INDIAN LINK
PUBLISHER
Pawan Luthra
EDITOR
Rajni Anand Luthra
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Sheryl Dixit
MELBOURNE:
Preeti Jabbal
Usha Ramanujam Arvind, Sujith Krishnan,
Srinivas,
private college syste m was reviewed and effective ly di smantled, whic h nm only affected tl1e furure of a number o f overseas students but also had an adverse impact on me export earning capabilities o f the education sector.
Chand,
Sudarshan,
G deSouza, Tim Blight, Petra O'Neill,
Natarajan, Uttam Mukherjee, Shafeen Mustaq, Malli Iyer, Rani Jhala, Geeta Khurana, Nancy Althea, Avijit Sarkar
ADVERTISING MANAGER
Vivek Trivedi 02 92621766
ADVERTISING ASSISTANT
Nitika Sondhi 02 9279 2004
DESIGN
Danielle Cairis
Indian Link is a fortnightly newspaper published in E'.:nglish. No material, including advertisements designed by Indian Link, maybe reproduced in part or in whole without the written consent of the editor. Opinions carried in Indian Link are those of the writers and not necessarily endorsed by Indian Link. All correspondence should be addressed to Indian Link
Level 24/44 Market St, Sydney 2000 or GPO Box 108, Sydney 2001
Ph: 02 9279.2004 Fax: 02 9279-2005
Email: info@indianlink.com.au
www.indianlink.com.au
While on one hand the gove rnment is keen to build ics credentials promoting Australia as a good place to do business for Indian and o ther multinational companie s, on the other band, a grab for cash b y removing the tax benefits related to Living Away From Horne Allowance (LAHFA) as per the current budget, will be a serious detriment co lndian companies sending their top profess ionals to work in Australia.
L1 a global marketplace where countries are competing for top talent to en h ance their l ocal workforce skills and business opportunities, shutting this perk could be another shorts ighted measure by the Gillard government. LAFHJ\ is paid to overseas workers on a tax -free basis to all.ow them to meet their expenses and ro an extent, compensate chem for other d,arges (such as cost of children's education even in the public sch ool system) which they pay as overseas residents.
It is to be remembered that it was under Julia Gillard's tenure as die Minister for Education that the
E nrol ments have fal.le n, colleges have dosed, srudeors have faced and continue ro face w1cercainties, and a number of l ndian bus inesses have closed down due to tl1e slowdown in new student arrivals.
Indian IT co mpanies SLtcb as Infosys, Wipro, TCS, 1-ICL and other l ASSCOM Australia members a re active contributors co the economy. Witl1 a comb ined workforce of over 10,000, t hese companies employ Indian IT workers to work on projects in Australia. By doing so, they are able to crossover Indian IT skills with rneir local Australian workforce, and allow for a h igh level of skills transfer. NASSCOM Australia member companies have currentl y invested upwards of $100111 to set up more than 20 development centres in J\ustra1ia; they have strong links with man y univers ities in Australia to recmit students for global projects, run student internships programmes and bave esrablished scho larships.
All tlus is under scan now as these companies, w luch provide back up services to various Australian compa1ues such as Telstra, Qantas, Westpac,
Commo n wealtl, bank etc. , s cramble ro make the employment opportunities here more exciting for their potential employees from India Not being able to package part of tl1eir salary package und er LAFHA and still bearing the full costs of public school education for tl1eir children or their Medicare costs, makes Austra1ia a less attracti\·e destination for these employees whose skill sets are in demand globally.
As an Indian Australian community, we lose om a new se t of educated and ethical furure nugrants; as Austra1ians, we mis s out on attracting rop talent down under.
The l'vfinister for Immig ration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen i\1fP, has just returned from India where he reaffirmed the importance Australia places o n its longstanding bilateral relation slup with India.
But it seems char his colleagues in Canberra are not of the same mind as they implement new taxes on a large numbe r of Indian workers on 457 visas, by raking away tl1eir LAFI-IA benefits.
Whetl1er this effects the Australian economy in a sim ilar way as me changes to tl1e eel ucation policy, only time will tell.
Bur one suspects, these increased costs will be passed on to me Australian clients by their Indian IT suppliers, wh ich tl1en will be paid by me local cons urn e r
Malavika Santhebennur, Sydney Asha Chitra Noel SudhaAdmissions available Australia wide: Master's , Bachelor's , Diplomas & Certificates in I.T., Accounting, Nursing, Trades, Engineering, Tourism, Retail, Busine ss, HR, Marketing & more . Free assessment* for our students & their employers:
Sp ecia li m ion Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) I
Sp ecia lim io n Employer Nomination Sc h eme (E NS) visas I Specialimio n SC 457 - Business (Long Stay) v isa
Options for Skilled Graduate (SC 485) - 18 month visa & bri d ging visa holders
Other significant areas of practice:
Onshore & Offshore General Skilled Migration (Skilled Graduate SC 485 - 18 month, Independent & State
Spo nsorships) I Partner & Family Migration I MRT App ea ls , visa cancellations & refusal matters I Specialization Business Skills Migration (P rov isional & Permanent) I Labour Agreements "
Our valued Clients & Students speak: "I
"I was able to negotiate through the complicated process & retain a student-baker full time in my business. For 457 visas Mr. Ramneek Madahar's services are highly recommended. Definitely a 5 star service." - Harry, Bakery Own e r, Oatley
"I was a student in Australia. Mr. Ramneek helped me for a 457 visa." -Prakash, Ashfield
"I was on a Bridging visa for my SC885 visa application, on I IO points. Mr. Ramneek made my 45 7 visa possible ." -C Patel, Merry/ands
"I was finally able to receive confident & correct advice in relation to my situation from Mr. Ramneek Madahar." - Basta/a, Homebush
"I applied for Regional - SC 119 visa unde r the DRC on 15/ I 1120 I I, the visa was granted on 09/02/2012. Mr. Madahar has handled my application very well" - Vijaya, Bourke , NSW
"Thank you Mr. Ramneek for my ENS PR under exceptional circumstances" - S. Kumar, Cro ydon
"Thank you for your support & help towards my ENS PR" -S. N , lngleburn
"For any complex cases, to anyone who needs help in immigration don't worry you are in safe hands" - A.H.• Cronulla, NSW,457Work Visa
"I am very thankful to Ramneek Sir for his help & support for my ENS residency I had no hopes left & was planning to go back to India with my family" - K Shah , South Stroth field
"I sincerely recommend Mr.Ramneek's services for immigration." -K.K, Central Coast, NSW
Uand unsurpassed by any otber human emotioD, the maternal instinct is a manifestation of Jove in i t purest form. A mother's capacity co give, defies quantification. Despite her apparent physical shortcomings, she is the source of life, the nu cleus of any family, tbe central pillar of support, the binding force holding communities together. As a l ogical derivative, the cou n rry of our origin is called the 'motherland', the d ialect we communicate in, is known as the ' mother tongue'. Term s such as 'mother ' earth, 'mother' nature, alma 'mater' have all become common parlance, and remain so to this day.
The Mocher figure is deified in man y societies around the world. For fodians, she is the embodiment of selfless sacri fice, compassion and charity (Devi, S tree, 1\1!ata, !Vfaa, A111,11a, A rdhangni, Dharmapatm) she is also Shaktithe source of benign power.
As fo r mer President Dr S Radhakcishnan said, " The position of women in any society is a true index of its culrnral and spirirual Level"
The ancient Vedic saying: Alf.aim deuo bhavaa, Pitm deuo bhauaa, Athithi deuo hhauaa (Mocher, father and guest, in that order, are equal to God) therefore, sums up nor o n ly the ro le of women iu our society, but our entire philosophy in a nmshelJ. Respect for women is one of the founcling principles of our culture Nor only is one's own mother to be regarded as equal co God, every girl/woman is regarded as the incarnation o f motherhood. The child sets his eyes first on the niother, only later is he/s he introduced to the rest of the world. In fact, the motherchild re lationship is established much earlie r She is the first guru, nurturing him not only with li fes ustaini ng food bm ocher qualities like good character, basic learning and moral values. She guides him through those crucial formative years. Therefore, the mother possesses the power to change the course of histor)' by properly moulding the mind and character of her children.
1n Hindu philosophy, die terms 'wo man' and 'mother' are nearly
synonymous. Wlitb motherhood , the woman undergoes a spicirnal transformation. The wife may and E '5' often does demand and take; bm "' the mother feel s it her privilege to give and give, never once expecting any return. If woman as wife is social ly significant, woman as mother is spi rirnally g lorious.
Kam1anyevadhikaaf"tl asthe 111aa phalec/m kadhaachana
(Om· dury is lo give witho11t expecting returns)
The child, it is believed, is indebted to die mother even while in the womb. But 1\lfaatm 11111a (emotional debt to mother) can neve r be paid back. Likewise, Pitm nma and Gum m11a too can never be compensated. In Nlatm
Pa11chaka, Ad i Sankara describes the trouble we cause the mo d1er while in her womb and through the intensi ty of labour. Even Sankara, die very incarnate of Lord Shiva, rushed to Kerala to perform the final cites for his departed mother Sinillarly, Rama and Krishna too held thei r mothers in reverence. Sita Devi is also worshipped for her numerous sacrifices
The concept of motli er worship dates back to Vedic period and stems from the inherent fact diat women in ancient lndia were bestowed with enormou s power and looked upon widi awe. Th.rough die years, ic bas evolved, changing direction as o ur present day society emerged. But the fundamental attitude has remained more or less the same. The earliest instance is of Aditi, the Deva 1fata or mother of gods Others include Prithvi and Prak.citi, both of whom have been close ly linked w ith fertility rin1als and are eternal symbo ls of prosperity. lo this context it is easy to understand why the sanctum sanctorurn of Hindu temple is known as garba griha.
The trinity of Mahalakshn:u, Saraswaci and Parvati, in turn represent weal th, knowledge and power Lakshmi is often synonymous Bhoodevi (Bhoomidevi) and Sridevi On the mortal plane are Kunti, Gandhari, Ahalya. Vasislha's ho ly cowKamadhenu is an extens ion of tbis very principle of giving.
The Ma111m711ifi (code of ethics) lays down chat a woman needs to be treasmed, first by her falher, then by her husband and finally by her son. Accordi ng to a modern interpretation, ' 'J ust as the crown jewels should nor be left unguarded, neither should a woman be left U11protected. No
Vanitha Sujith wit h he r s on Suren e.xtra burden of earning a living should be placed on women who already bear huge responsibilities in society: childbirth , childcare, domestic well-being and spiritual growth. She i s clrns the transmitter of culmre ro her children."
In a fitting tribute to motherhood in. the Mahabharata, Bh.ishma describes her dms: " The mo t her is the panacea for all kinds
of calamities. There is no shelter, defense o r refuge lil,e the mother. There is n o o ne so clear as the mother For havin.g borne him in her womb, the mother is tbe son's dharli. For having been tbe chi ef cause o f his bircli , she i s h is ja11a11i. Fo r having nursed his young limbs, she is called a1J1va (Amma). For nursing and looking after the son she is called sum. The m o tber is one's own bod y".
Although many cultures have defined the essence of motherhood, Indian history, tradition and even myth have revered and respected her many avatars
Iheard one of my favourite songs o n the radio, o ne chat 1 hadn't heard in a lo ng, long cime le brought back memories of ps ychedelic lights flashing over vigorously gyrating bodies o n the dance floor in some obscure nightclub of my youch. Ir made me sing - loudly and tune lessly, much co the despair of my cwo sons.
"Do you want tO si ng on Th e T / oice," asked m y younger one.
"I think I'd be better off in The· Noise," I replied.
"Yes, you'd win!" said my o lder one, congue-in-cheek and scraightfaced.
I gave him m y raised eyebrow look, guaranteed to quell any sign of juvenile rebellion , and he remrned my look with disarming iru1ocence. The little one laughed outright, compelling me co join him. In a couple of seconds we were all eacm,ed in a bout o f soulhealing mirth.
They're getting good, I thought!
As we approach another Mother's Day, I realise with a heightening awareness that 1 really enjoy my kids. They can be a right pain at times, but the sheer quirkiness of their personal ities at just 7 and 5 are a joy to behold. The y are funny and happy, bafAing in their logic and uncomplicated in their affection. They are no different from the hundreds o f children who are the product of a reasonably happy and close -knit famil y
A U mothers know what's expected of them when they take on the responsibility of having children, and for the most part, they deal with this complete tilt to their 'normal' lives with a mixmre of affection and pragmatism.
Qui te simply, the y do thei.t best for their kids according tO their lights. And for some, those lights shine brighter than most.
I have to reluctantly admit that I've been there and done that. Motherhood added another, more overwhelming dimension to m y life, and I c11ink I lost myself in cl1ar aura of involvement, which can suddenly be akin to slavery.
I spent the first few yea rs of motherhood being preny m u ch absorbed with my kids. They were m y focus and 111)7 life, I knew the words of every song that Hi Fivf
sang, and would w in any quiz on Post!lla11 Pat hands down I felt I knew everycl1ing about them, and indeed , 1 wanted to know everything about them. l wanted to be an integral part of cl1e.ir lives, and often felt inclignant ru1d annoyed th at other mums had what I thought was a more cavalier attitude cowards their kids. I was, ,vhat m y friends would chee r fully label, a 'parano id' mum.
Bm now as they ger o lder, I've learned to breathe more and let go even more. The school-going experience o pened up hitherto unknown vistas of revela tion for me, when l could actually listen to a comp lete album of Alan Parsons without having to compromise by watching the Lazi, S01~ (enactments and all) for cl1e rest of the day Between the hours of 9am and 3pm, I can think about articles to write and write chem, gee cl1e shopp ing done wid1ia half an hour, talk on the phone without interruptions
Of course, after 3pm, all hell breaks l oose! But it's a small price to pay for d1ose hours of reconnecting wid1 m yself, that lady who was lose somewhere in rhe mire of napp y-changes, feeds, teething issues and the trauma of the terrible twos. I'm no longer paranoid to leave d1em with their dad o n a Saturday evening as I catch up for a meal with o cl1er like- minded mums. And it is this ver y bunch of easy-going, live and let's live mwns who have brought around that gradual and, if I have to be honest, somewhat reluctant change of attitude. Yes, I do have a few of the normal fears and apprehens ions, bur I'm becoming m y own person again. And I'm enjoying the experience.
1 feel like I've grown up as much as m y two boys since those green days of motherhood whe re everycl1ing was perceived as a challenge, simply because motherhood ia icself seemed like a challenge. Bm now, as they grow into discinct individuals in their own right, I feel less inclined co lead cl1em on the s tta igh t and narrow. Rather, the occasional nudge when d1ey step off the pad1 seems to work better for them. And this pb.i.losoph)', 1 now know, i s practiced way more cl1an it is preached.
Almost all the mums l know, the ones with attentive or indifferent partners, che single ones, the gutsy grandmas who live with their kids and uncomplainingl y rake on the responsib ility of bringing up
Ro ck on , m ums!
cl1eir grandkids, the grandmums who are carers mums with adopted kids, same-sex mums - all have this amazing ability to be cl1emselves in spite of being mothe r s. And alcl1ough motherhood is believed to be a state of 'selflessness', isn't it nice to have a bit of o ne's 'self' back? Yes, we all have our bad hair days and experience the zombie syndrome that comes from lack of sleep, but for the most, they're very well adjusted with d1emselves. Almost all take time out to sneak back inco their pre -mum days, even if it means pushing a pran1 with a sleeping child through a mall for a couple of hours while they window shop for clothes for them selves
They get their nails done, vis it the hairdresser, lounge in the local
library, take power naps during the day - they give a true meaning to the concept of ' me time'. To me, cl1 is attitude is revolu tionary, given my somewhat narrow percep tion of what a mum should be, that I harboured until not so long ago. A strange attitude indeed, as m y own mum had a near- perfect balance between us kids, a job and a hectic home and social life back in India.
So to all you mums out there, on this Mother's Day, enjoy the excess of affection that's bound to come yom way. But on cl1e next available date, take time out co catch up with yo ur friends, have a coffee together, go out to di.oner, get a bottle of white at the pub down the road - and celeb rate yourself, the person you were and scill are, under cl1e 'mumm)" avamr.
• General Skilled M igration (onshore & o ffshore)
• State Sponsored Visas
• Employer Nom inated Visas
• Partner & Family Migration
• Business Migration
• Student Visas
• Advice on various pathways for permanent residency to onshore graduates.
• Advice & Assist ance with Professional Year Program.
• MRT Appl ication for Review
• Advice & facilitate procedures fo r Student
Visas Our Associates : Robert (Bob) Fenwi c k - IVisalaw New Zealand Katerina Kn ize - Law offices of Katerina Kn ize, Montreal Canada
• Guidance and assistance in selecting appropriat e prof essional courses based on education and background.
• Change of Cou rse, University and Education Provider
• Assistance with cred it transfers
• Imm igration & Visa Advice
• Student Visa and Appea l Matters
• Admission and Visa Assistance for other coun t ries including Canada and New Zealand.
festive touch to have a marching band as part of your presence in the parade," Jagdev say s. " I am disappointed at the lack of response because ultimately we are promoting India , and India's efforts in the international arena."
At the 2012 A N ZAC Day parade, the Sikh participants' turbans and attire distinguished them from the others, leading to encouraging remarks and overwhelming applause from the onlookers, who displayed an enthusiastic cw-iosity about the Regiments' involvement in the parade.
But equally heartening has been the response from the Indian community at large, which supports the Sikh Regiments' involvement in the parade.
" 1he community he1·e is proud of our parti cipation , and we always get a lot of cheers from those watching us march along," says Bawa Singh Jagdev. " We would encourage more people to come and watch the ANZAC Day parade , to honour those who at the call of the duty, paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live as free human beings."
''The ANZAC Day march has a special significance for us Sikhs, because during the two World Wars, specially the first, many army units were made up of Sikhs from Punjab
Bawa Singh Jagdev
Fiji- bom Rooty Hillbased b L1sinesswoman
Anita Kumar has reached out to women from F i ji, who have been cooking up a st orm in Sydney with di e ir p ickles and chutneys
Kumar's Fijj Is land Supe rmarket o n 63 Roo ty Hill t orth Road has become di e supp ly chain fo r pickles mad e by Foundation for Rural Integrated E nterp rises a nd Development (FRIEND) , an organisation especially set up ro help women from disadvantaged backgrounds in F i ji. Operating from Tuv u, a v illage in Lauroka, the organisation also supplies locally available raw material to yo uth and people with special n eeds, so that diey can put d1eir skills to use by making aU o ccasion greeting cards.
"These women are purring dieit skills and talenrs to use and I am happy ro be in a position ro help them realise dieir pote ntial in a g lobal market," Kumar said.
"1 was born in Bulabula, Ba, where 1 grew up on p ickles and chutneys as die side cUsh adding a specia l flavour to die plain m eals of rice and dbal, or roti and curr y " Kumar migrated to r ew Zealand as a teenage r, gor married and lived diere fo r several years before moving ro her n ew home in Syd n ey. " Living here and enjoying die lmmry o f the western world wi d1 our adult children has h e lped me realise how lucky I an1," she stated. " I now wan e to help wo men who have a tough life in Fiji, because I value the h ard work diat goes into making d1ese chutneys and pickles".
The first ship m ent o f die pickles arrived at her supermarket recenrly, a nd Kumar r eitera ted chat she does nor plan to make any profit on these good s, simply to ensure t hat d1e women who make a nd package the products are the real recipients of any profit.
Recalling her childhood days in me village, K uma r sai d her mother Sus h ila Narayan who lives in Auckbnd, made tamarind chumeys a n d mango pickles for the clan of families who inhibited the to/a (group of village homes).
"The days of my mum going
aro und ro Fi ji Indian homes in Auckla nd to make chutneys and p ickles fo r wedcUngs and odier celebrations will soo n b e out of vogue as diese items are availa b le in spice shops aro und Syd ney, a n d will soo n be shipped out to Aucklan d ," Kumar quipped S he was excited abouc die products gai ni ng internatio nal fame dirough global n etworking made possible di rough die ne,v media enviro nment, and hopes to one day begin seUing these products online.
