indian down under e paper august-september 14

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The Indian Down Under PO Box 99 Thornleigh NSW 2120 Ph (02) 9875 2713 Mobile: 0414 155 402 Email: [email protected]

VOL 26 No. 4Print Post Publication No. 23572300014

Annual Subscription incl. postage & handling $17Newsagencies $1 inc GSTAugust - September 2014

Inside this Issue:8: Rekha Rajvanshi interviews Indian ConsulGeneral Sunjay Sudhir20: Neeru Saluja follows Film Star Dharmendra inSydney for the launch of his Punjabi Film ‘DoubleDi Trouble’ and reports how his fans went madone even kissing him on the cheek.25: Australia’s Foreign Minsiter Julie Bishop atAIBC dinner address: ‘ Australia had very earlyrecognised Mr Modi as a leader to watch.’31: Esther Chaudhary-Lyons on Children Pagebrings you interesting stories of India - ‘The foxwho married a girl’ and more45: Ashok Kumar of The Indian SubcontinentTimes talks to Australian Badmintown OpenWinner Saina Nehwal in an exclusive interview

Top: Dipen Rughani andSheba Nandkeolyar withForeign Minister Julie Bishopat AIBC Annual AddressBottom Left: Manju Mittalwith Dharmendra as he takesa curious look at The IndianDown Under newspaperBottom right: Indian commu-nities’ Facebook publisherHemu Negi with Dharmendra

02 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER August - September 2014

August - September 2014 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 03

Editor's Letter

August-September 2014 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER 7

Editorial/Advertising Enquiries: 02 9875 2713Postal Address: PO Box 99, Thornleigh NSW 2120.Email: [email protected]: www.indiandownunder.com.au

EDITORIALPrincipal Editor: Vijay BadhwarAssociate Editor: Neena BadhwarNorth America : Parveen Chopra

CorrespondentSports Editor: Kersi Meher-HomjiDelhi Reporter: Ritu Ghai

WRITERSThird Eye: Rekha BhattacharjeePolitical Columns: Karam Ramrakha, Mallika GanesanFilms and Art: Neeru Saluja, Abhishek Sood,Monica Daswani, Sumi Krishnan, DevakiParthasarthy, Neena Badhwar, Rekha Rajvanshi,Manju MittalBody-Mind-Spirit: Dr Sunder Das, KanakaRamakrishna, Faith Harper, T SelvaSport: Kersi Meher-HomjiFiji Diary: Karam RamrakhaCookery: Promila GuptaChildren Section: Esther Chaudhary-LyonsClassical Music: Sumi Krishnan, Kris Raman,Lokesh VarmaTravel: Vijay Badhwar, Kris RamanHumour: Melvin Durai, Santram BajajSeniors Column: Santram BajajBeauty: Devaki Parthasarthy, Ritu GhaiCommunity: Neena Badhwar, Kersi Meher-Homji,Vijay Badhwar, Sumi Krishnan, Neeru Saluja,Savitha Narayan, Manju MittalPhotographers: Neelesh Kale, Raj Suri and JordanAnjaiyaGraphic Design: Nayanesh Gandhi, Dinesh Verma,Dhiraj Kumar,Bharat Bhushan Chopra/Bhagwati Multimedia

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Team Australia having stumbled onrepealing Section 18C of theRacial Discrimination Act is due

for about face on another divisive issueinitiated to cushion the fall: expansion ofambit of terrorism laws at the expense ofpersonal freedom. This is unprecedentedin terms of increasing authoritarian statepowers to be able to detain and questionpeople without trial and even sendingthem to jail if they refuse to answer ques-tions. The laws also seek to silence publi-cation of even general information aboutterrorism investigation and immunity ofintelligence services officers from prose-cution for their actions. The extension ofthese laws also entails asking telecoms infuture to store metadata of ordinary citi-zens over extended periods.

The Government faced a torrent ofopposition, even from within its ownranks, in its bid to water down Section18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. Itsfate was long known as there was wide-spread condemnation from communitygroups, made even uglier as AttorneyGeneral Brandis declared that peoplehave the ‘rights to be bigots’. Thankfullycame the backdown from Prime MinisterTony Abbott who said he wanted thecommunities to be friends, not critics.All this effort was wasted (budget, econ-omy, unemployment put on the backburn-er for weeks) as the Government tookfancy to one journalist Andrew Bolt whocould not find expression weighed downby the Racial Act. The backflip nowcame in the name of national cohesion.The repeal of the Racial Act, in any case,would never have gone past the Senate.

The planned anti-terrorism reformsfare no better. Will AFP

interrogate/detain people at airport cellsto establish their legitimate reasons oftravel to a particular region. There willalways be some rogue elements and theyhave to be treated differently but to targeta whole community or a region is akin tousing a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Ifeverything the Government is proposingis implemented - regulating a citizen’swork, life, the company they keep, housearrest without trial etc – all based onsome confected threat, life will becomeunbearable.

The metadata retention by telecom-munication providers is also a misguidedcall by the Government. As revealed in‘The Snowden Files’ by Luke Harding,the tapping of data from tech companiesbecame a major embarrassment for theUS and British governments. They

(Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft,Yahoo, LinkedIn, Twitter and AOL)wrote in an open letter to Obama andCongress: “The balance in many coun-tries has tipped too far in favour of thestate and away from the rights of theindividual – rights that are enshrined inour constitution. This undermines thefreedoms we all cherish. It’s time for achange.”

It seems there are hiccups with nearlyeverything the Abbott Government isdoing as its policies are perceived notbeing inclusive, representing big corpora-tions or interest groups and dictated topeople – its budget, silence on refugeeboats issues, racial laws, university fund-ing, social security, environment. It’shigh time Tony Abbott started workingwith ‘Team Australia’.

Meanwhile, in India, the newModi Government is brimmingwith action, reviving relation-

ships with all its neighbours and drawingplans for large infrastructure develop-ment. For a long time there had been apolicy void with its neighbours -Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmarincluded - that was being filled up by theother superpower in the region. Invitingtheir leaders to India at the swearing-inceremony and the subsequent Indianprime ministerial and ministerial visits tothese nations is certainly a step in theright direction. The only failure of theGovernment so far seems to be its inabil-ity to rein in everyday commodity prices.

As highlighted in the recently heldAIBC annual meet, time is right forAustralia to do business with India.

Visit us at :

www.indiandownunder.com.au

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!

It seems there are hiccups with nearly everything the AbbottGovernment is doing, be it repealing the Racial Discrimination Act

or the planned anti-terrorism reforms

Narendra Modi inviting other South Asian leaders to India at his swearing-in ceremony & the subsequent bilateral visits to these nations is certainly a step in the right direction

8 THE INDIAN DOWN UNDER August-September 2014

Interview

By Rekha Rajvanshi

India’s new Consul General in Sydneyis Sunjay Sudhir, and I can tell youfirst-hand that he’s a doer.On receiving a distress call from one

of my students for an urgent visa to India,I hesitatingly called Mr Sudhir, not entire-ly sure if I could take the liberty. But therehe was (after ascertaining that the urgencywas very genuine) to organize the visapromptly for the grieving family.

Sunjay Sudhir, who has assumedcharge as the Consul General of India inSydney on May 2, 2014, belongs to the1993 batch of Indian Foreign Service(IFS) officers. Before his Sydney appoint-ment, he has served as the Joint Secretaryand Head of the Office of External AffairsMinister of India. Earlier, he served in theMinistry of External Affairs during 2002-04 as the Deputy Chief of Protocol han-dling incoming and outgoing VVIP visits.

Sunjay Sudhir holds a Bachelor ofTechnology (Electrical Engineering)degree from the Indian Institute ofTechnology, New Delhi. He has complet-ed a Certificate Course in DiplomaticPractice from Oxford University (UK) andseveral courses in international trade lawand jurisprudence and dispute settlement.

His foreign assignments have included:Counsellor at the Permanent Mission ofIndia to the World Trade Organisation,Geneva [2007-11], Head of the Economicand Commercial Wing at the IndianEmbassy, Colombo [2004-07], SecondSecretary [Political, Information andCulture] at the Indian Embassy, Damascus[1997-2000] and Third Secretary at theIndian Embassy, Cairo [1995-97].

Excerpts from an exclusive interviewthe Consul General gave to The IndianDown Under on community issues, Indo-US ties and the likelihood of bilateral vis-its by Prime Minister Narendra Modi toAustralia and his counterpart in Oz,Tony Abbott to India:

Welcome to Sydney. How do you likeAustralia?

Consul General Sunjay Sudhir:Australia is a lovely country with greatpeople, a big pravasi bharatiya communi-ty and strong friendly relations with India.There are so many similarities whichbring us close, such as multiculturalism,parliamentary democracy, independentjudiciary, secularism, use of the Englishlanguage and the passion for cricket (andcurry). It is also heartening to see thatIndia, as well as Indians and people ofIndian origin are held in high regard here.The Indian community seems so welladjusted here, engages in cultural activi-ties, fund raising for charities back inIndia, working in the private sector andgovernment, pursuing higher studies – allhallmarks of a fully integrated community.

How is it different working in anoverseas mission than working in SouthBlock at the heart of the government?

CG: The government is a huge body,

with heart and limbs, all working for thesame purpose. Heading the office of theForeign Minister in Delhi provided aninvaluable perspective, a 360-degree viewof foreign policy. It was an extremelydemanding job but very rewarding. Thatjob was important and so is the presentone considering the importance we attachto our relations with Australia.

People complain about the delays ingetting the Indian visa. What changesdo you envisage to address this issue?Has the VSF traffic improved?

CG: I, too, have received casualremarks regarding delays but when I askpeople about specifics, I have neverreceived any. For reasons of transparency,the process is largely Internet basedwherein people can track status. What weexpect is the applicants must furnish fulland complete information so that theirrequests are processed expeditiously. Asfar as Consulate General of India, Sydney,is concerned, I do not see any delay inissuance of visas for normal cases. Foreveryone to see, the actual processingtimes for visas issued from CGI Sydney

during the last few months are availableon the Consulate’s website under the head‘Visa services – Data’. You will be happyto know that more than 95 per cent ofvisas have been issued within the stipulat-ed time period. There are certain casesbeyond the purview of the Consulatewhich require the approval of Ministry ofExternal Affairs or Home or other depart-

ments in Delhi before visa can be issued.Applicants are informed accordingly. Insome cases, when visas are sought by non-Australians, we need to refer to the pass-port issuing authority of the applicant.This also takes a few days.

How long does it take now to get thevisa? If there is an issue, who to contactand where?

CG: The processing times varydepending on the type of visas and thenationality of the applicant. It is our effortto issue visas as soon as we can. We doconsider personal emergencies which peo-ple may have and are willing to help themout even on holidays. The details for visaprocedures are available on the website of

VFS at the following linkhttp://www.vfs-in-au.net/tourist.html.

It has been our consistent effort tostreamline procedures, simplify them andmake them transparent. Since July 1, 2014in addition to visa, passport, OCI and PIOcards, the miscellaneous services havealso been outsourced. VFS is the firstpoint of contact in case of an issue withregard to issuance of visas. If the matterneeds escalation, an applicant may send ane-mail to the Consulate at the e-mailaddresses given on the Consulate’s web-site.

There was a proposal in the RajyaSabha to cancel current OCI and PIOcards and instead issue a single card. Ifthis happens, where do the PIO andOCI cardholders stand?

CG: There was a news item a fewmonths back on this subject. However, noofficial communication has been receivedfrom the Ministry in this regard. If andwhen any decision on this is taken by theIndian Government we will inform thegeneral public through media press releas-es, Consulate’s website and Facebookpage.

Is PM Narendra Modi coming toattend the G20 summit in Brisbane?

CG: By all indications Prime MinisterModi will visit Brisbane in mid-November. He is also likely to undertakea bilateral visit to Canberra around theG20 dates.

What are your long-term goals whileyou are in Sydney?

CG: The long-term goal is to furtherstrengthen the relations between India andAustralia. A lot of work is already under-way. I plan to take these initiatives furtherand take fresh initiatives in tune with theneeds of the situation. Prime MinisterAbbott’s likely visit to Delhi in Septemberand PM Modi’s likely visit to Australia inNovember will open up new opportunitiesand is likely to impart a new trajectory tothe relationship. I also plan to work onissues of concern to the Indian communityhere as well as increase bilateral invest-ment and trade.

What are your expectations from thelocal Indian community?

CG: I am very happy to see a large andvibrant Indian community here. Peoplefrom different states of India, different agegroups, language and religious groupshave made Australia their home and arecontributing to the economy, culture andlife.

My expectations are simple. TheIndian community members must remainresponsible residents of this country, con-tribute in positive ways and remain united.It is distressing sometimes to see mush-rooming of associations and people work-ing at cross-purposes. Unity is strength.At the Consulate General of India, allIndians are equally important irrespectiveof which association they belong to, evenif they do not belong to any association.We want the welfare of all.

New CG’s mission is to engineerbetter Indo-Oz ties

Prime MinisterAbbott’s likely visit toDelhi in Septemberand PM Modi’s likelyvisit to Australia inNovember will openup new opportunitiesand is likely toimpart a new trajectory to the relationship.

Sunjay Sudhir, India's new Consul General to Sydney, with victor Dominello,NSW Minister for Citizenship and Communities.

By Rekha Bhattacharjee

Greenpeace Australia hascategorically denied theaccusation that the organi-

sation is specifically targeting theIndian energy conglomerate headedby Gautam Adani for reasons otherthan environmental protection.

"Greenpeace’s campaign is noteven specific to Adani, it is againstany company from any countrythreatening the health of the cli-mate, local eco-systems and thefuture of the Great Barrier Reef," aGreenpeace Australia spokesmantold RB when asked whetherAdanis were being made a target ofan orchestrated campaign.

There has been speculations inthe mining and political circles thatAdanis are facing severe oppositionfrom some global NonGovernmental Organisations inIndia, Australia and elsewherebecause of their proximity to theIndian Prime Minister NarendraModi.

The rumour mills got furtherfillip when Australia'sEnvironment Minister Greg Huntextended his review of Adani'sA$16.5 billion ($15.5 billion)Carmichael coal and rail projectlast month.

Adani's Carmichael project isone of the three major, multi-bil-

lion dollar projects which are try-ing to export Australia's thermalcoal to India. Another Indian com-pany GVK has partnered withHancock Prospecting which isowned by the richest AustralianGina Rinehart. The third megaproject in the remote part ofQueensland is owned by anAustralian maverick politicianClive Palmer who also happens tobe a mining magnate.

Greenpeace Australia haslabelled Adanis' multi-billion dol-lar Carmichael mine project, whichis located in the remote GalileeBasin as a "major threat to the envi-ronment".

"The mine itself will clear20,000 hectares of bushland,including areas which are home to

threatened species like the Black-Throated Finch (Southern).Scientists estimate the mine’s wateruse will cause water tables to dropsignificantly outside the mineboundaries, reducing undergroundwater supplies to surroundingfarms and rivers," Greenpeace hasalleged.

Greenpeace has been running asustained campaign against theCarmichael project. The wellknown green organisation recentlycommissioned a highly-damagingreport against Adanis' various com-mercial activities in India. Thereport is titled 'Adani’s record ofenvironmental destruction and non-compliance with regulations'.

Greenpeace Australia has alsorubbished the recent media reports

suggesting that they are one of theglobal NGOs working in India whoare a threat to the emerging SouthAsian nation's economic future.They have quoted the followingwords of Samit Aich, ExecutiveDirector, Greenpeace India: Thestrategy, it seems, is to discreditthe organisation towards the longterm goal of removing obstacles forpushing fast clearances. But dis-crediting Greenpeace will not savethe world from climate change.Ours is probably the last generationthat can make a difference to curbclimate change.

When asked for their responseto the Greenpeace campaign, anAdani spokesperson has criticisedthe environmentalists for obstruct-ing the progress of India and alsoemployment generation inAustralia.

"This massive mine, rail andport project will not only generate8,000 Australian jobs during con-struction and nearly 12,000 whenoperating, but the coal producedwill support the growth and electri-fication of India, helping to bringmore than 100 million people out ofpoverty," an Adani spokespersonwrote in response to an email ques-tionnaire sent by Rekha Bhatta

Adanis have also allayed theenvironmentalists' fears that burn-ing Australian coal would lead to

more pollution."The electrification is through

modern, more efficient generatorsand our coal and the more moderngenerators replace a range of dirti-er and less efficient energy sources.That’s better for India and betterfor the world environment," thespokesperson wrote.

It also looks like as if Adanisconsider the delay in getting theAustralian government clearance asonly a temporary setback. TheIndian conglomerate is likely toshop elsewhere if its Australianproject fails to take-off as per theplan.

"One way or the other, Indiawill buy coal- and if it’s not ours, itwill likely be lower quality coalfrom less regulated nations. So,activists stopping these well-regu-lated projects will only not onlycause more environmental harm,they will cost much neededAustralian jobs," the Adaniresponse reads. The Indian miningcompany's confidence in gettingthe project clearance is reflected inthe recent agreement signed withKorea's Posco E&C. According tothe binding deal, Posco would bethe procurement and constructioncontractor for Adanis' rail projectwhich, when completed, would becapable of hauling a whopping 60million tonnes per year.


The Third Eye by Rekha Bhattacharjee

Column

The passing away ofNadine Gordimer, at theage of 90, is a great loss

to the literary world. An end ofa different era!

An anti-apartheid activistthroughout her writing careerwhich started at a tender age of14!

She was against any formof inequality and racial preju-dice. She followed her instinctsand was clear on the fact that itwas her writing that led her topolitics because as she herselfput it, “politics is character inSouth Africa”.

Nadine Gordimer became achronicler although she wrotefiction too of South Africanpolitical scene! She was one of the few whitecelebrities who became a member of theAfrican National Congress (ANC) foundedby Nelson Mandela! She did not shun itwhen ANC was a banned organisation by thewhite-only government.

The ANC said Mandela had a longfriendship with Gordimer in his beginningyears as a young activist.

The Nobel Prize awarded for Literatureto her is said to be a true tribute to her chal-lenge to the concept of apartheid.

Her best book I think is ‘TheConservationist’ that foretold the restorationof Black South Africans their land!

A great loss, till the end Nadine had theclarity of mind, body and spirit seen in herbooks. She did not hesitate to criticise thepresent government of President Jacob Zumafor censorship which she said was anotherform of apartheid!

Many paid tribute to Nelson Mandela butNadine’s post-apartheid novels continued toexplore South Africa without fear or favour.

The Man Booker Prize, a prestigiousprize given out each year to the bestoriginal novel written in English,

announced its long list on July 23 whichincluded British-Indian writer NeelMukherjee's book The Lives of Others. Theplot revolves around a Bengali family inCalcutta - it explores a family that is decay-ing as the society around it fractures, andone young man who tries to reimagine hisplace in the world.

This is the first year that the prize hasbeen opened to writers from across theworld. Until last year, the award took underconsideration books written only by writersfrom Britain and Commonwealth countries.

The books in this year's longlist are- To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by

Joshua Ferris (Viking), The Narrow Road to the Deep North by

Richard Flanagan (Chatto & Windus), We Are A ll Completely Beside

Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (Serpent'sTail),

The Blazing World by Siri Hustvedt(Sceptre),

J by Howard Jacobson (Jonathan Cape), The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

(Unbound), The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

(Sceptre), The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee

(Chatto & Windus),

Us by David Nicholls (Hodder &Stoughton),

The Dog by Joseph O'Neill (FourthEstate),

Orfeo by Richard Powers (A tlanticBooks),

How to be Both by Ali Smith (HamishHamilton),

History of the Rain by Niall Williams(Bloomsbury)

The judges of the Prize this year areSarah Churchwell, Daniel Glaser, JonathanBate, Alastair Niven and Erica Wagner,headed by Anthony Grayling.

The shortlist will be announced onSeptember 9 while the winner will beannounced on October 14.

Famous anti-apartheid writerNadine Gordimer is no more

Neel Mukherjee's book inBooker longlist

We are not targeting Adanis: Greenpeace Australia

There has been speculation in the mining and political circles thatAdanis are facing severe opposition from some global NGOs in

India, Australia and elsewhere because of their proximity to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi.


India

Modi takes over as India’s 15th prime minister

Amit Shah takesover as BJPPresident

Modi’s A-team

New Delhi: Congratulating Amit Shah for takingover as BJP’s President, Prime MinisterNarendra Modi lauded Shah’s efforts during thestupendous performance of the BJP in the LokSabha elections and called him the ‘man of thematch’.

Speaking at the BJP’s first national councilmeet after the general elections, Modi declaredHome Minister and former BJP presidentRajnath Singh as the captain of his team andthanked him for the crucial role that he hadplayed in leading the party to victory in the lastgeneral elections.

Modi also praised Amit Shah for his relent-less hard work in enabling the party to win 71out of 80 seats in UP, a state which had notbeen a BJP stronghold for quite some time.

Seeking replacing of the “ideology” ofCongress, BJP’s new President Amit Shah askedcadres to work for expanding the party’s reachwith focus on states like UP, Bihar,Maharashtra, Haryana and J&K where assemblypolls are due in near future.

New Delhi: The one omission from Modi’s cabinet was LK Advani,who had objected to Modi’s projection as prime ministerial candidateby the BJP. There are rumors that Advani may be made Presidentof the country after pranaba Mukharejee’s term is voer, by for themoment it seems Advani has been sent in political exile. It is alsonot clear if Arun Jaitley or Rajnath Singh is the No 2 in the cabinet.Finance, Corporate Affairs, Defence: Arun Jaitley is the Union Finance Minister and also holds theadditional charge of Defence and Corporate Affairs.Home Affairs:Rajnath Singh, who has quit as BJP president. External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister:Sushma Swaraj

Shipping, Road Transport and Highways:Nitin GadkariWater Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation:Uma Bharti Civil Aviation:Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju (of Telugu Desam Party)Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises:Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena

New Delhi: Narendra Modi was sworn in asIndia's new prime minister in a ceremonyMay 26 in the forecourt of the presidentialpalace in Delhi.

Modi took the oath before thousands ofguests, including his counterpart from rivalPakistan, Nawaz Sharif.

Modi led his BJP party to a landslidewin in the May election.

The BJP won the biggest victory by anyparty in India for 30 years, gaining a major-ity in parliament and trouncing the outgoingCongress Party.

Senior BJP and Congress leaders as wellas Bollywood actors and top industrialistswatched the leader from Gujarat take theoath."I, Narendra Damodardas Modi, swearin the name of God that I will maintain theintegrity of India," Modi said in Hindi. "Iwill work without fear, anger or hatred andwill do justice to all as per the constitution."

Forty-five MPs, including seven women,from Modi's BJP party and their allies werealso sworn in as ministers.

Monday's grand outdoor ceremony wasattended by the leaders of all seven SouthAsian countries as well as Mauritius.

Residents watch Narendra Modi takingthe oath at a television showroom inMumbai

“It is a great moment and a great oppor-tunity," Sharif said on his arrival in Delhifor the swearing-in ceremony.

"This is a chance to reach out to eachother. Both governments have a strong man-date... This could help in turning a newpage in our relations."

Given the margin of victory, the BJPwill be able to govern without coalition

partners - 272 MPs are required for anabsolute majority.

The Congress party finished with just 44of the 543 seats and under 20% of the votein what was its worst-ever performance.

Seconds after he took oath, the web siteof the Prime Minister’s Office carried hismessage to the people promising to “script aglorious future for India”, one that is“strong, developed and inclusive” and thatengages with the global community for thecause of world peace and development.

Modi said he was choosing his web siteto deliver his first message to the people ashe was a “firm believer in the power oftechnology and social media to communicate

with people across theworld” and a “veryimportant medium ofdirect communicationbetween us”.

The ceremonywas watched liveacross the nation andin world capitals, onTV and web casts.Those on the movecould get a real-timefeed from the socialmedia.

As soon as theceremony concluded,

Modi met the visiting leaders, starting witha warm handshake with Nawaz Sharif. Theleaders then posed for a photo-op with thenew Indian prime minister, the presidentand Vice President Hamid Ansari.

It was an amazing journey for thebespectacled and bearded Modi who sold teain a railway station in Gujarat at a youngage, before embracing politics, culminatingin his becoming the leader of a country of1.2 billion people.

