2015-04 Brisbane

\nd\anun�sat. :,· Me\\>\nternat\ona\_;1· comedYfest\va\

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Cricketmagiccastsaspell

AccordingtotheInternational CricketCouncil,1,016,421 peopleattendedthe49 matchesover44daysacross AustraliaandNewZealandtowitness tl1eirteamsbattleitoutfortheCricket WorldCupridefor2015.While tl1erewereonlyahandfulof games whichcouldbeconsideredclose,the magicof cricketkept all, especially tl1osefromthelncliansub-conrinent, spellbound.

Mytakeawaysfromthe 44 daysof cricket: Youcantal<ethecricketoutof India buccannotkeepthecricketfanaway.

Of tl1e 1,000,000pluswhoattended, thosewearingthebluet-shirtswereseen aralmostallmatches.lncliansfromall overtheglobedescendedon Australia andNewZealandtoenjoythebattle betweenthebarandtheball. While attendingtl1evariousmatches,Iranimo familygroups fromIndia,crickettragics fromtheUS,famer-son duosfromme MiddleEast,allfollowingtheIndian

cricketteamasmeytravelledaroundthe twoconntries.Therewerelocallnclian Australianswhotookweeksoff workto eitherbeatthegroundsorbegluedto tl1etelevisioncoverage. Allthisprovided anan1a7jngatmosphereatmatches, especiallytheIndia-SouthAfricamatch attheMCGwhenmoretl1an86,000 people-mostlyIndianfans-cheered fromthebeginningof tl1ematchrilltl1e end.EventhegreatSachinTendulkar admittedthathefeltlike donninghis padsandgloves,sostrongwasthe excitementintl1eair.

,VhileChannel9,asmelocalfree-to· airTV,playedtruetoformbytelevising onlyAustralia-centricmatches,payTV didmanagetoofferlivecoverageof all themarches.Moremanjusttelecasts, itwasgreattoheargoodcricket commentaryfromiconssuchasBrian Lara,RahulDravid,HarshaBhogle, SouravGangulyandsoon.Compared tothecommentaryonChannel9,it wasarefreshingchangetohearreal professionalsbehindthemicrophone. Yes,someof thecommentaryonpay TVinHindididleavealottobedesired, bmitdidlightenupsomeof themore boringmatches.

Ontl1enegaciveside,alsopartof Channel9,weretwoof theiranchors whoareeimersillyatbestorsnipidat worst.Morninganchor KarlSrefanovic's

commentsto lncliansupportersprior totheIndia-Australiasemi-final,and ShaneWarne'spost-wininterviewwith theAussiecricketers,aret\VOregrettable episodesfromthetournament.

Onthegrandfinalday,withIndia bundled oucandtl1econtestbeing betweenneighbours AustraliaandNew Zeal.and,itwasgreatcoseethelocal Indian Australiansdiscardtl1eirblue gearinfavourof thegreenandgold. Whiletheymayhavefumbledthrough tl1eirrendirionof AdvanceAustralia Fair,therewasnodenyingtheirpassion for AustraliaasMitchellStarebowled Brendanl'v[cCalluminmefirstover. And yes,thesightwhichwillremainwith meforaJongtime,istl1edholplayer inAustraliancoloursleadingtilesound effectsinthegreatSouthernStandat tl1eMCG,withmelocalsjoiningintl1e hhangm.

Theloudcheersforspecialguest SachinTendullG1rattl1efinalceremony alsowarmed theheart. Admiredfor hiscontriburioatocricket,Sachin's acknowledgementwasinsharpcontrast tochebooswhichrangmroughthe MCGwhenICCChair N.Srinivasan wasintroduced.Australianswear theiremotionsonmeirsleevesand theirclisdain forallegationsof tainted behaviourwascleartonote.

Nowwewaitfortl1e Ashestobegin!

Forwomenin • science

Ina winforIndian-originwomenacrossthestate,MinotiApte is namedNSW Womanofthe Year

iBY � USHA � RAMANUJAM V� ARVIND

Aleadingresearcher inthefieldof pancreaticcancers, Sydney'sPro£J\,Unoti ApteOAMwas namedasthe2015NSWPremier's Womanof theYeartomark lnternationalWomen'sDaythis year.

Honouringherataspecial receptionatNSW Parliament House,thePremierof NSWMike Bairdsaid,"ProfessorMinoti iscurrentlyleadingpre-clinical studieswhichaimtocreateanew combinationtherapytoimprove pancreaticcancertreatment."

Headded,"Professor

J\,Unotiisahighly respectedresearcherand member of thecommunity,and her achievementsinspireotherwomen tofollow inherfoocsteps."

Shewasbestowed theaward bythePremierand theNSW l\llinisterforWomenPruGo\vard afterbeingchosenasthewinner byajudgingpanelfromashortlist takenfrompublicnominations.

In2014 Prof.Aptewasawarded theOrderof AustraliaMedalfor herservicetomedicalresearch, tertiary educationandtheIndian community.

Inhercharacteristicallyhumble manner,Prof. Aptesaidshehadn't anticipatedherlatesthonour, claiminginsteadthatshewas happysimplytobenominated amongstalistof distinguished womenfortl1eawardthisyear.

"I'mpleased,however,thatthis bringsrecognitiontothefieldof scientificresearch,"shetoldIndian Link.

Fornearlythree decadesnow, alcohol-induced pancreatitis andpancreatic cancer,ahighly aggressiveform of cancerwitl1 highmortalityto-incidence ratio,have

beenthefocmDrivlinoti

Vivek Apte'sresearch.Sofar, pancreaticcancerhasdefied traditionaltherapeuticapproaches, spreadingaggressivelybefore visiblesympcomsappear.

Directorof tl1ePancreatic ResearchGroupattheSouth WesternSydneyClinicalSchool, partof tl1eFacultyof Medicine attheUni,7ersityof NewSouth WalesandtheInghamInstimreof AppliedMedicalResearch,Prof.

Aptewasthefirstintl1eworldto isolateandcharacterise the pancreatic stellatecelJ (PSC),the keycellresponsibleforproducing scartissueinthepancreas.

Aninternationally acknowledgedresearcllerin tl1efieldof alcohol-induced pancreaticinjury,sheispartiCL1larly recognisedasapioneerinthefield of pancreaticfibrogenesis.Her workhasestablishedthatclose cross-talkbetweensrellatecells andcancercellsisresponsiblefor rapidprogressionof pancreatic

cancer.Thesepioneeringsmdies havehelpedput Ausrral.ian pancreaticresearchontheworld map.

Prof.Aptehasaveryactive servicerecordatFaculty, Universityand Disciplinelevels. Sheisafoundingmemberof tile AustralasianPancreaticClub and1\sianOceanicPancreatic Association.Aspastchairof tl1e FacultyHigherDegreeCommittee andaspost-graduatecoordinator fortheSouthWesternSydney ClinicalSchool,Prof. Aprehas mentorednumerousmedicaland sciencestudents.

''Nurturing talentisavery importantresponsibilityto preservethefutureof medicine andresearchinourcountry,"Prof. Apteacknowledged."Asmedicine becomesmoreevidence-based,we havetoengendersuongresearch skillsandcriticalthinking."

Sheadded,"Research underpins everythingyoudoinyour everydaylife.Thepain-killerthat youtakeforyourheadache,for instance,isaresultof some15-20 yearsof painstakingresearch!"

Shealsoregularlyengages witl1theresearchcommuniry worldwidethrough gastroenterological forums.In recogn.itionof hersignificant contribution,shewasrecently madeaFellowof tbeAmerican GastroenterologicalAssociation

(AGA).

Prof.Aptestrayed into pancreaticstudiesquiteby accident. An alrnnnus of BJ MedicalCollegeinPoonawithan interestinENT,shefirstarrived in Australiaonadependent spousevisaintheeighties.

"Myvisadidnotpermitme towork,soIvolunteeredinthe Histopathologydepartmentat NewcastleUniversity,where myhusbandwaspursuing hisdoctorateinChemical Engineering,"sherecalled.

Shesoonbeganresearching alcoholismandliverdisease, winningaCommonwealth scholarshipforaMastersin MedicalScience,and became oneof thefirstgraduates of the programme.ShemovedtoSydney andevenmallyfoundajobatthe Princeof WalesHospital.

In1998,aspartof herPhD thesis,shedevelopedarnerhodfor stellatecellisolation,aworld-first.

"\Y/eweretl1efirstintheworld toshowthataspecificcelltype inthepancreas helpedpancreatic cancersgrow,"explainedProf. Apte."Itsuniquefeatureistl1e hugeamountof scartissue.

Weprovedthatcancercells recruitednormalpancreatic stellatecellstohelpitgrow andtraveltodistantpartsof thebody.Ourultimateaimis todevelopnewtreatmentstl1at

targetthecrosstalkbetweenthe cellsinpancreaticcancersoasto interruptthesegrowth-promoting pathways."

Prof. ApteisnoronJyagreat rolemodelforwomeninscience, sheisapassionateadvocateforit aswell.

"Weneedmorewomenin scienceforilieirabijjtiesinlateral thinking,theirdexterity,theirskills inrnulti-rasking,"shenoted."And, mightIadd,forthegracetl1ey bringtotl1eworkforce!"

Sheagreedthattherecouldbe difficultiesinthemid-careerscene, withfamilycornmitmentsandso on,andadvisesthatwomenmust buildsupportivefamily srrucmres aroundthem.

Notonetorestonheracademic laurels,Prof. Apteisheavily engagedinpromotingMarath cultllteandartsthroughthe Marathiassociationlv[ASI.Her passionforclassical dru1ceand choreographyhasledroanactive involvementineventcoordination andmanagement,thehighpoint beingDm-g,aZaliGa111i, a musical (dance-drama)with120 participants.

Prof.Aptehasfoundtime inherbusyschedu.letofitin meditationanddanceclassesas well.

"I reallyenjoy them,"she confessed."Everyoneneedsa hobby,danceismine!"

ProfessorMinotiAptewith NSWPremierMikeBairdandNSWMinisterforWomenPruGoward

visits

SYDN EY 13 & 14 April 2015

Sydney Boys High

Gate 2, Cleveland St, Moore Park - onsite parking $5

FREE Public Programs - 13 April, 10am & 7:30pm, and 14 April, 10am & 7pm Devi Bhava (World Peace Program)

M ELBO LJ RN E 16, 17 & 20 April 2015

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FREE Public Programs - 16 April, 11am (all day program) 17 April, 10am & 7.30pm, 20 April, 7pm Devi Bhava (World Peace Program)

Non-Residential Retreat 18-20 April (pre-registration only)

- BBC News

"The sense ofbeing welcomed and loved, despite being a complete stranger, was amazing."

ian Lin oses • memor1a r

ThepathwayinSydney'sParramatta should bebestowedwiththename 'PrrabhaArunKumarWalkway'intributeto the soulwho lostherlife

AsIretracedPrabha ArunKumar'slast walkin Parramatta onthatfateful Satu.rdaynight, cberandomnessof chathorrific attackleftmesturu1ed.

Itwasonchisverypathway thatthe41-year-oldfoughtoff anattackerinthedeadof night, finallysuccumbingtoherinjuries.

Theconcretewalkawaychat connects ArgyleSueetto Amos Street,seemstobeaneasylink forWestmeadresidentsasthey maketheirwaybackhomefrom ParramartaStation.

OntheSaturday afternoon1visited,agroup of golferswereteeing off fromtheadjacent golf course,andthe fatefulpathwaywasbusy withpassers-byasthey connectedbetweenthe twosuburbs.

\Vhacbroughtthemco asuddenhaltandadose of realityonthesunny afternoon,wasthelarge memorialof flowers underthetreeonthe side.

Messagesonthe flowersreadRIP Prahhc,andYour lllemorywillSlcfY111itb11s forever.

Thenationwashorrifiedbythe brutalityof thisarrack.Prabha ArunKumarcametoAustraliajust threeyearsagoto,vork asanIT eJq:>ertwith anIndianITcompany. Aneconomicmigrant,sheleft herthensix-year-olddaughterand husbandbehindinIndiaasshe workedhardcosavemoniesto giveherself andfamilyeconomic security.Withdreamsof building wealththroughhertalentandhard work,sheisnotverydifferentro millionsof Indiansandthousands whohavefoundtheirwayto Australia.Thatshewasworkinga doubleshiftonaSamrdaywasan indicationof herworkethicand desirecoachievehergoals. Incbeaftermathof thistragic incident,issuesconotearethe swiftresponsefromallconcerned.

Justicefor all vlcUms ofvlotence aea1m1 WOMEN!

Stop violence against women!

Thestategovernment,inan electionmode,haslearnedfrom itsdisastroushandlingof media andpublicrelationsafterthe studentriotsof 2009.Premier

BairdandlocalmemberGeoff

Leehavetakenallseepstoassure thecommunitythatthepolice areworkinghardtobringthe perpetuacorstojustice.Tbeyalso haveassuredallthatthereareno indicationschatchiscrimeisinany wayracerelated.Thelocallndian ConsulGeneralSunjaySudhir hasensuredtimelyexchangeof informationbetweenhissuperiors inIndiaandrepresentatives of thelocal governmentand lawenforcementagencies.The localmedia,bothIndianand mainstream,havealsomadesure

thattheinformationhas beenreleasedinatimely and accuratefashion.

Wishwecouldsay thesameaboutmedia inIndia,though.TI1ey tried- andthankfully,failed-to rouseupthesameruckustheydid duringtheIndianstudents' crisis. Thisnewspaperhasfielded numerouscallsfrommediaoutlets inIndiaaboutthe tragicincident. AJJcoooften,thefirstquestion beingaskedbreathlesslyhasbeen, "Howsafe areyoufeelingin Australia?" Movingforward,thereisno doubttheperpeniatorwillbe caughtandthelawwilldealwith theoffender.

Weatltidia11Linkwouldliketo proposethatthe concrete pathway between ArgyleStreetandAmos Street,bebestowed..,,,iththename 'PrabhaArnnKumarWalkway' in tributecothegenclesoulwholost herlifehere.

Webelievethispathiscurrently unnamed,andcallingitafterJ>vlrs KmnarwillbeafittingmemoriaL lewouldbeasmallgesmre indeedforthelocalandState governments,butwouldshow tremendoussupportforthe localIndiancommunity. Atrime

of goiJ1gtoprimtl1ePremier of SWMikeBairdisfully supportiveof theideaasislocal MP Geoff Lee. PremierBaird haspromisedtohavechisissue discussedwiththefamilyof the latePrabhaKumarandthen setupthenecessarysteps ro implementthis. Justlikehername,Prabha, whichisSanskritfor'light',it wouldsendoutamessageof protectionforregularcitizens goingabouttheirdail)' activities, tobeabletodososafelyand peacefully.

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Before startinghis careerasastandupcomedianin November2004, PapaCJ didhis !vIBAatOxfordandworked asamanagementconsultantin London.

TravellinginEngland,PapaCJ sayspeoplewouldsaytohimthey knewaboutIndiabecausethey'd seenS!ttmdogMil/iot/{/ire.

Hewouldreply,"AndIknow aboutEnglandbecauseI'veseen j\tfrBean!"

Andwhennon-Indianstalkto himtodayaboutthe(freakish?) conceptof arrangedmarriagesand thebigweddings,hepointsoutto themthatitistheirsystemthatis arranged-orover-arranged-down tothelastdetail,withplacesettings andphumedmenusandrehearsed walksdowntheaisle,whereasour weddingsarechaoticpartieswith hw1dredsof peoplecomingand going,andwherethedi1meris morelikeafoodfair.

"ILi.kecomesswiththe stereotypesthatpeoplehaveabout us,"PapaCJ says. CJ srwnbledintostand-up whilestudyinginEngland.He lovedgoingcotheEdinburgh FestivalandtookashotattheUS contestLa.stCo111icSta.ntfingwhere hemanagedtogetintothefinals ("Theremusthavebeenadiversity clause,"hejokes).