The women wo r king for FRIE D use smart tech n ology, wid1 high - powered solar drying pa ne ls used ro dry the p ickl es before addi11g spices and preservatives. Thi s mediod has come a long way since her c hildhood as Ku mar recalls how she used to climb on the roof of t he ir home using a ladder, ro lay out d 1e diced m a ngoes for dryin g before her mum applied here ' magic' to make rl1e fruit into p ickles.
"I sell all the Fi ji lncUan spices diat are used for making pickles in m y store. However, I encourage my customers to notice and buy the read y- to-use pickles as there is an inte resting human story of survival behind the jars diat proudly adorn our s helves," Kumar said.
The recent Aoods in Fij i have damaged or destroyed many of die mango and oche r fruit trees. The wo men making d1e pickles will be affected direcrly; however diere is excitement and hope as diey p repa re to make do with what is available to them.
"They u se seasonal vege rab les and frui t, and a re willing to ,vait until particular crops have recovered from the onslaught of nature. I am deepl y moved by their leve l of tolerance as well as die excitement dus project has b rought into the lives of these women," Kumar scared.
So m e of the products include mango, lime a nd chi lli pickles; sweet mango, tamarind, chilli and kbatai (dried mango) chutney, and ja rn m ad e from guava, mango and marmalade. All tbe fruit and vegetab les are locall y grown in Fiji. FRIEND, a non -government o rganisatio n encourages t he use of natural resources and skills for sustainable livelihoods. The organisation says that tbe chutneys and pickles are made using recipe s which " have been passed down from genera tion ro gen eration. Each product has a taste muque to F i ji, ju st the way our mothers and g randrnod1ers used to make them."
Kumar also recen rl y o rganised a drive to collecr donations from
Fij i Indian and other communities in Sydney, to be sent to the Aood victim s in Fiji.
Her s hop was t he drop-off point for food, clothes and och er daily esse n tials which were collected o n behalf o f Humdard Incorporated, an organisation working towards helping die people of F iji improve their lives through ed u catio n and providing assis tan ce dming times of natural disaster
Kmnar said she sees h er shop as a busines s venture, as well as a refuge centre fo r co mmunity work
"
1 am able to reach out to communities in need through m y business an d 1 am g lad to be blessed widi d1is opportunity ro make a difference in people's lives," she said enthusiastically Food breaks a1I barrie r s and pickles, mad e b y these enterprising women, have become a duty free item at airports. T he colourful labels make the product stand tall among od1er odiers, as do d 1e han dicraft items incU vi duall y created by wome n and youth , u sing lo cal1y available resources such as pandanus and m ulberry.
"Many tou rists too seek our these chumeys in Sydn ey, now d1at word i s out about om supp ly ch ain," said Kuma r in conclusion.
Kevin Indulanka
Tissera first we m to the i\l[elbourne Cricket Ground as an eight-yearo ld. His artist dad Vernon had created a portrait o f Sri Lankao 'spi n wiz' Mutchiah MuraLitharan which he wamed co present co him in p e rson. Understanding cliac the team was training there, Vernon decided to take his two boys Kevin and George to the 'G ' to present the portrait co the Sri Laokan hero. Whilst such ;i trip to d1e 'home of spore' may have been one co saviour for some, at the time it was not one Kevin reLished. Simply put, cricket was no t o n e of his pas sio ns. Hjs older brother George was the cricketer in the family.
Forward ten yea.rs, and all that has changed. In fact, Vernon claims, that trip co ilie MCG was the changing point in Kevin's life.
"At d1e MCG, f was to ld by o ne of the Sri Lan.kan officials that l would be able to meet with lv[maJj and presem him with the painting," recalls Vernon. H owever sent o n somewhat o f a 90 -minure outlandish chase, Vernon was despondent as he found out d1ac Murali and the rest of the Sri Lankan team had left ilie venue
Tired, sad and disappointed, ir was at t his time that Kevin spoke up and promised his dad iliac he would one day play at ilie MCG.
" Prior co that, Kevin didn't really take to cricket as much as bis brother, but so m ething changed that clay." (Lacer o n that clay Vernon was abl e co hand over his painting thanks co the helps o f Cha.minda Vass).
Tbat was ilie beginning of a dream for young Kevin Now, the boy who didn't necessarily want much co do with cricket, grew an ll1lbridled love for the game. He began co read aviclJy about cricket, and got invohred in the game at school. Cartoons now gave way to cricket on TV. \Xlhile his broilier George played the game more as a means of relaxation, Kevin seemed to indulge in it with a passion.
Kevin's ultimate passion for the game was rewarded recently when he was chosen as one of three young Victorians to participate in Cricket AuscraJja's new initiative , the Mul ticultural Leadership Program. The program, which is aimed at changing die face of J\uscraliao cricket, will provide die partic ipants the opportunity co
g ain an understanding o f all tlie facets of ilie game - i.n and out of the grow1ds - and turn them into multicultural ambassadors for the spore in AustraLia.
Since then Kevin had grow n aod matured into to fine young cricketer. Representing h is schools and clubs from d1e age of 9 and onwards, he had developed into a promi si ng right arm leg spi nner with a penchant for aggressive stroke play. U nder Kevin's deputy leadership his primary school, St. J oseph's in Springvale, Melbourn be won their maiden premiership in 2005. This love for the game would only become deeper whilst at seco ndar y school, where he represented l'vfazenod CoUege's sch ool cricket team in every year level from 7 to 12, even taking up leaderslup responsibilities as vice-cap tain in Years 8 and 9 to captaincy in Year 10, as well as captaining the First Xl in Year 12.
Whilst there have been setbacks, where Kevin's talems had not always been recognised at club level, he persisted in his gu.ietly determined way, not aUowing Little obstac les to halt his progress. To take his cricket forward, he began to get expert coaching by Owen Moctau aod Dr. Rene Ferclinands, both of whom, as Kevin explains, continue to play a crucia l part in his development.
"Without the likes of Owen i\{otcau who has helped me wholeheartedly witl1 m y batting aod love of the game, and Dr. Rene Ferclinands who has taken the time out of hi s busy schedule co work closely wiili me so mat m y 'leggies' develop, I wouldn't dream of being in ilie pos ition now where 1 can potentially go far with my cricket," says Kevin.
He also sai d that he has benefited from the Young Cricketer's Developmen t Program (TYCDIEP), a unique program developed in Melbourne. Cofounded b y his failier and o ne of his close friends Johann Jayasinha, the no r- for-profit organisation takes yo ung boys o n crjcket tours so d1a t they may experience the Life of an international cricketer with regards co touring, media commitments and the like
Partic ipating in the inaugural tom co Sri Lanka in 2009, and the follm,ving tour in 2010 as captain of ilie team, this as he puts it, is where he really wamed to be as a cricketer.
" The tours were some of me best times you coul d have. Not only did you get ro experience so me of the things international c ricketers do, but you do so with yo ur mates around you. Captaining the team i.n d1e seco nd tour was a privilege, and to be able to wi.n four out of the six g,rn1es we p layed was a massive improvement from ilie previous year, and really solidified the belief that anything is possible with a bit of hard work."
De spite his modest successes in cricket so far, Kevin has not allowed me spore to cotaUy dominate his life. He studied hard co obtain excellent VCE results and enter university this year However, for the first six months co a yea r, his studies will take a back seat as he Aies to Sri Lanka where he \Vill be training during ilie off-season. This can only lead to greate r succes s for this affable ymmg man who lives and breathes the sport.
Kevi n has been b lessed by a family mat understands his passion. Hi s father Vernon who is Sri Lankan and mother Lethi
who is I ndia.n, bod1 love die sport and have SL1pported and nurtured Kevin's love for it. His brod1er George has alwars been a great foil to the rising young star, d espite ilieir being man y a fight between ilie two owing to a game of backyard cricket! Whilst thanking h is family, Kevin also mentioned some o f the other people who have helped him i ndefinite ly who have shaped lus
actions today. They include Owen Mottau, cir. Rene Ferdinancl s, Ra vi Rathnayaka, 1vfanjula Munasinha, Duleep Saraweera, Adrian Jones, Peter i\failiison, Johann Jayasiol1a, Kirk and JuLian Lawrence, Aldo Cerner and Dr. ihal Henatigala. Perhaps ic is coo early to predict but given K e,Ti n 's passion it may not be long before he can keep that promise to his father We all wait for that day
No matter what the occasion
7-6994( Mobile)
EMAIL GADDE@HCLG LOBAL.COM VISIT US : WWW HCLGLOBAL.COM
Un ited Petroleum is one of Australia's largest Independent Petro leum companies with over 260 Service Stations and Convenience Stores Australia wide
Currently seeking expressions of interest. This is an opportunity to o pe rate and m anage a retail fuel and convenience store. Un ited currently has opportunities Australia wide.
Join this rapidly growing retail organisation and become a member of a dynamic and professional Retail team
r Affordable investment in stock required
r Better Lifestyle
r Merchandising and Promotional Support
r Proven Retail formats
, Experienced Reta il Support Team
, Training Support
, National Retailer
The successful ope rator will have a p a ssion for retai ling and delivering excellence in customer service. Franchises also available.
She is an artist who appreciates the environment, and uses relevaac imagery and material co create contemporary pieces of jewellery. Meet Marian Hosking renowned artist, dedicated academic and proud Australian. For Marian, making jewellery is a vehicle for her sentiments and m emories, where the use of identical or similar elements becomes a metaphor. Her forte is rendering nature unto metal, mainly silver. Working primarily with the Australian environm ent, Marian cl aims that a part of her practice is diaristic in namre, drawing inAuences from her travels around the g lobe. Marian tal ks to lndiall Link, describing the joys of exploring the fabrics, textiles and architecture of Northern India.
"Travelling and reaching in India has bee n a very stimulating visual and cul tural experience. The dive rse and rich culmre especially the architecture and craft pract ices, have had a lasting in1pacr on me," she reveals.
" ] was moved by the patterns, colours and textures of decorative
art in India ," says Marian, elaborating on her eirperiences in fodia. " I travelled co India in 2004 co teach at the atio nal Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. I went back to Delhi in 2007 to be part of an exhibition that originated out of RMIT. On char trip, I travelled co courisr destinations like Agra, Udaipur and Jaipur. And 1 went back again recently to attend tl1e 1\bhushan Jewellery Summit run b y the World Craft Council. ln each trip 1 was amazed at the diversity o f people and the rich arducecrure of die buildings chat I vis ited. I renu:ned and made some s mall vessels as a mark of respect, and in response to the dungs that I experjenced in India," she added.
"My app roach co jeweller ymaking is very Australian; however when I travel around tl1e wo rld, some of m y experiences seep into my work. After my trip co fodia I s tarted using gems in my designs, an d also beads that] bought back with me. I an1 happ y co see chat Lidia has recently seen an upsurge in the making of contemporary jewellery designs that draw on the country's tradition and heritage," says Marian, airing her opiiuon on tl1e making of fodian jewellery.
Marian has been a jeweller and craft ed ucator for over forty years. She recalls the hipp y popularity for lndian cloches an d accessories in the 1 970s, when traditional Indian clotl1es
were imported in vast quantities and were colourful and not very expen sive. "In the past decade I have noticed an increase in the number o f Australian designers and craft~people who are travelling to India and eitl1er wmking very cl osely witl1 artis,ms o r bu)fog homewares and fashio n from companies established in Lidia tl1at specialise in quality goods utilising traditional craft techniques and materials. Obvious ly lndian artisans and craft~peop le have skills and a decorative tradition which is greatly admired in Australia," says Marian. She has also travelled, taught, sn1died and exhib ited her wo rk in Europe, the United States, Korea, Japan , China and India. Marian has won several awards and her wol"k was exhib ited at the Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft in 2007 She also won the National Contemporary Jewellery Award in the Precious Metal category u1 Griffith, NSW and was honoured b y the Australian Council Fellowship in 2009/2010. Maria n bas held numerous exhi bitions of h er wo r k around tl1e world, and her o·eations are available in Gallery F unaki in Melbourne and the Galerie Ra in Amsterdam.
Marian was also among the four artists chosen to be a part of an upcoming artists in residence programme in Canberra citied 'Talking IJ?t,ters' The programme
will promote and showcase Canberra's distinct nan1ral and cultural landscape leading up co me state's centenary in 2013.
Besides creating jewellery and heading tl1e Department of Fine Arts in Monash Univers ity, Marian likes to spend time bushwalking and swimming. Art is hidden in alure and she likes to spend a lot of time exploring me great outdoors "It .i s easy for me as an artisc, as mere is so much out there in l anire that can in sp ire me. There is always sometlung that w ill motivate me to continue m aking more jewellery," she said in conclusion.
the countrts tradition and
Sydney- based film - maker Aoupam Sbarrna's new ventu re , announced in Los A ngeles in late April, will scar Academy Award nominee Toni Collette (Little Miss S1111Jbi11e, The Sixth Sense) and D ev Pare! (Slt1111dog Millionaire, The Best Exotic Nlarigold
T id ed Defta11t, t he film w i.lJ be directed by Bill Bennet,: of Kiss or Kill and In a Savage Lalld fame, and is ser againsr the world of honour killings in India. Sharma will be producing.
Based o n true evenrs, Defiant tells tbe story of Nisha and Hari - two young lover s in India on d1e run from th eir parents who wam to kill mem, because they want to marry against their wishes. When Sa lly Lane, an E mmy-winning journal.ist, hears of thei r plight she sets out a fter them to cover d1e story, but beco m es in volved and ul timately ri sks her own life co try and save d1em Toni Colle.rte will star as Sa lly Lane. whil e Dev Patel will play Hari. A ddi tional casting announcements will be m ade in me coming weeks.
Th e film will shoot entirely in No r d1 India with principal p h otography slated to begi n in late October
Bennett wrote the scri pt based on a newspaper article he read in an Indian newspaper about five years ago, a nd ever s in ce he's wanted to m a ke a feamre 6.lm about a 'double h onour k illing.'
"Bill wanted co set a fast p aced love story and chase film within the chilling context of honour killings," said Anupam Sharma.
" In our research we found a lot of staggering factual material which has given him plenty co work with!"
Bennetr s aid he was th.ri.lled to be working with Toni Collette an d Dev Patel. " T oni i s one of tbe world's u·uly grear actresses, and ir wi.lJ be an absolute d elight to work w ith h er. A n d Dev is an inten sel y smart young man with enormous energy an d d1arisma , and he too will bring so medung ver y special to d1is powerful film."
D escribed as part Ro111eo a11d ]11fiet part BoNme Ultitf!atr1111, the film will be introduced to foreig n buyers for the first time in Cannes dtis m onth.
Adelaide recently h eld its annual Fringe Festival, a 24-dav celebration
o f cabaret, comedy, dance, theatre, music and visual arts evenrs It is t he secondlargest in the world , behind only the Edinburgh Fr in ge. Festival held in Scotland. However, me. very nanire. of fringe festivals is that they are somewhar marginalisedeven though me Adelaide festival is indeed such a big event, fringe thearre is quire simply meatre mar is not mainsrream. Th.is year, Ajir Dhaliwal joined forces wirh his friend Amy Manuel for h is first fringe show, in a comedic duo that turned quite. a few beads. Called .AjitatiJ1g A 11a1- the lifestyles of the Sikh and TJ1Jistcd, th e pair recently recei ved t he Dave Grant comedy g ram, wh ich wa s presented in mem ory of tl, e Mel b ourne comedian who sadly passed away in 2010. The gram helps new comics looking for their fust Fringe s how, and provided Amy and Ajit with three free nights at a Fringe venu e, along wim assistan ce in the form of flyers a nd printing, as well as mentoring regardi ng presentation and m arketin g.
Amy and Aji t m et during a comedy course, and formed a
friendship as a result. "We did some gigs toged1er and got to know each other m ore We just have tbe s ame sense of h umour we we re both loo king forward co our first Fri nge show. We laugh at similar things and we find the whole psycho logy around comedy very inre resting," Dh aliwal says
' 'The idea around me show is also about stereotypes and how peop le judge eac h other. Eve n rhough
Amy and I look ve ry different o n me ou ts ide we're very similar o n th e ins id e "
The show is a hum orous exp loration of the duo's lives and lifesryle.s - cackli n g subj ects such as a comparison between Sikhs and J edis, w h at prin1ary schooltead1ers acrually think of their kids, and even why Prince. Charming isn't such a great ro le mode.I after a ll Th e show irself is only 45 minutes lo ng- but in that time, tl1e pair cover ground from E ngland to i\us wwa, crossi ng H olland and India o n tbe way.
Ajit i s described as a laidback, genial personality, and as wirh all comedic duos, the conrras t was imporram; Amy's is a. dark persona, full of man ic energy. le b egins wid1 d1e pair presenting the audience w ith a se t of words to ass ign to one o f them. For example, "pretty"
(w hich gen erally went Amy's way), an d "te rrorist" (wh ich often went the. other way) J\nd it is in mis initial framing of d1e s h ow that rhey establish die undedying premise - challenging stereotype_~ From tl1is, mey begin telling rhe stories of their own lives, Ajit's b eing o n e of a fashion-conscious Sikh from a big, happy family He was born in Britain to Br itishb o rn parents, and migrated to Australia only as a ree nager If someone asks him co go back where be came from, he scrarches his head and says "lvtitcham?"
Meanwhile, Amy's background is an ourer- suburbs upb ringing in Melbourn e, one that was hardly comfortab le and caused her co become a ngry and lash our at
others, only to eventually find a ,vay out tl1rough me literary circuir.
If the witty title wasn't a good enough crowd -puller, the pair's materj~l was described as edgy and interesting, and in tl1e current so cial climate where the world i s fast becoming a smaller place, challenging ill-conce ived and archaic stereotypes has become an important part of society And mere. is no better way for us to be doing mis tlia n mrough some. light-hearted comedy;
Being d1eir fus e fringe festival i t was a lot of hard work for the p air, according to Aj it "To do your first show tliat you're putting o n yourself and prod u cing yours elf i s quite exciting, b ut it's obviously ve.ty ner ve-wracking ar me same
time ," he. says. Indeed, some of the performance was srill slighdy rough around t he edges But the audience and critics alike agree that it would be great to see them around again. Leading critics from the show desctibed me show, in a wo rd , as " amiable" - definirely a successful d eb ut in t he toug h field of stand- up co m edy. Adelaide has already given the. duo its stamp of approval, and while it's unknown w h etl1er they will be. co ming to Sydney Fringe in September d1is year, it will definfrely be worth a v isit to some of the venu es, from Leichhardt to Su rr )• Hills, to en joy some of di e culture that often slips through me cracks for not being "mainstre.ani" enough.
Rita m Mitra
The next year or so promises co be an extremely interesting period on the Australian political front. Given the scale of t h e fight ahead and the events that have transpired in Canberra in the last few rnond1s, when d1e election is called, i t will definitely be a hugel y a n ticipated one. It's easy co get caught u p in the hype over the possibility of a new leader for ilie country - bur it's impo r tant not to overlook the fact iliac it wiU begin with a series of smaUer, al bei t no Jess incense, banles on the local srnge.
The Canberra Liberals recently finalised candidates for tbe terrirory's October 2012 election, for which there wil l be 17 seats up for grabs. The party will be creating some of its own hj story whe n its first candidates of Korean and Indian origin will be amongst the names on ilie baUor sheet in Ocrober. Jacob Vadakkedathu'.s will be one of chose names, and for hi m , it is ye t anod1er feather in d1e cap following an already distinguished
hjstory of community service
Indians are the fourth most prominenr mj granc nationality in Australia, behind only the UK, neighbours ew Zealand and China. ln 2008 -09, Australia 's Indian- born population recorded the fastest growth of any group in ilie cotmrry, increas ing by a phenomenal 1 7%. In me most recent census, over 340,000 Australian residems identified as L1dian- born, and for the secondmost re presented non-A n glo community in the co un try, it is welcome news that the Liberal Party of Australia is ,velconung i cs first Indian candidate, after almost 70 years since i t was founded
G iven Australia's repmation for being a multicul tural soc iety, and a correct one at mat, the under-represenrntion of MPs from a diverse range of culmres is somewh at surprising. In d1e 2006 Census, 24% of residents were reported as being born outside of Australia - ye c Penn y \Xiong, Australia's currem Minister for Finance and Deregulation, became ilie first Asian- born Federal l'vLinister as recently as 2007.