As Monday’s event ended, the entirevista of Rajpath, from the lighted fountainsof Rashtrapati Bhavan, down Raisina Hill,leading up to India Gate was awash withlights, signifying the start of a new era.

Must resist Modi government'ssectarian tendencies: Sonia

New Delhi: The Congress will resist the "authoritarian andsectarian" tendencies of the government and attack it overincidents of communal violence, party chief Sonia Gandhi saidAug 13.

"It is our task to play the role of a vigilant opposition, tostand up for the values and policies of the Indian NationalCongress, and to resist the authoritarian and sectarian tenden-cies of the new government as it tries to get its way in parlia-ment," Gandhi said at the Congress Parliamentary Party meethere.

She added that the Congress will fight with full might torevive itself, and attack the government over incidents of com-munal violence.

Repeating her stand on communal violence havingincreased since the BJP came to power, Gandhi added: "Themoment they (BJP) betray the ideals on which this nation wasbuilt, the moment they pursue the politics of division andhatred, the moment they try to behave dictatorially inside oroutside this temple of Indian democracy - the moment they doany of these things, we will stand up and fight them."

Gandhi also said that apart from communal violence, therehave been other subtle but "pernicious signals of intolerance".

She said the BJP had nothing new to offer to the country."They attacked us without principles and they are now

governing us without policies. Well, they are welcome to stealour ideas. They are welcome to borrow our programmes.Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," she said.

Adding that the Congress has been reduced to an all timelow in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said: "It has been a challengingtime for us...the process of rebuilding and restoring the confi-dence of the public in the Congress party has begun."

Criticising the government on the union budget, price riseand violence against women, she said that the motto of gov-ernment "minimum government, maximum governance" haschanged to "minimum governance to protect the aam aadmi,maximum government to amass power in the hands of theBJP".

President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office asPrime Minister to NarendraModi who led his party BJP

to a landslide victory.

Narendra Modi, 63, took the oath of office before an estimated4,000 guests, including his counterpart from Pakistan, on th

e forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Modi loyalist Amit ShahModi with his cabinet of ministers at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.


Kerry, Hagel visits put Indo-USrelations back on track

Modi to meet 50 US Senators & key governors

New Delhi: Two big visits – by Secretary ofState and Defence Secretary - from the US insuccessive weeks have tried to set in motionthe partnership that has been under stresssince 2011.

The two nations have realised that a lot ofwork is needed in defence, nuclear energy,migration issues and WTO matters as PMNarendra Modi prepares for his trip to the USnext month.

While Secretary of State John Kerry andDefence Secretary Chuck Hagel's hopes wereraised with the Modi government invitinginvestments in key sectors, differences contin-ue of persist on a range of issues that willshape bilateral ties in the years to come.

The atmospherics, however, have beenpositive for substantive engagement in future,key government officials sadi. "A lot willdepend on the treatment that's given to Modiduring the trip to the US in September.Atmospherics during the visit will shape ties.If the PM doesn't feel comfortable, it may notbode well for the relationship. A good chem-

istry between President Obama and Modi isessential to address the irritants and set thetone," noted foreign policy expert and formerHigh Commissioner to Pakistan GParthasarathy.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerrywith Indian Prime Minister Narendra

Modi in New Delhi.

New Delhi: While Prime Minister NarendraModi may not be able to address the joint ses-sion of US Congress during his trip lateSeptember to Washington owing to theCongressional holiday schedule, he is set tohave a luncheon meeting with senior USSenators and governors of important states aspart of efforts to engage with a large sectionof the American administration. And, he will,of course, meet President Obama in WhiteHouse at the latter’s invitation.

Indeed, plans are on to organize a lunchwith over 50 US Senators who play a criticalrole in decision making in the American sys-tem. US India Political Action Committee(USINPAC), which is a broad-based group ofIndian Americans, is driving this initiative,reports Economic Times newspaper of India.Robinder Sachdev, head of the Indian chapterof USINPAC, said that the group is in touchwith over 50 Senators for the proposed lunch-

eon and plans are on to organize a meetingbetween the PM and governors of key USstates. The idea is to have a get-together ofover a dozen governors of states that are keento invest in India.

Earlier Senators Mark Warner, JohnCornyn, Tim Kaine, Jim Risch, and the SenateIndia Caucus, sponsored a resolution urging aJoint Session of Congress address by PrimeMinister Modi. But due to the intervening USCongressional holiday schedule, and theHouse of Representatives' urgency to leaveWashington to prepare for the November elec-tions in their home districts, a Joint Sessionaddress by the PM is unlikely to happen inSeptember this year.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued onSunday, the Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP)said that Modi will address hundreds of IndianAmericans at the famous Madison SquareGarden in New York on September 28.

India

Modi to address diaspora fromMadison Square Garden in New York on Sept 28 duringhis US visit, which includes

meeting President Obama inWhite House.

After veto, India says WTO deal not deadNew Delhi/Geneva: India is willing to sign aglobal trade deal, which it has torpedoed, ifother World Trade Organization memberscan agree to its parallel demand for conces-sions on stockpiling food, senior officials inNew Delhi said in early August.

The deadline to sign the WTO pact toease worldwide customs rules has lapsedafter India demanded that the group alsofinalise an agreement giving it more freedomto subsidise and stockpile food grains than isallowed by WTO rules.

It was not immediately clear if the latestcomments by Indian officials would open awindow for the deal to be resurrected.

In Geneva, a trade diplomat from adeveloping nation said: "The trust that coun-tries have in what India says is going to besignificantly diminished."

The officials in New Delhi said the dealcould be signed as early as September.

"It is ridiculous to say the Bali deal isdead," said a senior official at India's tradeministry, referring to the Trade FacilitationAgreement (TFA) pact that was agreed onthe Indonesian island of Bali last year.

"We are totally committed to the TFA,and only asking for an agreement on foodsecurity," said the official, who cannot beidentified under briefing rules.


India

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP)chief Mulayam Singh Yadav onAug 12 said that he is ready tojoin hands with his arch-rival andBahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chiefMayawati if RJD chief LaluPrasad Yadav mediates.

The SP chief was responding toLalu's recent suggestion thatMulayam Singh and Maywatishould also joined hands in UttarPradesh to defeat the BJP in thesame way as he has allied with hisone-time bitter foe NitishKumar's Janata Dal (U) in Bihar.

The coming together of twotraditional arch-rivals can mark anew beginning in the caste-drivenpolitics of Uttar Pradesh, wherethe SP is currently in power but

from where BJP won majority ofLok Sabha seats.

However, the BSP has reactedcautiously to the news. BSPleader Sudhindra Bhadoria saidpeople of UP will never forgiveSP for their misrule and askedMulayam's party to apologize forthis. BSP chief Mayawati willdecide on future course, he said.

Earlier, ending weeks of spec-ulation, RJD chief Lalu Prasadand JD(U) leader Nitish Kumarlast week came together andlaunched a joint campaign for theAugust 21 by-election to 10assembly seats in Bihar.

The two former chief ministersshared stage after nearly 23 years,marking the beginning of a new

phase in the politics of the state. Nitish Kumar, who had parted

ways with Lalu in 1994 and suc-ceeded in dethroning him in Biharin 2005 in alliance with BJP, saidthe Narendra Modi government atthe Centre knows that it cannotfulfil the tall promises it has madeand will resort to spreading reli-gious passion to cling to power.

"They can run government.They cannot run the country. Did'achchhe din (good days)' come?"he asked, referring to BJP's slo-gan during elections.

BJP, meanwhile, played downthe coming together of the tworegional leaders.

Arch-rivals Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar have decided tobury the hatchet in Bihar

Haryanagurdwara row:

SC says maintainstatus quo

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has direct-ed SGPC and Haryana Sikh GurdwaraManagement Committee to maintain statusquo in respect of all the 52 gurdwaras inHaryana as of early August.

The apex court bench headed by ChiefJustice R.M. Lodha directed SGPC andHSGMC to open separate bank accounts todeposit the offerings by devotees in these52 gurdwaras.

The court also directed the police chiefof the state to take all steps to maintain lawand order and prevent any untoward inci-dent.

Of the 52 gurdwaras in respect of whichthe status quo has to be maintained, eightare of historical importance, 17 are thosewhich have an earning of Rs.20 lakh perannum and each of the remaining gurd-waras are earning less than Rs.20 lakh perannum.

The court's direction came on a petitionby Harbhajan Singh - a member of SGPCfrom Kurukshetra - seeking the invalidationof the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara(Management) Act 2014, contending that itwas ultra vires of the constitution and thestate assembly had no power to enact it.

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhiwas stopped by her son, Rahul, from becom-ing prime minister in 2004 because he wasscared she too would fall victim to politicalassassinations that had earlier ravaged theNehru-Gandhi family, former foreign ministerK Natwar Singh has revealed in his new book.After winning a surprise election victory in2004, Sonia faced stiff opposition from sever-al senior party leaders, including SharadPawar and PA Sangma who cited her Italianantecedents to stop her becoming prime minis-ter.

She then passed up the chance to take thetop job, saying her “inner voice” preventedher, but many saw the decision as a face-sav-ing move to quell dissent in the party. She thenchose Manmohan Singh for the post.

Natwar, whose tell-all autobiography ‘OneLife Is Not Enough’ was published August 1,also told the media that Sonia had access toimportant government files that were carried toher by an officer in the PMO.

The revelations are likely to embarrassSonia, whose “sacrifice” of the post of primeminister has often since been upheld by herparty as a rare example of political proprietyand an act of selflessness. In the past, theCongress has also denied she perused govern-

ment files.They also offer a window into the mind of

Rahul, exposing his vulnerabilities as a personbattered by personal tragedies that may havetriggered a possible ambivalence towardspower. Many had accused him of showingsigns of reluctance in wanting to lead theparty’s campaign in the April-May elections.

Natwar said Rahul told her mother he

would take every step to stop her and gave hera 24-hour deadline to decline the offer tobecome prime minister.

Natwar also said Sonia had complete gripover the Congress, more than what Nehru orIndira had, and was the last word in the party.

He also told the media that Sonia anddaughter Priyanka met him earlier to persuadehim to delete some parts from his book.

New Delhi: The Congress Party's promotional film project has runinto trouble. Initially a 25-minute release, the story by Aditya Choprawas reworked by Priyanka Gandhi into a three-hour, old-fashionedRajshri kind of saga on the Nehru-Gandhi-Vadra families' contribu-tion to the nation. For the film titled 'Parivar Ki Dain', Congress hasgot Rohit Shetty to direct.

Priyanka Gandhi was the initial choice for Indira Gandhi's role.But after she chose to write the big story and also become theExecutive Producer, the CWC along with Shetty started negotiatingwith Priyanka Chopra. Because she has acted in the biopic 'MaryKom,' Priyanka who now knows how looks can be changed easilyagreed. Roshanb Seth will play Pandit Nehru for the 100th time.

Getting the right person for Sonia Gandhi's character was difficult.Since she is at home with Indian culture, Priyanka Gandhi approachedJulia Roberts first. Fortunately, Meryl Streep who was Shetty's firstchoice signed on the dotted line. In exchange for her consideration,Streep demanded a hefty fee of 75 crore which has been paid inadvance. Aamir Khan who will play Rajiv Gandhi has been in touchwith Kamal Haasan for his guidance on how to manipulate height onthe big screen.

Randeep Hooda will be seen in a blink-and-miss appearance asRobert Vadra. Rahul Gandhi character has ten minutes of screentime. The big problem is, nobody wants to play him.

New alignments in UP-Bihar to keep Congress at bay

Rahul made Sonia refuse PM job: Natwar

Meryl Streep signed for Sonia Gandhi roleafter Julia Roberts ‘no’

K. Natwar Singh has been a Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist for long, but now has written a tell-all book.

Meryl Streep was seen recently in the title role of England’s IronLady Margaret Thatcher.

Of the 52 gurdwaras in respect ofwhich the status quo has to

be maintained, eight are of historicalimportance.

Bollywood


Interview by Neeru Saluja

Actress Neeru Bajwa is soaring newheights. With one blockbuster afteranother, she is the reigning queen

of Punjab. Her film Jatt & Juliet becamethe highest grosser in Punjabi cinema.Coming from a humble background inCanada and making her way up in Mumbaion her own, this gritty girl is here to stay.

She made her debut in Bollywood withDev Anand in the film Main Solah BarasKi and also worked in television, but it wasthe Punjabi movie Asa Nu Maan Watna Dathat marked her big foray in Bollywood.Her films Jatt & Juliet, Jatt & Juliet 2,Jihne Mera Dil Luteya, Mel Karade Rabbawere all top grossers.

While promoting her next film ‘AaGaye Munde UK de’ in Chandigarh, theactress took out some time for a candidchat with The Indian Down Under. Weshare her journey from Canada to Mumbai,her success in films and what defines her asan actress. Determined to become anactress, Neeru Bajwa believed in herselfand never gave up. Keeping her sparkalive, today she is the darling of Punjabicinema.

Mind Blowing Films is bringing AaGaye Munde UK de to Australian shoreson August 8.

‘Aa Gaye Munde UK de’ is a sequelto ‘Munde UK de’. Previously your film‘Jatt & Juliet 2’ was a sequel to ‘Jatt &Juliet’. What makes your sequels spinsuccess every time?

I’m very lucky and blessed to have hada few hits in the past. I don’t think it’sabout a sequel success formula, your char-acter has to be loved. People want to seeyou in a character they can adore. It’s niceto be loved and I hope it continues.

Tell us a bit about the character youare playing in your next film.

My character’s name is Disha. Bornand brought up in Punjab, she’s a normalPunjabi girl. Her father wants to marry heroff to a NRI. That’s when she meets JimmyShergill who falls madly in love with herand brings a twist in the film.

You have worked with Jimmy beforein a few films. How do you find it work-ing with him?

This is my fifth film with JimmyShergill. I feel very comfortable with himand he is my favourite co-star. I haveknown him for long and every day I learnsomething from him. I wish the fun contin-

ues and I can do many more films withhim.

What was the most enjoyable part ofthe film?

The most enjoyable part of the film wasshooting for a romantic number ‘Tere hinaal’. The director Manmohan Singhthought up the concept for the song andlooked after the intricate details from theclothes, location to the choreography.Sitting on a motorcycle by the water inManali, I felt as if I was in a Yash Raj film.

Cinematographer turned directorManmohan Singh sounds like your luckymascot. You started your film career inPunjabi films with his ‘Jee Aayan Nu’and have been his favourite choice.

He is the pioneer of Punjabi cinema.Whatever I am today is because of him.Manmohan Singh was shooting for a filmin Canada when I met him. I found theshooting location and told him I want tobecome an actress. He gave me his numberand when I reached Mumbai I contactedhim. I owe everything to him, I wouldn’thave been here without him.

You were 17 years old when you leftyour family and friends in Canada andcame to Mumbai to become an actress. Itmust have been quite a struggle…

It was difficult. Mumbai is a big cityand it can feel scary if you don’t know any-one. But I really believed in myself. Andhere I am, after 11 years Mumbai is homefor me. I’m totally in love with this city asit has given me everything I wanted.

Coming from a non-filmi back-ground, how was your bringing up athome?

My bringing up was very traditional. Iwas brought up in a very protective envi-ronment where we didn’t know the worldoutside. Everyone was an uncle or an auntyand our summer vacations were spent inPunjab. While we would visit the gurd-wara, we also celebrated Christmas. My

only association with films was the moviesmy dad brought for us to watch. And it wasSridevi’s ‘Mr India’ that proved to be aturning point in my life – once I watchedher I made up my mind to become anactress!

You are one of those young actresseswho got a chance to work with DevAnand. How was the experience?

It was a fantastic experience. He wassuch a legend, I was really lucky to get theopportunity to work with him. He had justcompleted 75 years of cinema and wastravelling the world. I performed on one ofhis songs in Canada and that’s where hespotted me.

Being an actress, you need to be fitand healthy. What’s your fitnessregime?

I enjoy eating healthy. At the sametime, I love cheeseburgers and french fries.I love working out and go to the gym everyday. I feel very sexy, beautiful and confi-dent after a workout!

What’s next?I’m venturing into production with my

best friend. This is something I alwayswanted to do. I’m also playing a doublerole in a film releasing in November. I’mplaying both the twins, where one is reallycrazy and wild, and the other one is calmand composed.

And which twin do you relate to?Of course the crazy one! I take off a lot

on my own, put myself in crazy situations.I have almost got myself killed and kid-napped!

Besides your crazy nature, tell ussomething else that your fans don’t knowabout you?

Till today, I get extremely nervouswhen I get on stage. I start sweating andsay a prayer and then perform. Our nextstop will be Birmingham where we are pro-moting our film and I’m going to performin the O2 arena – excited and nervous!


Music

By K Raman

Plans are underway for UstadAmjad Ali Khan and sonAmaan to perform in

Sydney and may be at other Ozvenues as well, according toSudhir Das of the Sydney Chapterof Soorya promoters who do yeo-man service to fine arts underSoorya Krishnamoorthy’s leader-ship.

The first impression you get asyou see Janab Amjad Ali KhanSaheb is the serene look on hisface, but when he comes out of theshell he utters well constructedand thought provoking logical talkwith a heavy accent to musicalmelodies and laya pattern with theintense mathematics governingthem.

Many moons ago as an 11-year-old Khan Saheb performed inpublic for the first time; he did nothave then a clear notion of hispedigree, lineage, musical tradi-tion of his family of six unbrokengenerations and the job he wasdestined to do over the years. Heonly wanted his Sarod to sing forhim and nothing else.

Later, he came to know of hisenviable family heritage of unbro-ken Sarod vidwans of class whowere his forefathers and the veryfirst of them was a direct discipleof Tansen, a musicians’ musician.Lamps lit itself when Tansen sang,and he could bring rain duringdraught by singing in RagaAmrithavarshini.

It is believed God heard hismusical pleadings and fulfilled hisfavourite son’s wishes. Amjad-jithinks that he was blessed profuse-ly with the musical genes as wellas the deep seated conviction andwill to learn classical music.

When I met him some 15 oddyears ago, I understood right awaythat he is a traditionalist in hismusic and day to day life. As Iaddressed him either as KhanSaheb or Usthatji or Amjadji, thattoo every time I brought his nameup, he complimented me for doingso. He said “you are respectingmy music as well as me as itspractitioner”.

Khan Saheb related, “Recentlya novice journalist girl of Indianorigin who seems to be younger

than my second son Amaar,throughout the interview wasaddressing me Amjad which mademe a bit disconcerted and in theend I told her to learn the basicetiquettes like how to address sen-iors.”

Speaking of music, the greatSarod maestro Padma VibhushanAmjad Ali Khan Saheb once saidthat whatever forms of music welisten to they are all music in theirwide and varied manifestations,virtually off-shoots of the truemusical Banyan tree, which is acreation of God. “I only want thelisteners to take my music intotheir mind for appreciative pleas-ure,” he said.

Sarod is a lute-like stringedinstrument with a rich historybehind it. It generates melodious,deep, introspective and weightysound in the hands of a maestro.Especially suited for North Indianclassical music, with the resonant,reverberating notes it produces, itcreates listening pleasure to thelistener, thanks primarily due toits ‘Sympathetic strings’.

Sarod is noted for its pristinetonal quality, capable of generat-ing a wide spectrum of emotions,and a varied related dynamics itcan offer.

This instrument is a combinedproduct of the good features ofAfghan Rabat, Sursingar, andSaraswathi Veena, evolved some2500 years ago.

The music colossus Tansenwho adorned Emperor Akber’sdurbar was one of the first whointroduced Sarod to Indian classi-cal music. One of his descendantsUstad Jaffar Khan is the one whomade structural modifications toSarod by introducing metal fingerboards and metal strings in itsconstruction. It remained fretlessall along. Jaffar Khan did so tofacilitate and execute ‘Meeds’(glides), curves and minute musi-cal aesthetic features.

It was Janab Alauddin Khanwho made many more changes toSarod bringing to its modern sta-tus incorporating 15 Tarab strings,3 Chicari strings, 4 main or pri-mary strings and 3 Thaat strings.Hafiz Ali Khanji is the father oflegendary Amjadji, the sixth loopof the Sansia Bangeshi lineage.

Amjadji is a pastmaster tocoax his instrument to bring outscintillating busts of Raga sancha-ras, cloaked with ‘Laya prastaras’besides decorated by many inno-vative and mind bogglingManodharma. His super method-ology in elaborating ragas andinnovative swara ‘padhathi’ is oneof its kind. His sons are also high-ly skilled for their tunefulness aswell as play full of bold and reso-nant stokes.

Khan Saheb, as tradition war-rants, begins his concerts with a

Raaga Aalap, (short or extensive)which is a highly subtle meditativemusical movement. His skill liesin the usage of ascending anddescending of notes variation, inwhich some may be flattened orsharpened to suit the mood andneed; similar to what is done inJazz movements. In short, eachnote brings up a particularflavour.

Progressively, rhythm comesinto play to support slow melodyplay, that follows the aalap playedand it is known as ‘Vilambit’. Just

like melody, rhythm is a complexmathematical workout; which canbe sixteen beats, 12, 8, or 6 as thecase may be. In the master crafts-man’s hand everything turns intobliss. You can describe KhanSaheb’s Sarod musical display as arigorous ‘Tapas’ or the quest ofthe timeless spirit in search of har-mony in music.

I wish many of the learned,appreciative classical musicalbuffs make an effort to hear themaestro in full flow during hisforthcoming concerts in Australia.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who isscheduled to perform in Sydneyand other Australian venues, canboast an enviable family heritageof unbroken Sarod vidwans ofclass, the very first of whom wasa direct disciple of Tansen, themusicians’ musician.

Sarod maestro comes to Sydney

The author with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Bollywood


By Neeru Saluja

Director RichieMehta was inthe search for

a story and he was inthe search for his son.A ride with a rik-shawalla in Delhichanged Richie’s fate.As they both startedtalking, a poignantstory unfolded andinspired Richie tomake his next filmSiddharth.

“I was in India anda conversation with arikshaw puller became the plot of myfilm. He was seeking help from anyonehe could. Once he recognised my Hindiwith a Punjabi accent, he told me hisstory - how he sent his 12-year-old sonto Dongri a year ago and has never seenhim since then. He has been asking peo-ple for help as he was illiterate.”

“Neither did he have a photograph ofhis son nor did he know how to spell hisson’s name. This was what moved me.It took me five seconds to find the placethrough Google but this guy kept onasking people for a year. I was motivat-ed to tell his story in the most truthfuland realistic way. I wanted to showcasethe India that I experienced. My experi-ence was that people were kind, and notwhat you see in mainstream cinema. It’svery easy for not being in India and crit-icise India.”

Richie Mehta is just a few films oldbut already making waves in cinema.His film Amal released in 2008 wasnominated for the Best Motion Pictureand Best Director at the 29th GenieAwards. In 2013, he made a science fic-tion movie ‘I’ll Follow you Down’.‘Siddharth’ has now been released inUnited States, Canada and Europe.

“I’m very honoured to be a part ofthe Sydney film festival. I know thequality of the festival and being a part ofthe festival is a good outcome for myfilm.”

Siddharth was shot on a shoestringbudget, and it took him time to find hisinvestors. The film boasts of a loyal andtalented cast with actors Rajesh Tailing

and Tannishtha Chatterjee heading thecast. “Both of my lead actors wereworld class. Tannishtha as an actress isamazing. She is very focussed and pro-fessional. She has a very interestingstyle of working. Once she picks up herscript, she runs through everything veryquickly and doesn’t waste any time. Wecompleted her part in a nine day stretch,which was amazingly good,” tellsRichie.

Though Richie was born and broughtup in Canada, he has his roots firmwhen it comes to his Indian heritage.

“I spend a lot of time in India nowand am a witness to the changing India.It’s not only the cosmetic changes butdrastic changes in lower businesses aslots of money is coming through. This isthe India I would like to show in myfilms,” says Richie.

Not many know that besides makingfilms Richie was also a judge onCanadian talent show ‘Bollywood Star’.

