Indian Weekender, November 20, 2015

20 November, 2015 • Vol. 7 Issue 35 • www.iwk.co.nz

NZ’s first Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper

The pulse of Kiwi-Indians

Jonah Lomu 1975-2015

Saeed Zaffrey 1929-2015

Paris | Beirut | Baghdad

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CONTENTS

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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NEW ZEALAND

Pg 5

Richie McCaw announces his retirement

Pg 17

OPINION/EDITORIAL India’s FDI policy regime change welcomed

Pg 22

SPECIAL FEATURE

Be the peace you want to see in the world

INDIA

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo crosses Rs 100-crore mark

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Hot air balloon festival held in Agra

Pg 26

BOLLYWOOD

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Pg 30

FACE OF THE WEEK In conversation with Sehar Moughal

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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25 years of Indian heritage on New Zealand soil

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Kumar Suresh

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n the early 1900s, when the first Indians landed on the shores of this unknown new country, little did they know what awaited them. The cold weather, new language and culture, openly practised discrimination were only a few hindrances among many, but what stood out was the perseverance and mettle of these courageous people who had sailed 18,000 km from their homeland on ships. When Indians in Auckland decided to come up with the Auckland Indian Association in 1921, never in their wildest imagination would they have thought that the organisation would grow into an enormous umbrella for Indians for generations.

On November 15, Auckland Indian Association celebrated the 25th anniversary for its Mahatma Gandhi Centre. A multipurpose community facility built more than two decades ago stands today as a symbol to testify the solidarity of Indians in this country. A donor’s dinner organised

by Auckland Indian Association was attended by many from the organisation who have financially and otherwise backed the project.

One could hear the attendees recounting the story of Mahatma Gandhi event centre at almost all the tables. An elderly gentleman, who out of modesty refused to be named in the paper said, “It was 1989,

Above: MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi with all secretaries Inset: Leslie Roy Mills, former Auckland City Mayor, lighting the lamp

and I donated $3,000. I still remember I was totally broke and personally, I was under a lot of financial stress at that time, but I wanted to contribute and I did. Now I see 25 years of this beautiful hall and I feel overwhelmed.”

The transformation of the old Findlays Bakery to the current Mahatma Gandhi Centre is an achievement in itself. The old building, which was bought by the association for 1.9 million dollars in 1990, sports a totally new look. The building that stands now is a posh hall, brimming with events and cultural activities.

The event saw the presence of Leslie Roy “Les” Mills, former Auckland City Mayor,

Hon. Phil Goff, Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Dr Paramjeet Parmar and others as guests.

Les Mills, honorary member of Auckland Indian Association said, “The hall is one thing and the place of worship, the Mandir is another, but it is the people who really make up the story. Not just the people who raised the money, but people who were part of every facet of the society, be it political, business or social. The Indian success in Auckland really comes from the love that Auckland has for the Indians and vice versa.”

While awards and mementos were given away to all the presidents, secretaries and treasurers of the association so far, each of

them s p o k e about the effort it took from the people at the helm to get the association to this height. The current Trustee Chairman, Kanubhai Patel, said, “The organisation has grown from strength to strength. We have gone through many transitions and have improved the facilities at our centre. I am proud to be a part of this system, and I congratulate and thank all presidents, secretaries, treasurers, executive members and volunteers for all their efforts.”

Hon. Phil Goff, one of the forerunners for the position of Auckland’s Mayor position, said, “This hall is a tribute to Auckland’s Indian community who have served so tirelessly to the city and our country. To think that the Auckland Indian Association was first formed in 1921 and to think how different the world was then to the Indian community in Auckland and when you compare that to today’s vibrant Indian community, we find that Auckland Indian Association has the same goals i.e., to keep culture, heritage and language alive for future generations.”

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Mahesh Bindra—taking the next step Red

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Maya Shivam

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t was an otherwise lazy Sunday morning, but one corner in Papatoetoe was buzzing with activity. This is now the newly-inaugurated office of Mr Mahesh Bindra, List MP, NZ First.

At the opening, among other things that stood out, was the number of people across various cultures that were there to support Bindra. To me, that said a few things: first and definitely the most important, it speaks of Bindra’s popularity and the support he has garnered in the community; and second, perhaps, a tilt away from National. The fairly spacious office was cramped with people who were there to cheer Bindra as he took the next step.

Winston Peters, the leader of NZ First, inaugurated the office and was at his charismatic best delivering an articulate speech as one would expect of him. He raised some important issues about the housing and employment crisis, especially in the South Auckland region. He spoke about the situation of the state housing and the damp and cold houses that have had an effect on people’s health. He spoke about the vision behind opening an office of the party in South Auckland stating four things that unite all people regardless of colour, background and religion: affordable housing, jobs, education and healthcare.

He said that there could be many other things that we could say are important but it is these four basic things that are important to people across the world, and it is these four things that need attention in the South Auckland area.

Mr Peters spoke about the time when New Zealand was the second country in the world in terms of income per person and stated that in comparison to the other growing countries of the world, New Zealand was static while these other countries were growing at a rapid rate. He also spoke about the law and order situation, gangs and organised crime and how people had to put up with it. He stated that NZ First was here to make a difference and

Clockwise from left: The celebratory cake, leader of NZ First Winston Peters giving a speech, and Mr Peters inaugurating the office with MP Mahesh Bindra.

Clockwise from below: Mahesh Bindra with the guests at the inauguration, Mr Winston Peters with the representatives of Sikh community and (left to right) Mr Mahesh Bindra, Winston Peters with the sword of honour and Prithipal Singh Basra.

that Mahesh Bindra would be the point of contact for people in South Auckland to reach out for their problems.

One of the other highlights of the event was the strong presence of the Sikh community and the presentation of the sword of honour to Mr Peters.

The guests were well looked after with good food and a constant stream of beverages.

A proud moment for the Indian community as one more MP of Indian origin establishes his place in the community. Here’s wishing Mahesh Bindra the best for the future and to making a positive contribution to the South Auckland community.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Richie McCaw

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hangs up his boots IWK Bureau

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ll Blacks captain Richie McCaw announced his retirement from rugby at a press conference held in Wellington on Thursday, November 19.

“I guess I made no secret this year that this would be my last,” said McCaw. “It didn’t feel final until, perhaps, right now.”

“I’m hanging up my boots having accomplished everything I could have ever dreamed about in the game. Knowing that I was able to end my career by helping the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup Final is a hugely satisfying feeling,” he added.

After the All Blacks won the Rugby World Cup this year, McCaw kept quite insisting that the country and his team should continue celebrating their second victory in a row.

Talking about his future plans, McCaw said, “I am heavily involved in the Christchurch Helicopters company. They are great people, and I’m excited about the opportunities there. Aviation is something I’m passionate about. I’m going to carry on flying and work towards getting my commercial pilot licence.

“I’m now really excited about starting the next chapter of my life. I’m looking forward to the future and what it may hold.”

McCaw ends his career with a record 148 tests. He captained the All Blacks in 109 tests and won 130. McCaw played in four World Cups and was named world player of the year in 2006, 2009 and 2010.

He made his international debut in 2011 at the Dublin vs Ireland match.

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

All blacks legend passes away R Red

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IWK Bureau

ugby star Jonah Lomu passed away in Auckland on November 18 at the age of 40.

Former All Blacks doctor, John Mayhew, confirmed the news on Wednesday morning.

“On behalf of the Lomu family, I can confirm that Jonah Lomu died this morning,” Mayhew said. “The family has requested privacy at this stage; they are obviously going through a terrible time.”

Lomu had been diagnosed with Nephrotic syndrome—a rare kidney disease in 2002. After his kidney transplant in 2004, Lomu suffered frequent health setbacks. He had been on dialysis treatment for the past 10 years.

Prime Minister John Key expressed his sadness at the unexpected passing of the rugby legend. “Jonah Lomu was an inspirational athlete, who was generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union,” Mr Key said.

“He was a rare combination of size, speed and power, and was a game changer whenever he stepped onto the field. Jonah was not only a great ambassador for rugby union, he was a great ambassador for New Zealand, and he made a significant contribution to the community through his support of numerous charities,”

Mr Key added. “I caught up with Jonah and his wife Nadene a few weeks ago in London during his Unstoppable charity tour. He was in great spirits and moved the audience with stories from his childhood through to his time as an All Black and the illness, which ultimately ended his rugby career.

“On behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank Jonah for his contribution to New Zealand.

“My thoughts are with Nadene and his family at this time.”

Mayor Len Brow expressed his sorrows: “Our thoughts are first and foremost with Jonah Lomu’s family at their time of loss.

Jonah was one of Auckland’s greatest sons. He was an icon who New Zealanders from every walk of life respected both for his prowess on the rugby field and for the

way that he dealt with his health issues.”

Auckland Council stated that it will work with the Lomu family, New Zealand Rugby and the government to consider how Auckland can best celebrate the life of Jonah Lomu and mourn his passing.

Jonah Lomu was born in Mangere in South Auckland. He made his debut at the age of 19 in 1994 in Christchurch in a match against France. He has since then made 63 appearances for the All Blacks, scoring 37 Test tries. Lomu was inducted into the International Rugby Hally of Fame in 2007 and the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011.

He was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007 for his services to rugby.

Lomu is survived by his wife Nadene and two sons, Brayley, 6, and Dhyreille, 5.

Christchurch round-up: the week that was Gaurav Sharma

Annakut celebrations by BAPS and YDS

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he day following Diwali marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year and

he lifted Govardhan Parvat and urged the people of Gokul to offer thanksgiving to nature for all its gracious bounty.” Ashok Rohit,

A treat for the kids on Indian Children’s Day

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o mark the Children’s Day (November 14) celebrations in Christchurch, the 400-member Indian Cultural Group (ICG) of the city organised a Creative Kids Fest. Attended by more than 60 children from the Indian community and managed by events co-ordinator Sitara Nagesh, the fest saw competitions in arts and colouring, vegetables carvings and flower arrangements.

Sandeep Sachdev, president of ICG, said, “To add to it, we also had something called Spin a Yarn, where children had to make up stories or write poems, and Make and Model, where they were encouraged to design their own dresses and wear those during

Children’s Day in Christchurch organised by the Indian Cultural Group

the fest. The idea was to provide an encouraging and nurturing environment for our young talents. Next in line is our annual

flagship event—the Summer Fest in December, followed by Lohri and Makar Sankranti celebrations in January next year.”

Apna Christchurch Radio’s fund raising events

Annakut celebrations in Christchurch by BAPS and YDS

is traditionally celebrated with the Annakut. In Christchurch, two Annakut celebrations were organised by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and Yogi Divine Society (YDS).

Sanjay Patel, secretary of BAPS in Christchurch, said, “Annakut is a grand offering of hundreds of different vegetarian food items to thank Swaminarayan for his providence over the past year and to seek his blessings for the year ahead. Similar to what Lord Krishna did when

who works in the retail business and is the secretary of YDS, New Zealand Chapter, added, “This being one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar, we had invited Indian High Commission chargé d’ affaires Sandeep Sood from Wellington, as well as Sarvatit Swami and Anand Mangal Swami from YDS Auckland, to take part in our celebrations. It was our 25th Annakut celebration in Christchurch for which devotees had made [more than] 300 different food items as offering to God.”

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pna Radio Christchurch, which is an initiative by few Indian students of Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology will be organising a series of events in the coming month to raise funds for the charity Child Cancer Foundation.

Rajwinder Singh, a team member at the radio station, said, “The first event, held on November 14, was the charity cricket match between two teams from the Sydenham Cricket Club—Sydenham Goats and Sydenham Blues. The coming

Sydenham Cricket Club teams at the charity match organised by Apna Chirstchurch Radio

Saturday, we are organising a car wash event at the Z petrol pump in Riccarton. This will be followed by the Big Bollywood Summer Party at Sandridge Hotel on November 28, which is being organised by

Chilando Boyzz and for which DJ Avi and DJ Desi will be managing the music. The fund raising event will end on December 5 with a special barbecue.”

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Annakut celebrations in Swaminarayan Temple, Avondale

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housands of visitors celebrated the auspicious Hindu festival of Diwali at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Avondale.

Diwali marks the start of the New Year according to the Hindu calendar and culminates with an Annakut offering, which means ‘mountain of food’.

