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Transcript of Indian Weekender 23 January 2014
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The Pulse of Kiwi-Indians Auckland Christchurch Wellington Hamilton Palmerston North Hastings Invercargill
23 January, 2015 Vol. 6 Issue 25 | www.iwk.co.nz
New Zealands frst Kiwi-Indian weekly newspaper FREE COPY
PhotoCourtesy:dnaIndia
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COVER STORY
We provide legal advice and
representation to clients needing
help with all New Zealand Immigration
and Citizenship Issues including:
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McCLYMONT AND ASSOCIATESImmigration Law Specialists
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on 09 6233344 or021 994033
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Alastair McClymont
Aakanksha McClymont
Experience.Advice.Results.
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COVER STORY
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T E R T I A R Y C O L L E G E S G R O U P
PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN Paula Ray & Maya Shivam
We have all had our own reasonsto move out of our homecountry in search of greener pastures
and not just that, most of us for years,
have shied away from claiming our
heritage and ethnicity. Often, we are
seen nding reasons to explain why
we are not really Indian.
Lately, however, the tables seem
to have turned; such that even
returning to India seems to be a
viable option worth a try. The grass
denitely looks a lot greener now on
Indian shores.
We had been hearing about India
shining for a few years now. But in
the past few months, our homeland
has been shining so bright that we
can proudly thump our chests and
introduce ourselves as Indians.
What could have possibly
changed to bring about such a
reversal in our psyche? One reason
that immediately comes to mind is
that a clean green India is no longer
a utopian dream, but something that
every Indian is being forced to follow
be it a high ranking government
ofcial, a politician or a school-going
child. Swachch Bharat is de rigueur
and not open to choice.
As for us NRIs (non-resident
Indians), the country has opened its
doors wide open. The government
has granted lifelong visa for PIO
(person of Indian origin) card
holders, implying that we dont have
to wait in long queues to visit our
friends and family back home.
Foreign Direct Investment is
being encouraged to an extent that
the Modi government is wooing
foreign businesses to use India as
their manufacturing hub.
Whats new with that, you would
say? India has been exporting its
produce to western economies for
decades now. The difference lies
in the fact that manufacturing hubs
in India, want to upgrade their
productivity to cater to international
standards. So the next time you see
a Made in India tag on your shirt or
your gym towel, be proud and aunt
it.
The most unprecedented
development in recent times, to
make us truly proud, has been the
successful Mars orbiter mission
Mangalayan, which has made India
the fourth country to reach Mars;
the only country to do so in its rst
attempt and that too at an enviable
cost.
If we look at the nancial status
of the country during the recent
Vibrant Gujarat summit, 21,000
MoUs were signed, to invest Rs 2.5
billion. Not to mention, the galaxy of
star personalities that graced the land,
including UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon and US Secretary of State,
John Kerry.
The visit of all of these stars
though will pale with the visit of US
President Barack Obama as the Chief
Guest on the Indian Republic Day
marking his second visit to India
during the same term of ofce.
In preparation for Obamas visit,
innumerable CCTVs are being
installed all over New Delhi and a
battalion of security personnel have
already descended on the capital
city. To quote Indian news media,
the following are arriving along with
Obama:
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COVER STORY
Continued on Pg 5
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DISCLAIMER: *Based on availability and pricing as at 13th January 2015. Prices start from $385,000 NZD, refer to a current Victoria price list for a complete list ofprices. All prices are quoted in NZD. View angle will vary depending on the level and orientation of the residence. Every Precaution has been taken to establish theaccuracy of the material herein at the time of printing, however, no responsibility will be taken for any errors/omissions. Prospective purchasers should not confinethemselves solely to the content of this material and acknowledge that they have had a reasonable opportunity to seek legal, technical and other advice. The materialherein was prepared prior to commencement of construction and the approval of necessary Territorial Authority consents. Images of the building are in no way anaccurate representation of the materials that will be used in constructing Victoria Residences. The final building design and materials are subject to Auckland Councilapproval. The Developer reserves the right to increase o r decrease the number of units according to market demand and therefore sizes and layouts of units mayvary. Changes may be made during development and all dimensions, finishes, fittings and specifications are subject to change without notice. Auckland CouncilDistrict Plan (Central Area) minimum complying apartment sizes are studio 35m2, 1 bedrooms 45m2, 2 bedrooms 70m2, 3 bedrooms 90m2. A flexible room (flexiroom) is not a bedroom and cannot be used as such. It may be used as a study, TV room, gym or similar. All minimum sizes include the specified balcony areas.
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ARTISTS IMPRESSION ONLY ARTISTS IMPRESSI
India has achieved a remarkableand sustained socio-economicprogress in the last 20 years in scale,size and pace which is unprecedented
in its own history. I am humblyproud of my birth country India. I amhumbly proud of my home countryNew Zealand and being a Kiwi-Indian.Wishing you all a happy and safeIndian Republic Day.
Dr Sayeeda Bano JPSenior Lecturer of Economics
University of Waikato
Six aircrafts, carrying security
staff
Presidents cavalcade, with 30
cars. One of them might be the
Cadillac One, among the worlds
most high tech cars.
Marine One helicopters
Air Force One, Obamas
plane (equipped to protect Obama
even from nuclear attack)
Which other country in the world
can boast of having its general
election results telecast live at the
Times Square in New York and many
other countries in the world, including
New Zealand? The Manukau Square
had its own telecast and a celebration
for the worlds largest democracy.
It is indeed unprecedented that
a countrys Prime Minister gets a
Rockstar welcome with his own
independent platforms in foreign
lands during state visits, like we
witnessed Modi in Madison Square
Garden with an encore in Sydney.
Alright, thats enough of politics.
Lets turn towards sports and look
for some reason to celebrate. Voila!
Theres Rohit Sharmas 264 runs off
173 balls to cheer for, as is Saina
Nehwals medal at the Olympics.
Mary Kom fetched the rst-ever
Asian Games boxing gold medal
for India, with her biopic reckoned
amongst top Bollywood blockbusters
in the past year.
Talking about lms, Aamir
Khans PK grossed a record Rs 300
crore with a controversial story line
which has become a topic of heated,
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Continued from Pg 4
Continued on Pg 6
although quite liberating, arguments among
Indians both within and outside the country.
Irrfan Khan has made us proud by his
commendable performances, both in Hollywood
and mainstream Bollywood lms. His acting
prowess in Lunchbox was appreciated at the
Bafta awards in 2014.
Making it to the Forbes list of rich people is
again a milestone that has already been crossed
by many an Indian. Whats interesting is the
second ranking of Shah Rukh Khan in the list of
richest actors in the world, leaving behind the
likes of Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood and Tom
Hanks. In fact, SRK has also been decorated
with Chevalier de la Legion dHonneur for his
contribution to Bollywood.
As if rocking the world on the AR Rahman
beat of Jai Ho wasnt enough, Priyanka
Chopra, a Bollywood beauty, has not only made
her mark as a pop singer but has also quite
Belonging to a nation where thebasis of existence is universal andnot driven by any stagnant ideologyand a country that has practicedtolerance towards the barbaric worldaround and relentlessly strived toguide it to modern day civilisation;denitely gives a comforting feeling.Irresponsible historians in the past
may have written accolades about thelooters and plunderers that tried to
bruise Indian landmass, but now it isheartening to see that the realised worldunderstands the soul of India the proudaccomplishment for every Indian.
Veer KharPresident, Manukau Indian Association
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Continued from Pg 5
Namaste, kia ora and best wishes to all.
I am honoured to wish readers of the Indian Weekender and
their families a happy Republic Day.
Republic Day marks a seminal point in Indias history, and
we join with you in commemorating 66 years of Indias democ-
racy and statehood.
Auckland has strong links with India, and our growing In-
dian communities can rightly be proud of the place they have
in our region, and their signicant contribution to Aucklands
economic, social and cultural life.