Smiles Richie, “I have a strong con-nection to Australia! ‘Bollywood Star’was actually based on the Australianshow ‘Search of a star’ by SBS. Theyused the same method and I wasapproached by the co-judge. It was agood experience as I encountered manypeople whom I worked with. We tele-cast four shows and all of them were ahit”.

So what’s next, Richie?“My next film will be inspired by

the Delhi rape incident. I was in Delhiat the same time when the incident hap-pened. I’m not a big fan of exploitationand my line of thinking towards the film

will have to be non-controversial. It’s asensitive topic and I’m not in a place tomake judgements. The last thing I wantis to make enemies.

“As an Indian living abroad, I don’twant to run away from my story. I don’twant to be seen as an outsider who

knows nothing about India and is mak-ing films. It’s a useless exercise to criti-cise India’s system. I use my imagina-tion to make a film as an observer fromoutside. Filmmaking was always mydream and I will continue to make filmsabout India.”

This year the Sydney Film Festival was packed with films from the Indian subcontinent. One of the mostpowerful films was Siddharth, the story of an Indian father searching for his son. Directed by RichieMehta, this film has already been a hit in Venice and Toronto festivals. The Indian Down Under inter-

viewed Canadian born director Richie Mehta for the art film lovers.

“I want to show-case the India thatI experienced. Myexperience is thatpeople there arevery kind, and notwhat you see inmainstream cine-ma. It’s very easyfor not being inIndia and criticiseIndia,”says Richier Mehtawhose earlier film 'Amal'made waves on thefilm festival circuit.

Talented actors Rajesh Tailing and Tannishtha Chatterjee are the lead players inRichie Mehta’s latest movie, Siddharth.


Bollywood

By Neeru Saluja

Singer Adnan Sami is havingan affair. A love affair withhis songs. It's the love for

his music that makes him createromantic melodies with such pas-sion.

Adnan Sami is not only asinger, but a magician when itcomes to music. His on-stage per-sona brings out the musician,pianist, actor and composer inhim. His multi-talent comes fromhis training in South AsianClassical music while he mergesAsian and Western music stylesand instrumentation with style.

He was recently in Sydney fora concert organised by Cinestarrwhere he left his audience spell-bound. The Indian Down Undermet him during the press confer-ence held before the concert.Sporting a slim trim look, Adnanwas beaming when he walked intothe press conference. There wasnot a single dull moment when weinterviewed him. His candidness,sense of humour, prompt andwitty answers left us wanting formore from the star.

Adnan Sami’s popularity hascrossed the borders of India mak-ing him an international star. Be itIndia, Afghanistan or Pakistan,his fans adore him. When weasked him about his stardom, hewas humble enough to count it asa blessing from God. “This iswhat we pray for. There are manyartists but it’s God who decides tobless you and give you that extraspark through his blessings. Thisis something that should alwaysbe valued. It is something that Iwill remember as we artists arenothing without the audience. I’malways indebted to your love andattention.”

Adnan Sami’s latest album‘Press Play’ is an eclectic mix ofdifferent genres.

So which genre are you mostcomfortable with?

“All my songs are reflectionsof the various moods I gothrough. All moods are equallydear to me. Between morning andevening, there would have beendifferent emotions – happy, angryand anxious. Music is a reflectionof emotions. For me, music is anultimate expression of emotions.The song that I am composing ismy favourite. I’m having a loveaffair with my song. It’s like achild that has been born into thisworld. And I have to nurture eachchild,” smiles Adnan.

An emotional person at heart,Adnan brings out his own feelingsthrough his music. “My music,

especially my albums, are veryautobiographical. If you want toknow about my life, listen to mymusic. They are about moments Iwas going through. I did want alift in life, I did see a chehra, I dohave a roya. I’m the most truthfuland vulnerable person.Sometimes there will be emotionsbottled up but when I write mymusic I pen down all my emo-tions."

So what's the secret behindyour inspiration?

"There is no secret. I’m a firmbeliever talent is a blessing fromGod. It actually doesn’t belong toyou. It is leased to you and it canbe taken back from you. Becauseit doesn’t belong to me, I’m amere user because it has beenblessed to me. So there is nosecret, I need to share it. The bestof inspirations comes in five min-utes. I composed Bheegi bheegiraatein in fifteen minutes. It just

flowed. I don’t know how todefine it. All play and no workmakes Adnan a musical boy!

"What people call my work, isme playing with toys, and the bestpart is I get paid for it. I’m onstage and I’m in my playgroundenjoying myself. I think let's goand enjoy myself and then I givemy enjoyment to people."

So what is the best part youenjoy - singing, composing orperforming?

"The most beautiful part Ienjoy in my concerts is we arecompletely live. I have the finestmusicians of Asia who are trainedin music. I always tell my musi-cians to keep your eyes on me. Alot is dictated by the audiencenow. Every performance is spe-cial to me. It’s not only the artistwho makes the concert, it’s theaudience. You would havealready heard the song on the CD,I endeavour my audience gets

something more than what’s onthe CD. I give my audience some-thing unique."

The gift he gave to the audi-ence of Sydney was the mostmemorable. His soulful voice andmagical fingers on the keyboardleft the audience mesmerised by

his performance. He left Australiawith a big smile on his face.

"The kind of love that Ireceived over here is tremendous.I will take back the warmth andthe beautiful memories back. Ithas been a wonderful experi-ence," said Adnan.

If you get confused, it is the slim and trim avatar of the same onceroly-poly Adnan Sami.

“My music, especially myalbums, are veryautobiographical. Ifyou want to knowabout my life, listento my music. Theyare about moments Iwas going through. Idid want a lift in life,I did see a chehra, Ido have a roya.”

"What people call my work, is me playing with toys, and the best part is I get paid forit,” says the singing sensation Adnan Sami in this interview with The Indian Down

Under when he was recently in Sydney for a concert organised by Cinestarr.

All play and no work makes Adnan a musical boy

Bollywood


By Kersi Meher-Homji

The Indian community knows wellVinod Rajput, a star of many con-certs - Talat Night, Mukesh Night,

Saigal Night, and recently, Raj KapoorMemories, sponsored by The Indian DownUnder, his voice a healthy mix of Mukeshand Mohammad Rafi.

But did you know that Vinod was aGeophysicist working in the AustralianPetroleum Industry for over 30 years? Andthe Woodside Petroleum put him on theirHonour Roll as one of the Legends.

It was a pleasure interviewing themulti-talented Vinodji.

KMH: Who inspired you to be amusician? Any particular singer whowas your childhood hero? At what agedid you want to be a singer?

Vinod Rajput: As a child, I alwaysenjoyed listening to songs on the radio. Ihad an urge to sing, but – as with mostfamilies in those days – singing was con-sidered a distraction to pursuing the tradi-tional career path like medicine or engi-neering. So, I followed the parental dreamsand my desire to sing was kept under thewrap. When I was in grade 10 at school,our newlywed science teacher was not in amood to teach one day and asked the classif anyone could sing a song. I don't knowhow my hand instantly went up, so I sangmy first song in public, Jis Desh MeinGanga Behti Hai. My teacher liked it somuch that he gave me one rupee as a prize.Along with my studies, I kept my passionfor singing live during my IIT days by par-ticipating in music programs. My favouritesinger was Mukesh.

KMH: Any music in your family?VR: My Dad used to write poetry and

shayari as a hobby. Although my Mum wasnot a recognised singer, she used to singtraditional songs during family weddings.As a five-year-old I have vague images ofmy mum listening to the songs on the radioand dancing in the room. My sisters andmost of my brothers can sing but they didnot take it up as seriously as I have.

KMH: Were you taught or was it anatural gift?

VR: My singing is God's gift. I devel-oped it further by taking occasional lessonsin classical music and doing some voicetraining.

KMH: Did you give any concerts inIndia?

VR: I have given performances inLudhiana, Panchkula and Chandigarh.

KMH: When did you give your firstconcert in Australia?

VR: My first performance in Australiawas actually doing a bhangra dance thatwas broadcast on ABC television in 1971.I gave many musical performances in Perthduring my 18 years stay there. I startedgiving major concerts in Adelaide in early1990s when I formed a band and recordedtwo CDs. I would have given about 100concerts including a few dozens in Sydney.

KMH: Do you feel nervous before aconcert?

VR: Never nervous! I regard singing asfun whether I am doing it alone or in a con-cert.

KMH: Your Saigal concert is myfavourite. Which one is yours?

VR: My favourite concert was atMacquarie Theatre in 2005 at the launch of

my Mukesh CD, thanks to Avijit Sarkar forproviding excellent music backup, andKumud Merani, Sushma Ahluwalia andAshok/Rachna Rajput for their support inmaking it a great success despite my notbeing a resident of Sydney then.

KMH: Your favourite singer?VR: I regard Mohammed Rafi to be the

natural singer whose songs are challengingas well as good for vocal practice. I alsolove doing yodelling of Kishore Kumar.

KMH: How many times you haverehearsals before a concert?

VR: I keep practicing singing all thetime. To prepare for a concert where othermusicians and singers are involved, wework together for at least a couple ofmonths. For a private performance whereonly track music is involved, one week'spreparation is sufficient.

KMH: What else do you do apartfrom singing and playing harmonium?

VR: I was a Geophysicist and haveworked in the Australian PetroleumIndustry for over 30 years. Now, I am hap-pily retired and enjoy my passion in singing

and the company of my children, grandchildren, other family members andfriends.

KMH: Is your family musicoriented?

VR: I have two daugh-ters, a son and two grand-daughters who are only fiveand seven years old butare quite interested insinging.

KMH: Highlight ofyour career…

VR: It was the dis-covery of the first majorgas field in early 1970sin the North West Shelfwhen I was withWoodside Petroleumwhich put me in theirHonour Roll as one ofthe Legends.

Thank you and con-gratulations, Vinod, inyour success in two vastlydifferent pursuits.

By Kersi Meher-Homji

Irealise that translation is the worstform of literature but nostalgia makesme write strange prose. I refer to the

Raj Kapoor concert orchestrated by VinodRajput and sponsored by The Indian DownUnder last month.

And what memories – from Shree 420to Bobby! The Nargis-Raj Kapoor days ofmy childhood, the contrasting themes ofAag and Barsaat (fire and rain), rushedback to me and all present in a flash.

All the melodies sung by Vinod,Pushpa Jagadish, Reena Mehta, SumatiKrishnan, Arun Nanda and Jagdeep Sinhwere outstanding. The Band Baaja startedwith an instrumental version of Mera Jootahai Japani. No words were necessary aseveryone in the audience was singing.This was followed by Jaago mohanpyaarey from Jaagte Raho by Pushpa andthe wistful duet Chhode gaye baalam fromBarsaat by Vinod and Pushpa.

The song I am still humming is theAah number Jaane na nazar … mera angang mushkuraya by Reena and Vinod.Yes, every part of my body smiled listen-

ing to Reena -Vinod’s haunt-ingly happyrendition! Callit the X-factor.

Each songwas a toe-tap-ping delight.Arun Nanda’sMain shayar tonahi was anoth-er masterpiece.As were Rasikbalamaa bySumati and Ekdin bik jaayegaby Jagdeep.

My oneregret was thatthere were no songs from Andaaz. Maybenext time, Vinod. Monalisa Grover enter-tained us before the interval with her ele-gant dancing, which made all present“diwana” (madly in love). Masters ofCeremonies Rupali Rastogi and RajeevChaturvedi introduced the singers withélan. They also narrated the Raj Kapoorstory, his many highs and a few lows.

No concert can be complete withoutthose behind the instruments and theywere all in tune, complementing thecrooners.

As a climax, Vinod brought some ofthe audience on the floor as they danced tothe lively number Jhooth boliya. It wasdifficult to realize that this was 2014 andnot 1950s to 80s.

From Japanese shoes to jhoot boliya,every part of my body smiled

People dancing to Vinod Rajput’s ‘Jhoot boleya’ (2) Vinod with singers Pushpa Jagadish, Reena Mehta, Jaggi Singh and Arun Nanda

Vinod is accompanied by violinist Deepa Kannan and on guitarSharat Sharma


Community

By Manju Mittal

Recently I had the opportunity toattend the Dream Girl 2014,which kicked off on August 2,

2014 at Sydney Bahai Centre. With aglittering, glamorous and powerful per-formance by young contestants, it was abeauty pageant that celebrated woman-hood and aimed at honouring beauty,inner and outer, as young women linedup to promote the country’s multicultur-al spirit as well as its people.

The contest featured 11 contestantsalthough proudly Australian, represent-ing India, Greek, Vietnamese, Arabic,Spanish and Fijian. There were two cat-egories Under 25 and Above 25. Thecontestants were judged on their confi-dence, poise and how they introducedand presented themselves and how closethey are to their culture.

During the presentation contestantsdonned stylish Western and Indian wear.They impressed the audience and judgesby strutting their stuff in high heels,dresses, make up, hair styles and wooedthe audience with their dance, singingand acts. Once the beauty contest waswrapped up, the top 8 were asked ques-tions to test their brawn to prove they arenot just beautiful but intelligent too.

The Judges panel comprised six peo-ple from various fields- Film MakerBruce Hooshmad, Film Lecturer andDirector Anton Beebe, Chinese TVcelebrity and Singer Emily Wong, MissIndia 1986 Poonam Gidwani, ActorUzma Beg and South American Actor,Director, Producer Shailla Quadra. NSW

Senator Mr Sam Dastyari and Ms JulieOwens MP were the guests of honour.

After the round of questions it wastime to announce the winners and run-ners up.

The Crown winner in the above 25

years category was Simi Ahuja Nandha,who was favourite of all as one couldclearly feel from the audience response.Maria Tran was announced Runner Up,and another winner in the under 25 yearscategory was Sharon Mary George withRegan Antonio as the young Runner Up.A vivacious and charming Maria stoleeveryone’s heart as audience picked heras the winner of Audience Choice Awardas well as a gift voucher of $300 fromFortune Travels. Another versatile con-testant, Komal Suri, was awarded themost popular contestant on Facebooktitle.

Navneet Leo and Yolanda Frankenkept the audience entertained as MC’s,the gorgeous Yolanda kept changingfrom one elegant outfit to another.

The Dream Girl Beauty Pageant is anidea born in the year 2010 and now it hasturned into a great annual event. Theorganisers of the event, Navneet Leo andhis wife Anju said they plan to make iteven better and bigger next year.Another highlight of the show was localtalented singer Vijay Jogia, who enter-tained the audience with his beautifulsongs. The event was supported byVarun Tiwari and Kamaldeep Kaur fromFriends Audio Video, Simran Singhfrom Fortune World Travels, SanjayDeshwal - Australian Visa andMigration, Yogesh Sharma - Cine Star,Rohit Duggal - MR Office. The eventwas well captured by cameraman VishalVashisht.

All in all, the event was well organ-ised and the contestants seemed pre-pared. One of the most enjoyable beautycontests I have ever attended.

We are sure there are plenty of beau-ties amongst us who deserve to be hon-oured and celebrated for all the goodattributes they carry and thus be able tobecome role models in our culturallydiverse society through initiatives such asthe ‘Dream Girl’ beauty contest.

Simi Ahuja Nandha a trulydream beauty!

Ecstatic Simi- the winner

of Dream Girl 2014 title

Sydney’s dancing sensation Varun Tiwari makes everyone dance!Maria Tran, Simi Ahuja Nandha, Regan Antonio and

Sharon Mary George

Community


Saba Zaidi Abdi, artistic director of Adakar TheatreGroup has been professionally involved in theatrefor the last four decades. A graduate of National

School of Drama (NSD), India she has directed scoresof plays for television and theatre. As creative mindsnever rest or get active after a lull, Saba realised afterhaving directed a play for the IABBV Hindi School thatthere was enough creative people in Sydney itself whocould form a serious theatre group committed to doingtheatre on a regular basis.

Saba Zaidi is known for her great pioneering workin bringing Indian television to Australia with the cre-ation of Vision Asia and now having created SouthAsian packages for Fetch TV, she has gone to her firstpassion which is theatre.

Says Saba whose passion one can feel bubbling toexpress with the help of some good local talent underher tutelage, “The community deserves to have a plat-form to showcase their creative expression and talent.Fortunately a group of very enthusiastic, committed andlikeminded people shared my vision and came togetherto form Adakar Theatre and Cultural Group. We choseto launch our theatre group with a celebrated comedy‘Kanjoos’ in Urdu language which we expect will attractand entertain all age groups of South Asian back-ground.”

In the middle of rehearsals, marketing and financesthere are many other challenges to produce the playsuch as ‘Kanjoos’ because one cannot be miserly aboutthe caste, costumes, stage décor and the rest. The workon the play started last year and rehearsals fromFebruary this year, though Saba insists, “It is purely anon-commercial venture entirely funded by the foundingmembers of Adakar. I can proudly say that our actorsare both from India and Pakistan as we needed Hindiand Urdu speaking actors and I must say they are enjoy-ing working together.”

When asked about ‘Kanjoos’, how she ended upselecting this play to launch the group, she said,“‘Kanjoos’ is an adaptation of the famous French come-dy by Moliere ‘The Miser’ though written in the 16thcentury it deals with fundamental human qualities ofgreed, manipulation, hypocrisy and lust. There aremany shades of human character which are quite univer-sal. ‘Kanjoos’ has been beautifully adapted into a northIndian feudal home in the middle of last century.”

‘Kanjoos’ is the story of Mirza Sakhawat (generous)

Baig, who contrary to his name is the biggest ‘KanjoosMakkhi Choos’, is obsessed with the wealth that he hasaccumulated and is always ready to grab more but spendnone. Now a widower, Mirza has a son Farrukh, and adaughter Azra whom he wants to marry off for money.Although Mirza is over sixty, he is determined to marryan attractive young girl Mariyam who is actually in lovewith his wealth.

Says Saba to the Indian community, “This is a fami-ly play which can be enjoyed by the very young and thevery old as our subcontinent community will be able toclosely associate with it. It is a great opportunity toexperience this great world comedy adapted into theirown cultural context and see interesting parallels in theirown society here. I recommend that the Indian commu-

nity should come and see this hilarious play enacted bysome talented local actors who are a force in themselvesnow.”

Adakar Theatre Group has a long term vision of acreating a bridge between the South Asian communityand Australians and is looking at doing some full lengthand short plays in the time to come as well as conduct-ing workshops for speech, movement and acting.Besides setting up Adakar Theatre Group, Saba isdirecting the play and also acting in it. Other foundingmembers of the group are: Mala Mehta, AmitavGoswami, Radhika Mathur, Sheba Nandkeolyar, RajeevMaini and Shashi Dandekar.

‘Kanjoos’ will be staged on October 18 at RiversideTheatre at 6 pm.

Saba Zaidi directscomedy play ‘Kanjoos’

Saba Zaidi Abdi as Sarzina, Ambika Asthana as Mariyam andAmitav Goswami as Mirza Sakhawat Baig

Amitav as Mirza with Nisar Farough and Pankaj Yadav as servants

Ambika Asthana with Asif Ghafoor Khan acting as Farukh

Aparna Vats as Azra with Vikas Sehgal in the role of Nasir

By Neeru Saluja

His handsome looks and actingskills have made him ruleBollywood for decades. But with

his visit to Sydney, he has ruled ourhearts. The living legend Dharmendratouched us with his simplicity, down toearth nature and humility. The actor whobrought Punjab to Mumbai, broughtPunjab to Sydney during his visit.

Born in a small village in Punjab,Dharmendra’s early life was simple andplayful. It was Dilip Kumar’s movieShaheed that made him dream of becom-ing an actor. He came to Mumbai afterwinning the Filmfare new talent awardand soon saw himself getting roles infilms.

Dharmendra started his career bydoing romantic roles, but later on earnedhis name as the action hero and becamethe ‘He-Man’ of Bollywood. A career thathas given super hits, including the block-buster Sholay, Dharmendra has seen it all– films, politics, his kids becoming starsand now he is looking forward to hisgrandson’s debut.

Actor Dharmendra was in Sydney forthe promotion of his next film ‘Double DiTrouble’ where he is playing a doublerole. Brought by Friends IndiaEntertainment, the film will release inAustralian cinemas on 29 August. He wasaccompanied by his first wife PrakashKaur, co-star actress Kulraj Randhawaand the director of the film Smeep Kang.

Voted as one of the most handsomemen in the world, Dharamji still has thesame charm. At the age of 78, he still isthe same dashing handsome and elegantpersonality he portrayed in his movies. Asmillions of fans in India and overseaswere crazy in his heyday, it was no dif-ferent in Sydney as Sydneysiders wereoverwhelmed with his presence, at timesovershadowing that of his pretty heroineKulraj.

With ‘Double di trouble’, Dharmendratakes a step further with his foray intoPunjabi films. Though he has played allkind of roles in Bollywood, he still yearnsto do a Punjabi film. “The audience hasalways been generous with their blessingsfor me. I want to return their love and alsofulfil my wish to do a Punjabi film. I lovethe Punjabi tongue and I’m very fluent inthe language,” says Dharamji.

True to his words, Dharmendraproved to be a pure Punjabi by openinghis heart in his mother tongue. Whenasked if he still speaks the language of hisvillage in Mumbai, he was at the best ofhis wits. “Speaking in Punjabi is not theonly thing I do.

As soon as I get up in the morning, Iyawn in Punjabi. My morning stretchesare also in Punjabi. I remember my mumand dad in Punjabi. If I’m embedded inthe memories of Punjabis, Punjabi is inmy blood. My home in Mumbai is like myvillage. We all live together and speak inPunjabi. It is such a sweet language. It

should become an international lan-guage,” said Dharam bhaji.

His wish may come true as besidesAustralia his film is also being released inPakistan where his films are quite popu-lar. “I have a strong connection withPakistan. I’m from Pakistan also. IfHindustan is my mother, Pakistan is mymassi (aunt). My film ‘Naukar Biwi Ka’was a copy of a hit Pakistani Punjabimovie ‘Naukar Wohti Da’. Every lan-guage has a universal touch.

Wherever Punjabis are, they willenjoy the movies.”

Though Dharmendra’s most notableacting performances were in Sholay,Satyakam, Chupke Chupke, Do Chor andJeevan Mrityu, his answer to his favouritemovie wasn’t in the top ten list.

Without blinking an eye, Dharam jiquipped, “Pratigya was the movie Ienjoyed the most. I played the role of anilliterate truck driver. I really enjoyedbeing Ajit Singh.” This was the film thatmade his dance style popular with thesong ‘Main Jat Yamla Pagla Deewana’.The choreographer of the film tried hisbest to teach him dance steps, but all wasin vain.

Dharamji performed his best and itbecame his signature dance! The songbecame an instant hit and has been recre-ated by numerous actors over the years.The film’s title ‘Yamla Pagla Deewana’starring all the Deols was inspired fromthis song. To everyone’s surprise, he alsodanced with his young fan on the song!

The Jat of Yamla Pagla Deewana hascome back to his roots with this film. Asthey say, you can take a Punjabi out ofPunjab but not Punjab out of a Punjabi.“Who doesn’t feel like going back to theirroots? Today also I feel like going to myvillage, take the cows to the pond to givethem a bath, play kabaddi in the soil of myland.

The life in a village has its own charm.I can still hear the religious hymns in thefresh air, it’s difficult to forget my moth-er’s teachings. Today, I also I feel likegoing back to my village of those days,”

says an emotional Dharamji in Punjabi.On a closing note, the living legend

left a memorable lesson for everyone. “Ihave achieved whatever I have wanted toin my career. I don’t have any other wishes. My only wish is to see everyonehappy. I would like everyone to spread themessage - the message of love, becauseit’s only love that makes the world goround,” says the actor.

He advocated love to us all but thelove he got in Sydney from his fans could

only be believed if seen with one’s owneyes. People went crazy and waited to geta picture with ‘Dharamji’ and he willing-ly gave his all to them. A thorough gen-tleman!

(‘Double Di Trouble’ Punjabi movie inwhich Dharmendra has acted is releasingon 29th Aug 2014 and is based onComedy of Errors, where Shakespeare'swell known play would take a desi avatarwhen a father-son pair discovers theirmirror images in a different city)


Bollywood

Manju Mittal proudly shows Dharmendra a copy of The Indian Down Under newspaper

Billu Singh, owner of Billu's Eateries,Dharmendra and the

film star’s wife, Prakash Kaur

Dharmendra with Sydney mediapersonality Hemu Negi

Dharmendrawith his co-star of‘Double DiTrouble,KulrajRandhawa.