All changes begin with a sing le seep, d1ough, and it is a commendab le achieveme n t for the fad1er of rwo. J acob was born in KoUam, Kerala, and came co Canberra i n 1 998, completing his M:ascers at the University of Canberra, all tbe while remaining involved actively in ilie community He is currently the President of t he Fed eration of Indian Assoc iations of tl1e ACT (FINAC1), d1e LUnbrella
bod y of all Indian associations i n tbe territor y Meanwhile, he holds the position of Secretary wi th the Gungahlin Commnnicy Cotmcil, is an executive member of ilie Canberra 1fo1ticulmral Community Forum, and has also volunteered with tbe ACT State Emergency Services
Jacob will be amongs t three other candidates , as weU as two incum bent members of the Legisl ative Assembly, represen ting
the electorate of G innind erra, an d is looki ng fmward to campaigning and meeting many peopl e in ilie process of d o ing so Currently working for d1e Australian government in tl1e D epartment of Fin anc e,Jacob will be part of a team headed by leader Zed Seselja, who was looking forward to the upcoming election.
Mr Seselja said the new candidates woul d add co the "strong and unified ceam in the Assembly'". "Along wiili tl1e diverse experiences of o ur team, we have many cultures represented i ncl uru n g what we believe are d1e first candidates of lndian and Korean backgro und co run in an J\CT e lection," he said.
''They h ave close ties co their local communities and are committed co our plan of be ing tbe bes t l ocal government in Australia
Ald10ugh b ecoming a candidate is a difficul t enough task, ilie journey is just beginning for J acob - for he could well be celebrating ano ther slice of history in October tlus year. Congratulatio n s are already in order , but it is tin1e to look forward and aim for ilie sky - good luck, J aco b, and happy campaigning!
Ritam Mitra
India and the US recently signalled common inte nt and purpose, as king Pakistan co take stronger action against te rror, advisi n g I ran to des ist from its nuclear weap o n s programme and pledging s upport to A fgha ni sta n's peace and prosperity.
Visiting US Secretary of State Hillar y Clinton a nd India n External A ffairs
:Minister S.M. Krislma were critical of P aki stan on it5 handling of terror groups operating from its so il and asked it to take "stto ng and more concerted" ac tio n against these omfos t hat du eaten peace and secur ity o f the US, India and th e world at large.
Tbe two leade rs had their bilateral m eeting in New D elhi over a b rea kfast of id/is and vadas at the T aj Palace Hote l.
They also affirmed that they wer e on the same page o n preve nting Iran from acquiring nuclear wea p o n s, though Tehran remains a key sup p lie r of o il to meet New Delh i's energ y n eeds.
On Afghanista n , the cwo natio n s co mmitted to assist Kabul in handling i ts security, develop men t and governance o n its own, withou t inte rference from outside , even after the Internacio nal Security Assistanc e Force moves o ut of the embattled n atio n in 2014.
Ac a jo int press conference a fter their meeting, Clinton said the $10- million bouncy o n 26/1 1 Mwnbai attack mastermind Hafu Saeed was an unmistakab le sign of U S "solidarity" with In d ia o n bri ngi ng the pe rpettato rs o f the a udaci ous attack co justice
Cli nton said the US bad eve ry reason to believe Saeed was the "principal architect" of tbe Mumbai ter ro r strikes time claimed 166 people, including six Americans.
"Co mbating v iolence a nd extremism is one we aU agree on and we n eed to do more. A nd we look to the govern m en t of P akistan co do m ore le needs to make sure its te r ricory i s uot us ed as launching terro ri st attacks anywhere, in cluding inside Pakistan," Clinton sa id.
Krishna n oted that the recent viole n t strikes b y Taliban on diplomatic missions in a nd around Kabul had o nce again highlighted the need for elimi natio n of terrorist sanctuaries in the neighbomhood a n d "for sttonger action from Pakistan" o n te rrorism, in cluding bri nging t o justice the perpettacors o f the M um bai attack.
Clinton n ote d that te rrorism was obviously "incredib ly important ques tio n " o n the minds of b oth the OS and India.
" W/e b oth kn ow the tra gedies and losses th at come w id1 terrorism 0 11 our soil. So we have increased o m cooperation betwee n India and the U S. We are goi ng to continue to d o everythin g we can, not o nl y to prevent terrorists from doing evil acts of violence, but also cry to convince people not t o get recruited into terrorism," she said
Asked about the terror groups, like the Haqqani n etwork, operaring ouc of Pakistan, Clinto n said the OS and t he international community was committed "to going after ch ose w h o pose a direct thr e at to Lhe US, A fg banis c,w and to our allies".
"We are also cooperating closely with India regarding the threats th at ema n at e against them ," s he said.
On tbe sancti ons against Iran over its nuclear weapo ns programme, Clint o n said
the U S a nd India "s hare the same goal" o f preve nting T ehran from acqu.icing nuclear weapon s " India is a strong partner in urging Iran to adhere to its in ternation al ob ligati ons," Clinto n said.
Kris hna, n oting chat he di scussed d1e im p ortance of a pe aceful settle m en t of tl1e Iranian nuclear issue, said i t mu se b e based on the p os ition tl1at Iran has its r igh ts as a member of the nuclea r Non - Proliferatio n Treaty (N"PT).
" But it mu se also ab ide b y its obligations as a n o n -nu clear weap o n state und e r the NPT ," he said, asserti ng that "tlus issue, however, is no t a source o f discord" between fodia a nd d1e US.
Clinton said d1e best way to achieve a diplo m atic sol utio n tha t Lhe internationa l community seeks was to kee p up d1e pressu re t hat brought lran to the negoti ating table.
On Afgh aiustan, the two lead ers said their respecti \7 e strategic partnership agreements will pave ch e way for "stability and security" in d1e region.
Clinton said US consultations w ith India o n A fghanista n was "very substa n tive and useful" ai1d that the internatio n a l commmuty w ill remain engaged with Kabul o n its future.
Th e crirical issue of fo rwarding eco n omic ries was discussed too
Krishna said India was c omnu ned to providing a " level p laying field" for US companies in nuclear com m erce and expressed the hope th at the calks b etwee n US and Indian companies will soon resu lt in conttacts.
Kr is hna also pointed o ut the difficultie s faced by Indian IT companies in the US.
Clin ton remrned to the OS after her swing throu gh C hina, Banglade sh and India, where s he visited Ko lkarn a nd New D el hi.
now "e.'<ploring a race for ci tywide office in 2013."
"My 15 months at the Pu bli c Advocate's office were tru ly some of t he best o f m y life," said Saujani, currently the deputy advocate for spec ial initiatives in tl1e watd1dog body charged with e n suring that all New Yorkers h ave a voice in shaping the city's p olicies, in an e- mail interview.
"Wb at we were able to accomplish with d1e Fnnd for Public A d vocacy, from encouraging inm1igra nt entrepreneursh ip to providing schol ars h ips to un documented s tudents was powerful," she said
" I ' m commi tted to being a lead er in charting the future of New York City, and 1 wane to keep creati n g opportunities fo r the people who live here."
Exp lai n in g w hat made h e r run for the US Congress in the first place , Sauj ani said: " Things were not getti n g done in Was hin gton, and I wa s frustrated by the lack of leadership and tl1e l ad , of political courage we were seeing in Co ngress."
"I was noticing peop le around me become jaded and l wanted to do so metlung co ch an ge it," she said.
"1 ew ide as are so imp ortant for driv.ing in nov atio n in this c o untry, and l wamed a chance to ge e my ideas out tl1ere, and tal k to voters in ew Yo r k City about theirs "
Bue " the experienc es I bad talki n g witl1 vote rs every day showed m e what a difference could be made by showing up, by be ing ac the senio r cen tre or the street fair and meeting t he people that are working to make a difference in our communities,"
Sauja 1u said
" I 've always been an organizer, and as the d1rnghter of immig rants I have a lways b een es p e ci ally pass io n ate about e ng aging people in the political process, wbo bave bee n exc luded from i t or who felt n o one was listening to d1em. "
New D elhi rece n tly.
" \'<le h ave a we ll-establisbed materi al and training assistance programme with Indi an Ocean region c ountties for t h eir capacitybuilding and enh a nce m en t," he n oted lndian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Ver m a and od1er cop naval command ers were presen t at the conference.
D escribing th e emerging security ma trix in tl1e Indian Ocean r egion as " really complex", with "so me political deve lop men ts " and "wor riso m e faccors", A nton y also as ked the navy top brass to m aintain !ugh le,1els of preparedness at all times
" Today, tl1e secm:ity simation in our imm ediate ne ighbourh ood has become really complex. Con sid ering tbe challenges in the lndiai1 Ocean region, it i s esse nti al to maintain higb l evels o f operatio nal preparedness at a ll ti m es," he sai d.
" On the o n e hand, there are some political developments, and on the od1er h and, a number of other factors are a cause fo r wor r y and need to be fac to red into ou r preparati o n s, botb in the shon- rerm ai1d long-te rm ," he add ed.
Stressing d1e importa n ce of security of mar iti me acrivity d1rough t h e sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean for ec onomic prosperiry of India an d that o f the world, t he defence minister said free m ovement of trade a nd energy supplies and various economic ac tivities such as fishing and extraction o f mineral resource s is equally cruc ial for eco n onuc security
O n d1e navy' s mod ernizatio n programme, Anto n y said d1e inductio n of d1e nuclea r powered sub m arine, l NS Chakra, in A p ril h ad ushered i n a new era of submarine o p erations for Ind ia
Clinton
Americans
US Secreta r y of State Hillary C lin to n l auded d1e "incredi b le conttibution" of Indian Americans in her cou n try aild said th e people co peop le relationship was at the heart of the ties between tl1e two countries.
Clinton, who fl ew to Kolkata from Dha ka o n her visit to lndia recen tly said in 2011, 35 percent of all L1 wo rk visas in th e US h ad bee n issued co Indians. A ddcessing a gathering at the La Marriniere school in Kolkata, sh e said m ore th an I00,000 Indian stud ents were studying in d1e US
" So many links between us, we w ant to promote even more," Clinton sai d.
ln her o p ening remarks, she also recalled Rabindranath T agore. " I discovered him when I was in c ollege."
She also recalled his quote: "Age considers, youth venn1res".
R esh ma Saujani, tl1e first fodian-American wo man to run for the US Congress, n ow a s a change agent wanes to create o pp ortuni ti es for immigrants w b o have made I ew York City their h ome.
Although Saujani, a l awyer, politician and entrepreneur, l ost her 2010 ambitious run against D emocrat Caro lyn Maho n ey, a nine term member of d1e US House of Representatives from New York, she is
" The L ight of India Awards are a powerful way to celebrate the work Indian Am erican s are doing an d co s how thetr in novations and accomplis hm en ts," Sau jani said noting that they "are in every fo rm of govemmenc from po licy leaders to activists to ch ange agents."
Autho r Jhnn1pa Lahiri, television personality Padma Lakshmi and C N conttibutor an d s urgeon San jay Gupta are among t he nominees for the seco nd arumal Lig h t of India awards, recognisi ng e.xcellence and exemplary achievements of Indians abroad
Th e \\ri nners o f t he awa rds, in stituted by Remit2lndia, a Times Group service, in the fields of business, education, science & technology, arcs & ente rtainm ent and literan1re & journalism, will be announced on June 1 at a gala event in New Yor k.
India natural leader of Indian Ocean region : Antony India positioned itself as a natural l eader of the Indian Ocean regio n in view of its strategic location and operational capability, even a s its navy was asked to be prepared to meet eventuali ties in view of the complex emer gin g secur ity m attix in d1e region.
"In di a's strat egic locati on in tbe Indian Ocea n an d t he professio n al capability of our navy bestows upon us a n atural ability to play a leading role in e nsurin g peace and stability in th e Indian Ocean regio n ," D efence Minis ter AK Anto n y told the conference of Indian Navy commanders i n
"It bas pl aced us in a select group of navies tl1at operate such a p latform. \Y/e mu st ensure that I NS Chakra is utilised effective ly to harn ess its real potential and al so evolve operational concepts for future p latforms ," he said.
A n tony s aid d1e navy is on course to acquire potent p latfo rm s to acid co its blue water capability
" The i nduc tion of 11 S Vikramaditya in d1e ne ar future, d1e potent MiG-29K combat p la n es as well as P8 -I lo n g-range maritim e reconnaissance aircra ft would strengthen the navy further. R ecen tly, the Ligh t Combat A ircraft (LCA) for t he na vy m ad e its successful maiden Aight," he sai d. Commending tl1e navy's commitment to incli genisa tion , A nton y said, "Th is is amply borne by the fact that 44 om o f 48 slups and s ub m ari ne s, presen tly on ord e r, are being constructed in India."
Th e presence of the highly end angered , el u sive wes tern ttagopan can now b e felt more clearly in d1e Great Himalayan National Park in Hirnach al Pradesh, wid1 it s numbers m ultip lying
Park auth orities say the po p ulation of chis brilliantly coloured pheasant sp ecies in tl1e park has gon e ltp and so h as its sighting
" Th e de n sity of the western tragopan in d1e park was 6 5 birds per sq km (in this year's census) Last year, it was six b irds per sq km, while it was just five birds in 2010," said Park Director J\jay S rivascav recently in KuJJu.
For popula tion estimacio n , the weste rn tragopan, like other pheasan t species, needs specialised techniques One of the standard census techniques is recording d1eir caU counts at a specified time and location.
Srivastav said mat estimation was done at 18 l ocations " This exercise is n ow p art of regular monitoring prococo l being followed in the park to asce rtain d1e scams of population d ynamics of the western cragopan."
As per me estimation figures of d1e last two -th ree years, it is clear that d1e population of me wes tern tragop an is on the r ise.
Srivastav attrib uted the increase to management strategies in terms of protectio n through regular patrolling of the area
The western tragopan belongs co the family Phasianidae, w hich also includes peafowl and red jungle fowl. lt's the least studied bird in the world
Being a shy bird, it is rarely sighted and is found at an altitude of 2,000 to 3,600 metres in the temperate forests of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand
Jennifer R.B. MiUer, who smd ied the park in April -May 2008 during me US Fulbright Student Research Scholars hip, says the populations of three pheasant s pecieswestern tragopan, koklas and Himalayru1 monal - in the Great H imalayan Nation al Park have grown since surveyed in the lace 1990s.
"Surveys co n ducted in the late 1 990s indicated that pheasant populations in the park we r e declining. In 1999, me government legaUy notified me park and the amhorities began enfor cing the Indian Wi ldlife (Protec tion) Acc. Relative abundances of aU three pheasant species were significantly higher (in 2008) mru1 in previous surveys," says i\fiJle r in her paper titled "Himalayan pheasants in me Great Himalayan ational Park" published in the lndian Birds journal in 2010.
With magnificent g laciers, lofty mountains ruid gurgli ng screa m s, d1e Great Himalayan Na ti onal Park, spread over 754 sq km in K ullu district, is one of the richest b iodivers ity sites in the western Himalayas.
The park is home to 203 bird species and 3 1 mammal species, three reptiles, nine a m ph ibians and 1 27 insect species, besides 425 species of plants.
The famous mammals in the park are the leopard, the Himalayan b lack bear, d1e bro\vn bea r, the rhesus macaque and various herbivores like the goral, a small antelope, and the Hi ma layan cahr, a wild goat that lives o n tl1e steepest cliffs.
One of tl1e most e lusive sp ecies in me park is tl1e snow leopard. It can be sported in the highest portions, ad joining the Pin Valley Natio nal Park.
The best time ro visit the park is AprilMay a nd Se p tember- November
celebrated across Bengal
Rabindrasangeet was p layed at traffic intersections, in schools ru1d coUeges, events were held across me state a nd television channels competed with one another to air his songs, poems a n d dances as \'«est Bengal marked the end of the ye arlong 150tl1 b irth an niversary celebrations of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore with great cul.rural
fervour on May 7
From north Kolkat a's Jorasanko, where the poet-philosopher was born, to the districts and s mall cowns, people thronged in hundreds to pay their homage to the literary genius, whose appeal has remained largel y undiminis hed even 71 years after his deatl1.
Peop le from all walk s of life qu eued up at Jorasanko Thakurbari in n orth Kolkata - Tagore's sprawling ancestral home - since dawn to see me room where he was born and watch a cultural programme, where well- known si ngers, elocutionis t s a nd druicers participated.
T he main official fu nction organised by the state government began in the afternoon on a makeshift stage on Camedral R oad, where Chief I\finiste r Mamara Bane rj ee was present.
Cultural programmes, film festivals, and b oo k fairs were arranged to kick off a fortnight long ce lebration Wicb Tagore son gs, as on oilier days, p layed at traffic sign al s, peop le savo ured a holiday declared by d1e state government.
From me morning, mere was a frenz y of activities ac ross the state, with Tagore's compositions re n de red in man y localities and schools and colleges.
Bo rn on Vaisakha 25 according to the Bengali cale nda r (May 7, 1861 according to Englis h calendar) , Tagore in l 913 became the first Asian l obel laureate and the first non - E u ropean to win the Nobel Prize for literature.
He also hold s the dis tin ction of having audiored me n ational anthems of rwo sovereign nations - lndia and Bangladesh.
T he political " pacivartan" in West Bengal le ft its im print on R abindranatl1 Tagore's 151st birthday celebration, with me Mamata Bru1erjee government changing the traditional venue and timing of me official function.
For d ecades, d1e state governmentorganised offic ial func tio n bad been held at the crack of dawn on the bard's birthday Linder an open sp ace in d1e Rabindra Sadan pr emises.
All leading artists and e locutionists used ro partic ipate in me programme to play homage to the Nobel laureat e poet. However, foUowing in structions from Jvl amata Banerjee, the programme tl1 is time was deferred to the afternoon, w ith the venue sh ifted to Cathedral Road near Rabindra Sadan.
T his took many s ingers b y surp r ise, though mey were unwilling to come out in the open w ith thei r criticism.
"It was a tradition to p ay h omage co Tagore earl y i n the morning. I do n 't know what prompted the new govern ment to ch ange the p lace and time," sai d a R abindra Sangeet e,xponent, on condition of a n o nymity.
The govern me n t has, however, claimed the dec ision was taken for the convenience of d1e Tagore- loving public, who would have had to wake up in t he wee hours
But leader of o pposition ruid Com munist Party of India-Marxist politburo member Surj ya Ka n ta Mishra was at bis sarcastic best.
In ru1 obvio u s referenc e to Banerjee, known as a late riser, he said: ' 'There are some people who are not early risers. But tl1ere are auspicious days whe n one should try to wake up e arly "
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton catches up with Congress president Sonia Gandhi prior to their meeting in New Delhi, India, 7 May 2012. Clinton was in India fora three-day tour during which she discussed foreign direct investment in retail, the India-US civilian nuclear deal and Iran.
Step I?)• sttp
Hot1r lzy boHr
lf1hot 11Je't,e got is o 11Jo11tan'spo1ver
Dtry f?Y dq;1
Believe inJ'Oll
I,, 11'htlt)'Oft wollt and 111btlt)'OIi do
It's the strength of tl wo111an
These lyrics fro m Gerri Halliwell's chartbuster Strmgth of ti Wo111a11 were racing th rough my mind as I waited co meet the actress who has been of late proclaimed as the 'Fourth Khan' or 'the female Big B' of the Inruan film industry.
Year 2011 - 12 bas certainl y been big for Vidya Balan, who continues to reap the rewards for her stellar performances in movies like The Dirty Picture and Knba11i. In essaying the ro les of the seductive 'Silk' and the hapless 'Vidya Bagchi', Vidya not only made a stro n g talent statement, but she set a trend for women -oriented films where heroines are not just chosen for decorative purposes
This was Vidya's second visi t to Melbourne Last year she was here as a guest of i'v1ind Blowing Films to launch the film No One Killed]essica at the Inruan Film Festival. Thi s year, she i s the brand ambassador of the Indian Film Festival. I asked V idya how things had changed for her personally in the year she mrned from srar to superstar.