The many different ethnicities represented in our population
set Auckland apart as a truly international city. Our diversity
is one of Aucklands greatest strengths, helping us be globally
connected and giving us greater appreciation of our friends and
neighbours home cultures.
It is important we recognise the positive contribution the In-
dian community makes to our region, and I am proud to join
you in commemorating Indias Republic Day. I wish you all the
very best in your celebrations.
Thank you.
Len Brown
MAYOR OF AUCKLAND
successfully cut an album with Pitbull. Recently, she released her single that is trending on the
top of most charts around the world.
The Indian diaspora around the world seems to have come out of their shells and shining
their own light. Rakesh Khurana was appointed as Dean at the Harvard College and Nitin
Nohria is the 10th and the current Dean of Harvard Business School. He is also the George F
Baker Professor of Administration.
The world over there is a rise in the number of Indians who are being included in foreign
Parliaments and power houses. New Zealand too has three Indian members in its Parliament. As
if this wasnt enough, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman was recently bestowed on our very own
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi. All these make us walk a few inches taller. To add to this is the Annual
Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame that acknowledges and celebrates the contribution of Kiwi-Indians in
our wider community.
Reecting the global popularity of Indian food, a number of Indian words like keema and
papad have been accepted in the Oxford English dictionary for the rs t time. The ninth edition
of the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, released recently, has included over 240 words
from Indian English.
For years the United Kingdom have had Chicken Tikka Masala as their favoured dish and a
recent survey stated that Butter Chicken is one of the top favourites in New Zealand. New-age
gurus and life coaches around the world are greeting or signing off with Namaste. The recent
inclusion of 21st June as the International Yoga Day is a worldwide recognition of one of the
oldest Indian practices.
Indian scientists and doctors around the world have for years earned acclaim with their genius.
While corruption is said to be largely under control ever s ince Anna Hazare led the India Against
Corruption supporters, the sidelines witnessed the growth through grit and determination of
a chaiwala (tea seller), raising the bar for Indian democracy by getting elected as the Prime
Minister of a country of 1.2 billion people.
We Indians have a long history of a rich and varied cultural heritage which gradually faded
through invasion and long periods of alien rule. Revival of our cultural roots are now clearly
visible. We now have grounds to be proud of our roots and there is no reason for any Indian to
shy away from proclaiming our ethnicity. India is today accepted as the fastest growing country
in the world and we are only just getting started. So lets throw our hands up in the air and
announce with all our heart
YESSS, WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN!
We are part of Indian culture, which isone of the oldest in the world. Indian culturehas rich history. It is based on non-violence,family values and helping each other. Welearn to respect each human being and diversecultures. One of the basic principles of beingan Indian, we respect our elders. These valuesmake me feel proud to be an Indian.
Roshan NauhriaMD, Nauhria Precast & Reinforcing Limited
We are very fortunate to have in ourheritage a rich and vibrant culture whichreects our everyday deeds. In 1950, Indiaadopted the Constitution which has set the
blueprint for the Government. Let all Indiansaround the world hold our head high; let theworld know we are Proud to be an Indian. AtVibrant Gujarat, which has turned to VibrantIndia, Modi said: Someones dream isdependent on someones direction. 65 years
ago, a dream was reached; let 2015 be the nextbig milestone in history. Vande Mataramand Happy Republic Day.
Ranjna PatelDirector, East Tamaki Healthcare
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NEW ZEALAND
NZ scientist receivestop award in ChinaScience and Innovation Minister StevenJoyce has welcomed the news that Kiwiscientist Dr Phil Rolston has been awarded the
Chinese Governments most prestigious sci-
ence prize for his work in grasslands seed de-
velopment.
Rolston, Senior Scientist at AgResearch Lin-
coln, received the award at a ceremony in The
Great Hall of the People which was attended by
President Xi Jinping, Vice-Premier Li Keqiang,
and Minister of Science and Technology Wan
Gang.
The International Science and
Technology Co-operation Award of
the Peoples Republic of China is that
countrys highest accolade for foreign
scientists, Mr Joyce says.
Dr Rolston has dedicated more
than three decades of his working life to
advance grasslands seed development
and pasture improvement systems, es-
pecially in Gansu Province. Improved
soil fertility has meant higher-quality
pastures for famers, which is having a
signicant impact on productivity and
protability in the region.
China is an important science and
innovation partner for New Zealand.
Research collaboration between the
two countries is growing rapidly, and
President Xi Jinpings visit to New
Zealand in November highlighted our
deepening partnerships.
This award is a tremendous honour
for Rolston, and a great example of
how our best and brightest are forging
strong and enduring linkages with Chi-
na to build knowledge and expertise in
new areas.
Annual convention forAhmadiyya MuslimCommunity
T
he Ahmadiyya Muslim Community will
be hosting their 26th Annual Religious
Conference in Manukau on Saturday 24th of
January with a large gathering of Muslims and
invited guests expected to attend.
This year the theme for the Annual
Conference is Allah the Almighty, giving
prominence to our creator and our obligation to
humanity (His creation).
Mohammad Iqbal, National President of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, believes that
Allah the Almighty is the Master and the King.
He has no equal or partner and He is the sole
Creator of everything in the universe. Failure
to understand the unity of God has transcended
mankind into all sorts of turmoil, violence, and
brutality in the name of Allah and religion.
said Iqbal.
The Spiritual Head of the Worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat
Mirza Masroor Ahmad in his closing address at
the Annual Convention held in Qadian, India on
28 December 2014, said .in the rst chapter
of the Holy Quran, Allah has stated that He is
the Lord of all the Worlds and as such He is
the Lord of all people of all beliefs. Thus, it was
impossible for a true Muslim to show anything
other than sympathy for all of mankind.
His Holiness said, We must develop the
very highest standards of compassion for all
humanity. Love for every person should gush
forth from our hearts like water gushes from a
fountain. We must nurse those who are in pain
or those whose hearts ache with grief. Only
then can we be considered true representatives
of Islam.
People can never justify injustices whether
it be politically or economically motivated or
power driven or anger dr iven to use the name
of God to glue the ignorant people together
to justify joining them and ghting and
shedding innocent blood, usurping other rights/
properties, honour and dignity, said Iqbal
In a special session for guests and dignitaries
starting at 11.00 am, the central missionary
Maulana Shaq-ur-Rehman will speak on God,
the Source of Peace.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community is
a religious organisation, international in its
scope. It is acknowledged worldwide for its
sincere efforts to promote peace.
The Ahmadiyya annual convention is
celebrated internationally in countries all
over the world including Australia, England,
Germany, Canada and the United States of
America, with tens of thousands of participants.
The convention will be held at 20 Dalgety
Drive, Wiri Manukau on Saturday, January
24 starting at 11:00am. Any member of the
public wishing to attend should contact Mr.
Eqbal Khan, National Secretary for External
Affairs on 021 133 6146. Refreshments and
lunch provided by the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community.
Dr. Phil Rolston
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NEW ZEALAND
Fun-lled ve days Swati Sharma
More than hundred childrenparticipated in the summercamp organized by Bhartiya Samaj
Charitable trust from 12-16 January.
The volunteers and staff members
made the annual camp a grand
success.
Five days of cultural, fun-lled
and entertaining environment, saw
children and parents satised with
the arrangements and facilities at the
camp.
Founder and trustee of Bhartiya
Samaj Charitable Trust, Jeet Suchdev
said, Ultimately, we are helping
children to believe in themselves.
Whether it is providing our children
with healthy well balanced meals
throughout the day, or nurturing a
healthy and safe environment so
children are recognized for their
personal achievements; everything
we do is about helping our children
reach their own potential.
Other than fun, physical
activities, learning and integrity werethe rules that all children followed.
They were also encouraged to show
respect to other participants and be
honest. They were all found to be
responsible for their own words and
actions, ensuring a positive effect on
the Camp.