Sydney got bowledover by the evergreen

star who is acting in hisfirst Punjabi film

He-man Dharmendra still going strong

Community


Melbourne's Amrita Khambatta, anavid Bollywood movie watcher,was announced the winner of Chai

with Bhai contest on July 20, 2014.On being asked about her experience

meeting the superstar Salman Khan, she said,“I have been watching Salman’s films since Iwas in Year 4. Flying to Mumbai and tofinally be able to meet him face to face waslike a dream come true. I got to ask him my

question – “’Kick’ is about living life to the

fullest and doing things on impulse just forthe ‘kick’, what is the riskiest thing thatSalman has ever done just for a ‘Kick’, towhich Salman had a hearty laugh and repliedthat he was very responsible, always justworked and went home and never did any-thing risky and had a big chuckle!”

Amrita further added, “I am so grateful toTelstra and Mind Blowing Films for givingme this wonderful opportunity. It is certainlythe happiest moment of my life!”

Amrita Kambhatta won the competitionout of 1200 entries recorded from Indian andAsian community Australia wide. Amrita wasflown to Mumbai to meet Salman Khan on22 July in Mehboob Studios. With theimmense crowd present waiting to see andmeet Salman, Amrita got the chance to meetand greet the superstar personally.

Telstra partnered with Mind BlowingFilms and offered a chance to the lucky win-ner to fly to Mumbai and meet Salman Khan.

Telstra General Manager of Marketing,Alister Park said, "Our aim at Telstra is toconnect people to what they love most everyday - their families, their friends, their work,their entertainment and their world. Chaiwith Bhai proved to be an exciting contestthat helped connect Amrita with her favouritesuperstar back home, while giving the widercommunity in Australia an opportunity toparticipate and re-live the connection theyhave with Bollywood.”

As the lucky winner of a contest organized by Telstra, partnering with Mind Blowing Films, Melbourne's Amrita Khambatta was flown to Mumbai to meet Salman Khan at Mehboob Studios.

Amrita meets her hero!

Gandhi Creations, the award winningevent management consultancy, isproud to launch the inaugural India

Australia Business & Community Awards(IABCA) to be held on October 31, 2014 atSydney Town Hall. This is a brainchild ofSonia Gandhi, who is a Paul Harris Fellow,Director of Gandhi Creations and theGlobal Origin for Indian People AwardWinner in 2012 for Community Arts &Culture. Her goal is showcase the myriad ofways that this community contributes inareas such as the arts, education, travel,technology and more. Partnered with theAustralia India Business Council NSW andthe Australia India Institute, IABCA is setto change the way Indian business and thecommunity is recognised in New SouthWales. The concept will come alive througha high profile black tie event that will wit-ness businesses and communities celebrat-ing over a gala dinner while experiencing acultural spectacular. IABCA is supportingWhite Ribbon Australia, a non-for-profitorganisation and Australia's only national,male-led primary prevention campaign toend men’s violence against women.

The Master of Ceremonies is Janice

Peterson from SBS World News.Speakers will include White Ribbon

Chairman and Ambassador, AndrewO’Keefe (Host from Weekend Sunrise &Deal or No Deal), Channel 7, CEO of

White Ribbon Australia, Libby Davies, anda keynote address from The Hon VictorDominello MP, Minister for Citizenshipand Communities. The event format is a sitdown, 3-course gala dinner, with arrival

activity, black tie Bollywood style. Plus alive Bollywood spectacular with 10 artists,DJ & Dance Floor, a surprise act from aworld famous comedian and much muchmore.

Sunjay Sudhir, Consul General of Indiain Sydney, says about this initiative byGandhi Creations, “I am glad to know thatthe IABCA Awards is being instituted torecognise the talent and work of IndianAustralians in NSW in diverse fields rang-ing from arts and education to trade andtechnology. I convey my congratulationsand best wishes to the organisers and thewinners of the inaugural Awards 2014.”

The Hon Victor Dominello says aboutIABCA Awards, “I welcome the Awards asan initiative that rewards excellence andhighlights the breadth of the contributionmade by Indians in Australia. As theseawards indicate, the skills, dedication, andpassion that result in business success arejust as important in delivering effectivecommunity initiatives.”

The India Australia Business &Community Awards 2014 have a detailedwebsite that you can visit:www.iabca.com.au

India Australia Business & Community Awards launched

(from left) The IABCA awards is a brainchild of Sonia Gandhi. The Master ofCeremonies is Janice Peterson from SBS World News. Speakers at the gala

event will include White Ribbon Chairman and Ambassador, Andrew O’Keefe.


Community

The Hindu Council ofAustralia has drawnattention to the news that

the Golden Circle long lifeapple juice and drink are pre-pared using a variety of clarify-ing agents, one of which isderived from beef.

Flavours (some are alcoholbased) are used across theGolden Circle juice and drinks.It is advised to read the ingredi-ent list carefully because not allof the Original Juice Co. juicerange will contain flavours,such as the ‘Black Label OrangeJuice’, ‘White Label CloudyApple Juice’ and ‘White LabelOrange Juice’.

It is therefore clear that theGolden Circle Long Life juice

range may not be suitable forvegetarians.

It may also be relevant forthe followers of Islam to knowthat these juices are prepared

using either non-halal clarifyingagents or contain alcohol basedflavours.

“We will try to raise thisawareness in the community so

that Heinz (company that pre-pares Golden Circle Long Lifeapple juice) and other juicecompanies have properlabelling on their products,”

said Prof. Nihal Agar,Chairman, Hindu Council ofAustralia. (Email: nihalagar2 @gmail.com

People from Asian back-grounds are well repre-sented in entry level and

mid-level jobs in Australian busi-ness, yet they are significantlyunder-represented in leadershiproles, representing an enormouswaste of talent, according toDiversity Council Australia’s lat-est research.

While 9.3% of the Australianlabour force is Asian born, only4.9% make it to senior executivelevel. In ASX 200 companies,only 1.9% of executives haveAsian cultural origins, comparedto 9.6% of the Australian com-munity. DCA’s new research,Cracking the Cultural Ceiling:Future Proofing Your Businessin the Asian Century, has uncov-ered valuable information about‘the bamboo ceiling’ and why sofew Asian leaders are reachingthe top. Key findings include:

1. Asian talent is ambitious,motivated and capable: 84%plan to advance to a very seniorrole, 91% say challenging workis very important in their nextcareer move, and 97% have Asiacapabilities.

2. Asian talent is underleveraged, undervalued andlikely to leave: Only 17%strongly agree that their organi-sation uses their Asia capabilitiesvery well, one in five are verysatisfied with career progressand opportunities, and 22%strongly agree that they haveworked in organisations thatvalue cultural diversity. 30% saythey are likely to leave their

employer in the next year.3. Key barriers locking

out Asian talent in Australianorganisations:

i) Cultural bias and stereo-typing: Only 18% of Asian talentfeel their workplaces are free ofcultural diversity biases andstereotypes. Many regularlyexperience bias and stereotyp-ing, including about their cultur-al identity, leadership capability,English proficiency, and age.Women from Asian backgroundsexperience a ‘double disadvan-tage’.

ii) Westernised leadershipmodels: 61% feel pressure toconform to existing leadershipstyles that are inherently‘Anglo’, e.g. over-valuing self-promotion and assertive directcommunication, while under-valuing and misinterpreting quietreserve, deference and respectfor seniority.

iii Lack of relationship capi-tal: Only one in four has accessto mentors or professional net-works and even less has access tosponsors; similarly low levelsfeel included in workplace socialactivities.

iv) The case for culture notunderstood: Only 15% stronglyagree their organisation lever-ages its workforce cultural diver-sity to better service clients.Organisations often fail to fullygrasp the strategic value of Asianmarkets, capabilities and talentfor Australian organisationsoperating in the Asian Century.

Caution on non-vegetarian contents in juice

Passengers tilted a train to free a commuter whose leg was trapped between a carriage and a platform inWestern Australia. The man was boarding the service in suburban Perth when he slipped, prompting a mass

rescue effort. The man was not badly hurt and caught a later train.

The company’s ConsumerServices Team concededin a statement: “The

clear apple juice used in theGolden Circle ambient (longlife) juice and drink range ismade using a variety of clarify-ing agents one of which is froma beef source and would not beHalal suitable. Flavours,including alcohol basedflavours, are used across theGolden Circle and OriginalJuice Co. juice and drinkranges. We would advise con-

sumers to read the ingredientslist carefully because not all ofthe Original Juice Co. juicerange will contain flavours,such as the ‘Black LabelOrange Juice’, ‘White LabelCloudy Apple Juice’ & ‘WhiteLabel Orange Juice’.

Unfortunately none of theambient Golden Circle juicerange would be Halal suitableas they are made using eithernon halal clarifying agents orcontain alcohol basedflavours.”

Asians under-represented in

leadership rolesin Australia

The company making Golden Circle long life apple juice and drinkhas conceded the criticism on content.Adani group Chairman

Gautam Adani, big dreams big projects

India, world’s largestbeef exporter

India is world’s largest beef exporter in vol-ume terms with shipments totalling 156 mil-lion tonnes (shipped weight) valued at US

$4.49 billion. Brazil is the second whereasAustralia is number three exporter of beef.

According to Food & AgricultureOrganization of UN, India has 58 per cent of theworld’s buffalo -- most of the herds are used formilking and when they reach unproductive agethey are sold for meat production.

54 per cent of buffalo meat production isconsumed domestically and rest 46 per is export-ed. The export buffalo meat is called ‘Carabeef’which has been steadily growing from 1990 to2010. Indian buffalo meat has a competitiveposition in the world market being sold at US$2.88 a kg as compared to Australia’s at US$4.53 and Brazilian beef at US $4.52 a kilogram.

India’s largest export market is Vietnam,second comes Thailand, Malaysia third and SaudiArabia is fifth largest beef export market. Philippineshas been the largest beef consumer as the eighth coun-try and India has been its largest supplier for the last

15 years.In 2013 governments of India and China signed an

MoU for direct trade in buffalo meat from India toChina but official shipments have not yet commenced.

India’s export buffalo meat is called ‘Carabeef’, exportof which has been steadily growing from 1990 to 2010.

Community


Hindu Council conducts women forum The Hindu Council of Australia’s

forum to hear the voices of Hinduwomen at the Hindu Women’s Forum

was held on the August 2. The aim of thisforum was to gain an understanding of theimportant issues and concerns of women inthe community, including looking at ways tocreate stronger links and networks for sup-porting one another.

The consultation was successfully attend-ed by a number of women who were pleasedto have a chance to share their thoughts andperspectives on the needs of the Hindu com-munity. The participants were presentedwith statistics of the Hindu community inAustralia, and a summary of the currentwork of the Hindu Council including why itis important that we consult and hear fromthe community to assist our organisationaldirection in planning projects and initiatives.

The consultation included a group workdiscussion process where questions wereasked to identify needs and concerns, whileworking together to come up with somesolutions and opportunities for addressingthese concerns.

An activity to create a shared communi-ty vision for a strong and connected commu-

nity of Hindu women was conducted whereparticipants were inspired and engaged toplay a part in the vision.

The Hindu Council will now collate thedata collected into a summary report andpresent it back to the community in the com-

ing months. This report based on the iden-tified needs of the women will play a keyrole in planning the activities and directionof HCA for next year.

Some of the main concerns that wereidentified included access to information,

support services, lack of knowledge aboutthe resources in the community and the needfor both social and professional networks tobetter support Hindu women, particularlythe newly arrived Indian women migrants.

Discussions centred on serious issuessuch as social isolation, supporting vulnera-ble women in the community and awarenessabout discrimination and domestic violencein our community.

The women also agreed that support sys-tems such as mentoring, networking oppor-tunities, education and sharing resources areimportant issues to be addressed. There apressing need for successful and establishedwomen in the community to offer supportroles in providing education, inspiration anddevelopment pathways for younger women.

The Hindu Council is now planningstrategies to work closely with the commu-nity in addressing these issues and needs.There is currently opportunity for Hinduwomen to get involved with this initiative,and we welcome interested women to con-tact the council. For further informationplease contact Anita Bachan Sharma on 0419817 423 or Leah Briers on [email protected]

YUVA, a dynamic unit of the HSS(Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh,Australia Inc) organized a youth

camp as young university students cametogether to help each other and become rolemodels for their communities.

This was the second YUVA AnnualCamp held from July 18-20, 2014, where31 students from over 9 universities spreadout across 4 cities in two countries partici-pated. The four cities where the participantscame from were: Sydney, Melbourne,Brisbane and Auckland.

During all the activities the participantsshared a common outlook, however theirindividual point of views added value totheir ability to overcome challenges. Thecontent of the 3-day camp was based on 3

pillars. These included seva, mentoring

and learning through physical activities andgames. The three pillars covered all essen-tial aspects required in the characteristics ofa university student.

They also gave the students a perspec-tive of the ‘real world’, as each activity wasfocused on pushing the limits of physicaland intellectual boundaries that the studentsbelieved they possessed. As the saying goes‘Life starts at the end of your comfort zone’the camp provided opportunities for all theparticipants to step of their comfort zones.

The bulk focus of the intellectual activ-ities covered the need for character buildingand the active transition from thought toselfless action. Activities also identified thenecessity to surround students with like-minded people and maintain the momentumby coming together on a regular basis dur-

ing after the camp.Seva or service is a universal concept

that encourages the idea of giving morethan what we take. This was well receivedby all the students who identified the mind-set to serve without any expectations, assomething that needs to be included in theireveryday lives. Learning through physicalactivities is the perfect way to condition amind and turn behavior into beliefs. Theseactivities enhanced team-building and pub-lic speaking skills thus pushing the studentsto actively overcome their fears. The par-ticipants were also introduced to traditionalIndian sports like Kabaddi and Kho Kho.

Mentoring is an important aspect of lifethat is easily overlooked. The camp encour-aged the students to think of mentoring as atool to strengthen their current and future

relationships thus enhancing the sense ofresponsibility and accountability towardsthe Gen next. Everyday schedule began at6am and finished at around 11.30pm.Prayer, yoga, team games, discussions,workshops, lectures, gharba and quiz weresome of the activities planned.

The camp concluded with the partici-pants deciding about the future programsand the need to meet consistently to sustainthe momentum developed. Participantswere served with different varieties of tastyvegetarian food. All members were pre-sented with a copy of the Bhagavad Gita fortheir future reference. Overall this was aunique camp that challenged participants,work with the team, and enhance disciplinewithout sacrificing the fun-aspect at everygiven opportunity.

Anita Bachan Sharma speaking at Hindu Women Forum

University students at YUVA’s Annual Camp

Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh organizes youth camp


Community

The AustralianConsulate General,under its Direct Aid

Program, provided over Rs7,50,000 on June 12 this yearto support former Australianpacer, Brett Lee’s MewsicIndia Foundation. The fundingwill support programs to edu-cate and empower disadvan-taged students currently learn-ing music in Dharavi,Mankhurd and Govandi slumcommunities in Maharashtra,India.

It will also be used to pur-chase new instruments for theMewsic Centers, costumes forauditions, to fund a MusicMela concert for the familiesof students, and the trainingand upskilling of Mewsic’sown Music Tutors.

During the cheque han-dover ceremony, Australia’sConsul General in Mumbai,Mr Pierce, commended theefforts of Mewsic which usesmusic to heal, educate andempower underprivilegedchildren and has already sup-ported 1500 children since itsincorporation in 2011.

“As a result of theAustralian funding, over 400children will have access toguitar and keyboard lessons aswell as vocal and dancetuition. We are privileged tohelp them.

I hope to see these childrenperform at one of their melasat the end of the month,” saidMr Pierce.

Brett Lee and his team atMewsic, along with childrenfrom the Community MewsicCentres, are delighted to besupported through this grant.

“It’s great to be recognized

and have the support of theAustralian Government andthe DAP. I am very passion-ate about both Australia andIndia and hope that throughmy foundation we are doingour small bit to foster strongerties between the two coun-tries,” Brett Lee said.

“It’s great to see how DAPhas imbibed a culture of giv-ing something back to thecommunity and their supportis very much appreciated byus here at Mewsic IndiaFoundatio,” Brett Lee said.“We look forward to imple-menting the work funded bythe Australian Consulate andbuilding a long term relationwith them.”

Brett Lee is knownthroughout the cricketingworld as one of the fastest andmost exciting pace bowlers toplay the game. He has beenrecorded bowling at speeds ofover 160km/h leaving bats-men with only a fraction of asecond to react once the ballleaves his hand.

Brett Lee was born andraised in Wollongong, NewSouth Wales, where he grewup with his family and theirshared love of sports. He triedhis hand at many sports butcricket proved to be the onethat he excelled in. He playedhis first official game of crick-et at the age of nine. He quick-ly developed into a very tal-ented player and progressedthrough the cricket ranks to bein a position where he gainedselection for his state at theage of 21 and his country at24.

Brett made his debut forAustralia in the Boxing Day

Test against India in 1999. Hefinished his first match for hiscountry with figures of 5/47.He picked up 310 wicketsfrom 76 Tests, joining theelite 300 Test wicket clubbefore retiring from Testcricket early in 2010 to con-centrate on the shorter formsof the game.

He also has a formidablelimited-overs record – with349 wickets from 201 ODIs,only one Australian, GlennMcGrath, has taken morewickets in ODIs. Brett hasone of the best strike-rates inthe world for this form of thegame. His pace bowling com-bined with his ability as a hardhitting and determined tail endbatsman make him a crowdfavourite throughout Australiaand the world.

Brett’s career highlightsinclude the Bradman YoungCricketer of the Year 2000,Wisden Cricketer of the Year2006, Australian Test Playerof the Year 2008 and the pres-tigious Allan Border Medal2008 for the AustralianCricketer of the Year.

Says Brett, “Whilst mostpeople know me as a crick-eter, there is another side to‘Brett Lee’ that is lesserknown. I am passionate aboutmusic – perhaps even more sothan cricket! Actually, if youtook cricket out of my life, I’dbe sad. But if you took musicout of my life, I’d be devastat-ed!

“I am also very passionateabout India. I love its colourand characters. Having trav-elled here many times a year

for over a decade now, I feelhumbled by the country andits people, who have given meso much to be thankful for!With a young son of my own,I want to ensure that all chil-dren in India have the oppor-tunity to experience the joyand power of music.”

Outside cricket Brett has anumber of other interests. Hehas a love of music and hasformed the band White ShoeTheory and has written a num-ber of songs with his musicpartner, Mick Vawdon, fortheir album with the hope tolaunch later this year.

Brett also launched in Indiawith Asha Bhosle “You’re theOne” single, which he co-wrote the lyrics, and this wentto the top of the Indian musiccharts.

Former Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee’s Mewsic India Foundation has received funding from the Australian government for supporting programs to educate and empowerdisadvantaged students currently learning music in some slum communities in Maharashtra, India.

Brett Lee has a love of music and has formed the band White Shoe Theory. He also launched in Indiawith Asha Bhosle “You’re the One” single.

Community


By Vijay Badhwar

It was a national day of mourn-ing on August 7 for the 298innocent lives lost when the

Malaysian flight MH17 wasbrought down in the war tornUkraine. Prime Minister TonyAbbott could not keep his appoint-ment to deliver his keynote addressfor the Australia India BusinessCouncil (AIBC) personally at theFour Seasons Hotel on the day. Hisdeputy, Foreign Minister JulieBishop, took his place instead andstole the show with her enthusiasticprojections of India-Australia busi-ness relations.

The hall was abuzz with morethan 400 business delegates anddignitaries who were all upbeatabout two new prime ministerskeen to do business. That was thetheme of the evening as all speakersemphasised the point that betterdays were ahead.

John Cox, AIBC New SouthWales president, said that NSWplayed a pivotal role in bilateraltrade between India and Australia.“It’s an important year as there isnew state premier and new primeministers in Australia and Indiawho are keen to do business. Weare looking forward to the visit ofthe important IT delegation fromKerala later in the year,” he said.

The AIBC National Chair,Dipen Rughani, introduced dele-gates to the new Gujarati greeting,Kem Cho that is now widespread inIndia after the win of PrimeMinister Narendra Modi. He quot-ed from a book, ‘Conquering theChaos: Win in India, WinEverywhere’ by Ravi Venkatesan,‘if we do not figure out how to winin India, we could end up losing alot of geography elsewhere’.

He said that this was the besttime to do business with India whenthe BJP enjoyed an absolute major-ity. “Mr Modi brings an incrediblegrand vision to India; his prioritiesin the fields of energy, food, waterare a massive ask,” Dipen said.

Infrastructure was key toIndia’s growth and there wereopportunities to enter into public-private partnerships as Australiahas experience in the field and canreap benefits with a smart long-term strategy, he said.

NSW Premier Mike Baird alsorecognised that there were hugeopportunities in doing business withIndia, especially in the fields oftourism, energy, water and trans-port. “Both prime ministers areinfrastructure PMs that providesexciting opportunities as we haveexperience in bringing finance andinfrastructure together,” he said,adding that he should be visitingIndia at least once a year. TheIndian High Commissioner, Biren

Nanda, highlighted that the world’scentre of gravity was shiftingtowards Central Asia. In India,where there has been the largestdemocratic election with unprece-dented use of technology, it hasbeen an election of hope withrecord participation of voters.

The elected government, withan absolute majority with 282 par-liamentary seats, has outlined anambitious 10-year infrastructureplan including high speed railway,highways, connecting waterways,port development and improvingconnectivity with freight and indus-trial corridors. There are also areasof broad education policy withinstitutes of management and tech-nology in every state and IT devel-opment with broad band reach toevery village. Other major pro-grammes include cleaning theGanges River and extending thenational solar grid. “There areample opportunities for Australiancompanies in India,” he said.

Master of Ceremonies, KartikMohandas, engaged ace fastbowler, Brett Lee, in an interestingQ&A session seeking his viewshow he gave back to the communi-ty in return of the public adorationhe had received. A video clipshowed his involvement in a net-work of music centres for under-privileged children in India. Lee’scharity, Mewsic India Foundation,provides music lessons in slums andtherapy for young cancer patients.The session also provided a plat-

form to talk about the preparationsfor the forthcoming Cricket WorldCup to be held in Australia andNew Zealand next year. Followingthe chat, cricket lovers thronged thestage for a photo opportunity withBrett lee.

AIBC National Vice Chair,Sheba NandKeolyar, recalled how14 years ago, when she was new inAustralia, she saw Tony Abbott,then Health Minister, coming to herwork place for a meeting in a bat-tered car. She found it amazing, shesaid, no sirens, no ostentations for aHealth Minister!

The climate in India is alsobusinesslike. Having Mr Modireturn her call and meeting him oneon one, she knows everyone hasopened up in India.

Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop,highlighted the strong bondbetween India and Australia who,she said, were natural partners.Grieving for the loss of 298 inno-cent lives, she said, “Through thetragic event, Australia can beassured that our country is the bestto our own and we have done whatfew other countries would havedone in the circumstances.”Australia had very early recognisedMr Modi as a leader to watch. “Werecognise India not only as a neigh-bour but also as a key strategically,” Mrs Bishop said.

Revival of Colombo Plan of the1950s again in recent times willprovide opportunities for ouryoungsters to understand each oth-

ers’ culture as well as our foreignpolicy finding a new expression.“We recognise a surging Indianeconomy and have a desire to takeIndia-Australia relationship to newheights. Very best days ofAustralia-India trade relationships

lie ahead,” Mrs Bishop said.The evening concluded with

awarding three companies for theirstellar business achievements: SPJain School of Global management,MSS Security and Riverina Oils &Bio Energy in Wagga Wagga.

Hon Julia Bishop, Minister of Foreign Affairs, representingPrime Minister Tony Abbott at the AIBC NSW Annual Dinner,

with Dipen Rughani AIBC National Chairman and ShebaNandkeolyar, National Vice Chair

NSW Premier Mike Baird addressing the audience

Amitabh Mattoo of Australia India Institute and Dipen Rughani ofAIBC presenting the White Paper on India to Hon. Julie Bishop

Indian High Commissioner Biren Nanda and Mrs Nanda with AIBCNSW President John Cox

Kartik Mohandas in conversation with cricket star Brett Lee


Community

Indian Literary and Art Society ofAustralia (ILASA Inc.) organized aunique evening of poetry, “Sydney

Sahitya Sandhya”, on 6th July at TheGrand Marian in Harris Park. About 30poets and shayars shared their work withtheir fellow poets and audience.

