underfoot was sometimes soft and crunchy, sometimes hard and icy, so that the mere act of walking became a sport. 1 could feel every part of my body bracing to cope with tl1e temperature each time we stepped outdoors, and it was a relief co start moving. There was no wind, fornmately, and the mercury dropped no further than minus 20 degrees during our visit. The air had a keen edge to it, with a freshness that acted like tonic upon my body. Any kind of open-air physical activity was invigorating, and you could understand ,,,hy this relatively unchallenging terrain was dotted

with health resorts that tourists Hocked to in the height of winter.

We let go of all restraints to enjoy the sheer exhilaration of accelerating down the slopes on sleighs, seated cosily double on the smaU contraption. \V/e watched the skiers in the distance, marvelling at their sway ing, daring movements. l carer, little children romped happily in the snow, free from their school routine, and sometimes their big pet dogs joined in the fun. There had been no fresh snowfall, and tl1e sky remained clear and blue, letcing the weak winter sun warm only our hearts and nothing else.

My first sojourn in the snowy mountains ended all too soon.

However, namre's white blanket was now spread all along our 600 kilometre-long route back home, with only the Autobahn remaining clear through human intervention. At one place we drove through gently falling Rakes, much to my fascination, even as my better half cursed from behind the ,vheel. Reaching home at midnight, we had ro shovel off all the accumulated snow from the gravel before we could drive into the garage. An activity that others might consider a boring chore, but brought me much delight even at that hour!

The enchantment of my first encounter with snow has remained firmly etched in my memory even after the passage of many years. I confess there's something in this soft, white, woolly stuff that appeals to

the child i n me, as reAected in the lines that crystallised in my mind, shortly after a particularly spectacular downpour in Dresden some years later, when it snowed nor in Rakes or sheets, but in thick billowing blankets:

The s110111_fal!s with sttch mq.jestic might, f stalactite, Behold this heovm(y deluge i11 JlJhite!

Uke cascadingfolds

o

I truly missed the snow in the New Year seasons following our landi11g in Adelaide. Ultimately, I found a degree of consolation by sticking self-made paper snowflakes on my window panes at Christmas. These remain in place during the hot months that follow; Ir is a heart warming sight, and a cooling one for the eyes as well!

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AUSTRALIA DAY E L E B R AT E YO U R WAY Australia Day means something different to everyone, and it's important you do what's right for you. So on January 26, reflect on what you love about being Australian.

australiaday.org.au #australiaday

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JANUARY 2015 25

YOUTH

A Queensland schoolboy is the youngest finalist in the Tropfest Jr International Film Festival

A

t jusc 1 1-years-old, Jonah Vetticad can proudly boast of being the director of a successful shore film. The Year Six sntdent directed the four-minute film I Call See YoJf, which was selected as one of 15 finalist films from more than 300 entries in the Trop Jr competition, the world's largest short film festival competition.

Jonah said he "felt amazing" when he fmmd out his short !ilm was received so well and would be making it to the finals of the competition. "I didn't think it was real, that it was actually

happening. I was asconished," he told T!ldian Link. The film was one of 15 finalise shore films made by tmder 15-year-olds. Jonah was the youngest competitor among the finalises.

Along wid1 eight fellow students from Sc Ita's Primary School, Jonah co-wrote and directed the film as part of a school project.

The film is about an average schoolboy, Jeffrey, whose task co grab a few books from the old school library rums into a terrifying adventure.

'1 was sitting in the library when a book fell off the shelf and onto my head," Jonah said of his inspiration for d1e film. "I thought, 'why not make books Ay in the movie."'

Jonah's dad Alexander Kaduthanan said he and wife Suoita Alexander were very proud of their son's achievement. "He has a natural talent with reading

and writing skills," Alexander said.

"This was a natural progression for him."

As part of me c.lass.room project, Jonah's teacher helped allocate roles according ro each child's skills. Jonah was deemed to have good leadership qualities and was given the direccor role. The children were also given lessons from a film graduate from me Queensland College of Arts in film industry techniques.

Tc wasn't a completely smoom f ilm shoot, with problems with the boom not recording sounds, and me need for many takes jn certain scenes. "But it was great to learn about movie making," Jonah said.

Jonah said the experience bas motivated him ro pursue a furnre career in Ii.Im. "This has been a really fun experience," he said. "If my first movie has gone chis far, I'd like co make anod1er one." The budding director already has an

idea for his next film, a comedy cold from a child's point of view.

"I get ideas from what happens in real life," Jonah said.

Born .in Kerala, Jonah and his parents, along wid1 sister Amelia, moved co AuscraLia eight years ago. He is Anent in :Malayalam and English, but he explained that his Indian background means he likes Bollywood 6h11s "best" and mat his recent favourite is Happy Neri, Yem· with Shah Rukh Khan. "SRK is awesome. He's entertaining and greatl " Jonah said he is inspired by Lidian movie director Pi:iyadarshan. '1 like anyrhing d1at entertains the audience, borrm:, thriller, comedy."

Jonah and the film's main actor, Jarvis Trenorden, who played Jeffrey, travelled co Sydney for che official finaljsc announcement.

The Trop Jr event was held as pare of the Tropfesc festival in early December in Sydney.

Jonah Vettlcad was the youngest finalist In the TrQPfest k competition Jonah, pictured front left, with the young film makers at the Opera House finalists announcement

Know Thyself as Soul

Who am I? Where d o I come from? Where am I going?

Sant Mat is a practical and natural path to self realisation.

The medi tation on the inner Light and Sound combined with an ethical lifestyl e builds the foundation to experience and strengthen the connection with the inner core of our being, the soul.

Sant Baljit Singh teaches this meditation to peopl e searching for a deeper meaning in life.

Weekly spiritual gatherings (satsangs) are available in most metropoli tan areas.