Sports activities were followed by
professional team of sportspersons
from Kelly Sports. Coaches did the
maximum efforts to make the camp
enjoyable. The Bolliworks exercise
sessions by Health & Fitness
Educator Ella Kumar were also quite
popular.
Twins conquer seven peaksAfter conquering seven peaks ofthe world, Indian twins Tashiand Nungshi Malik are set to take
on their next adventure. The Malik
twins have each been awarded a New
Zealand India Sports Scholarship
(NZISS) to study the Graduate
Diploma in Sport and Exercise at
the Southern Institute of Technology
(SIT) in Invercargill in February this
year.
The sisters concurred the nal of
the 7 peaks, Mt Vinson in Antarctica
in December 2014. This made the
Malik twins the rst siblings and
rst twins to successfully climb
all 7 peaks of the world. This is
part of mission #2 for 7 which was
born out of the juxtaposition of
our love for mountaineering and
our desire to ght for the cause
of Indian girl child. Coming from
a place with female feticide and
increasing violence against the girl
child, we want to stand for her as
she climbs mountains through lifes
journey. Using our mountaineering
as a metaphor for lifes climbs
and breaking gender stereotypes,
we want to show her that she can
conquer every obstacle thats thrown
her way. (www.nungshitashi.com)
The New Zealand India Sports
Scholarship is funded by the New
Zealand government will cover all
2015 tuition fees to study at SIT for
Tashi and Nungshi plus a contribution
to their living costs. Ten lucky
scholars from India were awarded
a NZISS to study at institutions
in New Zealand. SIT secured the
highest number of awardees with
three of the ten scholarships coming
to study the Graduate Diploma in
Sport and Exercise in 2015. Yogesh
Sharma joins the twins as SITs third
NZISS awardee.
Yogesh is a physiotherapist by
profession and is actively involved
with private Cricket Academies in
Delhi (North India) giving young
cricketers physical training and
cricket coaching. He was a local
physician/trainer for the Canadian
National Cricket Team when they
were in India for the Cricket World
Cup warm-up games. Sharma has
also assisted the Rajasthan Royals
(Indian Premier League) team on
various occasions.
The scholarship winners were
delighted to receive their awards
from Stephen Fleming - Former
Black Caps captain and Primary
Industries Minister Nathan Guy in
New Delhi at a special celebration
to kick off the 2015 World Cricket
Cup (to be held in New Zealand and
Australia).
SIT, CE Penny Simmonds said
she was delighted that SIT had
secured the most scholarships of any
Tertiary Institute and having meet
Tashi and Nungshi Malik she is sure
they and Yogesh Sharma will be real
assets to the Southland community
while they are at SIT next year.
Ms Simmonds said she hoped
community organisations would
make the most of having three high
prole Indian sports people in our
midst by asking them to speak and
take part in community activities.
Children having fun at theSummer Camp
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NEW ZEALAND
The Indian Kite Festival Rizwan Mohammad
The Indian Kite Festival 2015 wassuccessfully celebrated at theAvondale racecourse last Saturday.
More than 9000 people participated
in this once in a year festival of kite
ying and having a wonderful family
outing.
The Kite Festival was organised
by Vaishnav Parivar who have been
doing it for the last 10 years in
Auckland and seeing the massive
turn out of crowd here, this festival
is being replicated in the cities like
Sydney and Melbourne in Australia
too. This festival is an opportunity
that Indian families have been looking
forward to all year, to come together
and celebrate the togetherness of the
whole Indian community.
The program started at 11am and
the crowd kept increasing by every
hour with the peak hours being 2 pm
onwards. Though drizzle did slow
down the momentum of the show for
a couple of minutes but the people
were back again enthusiastic and
lled with energy for the occasion.
Kite festival which is basically a
festival for the Gujrati community,
but it brought together the people
from all different communities
in New Zealand. The Avondale
racecourse was occupied with people
from Gujrat, Punjab, the South
Indian community, Fiji-Indians and
European community too. The venue
itself looked vibrant, bursting with
colourful dresses, single and family
size camping tents, children running
around and food items.
The food stalls had traditional
Indian street king food items like
bhel puri, chaats, sugarcane juice
and ice gola. The venue also had
kids playing corners like karting
with family, cycling and merry-
go-round. The skies were full with
different sizes and designs of kites
like spider-man designed, shark
shaped kites, regular animated and
traditional designed kites that were
being sold for $2 to $5 at the venue.
The crowd comprised of people from
all age groups and it brought families
together on a fun weekend outing.
There were also stage performances
by individuals, face painting for the
kids and hourly draws to win prizes.
Though the rain towards the evening
shortened the show by an hour but the
show altogether was a grand success
for the organisers and the Indian
community.
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NEW ZEALAND
MAYORALDRIVENews from the Council
Second Symposium on managing KauriDieback Disease
Everyone interested in protecting kauri areinvited to attend the second Symposiumon kauri dieback disease (Phytophthora taxon
Agathis or PTA), which can kill kauri of all
ages and sizes.
We held our rst Kauri Dieback Symposium
in 2013 to encourage open discussions about
this disease, the current research and efforts
to reduce the disease spreading, says Kauri
Dieback Programme Leadership Chair, Erik
van Eyndhoven.
Dr Nari Williams, science leader for
the Healthy trees, healthy future; enabling
technologies to combat Phytophthora diseases,
says This event will showcase what our
scientists and new ush of graduate students are
bringing to the programme. It is an exciting way
for scientists to engage with iwi, land owners
and communities to discuss how our research
aims to support kauri dieback management,
now and into the future.
Come and hear more about what is happening
and what it will mean for the protection of kauri
and other key plant species nationally at the
second Kauri Dieback Symposium being held
at the Copthorne Hotel and Resort, Hokianga
on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February, 2015.
There will also be a panel discussion and
a eld trip hosted by Te Roroa following the
Symposium on Sunday 15 February.
Anyone interested in learning more
about how they can help keep kauri standing
is welcome to register for this free event.
Please register your interest online at www.
kauridieback.co.nz
Remember, everyone has a part to play in
helping prevent the spread of kauri dieback.
Keep to tracks and off kauri roots, and remove
all soil from your shoes, tyres and equipment
before and after visiting kauri forests.
Long Term Planphotographycompetition
The Christchurch City Council is askingphotographers to capture a striking imageof a city in transition for the cover of its Long
Term Plan.
The Plan published in March will shape the
city over the next 10 years and beyond, and
Mayor Lianne Dalziel is keen to nd a very
special cover shot.
Were looking for an image that captures
the mood of a city in transition, a place where
the unexpected is the new normal, a place
where anything is possible. This time we want
your imagination to run wild.
Yes the earthquakes did enormous damage,
but with the rebuild really underway theres
now a sense of new and exciting things ahead
and we want the cover to reect that.
Anyone can enter up to ve images in the
photography competition which closes on 22
February. For further information on entries go
to www.ccc.govt.nz/photocompetition
The winner will receive an acknowledgement
on the inside cover of the Long Term Plan
consultation document which may also feature
other competition entries on inside pages.
The winning image and other highly
commended photographs will also go on show
in the Councils Civic Ofces in March.
Two companiesned for unlawfulworks on residentialdevelopment sites
Two property developers have been ned bythe Auckland District Court for residentialdevelopments carried out in breach of the
Resource Management Act (RMA).
Union Development Ltd, a property
development company, was ned $42,750 for
the discharge of a large quantity of concrete
from a residential development to the Wairaki
Stream in Lyneld. This occurred while a
retaining wall was being constructed. The
concrete was up to 25cm thick in places in
the stream and extended for about 100 metres
through Lyneld Reserve. Several eels and sh
were killed by the concrete.
In sentencing Union Development, Judge
Harland found that the company was negligent
in relation to its environmental obligations:
A message needs to be given that those who
undertake property development, even on a
small scale, need to make themselves fully
aware of their environmental. If the property
developer is not familiar with the requirements,
then the obligation is on them to employ a
person who is.