MovingbacktoIndia,where stand-upwasn'tathing,heclaims hestarteditall off,wirl1hisfirst fewshowsatDelhi's1\fochaBar. Withintenmonths,he'ddone some250gigs

"Thestand-upsceneinIndiais prettymassiveatthemoment.I've donegigsallaroll!1dthecountry, andpeoplepayanywherefrom Rs300toRs3000tocomeand Listen.Thecorporatecircuitis pickinguptoo."

Thisyearmarks PapaCJ's Australiancomedyfestivaldebut asthefirstIndiancomediantobe invitedcoperformasoloshow attheMelbourneInternational ComedyFestival.

Establishedin1987,the MelbourneInternationalComedy Festi,7al(l\,fICF)isrl1ethirdlargestcomedyfestivalof its kindinrl1eworldandoneof

thelargestculturaleventsin Australia.Theeventtakesplace annuaUyoverfourweeksandplays hostcohundredsof localand international artists;in2014the festivalListed469showsand6,488 performances(including159free performances)by2,228artists.

Tbisyear'seditionof :WfICF hasnoteworthyrepresentation fromIndia.TheAagbearers includeRohanDesai,RuchirAsh besidesIndiancomedycircuit favouritePapaCJ,aswellas internationalacts,vimlinksco thesub-continentincludingArj Barker,HariKondabolu,Vivek Mahbuban.i,SameenaZehraand Australia'sownSurenJayemanne.

"WeworkinabubbleinIndia," PapaCJ says."It'sgreattobeable tocomehere,representingIndia, andtoseethatwhatwe'redoing athomeis relevantonaworld stage."

HehasperformedattheJust forLaughsfestivalinCanadaand hasbecomearegularonstageat theEdinburghFringeFestival.He hasvisitedMelbournebefore,but theseshowswillbehisAustralian comedyfestivaldebut.

Butsurely'PapaCJ'isnotthe comedian'srealname?''PapaCJ isnotthenameIwasborn with butisthenameIhavetaken," heexplains."AsateenagerI '-Vitnessedabrutalassassination involvinganinternationalmafia cartel.l havesincebeenundera ·witnessprotectionprogramby theInternacionalCourtofJustice inTheHague soIcannotreveal mytrue identity."0,V/ehopehe's joking!)

Hisnewshow,'Naked'is differenttothekindof woi:k CJusuaUydoes,inthatitisa narrative,largelyautobiographical. "Myregularstyleinvolvesplenty of crowd-work,whereIchat withtheaudienceandbuildfrom there."

"With'Naked',Italkabomthe humanexperience.AndwhileI usemylifestoryintheshmv;Ital.k aboutexperiencesrl1atmostpeople havehadandemotionsrl1atmost peoplehavefelt.Everybodyleaves myshowfeelingthatduringapart of it,Iwastalkingabouttheirlife andnotmine"

"'Naked' isashowthat

straddlestherealmsof stand-up comedy,theatreandstorytelling," PapaCJ continues."lnthis journey,onebrickatatime,I removethewailsthatmosthuman beingskeepbetween themselves andothers,exposingmyself withallmyvulnerabilitiesand aUmypain Formeitisboth terrifyingandexhilaratingatthe sametimeandbytbeend,while l amcompletelynaked,Iamalso completelyfree."

PapaCJ hasperformedona plane,onatrain,onabus,ona boat,inapolicestation,inthe emergencyroomof ahospital whileholdingtheheadof agirl getting32stitchesonit,and evenatgunpoint!Hehastoured seU-omshows acrosstheglobe and lastyear wonthe½sia'sBest Stand-upCornedian' awardfrom Top 10Mag"zinc. So,howdidthisIndian tea-planter'ssonbecomeone of India'smostsuccessful comedians?

"Therearesomanyreasons whyIdostandup.Forone,it isthemostamazinghigh ever. Inyearspast,adventurerswent outintotheunknowninsearch of goldwithgreathopebutnot knowingwhetherornorthey wouldfindit.Asaprofessional comedian,Igooutintothe unknown knowingrliarIhave tofindanddeliver comedygold every15seconds!Butbyfar the bestpartof myjobisnever havingtosetanalarmtowakeup in themorning.Ever."

He adds,'1lovethehonesty thatisinvolvedincomedy.The interestingdungincomedyisthe inwardjourneyitforcesmeto take-whatismygr:nuiuefeelabom thisparticularissue?"

CJlikestothinkof himself as an'Ambassadorof Happiness'."J hadan86-year-oldwomancome tomeafterashowinKolkattaand say,'God bless youson,Ihaven't laughedsomuchin30years.'The othercomplimentIgetfrequenrly, whichl really appreciate,iswhen peopleteUmemat1makethem proudtobeIndian.Ipersonally considermyself tobeiothe happinessbusinessandnotthe cornedybusiness.l getgenuinejoy outof seeingpeoplelaughingand

happy.Thatiswhyinadditionco purestand-up,Idomotivational speaking,havefow1dedacharity forunderprivilegedchildrenand dofreeshowsinhospitalsas well."

Anotheraudiencememberonce calledhin1a'blessingcollector'. "Shesaid,'Youjustgoaround thewor.ldbringinghappiness intopeople'slivesandcollecting blessings.'ThatreallyiswhatIdo itfor.Thelaughteronthefacesof peopleandtheblessingsIreceive aremyreturnoninvestment."

Andwhatwouldheadvise peoplewhowanetogetinonthe act?

"Whatareyouwaitingfor?Get omthereanddoit.Dropmea lineif youwant,I'llgetyousome stagetime!"

ComedyZoneAsia: RohanDesai

AlthoughtheMelbourne InternationalComedyFestival ismainlyavehicleforheadline stand-upandcabarecacts,the eventisalsoanopportmuty forup-and-cominglocaland imernacionalacts.

FeUowIndiancomedianRohan Desaihasalreadymadehismark atrl1e2014editionof 1\,fICF.The 25-ye.'lr-oldwonaguest.spotafter winningtheRAWComedyIndia eventinNewDelhiin2013.

"GoingtoMelbournewasmy firstinternationaltrip,"Desaisays. "Irwasam.azingtogotorl1eRAW ComedyFinal.Toperformina staditm1of2,000peoplewasjust great!"

DesaigrewupinSurat,Gujarat, fourhoursawayfromthenearest comedyclub. Hetriedhisluck arounddifferentopenmicnights beforehittingthestand-upscene wirl1abang.Hesayshe's"still figuringoutthewho.lecomedy thing",buttal<eshisinspiration fromcomedianshelooksupto. "StewartLee.Obviously,like manyIndians,LouisCK,and JerrySeinfeld,"Desaisays."Ialso takeinspirationfrommovies. DonHertzfeldr,fromtheUS, makestheseshortfilms andhe basareaUyoddsensibilitywhich Ienjoy."

AfterappearinginMelbourne, Desaiearnedaplaceonrl1e

ComedyFestivalRoadshow Indiantour.''You'reperforming inallthesedifferentplacesandI gotcotravelwiththeAustralian comedians,togainexperienceand learnedfromthemonrl1eroad," Desaisays.

Desaibelievesthereisgreat enthusiasmforcomedyamong IndiansandthatthesceneinIndia isslowlye.'tpanding."It'savei:y excitingtimeforcomedyinIndia," hesays."Therearepeoplewhotalk moreabouttheculturetheurban youthcanrelateco-Facebook, BreakingBad;thenrl1erearepeople whoperformHindicomedy;then therearepeoplewhohaveamore traditionalstagestyle;thenyou havepeoplewho areexperimental aUthetime.lt'sgrowingsofast. Thebestthingis-youcando whateveryoulike!There'san audienceforeverything,aslongas youdoitwell."

AtMICF,Desaiwillbe performingaspartof the 'ComedyZoneAsia'program, featuringcopup-and-coming comediansfromacrossAsiaand rl1eirdifferentcomedystyles.

"If you'ree.,'l:pecringjustalotof Indianreferences it'snotthat," Desai saysof hisperformance. '1t'sveryuniversal. It'svery accessible,andhopefuUyfunny. Ir'sjustmebeinganervousguy."

Desaisayshewoulddescribe himself as"anoddguy"with "averystrangewayof enjoying comedy".Herecenrlyperformed atIndia'slargestcomedyevent -theWeirdassPajamaFestival. "Tbebestpareisnotonly performing,butseeingalotof othercomedywhichopensyour mindtodifferentpossibilities," Desaisays.

Onrl1erecentAllIndia Bakchodcontroversy,Desaiis frank."It'snorthecomedians' fault,"hesays."Peopledon't trnderstandthestyleof comedy. Irwasexpectedpeoplewouldget offended,butnotthattheywould cakelegalaction!Theproblem isIndiahasoutdatedlaws.It's justaneasywayforthesepeople cogetpublicityandattentionby taking(theAIBgroup)tocourt. Whenyouintroducenewideasto atraditionalculture,you'rebound tohavesuchissues."

India'scomediansbareallaheadoftheirperformancesattheMelbourneInternationalComedyFestival

RAWComedyNational

Grand Final: RuchirAsh

DesaitellsTndian LinkhisRAW Comedysuccessor,Kolkata's Ruchir Ashis"reallygood"and helooksforwardtoseeinghim performinMelbourne.

Whenthe18-year-oldarrives next week,itwillbehisfirsttime in Australia.Ash,whoistravelling with his dad, says he's"really excited"aboutcomingDown Under.

WhenheenteredtheRA\X/ ComedyIndiaeventhewasstill experimentingwithhiscomedyas auniversitysmdent."TheKolkata finalwasan unrealexpei:ience," Ashsays. "TheresponseIgot fromtheaudiencewasbeyond anythinglhadexpected.Theth.rill of performingisunreal!"

Ashsayshisparentsare supportive,but"Mymumdoesn't knowwhatcomedyis;shehasn't seenmeperform.Shedoesn't reallyunderstandorknowabout standup."

HerevealshisbiggestinAuences includingLouisCKandIndia's RajneeshKapoor."IloveBill BurrandJohnOliverbecause theyusecomedytotacklesei:ious issuesratherthanjustpunch-line humour.Allformsof comedyare okay,butl personallywouldnot wanttogointo'roast' comedy," Ashsays,alludingtothe AIB controversy.

Ashrevealshehasalready startedworkingonmaterialfor theRAWComedyFinal."I've triedtoevolve.Idon'tthinkI'm goingtorepeatmuchmaterial fromtheheats.Yougettoo accustomedroit,stopbelieving inyourownjokes,"hesays."I'm justgoingcottytobemyself and hopeitworks."

''I'veseentheaudienceon YouTubevideos,and it'sa comedian'sdream-justthinking aboutperformingisexciting!"

Homicidal Pacifist:

Sameena Zehra

Someonewhoknowsalotabout performingisSameenaZebra. Afterworkingasaprofessional actorforalmost20years,Zebra

madetheswitchcocomedy."All of mylifeinfluencesmycomedy," Zehrasays,"Notopicisoff rhe table."

Afterbeingbornin Kashmir, ZehramovedtoLondonasa baby.Afterherparentsdivorced whenshewas aboutseven,she movedbackcoKashmirwithher mother.

Zebra'scomedicinfluences rangeacrossdifferentgenresof comedyfromLennyBruceto JoBrandandJosieLong.And thoughshemaybeperceivedas moreof ararity-asuccessful femaleinamale-dominated industr)'-Zehradoesn'tengage withtheideawomenare,or shouldbe,treateddifferently in comedy.

"ThroughcomedyIhavemet interesting,generouspeople," shesays.''I'mvery confidentand outgoing,sonotl1inghasever beensaidtomy face,butIdon't knowifI'vemissedoutonshows becauseI'mawoman."

"\"\/omenstillgetlesserwages, womenare stillfightingtobe takenseriouslyacrossallfields. Itl1inkitdistractsfromtl1e comedyitself tofocus onthat," shecontinues."Idon'tth.ink of myself as a'female,Asian comedian',Iwanttobethought of withnoqualification,justasa 'comedian'.

Zebraisconsciousof participatingin'Asian-only'gigs intheUK,saying sheprefers co takepartininterviews,showsand gigsthatareabout"crossingthe divide".

"I often won'tdo'Asianonly' gigs,"she says."ButIdid oneshowforWomen Against

Fundamentalism,whichisacause closetomyheart,andthewomen intheaudiencesaidtome,'We needtohearpeoplelikeyou; yours isavoicewewanttohear.' And tlrnthithometomebowitcanbe importantforyoungerwomenand mentosee someonelikeme."

"IgrewupinIndia,butI'm veryBritishandwesterninmy thinking.l'mproudtoconsider myself afeminist.Idon'tbelong toanystereotype,Iwaneto talkabouthumanbeings;it's aboutengagingandhavinga conversation."

Zebra'sshowatMICF, 'HomicidalPacifist',isapolitical and satiricalperformanceabout her"cullinglist"."I'mapacifist," Zebra says,"ButI'malsovery angry.The show ismyattemptco putthose twoconflictingelements together.It'scongue-in-cheek, darkhumour."

Intl1eshow,Zebraoutlines tl1eindividualswhoshouldbe 'culled'fromtl1ebumanrace.''It's notgroupsof people,justthe individualones.Likepeoplewho putspoonsintheforksectionof acutlerydrawer-I hatechat!"

Shetalksaboutse..,:,tl1e burqa,CharlieHebdo."It'svery personal,frommypointofview. Andeverytl1ingl say hastobe tl1etruth.If it'snorthetruth,it doesn'twork.Myaimistomake peopleuncomfortablewiththe worldandaffectchange."

Eat Praline, Die:Suren Jayemanne Closertohome,Australian-born SurenJaymannesays hisSri

LankanandJvfalaysianbackground hasslowly begun toinAuencehis comedyandchangethewayhe looksattheworld.

"GrowingupIneverreally sawmyself asSoutl1Asian,I wasjustanotherkid,"Jayemanne says.''Itdidn'treallystandout tomethatIwasdifferent.More recentlyI'venoticedachangein society,ashifttoan'usandthem' mentality.SlowlyI'vestartedto incorporatethatintomy comedy. Originallymycomedywasshorter jokesnotbasedonpersonal experiences,dungsobservedor interpretingtbingsdifferently.As I'veprogressed,I'mtalkingmore personally,it'smoreabouttheway Iseethewodd."

"If youkindof comefrom adifferentbackgroundtotl1e standardwhiteAnglo Saxon,you don'twanttorelyonstereotypes forcomedy,"Jayemannesays."But nowThavemoreexperience,Ifeel likeIcandoitwithmeaning."

Jayemanneadmitshestillworks parttimeasanaccountantthough luspassioniscomedy."Ith.ink of myaccountingcareer kind of liketheCarwashorLosPoUos in BreakingBad," hesays."It's likethefrontorlegitpartof my business."

Originally influencedby Americancomedianslike·Mitch Hedberg,StevenWrightand DemetriMartin,Jayemannesays afterperformingin Australia andwatchingandlearningfrom otl1ers,''Myinfluenceshave becomethoseonthelocalscene.

I'mareal fanof theFearof aBrownPlanetguys(Aamer Rahman andlazeemHussain) andI'mstartingtoincorporate moreof tl1atintomycomedy."

In2014,Jayemannewas handpickedforJvITCF'sprestigious

'ComedyZone',ashowcase ofAustralia'sbestemerging comedians.Thisyearhe'smaking hisFestivaldebut,freshfroma sold-omrunattl1eSydneyFringe.

"'EatPraline,Die' isareference tothefactI've grownupwith foodallergies,"Jayemannesays. (Asachildhewasallergictoeggs, sesame,nutsandshellfish.)"The showisacollectionof stories aboutthetwothingsIfeelhave inAuencedandshaped whoIam coday -gro,vingupwith food allergiesandgrowingupwithan ethnicbackground.Thecatalyst wasgoingtothebig10yearhigh schoolreunion.Itpromptedme coreflectonwhereI'matinlife, whatitisthat'sJedmetothis point."