Know Thyself as Soul Foundation is a non-profit incorporated associati on. It offers its services free of charge.

For further information contact

1 800 462 1 93 or visit

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26 JANUARY 2015

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BOOKS

raw 1n •

\\

There's a long list ofbooks out there that capture the spirit ofMumbai

'A masrerpiec-c' 1 1-1 [ A C F

aving looked at books on Delhi and Chennai in p.revious colwnns, we thought we should keep to the theme and case our eyes to books that have been written about, or set in, Mumbai. \Ve have reviewed some of these books previously, but mention them here agai11 as they form part of the corpus of books on Mumbai. None of the 11ooks except perhaps Sukecu i'viehta's Maxi11111111 Ci(J1 - set out to capture the spirit, the zeitgeist, the elan, of the city as a whole.

On the non-fiction front, editors Jerry Pinto a11d 1 aresh Fernandes's book Bomh,ry MeriJaa11 (2003) is a wonderfully eclectic collection of essays on ail things Mumbai. One short essay capm.res part of what makes Mumbai what it is: "If you. . . reach the station just as the train is leavi11g the platform, you can run up to the packed compartments and you will find many hands stretching out to grab you on boai-d. As you ru.n alongside, you will be picked up, and some tiny space will be made for your feet on the edge of the open doornray. The rest is up to you. . . " Zero Point Bomb'!},: In and Around the Homimt111 Circle by Kan1ala Ganesh, Usha Thakkar and Gira Chadha (2008), is a book that takes the magnifying glass to one particular Mw11bai locale.

Horniman Circle is both the birthplace of the city and a centre of business life, and .is celebrated in the 21 essays in the book.

Jeet Thayil's book Narcopolis (2009) is a book of opium dens and drug addiction in l'vfumbai. He traces the rise of modern Bombay in the early years to the part played by the opium trade during the Raj, and chat of the ciry and its merchants.

Greg Roberts' Shantr1m111, (2003) is an autobiographic account of the time he spent in a Mumbai slum. More than 10 years after it was first published, the book has remai11ed, sttangely, on the best-seller list in mdia. Even now I see the book being displayed in book shop windows in lndia and remains popular; in an ABC Radio poll done a few years ago, this book showed up in the '100 best-loved books of all time' in Australia.

Katherine Boo's Behind The

INDIANLINK

It

A NOVEL

13er1utiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in .a M11111bai U11dercity,(2012) is also an authentic account of life in one of Mumbai's slums, but cold like a novel.

Anita Desai's tenth novel, l311umgt11t11er� Bonll;qy (l 989), is the story of a wanderingJew from Berlin who escapes the Holocaust and comes to live in Bombay, in a seedy apartment behind the Taj Hotel. fo bis old clothes and ill­ firring shoes, he is as incongruous as the Taj Hotel itself, built hy mistake with "its back to the ravishing sea-front, thus driving the arcl1.itecc, an Italian, ro suicide". This is a very cerebral novel in which Desai grapples with several complex phenomena: what is home, and how does one make a home in a city that only partly accepts you; bow does the cicy itself change as you change with it.

Vikram Chandra's Love and Lo11gi11g in Bombqy (1997) is a collection of five haunting tales set mostly in Mmubai. The lyrical stories deal with life and death, love and grief, em7)1 and corruption.

Suri's debut novel Death fManil Vishnu (2001), and Kirao I agarkar's Ra11an a11d Eddie (1994) are very entertaining tales located

o

in the city's sprawling chmvls or tenement blocks. They capture with wit - and a certain empathy - the petty quarrels and fishbowl like existence of living in one of them. Everyone knows everything about everyone else.

The following scene chat Nagarkat describes can be transplanted co a cbaivl or tenement anywhere in India. "The prime mover is water," be writes. ''You snapped out of anaesthesia, interrupted coitus, stopped your prayers, postponed your son's engagemeoc, developed incontinence, took casual leave to go down and stand at the common tap. . .because water, prese11c or absent, is more powerful than the AL11ighty."

S,mwvati Pm-k, a 2010 novel by Anjali Joseph, is not all that weU­ known, although it deserves to be. The protagonist Ashish, who comes to live with his uncle and aunt in Saraswati Park, a quiet cul de sac in dus busy city, is a young man on the verge of the throes of adultl1ood. Th.rough his experiences, tl1e amho.r brings to life and encapsulates the quieter and quirkier side of Mumbai.

The book is lyrical, fLmny, and very insightful about the way tl1e ordinary Mumbaikar goes about his life.

Rohinton l'vtistry's books evoke a certain slice of Mumbai - tl1e Parsi community. His collection of short stories S111i111111ing Lessons and Other Stories and Tales F1"t-ozsh"h Bogh; his debut novel Such A Long Jo11rnq, his novel Fa111i!J iV!titters, and his magnum opus A .Fine Ba/mice, are c;entted around the Parsi community in Mun1bai. To i these I would also add Frdaus Kanga's autobiographical Tryi11g to Gm111 (1991) and Th.city Um.cigar's Bo111bqy Ti111e (2003) and The Space Between Us (2007).

T11en tl1ere's a series of novels

of

set in the BoUywood movie industty. Shashi Tharoor's Sho11• B11.,iness is a very funny novel set in Mumbai. Susan Kurosawa, a Se1uor Editor wit!, The Australian newspaper wrote the novel Conmatio11 Talkies (2004), an entertaining yarn about a very feisty woman who comes to own a cinema. Vikas Swamp's now famm1s novel Q and A (2006) made into tl1e successful movie Slumdog !Vlillio11aire - is located largely in the slun1s of Mumbai.

Salman Rushdie's The Moor's I.A.rt Sigh (1 995) is a very funny novel with a Mtm1bai locale; his evocative descriptions of Chowpatty Beach are delightful to read. Rushdie's epic story of Indian identity, a !\fan Booker willller, Mid11ight's Children (1981), is al{;o in many ways a celebration of Mumbai.