Another property developer, SCD Ltd,
was ned $17,812 for continually failing to
comply with resource consent conditions by
carrying out works in the drip line of scheduled
Kahikatea and Rimu trees, including severing
several of the tree roots, and pruning trees
without consent. The company had been
warned several times by council employees and
issued with abatement notices, but still failed to
comply with the RMA.
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POWER COLUMN
Harnessing the power of the sun
These long sunny days are not onlygood for outdoor family time,they can provide us with abundant
and cheap energy. The conversion
of sunlight to electricity has long
been possible, but reduced costs and
improved efciencies of solar arrays
are now making it cheaper to harness
the power of the sun. Solar power
can displace the burning of coal and
gas, contributing to a lowering of
greenhouse gas emissions that cause
climate change.
Power can be generated in
centralised solar power stations,
but the most exciting development
is rooftop solar. Householders are
now installing solar arrays on their
rooftops, generating electricity
to displace their purchases from
utilities and selling power back to
the grid. This lowers transmission
costs because electricity can be used
locally rather than being sent from
far away (most power comes from
the South Island). Potentially lower
electricity bills, reduced reliance on a
distribution grid and lower emissions
means that its a win-win-win.
As a result, most governments
support solar power and accelerate
its introduction. As an example,
Germany which is not noted for high
sunshine hours, recently produced
more than half of its electricity
through solar power, mainly from
rooftops. Increasingly India and other
developing countries are embracing
the opportunities to generate their
electricity from solar power. Their
companies are at the forefront of the
growing solar industries.
But the New Zealand government
has not supported the introduction
of solar. Instead, the government
continues to give subsidies to oil
and gas and to the coal company,
Solid Energy, supporting the
pollution economy rather than clean
technology. The government has
also allowed the utilities to reduce
the prices they pay from surplus
electricity from household solar,
discouraging households from
installing solar.
The Green Party has policies to
encourage the use of solar, including
requiring the Electricity Authority to
set a fair price for utilities for surplus
electricity, and helping schools and
households to invest in solar arrays.
With government encouragement,
we can become the rst country
to generate all our electricity from
renewable sources. New Zealand
can lead the world in the transition
away from fossil fuels, beneting our
economy, encouraging self-reliance
and reducing our climate change
emissions. This is an exciting vision.
Barry Coates was a Green
Party candidate for Mt Roskill. He
was formerly Executive Director
of Oxfam New Zealand and has
more than 20 years experience of
international negotiations on climate
change. He has a Masters degree in
management from Yale University.
Barry CoatesGreen Party
Looking ahead in 2015
Im looking forward to anotherbusy year as the Governmentfocuses on locking in the hard-won
gains New Zealanders have made
under National. I want this country
to seize the many opportunities
available over the next few years to
get more jobs and higher wages to
support New Zealanders and their
families.
We begin 2015 in good shape.
The economy is in its fth year of
expansion and economic growth is
expected to average around 3 per
cent over the next four years, better
than the Euro area, United States,
United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada.
Employment is growing, with
72,000 more people employed than a
year ago, and an additional 153,000
people are expected to be in work by
mid-2019.
The average full-time wage
is expected to rise by $8000 to
around $64,000 by mid-2019.
Unemployment, currently down to
5.4 per cent, is expected to fall to 4.5
per cent by 2018.
Interest rates are staying lower
for longer, and household disposable
income is increasing faster than
ination rising 9 per cent in real
terms over the past four years. It is
forecast to increase another 9 per
cent over the next four years.
Our positive performance and
outlook in an unpredictable world
led one international bank economist
to call New Zealand the rock star
economy.
However, our goal isnt to be a
rock star. Its to be rock solid. We
want stable, sustainable growth
over the long term to support New
Zealanders and their families.
Well continue to do this by
spending taxpayers money wisely
and responsibly managing the
countrys nances just like youd
expect us to.
Well continue to build a more
competitive and productive economy
because thats the bes t way to create
more jobs and increase your wages.
Well continue to work at
delivering better public services.
These include lifting educational
achievement and upskilling our
workforce, providing better and
more convenient healthcare, getting
more people off welfare and into
work, supporting the vulnerable, and
making our communities safer.
Well also continue to support the
rebuilding of Christchurch because
we pledged we would stand with our
second-largest city, and we are.
This is a remarkable country and
there are many opportunities for us
all.
After a refreshing break with
family and friends Im looking
forward to getting stuck in and
continuing to build the brighter
future our community and all New
Zealanders deserve.
Kanwaljit Singh BakshiNational List MP
Winston PetersNZ First leader
Pressure goes on jobs, hospitals, housing,school from immigration
The Social Development Minister
spoke on radio about the numberof people on welfare benets in New
Zealand. She mentioned that there
was a need to be careful we dont ll
up all the spaces with immigrants.
This was a revelation as National
has refused to act on the record levels
of immigration, both permanent and
temporary, while New Zealand First
has pointed out the numbers are
putting increased pressure on all our
public services like hospitals and
schools, and increasing demand for
housing. There is also pressure on
jobs. Its not as though there is an
abundance of jobs available in New
Zealand.
Low-skilled jobs are being
snapped up by international students,
who National has allowed work
permits, and record migrant numbers
staying each year. However, we have
an ofcial unemployment rate of140,000 and thousands on casual and
part-time work.
New Zealand First has always
believed in immigration that will
benet New Zealand.
Everyone can see the migrant
workforce is growing rapidly.
Service stations and supermarket
counters are manned by foreign
workers, thousands of foreign
construction workers have poured
in for the Christchurch Rebuild, and
the dairy industry has a sea of foreign
employees.
New Zealand First believes its
long since time to take a breather
from ooding the country with
people and concentrate on getting
New Zealanders into work and
taking the heat out of the rental and
home ownership market.
The-OECD warns we have anunmanaged ow of temporary
workers, the biggest among 34
OECD countries, and it says it is
potentially bad for New Zealanders
job chances.
National has just opened the
gates, picking the easy option to keep
wages and conditions down.
At the same time National is
trying to push people off benets
when the few jobs are snapped up by
migrants, many of whom will accept
any conditions, as has been revealed
in Christchurch.
The government is doing little
about job creation. The Minister
claimed on radio that on the East
Coast of the North Island, for
example, it was a pretty good
lifestyle. Obviously she is not
working on job creation in the region
We now know that the government
understands that record immigration
is causing problems. Their inaction is
obviously about playing politics. The
sad reality is that New Zealanders are
the victims.
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INDIA
India-US ties set to move to transformative level Ranjana Narayan
India-US ties are set to move tothe transformative level during
President Barack Obamas India visit
later this week, building also on the
personal rapport developed between
him and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi with both sides keen to have
promising outcomes from the talks on
a range of issues, including defence,
energy, education and economic
cooperation.
Obama, chief guest at this years
Republic Day parade, has described
Modi as a man of action.
The two leaders have met thrice
already in the recent past - in
Washington during the bilateral in
September last year, in Myanmarduring the East Asia Summit and in
Brisbane during the G20 in November.
But the Jan 25 bilateral would be an
important summit meeting in that
it would seek to give a more concrete
shape to many of the agreed points of
the joint statement issued last year in
Washington.
The summit would see a more
broader partnership and more
energized ties between the two sides.
In the eld of defence, both sides
are set to ink a new 10-year defence
framework agreement that would take
defence cooperation to a higher level.
Talks on developing the next
generation aircraft carrier are likely to
gain steam as well as on coproduction
of defence equipment.
The US is keen to replicate in part
the kind of defence cooperation that
India and Russia share, especially
on the lines of the BrahMos missiles
that is jointly developed by the two
countries.
The US is also to cooperate with a
planned National Defence University
to be set up by India.
The agreement for US involvement
the Smart Cities project for Ajmer,
Allahabad and Vishakhapatnam is
also to get a push during the talks.
Talks have been going on betweenrelevant authorities to take forward
the project over the past few months.