Around 1,000 different vegetarian dishes, including sweets, savouries, desserts, drinks and condiments, were offered to the idols of God at the Hindu Mandir in Avondale prepared by many devotees and visitors before it was shared among all the visitors and devotees.

“From young kids, who made the decorations, to the hundreds of households who worked tirelessly to cook all the dishes to bring about this festival, this truly is a spectacle unlike any other for Kiwis,” BAPS spokesperson, Jignesh Patel said. “It is the

biggest celebration for Hindus around the world, and for our Indian community and Indian communities around New Zealand, it is a time to share our culture, food and lights and pray for a healthy and lucky New Year.”

A number of dignitaries were also present during Saturday’s celebration, including National List MPs, Mr Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Dr Parmjeet Parmar and NZ First MP Mahesh Bindra.

Embodying the festival of lights, Hindus celebrate the five days of Diwali with rich cultural traditions and rituals.

The numerous lights, the bright colours of rangoli art, and the elegant Annakut, all encompass the theme of transitioning from darkness to light.

Through these festivities, Hindus not only have an opportunity to deepen their connection to their traditional roots but also share their culture and faith with their friends, family and neighbours.

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Returning offenders bill introduced

Fashion brings NZ and India closer

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new bill to pass under urgency will give authorities the power to assess and supervise offenders returning to our shores, Justice Minister Amy Adams has announced.

The Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill introduced by the government is a key measure in a suite of initiatives to strengthen oversight of deported offenders.

“My primary concern is keeping the law abiding public of New Zealand safe. This supervision regime will put in place parolelike conditions to allow New Zealand authorities to monitor offenders who return here,” says Ms Adams.

“This regime will mean that offenders who arrive here shortly after being released from prison will be subject to the same sort of oversight as offenders who served a similar sentence here.”

She added, “Developing an appropriate oversight regime for returning offenders has been complex and we’ve needed to strike the difficult balance between offenders’ rights and public safety. Despite these challenges, the quick turnaround demonstrates the government’s urgency and commitment to protecting New Zealanders.”

The proposed bill contains three key aspects: }} Allowing police to compel returning offenders to provide information (names, date of birth, etc.) and in some cases a DNA sample }} Standard monitoring and

supervision conditions that are automatically imposed on all eligible returning offenders }} New powers to the District Court to impose special conditions (such as restrictions on not residing near a school which can be subject to electronic monitoring) A key addition to the legislation is the inclusion of a mandatory review Justice and Electoral Select Committee within two years of the Bill’s enactment.

“Australia and other countries have deported New Zealanders who commit crimes abroad for generations without any oversight.

“With the recent policy changes in Australia, these numbers have increased from 80 to 100 to around 250 to 300 a year, which poses an increased risk to New Zealanders,” says Ms Adams.

“It’s critical that we have in place a regime that can manage and supervise these offenders, many of whom have been convicted of serious crimes.” Following changes made in December 2014, the worst offenders can be subject to an Extended Supervision Order (ESO) or Public Protection Orders (PPOs) without being convicted of the offence in New Zealand.

“Along with the other initiatives we’ve already implemented, the supervision regime will put us in a better position to manage offenders who pose a threat to public safety.

“It will also help agencies to rehabilitate and reintegrate returning offenders into the community.”

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IWK Bureau

wenty students from NZ Fashion Tech have been awarded Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia giving them an opportunity to travel to India for five weeks of international learning and to see large-scale manufacture and textile technology.

On their trip to India, these 20 students will regularly blog about their experiences in the country.

In the following weeks, we will be publishing their articles in our Bloggers Park column.

From the crimsons and tangerines of silk saris flowing from women who perch side-saddle on motorscooters zig-zagging across lanes of traffic to the lime greens and daffodil yellows of fresh produce abundant in street markets to the inky purples, velvet reds and deep blues of formal India, it is fitting that colour has brought India and New Zealand together.

Academic Director Val MarshallSmith says, “The reason NZ Fashion Tech welcomes collaborations like this is that they give our students a taste of the real world of fashion—a real client brief, a tight time-frame of four weeks, a competitive challenge and some exceptional rewards.”

In the first stage of a unique New Zealand–India education collaboration, 10 stunning looks designed and made from hand-loomed Indian silk saris by Diploma students at NZ Fashion Tech as part of their academic course work open four Resenesponsored public shows at New Zealand Fashion Week.

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i l a w i D Celebrate Diwali in colour With the assistance of the Asia NZ Foundation, Resene has designed a Diwali colour palette to help you bring the colours of Diwali into your home.

And in the second stage of the collaboration, 20 Diploma students from NZ Fashion Tech’s Auckland and Wellington campuses are travelling to India for another career-defining opportunity.

NZ Fashion Tech student Taylor JardenLambert (22) who travelled to India last year with the group said five weeks of learning in India was a life-changing, “mindblowing” experience.

Taylor says, “The people were so welcoming and hospitable. The strongest memory for me is how lovely they were.”

“And the learning that I think will have the most positive impact for me in my career in fashion was seeing largescale manufacturing in practice. We now have a unique, first-hand view of manufacturing fashion garments off-shore,” he says.

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

White Ribbon Campaign responds to PM’s comments

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219 moore Street, Howick, auckland

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IWK Bureau ecent comments by Prime Minister John Key, a White Ribbon Ambassador, accusing other members of parliament of supporting rapists has caused great offence to many people.

Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments, White Ribbon Trust Chair, Ric Odom, said, “The comments do not reflect the Kaupapa of White Ribbon and do not support our efforts to engage with men (which includes working and speaking to perpetrators and former perpetrators) across New Zealand. These are men that must be encouraged to change their attitudes and behaviour and the work of those who deal with these men should not be disparaged.”

Odom said that it was ironic that the matter has erupted in November—the month where the White Ribbon campaign is focussing on the issue of violence in New Zealand. “Equally ironic is that our campaign theme for 2015 is based on respectful relationships. It is a powerful and relevant theme and White Ribbon supporters around the country have been working hard to achieve what we hope will be our most successful campaign ever. Comments made by others—even the Prime Minister—should not, and must not

distract us from our collective goal and passion,” he added.

Odom stressed that White Ribbon has been apolitical. “We have a single focus—that is, highlighting the issue of men’s violence towards women in this country; calling for an end to this terrible blight on our society; and asking all men (and women) to join together to take responsibility for the issue, personally and collectively, in order to create a society in New Zealand where this form of violence is eliminated,” he said.

He further added that the campaign will “never commit condone or remain silent about violence towards women” and that they “will be contacting the Prime Minister’s office outlining our concerns”.

Odom stated, “White Ribbon Trustees, on behalf of all our supporters, will be raising our concerns. We will also be discussing our expectations of White Ribbon Ambassadors—all of whom have committed to White Ribbon. We will not remain silent. But we are also firmly focused on how we can best work with our dedicated and passionate volunteer supporters to achieve our goals—the long-term goal of eliminating violence towards women, and our immediate goal of delivering a powerful campaign this November to once again bring this issue into focus for all New Zealanders.”

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Further support for LGBTI young people

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outh Minister Nikki Kaye has announced $150,000 in funding over the next three years for RainbowYOUTH to develop and increase support services for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex) young people.

“LGBTI young people are five times more likely than other young people to attempt suicide or deliberately self-harm. They are also more likely to be bullied, physically harmed or afraid that someone may hurt them,” says Ms Kaye. Consultation with the LGBTI community identified a number of shared objectives and ways that government agencies can better support LGBTI young people to reach their potential.

“I have also released the document Supporting LGBTI Young People in New Zealand.

This has been contributed to by a range of government agencies, and outlines some of the work now underway to better support LGBTI

young people in New Zealand “The report is the first part of the response to conversations with the community and issues raised by them. This is only the start.

There is more work to do. The government has already taken

steps to ensure vulnerable LGBTI young people receive the right services and support at the right time. In 2014, 23 organisations received $60,000 under a first round of small grants funding.

The support provided by these organisations has included everything from counselling and online help resources, to safe spaces for young people to meet.

“In February 2015, I announced a second round of small grants funding, worth $85,000. This has supported a further 24 projects.

“Last month at Parliament, I was also pleased to launch Inside Out, a video and teaching resource developed by RainbowYOUTH, CORE Education and Curative, which aims to raise general

Pay equity meeting an important milestone

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he first meeting of the Pay Equity Working Group is an important milestone in the work to deal with equal pay claims, Ministers Paula Bennett and Michael Woodhouse say.

Ministers announced the formation of the group in October to develop principles for dealing with claims of pay equity under the Equal Pay Act. “Pay equity is a serious issue, and I am pleased that representatives of employers, unions and government agencies are getting together to discuss how progress can be made,” State Services Minister Paula Bennett says.

“The group will give Ministers recommendations on how to achieve pay equity consistent with New Zealand’s employment relations framework and a well-

functioning labour market,” says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse.

Dame Patsy Reddy has been appointed as the group’s facilitator.

“Dame Patsy is experienced at leading and facilitating complex review processes, and I’m sure the Joint Working Group will benefit from the perspective she will bring,” Mrs Bennett says.

Employer groups are being led

by Phil O’Reilly from Business NZ. Union representatives are being led by former Council of Trade Unions President Helen Kelly. Government Chief Talent Officer Andrew Hampton will lead the government agency representatives.

Unions have agreed to put on hold their legal action until March 2016 to allow the Joint

Working Group to proceed.

Recommendations to Ministers are expected by the end of March

2016 and some may need to be included in legislation, if accepted by the government.

Second round of $10m teacher innovation fund

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ducation Minister Hekia Parata has announced that applications have opened for the second round of the $10 million Teacher-led Innovation Fund.

“This fund is part of our $359 million Investing in Educational Success initiative and allows teachers to develop innovative teaching practices to help lift student achievement,” says Ms Parata.

“Teachers often have great ideas that make a real difference

in the classroom and this fund will help to bring them to life.

“More than 75 schools won funding from over 200 applications in the first round.

Since July, their projects have been put into practice and shared across schools. Successful applications from the first round include a programme focussed on teachers applying neurological research to help students with dyslexia and a collaborative project establishing an urban concept farm where students and teachers

build stronger engagement in science education.

“I was delighted with the calibre and range of applications from the first round and I look forward to seeing more innovative ideas in the second round,” says Ms Parata.

An independent selection panel is overseeing the annual rounds of applications over three years.

There is approximately $4 million of funding available in the second round. Applications close on 19 February, 2016.

READ ONLINE AT www.indianweekender.co.nz

awareness and understanding of the experiences of LGBTI young people. The $150,000 for RainbowYOUTH will help them deliver more services for LGBTI young people across New Zealand.

It will also enable them to further strengthen LGBTI groups around the country, through training, mentoring and educational resources.

“This is a significant step as it’s the first government long-term contract with RainbowYOUTH. They’ve developed a group of people with strong capabilities, and are well positioned to continue their valuable work, support the development of new initiatives and help upskill other organisations.”

Long-term unemployed now long-term problem

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ational’s failure to reduce the number of longterm unemployed has become clear with current levels the highest in three years, Labour Finance spokesperson Grant Robertson says.

“Long-term unemployment is a huge problem. The longer you’re out of a job, the harder it is to get one. It is the responsibility of the government to help break that cycle.

“The Household Labour Force Survey shows there are now 46,000 long-term unemployed. That’s the highest since 2012. The previous high was 16 years ago when Bill English was Finance Minister.

“Long-term unemployment is now a structural problem.

With the economy going downhill it will only get worse.

“After seven years, National is out of ideas and failing to play its role as a partner in the economy to help create jobs.

“National’s much-touted welfare reforms clearly aren’t delivering.

“It’s time to focus on breaking the cycle. Long-term unemployment hurts real people and can create a cycle that lasts generations.

“National can’t ignore these ignore people any longer. Plan A is hurting them. It’s time for Plan B,” Grant Robertson said.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Programme results in more staff/patient time

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ealth Minister Jonathan Coleman says health staff are spending more time with patients as a result of an innovative quality improvement programme.

“Hospital teams are increasingly taking up the Productive Ward— Releasing Time To Care programme, which enables staff to change the way they work so they can spend more time looking after patients,” says Dr Coleman.

“Thirteen DHBs are using the Releasing Time To Care quality improvement programme to support local initiatives for improving patient care.”