Murzban Shroff's book Bre11tblm in Bo111h,q (2009) is a collection of 14 brilliant shore stories, all set in contemporary Mumbai. His beautifully observed descriptions of Colaba, Apollo Bunder, Ballard Estate, Leopold Cafe (one of d1e tragic scenes of the 26/ 1 1 terrorist attacks) and the Marine Drive would be savoured by every Mumbaikar.

The book was short-lisced for the 2009 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.

Paul Theroux's Elepha11ta S11ite (2007), the book clubbed 'The New Passage to India' (in tl1ree novellas), describes attempts by Americans to come to terms with life in Jndia - one of them with Mmubai.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, tl1ere may be scores of other novels on Mumbai that some of you may have up your sleeve!

JANUARY 2015 27

TRAVEL

•

It's impossible to see everything in the city of superlatives

L

ong ago I entered a place of enchanonent.

It was the Sea Lounge of the Taj Palace Hotel with large bay windows overlooking the Arabian Sea. Reliving that memory, I recencly spent an afternoon savouring [he delights of this hotel. And while the tea was of the finest quality and [he cakes quite divine, the best pare of the High Tea was the Bombay Toasty, a Mumbai comfort food made to perfection.

From a .fishing colony to one of the world's largest cities, Mumbai is bursting with industry, commerce and finance, while the creative output of arr, design and

28 JANUARY 2015

cinema has a global presence. The Portuguese who landed here in 1534 called it B0111 Bahia or the 'good bay' that bas since morphed into a colossus, the sixth largest city in the world.

Arriving at [he stunning new airport and equipped with a prepaid voucher, l found myself led past the sleek new [axis to a black and yellow taxi that couldn't nudge the speed dial beyond slow.

After two hours we arrived at the Regal Cinema near to where I was staying.

With the Gateway of India, the 26 metre-high stone archway erected to welcome Queen Mary and King George V in 191l standing sentinel over the sea, Colaba, on the Mumbai wa[erfront, is the heartbeat of the city and a major tourist destination. It's also a great area for shopping, the mainstay for the city's glan10ur set. International

boutiques have prominent placement, but it's the local purveyors that shine. Colaba Causeway is the main drag busy with some great cafes including Cafe Leopold and Cafe 1fondegar, but it's along the side screets that you'll find upscale fashion boutiques and restaurants. Further is the graceful arc of Marine Drive, the seaside promenade also known as the 'Queen's Necklace' due to the twinkling lights at night, and leafy Malabar Hill with irs fine mansions and India's most expensive home.

I soaked up the culture of Mumbai University, the High Court, Oval Maidan, Rajabai clock-cower, and the many museums, libraries, parks and gal leries of the Fort area, the commercial bub of Mumbai with the finest collection of heritage buildings in tbe city.

Mumbai's CST or Vicroria

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-

t. J

----

Hotel receded in the background.

The industrialist JN Tata built the hotel, now one of the world's finest, after he was refused entry into the now defunct \Vacson's Hotel. Revering its rich history while simultaneously grasping at a modern globalised future, Mumbai is a : colourful vibrant city d1ac offers so much I keep coming · back for more.

'

r--•----------------------------------------- ---------•�

Opposite page: University ofMumbai, Tea at Bora Bazaar Street, Crawford Market; Above: Gateway to India, High tea at the Taj Palace; right: Taj Palace hotel.

Station is a splendid ex.irnple of Gothic architecture with buttresses, domes, turrets and gargoyles peering down. Further north is Crawford Market, designed by Rudyard Kipling's father and built in 1869, chat has everything from household gadgets to fruit and vegetables.

Across the street is Mangaldas Markee, cramped and chaotic; a sprawling maze of lanes brimming \Vith fabrics and saris. The heavens opened with the onset of the monsoon so I cook refuge opposite at Badshah where I had a delightful lassi and idli 11ada while fanulies enjoyed ice-cream and other sweet treats. North of Crawford Market is the Muslim quarter where agate minarets niingle with residential cowers.

Finding it qtute impossible to give good coverage to a city of such huge proportions, l remrned the next day to explore more of

lNDIANLINK

the Fort area. Murnbai's art scene is exploding, and a good place to disco\rer it is at the Kala Ghoda Arts district. I visited Britannia Restaurant in the Ballard Estate with Parsi dishes, bur found I'd lost my appetite once I found ic.

"You must at least try some of our Pullan berries from lran," said Boman Kohinoor handing me a small bowl before showing me with considerable pride a letter from Queen Elizabeth's aide. Iranians settled in India i n the I century from Persia to escape religious persecution, and Boman, whose father founded the restaurant in 1923, scill takes the orders.

Behind the bustling boulevards are narrow alleys where goods are sold, haircuts are given and the city's frenetic traffic occasionally comes to a halt because of a wandering cow. The art of discovering Mumbai is to explore

o•h

TRAVEL N OTEBOOK irs different neighbourhoods and atmospheric streets such as Perin Nariman and Bora Bazaar Street where I bought fine cotton rowels and drank flavoursome tea made by a srreet vendor helped by his rwo sons.

Along Mahatma Gandhi Road, lined with curb side vendors, you'll find Kitab Khana offering a fine selection of books and Fabindia with a wide range of kurtas, saris and homewares made of soft cotton fabrics coloured with vegetable dyes. Back near my hotel on Tullock Road a long queue was forming. The legendary Bade Miyan has a meat kebab stand rolled with paper chin flatbreads and a vegetarian stand well worth a detour.