It would see the US participating in
the three cities as knowledge partner
in the areas of trafc management,
solid waste management, garbage
disposal, recycling waste water and in
water storage, said sources.
Economic ties are also set to get a
major leg up.
The fact that the US government
and business houses view the Modi
government as business-friendly
is evident from the fact that an
80-member team from the US with
12 CEOs attended the Vibrant Gujarat
Summit in Gandhinagar, led by US
Secretary of State John Kerry.
Kerry had met Modi during the
sidelines of the Vibrant Gujarat for
talks on the agenda for Obamas
visit. The US Secretary of State
later told reporters that both sides
would strive to make progress on the
four main issues of climate change,
defence, civil nuclear cooperation and
economic partnership.
The stalled civil nuclear deal is
also expected to get a major push with
the contact group from both sides
having held two rounds of talks so far.
Issues over Indias liability laws are
expected to be ironed over.
The US is hoping to build on the
Modi governments bold policy
initiatives like Make in India, Smart
Cities, Skilling India and renewable
energy.
After Modis assurance to foreign
companies to ensure ease in doing
business in India by cutting away red
tape, more investments have been
owing into India from the US.
More concrete movement on the
Modi governments Digital India
initiative as well as on Indias proposal
to establish the Global Initiative of
Academic Networks (GIAN, or
Knowledge) would be seen during the
summit.
As part of cooperation under GIAN,
which is part of the joint statement,
India is to invite and host up to 1,000
American academics each year to
teach in centrally-recognized Indian
Universities, at their convenience.
While the American teachers are to be
reimbursed by their parent universities,
India would be looking after their stayin the country and also pay a token
amount.
The process of identifying the
universities on both sides is underway.
The talks would also see forward
movement to cooperation in the
health sector, especially in developing
affordable vaccines for dengue,
malaria, and tuberculosis and also in
cancer research.
Obama is the rst US president
to visit India twice during his tenure
and the rst to attend the Republic
Day parade as chief guest.
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INDIA
Obama visit to bring Make In India tidings Biswajit Choudhury
Happening like a quick follow-up to Prime Minister NarendraModis November US visit that
secured its corporate commitments
of $41 billion in India, President
Barack Obamas visit later this
week is expected to result in major
announcements on the Make In India
front, informed sources said.
Amitabh Kant, secretary in the
department of industrial policy and
promotion (DIPP), is currently
heading a team in Washington for
an outreach on the Make in India
programme Tuesday that will
be attended by all top American
companies with interets in India
A source in the commerce and
industry ministry told IANS that the
outreach will convey the improved
environment for doing business in
India and assure US investors of a
stable policy regime. The delegation
will meet with ofcials of several top
companies to get investments in the
industrial corridors planned in India.
During the Obama visit,
intellectual property rights and a
bilateral investment treaty (BIT)
would be key issues on the agenda,
according to a US State Department
ofcial. The commerce ministry
source said a series of woerking
group meetings are planned on
various issues, including intellectual
property rights (IPR), investment
in manufacturing, a totalisation
pact, market access for agricultural
products and an easier visa regime.
The groups were set up under
the trade policy forum (TPF),
reconvened after a gap of four years
in November, that was co-chaired
by Commerce and Industry Minister
Nirmala Sitharaman and US Trade
Representative Michael Froman.
The US has been pressing for
tightening Indias IPR regime,
while Froman had, in November,
said here that high standards were
being adopted by the Trans-Pacic
Partnership (TPP), and India too
needs to look at its current standards.
While ofcials from both sides
are working on a multi-billion dollar
fund to invest in Indias renewable
energy sector to be announced during
the US presidents visit, solar power
projects have reportedly become
problematic due to the Make In India
campaign.
The governments announcement
last month, of a series of 1,000
MW solar PV (photovoltaic) power
projects that has a mandatory
condition that all PV cells and
modules used in solar plants set up
under the scheme will be made in
India, is reportedly an irritant for the
US.
The US has complained against
India at the World Trade Organisation
over the Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Missions domestic content
requirement (DCR) for solar cells
and solar modules in its projects.
India maintains that US subsidies
on solar products threaten Indian
manufacturers and has accused it
of dumping cheap and outdated
technology in India.
India is expected to push for
an easier US visa regime for its
professionals and a totalisation pact
that would exempt Indian workers
from having to make social security
contributions.
Top chief executives from both
countries are slated to meet to meet
on Jan 26 to set the agenda for
economic cooperation.
The US is the sixth largest investor
in India with $13 billion from April
2000 to September 2014. It is also
Indias second largest trading partner
after China with bilateral trade worth
$61.64 billion.
Political leadership in the Indian context Amit Kapoor
The Oxford online dictionarydescribes leadership as: Theaction of leading a group of people
or an organization, or the ability to
do this.
Three points arise from this
denition. First, there has to be
action. It may be thought of as work
as described in karmic terms by
Krishna to Arjuna in The Bhagavad
Gita. Second, there essentially hasto be someone who is willing to be
lead. In other words, there has to be
someone ready to follow a leader.
Krishna, the lord of the world, is
urging Arjuna, his follower, for
action. Third, the ability to lead is
dependent upon authority (by virtue
of position) or exercise of power
(spiritual/moral/physical) by the
leader. In this case, the power of
Krishna is derived from his being the
lord of the universe.
Next week the leader of the
worlds largest democracy will
meet the leader of the worlds most
prosperous and presumably theoldest one. They will discuss the
future of these two great nations.
A pertinent question that comes
immediately to mind is: How much
do destinies of nations depend on
individual leadership? Most people
would agree that institutions are
necessary for the rise and fall of
nations. What about the relationship
of effective leadership to the future
of countries? We believe it is central
but often neglected.
One needs to make a distinction
between leadership, management
and power. Leadership is often
dependent on a purpose and results
in a change in values, ideals, vision
et al. Management is often objectives
driven and results in a kind of stabilityand is based on rationality, process
driven thinking and the fulllment
of contractual obligations. Power
mainly refers to the means leaders
have to potentially inuence others.
The rise of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has turned the
attention away from the views of
an institution/organization (the
BJP) in the political context to an
individuals and the view of his
leadership ability. While it is early
days to take a position on him as
a leader on the national front, it
must be mentioned that his success
as a leader has inspired a wholepublication industry with books like
Nitin Agarwals 21 Leadership
lessons of Narendra Damodardas
Modi, Andy Marinos Narendra
Modi: A Political Biography and
Sudesh Vermas Narendra Modi
The Gamechanger.
The rst book draws lessons and
principles from Modis leadership
ability that has brought him success.
Marino deals with an analysis of
Modis personal and political life.
Vermas book focuses on Narendra
Modi the man. All these books allude
to a broader point of the need for
undertaking research in political
leadership in postcolonial societies
that has largely been missing atleast
in the academic world in the Indiancontext.
Although one hears of leadership
programmes /modules/development
of leadership in educational
institutions in India, research
in political as well as business
leadership is scant when we compare
it to the US. It could be because
the initial focus in a developing
country context is on building proper
institutions rather than researching
leadership. However, as regards
people, from times immemorial,
leaders have caught their fascination.
In earlier times often the people who
are today recognized as great leaderswere either from the religious/
spiritual domain (think Mohammad,
or Jesus or Kabir or Vivekananda
or even the Dalai Lama today) or
from the political/militaristic domain
(think Alexander, Napolean, Akbar,
Ashoka and the like).
If one looks at the political
context of the previous century to
name just a few political leaders,
some that would immediately come
to mind would be Gandhi, Churchill,
Kennedy, Reagan, Thatcher,
Roosevelt, Mao, Hitler, Mussolini,
Stalin, Mandela and the like. Some
of them did an excellent service to
their nations, others ruined them.
Similarly businesses too have had
great leaders in the previous century -think of the likes of JP Morgan, John
D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford and Walt
Disney, and most recently, Steve
Jobs, Dhirubhai Ambani and Ratan
Tata. The list is no way complete and
is only meant to serve a suggestive
purpose. What has their impact
been? What can we learn from their
leadership? While we have taken
leaders, that too a select few from
the governments and corporations,
people in the arts, civil society, the
judiciary and the media have been
equally if not more distinguished.