In Canterbury DHB, the programme has been rolled out to all 30 wards over the past year, with a focus on preparing staff for the move into new facilities in Burwood Hospital next year and in Christchurch Hospital in 2018.

Staff developed an iPad App, iCODA, to observe how they work and track how much of a shift was spent on direct patient care.

“The app provided valuable data and generated discussions at ward level about the significance of time spent with patients,” says Dr Coleman.

“Christchurch wards reported a big drop in the number of times nurses are interrupted during a shift, ensuring they are more focused and efficient.

“As the process has been driven by staff, these changes are more likely to be sustained.”

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Bay of Plenty was one of the first DHB’s to start the programme, extending it from wards to theatres and community services.

When it was introduced the average time nurses spent on direct care was 32 per cent per shift. This has increased to 44 per cent for the last quarter to September 2015.

“This translates to an additional hour for every nurse per shift. Multiplied by 10–12 nurses on a ward per day over 12 wards means that 42,000 more hours each year are spent directly on patients’ needs,” says Dr Coleman.

Eighteen DHBs are implementing the Productive Series programmes including the Productive Ward, the Productive Mental Health Ward, the Productive Community Services, and the Productive Operating Theatre.

The programmes guide staff to review and change the way they work, and help to deliver cost and time savings, and improve quality of care and staff morale.

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NEW ZEALAND

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Introduction of residential withholding tax Kanwaljit Bakshi

National List MP

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ational believes everyone— whether New Zealanders or from overseas—should pay their fair share of tax in this country.

A withholding tax on sales of residential property by people who live overseas and go on to sell the property within two years of purchase will come into force in July 2016.

Legislation introduced on 16 November, 2015 will put the new residential land withholding tax in place. It is the third part of the government’s investment property tax reforms announced under Budget 2015.

The residential land withholding tax will act as a collection mechanism for the new bright-line test, which applies to gains from the sale of residential property purchased on or after 1 October, 2015 and

sold within two years. The withholding tax will ensure the integrity of the tax system and will bring the collection of the brightline tax into line with other withholding taxes, which generally apply when there is likely to be a tax liability and collection may be difficult.

Residential land withholding tax will apply when the New Zealand property being sold is “residential land” under the bright-

line test, or the seller acquired the property on or after 1 October, 2015 and has owned it for less than two years before selling or the seller is an “offshore person”.

An “offshore person” includes people who are not New Zealand citizens, people who do not hold residence class visas, and New Zealand citizens and residence class visa holders who have been away from New Zealand for a significant period

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of time (three years in the case of New Zealand citizens). New Zealand trusts and companies may also be considered “offshore persons” if they have significant offshore interests in them.

Unlike the bright-line test, there is no exception for the seller’s main home under the new withholding tax rules. The bill does propose an exemption from withholding tax for transfers on death and for property relationship agreement transfers, in keeping with the bright-line test.

Residential withholding tax, together with the new bright-line test and changes to collect better tax information about buyers and sellers of residential property, will help ensure that everyone pays their fair share of tax on gains from property sales.

This National party led government has continually strived to work for New Zealanders. The above legislation is one of the many that we have introduced towards this. There is always more to do and we in government will continue to work hard towards providing a better future for New Zealanders.

Terror acts should not change refugee policy David Shearer Labour MP

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he terror attacks in Paris have brought loss and grief to so many families, and we stand with them.

Here in New Zealand, let us not allow these crimes to have the secondary effect of restricting our freedom, deterring us from our normal lives, or threatening our values as an open society. We must also guard against any backlash against Muslims in New Zealand. Our Muslim community is hardworking, peace-loving

and law-abiding, with strong family values.

They contribute so much to the fabric of our nation.

It is inevitable and sad that the crimes in Paris—the violent actions of a few—will make it harder for the many refugees who are seeking safety in Europe. These refugees are fleeing from exactly the same thing, the brutality that we saw in Paris.

In September, New Zealand agreed to receive 600 Syrian refugees as part of a special intake—an acknowledgement by our government of the international crisis emerging from Syria. Journalists have been asking me if that was the right thing to do.

My answer is yes. What happened in Paris should not change this policy.

New Zealand’s refugees will come from the camps surrounding Syria, generally families. They will be thoroughly background-checked by UNHCR and then checked again by our own government officials. We will give them an opportunity and a chance in life they would never

Summer period another boost for tourism Parmjeet Parmar

National List MP

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ummer is just around the corner, which is exciting news for Kiwis and the large number of international tourists planning to visit New Zealand during the warmer weather.

Our tourism industry is in great shape.

More people are coming, staying longer and are spending more. In August, we celebrated our three millionth visitor to New Zealand in the past year. Those three million visitors spent $8.7 billion—up 28 per cent on the previous 12 months. Tourism now

represents 17.4 per cent of our total exports and is second only to dairy.

And the good news is, visitor arrivals are expected to grow four per cent a year, reaching 3.75 million visitors in 2021.

Tourism creates job for New Zealanders in all parts of the country.

There are 168,000 New Zealanders directly employed in tourism and another 128,000 indirectly employed. Hobbiton in Matamata is a great example. They have

hired 92 new staff in the past three months and now employ more than 200 people.

Accommodation providers are also benefitting with guest nights for the year ended September 2015 up in almost every region around the country.

Tourism destinations that have performed particularly well compared with the previous year include: the Mackenzie District (up 12 per cent), Wanaka (up 11 per cent), West Coast (up 10 per cent), Rotorua (up eight per cent), Queenstown (up seven per cent) and Canterbury (up six per cent).

The National-led government is backing the tourism industry. We have invested an unprecedented $600 million to help support overseas promotion and marketing work in both emerging and established markets.

We have introduced the Tourism Growth Partnership, which aims to boost innovation and productivity in the tourism

have otherwise. It is not the first time New Zealand has responded to refugee crises with compassion and honour, and it probably won’t be the last. Our facilities can easily cope, and as we’ve seen, refugees can make particularly good citizens. For example, in 2001, under a Labour government, we accepted more than 200 refugees from the Tampa when Australia refused. Those refugees have gone on to become passionate Kiwis, welleducated, employed and contributing to our society.

That is what happens with refugees— they usually end up giving so much more to our country than they ever took.

What happened in Paris last week was a terrible insult and tragedy. But it shouldn’t cause us to live in fear or change the thoughtful decisions we have made as a nation.

sector, and have invested more than $10 million in 20 projects that will attract international visitors. We are on track to reach the ambitious target of generating $41 billion in tourism revenue in 2025.

More transport links will help us reach these numbers.

Qantas and American Airlines have recently announced new services between Auckland and Los Angeles, while Air New Zealand has announced it will fly directly to Ho Chi Minh City.

Visitor numbers from the United States and Australia are growing, and there has been a 35 per cent increase in visitors from China.

Tourism is going from strength to strength. As it grows, it is creating more jobs throughout the country. I wish our local tourism operators all the best over the busy summer period.

NEW ZEALAND

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Battle against graffiti vandalism

Auckland Council’s energy saving plan

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uckland Council has announced a commitment to improve the way it uses energy, as part of a three-year partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Â The agreement will see steps put in place to save energy and reduce carbon emissions across the council that should save Auckland ratepayers more than $700,000 per year.

The council will achieve this through improved energy management in existing council buildings, which deliver significant savings and quick payback periods. It is also committing to working with EECA to identify additional opportunities for savings. “As part of the Low Carbon Auckland Action Plan we have committed to reducing carbon emissions. This is an opportunity to lead by example, as well as supporting Auckland’s businesses and households to do the same,� Mayor Len Brown said. “By working in partnership with EECA, we will provide leadership on better energy management practices, improving sustainability and reducing council energy costs,� he added.

EECA Chief Executive Mike Underhill says the commitment from Auckland Council is significant. “Auckland uses nearly a quarter of New Zealand’s energy, and is a vital part of our economy and

energy future. The council has an important leadership role to play in promoting energy efficiency initiatives, and its work with other businesses can influence them to increase their commitment to energy efficiency.� The agreement includes: Development and implementation of an energy management plan Improvements carried out to the council’s existing assets to maximise their efficiency Development of business cases to prioritise the council’s investment in energy efficiency Promotion of NABERSNZ assessments and ratings for key council buildings Production of case studies to promote success stories, encouraging others to undertake similar projects/investments.

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uckland is winning the battle against graffiti vandalism. Mayor Len Brown presented certificates of appreciation to a variety of individuals and groups across Auckland who have helped made this happen.  He brought together Auckland’s graffiti vandalism prevention teams, trusts and partners to review progress over the first five years of a united Auckland and to thank those who had made a valuable contribution to the reduction.  Auckland Council’s award-winning graffiti vandalism service was set up after the Mayor made the establishment of a whole-of-Auckland approach to graffiti prevention one of his top priorities in 2010.  The service is based on rapid eradication, targeted enforcement and evidence-based education. The number of incidents of tagging has been reduced by 25% since the programme began. In 2012–13 there were 125,000 incidents of tagging. In 2014–15 there were 94,000.  Most reports of graffiti to the service are removed within 24 hours or less. In the last five years of the united Auckland Council, there has been a 26% reduction in the number of graffiti complaints received. As part of the event the Mayor presented

certificates of appreciation to the following individuals and groups: }}  Recreational Services Limited }} Civic Contractors }} Manukau Beautification Trust }} Tag Out Trust }} Thompson & Clark Investigations Limited }} Tasman Research Limited }} New Zealand Transport Agency }} KiwiRail }} Vector }} New Zealand Police }} Chorus }} Graffiti Solutions Limited Volunteers who also help report and clean up graffiti were also acknowledged during the presentation.

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FIJI

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Fijians safe in Paris

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he Fijian delegation to Paris, France, for COP21 has been reassured utmost security.

French ambassador Michel Djokovic gave his reassurance that everything will be under control despite the terrorist attacks that took the lives of more than 120 people.

“Yes, certainly we will do our utmost possible to reinforce and maintain the utmost security for all the delegations coming to the COP21 in Paris on November 30,” Mr Djokovic said.

“And, of course, before that there will be the summit French Oceania on 25 and 26 for all the delegations from the South Pacific Island states and all the members of the Pacific Islands Forum and the regional organisations

and we will do of course the utmost possible to maintain and strengthen the security measures

for all the delegates. As you know perhaps that we are expecting 40, 000 participants from the official delegations so it is lot of people but they will be in official lists so everything will be under control.”

The French ambassador also reassured families of rugby players in France and other Fijians in France that they were safe.

“There are more or less than 250 rugby players with their families in France and some are bachelors and some are members of the rugby club Stade Français in Paris and some are living in the South West region.

“So we know there are no victims among them and we were very touched with the declaration of the PM condemning the attacks and his condolences and as well as former president Ratu Epeli

Nailatikau last night (Saturday) at a FASANOC evening event and proposed a minute of silence for all the participants and it was very touching to see the solidarity of the people.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama conveyed his condolence message to the French Government.

“On behalf of the Fijian Government and Fijian people, I want to express both our deepest condolences and our unwavering solidarity with the people of France.

Opposition Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa urged the people of Fiji to remember the people of France being put through torment on the news of the terror attacks in Paris.

Industry to await budget debate

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Memorial service for Paris terror attack victims

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memorial service was held at the French Ambassador’s residence to commemorate and pay tribute to the lives of more than 120 victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris.

President Jioje Konrote, Cabinet Ministers and diplomats were a part of the service.

French Ambassador Michel Djokovic said strong and worldwide mobilisation in solidarity with Paris and France was important at this time.

“Here in Fiji, the Prime Minister issued a statement condemning the terrorists and expressing sympathy towards the people of France,” he said.

“Today, the French community in Fiji, the embassy team, my wife and I are honoured to welcome your Excellency the President and all of you dear guests to pay tribute to the many victims of last Friday’s atrocious event.”

Fiji Airways makes adjustments to two routes

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ugar industry stakeholders will have to wait for the 2016 National Budget to be debated in Parliament on November 20 for revelations as to how the $23.8 million allocation for the sector will be divided and spent.

Ministry of Sugar permanent secretary Viliame Gucake said he had received a number of enquiries about how the sugar money would be spent and nothing could be confirmed until the budget was debated and passed.

“Prior to democratic elections, whatever the Finance Minister announced was utilised but since the election in 2014, the budget has to be debated before being passed and implemented,” he said. “Once it is put to the vote, it will be made available in detail to us and I will be in a better position to inform the industry as to how the $23.8m will be divided up.”