The evening started with the tradition-al ritual of lamp lighting by India’sConsul-General in Sydney, Sunjay Sudhir,and Bageshri Chakradhar, Nalin Sharda,Rekha Rajvanshi and Rajpal Sandhu.Everyone was pleasantly surprised whenan Australian model and actress, Tamar‘Agni’ spoke about herself in Hindi. Dr.Bageshri Chakradhar was the chief guest.She is Kaka Hathrasi’s niece and PadmshriDr Ashok Chakradhar’s wife. Dr Bageshrirecited muktaks (four liners) in her beau-tiful voice. Another writer fromChhattisgarh, Sri Ganesh ShankarSharma, spoke on Gajanan Madhav’s‘Muktibodh’.

Professor Nalin Sharda came fromMelbourne and entertained audience withhis beautiful poetry and sense of humour.Mr Sudhir appreciated the efforts made byILASA and said that the new governmentwas giving preference to Hindi overEnglish. He also promised support toILASA in promoting literary activities infuture. The poets brought their own stylesof writing and reciting poetry, whichadded to the entertainment value of theprogram. It was rewarding to the poetrylovers to listen to a variety of poetry,mainly in Hindi and Urdu. 13-years-oldAlankar read his poem in English.Pradeep Updhyay and Rekha Rajvanshicompered the program.No doubt, we needmany more such creative programs toinspire our next generation.

Wearing a bodysuit that resemblesa snakeskin and lying on a treetrunk in a jungle setting, super-

model and Bollywood siren DipannitaSharma appears in a brand-new ad forPeople for the Ethical Treatment ofAnimals (PETA) India just in time for therelease of her new horror film, Pizza 3D.The ad's caption reads, "Exotic AnimalsBelong in the Wild, Not in YourWardrobe". Sharma's point? That snakes,crocodiles and other reptiles endure hor-rors, such as being skinned alive, for fash-ion.

Sharma's exclusive video interviewwith PETA India about the campaign canbe seen on its website : http://www.petain-dia.com/features/dipannita-sharma-sheds-light-cruelty-exotic-skins/

"I have never, ever used exotic skin inmy life. … I have never understood the …style quotient of carrying a clutch forwhich an animal has had to go through somuch torture", Sharma says. "I don't think

it takes away from my fashion quotient orstyle quotient because I am carrying fauxleather and something for which an animalhas not gone through torture."

Snakes, alligators and other exotic ani-mals suffer greatly before their skins areturned into shoes, bags and other products.Snakes are often nailed to trees or postsand skinned alive. After their peeled andmutilated bodies are discarded, it can takehours for them to die – usually from shockor dehydration. Alligators are oftencrammed into small spaces on factoryfarms and then beaten to death with ham-mers or axes. An undercover video narrat-ed by Joaquin Phoenix shows how snakesare skinned alive and how lizards aresnared in the wild before they, too, areskinned : http://www.petatv.com/tvpop-up/video.asp?video=cold-blooded_hor-rors_peta&Player=flv

For more information about helpinganimals, please visit PETA.org.au. Dipannita Sharma in PETA India’s Exotic Skins ad.

Shun wildlife for fashion:Supermodel in PETA India ad

(From left): Ashraf Shad,Ganesh Shankar Sharmafrom India, Nalin Shardafrom Melbourne, Consul

General Sunjay Sudhir, DrBageshri Chakradhar, PradipUpadhyay (Hindi Samaj), Mrs

Vandana Sudhir, RekhaRajvanshi, Neena Sinha, Dr

Prabhat Sinha, and Sant RamBajaj (AHIA President).

ILASA presents a unique evening of poetry

(From left): Sonia Gandhi,Shailja Chandra, Bageshri

Chakradhar, RekhaRajvanshi, Tamar 'Agni',

Aruna Chandrala andMinu Kalra.

ILASA organized the unique evening ofpoetry, “Sydney Sahitya Sandhya”.

White Ribbon is a national,male-led campaign to endviolence against women

which began in 2003 as UNIFEMbefore becoming a foundation in2007. The campaign, which originat-ed in Canada in 1991, is today activein over 60 countries. Our own Indiancommunity in Australia is also impli-cated in a way as there are manydomestic violence cases that havecome to light as Indian migrantsincrease in number Down Under.The NSW government is taking con-crete steps in helping increase aware-ness not just among women but alsomen about domestic violence.

Minister for Citizenship andCommunities Victor Dominello inJuly announced that the NSWGovernment would provide $80,000to White Ribbon Australia tostrengthen engagement with cultural-ly diverse communities and increaseawareness about violence againstwomen. The announcement wasmade in the lead up to White RibbonNight, a new initiative which encour-ages Australians to “have a night into get the word out” by participatingin fundraising events to raise aware-ness about the impact of violenceagainst women. “The NSWGovernment, through theCommunity Relation Commission, isproud to partner with White Ribbonto tackle violence against women andsupport agencies like NSW Police tosign up to its WorkplaceAccreditation Program. “It is recog-nised that migrant and refugee com-

munities often face unique chal-lenges before and during the resettle-ment process which may impactupon their understandings of domes-tic violence. “In the past decadeNSW has welcomed over 30,000humanitarian refugees and this fund-ing is about ensuring White Ribbon’smessage is accessible to all commu-nities regardless of cultural back-ground or language,” Mr Dominellosaid.

The partnership will focus on:�Raising the profile of White

Ribbon among men from culturallydiverse communities;

�Accrediting NSW Governmentagencies under White Ribbon’sWorkplace Accreditation Program,starting with NSW Police;

�Recruiting ambassadors fromculturally diverse backgrounds andincreasing the involvement of reli-gious leaders; and

�Developing culturally appro-priate resources in the most relevant

community languages, including anonline calendar of White Ribbonactivities

Minister for Women Pru Gowardsaid the partnership would comple-ment the NSW Government’s ItStops Here Domestic and FamilyViolence Framework.

“I welcome this initiativebecause one woman is killed by herpartner or former partner everyweek in Australia and broadeningcommunity awareness is an impor-tant part of primary prevention,” MsGoward said.

White Ribbon Australia CEOLibby Davies said that increasingawareness about the foundation andits objectives among multiculturalgroups was integral to its success.

“NSW is one of the most cultur-ally diverse societies in the world soit makes sense for us to developstrategies to broaden our reach with-in migrant communities and to part-ner with influential men, includingreligious leaders, who representthem.

NSW Police DeputyCommissioner Nick Kaldas APMcommended the partnership and saidhis organisation supported WhiteRibbon’s efforts to strengthen multi-cultural engagement.

“We deal with around 370 casesof domestic and family violenceevery day, so we are certainly on thefrontline in responding to this issue.”

More information can be foundat:http://www.whiteribbon.org.au/.

After enjoyable Eid release ‘Kick’, here are some excitingBollywood films being released in the month of August:

Raja Natwarlal - In Cinemas August 29An upcoming thriller

directed by KunalDeshmukh starringEmraan Hashmi andPakistani actressHumaima Malick. Thefilm is a drama thrillerwith Emraan playing aconman , mentored byParesh Rawal and upagainst Kay Kay Menon inthe film.

Daawat-e-Ishq - in Cinemas September 5Director Habia Faisal bring a delicious rom-com drama, and

coming together of a shoe sales girl from Hyderabad and a charm-ing cook from Lucknow ! A mouth watering romance betweenAditya Roy Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra.

Community


Shruti’s Arangetram is full of dedicationBy Vish Viswanathan

Arangetram is a debut per-formance of a classical artstudent after undertaking

years of training. It is a publicgraduation performance for adance artiste or musician. Everydance teacher has a unique style ofteaching and the dance studentmoulds her style of dancing gener-ally following her guru over someyears.

Moving away from that styleto another style is a great effort;passion and dedication is requiredsuch as displayed by ShrutiNathani in her Arangetram heldon 12 July at Abbotsleigh GirlsHigh School. Shruti is a discipleof Padma Balakumar, director ofNrityagriha School of IndianClassical Dance.

Shruti entered the stage to per-form a prayer in a very traditionalitem “Thodaya Mangalam” toinvoke the blessings of LordRama, Lord Krishna and otherforms of Maha Vishnu followedby a delightful Jatiswaram withher elegant steps. It was a pleasureto watch display of such agility inthe footwork. The audience weretreated to a superb item “Varnam”

presented by Shruti in praise ofGoddess Meenakshi lasting formore than 30 minutes. The var-nam in a debut tests the dancer forbringing out the best of the danc-ing talent, style, grace, patienceand Bhavam. Shruti passed in the

test with flying colours and tostanding ovation by the audience.The Varnam presented by Shrutiwas also a display of divinity inthe dance.

Following a short break,Shruti continued to perform very

confidently and gracefully itemssuch as “Natanam Adinar” todepict Lord Shiva , “Rusli Radharusla Madhav”, narration ofRadha getting upset with LordKrishna when she finds him withother women, “Kavadi Chindu” –

quick rhythmic steps, and aTulsidas composition in praise ofLord Rama “ Tumaki ChalatRamachandra”.

Shruti concluded with a mes-merising Thillana and a Manglamitem. It was a double delight forthe audience with an excellentmusic support to Shruti’s dancedebut by the very popular Sydneyclassical music artistes PremaAnanthakrishnan (vocal), BalajiJagannadhan on violin,Pallavaram Nagendran on mridan-gam, flute by young Venkateshand the Guru Padma Balakumaron Nattuvangam. When the musicand dance compete with eachother to excel, it is always a won-derful treat for the appreciativeaudience.

For all those who attended theArangetram, the event was memo-rable as Shruti demonstrated anease, confidence, full devotion tothe art of dance and above all agreat inspiration to the youngergeneration. Hence it was apt whenher guru Padma Balakumar con-gratulated Shruti on her debut:“To unlearn (an old style) andlearn again (a new style), itrequires a great deal of passion,dedication and a desire to excel.”

Shruti Nathani is a disciple of Padma Balakumar, director of Nrityagriha School of Indian Classical Dance.

White Ribbon to strengthen engagement with multicultural NSW

Bolly bonanza

White Ribbon is a national, male-led campaign to end violence

against women.

Mardaani - in CinemasAugust 22

Starring Rani Mukerji inthe lead, playing the roleof a cop for the first time,the raw and gritty filmwill be a distinct depar-ture from PradeepSarkar’s style of film-making.


History

By Kushagra Bhatnagar

The narration of First World War isthat war was predominantlyEuropean and was fought exclu-

sively by Europeans. This is quite a longway from the truth. Today, while fewwould remember that Indian Corps won13,000 medals and 12 Victoria Crosses inthe First World War, Hindus’ contribu-tion in the war is altogether undermined.The apathy towards an important footnotein contemporary history is mind bog-gling.

Hindus were largely perceived asweak, not great soldiers, and yet they hadbeen involved in fighting wars for otherthan themselves. Among the first foreignforces were Hindus to fight for British onWestern front.

Amid the plans for centenary com-memorations of the First World War goon, today’s generation knows virtuallynothing about the sacrifices of those wholaid their lives in the war.

At the onset of the war itself it wasabundantly clear to allies that additionaltroops from India were necessary to fightin North Africa, Europe and the MiddleEast.

It was the war India had supportedBritish by all means – Political, militaryand economic. At a time when majority ofIndians were suffering from abject pover-ty, they gifted 100 million pounds forwar. The support was in expectation ofBritain’s sensitive hearing towards pleafor Indian independence, which post warBritain was in no hurry to fulfil.

Indian army comprised men of diversefaiths. The role of Hindus in the FirstWorld War is by and large expunged fromthe history books. Merely a cursory gazeat the figures reveals a startling fact – Intotal 1,338,620 Hindus participated in thewar. This number exceeds the total num-ber of army personnel from Australia,Canada, New Zealand and South Africaby 178,000.

Hindu soldiers were involved in thelands as diverse as Palestine, France,Syria and Mesopotamia. A school ofthought says it was the Hindu army whichchanged the course of the war by turningGerman soldiers at Marne.

Thousands of Hindu soldiers lost theirlives and no hero’s welcome awaited thesurvivors, such was their fate.

The war graves in France and Belgiumare grim reminder of largely anonymousHindu soldiers. One of them was MirDast, Victoria Cross holder, Britain’shighest award of gallantry. He was theofficer of 57th Rifles of the Indian Army,who came under vicious gas attack byGermans in April 1915. As he held hisdefence against the army, without a gasmask, he managed to save lives of eightofficers.

Lying in the hospital bed at Brighton,England, he wrote to his family that hewas twice wounded, once in the hand andsecond from gas.

Traces of Hindu participation are frag-

mented by the fact that only alimited record of correspon-dence exists between Hindusoldiers and their families.The reason being most Hindusoldiers were illiterate. Theywould have one of the literateones among them write theletter. The letter would thenbe read out to British officeras part of censorship proce-dure to restrict passing of mil-itarily sensitive information tothe enemy before being dis-patched off to the recipient’svillage.

These letters and diariesare the source of informationon the anguish felt by the sol-diers about the war. The sol-diers talk about guns, poison-ous gas, destruction, yearningfor family. Hindu soldierswould often refer to greatHindu war epic Mahabharata and comparethe war of good versus evil to the currentone. One of the soldiers wrote that havingwitnessed the current war, end of theworld seems near and all that was writtenin Mahabharata and Ramayana appears tobe true to him.

Extracts of these letters could besourced from summaries prepared at thetime of censoring of letters. The digitalversions of the summaries are available atEuropean and British Library. The warcould also be remembered for the castediscrimination faced by Hindu soldiers.British insisted on maintaining the faultlines of caste system. Recruitment in thearmy was carried on the assumption thatsome races were martial races. Majorityof army men were sourced from North

and Northwest India. The caste systemwas practiced by British even in the hos-pitals where Hindu soldiers were treated.Royal Pavilion Hospital in Brighton,where the wounded soldiers were treated,ensured the hospital wards were segregat-ed on caste lines. The so called ‘untouch-ables’ were employed as support staff.

According to Richard Smith, lecturerat Goldsmith College, University ofLondon, and author of JamaicanVolunteers in the First World War, dis-crimination faced by the volunteers in thearmy worked as catalyst for them to jointhe movements for independence in theirrespective countries.

Chattri (which means umbrella inEnglish) is the only memorial of signifi-cance to honour the contribution of Hindu

and Sikh soldiers. The monument is onthe Downs, near Patcham in Brighton,England. It was unveiled by the Prince ofWales on 21st February 1921. It is a cre-mation site for 53 Hindu and Sikh sol-diers. In 2010, their names were inscribedin stones on the site. It is truly disappoint-ing that it has taken over a century aftertheir deaths for the Commonwealth WarGraves Commission to inscribe the namesof the martyrs. Hindu sepoys were one ofthe highest number of volunteers as com-batants and non-combatants. This is anaspect of history that cannot be disregard-ed anymore. Without them the freedomEurope enjoyed would not have been pos-sible. It’s high time they are bestowed thehonour they deserve for gallantly sacrific-ing their lives.

The Forgotten Heroes: Hindu soldiers in the First World War

Archival pictures of Indian soldiers in First World War.

Children’s Corner


Children's Corner By Esther Chaudhry-Lyons

King Akbar was very fond of Birbal. This made acertain courtier very jealous. Now this courtieralways wanted to be chief minister, but this was

not possible as Birbal filled that position. One day Akbarpraised Birbal in front of the courtier. This made the courtiervery angry and he said that the king praised Birbal unjustlyand if Birbal could answer three of his questions, he wouldaccept the fact that Birbal was intelligent. Akbar alwayswanting to test Birbals wit readily agreed.

The three questions were:1. How many stars are there in the sky2. Where is the center of the Earth and3. How many men and how many women are there in the

world.

Immediately Akbar asked Birbal the three questions andinformed him that if he could not answer them, he wouldhave to resign as chief minister.

To answer the first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheepand said, “There are as many stars in the sky as there is hairon the sheep’s body. My friend the courtier is welcome tocount them if he likes.”

To answer the second question, Birbal drew a couple oflines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said, “thisis the center of the Earth, the courtier may measure it him-self if he has any doubts.”

In answer to the third question, Birbal said, “Countingthe exact number of men and women in the world would bea problem as there are some specimens like our courtierfriend here who cannot easily be classified as either.Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only thencan one count the exact number.”MORAL: There is Always a Way

The Monkey and thecrocodile

Once upon a time there lived a monkey named Red-face on a tree by the side of the sea. The tree was anapple tree and the fruits it bore were sweet as nec-

tar. Once a crocodile named Ugly-Mug swam ashore andRed-face threw apples at him and asked him to taste them.Ugly-Mug started coming everyday ashore and eat the fruitsthrown by Red-face and soon they became good friends.Ugly-Mug used to take some fruits to his home to his wife.His wife was a greedy lady and asked him as to where he gotthe nectar filled apples. Ugly-Mug told about his friend themonkey.

The lady was greedy and pleaded with her husband thatshe would like to eat the monkey's heart, as a person whogave such tasty fruits must have a heart filled with nectar.Ugly-Mug was angered and did not agree to deceiving hisfriend. But she then insisted on not eating anything till he

brought her his friend's heart. Out of desperation, Ugly-mugstarted making plans for killing his friend. He came back toRed-face and entreated him with an invitation to his housefor supper stating that his wife would be thrilled to have himhome and also that she was very anxious to meet such a nicefriend. Poor Red-face believed the story but was asking hisfriend as to how he could cross the sea to reach the house ofthe crocodile on the other side.

Ugly-mug then offered to carry him on his back and themonkey agreed. In the middle of the sea, Ugly-mug took thecrocodile deep into the ocean to kill the monkey. The mon-key was frightened and asked the crocodile why he wasdoing this. Ugly-mug told him that his wife wanted to eat the

monkey's heart filled with nectar. Red-face immediatelyasked it to take him back to the tree as he told him that hehad left his other heart which was full of nectar back at thetree. The foolish crocodile then swam back to the tree andthe terrified monkey jumped up the tree never to return.Upon being asked as to why she was not returning, the mon-key answered to the crocodile that he had only one heart andhe had been fooled and scolded his friend for misusing hisfriendship.

The crocodile was ashamed at what happened and askedthe monkey if he could make any amends. And he was alsoscared that his wife would not let him back in because he hadreturned without the monkey's heart. Just then he heard thata huge he-crocodile had occupied the house of his. The mon-key advised him to fight the he-crocodile and drive him outof his home and gain his wife's confidence. His advice thecrocodile followed and he was back happy with his wife.MORAL: Wit is superior to brute force.

Elephants don’t forget

There was a bad tailor in a village long ago. He usedto play pranks with people. In that village there wasa very good elephant. As you know elephants are

very big animals. Though they are huge, they are very car-ing. If you give them Bananas they will take it from yourhands. They also place their trunk on your head and blessyou. The elephants love to take bath in cold water. Theywould go inside the tank, swim and also enjoy pouring waterall over themselves.

The Mahout (he is the care taker of elephants) used totake the elephant daily to its bath. On the way was the tai-lors shop. One day the tailor offered a banana fruit to theelephant. From that day, the elephant used to bless the tailordaily. Then the tailor thought of playing tricks with the ele-phant. The next day when the elephant blessed him, he tookthe needle he was stitching and drove it inside the trunk ofthe elephant. The elephant was very angry. But it kept quiet.From that day, the elephant stopped blessing the tailor. Aftera few more days, the tailor forgot the entire thing. It wasDeepavali. During Deepavali, all the people get new clothesstitched. So the tailors’ shop was full of clothes. The ele-

phant that day while returning from its bath in the tank,stored a lot of muddy water in its trunk. When it came nearthe tailors’ shop it stuck its trunk inside the shop and pouredall the muddy water inside the shop all over the newlystitched clothes. They got all spoiled. The villagers got veryangry with the tailor for giving them soiled clothes and beathim without listening to him. Thus the elephant punished thetailor.

The fox who married a girl

There was once a very poor girl. She was very, verypretty. There was a fox who was in the forest. Thefox wanted to marry the girl. It dressed itself like a

man and went to the father of the girl, “Mama, wont yougive your daughter in marriage to me.” The girl’s father waspleased and said yes. The girl’s father gave the girl in mar-riage. But he never knew that his daughter’s husband was afox. The fox was enjoying its stay in the girl’s house. Therewas lot of good food and several feasts. After a few days thegirl’s father asked the fox to take his daughter to his home.The fox was did not have any house. But it had to agree. Soit took the girl with it and they started walking. After sometime, the girl asked the fox, “Amman, Amman Uracha?”meaning ‘Uncle, Uncle, has your place come?’. Then thefox replied, “No, No Innum Oru Aru Kadakka Venum”meaning, “No, no, we have to cross one more river’. Theywalked still further. The girl again asked “Ammam,Amman, Uracha”. Then the fox replied, “No, No, InnumOru Aru Kadakka venum.” Like this a few days went by. Bythis time the girl understood that her husband was a fox andit did not have any home. She told her husband, we will goto my home, where we can be happy. The fox agreed andthey returned home. The girl secretly told her father aboutthe fox. That day the father got the help from his friends anddrove away the fox.

--P.R. Ramachander

The Three Questions – Akbar & Birbal


Aug 2014 Mat 1. Match for slim, attractive 27years old daughter; postgrad medicine, working ina hospital in Sydney. Boy must be tall and hand-some. Professionally qualified and earning well.Punjabi Brahmin, Khatri, Arora or Sikh back-groud. Australian Citizen. Apply with brief detailsand phone number [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 2. Seeking suitable bride forPunjabi Brahmin Boy 31 years 5’9’’ well settledAustralian Citizen working in Global BankSydney, Caste no bar. Please email particularsincluding photograph to:[email protected] or contact 0401 954390.

Aug 2014 Mat 3. MATCH required for mydaughter, we are a Punjabi Brahmin family, settledin Australia. Education: LLB, Grad Dip LegalPractice, B Business MGMT, working in Qldgovt, earns $90K. Elegant girl with pleasingnature. 5’-3”, 34, lives a balanced lifestyle, fit andfair. Looking for a handsome Hindu boy, intelli-gent and accomplished in a good career. Caste nobar. [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 4. MATCH required for aLicensed Building Practitioner (Builder) Rajputboy, NEVER MARRIED, very fair, athletic,handsome, 5'-11", June 1982 born, High six figurepackage, Caste no bar. +61-431-059-703. [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 5. Well settled parents lookingfor suitable matches for their daughter, 32 yearsold, working for a multinational company inSydney in a senior corporate position, pretty,163cm tall; brought up in and values both Indianand western culture. North Indian, Punjabi, fromother regional background, professional boysfrom well settled family background preferred.Please contact by email: [email protected] ormobile: 0404 147 744.

Aug 2014 Mat 6. Match for Australian born28year old Sydney based Punjabi Bhardwaj girl,Master of law, working for NSW goverment.Pretty, tall, fair, homely yet modern girl blends inboth Indian and western cultures easily, wants aprofessional, educated and outgoing match.Contact: [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 7. SEEKING match for my

brother, Hindu, Gujarati - Patel, 32, 6 ft, vegetari-an, Masters in Computing Studies, working andliving in USA (American citizen). Looking for aloving Gujarati girl, caring with good family val-ues, well cultured settled or trying to settle in USAor Australia, preferably with a PR/Citizenship.

Email: [email protected] 2014 Mat 8. Seeking suitable match (

from Australia ) never married, for Hindu Girl 34yrs, Chartered Accountant (non veg) living inAustralia over 25 yrs with eastern and westernfamily values. Please email with all details [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 9. Seeking a Hindu boy, nonvegetarian, preferably Gujarati with good familyvalues for my daughter. She is 33 , divorced, 5'2"and well-built. She is an Australian citizen, worksas an IT team leader and is well settled in Sydney.If you are interested please contact us on 0404 595182 or [email protected].