What impact has their lives made
on the fate of nations? That is acrucial starting point in the analysis
of leadership and its implications for
the rise and fall of nations.
It must be noted that leadership as
a theme is as old as political inquiry
itself. Early examples of people
grappling with the idea of leadership
come from Plato, Machiavelli, Sun
Tzu, Confucius and Kautilya et al.
In the most recent past, it has been
examined through various lenses
and approaches and therefore several
theories of leadership have emerged.
Several experts and scholars too have
actively contributed in the western
world to the research and scholarship
on leadership, most prominent
among them being Warren Bennis,
Stephen Covey, and Peter F. Drucker.Perhaps in the years to come we may
see more inquiry into the nature of
leadership in the Indian context. The
present government would be indeed
wise to remember Ronald Reagans
advice on leadership taken from
21 leadership lessons of Narendra
Modi: To grasp and hold a vision
that is the very essence of successful
leadership. With his recent address
at a global economic summit we
know Modi has a vision for India, but
will he be able to hold on to it, we
will have to wait and watch.
The article is co-authored with
Sankalp Sharma, Senior Researcherat the Institute for Competitiveness,
India. The views expressed are
personal. Amit Kapoor is Chair,
Institute for Competitiveness &
Editor of Thinkers.
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FIJI
NEWS inBRIEF
Report analyses electoral processThe Concerned Citizens for Credible Elections group launched the Voter
Perception Based Elections Report last week in Suva, reports Fiji Sun.
Suliana Siwatibau, group chairperson, said the repor t provided an analysis
of the electoral procedures of last Septembers general elections.
We had 106 volunteer researchers of which 100 were ready to gather
information on the set-up of election stations, counting of votes and votersperceptions, Siwatibau said. The purpose was to learn from the exper ience
to improve future elections and election monitoring.
It is our hope that all our efforts will not be in vain but will give rise to
greater citizen participation in election monitoring for increasing faith in our
democratic institutions into the future, she said.
The group is made up of 16 civil society organisations like the Fiji
Womens Crisis Centre, Pacic Dialogue, Fiji Council of Churches and the
Citizens Constitutional Forum among others.
Trade Union electionsCoral Coast Tourism and Catering Union will hold its election in early
February, supervised by the Fijian Elections Ofce.
The union was formed by the employees of the Warwick Fiji Resort
and Spa after being dissatised with the Union of Hospitality, Catering and
Tourism Industries Employees in 2013.
Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem conrmed that in the rst
quarter of this year, a number of trade union elections would be held. Under
the Electoral Decree, trade unions now need to notify the Fijian Elections
Ofce of their intention to organise an election at least six weeks prior to
the date xed for the elections. The new system makes the election of trade
unionists transparent.
Education makes a smart country:PM
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says an educated country is a smart
country. And a smart country can produce the quality goods and services
that can boost Fijis capacity to compete on the international stage to
make our exports a byword for quality and Fijian workers valued the world
over, Bainimarama said at the opening of the Niusawa High School girls
dormitory, reports Fiji Sun.
So I want to leave an important message with you all today that I hope
will resonate across Fiji. That your school motto here in Niusawa nothingwithout work is a motto that should be embraced by every Fijian, he said.
Online water bills from MarchFrom March onwards Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) customers will be
able to access their water bills through the internet. The authoritys Gentrack
billing system will be fully operational by then.
Chief executive ofcer, Opetaia Ravai, said the new system would
replace the outdated billing process that has been in existence since the
Public Works Department (PWD) days. He said the existing billing system
has not evolved with the changing business and customer needs. It is all part
of WAF upgrading, to provide our customers with the latest in technology for
a faster and more efcient services.
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Roofng SpecialistsASPHALT ROOFING (NZ) LIMITED
New builds and Reroofs
Ph. 022 086 1709 | www.asphaltroong.co.nz
New funding scheme beginsdebateThe Oppositions criticism of thenew parliamentary funding forparty ofces demonstrates a
further misunderstanding of
the separation of powers and
parliamentary procedures and
processes, says the Government.
Responding to claims by
Opposition leader, Ro Teimumu
Kepa, at a press conference,
the government spokesperson
said that the new funding
system was imposed on them
without consultation and with
less than 48 hours notice before
implementation, reports Fiji
Sun.
This is unacceptable. The
entire episode is not parliamentary
democracy, but its parliamentary
dictatorship, said the
spokesperson, claiming that the
directive came from Minister forFinance Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
Under the new arrangement,
Secretary-General to Parliament,
Viniana Namosimalua, states that the
new funding system allocates parties
$15,000 per Member of Parliament
per annum.
According to Namosimaluas letter
dated January 8 and addressed to the
secretary-generals of the three parties
in Parliament, she advised them on
the new funding allocation and her
decision to revoke the appointments
of all political parties support staff
in their respective parliamentary
ofces saying that political parties in
parliament will no longer be providedwith established civil service positions
for their parliamentary ofces.
The allocation means FijiFirst (32
MPs) will receive $480,000 a year;
SODELPA (15 MPs) will receive
$225,000 a year while NFP (three
MPs) will get $45,000.
This is funding for the parties
to run their Parliamentary ofces
independently and choose their own
staff outside civil service rules. This
new arrangement is effective from 1st
January, 2015.
All temporary appointments and
extension of appointments of existing
staff in the respective political party
ofces under civil service positionshad been revoked from January 9.
The Government denied
Namosimalua had acted on the
directions of the Minister of Finance
to implement the new funding
arrangement.
Its statement said: To the
contrary, the new arrangement was
implemented by the Secretary-
General in the exercise of the powers
conferred upon the Secretary-General
under the Constitution. The 8 January
2015 letter from the Secretary-
General to all political parties in
Parliament makes it very clear that
the Secretary-General, in the exercise
of her constitutional powers, has
decided that political parties in
Parliament will no longer be provided
with established civil service
positions for their parliamentary
ofces. Instead, all the political
parties will be allocated funding by
the Secretary-General and it will be
the responsibility of the respective
political par ties to engage their own
staff for their political party ofces in
Parliament.
Furthermore, in her 8 January
2015 letter, the Secretary-General
further states as follows: Based on the
funding appropriated for Parliament
in the 2015 National Budget under the
2015 Appropriation Act 2014, I have
reviewed the amounts to be allocated
to each political party for the staff of
their parliamentary ofces and I have
decided that each political party will
be allocated funding of $15,000 per
member per annum.
It is therefore quite clear from
the 8 January 2015 letter that the
Secretary-General decided in her own
right that she will be making
and implementing this new
arrangement for the funding of
stafng of parliamentary ofcesof political parties.
Given the above, the
claims by the Opposition are
misleading and superuous. In
light of the fact that the decision
to implement a new funding
arrangement was made by the
Secretary-General, any claim
that there was a breach of the
Constitution or the Standing
Orders is unfounded.
There is no doubt that the
Secretary-General consulted
and held discussions with the
Minister of Finance, as the
funding of stafng is being
sourced from monies allocatedto Parliament under the 2015
National Budget.
There is nothing unconstitutional
or improper about an independent
constitutional ofce consulting the
Minister of Finance or his Ministry
on budgetary and funding issues, both
before and after the announcement
of the National Budget. Such
consultations on nancial matters are
regularly held and will continue to
be held with numerous independent
constitutional ofces, including the
Judiciary, the Director of Public
Prosecutions, FICAC, Auditor-
General, Supervisor of Elections and
other Commissions established under
the Constitution.
Of course, the Secretary-General
held discussions with the Minister
of Finance regarding resourcing
of Government and Opposition
parliamentary ofces. Indeed, even
before the 2015 National Budget
was nalised, the Secretary-General
had raised concerns with respect to
the provision and management of
staff for the respective political party
parliamentary ofces. These included
hiring of staff who were over the civil
service retirement age, as well as
requests for staff to be appointed to
civil service positions without having
proper qualications and without a
competitive selection criteria being
followed.