As I left for the airport in a sleek white taxi that sped along the expressway passing Chowpacty Beach and towering modern apartment blocks, the Taj Palace

MUMBAI GETT! NG THERE

Ai rl ines that fly to Mumbai i ncl ude Qantas, Air India, Si ngapore i Airlines and Mal aysi a Airl ines. Beacon Hol dayscan suggestthe best opti onsTel : 1800667791 www.beaconholidays.com.au

GETTI NG AROUND Mumbai' sstunni ng(hatrapati Shi vaj i International Ai rport

is located some di stance from the ci tycentre. Avoi d peak hour and opt for the expressway.Taxi s are inexpensi ve and pl enti ful.

WHERE TO STAY

Perhapsthe best area tostay isCola ba.TheAbode,a funky bouti que hotel artful ly combi nes col ourful fabrics wi th quirkytouches and recycl ed ti mbers wi th an invi ting communal lounge/di ni ng area. Skip the basic rooms.www.abodebouti quehotel s.com TheYWCA i s a budgetchoke www.ywcaic.info TheTaj Pal ace Hotel is in a league ofi tsown. The hi storic wing isexqui si te. Hi gh Tea i s a treat. www.tajhotel s.com

DIN I NG

Check out si tes like timeoutmumbai.net for Mumbai\ best restaurants, bars and events. For upscale d'ining head for Theobrama, Moche� I ndigo Cafe and Basi lico.There are al so many very good inexpensi ve restaurants.

SHOP Pl NG

In Col aba, boutiques i ncl ude Cottonworl d wi th desi gnsfrom all-natural cotton fabric, Good Earth speci alizi ng i n home wares with hand-wovensi lks,-fine china and beauty products.

Bornbay El ectri c has uni que desi gns by establ ished and emerging I ndi an designers.

On MG Road head for Kitab Khana for booksand Fabindia for cotton clothi ngand home wares.

Further informationContact India Touri sm Level 5, Gl asshouse Shopping Complex, 135 King Street, Sydney029221-9555 www.incredibl ei ndi a.org

JANUARY 2015 29

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FOOD

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

T

he scorching heat of the Aussie summer is upon us. Keeping cool, hydrated and refreshed becomes a survival strategy to beat d1e unrelenting hear which would od1erwise wreak havoc on our bodies.

The best way to scay hydrated is, of course, by drinking plenty of Auids such as water, fresh frnic and vegetable juices, buttermilk, or coconut water. Stay away from or minimise your intake of caffeinated beverages like colas and coffee; these only tend to leave you dehydrated. \Vhen it comes to food, it is best to eat light for easy digestion and to aid your metabolism. Seay clear of d1e ghee-bden curries or the rich, thick stews and instead include smnmery, fresh salads made from seasonal produce in your daily diet.

Don't forget your sunsa·een!

This is the magic potion that your skin cannot do wid1ouc in d1e Australian hear.

In spite of the soaring temperatures, bush fires and other undesirable things that summer brings, this season is also d1e most awaited time of the year. Ir is d1e festive, entertaining, holiday season; a time meant for sharing, fun and love with friends and family Smnmer's also the time to indulge in ice creams, icy poles, frozen desserts and all things deliciously cool. Here we bave a refreshing, summery ice cream terrine wid1 raspberries, white chocobte and pistachios.

The history of iced desserts dates back to 400 BC, when the Persians used to flavour snow wid1 grape concentrate and other ingredients as a way of cooling off during the intense summers.

The Arabs and Chinese were also known to have traditional iced desserts or ice creams using ingredie.nrs like saffron, nuts, rice or milk.

Frozen sorbecs, ice creams and Aavoured ice soon spread to omer parts of me world. It was brought by the Arab traders to India, and ice used co be brought down from the Hindu Kush using relays of horse.men to prepare fruit sorbets for the J\fogbal emperors.

Today, there are so many ice cream making equipments in me market mat are quite affordable and can be used to prepare a range of ice creams and frozen INDIANLINK

desserts at home. The best thing about this is that you can enjoy ice creams diat are narural, free of preservatives and chemicals and control the ingredients mat you would like co use, especially if anyone in your house suffers from allergies. You can also incorporate any Aavours that you enjoy.

But you don't need any fancy equipment to make this simple ice cream at home. A few easily available ingredients and a couple of simple, easy-to-follow seeps is all that is involved in making this deliciously smooch and luscious .ice cream terrine. After all, who wants to slave away in me kitchen in the heat!

Don't worry if you do noc eat or include eggs in your diet; just repL'lce it wid1 condensed milk in the recipe and you still have a great ice cream on your hands. Also, you can use any type of berries, fruits or flavours to tweak rhis recipe to your needs.

So, here's how you make this berrylicious ice cream terrine with indulgent white chocolate and crunchy pistachios.

300ml Pura thick cream (use any brand you wish to) 300gm frozen raspberries (if sour, use only 200gm) 1 OOgm white chocolate 2 eggs, separated ½ cup icing sugar ¼ cup pistachio nuts, shelled and coarsely chopped Thaw half the raspberries and crush slightly with a fork.

Shave ¼ of the white chocolate with a peelerand reserve for garnish. Rnely chop the rest.

Also reserve 1 tbsp of pistachios for garnish.

Beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form and then gradually add the sugar, beat to mix. Gently mix in the egg yolks and the thick cream.

Gently mix in the crushed raspberries, chopped white chocolate, pistachios and a handful of whole raspberries into the cream mixture. Do not beat, just mix.

Spoon into a baking paper lined terrine or loaf tin and freeze overnight or until firm.

Remove the tin 1 0 minutes before serving; unmould onto a platter and garnish with reserved raspberries, chocolate shavings and pistachios.

JANUARY 2015 31

M AT R I M O N I A L S SEEKING BRIDES

Well-settled Brahmin family in Australia invites alliance for 26 year old, 5''5,

Handsome 6' Jat Sikh. Australian citizen. 33 years, Divorced after brief fom week marriage. IT graduate. Only elder brother. Settled in Sydney 18 years. Educated family, father retd chief engineer. Mob 0481 036 030 waheguru1869@gmail.com Matrimonial alliance invited by Medical Doctor, 27, Saraswat, Marathi, from a

professionally (not necessarily medical) qualified girl from a reputed Hindu family.