Aug 2014 Mat 10. Parents settled in Australialooking for a suitable professional match for their30 years old daughter, height 165cm, smart, prettyand working as a clinical psychologist, wellbrought up and respects Indian cultural values.Professional boys from well settled family back-ground preferred. Please contact by email:[email protected] or mobile: 0452 227 920

Aug 2014 Mat 11. Parents seeking match forbeautiful, multitalented Medical Doctor daughter(age 27) with wider interests in life.

Correspondence requested from medical doctor/dentist (preference vegetarian) with exclusive pro-file : [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 12. Parents seeking match forfair, slim Hindu Sindhi girl 32 years/ 156 cmworking as Lecturer in leading University.

Permanent resident of Australia with dual degreeM.com (Accounts and Finance), fond of sports,traveling and cooking. We are a well knit profes-sional family. Please mail proposal with educa-tion, job details with recent photo to :[email protected] and Contact no. 0431842 458

Aug 2014 Mat 13. Well settled Indian fami-ly looking for a suitable match for their 25 yearold medico daughter, 5’ 5” tall, born brought upand educated in Australia. Keen in outdoor andsport activities, travel and wants a like-mindedAustralia educated medico boy. Write to: [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 14. Seeking a Hindu girl, veg-etarian, preferably Gujarati, with good family

values, for my son. He is 36, divorced, no children,fair, 5’8”, well-built, non-smoker, light drinks. Heis an Australian citizen, works as a tax consultantand lives with his parents. His two sisters live sep-arately. We have lived in Sydney for 19 years.Contact 0423 328 800 or [email protected].

Aug 2014 Mat 15. Seeking a well qualifiedHindu male, aged between 49 – 54, for a very fair,young looking Hindu lady, aged 54 and anAustralian citizen. He should be a non smoker andshould have strong moral values. Caste no bar. Sheis an eggetarian, divorced and has a 19 year olddaughter living with her. Contact [email protected].

Aug 2014 Mat 16. Hindu Punjabi businessparents invite alliance from a beautiful educatedgirl for their highly qualified son 30/6'3", a verywell placed financial consultant with a leading

multinational company in UK. Will be in Australiain July, Caste no bar. Send BHP to [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 17. Well settled family inAustralia inviting alliance for 27 year old, 5"11,Sood Punjabi boy, B.Software Engineer(honors)and is working as a senior IT Consultant for theAustralian government on high income. SeekingIndian girl, caste no bar. Please call 0414-518-312.Email [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 18. Seeking compatible welleducated, employed professional/ business match,with Indian background, broad minded/ matureoutlook, independent, divorcee, age 47 yearsonward, For caring, honest, friendly, IndianChristian divorcee Australian citizen, 48 yrs 5'3"tall, much younger looking than age, attractive,graceful looking graduate nurse, employed. Casteno bar. Email details to [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 19. Local born Melbournebased turbaned Sikh boy with trimmed beard 33years old 6 feet tall from established family mas-ters graduate working as finance manager lookingfor a likeminded professional Sikh girl who islocally born or grown up in Australia with mix ofwestern and Indian culture and values. Send inter-est with pix to [email protected]

Aug 2014 Mat 20. Well settled, Punjabi kha-tri family, looking for a professionally qualifiedmatch for their beautiful, slim, 30 years, 5'5" talldaughter, raised and educated in Australia. She isworking as a senior associate in a Law firm inSydney. Mail proposal with education, job detailsand a recent photo to: [email protected] contact 0430 281 175.

Aug 2014 Mat 21. Seeking alliance forHindu, 37 yrs, girl, unmarried, charted account-ant, simple, with Indian values and well tuned towestern values. Please reply with all details [email protected]

Matrimonials

MATRIMONIALS

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Santram's Grey Page


In spite of having the vaccine for the flu,I have been suffering from its ill effectslike running nose, watery eyes and

sneezes. The doctor advised rest and a cou-ple of Panadols. Antibiotics are ineffective,in viral attacks like these. A friend advised todrink herbal tea made from concoction ofginger, cinnamon, black pepper and jaggery- all boiled together. Believe me, it doeshelp!

5 myths surrounding vegetarian dietMisconceptions over the years have sur-

rounded vegetarian diets and those whoadopt them. Let's view the myths and see theactual reality

Myth: Vegetarians do not get enoughprotein.

Fact: Well, there was a time when nutri-tionists and dieticians even said this, but nolonger. Now, we know that vegetarians getplenty of protein. What they don't get is theexcessive amount of protein found in the typ-ical modern diet. If you eat a variety offruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, thengetting enough protein is not an issue.

Myth: Vegetarians do not get enoughcalcium.

Fact: This myth has been applied, in par-ticular, to vegans who have eliminated milkproducts from their diets. Somehow, thenotion got started that the only good sourceof calcium is milk and cheese. Granted, milkdoes have a good supply of calcium, but sodo many vegetables — especially green,leafy veggies. The truth is, vegetarians suf-fer less from osteoporosis (a deficiency ofcalcium that leads to weak bones) becausethe body assimilates the calcium they eatmore easily during digestion.

Myth: Vegetarian diets aren't bal-anced, so they are risking their health fortheir principles.

Fact: First of all, a vegetarian diet isn'tout of balance. It has a good proportion of allthe complex carbohydrates, protein and fat— the three macro nutrients that are the cor-nerstone of any diet. Plus, vegetarian foodsources (plants) tend to be higher sources ofmost of micro nutrients. Another way tolook at it is this: The average meat eater con-sumes one or fewer servings of vegetables aday and no servings of fruit. If a meat eater

does eat a vegetable, chances are it's a friedpotato. "Out of balance" depends on yourperspective.

Myth: A vegetarian diet is all right foran adult, but kids need meat to developproperly.

Fact: This statement makes the assump-tion that protein from plants isn't as good asprotein from meat. The truth is, protein isprotein. It is all made from amino acids.Children need 10 essential amino acids togrow and develop properly. These aminoacids are as readily available in plants as theyare in meat.

Myth: Humans were designed to eatmeat.

Fact: Although humans are capable ofdigesting meat, human anatomy clearlyfavours a diet of plant foods. Our digestivesystems are similar to those of the otherplant-eaters and totally unlike those of carni-vores. The argument that humans are carni-vores because we possess "canine" teethignores the fact that other plant-eaters have"canine" teeth, and that ONLY plant eatershave molar teeth. Finally, if humans weredesigned to eat meat, we wouldn't sufferfrom heart disease, cancer, diabetes, andosteoporosis from doing so.

Why rice is good foryour health?

Researchers have shown that con-sumers can improve their diets sim-ply by enjoying white or brown rice

as part of their daily meals.In a study, lead author Theresa Nicklas,

Dr P.H. of Baylor College of Medicine, ana-lyzed the National Health and NutritionExamination Survey datasets from 2005-2010 and evaluated the association of riceconsumption with overall diet quality andkey nutrient intakes in a nationally represen-tative sample of 14,386 U.S. adults.1

Nicklas said their results show that adultswho eat rice had diets more consistent withwhat is recommended in the U.S. DietaryGuidelines, and they showed higher amountsof potassium, magnesium, iron, foliate andfibre while eating less saturated fat andadded sugars. She said that eating rice is alsoassociated with eating more servings of fruit,vegetables, meat and beans.

In addition to the positive results incross-sectional studies linking rice consump-tion with healthier diets, a human clinicaltrial found that having white or brown rice ata meal increased satiety and feelings of full-ness more than a calorically equivalent glu-cose solution control.4 Considering thecross-sectional and clinical findings, bothenriched white rice and whole grain brownrice should be recommended as part of ahealthy diet.

The study has been published online inthe journal Food and Nutrition Sciences.

Drinking milk can delayknee problem in women

Women who frequently consume fat-freeor low-fat milk may delay the progression ofosteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, researchindicates.

The findings showed that women who atecheese saw an increase in knee OA progres-sion.

Yogurt, however, did not impact OAprogression in men or women.

"Milk consumption plays an importantrole in bone health," explained lead authorBing Lu from Women's Hospital in Boston,Massachusetts.

OA is a common, degenerative joint dis-ease that causes pain and swelling of joints inthe hand, hips or knee.

For the study, 2,148 participants withknee OA were recruited.

At the start of the study, dietary data wascollected and joint space width was meas-ured by x-ray to evaluate OA progression.

As the intake of milk increased fromnone to less than 3, 4-6, and more than 7glasses per week, the joint space width inwomen also decreased by 0.38mm,0.29mm,0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively.

Results persisted even after adjusting fordisease severity, body mass index (BMI) anddietary factors.

No association between milk consump-tion and joint space width decrease wasreported in men.

"Our findings indicate that women whofrequently drink milk may reduce the pro-gression of OA," Lu said in the study pub-lished in the journal Arthritis Care &Research.

6 foods that fight acne

Instead of buying countless over-the-counter creams and products, or tryingout expensive dermatological treatments,

incorporate more of the following foods inyour diet, to get rid of your acne.

� While fresh, leafy green vegetableslike spinach, lettuce, artichokes and cab-bages are good for health and aid in diges-tion, they are also beneficial in lesseningacne.

� Cucumbers are a source of vitaminsA, C, E, water and amino acids, which helpto fight against acne.

� You may not like its strong odour butgarlic will help you get rid of your zits. Ithas strong anti-bacterial properties that willimprove your immunity.

� Instead of drinking regular tea andcoffee, which are high in sugar, opt forrefreshing green teas. These will cleanse anddetox your body from inside, removing alltoxicity.

� Tomatoes are not just a very richsource of vitamin C; they also havebioflavonoids that help to repair damaged orscarred skin. Consuming them regularly willreduce acne.

� Don't use regular oil in your food.Opt for olive oil. Since it is lighter, it willget easily absorbed in the skin, thus allowingthe skin to breathe and prevent breakouts.

(Disclaimer: These health tips are takenfrom well established and reliable sourcesand are given in good faith. However, read-ers are reminded to take care and consulttheir doctor if not sure, as no responsibilitycan be accepted by the writer of this columnor The Indian Down Under).

Just for SeniorsBy Santram Bajaj

HUMOUR

Health & Well-being

Wife called hubby in office…Wife - Window is not opening..What

shall I do?Hubby - Put some hot water and wait for

a while. It will open ...Wife - are u sure ??Hubby - yes, trust me it will do the

magic.. Try it ..(After a while hubby calls back to check) Hubby - Did u do as I told u ! Did it do

the trick ?Wife - I don't know about the trick or

magic but NOW the entire laptop is not starting....

Jalebi is themost fattening sweet

Jalebi is one of the favourite sweets ofIndians but it has featured on anAmerican news website's list as one

of the most fattening food items acrossthe globe.

Hot tip: how to protectyour skin au-natural

1. Eat Your Tomatoes!Cooked tomatoes have a miracle

ingredient known as lycopene that helpprotect you from skin cancer. The redand ripe wonders are significant when itcomes to protection against sun damage.So, make sure you get some tomatoes inyour diet.

2. Drink your TeaTea contains a complex arsenal of

antioxidant compounds. Drinking greentea is a smart move and a mainstay ofmany healthy, traditional cultures.There’s also evidence that dietary greentea, specifically its polyphenols, is effec-tive in reducing the risk of skin cancer.And, when applied on the skin directly, itcan offer some mild sun protection.

3. Oil Your SkinAlmond oil and coconut oil are just a

few of the oils that contain natural SPF.Raspberry seed oil, in the right purityand concentration can contain up to SPF30. Wheat germ oil, a natural supplier ofVitamin E, can give you up to SPF20.Coconut oil gives you an SPF8, and canalso help protect your hair from the sun'sdamaging rays. So find oil that does notclog your pores, and apply it on yourbody and hair for the best sun protection.


Cookery

Iwish a very happy Raksha Bandhanfor all TIDU reading sisters. Nowyou can win your brother’s heart

with healthy dishes.

Baked Moong Sprout Vada

Ingredients:�Split green gram (Moong dhuli

dal) -1 1/2 cup�Split black gram (Urad dhuli dal)

- 2 tabs�Moong sprouts 1/2 cup�green chilies chopped -2�Salt to taste�Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp�Garam masala-1/2 tsp�baking powder -1/4 tsp�turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp�coriander powder - 1 tspMethod:Soak both the dals overnight and

grind into course paste. Add all theabove ingredients and mix well till it isfluffy then make Vada shape and keepseparately in the microwave plate andcook on high for 3 minutes, turn overand cook again for 3 minutes till it iscooked properly. Serve with yoghurtand tamarind chutney.

Baked Namak Para

Ingredients:�Atta flour-1/2 cup�plain flour - 1/2 cup�baking powder- 1/2 tsp�oil - 1/4 cup

�Salt to taste�Ajwain- 1/2 tspMethod:Mix all the above ingredients and

make dough like puries (hard dough)and keep aside for 20 minutes.

Roll the dough like chapati but littlethicker then cut like diamond shapeand bake on pre heated oven for 15-20minutes till it is brown on both sides.

Baked Samosa

Ingredients:�Atta flour - 1 cup�salt-1/2tsp�Ajwain- 1/4 tspIngredients for the Filling:�Potatoes- 3 boiled ,cut into small

cubes�frozen peas -1/4 cup�cumin seeds -1/2 tsp�salt to taste�ginger- 1/2 tsp, finely chopped�mango powder- 1/2 tsp�red chili powder-1/2 tsp�Garam masala - 1/4 tspMethod:Heat 2tabs oil in a pan, add cumin

seed till brown, add above ingredientsand mix well take a walnut size dougha like chapati, cut in half. make cone,add filling till 3/4 and seal withwater, keep in a baking tray for 15-20minutes till it is brown and crisp (brushthe samosas with a little milk).

Baked BathuraIngredients:

�plain flour - 4 Cups�fresh yeast - 3 tabs�salt -1 tsp�sugar- 1tsp�yoghurt-1/2 cup�milk-1 cup�poppy seeds-2tspMethod:Mix everything expect poppy seeds.

Keep it in a warm place for 3-4 hourstill it is double in size, knead again.Take walnut size dough and make anoval shape flatten bread. Sprinkle somepoppy seeds and bake in hot oven for8-10 minutes till crisp and brown.

Handvo

Ingredients:�Rice-1 cup�tur dal-1/2 cup�chana dal-3 tabs�urad dal- 2 tabs�yoghurt- 1/2 cup�soda-bi-carb-2tsp�lemon juice-1 tabs�creamed corn-1 cup�ginger- garlic pastte-2tsp�salt to taste�turmeric powder-1/2 tsp�mustard & sesame seeds for sea-

soning

Method:Soak overnight rice & dals. Next

day grind together and add aboveingredients but add soda-bi-carbon inthe end. Keep the mixture aside for 4hours. Put this mixture in the greasedbaking tray. Add seasoning of oil,mustard seeds and sesame seeds.

By Promila Gupta

Mrs Vimla Singhreveals her

Balushahi recipe

Mrs Vimla Singh has been feed-ing us Balushahi for the lastthirty years in Sydney and they

are so popular that we all asked her forrecipe as now she is 80 years old unlessthe recipe may be left a secret. Singhscame to Australia in the seventies whenMr Raghubir Singh came on a posting tothe Indian Tourist office in Sydney asthe Director.

So when insisted she finally gave therecipe of this unusual but a very tastyIndian sweet. She says that it took hermany years as she tried it dozens oftimes before it became perfect and hasbecome an essential part of the house-hold during festival days when we allenjoy her perfect Balushahis and so doesher family.

Mrs Singh’s Balushahi is so specialthat it melts in the mouth, soft on theinside and golden brown on the outsideare a sweet tooth delight.

Balushahi Ingredients:1. 100 gms Plain Flour2. 100 gms Self Raising Flour3. Unsalted Butter – 150gms4. 1 Table Spoon Y oghurt5. Warm waterMix Self Raising and Plain flour and

then pour melted butter and mix well.Add yoghurt and mix again. Knead theflour with warm water into soft doughand leave it for one hour covered with acloth.

Syrup:1. Sugar: 250gms2. Water: 100ml waterBoil the water and and add sugar and

make it into ‘one wire’ – ‘ek taar kichashni’ that is when touched it turnsinto a wire between the two fingerswhen separated.

Process: Knead the dough and make itinto small balls and flatten them andpress in the middle. Deep fry Balushahipatties, few at a time, in oil or ghee onmedium fire. Balushahi should be wellcooked from the inside and goldenbrown from the outside.

Then dip them in the syrup and takethem out and leave them in the tray.They can be decorated with pista powderwhen served.

Mrs Vimla Singh with her delicious Balushahi.

No-fry savouries for Rakhi


Also Mother’s Classes

at Baulkham Hills

Reiki Therapist

Manju is a qualified Reiki therapist. Reiki heals Physical,Mental, Emotional and Spiritual states. I can offer a widerange of Reiki services to heal the body, mind and spirit. Iam dedicated to my clients and takes pride in assisting theirhealing by channelling this wonderful energy.

Reiki is simple natural healing system through the laying onhands energy is channeled to the area most needed for bal-ance. Every treatment is different and healing occurs fromthe inside and out. Reiki with Manju is truly a positive andspiritual experience.

To see if Reiki could possibly help you

please call,

Manju Mittal - 0425 204 364


Body-Mind-Spirit

Everyone’s name contains positive ornegative vibes, and his or her char-acter, prosperity, fame and good

health depend on how his or her name ispronounced.

In the sciences of pronology andnumerology, we can improve our lives andminimise troubles if we make certainchanges to our name as per the rules of thisancient knowledge.

Pronology analyses sound vibrations ina name while numerology deals withnumerical values of each letter assigned tothe name.

Making modifications to your name canchange your fate, stresses renownednumerologist Alaghar Vijaay from Chennai,India.

He says that when a name is given to anewborn child, it is vital for the date ofbirth to be “added”, based on numerologyprinciples, to give the most auspicioussound to the infant’s name.

I recently met Vijaay, who has authored21 books on ancient secrets, to get a betterunderstanding on the phonetic impact andhidden secrets of names.

People facing challenges in the areas ofhealth, relationship and prosperity, orobstacles in life, should check on how theirname is pronounced.

This is no laughing matter because ourname carries a power that can determine ourdestiny, says Vijaay, an engineer by train-ing.

There are 26 letters in the English lan-guage and each has a special wavelength,colour and characteristic.

Take, for example, the letters O and Nappearing together in a name. The numero-logical value of O is 6 and that of N is 5.The sum of the two is 11, whether the let-ters occur as “ON” or “NO”.

But ON denotes forward movement andpositive action, whereas NO has a negativeconnotation and failure.

Vijaay says pronology offers an under-standing of both the forces that may occurin a name and gives people an opportunityto act accordingly to remove the ill effectsand increase the beneficial values.

For example, he said, names containingthe sounds “dhi”, “dy” or “di” could bene-fit from some modification because thosevowels represent something related todemise.

Our name is like a mantra. When it isrepeated like a chant it vibrates a certainsound which exerts an influence on the cellsin our body.

This may produce auspicious or inauspi-cious results.

In his book entitled Pronology, Vijaayexplains that when two letters are com-bined, their separate wavelengths meet andgenerate a sound that can be positive or neg-ative.

For instance, he says, when the letters Aand P are paired it will produce a sound like“APE”, and an individual having such let-ters in his or her name will have ape-likecharacteristics.

Where the letters K and L are joined, itsounds like “KILL” and those with thiscomponent in their name will face trials andstruggles.

When the letters are reversed from KLto LK, the sound “LIKE” is generated andthis vibration will boost their energy, allow-ing them to enjoy peace and happiness.

When the sounds “Han” or “Khan”occur in a name, the person gets anenhanced sense of self-confidence and astrong desire to achieve their goals in life.

Hindi stars Shahrukh Khan, SalmanKhan and Aamir Khan are some of the liv-ing examples of success and fame owing tosuch names.

Other favourable names are Kartik,Ayappan, Raman, Mahalingam, Selvan,Aravin, Barath, Praveen, Ashvin,Jayakumar, Uthayakumar, Velu, Murugan,Vishnu, Ganapathy, Ramakrishnan,Ashvin, Rajen and Rajakumar,

Women having vibrant-sounding namescan be assured of a happy, peaceful andcomfortable life.

Those having names with pleasant soundcombinations like Vijaya, Preethi, Anujaya,Jeyashri, Karisma, Rajaletchumi, Abarami,Gyathri, Jeya and Ragavi will generallyenjoy peace and comfort and get good-natured husbands.

Names like Vimala, Kamala, Mala,Nirmala, and Malathi will be dominatingand they will have the skills to earn as muchas or more than their husbands.

To attract positive vibrations into aname, an individual should add letter com-binations such as UD, ON, RUN, GAIN,VIN, VIND, ARARS, AN, GA, VN, NS

and RS. Avoid letter combinations likeSAD, LOSS, SAT, DOWN, NO, LESS,ILL, NA, NE, LO, SK, VK, KK and KL.

Some examples of positive names:Abdul, Rahim, Hassan, Halim, Rashid,Jaffar, Yassin, Zaid, Karim and Azar,Faroz, Arshad; Kuan, Tong, Man, Wong,Liang, Shing, Chin, Fatt, Yee, Sing:Richard, Henry, Clinton, Albert, Robert,Anthony, Winston, Johnson, Angela, Amy,Angeline, Betty, Jacqueline, Rebecca andRita.

To increase the power of a favourablename, Vijaay suggests that people shouldwrite their name in red ink and capital let-ters 108 times daily on a white sheet ofpaper. Names should carry the initial.Letters giving a negative sound should beremoved and replaced with positive ones.

Combinations like NO, NA, IL, and NIshould be avoided. Avoid naming afterrivers, flowers, seas and selected deities.

Another exercise is to enunciate theirname as many times as possible in front ofa mirror for a minimum of 48 days.

Such acts can also be performed whilebathing, driving and combing your hair, andcan stimulate the results to take effectimmediately.

To further invoke the power of yourname, take a rectangular card and write itdown 27 times in red ink.

The name card should be read out loudat least nine times and placed under the pil-low.

If the above exercises are done con-sciously for 180 days continuously, an indi-vidual can expect to see the desired result inhis or her life within this period.

Whether you place a new letter toenhance your name or remove one to cor-rect any ill effects, what is vital here is forthe exercise to be done with absolute faithand utmost respect in expectation of thedesired results.

Award winning author T. Selva is theauthor of the bestseller book Vasthu SastraGuide. To get a copy of the book contactDevi at 0412623017. He can be contacted [email protected]

VasthuSastra

By T. Selva

Everyone’s name contains positive or negative vibes, and his or her character,prosperity, fame and good health depend on how his or her name is pronounced.

Favourable names for men are: Kartik, Ayappan,Raman, Mahalingam, Selvan, Aravin, Barath,Praveen, Ashvin, Jayakumar, Uthayakumar, Velu,Murugan, Vishnu, Ganapathy, Ramakrishnan,Ashvin, Rajen and Rajakumar.Women having vibrant-sounding names can beassured of a happy, peaceful and comfortablelife. Those having names with pleasant soundcombinations like Vijaya, Preethi, Anujaya,Jeyashri, Karisma, Rajaletchumi, Abarami, Gyathri,Jeya and Ragavi will generally enjoy peace andcomfort and get good-natured husbands.

I recently met Pt AlagharVijaay, who has authored 21books on ancient secretsincluding Pronology, to geta better understanding onthe phonetic impact andhidden secrets of names.


Here are some memorablegaffs from politicians.Sometimes I think if, en

masse, we didn't vote or pay taxesthey would have no power. Somany are warmongers with self-interest at their core.

If they busied themselves withupholding the true value of lifeand ensuring all had security alongwith clean air and water then per-haps they would earn respect andthen be true servants of the peo-ple.

"Reports that say somethinghasn't happened are always inter-esting to me, because as we know,there are known knowns; there arethings we know we know.

We also know there are knownunknowns; that is to say we knowthere are some things we do notknow. But there are also unknownunknowns-the ones we don't knowwe don't know."--Former US Defence SecretaryDONALD RUMSFELD.

This was Rumsfeld's attempt at

clarification on the search forweapons of mass destruction. JohnLister said, "We think we knowwhat he means. But we don'tknow if we really know."

"Tribal sovereignty means thatit’s sovereign. I mean, you're a...you're been given sovereigntyand you're viewed as a sovereignentity and therefore the relation-ship between the federal govern-ment and tribes is the one betweensovereign entities."--President GEORGE W. BUSH

"You know one of the hardestparts of my job is to connect Iraqto the war on terror."