Attorney-General and Finance Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum announced a $23.8m allocation to the industry, an increase of $12m over last year’s slice of the national cake. The A-G said upgrading of cane access roads was up from $2.5m last year to $3m.

He also said the government’s allocation for fertiliser subsidies would be maintained at $9.7m and $5m would be allocated towards the Sugar Development Programme.

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IJI and South Pacific fashion have a lot to offer the world, says 480 Holdings Limited managing director Bob Bishop.

Speaking at the International Resort Wear Show at the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, the US investor said he was encouraged by the fact that Pacific designers were creative and innovative.

“I was in the fashion industry for five years so I know what this takes,” he said.

“I know that the designers are the tip of the spear and from there it goes to the pattern-makers, the seamstresses and then to mass production.

“It is an entire industry that is inter-related, and what I love to see is innovation, not imitation.

I saw a lot of innovation tonight,

and what I like about the South Pacific is that your colour palettes are not limited by what Europe or the US dictates. And to see some

of the masi and South Pacific art that is indigenous to this region is kind of like a breath of fresh air coming from this industry.”

Minister praises fashion designers

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he Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism Faiyaz Siddiq Koya praised local fashion designers for their creativity.

Mr Koya said, “In Fiji, we have a very young creative population, and every time I come to one of these shows, it is just so good to see more creativity, especially in the colours being used.”

The Minister said it was wonderful that the fashion shows also involved the tourism industry. The event was organised by Fiji Fashion

Week Limited managing director Ellen W h i p p y Knight and the committee. “ W e are always Ellen Whippy-Knight trying to grow ourselves, to actively get the highest spending tourist to come and this is an added attraction f or Fiji.

“Thank you Ellen (WhippyKnight) for putting Fiji on the map,” he said.

ational airline Fiji Airways has made adjustments to direct services to two major routes from Suva.

A statement from the airline said changes have been made to its Suva to Auckland route and its Suva to Sydney flights.

"From November 27, flights from Suva to Sydney and Suva to Auckland are being advanced by two-and-a-half hours, with further schedule and frequency changes post January 2016," the statement said.

"From April 1, 2016, the airline will introduce a third service between Auckland and Suva, operating on Wednesdays, in addition to the Monday and Friday services.

"In a further change, Fiji Airways is decreasing frequency between Suva and Sydney from February 2016.

"The Suva-Sydney and SydneySuva flights will operate on Fridays only with a 7:35 a.m. departure from Suva and a 12:30 p.m. departure from Sydney."

FIJI

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

Fiji reassures commitment

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iji has reassured its commitment to the promotion of sustainable development and the strengthening of the EU's presence on the global stage to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

The Grand Duchy is holding the presidency of the Council of the EU for the 12th time.

Fiji's ambassador to the EU and nonresident ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Deo Saran, reassured of Fiji's commitment to His Royal Highness Albert Gabriel Fe'lix Marie Guillaume when he presented his credentials.

Also noting Luxembourg's strong commitment to the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and consistent

NEWS in BRIEF High demand for foreign employment: Minister

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here is a high demand for foreign employment opportunities for Fijians says Minister for Employment Semi Koroilavesau.

Koroilavesau says the increase of $3.8m for the National Employment Centres’ 2016 Budget, is expected to also open doors for foreign employment.

"Government has established NEC 2010 under the NEC Decree 2009 with an initial funding of $800 000 and the increased budget allows us to put into action further plans to address employment concerns and as stated earlier, bring the unemployment rate down to 4.2% by 2017. " Koroilavesau adds the National Minimum Wage is increased from $2 to $2.30 per hour.

contribution of about one per cent to ODA funds, Mr Saran said 2015 was an important year for the entire world and especially for small island developing states.

He said with the adoption of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development at the UNGA 70th session, the focus now was the climate change conference to be held in Paris this year. A statement from the Ministry of Information also revealed Mr Saran informed the Grand Duke on the Pacific Islands Development Forum held in Fiji and the adoption of the Suva Declaration on Climate Change.

"This landmark declaration clearly sets out the agreed demands of the Pacific Island Developing States for an acceptable

iji’s trade and tourism sector continues to flourish and the 2016 budget will surely rope in more revenues.

Minister Faiyaz Koya says that 77 micro and medium enterprises are currently supported by the government and all are thriving.

The combined export sales from micro and medium businesses have increased by $30.9m and 329 new jobs have been created. The exporters that were assisted have secured 87 new markets and 10 companies have received international standard accreditation.

“These are Fijian companies.

Therefore, the continuation of the budgetary support of two million dollars for the national export strategy will ensure the continuation of a vitally targeted support especially for the micro, small and medium sized budding exporters and overall growth of the export sector.”

Koya also revealed that with the current tourism growth rate of nine point two percent for the period of January to September, Fiji’s set to surpass the target of 714, 000 visitors.

He adds that as at September, Fiji was at 80% of the total of 2014 total arrival or 560, 179 tourist arrivals.

The Ministry has set its target to achieve a 5% growth in visitor arrivals or getting 749, 700 visitors into the country.

outcome at the UN climate conference in Paris later this year," he said.

The Grand Duke was briefed on a series of bilateral meetings including with European Investment Bank, SES (one of the world's prime satellite operators), Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce and Luxembourg Stock Exchange.

Mr Saran was accompanied by Fiji's Counsellor at the Fiji Mission in Brussels Nidhendra Singh and Fiji's Honorary Consul in Luxembourg Philipp Thomas.

The Letters of Credence ceremony was held at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City. The Fijian envoy also extended an invitation to the Grand Duke to visit Fiji.

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Thought of the week

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

— Buddha

Editorial

Courtesy : Satish Acharya sify.com

From the desk of the Managing Editor

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hat a week this has been! I must start with what comes to anyone’s mind first and that is Paris and not to forget Beirut and Bagdad. Even while I write this, the police action is continuing to reach the masterminds behind this heinous crime against humanity. On another note, however, while I do realise that now there are many people already talking about this, including our publication, it was a shame that Beirut and Bagdad got absolutely no attention from the media. I also cannot help but remember the 26/11 attack that happened in Mumbai, India. While we watched the live coverage of it on Indian news channels in sheer horror of all the destruction that unfolded, the world media hardly reported it.

There is much to learn from this. Our publication has a reputation for being ever positive and therefore rather than react to this in any other way, we choose to forward the message of peace. While there are people in the world that have found their life’s purpose in terrorising other people in the name of religion, there are millions more who want to live in peace, in harmony, who refuse to respond to hate with hate. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

This week has also seen two big losses to the New Zealand All Blacks. The biggest and perhaps the “bolt out of the blue” was the passing away of the legend Jonah Lomu. Lomu made 73 appearances for the All Blacks, making his Test debut in 1994 against France in Christchurch. It was the 1995 World Cup that made Jonah an international sensation, running over England’s Mike Catt and scoring four tries in one world cup game.

Lomu scored 43 tries in the black jersey, before having to quit the sport in 2002 because of Nephrotic syndrome, a rare kidney disease. Some of his milestones include being the youngest ever All Black aged 19 years 45 days, scored most tries in Rugby World Cup: 15 (jointly with Bryan Habana), was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame 2011, was appointed a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2007, was a Commonwealth Games gold medallist: Sevens 1998, Super Rugby: Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes—1996–2003. He is described as the “gentle giant” and will be dearly missed for everything he did on and off the field.

The second loss that has come to the All Blacks was with Ritchie McCaw—the legendary captain—who announced his retirement. Although this was somewhat expected since the big win at the World Cup, the announcement left everyone a little melancholic. Indian Weekender salutes this legend and congratulates him on a stellar career.

On the brighter side, our very own Kiwi Indian MP, Mahesh Bindra inaugurated his office in Papatoetoe amidst a huge gathering of supporters who were there to cheer him along. We bring you pictures and details from the event in this issue.

I will sign off this week with a prayer for humanity, a prayer for peace, love and understanding in the world we live in. It is all up to each one of us, so let us join hands in making this world a better and a brighter world to live in and to leave behind for the next generation.

Pick of the week

Global solidarity: Auckland’s Sky Tower, among other buildings across the globe, lit up for France following the attacks in Paris.

Giri Gupta

Indian Weekender : Volume 7 Issue 35 Publisher: Kiwi Media Group Limited Managing Editor: Giri Gupta | girigupta@xtra.co.nz Editor: Annu Sharma | editor@indianweekender.co.nz Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | reporter@indianweekender.co.nz Reporter: Rizwan Mohammad | iwk.rizwan@gmail.com Reporter: Esha Chanda | iwk.eshac@gmail.com Reporter: Kumar Suresh | iwk.kumar@gmail.com Chief Technical Officer: Rohan Desouza | rohan@indianweekender.co.nz Senior Graphic & Layout Designer: Mahesh Kumar | mahesh@indianweekender.co.nz Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | designer@indianweekender.co.nz Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz Sales & Marketing: 022 3251630 / 021 1507950 / 09-2137335 | sales@indianweekender.co.nz Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent the views of the team at the Indian Weekender Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland Printed at Horton Media, Auckland Copyright 2015. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Back blocks Pronounced: Back blocks Meaning: A remote place

Usage: Our neighbours have a farm somewhere out in the back blocks.

Tip from the trenches

Beach bag essentials Summer is all about sun, sand and beaches!

Here are the must-haves that you need to toss into your beach bag.

• Probably a no-brainer—if you’re going to be out in the sun, you need a good SPF lotion • Sunnies—a great pair of comfortable shades (leave the designer ones at home!)

• A floppy hat—because an sun protection lotion is not just enough • Granola bars for your hunger pangs and water to keep you hydrated • Beach towels

OPINION/EDITORIAL

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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People globally against parties identified with crony capitalism

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Saeed Naqvi

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he Bihar results are a milestone in Indian political history, of course, but they also link up with a worldwide phenomenon: the crumbling of the world order erected after the fall of the Berlin wall. A brief look at history to follow the trend.

Collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 signalled the advent of the Sole Superpower, which immediately embarked on a project of full spectrum global dominance beginning with Operation Desert Storm in February 1992.

The firepower of the world’s most muscular war machine was for the first time brought live into our drawing rooms

by Peter Arnett of the CNN from the terrace of Baghdad’s Al Rasheed hotel. The Iraqi army was pummelled. For one set of global TV audience, the outcome was undiluted triumphalism. But for the Muslim world, it came across as yet another defeat, further humiliation.

The world, divided into two distinct sets of audiences, was treated to more TV fare— the two intifadas, the daily brutalisation of Bosnian Muslims and the four-year-long siege of Sarajevo, which agitated Turks to such an extent that they brought Nekmatin Arbakan’s Islamist Refah party to power.

Arbakan’s disciples Abdullah Gul and Tayyip Erdogan toned down their Islamism to cope with Turkey’s Kemalist constitution.

Turkey found the electoral response to Western provocation. Anger in most of the authoritarian Muslim world created a space for militant schools with a ready faculty left over from the Afghan jehad. The world galloped towards 9/11, after which the world

was enlisted in the war against Islamic terror.

The global war on terror became the strategic preoccupation for nations all under US auspices.

Let it be added as an aside that even Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was alert to the main chance. When 56 kar sewaks were burnt to death in the Sabarmati Express at Godhra on February 26, 2002, he promptly took the case away from Collector Jayanti Ravi and handed it to the Director General, Anti Terror Squad, Vijay Vipul. Without any preliminary inquiry, the Godhra train tragedy was to be treated as an act of terror. Modi was firmly on the anti-terror bandwagon.

The second mantra handed to the post Soviet World Order was “development”. The Soviet collapse was not sold as the victory of

democracy, freedom, human rights; it was sold as the triumph of the market.

Two party systems beholden to corporates, linked to mega multinational corporations became the trend. These powerful establishments, with the media in attendance, could suppress stories of unspeakable corruption and crony capitalism only up to a point. But not for long.

The dominant reality since 2008 has been the gradual decline of the US. Systems erected in anticipation of the American Century are crumbling. This objective reality has given heart to the people hemmed in by two party systems in cahoots with corrupt sources of finance. Electoral eruptions have taken place even though it would be premature to describe the

current situation as revolutionary. Greek Left Wing party Syriza came to power but powerful countries such as Germany forced it to compromise its anti-austerity, anticapitalism platforms.