Boy 170cm call, fair complexioned witl1 medium build. He would like to settle in Sydney or in a bustling township of S\'1/'. Caste, <:ommunity no bars. Reply with photograph to dabols@iinet.net.au Seeking suitable match for Gujarati boy, 28 years old, 5'8', fair, vegetarian, fuU­

time supermarket employee in Melbourne, PR. Done Jl,fasters in Information System.

Looking for Hindu, educated, spiritual, good looking girl. Please email witl1 phoro at roshanpanjabi9@gmail.com.

Qualified professional match for smart Lobana Sikh. Clean shaven, '84 born, 5'11, MBA, Australian citizen. Working in MNC in Sydney. Family settled in Sydney.

Seeking Indian/ Australian girl. Caste no bar. Respond witl1 photograph at sampalia2@gmail.com

daughter. B Commerce/Graphic Design, working fulltirne. Seeking vegetarian, non­ smoker & drinker preferably well-educated and settled in Ausu·alia. Please email interest to rkvm87@gmail.com or caU father on 0424251395 Parents looking for a Hindu boy for our daughter in Melbourne. She is 25 years old, 5 feet 4inches tall, slim, fair, professional in inedical field and Australian citi2en. The boy preferred to 26 to 31 years old, should have a professional job and should be Australian citizen. Please respond with photo and details to matchgroom@hom1ail.com Seeking suitable match for 37-year-old Hindu girl, charted account, never

married, with Indian family values and well-tuned to western values. Please email with particulars: t:lm1263@gmail.com Looking for a Punjabi boy for our daughter who is 29 years, 5'7 ", slim, very

beautiful and working in finance sector in CBD. We have been settled in Sydney for past 40 years. Elder daughter is happily married in Sydney. Looking for a professional Sydney-based boy for our younger daughter who is close to Indian culmre. Please email details with phoro: ozinclianl1@gmail.com AUST settled, professionally qualified matches required for our two daughters,

SEEKING GROOMS Seeking educated match from Australia for Punjabi girl 5'3, 28 years with Indian family values and well-tuned to western values. Graduation and B.Ed from Chandig.irh, :Masters in HR from UK. Currently visiting relatives in Sydney. Contact Anita Kapoor at kapoor.anira1@gma.il.com or 0470702256 Correspondence invited from a well to do unmarried, vegetarian, established young-man (aged between 34 to 38) for a charming and pretty daughter of 38, working & sertled in Australia in IT lndustry, derail profiles Ln Jeevansailii.com TTU0136 and Shaacli.com id SH97172911, Hind.imatirmony.com H278580 . Please contact with recent photo and profile on sharad46@tpg.com.au, home phone 02 97132893

24 (Pharmacist) and 22 (Podiatrist), born and educated in Melbomne. Punjabi/ Hindu family respects traditional & modern values. Please communicate initially via Email: kspooni@hotmail.com Well settled Punjabi family in Sydney looking for professionally qualified, very

well settled boy for daughter slim, beautiful 5.4" 1985 born citizen, Government employee. Done a Master's i n Teaching. Please send recent photo and bio data to schanderchopra@rediffmail.com or phone 0411320014 Hindu lady, Aust citizen, 56, young looking with fair complexion, divorced

& vegetarian invites alliance from ideal match. He should be a non-smoker and preferably aged between 52 - 60. Please feel free to call 0449623316 anytime or email radiance88@live.com.

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Q TPR rnlCTIONS !=OR JANUARY

I

ARIES tv1 a rc h 21 - April 19 The beginning of the year will be positive, energetic and you will feel very motivated. The cards are indicating a time when you will want to get all your goals in place and achieved. You have an abundance of energy and fire. Personal relationships need to be handled with care and attention. As you will be so busy with your goals and work, you may need to remember to give your personal life regular attention. Remember to take regular exercise.

TAURUS April 2 0 - tv1ay 2 0

�y NANCY JAD� ALTMloA

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22 ·· "

This is going to be an amazing year for you with a lot of growth and achievement. There will be financial gains and success around you this month. You will be feeling very positive and motivated.

Opportunities and plans will go well. You have decided to save and make sure you do not have any unpaid loans or debts. You will also be trying to help a relative. The cards are indicating a very positive month for you.

SAG ITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21 This month you will be looking to try and sort out your life and problems around you. It would be good to meditate and try and connect with your inner core. You have been battling to try and work out things around you, especially on the emotional front.

Loved ones may be a little stressed out and distant. You may find your workload increased. The cards are indicating a time to leave any important decisions until next month.

You have a lot of fantastic ideas this year. Make sure you let your feelings of positivity and optimism shine through. Any worries about finances and work need to be kept to one side. You may be worried about a loved one who has been feeling under the weather lately. There will be some small medical tests needed. The cards are indicating a wonderful time for career and opportunities. You need to be assertive and go for what you want.

CANCER J u ne 21 - J u l y 20 As the new year has begun you may be thinking about things that have happened through your life. You may be feeling a little emotional and sentimental. This is a great time to reflect on your goals and ambitions. There Is an indication that you are thinking of moving to another city or country. You may be feeling a bit restless and confused. Relax. Take some time out to decide where you want to be. Try to gain more knowledge.

LEO J u l y 21 - Aug 22 You are feeling a little reserved at the moment and you will want to take time to be alone and really decide what you want. The cards are showing that you will be feeling passionate, and may want to move things on to another level. You will need to make sure you communicate with your loved one. Be concise and clear so you are not misunderstood. Work will take on another level as you may be given extra responsibility.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 2 2 This month you will be feeling quite romantic and wanting to spend more time with your partner. You will also be planning holidays and quiet time away.Your work will be a top priority, and those who are self-employed will find that opportunities will come their way.