--GEORGE BUSH

"Oh, no, we're not going tohave any casualties."

--Bush discussing the Iraq war.

***"In Iraq, a ruthless dictator

cultivated weapons of massdestruction and means to deliverthem."

--Former Vice President underBush, DICK CHENEY .

"Conservation may be a signof personal virtue but it is not asufficient basis for a sound, com-prehensive energy policy."

--DICK CHENEY .

***"Climate change is crap."

-Australian PrimeMinister TONY ABBOTT

"Now I know thereare some Aboriginal peo-ple who aren't happy withAustralia Day. For them itremains Invasion Day.

I think a better view is theview of Noel Pearson, who hassaid that Aboriginal people havemuch to celebrate in this country'sBritish Heritage."

--TONY ABBOTT

"No one, howeversmart, however well edu-cated, however experi-enced, is the suppositoryof all wisdom."

--TONY ABBOTT

"I think it would be folly toexpect that women will ever domi-

nate or even approach equal repre-sentation in a large number ofareas simply because their apti-tudes, abilities and interests aredifferent for physiological rea-

sons."--TONY ABBOTT

***"Poverty is a state

of mind."--Indian leader

RAHUL GANDHI

"People join thearmy to die or to

become martyrs." --Indian politician

BHIM SINGH

Veg skies, veg hospitals,veg housing societies. Soon

veg Mumbai! Either Gujjusgo back to Gujarat or they

turn Mumbai intoGujarat - Red alert."

--NITESH RANE'srant against Gujaratis

in Mumbai.

***"Girls should be married at

age 16, so that they have their

husbands for their sexual needs,and they don't need to go else-where. This way rapes will notoccur."

--Former Chief Minister ofHaryana, O.P.CHAUTALA

***"If you can't stop rape, enjoy

it."--CBI Director RANJITH

SINHA

"Roads in Pratapgarh districtin the state would be constructedlike the cheeks of actressess HemaMalini and Madhuri Dixit."

--Uttar Pradesh Khadi andVillage Industry Minister, RAJARAM PANDEY .

"We have told the chief minis-ter in the assembly that the gov-ernment will pay money to com-pensate rape victims. What is yourfee? If you are raped, what will beyour fee?"

--CPI party member ANISURREHMAN takes a very cheap digat West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee

***

There is more to herbs thanjust grandma’s potions forcuring rashes and stomach

aches. Many herbs are essentialconstituents in the herbal beautyindustry products as well as mostIndian homes. Here are the top sixof them:

1. Lavender also known asLavandula angustifolia orLavandula officinalis is one of thebest known herbs used in thebeauty industry for its fragranceand aromatherapy benefits.Lavender is used as an antiseptic,analgesic and a deodorant in bathgels, soaps, and lotions.

Scientific evidence suggeststhat lavender is helpful in alopeciaareata or patchy baldness. Alongwith oils from thyme, rosemary,and cedar wood it helps in over 44percent reduction in hair loss afterjust 7 months of treatment.

The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of laven-der make it ideal for treating acneand sunburns. Lavender is alsobeneficial in relieving insomnia,restlessness, stress relatedheadaches, fungal infections likecandidiasis, scars, burns andeczema (a number of chronic skinconditions with a characteristicitching, redness, swelling andblistering rash).

Lavender oil acts as a toner forthe skin and the advantage is that

it suits all skin types. 2. Aloe vera has been used

since time immemorial for skinproblems like burns, blisters,frost bite, urticaria (an allergicskin rash), herpes, inflammatoryskin disorders, psoriasis (chronicimmune related skin disease char-acterized by red thickened skinwith silver scales), besides toothand gum diseases. Aloe is rich incalcium, potassium, vitamin C,vitamin E, zinc. The potassiumpresent in aloe helps in the detox-ification of the liver and kidneys.Aloe vera finds its usage in innu-merable face packs, moisturizers,soaps, bath gels, shampoos, con-ditioners, tooth pastes, face andskin creams, cleansers, sun-screens, shaving gels, babylotions and wipes.

Local application of aloe pre-vents aging and wrinkles.

�Aloe also helps in healingthe skin and reducing scars.Regular application of aloe isknown to prevent scarring andstretch marks.

�Aloe is a very popular sub-stitute for creams as a moisturizerfor dry skin.

�It is one of the main exfoliat-ing ingredients in the organic skinscrub.

�Aloe reduces dandruff andmakes for a good conditioner forsilkier and softer hair.

�Some people use it to shrinkwarts.

3. Calendula or marigold hasanti-inflammatory, antiviral, andantibacterial properties besidescontaining high amount offlavonoids (antioxidants) that pro-tect the body against the damagingeffects of free radicals. Localapplication of calendula creamtreats inflammations and infec-tions of the skin, burns, scalds,bruises, cuts, eczemas and haem-orrhoids.

Calendula is used extensivelyin face packs and soaps as acleanser and for blemishes andacne.

It is also used as a hair condi-tioner and cleanser.

4. Turmeric or Curcumalonga has been also known as the“Indian solid gold” because of itsinnumerable health and beauty

benefits. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-bacterial, antiviral, antifungal andanti-disease agent. Turmeric canbe taken orally or applied on theskin. It’s beauty uses are many:

Since ancient times, turmericmixed with gram flour is used onthe skin of Indian brides andgrooms for a flawless complex-ion. Turmeric is applied locallyto treat acne, wrinkles, dry skin,oily skin, scars, pigmentation ofthe skin

A pinch of turmeric added tocastor oil and applied on scalpprevents dandruff. It is also usedas treatment for dandruff in somecases.

5. Neem or Azadirachta indi-ca is a tree whose bark, sap,leaves, fruit, seeds, and twigs are

all used for multitudinous medici-nal and beauty purposes. Neem isalso known in India as “sarvaroga nivarini” which means “theone that can cure all ailments”.Neem is used in diabetes, hyper-tension, leprosy, ulcers, skin dis-eases, and many more healthrelated diseases. It is by nature apotent anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-fungal agentbesides its use as an anti-malarialand anti pesticidal plant. Neem isused in soaps, toothpastes, deter-gents, face packs and skin creamsfor acne and eczema, hair prod-ucts for thinning of hair and as ashampoo.

6. Tulsi or Ocimum basilicumis also known as basil worldwide.Holy basil or Ocimum tenuiflo-rum is a sacred plant to theHindus. It is also known as the“king of herbs”. Basil is a richsource of vitamin A, vitamin K,vitamin C, calcium, magnesium,potassium, and iron besides otherantioxidants and phytonutrients.

In the beauty industry tulsi hasfound use in - anti acne face packsand creams, anti lice and dandruffshampoos and aromatherapy andperfumes. In olden days, turmer-ic was used in removing unwant-ed hair from the body. It gives anadded advantage of soft andsmooth skin. Turmeric being anti-septic it proves useful in prevent-ing tooth decay.

Inner Space

By Faith Harper

Beauty withoutTears

Columns

These herbs are essential constituents in the herbal beauty industryproducts as well as most Indian homes.

Six must-have herbs

Moronic, embarrassing, shameful…. Some gaffs from politicians deserving of foot-in-mouth Oscar.

Yes, they said that


Body Mind Spirit

By Sonika Jain

We are physically grounded on theEarth because of the gravitation-al force, which we take for

granted. Without it, we would be floatingaimlessly, devoid of stability. Sthiram is aSanskrit term meaning stable, and sukhamis a Sanskrit term meaning good space.Yoga, which is the integration of mind,breath, and body, brings the forces ofmovement and stability into balance.

600 km above planet the temperaturefluctuates between +258 degrees and -

148 degrees FahrenheitThere is nothing to carry soundNo air pressureNo oxygenLife in space is impossible(Opening credits of the film Gravity,

Alfanso Cuaron, 2013, 91 minutes).There are moments in the film Gravity,

which mirror the iconic concepts of theyoga philosophy found in the Yoga Sutraswritten over 2,000 years ago by SagePatanjali. These are a collection of 196aphorisms, each one concerning an aspectof human nature and the path to enlighten-ment. It elaborates on the eight limbs ofyoga including the two most commonlyknown – breathing (pranayama), and bod-ily postures (asana). Yoga, according tothe Yoga Sutra Chapter I.1, is the practiceof focussing the mind (citta in Sanskrit)away from distractions (vrttis in Sanskritfor fluctuations).

The protagonist, Dr Stone, of Gravity,struggles to find focus, stability (sthiram),and good space (sukham), and her journeycan be understood with the yogic perspec-tive offered by BKS Iyengar’s (yoga mas-ter, commentator, and practitioner) classictranslation, The Light on Yoga Sutras ofPatanjali (2010).

In Gravity, mission control in Houstonwarns the veteran astronaut MatthewKowalski (George Clooney) in commandof the spaceship Explorer, about a chainreaction forming a cloud of debris in spaceand travelling at high speed towards them.The debris strike the space shuttle, detach-ing astronaut Kowalski and his colleagueDr. Ryan Stone who is on her first mission(Sandra Bullock); leaving her in a state offree fall. She tumbles aimlessly in spacewhile her oxygen levels reduce rapidly.While reconnecting, after temporary lossof communication between them,Kowalski instructs Dr. Stone to slow downher breathing. By focussing her mind onher breath, she is able to give her where-abouts, and Kowalski is able to locate her,attach her with the tether tied to him; andreturn to the Explorer – all the whilereminding her to relax her breathing.

When they reach the Explorer, theyfind the dead bodies of the remaining crewfloating in space. Kowalski motivates thesaddened Dr. Stone to leave the wreckedshuttle immediately – and start their

onward journey to Earth by reaching aninternational space station (ISS) in anotherorbit – before their oxygen levels exhaustand high-speed debris destroy it. Henudges her to dig into her inner reservoirsof stability (sthiram) amidst the instabilityof the situation. En route, by engaging herin a sensitive conversation, Kowalskikeeps her mind from drifting towards herfears, and depleting the oxygen cylinder.He realises that Dr. Stone is emotionallysuffering because of the loss of her youngdaughter. Her “sorrow, despair, unsteadi-ness of the body and irregular breathingshakes the body, creating instability,which in turn brings mental distress. Thesecause distractions, which agitate the mindand consciousness” (BKS Iyengar, 2010:79) Yoga Sutra I.31.

Her painful past blurs her ability tomake clear decisions or embrace life andits challenges (absence of good space orsukham). On the contrary, Kowalski has afeeling at the outset (a premonition) thatthis expedition would be unsuccessfulbased on the good space sukham) he haswithin him. The unfolding events provehim correct. Kowalski is able to shareinsights based on his intuition and experi-ential knowledge and constantly offersadvice and encouragement to Dr. Stone.He personifies “correct knowledge[which] is based on three kinds of proof:direct perception, correct inference, andtestimony from an authoritative sacredscripture or an experienced person” (YogaSutra 1.7, BKS Iyengar, 2010: 53).Kowalski’s persona of concern, quietdetermination, humour, clarity, andcourage are a result of having healed him-self from his share of suffering because ofwhich he can face the present moment withconfidence.

As they approach the substantiallydamaged but still operational ISS, they seeits crew has evacuated, and the capsule has

become useless for returning to Earth.Kowalski suggests that they use it to trav-el to the nearby Chinese space station,Tiangong, and board one of its modules toreturn safely to Earth. Out of air andmaneuvering power, the two try to grabonto the ISS as they keep flying away.Their tether is broken and Stone’s leg getsentangled in the module’s parachute cordsas she grabs a strap of Kowalski’s suit indesperation. Despite Dr. Stone’s protests,Kowalski disengages himself from her, asthe cords cannot carry the weight of twopeople. Dr. Stone is loosely tied to the ISSand is pulled back towards it. Kowalskifloats away into the silence and vastness ofspace. However, his commitment to pro-tect her remains unshaken. He keepsprompting her with instructions and coax-es her to believe that she will touch theEarth – as a genuine commander of a shipor a spiritual guide would. Kowalski’sapproach to life and death is spirituallyevolved: he maintains his purity anddetachment, and simultaneously has deepcompassion for others.

Both have contrasting personalities.Dr. Stone is anxious, fatigued, introvert-ed, unable to let go of her losses, and inex-perienced as a space astronaut. Kowalski,on the other hand, is on his last missionbefore retiring. Because, he is self-reflect-ing (svadhyaya is a Sanskrit term meaningself-study, reflections of one’s own self,and study of scriptures), he has the emo-tional space within (sukham) to see theexternal reality with clarity and respond ina wise manner. He is a yogi who has tran-scended the fluctuations of the mind (cittavrttis) and can “direct the mind exclusive-ly towards an object (in this case reachingEarth safely) and sustain that directionwithout any distractions” (Yoga Sutra 1.2,KYM, 2000:1). He knows when he mustpursue their journey with relentless effortor tapah (in Sanskrit meaning self-disci-

pline and burning desire to reach perfec-tion), and when he must surrender to theuniversal spirit or Ishvara pranidhana (inSanskrit meaning surrendering to prayer orprofound meditation or higher soul, YogaSutra I.23, BKS Iyengar, 2010:73). Forhim, the journey is the destination and hecan enjoy the beauty of heavenly objects, ajoke, a story, and a crisp conversation in amoment of crisis. Kowalski’s gift to Dr.Stone is not just her life, but also his yogicapproach, which she carries in her heart asa legacy. Their understated yet deeplymoving relationship is refreshingly unro-mantic and spiritually elevated.

Dr. Stone enters ISS alone, having lostKowalski, and among the many hurdlesthat she crosses, she realises that she can-not resolve the problem of a fuel-lessengine. Stone resigns herself to beingstranded and shuts down the cabin’s oxy-gen supply and the lights. In her semi-con-scious dream, Kowalski appears to giveDr. Stone technical tips to propel the cap-sule, and encourages her to gear herselffor surviving somehow by freeing herselffrom her failures in her professional life,and her losses in her personal life. Stoneshines through after this moment of self-reflection (svadhyaya), and is able to con-nect to the courage, calm, and clarity with-in (balancing sthiram and sukham) to faceher unending challenges. Dr. Stone recallsthe lessons taught by her mentor, and com-bines them with written manual instruc-tions in different languages as well as herown intuition – wisdom from insight (pra-jnabhyam). In other words, “this truth-bearing knowledge and wisdom is distinctfrom and beyond the knowledge gleanedfrom books, testimony, or inference [...]itis intuitive knowledge [… which] is inher-ent in the person but obstructed by a tur-bulent mind” (Yoga Sutra 1.49, BKSIyengar, 2010: 95).

Stone’s voyage highlights the divinityof the omnipresent Earth, gravitationalforce, and human life, which is usuallytaken for granted. She touches the surfaceof the Earth because of her heightenedsense of responsibility towards her life –when she combines zealous effort (devotedpractice or abhyasa) with objectivity(detachment or vairagya) [Yoga Sutra1.12, BKS Iyengar, 2010: 57-60]. Thefilm ends with her expression of gratitudefor being able to touch the stable surface ofthe Earth.

The roller-coaster journey of Dr. Stoneand Kowalski encourages the audience torevisit and acknowledge their own suffer-ing, which triggers the process of healingand growth. Gravity is a familiar story toldin an unfamiliar manner: a cinematic andspiritual experience that touches deepwithin to transform, restore happiness andhealth, and to engage with the externalworld with renewed faith.

(Courtesy Life Positive)

Sonika Jain highlights the essential teachings of yoga by correlating it to the film, Gravity, where the protagonist learns the

vital importance of sukham (good space) and sthiram (stability)

George Clooney in the space movie ‘Gravity’, which also starred Sandra Bullock.

Community


By Vijay Badhwar

Swami Damodarananda waslovingly remembered byVedanta family at a special

prayer meeting held at the VedantaCentre in Ermington on 27 July.Swami ji had confided to his closedevotees of his intensions to leavethe worldly body as he went toBelur Math in West Bengal, Indiaand on the morning following theGuru Purnima prayed and meditat-ed on the banks of the river beforehe merged in the Ganga waters inthe early hours of 13 July. He was95. Swami Atmeshananda, whoespecially came from Brisbane tocarry out the ceremonies, said thatwas one of the prescribed methodsin the Hindu religion for the spiri-tually advanced souls to discard thebody once they saw no useful pur-pose in continuing in the game ofMaya.

“One of the Brahamcharis atBelur Math bid good bye to SwamiDamodarananda in the evening say-ing that he would see him the nextmorning. Swami Damodaranandareplied, he (Brahamchari) wouldsee him everywhere tomorrow,”Swami Atmeshananda said.

Swami Damodarananda was apioneer in spreading the Vedanticteachings in Fiji and later inSydney. He left Australia two and ahalf years ago due to his advancingyears. His devotees loved him forhis simplicity and pure love thatpoured out of him.

Swami ji was fond of relatinghow he had received blessings fromRamana Maharshi himself at theTiruvannamalai Ashram. This gavedirection to the path he found inlife, later joining the Ramakrishnaorder under Swami Virajananda.

Uma Srinivasan rememberedSwami ji pouring out with compas-sion and simplicity. “On learningthat I work with computers hewanted to know if the computerwould find a solution for his stom-ach problems. When I said, no,Swami ji, it cannot find solutions,he simplistically asked: “But youstill work with computers’.Amazing, the way he would look at

life, laugh at it,” Uma remem-bered.

Last time Uma met SwamiDamodarananda was in Ulsoor,near Bangalore. He was pleased tosee her and kept introducing her toeveryone that she had come all theway from Australia. The chocolatesand some fruit she had taken along,Swami ji asked her to distributeamong children. There was a longqueue of people waiting for his‘darshan’, she said.

He said that a big mistake hehad made was to go to his villageafter so many years. He hadthought that everyone he knewwould have passed away. But therewere so many who claimed to behis nieces and nephews and nowthey visited him in the Ashram reg-ularly.

Abhirami Anand rememberedvisiting Swami ji in India. “He

looked slim and trim,” she said.She and her daughter looked for-ward - “ran” - to see him after theaarti. She fondly reminisced:

“When you said to him ‘HariOm’, he would say, ‘Hurry Home’.

“When you said ‘I am well’, hewould say, ‘Are you in the samewell as I am (he used to be in lot of

pain sometimes)’.”Prakash Gunalingham remem-

bered Swami Damodarananda as a‘happy Swami’. “When you arearound him, it will make yourwhole day,” she said.

His attributes she has noted: todo well whatever you do and to seepositive side of things. Even in

challenges, look at them like oppor-tunities. Swami Sridharananda saidthat Damodarananda ji used to livein ecstatic joy which, even in amajor catastrophe, won’t leavehim. “He was an example of howhe saw through the game of Maya -a sign of a person who is spiritual-ly advanced,” he said.

Mrs Bhanuben Patel came toAustralia in 1968 with her hus-band and her son and the fami-

ly settled in Sydney. She did an IncomeTax Practice certificate course at TAFEand took up her career with ITP in theyear 1978 and immediately proved hercompetence as she excelled in her posi-tion as a tax consultant. Soon she becamea senior consultant in the office andachieved high admiration from her man-ager and colleagues.

She died peacefully in her sleep on themorning of July 12, 2014 due to an acutecardiac arrest episode. We pray for hersoul to rest in peace.

Bhanu is survived by her husband MrS K Patel, son Amul Suresh and daugh-ter Lina.

Mr Patel retired as a teacher ofMathematics having taught at TAFE andat NSW high schools. He has writtensought-after Excel Study Guides in Mathsfor HSC students.

TRIBUTE

Swami Damodarananda leaves loving memories

Mrs. Bhanu Suresh Patel (1938 – 2014)OBITUARY

Devotees ofSwamiDamodarananda(above) came inhordesto get hisblessings beforehe left forIndia two and a half yearsago.


Column

By Karam Ramrakha

Fiji goes to polls on September 17this year. My prediction is thatFrank Bainimarama will receive

cautious acceptance in Fiji.What is the dramatis personae of the

elections. There is the old Qarase Party,now known as the Social and LiberalDemocratic Party (Sodelpa). Qarase can-not stand but he has already attackedFrank for disbanding the indigenousCouncil of Chiefs, an old elite body ofindigenous Chiefs who would rubber-stamp what the British wanted.

Mahendra Chaudhry, recently convict-ed of crimes under the Exchange ControlAct and fined $1.2 million, is trying tohave his appeal heard and his convictionset aside so he could stand. If pressreports are true Sodelpa and MahendraFiji Labour Party has agreed to form acoalition after the elections.

My own National Federation Party,twice annihilated in the past two elections,is making a comeback with some crediblecandidates.

Frank has the benefit of incumbency;the average man in the street has no rea-son to reject him.

One lady, an expatriate, said, “Yes,he will win but I hope by not too large amargin.” For an Indian: “I like what is inplace now”; and for an indigenous,“Frank has given every Fijian (indige-nous) village electric light. He has anagenda and he should be allowed fiveyears to finish that.”

Meanwhile, I saw Frank draw largecrowds, happy and smiling and peopleanxious to shake his hands. His party FijiFirst seems well funded and as one

American politician said, ‘Money is moth-er's milk in politics’.

When a military coup takes place,there is an immediate hue and cry for themilitary to return to the barracks and handpower back to the people usually in theform of early elections.

Vorege (Frank) Bainimarama seizedpower on 6 December 2006. LaiseniaQarase, the then Prime Minister, wantedto turn all shores and the rich Fiji seas tothe indigenous Fijians.

Qarase had won elections on a veryracial agenda: Fiji for the indigenes.Frank warned Qarase to desist but aftersome eight months of waiting he seizedpower.

I was one of the Fiji delegates whomet at Marlborough House in April 1970in London and hammered out a constitu-tion to give Fiji independence on 10October 1970. Fiji had been ceded toBritain on 10 October 1874.

Britain looks at the competing forcesin a country as they did in India in 1947and while apparently discussing what thepeople of the colony want, they keep thefinal terms of independence in their ownhands. As Julian Moti, now Dean of theFaculty of Law in the University of Fiji,wrote recently, it is ironic that a departingpower on quitting a country should beasked to set the basis on which the coun-try should be governed in future.

In London, Britain was anxious tostrike some sort of an agreement betweenthe three races, Fijian, European andIndian and to preserve the racial divisionsin Fiji's constitution. All that is in thepast now.

Despite all the excesses of Frank'scoup, its censorship, its stifling of free-

dom of association, I give muted praise toFrank. Every citizen of Fiji, whether resi-dent in Fiji or abroad, is entitled to regis-ter electronically and cast his one vote.He is given a card and election registra-tion is universal and in full swing.

The average person in Fiji (like inAustralia) is often not directly impactedby what happens at the elections. For allthese years they are unconcerned with theabsence of a Parliament. Some heapedabuse on elected parliamentarians as para-sites who would come to take their vote,then not be seen for the next five yearsand in the meantime wearing black suits

and driving in big cars.Come September 17, we will know

the Fiji election results at the end of theday. Incidentally, on September 20, NewZealand also goes to the polls. God blessFiji and our neighbour across the ditchNew Zealand.

Karam Ramrakha is an ex Fiji M.P.and practises as a barrister and solicitorfrom Putney Chambers, 36 Pellisier RoadPutney 2112. He is a Life Member of theNew South Wales Law Society. Tel : (02)98082760; mobile 0434 986 123 .Facsimile (02) 9802 5014. Email: [email protected].

On a recent Friday, my wifeand I decided to havelunch at an Indian restau-

rant near our home, one thatoffers an all-you-can-eat buffet. Ilike their buffet because it's usual-ly stocked with a variety of food,mostly South Indian dishes butalso a few North Indian items.The buffet costs $9.99 for adultson week days, and I usually makesure I eat at least $10 worth offood.

Because we were taking ourthree children along, I called therestaurant to ask about their buffetprice for kids. "$3.99 for chil-dren," I was told over the phone.That seemed quite reasonable,especially since my children aren'tbig eaters. It's almost impossibleto get two of them to finish what'son their plates, unless they're eat-ing pizza or pasta. They must havebeen Italian s in a previous life.

When we arrived at the restau-rant, the pricing didn't seem soreasonable any more. A waitertold us that the $3.99 price appliedonly to children aged 7 and under.Anyone 8 and older had to pay the

adult price."How old are your children?"

the waiter asked."My son is 7 years and 11

months," I said. "One of mydaughters is 7 years and 38months, and my other daughter is7 years and 58 months."