"It's nice to hear that peop le think 1 am a superstar," said Vidya, grace folly adjusting her elegant Sabyasachi sari. Taking a momeur m think she continued, "I think Thave got a lot bus ier. There is hardly much rime to breathe, bur.I am enj oying every moment. The fact that The Dirty Pictm·e and Kaha11i have received critical and commercial success is really a validation of my beliefs and] am most grateful for that. I an1 completely hwnbled by all the love and acclaim that has come my way."
\'X'inner of the.Natio nal Film Award for Best Actress, five Pilmfare awards as well a~ three consecutive Sore.en Awards for Best Actress, V idya is a fe ted actress in Inrua a nd offers for endorsements, causes, charities come in by the spade-full. So wbac made her accept the oppo r rµn.ity co become the brancl ambassador for the Film Festival of India 1h Melbourne?
"When I came co Melbourne last year I received such a warm welcome chat I decided I would be back soo n," she said " ] am honoured to be the Festival Ambassador this year This festival offers a ruverse choice nf cinema not o nly frotn Inrua bm a lso from neighbouring countries like Nepa.I, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri L-anka. Iudi an cinem,i. reaches across many genres and many styles and it would make me proud to introduce Lhis inc:redible indusuy LO Australian film lovers".
le was easy co warm up to the articulate and media savvy Vidya. Looku.1g slimmer than lase year, she was still g lowing with the effect of the success that is currently her travelling compmuon.
"l am a greedr actress," said Vidya. "I wo uld love co do a role in any country, mciurung Ausu:alia. frwill give me an opportunity to work on I.be Ausu:alilin-accennhat I find quire imeresring'·.
"lvfy o nly con dition," s he added jokingly, "is tha t the film has to be shown in Melbourne and they may want to give m e an honorary cicizenship as well".
During her last vis it to Melbourne, Vidya had waxed lyrical of her affection for Me lbourne and its peop le. Thi s year too she expressed similar sentiments
"What does one of die most talented actresses in India li ke about one of the most live ab le cities in the world?" 1 asked.
Thi s time tl1ere was no pausing co think and her response was quick.
"I love Melbourne because I tbin.k it is m ode rn; however ic has retained an old world charm. It is n or cold like other countries that I have v isited. There is a certain warmth and romance abo[Lt li1felbourne and it reminds m e co some extent o f Kolkata. It could be because both cities have trams. I hope to ge t some time from my hectic schedule to take a ride 011 Melbourne's famous tram".
Despite not seeing much of Melbourne on her last trip, Vidya found the people so warm and welcoming that she was happy to return.
"I remember m y trip to MCG last year. People in Iurua loved ph o tos of my visic to the mecca of wo.cld sports," she said.
Even though V idya is not a sports buff and confesses to pos sessing limited know ledge o f footy, she was happy m vi sit the MCG again this year to present the ball to tl1e umpire at the Richmond Tigers versus Sydney Swans match. " Honestly I don't really kn ow much about foory, but where else would 1 ger to see so many hot men in the same place at the same time," said Vidya with a tongue-in-cheek grin.
Speaking of eye candy, the versacile actress confessed that she al ways wanted to meet Australian actor Hugh Jackman, who she clain1s is quite 'hot'. Her ,vish came true when Hugh visited Inrua for a FI CCI conference and she met him at an awards ceremony there. She even got to perform a little dance jig with Hugh and Shahrnkh Khan on stage "lt was a memorab le event for me and hopefully for them:' Vidya good-humouredly quipped
Vidya who turned 34 recently, has admitted m dating UTV head honcho Siddharth Roy Kapoor, whom she so metimes refers to as 'SRK'. Wedding bells however, are not co be heard in tl1e near future, as VB wants to focus o n cbe trajectory of her career. An d even d1ough. she loves Melbourne and thinks of it as a romancic place, she was hesirant to commit that she would choose this city for her honepnoon. "l haven't really tlmught about where I woul d like to go fo r my honeymoo n," she said with a smile.
V idya Balan made her debut in the Bengali film, BhCtlo Tbeko (2003), in a role which was much appreciated. She then made he-r debut in Bollywood i n Pa1i11eet11 (2006) and excelled in her role, winning the Award for Best Female Debuta.nr. She appeared in the blockbuster L:rge Roho J\t!Jflmo 13/Jai (2006) 1n 2007, she acted in Mani Rarnam's G11m as a girl suffering fro m multiple sclerosis, and in S,1/aa111-e-Tshq, Bkltl1!)'0: Tbe Rqy(ll G11t11rl, Hay Bai?J.y and Bhool Bhula[)'aa. Ali these films proved her versatility an<l her defiance to not fit into the glrun doll mouJd of Bollywoo<l actre~ses. Vidya then played Lhe role of a young, independent,
siogle mother struggling with her son 's progeria syndrome in Paa (2009). He r portrayal of the ro le stood aparc from the usual Bollywood 'ma ' roles and got ber rave reviews from critics as well as the audience. True to her spi rit of doing somethi n g different, Vidya then acted in T.rhq!J'a (20 10) and won accolades for tl1e portrayal of t h e seductive widow. Not only are ber roles unconven ti onal, so are her endorsements. Vidya has very recently agreed to become tbe Sanitation Ambassador for an India n Government p r o ject called Nirm al Bharat Abhiyaan The programme i s aimed at spreading awareness abo ut sanitation and cleanliness i n the cou ntry. VB has agreed co campaign for two years, and will be involved i n tl1is restructured vers ion of the Total Sanitation
Cam paign l was curious to know bow she agreed to the not- sog l a m ouro u s o r co n ve n tio nall y safe cause tlrnt invo lved propagating hygiene and opposing open defecatio n "I got a call from the Rural Develo p ment :Minister Jairam R amesh co ask if I was interested. We gee offers to espouse a lot of cau ses and I like to Lim.it myself to somedung mac I believe in;'' explained Vidya "lam a cleanliness freak myself a nd 1 know I will be ab le co push chis cau se strongly and ge nuinely. Sani tation in India is ilie need of the hour. Look at the infant mortality races, tl1ey are shocking T h e m ortality rate is often affected by lack of sanitation. Ir also impacts on oilier areas of Life. There are still schools in India tlrnt do not h ave toilets. We will be woi:ki n g :ac various levels :and very basic levels n ot just mrough ads, but also by visiting several places It will invol ve a rime bm I strongly believe that t h e sanitarioo campaign needs co become a national obsession," she a d ded
1 am not sure about ilie future of dus campaign but Vid ya Balan i s currently enjoying a fair bit of internatio nal atten tio n , judging by tl1e mrnouc at the opening of her movie The Dirry Picture at Hoycs Mel bourne rece n tly. Fans from P akistan, Sri L anka, Fiji, A u stral ia, B dtain, Canada and India were present to experience t h e VB charm in person. And charming she was as s h e ch arred, joked, autographed and photogr aphed witl1 her fans brieAy, befote being whis k ed awar to another assignment. The fans were left co watch The Dir!J Pict11re of a clean, ca n did a nd con scie n tious actress.
Bollywood has come co town an d this winter w ill be abuzz wjth events, celeb rities, g uests, screenin gs and master-classes for lndian film lovers in Melbourne. The cinematic feast of dfocrsity has many SLLtnptuou s offe rs for cine-goers From June L1-22, the festival will showcase over 40 Jilms from art-ho u se w mass enter rain ment, an imation co n ew wave. mainly from the Indian s u b co n tinent along w ith a selection of especially rnra te d fi lms from Bangladesh, Palcistan, Sri Lanka and Nep al.
The p iece de resistance will be the presence of stunning fo r m er i'vliss
Wo rld and BollywoodStar P riya nka
Cho pra and fab abs Bollywood ac:tor
Shahid Kapoor for the o p ening night on J rn1e 1 I J\ffec cionatcly known as the Young Com mander, Tamil
Superstar Vijay will a lso be p resent b efore the screening of Na11bm1 (Tamil remake of 3 lrliots) o n J une 12.
Other festival guest.~ in clude
I n dia's respec ted B engali fihn maker Rituparno Go!th, a\1,.rrd- winning writer/director Kunal Kohli and acclaimed p rod ucer /director Vick y Bahri . I nreracti.ve master classes will b e cond LLcted by filmmak er fuljk umar
Hiran.i and screenwriter Abh ijat Joshi the successful cl , ,o behind I n dia's largest grossing fi lms Mannabhai and 3 Jc/jots
I ndian designer Sabyasach
Mukherjee w ill h old a master class them<.:d aro u nd 'Talking Through Fabrics' while award-\vinn.iog director
Jugal [ lansraj will share bis knowledge an d und erstan ding of opportunities through animation. T h e master
classes axe designed ro create di alogu e between I ndian and Victori an film practi tioners.
A panel disc ussion on cop roduction possibilities between Australia and India will be c.xplorecl and con tribu tions will be sought to realize this mutual cinematic connection.
·n,e popufar Western Onion Sh orr Film Competi tion will be h eld again to , mcarth new filmmakers an d help them to realize their d reams. The theme of this year's competition will be 'Connections'. A panel of judges including R a jkumar llirani, Mick Molloy, Kabir Khan and Kunal Kohli will sdcct t h e winning entries from lndia, Australia an d New Zealand Th e wi nnin g 1-i lms will also find exposure d Lu-ing tl, e Fcscival.
Fcsti,,al D irector Mitu B howmick
Lange. h as been successfully b ringing Bollywood to Melb o urne since the first I n di an F ilm F es tival h eld in April 2009. As a director (> f ~lin cl Blowing Films that c ttrrcntly distributes Indian film and tl1catrical releases in Australia, New Zealand and F iji, Mitu B howmick Lange live$, loves and d reams fadian li lrns 1-le r p assion is shared with the ha.rd wo r king team at Mind B!m,~ng F ilms Together t hey assiduo usl)' prepare for this major event by encouraging creativ ity and w vcr.sity.
The P remier of Victoria Teel B aillieu annol!Occcl J\Uncl B lowing F illlls as the suc.;essful t<:nderer fo r the p resentation of the Festival this year ''l'h e V ictorian Government is com min:cd to srrcngth cning ci es
becwcen Victoria a n d Inp.ia as well as developing a g r eater muLual unclersrao cling of our respective screen ind ustries", Mr Baillicu said at the P ress Conference held at the Investmen t Centre on Collins Street.
lndian Film Festival 2012 brand ambassador actress Vidya Balan and Fc.~tival D irector .Micu Bhowmick bo1.h invited Melbournians to celebrate ilie @ms and i ilrn makers o f the world's biggest cinema industry. right in the h eart of tvrcl b ourne "This festival has always b clicvcJ tl1at cinema (like that other Ln d.ian obsession, cricket) can bridge the gap between different cultures and last year severa.Lmagic moml'.OtS only c emente d that bclid," said 11itu.
"This ye.11.r again there is something for everyone!" sh e ad d c<l.
Victoria Premier Ted Bai/lieu and cricketer Shane Warne join Vidya Ba/an and Mitu Bhowmick-Lange at the launch of the Indian Film Festival
For
In the nine teenth century t h ere was an o n-going tussle between two gr eat Europeru1 powers - Britain and Russiain A(e;ha.ni stan The third country involved was C hina, then weak and battered by European nations w h ich bad extracted trading areas in Sha nghai. However, Britain and Russia conceded that China had suzerainty over Tibet. Nicknamed the 'Great Game', it was fictionalised b y Ru dyard Kipling in his novel Ki111 which w as tw ic e made into films
There was then no \Xfestem aim to interfere with ei ther the culture or the goverrun ental structure of Afghanistan. However, the British meticulously studied Afghan culture and gazetteers on the tribes in A fghanis tan an d the ne ighbouring r onh West Frontier Province were published.
Britain's aim was to block Ru ssia
from access to the lndian subco n tinent, much of which had been subdued b)' the British. India was then a collection of British provinces and Indian princely scares under Britis h p rotec ti on.
considered Afgh anistan to be i ts exclusive domain and on ce even moored a merger of the two n ations: and (5) India, whi ch has n o military involvement in Afghanis tan bm has strong development and cultural ties.
T o the above we n eed to add Afgh anistan itself. During the 19'h century Great Game, Afghanistan was weak, although because of its mountainous terrain it could create trouble for any invader. rn the 21 " century Great Ga.me, it zealous ly guards its independence and even co nsiders the border area w it h Pakistan which was denomi11a.ted by the British as the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) as its own It has predominantly Afghan people including some three million Afghan refugees.
Afghans have a deep-seared relationship w ith Indi a. Kn own as Pa.tha.ns, Afghans are found i n almost every city in India. In some areas they have settled for cenmries such as in Gujarat, Ra.jasthan and Punjab. They a.re also found in clusters in Bihar. They came as warrio rs and small merchants and sett.led down with their families
''There are also Afghan single men who come without their fa m ilies to earn a living as travelling salesmen. Rabi.ndranatl1 Tagore's fan1ous sto r y !G/)1//iiJJa!"
During the 19th century Great Game, Afghanistan was weak, although because o f its
Rus sia desired this access whilst aimi ng to s afeguard i ts expansion into the Turkisbspeaking areas to the north of che s ubco n tinent in
(m ade i.nto a Bengali film byTapanSinhain 1957) concerns one such individual. \Xlh en tl1e Taliban government was overthrown tl1roug h US intervention, lndia. sent a p lane n ot wi th food and medicines as mountainous terrain it could create trouble for any other nations had done, but loaded wi tl1 discs of music and films so tl1at the people o f Afghanistan c ould once what was vagu el y known as "Turkestan". The reg ion was later demarcated into several
invader. '' agai n en joy the creations of Bol1 ywood. The Taliban had forb idden playing and Listening to light music.
Soviet republics w hich have now become th e independent nations of Kazakhs tan , Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, T aj ikistan and Uz bekistan. Within these indepe ndent republics, a stro ng Ru ss ian influence continues to prevails.
Afghanistan has strategic i mportance as it lies along the corridor b etween the subco ntin ent and central Asia. It is tluough th e passes in its high and dry moumains tl1at invading armie s bave histo ric ally moved i nto the ve rdant lands of India and Pakistan.
Historians speculate tl1at the Aryans migrated abou t 5000 years ago from n orthern Asia. Much later, the Greeks established kingdoms in these mountains and in the adjoining lowlands of the Indu s valley The Mon gol -Tartar s fol1owed from Cen tral Asia and set up the Moghul Empire (l\foghul is tl1e Indian word for Mongol).
Th e Great Grune of the 21" cenmry is radically different from thar of the 19' h century. Severa.I powers are involved: (1) Russi.a th.rough its aUies w it hin J\fghanistan and its proxies in the neighbouring central Asian republics; (2) the USA with its NATO allies and Aus tralia; (3) a powerful and resurgent China; (4) Pakistan which has
The Prime Jvlinisrers of India and Afghanistan have had frequent contact. India signed a strategic partnership treaty with Afghanistan in 201 1. India has given massive aid (2 billion dollars) to help fund highways and build a new patliament building
The new Great Game in Afghanistan has morphed from being a military incursion inte nded to rem ove tl1e A.I Qaeda and the Taliban from power, to fighting a culmral war. lo the 19'" century neither tl1e British nor the Russ ians atte m pted to pro m ote cultural change. Such change has been looked upo n by extremists as an affront to tl1eir cenmries o ld tradi tions. D emocracy had been non-existent in Afghanistan till now. Ratl1er, watlo rd do mains were the order of the clay Female ed ucation and the rights of women were unheard of
The future will depend upon the outco m e of the war between modernisation and tradition Similar wars were fought in 19'h century Japan and in a different way in 2o•h century China. India is still encoun tering similar problems In a va riety o f ways, espec iall y in its re m ote areas
This strategically placed country is finally making its own rules in the midst of various players
American Presidential campaigns have been the sub ject of several novels, movies and TV shows over tbe yea rs. There is something allur ing about the power and glory that the office commands - in that, it is like no od1er. Vinay Kolhackar has weighed in to tbe genre with his debut novel, The Fra11kemtei11 Crmdidate, (sel f published in the US), which is a kind of fictional Presidential campaign trail sec in 2020.
Olivia A llen is a briUiant se nator - and a basically decent human being - who has been i nvited to join as a Vice Presidential candidate b y a Co ngressman running for President. She is o ne of the major candidates al ong with the incmnbenc Vice President, and the billionaire Frank Kenned1 Stein a.k a. " The Frankenstein Candidate",
who is running as a self- fonded independent. The reader realises quite e arly on d1at things are no t as hunky dory as they seem: Allen suffers from the 'I mposter Syndrome', a psychological feeli ng char her success has been more on account of good fortune than any inherent skiU or hard work; and her husband fancies another woman. Not very far into the campaign, Olivia realizes that dungs are not what she d1o ug hc they would be On discovering some horri fying truths about some of ber feUow travellers, sbe makes some earth- s haking decisions chat affect eve ry major p layer in the race.
By the end of the book, we are privy ro an assassination, enough scandals, as a result of which a candidate struggles to clear his name in c ourt, whiJe a nother is forced to withdraw from the race.
For someone who lives in NSW, Australia, KoU1atkar capmres die ambience and aura of a US presidential campaig n rather weU: the candidates and the politics that drive them; die m inders and the media; d1eir primaries, the
numero u s states, their cities, the intra- American differences; even particular footbaU teams - are described with attention to detail aod sound quite authentic. He teases out the lives of the main protagonists in ways that are quite engaging; so is his lughly well-i nformed and fine - tuned description of t h e financial world and its shenanigans. The reader is driven ro read on to find om how they ail unravel. Kolhackar has a Master's degree in finance in addition co experience in the inner workings of \"X/aUStreet, and he is able to draw on chat experience and his 'in siders knowledge' to his advantage Kolhatkar has said el sew here tha t he was quite uninterested in politics - indeed was quite dis illusioned at the way campaigns are run - that he decided to do something about ic: write a n ove l tha t W(mld throw light on ch e whole process and show how it was bli ghted and tainted 6)7 mon ey and machine politics - something chat would be an eye opener. The reader must judge for thems elves if he succeeds i n doing that! In
tbe meanwhile, the y will not be disappointed by this novel and che rollercoaster ride that is the A merican Presidential campaign trail.
The Fra11k.msteit1 Cm,didate: The Book thrit Co11/d Alter !be Course ef the Next P,-esidential Elet1io11 is available for sale onJine at Amazon.com and other channels
''Kolhatkar has a Master's degree in fina nce in addition to experience in the inner working s of Wall Street, and he is able to draw on that experience and his 'insiders knowledge' to his advantage
There is no book quire like The Caliphate's Soldiers: The Lukbare-Taiba's Lo11g UVr11; says Ashley J. Tellis o f this senunal work by Indian strategic expert Wilson J o hn. He could oo c have been more on di e spot. This gripping book should be made a must read globally, including in Pakistan, where the terrorist outfit, J oh n tells us, has en joyed the active support of civil society as well as military and intelligence agencies.
John debunks the theory d1at LeT, which carried out the audacious and murderous Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008, is a socalled non-state actor. Ir may be so b ut o nly in name. For all practical purposes, this is an ex tended arm of the Paki stani stare , enjoying the strong backing of Inter-Services Intelligence (IS I), wid1 deep roots i n Punjab, the country's po litical and military heartland. I t is silly to dunk that IS1 officers in league w ith LeT are ''rogues".
"The y are ail 'regular' officers pretending ro be 'rogues"'
No wonder that trainers in LeT camps are retired or serving military personnel.
The book proyjdes a comprehe n sive insight into LeT, covering a w id e sweep - fron_1 i ts
birth ro ballooning g rowth , close ties witb I s lamabad/Rawalpindi, i ts vase terrorist prodL1cing factories, g lo bal threat and links wich Al Qaeda, its sleeper agents, as well as its colossal cadre and financial stre ngth.
Based on bo th pub lished litera ture and other docw1ienrs, John estimates that LeT has trained sinc e the late 1990s a staggering half a nullion men and women ro carry out an armed struggle. Of this, about 50,000, comparab le to an army divisio n, are on active duty while chc others act as reserves, ready to fight for Pakistan, i f need be, against India.