You need to keep your senses about you, as you will meet some interesting contacts. You may be looking to change the decoration around your home, and look into purchasing new furniture.

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This year for you is all about changes. You will be looking to change a lot of areas ofyour life. Work will be a bit of a challenge as there will be pressure and deadlines. The cards are indicating a time when you will be rewarded for your hard work.The year will present many opportunities and hurdles.With your health, you need to take good care of your bones and keep eating healthily. Good news is on the way.

SCO RPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month you have to be careful with your words ... there may be a tendency to speak before you think. You may need to act as a support system for your friends and family and there will be a sharp Increase in social invites and fun. Let your hair down and go with the flow. Take time out to be with loved ones. The cards are indicating a time to really put pen to paper and decide on some new projects.

G E M I N I tv1 ay 21 - J u ne 2 0

L,;.JUI..-LIL&.I

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - J a n 19

��NTNUS

You may be feeling very upset and stressed out in your relationship. Time to take a holiday and make things stronger in your marriage/relationship. Business will go well, and there will be a chance to increase your clients. Use this month to adhere to a healthy lifestyle and make sure you look after your back area.

There will be �ome concerns about a younger child. The cards are indicating a time of travel and an increase in activities.

AQUARIUS J a n 20 - f=eb 18

i:..... ........_...;.;;.1

As the new year has begun, you will be aware of new opportunities and challenges. Work will be the most difficult aspect this month with long hours and extra responsibilities. You need to handle your lover with sensitivity and patience. There may be some misunderstandings. The cards are indicating a time to look at your finances as you will be planning some major purchases this year.

This is a year to make changes and there are many decisions ahead.

PISCES f=eb 19 - fvl a rch 20 This year you will be very motivated and feeling full of energy. You will want to make many plans for the coming months. You would like to change your work and are looking for a new opportunity. You may be thinking of investments and making money. Finances will be your prime concern as you will be keen to make this year a very prosperous and profitable year. The cards are indicating success and harmony. Love and work will be steady.

JANUARY 2015 33

PK

STARRING: Aamir Khan, Anushka Sharma; Sushant Singh Rajput DIRECTOR: Raj Kumar Hirani

****-).{

N

oticed how the word god rhymes with . . . fraud?

So who hasn't seen the year­ end heart-warmer about the fraud that's pulled on unsuspecting humanity in the name of that overworked miracle-maker called god.

PK is a film designed to warm the cockles ofthe heart. And I use the word 'designed' on purpose, and with emphasis. Many times you feel that the aura of childlike innocence that emanates from Aamir Khan's character, is deliberately manipulating our feelings by questioning the sacred cows and hallowed institutions in that tone we often hear little children adopt in ads for insurance schemes.

Let's straightaway say this. Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi's writing is smooth, skilled and sexy. Quite like Katrina Kaif as Chikni chameli. You can see the words being polished, sparkled and flaunted, just like Katrina's waist line.

She gyrated with her hips. Aamir does so from the lips.

In his state of innocence, accentuated by his Dr. Spock ears, Aamir looks as spaced out as Munnabhai on speed.

And that is not an undesirable thing at all. The film requires the outsider to be chronically bewildered by all the things that we earthlings take for granted.

Why do we depend on god-men to take us to god when god is supposed to be omnipresent? This is not the first time that theological questions have been raised in a satirical film. Umesh Shukla did it with a lot of. . . to use a term from

34 JANUARY 2015

Haider, chutzpah.

PK does it with a lot more tenderness.

In fact, the mood gets perceptibly treacly especially towards the end when our alien hero turns all moony-eyed over the television-journalist. He's in love although he thinks it's'bhest oftime'.

The story moves forward in episodic abundance, not caring whether it would all finally come together at the end or not. Of course, it all does. Effortlessly. The plot winds breezily through episodes like 'PK Meets Bhairav Singh' (cue for Sanjay Dutt to get all bovine and boisterous as a traditionally-dressed Rajasthani), 'PK Challenges Godman Tapsavi' (Saurabh Shukla plays the religious fraud without cheesy overtures).

This could well have been a television serial about an alien who delivers some down-to-earth homilies. While Aamir owns most of the narrative as though born to play the alien, the film's most tightly narrated episode is the Sushant­ Anushka lndo-Pak love story. The efficacy of the relationship is substantially dependent in Sushant Singh Rajput, who brings an endearing and effortless warmth to what would otherwise have been just a boyfriend's role.

Watch out for an amusing cameo by Ram Sethi (the Big B's sidekick in many Prakash Mehra blockbusters) in the Sushant-Anushka episode. And yes, watch out for a very prominent mention of the father and son Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan in this episode.

There are dozens of brilliant actors making fleeting appearances in what must have seemed like a god-sent opportunity to work with one of India's finest filmmakers. I wish Hirani wouldn't be so conscious of his reputation as a creative genius whose films are extended jadoo kijhappis. Many of the benign

characters in PK seem like they are spill­ overs from

Munnabhai and 3 Idiots,

making an all-out effort to be good souls.

Sadly, even the brilliant Boman Irani is reduced to a playing a minuscule part as Anushka's channel boss. But here's the thing.

Watch Boman respond to Aamir's blatantly glorified theological arguments in their sequence together, and you realise why capable stars need brilliant supporting actors to shine on screen.

And shine Aamir certainly does, in spite ofthe exaggerated Bhojpuri dialect that seems to have been put there to get applause. And yes, those crimson-red lips look like they've been designed by lipstick rather than stained by paan.

And what, pray, is that cameo by Ranbir Kapoor in the end? A signal for a sequel? Not such a bad idea.

Even though PKleft me underwhelmed at times, there is no denying its utter sincerity of purpose.