"OverpastfewyearsI've outgrownafewof tl1eallergies," Jaymannesays."Ihadprawns for thefirstrimeinDecember.My mum'ssignaturedishissamba! prawnssothatwasexciting."

Jaymaimesaysasachildhe usedcojokearoundasakind of defencemechanismrobeing 'different'. "Thinkingback,food allergiesmadememoreunique thanmyculturalbackground," Jaymannesays."Nowitseems societynoticesthatmore."

TheMelbourneInternational Comedy Festivalandits RoadshowregularlytoursSouth EastAsiaandIndia,andsearches forlocalcomicsinAustralia. Here'shopingtl1eycontinueto uncovernewcomedytalentsothe Indianscan takeonMelbourne moreoften-notjustonthe cricketpitch!

Kira Spucys-Tahar,Gaurav Masand,RajniAnandLuthra

Clockwisefromtop:RuchirAsh;RohanDesai; Sameena Zehra;SurenJaymanne

Accidentalentrepreneur

Whenyourfather isabrewer withUnited Breweries Group,India's largestproducerof beerwith amarketshareof around48 percent,itislittlewonderthat hewouldencourageyouashis daughtertobecomeabrew master.

For[<iran_Mazumdar-Shaw,her fatewassealedwhenafterschool shefailed togetascholarshipto joinamedicalschoolinIndia. ln1974herfatherpackedher off toFederationUniversityin Australiatostudy1-faltingand Brewing.

Thatshewastheonlrwoman enrolledinthebre,vingcourse, spurredherontotopherclass.

Fastforwardto2015,she isthechairmanandmanaging directorof BioconLimited,a biotechnologycompanybased inBangalore,andthecurrent drnirpersonof l11v[Bangalore.

Asof 2014,sheislistedasthe 92ndmostpowerfulwomaninthe worldbyForbesandherpersonal networth_isestimatedatUS$655 million.

J(iranMazumdac-Shawwas inAustraliarecentlyasheralma maternamedacampussrreec inherhonour.TheAustralia lndiaBusiness Council (AIBC) organisedadinnerwithheracthe prestigiousFourSeasonsHotel inSydney.Limitedtojust40 guests,Mazumdarspokeabout herjourneyinatalkaptlynamed "Confessionsof anAccidental Entrepreneur".

Mazumdar-Shawrecalled scarringthebusiness inhergarage witl1lesstl1anRs 10,000capital.

"Australiahadtaughtmeselfconfidenceandeventllougb banksinIndiaandthebusiness communityfounditdifficultto acceptastart-upbyanIndian womanin 1978,1feltfuU

confidenceinmyability,"shetold tl1osegarnered.

"Of course,myfatllerhadto actasguarantorformyfirstJoan," shelaughed.

Now,forhercompanyBiocoo Ltd.cohaveatargetmarketvalue of US$1billionby2018,onecan safelyassumetheguaranteecame good.

J(iranMazumdar-Shawhad herlistenersinmrallasshespoke aboutherbaselinephilosophy iliacthewocldneeds"affordable innovation".

Identifyinganincreasingneed foraffordabledrugsinlesswealthycountries,shebegan co lookforopportunitiestodevelop cost-effectivetechniquesand lower-costalternatives.

Herabilitytoassessmarket potentialforcholesterolfighting drugs waspivotalin2001when ilieparentof thecholesterol-

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inbusiness,"shedeclaredwitl1 wisdom."1f mereisnovalueadd, youhavetolettheideago.Bue youmusecreatevaluethrough innovation,and soyouneedto leverageyourskillstofindgreater value."

Anotl1erlessonwasthatthe corporateworldhastomakemore roomforwomen,especiallyinthe boardroomswhichha,Teforfar toolongbeenboys'clubs.Despite therecentbadpublicityregarding womeninIndia,howmany peopleknowcharbylawacertain percentageof seatsoncorporate boardsarereservedforwomen?

Indeed,manyof India'sleading banks,Mazumdar-Shawreminded

loweringdruglovascatinexpired andBiocongotinvolved inits development,alongsideother formsof statins.Shealsoensured ahighqualityof researchinto ailmentssud1ascancer,diabetes andocher auto-immune diseasessuchasrheumatoid arthritis andpsoriasis.

Shespokepassionatelyabout tiledesireof hercompanyco reducetherapycosrsinthe treatmentof thesediseases. ComparingAustraliaand India,shewascleartl1acIndia hastl1epotentialtobetheglobal innovatorinbiotechnology."Agri biotediandbiofuels aregreat opportunitiesforIndia.Now, Australianbiotech companies are innovativeburneedtoscale up, andtherecan begreatsynergies inAustralia-Indiapartnerships," shesaid.

Bucmechallenge,Mazrn11dar-

Sb.awadmitted,isthatIndiaand Australiaarenornaturalpartners. Indialookswest,and Australia lookswestandtowardsChinafor partnerships.

"PerhapsAIBCneedsto domoretobringouroptics together,"shesaid.

Thereweremanylessons thatherlistenerstookaway d1atevening.Onewas mat entrepreneursneedtochallenge mernselvesandfind newheights.

"Youcannotbeemotional

heraudience,areledbywomen. Irwasquiteacoincidence tl1atmeSydneyreceptionfor Mazrnndar-Shawwasheldso doseto1nternational\Women's Day,buritwasnocoincidence tllatmostof thequestionsthat eveningcamefromwomenyoungIndian-originwomenwitha headforbusinesswboarecleacly passionate aboutgoingdowntlie pammatMazumdar-Shawhasso successfuJJyforged.

Pawan Luthra

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Chairman ofBioconLtd, KironMazumdar-Shawspeaks atanA/BC event

Revivingtheclassics

noneof manytrulypositive storiesof theInformation Age,ancientTamilliterary classicsarebeingbrought backtolifeforawholenew generationof readers.

Agroupof Tamilloversaround theworldaregivingfreelyof their timeandexpertisesochat electronicversionsof printed textsaremade easilyavailable throughthemeansof internet.

TheycaUchislabourof love, ProjectMadurai. DrKalyanasundaram,the ProjectLeaderof 'Project Madurai' wasinMelbourne recently,andgaveaninspirational talkattheCarnm1Downs

SecondaryCoUegeundertheaegis of theAustralianTamilAcademy. Sinceitslaunchin 1998, ProjectMaduraie-textshavebeen releasedinTamilscriptformas perTSCil [TamilScriptCode forInformationInterchange) encoding.Since2001theyhave begm1releasinge-texts inTamil Unicodeaswell.Whatitentailsis thetypinguporscanningof old booksandarchivingthetextin oneof themostreadilyaccessible formats [etexts]foruseonall popularcomputerplatforms.

Thee-textsareavaihbleinbotl1 web/htmland PDF formats. Distributedthroughtheworld widewebservices,anyone, anywhere, maydownloadacopy forpersonaluseorreadwhatthey publishontheinternet, freeof charge.

DrKalyanasundaramspoke abouthisalmostserendipitous involvementwiththeprojectbecausehewasneitheraTamil scholarnoranacademic.Although hailingfromTamilNadu,hewas aChemistryresearcher,and his srudyandresearchhadtakenhim farandwide. Heisnowlocated inLausanne,Switzerland,from wherehecoordinatesthiseffort withthehelpof dieinternet!

"Iwasdrawntowardschis enterprise,togetherwithlikemindedTamilentlrnsiasts,witl1the viewtopreservingtheprecious collectionof Tamillteraturebotholdandnew,fromaJJover theworld,forposterity," hesaid.

Tamilcognoscentiwill.beaware thatwereitnotfortheenormous effortsof UVSwaminachanIyer intheearly20thcentury,many of theinvaluableworksof Tamil literaturegoingback2000years wouldhavebeenlostandnot

availabletousinprintform.

WhywasMaduraichosenasthe nameof theproject?

"Itisoneof theoldest citiesinSouthernIndia anda cent.reof learning,pilgrimage andculmreforcennuies,"Dr Kalyanasundarampointed out. "Tbecity'shistorycanbetracedto tl1ePandyankingdornsgoingback 2000years. ItwasthePandyan kings"vhosetupthe'Sangarns' oracademiesforthepromotion of Tamilliceramre:great suchas Ettuthohai,Pattupatmetcwere compiledbythegiantsof Tamil literaturesuchasTiruvaJJuvar, Avvaiyar,Nakkirar,IlangoAdigal -tonameafew."

Dr Kalyanspokeaboutthe technicalproblemsthey faced initialJy whendiey werecrying tocreateafontinTamilthat would workacrossaUplatforms. Itlatercametobeknownas Mylai. Inthelate1980s,the TamilnewspaperDinamtdar· becamethefirsttopriminTamil usu-1gcomputers. Somewhere downtheline,theTamilNadu governmentrecognisedthe value of theProjectand helped placemorethan80authorsin thepublicdomain. DrKalyan

DrKalyanasundaram

spokeaboutthepainstaking effortwithwhichtheytraced extantcopiesof ancientworks, oftenpurchasingthemwid1his ownmoney;orphotocopysole copiesof works.Herecounted howhisworktookhimcoOxford Library,wherecheonlyprinted copyof theimportantShaiva texttheShivaP11rana111(1902)was found,havingbeenplaced there by theinimitablemissionary-cumTamilscholarPope!DrKalyan

photocopiedtheentiretextand thenmadeane-copyavailableon cbewebsite.

ProjectMaduraiwassetupand runsentirely withtheeffortof volunteers:anyonecanjoinand contributeinanywaytheycan. leisagrass-rootsincernetbased effort,andthetextstheymake availableelectronicallybelongto everyone.Checkout detailsat WW\v.projectmaclmai.org

ChitraSudarshan

Sales consultant

IndianlinkislookingforaparttimesalesconsultantinBrisbane.

Thisrolewillbeonacasualbasis,withagenerouscommissionstructurefortherightcandidate.

Setyourownincomeandhours,whileconnectingwiththecommunity!

Youwillhaveavaliddriver'slicence&yourownvehicle. Goodwrittenandverbalcommunicationskillsare essential,asyourroleincludesbothsalesand marketingofourwell-knownbrandinthelocalcommunity.

PleasesendyourCVandacoverlettertelling usmoreaboutyourselftoourNationalSalesManager

Th.isisoneof themost interestingcareer profiles[hatIhave comeacrossamongtbe Indiancommunityin Australia. Afterdecadesof service intheHRindustryworkingwicl1 someof [hebiggestcorporate giants,GauriMainigaveitallup tobecomeasoapmaker.

Today,sheistheownerof asmallbusinessvenmrecal.led AWickedScrubandcreates completelynarnralandorganic soapbars,cleansersandother tream1entsfortheskinandhair.

"AWickedScrubisabonr treatingyourself wickedlywell," Main.isays. ''Itisnotjustabout beauty;itisacelebrationof cl1e beautycl1at inabundantin usand innan1re."

GauriMain.igrewupinGujarat, butwicl1herdadbeingincl1e policeforce,thefarn.ilyshifted townsfrequently.Herparents,like otl1erIndianparents,encouraged herinacademicsandpushedher cobeindependent.Thoughmey wantedhertotakeupa career intheservices,Gauri'sheartwas setonabusinessdegree.She graduatedwithanMBAdegree

IfromXLRI,oneof India's premierbusinessschools.

Marriageandchildrenfollowed andmemovetoAustralia happenedin2000.Herboss atLarsen&Toubrocalledher "mad"toleavehercareerinIndia behind.

"Hegavemeabookwhich Ihaveeven today -Hopeforthe F/0111ers,"Main.isays."Iclunk the caterpillarwho isconstantly looking formoreisme.Untilhe realisesthatheneedstohang upsidedownandwaittillhis metamorphosisimoabutterAy, hecannotfly.Troubleis,Idon't knowif I amAyi.ngyet!"

Afteraninitiallyslowtransition period,Mai11i'scorporatecareer rookoff in Australia.But,inspite of havingitall,therestlessness continued.Shewantedtobein thenot-for-profitsector,butwas considered'toocorporate'by many.So,oneday,shequit. and hasn'tlookedbacksince.

Beingacrave!buff,Mainihas alwayshadaloveandfascination of namralsoaps.Wimnoprior experienceandcompletelyselftaughc,shemadeherfirstbatchof oatmealsoaps.Itwasloveatfirst sight,touchandsmell.

Thenshebeganexperimenting withomernaturalingredients creatingsoapsfromnaturalsalts, goat'snlilk,aloeveraandsobegan thejourneyof AWickedScrub.

"Ith.inkitwasinitiallyjust mindblowingcoseehowIwas

sogullibleconsuming exorbitantlypriced cleansers,creamsand treatmentsformyskinand hairwithoutpayingany attentioncowhatisinit," Mainiexplains.

"Themaininspiration behind AWickedScrubisthat weallneedalicclebitof push topamperourselves,toslow downandenjoyeachother. Ihopecl1roughmyproducts peoplefeelliked1ey cando mat."

Mai11iiscompletelyself-caught whenitcomestotheprocessof makingsoapsandoilierbeauty products.Buesheisnotwillingto compromiseonqual.icyandworks incloseassociationwithlocal artisansandproducersroensure highquali.tyandpureingredients forherproducts.

''Idon'twantcouse preservatvesoremulsifiers.Just plain narnralingredient.s,asclose tothesourceorfarmaspossible."

Itisacommonfactmat allergies,especiallyskinassociated onesl.ikeeczema,areextremely commoninAustralia.Oaunealor goat'smilksoapisrecommended forpeoplewhosufferfromthese conditionsasithydratesand moisntrisestheskil1inanatural manner,wimourtl1epresenceof anyirritatingchemicals.Though misisnotacu.refortheproblem, usingnatural productslikethese cangreatlyhelptoreducethe

intensityof mesymptoms andgetrelief.

Apartfromlocalproducers, l\fainialsoworksinclose associationwithproducers fromaroundtheglobeco ensurethatsheusesonly thebestandtopquality ingredientsforherproducts.

Whiled1ecold pressed neemoilcomesfroma villageinKutch,theshea butterisfromKwabena. Hergifthampersandtrays comefromAnnof A.n Assorted Affair,whilemebodybrushesare fromImportAntswhoworksin closeassociation withwomenin SriLanka.

Oneof thebest-selling productsisthebodyscrub,which isanindulgent,bespoke,natural andorganicblendof beeswax, essential oils,saltsorsugar.l\,faini also dabbleswitl1cleansingand essential oils;herfavourites includepurerosegeranium, rosewooda.ndjasminewllichcan befound inmanyof herproducts. AWickedScrubrunsasan onlinestore.Gauri Mainidoes notwanetoscaleupforprofit's sake asshepreferstoretain herpersonaltouchandcreate indulgentproductsforallatan affordableprice.

GauriMainiwentfromhighflyingHRexecutiveto organic soap maker

'Diamond' made of 10,000 blood slides a hit in Kochi fair Ahugesparkling'diamond' made of 10,000discardedbloodslides strungtogetherbystainlesssteel wireandneatlystackedinabricklikemanner,hasbeenthecynosure of alleyesattheKocbiMuziris Biennale.

Thecreator,PrashantPandey, hastermedtheinstallationA,1ha, aSanskritwordthathastwo meanings:itrefersbothtothe pursuitof materialwealtl1,as weUastothequestformeaning Explainingthethemeof his work,Pandey saidArtht✓recalls andrecountstl1ecountless sacrificesmadeduringsuccessive colonisationsandthequestfor land,domination,wealthand power.

Ithintsatthewayinwhid1 colonialismintertwinedreligion witheconomics.

Italsoraisesquestionsabout thepriceof progressandthe relationshipbetweenworldly possessionsandthepurposeof life.(Adiamondisatmiversal symbolof wealth,powerand vanity.)

"AsIhailfromafamilyof marblesculptorsinJaipur,Iused toplaywithwastemarblechips afterthescnlpnireswerechiselled. Thisishowmyfascinationfor discardedmaterialswasborn,"said tl1e30-year-oldPandey.

"Mydesirehasalwaysbeento workonthechangingideologies of hrnnanemotions.Ifeelitisn_1y responsibilityasanartisttolookat byproductsof humanactiviryand toregeneratethatwasteinorderto createsomethingnew,"hesaid.