Until recently, there bas been considerable amb igui t y and ign orance in the 'est about LeT. The perception began ro change from d1e ti me US commandos raided Pakista n and shot dead Osama bin Laden, exposing, as n ever be fore, the duplicitous relationship the Pakistani state has bad widi the US (while taking its money) and cbe I slami srs, in cluding Al Qaeda. So although LeT trained its eyes and guns on Ind ia, it is ''not dr iven by any domestic agenda o r grievances but a broader I slamisr o ne o f establishing an Is lamic Cali phate throug h jehad"
\'<That do yo u do with a terrorist g roup chat has t he backing o f a state wedded to terrorism as an instrument of state policy, an ourfi r which ar o ne point had about 2,500 offices in Pakistan, has opera ted in 22 countries, shown capabilities comparable ocly to state -backed i ntelligence agencies, and which has provided training co a large number of foreigners ranging fro m Chechens and Ozbeks to Germans, Br irons and French to Algerians, Indonesians, Banglades his, Afghans and Indians?
John answers the question without mincin g word s : the threat posed by LeT ro peace and stability in the world has neve r been mote serious than now. And he makes ano d1er, related point: LeT needs to be destroyed. Now!
M.R Narayan SwamyIMPORTED & DISTRIBUTED BY MA.NSAROVAR PTY LTD
Contact Number: +61 422 599 519 Email: info@n1ansarovaril11ports.co111. au Web: www.1nansarovarimports.com.au
more di s rurbing about the Mumbai-Delhi axis' general disinterest in anrthing east or south.
Vanakka1J1 and welcome back co Chennai, one of the hottest cities in lnd ia during the summer. A l though built along the coast, seaside Chennai only seems to ge t the coo l sea breeze in winter. \X!ithollt this respite, the sweaty hear lasts long inro the night, and on the hottest of days everything seems to radiate the sun's war mth.
The Indian media is now flush with stories of the cising summer and tbe impending monsoo n along the west coasc. For Chennaikers however, the monsoon is still at least six months away Whi le watching lndia 's plethora of ne,vs channels, 1 can't he lp but sense a deep disconnect between the India o.f people's minds, and the modern geographic bom1dacies. Listening co news emanating from Mumbai and Delhi, it would seem that India doesn't extend any further east or south than the \X'estern Ghats. Of course, the biggest, most important news so often oc curs in centres o f population - this is true even in Australia, where nearly all narional news programmes are produced in Sydney 01· Melbourne. However, there is sometbing altogether
Many years ago, an acquaintance once told me that all Indians speak Hindi. I challenged him on that, saying that the Mahl speakers of 1'1.inicoy Isl and, or the Tibeteru1 language-speaking peop le of Arunachal Pradesh m ig ht argue otherwise. To this he replied, "Yeah, bur they're not re.'llly Indian". I was aghast - bow could be simply write off thousands, possibly millions of people, as "not Indian", simply because they didn't look or sound like him? And in a counu·y like India, which prides i tself on pl uralism? 1 dared to stoke the fire by suggesting that if chose peop le aren't Indian, perhaps India s hould give chose territories up. Needless to say, the fur y that swelled in his eyes informed me that now would be a good rime ro stop talking. U nfornmately, this was an extreme manifestation of a w idesp read problem which I was to encounter many times again. Llke most prejudices, this one is based on ignorance. But at w hat cost? A tcigger issue for many Indians is the Kashmir conAict. Yer how many Indian s know which languages are spoken in the disputed tercirory? How man y people could locate Gilgic on a map? Does anyone acrually know the current stan1s of the conAict at the U n ited I ations? Or do we just know that it's "ours", not "theii:s", and that's why we
should fight? lo bis excellent book Superpmi,er, Raghav Bal1 l speaks of the "s iege mentality" of Indians; that is, a deep suspicion of the countries which occupy India's borders, and a knee- je r k hostility to an y action by d1em. Through the sweep of h istory, Bahl makes sense of why this has developed But as India emerges as a superpower, it is time for all of us to understand.
The monsoon, although much less volatile than the Kaslu:nir conilicr, is a case in po int.
A quick survey of my fairly educated, reasonab l)' world ly contacts from the western and northern scares revealed that all but one were bliss full y unaware that India experie nces more than one monsoon each year.
A recent commercial for The Hifldt1 newspaper p layed on this, b y asking peop le to name India's vice -president and Hr ithik Roshan's pet name. For the purpose of the co nunercial, most people could identify only the latter Taking inspirarion from this, I decided to cast a wider net with m y research, to examine what a selection of Mumbaikers and Del hiites know abom lndia today. In my quizzing, few knew the cap itals of Tcipura or Meghalaya, and none that H yde rabad was once an independen t state, forcefully incorporated into India b y military action. Two people weren't aware that Chhattisgarh was now a state of its own, two more thought that Delh i was in Uttar Pradesh! And no -o ne was
The asiatic faces of Arunacha/ Pradesh aware tbat India fought a short war with Portugal over Goa, in which 22 Indian servicemen died, and which is still referred to in much foreign literature as an 'annexation' or an ' invasion'. Now there's something to get angry about!
History and politics aside, the point is that we all need to start recognizing India as a who le. 28 states and 7 union terr itories? \XTe should be able to name them all, plus their capitals. And we should be ab le to call them all Indian; otherwise maybe we shouldn't call ourselves Indian. Things are definitely improving; the days when peop le called for Dravi da Nadu or Khalisran arc now bm a memory. However ic has been shown tbrougbout history that sepa ratist groups thrive on exclusion, so I wor ry when I hear of ignorance or oucrigbt hostili ty to India's various minorities, some of whom have a legitimate axe to grind. We need to know about India because knowledge is power, and if lnclians are kn owled geable , then we will be powerful.
Ok, so I shouldn't say 'we' , because I'm not reall y Indian. But at the ver y least, in September, when everyone else i s celebrating the end of the monsoon, spare a thought for us down in hot-asHades Chennai, where we know the real meaning of the phrase 'Indian Summer'!
Iwas in d1e garden the other day cutting so me roses.
As I held a stem ro cur a beautifully formed rose, l inadvertently pricked m ysel f and before I knew it, I had le t go!
It coostamly amazes me how wonderfully iomitive and resil.ienc the Almig h ty has made our bod.ies. There was obviously a process b y which the nerves in m y linger relayed a message of pa.in to m y bra.in, which i n turn sent back an order co disassociate. Thi s process occurred so fast t ha t I couJd say, 'I d.idn't have time to chink'; bur 'iliiok', l did My subconscious self over rule d th e n eed to acquire a beautifuJ rose in ord er to p reserve m y body from the pain it reg istere d , however fleetingly.
As children we are taught to st,'ly away from 6re and sharp things, a nd the co n sequences we face if we don't. Our curiosity wo uld have overcome us a nd we all fe lt p a.in in experim en ti ng w ith /ires, knives, needles or whatever was o ne's choice of intrigue As we grow up, that curiosi ty d.iminishes a nd is replaced by the wisdom o f experience. We k now lire i s h oc, knives are sha rp and to srop feeling p ain - we have to Jet go
So why is it that eveo as ad ults with so m uch experience and wisdom under our belts, we /ind ic so hard co lee go when it comes to certain aspects of our lives? Why do certain peop le come into our lives and form sucb ao attachment co us that it cl o ud s our judgeme nt and sense of s elf? \'lie know we should Jet go b ut we hold on, oblivious to the pa.in tl1ey cause us and we may be causing chem , in the despera te hope of acq uiring chat figurative rose?
\Xle live in a society where we are taugh t to expect.
Co n sumer ism ingrains i o u s chat s hoes, purses and even people, will bring us happiness. We buy t hese d1ings o r acqua.im ourse lves with suc b people and form attachm en ts, which lead us to have expectations
Bu t these expectations l ead co disappointmen t Because reaUy, which purse, shoe or outfit will give you eternal happiness? Which p erson will a lways make you happy no marter wha t? Peopl e a nd purchases can only give yo u
Aeeting e lation. Constancy in happ in ess co mes from knowing when to stay and when to walk away. Bur when do yo u k now its rime to walk away? When you pr ick yourself on a d1orn it's easy enough to let go; but in other more intangible situa tions where peop le and e m o ti on s and re lationships ate involved, how do you kn ow wheu e n ough is eno ug h ? The first thing you may need to do is to lee go o f your ego Put aside tl1e expectation chat chis person owes me' , or 'so and so s hould love m e as much as I Jove tl1em', or ' they s hould do this because I did chis', a nd it's easie r to assess a s ituation o bjectively wid1 our a sense of entitlemen t c loudiog your judge ment.
When you see t bat yo u are meeting so meone m o re than halfway and they are n o t making the effort in return, Jee go
When you see that your over.invo lvement and em o tio n s are maki ng so meo n e un comfoccable, let go
When you know you 've lost, le e go.
When you feel chat you're los ing your self- respect, let go Letting go o f something or someo n e you love will. brin g the realisarioo that o ne has co be humble to achieve a state of emanci pation tha t alle viates pain When you sto p expecting or feeling a sen se of entitlement, or beli eving you are always right and chat you can m ake eve r ythin g go yo ur way - that's when you realise chat t he best thing to do is to lee go Forming attachments to worldly dungs or people will a lways end in dis appoi nm1enc, because they are n o t perfect. But forming an attachmem to God w ill not let you down, because your expectations are aligned to the Almighty, and not to things or people.
T hat's easier said than clone though - sometin1es even when you know tbat Jetting go is the right thing to do - yo u don't do it. You cling to the familia r even tl1oug h it may have become pain ful In s uch cases something has to g ive. And something does Relationsh ips go so ur, frie n dsh ips e nd. Families faU apart. Because people chink witl1 their egos, act and speak in anger and most of all, refuse to let go But as Joseph
CampbeU sa.id, "UVe 11111st be ivilling to let go of the life 111e have p!a11ned, so as to accept the life !hat is 111aiti11gfor us'' Bue when you le t go of sometlung chat con sumed you, w ith w hat d o you replace it?
1. Keep busy D oi ng tl1ings keeps yo ur mind o ccupied and you will have less rime to rep lay the negativity and the healing p rocess is expedi ted Clea ni ng is the hest ,vay to stay b usy becau se focusi n g yo ur attention o n d irty dishes or messy cu pboards help s. Phys ical cleaning is the bes t catalyse for a me n tal c leaning.
2 A differe nt view. Look at the simation d.ifferen tly Stop che 'woe is me ' n onsense and have fa.i ch tl1at whatever h appened was meant to b e. Eve n if you do not see it now, t he re was a reason it happened. Be grateful a n d move on.
3. Cry Sleep and crying are two of the m ost underrated d1ings in th e world Cry it out and sleep it off. I t's b e en scientifically proven t ha t crying away yo ur negative feelings r elea ses harm fuJ chemicals chat b uild up in yo ur body cl u e to stress Have a good cry or rant to yo ur best mace. But makes sure yo u d o n 't overdo it. \ Xlallowiog in moderation is the key
4. Change Retail thera py isn't called tl1erapy for nothing. Buying so metl1ing new, getting a haircut, applying for a job - positive
actions to mitigate n egativi ty
5 Move. Yoga, run ning, exercise will make you more aware o f the pre sent and s to p you d welling on the past
6 B e kind. T o )'Oursel f. Doo'c ye ll at yo ursel f. You are your own best friend. Be nice to yourse lf.
List your positive attributes and acl1ievements and when your inner voi ce fills your head with positive though ts, you w ill find it easier to push awa y the bad o nes.
7 Give more and e xp ect less.
D o n 't expect anything from an yo ne. You are no t entitled co an ytlung. Be chari tab le co others an d have no expectations, so that whatever comes your way w ill be a pleasant surp rise.
8 Take responsibility. Hating the o tl1er perso n will nor solve your problem. Focus on what you cl.id and how you can improve E mpowerm ent will always negate b itterness and lead to self respect. Self- realisati on leads to understanding and em p atl1y, and Je ctiog go.
9. Express yourself Write, sin g , paint - but express yo ur feelings Let i t al] out, because bottling d1 ings up has n ever helped anyone. Overcome, don't avoid You cannot run away from yourself.
I 0 Laugh. Laug hte r really is tl1e be st med.icine. Watch a funny movie; hang o ut with your mates, hear yourself laugh and feel it cure you.
11 Have faith l n God and tl1e abilities He has e ndowed in you Eno ugh sai d !
the baggage ofpast pain in our daily lives can be a debilitating burden
needed, in addirion to patience and perseverance in these maners.
BY MALLI IYERMeeting a soul mate is a common need, a nd so mething everyone dreams about. It muse be underlined tli at if love were a T -shirt, one size no longer fits all. Eligible prospects hawking tl1emselves on internet websites impress only the very few, and many would admit that partnering is a highly complex business No matter where people live or what tl1eir lifestyle, the business of finding a partner or a soul mate is, more often man not, a challenging task. It is obvious mat we have come a long way from the days of parents finding a suitable match for tl1eir offspring and following mac, eve ryo ne got on w im life without former ado.
Whetl1er the search for a partner is initiated by the parents or elders in the family, or b y me man and the woman who seek a relationship the goal is t he sarne - that of finding the i deal partner - almough me preferred route chosen by the parties may be complete ly different. 1n almost all cases tl1ere seems to be a yawning gap in me way families communicate witli each other about this vexing issue. A parent- to -child talk is rarely a conversation be1'veen equals, and frequentl y a breakdown in conm1luiication looms large. The generntion gap intervenes and nl.istrust is created. When selecting a partner they are intim idated b y a fear of the unknown. Gone are ilie days when eligible men/ women/boys and girls didn't have to go far - tlieir fam.il y seard1ed within their community or social grouping, and at best tliey went exploring in me next village or town, and me deed was done.
More recently, experience shows mat parencaJ co ncerns about meir mill1arried children, particularly true of Sou m Asian farnilies, creates family discord and unnecessar)r stress. Thei r frustration increases as me young members in the fam ily are unable to find partners till they are in their l ate twenties or early thirties. The incidence of mis happening is quite widespread - most of it due to societal transition caused by employment and migratory trends. A better understanding of tl1e changing roles and personality profiles of those involved becomes hig h priority. Adjustments are
We are now in me realm of scanning a vast expanse - die world is the stage and me pl ayers corne with several strings attached - a different culture, varying levels of education, upbringing and family values mat are alien, not to mention the choosy, un yielding disposi rion of the parties directly involved. Anyone with an Lmchanging mindset is Lmlikely to find easy pickings in sud, an environment On me omer hand, a somewhat adventurous approach brings witli it greater opportunities - be i t browsing me internet wim matrini onial websites, hobnobbing with 'singles ' and lonely hearts clubs, or simpl)' getting into active circulation with me help of friends and family Nothing should be ruled 'in' or 'ou t', since tl1ere are scores of potential soulmates waiting 'out mere' w ith a r;imilar need to meet a prospect wim whom mey could share ilieir file.
Statistics revealed in 20 11 tliat over 5 billion use mob il e phones, and over 2 billion browse the internet regul arly. Electronic age marvels have come out to aid partner-seekers such as tab lets witl1 android and other downloadab le apps, smart phones, social websites like Facehook, You Tube and T11Jitter all provide me latest tools to help people come together. Sli!)ipe and Google Chat enables one-on -one communication or small groups to chat live and help to make seam.less contact as often as needed, shrinking the world through satellite communications.
As with any unproven tech11.ique, li nking up with people electronically is fraught wim risks - such as the fakes and fraudulent, imposters and die predators - all of who prey on me innocent and ilie gullible. In me final analysis, mere is no subsritute for a gesrarion period to developing chemistry between two people befo re settling down rogemer in the longer term. Most people would do well to understand tl1at there are no guarantees, and n1ost relationsliips will sc.1.nd die test of time only if me partners change wim tl1e rimes and are willing to share and care for each other, literally! The respecrive roles played b y the man and the woman are not cast in scone, particularly as breadwinning and money-making is no longer me sole prerogarive of die man. \\?omen in our society are very much in tl1e forefront, so it is not uncommon fo r me male of me species to be adept in kitchen duties and tending to babies, whilst me lady of the house plays cermis or go l f. It lends a completely new
meaning co tl1e old cliche, ' It tak,es hJJO to tango'.
Macho and chauvinistic thinking are on tl1eir way out as women have become mo re asserrive and have demonstrated resilience to create a ni che for memselves in die social nl.i lieu It is no longer unusual to see a homemaker husband with a su per-professional o r g lobetrotting w ife who calls tlie shots in a relacionsbip. 111e male of the species cannot daim meir v irili ty o r sexual prowess as being adequate reasons for living in a socall ed 'man's world' or superiority in a relationship, since 'hired help' in every area is developing as an industry E uropean statisrics co rnpiled in 2011 on the state of relationships are interesting: 60% of married people are pol yan1orous and have extramarital affairs. Whil st 8% of children were born out of marriage in 1971, more than 50% of children were born our of marriage in 2010. The figmes for Norm America are not any different - in 2010 there were. 88 unmarried men for every 100 unmarried women. There are 12 mi.Ilion people who are cohabiting but mm1arried, and tl1is is a tenfold increase since 1960. These figures clearly illu strate that it is not a social malaise tl1at we are dealing
witli. A sustaining change in our attitudes ,viii w1doubtedly he lp to adapt to the changes that we are witnessing.
Peop le need to review tl1eir own understanding of what 'compatibility' means and what each one has to do to meet at a common ground on people's eirpect.'lrions. People have to openly address tl1e fears asso ciated wid1 getting into a new relation ship For exan1p le, mete is no room for men to remain a 'Mama's boy' even mough mey are in tlieir nl.idthirties. Parents have to work incessand)' at creating children who think for tliemselves and become independent, mentally and financially. Parents have to acknowledge that notliing educates a cll.ild better tlian his/ her own mistakes as they advance to adulmood. Faniil y backing to build confidence amongst younger faniily members is a continuing exercise.
In our society, we will need to address die issue of same sex relationships with openness and creating a support structure towards gay and .lesbian offspt:ing, but tliat would be an incondus ive analysis un tiJ sometime in die future, as i t is still in me domain of 'work in progress'.
We offer loans from all banks & non-bank lenders
ti Home & Investment Loans up to 95% LVR*
ti Refinanc ing of existing Home Loans
ti No Doc Loans up to 80 % LVR for Self Employed *
ti Business & Commercial Loans
ti Self managed super fund home loans
ti Seniors Equity Release Home Loan to unlock your property's value and top up your retirement income with extra cash" •conditions apply
Seeking well qualified match for very fair young looking Hindu lady, 54, veg, divorced, daughter living with her. He must be aged 49-55, non smoker with strong moral values. Contact lifepartner@hotmail. com.au or 0404043904.
Seeking suitable match (from Australia, never married) for Hindu girl, 34 yea rs, Chartered Accountant (non- veg), living in Australia over 25 years, with eastern and western family values. Please email with all details on ganesh2011 v@gmail.com
Well-settled Sikh family in Australia seeks good natured, educated, professional match from a cultured family for their good looking, slim and fair daughter. Completed medicine (M.B.B.S), currently doing internship. Please contact singh 195950@yahoo.com
Seeking well-settled professional from Australia for a 25-year- old, 5' 6" charming Punjabi Arora girl, working in Aust. Public Service. Been in Australia for 21 years, family oriented, vegetarian non smoker and non drinker, with a modem outlook. Email profile and recent photo to Sydney. matri87@gmail.com
Well-settled Hindu family seeks a mature, well settled, good natured, professional boy from a cultured family for our charming daughter, '79 born, 5'2'; IT professional (Masters IT ). Caste no bar. Respond with photo sssvjp@hotmail.com
Seeking Hindu girl, preferably Gujarati, good family values, for my son, dob 7/8/7 5 divorced, no children, fair, 5'8'; vegetarian, down to earth, genuine, well- built, nonsmoker, light drinker, Australian citizen, tax consultant, lives with parents Con t act 0423 328 800 or sydau714@hotmail.com
Compatible match for 1975 born, clean shaven Sikh Khatri boy, 5'9'; two postgraduate degrees from India and recently finished Masters in I.T from Australia. Currently on temporary resident visa (with full work rights) and doing 3 months Internship at Optus Sydney. Living with elder brother (Australian citizen), and parents who are on 1 year Visitor visa. Girl should be tall, well educated, with pleasing personality and must be from Sikh background. Early marriage and serious proposals please. Contact Ph. 02 9476 4570 or Email: jas_ghai01@hotmail.com
Seeking a suitable match, with Indian values, for 27- year- old, 5 '6'; Punjabi Khatri boy, Permanent Resident, permanent job, parents in Australia for visit. Please email sunaina_aqua 1@yahoo.com or call 0421 959861.