In PK, director Rajkumar Hirani makes

us feel good about life. And that, in these troubled times, is not short of a miracle. Following the zany, kooky escapades of an alien, PK takes us into everyday life as seen through the eyes of a gentle compassionate outsider. This is revisionist cinema at its most inspiring.

It tells us, life is beautiful even when it seems to suck. Provocative and yet gentle, evocative and quite often, heartbreakingly artless, PK is just what the healers ordered after the savagery in Peshawar, and indeed, the Sydney siege.

SUBHASH K. JHA

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JANUARY 2015 35

Of gods and god men

Significant portions of Rajkumar Hirani's latest directorial PK, which has seen a string of controversies, have been shot at Ravi Shankar's Art of living Foundation ashram in Bengaluru.

Hirani has said in a statement: "I'm being asked that if I'm against religious gurus, why have I expressed gratitude to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the film titles. My answer is that I'm not against religious gurus, I'm only against fake gurus:• "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a courageous man. He gave me the location to shoot, knowing well that this is a film on god and fake god men.

He is beyond pettiness of religion. He can see the larger picture. I admire his work and have tremendous respect for him. We will be showing him the film soon," he added.

Starring Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma, the movie has already crossed the Rs.300 crore-mark in the domestic market.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court dismissed a PIL filed against the film, saying "the film was not offensive''. It refused to entertain the plea which sought a ban on the film for alleged derogatory remarks against Hindu gods, Hindu beliefs, faith and worship in the movie.

The film may have impressed critics and audiences but the portrayal of Hindu sentiments in the film has drawn the ire of right-wing organisations which say the movie disrespects Hindu religion.

The Hindu way of worship has been criticised in a most unwarranted manner, the complainant had alleged.

Hansal Mehta confirms biopic with Kangana

SRK GETS I-IIS LIFE-SIZE 3D MODEL t's the first of its kind in the world. A shiny silver statue of Shah Rukh Khan, I in his classic hand-outstretched, face-to-the-skies pose, has just become the first-ever life-size 3D printed statue.

A gift, the model has made its way into the office of the actor's Red Chillies Entertainments Pvt Ltd in Mumbai.

The model was created by Autodesk India, a 3D design, engineering and entertainment software company, at the behest of Red Chillies VFX. The actor, who has won epithets like 'King Khan; 'Baadshah'and 'King of Romance' thanks to films like Di/wale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Veer-Zaara and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, took to social networking site Facebook to share his gratitude and laud the intricacies in the model.

"Even the folds in the shirt and trousers are captured in such detail... and ifl may add the dimples too. 1st ever in the world!! Made in India!"

"How fantastic is my Team Red Chillies VFX. My best B'Day present," he added.

The actor, who had a bumper release in 2014 with Happy New Year, also feels that the model sums up his entire journey in the film industry.

"I am grateful to be a part of this amazing technology. It (encapsulates) the work I have done for all these years," he said in a statement.

36 JANUARY 2015

Its biopics galore in Bollywood all of a sudden. A genre neglected for far too long, we've seen a spate in recent years, including The Dirty Picture, Paan Singh Tomar, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Rang Rasiya, and even Guru.

The latest is Kangana Ranaut, who has been roped in by National Award­ winning director Hansal Mehta for a story on a mountaineer - but it's not the legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal, India's first woman climber of Mt. Everest.

Mehta took to Twitter to clarify details about the new project.

"On recce while I'm seeing news of a biopic featuring Kangana directed by me. News is partly true. I will be doing a film with Kangana...But the biopic is NOT about Bachendri Pal. Will share details soon;' Mehta tweeted.

Kangana will undergo extensive training to get into the skin of the character. Given her slender frame, one would guess that Kangana would be more suited to playing Arunima Singh, the first female amputee to reach the top of Mt. Everest. Neither the actor nor her director are confirming this news as of now.

Currently Hansal Mehta is busy with his film Aligarh, based on the real life affair of a gay professor and a rickshaw

I R HIRAN RAJ \(U MA

puller.

The Hindi film industry is finally realising there are many interesting stories to be found in reaI life, if they look closely.

Amitabh's Shamitabh

Amitabh Bachchan recently unveiled the trailer of R. Balki's Shamitabh in the presence of the entire star cast of the film.

The 7 1 -year-old actor will be seen in a rugged new look with grey unkempt moustaches and beard. His song Piddly, strangely filmed in the toilet, has also been released.

Big B, who has worked with Balki in Paa and Cheeni Kum, says Balki always comes with "interesting scripts''.

"Balki never fails to surprise me;' he told reporters at the event.

Amitabh also revealed that they worked somewhat differently on the project.

"The entire script of the film was recorded first. All the dialogues I recorded in my voice. When we started to film, we would play the recordings and then shoot. After the film was ready, we did the dubbing again. It was a lot of work.

It's a different film for me as I have never worked like this before and the credit goes to Balki:' Tamil actor Dhanush who co-stars, said he is ready to experiment with roles in Bollywood as he has nothing to lose here.

Asked why he was doing unconventional roles in Bollywood as opposed to his larger-than-life roles down in southern cinema, Dhanush said: "I have been trying to mix my characters as much as possible down south. Over there, one image is stuck, so I am restricted. But here in Bollywood, I have nothing to lose, so I experiment with my characters. I am thankful to Balki who has given me this film:• "It's an amazing experience to work with Amitabh. I don't know if I have done enough workto deserve to be working with Amitabh. God has blessed me with this film,"Dhanush added.

The film also stars actor Kamal Haasan's daughter Akshara Haasan who makes her debut.

Veteran actress Rekha also features

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RANA U T

N S UPRIYA PATHAK

Now, Supriya has stepped in for the role of Abhishek Bachchan's onscreen mother. Smriti's scenes will be re- shot with Supriya.

Tanvi AZini and Shefali Shah were also considered for the role.