TheartistcoUecteddiscarded bloodslidesfromunknown people,mostlyfromRajasthan,

andindudessomeof hisown slidestoo.

"Myinterestliesinworking withmemoriesandreminiscences of thepast.Iwantedtousethis torepresentthehistoryofthis beautifulsitewhichiswhyIused wastebloodslides.Bloodsignifies bothlifeanddeath,gloryand sacrificesinthehistoryof Kocbi. A,thaisaneffortatrecollectingall memoriestoged1erinoneform," hesaid.

JicishKallat,curatorof theKochi MuzirisBiennale,saidthatinstark contrasttohisfamilytraditionof chippingawayatstonetocreate staniesof godsandgoddesses, Pandeyworkswithtl1atwhichis discardedandoftenostensibly "impure".

Indian migrant's story wins Folio literary prize

Indian-AmericanwriterAkhil Sharmahaswontl1esecondannual Folioprizeforfictionforanovel whichmartsanemigrantfamily's heart-wrenchingsearchforme 'Americandream'.

Sharmawonmeprizeforhis secondnovel,H:111ify Life, an amobiographicalwork,whichtells thestoryof ayoungboy,Ajay, andbisfamilywhoemigratefrom DeUiitotewYorkinsearchof a better.liJe.

AUismrnedupsidedownwhen hisolderbrotherbasadreadful swim.mingpoolaccidentandneeds rotmd-the-dockcarefrommenon.

\'(/illiamFiennes,whochairedtbe panelof judges,praisedtl1eno,7e1, currentlyabestseUerintheUS, as"lucid,compassionate,quietly funny".

"fiJFllify[4eisamasterful nO\Telof distilledcomplexity: abomcatastropheandsurvival; attadlmentandindependence;the

tensionbetweenselfishnessand responsibility.

"Weloveditsdeceptive simplicityandrarewarmth This isawork of arcthatexpandswitb eachre-readingandanoveltl1at willendure,"hesaid.

Itwaschosenfromashortlistof eightbooks,whichindudedwhat wasthebookmakers' favouritefor theprize,AliSmith'snovelHotvTo BeBoth.

Sharmasaidafterwinningtl1e 40,000-pow1d(nearly$60,000) prizethatwritingthenovel,which cook13yearstocomplete,wasa frustratinganddifficultchallenge, often"likechewingstones",witl1 ar01-mdninewastedyearswhen itdidnotgowell,accordingtoa G11ardia11report.

''I'mgladthebookexists,Ijust wishIhadn'tbeentl1eguywho wroteit,"hesaid.

Sharma,aformerinvestment banker,saidbewasprofessionally happythatpeoplewerereadingthe storyof caregivers,buc admitted chathethoughtabomgivingup. However,hestuckwitl1it.

''Icouldn'tbeartheideaof havingspentallthoseyearsand tl1ennotlunggoodhavingcome Outof it.

''Intheend,Ifeelthebookitself isgood,irdoescertain thingsthat areartisticaUyimpressive.SoIfeel goodaboutthat."

Partsof tl1ewritingprocesswere fun,besaid,butmuchof itwas not."I'm43.Istartedwritingthis when1was30.SoIspentmy30s writingthisthing Ireallyfeellike Ishatteredmyyouth."

Theprize,sponsoredbythe FolioSociery,wascreatedlastyear withd1eaimofcelebratingthe year'sbestEnglish-languageworks of fiction,regardlessof form, genreandgeography.

killedwhileoutforawalkinElk Grove,California,apartof Bern's constituency,inasuspectedhate crimethatisstillunsolved.

"SincetheSeptember11th attacks,toomanyAmericans, especiaUySikh,Hinduand ArabAmericans,havebeenwrongfully subjectedtoharecrimesand discrimination,includingthe shootingof t\VOSikh Americansin myowncity,"Berasaid.

"Religioustoleranceisa fundamentalvalueof ournation andwemustdoeverythingwecan topreventthesecrimesmotivated bybiasagainstavictim'sreligious beliefs,"hesaid.

"Untilno,v,Anti-Sikhhate crimeswerenotrecognizedbythe FBI,"saidRajdeepSingh,Director of LawandPolicyattl1eSikh Coalition.

"Yearafteryear,SikhAmericans werebeingtargetedforharassment andviolencebecauseof their distinctidentity.

"Fortl1efirsttime,theFBI nowofficiallyacknowledgesthat SikhsaretargetedforbeingSikhs. Whilerefinementsareneededto theagency'strackingsystemand trainingstandards,wearemaking progress,"hesaid.

ThefirstwinnerwasAmerican shortstorywriterGeorgeSaunders forTenthofDecef!lher.

FBI to trackhate crimes against Sikhs, Hindus, Arabs

SixUSlawmakersalongwith leadingadvocacygroupshave welcomedtheinclusionof Sikh, Hindu,andArabAmerican communitiesintheDepartmentof Jusrice'sharecrimestrackingeffort.

Tlusisthefinalstepinthelongfougbtefforttoencouragethe USfederalgovernmenttofinally begin trackingandquantifying hatecrimesagainsttheseat-risk communities.

TheFederalBureauof Investigation(FBI)recently updateditshatecrimesdatabase andFBItrainingmanualin ordertostaretrackinghate crimescommittedagainsttl1ese groups-matsystemisnowfully operational.

AmiBera,thelonelndianAmericanmemberof tl1eUS Houseof Representatives,along witl1feUowHousemembers JoeCrowley,BillPascreU, MikeHonda,GraceMengand JohnGaramendiattendedd1e event.Theselawmakersleda Congressionalefforttoencourage tl1eDepartmentofJusticeandFBI todocumenthatecrimesagainst Sikh,Hindu,and ArabAmericans.

Theyspearheadednumerous letterstotl1eDOJ andFBIand introducedaCongressional resolutioninthewakeof thetragic August2012massacreinOak Creek,Wisconsin,andsubmitting testimonyurgingactiononhate CDl11e5.

In2011,t\voelderlySikh Americans,GurmejAtwaland SurinderSingh,wereshotand

''Thefederaltrackingof antiHindu,anti-Sikh,andanti-Arab hatecrin1esisanimportant,if long-overdue,development. Evenasourcommunitygrows, Hindu Americansremainuni9uely vulnerabletoharassment, bullying,andviolence,"saidHarsh Voruganti,AssociateDirectorof PublicPolicy,HinduAmerican Foundation.

TheupdatedFBImanual "marksasteptowardsensuring accuratereportingof hatecrimes committedagainstSikhs,an importantstepthatwillultimately aidd1eSikhcommtmiryaswe continuetoaddressd1eroot5of anti-Sikhbias,"saidJasjitSingh, executivedirectorof theSikh AmericanLegalDefenseand EducationFund(SALDEF).

Updateof FBIhatecrimes trainingmanualcoincludeArab, Hindu,andSikhcategories "ismoreimportantnowthan everwid1therecentspikein hateviolencetargetingouc commwuties,"saidLakshmi Sridaran,Dii-ectorof Policyand Advocacy,South AsianAmericans StandingTogetlm(SAALT)

"Onrworkaheadwillbeto ensureourcommunitiesare informedof thesecriticalupdates andareablerobuildtrustwithlaw enJorcementsothathatecrimes targetingSouth Asians,Muslims, Sikhs,Hindus,J\,(jdd.JeEasterners, andArabsareappropriately documentedandprosecuted;'she said.

Cancer treatment breakthroughs byIndian-American researchers Queen'sUniversitycancer researcherMadhuriKocihas discoveredabiomarkerthatwill helpleadtobetterpredictionsof thesuccessof chemotherapyin ovariancancerpatients. Biomarkersareanindicatorof abiologicalstateorcondition,and

Artha:IndianartistPrashantPandey'ssculpturemadeofdiscardedbloodslidesattheKochiBiennale

thediscoverycouldleadtobetter treaanentoptionsinthefight againstovariancancer,accordingco apressreleasefromtheuniversity.

"Recentsuccessesinharnessing theimmunesystemtocombat cancerareevidenceforthe significantrolesof acancer patient'simmuneresponsesin lightingcancer,"explainsIndian AmericanprofessorDr.Koci.

'1vfanyof thesesuccessesare basedonboostinganti-cancer immunityviadifferenttherapies. Suchtherapieswouldproveto bemosteffectivewhencoupled withmarkerspredictingapatient's evenmalresponsetoaspecific therapy".

DrKori'sstudy,conductedon over200ovariancancerpatients, utilisedacombinationof cuttingedgedetectiontechnologiesfor identifyingsuchmarkers.

Amajorimpactof thisdiscovery isthatthesenovelmarkers,when usedatthetin1eof treatment initiationinthespecifictypeof ovariancancerpatient,willhelp oncologistsmakedecisionson additional tream1entneededin thesepatients,thusincreasingtheir potentialforsurvival.

Ovariancancer.leadsco apprnximatel)r152,000deaths amongwomenworldwideeach year,makingitaleadingcause of gynaecologicalcancerrelated deathsinwomen.

Meanwhile,anIndian-origin researcherattheStanford UniversityintheUShasfounda methodthatcancausedangerous leukemiacellstomatureinto harmlessimmunecellsknownas macrophages.

Assistantprofessorof medicineRaviMajetimadethe keyobservationaftercollecting leukemiacellsfromapatientand tryingto keep the celJs aliveina CL1lmreplate.

'Wewerethrowingeverything atchemtohelpchemsurvive,"said Maje.tiinapaperchatappeared inthejournalProceedingsof the ational Academyof Sciences.

B-ceUleukemiacellsareinmany waysprogenitorcelJsthatare forcedcostayinanimmaturestate.

Duringthestudy,:tvfajetiand post-doctoralscholarScott McClellanfoundthatsomeof thecancercellsinculturewere changingshapeandsizeintowhat lookedlikemacrophages.

Theteamconfirmedthat methodsshowntohavealtered thefateof themouseprogenitor cellsyearsagocouldbeusedto transformthesebumancancer cellsintomacrophageswhichcan engulf anddigestcancercellsand pathogens.

B-ceUacutelymphoblastic leukemiawithamutationcalled thePhiladelphiachromosomeisa particularlyaggressivecancerwith pooroutcomes.

"Sofindingpotentialtreannents isparticularlyexciting,"Majeti added.

Majetiandhiscolleagueshave somereasontohopethatwhenthe cancercellsbecomemacrophages theywillnotonlybeneutralised butmayactualJyassistinfighting thecancer.

"Becausethemacrophagecells

camefromthecancerceUs,they willah-eadycarrywiththemthe chemicalsignalsthatwillidentify thecancercells,makingan immuneattackagainstthecancer morelikely,"l\fajetiexplained.

Theresearchers'nextsteps wouldbecoseeif theycanfind adrugchatwillpromptthesame reactionandthatcouldserveas thebasisforatherapyforthe leukemia

Online hiring firm Talview wins British contest

Onlinehiringstart-upTalviewhas wontheGreatTechRocketships contestinBritaintoexplore businesslandscapeof Europe. TbeUS-based start-up,promoted andrunby Rls,isanautomated interviewplatformto assist organisationsscreenandhire techiesfaster.

SetupinMay2012asInterview ]\faster,thecompany'sirmovative videoplatformisbasedonthe conceptof asynchronous ,1ideo interviews.

Recruiterstheworldoveruse Talview'stoolcohiretalentfor Fortune500inIT,engineering, pharmaandBFSI(banking, financialservices andinsurance).

Cognizant,ABB,\Vockhardt, Teamlease,Cipla,ABC Consultants,andJSW acesome ofTalview'sclientsamongocher globalfirms.

ItisfundedbyMayfield,a leadingSiliconValJeyVennire Capitalfund.

Talviewwasoneof fivestartupstowinthecontestorganised recentlybytheUKTrade& Investmentinpartnershipwith TechHubandiSpirir.Thefour otherwinningstartupsinthe contestareCongruentSolutions, FRILP.com,ToneTagand AgrinrnInfotech.

TheBritishgovernmentalso offeredTalviewfreeworkspace inthestart-upfacility(fhe Landing),whichisapartof themediacityinManchester. Tbecompanyplanstomake Britainheadquartersof planned Europeanoperations.

TalviewalsobaggedaoneyearmembershipinTechHub, providingitaccesstoicscoworkingcentresinBoston, LondonandBengaluru.

Kipling's birthplace to become tourist attraction

Theheritagebtmgalowinsouth MumbaiwhereamhorandNobel laureateRudyardKiplingwasborn willbeconvertedincoatourist attractionbytheMaharashtra government.

Thebungalowissituatedinside theshadycampusof SirJJSchool of Arc,closecotheUNESCO \VorldHeritagemonument, CbhatrapatiShivajiTerminus andotherheritagebuildingslike Crawford.MarketandtheMwnbai PoliceConunissionerate.

StateEducationandCultural Affairsl\finisterVinodTawde hadproposedchisweekchatthe governmentwouldensmethe bungalowemergesasanimportant couristhotspotandpeoplegetthe

opportunitytoappreciateit.

Alltheartefactsinthehouse wouldbepreservedanddisplayed withfundingfromtheculmre departmentwhichwouldalso repair,restoreandmaintainthe woodandsconestructure,he added.

OncardsisaKiplingmuseum,a library,literaryandculmcalevents co attractdomesticandforeign touriststothebirthplaceofthe amhorof classicslikeTheJungle BookandKivi,andmanypoems likeif. andMandal'!J' Hewas conferredwiththeNobelPrize forLlreramrein1907-thefuse

Englishwritersohonoured.

Thesiteof thebird1of Kipling, bornonDecember30,1865co Englishartsteacher,illustratorand curatorJohnLockwoodKipling andAliceKipling,wasactually anotherstructureadjacentcothe existingbungalow,whichhasbeen

knownas'KiplingBungalow' since overacenmrynow.

Thebw1galowcan1eupinside thecampusof dieSirJJ.School of Artwhich,vasfoundedin 1857afterahandsomedonation of Rs.100,000byMwnbai businessmanandphilanthropistSir JamsecjeeJeejeebho)'-

Theschoolwastakenover bythegovernmentin 1866and Kipling'sfather,appointed itsfirst dean,livedinthebungalowonthe campus.

The originalbtmgalowwhere Rudyardwasbornwaslocated barelya fewmetresfromthe e,'(isting'KiplingHouse' was demolishedand rebuiltandagain crumbledaway,whilethe'Kipling House' whichcameupa.round 1882underwentarestorationin phases from2002-2008,besides anearlier restorationseveral decadesago.

Later,itbecametheDea.n's Bungalowwhere subsequentheads of theprestigiousSchoollived tillaround2002,afterwhichit remainedlockedandvacantand soonbecamecliJapidated.

However,thereisametalplaque withthelegendengraved''Rudyard Kipling,sonof LockwoodKipling, fusePrincipalof SirJ.J.Schoolof Arc,wasbornhereon30.12.1865", andabustof theauthorpointsat hishistoricandliterarylinkswith thecampus.

HeleftforEnglandafter spendingliveyearsof his childhoodinMumbai,andlater rentrnedtoLahoreattheageof 16,andsubsequently,asaNobel laureaterevisitedhisbirthplacein 1930.

HepassedawayinaLondon hospitalinJanuary1936attheage of 70.

IANS

Amodelpresents anensemblebyfashiondesignerNikashaTawadeyat theAmazonIndia FashionWeekon25March2015in NewDelhi.

IndianfloatimpressesyetagainatSydney'sannualMardiGras parade

YoucouldsayQueen BisaMardiGras 'veteran'.

He'sbeen participatingin MardiGras,Sydney'sannualgay andlesbianparade,fortenyears now,proudly/huntinghisIndian background.

Todayhe'satransgenderBoard memberof TrikoneAustralasia, acommunityorganisationmade upof SouthAsianLGBTQI members.

Inhis role,hehelpedsome50 peersprepareforthisyear'sevent, heldonSaturday7March.