Greece is only two per cent of Europe’s GDP. Spain is 14 per cent. Spain’s communist party Podemos made dramatic gains in the local body elections. But a degree of demoralisation afflicts Podemos as it prepares for the national elections on December 20. Spain’s leftism may have to be toned down but it has already shamed political corruption and crony capitalism to such an extent that it can never be business as usual after the December elections.

The trend continues in Portugal where a socialist-communist combination is in contention for power. What a far cry from Tony Blair is the new labour boss, Jeremy Corbyn, as is Canada’s Justin Trudeau from Stephen Harper.

Joko Widodo in Indonesia and Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi are not exactly Left but they come from a similar reformist anticorruption stable, quite as effective in corroding the neo liberal structures.

When Modi’s personal image was on test in Delhi, he was decimated. Big business, police, Lt Governor, the BJP, Congress and the drum beating media simply waylaid Kejriwal from day one of his innings. The affront to the idea of Modi and market economics in the form of Kejriwal must not be allowed to stand. In one respect, an old Persian saying gunah be lazzat (sinning without pleasure) may well apply to Modi.

He has not done for all his capitalist clients everything he may have wished to do, but the tag of crony capitalism hangs from his neck.

Way forward is to get things done without legislation Amit Kapoor and Sankalp Sharma

The most recent reforms are seen to impact as high as 15 distinct sectors of the economy. This will certainly take India forward in its quest to achieve economic development for its citizens and global competitiveness among its peers.

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he recent change to the FDI policy regime by the Indian government is a welcome move. In spite of the huge setback to the political strategy of the NDA-led government at the centre after the Bihar debacle, the government seems keen on reviving the investment cycle.

That is the sure shot way to regain the growth momentum.

The most recent reforms are seen to impact as high as 15 distinct sectors of the economy. This will certainly take India forward in its quest to achieve economic development for its citizens and global competitiveness among its peers.

The slew of reforms pertains to different aspects of the Foreign Direct Investment regime. The core issue of these reforms is to further “ease, rationalise and simplify the process of foreign investments” in the country and to put a greater number of FDI proposals on the automatic instead of the government route that investors are never keen on taking.

Thus, the impetus is clearly on easing the hassles investors and businesses face in investing in India’s growth story.

These changes can be seen in light of the government’s push for bettering India’s performance on the Ease of Doing Business Ranking of the World Bank where this

country is placed a dismal 130 in spite of improving 12 places (four places on the new methodology) in comparison to the previous year.

Some of the reform measures include increasing the monetary limit for Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) from Rs.3,000 ($455 million) to Rs.5,000 crore. Proposals above Rs.5,000 crore would go to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The proposals also contain measures to correct the long-pending issues such as limited liability partnerships as well as NRI-owned companies who seem keen to invest in India. Some proposals also seek to enhance the sectoral investment caps

so that foreign investors don’t have to face fragmented ownership issues and get motivated to deploy their resources and technology with full force.

Other sectors where the reforms have been initiated include establishment and transfer of ownership and control of Indian companies, agriculture and agricultural husbandry, plantation, mining and mineral separation of titanium bearing minerals and ores. Also, changes have been made in sectors such as defence, broadcasting, civil aviation and construction development.

A boost has also been provided to single brand retail trading and duty-free shops that might see a proliferation of better equipment manufacturing in India. Also, some changes have been proposed in the

banking in private sector and India’s ailing manufacturing sector.

These changes are seen to be harbingers of the reform promise that had seen the coming to power of the Narendra Modi government in May 2014. The government’s recent push in FDI is seen to a be a positive development both in the policy circles as well as in the business and investor community, both of which have expressed their satisfaction with the move.

FDI constitutes the highest inflows to developing countries—even higher than the official development assistance (ODA) and the much talked about remittance flows to developing countries.

The government’s push to reform the FDI policy regime is likely to be seen in the light of the liberalisation and calibration of the economy further to bring in capital and technology necessary for economic growth and development.

Over the next year or so, the reform agenda, if pursued properly, can have a multiplier effect on the economy with investors, businessmen and most importantly consumers benefiting from better goods and services.

The recent changes to the FDI regime only showcase that much can be achieved even without legislation. The way forward is to get things done without legislation that can benefit the people of the country.

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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Elders may frown, but Modi still has the upper hand Amulya Ganguli

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y promising, in response to a query in London, that the law will not spare those disturbing social harmony in the land of the Buddha and Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken much of the sting out of the complaints of those protesting against the supposedly prevailing “intolerance”.

The heightened prospects of economic cooperation with Britain are also likely to dispel some of the doom and gloom enveloping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the Bihar debacle.

On both these counts, which have been worrying a section of the intelligentsia as well as Modi’s pro-development supporters inside and outside the saffron camp, the prime minister and his party can be said to have retrieved some of the lost ground after Bihar.

But whether these latest developments will take the wind out of the sails of the party elders who have suddenly raised the banner of revolt is unclear since there is some substance in their accusation that the party is run by a Gang of Two, comprising Modi and his Man Friday, Amit Shah,

the BJP president. The veterans, or the old fogeys, as they might be called behind their backs, are also unlikely to give up their quest for seeking accountability for the Bihar defeat, which is another way to nail the Gang of Two for treating the party as their personal fiefdom.

It is too early to say, therefore, that Modi’s troubles are over if only because the BJP’s presentday leaders at the helm cannot afford to dismiss the grouses of the party’s senior citizens as a “manufactured” rebellion, as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley described the decision of a section of the writers, historians,

scientists, film-makers and others to return their awards in protest against the climate of “intolerance”.

Following a brief promise to listen to the complaints of the elders, the duo took a step backwards and deputed union minister Nitin Gadkari to tell the critics that they are embarrassing the party.

The battle, therefore, has been joined between those below and above 70. Which side will emerge victorious will depend, first, on whether Modi and Co. can win a major election, say, in Uttar Pradesh in 2017 and secondly, on whether there is a

perceptive improvement in the economic situation. It is with the latter objective in mind that the government has gone in for what can be called small bang reforms on foreign investment. But these take time to bear fruit.

Of greater urgency for the government is to keep the prime minister’s London promise to crack down on the wild-eyed saffron militants who have been killing rationalists and beef-eaters.

The result has been that regional leaders promising to eradicate corruption and pursuing their own model of growth in an atmosphere of communal harmony have won two assembly elections in a row.

To be fair, the BJP is not the only party which tends to be impervious to criticism. The Congress, for instance, enacted the farce of its Nos.1 and 2 offering to resign after the party was humbled in the 2014 parliamentary polls and were urged to stay on by their loyal courtiers.

That there is an element of jealousy in the revolt of the sidelined elders is undeniable.

While L.K. Advani had resolutely opposed Modi’s elevation till he realized that he was fighting a

losing battle, others like Murli Manohar Joshi and Yashwant Sinha were disappointed at not being accommodated in the cabinet. There is little doubt that they were waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

It is not clear, however, whether the veterans are as distressed by the antics of the Hindu Right as, say, the secular camp. After all, as home minister, Advani had casually brushed aside any suggestions about the Bajrang Dal being involved in the arson attack on the Christian missionary, Graham Staines, and his two sons in an Odisha village in 1999 while the then human resource development minister Joshi, and defence minister George Fernandes, described the grisly deaths as the result of an “international conspiracy”.

The views of Arun Shourie, now a regular critic of the government, were similar.

Since personal pique rather than any ideological difference is behind the stirrings among the mothballed elders, who do not seem to have anything substantial in the way of policies to offer, Modi still holds the upper hand.

He now needs a few victories to maintain his lead.

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govt launches Emotions should not overrun Delhi Swachch Delhi app reason: President D

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restigious awards should be cherished and emotions should not overrun reason, President Pranab Mukherjee said during the National Press Day celebrations.

His comment came as several artists recently returned their awards blaming the government for the rising intolerance in the county.

Speaking at a function organised by the Press Council of India, Mukherjee said, “Prestigious awards are a public recognition of talent, merit and hard work by peers and leaders in the profession. Such awards should be cherished and valued by those who receive them.

“Sensitive minds sometimes get disturbed by some incidents in society.

Emotions should not overrun reason and disagreement should be expressed through debate and discussion,” he said.

“We must, as proud Indians, have confidence in the idea of India and the values and principles enshrined in our constitution. India has always been able to self-correct whenever such a need has arisen.”

The president said journalists must bring to public notice the array of ills and deprivations that continue to beset large number of people.

“The power of the media should be used to reset our moral compass and promote liberalism, humanism and decency in public life. While opinion is free, facts should be sacred,” the president said.

“Caution should be exercised in passing judgements, especially on matters where the due process of law is yet to be completed. We must never forget that careers and reputations take years to build but only minutes to demolish,” he added.

Mukherjee said the media fraternity of India were not only providers of news but also educators, who empower the citizens and strengthens the democratic framework of the country.

Referring to the main theme of this year’s National Press Day discussion, the president said cartoons and caricatures were good stress busters for the viewing public as well as those featured in them.

“The cartoonist captures the mood of the time and his art lies in being able to lampoon without hurting, caricature without distorting and to say with a few strokes of the brush what lengthy articles fail to express.

Jawaharlal Nehru, our first prime minister, used to repeatedly tell V. Shankar, the doyen of Indian cartoonists, ‘Don’t spare me, Shankar’,” he said.

Hot air ballooning adds new perspective to Taj viewing Karishma Saurabh

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he city of Agra, home to some of India’s most magnificent heritage sites, including the monument to immortal love— the Taj Mahal— saw new colours filling up its skies.

A three-day hot air balloon festival added to the attraction of the city and lent a new perspective to these magnificent cultural treasures.

Organised by India’s first and biggest commercial hot air balloon company, Sky Waltz, in association with the Uttar Pradesh government, the first-edition of the Taj Balloon Festival kicked off last weekend.

“This festival is not just to sell tickets and make a huge profit, but it is mainly aimed at giving this ancient city a new perspective,” Samit Garg, founder-director of Sky Waltz, told media.

“Agra is known all over the world for its many splendid Mughal-era buildings. We aspire to give tourists a different view of these structures and also to give a further boost to the city’s booming tourism,” he said. Garg is planning to start regular

hot air balloon rides in Agra in the near future in response to what he called was an overwhelming response from tourists and locals.

“We have initiated talks with the UP government to turn this into a regular attraction. If all goes well, the rides should start from early next year,” he said.

“This is one-of-a-kind experience and to avail this opportunity shelling out a bit more can be afforded,” Garg said.

The festival included free and tethered flights. Balloonists from 12 countries, including the US, Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Spain, participated in the event. The balloons took off from the ghats of the Yamuna river early in the morning and maintained an altitude of at least 1,000 metres.

elhi Chief M i n i s t e r Arvind Kejriwal launched the Swachh Delhi app and announced Swachh Delhi Abhiyan from November 22 to 30.

Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu along with Kejriwal will inaugurate the Swachh Delhi Abhiyan, a cleanliness drive and a joint initiative of the central government, Delhi government and all three municipal corporations of the city, on November 22.

The app enables residents to click pictures of garbage and apprise a centralised control room that will direct the concerned government body to attend the complaint.

“The mobile application can be downloaded by giving a missed call on the number 7666400400. The user will get a message with the link to download the application,” Kejriwal said on the occasion. Once you use the application and send us the picture of the garbage, we will automatically get the exact location and the longitude of the place. So, it will be convenient for the residents and local bodies (MCD and PWD) to track the location accurately and clean it,” he added.

Municipal corporations will be responsible to collect the garbage and Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) for the debris’ collection.

All the information sent via Swachch Delhi app will also go to the central control room that will store the information as database. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and three Mayors of municipal corporations were also present on the occasion.

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20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Oil drops below $40 after 11 years

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nternational crude oil prices plunged to fresh lows with the price of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) basket of 12 crudes going below the $40 a barrel level for the first time in 11 years.

T h e new OPEC reference basket of 12 crude oils closed at $39.21 a barrel last week on the previous trading day on Friday, the organisation’s secretariat said. On Thursday, the price stood at $40.21. The last time it fell to $39 was in 2004.

Oil prices have been under pressure for several months due to concerns over oversupply, but the slump has deepened in the recent period.