Now that all's well, the shoot ofAll Is Well, which also stars Asin and Rishi Kapoor, will resume 1 5 Jan.

in the film. Amitabh Bachchan however revealed that they don't share screen space in the film.

"But, yes it's always great to have such great luminaries in the film;' he told reporters.

And then he added,"Balki keeps saying he wants to design a film with us both. . . if somebody comes up with an interesting script, then why not?"

Aish's all for red

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of L'Oreal Paris, recently launched the beauty brand's "Collection Star Pure Reds Lipsticks''.

The signature collection of seven matte shades were chosen by seven L'Oreal Paris ambassadors, including Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, Freida Pinto and Blake Lively.

"For me personally, red lips exude power and elan. Congratulations to L'Oreal Paris for introducing a range of

All's well for All Is Well, thanks to Supriya Pathak

Umesh Shukla's All Is Well seems to be back on track. Veteran actress Supriya Pathak will soon join the cast, the director has said.

The movie had been left in the lurch when actress Smriti Irani, the union human resource development minister, decided to step out of the project after filming nearly half the movie, to devote her time to her cabinet duties.

. . . . .. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . .

WI-IO WORE IT BETTER? • • • • • • • • • • • •

\

Jacqueline Fernandez or Helen Mirren in Dolce and Gab ban a?

Share your views with us on our Facebook page /lndianLinkAustralia

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red lipsticks that are at once urbane, classy and radiate confidence as it flatters every skin tone and adds a beautiful dimension to the lips," Aishwarya said.

"Every woman should find her perfect red lipstick for the added touch of glamour and flair to her overall look. I say this - because you're worth it!" she said.

Talking about the shade red, she said it was a growing trend these days.

"The trend has been growing and red has already hit out and it is only growing popular. I am confident red is accepted increasingly as a colour;' she said.

The seven shades are priced at Rs.995 in India.

#Tevarin3days: Arjun Kapoor hosts Twitter Q&A

To promote his upcoming film Tevar, Arjun Kapoor took to Twitter to host a Q&A chat with his fans. Naturally, thousands oftweets flooded the through asking the heartthrob literally anything - from how he takes his coffee, to his opinion on toe-socks, to his career aspirations.

Of course, Arjun only had time to answer a handful of questions. And to add to that, he'd been facing some technical difficulties over the past few days with his Twitter notifications not coming though. Still the star persisted for his fans.

Here are the top tweets that show off that AK charm we love so much. @meinchamkili asked, "If you had to choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?" In showing his love for the simple things, Arjun replied: "Biryani I guess, or shawarma:' Arjun also discussed his respect for women, his desire to "sleep for a week" after the release of Tevar, and his favourite song of the moment Bo/ na Halke Halke from Jhoom.

He concluded his chat session within the hour on account of more promo duty, this time in Patna. Arjun's clearly in promo overdrive. Only yesterday was he in Delhi. And by today's end he was tweeting pies from Hyderabad! Maybe he is Superman after all.

JANUARY 2015 37

BACKCHAT

Hair today, gone tomorrow Finding a new hairdresser can be a nerve-wracking experience

F

or a person who likes to go with the A.ow when it comes to most things in life, I am extremely hesitant co change the relationship with three important people in my life; my dentist, accountant, and hairdresser. I have held on to my accountant since he filed my first ever ta."X return.

With the dentist, I did change once a few years ago, bur that was because the previous dentist packed np shop and moved to another town. I have been going to the same hairdresser for almost a decade now. I have moved house twice, and the salon is now more than a 30-minure drive away, but I feel it's worth it to hang on to her. There is a simple reason for sticking with these three people in my life - every time you visit them, they can just pick up from where they left. You don't have co go through your entire history all over again.

Unfortunately for me, on my last ,7:isit, my haLrdresser told me that she was pregnant and would be away from work for more than a year. There was a lot of silence between the two of us during that trim. As she finished my haircut, I congramlated her, wished her luck and left the salon in a daze. Now I was forced into a lingering search for someone new to cut my hair for at least one full year!

I left my hair to grow a bit more than my usual four weeks, just to defer the impending change to a new hairdresser. But the moment finally came when my wife,Jassu, told me in no uncertain terms that ] needed a haircut, pronto.

As we walked past different

salons in the shopping centre, I spent a good five minutes peering into each of them from the outside. They all looked snazzy enough, but somehow I resisted going into any of the three we'd seen. I was not ready to have that initial conversation. "How would you like the haircut today? What munber of clippers? How short on the sides? How short at the back?'' Aud then what if they still cut it 'their way' and not the way I wanted them col Soon Jassu sensed my reluctance and finally donned her 'boss' hat, held my hand and led me into a salon. I protested! Even tried co run away! But then came that ''look" from her . .And the next thing, I was perched in the

seat with that black cape around my neck.

Then came the dreaded question from my new hairdresser, "How would you Ji.ke it?" I so wished I could say, 'Just the usual, please." With a heavy heart and a soft voice, I explained my desired cut. I felt the spray of water and then a gentle run of fingers through my hair. They clid not feel the san1e. I looked at Jassu from the corner of my eye. She was sitting merrily in the waiting area, browsing through a gossip magazine, unaware of my trauma.

Then I heard a 'snip' as I looked up in the mirrnr. She had clipped off the first strand. "Too late now buddy," I thought to myself, and tried to settle in the chair.

To be fair to my new hairdresser, she exercised extreme caution in manoeuvring around my bead while cutcii.1g my hair, and asked me a number of times if ] was happy with the progress she was making.

T11e hair cut lasted just 15 rninutes, bur it felt like an eternity.

I even had my fingers crossed underneath that silly black cape! i\.nd then she dusted off the hair from my shoulders and set me free. Jassu came running over to me, looked at me in the mirror and smiled. "Looks nice eh?" she exclaimed. I just smiled back.

I was glad that anxious 'fust time' was over. Hopefully next time all I will have to say is "J ust the usual, please."

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