TheIndianAoatwasoneof 1SOfloatsthatmadeupthe'river of queerhumanity' thatmarched downOxfordandFlinders Streets.

The'Boilywood' connotations -of afashionstyleandmusic beatratherthanthefilmindustry - havealwaysmadethelndian floateagerlyawaited,itscolours catchingtheattentionof theTV crewsandphotographers.

Witbtheirtbemethisyear, 'Bollywoodisthenewblack', Trikonemadeastatementabout theincreasingpopularitythat India'sentertainmentindustryhas beguntoenjoyinthemainstream.

Perhapssuchacceptancewill extendtothemembers' own lifestylechoice,botbwithinand outsidetheIndiancommunity.

Of course QueenB'sMardi Grasappearancespredate Trikone'sparticipation,which beganin2008,buthispassionfor itcontinuesunabated.

"Likeeveryyear,Ifeltproud againthistimeasIwalked alongsidemyfriends,"Queen BtoldIndianLink."Ourmusic wasspeciallypickedtoinclude dance-based,drumheavy,peppy munbers,andthecrowdscheered tothebeatsaswepassedby! Peoplelovedus!"

TheSO-membertroupehad moregirlsthanboysparticipating thisyear.ParticipantsfromIndia andUKjoinedinaswell.

Therewasmuchless

Aamboyanceintheoutfitstbis timeround,withthestand-out get-upbeingthebelly-dance costumewiththelargefeathery Mohawk.

Thenumber377poppedup, asexpected,inplacards('377No GoingBack';'SayNoto377') referringtoSection377of the IndianPenalCodethatstill criminalises homosexuality.

RajniAnandLuthra

FormorenewsfromSydney's LGBTQIcommunity, check out111ww.trikone.org.au

SANAMSHARMA

DearKarl, Theapologyyouofferedonair recentlyinresponsetoyouruneducated tidiculeof the'Indiancommunity' aheadof theIndiavAustraliaCricketWorld Cupsemi-final,.isevenmoreinsultingthan yourotiginalcomments. Anapologyhasto beheart-felt,genuine,andLtn-conditional. Andfrankly,yoursissimplyunacceptable. \Vhatyouofferedwasamerejustification. Tousemore'Australian' termsforyour benefit,youjusttickeda box, mate(perhaps underduressfromyouremployer).

Youwanttl1eIndiancommunityto acceptyour"uglymtecings"asmerebanter comtesyyour"wayward,misguidedsense of humour"?Well,thereisanotherterm thatbestdescribesa

If weeverloseworkor faceda redundancy,wewentaroundlookingfor otl1erwork.Ai1ywork.Perhapsafewextra shiftsata 7-11. Wenot

lineupin Centre.link queues.

acultureof "entitlements"bestowedupon you. wayward,misguidedsense of humour-insanity.And youcan onlybecmedof insanityif youseekhelp. AndforyoursakeIhope youareontoit.

Asyou'veprobably guessedbynow,l affiliate myself totheAustralian Indiancomnmnity.I am surethatbynowyou wouldhavebeenduly educated aboutthevarious achievementsof the Indiancommunitywithin Australia.SoIwillnot delveintothat.1amgoing toendeavourtoeducate youabitmoreonbeinga migrant.

I,andquiteanumber of myfriendswithintl1is lndian community,arrived

Frankly,your apologyissimply unacceptable Whatyouoffered wasamere justification You justtickedabox, mate,perhaps underduressfrom youremployer

inAustraliaasrnigrants.Aslawful,skilled migrants.Weowemostof whatwehave todaycotl1iswonderfulcountrycalled Australia.Andletmetellyou,wenevertake anyof itforgranted.

However,our begimungswerepretty humble.Andyes,for meandmostof my fellowmigrantfriends, itinvolveddoingodd jobstogetstarredin a ne.wland.\Y/edrovetaxis. Someof usworkedingas stations (7-1 1sincluded) Otherscleaneddishes, labouredinfactories, drovetrucks,couriervans, andsoon.

Bueweallworked. Andworkeddamnhard. Andalwayswithasmile. Nojobwasbigorsmall.

Wetakepridein earninganhonestday's Uving.And workingforit. Wecakeptidein tl1efact chatwecontributebackco thenationthataccepted uswithopenarms and offered wonderfulnew opportunities.

Andyes,wecan takea joke.Andbanteraswell. Butthereisalwaysafine linewiththesed1ings. It'soktonudgetl1acfine lineoccasionally.Bur,in yourcase,youbreached thatlinenotonlywith yourcommentsbut alsoyourapology.You sitinthatstudiowitha responsibilitytoquell

societalstereotypesanddistinctionsand notcopromotethemorsellthemasbeing 'fum1y'.Pleasedonotofferhurnour,banter, oranyother'casual'occurrenceasan excuse.Thehurtandinsult

Ifyoufeelthisletter isabitofanoverreaction,thengood foryou,because yourremarksmade mefeellivid

Everythingwasanopportunity. Andtoday whenwelookbackatthosedayswecall them"characterbuilding"-atermnoteasy toaffiliatewitheasilywhenyougrowupin

''mustbejudgedfromthe perceptionof theperson orcommunityfacingthat 'fLmnybanter'.The'idiot' dishingitoutisnotthe benchmark. If youfeelthisletteris abitof anover-reaction, thengoodforyou,because yourremarksmademe feellivid.Id1oughtof not reactingtoyourslursbut youknowanotl1ergood thingthatlivinginAustralia hascaughtme-onemust standupandspeakfor thingsthatonefeelsare notright.

Soirwouldhavebeenpretty"unAustralian"of metonotvoicemyconcerns. Regards, Sanam

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Beating the babyblues

Awayfromhersupportnetwork, a newmothercanfeeldaunted and overwhelmed

Itleftadeepimpacton me, butalso helpedshapedwho Iamtoday.

Veiledbeneathadegree of uncertaintyandstigma, post-nataldepressionisoften misunderstoodordisregarded. Isufferedfromth.istoa significantdegreeafterthebirth of myfirstchild,almostbordering onthelineofclinicaldepression.

Asanewmigrant,withno familysupportclosebyandno networkof friendswid1babies, Ioftenfeltlonely,datmtedand unabletocopewimmydaily routine.Iweptfornoreasonand feltnointerestwhatsoeverin gettingoutof me house.

Isharedthese feelingswith myhusband whothoughtIwas simplymissingmyfamilywho wereonlyabletobearounduntil mylittleonewast,voandahalf mond1sold.

Thesymptomsjustgot,vorse, insteadof better,overtime.I hadnothingnewrolookforward to;d1echange-feed-and-comfort routinejustwentonandon forwhatfeltlikeeternity!Iwas supposedtobehappybecause1 hadalittlebundleof joyinmy life."Isn'titnamralforamother todoteonandbelost.inlovewim her new baby?"Iwouldthink,and diiswonldbringmoreguiltinto myheart.

Butnomatterhowmanyprebirtl1classesIattended,orbooks Ireadonparenting,nod1ingcould preparemeforreality.

Mylifehadturned fromthatof abusyprofessionalwomanwim greatcareeraspirations,tobeing a full-timemotherandcaretaker withheavysleepdeprivationand nome-timeatalllRecouping afteradifficultbirth andwith absolutelynoadultaroundmeto havesomesortof conversation, Iwasalmostreadytogiveup.My mother,apsychologistherself, feltterriblyconcerned,buther long-distancecounsellingovertl1e phonewasn'texactlyhelping.All shecouldsay,ultimately,was,'Just cometoIndiaforafewmonths.'

Astemptingasthissoundedfor me,escapingandrunningaway fromme situation wasn'tgoing tohelpandIknewmiswithin. Itwasnotpracticaltoleavemy husbandformonthsandtakemy littleinfantfromwinterinSydney rosummerinMumbaieither.1 decidedrostayon.

Wehad heardaboutathome-

counsellinganddecidedto tryit. Itworkedreasonablywell,with fortnightlyone-on-onesessions inmecomfortof myhome.Bm thesewerelimited.Thecounsellor d1enadvisedmetogotonew mothers'therapysessions.The thoughtof packingalldiebaby

d1ings andreachingthed1erapy groupvenuewasscaryinitself, letaloneleavingmybabywima nannyforrwohours.Also,Ididn't evenhaveadriver'slicenceatmat stage.Thewholeideaseemed impossibletome!

Andd1at'swhenmyhusband gavemestrengcl1andsolid support.

Heorganisedataxiformy weeklysessions,helpedmeget d1ings readyandorganiseddie nightbefore.\Xlell,before1 knew

it,Ihadstartedenjoyingthe sessions!Ilookedforwardto Wednesdays,andlevenmought aboutwhatI'd wear!

Thesharingandstoriesfrom othermun1smademefeelless alone:'lamnotd1eonlyone'. Mostmomerstherewereonantidepressantsalready.Theywere surprisedwhenIsharedd1atlwas nottakinganymedication,and matIhaddecided tobuildmy willpowertobeatthis.

GraduallyIbeganroseethe brightsideof mings.1started goingtomebeauticianand for coffeebymyself overthe weekend,leavingthelirdeone roplaywitliherdad,whogladly obliged.

Attheend of eightamazing weeks, mylittleonehadgrown

upandstartedgivingme smiles. ltallmadethepainof motherhood wormit.1organised amorningteawim thelovely motl1ersin thegroupandwe allrecappedourjourneyand shared howdungshadlookedup eventualJy.

Igotacontractfrommy Universitytomtorsmdentsone dayaweek,andthismademe feelabsolmelyelated.Asmuch asIlovedbeingamum,nowit wastimeforthegreycellsrobe stinmlatedandformeroembrace theoutsideworldandgiveback whatIlearnedasasmdent!My mothervisitedusbrieflytocare forhergranddaughter,andfinally wewentto1'1elbournewhen Ananyawassixmonmsoldto celebratelifeasnewparentsand

howwehademergedvictorious mroughtl1ewholepost-natal depressionjourney.

Lookingback,Icandefinitely saymatstickingaroundand fightingdiedepressionwas d1ebestthingIdid.Today,this incidentgivesmeimmense confidencetofaceadversityand I tellallthenewmtm1sImeet,or mnrns-ro-be,tonotbetoohard ontl1emselves,todependond1eir networkof friendsandfanuly,and call outforanyhelp-including jL1sthavingaconversation,vith anomeradult.

Newdadsplayareally importantparttoo;theymustbe supportiveandkeepreiterating whatagoodmumtl1eirwife makes.Believeme,itmakesa worldof difference!

Schoolsmusthelp thegrowthofresilienceand humility, notjustinstudents butalsointeachers andparents

0neof thebesr lessonsstudentscan learnatschoolis tounderstandthe issueandnature of entitlement.Thereareof courseverybasicentitlementsfor studentsthatshouldcharacterise everyclassroom:respectfrom theteacher,safetyfrombullying, astimulatingenvironment,and asenseof purpose,validation andorder.Theseaspectsof entitlementareenrirelyappropriate, thoughsometimesabsent. A teachercanrespecttheseaspecrs of entitlementbypreparingfor lessons,becominganexperton theirsubjectmatter,developing ongoingskillsinpedagogy,and throughlearningtobelievein thestudentstheyreach.Most classroomscelebrateth.isformof entitlementasanextensionof tl1e humanright toaneducation.

However,thereareaspects to entitlementaspracticedin schoolsthatcancreatearrogance, reduceresilience,encourage selfishnessandengenderafalse senseof security.Theseaspects of entitlementareevidencedin theapproachsometeacherscan havetotl1eclassroomandmeir students, andthatsomeparents canhavewitl1respecttoschools.

Negativeaspectsof entitlement canbeseenwhenlazyteachers 'outsource'learningtostudents. Thiscantaketheformof endless lessonsbasedaroundthe'readand summarise'approach.Negative entitlementcanalsobeseenwhen areacherhasasenseof ownership overaparticularclassroomspace eventhoughanotherreachermay needtl1espace.Thissenseof entitlementisparticularlyselfish whentheroominquestionis neededforastudentwhocannot climbthestairsduetorecent surger)'-butisnotgivenup.

Entitlementcancomeacross

inasubtlemanner.Forexample, teacherswhohaveapracticeof failingcocleanawhiteboardina roomtheyhavejustused,orwho failcoensureaclassroomisleft tidy,appeartobeparticularlyselfcenrredandlackingina\vareness of otl1ers.Herethesenseof entitlementextendscoasense of space.Moreover,thereare teacherswhowillnotreplyto emails,takeweekstomarksmdent

workandwhoareonlyavailable outsideof classforveryrestricted times.

Noclongagol wasonalunch breakataninterstateconference whenIwasmarkingworksent byasmdentviaemailduring theholidays.Asenioreducator chidedmeandsaidthatIwas settingaverypoorexample. Sheaddedthatteacherswho ranextraclassesintheholidays forstudentsweretrndermining theprofessionbecauseteachers deservedholidays.Thenextdaya majornewspapercarriedastory celebratingateacherwhowas runningholidayclassesatschool forherYear12students,priorco majorexams.Ishowed tl1earticle tothecriticwhoshookherhead andsaid,"Thatteacherisplacing herself indangerforbeing called apaedophile."Sadly,thiscritic wasinaseniorpositionwithinan educational institution.

Theselfishsenseof entitlement asrecountedhereandpracticedby someteachersprovidesanegative role-modelforstudentsaboutthe

namreof workandthenatureof a'professional' person.

Parentssometimescanalso domings,orbringanattitude thatbringsouttheworst,froma skewedsenseof entitlement. Here Iamdistinguishingbetweenall responsiblepiuentswantingwhat isbestfortheirchildandmore broadly foraUchildren,whilst understandingthelimitationsof resources,time,andenerg)

Fromtl1eperspectiveof parents,theworseaspectsof entitlementareevidencedbya sensemattheircluldmustbein aparticttlarteam,competitionor class.lecanalsobeseenwhen aparentcannotbeartheirchild beingdroppedfromanextension classorextracurricttlaractivicy, eventhoughthechilddoesnot meritbeingthereandanomer childis moredeserving.

egativeentitlementcanalso taketl1eformof unreasonable expectations. ltcanbeseenwhen aparentdoubleparksin frontof cheschool,placingmecluldren of otherfamiliesindanger.It

canalsocomewhenthereisa demandforattentionbutno commensurateunderstanding whenlimitedresourcescannot fulfilleverydemandimmediately. Amisplacedsenseof entitlementisalsoevidentintl1e atcicudeof somesmdents.This canbeseenwhentheyseem unabletoadapttocircumstances matarisequiteoftenandare predictable,suchasafailurein technology.Itisalsoevident whenmeyarehastytocomplain whenexpectationsarenotmet, cannotworkif thereisnoair conditioningorarereluctantto workwithothers,shareideas,time orspace.Theseindicatealackof resilienceandalackof humility. Resilienceandhumilityare charactertraitsthataneducation shouldinstil,fosterandgrow.

Asense of entitlementthatis misplaced,arrogantlyasswned ornottemperedbyempatl1y, patienceand kindness,orthatis poorlyrolemodelledb)'teachers andparents,isLikelytoundermine whatatrueeducationcanprovide.

GourmetGir

AtouchofHolimasti extends tothekitchen

Therollingpins were out withavengeance asalargegroupof fun-lovingwomengor togethertocelebrate Holibylearningtocooksome traditionalandmodernsweets.

Therecipesandi11strucrions wereprovidedbywell-known hobbycookSuneeriMisrafrom Rowvilleandtheeventwashosted byDrInaTakkaratherresidence inGlenWaverley.

Anaproncompetitionwasheld wid1someubercooldesignson displayincludingones thatsaid, BemylambchopandIhavePMS (Power.i\foney.Sex).Thewinning apronwasasizzlingpin-upgirl designdonnedbySanjoo

KohlifromWheelersHill.

Sharingrecipesandcooking wimgoodcompanywasgreatfun. Itwasalsoatimetotall,,socialise andcatchupwidieachocher.

Cookingwimlotsof laughter andgoodconversation around you,neverfailstolightenupme mood.Agreattimewashadbyall.