Crude-oil production has remained robust despite the large drop in prices in the last year, as US producers continue to cut

costs and members of the OPEC continue to produce at full tilt.

The Indian basket, comprising 73 per cent sour-grade Dubai and Oman crude, and the balance in sweet-grade Brent, plunged to $41.39.

Indian entrepreneurship showcased to incubate more start-ups Red

While the latest fuel hike was part of the routine fortnightly price revision exercise by oil marketing companies, it should be considered that the Indian basket price in the preceding fortnight ranged between $44–46 a barrel.

The latest drop in global prices could possibly be reflected in the next fortnight’s price revision.

Oil price hike unjustifiable: Jayalalithaa

T Meanwhile, state-run Indian Oil Corp announced a hike in the price of petrol by 36 paise a litre and of diesel by 87 paise at Delhi.

“The current level of international product prices of petrol and diesel and INR-USD exchange rate warrant an increase in prices, the impact of which is being passed on to the consumers with this price revision,” Indian Oil said in a statement.

amil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa termed the reason for fuel price hike as unjustifiable when there is no change in the international price of crude oil. She said it was uncalled-for citing the exchange rate between India Rupee and the US Dollar and also the international prices of petrol and diesel when there is no change in the crude oil prices in the international market.

Demanding the rollback of the recent fuel price hike, Jayalalithaa urged the central government to change the manner of pricing oil.

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ndian IT industry representative body Nasscom drew global attention to native entrepreneurs for incubating more start-ups as part of its 10K start-up programme.

Marking the ‘global entrepreneurship week’, Nasscom said it would support local entrepreneurs to set startups with resources and a vibrant ecosystem across the country.

“As more countries turn to their entrepreneurs to drive innovation and economic growth, they need to focus on developing local and national start-up ecosystems,” Nasscom president R. Chandrashekhar said.

Noting that the international economy was turning into an integrated global village, the former telecom secretary said providing a global platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their products was becoming imperative.

“Global entrepreneurship week is a platform, which can help accelerate growth of start-ups across verticals,” Chandrashekhar said. As the world’s largest celebration of technology innovators and startups, the global entrepreneurship

week from November 16 to 22 connects, collaborates and engages stakeholders in 160 countries to strengthen the start-up ecosystem.

“Our industry is at a stage where new ideas are being accepted and budding entrepreneurs are supported in many ways, such as boot camps, which provide opportunities to understand the ecosystem the help them sustain their business better,” said Nasscom startup programme vice president Rajan Tandon.

Started in April 2013, the 10K programme aims to incubate, fund and support about 10,000 startups across the country by 2023 by fostering entrepreneurship, build capabilities at scale and strengthen early stage support.

Since its launch, 1,100 startups have been incubated out of 11,000 applicants.

The programme is supported

by Google, Microsoft Ventures, Kotak, IBM and Amazon web services.

Global demand subdues India’s exports

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lowdown in global demand scenario and a dip in prices of petroleum products dented India’s exports for the 11th straight month in October with merchandise exports declining by 17.53 per cent, official data showed.

According to the data furnished by the commerce and industry ministry, India’s October merchandise exports fell to $21.35 billion from $25.89 billion worth of goods shipped out during the corresponding month of last year.

As per the ministry’s data, imports during the month under review plunged by 21.15 per cent at $31.12 billion from $39.46 billion shipped in during the corresponding month of 2014. During October, the oil imports fell by 45.31 per cent to $6.84 billion from $12.51 billion.

In homage to inspiring leadership and community work

Bishop Patrick Dunn DD

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland and the members of the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee Invite you to attend an Interfaith Meeting

Trade deficit during October dipped on a year-on-year basis and stood at $9.76 billion, as compared to $13.57 billion in the corresponding month of last year.

The data showed that the cumulative exports for the period between April and October 2015–16 fell by 17.62 per cent to $154.29 billion from $187.28 billion during last year’s corresponding period.

In addition, the cumulative figure for imports too showed a downward trajectory.

It went down by 15.17 per cent to $232.05 billion during the period under review from $273.55 billion.

Cumulatively, trade deficit during the April-October period receded on a yearon-year basis and stood at $77.76 billion, as compared to $86.26 billion in the corresponding period of last year.

India making policy to get a share of global IoT business

Guest Speaker

Dr Jebamalai Vinanchiarachi

Former Principal Advisor to Director General, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO)

The Impact and Compact of thirsting love for humanity Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 2 pm at the Catholic Church of Christ the King 260 Richardson Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland

An opportunity not to be missed. Free Entry for all!

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epartment of electronics and IT secretary, JS Deepak, recently said, “A policy framework is in consultation stage for getting a five–six per cent share of the global IoT (Internet of Things) industry, which is estimated to be $300 billion by 2020.”

“Under IoT, various devices can be connected with internet for sharing data among a specified community,” he said at a national meet on IoT, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the apex body of India Inc. The government has also drawn a roadmap to develop machine-to-machine (M2M) for the IoT industry.

“IoT will be central to Digital India structure, with M2M communications

around it,” Deepak added. Noting that IoT would be a game-changer, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babulal Supriyo told the delegates that a lot of power could be saved by switching off street lights automatically through connected devices.

“IoT is the most happening trend, with the potential to transform all industries and help develop 100 smart cities across the country through contribution from each stakeholder in the country,” Supriyo added.

The summit highlighted the proof of concepts and solutions in four sectors— energy, healthcare, transport and manufacturing and the solutions that are replicable in the Indian context.

INDIA ABROAD

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Indian students contribute $3.6 bn to US economy

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ith a whopping 29.4 per cent increase, a record high of 132,888 Indian students studying in the US in 2014–15 academic year contributed $3.6 billion to the US economy, according to a new report.

India was the second leading place of origin for students coming to the US, making up 13.6 per cent of the total international students in the country, according to the 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

International students’ spending in all 50 states contributed more than $30 billion to the US economy in 2014 with students from India contributing $3.6 billion, the report said citing the US Department of Commerce.

China remains the top sending country, with almost twice the number of students in the US as India, but India’s rate of growth and absolute increases outpaced China’s 11 per cent. It was also

Indian students celebrating Diwali at Yale University

the second year of rising numbers for India, following three years of declines.

India’s 29.4 per cent growth is the highest rate of growth for Indian students in the history of the Open Doors project, which spans back to 1954–55.

India, China and Brazil accounted for most of the growth in international students on US campuses as their numbers grew at the highest rate in 35 years.

The majority of Indian students in the US study at the graduate level, according to the report.

Students from the top three countries of origin—China, India and South Korea—now represent approximately 51 per cent of the total enrolment of international students in the US, with the number from China and India increasing, and the numbers from South Korea declining by six per cent.

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New tool to guide recovery from disasters

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ndian-origin researchers have developed a computerised tool for guiding stakeholders in the recovery of large-scale infrastructure systems in the aftermath of a disaster.

“The tool, based on a quantitative framework, identifies the order in which the stations need to be restored after full or partial destructions,” said Udit Bhatia, graduate student at Northeastern University in Boston.

Bhatia, under the direction of associate professor Auroop Ganguly, drew on network science to develop the tool.

The tool can be used to restore transportation network, waterdistribution systems, power grids, communication networks, and natural ecological systems. For the study, Bhatia mined open-source datasets on ticket-reservation websites to track the origins and destinations of trains running on the Indian rail network. He then constructed a complex network,

with the stations as nodes and the lines connecting those nodes as the ‘edges,’ or links, between them, and overlaid it on a geographical map of the country.

Next he applied natural and man-made disasters to the system, knocking out stations using network science-derived algorithms.

“We considered real-life events that have brought down this network,” said Bhatia, ticking off the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the 2012 North Indian blackout due to a power grid failure, as well as a simulated cyber-physical attack, partially modelled after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

This unique tool, which has been filed for invention protection through Northeastern University’s centre for research innovation, also informs development of preventative measures for limiting damage in the face of a disaster, according to the researchers.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Be the peace you want to see in the world Red

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Maya Shivam

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here was a deadly terrorist attack recently that killed dozens and injured hundreds, and no, this did not happen in Paris. ISIS suicide bombers, the same group of militants responsible for the Paris attack, detonated themselves in the southern part of Beirut killing 43 people and wounding 239. Journalist Tamara

“It is not Paris we should pray for. It is the world. It is a world in which Beirut, reeling from bombings two days before Paris, is not covered in the press. A world in which a bomb goes off at a funeral in Bagdad and not one person’s status update says “Bagdad”…”

Quiblawi described the aftermath of the previously bustling open-air market in the Bourj al-Barajneh district to CNN: “There’s a lot of shattered glass on the street, a lot of blood,” she said, “And it’s really just a scene of chaos and carnage.”

Yet the world seemed almost silent about it until an Indian blogger Karuna Ezara Parikh responded to this with a poem that has since then gone viral: “It is not Paris we should pray for. It is the world. It is a world in which Beirut, reeling from bombings two days before Paris, is not covered in the press.

A world in which a bomb goes off at a funeral in Bagdad and not one person’s status update says “Bagdad”…”

I must admit that as soon as I heard about the Paris attack, I changed my profile picture to tour de Eiffel. By next morning, most of my contacts had changed their profiles to the French tricolour.

As I read in horror of what had happened in Beirut and Bagdad, I had no idea who to choose in spite of my fascination and love for the City of Love. Karuna’s lines resonated the emotions that seemed to flood through my heart and mind. While my mind was full of questions such as what had the world come to, my heart was filled with mixed feelings at the lack of attention Beirut and Bagdad had got. Are we humans even capable of discriminating in grief? Had the world media failed?

Since last July, more than a 100 Egyptians have been killed in ISIS attacks. Last month, a hundred more were killed from a bombing in Ankara, Turkey. This was followed by Beirut and now

Above: Citizens from different parts of the world pay tribute to the victims.

Following page: Monuments around the world lit up in the French flag’s colours following the deadly attacks.

Paris. As President Obama said after the Paris attacks, “This is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share.”

The threat of global terrorism is now real, omnipresent and it is in our backyards. Some thinkers are even calling this “bedroom jihad”, where even family members are unaware of workings of these extremists. We cannot choose who we pray for anymore, as the entire humankind is under attack.

In the meanwhile, it is heartening to hear of reports from people who are continuing to support their Muslim brothers around the world. The story of the Muslim taxi driver, who broke into tears of joy when a nonMuslim passenger drove with him has gone viral. It was heartening to read a white man’s post saying that Mr Khan from the Dairy down the road “was not in Paris and is not related to anyone who was

even near Paris”. If these attacks are acts of hatred, I am glad that there are enough sensible people around the world who realise that the answer to hatred can never be hatred. Muslims from around the world are raising their voices condemning these acts of terror being committed in the name of religion.

The following is a letter by Alexis from Wake Up Montréal in response to losing a family member in the Paris attacks. It is a poignant reminder that we have the power to break the cycle of violence by taking time to breathe and remain open to each other: Dear friends from around the world,

SPECIAL FEATURE

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015 I am writing to you from Montréal. On Friday, I lost my Red Black Orange cousin during the attacks in France. Faced with this terrible news, I cried. Eric was the father of a little girl and his partner is due to give birth in two months.

So many things are jostling in my mind.

I will pay homage to you by being joyful and mindful to offer joy to others. Today, I wish to carry that joy into this violence, this nameless suffering. You are an example and I will follow your lead on this path of joy and openness of spirit.

I have not given into the anger or the desire for revenge.

Because it is anger and revenge that brought on these odious acts. Today, I wish only to hold those dear to me, and those whom I don’t know, in my arms and tell them that I love them. Only love will get us out of this circle of suffering.

In losing a loved one, I am aware of what people go through daily, whether they are from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, but also the United States. Every day, people around the world are killed Buddhism stresses how sacred by gunfire. Today, I have the opportunity to join them, their and precious life—especially loved ones, and send them my human life—is. One scripture compassion (excerpt taken from reads: “A single day of life is worth more than all the treasures www.upliftconnect.com).

A Buddhist thinker and scholar of the universe.” Terrorism, Dr Daisaku Ikeda writes, “It is which so cruelly robs people impossible not to be outraged at of life, can never be excused or the senseless loss of so many lives.

And yet it is not the numbers that make this tragedy so horrific.

Every single person lost was irreplaceable and immensely precious—a much-loved sister, father, son, mother or friend.