Well-settled Hindu family invites alliance for tall, handsome Australian citizen, 38/5'- 1o· : innocent divorcee. Excellent salary package, own house in Sydney. Seeking qualified, beautiful girl from cultured Hindu families well settled in Australia or India Please send details with recent pictures to shaadi@live.com.au
It is estimated that over 400,000 people of Indian origin live in Australia. Th is number is constantly growing as Indian students and migrants relocate to Austra l ia. Whether it is Austra lian citizens of Indian origin, permanent resident visa hold ers, Indian s ar r ivi ng in Austra l ia on business or 457 visas or the large number of Indian students, the In dian community in Australia has significant links back home. Many Non Resident Indians (NRls) in Austra li a have family back home and need to remit money frequently for family expenses, gifts or their own commitments in India. Most of the Indian community members trave l to India frequently. Increasingly, a number of NRls see real estate investments or participation in the Indian equity markets as an opportunity to grow their wealth. For all of these needs, banking services in India are required. Commonwea lth Bank o f Austra li a provides NRI Banking Services in Austra l ia to service the needs of the Austral ian Indian community to make banking in In dia easy.
Recognising the growing significance of India as an economic powerhouse and the significant trade ties between Australia and India, Commonwea lt h Bank
of Austra li a was th e first Australian bank to open a branch in India in 20 10. The branch in Mumbai is now fu lly operational and is located in the financial heart of Mumbai - Nariman Point. To se rv ice the large Indian community in Australia, the Commonwealth Bank has also established a NRI Banking Service in Austra l ia, which is an exten sion of the Bank's India branch The NRI Banking Service aims to make banking services in India easily available to the Indian community in Australia and eliminates the need to trave l to India or talk to call centres in India for their banking requirements in India
A range of banking accounts and deposit opti ons are now available through the Commonwea lth Bank's India branch. The experienced and multi lingual team at the NRI Banking Centre can explain the services offered and the key features of Non Resident Externa l (NRE), Non Resident Ordinary (NRO) and Foreign Currency Non Resident (FCNR) accounts which are important to understand befo re you commence banking in India. You can also wa l k into any one of our many nominated bra n ches across Austra l ia to comp lete the account open i ng formalities This makes the accou nt opening process
To make the money transfer process easy and cost effective, Commonwealth Bank now offers FEE FREE online Internat ional Money Transfers from you r Commonwealth Bank account in Austra l ia to your Commonwealth Bank account in India. Moreover, you can also transfer Rupee funds from your Indian account with us to other bank accounts in India FREE of cost through the RTGS and NEFT payment systems
Commonwealth Bank also offers MasterCard Debit Cards l inked to your accounts in India which allow you to access over 67,000 ATMs across India having the MasterCard logo. You can now withdraw cash at these ATMs free of cost for up to 5 withdrawals In a month. T hese Debit Cards can also be used at merchant terminals and for on line purchases in India, thus saving you fees normally payab le if you use your Aust ral ian Cred it I Debit cards in India.
To know more about these serv ices, simply contact the NRI Banking Team on Toll Free 1800 108 756, weekdays from 8am to 8pm AEST or emai l nri@ cha.com.au or log on to www.commbank.co. in
Trave lling to India?
• Use the NRI Banking MasterCard Debit Card for fee free ATM Cash Withdrawals at any MasterCard ATM in India (up to 5 withdrawals a month free at any MasterCard ATM in India)
• Use your MasterCard Debit Card to shop at merchant establishments and online shopping in India
Sending money t o India ?
• Our award winn ing International Money Transfers, now at very competitive exchange rates
• Fee free online International Money Transfers through Netbank from your CBA Australia account to your NRI bank accounts with CBA India
• Free transfer of money from your account with CSA India to accounts with 73,000 bank branches across India by RTGS/NEFT
Investing money in India?
• A wide range of accounts to make your banking in India easy
• Non Resident External (NRE) Accounts and Deposits
• Non Resident Ordinary (NRO) Accounts and Deposits
• Foreign Currency Non Resident (FCNR) Deposits
• Attractive interest rates on Indian Rupee Deposits in India & competitive pricing on fees
How do we ma ke it easy?
• NRI Banking Centre - Australia based team to assist you
• Extended hour support -8 am to 8 pm AEST on weekdays
Call 1800 108 756 or email nri@cba.com.au www.commbank.co.in
Temis and Calditions appfy. Fees and charges applic.,ble
There is no clinically proven method to deal with loss, but Time can be a great and comforting healer
e all experience loss ac so m e time in our lives \'(l e al so deru w ith loss differen tly. Some want to calk abo ut i t, yec others prefer to be silen t. Be it Joss of mo n e y, p rope rty, employment o r otl1er material things and most of all, a loved o n e If the l oss is of material th ings we do move o n wit h in a reasonable time however large and precious ic may have been, but rhe loss of a loved o n e may take much longer.
From being grief- scricken to feeling vulnerable to becom ing resilie n t takes time, eve n though we experience loss at various level s constantly. \Ve can get over some of mese losses in stan tly and move on, yet ochers we find i t difficult to come to ter m s wi th fo r a long time. Fee li ngs of he lp lessness and hopelessness overwhelm us with different intensity, de p ending on the serio u sness of loss
Surpris ing ly, we seem to be ab le co console muselves reasonab ly
w i thin a brief period when it comes to the loss of material th ings or m oney. The loss of a loved one is much harder to accept. Tbis i s particularl y so w hen tl1e loss is sudden and unexpected. Feelings mat are eKperi enced vary from person to person. Feelings o f sh ock and disbelief, overwhel ming sadness, guilt and even anger at oneself and the perso n who is n o more are all common. These feelings do not follow linear!)' from one to the other, bur may come and go with varying frequenc y ,rnd inten sity. Sometimes tl1e feeling that one will not be able to cope w imour the loved one surfaces, but almost always it is possible to adjust to life wimom me person.
The most fundamencal trmh is that grieving takes rime.
Bouts of crying, sleeplessness, feeling of emptin ess, u nable to eat or sleep are all common reactions to me loss of a loved one. These feelings are also present -when the loss is not of a person, but following major surgery The loss of function following traumatic injury can al so lead to such reactions.
Feelings of grief are d ifferem for each person and takes time to pass. There is no 'right' way to reacc because e verybody dea ls w ith loss differently.
Time is me g reatest healer, we hear often, and quite rightly so. As time passes, the feelings of grief won't be there aU the rime, and me y become less frequem and less intense. \X-'hile the symptoms of grief are the same as depressiou, me difference is drnt cbe process of grieving acts in a catl1artic way, leading to heali ng in time.
There are some helpful ways to manage gri ef and loss that may be worth considering First of all it is important to give oneself rime to grieve and then recover. Cr ying, even being alone for sometimes in d1e day, re-living happ y memories, letti ng go of the loss a re some of tl1e ways to help oneself work thro ugh loss and grief. Talking to some one almost always helps. Trying ro hide feelings as a way of protecting someone else may not always be helpful, except in circumsmnces with very young children.
It's impossible to predict how long it wi.11 take someone to overcome grief. Feelings come and go, and it can feel like you're always raking one step forwa rd and rwo seeps back. Fo r most peopl e time is t he best healer, and it may cake weeks or months before you can smrt to accept the changes in your life
Feeling bette r is a sign that yo u 're workin g througb your grief
and adj u sting to life without your loved one - it doesn't mean that you're forgetting d1ern or letting them down.
lf you continue to feel down, it may be that o ther things are affecting your mood. If you fee l sad or miserable most of the time and have lost interest in th ings you used to enjoy, you may be experienci n g d epression and need to get some help.
Some key points to re member as suggested b y experts in me field highlight the important differences between grief and major depression. lt is important to remember that each culture has a different way of grieving. For examp le, some traditional cultmes have a much longer mourning pe riod than others. This again draws our attention to not look ar grief as a unitary phenomenon as if mere i s only one particular way to grieve.
• While we may experience the following feelings at various times briefl y, when tl1ey persist fot a long period, it is impo rtanr to talk to your donor or a psychologist, specially i f you have felt
• sad , down or miserable or inirnble most of t he time,
• have lost interest or enjoyment in nearly aU of your usual activities
• might not doing so well at work or school, unive rsity or work
• experienc in g changes in your relationships with family and friends.
• los t or gained Jots of weight
• felt restless, agitated or slowed down
• lose a lot of energy and feel tired all the time
• find it difficult co concentrate or m ake up your mind
• feel worthless or guilty
• feel that life is not worth living
These feelings are unlikely to go away on their own.
e have been advised since our childhood to eat our 'gree n s' and that these are beneficial to us, but even today less than 10% of us actually consume the required am o um of green food s every day. The colo ur of green foods comes from the phytochemical chlorophyll which i s the equivalent, in plams, of the oxygen-carrying red pigment haemoglo bin in our red blood cells. They are a rich so urce of m inerals (includin g iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins like K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variery of pbyconutriems including beta-carote ne, lutein and zea."Xandun. Here are a few green foods needed for good heald1. The li st is endless - cucumber, bok clloy, green apples, green olives, celery, chives, green grapes, green capsicmns, etc.
Avocado is a good source of monmmsaturated fats and therefore helps in improving cllolescerol levels by increasing tbe good cholesterol Avocado contains vitamin B6 and folic acid, whim help regulate homocysteine levels A high level o f homo cysteioe is associated with an increased risk o f heart disease Avocado is an excel lent source of carotenoid lutein, which is known co help protect against agerelated macular degeneration and cataracts. Add avocados to salads, soups, tacos and sandwiches. However be careful ro use o nly arouod half an avocado every day and nor more, as these are quite higb in calories.
Brussels sprouts are a part of the cruciferous family widely known for their health-promoting properties.
B ru ssels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamins C, E, Kand B6 and contain phy ro nucrieuts sulphoraphane and isothiocynates. They help reduce the cisk of co lon, prostrate and breast cancer.
F resh herbs have become a major food trend these days. But herbs not only provide flavour to o ur food, they al.so have many health properties. Basil is a good source of v itmnin K and iron; fresh basil leaves boast anti-in Aanun acorr and antibacre,cial properties. Add some leaves into salads and pasta. Basil and parsley are good sources of Vitamin C, while dill is a good source of betacarorene. Mine is well k nown for its sootlung effect in digestive problems and sromach aches. Coriand er mint chutney is an excellent substitute for ketcllups and high sodium spreads.
\Yle grew up watching P o peye the Sailor man eat his spinach and gain instant strength. This leafy vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse and loaded with minerals and vitamins. Like other dark green s, s pinach is an excellent source of beta-caro tene. It possesses several impo r tant pbytochemicals, i ncl uding l utein, which help s preve nt age- related macular degenerarion. Spinach also contains lipoic acid , which helps antioxidant vitamins C an d E reg enerate. Served raw, it is a g ood source of vi tamin C, a no ther p owerful antioxidant. Spinach leaves can be added to sa lads and also cut and added to cbappati dough.
Seaweed , a Japanese cuisine mains tay, is gaining p o pularity because it's chock- full o f m inerals Seaweed is an excelleJ1t source of iodine and also has a fair amount o f iron, vita mins C and A, p o tas sium, magnesium and riboflavin It can be added to vegetable dishes and niis o so ups.
Asparagus is a very good source of fibre, foliate, v itrunins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium. Asparagus is p acked with antioxidants, ra n king among the top fruits and vegetables for ics abili ty to neutralize cell -dan1aging free radicals.
Green tea is made from uofermented leaves. The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, u sing i t to treat everything from headache to depression It is said that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for ac least 4000 years. 'rbe secret of green cea lies in d1e fact that iris rich in carechin polypbenols, particularlr epigallocatecbin gal.lace (EGCG) Polyphenols are chemicals with ancioxidanc properties and EGCG is a very powerful antioxidant. Besides inhibiting di e growth o f cancer cells, it kill~ them without harming healthy tissues. EGCG is com,idered co be at least I00 times mote effecti,Te than vitamin C and at least 25 times more effective than vicanun E.
Kiwi fruit contain a remarkable amount o f v itamins C, E and A V itamin C is a water- solub le antioxidant that has been proven to protect our body from free radicals le is also a good source of potassium and has a good amounc o f bet a-carotene. The high co ntent o f fibre in kiwi helps co keep check on cholesterol and also he lps relieve constipation Slice some kiwi into your cereal, yogurt or salad for a refres hing health boost.
l\foong dal is a popular dal in lndia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The green gram is so ft in texture and d oes not produce Aatnlence as some othe r whole lentils. rt is a good source of pro tein especially for vegetarians, and is low in fat. Ir i s low GI and therefore good for diabetics too, if we do not add too much of oil via d1e tadka into it. Moong dal sp routs are an excellent source of vitamins C and A. The protein and iron in these is also much rnore. Added to salads, sandwiches and even para11thas, p11ns, fruit chaat and bhei p111i could increase the uutritional v alue of these foods
Kale is one o f the cruciferous vegetables tbat help to fig ht cancer. It co ntains two powerful antioxidants - carotenoids and Aavo no ids chat p rotecc our c ells from free radicals The main Aavono ids are kaempfero l, lucein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, along with well - known antioxi dants Jj ke vitamin C, vitamin A and manganese, making kale a p owerful cruciferous vegetab le. K al e i s al.so a very good source of vi truni.1.1 K which is nece.5s ary for the synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein that strengrhens the comp osi tion of o ur b o nes. V itami n K also pre vents calciLUn btiild- up in o ur tissue that can lead to atheroscleros.is, cardiovascular disease and stroke Kale con tains high levels of nutrients such as calcium, fibre, and iron
F ennel contains its own unique combination of phytonutrientS, including d1e flavonoids rutin, quercitin, and various kae.mpferol glycosides, that give it strong antioxidant qualities. Fennel tea is known as one of the best and mos t effective natural aids for d igestion. lt can assi st in avoiding upset smmach, getting rid of colic, bloating, abdominal and stomach cramps, relieving co nstipation and irritable bowel syndrome symp toms.
Malaysia Airlines fl ies frequent ly to Kuala Lumpur from Austral ia
Old style Kop it iamsorcoffi>t' houses, once an integra l part of Ma la~ian society an> hard to come by these days. Yut Kee 3S Ja lan Dang Wang i has been servingcoffi>t' since 1928, and is now in its th ird generation. Restoran Teratai on the ground level of the Oayabum i building by the river has goodcoffi>t' and Malay food. In Little Ind ia, I like Saravanaa Bhavan, 1007, 5€Iangor Mansion, Jalan Masji dInd ia, part of the Indian cha inand Lakshm i Vilas Restaurant
S7 Lebuh Ampang. Good places to eatan> to be bund everywhere.
Afavourab le exchange rate translates to Kua la Lumpur being a bargain destination. The emergence ofclean, comfortab le, new ly refurbished and centrally located hotelsach ieves further savings. Recommended budget hotelsinclude the Citi n Hotel Masjid Jamek and Tune Hotel though there are other good budget hotels, many in Little India.
For asp lurge the sp lendidly deluxe Mandarin Oriental offers city skyline views and rooms that featu re king-size beds and ma rble bathrooms. Just metres from the PetronasTwin Towers, Su ria KL(( and a lake and garden idea l for a pleasant ea rly morn ing or late afternoon stro ll
The Club Lounge isextraordinarily good with awelcoming,clubby amb ience. The food and refreshments on offerthroughouttheday make it hard to leave. The pool is lovely, the gym wellequippedwith tra inerson hand, andthe massage from the hotel spa the best I have ever had.
AcrBS from Kuala Lumpur lntffnational Airport (K UA)todowntiwn takes28 minutes by tra inor one hour by taxi or bus. Kuala Lumpur's publict ransport system is inexpensive, effident and frequent, but negotiatingth!l'e ...eparatl'ly run monorail, rommutff and light rai l systems is challenging for the un init iated. Taxisare inexpensrie and numerous,just be alert as tl when>youa re heading.
At KUA, not having acress to an air li ne lounge is no obstacle to boarding your fl ight feeling buffed, refreshed and ready to go. The Transit Hotel offers a shower, towel and soap for RM20. The Plaza Premium Lounge charges RM2S. Both are open 24 hours.
Money-changers give the best rates, higher for larger denominations and prefer notes in pristine condit ion. Wh ile Kuala Lumpur is a relatively safe city take care with your wallet whi le on tra ins and buses, at stations and when walking in Chinatown and Chow Kit My overa ll impression isthat Kua la Lumpur isbecoming more affluent, relaxed and welcoming to visitors.
Austra lian passport holders do not need a visa to enter Ma laysia for a visit ofup to three months, prov ided theirpassportsa re val id for at least six months on arriva l and they have a return or onwa rd t icket to another internationa l dest inat ion. For cit.izens of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistanand Afghanistan, a visa from the High Comm ission of Ma laysia i nCanberra is requ ired. Tourism Ma la~ia has many brochures and is at Leve l 2, 171 Clarence Street, Sydney Phone: 02-9299 4441 Email: mala~ia@ma laysiatour ism.com.au
Vegebal?J. The title of this cookbook intrigued me, as I have a veget.'lrian husband and a notoriously fussy 5 year old, who is a staunch nonbeliever in healthy food. Author Pragna Parmita's extremely attractive cookbook is exactly w h at Indian families li ving in Australia can look for when it comes to ra ising their children ro be healthy vegetarians. But Vegehr,lry is much more than a cookbook; apart from indicating health benefits, iL states what kind of food to give a child at a particular age and has answers for minor concerns which are major cause of worry for new parents. Foods chat help digestion, immunity, anemia, growth, constipation, concentration, mood, memory, intestinal healtl1 or not sleeping well are all listed, as well as nutritional values for each rype of food, which I personally fom1d very helpful.
"l'vf)' original desire was to see a beaming healthy child and 1 was aware char what l gave m y child in hi s early impressionable years would stay with him for li fe," says Pragna, who lives in the USA ''1 tried \vhat seemed like a million food combinations, set a routine and keenly watched it's effects o n m y baby. The concept of Vegebai?J germinated when sharing observations about the effects of certain foods and recipes with otl1er parents, and I thought it would be great to include them into a comprehensive cookbook that could help establish healtl1y eating habits in children at a young age." Mum co two boys, she experienced and observed Erst- hand t he pos itive effects of greens and fresh produce on the mind and b ody
Vegebalzy is an easy resource guide to any health conscious parent across tl1e world. "Along wi th nutritious recipes, nutrition is simply explained with the sources, die common ailmems which are a cause of worry for a parent are dealt with, and all recipes include nutrient content and benefits:' she explains.
Pragna admits to researching tirelessly to make the recipes included in Vegebr11!J as comprehensive as possible. ''I spoke m n1)' mum, grandmw1.1, relatives, friends, almost all
parents I knew, m y nutritionist and homeopath, read books and spent hours on the in ternet. I then devised and rested recipes based o n my so n's liking and mood keeping nutrition at the forefront. By tbe time I bad another child, I bad a better knowledge o f benefits of fresh produce and it's \Vonderful effects," she says ' ½ll the recipes are a product of what especially appealed to m y children and their friend s."
I was impressed with the variety and depth of Vegebal!J, and tl1e book has received an e ncouraging response from India and the USA. "The common theme of health)' living and establishing a healthy lifestyle of your kids is of universal interest," says Pragna. "I hope to reach om to as many parents as possib le, not just the ones who are vegetarian."
Although Vegebal!Y is nor available in Australia, the e-book version is on Google Books and the book can be purchased online from Amazon. com
I noticed mat the recipes in Vegcbal?J' can be adapte d for o lder children and even for tl1e family meal.
Nutrients: Vitamins A, C, K, B, Omega-3 fatty acid s, sulphur, manganese , magnesium., copper, potassium
l tablespoon olive o il or bmter
½ onion, chopped
2'/2 cup vegetab le stock
1 cup tomato, finely chopped
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon parsley, minced Salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a pot over low heat. Add the onions, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in the stock, sweet potaro puree, lemon zest and honey. Simmer until heated througb. Garnish witl1 parsley to serve.