But it didn't work: I couldn'tconvince him that my daughters,aged 10 and 11, should be chargedthe children's price. Quite upsetabout this, I berated him andanother waiter – and anyone elsewho looked like they might workat the restaurant.

They didn't deserve to berebuked, of course. After all, theyweren't the ones who set theprices.

The owner of the restaurant iswhom I should have been lambast-ing, if only he was around. Hewas probably sitting in his officein the back, tapping the keys of hiscalculator, figuring out how manychildren would need to eat at thebuffet for him to retire to theBahamas.

We promptly left the restau-rant – my wife was rightfully

embarrassed by my outburst – andheaded to a nearby Vietnameseplace. It had no buffet, so weordered off the menu and didn'tworry about overpaying for ourchildren.

My older daughter will soonturn 12 and, whether I like it ornot, we'll be paying adult pricesfor her at almost all restaurantbuffets. It's widely believed that

1 2is the magical age when a childbegins to put away as much foodas an African bush elephant. Thefood bill in our household willpractically double in a few years,when both my daughters hit theirteen years and discover the joy ofeating. The typical teenager'smouth, as various scientific stud-ies have shown, is open for more

hours in a day than it's closed. Ifteenagers aren't talking, singing,chewing gum or eating, they'resleeping with their mouths open.

Some teenagers just walkaround with their mouths wideopen.

As any good scientist will tellyou, this is a natural reaction ofthe human body to protein depri-vation, a way of communicatingthis dire need to parents, as wellas potentially catching a flyinginsect or two.

It's during the teen years thatchildren tend to grow the fastest.One week, your daughter barelyreaches your shoulder; the nextweek, she's saying, "Dad! You'regoing bald!"

Teenagers need to consumetons of food to get the caloriesthey need for their growth spurts.That's why, when it comes tocharging teens, I can't help butsympathize with restaurants.

If I were a restaurant owner,I'd put up signs all over myrestaurant to deal with the issue ofcharging teens: "Walk slowly. Nocharging to the buffet!"

Unfair to pay adult fare for children

Bainimarama well placed in Fiji elections

Frank Bainimarama has the benefit ofincumbency; the average man in the street

has no reason to reject him.

Mahendra Chaudhry, recently convictedof crimes under the Exchange ControlAct, is trying to get his conviction set

aside so he could stand.

THE HUMOR OF MELVIN DURAI

Sports


By Ashok KumarThe Indian Sub-continent Times (IST)

Braving blisters in her feet, aceIndian shuttler Saina Nehwal over-came a defiant Spanish unseeded

and world number 11 Carolina Marin 21-18, 21-11 to lift the Star AustralianBadminton Open crown and take homeprize money of A$ 56,000.

She said that she was not sure whethershe would be able to play due to blistersin both her feet but Physio Kiran helpedher back on her feet in time to play thefinals.

"I am thankful to my parents for theirsupport throughout," said Saina after thematch. Nehwal continued from where sheleft off in the semi-final win over top seedWang Shixian (China), her athleticismand attacking abilities wearing Marindown. The Spaniard did sparkle fromtime to time with her deceptive left-hand-ed shots catching Nehwal off-balance, butoverall it was the Indian who dominatedfrom start to finish.

Nehwal’s relentlessness in chasingdown Marin’s shots broke the Spaniard’sspirit in the second game. A warningfrom the umpire and a couple of servicefaults saw a dip in her focus even asNehwal grew in confidence. The 21-18,21-11 victory took 43 minutes. This wasthe Indian’s first World Super series titlein 20 months, the last being in Denmark,though in 2014 Saina had won the IndianSuper Series title a few days ago inLucknow.

Marin, who, incidentally, beat anotherIndian, P V Sindhu, in the quarter-finalstwo days ago, was upbeat for the finalsbut Saina’s relentless smashes were toomuch for her to handle. Marin was quickto open her account and take lead 3-1 andSaina was quick to establish her superior-ity and take the first game 21-18 aftersome unforced errors that made Marin toclose in the gap.

Marin’s last encounter with Saina wasin the quarter-finals of Djarum IndonesianOpen which Saina laboured to win 21-16;21-19 to reach semi-finals.

The opportunity to interview cameafter her quarter-final match when shewas sitting among the audience and thecoach Thomas asked me to avail theopportunity.

IST: The Commonwealth Games2010 Gold, according to reports, meanta lot to you, especially after a few hic-cups before a splendid victory. Yourviews on that…..

Saina Nehwal: Commonwealth gamesare great games after Olympics and Asiangames, so the medal really means a lot.

IST: You have been out of formgoing by the various tournaments youplayed recently. Any particular reasonfor the slump in form?

Saina: Nothing, except that I was notcompletely fit to play to the maximumcapabilities, still I did my best to give thebest of my abilities.

IST: After the quarter final win youexpressed great joy that you’ve beeninto semis after a long time.

Saina: I am happy after every win, sonothing different between the two. I feelhappy after every win.

IST: You have played most of thetop players in the game. Do you planyour game before the match?

Saina: Planning is very difficult tomake, still we look into the weak anglesof each player and accordingly we play.

IST: In all your tough matches youtend to go into three games, especiallylosing the first one.

Saina: I want to win in two only butthe opponents are so strong that they takeme to the 3rd.

IST: How do you take your defeats?Saina: I go to practice to do more for

the next game. I believe that hard workalways pays.

IST: People look upon you as a rolemodel, how do you feel?

Saina: I am happy for the compli-ment; I do not want to do wrong things inmy life.

In end June, India’sace shuttler bravedblisters in her feetand overcame a defiant Spanishunseeded and worldnumber 11 CarolinaMarin 21-18, 21-11 towin the crown.

Saina lifts Australian Open crown

Saina Nehwal proudly posing with the Australian Open trophy.


The Kersi Meher-Homji column

On 21 July the Indian supporters weregloating as India beat England in thesecond Test at Lord’s by 95 runs to

lead 1-0 in the Pataudi Trophy. Ten days laterthey were moaning and groaning as Englandannihilated them in the third Test atSouthampton by 266 runs.

What happened in one week? The hero ofthe Lord’s Test, Ishant Sharma, was injuredand was omitted from the team for the thirdTest. Another contributor for the Lord’s vic-tory, Ravindra Jadeja, bowled a poor line andlength and dropped captain Alastair Cookearly on in the first innings and he went on toscore 95.

And apart from Ajinkya Rahane otherbatsmen were pathetic.

With centuries from Gary Ballance (156)

and Ian Bell (167 enriched with three sixes)and 85 by debutant wicket-keeper Joss Buttler(85 with three sixes) England declared at 7 for569 on an easy-paced pitch.

India started her response poorly withVirat Kohli failing again and was all out for330, trailing England by 239 runs. Ratherthan enforce the follow-on Cook decided tobat again and go for runs. England batsmenattacked with gusto and declared at 4 for 205at 5 runs an over.

Joe Root played a flamboyant innings of56 in the second at a strike rate of 136.58.

Set a monumental task of chasing 445 runsto win, India started poorly losing 4 for 112 atstumps on day-4, Kohli failing again. TheTest was finished before lunch on the finalday as India lost the last six wickets for 66

runs. The only batsman to show some resist-ance was Rahane who made a gritty andunbeaten 52. He had also top-scored for Indiain the first innings with 54.

The other batsmen, apart from skipper MSDhoni in the first innings, cut sorry figures.Imagine Moeen Ali, an average off-spinner,taking 6 for 67 on the final day! The likes ofVirender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, SachinTendulkar and VVS Laxman would haveslaughtered him to smithereens.

I can understand fast bowler and Man ofthe Match Jimmy Anderson troubling theIndian batsmen. But Moeen? And India all outfor 178 on a good pitch? Surely something iswrong. Mr MS Dhoni, please includeRavichandran Ashwin in the fourth Test. Theseries is locked one-all. All is not lost.

Enough of depressing news! Let us behappy recalling the victory in the sec-ond Test at Lord’s.

India beat England by 95 runs in theLord’s Test last month to be one up in theseries with three more Tests to go.

The heroes were tall hairy openingbowler Ishant Sharma and left-hand spinningall-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

What a final day to remember for India!Usually at the receiving end of short pitcheddeliveries, Ishant delivered knockout punch-es on the final day. He finished England witha sensational 7 for 74 spell and was the wor-thy Man of the Match.

It may be added that England contributedto her fall by some idiotic hooking spreeafter Joe Root and Moeen Ali had giventhem a solid foundation in the morning ses-sion of the final day.

The exciting Test was tilting towardsEngland after lunch on the fourth day whenIndia lost her opening batsman and anchorman Murali Vijay for 95. The visitors’ werethen 7 for 235, only 211 runs ahead andEngland had almost ten hours to chasearound 250 for a win.

But the dynamic Jadeja changed the sce-nario in a hurry. He batted as if it was a T20match and smashed anything dished out tohim, especially Jimmy Anderson with whom

he had a disagreement in the first Test atTrent Bridge a week ago.

He went bang-bang smashing 68 off 57balls with nine spectacular fours. A hit onthe helmet and on his finger did not inhibithim. He celebrated his 50 with a unique “batdance”.

Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar made 52off 71 balls with eight fours. He and Jadejaadded 99 runs off 100 balls and now Indiahad a sniff of victory, only her second atLord’s in 82 years of playing there.

India was all out for 342, setting England319 runs to win in eight and half hours. Itwas a difficult but not an impossible chase.However, the fired-up Jadeja was not fin-ished with Cook’s men. Soon the home teamwas 1 for 18 at tea. And all at sea!

At stumps on day-4 they were 4 downfor 105 still needing 214 to win.

Kumar had taken 6 for 82 in the firstinnings. In fact he became the third Indianbowler after Ladha Amar Singh and BishanBedi to capture 6 wickets in an innings in aLord’s Test. Ishant Sharma was to join himtwo days later. Ishant went on to become theonly Indian to grab a seven wicket haul atLord’s.

Kumar has also rescued India from bat-ting woes in the first two Tests. Coming inat no.9, he made 58 and added 111for the

last wicket with another quickie MohammedShami (51 not out) in the first innings of thefirst Test, 91 for the eighth wicket withdebutant Stuart Binny (78) in the secondinnings and 99 with Jadeja in the Lord’s Testas described above.

All three partnerships were crucial forIndia.

The drawn first Test in Trent Bridge willbe remembered for tenth wicket partner-ships. To follow in the footsteps of Kumarand Shami, Joe Root (154 not out) added arecord 198 runs for the last wicket with Manof the Match Jimmy Anderson (81).

Middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahanealso batted with confidence in the firstinnings of the Lord’s Test.

The poor batting form of India’s starbatsman Virat Kohli is a big problem. In thisseries (after the third Test) he has scored 1,8, 25, a first ball duck, 39 and 28 to make101 runs at a deplorable average of 16.83.

However, the victory at Lord’s is a con-fidence-booster for India prior to their tourof Australia in a few months.

Three years have changed their outlook.Winning the Lord’s Test after being sent into bat on a greenish wicket is a big positivefor India. It was her first overseas Test vic-tory in three years. But a week later Indiawas brought down to earth in the third Test.

From sublime to disastrous

Magnificent victory by India at Lord’s – BravoIshant, Jadeja and Vijay

India A winsQuadrangularODI series in

Darwin

The two unofficial ‘test’ seriesbetween India A and AustraliaA in Brisbane last month pro-

duced runs galore. India’s wicket-keeper Naman Ojha averaged anincredible 430.00 with the bat in the 2-‘test’ series.

Both the ‘tests’ were high scoringdraws. In the first ‘test’, India Atotalled 475 with Naman Ojha scoringa fluent double century (219 not out)and skipper Manoj Tiwari 63.

Australia A started shakily, beingsix wickets down for 99, but were res-cued by Mitchell Marsh (211) and SamWhiteman (174) who put on 371 forthe seventh wicket and Australia Aamassed 534 to lead by 59 runs.Medium pacer Jasprit Bumrah took 5for 132

Naman Ojha shone out again tomake an unbeaten 101. He added 199for the seventh wicket unbroken part-nership with Ambati Rayudu (100 notout) as India totalled 5 for 285 and the‘test’ ended in a tame draw.

The second ‘test’ was another run-rich draw. Australia lost 3 for 64 butwent on to plunder 423 as internation-al players James Faulkner (94) and BenCutting (96) batted fluently. India’sTest cricketers Uday Yadav (5 for 63)and Amit Mishra (4 for 142) were theonly successful bowlers.

India A took a 78 run lead withNaman Ojha scoring his third centuryin three innings.

Australia A openers Alex Doolanand Test batsman Phillip Hughes hitunbeaten hundreds as they made 202without loss. Another run marathon,another draw!

In a series dominated by batsmen,wicket-keeper Naman Ojha scored 219not out, 101 not out and 110 to total430 runs at an incredible batting aver-age of 430.00. Move over, Sir DonaldBradman!

I know, I know. This is a hyper-bole. But Naman (no relation to Testspinner Pragyan Ojha) has been calledto England because wicket-keeperWriddhiman Saha is injured and hasflown back to India.

Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Murali Vijay

Naman Ojha

The Kersi Meher-Homji Column


The Anderson-Jadeja spat wasmuch ado about nothing

India A wins QuadrangularODI series in Darwin

These days no international series –be it a Test, a one-dayer or aTwenty20 – is complete without a

controversy. So childish; “he pushed me;no, he pushed me first” type of kinder-garten skirmishes.

Grow up, I say, and play the game.

The latest was between India’s all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and England’sfast bowler James Anderson. At firstJadeja was fined 50 per cent of his matchfees after being found guilty of a Level 1breach of the ICC Code of Conduct fol-lowing an incident with Anderson duringthe first Investec Test at Trent Bridge lastmonth.

The BCCI, in a release, said it wasnot satisfied with the verdict and said itreserved its right to appeal against thesentence.

However, at the hearing inSouthampton, England, headed by judicialcommissioner Gordon Lewis on August 1,both Anderson and Jadeja were found notguilty of breaching the ICC Code ofConduct during their alleged altercation at

Trent Bridge in early July.

After a day of hearing evidence andsubmissions from both sides it was saidthe verdict could take up to 48 hours to bedelivered but in the end commissionerLewis, who had joined via Skype fromAustralia, needed a matter of minutes tocome to his decision.

Anderson will now be available for thefinal two Tests of the series, which islevel at 1-1, including his home match atOld Trafford. If Anderson had been guiltyhe would have faced a ban of at least twoTests.

"The Judicial Commissioner reachedhis decisions following a six-hour hearing,which took place via videoconference,"the ICC said. "Witnesses, including someIndian and English players, provided evi-dence and were cross-examined by therespective legal counsels."

There was no official reaction fromthe ECB or BCCI the evening of the hear-ing but Anderson's county, Lancashire,was relieved to know their hometown starwould be available to play for his county.

I am sure BCCI will protest strongly forthe leniency shown towards Anderson.The plot thickens.

Jadeja was alleged to have turnedtowards Anderson in a threatening mannerand had originally been found guilty bymatch referee David Boon at a previoushearing and fined 50 percent of his matchfee. After applying legal pressure Indiawas allowed to lodge an appeal, whichwas heard on August 1, and Jadeja wasalso found not guilty.

The ECB and Anderson were repre-sented in the hearings by Nick De Marcowhile Adam Lewis QC representedJadeja. The hearings were also attendedby the two team managers, the ECB'smanaging director Paul Downton, theBCCI's Sundar Raman and MV Sridhar,the ICC's General Manager - Cricket,Geoff Allardice, and the ICC's Ethics andRegulatory lawyer, Sally Clark.

Now that it is all settled, let us investi-gate as to what actually happened duringthe first Test at Trent Bridge in mid-July?

According to ESPNcricinfo England’s

wicket-keeper Matt Prior contendedJadeja's bat was raised dangerously whenhe turned towards Anderson, and Stokessuggested Jadeja had pushed Andersonfirst. India claimed Jadeja neither touchednor swore at anyone.

According to Cricinfo, “There isanother narrow passage inside the pavil-ion, which both teams have to take beforeparting ways to their dressing rooms, andthe incident happened there as opposed tothe popular view that it happened in thestaircase.

“Sources claim England's case at thehearing centred on Jadeja allegedly insti-gating Anderson by turning around. Indiaclaimed Jadeja only turned around after hewas allegedly sworn at once again. Dhonispecifically said in the press conferencebefore the third Test that Jadeja's bat hadstayed tucked under his arm all through.The stewards present claim not to haveseen the push and India were unhappyabout the security cameras not working onthat day.”

As the verdict indicated it was muchado about practically nothing.

In a tense finish India A defeatedAustralia A in the final of theQuadrangular series by four wickets

with eight balls remaining.Earlier India A had beaten South Africa

A and National Performance Squad inDarwin to enter the final on August 2.

The final was a thriller as 45 runs wereneeded in 34 balls for a victory and IndiaA reached the target in 26 balls thanks to a93 run partnership off 75 balls betweenRishi Dhawan (56 not out) and AksharPatel (45 not out) for the unbroken seventh

wicket partnership.It appeared Australia A would win easi-

ly as their Test openers Cameron White(137) and Phillip Hughes (51) added 146runs for the first wicket and a total of over300 appeared possible.

But Dhawal Kulkarni bowled with con-trol to take 3 for 51 and the home teamwas restricted to 5 for 274 in 50 overs.

India A started badly losing 3 wicketsfor 51 before Manoj Tiwari (50) and KedarJadhav (78) added 82 for the fourth wicket.Still the going was slow with Ben Cutting

bowling with fire till Dhawan and Patel gottogether and India won by four wickets.

It was India A’s sixth successive winon the tour. The victory is creditable forthe young Indians as the Australia A teamincluded Test players White, Hughes, PatCummins, Clint McKay, Alex Doolan andMoises Henriques, and others who had rep-resented Australia in one-dayers.

On the other hand India did not have asingle Test player although skipper RobinUthappa, Manoj Tiwari and Mohit Sharmahave represented India in ODIs.

India A team in Darwin

Idon’t want to make any excusesfor India’s big defeat in the thirdTest but umpiring decisions mostly

went against them. Both the umpiresin this Test, Rod Tucker fromAustralia and Marais Erasmus fromSouth Africa, are honest and efficient.But they are human and capable ofmaking mistakes.

Gary Ballance was caught when hewas on 10 and ended up scoring 156.Also Ian Bell and Joss Buttler weregiven not out when appeared to beout. I must add that England alsoreceived some poor decisions.

DRS (Decision Review System) is notfool-proof but can rule out howlers.Why BCCI (Board of Control forCricket in India) is against DRS isbeyond me.

A rethink is necessary.

BCCI,please

reconsideryour DRSrejection


Sports

Glasgow: If you take away 2010 New Delhi,the benchmark for India at theCommonwealth Games has been 2002Manchester when they crossed the 50-medalmark for the first time by ending up with 69medals, 30 of them gold.

Before the Indians left for Glasgow, theexpectations were pegged at somewherebetween Manchester tally and 2006Melbourne where they touched exactly 50.So, 64 should be taken as a reasonably happyfigure, considering the turmoil the IndianOlympic Association (IOA) has gone throughover the last four years.

To be fair to the national sports federa-tions, they have been going through their rou-tine with the government lending more than ahelping hand. They make all the plans fortraining, competition and international expo-sure. They scout around the world to get thebest of coaches.

Unfortunately, no one seems to take seri-ously the 101 medals and the second positionIndia achieved at home in 2010. The refrainis: "What's so big doing it in your backyard."That's uncharitable. See how Scotland per-formed at home to finish fourth behindEngland, for whom also Glasgow is home,behind Australia and Canada and a rungabove India.

India could have easily added a few moremedals if only archery and tennis had notbeen dropped from the Games and also somesure medals from wrestling and shootingevents.

Archery and tennis accounted for 12medals in New Delhi. In shooting 18 eventshave been dropped, including pairs event, thatmeant 14 medals which India won in 2010 aregone straightaway.

In Greco-Roman wrestling, India had woneight medals. The shooters were not the sameconfident lot they were in Delhi, though theystill logged in 17 medals, 13 less than whatthey achieved at home.

Yet, Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Duttmade sure that Indian wrestling continues tobe on the upswing and, in all, five gold andsix silver and two bronze were surely impres-

sive. Vinesh Phogat and Babita Kumaribrought in a pair of gold from the women'ssection.

The last day for India at Glasgow was areplication of what happened in 2010. If SainaNehwal won the women's singles badmintongold, her Hyderabad-mate Parupalli Kashyappulled off the men's singles final. It was agreat achievement for him as he won a singlesgold for India 32 years after the great SyedModi won it in 1982 in Brisbane.

If only P.V. Sindhu had not choked in hersemi-finals, India could have added anothermedal just as R.M.V. Gurusaidatt who afterbeating top seed Chong Wei Feng in the quar-ter-finals lost his semis against MalaysianDerek Wong over three games.

Like Kashyap, discus thrower VikasGowda was another great athlete brought intofocus when he won an athletics Gold after 56years when Milkha Singh won the 440 yardsat Cardiff in 1958. It is a different matter thatthe "Flying Sikh"narrowly missedwinning bronze atthe 1960 RomeOlympics.

There was alsoa flush of medalsfrom weightlifting.The lifters won 12medals that includ-ed three gold, foursilver and fivebronze.

If India lost thehockey final toAustralia four yearsago by a confi-dence-shattering 0-8 swamp, this timethey reduced the margin to half, 0-4, but stillcould not score a goal. In the group game theyat least struck twice.

Abhinav Bindra has shown that he is notfor nothing among the world's best by win-ning his 10m air rifle gold, his first at thequadrennial event. He had his ups and downsafter the Beijing Olympic gold, but he showedhis mettle.

The boxers performed remarkably well tomake four finals but none could land gold andthat was a big disappointment, particularly theloss of Vijender Singh who came back tointernational competitions working hard.

Spare a thought for all those officials whoperform a full-time job in conducting age-group national championships, spot talent andhelp them come up. They never get the cred-it, they are only picked for wrong reasons likethe corruption charges against the same offi-cials who have also worked over the years tobring Indian sport to where it is.

Before someone pipes up to say the Indiansport has done well despite officials, there areofficials and officials. There have been menwho worked 24X7 going through the paperwork impeccably and made sure India had asay at international forums, particularly at thecontinental level.

The officials include some of thosecharge-sheeted for their alleged misdeeds in

the run-up to the New Delhi Games. Don'tforget, there was nothing wrong with the con-duct of the Games and the performances ofathletes. It was an exceptional showing.

The contribution of some of the officialscannot be discounted even if the governmenthad opened up its purse strings for the train-ing of the athletes. The athletes in privatepraise their federation officials, but themoment they face the camera they take thefashionable route of running them down!

Commonwealth Games 2014

India should be happy withGlasgow returns

CWG: Charges against Indian officialsdropped due to lack of evidence

Glasgow: IOA secretary general RajeevMehta and wrestling referee VirenderMalik, who were arrested for different rea-sons, were on Monday released aftercharges against them were dropped for lackof evidence, putting an end to theirunsavoury ordeal.

The charges against both the Indian offi-cials were dropped and the matter did notcome up for hearing at the Sheriff's Court,according to an Indian high commission offi-cial. The decision to let off the two officialscame as huge relief for the Indian contin-

gent, which had to face a lot of embarrass-ment on the last day of the 20thCommonwealth Games because of the devel-opment.

While Mehta was arrested for allegeddrunken driving, Malik, who is not a part ofthe official contingent, was facing a moreserious charge of alleged sexual assault.

The duo was, however, not staying withthe official 215-strong contingent which wasputting up at the Games village. Both of them were reportedly lodged at a localhotel.

Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt made sure that Indian wrestling continues to be onthe upswing and, in all, five gold and six silver and two bronze were surely impressive.

Parupalli Kashyap’ badminton singlesgold came for India 32 years after the

great Syed Modi won it in 1982 inBrisbane.

Discus thrower Vikas Gowda, based inthe US, won an athletics gold after 56years when Milkha Singh won the 440

yards at Cardiff in 1958.

Abhinav Bindra proved that he is amongthe world's best by winning his 10m airrifle gold, his first at the quadrennial

event.

India ended at 5th position

indian down under e paper august-september 14

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