Each individual’s life contained infinite possibilities waiting to be realised. In the most terrible manner imaginable, we have been reminded of the immense value of human life.” In all its teachings,

“It is impossible not to be outraged at the senseless loss of so many lives. And yet it is not the numbers that make this tragedy so horrific. Every single person lost was irreplaceable and immensely precious—a much-loved sister, father, son, mother or friend. Each individual’s life contained infinite possibilities waiting to be realised

justified by any reason or cause.

It is an absolute evil. When such acts are committed in the name of religion, it demonstrates the utter spiritual bankruptcy of the perpetrators.

As human beings sharing a common home, we have all been

impacted by this terrible deed.

In the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We must unite across differences of nationality and faith in order to create a world free of injustice, violence and terror.

While it is important that all efforts be made to identify responsibility for this heinous act and bring those involved to justice, international cooperation against terrorism cannot be limited to the short-term. At a deeper level, it requires a profound re-examination of the nature of human civilisation.

For much of our history, humanity has been trapped in vicious cycles of hatred and reprisal. We must redouble our efforts to break this cycle and transform distrust into trust. I believe that this is the most effective and fundamental antidote to terrorism and its repugnant worship of violence.

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For those of us who wish to help bring greater peace to the world, it is important to stay balanced, mindful, calm and grounded. In chaotic times such as these, especially in the light of the tragic and terrible recent events in Paris, in Syria, in Beirut and elsewhere, we need to make our own inner peace a top priority.

Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness are inevitable, and it is natural to feel that one alone may not be able to make the difference. At such times, it is important to remind ourselves that it takes only one to create a ripple. If each of us is united in our effort to achieve a more peaceful and tolerant world, it is not impossible to achieve it.

For more than 2,000 years, the dominant paradigm of the most powerful civilisations has been that of materialism, conquest, greed, militarism, war, injustice, inequality, violence and dualistic thinking. This paradigm now needs to change; mindsets need to shift. We can be a part of something new that is more in tune with the ways of nature, more balanced, holistic, compassionate, creative, loving and wise.

We are the seeds of the future, but it is up to each of us to make the change. How we respond to terrible incidents matters.

It matters because we have an opportunity to break the cycle of violence, to help one another to wake up. By keeping our hearts open, we model how not to walk blindly down paths that lead towards only more hate and revenge.

Be the peace you want to see in the world. It starts within the hearts of each one of us and spreads out from there.

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FEATURES

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Sri Sathya Sai Baba – The Divine Aroma of Pure Love Red

Ravinder Grover

Sri Sathya Sai Baba had been with us…in HIS unique Avataric Mission…nurturing human souls… transforming human minds…in His Mission…

“Operation Human Souls”, in re-establishing virtues, Dharmic principles, human values for the world at large, the task this Eternal Being had taken upon Himself…in consonance with Sri Krishna’s Divine declaration over 5000 years ago at the battlefield of Kurukshetra: “Yada Yada Hi Dharmasya Glanirbhavathi Bharatha, Abhyukthanam adharmasya Thadathmanam Srujamyaham.

Parithranaya Sadhunam Vinashaya cha Dhushkrutham Dharma samsthapanarthaya Sambhavami Yuge Yuge” “Whenever there is a decline of Righteousness and rise of evil, the Lord incarnates from time to time to uphold Righteousness, to protect the Virtuous and to uproot the evil” The birth of ordinary humans is the direct consequence of Karma. But the Lord descends in human form, from the state of Atma (Universal Absolute Consciousness) to the state of Deha (Body), to play a specific role as a part of His Cosmic Drama. He decides the time, place, parents, the length of His incarnation and how His life would unfold. His incarnation is a part of His Leela (Divine Sport).

Sri Sathya Sai Baba incarnated on 23 November 1926 as Sathya Narayana Raju in Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the divine master par excellence to the spiritual aspirant; the greatest humanitarian to the rationalist; the leader with a dynamic vision; a huge inspiration to millions of youth; the divinity in human form to a devotee. The world has witnessed Him as The Divine Aroma of Pure Love walking on Two Feet on all fronts of human activity, such as, Spiritual, Educational and Service.

In childhood He demonstrated exemplary qualities of compassion, generosity and wisdom that clearly distinguished him from the other children of his village. However it was not until 20 October 1940, He staged the divine drama by casting aside the books He was carrying and openly making the historic declaration of His Avatarhood (Divine incarnate), saying “I am no longer your Sathya. I am Sai. I am going. I don’t belong to you.

Maya (Illusion) has gone. My devotees are calling Me. I have My

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Avatar has done like this before, walking amongst the masses, counseling them, guiding them, consoling them, uplifting them, directing them along the path of Sathya, Dharma, Shanti, Prema and Ahimsa. True to His declaration “My Life is My Message”, He said, “Sathya is My Message, Dharma is My Practice, Shanti is My Nature, Prema is My Form. Follow these and You are Mine, I am Yours”.

Work. I cannot stay any longer”.

Here the world at large learnt of this Divine phenomenon. Since then He had been in action… selflessly, sending the strong signal to the human hearts…to follow suit.

On 25 May 1947, His missiaon and determination was further amplified in a letter He wrote to his brother. He said, “I have a Task: To foster all mankind and ensure for all of them lives full of Ananda (Bliss). I have a Vow: To lead all who astray away from the straight path again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a work that I love: To remove the sufferings of the poor and grant them what they lack. I have a reason to be proud: For I rescue all who worship and adore me, aright. I have my definition of the devotion I expect: Those devoted to me have to treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude.”

Revealing the purpose of His Advent, he said that He had come to re-establish the rhythm of righteousness in the world and repair the ancient highway to God, which over the years had systematically deteriorated. In His own words: “This Sai has come in order to achieve the supreme task of uniting the entire mankind as one family through the bond of brotherhood, of affirming and illuminating the Atmic Reality (Atma – The Divine Self) of each being, to reveal the Divine which is the basis on which the entire cosmos rests, and of instructing all to recognise the common Divine Heritage that binds man to man, so that man can rid himself of the animal and rise up to the Divine, which is the goal.”

The Essence Of HIS Teachings “Love All, Serve All” and “Help Ever, Hurt Never” are the two axioms that best summarize His Life and His Teachings. When asked, “Are you God?” He replied, “Yes, I am God and so are you. The difference is that I am aware of this fact but you are not.”

His speeches and writings have

offered an absolute ocean of knowledge and guidance on all aspects of Spiritual, Religious and Value-Oriented living. He had often repeated that it was not necessary to drink the whole ocean to know its taste, that it was not necessary to read all scriptures to live a life of joy, peace, and love. It is enough to put into practice one aspect of spiritual teaching. He had presented the profound knowledge enshrined in the scriptures of the world in simple and easily comprehensible terms that could be grasped and practiced by anyone irrespective of age, gender, faith and nationality He encouraged unifying all of humanity by propagating the Unity of Faiths, saying, “Each religion is a different road to the same goal, viz. Self Realization”.

He further added, “I have come, not to disturb or destroy any faith, But to confirm each one in his own faith. So that, a Christian becomes a better Christian, a Muslim a better Muslim and a Hindu a better Hindu” He insisted upon spirituality over religion.

He had united the faiths through the replacement of: • Religion by Spirituality • Rituals by Service • Scriptures by Educare & Education in Human Values He had replaced individual based attributes of God to wider qualities: • One God (that is Omnipresent, Omniscience and Omnipotent) • One Religion (that of Selfless Love and Selfless Service) • One Language (that of Heart) • One Caste (that of Humanity) He had emphasized to cultivate and promote the five eternal Human Values, viz., Sathya (Truth), Dharma (Right Conduct), Shanti (Peace),

Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non Violence). Have Love for God, Fear Sin and maintain morality in society His Message, Ideals and Humanitarian works all can be enshrined in one word – “Love”. As He declared, “My life is My message and My message is Love”.

He further clarified, “Love is the Source; Love is the Path; and Love is the Goal”. To start practicing His message he had devised the method, that is, “Start the day with love; Fill the day with Love; Spend the day with Love and End the day with Love; this is the way to God”. If one could master this single Divine Principle of Love, the other four eternal human values, Truth, Peace, Right Conduct and Nonviolence, would automatically be mastered also.

Perfect mastery of love amounts to nothing less than Self-realization. Also selfless service is efficient and universal tool for understanding, experiencing and expressing the Divine Principle of Love. Service is “Love in Action”. What a glorious period of 85 years (1926 -2011) of human existence was for those who had witnessed this era! The loving glory of the Avatar flowed like a murmuring pellucid stream bestowing its bounty and cool on millions of inhabitants on its banks in hills and dales, on curves and plains, on rocks and sands, with ease and grace, showering blessings on all, east or west, black or white, embracing all in its fold. In fact, 85 years, appears to be so short a time to enjoy the nectarous Divine Presence in physical frame.

Millions of people have been corrected, straightened, advised, admonished, sheltered, rehabilitated, clothed, fed, educated, nursed, cured, guarded, guided and transformed every second of the day all over the globe – no rest, no sleep. No

On Sunday, 24 April 2011, when nobody ever imagined could have ever happened but actually it did. Our dear Divine Master decided that He had given His Teachings and must now withdraw to His eternal, formless and omnipresent aspect. The Eternal dissolved into Eternity, leaving his devotees to come of age, to behave responsibly with human and spiritual values and practice ‘Love in Action’ as He did. Playing a role in His global Mission, this calls for a proper attitude and frame besides spreading His Teachings. The foremost test for the devotees commenced without warning or even enough time to recover from the traumatic experience that all had to undergo. It seemed as if He was assuring his devotees, “You can easily handle this test if you are completely absorbed in My Teachings and are determined to follow it with Ananya Bhakti (unshakable faith) with sharp Buddhi (Intellect) to discriminate between what would please HIM and what would not, who is omnipresence, omnipotent and omniscience and resides within every being”.

The devotees, who had sipped Divine nectar of His Love, must sincerely and deeply get immersed in HIS work, and use their spare time for re-living those golden memories which so rapidly dissolved into history.

The onus is on us now to have unshakable faith in His teachings, have courage and determination to follow His footsteps by listening to the ‘Inner Voice’ and acting on it at all times. O My beloved Sai Maa, Divine Mother! How greatly indebted are we to you!

Our heads bow low in gratitude at Thy Divine Lotus Feet!

Sri Sathya Sai International Organisation of New Zealand (Northern Region) celebrates

90th

Birth Anniversary of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Date: Monday, 23 Nov 2015 Time: 7 pm – 9:30 pm Venue: Avondale College 51 Victor Street, Avondale Auckland 1026

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo zooms past Rs.100 crore in three days

the time machine of the 1980s”.

According to trade guru Taran Adarsh, the film is set to gain mileage in the coming days. He tweeted: “#PremRatanDhanPayo crosses Rs.100 crore on Day 3 (Saturday). Business should again witness an upward trend today (Sunday). Big four-day total on the cards”.

The movie, made on a budget of Rs.60 crore, also released in Tamil and Telugu.

Ranvir to act in Konkona’s directorial debut

the shoes of her mother, Aparna Sen, who children who buy expensive items that she Black cannot afford. Later, when a childOrange tries to has balanced both worlds of acting and Red film direction. Earlier this year, Konkona snatch her jacket, she realises that someone announced her split from Ranvir, her else was feeling jealous of her as well.

Asked what she would like her daughter husband of five years. However, she has maintained that she has no qualms in to become, Karisma said they would support working with him, as he’s a “wonderful her in becoming whatever she chooses actor” and that they are still friends.

Film by Karisma’s daughter screened at children’s fest

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t the age of 10, Samaira has become the fifth generation of Bollywood’s most famous Kapoor family to step into the film industry.

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ctor Ranvir Shorey says he will be working in a film to be directed by Konkona Sen Sharma.

Dream to work with my daughter: Supriya Pathak

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eteran theatre, film and television actress Supriya Pathak says her dream is to work with her daughter Sanah Kapur, who ventured into movies with Vikas Bahl’s film Shaandaar this year.

“Even after being in the industry for so long, I still have a dream; a dream to work with my daughter Sanah, as I see the same passion in her as in me. I initially didn’t want her to become an actor,” Supriya said in a statement.