• • •••••••••••••••••••
Vitamins B, K, protein, calciwn, iron, potassium, manganese, magnesium, Omega- 3 fatty ac id s, copper
1 m ediu m bottle go urd (seeded and shredded along with tl1e skin)
2 cups wheat fl our
½ cup soy Elom
1/• cup El8"-.,;seed meal
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon coriander, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons carom seds
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
l teaspoon asafecida
Oil/butter for cooking
Bmter
Salt
Co mbine all the ingredients in a lru:ge bm,vl , alo n g with the olive o il. Knead ro make semi- stiff d ough. Tbe water in the bottle gourd will bring tl1e do ug h together Additio nal water should be used sparingly as it might make
finely chopped
'I• cup gree n beans, chopped into small pieces
'/. cup g herkins, chopped int small pieces
¼ cup green peas
½ cup carrots, cbopped into tiny pieces
¼ sweet potato, chopped imo tin y pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon powde r
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 c loves g arlic, m inced
½ teaspoon saffron
tl1e dough soft and sti cky. Roll into pamthas and lig htly fry on both sides w i rh a little butte r over low-mediu m beat. Serve with a dasb of butte r.
Super Seven Ric.e
N mrienrs: Vitamins A, B, C, K, iron, protein, thiamine, niacin , porassimn, phosphorus, Omega-3 fatty acids, calc ium, manganese
1 cup rice
2¼ cups water
¼ cup capsicum,
2 cinnamon sticks
Small p iece ginge r, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
'I• cup raisins
Few coriander and mint leaves, m inced
2 teaspoons pepper Sale
Warm the water and stir in tl1e
saffron and cinnamon powder. Ser aside Me lt the butter and oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, mint and same for one minute. A dd mrmeric powder an d quickl y add
vegetables, salt, pepper, coriander and rice. Same until the rice starts co scick co Lhe pan Add the water, cover and cook over low- medium heat until rice is tender. Remove from hear. Stir in the rais ins. Cover and set as ide for a few minutes be fore setving.
Cashews and peanuts cru1 be us ed instead o f di e raisins.
Cottage cheese and wain ut patties
uti:ienrs: V itamins A, B, C, E, K, protein, calcium, po tass ium,
phosphorus, zinc, Omega-3 fan:y acids, manganese, copper
Fur the .rea111
½ cup thick plain yogurt
I teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons basil paste
Salt
Fur the patty
¾ cup cottage cheese, grated
¼ cup cacrors, shredded
¼ cup bottle goll1'd, shredded
l tablespoon flaxseed meal
2 bread slices
I tablespoon milk
½ cup walnuts o r peanuts
Oil for frying
1 tablespoo n white flour
Salt
To make the crean1, blend the yogurt with garlic, lemon juice and basil paste. Set as id e.
To make the pan:ie, heat the pan and roast tl1e walnuts for a few minutes. Coo l slightly and process in a blender. Set tbe powdered
INDIAN LINK
nuts aside. Combine rhe powdered nuts, cottage cheese, carrots, bottle gourd, flaxseed meal and salt in a bowl. Mix well. Lightly soak
tl1e bread in the milk. Qllickly remove it and squeeze the b read to remove the excess milk. Blend the breadcrnmbs with tl1e mixtll1'e in the bowl. Divide and shape into croquettes. Chill for l hour to firm for easy fr yi ng. Toss it in tbe
Aollr and fry in the pan over lowmedium heat until golden -brown on boch sides. Serve the patties with a few spoo nfuls of cream. This recipe can be served \vith a few spoonfuls of avocado sauce (mashed avocados, olive oil, Lime juice, sa lt and pepper)
laddoo
Nutrients: Vi tamin B, protein, manganese, copper, calcium, folate
3 cups peanuts
1 tab lespoon peanut butter
1 tabl espoon desiccated coconut
I tablespoon u nsalted butter/gbee
2 teaspoons cardamom powder
2 t abl espoons sugar
Roast the peanuts in a lacge pan until golden brown. Remove from heat and cool sligh tly. Peel off me skin w hen warm by rubbing between your hands. Granul ate
the peanuts in a blender. Combine me granulated peanuts, suga r, cardamom powder, coconut and peanut butter in a bowl. Moisten the hands with unsalted butter, mix the ingredients well co shape into lemon size balls to make laddos Slightly flatten m serve.
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR LOVE?
Ir goes withom saying that bei11g overweighc causes several healch issues and one of them is, most definitely, ageing. \XfhjJe foe is needed as a storehouse of energy and can keep the skin supple (notice how sudden weight Joss causes the skin to sag), one should keep it well within healchy leve ls. You can enjoy butter, milk etc., if yo u can limit cheir incake The cu!prics which are high in fat a1e lard, margarine, fried food, cream and processed food like biscuits and cakes. Include healthy foods like fresh frnic and vegetables, and whole wheat inscead of processed Aour.
In the oi l you buy, check the percentage of mono and poly unsamrated fats. The mono unsamrared fats are healthier and can be found in vegetab le oils, seeds and nuts. Poly unsaturated fars are found in beef, animal fac and full cream milk etc., which are bad for health and can increase cho lesterol leve ls
There is someth ing about everything that is bad for u s, and usually they are cascy o r very tempti ng. How many of us reach out for a cola or a coffee when we need a kick? I see so many peop le walking co work w ith a coffee to go. And these peop le have probably alread y had a cup with their brekkie drnc mo rning. Many even smoke, and an increasing number of women smoke too.
Women's bodies age faster if there i s too much intake of alcohol or nicotine. Nor ro mention die fine lines that develop on the upper lip because of pursing die lips to cake a drag on a cigarette. focreased intake of caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes can speed u p ageing b y initiating bone loss.
Caffeine i s, in fact, the cause of a lot of problems and peop le don't realise ir as d1ey guzz le endl ess cups of very strong coffee. h can make one jittery and hyper, and add to stress levels. l have never underst0od d1e
Western concept of a coffee after dinner The milk in the coffee can curdle and cause diarrhoea, once it
hirs the stomach. And black coffee can keep yo u u p for hours, playi ng havoc with your sleep patterns. Caffeine can also dehydrate and dus makes che skin dry roo, causing it to w.riokle faster. Just like you would consume alcohol in moderation, do the same with coffee. Don't mindlessly step out fo r a smo ke and a coffee. Drink some water instead, it will benefit you far more than a cup of coffee eve r will.
We may nor realise ic but all the srress o f ,vork and sometimes faoilly life, as well as suppressed emotions like anger, hurt and resentment cause the build -up of toxins in our bodies. Pollution, poor eating habits and for some, a sedentary lifestyle can resul t in other ailments chat have their foundation in diese negative p henomena.
Enter detox tream1ents. When you detox yo ur b ody - preferabl y o nce a week - the body Ru shes most of die toxins out and the right kind o f food gees ingested.
A leafy salad, some fruit like watermelon, papaya and apple can provide die bod y widi fibre to dean ouc the st0mach. Vicamins get abso r bed and antioxidants perform the function of powerful anti ageing agents. So make sure chat at least once a week you eat salads and fru its for breakfast and lunch, and a fibre-rich cereal for dinner, if you are still h1mgry This kind of food will also help you de -stress.
As one ages, it is important m ensure !ugh calcium intake to keep the bones and nills strong. Women especially, should take a calcium supplement that has a bit of magnesium in it as on its own, d1e body can only absorb small amow1ts of calcium. Milk, dairy products like yoghurt and boiled potatoes are good sources of calcium. In fact, o ne boiled potato is equal ro a cup of milk. Some nuts and fish are also good sources of calcium. }..fake chis a dilly habit if you don't want osteoporosis or cl u!l a11d bri rcle nills.
Carbohydrates are very importam and when people go on a diet, die fust dung they do is give up on carbs. But it is important to keep in n1.ind d1at if your d iet has more cak)ries than you need or expend, you will gain weight. The extra calor.i es in carbs left over after the
dill y requirement has been met is what gets converted ro fat. So it doesn't matter if you are eating a low fat di et or not. l.nstead of supersi7.ing everything, go for smaller portions. Whac works for me is chi s simp le crick - ro keep my weight under control and not g ive up on foods I love, I eat slowly ro scare wid1. Then d1e moment I begin tO feel frill, J stop an d tell I am full. Thar's how I avoid overeating. Some
people eat healthy food, but they just don't know when tO srop, and eat large portions.
If you are se lf -aware, yo u will know what works for you , and what doesn't. Do not ope for yoyo diets to lose weight. These play havoc with yo ur body and hasten rhe anti -ageing process. Instead, eat small, ear heald1y and exercise.
If you stay stress free and find happiness in little things, your skin and hair will l ook good roo.
There are many dietary precautions you could take to prevent ageing, but here are the most fundamental and easy to follow ones.
Aamir Khan has the l egen dary Midas tou ch - b ut instead of gold, everyth i ng h e tou ch es turns to success
As with h is debut TV show SatyamevJataye, which aired recently d rawing a huge and positive response from colleagues and fans a like Disbel ief, h orror, tears, smiles - Aamir evoked the entire p lethora of emotion among his rapt audience as he dealt with t he sen sitive to p ic of fema le foeticide and b ias toward t h e m ale ch il d And what was amazing is t h at he didn't preach!
Equipped with wel l-researched instances and case stu dies, Aamir's one-and-a- half hour programme was telecast on Star Pl u s and Doordarshan si m u ltaneously
Th e mai d en epi sode h igh l ighted h ow unethical medical practitioners are hand in glove with f amilies wa nting to kill the female unborn baby
He al so d ispelled t h e perception among people that female foeticide is practi sed by rural peopl e or those living in small towns with the case of Mitu Kh urana, a doctor who left home to save her twin daughters from death from her ed ucated in- laws.
Three compellin g stories of the three women inter viewed brought tear s to host Aamir's eyes, as well as that of many i n the audience.
According to the 2011 Census, the rate at wh i ch the unborn femal e ch ild is killed amounts to killing off 10,00,000 girls a year
Al so according to the 2011 census, there are 914 girls for every 1,000 boys. Aami r brought i nto focus various dangers of female foeticide, indudi n g human trafficking, whereby Virendra Vidrohi, a social activist from Alwar Rajast han, said thousands of women from poor fam iii es i n eastern states are being usol d" in some p l aces in Rajasthan due to a dea rth of women Aamir also forcefully reminded the audience that the sex of the unborn child depen ds on the chromosome of the father
"If we worsh ip goddess Durga, why kil l unb orn gir ls;'he said. Aamir also brought on the show two journal ists w h o ca rried out a sting operation against doctors i nvolved in sex determination i n Rajasthan and how the case isstill dragging in various courts in Rajasthan
And Aami r's mad e h is poi nt, as viewers ranging from filmmakersto clinical psychologists to professors - have been lavish in their praise for the show
SatyamevJayate is a gutsy, hard- hitting and sensible programme that st ri kes an emotiona l chord with the audience And what's amazing is that Aamir has show n the total picture in all its aspects He has even talked about solutions In t he show Well, once a perfectionist, always a perfectionist. For all t he hard work he puts Into making a show t his good, Aam ir is certa inly wel l-deservi ng of the accolades. Keep up the good work!
Oh yeah, it certainly was a night to remember as British Disco Jockey (DJ)
Norman Quentin Cook a k a. Fatboy Slim recently rocked an enthusiastic audience of l overs of electronic and house music. The venue in Gurgaon reverberated with the sound of music and the audience's energy, as Fatboy gave it his all in his debut performance
The show began with Indian DJs Arjun Vagale and Dualist Inquiry warming up the crowd with progressive house genres
Then Fatboy Slim entered to the sound of psychedelic radioactive beats in the background and started off his performance with Now you are going to die followed by/ am in Delhi, an altered version of Chuckie.
The artiste also presented late Michael Jackson's classic number Billy Jean in a house avatar, whi l e also doling out some hip-hop numbers to satisfy the varying musical appetite of the crowd.
The fans l oved it, with the crowd dancing vigorous l y to every track. Looks like Fatboy 's got India groovin' to his beats!
Jacqueline in the race again
Actress Jacqueline Fernandez joins the bandwagon of Bollywood actresses who're into action with a vengeance After Sameera Reddy 's creditable performance in Tezz, Aishwarya Rai 's average one in Dhoom 2 and Priyanka Chopra's stunts in Drona and Don, it seems like sexy stuntwomen are fast becoming an industry standard. Even
the su ltry Katrina Ka if w i ll be doing action scenes in Ek Tha Tiger and Dhoom 3 So now it's Jacqueline in Race 2, and she's been training hard for the action sequences while hoping that the effort pays off.
"I am working hard on the action for Race 2 and concentrat ing on putting all my time and effort into that," said the 26-year-old actress who seems upbeat about the action sequences.
"I love action so I am very excited Actually it's a role I have been waiti ng to do for a very l ong time. I am most excited about this character because I get to do so much," she added.
i n fact, Jacqueli ne and co -star Saif Ali Khan have been going through a gruell i ng routine for a particu l ar action sequence, which incl udes a lot of stunts and back flips They have been training since November l ast year for th is particular sequence, so it had better be a good one. But I reckon that any scene with the su ltry Jacqueline and sexy Saif i n acti on together would be worth watching What do you th i nk?
While the entire nation is sti l l having its vociferous say about living cr i cketing legend Sachin Tendulkar's nomination into the Rajya Sabha, India's nightingale Lata Mangeshkar has added her voice to the mel ee In her soft, lilting, stillmel l ifluous voice she says that two of her favourite persona l ities - actress Rekha and cricketer Sachi n Tendu l kar - would perform better than her.
"My tenure in the Rajya Sabha was anyth ing but happy. I was reluctant to be inducted into parliament;' said Lata. "In fact, I pleaded with those who urged me into Rajya Sabha to let me off. Though I had the highest regard for (Bharatiya Janata Party leader) L.K. Advan iji and (former Prime Mini ster) Ata l Bihari Vajpayeeji, I still do - I am not affiliated to any any political party. What did I know about po li tics? I'm sure Sachin knows more about po l itics than me," she added Lataji i s quick to point out that the ace -cricketer must have a game-plan for entering po l itics
"I'm sure Sachin knows what he's doing He won't be a novi ce i n parliamentari an affairs the way I was,"she said.
He won the Best Newcomer Award in 2010, and wil l very shortly be seen sharing screen space wit h t h e Big B
Lataji shoots down the misgiving about Sachin's oratorica l ski l ls in parliament. "Why are people presuming that he is on l y a master of cricket? Sachin is a widely- read, widely-travelled individual. And parliament needs people with an open and fresh approach to po l itics. With me it was different. I li ve only in the worl d of music;'she said. The 82-year- old music legend hopes
Sachin would be given a chance to prove his abi lities i n the Rajya Sabha, and is convinced of his i ntegrity "I can vouch for Sachin's integrity I hope he makes a success of his tenure in Rajya Sabha As for me, if I'm given a chance to return to parliament I'd firml y turn it down with folded hands. I wish Sachin all the best in parliament. He would need it;' she said, tonguein - cheek! So that 's another person convinced that Sachin will make a difference to Parliament! Good I uck Little Master!
Whether it is rewinding back to the 191 Os or fast forwarding into 2050, Bollywood filmmakers are going back and forth in time with films like Teri Meri Kahaani and Dangerous lshq, whose stories span over decades
It's a trend that's fast catching on in Boll ywood's chameleon-like vista of concept, but the film maker's biggest challenge is in cr eating the right ambience and weaving a wellconnected story
Take Kuna ! Kohli's upcoming romantic offering Teri Meri Kahaani, starring Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra The movie is set in three time periods - 1910, 1960 and 2012, but each has its own flavour. Similarly, Vikram Bhatt's Dangerous lshq i s a story which, somewhat optimisticall y, spans over 500 years Though alleged to be based on the theme of reincarnation, the movie will see actors Rajniesh
Dug gal and Kar isma Kapoor in varied looks as the story trave ls from one era to another
Bhatt, who went back to the 15th century for Dangerous lshq, says it took a good amount of team effort to shape up the fi l m with the authenticity for each era kept intact
"We did a lot of research in terms of setting, costumes, dialect and colour palette. Otherwise, we could have lost the authenticity. So whether it was art direction, costumes, dialogues or colour all departments did their indivi dual research and worked as a team to perfect the look of the film;' said Bhatt
In the recent past, the transition in the looks of characters and the ambience have been portrayed in films like Veer Zaara, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Actionn Replay, Love Aaj Kai, Maus am, 7 Khoon Maaf and Rockstar Kohli, who had portrayed these changes i n his hit 2004- love story Hum Tum, says more than the sets, costumes and research, it was important to focus on how the story holds over the time zones
"It's very important that the story holds over time zones And how do I overcome the challenge of covering different time zones in a film? Well I write a good story;' he quipped.
Kohli admits that Teri Meri Kahaani reflects his perception of the 1960s
and h i s fantasy about the 1910 period.
"Most of my research for the 1960s era came from my passion for films. I have watched a lot ofShammi Kapoor and Raj Kapoor films and enjoyed watching them. So the setting came naturally to me Capturing the 1910 period was complete fantasy for me;'he revea l ed.
"But unlike the way many filmmakers show the preindependence period with serious, khadi-c l ad individuals, I wanted to show it with some fun I'm sure people had fun back then and fe ll i n love; so, that's the aspect I have tried to capture In the 2012 era, I wanted to show a contemporary take on relationships and how l ove is taken forward through SMS and BBM;' he said Fil mmakers, who chose to deal with the subject of reincarnation in movies l ike Madhumati Prem, Milan, Kudrat, Karan Arjun and Om Shanti Om, were also posed with the challenge of showcasing different time zones
Bhatt insisted that the idea of going back and forth in time is not distracting for the audience.
"Whether there are three eras or five eras in a story one film has one story, and that shouldn't be disjointed," he added. We can hope to see a whole new genre of movies spanning centuri es soon, so watch this space for news of their releases!
Believe it or not, our newest up and coming actress actually trained i n London to become an i nvestment banker. Parineeti Chopra claims she g rew up wanting to be a banker She studied in Manchester Business School and then went to London looking for work. But the recession hit in 2009 and it wasn't easy, so she got back home But l uckil y her hugely successful cousin Priyanka's industry was suffering no such recession, and the plucky Parineeti decided to try her luck in the film business - in the finance side, of course!
"I worked with actors at very close quarters and my respect for the profession increased. I loved what actors used to do and I felt like I cou ld do this, and I could do this well," she says
Well, she impressed in her first off-beat role in Ladies Vs Ricky Behl, and h er first solo film lshaqzaade (opposite Boney Kapoor's son Arjun) hits theatres shortly.
At l east there's no doubt she ' ll know how to handle that pay packet
What 's the chitchat between parents- to -be Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra? Send in your responses to info@indianlink.com.au and win a surprise prize
When was the last time you saw a Bollywood comedy that made you chuckle and smile for two hours? When was the last time you saw a funny film that you wished wouldn't end? When was the last time you saw a fi Im where every actor in a big or small role simply sparkled on screen?
Vicky Donor is original and thoroughly engaging. How good it feels to watch a director pick up a pertinent issue and convert it into a perky precocious and endea ring rom-com which is less rom and, ahem, a whole lot of cum.
Indeed Vicky Donor is suffused with delectable plus points, not the least of them being debutant Ayushmann Khurana who seems to be born to play Vicky the er donor.
Ayushmann - God bless his spontane ity - has formidable competition in the acti ng department from Kamlesh Gill and Dolly Ahluwalia who play his grandmother and mother, and from the redoubtable
Anu Kapoor who as the sperm doctor, adds so much to his role and to the film you wonder why he isn't seen more often in our films
Each character is written with a keenness for details that go a long way in giving them a life beyond the camera
Delhi, done to death in film after film , re-awakens in Vicky Donor. Kamaljeet Negi's cinematography makes no overt attempt to explore the city through the topography. Sircar's splendid direction takes us into the heart of Delhi. The people, their homes and specially their spoken language come alive in ways that cinema has ceased to
offer in recent times.
I'd give the film the thumbs-up for the sheer exuberance, joy and conversational authenticity expressed in the spoken words. Writer Juhi Chaturvedi is a prize find.