SuoeetiMisrasharesmerecipes wimourreaders.

''Cookingwith lotsoflaughter andgood conversation aroundyou,never failstolightenup themood

1 cup almondmeal

1 cup sugar

2 ½ cupmilkpowder

600 ml thickened cream

1 tsp green cardamom powder

!•• •

Mixalltheingredientstogether

Placein asiliconcontainerand microwaveforabout8minutes atmediumor60%power.

Takeoutandstir.Putbackin microwaveforafurthereight minutes.

Repeatafterstirringoruntilthe milkcaketurnspinkishbrownin colour. Allowtocool andcutintopieces.

Fordough:

1 cupself-raisingflour

2cupsmilkpowder

400ml thickened cream

Forfilling:

100gmsgreenpistachio, soakedin waterandpowdered

1 tspgreencardamompowder

Pinchsafuon

Forsyrup:

1 kgsugar

750ml waterforsyrup

Tomakefilling, mixallingredients together.

Tomakethesugarsyrup,boil water and sugartogetheruntil one-string consistencyisreachedwhen aspoon isliftedofffromit

Tomakedough,knead togetherselfraisingflour, milkpowderandcream untilaroti-dough-likeconsistencyis reached.

Dividedough intoequalpartsand shapeintoballs.Flattenand putfilling insideand shapethemintosausages.

Deepfrytill goldenbrown and dunk theminthe boiling sugarsyrup. Coverwith lid andleaveforten minutes.

Takeoutcarefullyand allowtocool downbeforecutting intohalves.

It's anunlikelycombination,buttrythe sweet,juicyflavours ofa watermeloncurry

practicallydenotesanydishwhich basagravycoit.Andwhen die dishdoesnothave atraditional name,wecallitacurry.

Thisrecipeisforawatermelon curry.Yes,youheardright-a watermeloncurry;rindandall!

Wharisacurry?

Itisanageoldquestion thathasbeen debatedfar andbeyondwithno hope of an answerinsighrl

AsfarasWikipediagoes,rhere isadefinitivemeaningcoacurry: 'Cunyisadish111hose01igi11sarei,1 So11thandSoutheastAsiancuisines. Theco111,no11featureisthei11corporatio11 efcovrplexcombinationso spicesor herbs,11s11alb1inc/11dingfreshord,ied hotchillies.'

Now,the hisroryof thecerm 'curry'isalsoveryinreresting.The wordwascoinedbytheBritish Rajforthethick,meatystews charwere resplendentwithspices andherbs.Somesaythatthisis derivedfromtheTamilword'k.an' whichusuallydenotesmeat.So if youheaddowncoTamilNadu andsaykari,itacn1allymeans meatpiecesratherdian'curry'. There areacoupleof otber explanationstoo,butallof rl1ese arevague andindisagreement, soIguesswewillneverknowthe realhistory.

Ir'sthesame storywith'curry powder'.Traditionally,Indians don'tuseanyspiceblendcalled currypowderwhiletherestof d1e worldusesitintonnes.

ForanIndian,acurry

Thiscurryisafarcryfrom the rich,spicygravies.The watermeloncurry isafamous dishof Rajasthaoandcanbe enjoyedwithbothph11/kas(Indian wheat Ratbread)andrice.

Yes,thereissweetnessfrom tbewatermelon,bur then there is awholelotof Aavourfromthe spicesthatpenetratedeepinto themelonpiecesrogiveyoua delicious,refreshingandlightdish.

Thisisacurrythatstandsas aperfectexampletothefact tbatspicesdonotmeanhearbut Aavour.The cumin,caromseeds, nigellaseedsanddriedchillies release alltheirAavourintothe oilandcutintothesweemessof themelonpieces.Thesoftrindof rl1e watermelonadds just the right amountof bite andtexturetoan other\Visesoftdish.

Themoscbeautifulpartof this curryisthe factthatyoucanuse the rindpartof the watermelon. Usuallycurourinchunksand thrownaway,thewatermelonrind canbedeliciousif cookediothe rightmanner.Itisju.icy,succulent andmoist,absorbingevery bitof tbe flavourlike asponge.

Nexttime,thinktwice beforecuttingawaytherind. Additcothecurriesthatyou make athome,vegetarianor non-vegetarian,andenjoythe deliciousnessof thehumble rind.

1kgseedlesswatermelonwithrind

2tbspvegetableoil

½tspajwain/caromseeds ½tspcuminseeds ½tspnigellaseeds(blackonionseeds) 3driedredchillies,brokenintosmallpieces 4clovesgarlic,finelychopped Salt,toseason

1/4tspturmericpowder

2tspfreshcorianderleaves,finelychopped I f

Cuttheouterdarkgreenlayerofthe watermelonrindkeepingtheinnerwhitishgreenrindintact.Removetheredfleshofthe watermelonfromthewhitishrind;diceboth separatelyandkeepaside.

Heatoilinapanandaddthewholespices; ajwain,cumin, nigellaanddryredchillies. Whenfragrant,addthegarlicandsauteon mediumheatforabout30seconds.

Addthewatermelonrindpiecesandturmeric powder,mixwellandseasonwithsalt.Cover and lookforabout6-7minutestilltherindhas brownedandsoftened.Donotaddanywater. Inthemeantime,blitzhalfthewatermelon fleshpiecesandkeepaside.

After7minutes,addtheblitzedwatermelon pulpand½cupwater;mixtocombineand cookcoveredtilltherindhasbecometender. Then addtheremainingfleshpiecesand cook onhighfor3-4minutes.

Garnishwithchoppedcorianderleavesand servewarm.

ecrossroa

LocatedattheborderofEuropeandAsia, theunderexplored Caucasus region isarichlyrewarding travelexperience

0ftenperceived asremoteand mysterious,the Caucasus region hassofarbeen neglectedbythetourismsector, butth.isscenarioisrapidly changing.Discerning travellers fromaroundtheglobehave startedpouringi.ncoth.isquarter, a crossroadsbetweenEurope andAsiabutvery differentfrom both.Richinhistory,nature andauthenticculture,ajourney throughthisancientland,which linkstheBlackSeawiththe CaspianSea,isrichlyrewarding. Dwarfedbythernajestic CaucasusMountainrange,the CaucasusregionborderingRussia, TurkeyandIran,todayprimarily comprisesthreecountries, Azerbaijan,GeorgiaandArmenia. Thedomainmayhaveformidable mountainbarriers,butitalso containsanexpansiveswathof valleyswhichonceformedan

importanttradecorridor,nowa majoroil-pipelineroute.

Thethreecountriesfeature geographicallysimilarlandscapes andshareformerSovietera legacieswitheachnationbeing partof theformerUSSR,but otherwiseeachnarionisvery differentincharacter,economy, lifestyleandevenin religion and policies.

Azerbaijan,whichisan enemyof Armeniabecauseof long-drawnborderdisputes, isaMuslim country,whilethe majority popularionof the othertwonationsareChriscians. Eachhascountryhasitsown charmsandthereisoppormnity tosamplesomeof chemwhile spendinggenerouscimeineach of thecapitalcicies- Baku,Tbilisi andYerevan.

Glittering Baku

ABritishtravel writeronce dubbedoil-richAzerbaijan's capitalcityBakuas"Dubaiof the Caucasus".It'sbardtodisagree whenlookingatthecity'sskyline, dominatedbyendlessskyscrapers, somecrownedwithgleaming glasstowersorrotundas.

Thisancientcity,which changedhandsseveralrimes

betweenPersiaandRussia, becamegloballyprominent duringthemid19thcentury whenoildrillinginAzerbaijan wascommercialised.Thisledro amassiveinflm(of entrepreneurs fromRussiaandotherpartsof the globetoBaku,includingthewellknownRothchildsandNobeJs beingan1ongthem.Theoilbarons builtanewcityingrandEuropean stylewithopulentpalaces, mansions,theatresandopera housessurroundingthesleepyold quarter. Progresspausedduring Sovietera,butbaslaunchedagain sinceindependencein 1991. Th.iscirne21stcenmrymodern attributesbridgetheworldof anciqueswonders.

Thekeyattract.ioninBakuis theOldCity,aWorldHeritage sitehemmedinby thewa.llsof amedievalfortresswhichhouses 15thcenturypalaces,mosques, mausoleumsandtraditional markets.Fromthetopof theold stonetower,agreatviewof the eat.irecityandtheCaspianSeais available.Azerbaijanisfamousfor carpetsandavisittotheCarpet _Museumisworthy.Aftersundown Bairnismagicallyilluminated, parricularlytheFou.ncainSquare areawherelocalsgathertoshop,

eatandsocialise. Scholarsclain1chatAzerbaijanis thebirth placeof fire-worshipping Zoroastrians.TheAtesgahFire Temple,around30kmfromthe city-centre,standsonthesiteof anamralgasventthatwassacred toZoroastrians,buttheedifice thatstandstodayissaidcohave beenbuiltby lndianslivingthe.re duringearly 18thcenmry.Many inscripcionsinSanskritbear cescimonycochisnot.ion.

ModestTbilisi

Georgiansarewell knownfor theirloveof drinkandpartying. LegendsayswhenGodwas distr.ibucinglandamongthe peoplefroma.llovertheworld, Georgiansmissedoutbeingtoo busyca.rousing.Bueafterthey invitedtheCreatortotheparty, heenjoyedhimself soin1mensely thatbegavethen1 thechoicest sporonearthhehadoriginally reservedforhimself.Edgedbythe snow-cappedCaucasusMountain ononesideandtheBlackSea coastlineontheocher,andwith lushgreenspreadsinbetween, Georgiaistrulybeauciful. Like Kerala,itcanaptlyclaim robe

Above:Azerbaijan Mosque;Sanskrit scriptureatthefire templeIn Baku;Republic Squareatnight

Top:Tbilisiatdusk;

AboveLtoR:mountainous Armenia;Sundayritualinside Tbilisicathedral;Fountain SquareBaku

"God'sown country".

Thenation'sfascinating historyrevealsamixtureof influencesfromTurkey,Russia, PersiaandCentral Asia,deeply reflectedinitsculture,cuisine and architecture.Muchof itcan be experiencedincapitalTbilisi, anoldleafysettlementcentredon theMtkvariRiver.

TheOldTown,whereTbilisi beganitshumblejourney,is tlJemostcaptivatingquarterto explore.It'sstrewn wid1centuriesoldcentral-domedchurches, mosques,andsynagogues,sulphur baths,whichmadeanimpression onfamouswriterslikePushkin andDctmas,andafortress displayingTbilisi'sdefensive brilliance.

Thebestof atmospheric OldTowniscapturedwhen wanderingthroughicsmazeof twisted,cobblestonedalleyways fullof hiddencourtyardsand 19thcenmryhousesfitted wiilimulticolouredandhighly ornamented woodenbalconies, somestretching atjaunty angles. 1nbetweenthesehousesare smallcafesandwineshopswhere elderlylocalsarereadyconarrate scoriesfromd1eSovieterawhen oneof Georgia'srnostfamous sonsJosephStalinruledilieirland fromnearbyi'vloscow.

Enigmatic Yerevan Fromatouristyangle,Armenia isrega1dedasiliejewelinthe crownof Caucasus.It'sfromhere youcanglimpsethelegendary MotmcArarat,saidtobeilie finalrestingplaceof Noah'sArk. FullofBiblicalstories,theland aboundinginexoticnamreof wild mountai11s andflomishii1g\Talleys isthefirstChristiancountryin meworld,withseveralancient monasteriesandchurchesstanding astestimonyof thisbelief.

ArmeniahasJonghada connectionwithlndia.Long befored1ePortuguese,Dutch andtheEnglishlandedinIndia, manyArmeniansmovedtoIndia fortradeandtheirsettlement peakedduringme17thcenmry, particularlyinKolkacaand Cbennai.TherearestillArrnenian churchesandcemeteriesin tl1esetwocitieswimstreets andbathingghatson Hooghly Riverin Kolkatanamedafter .Armenia.Thislongtermbond placesvisitorsof lndianorigin inawelcomingenvironment amongilielocals,aswithoutfail theelderlyreminisceaboutRaj Kapoorfilmsandsongsthey watchedandlistened toduringme

Sovietdays.Buskersonstreets playingpianoaccordionswill invariablyplay"merajucahai japani butdi!hindustani"as soonasmeyseesomeonelikeme passingby.

AmongtheilireeCaucasus capitals,Yerevandisplaysthemost Sovietlegacy,overtlyevidentat ilieRepublicSquare\,,here the city'sheartheats.FormerlycaUed Len.inSquare,iliedomainis encircledbyanensembleof grand buildingsliketl1eNationalArt GalleryandtheHistoryMuseum, whereStalinistscalemeets Armenianstyleinhugeyellow andcreamedificesoverlooking bloomingflowerbedssprinkled withwaterfromcisingfountains. Aftersundowntl1ebrightly illuminatedprecinctbecomes likeacarnivalsitewithlocalsand visitors,surrounding cafes,bars andrestaurants allextremelybusy servingarangeof cuisineand beveragestoaddtothemood.

Christianityarrivedherenot longafteriliedeailiof Christ. Overtimetherulersof ilie landbuiltseveralcathedrals andmonasteries.Moseof mem haveaconicalroof resembling

MountArarat.Thehistory, arch.itecmreandscenic settingsof theseshrines standtodayasamajor touristdrawcardforthesites of Yervan,tl1eEchmiadzin Cathedral,betterknownas MoilierCad1edralof Armenia, KhorVirapl\fonasteryand Gegha.rdMonastery NovisittoArmeniaiscomplete wiiliouttastingitsfamousbrandy. It'ssaidChurchilllikeditsomuch tharStalinusedtogifthimseveral caseseveryyear.Manyjokingly questionif thatwasanyreasonfor theSoviet-Englishallianceduring \>forldWarIl!

GETT!NGTHERE FyEmrates(www.emrates.com)toDubaiandthenFyDubai (www.flydubai.com)toBakuandreturnfromYerevan.FyAzerbajanArlines(www.azal.az)from BakutoTbilsandthenbyroadfromTbilisitoYerevan.

WHERETO STAYCentralParkHotel(www.centralparkhotebaku.com)inBaku ShardenHotel(www.hotelsharden.com)inTbilisandAniPlazaHotel(www.anihotel.com)inYerevan. EATINGThecui�nehasMiddeEasterninfluences;varetesofmeatkebabs,piafandbread arecommon.IndianrestaurantsarethereaswelwthTajMahalnTbilsandVedanYerevanpopuar amongvstorsandlocas.

VISAS AustralianpassporthodersdonotrequireavsatoenterGeorga.ForArmeniavsa onarrvalsavaableatthearportandroadentryponts.ForAzerbaanvsasareavaiabe eectronicalybyappyingthroughAzerbajanMinstryofForegnAffars.

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Theseedyunderworld ofIndia'sfinancialand entertainmentcapitalhasprovidedfodderforaplethora ofbooks

hisgirlfriend,actressMonicaBedi. ThebooksistitledN{yNa111eis Ab11Sale111.

Whiletrawling throughbooks aboutMumbaia fewmonthsago, Iwasastounded bythenumberof bookswritten abouttheJ\fombaiunde1world, d1eircrimebossesandDons.So ubiquicousisd1eirpresence,both intheliteramreonthecityaswell asinBollywoodmovies,thatthis reviewerfeltitdeservedawhole column!

TheIvfombaiMaliahasoften beenromanticisedinBollywood movies;yetitstentaclesholdthe movieindustryinavice-likegrip andhasbecomeasmuchapart of Bollywoodasithasof the metropolisitself.Who hasnot heardof HajiMastan,Dawood Ibrahim,VaradarajanJvfudaliar (Varadabhai),KarimLala,Yusuf PatelorAbuSalem?

Thel11dianMafiabySrikanta KGhosh(1991)isoneof the earliestbooksonthesubject.le wasoneof theearliestexposes onthegrowinginfluenceof me mafiauptothattime,comprising broadlyof antisocials,gangsters, goo11das,musclemen,dadasand otherlumpenelementsof the underworld,thrivingoncrime andvice,onindustry,business, politics,educationandsociety atlarge.