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FIJI
Floodgate OpensAoodgate has been constructed in Waikete Village in Tailevuto prevent salt water from reaching farms and crops in thevillage, reports Fiji Sun.
The oodgate is a combined effort by the Ministry of Agriculture
and the Pacic Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Programme
to support families, especially farmers, whose crops are affected
by the high salinity content in the soil.
The Ministrys Land and Water Resource Management
(LWRM) Division director, Colin Simmons, explained that the
new oodgate would also mitigate ooding in the village.
Waikete village is a pilot project area for the PACC Program
and this was one of the last projects for 2014 in the Central
Division, he said.
The Victoria
Residences signed
26 contracts on
rst day of release
A
fter successfully selling down fourcity residential developments in 2013
and 2014, Conrad Properties Limitedhave recently embarked upon anotherprestigiously located
Residences and Retail Development. TheVictoria Residences nestled on the cornerof Victoria Street West and Federal Street isonly a dollar coins throw from the Sky Towerand Sky City Casino. The opening day of theVIP release on Monday welcomed over 100agents from New Zealands top real estaterms, representing many interested buyers
of this distinguished address in AucklandsCBD. Acclaimed Auckland architects,The Leuschke Group, have designed TheVictoria Residences to echo the vibrancy ofits surroundings. Every residence combinesclever design with space saving innovations
and environmental eciencies. There are 161one and two bedroom beautifully appointedresidences and nine ground level retail unitswithin the 25 storey development. Prices forthe freehold strata title superior residencesrange between $385,000 for a one bedroomSky Pad to over $1,000,000 for a top leveltwo bedroom Premium Sky Home. Theopening day saw over 26 sales followed witha strong second day of interest in this undersupplied segment of the Auckland housingmarket. Purchasers have the opportunity tosecure a residence o-the-plan with a low
initial deposit of only $1,000 (which is held inthe stakeholders solicitors interest bearingtrust account). The balance of the deposit(as specied in the Agreement for Sale and
Purchase) is to be paid within 10 workingdays of signing an agreement and thentheres nothing further to pay until settlementand handover of the keys. Construction isexpected to begin in the middle of this yearand should be ready for occupancy in June2017.
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NEW ZEALAND
Editorial
Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland
Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton
Copyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 25
Publisher:Kiwi Media Group Limited
Managing Editor:Giri Gupta | [email protected]
Editor: Maya Shivam | [email protected]
Associate Editor: Paula Ray | [email protected]
Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | [email protected]
Reporter: Rizwan Mohammed | [email protected]
Chief Technical Ofcer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected]
Graphic and Layout Design:IWK Design Team | designer@ indianweekender.co.nz
Advertising & Business Development Manager:
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Accounts and Admin.: Farah Khan | [email protected]
Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisheris not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication
- Mark Caine
Sweet-asPronounced: Sweet-as
A term people say instead of cool or awesome
Usage: That car over there is sweet-as bro!
Funny bone
Pick of the week
TIP from The TreNCheS
Ultimate Note taking with Evernote App
Write notes of all types, from short lists to lengthy research, and accessthem on any device. Collect web articles, handwritten notes, and photos
to keep all the details in one place.Take notes: write in a clean, distraction-free workspace.Get organized: create notebooks and add tags to wrangle projects.Find anything fast: text in notes, photos, and PDFs is searchable.Create a workspace for collaboration with shared notebooks and
share ideas.Keep up with to-dos: make to-do lists and check items off as you go.Manage expenses: organize receipts, bills, and invoices.
The Unreal Times reported that the US will transport 20,000 gallons of breathable air forObamas visit to Delhi for Republic Day. This is how President Obama will roll during hisvisit to Delhi (Base image via indiatoday.com)
The rst step toward success is taken when you refuse to be acapt ive of the envi ronment in which you rst nd yourself.
From the desk of theManaging Editor
Just today, I spoke to a dear friend of mine after a gap of 35years. Needless to say,life had happened to both of us and we had drifted apart. God bless my daughter andtechnology; together they tracked him down. Its often that until you meet or speak to
someone after those many years, is when you actually realize how much you missed them
and how important they are to you. Often we become so busy with our lives and struggles
that we lose track of those who have actually been our building blocks. But then, just as
life caused you to drift apart, it causes you to come together again.
The lesson I came back from this was never to let go of people who are important. Life
is about cherishing the relationships you build.
Talking of building relationships, the mother of all re lationships is what is on everyones
mind these days the growing India and US relationship. It is history in the making it
will be the rst ever time that a President of the United States has visited India twice
during his term and the rst ever time that the US President will be the chief guest at aRepublic Day celebration. There is great speculation and expectation from this impending
Obama visit to India. More so after the very optimistic visit of John Kerry during the
Vibrant Gujarat Summit. We had elaborately covered Mr Kerrys visit in our previous
issue and this issue brings you a curtain-raiser on the Obama visit. The excitement of the
year seems to be really building up and everyone almost seems to be holding their breath
to see how it all unfolds. Please look out for our next issue with all the details and other
reports on the Republic Day celebrations.
The other news thats topping the charts these days is the upcoming Delhi elections and
the Clash of the Titans Kiran Bedi the game-changer for BJP and Arvind Kejriwal of
AAP. The two together are keeping the media very busy and we thought we will serve up
a portion of it before the Obama mania takes over and all other stories take the sidelines.
In this issue we bring you another installment of Razzmatazz. The rst one was very
well received by our readers and this time we have the renowned designer Nikhil Kapoor
of NIFT fame giving us fashion tips for 2015. Hope you enjoy some really beautiful
pictures provided exclusively for Indian Weekeneder.
In this issue our section on Pimp your Cause raises another important and thought-
provoking question. A question that has perhaps been asked a bit too often, but has to datenot brought any clear answer. Perhaps we now as a society need to put our heads together
and think of the answer.
To sign off, on behalf of the entire team at Indian Weekender, wish all our readers a
very Happy Republic Day. Lets spare a thought to those who put the building blocks of
our country so we may one day build it into the India of our dreams. As India prepares
itself for the ight to newer and higher frontiers, heres wishing that all Indians around
the world as they x their gaze on achieving higher frontiers. Lets stand tall and witness
India scale greater heights lets applaud and cheer the vision and the determination of
the man who is making this possible and lets claim our rightful place in the world lets
be proud to be an Indian!
May the Force be with you!
Giri Gupta
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OPINION / EDITORIAL
n
cademic
ccountProf Sekhar BandyopadhyayDirector of New Zealand India Research Institute
In this column, I share my experiences thatwould perhaps be familiar to you too.If you can relate to them, please share your
thoughts or similar experiences with me
The message of the greatestPravasi Bharatiya
Iam writing this column from India during thelast phase of my more than a months stay inmy country of birth. During this stay I watched
a number of important events happening, each
having specic signicance for todays India.
The most important of all from my perspective
as a non-resident Indian (NRI) was of course the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas held on 7-9 January at
Gujarats Gandhinagar.
This particular event is being held in India
since 2003 with a mission to reconnect with
about twenty-ve million people of Indian origin
spread across the world. It is to recognise the
achievements of these migrs (Pravasis) and to
benet from their intellectual leadership, skills andcapital investments.
However, this years event was special, as
it celebrated the centenary of home coming of
the greatest of all Indian expatriates, Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma
(the great soul) Gandhi. On 9 January 1915 he
landed at the Port of Bombay after nearly twenty
years of stay in South Africa, where he fought
against a racist regime for the rights of Indians. For
the next thirty-three years, until his assassination
on 30 January 1948, he gave India his incredible
intellectual and political leadership in achieving
independence and attaining nationhood. If India
had the misfortune of being partitioned, it was
because many of his disciples did not listen to his
advice during the last hours of British rule. But thatis a different story, which we need not go into here.