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alman Khan’s return as Prem on the silver screen with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo has reaped crackling results at the box office. The Hindi version of the Sooraj Barjatya directorial has amassed more than Rs.100 crore in just three days of its release. The film, which hit the screen a day after Diwali, reunites Salman with his Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Hum SaathSaath Hai director Barjatya after a gap of 16 years.

According to a statement, the Hindi version of Prem Ratan Dhan Payo alone has collected a total of Rs.101.47 crore. On the opening day, the movie made Rs.40.35 crore. Starring Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Swara Bhaskar, Armaan Kohli and Neil Nitin Mukesh, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo brings a story of a royal family and how an outsider, Prem, played by Salman, tries to mend the broken bridges of the family.

However, the film failed to appeal to the critics who termed it as a “royal pain” and also said that in the film “Prem and his family ensure that you are still trapped in

“Next I’m doing a play with Rajat Kapoor.

It opens on December 5. After that I’ll be doing a film that Konkana (Sen Sharma) is directing. The name of the film is Death in a Ganj. But I want her to reveal more about the film first,” Ranvir said.

The movie was reportedly picked by the Script Lab of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) last year, and Konkona developed the movie’s screenplay under the guidance of mentors.

It seems she’s now truly ready to step into

Be happy, a short film by Samaira, was screened at the 19th International Children’s Film Festival of India (ICFFI) under the Little Directors’ category.

In the film, Samaira showed her acting skills and played a key role as a cinematographer. She was also involved in scripting and editing.

Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim and Shekhar Kapur’s daughter Kaveri Kapur are also part of the creative team of the film that was made two years ago.

“It’s great opportunity for young children and I am happy Samaira is part of something like this,” Karishma said.

The actress said more than film-making, it was the moral of the story, which was beautiful. It is the story of a girl who is out shopping, and begins to feel jealous of other

“I thought that she wants to be an actor because everyone in the family is an actor hence, I started introducing her to different career options.

“But later when I realised how passionate she is about acting, I thought it is not right on my part to stop her from what she really wants to do,” said Supriya, currently seen in the television show Jaane Kya Hoga Rama Re.

Saeed Jaffrey: ‘Fabulous’, versatile actor, who ‘will always be remembered’

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ultifaceted Indiaborn British actor Saeed Jaffrey’s love for cinema can be judged through his inspirational journey from a theatre proprietor to becoming one of the most versatile and effervescent artists across the globe. Among his other achievements, he was the first Indian actor to stage plays

by English-language masters including William Shakespeare.

Saeed passed away in London on Saturday, November 14 . He was 86.

Saeed was married to coactress and travel writer Mehrunima (Madhur Jaffrey), but they parted ways in 1965.

Together they have three daughters Meera, Zia and Sakina.

Saeed later married casting director Jennifer Irene Sorrell in 1980.

Born in Malerkotla, Punjab, in 1929 in a Punjabi Muslim family, Saeed embarked on his career by starting up a theatre company called Unity Theatre in New Delhi in late 1950s.

He went on to found his own English language company, Unity Theatre, at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He also staged plays by English-language masters including William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams, thus making him first Indian actor to do so.

Thereafter, he went on to join filmdom and carved out his own niche in the industry through his powerful performances in films

such as Shatranj Ke Khilari, Chashme Buddoor, Masoom, Mandi, Mashaal, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Chaalbaaz, Ram Lakhan and Deewana Mastana.

Saeed was best known to the international audience for his roles in films such as Gandhi, The Man Who Would Be King, A Passage to India, The Horsemen and The Wilby Conspiracy. He appeared regularly on the British small screen in shows such as Gangsters, The Jewel in the Crown, Common as Muck and Coronation Street.

He has worked with many well-known Indian and international film-makers such as Shekhar Kapur, Shyam Benegal, Raj Kapoor, Subhash Ghai, John Huston, James Ivory, David Lean,

R i c h a r d Attenborough and Stephen Frears.

Saeed was among the first Asian actors to receive British and Canadian Academy Awards nominations.

Among many honours and awards, he was conferred with the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to drama, the first Indian to be honoured with the same.

It was Saeed’s simplistic yet charming and inspirational personality that he showcased on-screen through his various characters, which made his fans

and personalities across various fields “sad”.

Many big dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Bollywood stars such as Rishi Kapoor, Madhur Bhandarkar and Anupam Kher paid homage to the fabulous actor on Twitter.

ENTERTAINMENT

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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KIDS ZONE

20 November 2015 | www.iwk.co.nz

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The jackal and the drum

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ne day, a jackal called Gomaya was hungry and was wandering about in search of food. After some time, he wandered out of the jungle he lived in, and reached a deserted battlefield.

In this deserted battlefield, a battle was fought recently. The fighting armies had left behind a drum, which was lying near a tree.

As strong winds blew, the branches of the tree got rubbed against the drum. This made a strange noise. When the jackal heard this sound, he got very frightened and thought of running away, If I cannot flee from here before I am seen by the person making all this noise, I will be in trouble.

As he was about to run away, he had a second thought. It is unwise to run away from something without knowing. Instead, I must be careful in finding out the source of this noise. He took the courage to creep forward cautiously. When he saw the drum, he realised that it was only the wind that was causing all the noise. He continued with his search for food, and eventually found food and water near the drum.

Moral: Only the brave succeed in life.

Send us stories, drawings, poems and other contributions by your little ones along with their photographs for this page. E-mail us at editor@ indianweekender.co.nz

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www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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Earlybird Fares Return fare starting from

Delhi ...................... $1320* Amritsar ............... $1440* Hyderabad ........... $1234*

Mumbai ................... $1246* Kolkata .................... $1248* Ahmedabad ............ $1350*

*Terms Offer ends on 31st December 2015 unless sold out prior.Advertised fares are all inclusive for travel on the route Auckland-India-Auckland(via Sydney/Melbourne/Delhi), priced as on 02nd November 2015 for outbound travel on 23rd February 2016 and inbound travel on 21st March 2016, with 8 kg carry-on luggage and 30 kg check-in baggage.Travel between Auckland and Melbourne/Sydney permitted on our interline partner Air New Zealand (NZ) Virgin Australia (VA), Qantas (QF) only.Outbound travel is permitted from 16th Feb 16 to 15th June 16 or 06th July 16 to 30th September 16.Travel must be completed within 3 months from the date of departure. Prices are correct as on 02nd November 2015 and small variations in prices may occur as a result of changes in airport taxes or currency fluctuations. Offer is subject to availability and fares are valid on Air India operated flights only. Basic fare and fuel surcharge are non refundable and change/no-show fees apply. For full terms and conditions, please visit www.airindia.com or contact your local travel agent or call Air India on (03) 90218720 / (02) 92833370.

Note:-Passengers travelling to Amritsar will be provided with STPC at Delhi airport if the same day connecting flight is not operated.

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Sehar Moughal came from Pakistan to New Zealand more than a decade ago. A recent graduate with an MSc in Psychology from the University of Auckland, her short-film A Jasmine and the Nightshade addresses the growing problem of domestic violence. She recently presented her thesis at the symposium conducted by YouthShakti and University of Auckland that highlights key findings from three research projects conducted in Auckland between 2013 and 2015. The Indian Weekender spoke to Moughal to find out more about her project.

Esha Chanda

survivors so they find it easier to integrate into the New Zealand community.

IWK: What was the main idea behind creating A Jasmine and the Nightshade?

IWK: How do you think the society can address the problem of domestic violence?

Sehar Moughal (SM): My oldest sister, Mehwish, and I want to raise awareness about domestic violence in our communities. We want to highlight the different types of abuse that may occur in a violent relationship.

We are hoping that more people would talk about this problem considering the impact it has on our society.

IWK: Who is the team behind the short film?

SM: It was my sister’s idea to create this short film. She wrote and directed it. The movie was made on a zero budget, so all involved volunteered their time and skills. It was a difficult film to work on, as the content was dark and heavy (for example, the abuse depicted in the short film was not staged).

We appreciate our team’s effort considering that some of them may have fought their personal demons while working on this film.

IWK: Did you meet/speak to any domestic violence survivors?

SM: While making the movie, we came across many survivors of domestic violence.

I was shocked and sad to hear so many of my friends disclose abuse that they had gone through. Some of them were not even aware that it was abuse until they watched our short film. Some of them felt ashamed and uncomfortable disclosing it to others. That is when I realised how important it is to bring this issue out in the open. We need to have

Sehar Moughal

SM: Change our thinking, attitude and behaviour towards this evil called domestic violence. To give you an example, during the filming, I had make-up on my face that resembled real bruising, and Mehwish and I came to our university to pick up some filming equipment. I was shocked at how others interacted with me. Those who normally said hi, asked how things were or smiled at me, looked away from me. They could not meet my eyes. Such behaviour is hurtful, unacceptable and needs to change.

more conversations about domestic violence and how to end it.

IWK: What is the main aim of the panel being hosted by ShaktiYouth and University of Auckland?

SM: Despite the rise of vibrant Asian communities in New Zealand, little research has been conducted to examine intimate partner and family violence that accounts for experiences tied to migration, immigration status, age hierarchies, culture and racism.

This symposium will be the first of its kind in New Zealand that highlights key findings from three research projects conducted in Auckland between 2013 and 2015 focussed on intimate partner and family violence with Asian youth. Collectively, the projects offer approaches to tackle family and intimate partner violence.

IWK: You are presenting your MSc thesis for Psychology at the panel. Tell us a little about your research.

SM: My MSc thesis was based on an intervention implemented with three young women of migrant backgrounds who were recovering from violent partnerships. Termed ‘video self-modelling’, the intervention entailed research participants viewing themselves (on video) in conversation with the researcher (Sehar). They were then asked to have a conversation with

University Psychology students from different ethnic backgrounds. The videos were edited in a way to make it look as if the participants were having a great conversation with the researcher.

The rationale behind using this technique was that by watching themselves on video, they would feel more confident and model this behaviour with the people they meet.

Results indicated that all three participants were able to learn from their behaviours on video and improve conversational skills over time. At present, two of the three participants are fully employed and the third is pursuing tertiary studies. Results from the study suggest that video self-modelling may be a positive and a cost- and timeeffective intervention to teach/improve conversational skills for these young

Block Party—Summer on Queens

Date: Sunday, November 22 Time: 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Venue: Queens Wharf, 99 Quay St, Auckland In its fourth year, Summer on Queens is set to transform Queens Wharf once again into an outdoor hub of free activities. It kicks off in November and will run through April 2016. Enjoy a free mini art and music festival that is set to take over the western side of Queens Wharf and The Cloud. There will be live performances, art installations, vintage pop up stalls, artisan markets, breakdancing battles and more.

Admission is free.

Christmas garden festival

Date: Saturday, November 21 to Sunday, November 22 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Venue: Highwic, 40 Gillies Avenue, Auckland Highwic’s Christmas festival features Christmas-themed gardens, garden tours and avant garde floral design through the house of Floral Art Auckland. There will be live music throughout the day. Admission is open for all. Tickets are priced at $10 for

IWK: It becomes difficult for the victims to get out of abusive relationships. Is there any message that you would like to give to our society?

SM: Domestic violence is a universal concern that cuts across all ethnic and cultural groups. It is important to acknowledge these concerns and confront them. Our community leaders need to preach that culture can never be used as a justification for violence. For the mainstream New Zealand community, it is necessary to acknowledge that inadequate resources are available for intimate partner violence victims within ethnic and migrant communities.

Culturally-appropriate resources must be made available to support young migrant women and children.

Intimate partner violence among migrant youth is an extremely complex problem. No one intervention can solve it.

adults. Entry for children is free. Find more details on www.highwic.co.nz.

Ninth Chinese film festival

Date: Thursday, November 26 to Monday, November 30 Time: 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Venue: Rialto Cinema, 176–169 Broadway, Auckland In this year’s film festival, 12 popular Chinese films will be presented. Among the participating films are three war films—One Step Away, Ballet in the Flame of War and The Dead End. Other films include Wold of Totem, Trance Walking, Blind Massage and The Taking of Tiger Mountain. For ticket prices and bookings, call 093692417.

Greek day out at Little Greece

Date: Saturday, November 21 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Venue: Taste Greece, 6 Wilk Lane, Auckland Live music, tasting samples, food and drinks, dancing and a Christmas special in the Little Greece shop—enjoy all this and more at the Greek day out!

Admission is free and open to all.

www.iwk.co.nz | 20 November 2015

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