Themostdefinitive contemporaryworksonthe subjectarethebookswritten bySZaidiHussain,whois aMumbai-basedcrimereporter whohadworkedwid1theIndian ExpressandMid-Dt!J His books includeFro111Dong,itoD11hai:Six Dec(/desl!ftheMu111haiMafia(Roli, 2012);Bl(/ckfod(!Y(Penguin2001); andTheMafiaQt1ee1SofM11111b(li (franquebar2011).InD011grito Dubai,hetracestherise(andfall) of themostfearedcrimebossesin Mumbai,fromHajii'vlastantothe D-Companythat was createdby theprotegesof DawoodIbrahin1. Thereaderwouldbesurprised colearnthatMastanwasmeson of apoliceconstable,whobuilt arwJ1ouredbillion-dollarempire thathenowcontrolsfromDubai andKarachi.ZaidiHussain'slatest bookisadetailedbiographyof awell-knownunderworldfigure AbuSalemwhoroseswiftlyfrom d1e ranksof theD-Company.His lifeistheverystuff of Bollywood movies:amancapableof extreme crueltyandextremepassionfor

WrittenwithJaneBorges,Zaidi Hussain'sMafi(IQueensoM11111hai isacompellingaccountof d1e womenof theunderworld:the wives,girlfriendsof mobsters, madamsof brothels,andother ambitiouswomenwhowere keentoscaletheheightsof notoriety:womenwhoactedas advisersbehindmescenes,or womenwhotookoverwhen their husbandswerekilled.One suchwasGangubai,agirlwho escapedfrom hersmallvillage tothestreetsof Mumbai and eventuallybecamethematriarch of Kamatbipura,Mumbai'sred lighcdistrict.

TheNfostD(111gero11sMm, i11the World(2008)isaninteresting biographyof DawoodIbrahim byGilbertKing.Thebook beginsbyjuxtaposingIbrahin1 andOsamabinLaden,andKing argueschatbinLadenisapauper bycomparison!The

FOREWORD BY VIKRAM CHANDRA -ti

adaptedbySanjay Gupta intothe movieShootoutat117(/dalascarring JohanAbraham;BlackFridaywas adaptedbyAnuragKashyapintoa movie,andafteracourtbattlewas releasedin 2004. MeenalBaghel, anotherinvestigativejournalist, wroteanaccountof asensational murderinMumbai,whichwas turnedintoamoviebyRajGopal VermacalledNotaLoveStOJy.

Mumbai'smafiaandthe underworldhavechangedand adaptedwiththefinancial capital'schangingcharacter. Theirbeginningscanbetraced backtotheearlyyearsof India'sIndependencewhen theMaharashtragovernment's prohibitionpolicy ledco bootlegging,andtheassociated businessof matka-anillegal gamblingracket.IntJ1e1960s, VaradarajanMunuswamyMudaliar (akaVaradabhai),HajiMastan andYusufPatelwerethebig players.Thecollapseof thetextile industryioMumbai aroundthat timeledcotheriseof Dawood Ibrahimandhiscohort.

former controlsamulti-billiondollar empireandhisDCompanyisone of themostpolitically connected gangsintheworld,controlling someof themostlucrativedrug andnuclearsmugglingroutes.The authortracesIbrahim'slinkswith theISIto1991,andallegesthat thecommunali:iotsunleashedin Mumbaiin 1993can beattributed cohis D Company; henowlives 'likeaIcing'in Karachi,andis purportedtOhavebailedout Pakistan'sCenualBankduringthe crisisin2000.Thereareseveral suchconnectionshedrawsinthe book,includingtheallegation thatIbrahimhadaroletoplayin thekidnappingof Daniel Pearl inPakistan,andworkedwithAQ Khanintheillegalsmugglingof nuclearmaterial.

Anothercrimereporterand Editorof Investigationsforlvl.id-

AuthorSZaidiHussain

Dtg•,whohadalsoworked withtheIndian Expressand Hi11d11stt111Times,Jyotirmoy Dey 0-Dey) wroteabook K£i/laas:AnA-ZGuidelothe U11der111orld,whichwas, astl1e titlesuggested,acomplete guidetothel\,fwnbaiMafia. Hewroteanotherbookcalled ZernDial,anexposeonpolice inforrners.Heamassedawealth of informationonthesubject by talkingtotl1epolice,gang members,informersandthedons memselves.Hisbooksalsogiveau exhaustivelistof euphemismsthat meunderworldusescooutsmart lawenforcers. (Thesewerelater usedbyVikramChandrawith greateffectinhisgangland-novel .\(lcredG(/J/les) SoclosewasJ-Dey tothetruththatmisfearless journalistwasshotdeadb)'four unknownhim1enin2011;hewas workingonhisthird bookon underworld(anditsconnectionto theoilmafia).

Bollywood'sfascinationwith theunderworld-despiteitsvice gripontheindustry today -has producedseveralmoviesfromthe abovebooks.Dong,itoDub(liwas

Thewatershedevent,however, istheSrockExchangeserial blastsof 1993thatleft257 deadandhundredsmaimed;it changedd1efaceof organised crimeinl\fombai.Untilthen,the underworldhadattractedHindu andMuslimunemployedyoud1s. DawoodIbrahim'sinvolvement intheserial blasts,howevet:, (promptedbytheISi,according toKing),changeditforever: mostHindus drewalinethere andlefthisgang.Histrusted lieutenantChocaRajanformed hisownganginSoutl1EaseAsia. Also,whereasmostof memob leadershadhailedfromMLm1bai anditssurroundsuntilthe'992; todaymostof diemcomefrom outsideMaharashtra,mostly fromUPandBihar,andtl1eiruse of k(lfas01andmadepistols) has proliferated.

Whereasoncegoldandsilver smugglingwaslucrative,today hm11alaandmoney laundering, illegaltradeinsophisticated armsandillicitdrugsare tl1e favouredactivitiesof organised crimeinMumbai. Extortion, filmfinancingandthesmuggling of computerparts arenow theirbreadandbutter. Dons arenolongersimplysatisfied withashareof profitsfromthe Bollywoodfilmindustry -they wantpartnerships,andasliceof overseastightsforfilmandmusic distribution.Their transnational linkagesimolegitimatebusinesses likehotels,realestateandtbe movieindustry,havemadeitmore difficultforlaw-enforcement agenciescoreinthemin.

Byfarthebest bookontheMumbai mafia. Anil Kapoor Ifitwasn'tforthis bookthere wouldbe no ShootoutatWada/a. Sanjay Gupta

S. HUSSAIN ZAID

TMETAWAIFGOESTOTMEBEERBAR

BARKHAA

STARRING: Sara Loren,Taha Shah, Puneet lssar, Priyanshu Chatterjee

DIRECTOR: Shadaab Mirza ***�).{

Pakeezahgoestothebeerbar.Or somesuchcaglinewouldserve thisfairlywatchablemelodrama's purposes.

Melodramaasagenrein Indiancinema hasgoneoutofvogue.Debutantdirector ShadaabJvlirzaweavesanemotionalyarn aboutagirl'sjourneyfromthepristine Himachalhinterlandintoabeerbarrunby anincrediblybenign SouthIndianmanwho couldbeoneof chosecaringmadamsinthe fiLnsaboutfallenwomensetinkotbas

Tohiscredit,thedirectordoesn't over-romanticisethebargirlBarkhaa's tumultuouslifestory,atleastnotinitially whensheisshowntobequireatease.

Thescenesshowingtherichpampered lawyer'sbesottedsonJacin(TahaShah,stiff andnotjustintheupper-lip)frequenting thebarrodartlovelornlooksathisobjeC[ of adoration aremerwithadisarmingmix of amusementandannoyancebyBarkhaa.

Thescenesfeaturingthemismatched couple'stragicgameof seductionin rhebar areeffectiveinpurringacrossasenseof incredulityaboutthecrueljokesplayedby destinyespeciallyinmoviesabour well,the crueljokes playedbydestiny.

Alargepartof rhefilm'seffectiveness dependsonleadactressSaraLoren,\\'ho isemotivelymotivated,understandsthe cameraandthepowerof heightened emotionsexpressedonscreen,andis powerfullyempoweredtoconveyawealth of emotionsthroughhereyesandvoice.

Buethefilm'sfinestperformancescomes fromAshieshRoyasdielevelheaded unbelievablykindbarowner.Royimparts anaturaleasetohisover-sweetenedpartin

afiLuwhereeverybodystrainstomakean impact.

Regrettably,Loren'sstrongperformance issaddledwithbizarrecoincidencesand unconvincingtwists andturnsinthe narrationwhichplotcodiminishherscreen presence.

Thestorytendstoveerdangerously closetothetheatrical,especiallyaftermidpointwhentl1eproceedingsbegintoveer absurdlyclosetotheoutrageous.

Yet,tl1ereisasemblanceof sincerityin thewaythelifeof bardancerishumanised withoutmakingherlookangelic.

Thefilmrefusesroglamoriseand caricamrisethebardancerthewayFarah KhandidinHapp)'Ne1vYear.

Arthesametime,tl1enarrativewon't tolerateabardancerbeingdubbeda prostitute.

There'samomentof terrificawakening whereAshiesbRoy'sbarowner's characterlashesoutatsomeonewho triestobuytl1eheroine'ssexualfavours foranight.

EventuallyBarkhaa'sworldbeginsto fallapart.The.same,unfortunatelyis trueof thefiLn.

Burintal@gthelifeof at0111aif fromourof theornatekothaintothe harshglareof thebeerbar,Barkbaa succeeds inportrayingacinematic journeyworthundertaking.

Thereisalsoareformistzealinthe scriptthatB.R.Choprawouldhave approvedof inthe waythefilm's heroinsists onmarryingabargirl whoisamotherof alittlegirl.

If onlyreallifehadsuchsolutions toofferdistressedwomenandvictimsof socialhypocrisy.

Bark./;aarainsdownarhapsodyof drama andromance.Aheart-warmingactimes, touchingtaleof aninnocentgirl'sjourney intotl1eworldof deceit,compromiseand corruption,itechoesRajKapoor'sRa111Teti

Ganga1'1ailiandKamalAmroh.i'sPakeezah inthewaytherespectablegenteelupper classisshowncoexploitwomenofmeagre 1neans.

SaraLorenisnoJvfeenaKumari.Burshe killsthepartmuchbetterthanMandakiniin

RajKapoor'sfeveredfable. Breastsare leftbehind.ThisGangais nor111ai/i.Justmaligned.

SUBHASH K.JHA

ARIES tvlarch 21 - April 19

This month you will be concentrating onthe relationship area of your life.Things may have been a little stressful last month, but you will beplanning some special nights in or out Children may causeyou someconcern, as there may be some issuesthat need your attention. Plan ahead with any business ideas, there will be paperworkthat needs your attention.The cards are indicating a time when you will bethinking about re-decorating.

TAURUS April 20 - tvlay 20

Loveisinthe air for you this month and you will wantto takeyour romanticinterest tothenextlevel.Youarefeeling sexy and full of passion.This is also a wonderful timeto spend time and energyon yourcareer.You will be rewarded and recognised foryour efforts. The cards are showing that you will do bestto avoid excessive drinking and heavy foods. A positive time with financial stability and progression

GEMINI tvlay 21 - June 20

This month you will belooking ata clearout.There will be afeeling ofwantingtothrow outtheold and bring inthenew.Youwill be making somemajorplansaround your property andtherecould besomethings thatneedyour attention.Yourpartnermaynotbe feeling too well, andthecards areindicatingatime when you will be planning arelaxingget away. Yourfinances are also improvinglater thismonth.

CANCER June 21 - July 20

There maybesome conflict intherelationship area ofyour life this month. Reconnect with your partner and spend somequality timetogether. Passion and renewal is needed.Workwill be a little demanding and yourcolleaguesmayalso beslightlyirritating. Thereare some who aretrying too hard to please your bosses There could bean increase in finances and a promotion. An eye check is needed so makea booking.

LEO July 21 - Aug 22

Thismonthyou will beplanning some parties and reunionswith friends you have not seen for some time.Work will bestressfulyou will berequired to workovertimeand will also be working todeadlines.Thecards areindicating that you need tostay clear ofany confrontationsor conflicts in theworkplace.There will be somefamily matters that need your attention.Youmayfeel a little fatigued and stressed out.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22

You seemtobeworrying aboutthings for no reason andthe month will startwith a lot ofstress and tension There is somegreatnews with regardtoyourwork/business, and you will definitely be making progresswith regardto projects and business associates Relationshipswill needsometender, loving care so make sure you ·,. takesome timeouttogetherand plan a short family breakThecards indicatethe purchaseofa new car.

LIBRA Sep 23 - Oct 22

This month you will be busycommunicating with yourfriends and relatives.You seemto bebuzzingaround likea social butterfly.There will be somelovely qualitytimespent with your loved ones. Lifehas beentreating you well latelyand youarefeeling quitehappyin your currentsituation. Thecardsare indicatingthatyou maybelooking to makesomeinvestments You will heedto makesomewise decisions regardingthefuture

SCORPIO Oct 23 - Nov 21

This month you willbesorting out your work situation.Therewill be someimportantdecisionsto makearound whatyou wantto do andthereis some confusion around whereyouarecurrently.The cards are indicating a timewhen you will be changing your mind quite a lotYou will get some good news about study and courses. You will betrying to savemoney.You arealso keen tofind a new partner

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 - Dec 21

Youneedtokeepyourappetite undercontrol, asyou will bequite tempted bytheadvances ofmembers oftheoppositesex.Atwork theremay besome interesting lialsons and encounters Thereare some department changes and youmaybeoffered an opportunity toprogress in yourjob.Finances will bestable and you will beable to save and make some large purchases. Supportyour partnerwho may befeeling unwell and stressed.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 19

This month you will befeeling hot and sexy.Your mind will be dizzy with love and pleasure. You will meet some interesting people and you may even starta relationshipwith someone who you meetby chance.There will besomefamily responsibility that needs attention. Property matters and paperwork need to be kept upto date.There will be some plansto travel. Finances will be getting better, but watchyourspending.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - !=eb 18

Your partner maybefeeling restlessand wantto make some changes intheircareer.Children will betheappleofyoureyethis month astheyproducesome excellent resultsat school.Therewill besome proud moments andprizes.Makesureyour car has had afull service asthereseem to beafew problemswithtyres.The cardsareindicating you will plan to makesomeimprovements in your garden area.

PISCES !=eb 19 - tvlarch 20

This monthyou will betryingto sort out someplanning and building regulationsforaproperty.Youmay haveto gothrough somequestionsthatwill betaxingand stressful.Therewillbesome interest inanother propertypurchasetoo.Workwill beinteresting astherewill besomeemployees leaving soon.Yourhealth needsto belookedafteras you have been sufferingfrom a lot ofstress lately. Start walking regularly

GUSI-IINGABOUTAGASI-IE

ON INDIAN LINK RADIO

He's a psychiatrist by profession,andalso awell-known actor in India's 'thinking'cinema andtheatrical circles (Nishant, Gandhi, Gangaajan. He's also had success in your regular commercial fillums (Trimurti,OilAashna Hai,Jism2).

Yet,thespian DrMohan Agashe revealed on Indian Link Radio recently,that hetakes itwith a grain ofsalt when people comeupto him with thedrab oneliner,"Aapkokahindekhahai(Seen you somewhere)''.

"Someactors areovershadowed bytheir stardom, while some letthe charactertakeover;'Dr Agashe said with characteristic humility and much wisdom.

In aleisurelychatwith broadcasterPriyankaTaterlive inthestudio,he spokearticulatelyaboutthebusiness offilms, the'psychology'offilms, and his experienceswiththe greats and the not-so-greats ofcinema.He also spokeof his latest work, thecritically acclaimed and award winning MarathifilmAstu (So beit)based on Alzheimer's diseasewhich he screened for a select audience in Sydney.