And cheri sh this film's ability to turn the subject of sperm donation into a joyous celebration of life. There are no dull moments in the narration. No character walks by in Sircar 's Delhi just for the heck of it. There are no incidental characters. Even the guy on the road who calls out the leading lady's name on Vicky's behalf is there because he belongs to the fi l m's perfect-fitted jigsaw design depicting domesticity and adversity in the competit i ve city.
Never in living memory have I seen a film where every character comes alive as an individual. If Dr Malpani (Anu Kapoor ) is quite a character, so is his assistant Chaman (Bupesh Pandya) and his nurse
Lata (K.V Rajni). If Ayushman' s Vicky is a scene-stealer, so is his romanti c lead, the lovely Yami Gautam who as an independent working girl from a Bengali family brings a disarming grace to her character.
Vicky Donor is a precious and important work of art. It negotiates an unusual theme with the least amount of fuss and the maximum warmth and vigour. The scenes are woven with seamless serenity into
one another. Like life, the film is not only about l aughter. The heartbreaking moment where Ayushmann holds his sleeping mother's hand defines the undercurrent of somberness that life in Delhi constantly secretes.
Scratch the surface, and the pain under the bravura display offlamboyance and gaiety comes to the surface.
Vicky Donor gets that urbane mix of the light- hearted jaunty mood at the top and the agony beneath, with pitch-perfect accuracy. The very act of attempting a film on a sticky subject like sperm donation suggests a dry staccato treatment Pulling away from the pitfalls of pontification and
self-importance, Vicky Donor simply takes us on a carefree joyride where the blend of pain and pleasure is never forced into the narrative. It just happens.
In a film industry saturated with slapstick double-meaning comedy, Shoojit Sircar has conceived a comedy on sex which i s a not a sex comedy. No small achievement this Large-hearted and generously endowed with moments that you take away with you from the film even as John Abraham comes on screen for an irrelevant song and dance item, Vicky Donor i s the surprise entertainer
ofthe year. It is the warmest, funniest most sensible and sparkling comedy in a very long time. In Shoojit Sircar 's vision every si ngle actor shines with a glorious naturalness. Ayushmann is effortlessly the discovery of the year.
As for the film, in Anu Kapoor 's words, there are impatient sperms, angry sperms, stupid sperms. Seen in those terms this film rs quite a fertile piece of work wh ich says a lot more about l ife than we expect from it.
Subhash K. JhaWhat do you do when a country, a culture and thei r purveyors wrong you irreparably?You plant a bomb In a speeding train and hold the establishment to ransom
Taking a cue from Hollywood s most watched bomb-maro-bomb rush-hour excursions into plunder-land, Tezz springs forward a nicely-packaged expert ly-cut hedunnit. And that 's a very different genre from the whodunit.
Here we know Ajay Devgn is the closet terrorist. But since his fans won't like it, Devgn is, with due respect to M i ra Nair, a reluctant terrorist. how reluctant, we won't reveal fully.
Devgn has a back story with screen wife Kangna Ranaut, who in keeping with her character's British domicile, sports blonde hair. No, this is not a j oke. Luckily, Priyadarshan 's plot has a lot more going for itself than its leading lady's hairto-stay problems. The director creates a taut cat-and-mouse game between 'terrorist' Devgn and cop Anil Kapoor who in true Hollywood style, is on the verge of retirement from service when duty beckons.
There are enough men on duty on both sides of the law here to fill up one section ofTihar jail. The narration allows elbow-room for an army of actors laden with anxious motivations and tense expressions to match, all hurling like the speeding train towards an uncertain nemesis. Luckily, the plot finds itself a convincing finale And we can go home feeling all is not lost for the slick action genre in Bollywood. There is hope.
There are some jaw-dropping action sequences here. Some of them, like Devgn and Kapoor 's fist-to-fist in the grand finale and the search for Devgn in a hospital's car park, are so expertly executed they make you forget how far Bollywood lags behind in the action genre from its firangi counterpart. But then again some of the stunts like the one where passengers from the bomb-threatened train climb into a safe train, are done d umsi ly enough to bring us down with a thud.
Curiously, Zayed Khan and Sameera Reddy who play Devgn's accomplices in the
terror crime are given one extended heartin-the-mouth chase sequence each. They show remarkable agility in their given space. Ditto the film's techn i cians. Thiru
S. Appan's camera looks at London with keen anticipation.
Aditya Dhar doesn't come up w ith one me morable dialogue except, Teri maa kl when Devgn wh i le negotiating his ransom money w ith train executive Boman Irani drops his cellphone.
"He s Indian, not Pakistani;' Boman confidently informs cop Ani l Kapoor with a straight face.
The absurdities don't swamp Tezz. True to its title, the tal e of a bomb and a Boman trying to diffuse the cr isis, wh izzes by at breakneck speed.
Priyadarshan tackles what's a new genre for him, with pleasure and aplomb. Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Boman Irani, Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan furnish a flavour of slickness to a story that holds your attenti on till the end.
Not quite edge-of-the-seat, the thrills in Tezz are engaging enough to keep us watching. Sub hash K. Jha
l=ILM: Tezz
STARRING: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Zayed Khan , Sameera Reddy, Kangna Ranaut, Boman Irani
DIRECTED BY: Priyadarshan
l= ILM: Jannat 2
STARR ING: Emraan Hashmi, Randeep Hooda, Esh a Gupta
DIRECTED BY: Kunal Deshmukh
Her hands shook as she placed the receiver down, yec she refused co believe the news Her husband was a sports achlece who had just had a phys ical as part of his company's require.menc, so how could he suffer a hearc attack?
It cook her a few moments co calm herself as the truth slowly sunk in.
She asked her neighbour co coUecc the kids from sc hool, and then left for the hospical. The registrar met her at the en ti:ance. Her husband's body had already been moved the morgue and they were waiting for her authorisation to conduct che post-mortem. She agreed , buc asked them co wait until his sons had seen their father.
Her sons arrived minutes later, but were only prepared to look ar their father from a distance. It was as if death had drawn a li.ne line becween them and che fathe r d1ey had known alJ their lives. And d1e area beyo nd chac imaginary line was now forbidden to them. Seeing d1eir fear she knew thac she had taken the right decision in delaying me autopsy.
Once d1e post-mortem began, she cook her sons a nd left th e hospital building. Much had to be arranged, including the foneral rites. Her sons were too young to manage things, but she needed d1eir support as she faced d1e new comorrow. Later drnt evening it was conli.rmed thac her husband had su ffered m yo cardial infarction.
Her parents arrived that night, and it felt good to be encir cled in d1eir arms and to know that the two people who loved her d1e most were there for her. Her fad1er took over che financial matters, locating the wil~ meeting with the lawyers and arranging the final rites Her mother took over the social side of things - looking after d1e mourners and well- wi shers, and speaking to d1em on behalf of her daughter.
She sat and heard me praises being sung of her husband, and for hours she wiped che tears thac fell Her mother held her when d1e weeping was d1e worse. Her so ns grahhed her when she fainted On me day of the fw1eral she was lmable to scancl, and a wheelchair was brought so d1at she could be transported to the prayer ha.U.
But she soldiered on and saw it through. Her parents made sure that alJ the rites were done to perfection. They ensured thac n o one would ever be able to complain that their orphaned son-in -law was not g iven a proper farewell.
After the funeral, they stayed on with their daughcer for a m onth. Only w hen they saw d1at their daughter could cope by herself, did they leave for cheir home. lt was agreed that they would put thei r home on rent and move in wid1 her. Th ey would have preferred that their daughter stayed in iliei r home, but me grandc hildren did not want co move schools o r be separated from meir friends.
She too was happy to know that her parents would be close. She needed their presence as she adapted to d1e life of a w idow, to the freedom of chinking fo r herself and to me power of deciding what was needed for her kids. Wid1 alJ the money her husband had given her, these were things that had been missing.
And so she spe nt d1e next year becoming her own person. Her parents insisted that she break w ith tradition and disregard the restrictions that were normally placed on widows Her sister s demanded that she go out w ith them and remrn co a norrnal life.
Just mond1s later, her l ife began m oving in to an established routine. Her children were finally at peace and chey confidently rook on cheir new role as independent beings, just a s she cook on hers as an independent person. She established her friendships again. And even went o n a shopping splurge. Her husband's estate left her a wealthy woman. She had known chey were rich, but never realised whac her husband was truly worch in monetary terms Now she owned all, for he had lefc everything to her and the kids lt took a while before she was truly able co stand on her own feet. But she achieved d1at. She took over the financial dealings from her farner and she gained independence from her mother. Never were parents more proud than the momenc when d1ey saw d1eir daughter break away from chem with confidence.
On the first anniversary of her husband's death, they went and laid a monument in his honour. She even opened a cha.rit:y in his name. She bowed in front of her husband's statue in reve rence as che crowd cheered at the inauguration. Her sons lie che lamp in frooc of his photo. She promised d1e crowd d1ar the light would remain lit forever.
i\s with the funeral, mass feeding was undertaken and clod1es were given co the needy. There was not a soul in doubt mat d1ey were wimessing true devocion and felt sorry for che woman w ho was not yet forty, but was facing a long, lonely journey ahead of her. At d1e same ti.me chey also marveUed ac ber peace and held her up as an example.
Despite her solitary life, her parents saw d1ac sh e was content. She once again laughed, but more impo r tantly, she once again smiled. She had become human!
Soon after, her parents moved back co d1eir own home. Their work was done. Tbeir daughter
\Vas li.na!Jy her own person. Confident and strong, she had become what she was before her marriage.
.ln all the yea rs no one knew, apart from her parents, of che abusive marriage she had endured.
Of her relati onship wid1 a man who bashed her at whim, who dictated her be haviour, and who terrorised the children wirn his v iolent o utbursts and insults. Nor did chey know of h is attack on the family maid and of the assault on his late fad1er
The y had watched helplessly as she continued in cbat marriage for d1e sake o f che children. She had said mar she would noc l eave w id1our them, and he would never have let them go
But the Gods had been kind and the)' were now free of him. He was now where he should be and his children were in a far better p lace.
On leaving, her mother said, "You are better off wimout him. You know chat, don't you?"
"l know. l am bener off and so a.re the kids. He will n ever again ca!J me an 'idiot', nor will he ca!J his kids, 'rascal and foo l'."
You have a lot to deal with right now, and need to p r io r itise what to deal with first. You are burdened , both e m o t ionally and professionally. You are feeling ve r y upset and alone right now, and unsure of how t o handle your love r 's de m an d s If single, someone who is playing hard to get You are stressed so watch your h ea lth Be positive, think that a ll is well and will work out for the best. There will be great de m ands on you for the next few weeks
Your health is poorly right now, and you may need alt erna t ive medication to boost up your immune system You have been ove r worked and stressed, so take good care of yourself and your soul Work is tense as changes cou ld lead to redundancies and cut-backs, but they will not affect you tmotionally you are r easonably peacef ul, b u t also bored of yourcurren t circumstances and are thin king of what to do. Financially, tighten your purse strings and spend less!
You will be more spiritually awa re of your surroundings and existence, with peace, meditation and a lot of thinking You may t hink of moving to another country or city, for work or settling down You need to decide if you want to be with your partner or not, to end the procrastina t ion, but your d ecision will s t ill leave you confused Life is going well and financially you are secure; look at buying property for stability Keep a tige r's eye in your pocket.
It's time to start speaking up for what you want in life instead of sitting back while the world goes by. E::motionally you are looking for security and stability, and will make a commitment to a possible engagement or marriage Watch you r t ongue, as you can get short tempered Promotion and money are indicated in the future Take care of health and follow a good exercise regime. Cut down fried and sugary foods. E::njoy fresh air and long walks which are good for you r syst em
Try gaining peace this mont h, as disagreements with family membe rs have left you feeling tense and stressed out Work is not great, and life is a drain It is a time of change and you need a calm approach
Try deep breathing to prevent los ing your coo l. E::motionally you are feeling close to you r partner, and may t ake a short break together
Fina ncially you want t o make m ore money, and your current job is going well. If looking fo r wo r k, put in applications now.
This is a time fo r inner soul searching. Look at what you want to do and where you want to be, and then change your direction accordingly The current workflow or study pattern does not satisfy your cravings. Change in your environment indicates you could be travelling shortly. Love is on the cards with an attraction to someone at your office or place of study. A change of wardrobe , image and a makeover are indicated as you have been neglecting yourself lately
This month is all about changes and work-related decisions. Be resourceful and strive to achieve at work , as you will have the opportu n ities There will be interesting developments in your love life Financially, look at investments and property th rough the year Parents will cause some stress as they will want you t o be more settled and focussed It is a time of communication and loving feelings towards yourself and your close ones
Fun -l oving days are here, so take ti m e out and really re lax. Your work-home life balance has not been happy as you have been working t oo hard Learn to relax and let things fl ow Try not to be such a workaholic, which causes fa m ily problems. Lovers will be on edge , with many changes around Children are in thoughts, e ither deciding to have a chil d o r their future Financially you are not saving, so be careful and put some money aside fo r rainy days
This month sees the end of inne r conflict and pessimism With a major shift in attitude, you will feel a lot bette r. Loans or overdrafts may cause worry as you may have splurged on the house or your partner Love is going through some difficult times , but und erstanding will grow towa rds the end of t he month. Work is causing a little stress , but you will be given extra responsibility Spend time outdoo r s, and stay close to water
You are going through a confusing and indecisive time Move away fro m people who do not fea t ure in your life. A new person entering your life in a relationship will give you support, love and respect , making you happier and content. Bury and forget t he past, ka r m a is in play and you will soon see a shift in attitude from those who have done you wrong. Work will pick up and financially you will grow and achieve Take care o f your healt h
You will look back with regret on how you have handled certain situations. Work is busy, with p ressure on to completejobs and take on new tasks and projects while new faces appear and others leave Financially, treat yourself to a luxury item You may purchase a new property in another state or country Problems with digestion may occur, so take care Love is cooling off and if married , you are feeling bo red Be careful of temptations
You w ant to march ahead with plans and ideas, and are bursting with energy and inspiration Working with children is on the cards and new contacts may lead to new vent ures You may do charity work Companies will s u pport your ideas and will lead to strong ties As you have been working hard and have proved yourself to superio rs, promotion or more m oney is indicated. Socialise and have fun In love, you may propose to your partner or get closer t o them
"For men may come and men may go But some topics go on forever"
Many soci al b reakfasts, lunc hes a n d di nn ers have co me and gone, li ke the mo n d1s and years Infan ts h ave s tarted walking a n d th ree p r ime m iniste r s have ascen ded me A u stralia n mron e But certai n co pies o f discussio n n ever seem co change So profound is the situation, that m ese days my old eage r a n ticip a tio n has bee n rep laced wi tb a new p redic able expec t a tion at m ost of d1e earing orgies.
At soc ial gatherings, other ma n the usual suspects grazi ng vorac ious ly on the calories, I usually fo resee the customa ry " heated" top ics to e m erge. :tvfosc occasio n s like Diwali, Holi an d C h r isa nas n ot o nl y bri ng forth me spiri t of festiv ities e nhanced by stro ng spirits, but al so expect ed idiosyn cra tic b e havior from Linexpected q uarters
The m ost po p ular to pic that bas gained i mmortality th a nk s to me American fat cats is the 'global fi n an cial crisi s' o r GFC, as me regulars cal1 it This t heme has me co mm o n ality o f an a.Hey cat at social gath erings, an d to me, it is the ' inevitable' GFC forwn
T he 'G' word i s dropped at every single g a d1erj11g and I have already met a few local \Xi'arren Buffe t s heraldin g the advent of non- festivities a t festive occasio n s S tran ge as it soun ds, I a m often imp ressed because these n ew born \Varre n s see m to know m ore about d1e glob al eco n omi c wead1er th an th e o r iginal Buffet! Befor e t he economic meltdown , d1e only 'Buffet' I knew was culi n ary.
I have m ad e a stud y of the essential foun dation s of thjg L10dying sub jec t.
To sea.ct with, every pe rso n h as an exp ert opinion a nd after a coup le of tigh t serves of whi skey, some w ill eve n tab le solu ti o n s for d1e en tire GFC. P ase facts and figures will e m erge with t he deepfried emrees, doom a nd g loom will be served with the elegant a n d hea r t- warmi ng m ains, a n d d1e inevitab le final so lutio n s will
be laid out togethe r wi th a vast a r ray of colourful c alo ric desserts.
Now l ten d to first settle down wi d1 a glass of whi t e and let th e warmt h b it me, brou g h t o n nor by global wa rming or the wine, bm by the di scussio n s around me. Pretending in terest, 1 pull m y c h air cl oser co o n e o f d1e m ore garrulous g r oups and find the usual suspects
Like :Mr. D oom, who will always be at the fo r efront "Eve r y person h e re is doomed fi nis hed ," he will lame nt, while Mr. Gloo m sitting n ext to hi m w ill nod wise ly. T he GFC always varies be twee n two peren nial groups at th ese occasio n s - d1e male and t he female (an d I am so glad tl1at we do n 't have a third group). However, th e o b jective a n d persp ective of the d iscu ssions w itl1 in cl1ese two group s will be vasdy diffe rent.
The females will use t h is moment to c ruci fy d1eir partners
" / /jee, 1JJoh sab k11chh k,hokrJr baithe hai11 " (O h , he has lose eve rything )
"/lrryjaane do, pucho to kehte hhi nahi11 lwi11 ki kihu1 g'!)'Ua "
(Fo rge t it! He wo n 't even tell me how m u ch he bas lost)
"J-lrJn Jee, 111ainqy to pehele se k11ha than kijrJane do_yc share Mir "
(Yes, I had forewa rned him about these sh ar es )
T h e males on the otl1er h and will use t his as a platform to firsdy, display a complete knowledge of world eco nomics - p ast, p resent and future; sec ond ly, d u ck away from the wives (ilieir ow n , o f co u rse); an d fin al ly, fa n tas ize about assets (of d1e monetary kind , of cout:sel) that they wi sh they had.
ext, comments will b e mrown into the air by ]\fr. Optimist who w ill say, "Lakhon c/JrJ/eg~ye par kqJ·ee bnat 11rJbl' (1 have lost mi llio n s, but it does not matte r.)
Followed by Mr. Fa ntasizing O p timist, "Lakhon chafeg'!)'C par k(!JCf haal nahi Karodo banaa lenge!" (I've lost millio n s b ut it does not matter - will make te n fold again!)
Mr. Buck P asser will comm ent, "PrJtaa nahi /gtm itne)' ghar le l!Je mai11e! 111.e,i missus ki vqjah sey e saora kaa111 bigadg((J1cl'. (I don't w hy I invested so m uch money i n p roperties, it's entire ly my w i fe's fault!)
Mr. Cura b le P essimist w ill air his view, "!ska ah kqJ1ee solfltio11 11ahi rnha Aage kiptdhfyan iskoa d11khjhele1(~e' '. (Now there is n o solution , but future gen eratio n s win pay for thjs.)
fo llowed by Mr. lncurable P essiJnist who w ill say, "Kahin ais,,
na ho ki sub kucb khokar ah desb va:pmjoa11a pade".
(I-lope we don't come to a state where we lose everytl1ing and n eed to go back to our country of origin).
Frankly, it ofte n need s an incident or an a ccident to stop this flow of gibberis h . Li ke at d1e last dinne r when cl1e hostess cam e rushing out of the kitchen sc reami ng, "1vfy te n derloins are b u rnt!", which brought conversation to a n abrupt h ale. Some who u n derstood that me beef tend erloins have been ove rcooked sy m pathized wim d1e hostess, but the ocl1er slower ones who had sp lit 'te n derloins' imo two words, looked down in em barrassmen t an d sym pathized quiedy wi th me h ost.
B ut altl1ough these outbursts are meaningful in halting further comm ents abo u t the GFC, they could scare up me n ex t expected channel of conversation - ei ther cricket or Anna Hazare A n d this scares me. Not the topics, bm the en suing boredom. May b e Bertrand R usse ll was spot on when he said , "Boredom is a vital problem for cl1e morali se, si n ce half the sins of ma n kin d are caused by the fear of it."
Bue more o n that torture la cer.
Every social meet these days has the added value ofunexciting topics of conversation, with the same uninspired views being aired by the same predictable characters