What has struck me however is that in todays
India people should take the Mahatmas message
much more seriously and passionately than they
ever did before.
It was in South Africa that Gandhi realised the
pluralist nature of Indian society and in his famous
book Hind Swaraj
(1909) dened
a universalistconcept of
nationhood, which was not to be based on the
majoritarianism of any particular community, but
would provide appropriate place to the minorities
and the downtrodden. It would even be inclusive
of foreigners, as he wrote: The introduction of
foreigners does not necessarily destroy the nation,
they merge in it. A country is one nation only when
such a condition obtains in it. Such a notion of
inclusive nationhood is worth emulating for all
other nations receiving immigrants. Following
his grand vision, the Indian constitution provided
that the state would show equal respect for all
religions and guarantee social justice for all
hitherto underprivileged castes and tribes of India.
Today India needs economic development,
no doubt, and in this mission the wealthy NRIs
can certainly help with investments, advice and
leadership. But she also needs Gandhis wisdom,
and his message of inclusive nationalism, religious
tolerance and the principles of social justice.
A few days ago Professor Jagdish Bhagwati,
the famous Professor of Economics at ColumbiaUniversity and a great champion of Narendra
Modis Gujarat model of free market economy,
reminded an audience at Teen Murti Bhavan in
New Delhi that these two aspects of development
- economic and social - are complementary to each
other. It is only an inclusive India that can achieve
great heights in terms of economic development.
Temptation lies in the eyeof the beholder
Paula Ray
It was about ve years ago, almost a yearafter Pooja had rst arrived in Auckland.The apartment she was renting in CBD was
managed by a reputed letting agency and their
service was quite commendable.
Midway through her tenancy contract, the
property was sold off and the new owner did
not hire the services of the agency. As is the
norm, thereafter she had to report directly to the
apartment owner in case something needed to
be repaired.
So one day, a window lock snapped into
two and she got in touch with the owner, who
duly asked her to show him the window the
following afternoon. They agreed on a time andPooja waited at home to let him in.
After attending to the lock, he started a polite
conversation and eventually it veered towards
personal information. Pooja did not feel very
comfortable and so she told him that she had an
appointment.
As she walked towards the main door to let
him out, he grabbed the neckline of her T-shirt
indecently. This took her by complete surprise and
she slapped his hand away, pushing him out of the
door. At the same time, it also scared the wits out
of her. The apartment belongs to him and he had
complete right to ask her to leave overnight, or
so she thought. In those days, she was not very
conversant with the New Zealand tenancy laws.
Her rst instinct was to call the buildingmanager, who happened to be one of the rst
friends she made in this city. He was very helpful
and Pooja could talk to him about what had just
happened.
In due time, she found out about the tenancy
laws of the land, mostly via Citizens Advice
Bureau, and decided to report the incident to the
police. She wanted it to be documented, so that
in case something further happened there will be
a record of it.
That took Pooja to the Auckland Police and
an elderly ofcer sat her down in a room to writedown the report. She was asked to narrate the
incident and so she did. From time to time, she
was paused and asked for certain details.
But there was one particular detail that took
the wind out of her sail. She was asked: Please
excuse my question but what were you wearing
that day?
She asked: What do you mean by that?
The ofcer said: I mean to ask were you
wearing anything provocative, like a deep
neckline?
Being a newly-arrived immigrant and not
being familiar with the laws of the land, Pooja
didnt know how to react. All she could muster
to say was: No. Just a casual T-shirt and a
cardie over it.My question is: Should the law enforcer
ask such a question? More importantly, would
a female police ofcer have asked the same
question? Why is it that even in a liberal
western culture, women are held responsible
for the injustice meted out to them? As if, she
was asking for it!
Modi magic may face its severest test in Delhi Amulya Ganuli
The Delhi elections next month will showwhether Narendra Modi continues tond it difcult to score sweeping victories in
states where he faces a modicum of political
resistance.
As was seen in Maharashtra and Jharkhand,
the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was unable
to secure a majority on its own in the state
legislatures because the local parties - the Shiv
Sena in Maharashtra and the Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha in Jharkhand - could not be brushed
aside by the purported Modi wave.
This inability was seen in the general
election as well when the AIADMK in Tamil
Nadu, the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha and the
Trinamool Congress in West Bengal could not
be dislodged from their strongholds.
The BJPs success in Haryana was due
to the fact that its two major opponents - the
Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal
(INLD) - had gone into serious decline with the
topmost INLD leaders being in jail. Jammu and
Kashmir is in a different category because of its
distinctive demographic composition.
Since conventional wisdom suggests that
even if the BJP gets a majority in Delhi, the
Aam Admi Party (AAP) will not be a pushover,
the contest will be yet another major test of the
efcacy of the Modi magic. If the AAP runs
the BJP close, the latter will have only itself
to blame. Had it been a little more energetic in
addressing the problems of the national capital
via Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, at a time when
more than 50 percent of the development funds
have remained unspent, the BJPs prospects
would have been brighter.
But it is not so much the political and ofcial
lethargy in heeding the citys infrastructural
needs which may hurt the BJP as its failure to
rein in the saffron loudmouths, although Prime
Minister Modi is unhappy about their antics,
according to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
However, the result of this failure is the
possible consolidation of a sizable percentage
of minority votes behind the AAP, now that the
Congress is out of reckoning. Since Muslims
constitute 11.7 percent of Delhis population,
their support for the AAP is a gift to the
BJPs main opponent by Yogi Adityanath,
Sakshi Maharaj and others whose blinkered
views make them oblivious of the fact that
fundamentalism has few takers.
The situation may be partly redressed by
the entry into the BJP by one of the AAPs
most visible faces at one time, Shazia Ilmi,
who was earlier with Anna Hazare. But her
critics are likely to say that since the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) claimed to have
been associated with Annas anti-corruption
movement, Shazia has only come full circle.
The entry into the BJP of another of Annas
former associates, Kiran Bedi, has created
considerable stir because of the belief that
the energetic former police ofcer may be
the partys chief ministerial candidate. She is
however likely to face in-house opposition
from other chief ministerial aspirants like
Vijay Goel and Jagdish Mukhi who have
long been associated with the party and are
not a fair weather friend like Bedi. Moreover,
Bedis earlier critical comments about Modi,
especially about the 2002 Gujarat riots, may
come to haunt her.
It is entirely possible that if the BJP had
been more proactive in the eld of development
at both the state and national levels, the AAP
would have been unable to make much
headway. As it is, the party has lost much of its
earlier middle class support, as its spokesmen
admit. A possible reason is that its chief
minister of 49 days in the winter of 2013-14,
Arvind Kejriwal, still gives the impression that
his penchant for showmanship will come in the
way of governance.
He may no longer sit on a dharna or declare
his anarchist preferences, but it is unlikely that
he will eschew his instinctive confrontational
style in favour of a mature approach to
administration and in the matter of dealing with
other parties.
Even otherwise, the AAP remains a hodge-
podge of ideologies with the left of left
tendencies, as mentioned by its ideologue
Yogendra Yadav, alternating with Kejriwals
assertion of his bania credentials. This medley
stands in contrast to Modis focus on economic
growth, which is the mainstay of his appeal.
It is this approach of the prime minister which
has persuaded the third party in the fray, the
Congress, to decide to look beyond secularism
and the welfare of the poor to reach out to the
aspirational generation. However, as for its
chances in the Delhi election, the decline in its vote
share from 25 percent in the assembly elections of
2013 to 14 percent in the parliamentary polls of
2014 shows that not only the people have retained
their dislike for the Congress, but their aversion
may have intensied.
Although the AAPs vote share rose from
29.5 percent in 2013 to 33 percent in 2014, the
BJPs showing was more impressive since it
won all the seven parliamentary constituencies
in Delhi with 46.1 percent of the votes, a
substantial jump from 2013s 33.7 percent. Will
the BJP be ab