While hecleverly side-stepped queries about his timeworking withthe 'stars'(becausewhathappens on set, stays on set!), hewas morethan happy to juxtapose hisexperienceworking with"Manik Da"aka Satyajit Ray onthe one hand and Subhash Ghai on theother.

Way back in 1980, whileatwork on theDoordarshan telefilmSadgatibased on Munshi Premchand's book, veteran director Manik Da, Dr Agasherevealed, would haveeveryscenesketched out in detail on paper. Fifteen yearslater, you would assume,things would have beeneven moresystematic.But no! Working on Trimurti, all Mohan gotfrom director Subhash Ghai, was averbal description ofthescene,forgetaboutthescript!

And yes,this one definitely ought to be shared: Mohanji oncearrived on set at 9.30am as instructed, onlyto start work afull twelve hours later at9.30pm, because"Ghaisahabscenelikhraheythey!"

Nevertheless, Dr Agashemadeit clearthat though meaningful cinema is like a nutritiousdietensuring a person's creative andmental wellbeing,"Bollywood potboilers"are equally needed,forsomespiceandfun in life.

His own MarathifilmAstu daresto deal with the subject ofAlzheimer's, in a heart-wrenching story ofa daughter and herfather (played by Mohan) who suffersfromthedisease.

"Ifyou loveyourparents,thenthis is afilmforyou,"Dr Agashesaid ofthe film.

"Dr Agashe literally swept meoffmyfeet,"Priyankasaid later.''Theartist in him refused totake a backseat, as his histrionics were in full play off-air, while thesongswere playing. He wastapping hisfeet, shaking his head and shoulders,rolling hiseyesand enjoyingeverybit ofthe music:'

Ofcourse hisexperteyekepta close watch on Priyanka as she deftly handled thelisteners'questionsand keptthepaceofthe interview going.

And when hepassed'judgment'on his interviewer- "Seasonedho,"- she knewshewould value itfora verylongtime.

Yourchoice

So you've all seenMyChoice, HomiAdajania'sfilm about women's empowerment, starring thebeautiful Deepika Padukone, forVoguemagazine's social initiativeon women.You've shared it on Facebook andTwitter (no doubt with the message"So inspiring!"or"GoDeepika!"or some such), impressed withtheslickly producedblack-and-whitetwominuteproduction thattellsusthat women havechoices.

And now, you find yourselfbelieving the non-believers.

Is awoman's choice only about body size, wearing skirts, coming home at4am,and sexual and reproductive decisions?

What about rape,femalefoeticide, domestic violence, workplace harassment, paygap,theintrusive male gazeor all thoseotherissuesthata woman hasto dealwith every day?

Aman, making a film on women's empowerment? And a magazine that commodities women, making a statement on empowerment?

Strange choices indeed

Oddcouple

Deepika Padukone andVarun Dhawan?

Strangechoice Oops, sorryfor repeating ourselves here!

Thetwo, it is rumoured, will feature in the Hindi adaptation ofpopulartearjerkerTheFaultinOurStars, made by, surprisesurprise, Homi Adajania again!

"Idon'tthinkitis an unusual pair," Homi said recently. "It's afresh pairing both actors areyoung and I thinkthereis a nice organicbalance between thetwo:'

Whatever that means.

In any case,thefilm-maker continued, the film is still inthe scripting stage, and he will only finalisethe castwhen the final draftis ready.Thestory is only based on thefamous Hollywood production, with afresh scriptbyDineshVijan.

"It is notgoingto go out before next October, so it is prematureto discuss (casting) now,"hesaid.

Afterthatinitial scepticism he's probably rushing backto the drawing board to rethinkhis, er, choices (someone pleasestop usfrom using that term again and again when it comesto Homi!)

Nothurtingreligious sentiments

Therehavebeen reportsthattheCentral Board ofFilm Certification (CBFC) invited religious leaders forthe screeningof DharamSankatMein, a movethatthe film's lead actors Paresh Rawal and Naseruddin Shah sayisabsurd.

TheBoard'sreasoningseemsto be that ifthereligious leaders (including a Muslimmaulvi and a Hindu pandit) give the film a"clean chit"beforecertification, it would savethem and thefilm-makers fromcontroversieslater.

Theplotline ofDharamSankatMein revolves around Hindu man Dharampal (Paresh) who goesthrough an identity crisis when he discovers hewas adopted as a child and born to a Muslimfamily.

Naseeruddin Shah, who will beseen

K.AL.K.l K.OECHL.IN

as a guru ofaspiritual organisation in theupcoming satirical comedy, says no religion or group will find anything objectionable in thefilm as"whatever is shown in it isfactual and correct''.

"Wehave taken care ofsentiments ofall the religions and groups. We are not mocking religion inthefilm butthe people who have made religion a source oftheir business,"theactorclarified.

Anofficial Hindiadaptation ofBritish satireTheInfidel,thefilm also stars Annu Kapoor.

Directed byFuwad Khan,Dharam SankatMein is slated for release on April 10.

Naseeruddinmaypentell-all onBollywood

Afterhis memoirAndThenOneDay, which has been verywell-received by critics and public alike, veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah is now all setto do an encore-this time an unflinchingly honestexpose ofpeoplein thefilm industry.

"I dothinkthe mostinteresting phase ofmylife hasbeencovered.The rest is smooth-sailing.Nowwhat I can do is a treatiseon myexperiences in thefilm industry. I don'tthinkthat's a bad idea," said Naseeruddin.

"There are manythingsthatI do want to sayaboutthefilm industry. I might writeit in thethird-person.Then I'd have the rightto be more candidwithout being diplomatic orhurting egos;'he added.

The65-year-old sayshenever expectedthefirst partto beso wellreceived.

"I thoughtthey'd be extremely skeptical about an actortryingtowrite. I never thought the bookwould sell as much as it did in mycountry, orthatthe Indian critics would be anythingbut condescendingtowards it."

Not that this actor-extraordinaire ever doubted his writing abilities.

"I knewthatthose who cared to readthrough myaccountwould like it. Constructing sentences properlyand writing essays have been mystrong points rightfromschool days. I did know I had a certain abilitywithwords.So I knew

I wouldn'tgetwhippedbythecritics'.'

Hmm, an exposeon the workings of the industry, coming from an art-house bigwig. Cab weexpect some pole-khole type material?

Certainfilmsneedsupport morethanbusiness

Anotherart-housetypepersonalityhas been inthenews recently, andnotjust forher upcoming divorcefrom director Anurag Kashyap.

Kalki Koechlin's newfilmMargaritaWith AStrawis setfora nation-widerelease after doingthefilm-festival circuit.

It won anawardattheToronto International FilmFestival last yearand also earnedKalkitheBestActress Award attheTallinn BlackNights Film Festival.

Ithasalso been selectedtoopenthe NewYorkIndian Film Festival (NYIFF)on May4.

Starring Revathi and Sayani Gupta

DEEPIKA PADUKONE

besidesKalki and directed by Shonali Bose,Margarita isthepoignantportrayal ofa rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy wholeavesher homein India tostudyin NewYork, unexpectedly falls in love and embarks on an exhilaratingjourneyofself-discovery.

'WhenShonali (Bose) e-mailed methe script, I immediately wrote backtotell herthat I loved it;'Kalki saidrecently."It scared the hell outofmethat shecould eventhinkthat I could do this!"

Shonali says shepicked Kalkiforthis special role because sheis a"risktaker and willingto push herself''.

Oneofthe industry's most powerful couples Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao have got behind thefilm toensureitgets a good screening country-wide.Thepair haveoften helped support smallbudget films likethis onethat arepushing the boundaries ofcinema in contemporary India, in theprocess givingthe industry

WMOWORE IT BETTER?

some much-needed international exposure.

Kalki declared atthetrailer launch that such support matters moreto herthan boxofficecollections orthestamping of her film as a hit or aflop.

Meanwhile,theacclaimed Bengali directorrues how mainstream Hindi film-makers do not show a willingnessto movebeyond thetried and tested.

"We have such talented actors in the industry here but our directors and producers do not givethemthe challengesthattheyare upfor;'the seven-timeNational Award winner said.

ToseeifKalki has risentothe challenge, we'llhaveto waituntil thefilm releaseson April 17.

WhatTweetyBirdtoldusthis week

Matchthestarstotheirtweets:

Farah Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Nargis Fakhri, Ranveer Singh, KaranJohar, Shilpa Shetty, PriyankaChopra.

"ByebyeNYC Mumbaicalling Yay!Can't waittobehome!!"

''AnAirbuscrashes cricketmatch hysteria nationsawardcelebrations!Life istrulyapendulumoscillatingbetween KhushiandGham "

"OKAAAYYY!14millionontwitter

!!20milliononFB 3millionon Blog 40MILLIONhereICOME!!!! BADDDOOOOMMBA!!!!"

"TravellinghomewtmewasAryankhan. Gaurin@iamsrktakeabow,whatawell broughtupgentlemanheis,waitd4my bagsnescortedme2mycar"

"VideofromBajrangiBhaijaanshoots" ''Atthe#FeminaMisslndia2075asajudge:) WearingMonishaJaising,earringsfarah Khan andringsrootsatelier"

"Incaseyoumissedit-my'Amazeballs BollywoodRewind';) enjoy!"

''Aspermedia,apparentlyadinnercrowd ofBatapizzaplaceisthesameasa'quiet dinnerataplushsobohotel."'

Malaika Arora Khan or Marion Cottillard in Christian Dior?

ShareyourviewswithusonourFacebookpage /lndianLinkAustralia

"HeyguysI'monthecoveroftheApril issueof@vogueindia!Catchmyexclusive interview "

Nowyou Bollywoodjunkies outthere (you know who you are), this should be easy for you.

:.41 NASEERUDDIN SHAH

The world'sworstpolice?Checkouttheseworrying and disgracefultales

,a. BY . NURYVITTAC,.

IreallyhatethatEminem songthatusesapolicesi.ren asaninstrument Everytime it'sonthecarradioIhave aheartattack.Why arethe policefoUowingmeandwhycan't ] seethem?

HocTip:Make sureyoulook wildlyoffyourheadinyour driver'slicencephotosothat whentrafficcopsstopyouand checkit,thereal-lifeyou looks comparativelycalmandsober.

PoliceareonmymindafterI sawanewsitemaboutcopswho raidedabrothelandfoundfour colleaguesusingic.

Thereallybadthingwasthat theembarrassedofficerswere supposedcobeonanimportant assignmenttakingamurderer fromjailcoaclinicandback. TherealJy,really badthingwas thatduringthearrests,murderer BaijuYadavslippedawayintothe nearb)'rownship(thishappenedin WestBengal,lndia).

Thereally,really,reallybadthing wasthatthemurderervoluntarily returnedtotheprisonthatnight andcoldpolicebossesthathewas agoodguywhohadn'twanted rogocothebrothelbutthe nastycopsforcedhimto.\X'hen aconvictedmurdereristelling peoplethatinhisopinionyou andyourmatesareseriouslybad dudes,yourreputationsarepretty much shot.

1wasspeakingwithsome friendsandtoldd1emthatthiswas d1eworst"badcops"taleI had heardforawhile,butd1ey allcried toropic.

The Americansaid diat New Yorkjudges weresohorrifiedby thecorruptionofbadcopLouis Eppolitochathewasjailedfor "lifeplus100years",sotechnically speakingjailerswillhavetokeep hiscorpsebehindbarsfora cenmry.Imaginetheconversation in,say,theyear2100."\Xfho'sin cellnine?""Eppolito'sskeleton. He'sabitonthequietside."

TheAmericanalsocoldme aboutaUSpolicemannamed JonathanGarciawhousedtosell drugswhileinuniform.Wonder whathisstandardlinewas?"Come omwirnyourhandsupandcheck outtheseitemsavailableatalow,

lowpriceifyouactnow."

TheHongKongpoliceforce isangelicallypurenowbutused cobebad.OneComrnissioner ofPolicewasofficiaUydescribed as"anexcellentlawenforcement officer",cheonlystain onhis copybookbeingthatherana stringofbrothelsindiestreet ne.xrcopoliceHQ.

In l971,HongKongcivil servantsdecidedtocheckoutthe personalpropertyacquiredbya suspiciouslyAashypolicesergeant namedHonSum:they foundhe had afortuneinthebank,two limousinesand49homes.

Being amale-doi:ninatedgroup,

KnowThyself as Soul

Who am I? Where do I comefrom? Where am I going?

Sant Matis a practicalandnatural pathtoself realisaton.

The meditationonthe inner LightandSoundcombined withan ethical lifestyle builds thefoundationto experienceand strengthenthe connectionwith the innercoreofour being, the soul.

Sant BajitSingh teaches this meditation to people searching for adeepermeaning in life.

Weekly spiritual gatherings (satsangs) are availablein mostmetropolitan areas.

KnowThyselfas Soul Foundation is a non-profit incorporated association. Itoffers ts services freeof charge.

ourconversationquicklyescalated intoa"myofficialsarecorrupter thanyours"contestThemainland Chineserepresentative,who alwayshascobenumberonein anydiscussion,heldupcorrupt officialLaiChangxingwhostolea world-beating$10billion,buthe wasbeatenbylndonesia'sSuharto, withanestimatedcakeofmore than$15billion.

Meanwhile,ifpoliceDOstop youforspeeding,lcancertifyd1at attemptstotalkyourwayoutof troublewithsciencedon'twork: "Ifwefactorintl1e1,600km/h speedoftheearth'srotation,we're allspeeding,right?"

AFL ISBACKONAPR/l 2

AustralianFootballisAustralia'sonlyIndigenousgame.Itisaunique gameutilisingmanyskills.ItisafavouriteAustralianpastime, attractingpeoplefrommanydiversebackgroundsfromaroundthe countryandisgenerallyregardedbytheplayersandspectatorsasthe greatestgameofall.

Spectacularhighmarking,penetratinglongkickingandnon-stopactionare featureswhichdistinguishAustralianFootballfromothersports.

Aregulargameconsistsof80minutesplayingtimedividedintofourquarters.The startandendofeachquarterissignalledwithasiren.Thegameisplayedbytwo teamsconsistingoftwenty-twoplayersbutonlyeighteenplayersareonthefield atanyonetime.

Thereare18AFLteamsspreadoverfivestatesofAustralia.Everystatehave2 teams,withtheexceptionofVictoriawhichhas10.Matchesareplayedinallstates andterritoriesofAustralia.

TheAFLseasonconsistsofapre-seasoncompetition,followedbya23rounds regularseasonwhichrunsduringtheAustralianwinter,fromApriltoSeptember culminatingintheToyotaAFLGrandFinalwhichisheldattheMelbourneCricket Groundeveryyear.

The2015ToyotaAFLPremiershipSeasonstartsonApril2withanumberofmatches takingplaceacrossthecountry.Tocelebratethereturnoffooty,theAFLhave introducedanumberoffuninitiativesaimedatwelcomingnewfanstoourgame: Kidsundertheageof15getfreeentrytoSundaygamesinMelbourne Spectatorswillbeallowedtohaveakickonthegroundatspecificmatches throughouttheyear

TheWoolworthsAFLplaygroundwillbeopen60minutespriortoeachgamewith loadsoffunandfreeactivitiesandgiveaways

Tofindoutmorevisitafl.com.au

'GlobaI viIIage'. It's a term we hear aImost every day. It means that our world is now virtually one single community, brought together by rapid advances in things like travel. telecommunications and the internet. And to successfully compete economically with other nations in this global village, and to stay one step ahead. Australia needs to develop its infrastructure.

This means investing in better roads. Better raii. And better technology to connect it all. Italso means we needto start planning now as to how we're going to pay for it all.

One way is to look at growing our economy in new and innovative ways. And another is to export our world-leading health, education, communication and financial services across the globe.

Thisis one of the key discussion points raised by Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, renowned Australian scientist and author, in a recently filmed talk on the 2015 Intergenerational Report.

To see Dr Karl's talk, and to form your own view, search Challenge of Change.